All can unite around renewal?

[DL82]

It seems that all the new movements in the Church, although some are critical of one another, have one thing in common - Renewal.

There are those groups who pray for the renewal of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
There are those who pray for the renewal of the liturgy in all its’ solemnity.
There are those who pray for a renewal of missionary zeal, doing what it takes to introduce newcomers to Christ in the Catholic Church.
There are those, such as Opus Dei, who work for the renewal of the wider society.

I have been very lucky to have been associated with two churches, one when I was in London, and another now that I’m in Glasgow, who were able to span that whole range, and to balance these desires for renewal. Unsurprisingly, these were two Catholic churches with growing and dynamic young congregations. So why when I come online does it seem there is so much in-fighting in the church?

 

[Michael_Welter]

So why when I come online does it seem there is so much in-fighting in the church?

Good question. IMHO, people fight about issues that they feel passionately about. All Catholics should feel passionately about their faith (Unfortunately, many do not). Add to this the fact that many Church documents are readily available to all people online, and many of these documents leave ample room for interpretation. People, by nature, will tend to interpret documents according to their own view of the Church. This isn’t necessarily wrong, as it opens the doors for much debate, and that’s a good thing. Debate is a great way to learn. Of course, in the end, we should all look to the Church for proper interpretation of all documents, including Scripture.

 

[fhansen]

We’re all pilgrims at various stages on our journey and apparently this means we’re all at different levels of ignorance or, to say it another way, we possess the truth to varying degrees. The truth is one so our disunity must be proof that we fall short of knowing it to one extent or the other.