Are catholics "more evil" in our modern age?

[Ben_Sinner]

I keep hearing lectures about how so few catholics attend mass, and how so few attend confession, but almost all of them receive communion and are poorly catechized. I also hear that in the past, people frequented mass and confession and only half received communion and were properly catechized…does that mean catholics in the past were “more holy” and more were saved back then?

 

[1ke]

They were certainly more attuned to or conscious of their own sinfulness and the awesomeness of God.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

I keep hearing lectures about how so few catholics attend mass, and how so few attend confession, but almost all of them receive communion and are poorly catechized. I also hear that in the past, people frequented mass and confession and only half received communion and were properly catechized…does that mean catholics in the past were “more holy” and more were saved back then?

Highly questionable. Just because people “knew” more doesn’t mean they believed more. There was plenty of sin going on. Culture was entirely different as well. People tend to do things “to go along” and thus some were just “going along.” There’s no way to know what generation is “more saved” than any other…

 

[corsair]

The church has always been under attack. Catholics are not necessarily more evil today. They are exposed to more evil plots and a more open enemy. So its safe to assume that many are “tricked” into following Satan. I’ve lost 3 of my seven children to secularism (at least for now).
I put a lot of trust in St. Monica, I suppose if she could save her son perhaps she can help me save mine.

 

[Wowbagger]

I keep hearing lectures about how so few catholics attend mass, and how so few attend confession, but almost all of them receive communion and are poorly catechized.

True!

I also hear that in the past, people frequented mass and confession and only half received communion and were properly catechized.

False.

The disaster of the 1960’s is, if anything, hard proof that pre-Vatican II Catholics had not the least idea what they were doing. Catechesis would not have failed in the post-Conciliar era if catechesis had not already abjectly failed for at least the entire preceding generation.

In the broad history of the Church, there have always been ups and downs in Mass attendence, reception of the sacraments, and probably even general holiness. We are definitely rebounding from a pretty serious ebbtide during the period immediately before and after the Council. On the other hand, historically speaking, the Catholic Church has seen far worse catastrophes in attendance and participation, such as for the century before (and the century after, obviously!) Martin Luther’s 95 Theses.

As for catechesis, all the historical evidence I’ve seen suggests that catechesis has always been pretty bad. A few are taught well, most are taught poorly, many are taught heresy, and we’ve just got to hope and trust in Christ, because His Church doesn’t do a very good job transmitting itself.

Shrug. Keep fighting the good fight, I suppose. And pray for the Church.

 

[Julian0404]

I keep hearing lectures about how so few catholics attend mass, and how so few attend confession, but almost all of them receive communion and are poorly catechized. I also hear that in the past, people frequented mass and confession and only half received communion and were properly catechized…does that mean catholics in the past were “more holy” and more were saved back then?

Ben,
First there is nothing modern about a societ that kills 40,000,000 babies each year. Technology is only a “machine measurement” for modern. The morality of the people is the social measure, and we have moved backwards. Back toward the B.C. and Old Testament thinking where the sacrafice of children was a accepted within society. America has now replaced Sodom and Gomorha by deed and desire.

Second, it is not “catholics” per se, it is society at large which is moving backward toward evil. This is not by accident as every day that the world grows closer and closer to Jesus return. We do not know when, but we know that when HE does return, the world will be a sad place where Christians are persecuted. For that to happen, Christians have to become the minority, which is what you are focusing upon. Poor religious training. Turning the Sabbath into another day of “business as usual”. Social sermons vs. the nature of sin sermons. Christians voting for Democrats/Republicans who openly support abortion. Pornography as a “protected right”.

Ben, keep yourself in a state of grace.

 

[Newbie2]

The church has always been under attack. Catholics are not necessarily more evil today. They are exposed to more evil plots and a more open enemy. So its safe to assume that many are “tricked” into following Satan. I’ve lost 3 of my seven children to secularism (at least for now).
I put a lot of trust in St. Monica, I suppose if she could save her son perhaps she can help me save mine.

That, methinks, is an excellent observation. Take TV for example. Compare what we were exposed to in an evening of TV in the 60s (or 50s for you older folks ) and what you see nowadays.

I’ve recently “discovered” St. Joseph. We were having some teenage child “concerns”, nothing terribly bad, and I started praying for his intercession. While the problems have not gone away (I didn’t expect immediate action), the way I approached handling them immediately improved, as well as the immediate decrease in my level of anxiety.

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

I honestly don’t know… I just came back to the Catholic Church in Feb (Ash Wed). But I take my Sunday commitment VERY seriously. And I’m been to confession twice. Do I know much about my faith–not as much as I need to…but I’m going to RCIA in the fall.

One thing that does concern me…when I go on Wed. night to Mass or daily Mass near where I work…I notice I’m one of very few young people…and I’m over 40… This does alarm me in the trend of where our Church is headed…