Bishops Rip Gibson; RCF Rip Bishops

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I can’t believe the responses to the letter. The bishops have been neglectful in so many areas that one would have to be a polly anna not to assign just blame.

The tone of the letter may be strident, but after decades of inaction, obfuscation and even lies it is high time the laity voiced their concern over the state of the Church. For years many have written to the bishops and Rome and no relief has been seen. The charges in the letter are spot on. The bishops themselves have admitted that catechetical materials are vastly defiecent. They say this as if it is a surprise. What have they been doing all these years?

It is common knowledge there are many bishops who give only lip service to obedience to Rome. They only obey when they agree. They ignore Rome’s directives, or use a loophole mentality in implementing them. To ignore all that is to ignore reality.

 

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Scott_Lafrance:

Still, for a charge to be slander, the accusations have to be false. Unfortunately, this letter peels back the covering of a festering, neglected sore.

What an understatement. In the mid 1980s a cardinal, I can’t recall the name, said most American bishops were in material schism. He was correct. Everyone knows it, including Rome, but they are afraid to act for fear of a formal schism. Those who act like the bishops are without blame, or are above just criticism, are part of the problem.

 

[Lisa4Catholics]

sbcoral:

This post doesn’t even make any sense to me. The quotation from the Catholic bishops’ committee is a reasonable statement about reasonable concerns about Gibson’s movie. I see no connection, though, between this simple statement and the vitriolic attack on our bishops that follows. What the heck?
Is the “Roman Catholic Faithful” really a Catholic organization?

 

[Lisa4Catholics]

Where is all the anti-semetic things that were going to happen? I think the movie was moving and caused personal reflection of Gods love for us. Also, that he died for all of us,and all of our sins. I guess any portrayal of the Passion of our Lord is not politically correct,either.SAD.God Bless
Oh by the way the Tridentine Mass was never"outlawed"with Vatican two

 

[rwoehmke]

EddieArent:

Occasionally, however, the U.S. Bishops come out with something that is so outrageous, so offensive, so truly malignant, that the laity cannot remain mute. And so it is with this, your latest piece of ecclesiastical drivel.

When we consider your words, we must reflect upon all that you have given the laity during the past several decades; to wit:

• You have destroyed our precious liturgy and replaced it with a quasi-heretical and saccharine floor show.
• You have corrupted our children with poisonous sex ed programs.
• You have allowed our children to be raped by perverted monsters in the clergy and have done everything in your power to cover up these crimes.
• You have destroyed our beautiful churches and Cathedrals and replaced them with ugly “churches” that resemble aircraft hangars or cement factories.
• You have squandered billions of dollars on useless or harmful “ministries” that are little more than glorified havens for left wing activists.
• You have persecuted holy and orthodox priests and nuns.
• You have denied priests their right to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass, a right which no bishop or pastor of the Church can ever take away.
• You have destroyed the faith of millions by promoting false catechesis.
• You have turned away worthy candidates for the priesthood because they accepted the perennial teachings of the Church or because they opposed homosexuality.

The collective evil committed by the American Bishops dwarfs any harm committed in the Enron scandal, yet none of you have been sent to jail.

After taking a second look at this diatribe, I began to wonder how could all these things have happened. At the close of Vatican II we had a fairly well Cathechized laity. We were supposed to be strong in The Faith, responsible Catholics. Our Catholic Colleges and Universities were still Faithful. In short the situation that seems to exist with today’s generation of Catholic Faithful did not exist. It is easy to blame our Bishops, but I am beginning to think that we older folks dropped the ball somewhere along the line and for the Bishops to maintain all this good stuff would be akin to “pushing on a rope.” We had learned that keeping the Bark of Peter off the rocks was the responsibility of the Clergy, Father, His Excellency the Bishop, Our Pope and we set back and complained while the younger folks were taking action. Complaining gained us nothing and actions were more effective than words. I am thinking a profound mea culpa is perhaps appropriate for many of us. If we were so bound up in our Faith and loyal to the Church why did we let it happen. Castigating the Bishops is not going to fix it. Our liberals complain because John Paul II has been appointing Conservative/Reactionary Bishops( Only two of the Cardinal Electors were not appointed by him.) and if this is true who do we have to blame, but ourselves.

 

[Island_Oak]

jlw:

The response here may fall into the “too easliy offended” category.

I think anyone who has taken time to respod to this thread would agree that there is plenty to do and miles to go towards putting the Catholic house in order. However, taking the discourse to the level of a Jerry Springer sweeps-week circus act is effective neither as a way to intelligently identify and repair the many divisions within the house nor to convey the impression that Catholics are serious people of faith committed to fundamental change where experience has shown failure or weakness in the current system.

 

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rwoehmke:

After taking a second look at this diatribe, I began to wonder how could all these things have happened. At the close of Vatican II we had a fairly well Cathechized laity. We were supposed to be strong in The Faith, responsible Catholics. Our Catholic Colleges and Universities were still Faithful. In short the situation that seems to exist with today’s generation of Catholic Faithful did not exist. It is easy to blame our Bishops, but I am beginning to think that we older folks dropped the ball somewhere along the line and for the Bishops to maintain all this good stuff would be akin to “pushing on a rope.” We had learned that keeping the Bark of Peter off the rocks was the responsibility of the Clergy, Father, His Excellency the Bishop, Our Pope and we set back and complained while the younger folks were taking action. Complaining gained us nothing and actions were more effective than words. I am thinking a profound mea culpa is perhaps appropriate for many of us. If we were so bound up in our Faith and loyal to the Church why did we let it happen. Castigating the Bishops is not going to fix it. Our liberals complain because John Paul II has been appointing Conservative/Reactionary Bishops( Only two of the Cardinal Electors were not appointed by him.) and if this is true who do we have to blame, but ourselves.

It is difficult to have a calm reasoned discussion about these topics. I think few would disagree that we laity need to reform ourselves. That is always a struggle. That in no way can lessen the failure of our Shepherds to Shepherd. They have let themselves down and the Church down. We are supposed to look to them for moral guidance and support. As a group they have allowed all manner of error to go unchecked. The fruit of their stewardship can be seen in all the ills in our Church today. Are they totally to blame? No, but they are the leaders and they often fail to lead.

They can’t even get on the same page about enforcing canon law. Politicians for a generation have called themselves Catholic and acted publicly against Church teaching. No discipline was ever applied. How is the ordinary Catholic to see all this? The bishops are afraid to act, or perhaps agree with the politicians? A Candidiate for president runs as a Catholic, yet supported abortion and other evils. Most bishops were silent decades before this happended and will continue to be silent. This is but one small example.

No, our bishops have let us down in many ways. Yes, we should do more, but that in no way is an excuse for the poor Shepherding we receive.

 

[swampfox]

Church Militant:

OUCH!

There’s nothing like charity…

Or CLARITY

 

[NM2]

BLB_Oregon:

I think your criticism of our Mass is self-important, not to mention just plain wrong. You may like it better the way it was, but even implying a charge of heresy is totally out of line.

I get very tired of the “Novus Ordo is not a real Mass” crowd.

 

[jlw]

I get very tired of the “Novus Ordo is not a real Mass” crowd.

I by no means dis a reverant Norus Ordo Mass, but the nuttiness of made-up-litergy-focus-on-charasmatic-me-not-God at the alter seems to stem from it, doesn’t it??

 

[fix]

I get very tired of the “Novus Ordo is not a real Mass” crowd.

I attend a Novus Ordo mass. I do not call it my mass or our mass. It is not our personal property. It should be celebrated with respect and accoring to the norms given us by Mother Church. Too often it is not celebrated that way.

 

[BLB_Oregon]

Panis Angelicas:

And I don’t believe that families covered up anything when their children were molested.

I meant families who covered for a male relative, although I’m sure there were those who also refused to believe that wonderful Father Loves-the-Kids could do such a thing. And if you don’t believe there are families who have either not believed children on this front or who turned to accuse the child of the crime, guess again. I could tell stories from college aquaintances that would curl your hair.