Catholicism ... losing or gaining?

[fcgv]

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Quote:
At the present time, more than in any preceding age, Roman Catholics are seen to lapse into infidelity … If you consider Catholicism within its own organization, it seems to be losing; if you consider it from outside, it seems to be gaining. Nor is this difficult to explain. The men of our days are naturally little disposed to believe; but as soon as they have any religion, they immediately find in themselves a latent instinct that urges them unconsciously towards Catholicism. Many of the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church astonish them, but they feel a secret admiration for its discipline, and its great unity attracts them. If Catholicism could at length withdraw itself from the political animosities to which it has given rise, I have hardly any doubt but that the same spirit of the age which appears to be so opposed to it would become so favorable as to admit of its great and sudden advancement.

Any comment?***

 

[dfroom208]

I don’t know if you have any empiracal truth to that. I know it was true for me, but I grew up Catholic, it was the religion of my ancestors. So was I attracted to the Church because it was part of my heritage, or because of something supernatural? Is that true for someone who grew up Muslim, or Hindu?

 

[Jimzz12]

Quote:
At the present time, more than in any preceding age, Roman Catholics are seen to lapse into infidelity … If you consider Catholicism within its own organization, it seems to be losing; if you consider it from outside, it seems to be gaining. Nor is this difficult to explain. The men of our days are naturally little disposed to believe; but as soon as they have any religion, they immediately find in themselves a latent instinct that urges them unconsciously towards Catholicism. Many of the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church astonish them, but they feel a secret admiration for its discipline, and its great unity attracts them. If Catholicism could at length withdraw itself from the political animosities to which it has given rise, I have hardly any doubt but that the same spirit of the age which appears to be so opposed to it would become so favorable as to admit of its great and sudden advancement.

Any comment?

150,000 adult baptisms on Easter this year in the United States alone! How’s that?

Definitely gaining… but more accurately said “Consolidating”. Basically other Christians who are not Catholic or Orthodox are coming into the Church in unprecedented number right now.

This is particularly evident in China where the figure sits at some 90,000,000+ new Catholics in less than a decade. Persecution does funny things. The numbers will continue to climb when Catholicism is finally formally outlawed in the United States. The time is sooner than you think. In some states Catholics are now recognized as “bigots” and promotors of “hate-speech”. Catholics are listed as potential terrorists on the level of the Oklahoma City bombing.

Don’t think it can happen? It has happened in every European country at least once. Some twice. And, it was the law in Mexico until 1995 when Catholicism was finally officially and legally allowed.

The torch is being passed to China and Africa. But, I’m not worried. Worry is from the devil.

 

[August_Ambrose]

I’m reminded of the sawer who scattered his seed. We do that too, we scatter our seed , some on furtile ground, some on rocks, some on sand. Faith is still a supernatural gift from God strong bey still very fragile. We are doing very well in the world t large, but are Americans becoming political, liberal catholics? Is the church divided between those who are excummunicated and those who aren’t? Those who ‘‘are on vacation’’ from the church and those who are very active every Sunday. I personally go to Mass for Holy Communion, it doesn’t matter if I like the priest or what he says I may not always agree with …

 

[Tsuwano]

Losing or gaining in what? Membership? And what does it matter? The Church isn’t running a race. It’s attempting to live and preach the Gospel of Christ. What is true is true, whether it is popular or not.

 

[seraph]

Losing or gaining in what? Membership? And what does it matter? The Church isn’t running a race. It’s attempting to live and preach the Gospel of Christ. What is true is true, whether it is popular or not.

True. If you think about it, Christ has already won. The OP probably meant in terms of membership. Now does this mean there isn’t room to grow? Of course not. Definitely not. To paraphrase, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.

 

[a_cermak]

Studies in the US have showed that the Catholic Church is staying even with population group. So while it is losing members, it is also gaining from the immigrant population. That should position it fairly well demographically as, unlike many churches, it doesn’t need to adapt itself to a multi-cultural audience, as it already is multi-cultural.

The one caution I would give is that I’ve seen a lot of pentecostal style Spanish language churches springing up near me in the Cicero, Berwyn and West side areas which are large concentrations of Mexican and Central American (mostly Guatemalan with an occasional Nicaraguan). The Catholic church needs to do a better job of making sure new immigrants don’t fall through the cracks.

 

[Auntie_M]

Tonight on Father Groeshel…he commented on the New York Times publishing an article on all religions, whether gaining or loosing faithfuls. As far as the New York Times, Catholism is one of the fastest growing faiths.

 

[dnomyaR]

. The time is sooner than you think. In some states Catholics are now recognized as “bigots” and promotors of “hate-speech”. Catholics are listed as potential terrorists on the level of the Oklahoma City bombing.

Don’t think it can happen? It has happened in every European country at least once. Some twice. And, it was the law in Mexico until 1995 when Catholicism was finally officially and legally allowed.

Won’t happen in California. I guess it’s good to be on the look out for it though.

 

[otjm]

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Quote:
At the present time, more than in any preceding age, Roman Catholics are seen to lapse into infidelity … If you consider Catholicism within its own organization, it seems to be losing; if you consider it from outside, it seems to be gaining. Nor is this difficult to explain. The men of our days are naturally little disposed to believe; but as soon as they have any religion, they immediately find in themselves a latent instinct that urges them unconsciously towards Catholicism. Many of the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church astonish them, but they feel a secret admiration for its discipline, and its great unity attracts them. If Catholicism could at length withdraw itself from the political animosities to which it has given rise, I have hardly any doubt but that the same spirit of the age which appears to be so opposed to it would become so favorable as to admit of its great and sudden advancement.

Any comment?***

I am curious as to when this was written.

 

[Auntie_M]

If I have to be called a “terrorist” in order to be Catholic…well

BOO (are ya scared yet?)

Our own military have also been referred to as “terrorist” Can’t believe eveything you see or hear.

I really like that old song (can’t remember the name) but it goes something like this…

“You gotta believe in something or you’ll fall for anything”

 

[manualman]

In ultimate terms, the question is irrelevent.

Does anybody today care or wonder how it looked during various portion of that Old Testament battle when Moses had to keep his arms raised high? When his arms drooped, the Israelites started losing, when he raised them they surged ahead…

Today, it’s trivia. All that matters is that Israel won. So will the new Israel.

 

[JPUSC]

Well…I’m pretty bummed that Islam just surpassed us. We used to be the world’s largest religion! uch:

 

[Gregory_I]

Well, I converted from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism. NOw, 5 years later I am converting from Roman Catholicism to Eastern Orthodoxy. WHY??? Because Ultimately the Claims of the Roman Catholic Church Don’t stand up in History. The ROman Catholic Church is internally consistent, but its consistency of Position is only after 1009, the First time a pope said the Filioque in the creed. From then on, after the Papal Reform, it no longer mirrored the Catholic Church, but the “Roman” traditions that it was gradually accumulating. The Pope would be the first protestant, the First to interpret Matt. 16:18 out of context and against the Mind of the fathers to add to his power, he would innovate Purgatory, indulgences, and all sorts of canonical errors.

If a The Life of Christ is Any measure of the Church, the Church being Christ, then Peter has just finished denying him thrice. MAybe soon the cock will crow and Christ will reinstate him…

I have read all these articles, I understand the logic, I KNOW the arguments, but they STILL do not work because their very nature EXCEEDS the limits of the Divine BOundaries. Do you really think it was Paul’s mission to preach that “Unless every creature be absolutely subject to the Roman Pntiff, he cannot be saved”?
Was it really Peter’s goal to teach as an article of faith necessary to Salvation that “The VIrgin Mary was by Special privilege conceived without original sin”?

They preached Christ crucified! MAry cannot be understood except from WITHIN the church, she does not belong to the Public Preaching! SHe is a gift to those IN the church!

 

[KestrelRose]

I think I know what you are saying and perhaps you have a reasonable intellectual point.

However, Mary is a gift to all human-kind. A good mother loves and prays for her children whether or not they appreciate her.

Strange to me that you would leave the Church because of Her teachings concerning Mary. This is the reason I fell in love with the Church. Mary was my spiritual mother long before I understood and came to love her myself.

I do believe that Mary’s love can be understood outside the Church. A mother’s love is a beautiful thing.

 

[saieditor]

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Quote:
At the present time, more than in any preceding age, Roman Catholics are seen to lapse into infidelity … If you consider Catholicism within its own organization, it seems to be losing; if you consider it from outside, it seems to be gaining. Nor is this difficult to explain. The men of our days are naturally little disposed to believe; but as soon as they have any religion, they immediately find in themselves a latent instinct that urges them unconsciously towards Catholicism. Many of the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church astonish them, but they feel a secret admiration for its discipline, and its great unity attracts them. If Catholicism could at length withdraw itself from the political animosities to which it has given rise, I have hardly any doubt but that the same spirit of the age which appears to be so opposed to it would become so favorable as to admit of its great and sudden advancement.

Any comment?***

Its an interesting quote and probably a sociological observation on Catholicism in the Americas.

I am shocked at how much Catholicism has got involved in politics; during your last election campaign, I downloaded and read your USA Catholic Bishops Conference documents on candidates and specific issues and it astounds me … I could say a lot of things, but …

this smacks of Chesterton and Newman to me; secret admirers of the centuries, nay, millennia of tradition and apostolic succession … it must be enormously attractive to the outsiders looking in.

We have one thing most others (I don’t speak for EC here) don’t have - sacraments. The theology of sacraments is incredible when compared to what other ecclesisal communities say and practice. Perhaps it is that which is so attractive … mystery, pointing to the Divine, fully encompassed by the Divine, yet, beyond, so far beyond, and inviting with a universal love which saturates every atom, every electron, neutron, proton of your being with Divine Love …

 

[udoc89]

Losing or gaining in what? Membership? And what does it matter? The Church isn’t running a race. It’s attempting to live and preach the Gospel of Christ. What is true is true, whether it is popular or not.

I agree. What does it matter? My opinion (and I stress “my”) is that in the not-too-distant future in this country, there will be fewer Catholics–but those remaining will be more devout, more orthodox.