A
Antonio_B
Guest
Recurring themes.
I have found certain themes that keep coming back, especially by progressive Catholics. Therefore, I’ve decided to once and for all give an answer to those themes in the hope that we can move the debate forward.
Theme # 1 We (lay people) should never criticize the bishops and to do so is a sign of disrespect.
The document from the council dealing with the Apostolate of the Laity makes it clear we must take responsibility for our Church, not just the bishops. If our bishops do their job we praise them. If they don’t, we give them constructive criticism for them to move in the right direction. Being critical of our bishops is neither disrespectful nor anti-clerical, it’s our duty as Catholics who care and love our Church. Fulton J. Sheen, in the seventies, made clear we, Catholic lay people, must be critical when needed:
“"Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops, like bishops and your religious act like religious."
Theme # 2 Those Catholics who supported the war in Iraq are contradicting our Holy Father who opposed such a war and therefore they are “cafeteria Catholics.”
Not only is this view incorrect, but I feel it is a cheap shot and a calumny against those of us who indeed do support the war. To this day neither church officials nor the Holy Father has explained to me and millions of Catholics who supported and support the war, what is wrong with liberating a country of 30 years of tyranny where women were routinely raped, mass graves were created for political enemies, the Kurds, men, women, and children were gassed by Saddam Hussein. Most people in Iraq lived in poverty while the tyrant built palaces, torture was routine and people lived in fear of the dictator. When someone finally explains to me what is so wrong with ending with that nightmare, then I’ll embrace the idea that the war on Iraq was unjust.
Repeatedly I have stated in this forum that as Catholics we have something we call in moral theology a **prudential **judgement to decide what is and what is not an just war and still remain good Catholics. We didn’t invent “prudential judgment” nor is it an excuse to become “cafeteria Catholics.” Indeed prudential judgment is a legitimate teaching of Catholic moral theology. Here is what the head of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith recently stated regarding the subject of war:
Words of Ratzinger in Part II
Antonio
I have found certain themes that keep coming back, especially by progressive Catholics. Therefore, I’ve decided to once and for all give an answer to those themes in the hope that we can move the debate forward.
Theme # 1 We (lay people) should never criticize the bishops and to do so is a sign of disrespect.
The document from the council dealing with the Apostolate of the Laity makes it clear we must take responsibility for our Church, not just the bishops. If our bishops do their job we praise them. If they don’t, we give them constructive criticism for them to move in the right direction. Being critical of our bishops is neither disrespectful nor anti-clerical, it’s our duty as Catholics who care and love our Church. Fulton J. Sheen, in the seventies, made clear we, Catholic lay people, must be critical when needed:
“"Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops, like bishops and your religious act like religious."
**Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen **
speaking before the Knights of Columbus
June 1972
speaking before the Knights of Columbus
June 1972
Theme # 2 Those Catholics who supported the war in Iraq are contradicting our Holy Father who opposed such a war and therefore they are “cafeteria Catholics.”
Not only is this view incorrect, but I feel it is a cheap shot and a calumny against those of us who indeed do support the war. To this day neither church officials nor the Holy Father has explained to me and millions of Catholics who supported and support the war, what is wrong with liberating a country of 30 years of tyranny where women were routinely raped, mass graves were created for political enemies, the Kurds, men, women, and children were gassed by Saddam Hussein. Most people in Iraq lived in poverty while the tyrant built palaces, torture was routine and people lived in fear of the dictator. When someone finally explains to me what is so wrong with ending with that nightmare, then I’ll embrace the idea that the war on Iraq was unjust.
Repeatedly I have stated in this forum that as Catholics we have something we call in moral theology a **prudential **judgement to decide what is and what is not an just war and still remain good Catholics. We didn’t invent “prudential judgment” nor is it an excuse to become “cafeteria Catholics.” Indeed prudential judgment is a legitimate teaching of Catholic moral theology. Here is what the head of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith recently stated regarding the subject of war:
Words of Ratzinger in Part II
Antonio
