Diocese is becoming politically leftist

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Loud-living-dogma said:
I am talking about the bishop allying himself with groups that are pro-illegal immigrant, and that I perceive to be leftist. Refugees need our urgent help - - I’m not talking about them here.
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Most social justice issues allow more than one Christian-compatible response. One might in good conscience support, for instance, either the Democratic or Republican plan(s). The problem might come in for when people demand that only one of the discretionary plans (the Trump plan, or that of his opponents) is the “Christian” response, and denounce those who support any other discretionary option.

Furthermore, it would be wrong for the Church to put discretionary issues on the same level as “absolute” issues such as abortion or same sex marriage, where there is only one Christian compatible response. For instance, it would be wrong for a diocese to join forces with another denomination or political advocacy group which supports abortion, in order to further some discretionary opinion.
 
Loud-living-dogma said:
I am talking about the bishop allying himself with groups that are pro-illegal immigrant, and that I perceive to be leftist. Refugees need our urgent help - - I’m not talking about them here.
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So because your Bishop is taking an eminently defensible (from a Christian perspective) position on illegal immigrants, he’s a filthy leftist? Does this allow me to conclude that to be a conservative is to ultimately believe there is no such thing a social justice, and the power of the State should never be challenged, nor should people ever do what they perceive to be the right thing, because of legal constraints?

In other words, you want your Church to be little more than an apologist for your right wing politics.
 
You nice atheist : ),
You raise some interesting points the way you frame it. I need to think about why it is okay (in my mind) for the bishops to appear right-wing at times, but not left-wing. Maybe there is a good reason, maybe not. I am going to think this over, and will post again when I have clarified. Thanks. I think it has to do with the outside groups themselves.
 
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Its easy, you give them a bottle of water and a pb&j sammich and then call ICE.
 
When in doubt about what the Catholic Church teaches, please check the Catechism of the Catholic Church (published 1994). You will learn that this material is neither “left-wing” nor “right wing.” It contains orthodox Catholicism and is based wholly upon Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition and is approved by the Magisterium—the teaching authority vested in the Pope and those Bishops in union with him. (Unfortunately, not all are). Any teaching that is not supported by and/or found within this Catechism is considered “not orthodox” teaching.

That said, I agree that illegal immigration is “illegal”— against the civil law. And it was Jesus who said: Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. So it seems that Catholics, like all U.S. citizens, should utilize the voting booth to effect and/or change the civil laws with which they disagree.
 
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Don’t see anything on that page that they are “watchdogging” ICE. Quote?
 
Yes, disagree with the laws, and try to change them if the bishops feel they are unfair.
You can pretend that there is no left-wing, or right-wing implied in the policy positions of the Catholic Church. The reality is, when the Church gets into politics, some issues are left or right wing.

I read yesterday that 34% of Catholics in the US are Hispanic. That explains a lot about the bishop’s position.
 
Although I’m hearing you…I must ask if those “policy positions” are to be found in the Catechism (CCC)?
I don’t think open borders is included there, and I’ve studied it cover-to-cover.
 
Yes… As I mentioned above, not all Bishops are holding to ‘orthodox Catholicism’; and this I’m finding extremely distressing.
 
Thank you . Me too - - I think they are going to lose their own people over their foolish political stances.
 
I think (hope) that the majority of bishops in the USCCB are ‘mainstream’ orthodox but there are clearly some affected by and holding to “left-wing” attitudes. Those who are vocal enough to openly support and teach Catholic orthodoxy tend to become flagged as “right-wing” when, in reality, they are only supporting what the Catholic Church authentically believes and teaches.
 
Yes - - I used to think our bishop was just normal, following the Church teachings, but now he seems to be getting into more of the illegal immigrant issues, perhaps to the detriment of other issues. There is a new group called a “Solidarity Network” that is affiliated with our diocese, where people can call to get “moral observers” in case they are getting arrested, or being targeted for being deported. I can’t help but think of all the Catholic police officers I know - - they must be feeling betrayed, when the diocese acts like everyone assumes there will be misconduct unless they have the “moral observers” there.
 
Not sure what the outcome will be. There are not a few who agree with them; and if they aren’t corrected soon they’ll no longer be teaching (or following) Catholicism, but something else.
 
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This demographic will change also probably. I live in Florida, most of the Hispanics I meet today, are NOT catholic. I’ve met some Catholic Hispanics, but lately only at church. I meet plenty of Pentecostal, and Evangelical Hispanics when I’m socializing. Most of the professional people I meet are either not going to church period and are just ‘cultural catholics’ or for instance one guy became Anglican because his bride wanted a beach wedding. A wedding venue was enough for him to abandon the Church.

The RC church isn’t going to please everyone all the time. It’s not meant to and people in the US have loads of choice in reinventing themselves. We are fast approaching a time when being a ‘Cafeteria Catholic’ will be beyond laughable.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, if we could get beyond the ‘sadness’ of it all. Those that stay in the Church will be mostly people who really want to be Catholic, and I’m not just referring to “Traditional” Catholics. Novus Ordo Catholics who really believe and appreciate the rich and loving culture of the Church and all the Sacraments will stay.

The Church may be wanting to fill the pews, but people are leaving. Not just the RCC but all churches. That’s why it has to be ‘entertaining’ in so many of the denominations. Some of the Evangelical preachers I listen to on BBN (Bible Broadcasting Network) lament this new theme. (I listen mostly for the news and the traditional hymns they play, and I’m acutely aware that they are not Catholic. Our local Catholic owned radio plays 'Contemporary Christian Music" most of which I don’t enjoy.)
 
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Loud-living-dogma said:
Yes - - I used to think our bishop was just normal, following the Church teachings, but now he seems to be getting into more of the illegal immigrant issues, perhaps to the detriment of other issues. There is a new group called a “Solidarity Network” that is affiliated with our diocese, where people can call to get “moral observers” in case they are getting arrested, or being targeted for being deported. I can’t help but think of all the Catholic police officers I know - - they must be feeling betrayed, when the diocese acts like everyone assumes there will be misconduct unless they have the “moral observers” there.
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I am sorry to hear this. I do wish our bishops would not take such an active stance on this particular issue, especially when there seems to be such deafening silence on others.
 
Is there more than one Catechism of the Catholic Church?

Reading some of these responses has me scratching my head as to how we could read the same words and come to such different conclusions as to the proper treatment of people.
 
Yes, that’s what I figure. Lots of “Iglesia de Dios” in the future.
 
I am not an expert in international economics nor a social worker. There are wiser heads out there and to deal in “what if’s” can end up in a rabbit hole.

In the here and now there are loving, Catholic families who have risked everything to bring their children to the US so those kids can have a chance at a better life. Under the current program, these people would never have a chance to enter the US “legally”. They are often manual laborers who have a grade school level education. They are poor people.

Poor people cannot come to the US under the current system. Period. The chance of a better life should not be limited to the rich.

We should have a process in place where those who arrive here can work to regularize their situation. Kinda like the Cuban refugees, if they can get a foot on US soil they are given sanctuary.

What about the people who are highly educated and were sponsored by corporations or those of well-heeled families who could afford to sponsor them in? Good for them.

Allowing those who are not as fortunate the same chance takes noting away from the more fortunate. Of course those who work in immigration assistance will tell you that the biggest danger to an undocumented immigrant is a documented immigrant. In the Church we call that “elder brother syndrome” and it is not the Christian way to treat others.

I absolutely do not have the answer, but, “give me your tired, your poor, the huddled masses” needs to still mean something in the US.
 
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