Do Catholic Churches (Parishes) Split?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ez3714
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
E

ez3714

Guest
Ok, first, if you read my other posts, I hope you’ll figure out I’m not a troll (and St. Jerome and I have been working on my acid tongue :p), but there is an issue that really bugs me:

It seems Protestant churches are always splitting up. A group of members will decide they don’t like the Pastor, or the music has gotten too contemporary or not contemporary enough, or the Pastor’s wife wears white after Labor Day, and they fire somebody, and then half the congregation leaves to form another church.

Y’all, it makes me want to hurl.

However, Protestant churches and Catholic ones have the same crucial flaws: They not only let in People, but People who used to be Sinners. What happens when Catholic churches are attacked by the spirit of “stupid”?
 
I don’t know about the “spirit of stupid” bit, but I think about the rest of it. A few years ago there was a new Catholic started here in the north part of town. My church and one other was affected by this, because we lost parishioners who lived in that part of town. Since then, the wow churches joined to make on e parish in order to "share resoureces.’
 
I don’t know of parishes splitting. SOmeimes people jump from parish to parish. But the important thing is the message, not the messenger (at least thatd the way i see it)
 
Not to mention that Catholic Churches let in sinners, not just the saints who “used to be sinners”.

I may be wrong, but there has not been a split in the Catholic Church (disagreement on doctrine) since Luther.
 
ez3714 said:
Ok, first, if you read my other posts, I hope you’ll figure out I’m not a troll (and St. Jerome and I have been working on my acid tongue :p), but there is an issue that really bugs me:

It seems Protestant churches are always splitting up. A group of members will decide they don’t like the Pastor, or the music has gotten too contemporary or not contemporary enough, or the Pastor’s wife wears white after Labor Day, and they fire somebody, and then half the congregation leaves to form another church.

Y’all, it makes me want to hurl.

However, Protestant churches and Catholic ones have the same crucial flaws: They not only let in People, but People who used to be Sinners. What happens when Catholic churches are attacked by the spirit of “stupid”?
Click to expand...
One crucial difference is that Catholic Churches also let in people who are still sinners.

I think most Catholics realize that a Church is not someting that one can just go off and start on their own.
 
I’ve never heard of it happening…the parishes themselves don’t really get a say in which priest is assigned there, so on the one hand, we can’t just fire him, causing a divide in the parish, but on the other hand, it is possible for a priest to gain a “following”, if you will…and we all know about “that parish” in town, where people of a certain…charism (mindset) congregate.
 
I don’t believe that in a Catholic parish someone can just split and start a new parish, as each parish is assigned a priest. Of course if someone is unhappy with the parish they can choose to attend another.

My good friends attend a mega church started by the wife’s cousin. They used all kinds of gimmicks to get people to come to the church in the beginning. Such as some muscle building men who were popular on TBN. The church is just a large building with a stage and large screens. I attended and it was pure entertainment. Not what I would describe as worship.

Well four years ago the Pastor’s brother wanted to start his own church and the Pastor told him in no uncertain terms he would have to have it very far from his church. Of course the brother started it closer than his brother wanted. They are not on speaking terms at this time and it has torn the family apart.

It is a tradgedy. I feel pride has gotten it the way of the original Pastor’s life. I feel for my friends and her aunt. The men’s mother attends both churches. There is no peace in the family.

I asked my friend what happened to Christian charity. She is very sad about the whole estrangement of the family.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette
 
A Catholic parish gets its authority from the local bishop. A group of Catholics can leave a parish, but they can’t declare that they are a new parish. Only the bishop can do that.
 
In a lot of Protestant churches, it’s the congregation that hires the minister, who then takes on an employee relationship to the board or committee that hired him/her. This can affect a lot of things, from what ministries get emphasized at the church (youth, poor, etc.) to what gets preached about on Sundays.

In the Catholic Church, the pastor is appointed by the bishop for a set term of years (or for life), along with whatever other priests and/or deacons get assigned there by the bishop. The pastor speaks for the parish on all matters, and if he chooses to preach on a given subject, no one can stop him (well, the bishop can remove him for cause). He isn’t an employee; he’s the pastor, charged with quite a few specific spiritual responsibilities toward his flock.

(This is one reason the frequent complaint “The priest just listens to who has the money” gets laughed at by those who know better; the priest doesn’t have to worry about job security at the hands of the parishioners).

When Catholics don’t care for a particular Mass, they simply go to another. Don’t like guitars and piano? Go to the Mass with the organ and SATB choir. Don’t like music? Go to the 7:30 a.m. Mass. Don’t like Fr. Smith’s homilies? Go to Fr. Jones’ Mass. If a lot builds up so you can’t stand the parish anymore, go to another one (your geographical pastor will still be responsible for you if you have a sacramental emergency, but you can attend any Mass you like).

The only time I know of when parishes merge or split is when the bishop decides that a given parish is too small or too big. He then closes the parish or creates a new one. But it’s his call.

And, of course, if an individual parishioner or group of parishioners doesn’t like what’s being taught, there are plenty of Protestant churches out there, with a full spectrum of teachings on every subject you can imagine.
 
Godfollower said:
When Catholics don’t care for a particular Mass, they simply go to another. Don’t like guitars and piano? Go to the Mass with the organ and SATB choir. Don’t like music? Go to the 7:30 a.m. Mass. Don’t like Fr. Smith’s homilies? Go to Fr. Jones’ Mass. If a lot builds up so you can’t stand the parish anymore, go to another one (your geographical pastor will still be responsible for you if you have a sacramental emergency, but you can attend any Mass you like).
Click to expand...
That’s getting a bit more difficult, what with parish consolidation Fr Smith now covering what used to be two or three separate parishes. You may have to go to actually go to the new “cluster” that Fr Jones has been reassigned to.
That’s what I did to get away from my “Fr Smith” & global warming sermons.
And, of course, if an individual parishioner or group of parishioners doesn’t like what’s being taught, there are plenty of Protestant churches out there, with a full spectrum of teachings on every subject you can imagine.
Click to expand...
I bet it’s pretty rare for a group, as a group, to leave a parish because of the pastor or even liturgical issues. I’m sure it’s more a matter of a few parishioners here, a family there, a couple more next month and after a year attendance (and collections!) are down significantly.
 
Veering ever so slightly off thread here (as if my history of veers could ever be termed “slight”) I was somewhat shocked when I learned that hooking up with a Parish was not like voting in that you had to stay in the precinct to which you were assigned.

It has the obvious advantage of allowing the Holy Spirit to place His people where He wants them. It has the disadvantages you’ve all mentioned. All in all, it’s a more liberal policy than I’d expected. Of course, Catholicism ain’t what I’d expected in general either, lol.

…and now the waiting to discover for whom I’m being prepared and who is being prepared for me.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top