Do you live in an "abusive" diocese?

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I think I am the most blessed Christian in the world. I live in a great diocese with a conservative, orthodox bishop who does not tolerate abuses, who has encouraged the TLM (since 1985 in our city), and who is open to innovative Masses like Life Teen (as long as there are no abuses).

My daughters also live in dioceses with great bishops who keep a tight reign on abuse.

I have only been a Catholic three years, and I naively thought everyone had it this good!

But when I read about what others on this Forum have to live with, I cringe!

So what’s life like for Catholics where you live?
 
Cat said:
I think I am the most blessed Christian in the world. I live in a great diocese with a conservative, orthodox bishop who does not tolerate abuses, who has encouraged the TLM (since 1985 in our city), and who is open to innovative Masses like Life Teen (as long as there are no abuses).

My daughters also live in dioceses with great bishops who keep a tight reign on abuse.

I have only been a Catholic three years, and I naively thought everyone had it this good!

But when I read about what others on this Forum have to live with, I cringe!

So what’s life like for Catholics where you live?
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Ours is as barren as the South Texas climate. Many people have writen to our Ordinary reporting liturgical abuse, but, nothing has happened, with one notable exception. Someone reported a communal reconciliation with the reprobated practice of writing one’s sins and having the priest read them and then burn them. At least he snuffed that one out. But, the rest of the bunch he’s pretty much ignored.😦
 
I live in an orthodox diocese and we attend at a very orthodox parish. It is really blessing! Each Sunday as I pray for our priests, thanking God for them, I say another prayer that heterdox priests and bishops will make a turn toward the better.

St Thomas a Becket would be a good intercessor with this. He went from a playboy only interested in his wordly advancement to a very penitential, orthodox priest on his advancement to Bishop.
 
The Newman center here is awful, lots of abuses…but any other parishes seem alright and there’s a EF offered now an hour away. So, its getting better.
 
You can find just about any kind of Mass you want around here - abusive, reverent NO, middle-of-the-road, LifeTeen, Tridentine - you just have to know where to go.

But it looks as if the number of abusive Masses will be going down, now that we have a new sheriff in town. Archbishop O’Brien just bounced a priest out of his parishes (3 of them) because he did things like allow an Episcopal priest to read the Gospel at a funeral, and bring his dogs into the sanctuary. There was a big uproar about how this wonderful, compassionate priest should not be treated this way, but the point about abuses has definitely been made. There’s a thread about this in Catholic News.

Betsy
 
I’m perfectly happy in the Archdiocese of Chicago which is large enough that you can find a parish which meets your needs.

John
 
Our last bishop couldn’t have cared any less. His focus was on slapping backs and having a good time. We don’t miss him. That man’s performance (or lack thereof) as bishop had a profoundly negative impact on a great many people.

The worst part is that many people lost their faith during his tenure. That’s something he will ultimately have to answer for.

Our new bishop isn’t perfect, but he’s fixed more in the last 9 months then the former one did in 14 years. Many of the problems were the “unfixable” type per the “experts.”
 
My diocese is blessed with a “Baby Bishop” who inherited a group of priest prone to liturgical abuses. He is in the process of “weeding out” and putting in their place those priests who saw themselves as above the proper order.

Our Bishop is a blessed and holy man and will take our diocese into greatness. It will just take time and things will come around with patience. I have already seen great things happen!
 
Sure there are problems in my archdiocese, but really I don’t blame our Cardinal. The diocese is huge, covering everything from poor inner city parishes to wealthy suburban parishes not to mention everything in between. Then there is a constant media battle. Our Cardinal is very reverent, extremely intelligent and socially aware, and it is very apparent he is doing his best.
For every one problem, there are probably 100 wonderful things, so I have no complaints.
 
I wouldn’t say I live in an “abusive” diocese. Archbishop Chaput is a good man and is working on making the priests more orthodox. However, we do have a lot of minor abuses in the diocese. No clown masses or what not, at least not that I have seen, but little things which start to grate on your nerves. My priest, while I like him personally, is one of those priest who does little abuses that he knows he shouldn’t do. After two years of battle though on a silly issue, the Archbishop won and my priest finally changed how he did something. It was a bit of a silly little thing (compared to some of the other abuses I’ve heard about on this board) but it gives me hope that we will continue as a diocese becoming more orthodox.

Historybrat
 
I live in a Roman Catholic Dioceses, not an orthodox one, although I do know there is an orthodox church here. 🙂

Our Bishop has been very good. He enforces the rubrics with compassion and understanding, but isn’t a fascist, when it comes to dealing with maverick priest, who bend the rules here and there.

His biggest challenge will be the closing and consolidation of parishes. I pray for him and ask God to guide him and give him strength in making the right decisions, which will be unpopular with some people.

Jim
 
We came from an orthodox diocese to one stuck in 1978. It’s very difficult to deal with, mainly because I’m not spiritually mature enough to handle it. My way back to the church occurred in my former diocese, and was nurtured with beautiful, traditional, sacred liturgy (in the NO, no less!).

The churches here are UGLY - none are over 35 years old, and most are in the Our Lady of Pizza Hut style. Liturgical music is a mix of organ and piano at best, guitars and drums and protestant worship music at worst. I’ve seen some very bizarre stuff, including a priest who distributed about 10 sacred hosts, sat down, and let the EMs do all the rest of the work. He said the closing rites for the mass while the EMs were processing out the back of the church (presumably to a chapel) with the rest of the sacred hosts and precious blood.

We’ve visited almost every parish within a 40 mile radius. Because this is a vacation area, I think people just tend to be behind the times. It’s always summer here and we’ve yet to get to spring!
 
Other, most “liturgical abuse” claims are over the top IMO. This is not a “heterodox vs orthodox” issue at all. It is just different styles of spirituality across different dioceses. All Dioceses are made up of different people, some who prefer an older style and some who prefer a more modern style, but there is no reduction in spiritual gain in any of the differences of styles.
 
NewUlm1976_2000 said:
Other, most “liturgical abuse” claims are over the top IMO. This is not a “heterodox vs orthodox” issue at all. It is just different styles of spirituality across different dioceses. All Dioceses are made up of different people, some who prefer an older style and some who prefer a more modern style, but there is no reduction in spiritual gain in any of the differences of styles.
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Then, I suppose that you think that Redemptionis Sacramentum is just a good work of fiction and that the Synod on the Eucharist was just a get-together that the bishops had to see how everyone was doing. GMAB:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
benedictgal said:
Then, I suppose that you think that Redemptionis Sacramentum is just a good work of fiction and that the Synod on the Eucharist was just a get-together that the bishops had to see how everyone was doing. GMAB:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
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What I am saying is that if you overemphasis the rules you loose the spirituality and humanity of the mass. The rules in day to day parishes and dioceses blur in many ways when the human aspect is brought in. In the end it is about spiritual growth about the person in the pew. How that happens varies by person. That is why some people go to some parishes and not others. Most people are just doing the best they can day by day and most grow better spiritually if you emphasize the positive (e.g. their strongest personal spiritual traits) and not emphasize the negative (e.g. checksheet of rules that were “broken”)
 
I live in the absolute poster child for “abusive diocese.” Look it up in the dictionary and you see a picture of my city.

Things are getting a little bit better, though. But our Bishop has an extremely challenging task.

Even though he puts out regulations (i.e. non-ordained can’t do the homilies) it happens anyway (and, no, it isn’t a situation where an exception applies).

Whenever someone brings this up, one of two things happens in my diocese. Either someone says that we’re losing the human touch and we’re not being all nice and cozy, or that we should be worried about helping the poor.

How about this-the priests took a vow of obedience. That doesn’t just apply to having altar girls. Why is it being turned around on us? The liberal changers are the ones who are wrong. If you can prove to me why the pope is wrong about how to do the Mass, then let me know. And, BTW, it is possible to be nice and do the Mass the right way, and care for the poor all at the same time.
 
From Redemptionis Sacramentum;

Bold, is my emphasis;
  1. It pertains to the diocesan Bishop, then, “within the limits of his competence, to set forth liturgical norms in his Diocese, by which all are bound.”45 **Still, the Bishop must take care not to allow the removal of that liberty foreseen by the norms of the liturgical books so that the celebration may be adapted in an intelligent manner to the church building, or to the group of the faithful who are present, or to particular pastoral circumstances in such a way that the universal sacred Rite is truly accommodated to human understanding.**46
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and
  1. The Bishop governs the particular Church entrusted to him,47 and it is his task to regulate, to direct, to encourage, and sometimes also to reprove;48 this is a sacred task that he has received through episcopal Ordination,49 which he fulfills in order to build up his flock in truth and holiness.50 He should elucidate the inherent meaning of the Rites and the liturgical texts, and nourish the spirit of the Liturgy in the Priests, Deacons and lay faithful51 so that they are all led to the active and fruitful celebration of the Eucharist,52 and in like manner he should take care to ensure that the whole body of the Church is able to grow in the same understanding, in the unity of charity, in the diocese, in the nation and in the world.53
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and most of all;
  1. The faithful “should cling to the Bishop as the Church does to Jesus Christ, and as Jesus Christ does to the Father, so that all may be in harmonious unity, and that they may abound to the glory of God.”
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So, when you see post in here making claims of abuse, don’t be so sure that the poster actually knows what they’re talking about.
The diocesan Bishop has authority which the posters in this forum, will never have, praise God!

Jim
 
JimR-OCDS said:
From Redemptionis Sacramentum;

Bold, is my emphasis;
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Jim, you didn’t bold this part, why not, its a very critical part, don’t you agree?
  1. It pertains to the diocesan Bishop, then, “within the limits of his competence, to set forth liturgical norms in his Diocese, by which all are bound.”45 Still, the Bishop must take care not to allow the removal of that liberty foreseen by the norms of the liturgical books so that the celebration may be adapted in an intelligent manner to the church building, or to the group of the faithful who are present, or to particular pastoral circumstances in such a way that the universal sacred Rite is truly accommodated to human understanding.46
Click to expand...
 
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