Do You Trust American Bishops?

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I did not vote as I would answer ‘yes’ in some areas and ‘no’ in others.
 
The USCCB represents the Church here in the US, to the media, to the general population, as well as to the faithful.

As such, they’ve failed us miserably with their wimpiness in several areas:

Moral teachings ~
  • Always our children (???!!!)
  • Sex scandals and cover-ups, and refusing to adopt a Zero tolerance for sexual preditor clerics.
Faith & Morals ~
  • Lack of definitive unity in denying Holy Communion to pro-abort politicians and those publicly involved in grave sin.
Individual bishops bear the brunt of responsibility for ignoring repeated admonitions and corrections from Rome, particularly regarding liturgical abuses within their dioceses. Also, they’ve not been particularly generous in offering the TLM!
 
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oldfogey:
…At its last public meeting, the USCCB was informed that no catechetical course used at the high school level can be relied upon. So, my answer to the poll was no. My son is in catholic high school, and by their own admission the bishops are allowing the use of materials they admit are unfit to instruct the faith.
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I don’t believe this is accurate.

I am well aware that 75% of High School-level Catechisms were found to be non-conforming when the issue really started to heat up a couple of years ago (and was also quite horrified).

But currently, there are 6 Catechism series that are approved for the High School level. The latest list was published in Spring '04 and is available online from the USCCB as the [Catechism Update (http://www.usccb.org/catechism/update/Spring04.pdf).

It includes a brief overview of high school catechetical materials which as of March 1,2004 carry a declaration of conformity.* Consecration in Truth from the Apostolate for Family Consecration
  • The Apostolate ’s Family Catechism from the Apostolate for Family Consecration
  • Catholicism Series from C.R.Publications
  • Witnesses of Christ from the Legionaries of Christ
  • Dominican Series from Priory Press
  • Understanding the Catechism from RCL
In addition to these series,the conformity listing also contains thirteen individual texts or titles for use with high school students.
 
There are several good and courageous bishops. However, collectively, I feel let down by the USCCB and my bishop. Liturgical abuses abound while our faith and Christ’s teachings are watered down. I think Cardinal McCarrick’s response to John Kerry’s persistent defiance of Church teaching while professing his Catholic faith typifies their behavior.
 
I trust the Bishops and believe that Wilton Gregory has done an excellent job so far. I think JPII should have been a little more (publicly) involved.
 
Oldfogey - RE Although an individual bishop does have ultimate authority in his diocese, the USCCB does have power. Can you give an example?

It is my understanding that the USCCB can talk and discuss but its decisions are binding only if ratified by Rome, in which case it is Rome’s power, or if the decision is unanimous, in which case it is the power of the individual bishops.
 
That’s how I see it too, Joe.

Speaking of memory, and this is a little off topic but in view of the Bishops decision on not refusing communion to a prodeath candidate, do you remember Honorable Richard Black, member of the Virginia House of Delegates and a heroic defender of life and family in the state legislature, was refused Holy Communion at Arlington’s St. Thomas More Cathedral. On September 22, 2002 because he knelt t receive communion. Fr. Irace told him he must stand to receive but Black chose rather to genuflect and withdraw.

Go figure.
 
Much like an ecumenical council it seems that the Holy spirit speaks through the entire college instead of just through an individual. Whe they speak toghther it seems they uphold catholic teachings and traditions, when idividual bishops speak they sometimes do not.
 
Most of these guys are in some kinda material schism with Rome. They do as they please and ignore Rome or act overly legalistic and use Church law as a way to push heterodoxy or thwart orthodoxy.

Why the Pope does not remove or discipline more is a question many have asked for years. It is a just and good question. Collegiality has replaced support for the truth.

As I read recently, we should keep one eye on Rome and one eye on our bishop. When our bishop disagrees with Rome, close that eye.
 
Allowing heresy to continue in the Church is a prudential decision of the Pope. Historically, I believe, heresy within the Church is correctable within a generation or so, though schism often lasts for centuries, if it ends (ie. the Protestant Revolution).

I believe that our Holy Father is waiting on the laity to help him push for orthodoxy (hence his approval of the lay movements currently spreading) . Our recently appointed bishops certainly give me cause for hope that orthodoxy is well on its way.

I, too, pray for our bishops and priests, for the the orthodox ones to have the strength to do what’s right and remain close to our Lord, and for the others to be drawn closer to our Lord and to repent. And yes, I also pray for my own sinfulness and culpability.

In Christ’s peace and love,

Robin L. in TX
 
I trust my Bishop, Most Rev. Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs.
 
I would too - and I trust my own, and I would bet yours and mine are two of the six who did not agree with the rest of the Bishops at the recent meeting in Denver.😉
 
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Sherlock:
It’s worth remembering that Arius was a bishop.

My bishop is Harry Flynn in St. Paul and Minneapolis. I think he is a politician bishop----more interested in consensus than in truth. I don’t think that he teaches falsehood so much as he is afraid of correcting falsehood. However, since I can be a cowardly Catholic too, I pray for him and other bishops.
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👍 Re Arius: Really good point! I notice that nobody has responded negatively to it. In fact, I think nobody has responded to it at all! What’s to say?

Archbishop Flynn is my bishop, too. :yup: I have often believed myself to be the complete cynic as this thoroughly friendly man greeted all people in a room. My thought, “He is working the room like a poltician,” made me feel small and horrid, but now you indicate as much. Faced with moments of decision he has consistently let us down. He is “nice.” Do you know what Archbishop Chaput of Denver has said about the value of “niceness” in the Church today? 😦

Anna
 
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Emmaus:
Do you trust the American Catholic Laity to follow the true teachings of the Catholic Church?

I suspect that such a poll would have very similar result to this one on the bishops.
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First of all, do you mean the Roman Catholic Church or the Catholic Church in America?

Secondly, if our bishops and priests spoke out as they should about the wrongs of society, and the wrongs that some of us as Catholic laity are committing, then the American Catholic laity as a whole, would know and understand the true teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, and would be more apt to follow them.

The teachings of Christ, and thus the Roman Catholic Church, are not gray, they are very black and white! There are rules - The Ten Commandments (among others) that we must follow. They are not suggestions; they are commandments from God Himself to be obeyed by us. This is what our bishops and priests should be telling us. Even though the Ten Commandments were not given to us during Christ’s ministry here on earth, they are still in force. And we are bound to follow them; and the bishops and priests are (unless I’ve been misinformed somewhere along the line) bound to teach them and abide by them just as we are.

As a member of the laity, I have responsibility for my own salvation. The bishops and priests are not responsibile for my sins. Therefore, it is my responsibility NOT to blindly follow whatever my priest or bishop says. If my bishop erroneously tells me that it is okay for me to commit a particular sin, God will still hold me accountable for having committed that sin if I knew that it was a sin. In the days when written texts were not available to the common man, and the common man could not read nor write, God might have held the priest or bishop more responisble for their teaching. However, now that we are more educated, we are even more accountable.

God Bless
 
Just a quick update from cruxnews, the website of the author of “Goodbye Good Men”. Note that the bishop dismisses 40,000 photos. Now please explain to me how we can trust these men and these institutions? The whole situation continues to confound and confuse me!

cruxnews.com/dailyfeed
 
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ChuckODonnell:
Note that the bishop dismisses 40,000 photos. Now please explain to me how we can trust these men and these institutions?
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The link is to Priests ‘In Orgy’ at Seminary.
officials discovered a vast cache of photos and videos allegedly depicting young priests having sex at a seminary.
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About 40,000 photographs and an undisclosed number of films, including child pornography, were downloaded on computers at the seminary in St Poelten, about 50 miles west of Vienna,
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Bishop Kurt Krenn, a conservative churchman who oversees the St Poelten Diocese, told Austrian television he had seen photos of seminary leaders in sexual situations with students. Krenn, however, dismissed the photos as “silly pranks” that “had nothing to do with homosexuality”.
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A group of St. Poelten Diocese officials planned to ask the Vatican to remove Krenn as bishop, Austrian radio reported.
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This stuff really breaks my heart. I ache with pain for our Church.
 
You are right about Cardinal Francis George presenting a mixed-message.

Although proclaimed to be highly intelligent his sling at the Republican Party in a recent radio interview, was very thoughtless: The Democratic Party has lost its soul, but the Republican Party never had a soul!

The Bishops had a dramatic moment to regain credibility and respect from the Catholic faithful in their recent vote on banning Communion to pro-abort politicians. Again, they blew it - big time!
I concluded that what the Bishops are telling us is that it is more sinful to embarrass a pro-abort politician than to offend God!

We pray at Mass for our Bishops every Sunday. Perhaps we aren’t praying hard enough ??? 😦
 
As a whole, I’m not sure. We have a new bishop, Leonard Blair, from the Detroit area, but he hasn’t been here long, so it’s too early to tell. But he did walk into a real firestorm when he took over. I sort of felt sorry for him. I think the bishops as a whole, disregard the Vatican too much. They should follow the rules to the letter. If they did, we’d all be better off. Pray for them and for more vocations.
 
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ChuckODonnell:
First of all, do you mean the Roman Catholic Church or the Catholic Church in America?

If my bishop erroneously tells me that it is okay for me to commit a particular sin, God will still hold me accountable for having committed that sin if I knew that it was a sin. In the days when written texts were not available to the common man, and the common man could not read nor write, God might have held the priest or bishop more responisble for their teaching. However, now that we are more educated, we are even more accountable.

God Bless
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Boy, you are so right!
 
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