What I’m gonna say will be unpopular, but I don’t care. Perhaps the Church needs to reevaluate it’s form of worship. If a watered down Liturgy isn’t elevating hearts to God then perhaps a frenzy of emotion from a evangelical service is filling that void, mistakenly, of experiencing God.
Sounds pessimistic but I would have to agree. The largetst single Mass attendance ever was at the World Youth Day in Manila in 1995. It has pretty much been downhill for the Catholic faith in the country since then. We’ve secularized so much since then and the Evangelicals have gained serious ground and prominence.
Probably true. I mean, how much more devout have Australian Catholics become since World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney? Going by the data I last encountered, regular Mass attendance is something like thirteen percent in the country.
A lot of this seems to me caused by the vocations crises. If course I don’t know the statistics over the decades, so I don’t know if the situation is worse than, say 100 years ago, but it sure looks bad right now.
On the bright side, at least they know not to receive communion if they aren’t practicing!
Good, but is it being mistakenly filled ? I disagree partly with the pope who says it is not due to theological reasons but one of methodology (see thread # 5). The fervor, joy and community in those “evangelical” churches IS directly related to “theology” , to new life in Christ. I believe the error in Catholicism is the teaching you have this new life in Christ because of your infant baptism (and later Confirmation), and your only hope, not assurance is faithfullness in the sacraments. Evangelicanism says you aren’t born again till you are born again, usually, always at age of reasoning, by an actual personal, spiritual encounter with the living Christ, unrelated to any rite,sacrament. Assurance and joy are due to what Christ did for us,not so much what we do for Christ. It is theology driven . I have heard testimony from quite a few Catholics who have had an experience with Christ, an almost conversion experience, with heavy before and after changes(but remaining Catholic). All that even though they were years earlier baptized and confirmed. It is a challenge for any church of any denomination, to teach to make sure that you have this new life. " Are you saved?" one may ask. " I’m Baptist (Methodist ,Orthodox,Catholic"), one may answer . " I don’t care. Are you saved, born again ? Do you know Christ personally ?", is the evangelical response. Even in America, many evangelical protestant churches have high percentages of Catholics. It is their birthing theology that makes good use of good Catholic seed.
Yes, but it is Christ himself who left the Sacraments as an example to his church. He never spoke of himself “coming into somebody’s heart” as the example of salvation for the soul. Revelation 3:20 you COULD argue but opening one’s heart to Christ just may indeed mean availing of yourself to His BODY AND BLOOD which he specifically stated were indeed in the Eucharist. Peace.
More men joined the priesthood in Australia after World Youth DayProbably true. I mean, how much more devout have Australian Catholics become since World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney? Going by the data I last encountered, regular Mass attendance is something like thirteen percent in the country.
More men joined the priesthood in Australia after World Youth DayProbably true. I mean, how much more devout have Australian Catholics become since World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney? Going by the data I last encountered, regular Mass attendance is something like thirteen percent in the country.
World Youth Day has lasting success
More men joined priesthood in Australia after World Youth DayProbably true. I mean, how much more devout have Australian Catholics become since World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney? Going by the data I last encountered, regular Mass attendance is something like thirteen percent in the country.
That’s good news, especially since I gather that Australia is one of the most secular Western countries, along with New Zealand and those in Scandinavia.
I think this is an excellent point. Its hard to put your finger on the impact that something like WYD actually has by basing it purely on Mass attendance a few years down the road. Taking account priestly and religious vocations, and the quality of the men and women called to them, would tell us more of the picture.
