C
Cake_or_Death
Guest
I’m actually surprised myself that this is something I am coming across, but having heard this sentiment so many times now it seems I am compelled to investigate further.
As part of my ongoing research I have been investigating Catholicism as well as the opinions of Catholics in several countries across the globe, many are in Europe but I have also visited/inquired in South America, Australia as well as Korea. It is a strange belief that I find strange in that it is totally absent from Protestant countries with a considerable Catholic population, but within traditionally Catholic countries or ones with a growing Catholic population (perhaps with exception to Korea, who’s Catholics are largely unaware of many scandals or controversies from the US, Australia and Europe) has so far proved itself a very widely held fear by many Catholics themselves (for the time being I’m excluding non-believers).
The belief is that the Catholic Church must not only be kept separate from the workings of government but should actively be kept away from any position of “authority”; this ranges from literally everything from faith schools to psychiatric counseling. There appears to be a common fear that should the Catholic Church ever regain any form of power it would revert to several of its older practices, such as executing heretics under the advice from Aquinas in the Summa, persecuting single parents, child trafficking as in Spain/Ireland 50 years ago amongst others.
The sex abuses are not left out, and one document popularly cited is Crimen sollicitationis, the document popularly understood to claim that anyone who knew of sex abuse victims of the clergy were to be excommunicated (and therefore damned to hell) if they told the secular authorities (I know this isn’t exactly right, I’ve read it myself).
I wouldn’t be too surprised if I heard this from American Fundamentalists but coming from Spanish/French/Irish*** practicing Catholics *** I’m a bit more dumbfounded. Because several of these teachings such as Aquinas calling for death for heretics in a Catholic society have never been “withdrawn” so to speak, there seems to be this impression that if the Catholic Church ever got into power it would start doing it all over again. They also seem to be under the impression the only reason it doesn’t actively call for the death of women who’ve saught abortions/practicing homosexuals is because western society prevents it and westerners would cut off financial aid/donations if it did.
An example I see presented as “proof” of this, particually in France is the current state of affairs in Russia with the now popularly dubbed “unholy alliance” between the Orthodox Clergy and the Putin administration. As can be easily investigated there is a trend there at the moment called going “on safari”, where gangs of men literally hunt down homosexual or transgendered men and women; usually to torture them and post videos of it online but increasingly more often to murder in creative and brutal ways (such as shoving petrol into their rectums and then setting it alight). These activities are generally met with indifference or unofficial approval by the Russian clergy (under the name of “cleansing Russia of its sins”), never condemnation and it has officially condemned people who speak out against these activities or any of Putin’s anti LGBT legislation. In France especially there is a belief that should Catholicism ever rise again there, this would happen in Paris.
I know this seems terribly outlandish but I’m a bit suprised, this isn’t Atheists or Baptists claiming this, it’s active practicing Catholics (I’ve excluded nominal Catholics thus far). Have any of you heard any sentiments such as these in your parishes, what are your reactions to them? I’d appreciate any insight.
Thank you.
As part of my ongoing research I have been investigating Catholicism as well as the opinions of Catholics in several countries across the globe, many are in Europe but I have also visited/inquired in South America, Australia as well as Korea. It is a strange belief that I find strange in that it is totally absent from Protestant countries with a considerable Catholic population, but within traditionally Catholic countries or ones with a growing Catholic population (perhaps with exception to Korea, who’s Catholics are largely unaware of many scandals or controversies from the US, Australia and Europe) has so far proved itself a very widely held fear by many Catholics themselves (for the time being I’m excluding non-believers).
The belief is that the Catholic Church must not only be kept separate from the workings of government but should actively be kept away from any position of “authority”; this ranges from literally everything from faith schools to psychiatric counseling. There appears to be a common fear that should the Catholic Church ever regain any form of power it would revert to several of its older practices, such as executing heretics under the advice from Aquinas in the Summa, persecuting single parents, child trafficking as in Spain/Ireland 50 years ago amongst others.
The sex abuses are not left out, and one document popularly cited is Crimen sollicitationis, the document popularly understood to claim that anyone who knew of sex abuse victims of the clergy were to be excommunicated (and therefore damned to hell) if they told the secular authorities (I know this isn’t exactly right, I’ve read it myself).
I wouldn’t be too surprised if I heard this from American Fundamentalists but coming from Spanish/French/Irish*** practicing Catholics *** I’m a bit more dumbfounded. Because several of these teachings such as Aquinas calling for death for heretics in a Catholic society have never been “withdrawn” so to speak, there seems to be this impression that if the Catholic Church ever got into power it would start doing it all over again. They also seem to be under the impression the only reason it doesn’t actively call for the death of women who’ve saught abortions/practicing homosexuals is because western society prevents it and westerners would cut off financial aid/donations if it did.
An example I see presented as “proof” of this, particually in France is the current state of affairs in Russia with the now popularly dubbed “unholy alliance” between the Orthodox Clergy and the Putin administration. As can be easily investigated there is a trend there at the moment called going “on safari”, where gangs of men literally hunt down homosexual or transgendered men and women; usually to torture them and post videos of it online but increasingly more often to murder in creative and brutal ways (such as shoving petrol into their rectums and then setting it alight). These activities are generally met with indifference or unofficial approval by the Russian clergy (under the name of “cleansing Russia of its sins”), never condemnation and it has officially condemned people who speak out against these activities or any of Putin’s anti LGBT legislation. In France especially there is a belief that should Catholicism ever rise again there, this would happen in Paris.
I know this seems terribly outlandish but I’m a bit suprised, this isn’t Atheists or Baptists claiming this, it’s active practicing Catholics (I’ve excluded nominal Catholics thus far). Have any of you heard any sentiments such as these in your parishes, what are your reactions to them? I’d appreciate any insight.
Thank you.
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