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1234
Guest
Sorry, it’s not my problem. I’m not Catholic.
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N
Nephra
Guest
Here’s an idea:
Catechize the kids properly using the Baltimore Catechism (or the traditional local equivalent), insist on a genuinely Catholic education in the schools (and not the hippy quasi-liberation theology widespread in Latin America) and punish severely those ‘Catholics’ who dissent from the Church’s teachings.
As for the priestly shortage I recommend that we should rid ourselves of laity in the sanctuary (alter boys excepted), ban female alter servers, ban communion in the hand (I think its restoration has proved a very harmful developement), enforce kneeling for communion, abolish the permanent diaconate (or at least mandate celibacy for men who wish to become deacons) and encourage young Catholics to pray for vocations. The crisis of vocations stems from a decline in faith, and the opening up to laity of roles previously reserved to the ordained priest.
Catechize the kids properly using the Baltimore Catechism (or the traditional local equivalent), insist on a genuinely Catholic education in the schools (and not the hippy quasi-liberation theology widespread in Latin America) and punish severely those ‘Catholics’ who dissent from the Church’s teachings.
As for the priestly shortage I recommend that we should rid ourselves of laity in the sanctuary (alter boys excepted), ban female alter servers, ban communion in the hand (I think its restoration has proved a very harmful developement), enforce kneeling for communion, abolish the permanent diaconate (or at least mandate celibacy for men who wish to become deacons) and encourage young Catholics to pray for vocations. The crisis of vocations stems from a decline in faith, and the opening up to laity of roles previously reserved to the ordained priest.
R
rien
Guest
You may not want to go where the answers might lead.
K
kage_ar
Guest
Why would you give advice on something you see as a problem when you do not understand the issue?
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1234
Guest
My advice has to do with creating community in churches, not regarding the shortage of priests. Without priests, it falls to laypeople, and there are resources online and in print regarding how to do this in Catholic churches and many other denominations. Because the shortage of priests and religious is relatively recent, Catholic laypeople have had to learn fast how to run parishes, and may have skimped on the creating community issue, which is one of the best ways to keep parishioners.Why would you give advice on something you see as a problem when you do not understand the issue?
There is an article in todays New York Times germane to this point, which I hope non-subscribers can access:
nytimes.com/2008/02/26/us/26religion.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1204003499-07eXghP03kxCICCVkqkMVQ
Basically, the RCC has lost a lot of ‘market share’ to the non-affiliated, especially men; the stats being masked by all the immigrants new to the RCC in the US. There is a huge loss in born Catholics who are no longer practicing. Mega-churches attract people not because of their size, but because of all the small groups ministry they offer.
Also check out CARA’s latest at:
cara.georgetown.edu/bulletin/index.htm
There’s a new bunch of FAQ at the bottom linking to some of their exhaustive reports, with most on marriage and practice in the parish.
S
Seminarian_X
Guest
The Catholic Church is not a business and it shouldn’t be run like one.
If the Church was able to survive countless heresies over the centuries, I doubt the relatively novel heresy of Protestantism is going to pose much of a threat in the long term. People have been predicting the demise of Christ’s Church for millenia. The predicters are all dead, but the Church lives on.
If the Church was able to survive countless heresies over the centuries, I doubt the relatively novel heresy of Protestantism is going to pose much of a threat in the long term. People have been predicting the demise of Christ’s Church for millenia. The predicters are all dead, but the Church lives on.
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1234
Guest
I think that a lot of bishops would disagree with you on this one.
Nobody is predicting the demise of Christianity–just yet. But there are many other religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, Judaism spring to mind, that are a lot older than Christianity.
I do think that if all the people posting on this forum with such frequency and vigor were instead out there helping to run their parishes, that the much-vaunted RCC would be a lot stronger.
B
BarbaraTherese
Guest
Perhaps there are just reasons why they are limited to posting into these Forums. Perhaps they do both. Who knows!..The Lord works in strange ways…there is the beam in my own eye and the splinter in my brother’s eye
…“and on this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it”…
God’s blessings on our Lent…Barb
J
Julie_Marie
Guest
Heavenly Father,
Please listen to our cries for more holy vocations. We are in desperate need for more holy priests to teach and inspire and help us keep our beautiful Catholic churches full. May the Holy Spirit fill our parishes with renewed joy and inspiration for Holy Orders. Amen.
I recommend a very good testimonial by Father Donald Calloway.
His account is available on CD through Lighthouse Media.
Father Calloway explains how the prayers of Catholics for more vocations led him to priesthood.
God bless all of you. Please take a moment and ask God for more holy priests. Thank you.
Please listen to our cries for more holy vocations. We are in desperate need for more holy priests to teach and inspire and help us keep our beautiful Catholic churches full. May the Holy Spirit fill our parishes with renewed joy and inspiration for Holy Orders. Amen.
I recommend a very good testimonial by Father Donald Calloway.
His account is available on CD through Lighthouse Media.
Father Calloway explains how the prayers of Catholics for more vocations led him to priesthood.
God bless all of you. Please take a moment and ask God for more holy priests. Thank you.
B
BarbaraTherese
Guest
Hail Mary, full of Grace, The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among all women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, please pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Lord, please gift Your Church with holy priests and religious.
There is a Perpetual Prayer Thread for priests, seminarians and vocations for any interested…
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=218199
Holy Mary, mother of God, please pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Lord, please gift Your Church with holy priests and religious.
There is a Perpetual Prayer Thread for priests, seminarians and vocations for any interested…
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=218199
S
Seminarian_X
Guest
And no other religion has a divine guarantee that it will last until the end of time. I’ll put my faith in that, not doomsday prophets who warn the Church to change or else.
The Church is not a business and should not be run like one. If the Church lost all of her property, land and wealth tomorrow, she would not cease to exist. She is the Mystical Body of Christ, not a collection of material goods.
The last thing the Church needs is to have more lay people “helping to run their parishes.” The people need to be a leaven in the world. They need to live their faith in the world. Not sit in a parish office or strut around the sanctuary. That’s exactly what Vatican II taught. I’ll stick with that.
C
chicago
Guest
True, the Church (writ large) has survived. But, in particular places, it has also historically lost ground and even been decimated.
C
chicago
Guest
I don’t think that such lay clericalization is necessarily what 1234 is referring to, however. Instead s/he is suggesting that the actual business of living out the faith in community, in every day life, and in evangelization be better dedicated to by the great majority of faithful, rather than simply leaving it all up to its ministers.
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1234
Guest
Close, chicago.
I am not sure than Seminarian X understands what goes in to running a parish. Laypeople are now actually running parishes, leaving the priests to functions that only they can perform. But the RCC apologists on these forums, particularly this one, would better serve their religion by working and volunteering in their parishes, teaching, training for RCIA, transporting and generally participating in and contributing to the life of their parishes, not sitting in from of their computers a few hours a day railing at unbelievers.
Be assured that the much-dreaded heretical Protestants are doing all of the above, and tithing in the process!
A
allhers
Guest
I will pray that you may find Jesus and all the fullness of His Truth in His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
K
kage_ar
Guest
Okay, you are not a Catholic, yet you have intimate knowledge of how Parishes are run?
Just because you read an article in Time magazine or your brothers hairdressers uncles roomate’s best friend said so…
T
Titus
Guest
How does anyone know what posters here and even apologists do in the rest of their time? I suspect that the problem lies not in a lack of involvement by committed Catholics like the CAF team in their parishes, but in the vast-numbers of pewfillers in most parishes. I for one would welcome any support as a sacristan getting 6 or 7 young altar servers ready for mass, yet there are few in the parish willing to get involved. They prefer not to ask how things get done in the parish, just trusting that they will get done. I’m not complaining, but I know that many hands make lighter work.
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1234
Guest
No, but many posters on this and other forums (fora) have bitterly complained about how understaffed their parishes are.
It doesn’t require an intimate knowledge to know that Catholic parishes need more participation and direction from the ordained and if these are not available, not more direction, (except possibly fiscally by properly trained individuals) but more helping hands from the laypeople.
RC’s interested in defending and promoting their religion will be better served and better serve by spending less time online and more being involved in their congregations.
I know that it’s fun to post. IT’S ADDICTIVE, like video games and web surfing and TV.
But fundamentally it’s a waste of time, particularly if anyone is hoping to evangelize anyone.
NO ONE is being persuaded by arguments on this forum or any other. Not about the church, its origins, its authenticity, the Great Schism and its roots, the Reformation or anything else.
NO ONE.
S
Seminarian_X
Guest
There are many things I don’t understand. That’s why I’m where I’m at. To learn.
I believe my religion will be better served by ignoring unsolicited advice from anonymous non-Catholics on the internet with an axe to grind. Because, fundamentally, such advice is a waste of time.
(That’s what’s known as being “hoist by one’s own petard” for those of you following along at home. See…I am learning something.) :tiphat:
I believe my religion will be better served by ignoring unsolicited advice from anonymous non-Catholics on the internet with an axe to grind. Because, fundamentally, such advice is a waste of time.
(That’s what’s known as being “hoist by one’s own petard” for those of you following along at home. See…I am learning something.) :tiphat:
C
chicago
Guest
While I, generally, agree and would point to how the parish was a center of American Catholic life just a few decades ago (and still is among immigrant groups), I think that it is also notable that often the “clericalists” within a parish (including lay people who tend to have control over things) too often don’t really WANT anyone to get involved unless you tow their truck which generally carries an awful lot of weight.
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