I doubt we could say the “overwhelming majority” of us feel like we have lost our birthright, though a significant majority of orthodox Catholics (myself included) certainly do - the rest just haven’t ever been told about their birthright in order to know that they have been defrauded of it. Still, are we going to get angry, or get even? Righteous anger might fuel the push for getting even, but continuously spouting anger won’t get us across the finish line.
Right. I actually started to mention that in my last post but ended up removing it.
Why do you say that?
Let me give you a scenario. Let’s say that you have a group of militant pro-lifers. The Pope and Bishops are not only NOT fighting abortion, or even resisting it, but saying nothing but positive things about the pro-abort doctors. The things they are saying about the pro-abort doctors are not necessarily wrong, but inappropriate and misleading. And further, the Pope and Bishops are visiting abortion clinics on a regular basis and are nothing but smiles as they walk through. While they may not openly say they are in favor of abortion, their actions lead people to believe they are. They are constantly saying how clean the abortion clinics are and how well maintained they are with the latest equipment, etc… The abortions doctors are the regular guests of honor at their events and no one mentions the abortions - of if they do it is merely to say “sure, we may disagree on abortion, but there are many other things we agree on, and we prefer to focus of what unites, rather than what divides”.
Yes, and that cuts both ways.
I wasn’t confusing anger with standing up for the truth, and neither was I saying that anger per say was wrong. Anger is not an effect of original sin. It is one of the passions that God gave us - and He gave it to us for a reason. It has its place and is very useful.
I agree completely.
Again, I agree completely. But keep in mind that the reason most Catholics are liberals is because this is what they have been taught. They have been taught a watered down version of the faith, and as such have a watered down faith Pius IX said “a Liberal Catholic is the worst enemy of the Catholic Church”, and today Liberal Catholics make up virtually the entire hierarchy.
I agree 100%.
Again, I agree completely, and I am just as disgusted by it as you are - and I bet I fight it as much as you (or more).
Again, I agree with you completely. My only point is that one of the dangers of having the faith today is becoming too angry and bitter. It was just a bit of friendly advice for you to keep an eye out for.
I am glad that we are in so much agreement then. I am not bitter, nor am I angry…I am however, seeing more clearly with every passing day, that many souls need many prayers, and things are not getting better, they are getting worse. Perhaps a dose of the truth in strong words is just the thing to spur confused and lukewarm souls into waking up. We don’t have the time to be complacent, that has been going on for forty to fifty years now and it has resulted in a watered down faith and the Church has fallen further and further into disarray and apostasy. You know, there are those who can’t handle the truth, and there are those that can. You don’t avoid saying the truth, even if weakling souls can’t bear to hear it, otherwise, you will be guilty of bowing down to human respect. The only respect you need to pay, is to God and to the truths of His Church as established here on earth by Our Lord Jesus Christ.
No one said they “can’t” love the Church. It was said they “don’t” love the Church. And saying so has nothing to do with placing oneself in the position of God. Please let’s be reasonable. It’s merely making and observation and forming an opinion. As to no human being having authority whatsoever to state what another human being feels, I suggest you look up the meaning of the word empathy.
DL,I just wanted to put forward a perspective that has slowly dawned on me over the past few weeks. It’s a perspective I never imagined I’d ever have.
My goodness, do liberal Catholics love the Church! They love it more than a traditionalist like me could ever imagine.
From the moment of my conversion experience, the Lord has given me a supernatural gift to believe everything the Church teaches, all of it, 100 per cent. I didn’t make it happen, He did, it’s called the gift of faith. It’s easy to love the Church when you believe everything she teaches. It’s easy to love the Church when you can see the good God is bestowing on the world through her.
But those liberals - they love the Church even though they don’t agree with her. Even though the words of the Pope or the words of the hierarchy drive them crazy, they keep coming, they keep showing up for Mass, keep clinging on. They keep getting involved, looking after children’s groups, worship groups, playing as full a part as they can as lay people, even though they know they’ll never be in charge because of the way the Church is governed. They love their priests even though the priests try to make them bend in a direction they don’t want to go. Often, they criticise the Church because they love it so much, they might not know what’s best, but they can only see the Church through their own eyes, so they’ll say what they see and hope that others see it too. Sometimes, often, very often, they’ll be wrong, but that doesn’t make such boldness any less admirable. Even when the Church doesn’t make their lives out in the real world make sense, and their lives don’t make the Church make sense, they carry on, through that confusion, they’re still Catholic.
Like the gentile woman who Jesus insults and sends away, they keep begging Him and clinging to His Church, even though the Church seems to tell them that they’re not really her children. Like the disciples, they are scandalised by the Church in so many ways, but still can say ‘Lord, to whom shall we go, you alone have the words of eternal life’. That is incredible devotion, that is a side of the gift of faith that I’ll never know.
What peace liberals would know if they had more wisdom, but what love and devotion and trust us traditionalists would know if we could embrace their realism, their trust, their hope in the face of uncertainty.
Yeah, I never thought I’d write in praise of liberal Catholics, but there it is.
Amen.
nc john,
* 1 Cor. 1:10. I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no schisms among you: but that you be perfect in mind and in the same judgement.Am a bit dubious about the ‘Dogmas’ contained in this list. Only a quick skim, but I saw this:
I also gave a link to newadvent.