I think the Catholic Church needs some change

[kristacecilia]

Wow slap him for expressing his opinion!

I didn’t “slap” anyone. I just expressed MY opinion.

 

[garn9173]

I do practice what I preach. I watch football. I actually LOVE football. I normally DVR it and watch it another day. People tend to think “Oh, I went to church today, so I’m allowed to do what I want”. I think giving one day(Sunday) to devote your time to the Lord is not much to ask, and I’m not talking about attending a 25 minute mass.

You DVR sporting events?

 

[ellen42]

In respect to Mass and Confirmation.

I think Mass isn’t long enough. I believe it should be a standard 2 hour mass across the board. One hour of mass, one hour of bible study. I find many people look for churches that have the shortest mass times and that is just wrong.

When I made my Confirmation(1996), all we did was have weekly Wednesday Catechism classes. No tests and the majority of the time, the teacher, or Priest wasn’t even there. So, we mainly just sat there for about 20 minutes and then we all left. I think Confirmation should not be made until after you turn 18, graduate high school, and take a year to do a “mission”, kind of like the LDS.

I’m calling Poe.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I’m calling Poe.

Is that like…Edgar Allen Poe?



This is a silly thread. I already told the OP he could come to my church. The pastor would keep us there all day if he could find a way to do it.

 

[thewanderer]

Ok, maybe not a year. How about children do a 3 month mission(during summer) between Junior and Senior year of high school. Converts do classes and take one week of vacation from work to complete their mission. The money? Not sure about that one. The government hands money out like candy, so maybe we can start there

You mean the government that is already broke, is going to give money specifically to Catholics to help educate the youth as Catholics??? I thought the whole reason we have private Catholic schools is because this is precisely the government does not want to pay for the education of a specific faith. Good luck trying to get that the government to pay for Catholic educational missions in preparation for confirmation. (I’m refering to the US, which is actually part of the problem… are you talking about a universal discipline to be put in place?? In other words, it would have to become practically possible for this to happen no matter what culture and society you live in. That seems like even more of a stretch.)

Also, while it is a nice idea, and would probably be helpful for many people, I still think the fact that different people have different personalities and different callings is a reason that it really wouldn’t be that helpful for some. So, again, I’m not sure about making it a universal requirement. The real place that improvement needs to happen is in the parish and in the home. Parishes need to have better confirmation classes, but most importantly, parents need to teach their children the faith, both through word and example. This will make much more of a difference in a childs understanding and acceptance of Church teachings than even a 3 month mission during the summer will.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Well, maybe not wait until they turn 18, but I think they should do a year of Mission, like LDS. I believ it will help the young get closer and more familiar with the Catholic religion

Confirmation and mission work are not the same thing. Confirmation *confirms *the graces received in baptism. The person receiving confirmation doesn’t have to take any tests or prove any special knowledge – the Holy Spirit will take care of that.

The LDS has been able to build a huge network of missionaries, but I believe the Catholic method is better. Our missions are staffed by consecrated religious, lay volunteers and paid workers, and priests all working together.

 

[ellen42]

Is that like…Edgar Allen Poe?



This is a silly thread. I already told the OP he could come to my church. The pastor would keep us there all day if he could find a way to do it.

Poe’s Law – in that I don’t think the OP was being serious, especially after the comment about not watching TV on Sundays.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Ok, maybe not a year. How about children do a 3 month mission(during summer) between Junior and Senior year of high school. Converts do classes and take one week of vacation from work to complete their mission. The money? Not sure about that one. The government hands money out like candy, so maybe we can start there

OK, but can the kids have Vespas to ride around on? Otherwise they might be mistaken for the LDS or JW missionaries.

 

[nickybr38]

I’d LOVE if there was an hour Bible Study after Mass… if only because Sunday is my ONLY day off and the only time I could DO a Bible Study is Sunday…

It shouldn’t be a requirement that everyone attend this extra hour of Bible Study though… people who attend against their will won’t pay much attention anyway.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Ok, maybe not a year. How about children do a 3 month mission(during summer) between Junior and Senior year of high school. Converts do classes and take one week of vacation from work to complete their mission. The money? Not sure about that one. The government hands money out like candy, so maybe we can start there

Many, many, many youth programs at parishes all across the US have ‘work camp’ and similar service projects ever summer for high schoolers. Money is raised through donations and the students own contributions.

Are you actually Catholic? Perhaps you need to start at your own parish and diocese and research what adult faith formation, volunteers opportunities and confirmation programs are available right in your own area.

Also, rememebr that the Catholic churhc is universal, and while specific programs are customized to individual parishes, major changes need to take the needs of all Catholics worldwide into consideration.

 

[JNdoum]

Everyone responded very well to the OP, but I wanted to say that another difficulty in this is that the Catholic Church is universal; this means that there are people in extremem poverty who are members, and also people whose governments actively oppose them being a Catholic, such as Middle Eastern countries and China. It is very difficult to make sweeping requirements which not many can make. If you live in the heart of a very Muslim country, and you have to have Mass at night so that extremists won’t attack you, and it’s always in somebody’s basement or something, you can’t really force a 2 hour Mass, as that would put everybody in serious danger of their lives. So such a decree would be on the brink of cruelty, very excessive, and unfair. I like the idea behind it though.

 

[garn9173]

Many, many, many youth programs at parishes all across the US have ‘work camp’ and similar service projects ever summer for high schoolers. Money is raised through donations and the students own contributions.

This. The youth in my Parish are raising money for a mission trip to Joplin, MO this summer to help with the rebuilding, yes nearly a year later and Joplin is still rebuilding.

 

[Maryann_C]

I must say, I really dont understand where you are coming from. I can understand wanting better catechesis for confirmation, but I don’t see why you would want to delay it until one is 18… The sacrament of confirmation imparts graces to those who receive it to live a christian life. Isn’t it a good idea for teenagers to receive this extra help? I can’t see why it would be better to delay it.

As to having a 2 hour lonog mass… you suggested having 1 hour for mass and one hour for the homily… .

Actually the OP said one hour for mass and one hour for BIBLE study.

Honestly at first I thought the OP was posting to stir stuff up and get a :slapfight: going. LOL I have to admit however that I agree to a certain extent because I believe that the reason there are so many lapsed Catholics is because they didn’t have to work for or even want the sacraments. YES I understand that in some parts of the world and formally in the West that all 3 were often administer at one time even to babies. I think however that that practice was done because of the fact that priests and Bishops were scarce and you never knew when they were going to make it back around to you. in many places it never used to be the norm that one could receive communion every week let alone every day! We here in the west for the most part are truly spoiled and we have become complacent. I think this is the reason for the OP.
As a mother of teens and seeing many of their friends in HS .I too think that kids should be baptised as babies but then they should have to really ask for communion before they go through the sacrament. My son did his Confirmation with his classmates while at Catholic elementary school- 8th grade. I was not for it because I did not think he was ready, but my husband said that I could not make him be the odd man out when the rest of the class was making it. My daughter went to a public school so we did not have that issue BUT my daughter WAS ready by 8th grade (she was ready by 7th).

At least in most parts of the west ( even though we may think we have a scarcity of priests) we really do have the option of kids making the sacraments at the age when THEY are ready and not as a matter of cource at a certain age. We have the RCIA classes and the RCIC classes already going now in most parishes. Frankly …and now I am going to be controversial…I think many parents like the status quo because they don’t have to do any work really in preparing their kids. they can ensure they have checked the block and then hand them over to the schools and blame ‘society’ and ‘kids these days’ when their children leave or are not practicing their faith through college. the cycle continues.

I am not advocating 2 hour mases though and I do think there already is the option of going into a Bible Study either before or after mass or on some other day of the week and certainly every parish I have been to there has been some opportunity and also for mission trips for the youth or adults. Those things ARE now there and if they aren’t then start them don’t expect ‘the church’ to hand the opportunities to you on a plate. After all WE are the body . Make it happen we are ALL called to be Saints.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I can’t think of a faster, more efficient way to kill a parish than to offer only two-hour masses.

Yes, I can tell you from experience, this works. In fact, 90 minute Masses will do it.

 

[Maryann_C]

In this busy world we live in, church membership will decline big time if you make 2 hour mandatory attendance every week.

Church membership is not a good argument because first of all just because someone calls themselves Catholic or is a registered member of a parish that does not mean they are faithful practicing Catholics. We have a large 2000 family, parish membership but only about 30% attend regularly, the rest…? Also there are plenty of other denominations where people go to church twice on Sunday and once on Wednesday. Perhaps if people saw the catholic church being more ‘on fire’ and less ‘check the block’ kind of Christians then we might loose some of the ‘also rans’ but gain others. Plenty of good Christian people make time in their busy calenders for Church …perhaps it is because they build their calender AROUND Church/Jesus instead of trying to fit Jesus into a busy schedule somewhere?

 

[maryjk]

LDS and Baptist churches have 4 hour services. How do you think married couples with young children handle that?

If they are anything like the married couples around here, they allow their children to play electronic games during the service. Or they send them off to “Sunday School” where they play electronic games.

 

[mini_me640]

Ok, maybe not a year. How about children do a 3 month mission(during summer) between Junior and Senior year of high school. Converts do classes and take one week of vacation from work to complete their mission. The money? Not sure about that one. The government hands money out like candy, so maybe we can start there

Would this just be for Americans? I’d like to see how, for example, impoverished Haitian Catholics would go off for 3 months on a mission…

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Well, maybe not wait until they turn 18, but I think they should do a year of Mission, like LDS. I believ it will help the young get closer and more familiar with the Catholic religion

We’re not LDS.

Read about the sacrament of Confirmation in the Catechism: old.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt1art2.shtml

Read what canon law says about who can receive the sacrament:

Can. 891 The sacrament of confirmation is to be conferred on the faithful at about the age of discretion unless the conference of bishops has determined another age, or there is danger of death, or in the judgment of the minister a grave cause suggests otherwise. Source]

In some dioceses the sacraments have been restored to their proper order and 7-8 year olds are confirmed before they receive their First Communion. In other dioceses it’s deferred, but not past the age of 16:

Complemenary Norm: The National Conference of Catholic Bishops, in accord with the prescriptions of canon 891, hereby decrees that the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Latin Rite shall be conferred between the age of discretion and about sixteen years of age, within the limits determined by the diocesan bishop and with regard for the legitimate exceptions given in canon 891. Source]

I’d like to see us follow our Eastern brothers and sisters and baptize/confirm at the same time. At the outside I’d like to see children confirmed when they are 7-8. They need the graces of the sacrament as they are maturing, especially in their teen years.

 

[c0ldb33r]

In respect to Mass and Confirmation.

I think Mass isn’t long enough. I believe it should be a standard 2 hour mass across the board. One hour of mass, one hour of bible study. I find many people look for churches that have the shortest mass times and that is just wrong.

Seriously? I doubt that’ll entice people to come back to church.

 

[Allegra]

LDS and Baptist churches have 4 hour services. How do you think married couples with young children handle that?

Baptist churches often have daycare.