Imagine that you are now the pope. What are the top three things that you would change about the Church?

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JaMc said:
(1) Convene a “Third Vatican Council” to conduct a full review of Vatican II 40+ years later, how it has been interpreted, what has gone according to plan and what has gone awry.

(2) Latae sentiae excommunication for any priest, deacon, or other person acting under Church authority who sexually abuses a child.

(3) Re-centralize authority in the Vatican, and reduce the power of the individual conferences of bishops.
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Two and three are okay. Given the experiences of the Australian Conference in 2000 and the way our Conference has handled the issue of the translations, I am right with you on that one.

Now that we have Benedict, I don’t think we would necessarily need the first option. He’s doing a pretty good job of it.

Of course, I would probably add the word “automatic” to your second suggestion and also apply it to those ordinaries and metropolitians who ignored the valid and legitimate reports of this kind of abuse.

By the way, I am the daughter of a past District Deputy, founding Faithful Navigator, past Grand Knight and past member of the Supreme Knight’s 100- Club (retired KofC Field Insurance Agent).
 
benedictgal said:
Actually, if one were to have read Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy, one would find that Yahweh had mandated that the implements, instruments and the Ark, be made of the finest material since it would be used for His cultic worship.

These things of beauty are designed and used primarily for the worship of God. That is why they are of noble and sacred quality. Furthemore, remember that it was Judas who was pretty much mkaing the same argument as meandean because Mary had spent lots of money on the costly oil to annoint him. Jesus told Judas, “The poor you will always have with you, but, not me.”

Now, regarding the top three this is what I would do:
  1. Clean up what constitutes Sacred Music and make it applicable for all Masses, as well as ensure that all hymns fit a standard as dictated by the writings of Pope St. Pius X and the writings of Pope Benedict XVI.
  2. Greatly reduce the number of EMHC, especially for smaller and daily Masses.
  3. Bring the movements in line with authentic Church teaching and not allow for any deviation from the norms prescribed for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
  4. Require that all seminaries teach Latin to future priests, as well as how to properly celebrate the Mass. Also, establish the posture of facing liturgical East as the norm for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
  5. Have greater oversight over the episcopal conferences and require that ordinaries and metropolitans have some sort of continuing liturgical and doctrinal training.
  6. Make an ex-cathedra ruling banning women from being ordained prests and make it perpetual.
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are you trying to sass me, the imaginary pope of my mind? how dare you, now back to the end of the line.(lol) and by the way, worship the creator and not the creation. since it is judas you have brought up, than look at him fiending over the beauty of what man has or what he could have,for himself while others go without. but thats okay to reverence the beauty of a million dollar painting while a hungry man starves to death. and a senseless death it would be…dont you think?
 
Lepanto said:
Oh, right. So the artistic and historical patrimony which belongs to all of mankind will be bought and sold to the highest bidders and then scattered and hidden away in private collections never to be seen by the public again. Sorry, but the thought of seeing Michaelangelo’s “Pieta” on Ebay just does not appeal to me.

Before you dismantle and sell the Vatican, will you sell off your own home first?
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what is more important, your little artifacts and paintings, or hurting children with no food, or clothing or warm meals,or even have a bed to lie down in, or widows who ache not only in body but soul as well, not knowing if tomorrow will take away the pain or lonliness of strugles from today, or the sick, who will help them in their time of need? but we can always tell them," just look at this masterpiece guys" that will sure meet their needs, ya think? my home has always been open to people in need. i have two adopted boys, many families have been through my home. yes, i could spend many hours talking about the ups and downs of caring for the grateful and the ungrateful, but my question to you is, can you truely love the unloved?not with your lip service, but with your whole heart?
 
  1. Communion on the tongue only
  2. No hand-holding during the “Our Father”
  3. Eliminate “happy-clappy” music
 
meandean said:
what is more important, your little artifacts and paintings, or hurting children with no food, or clothing or warm meals,or even have a bed to lie down in, or widows who ache not only in body but soul as well, not knowing if tomorrow will take away the pain or lonliness of strugles from today, or the sick, who will help them in their time of need? but we can always tell them," just look at this masterpiece guys" that will sure meet their needs, ya think? my home has always been open to people in need. i have two adopted boys, many families have been through my home. yes, i could spend many hours talking about the ups and downs of caring for the grateful and the ungrateful, but my question to you is, can you truely love the unloved?not with your lip service, but with your whole heart?
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But those paintings glorify God, as does the beauty of the Vatican itself. If we are going to say it is wrong for people to spend wealth to glorify God, then why did God require all that gold, silver and precious metals and stones and materials for His Tabernacle and His Holy Temple. After all, I’m sure there was poverty among the Israelites at some points.

Also, doesn’t the commandment to love God come before the commandment to love thy neighbor? Just a thought. In a way, I can see both sides of the argument. Within the Anglican Communion, there are many beautiful churches and cathedrals.
 
**1. Encourage all priests to pray the Rosary and have a devotion to Mary, and all children are taught the Rosary.
  1. Ensure all children are taught about Saints and how they are an example to follow.
  2. Greater focus put on teaching about the Holy Spirit.**
  3. Explain better why we have the teachings we do, and not just the teachings.
  4. Make it mandatory to go to Confession more often.
  5. Ensure girls also get the opportunity to be alter servers if they wish.
  6. Ensure that teachers in Catholic Schools are Catholics and regular mass attendees and pray the Rosary each morning with their students. I’d like to add reject the contracepting teachers but not sure how one does this.
  7. Ensure each parish makes a big effort to advertise and conduct refresher courses and encourage lasped Catholics to return.
  8. Assist each parish to run youth programs.
  9. Greater emphasis put on Confirmation and prayer around this time as I worry too many kids get confirmed and don’t really understand and too many seem to fall away.
  10. As a charismatic I love laying on of the hands, so I’d encourage laying on of the hands healing masses as regular occurances in all parishes.
  11. Children often like to feel they are important and can do things and wish to participate so I’d like to see more opportunities for the children to be involved at mass such as handing out the bulletins at the beginning of mass, giving kids who don’t attend Catholic Schools the opportunity to do readings at mass, if envelopes are left in pews ask some children if they wish to do that, little things to make them feel important. This is what my children taught me this is why I mention this one.
  12. Ensure school excursions include religious activities such as visiting cathedrals, visiting religious orders and learning about them, having religious orders come to the school to do regular guest and do this when they are in the younger years schooling system.
  13. My kids do a lot of school projects, but I’ve yet to see any of them do any on profiles of Saints or any religious themed projects.
Guess my focus is on teaching them young, and thus keeping them.

Love this thread.
 
kyria said:
**1. Encourage all priests to pray the Rosary and have a devotion to Mary, and all children are taught the Rosary.
  1. Ensure all children are taught about Saints and how they are an example to follow.
  2. Greater focus put on teaching about the Holy Spirit.**
  3. Explain better why we have the teachings we do, and not just the teachings.
  4. Make it mandatory to go to Confession more often.
  5. Ensure girls also get the opportunity to be alter servers if they wish.
  6. Ensure that teachers in Catholic Schools are Catholics and regular mass attendees and pray the Rosary each morning with their students. I’d like to add reject the contracepting teachers but not sure how one does this.
  7. Ensure each parish makes a big effort to advertise and conduct refresher courses and encourage lasped Catholics to return.
  8. Assist each parish to run youth programs.
  9. Greater emphasis put on Confirmation and prayer around this time as I worry too many kids get confirmed and don’t really understand and too many seem to fall away.
  10. As a charismatic I love laying on of the hands, so I’d encourage laying on of the hands healing masses as regular occurances in all parishes.
  11. Children often like to feel they are important and can do things and wish to participate so I’d like to see more opportunities for the children to be involved at mass such as handing out the bulletins at the beginning of mass, giving kids who don’t attend Catholic Schools the opportunity to do readings at mass, if envelopes are left in pews ask some children if they wish to do that, little things to make them feel important. This is what my children taught me this is why I mention this one.
  12. Ensure school excursions include religious activities such as visiting cathedrals, visiting religious orders and learning about them, having religious orders come to the school to do regular guest and do this when they are in the younger years schooling system.
  13. My kids do a lot of school projects, but I’ve yet to see any of them do any on profiles of Saints or any religious themed projects.
Guess my focus is on teaching them young, and thus keeping them.

Love this thread.
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Um, I think my school already does all that so I don’t think you really need to be the pope to make such declarations. :o

Perhaps you just need to find the right Catholic school. 🤷
 
**If I were Pope I would:

Reconsider the Natural Family Planning or Revise it or Eliminate it( Does not work for everyone ).

Reconsider Birth Control, and it is uses.

Encourage Catholics to take more interest in the faith, by reading more about it (Including the Bible) and understand what is going on the world and getting them to think how it effects them.

Make it Mandatory for all parishioners to wear modest clothing for church and church functions.

Encourage Parishioners to attend Mass & Take the Sacrament of Reconciliation more often.

I know there is more then three but these are just some of the things I would do if I were Pope**.:highprayer: :signofcross:
 
Lost_Wanderer said:
Um, I think my school already does all that so I don’t think you really need to be the pope to make such declarations. :o

Perhaps you just need to find the right Catholic school. 🤷
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Hi, No, I believe if I were Pope I would ensure all Catholic Schools are the right Catholic School.
 
  1. Excommunicate all ‘Catholic’ politicians in clear violation of Catholic teaching
  2. restore the minor orders
  3. Ecourage that the Extraordinary form and Novus Ordo be both available in all parishes
  4. If any priest, or bishop is found in major violation of liturgical norms: removal of the faculty to say Mass or any of the other sacraments for a set time determined by the council of bishops, this would be mandatory for the whole Church.
  5. ensure that the Novus Ordo is celebrated CORRECTLY
  6. greater screening of seminarians
7)excommunication of all sexually abusive clergy and Church employees
 
nsper7 said:
But those paintings glorify God, as does the beauty of the Vatican itself. If we are going to say it is wrong for people to spend wealth to glorify God, then why did God require all that gold, silver and precious metals and stones and materials for His Tabernacle and His Holy Temple. After all, I’m sure there was poverty among the Israelites at some points.

Also, doesn’t the commandment to love God come before the commandment to love thy neighbor? Just a thought. In a way, I can see both sides of the argument. Within the Anglican Communion, there are many beautiful churches and cathedrals.
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anything you so tightly hold on to will never glorify god. it glorifies you.heres one for you,mathew 12:4, what does this mean, i desire mercy not sacrifice?
 
meandean said:
what is more important, your little artifacts and paintings, or hurting children with no food, or clothing or warm meals,or even have a bed to lie down in, or widows who ache not only in body but soul as well, not knowing if tomorrow will take away the pain or lonliness of strugles from today, or the sick, who will help them in their time of need? but we can always tell them," just look at this masterpiece guys" that will sure meet their needs, ya think? my home has always been open to people in need. i have two adopted boys, many families have been through my home. yes, i could spend many hours talking about the ups and downs of caring for the grateful and the ungrateful, but my question to you is, can you truely love the unloved?not with your lip service, but with your whole heart?
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Selling the paintings and treasures of the Vatican will feed the poor for one day (if that, since they don’t really have monetary value), and then the day after tomorrow they will be right back where they started, and there will be nothing available to teach the faith, because all of the teaching materials will be locked up in the vaults of various art museums.
 
Make it a rule that each church should set aside one hour each week for Eucharistic adoration.

Get rid of some of the banal responses where the congregation repeats parrot-like meaningless phrases.

Abolish the handshaking after the Our Father.
 
So many good answers (and, some bad answers–but, don’t worry, the Holy Spirit would prevent your changes! 😛 )

I don’t know exactly what I would do, but I would like to see more missionary orders. And, I’d like to see more laypersons in fulltime evangelical work for a time like the Mormons do.

It seems like we should be out there converting the world more earnestly!
 
leonie said:
It seems like we should be out there converting the world more earnestly!
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I agree.

Sometimes I think we should be out there like the Jehovah Witnesses knocking on people doors. 😃

Then again, can you imagine how many slam doors the Jehovah’s have witnessed. :eek:

Every time I see them in my neighborhood.

I hide. 😃 LOL !
 
I’m not holy enough or smart enough to be Pope…but I would start a Vatican Tube and every week I would have something for the faithful to see and hear that would strengthen their faith and increase their knowledge
 
nice2000 said:
On No ! :eek:

I like the hand shake along with the “Peace Be With You”

It’s called getting to know one another.
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Uh - that’s not actually the purpose of it.

I think one of the reasons people want to abolish it is because so many people think it’s a chance to say “Hi” to their neighbors.

Actually, it’s a ritual action of forgiving those who have sinned against us, where those we are shaking hands with “stand in” for the people who have offended us. (That’s why we are only supposed to shake hands with the people standing near us, instead of wandering all over the Church finding our friends, etc.)
 
jmcrae said:
Uh - that’s not actually the purpose of it.

I think one of the reasons people want to abolish it is because so many people think it’s a chance to say “Hi” to their neighbors.

Actually, it’s a ritual action of forgiving those who have sinned against us, where those we are shaking hands with “stand in” for the people who have offended us. (That’s why we are only supposed to shake hands with the people standing near us, instead of wandering all over the Church finding our friends, etc.)
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I still like it though.

90 % of the time the person standing next to me, I don’t even know. I think it is good to keep though. It’s always good to get to know new people as well.

I always thought it meant to tell your neighbor to keep peace within your heart no matter what trials and tribulations you are going through. don’t be quick to anger
 
not that i’ll ever be, or that i have the arrogance to think i could do a good enough job, but if i had the option:
  1. Abolish the CDF and return power back to the Pope and all the Bishops where it belongs, as well as having representitives of the laity in the church so that the whole church could decide on controversial theological matters in the church, thus adding important democratic elements but not democritizing it entirely.
  2. Make it so that any catholic man could enter the conclave and not have it traditionally restricted to the Cardinals or those who are seen as “pope material”
  3. reintroduce marriage as an option for all members of the church, including the Pope, and encourage responsibility and guidance along with it as well as promoting celibacy
  4. reintroduce the women’s deaconate and encourage the roles for women we already have in the church
  5. lift some of the restrictions for birth control, but not all (i.e. in the case of aids, stds or the couple cant financially afford to have a child. as i see it NFP when used correctly does aim to prevent pregnancy, and is just as effective if not more so then condoms or the pill. it really doesn’t matter on the method, and yes we should always be open to life, but there are some extreme cases as i have mentioned where i am sure God is compassionate and understands. the law of double effect in moral theology would probably come into play here)
  6. reform papal infallibility so that the whole church would have to decide if what the pope feels has been revealed to him by god is authentic and proclaim it, and extend this not to just the pope but the laity and clergy as well. god may reveal to each of us, but it would take the magisterium to help discern if such a revelation is authentic and thus infallible.
  7. scrap the scapulars and medals and the mediatrix nonsense which is clearly offensive and blasphemous to our Lord and our mother, return marian doctrine to proper christocentricity and promote mary as mediator (in the same way as the saints or anyone else who prays for another person, stressing the small m and dropping the co as its dangers to ecumenism and borders on blasphemy, and losing the we have to go through mary to reach christ nonsense), evangelist and sacrament (in her we see the deeper reality of the Holy Spirit working within)
  8. encourage faith reason science and religion to work together and to encourage theistic evolution in all schools
  9. issue an encyclical that would prohibit the denial of sacraments unless the case was most extreme- the person needs that grace, not to be denied it. let god do the work and dont be so quick to judge
  10. drop the idea of temporal punishment as it mocks christ’s work on the cross since he took away all punishment, including temporal, due to sin and instead realize that purgatory is man entering into God and that God Himself is purgatory, cleansing man of his sin with the wrath of his grace
  11. redifine indulgences as something that the entire church can ask god to give to a person and leave the amount and type up to him. stress that it is only christ’s merits being used, not the merits of mary or the saints which clearly contradicts pauline theology. no steps would have to be taken in order to obtain and whether or not it is granted would be left up to god. grace, whether sacramental or extra sacramental, is a free gift. no strings attached. furthermore it would be understood that it is god who grants the indulgence, not the church.
  12. undo everything Benedict has done in regards to the reform of the reform and return things to the way they were with the exception to allow the latin mass to be celebrated but with caution that it does not override the NO. both must be appreciated equally.
  13. get Hans Kung to the Vatican and hammer things out until it is determined he can have his licentia back.
 
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