In the future, will there be less diversity of opinion in different parishes?

[Francisco_Fernando]

So in the future, will there be less diversity of opinion in different parishes? So maybe among the laity and /or clergy, they have different beliefs and different approaches to theology. I mean maybe people have different definitions for different words not clearly explained. Where I live, there is quite a diversity of opinion in my parish. I wonder if as people have more access to theology books and the internet, will parishes in the future have the same opinion on most things in the future, since maybe they don’t like the mass, or have different opinions with the pastor or friends as well. There was a phenomena of Ethnic parishes back then. Will it be like that in the future with different viewpoints?

 

[Viki63]

There have always been differences of opinion, but not usually theological opinions. I doubt people are going to study theology any more than they do now. If anything, sites like Catholic Answers will clarify things so people will be more likely to believe what the church teaches,
The Church is conservative. The Magisterium tells us what she believes and recommends for our belief. The mass will not change, The Catholic church is protected by the Holy Spirit, so she won’t change, but who knows what weird cults may spring up in the distant future,

 

[phil19034]

So in the future, will there be less diversity of opinion in different parishes?

I not really sure what you mean…?

There are personal parishes (like Latin Mass parishes & ethnic Parishes) where people have something in common, other than their address. Personal parishes often (but not always) tend to group like minded Catholics together.

However, most parishes are territorial parishes, where the main common link is simply where they live.

NOW, sometimes, territorial parishes (esp in areas with several in a few mile radius) do wind up being known as the “liberal parish” or the “traditional parish,” etc. But that’s not common and really only in large urban & suburban areas with lots of Catholics.

Might diversity of opinion grow in urban & suburban territorial parishes, as more Catholics “parish hop”? Yes, I guess that is possible. But for every diocese that does nothing to prevent parish hoping, there are others that try to encourage Catholics to follow canon law regarding the attendance of their local territorial parish.

The only lessing of diversity of opinion that I forsee is that I envision that by the time the Millennials are the same age as the Baby Boomers today, the parishes will be mostly full with only people who agree with Church teaching, and the number of dissents attending Mass regularly will be far less.

So the “diversity” of heretical opinions will most likely decrease, but I think that’s about it.

At least, that’s my GUESS.

God Bless

 

[yankeesouth]

the parishes will be mostly full with only people who agree with Church teaching, and the number of dissents attending Mass regularly will be far less.

I agree although I don’t think full would be the correct term. Maybe whoever is in the Church will be orthodox lol. Of course it all depends on the priest but I think even though the number of priests will be smaller and we will have less parishes, those priests and parishes will be wholly orthodox with a lessening of ‘diversity of opinion’. Those who threaten to leave a parish due to a strong orthodox priest will find it harder to find a liberal parish.

 

[Francisco_Fernando]

My point is. I’m talking about different spiritualities. The church has a collection of saints that conservatives love like St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Pius IX, Pope Pius X, Lucia of Fatima and Padre Pio and saints that moderates like, like St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Faustina, Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul XI, St. Jose Maria Escriva, and Pope John Paul II. Other varieties of spiritualities include whether Vatican II is valid or not, whether to use the Douay-Rheims or NABRE, is the new mass valid or not, is this saint’s canonization valid, and is not eating fish on Friday morally licit, etc.

 

[phil19034]

I’m talking about different spiritualities

Ahhh… parishes don’t really have “spiritualities” unless they are staffed by a religious order. Otherwise, they typically reflect the spirituality of the pastor.

The church has a collection of saints that conservatives love like St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Pius IX, Pope Pius X, and Padre Pio and saints that moderates like, like St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Faustina, Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul XI, St. Jose Maria Escriva, and Pope John Paul II.

First: I don’t know a single “conservative” Catholic who doesn’t love St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Alphonsus Ligurori, ST. Therese of Lisieux, & St. Jose Maria Escriva. And most of them love St. Pope John Paul II & St. Faustina.

Plus, there is even a subset among traditional mass goers who love St. Pope John XXIII because they believe that the 1962 missal (which he issued) is the pinnacle of the Latin Mass.

The only one on your list that some “conservative” Catholics have issue with is St. Pope Paul VI. And while some conservatives & traditionalists have some issue with individual decisions of St. Pope John Paul II, most like him overall.

The FSSP parish near me even has a statue of St. Pope John Paul II and a painting of St. Faustina in the Church.

(continued)

 

[phil19034]

(part 2)

Other varieties of spiritualities include whether Vatican II is valid or not, whether to use the Douay-Rheims or NABRE, is the new mass valid or not, is this saint’s canonization valid, and is not eating fish on Friday morally licit, etc.

As far as whether Vatican II is valid or not & whether the new Mass is valid or not, only heretics believe they are invalid. However, many “conservative” Catholics do think that some things AFTER the council were abused or misapplied.

In regards to Douay-Rheims vs NABRE - that is simply personal preference. You are forgeting, that there are also Catholics who prefer the RSV-2CE over both of those translations & that the NAB is mainly used as the source for Mass in the United States and some parts of Africa. Other English nations use different translations.

• Jerusalem Bible & RSV-CE in Britain
• NRSV-CE & NAB in Canada
• RSV-2CE in the Caribbean
• etc

Regarding Saint canonization being valid – again, only heretics believe what you are saying here.

And in regards to eating fish on Friday: you need to keep in mind that the law of the Church is that Catholics must refrain from eating meat on Friday. HOWEVER, the bishops can dispense that if they feel it doesn’t serve a purpose in their country. In England & Wales (for example), it is sin for Catholics to eat meat on Friday because the Bishops reinstated the abstinence of meat year round.

While in the United States, the Bishop still dispense this. HOWEVER, the Bishops of the United States STILL expect Catholics to do something for penance on every Friday of the year (unless the Friday is a Feast day. But unfortunately, most Catholics in the US (even some priests) don’t realize that Friday is still a day of penance.

Personally, what I like about not eating meat on Fridays is that it’s easier for me to remember. Otherwise, I need figure out a new penance each Friday & I often forget to do it. So for me, not eating meat on Friday is a lot easier to do (plus, I love to eat meat).

I hope this helps.

God bless

 

[dscath]

So maybe among the laity and /or clergy, they have different beliefs and different approaches to theology.

If there are different theological approaches, its not an issue of diversity of opinion, but rather a lack of catechesis…this is a joint responsibility of the laity and the clergy.

 

[commenter]

phil19034:

the parishes will be mostly full with only people who agree with Church teaching, and the number of dissents attending Mass regularly will be far less.

I agree although I don’t think full would be the correct term. Maybe whoever is in the Church will be orthodox lol. Of course it all depends on the priest but I think even though the number of priests will be smaller and we will have less parishes, those priests and parishes will be wholly orthodox with a lessening of ‘diversity of opinion’. Those who threaten to leave a parish due to a strong orthodox priest will find it harder to find a liberal parish.

There definitely will be fewer parishes in the northeast USA. Where I live there are about half as many baptisms as a few decades ago, and numbers of Confirmations and weddings dropping even more.

The diocese tends to close everything else besides parishes, which means there is very little evangelism. It’s heartbreaking to see so many historic church buildings nearly empty, risk of closing but we can’t keep assigning clergy on the basis of architecture and ethnic heritage, and abandoning youth and young adults.