Keep the dialogue; lose the fuzzy inspirational talk (or excess amounts)

[workinprogress]

Here’s the deal:
Many Catholics still don’t know their full faith and many are still fallen away or cafeteria Catholics. I hope it will turn around. I really hope the Pope, God and the Virgin Mary have some secret plot to end the decline of faith amongst a great many Catholics maybe using some disturbing gestures of his (that seem to go against the teachings of preconciliar popes that worked to suppress enemies of the Church from within and without thereby lessening the number of Catholics that get scandalized by their lies), but it does seem we are losing many to heterodoxy and Protestantism. The vast majority will not know of the plot and think the Pope has some devotion to the Koran or appreciates non-Christian religions on an equal basis by having pagan dancers and a princess give him a kiss and they won’t be watching EWTN to get perspective. It’s bad publicity for the Church which teaches opposite things. Many Catholic souls are going to hell because EWTN seems to be one of the only limited ones telling them (or telling them what the Pope says) what they need to be saved at the end and they won’t be watching to be reminded what they really know is true; everywhere else, they get just inspirational thoughts.
How about we keep the dialogue and play “good” cleric; “bad” cleric (“good” meaning friendly; “bad” meaning “tough”. The “good” cleric role can have dialiogue with people of other faiths as well as dissidents; the “bad” cleric can tell them they are wrong about this and that, charitably yet firmly. If the gods of the gentiles (pre-Jesus unconverted gentiles, of course) are devils than maybe dialogue with their representatives may be bad for the cleric and so dialogue should not involve playing mind games and more involving convincing them to join our faith. The “bad” cleric can tell dissident Catholics indirectly, through sermons on certain points of Church teaching, that they need to believe all the truths of the Church or hell when they hear it or hell will be most likely awaiting them lest they go to confession for those acts of Pride. I think priests and higher clergy need to do both roles(I’m glad some are starting to). It’s a balance and will probably require training so it doesn’t matter what people in the pews think as long as the truth comes firmly but charitably. I don’t know if I can do that, but I am not a priest. They signed up for high leadership duty; we are merely soldiers.

 

[Deacon_Tony560]

Clergy and religious can only speak to the choir… Those who try to practice their religion. It is up to the laity to be the true missionaries, because more lives are touched by the laity in everday life than clergy can ever reach. The early Christians attracted many converts because of the lives they lived. The Non-Christians said, " See how they love eachother!" They loved with the love of Jesus.

May God bless you for your concern and may you hear his call to action.
Deacon Tony

You may be the only Gospel that someone ever reads!

 

[RobedWithLight]

I agree. Its time for our priests and bishops to perform both roles. Teach clearly and defend firmly yet charitably. However it should not be limited to the clergy alone, since they form only a tiny percentage of Catholics, but the laity should likewise take an active role in these efforts.

Gerry

 

[workinprogress]

You are correct. I think it was a Marian apparition that said our bad behavior allows for “bad” clergy and she did still ask us to consecrate our hearts to her Immaculate Heart even though Russia’s consecration would be the Pope and bishop’s job.
Still, if popes since Vatican 1 could suppress freemasonry by kicking its agitators out of places where the “little ones” could be scandalized (if they blow off warnings), it may be possible for a cleric to do the same to some degree (of course not all have the Pope’s graces). Sure, parish or dioceses’ administrative workers may walk out but, it’s either them walking out or the scandalized walking out. I think it’s time priests and bishops separate the wolves from the sheep so the latter doesn’t get eaten up. It would be nice if the people would show more support and maybe an orthodox (truly obedient traditionalist or neo-conservative) priest/bishop would have to draw an imaginary line to see who will support him in orthodoxing the parish directly or by preaching hard truths, I don’t know. I do know we lay people need help. If it be a charismatic priest or lay person that can energize the sheep and drive away the heretics in these areas, then more power to him/her (in the case of a lay person). Dialogue can only go so far. Our battle is not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers, still, a representative of Satan, intentionally or not, is dangerous to dialogue with. I believe exorcists have to know that when a victim of possession starts trying to dialogue with them.
I am very irritated. People leaving mass early, chatting before after and even through mass, and wearing immodest or improper clothing for worship must go. They must be educated about that as well as about feminism, what can land you in hell, when sex cannot be had, etc. so more don’t fall into traps… Not making the people in the pew who have those problems feel bad is not worth more making the same problems out of ignorance. I have extended family members who break the 2nd commandment often, divorced and remarried, etc. and I can’t believe they all thumbed their nose. The confusion from the Vatican 2 pseudo-reformers like the periti, must be reversed for their souls as well as for the clergys’. If I had not found the FSSP or straightarrow English mass priests downtown, I may have been scandalized myself. I know clergy are frail people, but they are required to be stronger than us–even if it gets them punished by hierarchy for false charges, shouted at by those confused by false theology or for less money in the baskets.
Still we must pray for them.