Losing Catholics

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HailHolyQueen90

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Is there anything to do about, for example, the Church rapidly losing members to Protestant denominations in Latin America? (Anywhere, that was just an example)

What are all of your opinions?
 
Well, we can certainly pray. However, I also think it would be nice if priests would engage in some apologetics during their homilies. What I mean is that they should spend a little bit of time refuting the objections to Catholicism, especially the most common objections that the Protestant churches in the area have. If the people are educated and know that the objections that Protestants have don’t really stand up when scrutinized, I think they would be less likely to leave the Church.
 
Poor catechesis, especially since Vatican II. I can’t believe how many wrong teachings are talked about by people who were raised Catholic and then left the Church. Many people really don’t know their faith.
 
HailHolyQueen90 said:
Is there anything to do about, for example, the Church rapidly losing members to Protestant denominations in Latin America? (Anywhere, that was just an example)

What are all of your opinions?
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In Africa and Asia the Catholic Church is growing fast.
 
HailHolyQueen90 said:
Is there anything to do about, for example, the Church rapidly losing members to Protestant denominations in Latin America? (Anywhere, that was just an example)

What are all of your opinions?
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There are still many political problems in Latin America, and still widespread corruption. Since these countries have been Catholic for many centuries, I think the people are just looking for something new, to give them hope for change. Because Catholicism has been there are a long time perhaps people do not associate it with the possibility for change.

And as someone pointed out, the Church is growing massively in some places. In Singapore, when I took RCIA there were over 200 people in my class. And that was just one small parish, not even a big church.
 
YoungTradCath said:
^^ And no one except the clergy can be blamed for that. :confused:
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While our Catholic priests spend several precious years in the making -so to speak- in the seminaries - before they are ordained - we still observe that they are not adequately equipped to deal with unpleasant questions being asked by their flock- their parishioners- about the faith or liturgy or vis a vis practices/ modalities / catechism /church majesterium.“I think, therefore I am” is the mission statement of intellectuals/techies/ in the knowledge world, where you seek instant answers to all types of questions! I do think that like the New Roman Missal /changes in liturgy, we need to look at the root of this problem - which is Training of priests in the first instance and continual /ongoing training throughout their ministry.We need our priests first to have a through grounding in the Bible along with the heritage and dignity and solemnity of what the Church teaches.We need to proclaim more unabashedly in what we believe and why! Our priests and laity have a huge responsibility to" market "-their profound belief and their irrevocable allegiance to the faith and expression of the Holy Catholic And Apostolic Church, and with deep humility try to prevent us slipping from hollowed ground -the exodus of faith wrecked flock, and reclaim lost sheep, even as we strive to conquer new worlds on our star trek to the eternal Jerusalem in the year of the Lord’s coming.We have to have Apologetics and Apologists and whatever curricula and training it takes to train our young minds/parents/ our college students/ to carry the banner forward for Christ with missionary zeal.The easy way out is to succumb to John Lennon’s composition “Let it be” and probably forget whether we live in the year AD or BC as our world would like to forget what that stands for.
 
stephe1987 said:
Poor catechesis, especially since Vatican II. I can’t believe how many wrong teachings are talked about by people who were raised Catholic and then left the Church. Many people really don’t know their faith.
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Exactly right! As a convert, I suppose I have an advantage. I was raised in a rigid Fundamentalist environment wherein the Bible was memorized and was freely quoted. In order to make the trip to Rome, I had to understand the faith well enough to overcome some things I had been taught since I could walk.

Oddly enough, the people I have taken the most shots from over the twenty-plus years since crossing the Tiber were former Catholics. I cannot remember a single case wherein the former Catholic accurately quoted the teachings of the Church. There have been plenty, but they often leave me wondering where they got the errors they are carrying. If they quoted authentic Catholic teachings that they could not believe, I guess I could understand it more, but they don’t. They quote misconceptions every time.
 
The people doesnt take the authorities seriously!! hahaha

-Praying for the return of the traditional ways-
😃
 
YoungTradCath said:
^^ And no one except the clergy can be blamed for that. :confused:
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Nonsense…it is we, each of us individually, that must take up our cross and pursue a holy life. The church and it’s clergy are there to help us and guide us but make no mistake, it is each of us individually that must do the work.
 
stephe1987 said:
Poor catechesis, especially since Vatican II. I can’t believe how many wrong teachings are talked about by people who were raised Catholic and then left the Church. Many people really don’t know their faith.
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What about religious freedom (and ecumenism) per Vatican II? That’s included in the new Catechism, isn’t it? Maybe it’s been misinterpreted. Just thinking out loud here.
 
What to do to keep Catholics from leaving the church. This is THE easiest answer to such an important question in history.

Stop this modernist revolution that is taking place in the Church that started with the mis-steps of Vatican II. Period. Ever since the Novus Ordo was put in place American Catholics have become steeped in bad non authentic ways of prayer that tries to comform itself to the secular society as a whole. The Novus Ordo is valid but it is not an authentic way for worship and people do not find it inspiring so they drop away. Church architecture is a major problem too. This is a very big deal to me. Most new churches built in the past 20-30 years have terrible design. They are circular, lack statues, lack icons, lack stained glass windows, and lack a prominent place for the tabernacle. There are 2 Catholic parishes close to where I live. one has a rather bland architecture and does not have a Latin Mass, the other is the most beautifully and reverant designed modern built Catholic Church I have ever seen and they have a Latin Mass, so its obvious I go there. Also, I will go as far as to say that the lack of reverence in the Church has allowed the shadow of the priest sex abuse scandal to grow like it has as well.

Stop worrying about the rest of the world and start focusing on Christ.
 
HailHolyQueen90 said:
Is there anything to do about, for example, the Church rapidly losing members to Protestant denominations in Latin America? (Anywhere, that was just an example)

What are all of your opinions?
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I consider this a good sign: in our city in South Texas, the Presbyterians have lost so much population that they merged their congregation with a larger one in a nearby city and [here’s the good news] sold their buildings to a Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. So there are now four Catholic churches in our city: three Latin rite (four if you count the Catholic Center at the local university) and a Syro-Malabar.

One thing that strikes me is that the Presbies could have merged with a Spanish-speaking Presby congregation in our city and didn’t. Instead, they drive 10 miles. A similar thing happened with the Methodists in town. They sold their buildings to a bank, and, while they were building their new buildings, they had services in the meeting room of a local hotel instead of working with the Spanish-speaking Methodist congregation in town. I digress.
 
HailHolyQueen90 said:
Is there anything to do about, for example, the Church rapidly losing members to Protestant denominations in Latin America? (Anywhere, that was just an example)

What are all of your opinions?
Click to expand...
I can understand. If one isn’t working on their personal and intimate relationship with Our Lord, it’s easy to be turned off by the Catholic Church for a variety of reasons.

If one is just focusing on the bride of Christ without focusing on the Bridegroom Himself, one can see just how human nature and human ego, being what it is, would turn people away.

There institutional side of the Church has done a lot to wound from within the Mystical Body of Christ over 2 thousands years.

True, Christ promised that the gates of Hell would not prevail, but He never promised that the gates of Hell would not do all it could to beat up, from within and without, the Church.

She is scarred and wounded in many many ways. Just like Our Lord.
 
ConstantineTG said:
Why just the clergy? Catechesis is a responsibility of the community. We have religious brothers and sisters as well as lay catechists.
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Agreed.
And even then, catechesis is no promise of authentic conversion.

Only the Holy Spirit converts the human heart.

All we have to do is look at the Apostles. They had the Lord RIGHT THERE in their midst, and even then they often times didnt get it, or get Him.

Only when the Spirit was poured out on them (and remember they saw Him resurrected, they saw the Ascention and still doubted)…were their hearts converted.

There is no promise that even the best of best of catechesis will lead to conversion.
 
I found out my sister used to attend a Catholic church. I’m trying to remember her exact words but basically the service left her flat and was boring. Now, I love the quiet, liturgical worship.

Is it possible that God intends for us to have several different styles of worship? I know I don’t feel comfortable in a loud, pentecostal service with the minister in jeans running up and down the aisles. I know many people who love that and are faithful Christians. I keep hearing the Catholic church isn’t “relevant” to people. Is it possible that others are finding more to do and more obvious “spiritual food” in other denominations? I hate to say this, but this is my observation. I adore the Church and am happy to study and do the work; I know others aren’t.

I don’t know. 🤷
 
SurlyMermaid said:
I found out my sister used to attend a Catholic church. I’m trying to remember her exact words but basically the service left her flat and was boring. Now, I love the quiet, liturgical worship.

Is it possible that God intends for us to have several different styles of worship? I know I don’t feel comfortable in a loud, pentecostal service with the minister in jeans running up and down the aisles. I know many people who love that and are faithful Christians. I keep hearing the Catholic church isn’t “relevant” to people. Is it possible that others are finding more to do and more obvious “spiritual food” in other denominations? I hate to say this, but this is my observation. I adore the Church and am happy to study and do the work; I know others aren’t.

I don’t know. 🤷
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I so hear what you are saying.

I’ve been to different OF Masses and I can see why many are turned off for various reasons.

Im one of those who prefers a reverently done OF Mass in the manner that VII had envisioned. Fortunately, when I considered coming into full communion the priest at my parish does it just that way.

The more “progressive” Masses I have attended made me shudder and I didnt feel as if I had actually worshipped. But that being said, the pews were filled with people. Young families too. It’s a very busy parish.

I dont know the answer to your question. I expect many of those faithful young families would be turned off (bored?) by how our parish priest’s prays Mass.
 
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