Poorly Formed Catholics Biggest Obstacle to New Evangelization

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A Vatican official says poorly-formed Catholics present one of the biggest challenges to the late Pope John Paul II’s vision of evangelizing formerly Christian societies in the West.

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This fact alone is one of the biggest hurdles for the Church. For the past 40 years there has been virtually no catechesis of the lay faithful. Not that the lay faithful have no responsibility in their “continuing education” so to speak of the faith. The lay faithful were all too willing to lap up the relative and relaxed message from the pulpit. It has been a duel problem, however, I do believe it started with the heirarchy of the Church. I believe they thought the approach should be “I’m OK, you’re OK.” Problem is they took it to extreme levels. Nothing was really sinful anymore. No need for individual confession, we’ll just do “general group confessions”. Birth Control? Well, it depends on the circumstances, not usually sinful to practice. And it goes on and on and on.

Problem being, once the Genie is out of the bottle, how do you put him back in?
 
Teelynn said:
This fact alone is one of the biggest hurdles for the Church. For the past 40 years there has been virtually no catechesis of the lay faithful. Not that the lay faithful have no responsibility in their “continuing education” so to speak of the faith. The lay faithful were all too willing to lap up the relative and relaxed message from the pulpit. It has been a duel problem, however, I do believe it started with the heirarchy of the Church. I believe they thought the approach should be “I’m OK, you’re OK.” Problem is they took it to extreme levels. Nothing was really sinful anymore. No need for individual confession, we’ll just do “general group confessions”. Birth Control? Well, it depends on the circumstances, not usually sinful to practice. And it goes on and on and on.

Problem being, once the Genie is out of the bottle, how do you put him back in?
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As the old CSN song says…Teach your children well…

Peace
James
 
The biggest problem I’ve noticed from talking to self-identified Catholics or former Catholics on other sites is the sin of pride. People who were poorly formed and are not interested in being told the truth. “I was raised Catholic! I know X is true!” and then when someone quotes the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Catechism is wrong because it goes against what this person was taught or believes about the Catholic Church. They bash the Church by saying she teaches something she doesn’t, and then become angry when someone points out the truth.
 
stephe1987 said:
The biggest problem I’ve noticed from talking to self-identified Catholics or former Catholics on other sites is the sin of pride. People who were poorly formed and are not interested in being told the truth. “I was raised Catholic! I know X is true!” and then when someone quotes the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Catechism is wrong because it goes against what this person was taught or believes about the Catholic Church. They bash the Church by saying she teaches something she doesn’t, and then become angry when someone points out the truth.
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Agreed.I belong to a women’s small faith study group.We are currently studying Humanae Vitae.We were discussing this very topic as it applies to the current HHS mandate,homosexual marriage It seems ,that the laity has taken on the “duty” of determining and interpreting Church Doctrine.insomuch as they are instructing our priests,actually chastising them for speaking out from the pulpit on Church Doctrine that they don’t agree with.Even walking out of Mass during homilies!
 
Yep…and I find it so frustrating. I would add to the good posts here that we also have the group of Catholics who are dead set on staying in the church to change it.
 
baylee said:
Yep…and I find it so frustrating.
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Yes it is frustrating…but then I think that we all have “logs in our eyes” or at least we did at one time. Let us be both charitable AND active within our spheres of family and parish and communities to get write and proper understanding out there. This is the biggest and most important thing we can do.

{quote]I would add to the good posts here that we also have the group of Catholics who are dead set on staying in the church to change it.
Whether this is good or bad will depend on what the people want to “Change” the Church into…
Obviously those who seek radical change like acceptance of ABC, or the ordination of women etc. are not particularly on the right track. On the other hand, those who seek to change the Church to root out and correct things like the recent scandals etc. are on the right track.
The truth is that the Church has always been something of a “boiling cauldron”, beginning in Antioch with the argument over circumcision as recorded in Acts.

It’s a messy business - but that’s our Church…👍

Peace
James
 
JRKH said:
Yes it is frustrating…but then I think that we all have “logs in our eyes” or at least we did at one time. Let us be both charitable AND active within our spheres of family and parish and communities to get write and proper understanding out there. This is the biggest and most important thing we can do.

{quote]I would add to the good posts here that we also have the group of Catholics who are dead set on staying in the church to change it.
Click to expand...
Whether this is good or bad will depend on what the people want to “Change” the Church into…
Obviously those who seek radical change like acceptance of ABC, or the ordination of women etc. are not particularly on the right track. On the other hand, those who seek to change the Church to root out and correct things like the recent scandals etc. are on the right track.
The truth is that the Church has always been something of a “boiling cauldron”, beginning in Antioch with the argument over circumcision as recorded in Acts.

It’s a messy business - but that’s our Church…👍

Peace
James

Well said. 👍
 
JRKH said:
Yes it is frustrating…but then I think that we all have “logs in our eyes” or at least we did at one time. Let us be both charitable AND active within our spheres of family and parish and communities to get write and proper understanding out there. This is the biggest and most important thing we can do.

{quote]I would add to the good posts here that we also have the group of Catholics who are dead set on staying in the church to change it.
Click to expand...
Whether this is good or bad will depend on what the people want to “Change” the Church into…
Obviously those who seek radical change like acceptance of ABC, or the ordination of women etc. are not particularly on the right track. On the other hand, those who seek to change the Church to root out and correct things like the recent scandals etc. are on the right track.
The truth is that the Church has always been something of a “boiling cauldron”, beginning in Antioch with the argument over circumcision as recorded in Acts.

It’s a messy business - but that’s our Church…👍

Peace
James

Well said 👍
 
Catholic_Press said:
A Vatican official says poorly-formed Catholics present one of the biggest challenges to the late Pope John Paul II’s vision of evangelizing formerly Christian societies in the West.

More…
Click to expand...
I would have to disagree in the sense that the biggest challenge is poorly formed and catechized clerics who then poorly form and catechize the people. It’s no wonder lay Catholics don’t “buy” contraception - they’ve been taught not to by their parish priest, theologians, nuns vowed brothers and BISHOPS! Choose almost any other tenet or dogma, too. It’s all voluntary.

Where have these people been? Where are they now? The pulpits, “Catholic” schools, chanceries, seminaries have been rife with error for decades - and now the good Archbishop is "shocked! shocked!! to find that [the laity is poorly catechized]!

Maybe if the Bishops were orthodox that might just flow down to the priests and religious teachers. Let’s face it “Catholic” education has been a hot bed of syncretism and source of apostasy for decades. At least something is starting to be done, but, sheesh, the “Spirit of Vatican II” crowd still has its grip tight on many dioceses, schools, hospitals and other missions of the Catholic Church.
 
LovePatience said:
What does it mean to be “sufficiently catchecized?”
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I would say we need to borrow a phrase from President Ronald Reagan - “Trust, but verify.”

Trust that we are being told the truth, but verify for ourselves that we have been. How do we do this? Study the Catechism. Study Papal Encyclicals and actually read them, not just take the word of somebody who thinks s/he knows what they say without ever having read them. Participate in orthodox (as in “true to the Magesterium”) Bible study programs. Read writings from orthodox theologians. Etc.

We’re adults after all. The time for spoon-feeding ended long ago. We need to know the “meat and potatoes” for ourselves so we can offer them to others, especially our children.
 
I believe the biggest problem is that bishops and priests are no longer of one heart and mind. It used to be that one could go to almost any parish in town and be assured it would be fairly consistent with another. This is no longer true. We’ve become like the Protestants who choose a church because of the preacher and the parishes themselves have a different focus and dynamic. Those who want truth go to Parish X, those who do not, go to the one five miles away where they can be assured they will hear nothing about sin, contraceptives or abortion in the homily.

We are presently experiencing this big time since our original pastor was transferred ten months ago. Instead of a focus on Christ and Liturgy, the emphasis is now on community. I am greatly distressed to say the least.

And most alarming of all is when you hear a cardinal make the statement that the issue of homosexuality is an “on-going discussion” as it relates to church teaching. :eek:

How do the faithful handle something like this??
 
Tigg said:
I believe the biggest problem is that bishops and priests are no longer of one heart and mind. It used to be that one could go to almost any parish in town and be assured it would be fairly consistent with another. This is no longer true. We’ve become like the Protestants who choose a church because of the preacher and the parishes themselves have a different focus and dynamic. Those who want truth go to Parish X, those who do not, go to the one five miles away where they can be assured they will hear nothing about sin, contraceptives or abortion in the homily.

We are presently experiencing this big time since our original pastor was transferred ten months ago. Instead of a focus on Christ and Liturgy, the emphasis is now on community. I am greatly distressed to say the least.

**And most alarming of all is when you hear a cardinal make the statement that the issue of homosexuality is an “on-going discussion” as it relates to church teaching. :eek:

How do the faithful handle something like this??**
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But the issue of Homosexuality IS an ongoing discussion…With the Catholic church trying to explain to others what it teaches and why…An ongoing “discussion” can be quite different than an ongoing “negotiation”…😉

Peace
James
 
I am here on CAF for exactly the reason posted in the topic. My CCD education and instruction were “lacking.”

I’ve had a couple of Protestant girlfriends (including my present one) and when they want to know something about Catholicism, I’ve NEVER had the answer. It isn’t easy trying to be a good Catholic today. We MUST educate!

However, I think the problem runs deeper than that. I can’t speak for other nations, but in the United States, religion just isn’t that important to most people. Thus, the age old question; “how do you sell something to those who don’t want to buy?” or even; “how do you sell something to those who don’t think they need it, and are openly hostile to it?”

We know the problem. Any answers?
 
rfournier103 said:
I am here on CAF for exactly the reason posted in the topic. My CCD education and instruction were “lacking.”

I’ve had a couple of Protestant girlfriends (including my present one) and when they want to know something about Catholicism, I’ve NEVER had the answer. It isn’t easy trying to be a good Catholic today. We MUST educate!

However, I think the problem runs deeper than that. I can’t speak for other nations, but in the United States, religion just isn’t that important to most people. Thus, the age old question; “how do you sell something to those who don’t want to buy?” or even; “how do you sell something to those who don’t think they need it, and are openly hostile to it?”

We know the problem. Any answers?
Click to expand...
Be a saint, and they will come.
 
Teelynn said:
This fact alone is one of the biggest hurdles for the Church. For the past 40 years there has been virtually no catechesis of the lay faithful. Not that the lay faithful have no responsibility in their “continuing education” so to speak of the faith. The lay faithful were all too willing to lap up the relative and relaxed message from the pulpit. It has been a duel problem, however, I do believe it started with the heirarchy of the Church. I believe they thought the approach should be “I’m OK, you’re OK.” Problem is they took it to extreme levels. Nothing was really sinful anymore. No need for individual confession, we’ll just do “general group confessions”. Birth Control? Well, it depends on the circumstances, not usually sinful to practice. And it goes on and on and on.

Problem being, once the Genie is out of the bottle, how do you put him back in?
Click to expand...
Amen and Amen

When I was young in the 70s our catechism class was most of the day Saturday and consisted colouring, drawings, and movies. Didnt learn much about the church and how to participate in mass.

The more I learn about how mass is supposed to be the less it looks like a mass. With the army of extra ordinary Eucharistic Ministers, People throwing the orans posture out more like we are in a mosque than a catholic church. Alter girls.Female lectors going up doing readings in short skirts. The list goes on and on. Its sad I am afraid its to a point if people knew how mass was really supposed to be they wouldnt want any part in it.

I am sure all of these people are well meaning just miss guided.
 
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