Pope faces changing Catholic identity in U.S

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A photographer shooting the landscape of American Catholicism today needs a wide-angle lens.

The image would have to stretch to include a Hispanic family at a booming Phoenix church, a disaffected millennial in Seattle who just barely calls herself Catholic, a Mass-every-Sunday senior in Boston and a convert, such as Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush.

Of course, Pope Francis can’t see this entire panorama on a six-day visit, but they can see him. And maybe there will be a “Francis effect” that prompts new levels of pride and engagement in the church.

Studies show that attendance at Mass has been flat for decades. Catholic identity continues to decline among non-Hispanic whites. Meanwhile, immigrant families — Hispanic, Asian and African — keep the overall Roman Catholic population high.

usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/09/16/american-catholics-decline–flux-pope-francis-visit/72320496/
 
gilliam said:
A photographer shooting the landscape of American Catholicism today needs a wide-angle lens.

The image would have to stretch to include a Hispanic family at a booming Phoenix church, a disaffected millennial in Seattle who just barely calls herself Catholic, a Mass-every-Sunday senior in Boston and a convert, such as Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush.

Of course, Pope Francis can’t see this entire panorama on a six-day visit, but they can see him. And maybe there will be a “Francis effect” that prompts new levels of pride and engagement in the church.

Studies show that attendance at Mass has been flat for decades. Catholic identity continues to decline among non-Hispanic whites. Meanwhile, immigrant families — Hispanic, Asian and African — keep the overall Roman Catholic population high.

usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/09/16/american-catholics-decline–flux-pope-francis-visit/72320496/
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This explains why the Bishops are so gung ho about immigration. The O’Malleys and Famigliettis just aren’t having enough kids to keep the pews filled. Cynical, perhaps, but I don’t think I’m wrong.
 
bibcat said:
This explains why the Bishops are so gung ho about immigration. The O’Malleys and Famigliettis just aren’t having enough kids to keep the pews filled. Cynical, perhaps, but I don’t think I’m wrong.
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Supporting migrants has been part of Catholicism since the beginning. We started out as migrants.
 
gilliam said:
Supporting migrants has been part of Catholicism since the beginning. We started out as migrants.
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There are no immigrants or migrants in the Catholic Church; there are only children of God. 👍
 
bibcat said:
This explains why the Bishops are so gung ho about immigration. The O’Malleys and Famigliettis just aren’t having enough kids to keep the pews filled. Cynical, perhaps, but I don’t think I’m wrong.
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I found that my old childhood parish no longer looks the same. Not even close! From an all-white parish through the 1960’s and 70’s, St. Mary’s has become smaller and largely Hispanic. The school closed as well. As I’ve visited parishes throughout the country, I find a distinct amount of disparity in the Mass. Guitars, cymbals, drums, charismatic raising of hands, etc. Outside of my former awesome and very conservative diocese in Arlington, VA, I find little that I recognize from my childhood. And Pope Francis acts differently than the previous Popes I knew, from Paul VI through Benedict XVI.
 
Tampa_Dave said:
I found that my old childhood parish no longer looks the same. Not even close! From an all-white parish through the 1960’s and 70’s, St. Mary’s has become smaller and largely Hispanic. The school closed as well. As I’ve visited parishes throughout the country, I find a distinct amount of disparity in the Mass. Guitars, cymbals, drums, charismatic raising of hands, etc. Outside of my former awesome and very conservative diocese in Arlington, VA, I find little that I recognize from my childhood. And Pope Francis acts differently than the previous Popes I knew, from Paul VI through Benedict XVI.
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Imagine what St. Paul would say if he stepped into a Catholic Church in America today! 👍
 
808Catholic said:
Imagine what St. Paul would say if he stepped into a Catholic Church in America today! 👍
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What would he say ?
Have you ever been unable to find A mass in miles ?
Aren t there masses in US to accomodate almost every " taste " ?
What is left for Christians in Middle East then to say ?
We have.become spoilt brats.
 
graciew said:
What would he say ?
Have you ever been unable to find A mass in miles ?
Aren t there masses in US to accomodate almost every " taste " ?
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I guess that’s my point. In the early Church, St. Paul was called back to Jerusalem because there were reports that he was not teaching as the Apostles were. Speaks to the unity of the early church. Can you imagine St. Paul’s shock to hear Mass celebrated in hundreds of different languages and in churches across the globe? He might have sat down in total awe at the results of the continued evangelization. I can’t imagine he would be speechless for too long but I believe it would be remarkable to him! 👍
 
808Catholic said:
I guess that’s my point. In the early Church, St. Paul was called back to Jerusalem because there were reports that he was not teaching as the Apostles were. Speaks to the unity of the early church. Can you imagine St. Paul’s shock to hear Mass celebrated in hundreds of different languages and in churches across the globe? He might have sat down in total awe at the results of the continued evangelization. I can’t imagine he would be speechless for too long but I believe it would be remarkable to him! 👍
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Sorry. I misunderstood you.Yes ,he would be totally amazed ,I guess.For the glory of God.
 
Yeah. It is real fashionable for the world to blame America for everything.

I am wondering if someone can help me. Yesterday in the Pope’s visit to Cuba, he criticized the American embargo on Cuba. Of course. Why not? America’s fault again.

I tried to find where or when the last time a Pope came out and criticized the Cubans human rights violations. Things must be just great over there, considering how many people have risked their lives to escape. By getting onto rickety old boats to leave that socialist paradise. Thousands, if not hundreds of thousands tried to make that trip. The ones that were lost at sea we will never know about.

Let me know if someone here wants me to list all of the violations of human rights Cuba has been guilty of through their disgusting totalitarian regime. I will be happy to list them for you if you want.

I am getting really sick and tired of socialism being propagated by the Church. I am getting really sick and tired of it.

Let me know what criticisms of human violations THIS POPE has made about Cuba. He is all too happy to criticize America for everything. BTW, America gives more to charity and bails out more countries in need than ALL of the countries in the world COMBINED. A lot of those charitable donations are done by private donations and volunteers. I can list that too.

I also have not seen any good things being said and benefits that the free market enterprise has given to the world. For example, that big comfortable plane the Pope travels around in. I can list a lot more things that the free market has given to the world. Maybe someone can list all of the things communism has given us. I will be waiting for that long list.

If I am offending anyone by having the audacity to criticize this Pope, I am sorry. I really am. If there is a place where you can find me where THIS POPE has criticized Cuba and their human rights, please let me know.

Anyone remember Pope John Paul II? Let me know if you remember his stance on such regimes. Then again, he did come from a country where he saw the absolute evils of totalitarian regimes. Where much of South America HATE this country.

Please help me, cause I am obviously in a great spiritual crisis about all of this.
 
bibcat said:
Originally Posted by gilliam View Post

Studies show that attendance at Mass has been flat for decades. Catholic identity continues to decline among non-Hispanic whites. Meanwhile, immigrant families — Hispanic, Asian and African — keep the overall Roman Catholic population high.

This explains why the Bishops are so gung ho about immigration. The O’Malleys and Famigliettis just aren’t having enough kids to keep the pews filled. Cynical, perhaps, but I don’t think I’m wrong.
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The problem with that solution is that the immigrants only stay Catholic for one generation and then their children fall prey to the same things that are causing the O’Malley and Femiglietti kids to leave the Church.
 
zz912 said:
The problem with that solution is that the immigrants only stay Catholic for one generation and then their children fall prey to the same things that are causing the O’Malley and Femiglietti kids to leave the Church.
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Yup. And a large minority–or even majority–of Hispanic families are single mother. Raising a Catholic child is very labor intensive; a single mom would have a hard time with this.
 
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