G
Gabriel_Serafin
Guest
I recently came across this interesting article :
Pope admits sadness at influence of professional liberal Catholics on Church
By Deacon Nick, on November 30th, 2010
In his interview with Peter Seewald Pope Benedict admits his sadness at the influence of professional liberal Catholics, particularly those advising bishops, especially about their media image. He agrees with Peter Seewald’s analysis that these liberal Catholics are compromised by a ‘culture of doubt’.
The Holy Father refers to these liberals in positions of power and influence in the Church as ‘professional Catholics, who make a living on their Catholicism, but in whom the spring of faith flows only faintly, in a few scattered drops.’
Peter Seewald: ‘A “culture of doubt” is very much “in” these days, and it has found a comfortable nest even in media outlets associated with the Church. In many cases, editors simply take over uncritically the slogans circulating among the usual critics of the
Church. Bishops follow the lead of their media consultants,who recommend a soft line in order to avoid any damage to the bishops’ liberal image. And when, on top of that, huge media concerns belonging to the Church remove religious books from their main sales lists—doesn’t this raise doubts as to whether we can still speak credibly about new evangelization?’
Pope Benedict: ‘ These are all phenomena that one can only observe with sadness. It is sad that there are what you might call professional Catholics who make a living on their Catholicism, but in whom the spring of faith flows only faintly, in a few scattered drops. We must really make an effort to change this. In Italy—where there are far fewer enterprises run by the Church as an institution—I observe that initiatives arise, not because they are set up by the Church as institution, but because the people themselves believe. Spontaneous new beginnings arise not from institutions, but out of an authentic faith.’
It seems that Pope Benedict, like many of us, has given up on Church institutions dominated by liberal professionals, such as catechetical centres and Education services (Of course there are a few faithful and loyal catechetical centres and Education services, but they are the exception in my experience).
Pope Benedict makes it clear that he doesn’t look for signs of renewal and hope from those institutions of the Church top heavy with liberal professional Catholics but from people who have an authentic faith outside the institutions.
Commenting on the Pope’s remark, Fr. de Souza observes: ‘It is easy enough to point to the managerial bishop or the administrative pastor and lament the lack of fervour for the faith and the absence of evangelical criteria in decision-making. But could not the same be said of any diocesan office in Canada, the staff room of any Catholic school, the executive officers of any Catholic social welfare agency or the bureaucrats that administer the vast panoply of Catholic organizations?’
As a Catholic blogger observes, ‘many vibrant, young, and faithful Catholics who would love to offer their all to the Church are left to find work in the secular world. Why are all the professional jobs in the Church held by dissidents?’
catholicregister.org/fr-raymond-de-souza/christ-is-alive-in-his-church
Pope admits sadness at influence of professional liberal Catholics on Church
By Deacon Nick, on November 30th, 2010
In his interview with Peter Seewald Pope Benedict admits his sadness at the influence of professional liberal Catholics, particularly those advising bishops, especially about their media image. He agrees with Peter Seewald’s analysis that these liberal Catholics are compromised by a ‘culture of doubt’.
The Holy Father refers to these liberals in positions of power and influence in the Church as ‘professional Catholics, who make a living on their Catholicism, but in whom the spring of faith flows only faintly, in a few scattered drops.’
Peter Seewald: ‘A “culture of doubt” is very much “in” these days, and it has found a comfortable nest even in media outlets associated with the Church. In many cases, editors simply take over uncritically the slogans circulating among the usual critics of the
Church. Bishops follow the lead of their media consultants,who recommend a soft line in order to avoid any damage to the bishops’ liberal image. And when, on top of that, huge media concerns belonging to the Church remove religious books from their main sales lists—doesn’t this raise doubts as to whether we can still speak credibly about new evangelization?’
Pope Benedict: ‘ These are all phenomena that one can only observe with sadness. It is sad that there are what you might call professional Catholics who make a living on their Catholicism, but in whom the spring of faith flows only faintly, in a few scattered drops. We must really make an effort to change this. In Italy—where there are far fewer enterprises run by the Church as an institution—I observe that initiatives arise, not because they are set up by the Church as institution, but because the people themselves believe. Spontaneous new beginnings arise not from institutions, but out of an authentic faith.’
It seems that Pope Benedict, like many of us, has given up on Church institutions dominated by liberal professionals, such as catechetical centres and Education services (Of course there are a few faithful and loyal catechetical centres and Education services, but they are the exception in my experience).
Pope Benedict makes it clear that he doesn’t look for signs of renewal and hope from those institutions of the Church top heavy with liberal professional Catholics but from people who have an authentic faith outside the institutions.
Commenting on the Pope’s remark, Fr. de Souza observes: ‘It is easy enough to point to the managerial bishop or the administrative pastor and lament the lack of fervour for the faith and the absence of evangelical criteria in decision-making. But could not the same be said of any diocesan office in Canada, the staff room of any Catholic school, the executive officers of any Catholic social welfare agency or the bureaucrats that administer the vast panoply of Catholic organizations?’
As a Catholic blogger observes, ‘many vibrant, young, and faithful Catholics who would love to offer their all to the Church are left to find work in the secular world. Why are all the professional jobs in the Church held by dissidents?’
catholicregister.org/fr-raymond-de-souza/christ-is-alive-in-his-church