Redemptorist says "ghetto" piety sidelining social justice

[Brad]

Matt25:

"Instead we see a very heavy stress on older forms of piety or devotionalism or mass displays of Catholic numbers. This seems to reflect a return to the old ghetto strategy, of circling the wagons in a hostile world, combined with a heavy stress on Church authority…“This cleavage is reflected at many levels of the Church, and even in Rome. Debate revolves around the interpretation of [the Second Vatican Council’s Pastoral Constitution on] The Church in the Modern World and the social encyclicals, which are generally ignored or down-played by the conservative wings, except for the morals of sexuality and family life,” Fr Duncan asserts.

It has been my experience that the most pious and devotional are also the best at “social-justice”. They are the ones feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and standing up for the un-born and the elderly.

On the other hand, the heavy promoters of “social-justice” seem to do more talking than walking.

 

[Brad]

CarolAnnSFO:

What fix said ^^^^^.

Now, in terms of the actual corporal works of mercy, there’s no reason they can’t co-exist with the spiritual works of mercy. So there is a place in our world for those elderly ladies praying the Rosary.

**Crazy Internet Junkies Society
**Carrier of the Angelic Sparkles Sprinkle Bag

There is a place for all of us saying the rosary.

 

[Brad]

fix:

I live it each week at my parish. Social Justice, as some define it, is almost the new god. No one is saying we have no need to help each other, but helping each other is necessary, but not sufficient.

These radicals want us to believe “helping” the poor is the only message from the Gospel. The social Gospel is well known by this generation, yet the rest of the Gospel is minimized or rejected.

And, in general, they want to take your money to help the poor.

 

[fix]

This is an example of what I have been saying:

Archdiocesan agency aids in adoptions by gays

Despite Vatican teachings that allowing homosexuals to adopt children is ''gravely immoral," the social services agency of the Archdiocese of Boston has allowed 13 foster children to be adopted by same-sex couples in the past two decades, saying state regulations prohibit the agency from discriminating based on sexual orientation.

Hehir described Catholic Charities’s decision to permit these adoptions as a legal accommodation in the name of a greater social good. He said if they did not comply with the state’s nondiscrimination clause, they would not be able to do the state work that enables them to place hundreds of foster children in stable homes.
boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/10/22/archdiocesan_agency_aids_in_adoptions_by_gays/

One’s definition of social justice that is at odds with Catholic teaching.

 

[manualman]

Great post by chicago

Another mentioned the old pendulum analogy. I used to like this until I realized that it was upside down. I agree that one can place too much emphasis on social work at the expense of personal holiness. I also agree that one can fall into a kind of false piety that contains no charity. But I do not believe that the proper balance between the two are at the “bottom” of the swing. A better analogy is a big boulder and a hill. On one side of the hill is good works. On the other is piety. At the top is a healthy balance of charity flowing from a healthy prayer life. Matt is correct that Vatican II (esp Gaudium et Spies - spelling?) specifically pushed that boulder up the piety side of the hill with the goal of setting on top. But my read of the situation and the LIMITED quote is that this priest is still pushing in that direction even though the boulder has tumbled down into the valley of works. IMO, he is fighting against those who seek to get it back on top of the hill where Vatican II intended it to be!

Again, IMO, this is the proper context of the Vatican II documents on the subject.