Scared... please reassure

[031064]

I was just reading some articles about Catholic schools (I live in Ontario, Canada- there publicly funded here) and I heard that some of the teachers are turning against the clerics and handing out birth-control etc. I also heard that the Church after Pope Benedict is likely to fall into liberal hands. Please tell me it isn’t so. I know the world would love to see the Church change some of its precepts (such as priestly celibacy)… I nedd reassurance- please. Thanks!

 

[Maranatha]

The Catholic Church is not in the hands of liberals or conservatives. The Catholic Church is in the hands of Jesus - it’s head and high priest. He will not let it fail. He will allow it to go under periodic trials and tribulations in order to help make it more perfect.

 

[HelenRose]

The Catholic Church is not in the hands of liberals or conservatives. The Catholic Church is in the hands of Jesus - it’s head and high priest. He will not let it fail. He will allow it to go under periodic trials and tribulations in order to help make it more perfect.

Amen. Pope John Paul II said, “Be not afraid.” Christ said, “Be not afraid, I will be with you always.”

God is in control.

 

[Oregooner]

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter who is in charge of the Church, because God will protect it from anyone who is able to affect Church teaching. The pope could be the worst person on earth and the bishops could all be morally corrupt and they still would not be able to change what the Church has held as true for 2,000 years. God won’t let them. The concept of infallibility is essentially this: God will preserve the Church from error, even from the Pope and bishops, if necessary.

However, that doesn’t mean members of the Church in high places won’t misbehave or that some disciplines (like the celibacy requirement you mentioned) won’t be altered from time to time. That is the price of having humans involved. The truths of the Church, however, will always remain.

 

[Nita]

Hi 031964,

I remember speaking to a priest in confession once (15+ years ago), expressing my fear about what was happening in the Church. Can’t remember his exact words, but He reminded me - (paraphrase) “Remember, it is not our Church, it’s His. He is in charge of it.”

Matt 16:18 … I will build MY Church.

I guess Our Lord knows exactly which words each individual needs to hear; and those were definitely the right ones for me. I can’t tell you how reassured and at peace I felt after that. Whenever I start to get nervous again, I just recall Father’s advice and the Scripture passage - and my fearful anxiety is put to rest. For no matter how bad and bleak things might get in the Church, I KNOW Jesus is in charge, nothing happens outside His permissive will, and nothing is beyond His control. He has His purposes and knows what He is doing, My part is to be learn the faith, be faithful to it, and trust Him to look after His Church.

Nita

 

[Newbie2]

The Catholic Church is not in the hands of liberals or conservatives. The Catholic Church is in the hands of Jesus - it’s head and high priest. He will not let it fail. He will allow it to go under periodic trials and tribulations in order to help make it more perfect.

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

 

[FightingFat]

The Catholic Church is not in the hands of liberals or conservatives. The Catholic Church is in the hands of Jesus - it’s head and high priest. He will not let it fail. He will allow it to go under periodic trials and tribulations in order to help make it more perfect.

Lovely post Marantha!