SPLIT: Why have Catholics lost sense of community?

[fall_fox]

[edited]

In many ways, I’ll say during the 20th century Catholics were an entity unto themselves. Catholic lawyers, doctors,engineers, any professional were not welcome in general society businesses. We had Catholic hospitals, orphanages and so on. We Catholics went to Catholic professionals. Our Parishes were not only a place to worship, but were also a social outlet for us. Bingo, ice cream socials, pot luck dinners, euchre clubs, and so on.
My point in all of this is, what happened? It was a very comfortable time in the Catholic Church, I didn’t know many kids at the time that weren’t Catholic. the population of the Catholic Church in the United States today has diminished by about 40% from what it was back then. Again what happened. Was it Vatican ll?

 

[Jean_Anthony]

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[yablabo]

[edited]

In many ways, I’ll say during the 20th century Catholics were an entity unto themselves. Catholic lawyers, doctors,engineers, any professional were not welcome in general society businesses. We had Catholic hospitals, orphanages and so on. We Catholics went to Catholic professionals. Our Parishes were not only a place to worship, but were also a social outlet for us. Bingo, ice cream socials, pot luck dinners, euchre clubs, and so on.
My point in all of this is, what happened? It was a very comfortable time in the Catholic Church, I didn’t know many kids at the time that weren’t Catholic. the population of the Catholic Church in the United States today has diminished by about 40% from what it was back then. Again what happened. Was it Vatican ll?

I don’t think it was the Second Vatican Council itself. Most people have never read its documents and have no notion (or a false notion) of what was dealt with at the Council. The problems that we are seeing, I would guess, would be a lack of the implementation of the doctrines of the First Vatican Council (and the other 19 previous) in favor of something novel.

After the Second Vatican Council, a very strange thing happened in the USA. High altars were demolished, altar rails removed, priestly vestments revamped, sanctuaries “protestantized” (meaning that they were denuded of sacred statues, the Corpus was removed from crucifixes, tabernacles were sent away to “side altars” or broom closets, etc.), and a the notion that there was no difference between a lay man and a ministerial priest started to be brought to the forefront.

None of this was sanctioned or commanded by the documents of the Second Vatican Council. However, all of it is attributed to the Council by those who decided to do it.

There is also the thought that seeing all of this dissembling amongst the “elders” and clergy of the Church in the USA in favor of novelty showed the youth that being Catholic really means nothing…and therefore better to leave the charade and the Church. While that is not a true position, it is taught in the actions of those who treated the traditions and local customs of the Church in the USA with such disdain in favor of novelties.

– Nicole

 

[amerrychase]

Our Parishes were not only a place to worship, but were also a social outlet for us. Bingo, ice cream socials, pot luck dinners, euchre clubs, and so on.
My point in all of this is, what happened? Was it Vatican ll?

Honestly? I think it’s the fact that 90% of US homes had a TV by 1962. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know, but that’s my guess from what I see now with the internet and all.