Spread the word: It's still great to be a Catholic

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I see a letter in the local newspaper from a town resident. He wrote that it is still great to be a Catholic. He told a little about good priests and nuns that he grew up with. He mentioned the scoundrels who have done so much damage to the Church, and declared that he is not going to let them take it away from him.

This is exactly the attitude that all faithful Catholics need to show to the world.

I would suggest that each of us should be prepared to bear such positive and faithful witness. You don’t have to write a letter. Just do what you can.

To get started, think through how you could answer someone who comments on, jokes about, harps on, or asks about the current troubles in the Church. Be ready to affirm the goodness and holiness of the Church.

And it most certainly is good and holy because it is so much more than its failures. What else is it? What is the Church to you?

For me, the most important thing about the Church is the Sacraments, which Jesus instituted to give us grace and life. It’s faithful and holy parish priests, lots of them, and it’s also good lay people. We gather in the Mass and also at other times for prayer, Bible study, and faith building. It’s Mary and the Saints and the great Body of Christ, and Jesus wants us to be part of that, forever.

Yes, it is great to be a Catholic. It still is, and it always will be.
 
CradleCath0lic said:
… but I also think we should take the scandals seriously and not be in denial about them. That doesn’t help.
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Quite right.

I think one could also tell others, in faith and hope, that there are serious problems, but we are going to fix them. Actually we already started fixing the problems years ago, and things have been getting better, but the evil and corruption ran deeper than we thought.

The media exposure, though embarrassing and perhaps discouraging, is a good thing. It shines a bright light on some ugly realities that were hidden in the darkness. We will be better able to drive out the evil, help those who were harmed, and prevent future abuses.
 
RandomAlias said:
He wrote that it is still great to be a Catholic. He told a little about good priests and nuns that he grew up with.
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Exactly. I have never met any ill-intentioned priest, not even close. Thanks for this reminder.
 
… which makes it all the more mysterious why so many priests have been living double lives, endangering their salvation.
 
The only way to effect positive change is from within. Leaving accomplishes nothing for anyone, other than stroking the ego of the one involved. I’m in it for the long haul.
 
We, the people, are the Church.
Some of the priests and some of their higher-ups have messed up, big time. But that will not keep the rest of us cradle Catholics and newcomers from forging ahead.
We must ALL play a bigger role in what happens to God’s Church!
Humans are fallible. Humans make mistakes.
None of us are prefect. We strive for perfection to obtain excellence in our Faith.
 
There are so many Catholics at my parish who are uninvolved. It is important that more parishioners participate in what goes on.
 
I’m sorry, but thanks to the internet, we cannot have very good conversations. What does “more parishioners participate in what goes on.” mean?
 
edwest211 said:
How do you suggest this change from within could happen?
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One parish at a time. Serve on your councils, take positions of leadership. Parents be very involved where their kids are concerned. If people just up and quit they abandon any and all influence they can have within their own church.
 
“leadership”? Parish Councils provide suggestions to the pastor who accepts or rejects each one as he determines. I don’t see any leadership roles for the laity.

“all influence”?

Back in the early 1960s, parents were always concerned about their children.
 
edwest211 said:
“leadership”? Parish Councils provide suggestions to the pastor who accepts or rejects each one as he determines. I don’t see any leadership roles for the laity.
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Given what has taken place, one must become vocal, loud even. Volunteer, write letters (nothing worse for an offender than a letter to the local paper; no names of course), get up a petition, withhold donations, make sure kids are never left alone with any adult leader. If there are legitimate concerns the laity must stop treating the clergy as though they are authority figures when what they are supposed to be are shepherds. And in the worst case scenario; bypass the Bishop and call the police. Father Larry Richards, himself abused as a young seminarian, says the same. Forget the Bishop when it’s a police matter.

Goodness, laddie, you sound as though you’ve already given up. Your country (assuming you are American; my mistake if not) is the world’s poster boy for outspokenness and freedom of dissent. Never accept the status quo. When my own kids were young my wife and I got endlessly involved in their church activities. For several years we organized and ran the annual summer camp. No pastor was needed and he wasn’t consulted. If things are as cut and dried as you suggest then your priest needs to be seriously gotten in the face of. Read a biography of George S Patton. That’ll motivate anyone. 🙂

God bless you, my friend. My prayers are with you and your church. Always.
 
Yes, yes. The Hippie/Protestor for Life mantra. I’ve lived through it. Loud is not good. Polite and respectful is good. Withhold donations. Yeah, sure. They’ll notice a bit of missing money but the Church is not just about donations. If something is a police matter then call the police. I’ve read Patton - bad comparison.

American media has gone cultural Marxist and liberal secularist. Facts no longer matter, ideology does.

The clergy are authority figures and should be respected but agitators come here and since protesting is their way of life, say ‘Investigate the lot of them!’ 'Off with their heads!

A matter that requires a police investigation? Go and do it. But do it properly and without public fanfare. A small group of Americans think they live in “the land of anything I want as long as I yell and scream a lot.” Little children think like that, not moral, educated adults.
 
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RandomAlias said:
I see a letter in the local newspaper from a town resident. He wrote that it is still great to be a Catholic. He told a little about good priests and nuns that he grew up with. He mentioned the scoundrels who have done so much damage to the Church, and declared that he is not going to let them take it away from him.
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We keep hearing about the bad priests and Bishops but does anyone know the estimated percentage of good, Holy priests and Bishops?
 
Hope1960 said:
We keep hearing about the bad priests and Bishops but does anyone know the estimated percentage of good, Holy priests and Bishops?
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Around 92% to 97%, extrapolating from the John Jay report which estimated offender priests to be within 3-8% of clergy (if I remember correctly, this included all offenses from pedophilia to violation of vows with adult women)
 
therese1998 said:
Around 92% to 97%, extrapolating from the John Jay report which estimated offender priests to be within 3-8% of clergy (if I remember correctly, this included all offenses from pedophilia to violation of vows with adult women)
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That’s a high enough percentage to make me feel better about our Church.
 
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