The silence of our Bishops is deafening

[Genesis315]

In my state the voters, a large number of whom are Catholic, keep electing pro abortion Catholics to office…then the laity denounce the bishops for not excommunicating them!

To be fair, the laity who want bishops to excommunicate them are not the ones voting for them. Bishops are supposed to be shepherds–the laity are the sheep. Large numbers of straying sheep is an indictment of the quality of the shepherding. The problem is, Pope John explicitly decided to give the Church a new approach at Vatican II, one without condemnations or anathemas, one that essentially decided to lay down the shepherd’s crook–there has been little to no discipline and a complete lack of anything appearing “negative” since and the consequences have been devastating–the shepherds provide little defense from the wolves or strong direction to the sheep. From the tolerance of sexual abuse to liturgical abuse to doctrinal error–the leaven not being purged has corrupted the whole lump.

 

[commenter]

In my diocese, laity are far more likely to criticize the prolife bishop than Planned Parenthood. What’s wrong with this picture?

 

[adgloriam]

Most insightful post I’ve read in quite some time @Genesis315 I appreciate it.

I am, however, at a loss to understand the underlying logic governing the general trend you highlight.

Was the weighing of pros and cons so clear that it prompted a withdrawal of the bishops?? The context must be immense to justify such a logic.

 

[Crusader13]

No website ever went broke urging people to confess and repent the sins, or omissions, or “silence”, of persons other than themselves. it’s a cash cow.

I don’t think sites like the ones you mentioned were created just to cash in. I recall 20 years ago, sites like these never existed and it was nearly impossible to go online or even listen to any kind of “Catholic” media to find out about abuses and corruption within the Church.

They sprung up because there was a need for the laity to able to hear about what was going on with the clergy. I was probably like a lot of people and I just naively assumed that nearly all of the clergy worked together and shared the same fundamental views and beliefs regarding church teachings and morals.

Well, here we are today and the reality of what’s been going on has been horrifying. And if it wasn’t for some of these Catholic sites and media apostolates that you mentioned, many of these corrupt clergy would be quietly carrying on their misdeeds in the shadows.

 

[TheLittleLady]

I don’t think sites like the ones you mentioned were created just to cash in. I recall 20 years ago, sites like these never existed and it was nearly impossible to go online or even listen to any kind of “Catholic” media to find out about abuses and corruption within the Church.

BBS discussion groups have been around since the 80’s. Some of us have been talking about Church matters for almost 40 years online!!

AOL Groups were next.

Yahoo Groups began in 2001, there was much discussion during the “Spotlight” abuse scandal that resulted in the John Jay Report.

 

[Crusader13]

True. But some of those groups existed prior to the internet and the ability to access the type of information they provided wasn’t the same as today.

You had Catholic magazines and newspapers and things of that nature, but again the information regarding corruption and bad clergy was largely left unspoken by many of them. Unless something was so egregious it was picked up by secular media first.

 

[Genesis315]

I can understand Pope John’s thinking. The world and Church had been through hell (twice) in the first half of the 20th century. As he describes in his speech convoking the Council, the Church after the war was working like a well-oiled machine, it had earned more respect and appreciation than in centuries, and the post-WWII order in the West seemed to be heading in the right direction. I could certainly see why he felt we needed a break from the doom and gloom and that a more positive engagement and cooperation with the world would be beneficial and help shape the new developing order.

What I don’t get is how when the circumstances he described in his speech radically changed for the worse not long after his death, we kept to the same strategy as if they didn’t. To extend his famous windows analogy, we threw open the windows when the weather looked nice, but then refused to close them again as a storm suddenly blew in and continued to rage.

 

[adgloriam]

and the post-WWII order in the West seemed to be heading in the right direction

Not wanting to add @Genesis315 , I recently reexamined inter-faith dialogue written in that period…It’s good to remember Spain, Portugal and most if not all of latin America was still living in fascist regimes.

Changing and recovering from those regimes is a decades long process - at best. So, reading what the young bishops of that period wrote - their notions on freedom of conscience excluded almost any comment that might offend the consciences. Because it was in a context of blatant violations of human rights (and don’t we still get that to this day?).

However, reading back on it - I’m left unsure if today a public condemnation and anathema wouldn’t be profitable…I honestly don’t know where I stand on this, I can only wish and hope the bishops know best.

 

[commenter]

don’t think sites like the ones you mentioned were created just to cash in. I recall 20 years ago, sites like these never existed and it was nearly impossible to go online or even listen to any kind of “Catholic” media to find out about abuses and corruption within the Church.

Actually in the late 1960s the National Catholic Reporter sprang up. This was a new genre, claiming to be Catholic, by Catholics, but totally independent of the Church. This was the pattern for many others, including Catholics for Choice, Women’s Ordination Conference, Call to Action, etc.

They are still around, still focusing on corruption, still urging readers to be skeptical of most of the hierarchy.

They are not the opposite of OnePeter5, CM, LSN, etc.

 

[pnewton]

Huh?

Could you clarify? You never said what you are referring to. I know of no bishop that is silent. They say Mass. They visit parishes. They have newsletters and websites. You have not responded back to any inquires. What the heck are you talking about?

 

[LoveMercyGrace]

OP:
OP…I was not speaking of one single example, rather a larger view on , overall, the silence. Several replies/posts in this thread expanded much better than I could have and I’ve come to a broader understanding, tho I am sure not complete.
Perplexing to me is the silence in my own diocese, tho I know it is not only here. Some replies here help, or touch, on this, possible reasons.
And offered answers to… "what can we do?’’
some of mine…
Have faith that God is in control.
Work on our own ongoing conversion for we are called to Be Holy and sanctification is a life long process.
Do what we can, where we are.
Pray unceasingly.

 

[pnewton]

Perplexing to me is the silence in my own diocese, tho I know it is not only here.

Then perhaps this is just localized. Like I said, I hear all the time from my bishop, and a bunch others about all sort of stuff. I do not know one that is characterized by silence.