Patrick Madrid just sent this link out on his Facebook account about the Bishops that speak and those that don’t. Good read.
insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5969&Itemid=48
Timcin:
Good link - I’m from the TAC, & the we’ve been negotiating for 14 years now trying to stitch back just part of what Henry VIII & his unmerry band broke apart…
Here’s a good quote from one of the correspondents on Madrid’s website:
The Bishops Who Speak… And Those Who Don’t
Deal W. Hudson - 5/11/2009
Reply - When Bishops don’t speak
R. Brown - May 11, 2009 12:10 pm
When Bishop’s don’t speak, they are indeed speaking, especially in today’s media times. Silence is seen as acceptance or approval. I remember speaking to other Catholics on issues and part of their justification was, “Well, the Bishop hasn’t said anything!”
When other Bishops are silent, it does force those that truly want to instruct their “flock”, to break with other Bishops and to speak out, so there is no doubt as to what that Bishop teaches in his diocese. This allows the press to begin “counting” those silent verses the vocal Bishops. The assumption being, those silent to the press, are those in favor of the event.
Unfortunately, silent Bishops will yield martyrs in future years, as the lay Catholic faithful are then forced to speak out on issues. Because the stance of the Bishops, in their silence, is not well known, when lay Catholics vocalize the Churches teachings and positions, they will be martyred. It then becomes a case of “passing-the-buck.”
insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5969&Itemid=48
As an ANGLICAN, I can tell you about the the embarrassment of belonging to the Church that MARTYRED St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More. And, I can tell you with certainty that King Henry VIII would have had a much more difficult time doing this terrible thing if the rest of the Bishops (including the Archbishop of Canterbury) would have stood for their Lord and for the Catholic Faith instead of giving in the demands of this vain and proud King and declaring him to be the head of the Christ’s Church in England and all of its claimed territories.
As St. Thomas More said so eloquently, "Silence is Tacit Consent. Please remember that there were and are Bishops who have stood up for the Lord and for the Faith - find out who they are, how to contact them, encourage them with letters, emails, phone calls and personal contacts. If you find one of them on a “board”, let him know how much his effort is appreciated. Although this is a SPIRITUAL BATTLE, our Bishops need to know that we are with them when they march forward, that their efforts are appreciated and that they aren’t alone.
I’ll deal with how to get those who are good-hearted but afraid to speak off the fence in another post. I have a personal history with one who was afraid because he was quite ill (Parkinson’s Disease) and confronted by a powerful Canon (my Rector - I’ve spoken about this briefly elsewhere). I had to let him know that I was behind him, that I wasn’t going to desert him, and then remind him of how he earned the “Heavy Metal” (Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross, Etc.) he was entitled to wear if he wished, by calling him “Bishop CAG” (Commander Air Group - I was the only one who was allowed to do that).
As you can read in my previous post, it worked…
As I said, this will be the topic of a new post, because there are some nuances involved, and we have to distinguish between the Bishop who’s afraid because of the repercussions to himself or his flock and the Bishop who doesn’t care, or who’s completely compromised by the world and it’s values. The first one is still Godly and needs to be reassured that the Lord will protect him and his flock. I’ll not comment on the 3rd, because I sincerely believe the Catholic Church doesn’t have too many of them left.
Your Brother & Servant in Christ, Michael