This made me sad..

[debraran]

In our paper yesterday, this opinonal piece:
nhregister.com/articles/2010/11/28/opinion/doc4cf090b0915bb279842709.txt

I have two co-joined church’s in my area, they share 1 priest, so less masses, I hear about meetings for finding ways to increase attendence and I know in time, the one that has less money coming in might close. It seems like a slow death. I was thinking at mass, how I couldn’t imagine anything else in this glorious old church but then the priest said his old church where he had his sacraments (he’s around 55 now) is now a condo…a condo. : (
I think it’s wonderful so many orders like EWTN’s sisters and Fr. Groechel’s order of Franciscans and even my chruch’s Dominican order, has growth in priests and sisters, but they don’t serve local parish’s and there seems to be a lack of priests for them.

I can’t think of anything other than prayer and trying to encourage by being a good example of being Catholic, but it makes me sad. I do blame the sex scandal in part, I don’t care how little the percentages, how many other religious groups had them, etc. Catholic’s were always held to a higher standard, and in the one area that people thought they could trust, they let them down on a very large scale. I believe we can come back, but trust takes a very long time to return.

 

[hxcCatholic413]

The comments in the article defended the Church for the most part. We live in a society where the Government quite blatantly oppresses the Church. The Church teaches its’ own morals and the Government obviously is against that. We live in a country that promotes a culture of death rather than a culture of life and respecting the human person. There is many good people who live in this country, but they are being brainwashed by the liberal media.
Its obvious that the Government has an agenda to destroy the Church, but we MUST rise up against this. Not only does our country promote the Culture of death, but it also tries to spread its values to other countries (ex: Trinidad and Tobago).
-The Catholic Church in this country has the power and the number of people to inflict change. Strong leaders like Pope John Paul II and St. John Vianney could easily reverse this secularism. We are called to be saints, to help all sinners alike to find Jesus Christ! Jesus is the answer!!! God Bless!!

 

[debraran]

I understand but the church has to be honest with itself also. When people thought it was “okay” it wasn’t, people just weren’t talking. I remember whispers and not so whispers about brothers and priests and nuns and am surprised what people hid out of embarrassment or confusion.
We had a more moral society in some ways, although not really “better”. I think we just didn’t talk about it. I was surprised how many of my nice neighbors and people I thought were good examples, cheated on the side or had other issues they hid. Today we just don’t hide anything and in some ways that is good. We all are sinners, and the church made some really big mistakes, got too cocky that the power they had would remain.

I believe Jesus would want the Catholic church to rein, that Peter founded it, but I don’t think he would approve of many of the things that have gone on since then. Men like John Paul ll brought me back after much hurt, I know miracles happen, and I pray that they will but I don’t think the church is through paying for it’s mistakes just yet.

 

[hxcCatholic413]

I understand but the church has to be honest with itself also. When people thought it was “okay” it wasn’t, people just weren’t talking. I remember whispers and not so whispers about brothers and priests and nuns and am surprised what people hid out of embarrassment or confusion.
We had a more moral society in some ways, although not really “better”. I think we just didn’t talk about it. I was surprised how many of my nice neighbors and people I thought were good examples, cheated on the side or had other issues they hid. Today we just don’t hide anything and in some ways that is good. We all are sinners, and the church made some really big mistakes, got too cocky that the power they had would remain.

I believe Jesus would want the Catholic church to rein, that Peter founded it, but I don’t think he would approve of many of the things that have gone on since then. Men like John Paul ll brought me back after much hurt, I know miracles happen, and I pray that they will but I don’t think the church is through paying for it’s mistakes just yet.

I think charismatic leaders within the Church who teach about Jesus Christ can put the Church in a good light. By being more connected to the people and teaching them the fullness and love of the Church a ripple effect will ultimately happen and Jesus will once again reign supreme.