Traditionalists, Apostolic zeal and Conversion

[Iotaunum]

Hi Iotaunum,
I’ve thought about what you’ve said years ago that we should do more directly with other Christians to help them. Why haven’t I? Timidity of pushing them away some more. I could take the spit if that should happen. It’s about damage control, making things worse and making them all the more angry and antagonistic.

It also takes the approval of the pastor. Some clergy are good but as you pointed out, not particularly interested in this direct type of evangelization. Others have too much on their plate right now. But as you will know from your own study, it may be the clergy who need more zeal in this area, not to mention the people. I do think that there are ever so many
catholic laity who would be willing to do this work if they knew what to say and do.

Rather than a blizkrieg attact, how about a soft swiss cheeze direct approach.

More parishes have RCIA. Copy the info and have designated parishoners put them on the door knobs in the blocks where they live. Pizza people do it with success. And we still like in Pizza.

Have people go door to door taking a parish census. A good way to make contact with former catholics and to personnally invite them to the church and offer them a blessed miraculous medal. Lot’s of good there. Others in the household may want the blessed medal as well. First the seed is thrown then later the harvest comes.

Maybe printing a 3 x 5 with important one liner things Catholics believe on one side, and what they don’t believe on the other.

You mentioned St. Phillip was it? that put short arguments under the doors of the homes. How about printed short 3 x 5 explainations on one thing: saints, Mary, Eucharist, etc. with an invite. Under windshield wipers parked on street.

I think what you are saying is right. But the devil is in the details and the devil never stays the same.​

“However far you run from me, I will be there waiting for you.” Hymn

I agree with you that we don’t want to drive people away from the truth by preaching all guns blazing. As St. Paul said to the Corinthians “I gave you milk to drink, not meat; for you were not able as yet”. I understand that conversion is a process, and that people need time to come to the truth. However, the essence of my point was that they will never even consider the Church if the Churchmen no longer insist it is necessary for their salvation. Most today are wont to hold that most Catholics are saved by the Church, and most non-Catholics are saved through invincible ignorance. They diminish the necessity and make the dogma into a meaningless formula. Your ideas for evangelizing are good, and it is indeed the clergy who should be the ones to preach conversion. However, when non-Catholics see Catholics priests and Bishops standing and praying together with protestant ministers and they never mention the necessity of the Church for salvation, then those clergymen are neglecting their duties, for the non-catholic will easily take the impression that conversion is not necessary and not worth bothering about. This is what is lamentable today.