What could be done to most improve Sunday Mass attendance?

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Jesus simply calls us to evangelize the culture in our various ways with our diverse gifts. This is the MOST important thing we must be doing to improve Sunday Mass attendance.

Getting into middle management and upper management discourse tends to be outside our sphere of influence.
 
He includes it in his homily, if I remember correctly. Or maybe at the end of Mass?
 
steve-b said:
the context and qualifications were also given.
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Which merely re-emphasises the need for the lay faithful to turn to theologians when it comes to how to understand and apply the catechism.
 
I do get that not everyone would listen to this message even if it was preached. It’s not an easy commitment these days.
 
Don_Ruggero said:
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steve-b:
the context and qualifications were also given.
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Which merely re-emphasises the need for the lay faithful to turn to theologians when it comes to how to understand and apply the catechism.
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That particular Catechism passage I quoted is very clear. It doesn’t need a theologian to interpret it

And

2038 In the work of teaching and applying Christian morality, the Church needs the dedication of pastors, the knowledge of theologians, and the contribution of all Christians and men of good will. Faith and the practice of the Gospel provide each person with an experience of life “in Christ,” who enlightens him and makes him able to evaluate the divine and human realities according to the Spirit of God. Thus the Holy Spirit can use the humblest to enlighten the learned and those in the highest positions.

Theologians are a part of the equation. And depending on what version of theologian one picks today, and they run the gamut in beliefs, one needs to be careful who they listen to.
 
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Duesenberg said:
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steve-b:
Theologians are a part of the equation. And depending on what version of theologian one picks today, and they run the gamut in beliefs, one needs to be careful who they listen to.
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So very true. I have read the work, the opinions, of a number of Catholic theologians (including clergy) over the years that was extremely heterodox. Opinions often driven by agendas. I had to apply for an imprimatur a number of years ago that first had to pass through the “archbishop’s theologian” for a nihil obstat. Some of his comments were most troubling. Thankfully they could all be ignored.
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1 example

At a seminary event I attended, a bishop ameritus said to me when I said to him that C&E Catholics were in mortal sin. He launched back immediately with, “you can’t say that”. To which I said, I don’t say that the CCC says it. Then he said, if all showed up every Sunday what would we do with them? To which I said, Really? Is that the message you gave, and how you ran your diocese, and in extension the message you gave your priests about such behavior? He walked away. Yep, he walked away.

There are too many poorly formed Catholics out there, who would actually listen to him, agree with him, and follow him in that atrocious message he gave because they don’t know any better and particularly don’t know their faith. For all I know, he continues to give that same message, although retired, he attends broadly attended Church functions.

I think I gave you this link. You might have opened it already and heard the homily. If not here it is again.
A NDE story of Fr Jose, told in a homily at mass by Fr Joseph Mary Wolf of EWTN. He saw priests and bishops in hell.
1.He didn’t expect to see THEM,
2. they were there because of bad teaching and bad example

 
steve-b said:
A NDE story of Fr Jose, told in a homily at mass by Fr Joseph Mary Wolf of EWTN. He saw priests and bishops in hell.

1.He didn’t expect to see THEM,
  1. they were there because of bad teaching and bad example
Click to expand...
While I do not doubt this could happen, this report is not the basis for any belief. It is hearsay about something that is not reliable, as in, a doctrine of the faith. It is possible that we have been too heavily influenced by Dante, which is literature, no Scripture.

In any case, the mere fact that a priest or bishop could be a wolf in sheep’s clothing must not be an excuse to take all Scripture interpretation and understanding of Catholic tradition and put it under our own individual interpretation. That is Protestantism, not Catholicism.
 
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