What's Important?

[gksaoh]

In his weekly column (Sept… 30), Father Greeley writes about two archbishops who propose that the hierarchy turn away from social issues and concentrate on religious issues.

Does that mean that problems of poverty, war, racial and gender discrimination are of less concern than such religious issues as abortion, homosexuality and same sex marriage?

Or are the archbishops talking about religious issues like cover up of pedophilia, secretly squandering church resources on pay-offs, or closing and consolidating parishes?

Is it surprising that there is a shortage of vocations?

 

[Wolseley]

gksaoh:

In his weekly column (Sept… 30), Father Greeley writes about two archbishops who propose that the hierarchy turn away from social issues and concentrate on religious issues.

Does that mean that problems of poverty, war, racial and gender discrimination are of less concern than such religious issues as abortion, homosexuality and same sex marriage?

Or are the archbishops talking about religious issues like cover up of pedophilia, secretly squandering church resources on pay-offs, or closing and consolidating parishes?

Is it surprising that there is a shortage of vocations?

Father Greeley suffers from the same strain of disease which afflicts many post-Vatican II clergy of his particular age, which is characterized by an insistance that the only thing that matters is what happens in this world—the next world is irrelevant.

“What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

 

[Prodigal_Son]

gksaoh:

In his weekly column (Sept… 30), Father Greeley writes about two archbishops who propose that the hierarchy turn away from social issues and concentrate on religious issues.

Does that mean that problems of poverty, war, racial and gender discrimination are of less concern than such religious issues as abortion, homosexuality and same sex marriage?

Or are the archbishops talking about religious issues like cover up of pedophilia, secretly squandering church resources on pay-offs, or closing and consolidating parishes?

Is it surprising that there is a shortage of vocations?

The sad thing is the *way * that Greeley plans to emphasize social issues. That is, through politics.

The committed man or woman who is concerned about the developing problems of abortion and homosexuality, who gives a sandwich to the man begging at the streetcorner, who sends a morally educated son to promote peace as a soldier in Iraq, who works to overcome racial discrimination in the local school district – this man is doing *profoundly * more than Mr. Greeley.

Politics are a poor way to advocate, because politics are all about priorities. Christian love, on the other hand, is all about doing good to the person in front of you.

I do not claim that politics should have no importance to a Catholic person; I only claim that love – first and foremost – should abound in him. Has it never occured to you that the bishops might fight against the proponents of abortion and homosexuality precisely BECAUSE they love them?

I may be wrong, but I think Greeley has a tendency to love his own ideas more than he loves his neighbor. (But then again, we all do.)

 

[koda]

Prodigal_Son:

Politics are a poor way to advocate, because politics are all about priorities. Christian love, on the other hand, is all about doing good to the person in front of you.

I do not claim that politics should have no importance to a Catholic person; I only claim that love – first and foremost – should abound in him. Has it never occured to you that the bishops might fight against the proponents of abortion and homosexuality precisely BECAUSE they love them?

suntimes.com/output/greeley/cst-edt-greel30.html

I agree! Above is the link to the Greeley story. It is worth reading.

“Church’s Message Lost On Masses”

%between%

 

[Ruthie]

From the article at the link Koda gave us:

“Their [Bishops] words are lost in transmission, like the distress signals from the Titanic. The static of daily life and previous ecclesiastical mistakes has drowned what a church leader says. Moreover, the signals are static in what is often a foreign language, “church talk” – a combination of canon law, out-of-date theology, superficial piety and moralism, cliches wrapped up in truisms. Worst still, there is little in the way of joy, hope, encouragement, respect, confidence – little of the light shining on the mountain top, the light of the world.”

(Emphasis mine.)

Funny, I’m a late middle-aged new convert, after a long life laced with moral relativism and “tolerance.”

The words in bold are certainly NOT what I found when I began to study the Catholic faith.

And I find lots of “joy, hope, encouragement, respect, confidence” every day, and have come to believe that the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church is definitely the “light shining on the mountain top, the light of the world.”

Poor Andrew Greeley. I pity him in his loss of what once inspired him to become a priest. I’ll pray for him.
Maybe he’s been hanging out with Hollywoodites too much. That stuff rubs off. That’s why I’m so happy now: RCIA class Monday night, Denver Catholic Biblical School on Tuesday, and now our parish priest is giving talks on the Eucharist on Wednesdays! Now, that’s what I call a social life!

Glory Be!

 

[manualman]

Ever read a Greeley novel?

Shudder. Contains a lot of the kind of porn that appeals to women. Not pictures, words. Same result.

No wonder he doesn’t want attention focused on individual morals. Might cut into book sales!

 

[Catilieth]

The Church did not change the world by getting involved in politics. In fact, every time she messed with politics it soon became a disaster. She follows the example of the Lord and her Spouse. Jesus did not address social issues and avoided politics whenever possible. The Church changed the world by being religious, by being Christlike…loving our neighbor, doing corporal and spititual works of mercy, through the celebration of the Mass, the sacraments…
The social changes happen “organically”…ie, flows naturally from a people completely dedicated to the true practice of the Catholic Religion.

 

[spiritblows]

Catilieth:

The Church did not change the world by getting involved in politics. In fact, every time she messed with politics it soon became a disaster. She follows the example of the Lord and her Spouse. Jesus did not address social issues and avoided politics whenever possible. The Church changed the world by being religious, by being Christlike…loving our neighbor, doing corporal and spititual works of mercy, through the celebration of the Mass, the sacraments…
The social changes happen “organically”…ie, flows naturally from a people completely dedicated to the true practice of the Catholic Religion.

Wow, well said!!!

 

[LittleDeb]

Catilieth:

The Church did not change the world by getting involved in politics. In fact, every time she messed with politics it soon became a disaster. She follows the example of the Lord and her Spouse. Jesus did not address social issues and avoided politics whenever possible.

I agree. My dad says that Judas betrayed Christ because he had wanted Jesus to be a great political leader, and was disillusioned when He wasn’t. (It’s from some study on the politics of the era.)

I haven’t read any of Greeley’s writings. Should I be wary?

 

[koda]

Catilieth:

The Church did not change the world by getting involved in politics. In fact, every time she messed with politics it soon became a disaster. She follows the example of the Lord and her Spouse. Jesus did not address social issues and avoided politics whenever possible. The Church changed the world by being religious, by being Christlike…loving our neighbor, doing corporal and spititual works of mercy, through the celebration of the Mass, the sacraments…
The social changes happen “organically”…ie, flows naturally from a people completely dedicated to the true practice of the Catholic Religion.

The problem, of course, is that too many people only pay lip service to social justice. I was just on another thread where “good” Catholics are advocating only looking out for ourselves. Real helpful to those in need.

Also, remember that the government in Jesus’ time was the Romans/pagans. I think he realized that they weren’t going to jump on the social justice bandwagon. But we’re not the Romans. We’ve accepted his teachings to take care of each other. He certainly didn’t say anything about governments, especially those that claim to be Christian, not helping.

 

[Catilieth]

The Jewish nation was under Roman rule, but the local government was not Roman, but Jewish. That is why Pilate sent Jesus to Herod…Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction. There was plenty of political turmoil (read politics) within the Jewish nation…and Jesus did not address it at all, stayed out of it.
Also, we have a personal responsibility to do corporal and spititual works of mercy, not a political responsibility to let someone else do it

Social issues cease to be issues if the society is converted and conformed to Christ. The poor in Catholic Europe were far from forgotten.

 

[Eileen_T]

LittleDeb:

I haven’t read any of Greeley’s writings. Should I be wary?

Oh yeah.

If I find any of his books in 2nd-hand bookshops I buy them just to throw them away. Especially his non-fiction.