Pope Benedict recently spoke to the bishops of Portugal. He had a really great point regarding something I wrote about back in March regarding the need for us to be personally present online - not just our stuff.
“When many people consider that the Catholic faith is no longer the common patrimony of society, and see it as a seed threatened and obscured by the ‘gods’ and masters of this world, only with great difficulty can the faith touch the hearts of people by simple speeches or moral appeals, and even less by a generic call to Christian values. The courageous and integral appeal to principles is essential and indispensable; yet simply proclaiming the message does not penetrate to the depths of people’s hearts, it does not touch their freedom, it does not change their lives. What attracts them, above all, is the encounter with believing persons who, through their faith, draw others to the grace of Christ by bearing witness to Him”. - Pope Benedict XVI [source]
It’s easy for us to rely too much on principles, great books, moral appeals and other excellent Catholic resources in evangelizing the world. But often times, if we’re honest, we lean on those things too much out of laziness. What truly attracts people to the truth, above all, is seeing it in action…is meeting it in Person.
Pope Benedict, in this speech, also gave some encouragement to bishops to support those in public life who stand up as “authentic witnesses to Jesus Christ”:
‘May all those who defend the faith in these situations, with courage, with a vigorous Catholic outlook and in fidelity to the Magisterium, continue to receive your help and your insightful encouragement in order to live out their Christian freedom as faithful lay men and women”.
I hope he is reminding all other bishops of the same thing as well! The silence from some of them - in publicly supporting courageous witnesses and in correcting those who cause public scandal - has far too often further obscured the already “threatened” seed of the Catholic faith.
But I also liked the emphasis the Church, and Pope Benedict in this same speech, continue to give to the importance of the laity. He said:
“The times in which we live demand a new missionary vigor on the part of Christians, who are called to form a mature laity, identified with the Church and sensitive to the complex transformations taking place in our world.”
The word “mature” jumps out and grabs me every time I read that sentence.
The laity has often called for more relevance and influence within the Church. But then we run off like children, making our own rules and attempting to drag the Church with us. And we, too, end up obscuring our Catholic faith to the world. It’s a lack of maturity.
But Pope Benedict does appreciate the significance and “gift” of such influence from the laity:
Turning then to consider the movements and new ecclesial communities, which he described as “new springtime” for the Church, the Holy Father said: “Thanks to their charisms, the radicality of the Gospel, the objective contents of the faith, the living flux of Church tradition, are all being communicated in a persuasive way and welcomed as a personal experience, as free adherence to the mystery of Christ”.
He went on: “Naturally, it is necessary that these new groups should desire to live in the one Church, ... and submit themselves to the leadership of her bishops. It is they who must ensure the ecclesial nature of the movements”.
As bishops, he explained, we “must feel responsibility for welcoming these impulses which are gifts for the Church and which give her new vitality, but, on the other hand, we must also help the movements to find the right way, correcting them ... with a spiritual and human understanding that is able to combine guidance, gratitude and a certain openness and willingness to learn”.
This absolutely applies to how the Church embraces new technology and applies it to her ministry. The laity are going to play a huge role in this…mostly because we are most often in the best place to. But we must be a “mature laity.” And we must “find the right way” with guidance from our bishops, fidelity to the Magisterium and submission to the Church.
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Matthew, I agree the laity need to do grow up. The laity can be like a bunch of children competing for toys (the doctrines that we want/like) and attention (from the priest). It becomes a popularity contest at the parish level and is embarassing and disheartening. We need to do God’s work not our own. We need to check our wants and desires at the door.
God bless.
The more I work in the Church that I love, the more that I teach the children whom I love, the more I come to experience two truths. First is that our own people need to be evangelized and secondly is that in many cases we are “fighting” own “church.” There is a lack of shepherding and truthful teaching by many in the clergy. One example of the extraordinary time needed in study, prayer and dedication it takes to do this work is Cardinal Bishop Fulton J. Sheen.
Joseph, what do you propose as the answer for the ills of the Church?
Its tragic to see many fill the Churches, on a Sunday and special religious days, make their confessions, receive the sacrament and feel contend their duty to God and their fellow men is done. When Godliness comes from the heart it is obvious in every such human beings who will take every opportunity to make a little self sacrifice for the well being of a fellow human without expectation of return in private expecting no thanks for such understanding. This is far more evangelistic than all the amplified sermons in all the churches. Many are pathetically ignorant or as Christ put it have scales on their hearts.
Joseph, your model for church reform isn’t biblical. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, it talks about appointing elders to guide the flock in each city. These presbyters were chosen carefully and were to be faithful, dedicated, tested men.
Paul came to Peter to have his ministry confirmed. He didn’t go to the priests or deacons. Early on, we see a hierarchy of authority.
What do you mean by congregational? That meaning can differ from one person to another.
Good point, Joseph.
I admire your call for a holier hierarchy, but I don’t think that our electing men would bring down the Holy Spirit any better than He comes down now with appointments.
Even Jesus chose one man that was a “devil.”
I think in many respects we get the leaders that we deserve.
Do you pray for our priests that they will be holy leaders for the Church?
Also, what about the many saintly and heroic priests, bishops, and popes of centuries past?
Why are so dissatisfied and always looking at the past and present negatively? Sure, there is much to bemoan, but much to be thankful for as well.
Joseph, holiness isn’t an individual matter. We (I think you are Catholic.) belong to the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church. By merit of the head of our Church- Christ, the Body is holy.
Don’t you think the Holy Spirit works both in individuals AND in the Church?
I think he’d be able to do that.
I think if you would have your congregational, elected Church, you’d have even more chaos.
Jesus founded his Church on Peter, not on Tom, Dick, and Harry. Sorry to be trite, but dividing up the rule would not help things.
I’ll have to agree to disagree with you on this one.
BTW, have you checked out Lutheranism, Anglicanism, or some of those congregational groups? They do seem to fit your desires more.
So you’re saying that with God it’s not possible to have a chosen people, a holy body?
Have you read Matthew 16:18 lately?
And you didn’t answer my question- Have you looked at other congregational-style churches that would seem to fit your desires?
Joseph, anything IS possible with God.
And, no, I’m not twisting your words, just using them against you. I never denied individual responsibility. You, on the other hand, don’t recognize personal and individual sanctity which flows from the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic church.
As for apostolic succession coming from Judas- come now, was Mattias so bad?
If you did go over to the congregational style church, you’d be telling some poor woman over and over about the faults of they’re sect, and how it wasn’t going to change because of people LIKE HER…. too.
One day, Joseph, you can perhaps look at the great gift you have in this Church instead of cursing the darkness.
Thanks for the conversation.
No offense taken, Joseph. I am pretty thick-skinned. Also, hope my brashness has not offened you.
I agree that holiness flows from Christ originally. The Church is the Body of Christ, and her holiness comes from Him. I do understand that the “Church” are the baptized faithful.
Joseph, I would like to see some American bishops resign and be put to the test over sex abuse/corruption like those in Ireland recently were. But if you look at this from an historical point of view, there are many more good and holy bishops than dastardly ones.
I think that the JPII generation is for more accountability for bishops and priests AND we throw our support behind those faithful ones.
I live in the South. I can’t imagine living in Mass. or Calif. in some “progressive” diocese. I would be a much more of a hellraiser than I am. (My poor husband!)
Hopefully, along with raising hell, I would be supportive of those faithful bishops and note their contribution to the kingdom.
God bless you, Joseph.
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