Monday, December 03, 2012

The problem: not Obama, but absence of catechesis

Well, it's not as if Mr. Obama hasn't presented the Church in the USA with a problem. He has. But if this external threat becomes yet another pretext for ignoring the elephant in the room -- namely the internal failure of the Church to communicate its truth to its rapidly dwindling constituency -- then it's simply another distraction from the proper task of the Church in the world.

6 comments:

Elizabeth said...

I always enjoy Michael Voris and his videos, but this one really nails it. I forwarded this to everyone I could think of that may have not seen it. Bishops and Priests not only need to see it but heed its message.

Mick Jagger Gathers No Mosque said...

Why is Mr. Voris so worried about Catechesis ?

Who cares about all of the Doctrines and Dogmas of the Catholic Church? There are far too many and they can be so confusing and, besides, there are many Prelates and Priests who openly deny them without any sanction and so the pacific praxis of no punishment for material heresy instructs us that those Doctrines and Dogmas are all relative vis a vis the universal salvation the Catholic Church teaches.

This single Doctrine Catholics must become aware of is in The universal Catechism. Memorising it would drain away all of the fear and angst in the world for universal salvation is our; for everybody; for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

1741 Liberation and salvation. By his glorious Cross Christ has won salvation for all men. He redeemed them from the sin that held them in bondage. "For freedom Christ has set us free." In him we have communion with the "truth that makes us free." The Holy Spirit has been given to us and, as the Apostle teaches, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." Already we glory in the "liberty of the children of God."

We are free, we are men of liberty who have been saved.

What's all the fuss and fury about?

Elizabeth said...

@I am not Spartacus: Wow, I just went to the online version of the new and improved Catechism and, indeed, it says just that. I actually thought you were joking! Well heck, we're all saved already. I had no idea!

Anonymous said...

The "New Church" of the post-Vatican II era has tacitly bought into the universalism (all-are-saved view) of Hans Urs von Balthasar and many others. The source of his is hard to pin-point, but there are small indications here and there. Like the absence of any rationale for the New Evangelization in Vatican II documents (there is next to no reference to any possibility of damnation and hell). Or like the earlier use of "for all" in the Novus Ordo missal, as though it were translating "pro omnibus" ("for all") instead of "pro multis" ("for many"). Or like complete lack of discourse, much less catechesis, on the very possible danger of our ending up in hell, if we do not steadfastly avail ourselves of the sacraments and cling to God's mercy extended to us through Christ's redemptive sacrifice for us.

Sad to say, except for a few pockets here and there (a mere remnant),the Catholic church in the West is dead, a mere relic of history.

Chris said...

Surely there is much wrong -- only a complete fool or someone who is willfully ignorant could miss this. As a layman, however, I find myself unwilling to declare the Catholic Church in the West dead.

I can't answer the question about why God allows our current situation to endure, except in one of two ways. Either He is working some greater good out of it, or He is allowing us the fruits of our repeated unwillingness to heed His calls for repentance.

This brings me back to Bishop Sample: the real solution is greater holiness. How to help my brother in Christ: love God more. How to create more vocations: LIVE the ones we have already, in holiness.

A friend of mine suggests that we should take to the streets and pray the rosary in large, public settings, imploring Our Lady for a rescue from the evil which assails us. She used as her example the prayers in the Philippines, which resulted in Marcos' departure, but I think the basic premise is applicable to us here.

Pertinacious Papist said...

Amen to that Chris.