Pray for me. Contrary to some prevailing opinions, only by seeing to the salvation of my own soul can I be of any use to anyone else saving his. Go thou, and do likewise, and we may yet live to see a growing vibrant remnant.
And woe to those who cover their ears and eyes against these reports, alleging "gloom and doom" and counselling us to "stay the course" in this "springtime" of the "new evangelization."
What we need now is simply something like what Albert Camus describes:
"The world expects of Christians that they will raise their voices so loudly and clearly and so formulate their protest that not even the simplest man can have the slightest doubt about what they are saying. Further, the world expects of Christians that they will eschew all fuzzy abstractions and plant themselves squarely in front of the bloody fact of history. We stand in need of folk who have determined to speak directly and unmistakably and come what may, to stand by what they have said."
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The article states: "As the Church abandoned traditional spirituality and worship for mundane politicized concerns and liturgy, many faithful looked for authentic spirituality wherever they could find it. They found it elsewhere."
Recently my Family had our Pastor to our Home for dinner. During the course of interesting conversation our Pastor said "the problem is that people do not care". I agreed. However, after further reflection it came to me then it is our DUTY for Christ's Church to lead them "TO CARE". How we do that in part is to follow the quote posted of Albert Camus :"The world expects of Christians that they will raise their voices so loudly and clearly and so formulate their protest that not even the simplest man can have the slightest doubt about what they are saying. Further, the world expects of Christians that they will eschew all fuzzy abstractions and plant themselves squarely in front of the bloody fact of history. We stand in need of folk who have determined to speak directly and unmistakably and come what may, to stand by what they have said." Thank You
The Catholic Church is unfaithful on many fronts but it must defend marriages in its own fold and do so with "draconian" sanctions...or the game is lost.
Touchy/feely solutions bring destruction more than tough discipline does.
Start excommunicating people who divorce unjustly. If monstrous errors are made by canonists in nullity decisions.....fire them!
If bishops do not roll up their sleeves and bring together "battling spouses"....fire them!
If perjury is found in a nullity proceeding issue a formal excommunication with TEETH!
If priests counsel for divorce in less than extremely CLEAR cases......laicize them.
Put successful annulment respondents on tribunals with veto power over canon lawyers!
Forensically question those seeking nullity and require strong proofs not recalled memories.....or do not even hear a case
That is for starters and off the top....
Karl
No, divorce....is not the only problem but it is just about the most important and most damaging one.
"The world expects of Christians that they will raise their voices so loudly and clearly and so formulate their protest that not even the simplest man can have the slightest doubt about what they are saying. [This "world" of which Camus speaks, and for which he has appointed himself spokesman: what is it, and why should any Catholic be governed by its expectations?] The world expects of Christians that they will raise their voices so loudly and clearly and so formulate their protest that not even the simplest man can have the slightest doubt about what they are saying. {What “abstractions?” Dogma?] and plant themselves squarely in front of the bloody fact of history. [Whose blood? Whose “facts”?]
Hail to Camus, a man truly ready to fight to the last drop of our blood!
As for Catholicism's collapse in South America: we now have a pope who proposes to surpass his evangelistic triumphs on one continent with greater feats in the rest of the world. Springtime. Renewal. Open windows. Growth. Vibrance. Relax and wash your socks, people.
Ralph,
I understand that self-professed atheistic existentialists cannot be, by definition, spokesmen for the Church.
My intention here is a bit different, and if it obfuscates rather than clarifies, then I suppose it fails the test in question.
Jesus and the New Testament writers suggest in a number of places that it is incumbent upon Christians to be "salt" and "light" and "loving" so that "the world" (presumably non-Christians) will know that they are Jesus' disciples and turn to God (e.g., Mt 5:13-16; Jn 13:35).
One could make something of the fact that when Camus was killed in his 40s in a traffic accident, he was in preparation to receive baptism from a pastor in Paris, but that is really beside the point.
My point is simply that even if "the world" is lost in the darkness of a mind clouded by sin, it is incumbent upon us to be clear and consistent about what we believe as Catholics. We "owe" it to "the world" not to present ourselves as the biggest stumbling blocks to conversion.
(We might wish to say a Hail Mary for the repose of the soul of Camus.)
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