Catholic integralism is the true seamless garment.What makes me laugh is that some people with no theological background or no knowledge of the Catholic Church have so much to say & judge her... & sadly these very same people call themselves "Catholic" & consider themselves more Catholic than the Pope...It comes in well-meaning conservative and liberal versions, from the person obsessing about Fatima (you tell him not to worry because even approved private revelation isn't doctrine but he doesn't listen to you) or the Confiteor, Last Gospel, etc. (nice but not essential; this person can't or won't read liturgical history) to the obnoxious liberals who ran the church in America for decades after Vatican II and in some places still do, claiming that the changes were God's will for all and thus being just as intolerant as they accused traditionalists of being. Then the traditionalists understandably reacted to that and became intolerant, and so on. Or the person who wants to throw out our doctrine for mainline Protestantism or secular humanism but don't tell him otherwise because he knows what's what; "I went to Catholic school for 12 years"!
I believe the doctrine. Locally I'm blessed with a choice of traditional services. I give money and don't tell people what to do, because that's not my responsibility as a lay person. And everything that's not doctrine is on the table.
> I give money and don't tell people what to do
ReplyDeleteWhich is what the lavender Mafia in Rome have been counting on since the sixties.
I kind of like John's approach. Laity shouldn't be trying to administer a Church since they do not have this kind of authority and all their attempts at policing others will only result in bitterness, disappointment, and burnout, because, at the end of the day, they do not possess the authority to direct any diocese or the universal Church, in general. If you don't like your leaders, pray for them to repent or for God to send you new leaders. In the meantime, practice your Faith (including financial support in places where it is worthily used) and let God take care of everybody else.
ReplyDeleteWell now we have laity in parishes who serve effectively as gateways to see the pastor and to receive the sacraments. Pope Francis blames clericalism for much of the Church's problems, but he (conveniently?) leaves out three important words . . . "of the laity."
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