DotCommonweal has an interesting article on B+ Catholics--What Will Become of Them? Oddly enough, I've been thinking something along the same lines recently, myself. Will we be judged on the quantity or type of our piety? Do we judge ourselves, or others that way? Does God?
We are a liturgical and sacramental church. The years after Vatican II saw the pendulum swing so far away from traditional piety that it was often openly decried by teachers and priests. Generations of the faithful were left standing out in the cold, wondering where the Rosary went.
Now, however, I think it may be swinging a bit too strongly in the other direction. In the DotCommonweal article Cathleen Kaveny asks what will happen to the "B+ Catholics in a church run by Millenials" (who tend to be more conservative in their piety) "and ecclesiastical movements" (which often insist that salvation depends on a particular style of piety or type of prayer).
She also asks an important question. Do we want a "purer, smaller" church? It is (and was for me) comforting in a rather contemptuous way to think that the Church would rid itself of all those "troublemakers" until I realized that a large majority of my own family falls into that category of the fallen away.
Personally, I can no longer rejoice when we seem to be deliberately running off so many who are hurting and so many more who just feel "not good enough" to remain in the Church because they "only" go to Mass on Sunday and can't manage much more, or because they struggle for years with sin .
Jesus came not for the well, but the sick. He is the Divine Physician. We need to welcome all to the Church--even the "good enough Catholics" and particularly those who do not meet even that standard.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I don't see the Church swinging to far back. I still see the Church as swinging towards the middle where traditional piety will be upheld but that the need for a personal relationship with Jesus is also recognized. I also see the traditional piety being married with the knowledged that we are deeply loved by God. Forgiveness is what we need to make sure the "good enough" Catholics (which I believe I'm one)know. Neither Traditional piety nor feel good liberalism amounts to anything without the grace received through reconciliation and forgiveness.
ReplyDeleteIMHO, lets stick to the teachings of the Church and make sure that all know the forgiveness that comes through Jesus.
I admit, the original article was written from quite the so-called "liberal" perspective. I also think it depends, in part, on the individual parish.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right. Forgiveness really should be the focus and not worship style or politics or anything else.