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| Archbishop Fulton Sheen |
I make no apologies for bringing up the subject of our Bishops yet again.
Ecumenical Diablog carries a post in which he, very charitably, calls for restraint in offering up criticism lest we fall into the trap of heresy.
I agree that Catholics should always be charitable in their grouses but it is quite legitimate to grouse if the cause exists. If a Bishop goes against the teachings of the Church or disobeys the Holy Father, we are obliged, according to St Paul, to admonish. I see very little that one could describe as being of good quality or excellence in the Bishops of England and Wales. We have the appalling Cardinal Vaughan hijacking by Westminster Diocese, the establishment of a secular school in direct competition with a Catholic school, actually being built in the grounds of the Catholic school in Middlesborough Diocese, Bishop Burns in Menevia kicking off about sexism because women are not allowed as altar servers in the EF, pretty grim performances for Education Sunday under the control of Bishop McMahon OP, Wrexham Diocese in meltdown and Liverpool Diocese more protestant than Dr Ian Paisley by all accounts.
Not exactly a picture of light and happiness is it?
And so Archbishop Fulton Sheen's words ring in my ears..........
"WHO IS GOING TO SAVE OUR CHURCH? NOT OUR BISHOPS, NOT OUR PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS.
IT IS UP TO YOU, THE PEOPLE. YOU HAVE THE MINDS, THE EYES, THE EARS TO SAVE THE CHURCH.
YOUR MISSION IS TO SEE THAT YOUR PRIESTS ACT LIKE PRIESTS, YOUR BISHOPS LIKE BISHOPS AND YOUR RELIGIOUS LIKE RELIGIOUS!
BLOGGING SEEMS A GOOD PLACE TO BEGIN!
Too many modern Catholics look to the bishop, priests and pope to solve our problems. This is a result of a kind of clericalism that accompanied the 20th Century Liturgical Movement and other forms of liberalism and modernism in the modern Church.
ReplyDeleteChrist never said it would be easy, though sometimes I wish He had warned us that at times, we might feel like we're banging our heads against a wall. We have a duty as Catholics and upholders of the faith to do as the late Archbishop Sheen directed. From my humble perspective, the problem is that too many Catholics know precious little about their faith, and those who do are viewed as militant nuts for speaking up. Perhaps one reason so many look to the clergy to solve problems is because it's easier that way. And what example do their leaders set for them?
ReplyDeleteAs a parent, I always found the best way to get my children to do as I'd like is to set an example. If I want them to eat what's good for them, I, too have to eat it. If I want them to read, they must see me reading. What kind of impact would it have if we saw more of our priests and bishops engaged in public prayer and fasting?
I know my response here is a bit off kilter with the gist of Richard's post, but it seems to me that many of the problems we have occur because priests and bishops are too busy for prayer and sacrifice. They have taken their eyes off of Christ and the result is probably the inspiration for this and many other blogs.
God Bless.
A very good place to begin! And continue!
ReplyDelete