"I'm Leaving The Catholic Church"No... not me
It's been a mixed week-end for me. As I posted about just the other day, the high point was assisting at the first ever Mass (said in the US) for a visiting Breton priest.
The low point was finding out that a life-long Catholic -- from a family of mixed Italian/Irish ancestry, which tells me this family has more than likely been Catholic for about the past 1,750 years -- is just so fed-up, so disheartened, so tired of being ignored about the flat-out garbage taking place in this Deanery, this person actually said "I'm leaving the Catholic Church".
I'm fairly sure this was said out of frustration, not conviction. But that it was said it at all is very telling.
You see, these folks aren't some angry "rad-trads" that people like me have been accused of being. Folks like the individual in question are a prime example of your average Catholic in the Cape Fear Deanery (and your Deanery as well?) --- just your average Catholics trying their level best to be good Catholics. This person wants desperately to attend a reverent, sacred Mass. And Novus Ordo is the only game in town. So they go... and with the best of intentions. The Church says the Novus Ordo is good-to-go, so they've willingly put the state of their immortal souls in the hands of the *clearing throat* shepherds around here.
And without a damn bit of prompting from the likes of me, this individual (and LOTS of other like-minded Catholics) have noticed that there sure are some things said and printed in the parishes in the greater Wilmington area, just didn't sit quite well, if not pushing the envelope of outright heresy.
But they put up with it... for years they put up with it. And the reward? The realization that this Deanery is a spiritual wasteland, a theological desert.
So they complained. Right up the chain of command they complained. And not just nit-picking whining, either. One doesn't have to scroll down very far on this particular blog to see exactly what I'm getting at. But anyhow, like the individual in question said; "all of our complaints have fallen on deaf ears."
It simply amazes me that certain members of the hierarchy can't understand why only 25% of Baptized Catholics still attend Mass.
posted by Kevin Whiteman at
12:30 AM
14 Comments:
I too have seen this personally a few of times. Usually they went Orthodox which means, thankfully, they got sacred liturgy and valid Holy Mysteries (sacraments).
Well, we were getting close to a reverent Novus Ordo at St. Marks, but I don't know what the future holds. We have a right to be frustrated that it is a struggle to do what the Church tells us to do and worship God properly, and this is even more frustrating when the individuals charged with shepherding us are the ones preventing us from doing so! Yet, we cannot leave the Church, for as Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Indeed, we worship Christ through the liturgy, but we do not worship the liturgy itself.
I can understand.....some days it's really, really hard!
I would add to C's comments that as Catholics we have always known that we will be persecuted and in fact from within the Church. So as bad as it is and as hard as it hurts we all must stay the course and continue to respectfully call attention to those things that do not meet the Catholic standard.
Make sure to tell your friends that the more they suffer while here the better!
...But anyhow, like the individual in question said; "all of our complaints have fallen on deaf ears."
The complaints fall on deaf ears, yet they somehow make the way to the ears(that they were not initially shared with) of the offending priests supporters. This tends to lessen any future concerns that are raised, making them fewer and further between, when others who might have concerns see how a potential squeaky wheel is ostracized. Their fiercest watchdogs seem to always have a position like 'Head of Liturgy' or 'Social Outreach Chairperson' yet their main job seems to be to marginalize anyone with a legitimate issue. They are great at labeling anyone who shows an ounce of traditional tendencies and their favorite bible quotes always tend to start out 'Judge not...blah-blah-blah...'. Their are more hands dirty in this than justs the priests when someone leaves the Church.
A friend of mine, Methodist, told me the other day that they used to figure that anyone of their congregation that married a Catholic would join the Catholic Church, in the last 15 years that has totally reversed, they join the Methodists, chief reason, at least we can find a minister here, our priest only is available by appointment and the sacraments must not mean much to the him, confession for example, is only available by appointment or once a week for half an hour. At least you guys don't pretend that confession is even needed. And the message is the same, love and peace and justice. (Sigh) Sadly it almost makes sense. Polyester nuns and vapid empty priests, the road to hell will be paved with them
Lets face it, the vast majority of priests are not orthodox and most certainly do not have a traditional bone in their body. They are Modernists through and through. This will change, however, with time. And the orthodox lay Catholics must stay the course so that when the newly ordained start replacing these tired old wannabe hippies from the '60's and '70's we will be there to assist the young orthodox priest in truly restoring the Catholic faith to the institutional Church. I will acknowledge, however, that my faith is not strong enough to withstand the unholy assault on the spirit and the soul that is the modern Novus Ordo parish. I avoid it at all costs by driving long distances to whereever the nearest TLM is. I sympathize greatly with Caveman's friend because I have been exactly where he is now. However, I solved that problem by deciding once and for all that I cannot risk the state of my immortal soul or those of my family by continuing to allow my faith to be effected in such a negative way by these Modernists.
And I agree with what NYPD Green said above. I have found that a lot of these Modernist priests have handed off a large part of the liturgical and catechitical responsibilities to LIBERAL lay women and sometimes men. Then when you go to complain to the priest he just refers you to the arch heretic liturgical minister who pretty much tells you to go to hell. It is usually the appointed lay "minister" who rules the liberal Novus Ordo parish with an iron fist.
I must be in a truly blessed diocese, because most of our priests fairly young and every one I've encountered is very orthodox. We have the TLM every Sunday at noon at my parish, but the NO is very well done, very reverent. We have altar boys (no girls), smells and bells, and the tabernacle is up front and dead center as it should be.
I am in such agreement with Confeitor I could cry knowing this is so widespread.
More than once I've had a friend or aquaintance who, having been raised Catholic, left as young adults. At some point the Spirit moved them to attend mass one Sunday. In particular one story is the young lady took her lapsed catholic friend with her, collection money in their hot little hands, and entered Sunday Mass. They were so shocked to see a NO mass that bordered on 'wasteland' that she never went back.
My bf was raised Methodist, never became Catholic, but couldn't understand why Catholics would leave to join a "Non-Denominational" church, when the RC'rs "have all the beauty and music that is majestic".
Well, after 20 years I know. When we sing songs like "All are Welcome" and everything is brought down to shlepy, what seems to keep people coming back? For me, it's the Sacraments and the history and the Doctors and the Saints, etc. But, if my Catholocism was just based on the lukewarm receptions at the local Parish Sunday Mass. And, if I wasn't informed by the CCC or even EWTN I'd have just move down the street to the Methodists.
I will always be grateful to Trads who keep on keeping on...
Wasn't Jos. Bernardin from down in that area?
THAT would explain a lot.
D29,
Just south of us... Columbia, SC.
you scared me for a second there with that headline.
Dad29 said
"Wasn't Jos. Bernardin from down in that area?"
WE had him first here in the Diocese of Cincinnati, and yes "THAT EXPLAINS A LOT"
How do I get the audio to this book, does anyone know? the book is at www.beforeyouleavethecatholicchurch.com
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