Finally, some substance to your rebuttals. I agree with everything you said here about the illegitimate use of power by bishops. I disagree, however, in who should lead the effort for their removal. "All authority comes from God and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God" (Romans 13:1-2). Although by natural law people are always permitted to defend themselves, it is not for us in the laity to participate in the removal of the religious we deem unfit. That's not our role. We have a good Pope. If you have a problem with a particular bishop, write a letter to Rome. Don't just attack the bishop's office.
OBEDIENCE TO PETER AND TO THOSE OBEDIENT TO PETER.
You need to to try harder to believe this. "And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:13-19). We should do our part to defend His Church, but never allow ourselves to become so misguided as to think we can please Him by attacking it. This is Christ's Church, he won't let these liberals wreck it. For someone who claims in their Free Republic profile to pray full-time, you appear to have a great deal of hate and fear for those in the church with whom you disagree and are quick to judge those whom you do not know. God will not abandon us and we should never loose our faith in Him. As Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said to a troubled priest, "You wouldn't have these problems if you prayed more".
This is the kind of tactic you use to discredit people, and it is truly wicked. I respond to you with such passion because I see the position you continue to put forth as the kind of pious but misguided mindset that has done nothing of substance to stop these horrible crimes against children committed by priests and covered up by bishops. I continue to believe that your position is without merit and will do nothing but enable those who have led us to this tragic time. I will pray for you.
OBEDIENCE TO PETER AND TO THOSE OBEDIENT TO PETER.
They have already wrecked it in America. There are those engaged in salvage operations. May God prosper the work of their hands.
My faith in him is rock solid, and I have no doubt that he will not abandon us. But he has also given us skills, reason, and memory, and to fail to employ them for the preservation of the Church is to dishonor God the giver of all good gifts. Where I see the work of preservation and re-establishment of the truth of the Church, you see an attack on the office of bishop, the Pope, and the Church herself.
As Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said to a troubled priest, "You wouldn't have these problems if you prayed more".
Since you adressed this post to me and have already questioned my dedication to prayer, your use of Mother Teresa in this way is truly unfortunate. Without a doubt Mother is absolutely right -- and applying her wisdom to ourselves we should all pray more. Sadly, you use her words like a weapon against me, and that is revealing in itself and absolutely wrong.