Posted on 02/07/2007 7:07:29 AM PST by Alex Murphy
One friend checked several parishes/dioceses (due to the geography of all involved people) - they all were pretty high. The one closest to her house is in the ArchDiocese of Chicago. I assume that is a bit more liberal. I'm in the Diocese of Joliet, and it's quite a mix, but overall pretty liberal. We have a new Bishop, so how things change remains to be seen.
Unfortunately, she became disgusted, remarried in a Lutheran or Methodist Church. She is a Cradle Catholic who didn't know that the Eucharist isn't symbolic.
My announcement of becoming a revert (after 25 yrs an atheist) sparked quite a discussion. After engaging in discussions with my "Catholic" friends, I've decided that there will be many a priest and bishop undergoing some serious questioning on Judgment Day based on the complete lack of education and pastoral care of the flock.
Part of it is certainly a lack of catechesis. VCII sure threw out a lot of babies with the bathwater.
Of course it's not a new thing. There's a saying variously attributed (to St. John Chrysostom, St. John Eudes, and St. Athanasius) that "the floor of Hell is paved with the skulls of bishops."
Annulment cost us about 1 grand. I would have paid a million times that in order to have our civil marriage convalidated. Receiving the Sacraments is priceless and a Gift beyond my ability to measure.
VII is certainly to blame (Or more specifically, our American Bishops using the Council as a reason to do what they did).
As an older GenXer, I believe that we were the first to grow up with and suffer from the effects. My BF is 2 years older, but came form a very orthodox area (they had the TLM uninterrupted until about 4 years ago). He knows so much more of the actual practices if the Church, although there is a lot he doesn't know of beliefs and theology. I can't blame that on VII.
From "The Usual Suspects"
"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."
--Verbal Kint
THAT is the problem today. Period.
Great resource, by the way. I'll have to buy a copy.
As a convert, I'm a special case as far as theology goes. We studied hard before we converted, after all to convert you need a good reason other than "I was born in this church."
I work with a Baptist guy, he calls me "little mother superior" just jokingly. One day I was explaining confession to him and why you went to a priest even though you have already asked God directly, to forgive you. I told him what a gift it was and what a grace and by the time I finished he was asking if he could go to confession to a Catholic priest. I told him I didn't think so and he was very sad.
Here's a relevant poem:
Men don’t believe in a devil now as their fathers used to do
They force the door of the broadest creed to let His Majesty through.
There isn’t a print of his cloven foot or a fiery dart from his bow
To be found in earth or air today, for the world has voted so.
But who is mixing the fatal draught that palsies heart and brain?
And loads the earth of each passing year with ten hundred thousand slain?
Who blights the bloom of the land today with the fiery breath of hell,
If the devil isn’t and never was – won’t somebody rise and tell?
Who dogs the steps of the toiling saint and digs the pit for his feet?
Who sows the tares in the field of time, wherever God sows His wheat?
The devil is voted not to be, and of course, the thing is true,
But who is doing the kind of work the devil alone should do?
We are told he does not go about as a roaring lion now,
But whom shall we hold responsible for the everlasting row
To be heard in home, in church, in state, to the earth’s remotest bound,
If the devil by a unanimous vote is nowhere to be found?
Won’t somebody step to the front forthwith, and make his bow and show
How the frauds and the crimes of the day spring up, for surely we want to know.
The devil was fairly voted out, and of course, the devil is gone.
But simple people would like to know, who carries his business on?
Author - either Herbert Trench or Alfred J. Hough
Let me tell you a short story.
I know someone who was active in the Church coaching the baseball team, teaching CCD, Cub Master and Holy Name Society.
He was married 15 years and had 3 children.
His wife divorced him in 1972 and the husband was devastated.
He had a hard time because he went from living with his parents to living with a wife and children and then he lived in a one room furnished room. He thought he would be reconciled but it never came about.
He never remarried although his wife did.
He sinned as much as the next person and did not participate in the Church as he once did, not so much for his own or the Church's philosophical reasons, but more for becoming caught up in the secular world.
After missing confession for many years several things happened to him. He was brought to his knees on one occasion and it was at that time the Holy Spirit made this person get to confession. He had contacted his cousin through the computer. The cousin was like a brother. He had not seen his cousin in 40 years and the cousin was dying of cancer. Our Lord was working to get this person to heaven. It was at this time this person began to pray for his cousin and the souls in Purgatory.
After 35 years of being away form his wife, the priest told him the first thing to be done is to forgive his wife and the Lord would forgive him.
It worked and the person is now back again contributing to his faith.
The first question the priest asked this person was "Were you married again". Divorce does not keep you from the Church or the Sacraments. Re-marriage does as you are living in sin.
One must stay single and celibate and one should get to confession as soon as possible. I pray the Holy Spirit help you as He helped me.
Wow! I am over whelmed by the sentiments expressed by you and other posters. I know I can just Cc by addressing this to all of the kind people who really impressed me, but I will post individually. My apologies to others who may have to wade through this. I assure you I wish you the best, peace and happiness.
Great...great! Thanks. If you ever find the place where this first appeared, please tell me. I'd like to put it on my Freeper page.
Frank
"After 35 years of being away form his wife, the priest told him the first thing to be done is to forgive his wife and the Lord would forgive him. "
I did that a long time ago. It was just not a good example for three children. It has been 33 years and I still wish I could have done better for them
Thanks you. I assure you your kind words hit home.
I assure you I will as soon as I post the individual thanks to all who are so kind. Thank you.
Thank you. To the point. It isn't the amount of money, it is the idea of charging money I do not like. Personally, I have all the money I will ever need. (I know, fees etc)
Thank you. I couldn't agree more. Had three years of Latin and did like the old Mass.
Welp, I can assure you with a reasonable amount of certainty, that in our diocese, when you consider the costs of validating out of state paperwork, Canon law research, the administrative costs plus the the people to actually do the jobs required by the Tribunal, they ain't gettin' rich on it. If they break even at all I would be surprised.
We agree on that...
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