Posted on 05/27/2007 7:17:23 PM PDT by Gamecock
Seems all are not happy in Rome.
Meanwhile the Catholic Church is the fastest growing Christian denomination in the world with an average of 250 million new Catholics annually...half of which are converts.
And with all that growth, here in the USA more than half of all Catholics voted for Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election, and more than half voted in Democrat congressman and senators in the 2006 elections. Yep, you gotta love that Catholic growth!
I’m all for a pruned Catholic Church. Cut out some of the CINOs who are infecting the Church.
It very well may be that the numbers are dwindling, but it’s not really all about numbers. Those who remain steadfast in the Church will be for real. They will be the genuine Catholics.
Sometimes we forget that every 400 years the Church, which is seemingly falling into decline, is revitalized. In every case, the dwindling numbers were of the truly faithful, and the re-generation began again.
For the individual, believing Catholic who searches his heart every day in order to praise God and be an “ambassador for Christ” (St. Paul), the Church is always renewing itself.
As for me and my house, we are not jumping ship.
Now that's an interesting statement, one I've not heard before. You have my full attention - could you elaborate?
Most of these numbers are bogus in one sense. It doesn’t really matter how few priests America produces. We will simply get priests from somewhere else. That used to be the case anyway. Some diocese have more vocations than they know what to do with. Lincoln comes to mind immediately.
Bad bishops are being replaced - finally! Most of the new priests are orthodox and excellent. Catholic publishing is rebounding after three decades of inertia. Catholic media - especially radio and online - is taking off. Catholic TV is doing well and growing.
I know many anti-Catholics like to feel vindicated when they read about dying religious orders, or the shuttering of parishes, but the Church is NOT shrinking or dying. What is clear is that we are at the beginning of a new wave of conversions, ordinations and expansions. The problem is that new wave will only be accomplished after much pain and re-adjustment.
Yeah, Rudy and Kerry, O’Reilly ... could definitely live with out those Catholics. ALl mindless social liberals.
What’s the point in posting a 4 year old article?
Baptised infants of non observant catholics are part of that count.
Only 25% of Catholics in Europe go to church and slightly more than that here in the states .
Catholicism is a tradition in most of the world. Infants are baptized and small children make their first communion as part of their family tradition and heritage. It has nothing to do with faith or doctrine or even with Christ. It is a part of a families or cultural identity .
People are "irish catholic", people celebrate "St Joseph's table" as cultural tradition.
When I left the church the first thing my father said was "but our family is Catholic" to him ( a divorced non observant Catholic ) that was a part of our identity as a family, it had nothing to do with Christ.
Many of those "converts" are related to the marriage to a Catholic and to please the loved one or so the family is a one faith family the unsaved spouse converts. Again this is not about Christ, it is about the family .
The truth is Catholic churches built to hold hundreds now have a handful at mass.
Many are called but few are chosen.
chosen by who?
Chosen by the father....”no One comes to Me except thru the Father”.
No need to spend all Sunday afternoon diving around in that dumpster for articles like this. There are more recent examples than 2003. THIS, for instance.
Now you are sounding like a calvinist. Do you really believe that God chose you before you chose Him?
What did He chose you for?
No need to spend all Sunday afternoon diving around in that dumpster for articles like this. There are more recent examples than 2003. THIS, for instance.
Yes....God chose me....and you if you choose to follow him.
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