Bishops tell synod church needs lively parishes, Bible literacy

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The solemn yet exuberant liturgies of African Catholic churches are a model for other Catholic communities seeking to invigorate their parishes and reach out to lapsed members, a Nigerian bishop told the world Synod of Bishops.

The celebrations of the Eucharist and other sacraments must be "more efficacious moments of faith impact," Bishop Emmanuel Badejo of Oyo told the synod Oct. 15.

Bishop Badejo was one of dozens of synod members who spoke about enlivening parishes as the primary agents of the new evangelization.

"This can be done if we continually update homiletics and sacramental procedure with engaging art, language, idioms and imagery, which can better communicate their power and meaning," the bishop said.

"The solemn, but exuberant multimedia liturgy" found in many African parishes also helps people focus on the action of the Holy Spirit, he said, and gives them the strength needed to stand up against "consumerism, corruption, materialism and relativism."

Bishop Badejo said church leaders need to leave the "catacombs of fear and self-consciousness" and go where people spend their time, including "the streets, town squares, market places, nightclubs, shopping malls, even pubs and the slums."

"Priests and bishops may not get the 'high table' treatment in these places, but just a word or gesture from us" could be the first encounter leading to a life of faith, the bishop said.

The bishop also told synod members that the Catholic Church must establish a new relationship with today's media-savvy youths.

"Millions of youth all over the world are sharing the same stories, experiences and challenges -- irrespective of their location -- thanks to the new social, personal and digital media," he said. "The church must humbly seek their confidence and trust, knowing that youth prefer a co-communicator relationship to the old teacher-learner, speaker-listener model."

When young people and their talents are recognized and welcomed, he said, they can bring their faith and values to Catholic social media "with the right format and language."

Nigeria has been the scene of violence sown by terrorists claiming to act in the name of Islam. The bishop said that while dialogue with Muslims can be difficult at times, is necessary, especially for Catholic communities like his that have faithful who grew up in Muslim families.

South African Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban told synod members that several dioceses in southern African, including his own, have experienced a blossoming of faith and a revival of parishes by using small-group faith-sharing programs like RENEW, which brings parish members together in each other's homes for six to eight weeks twice a year to focus on specific themes of discipleship or church teaching.

The new energy, he said, led parishes to realize they must provide adults with continuing education in the faith; become more serious about preparing couples for marriage and offer support to newlyweds; and offer specific catechesis to those who have just received the sacraments of Communion, confirmation or matrimony.

For Ugandan Bishop Sanctus Wanok of Nebbi, the church must improve its efforts to help Catholics understand the Bible, something which Catholics actually want to do, as seen in the growing interest in retreats and prayer meetings.

The thirst to know the word of God is even clearer among youths and young adults of his diocese who, he said, go to Mass on Sunday morning, "but later go to listen to evangelical preachers at their gatherings" or on the radio and television.

Chaldean Auxiliary Bishop Shlemon Warduni of Baghdad, Iraq, also emphasized the importance of the Bible for strengthening the faith of Catholics. "Without the word, we cannot encounter the Word in person," he said, referring to the Bible and to Jesus.

Christianity, he said, faces the serious obstacle of a "widespread mentality which scorns religion, considering it an obstacle to social and scientific development," creating a "fatal indifference, a type of masked atheism."

Unfortunately, he said, the public image of the church is worsened by "disagreement within the church. A church which often finds itself defending, rather than witnessing to Christ," is one that weakens the faith of the simple and fails to attract, he said.

For Ugandan Bishop Sanctus Wanok of Nebbi, the church must improve its efforts to help Catholics understand the Bible, something which Catholics actually want to do, as seen in the growing interest in retreats and prayer meetings.

The thirst to know the word of God is even clearer among youths and young adults of his diocese who, he said, go to Mass on Sunday morning, "but later go to listen to evangelical preachers at their gatherings" or on the radio and television.

That's understandable, since the priest only recites 12.7% of the Bible at weekly Mass.

AM, the average "nondenominational" evangelical preacher is required to read exactly 0% of the Scripture at his weekly worship services, and - in accordance with human nature - it is a rare preacher who does not focus most of his preaching year round on a small handful of his favorite verses.

The Anglican and Lutheran weekly lectionaries are very similar to the Catholic weekly lectionary - except, as you are very fond of ignoring - every Catholic parish has daily Mass, not just weekly Mass and 99% of the Scriptures (except for the censuses of Numbers) are read out in full at those Masses.

Every Christian communion, not just the Catholic Church, can always do more to explain and promote the Bible to its members.

What pastor in his right mind can honestly say: "I've done enough. Every member of my congregation knows everything anyone could ever hope to know about the Bible. My work is done"?

Time to worry about the mote in your own eye.

First, that's 12.7% of the entire Bible rather than the Protestant subset of the Bible.

Second, that 12.7% is Sunday Mass only which ignores daily Mass. Including what is read each day, the entire Bible is read at Mass each year except for portions like census figures and details only relevant to the Old Testament Jewish priesthood.

Thanks for pointing out that the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ Himself still holds fast to all of the Scripture Christ and the Apostles read and relied on rather than only the subset of the Scriptures Luther couldn't get away with throwing out.

W: ....every Catholic parish has daily Mass, not just weekly Mass and 99% of the Scriptures (except for the censuses of Numbers) are read out in full at those Masses.

R: ....that 12.7% is Sunday Mass only which ignores daily Mass. Including what is read each day, the entire Bible is read at Mass each year except for portions like census figures and details only relevant to the Old Testament Jewish priesthood.

Check the charts in the thread I linked to. The OT reading cycle repeats every two years, and in those two years, the daily mass only covers 13.5% of the Old Testament (3378 verses). The NT reading cycle repeats every three years, and in three years' time the daily mass covers 71.5% of the New Testament (5689 verses).

Now the Bible has a total of 33001 verses, and all of them are inspired; do the math, and you'll find your daily mass only covers 27.5% of the whole. Let me emphasis this next part for the lurkers: do you, as Catholics, advocate the corporate abandonment of nearly 75% of the inspired text? Catholic apologists take Martin Luther to task for having considered removing James and Revelation from the NT. Meanwhile, Catholic liturgy has been silent on the majority of the inspired text for nearly two millennia. How else can we explain answers which mistake a minority of the Bible with the whole thing?

As a thankful Catholic convert of a few years I must admit I have never heard anyone advocate abandoning Sacred Scripture in any way.

If one wishes to read more verses of Sacred Scripture not read in Mass have at it. Myself, I am rather fond of the Book of Tobit.

Peace be with you always.

Funny you should say that. I Googled “PCA lectionary” and was almost immediately at a page written by a PCA member which admitted flatly that the PCA doesn’t use a lectionary and the the selection of which Scripture passages are read or preached on is entirely left to the minister’s discretion. < p>

That means you aren’t guaranteed to hear 12.7% of the Bible if you attend a PCA church every Sunday, or 10%, or 2%, or ...

No liturgical church reads 100% of the Bible in their lectionary, nor do any claim that only those passages read during the liturgy are inspired, so you're talking in red herring terms.

What percentage of the Bible is read or preached on at your church's Sunday services in 3 years' time. How do you know?

Your “quotation statement” is again built upon a canard. In this one’s case, it is predicated upon your view, mistakenly, that only the Bible is necessary for Catholics to hear and read, when in truth it is that they must read and hear ALL of His Word: the Bible and Sacred Tradition (yes, capital “T”). As in Church teachings, especially from the Church Fathers. Any Catholic benefits from hearing these more.

To all, to regain what is perceived here as lost ground, one need only return to proper Catechism and formation, not insipid songs, but teaching that which the Church espouses. The evangelical preachers mentioned here have one thing going for them: emotional roller-coasters in the form of sermons. The Catholic Priests have another: THE TRUTH! More importantly, they have something the protestants, in all forms do not, and I say this not in desire for harshness but charity: The Catholic Church has the Truth, as in Our Lord, Jesus Christ, it’s founder. That utterly trumps emotion: Truth.

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