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Vanishing Catholics
hprweb ^ | December 23, 2013 | FR. WILLIAM P. CLARK, OMI

Posted on 12/28/2013 3:59:04 PM PST by NYer

According to recent demographic surveys, it seems there are presently 30 million people in the U.S. who identify themselves as “former Catholics.” That figure is both surprising, and, for Catholics, disheartening.

Over the past 50 years or so, a profound change, other than that effected by Vatican II, has taken place in the Catholic Church. It might be described as the phenomenon of “vanishing Catholics.” The Canadian philosopher, Charles Taylor, has identified four major challenges facing the Church today. First on his list is the exodus of young adults from the Church. According to recent demographic surveys, it seems there are presently 30 million people in the U.S. who identify themselves as “former Catholics.” That figure is both surprising, and, for Catholics, disheartening. It represents a little less than 10 percent of the total population of this country. It also means that had those persons remained Catholic, approximately one in three Americans would be identified as Catholic. Only two religious groups represent a larger percentage of the U.S. population: Protestants (cumulatively) and current Catholics.

This phenomenon is disheartening not only for bishops and priests, but also for faithful Catholics generally. Many older Catholics are saddened at the sight of their children and grandchildren abandoning the Church.

Questions naturally arise. What has caused such a massive defection? How might one account for this phenomenon? It hardly seems possible that any single factor could explain a phenomenon of such magnitude. Various reasons for people leaving the Church are well-known. Many of them have been operative from the earliest times of Christianity. In his first letter to Timothy, St. Paul reminds him that “The Spirit has explicitly said that during the last times some will desert the faith and pay attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines …” (1 Tm 4:1-7). In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul speaks of dissensions and divisions among the faithful (1 Cor 1:10-16).

From the first centuries up to modern times, there have been doctrinal differences (heresies) which led to great numbers separating themselves from the Roman Catholic Church. Many others have left the Church for what can be described as practical reasons, rather than doctrinal differences.

Among the latter, there are many who separated themselves from the Church because of marriage problems. There are those who left because they became greatly dissatisfied with inadequate preaching, uninviting liturgy, and minimal hospitality in their parishes. It seems worth noting that expecting church attendance and public worship to be therapeutically satisfying often leads to disappointment and eventual alienation.

Not a few have left the Church because of real or perceived mistreatment by bishops or pastors. Reactions have a way of becoming overreactions. An overreaction to clericalism and paternalism in the Church resulted in autonomy becoming absolute. Evelyn Underhill offered a helpful analogy in this regard. She likened the Church to the Post Office. Both provide an essential service, but it is always possible to find an incompetent and annoying clerk behind the counter. Persons who expect all representatives of the Church to live up to the ideals proposed by the Church will typically become disillusioned and leave. Persons with such expectations would have left the Church of the Holy Apostles.

Most recently, a cause for many leaving the Church is the scandal of clergy sexual abuse. This has been a stumbling block not only for those directly affected, but for Catholics generally. Because of the questionable role played by a number of bishops, their moral authority is diminished. The time when bishops could command is past. Now, they can only hope to persuade and invite. Loyalty to bishops had been widely identified with loyalty to the Church. As the former loyalty diminished, so did the latter.

Clearly there are times when the Church is more of an obstacle than a help to faith. At Vatican II, the Council Fathers pointed out that the Church is always in danger of concealing, rather than revealing, the authentic features of Christ. Often enough, members of the Church’s leadership have been guilty of a sin typical of many religious teachers—namely, being more concerned about preservation of their authority than about the truth.

While specific reasons can be cited, it is helpful to recognize several underlying attitudes that are operative. (1) There is an anti-dogmatic spirit which is suspicious of the Church’s emphasis on fidelity to traditional teachings. (2) There is the widespread belief that one can be free to ignore, deny, or minimize one or more received doctrines without feeling compelled to break with the Church. (3) There is also the belief that, guided by their own conscience, regardless of how that matches—or fails to match—generally accepted Catholic teaching, persons can develop their own understanding of what it means to be Catholic. Someone has coined a phrase that describes persons with those attitudes, calling them “cafeteria Catholics,” i.e., those who pick and choose what to accept of official Catholic teaching and ignore the rest.

Two questions arise in the face of the phenomenon of “vanishing Catholics.” One question is of a more theological and ecclesial level: are those departed to be considered heretics or schismatics? A second question arises at the practical level: how can those who have left be reunited with the Church? Regarding the first question, it is worth noting that, while speaking of dissension and division among the faithful, and of separation from the community of believers, the New Testament does not make a distinction between heresy and schism. Since the definition of the Pope’s primacy of jurisdiction, it is difficult to see how there can be a schism that is not a heresy.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (§2089), heresy “is the obstinate, post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and Catholic faith, or it is, likewise, an obstinate doubt concerning the same.” Schism is “the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff, or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.” The Theological Dictionary, compiled by Karl Rahner and Herbert Vorgrimler, defines heresy as “primarily an error in matters of faith. The heretic takes a truth out of the organic whole, which is the faith, and because he looks at it in isolation, misunderstands it, or else denies a dogma.” “Schism occurs when a baptized person refuses to be subject to the Pope, or to live in communion with the members of the Church, who are subject to the Pope.”

In any case, given the variety of reasons for people leaving the Church, the degree of separation, and especially assuming good will on the part of those leaving, it is difficult to classify them as heretics or schismatics. Church authorities have the right and the duty to take measures against heresy and schism when those become evident. Clear denial of a dogma cannot be tolerated. But between this and a purely private, material heresy, there are many shades. Not every challenge to accepted theology is heretical. There are many partial non-identifications that endanger faith and unity but do not rise to the level of schism. Nor does every act of disobedience to human laws in the Church imply schism.

While speculative questions about heresy and schism are significant and need to be addressed, they pale in comparison to the practical question of how those departed can be reunited with the Church. That question is as complex as are the reasons for people leaving the Church. That question is further complicated when one addresses the question of the underlying attitudes that are operative.

Obviously, the Church must work at removing any obstacles to reunion. With Vatican II, that work was begun. The Council recognized the Church is semper reformanda, always needing to be reformed. The actual return of individuals requires something more than an adjustment in Church practices or new programs. It is a matter of God touching the individual with his grace.

A final question that can prove troubling is how the massive defection from the Church is to be reconciled with God’s providence. This is simply one of many instances in which we are challenged to believe in an omnipotent God, who is also a loving, provident Father. Providence is not an occasional, intrusive, manipulative presence, but one that is with us both in tragedy and in joy, in the joy that consists not so much in the absence of suffering, as in the awareness of God’s presence. To find the strength to experience calmly the difficulties and trials that come into our lives is a tremendous challenge. If, however, we are able to do that, every event can be “providential.” In a sermon on the feast of the Ascension, Pope Leo the Great said: “For those who abandon themselves to God’s providential love, faith does not fail, hope is not shaken, and charity does not grow cold.”

There can be a very subtle, almost imperceptible temptation to think we know better than God how things should be. We can be like the naive little girl, who, in her prayers, told God that if she were in God’s place, she would make the world better. And God replied: “That is exactly what you should be doing.”


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; History; Ministry/Outreach
KEYWORDS: catholics; trends
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To: Bryanw92
Oprah tells them that its more important to be spiritual than religious...They stop attending church because they don’t agree with one part of doctrine...

Basically, they believe they hold all knowledge on their cell phone. They can publish their beliefs for the whole world to see via the phone everytime they discover that they believe something new. They can reach out and buy things on their phone.

So, they worship the phone...
Can't argue with this!!
41 posted on 12/28/2013 5:59:14 PM PST by mlizzy ("If people spent an hour a week in Eucharistic Adoration, abortion would be ended." --Mother Teresa)
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To: Clemenza

Because there’s no place else to go. The Catholic Church only has the faithin its entirety, and the sacraments through which we encounter God’s will for us. The lazy and stupid excuses that the church can be ignored till she becomes what we say she must be are evidence of a grave spiritual disorder in which the creature presumes to judge its creator.


42 posted on 12/28/2013 6:06:19 PM PST by Romulus
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To: Yossarian
Come back to the Church. Are you such a fool that you don't realize that it has always been this way with the Curch of Christ?

Remember that we had leadership trouble from the git-go. The Apostles lived with Jesus for 3 1/2 years, knew the direct gaze of His eyes and the sound of His voice, received Communion from His very hands. And then, at the point of crisis, that dreadful day when one Apostle betrayed Christ, one denied 3 times that he even knew Him, and the rest, cowards, scrambled for the tall grass. With the solitary exception of John the son of Zebedee.

And that dreadful time, 500 years ago, when every single Catholic Bishop in Britain decided that Henry VIII was fit to be head of the Church of England, adulterer, apostate, church-looter and murderer though he was. With the solitary exception of Bishop John Fisher.

Take heed and be faithful. The tares grow with the wheat and choke it. He knows that. Suffer for Christ. Suffer with Him. Pray for sinners.

There's no other way ---no other way --- to help them, or yourself, become a bit more worthy as human beings.

43 posted on 12/28/2013 6:12:15 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly with your God)
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To: snowstorm12
Funny, my experience isn't like that. Just the opposite. My parish is crammed full with women, women of all ages.

Problem is, where are the men?

44 posted on 12/28/2013 6:15:38 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly with your God)
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To: Clemenza

Jesus Christ.


45 posted on 12/28/2013 6:16:20 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly with your God)
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To: NYer

Churches that are Biblically accurate and culturally relevant are growing like crazy.

People see whether a church is congruent with its message. They know whether the message is meaningful.

Churches that fail one or both are shrinking - and this without regard to denomination.


46 posted on 12/28/2013 6:18:12 PM PST by aMorePerfectUnion (Truth is hate to those who hate the Truthorth reading)
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To: daniel1212

cecity?


47 posted on 12/28/2013 6:18:40 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly with your God)
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To: NYer; RichInOC; Prince of Space; JoeFromSidney; TNMountainMan; alphadog; infool7; Heart-Rest; ...
+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.

48 posted on 12/28/2013 6:20:41 PM PST by narses (... unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.)
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To: daniel1212
But what did you think, that the Eucharist was magic? No, really, what did you think? That Christ would come in, kidnap the sinful soul, keep it bound and gagged in a bare back room, run the unyielding person's life, take over his passwords, assume his online banking user I.D., sign his checks, and cancel the natural and logical consequences of all his actions?

How exactly do you expect Christ to affect the rebellious communicant who is content to receive, and remain unconverted?

49 posted on 12/28/2013 6:26:36 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly with your God)
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

A major reason is that many choose to leave the denomination for a different Christian denomination.


50 posted on 12/28/2013 6:29:02 PM PST by ansel12 ( Ben Bradlee -- JFK told me that "he was all for people's solving their problems by abortion".)
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To: I cannot think of a name; Salvey

In my opinion—— for what it’s worth-——is that there has been a decades long organized plan to disrupt and conquer institutions such as the Catholic Church and others. I believe that the Marxist faggot element has particularly targeted the seminaries and act as gatekeepers to repel as many straight honest applicants as possible. Over the years they have gradually increased their numbers and risen in rank in the Church hierarchy gaining more and more power.

I read a story over 30 years ago by a Catholic trying to sound the alarm over this insidious invasion. When mentioning to it to Catholics-— and even non-Catholics-—I felt like I was in a lone B-17 over 1943 Berlin.


51 posted on 12/28/2013 6:37:33 PM PST by Rockpile (S)
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To: metmom
Doctrinal differences here.

The more I read of Scripture, the bigger difference between it and the teachings of the Catholic church I saw.

It finally reached a breaking point and the Word of God won out.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of excuses for leaving the Catholic Church, but only two real reasons: 1) Unconfessed sin

2) Poor Catechesis.

Please remember that poor physical and mental health is often the direct result of poor spiritual health.

52 posted on 12/28/2013 6:41:04 PM PST by verga (The devil is in the details)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Yes? I know who he is.


53 posted on 12/28/2013 6:44:15 PM PST by Clemenza ("History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil governm)
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To: NYer

I was received (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist)) into the Church in 2009. I am probably one of the more traditionally minded in our small rural VA parish. What drew me into the Church, was not quite what I found. It seems that some in the Church are more interested in a worldly kingdom (social things), not a heavenly one(true conversion). Maybe the lack of pastoral challenge against our sinfulness keeps people away.


54 posted on 12/28/2013 6:49:19 PM PST by cutofyourjib (Repent and pray for one another!)
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To: verga

“There are hundreds, maybe thousands of excuses for leaving the Catholic Church, but only two real reasons: 1) Unconfessed sin 2) Poor Catechesis.”

This is also exactly what mormons teach.


55 posted on 12/28/2013 6:54:34 PM PST by aMorePerfectUnion (Truth is hate to those who hate the Truthorth reading)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
Don-o wrote: But what did you think, that the Eucharist was magic?

What i believe is what i see in Scripture and in effect. As regards the latter here, I was a RC, a weekly participant, a CCD teacher and lector, and believed in good faith that the Eucharist was the Real Presence, and received it conscience permitting. And i even rationalized the evangelical preachers that i heard and who blessed me so much must be eating it to have such anointing.

But receiving the Eucharist or not had no real effect on me, or the multitudes whom i knew and saw receive it. Most were as dead as i was before i become born again by real repentance and faith in Christ to save me, and which effected a profound change in my heart and life .

That is when i received spiritual life in myself, as per Jn. 6:53, not in physically eating, which is never how anyone received spiritual life in themselves.

And and to eat and thus live by Jesus is to do as He did, "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me," (John 6:57) which was not by physically eating the Father, but by living by every word which came from Him. (Mt. 4:4) making doing His will to be the Lord's "meant." (Jn. 4:34)

A RC would get far more out of listening to some good evangelical preaching than looking for spiritual life by physically eating.

56 posted on 12/28/2013 6:58:16 PM PST by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
cecity?

The state of being blind or lacking sight. It was new for me also.

57 posted on 12/28/2013 7:00:14 PM PST by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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To: Campion

See 56 above.


58 posted on 12/28/2013 7:01:18 PM PST by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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To: NYer; Tax-chick; Ghost of SVR4; I cannot think of a name; oh8eleven; snowstorm12

I was received into the Church in 2001, via EWTN. Of course I found neither the piety, reverence nor the teaching anywhere in my diocese to even begin to compare with EWTN, nor even a single effort in the diocese to accommodate the Extraordinary Form. The nearest accomodation is almost a 7 hour drive.

The parish churches are stripped now, taking on the appearance of protestant churches, along with guitars and 2nd grade level lyrics in many of the song selections. No silence to speak of, because music has prime of place. The sign of Peace is out of control, exaggerated now, into other rows and scandalously across the aisles and back, even extending cheerfully into the Lamb of God prayer.

I wretch at the fall of the Mass every single Sunday, but I would NEVER miss a Mass. I am outraged and revolted every Sunday, but I would never miss a Mass. My heart is pierced by the abuses I witness, but I would never miss a Mass.

I made a pact with God Himself to acknowledge that He is there in the Mass and He is pained also, but He is there for me, in Holy Communion, and I must be there for Him to receive Him.

All He asks is for me to endure unto the End.

He warned us in Sacred Scripture what was to come, and it is here. We did it to ourselves and we accept His warning— that but a remnant of even the faithful will be saved— that were not the days shortened even the very elect would be lost. I believe Him. He knows of the outrage, pain and disgust.

“....and you, my brothers and sisters to pray for me to the Lord our God.”

Have a blessed Christmas and a blessed New Year.


59 posted on 12/28/2013 7:01:43 PM PST by RitaOK ( VIVA CHRISTO REY / Public education is the farm team for more Marxists coming.)
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To: Bryanw92

“Basically, they believe they hold all knowledge on their cell phone.....”

I laughed when I read this ... then I realized what you wrote is actually quite true.

It is truly a sad world when objects are worshiped rather than Almighty God.


60 posted on 12/28/2013 7:02:27 PM PST by Gumdrop
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