Posted on 01/12/2019 8:27:41 AM PST by ebb tide
Trust in the clergy has declined sharply over the last year, a new Gallup poll shows. Only 31 percent of American Catholics now rate the honesty or ethical standards of the clergy as “high” or “very high.”
The figures, released Friday, show a drop of 18 points since 2017. Among American Protestants, the same question produced a relatively stable number of 48 percent, a drop of only one point since 2017.
The survey was conducted between December 3-12 and surveyed 1,025 adults.
Americans previously registered a drop in confidence with the Church itself. A similar poll, conducted last summer, reported that confidence in the Church dropped from 52 percent in June 2017 to 44 percent in June 2018.
Since that poll was taken, the Church in the United States has suffered a number of abuse-related scandals, including the resignation of Archbishop Theodore McCarrick from the college of cardinals following multiple allegations of sexual abuse, and the release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report that reported allegations of widespread clerical sexual abuse in that state over a period of several decades.
Church leaders have faced a mounting series of questions in recent months, with many being asked to make clear when they first became of aware of allegations against bishops like McCarrick.
Ahead of a recent week-long retreat held at Mundelein Seminary, Pope Francis wrote a letter to the American bishops, in which he referred to the loss of credibility among the hierarchy as a “crisis” facing the Church.
“Clearly a living fabric has come undone, and we, like weavers, are called to repair it,” said Pope Francis in the letter. He also noted perceived divisions among the American bishops, and said that a unified body would help to re-establish credibility among Catholics.
Catholic confidence in clergy has wavered over the last decade and a half.
In 2008, 63 percent of American Catholics said that they had a “high” or “very high” view of the ethical standards of the clergy. This number dropped nine points, to 54 percent, by 2011.
Following the election of Pope Francis in 2014, the number rose to 57 – the last year in which topped 50 percent.
Other Gallup polls have offered different indicators about the state of the Church in the United States. The number of Americans who identify as Catholic has remained roughly stable at around 25 percent throughout the last seven decades. Conversely, the number of self-identified Protestants has dropped, and the number of people with no religious affiliation, self-identified “nones,” has risen.
Additionally, over half of Catholics surveyed in 2018 say that religion is a “very important” part of their lives. This figure, too, has remained relatively stable since 2001.
One area that has not remained stable is Mass attendance. From 2014-2017, not a single age group of Catholics reported a majority attending Mass each week. In 2018, only about 36 percent of Catholics said they had been to Mass within the last week. That number is a drop from 45 percent in 2008, and 75 percent in 1955.
See what I meant about juvenile comments from your posse, ampu? The company you keep is telling.
Are you making the argument now that your feet are large??
I don't follow you. Whatever.
Back to salvation.
Are you sure of your salvation?
Typical RC distortions.
To which church? We are told by modern RCs that your position on Extra Ecclesiam is wrong as excluding baptized faithful. Prots from salvation.<
I actually concur that you have the better case for EENS meaning “that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff," (Pope Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctam) ”no one, whatever almsgiving he has practiced, even if he has shed blood for the name of Christ, can be saved, unless he has remained in the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church.” — Pope Eugene IV and the Council of Florence p>And I think my compilation of RC Extra Ecclesiam quotes are overall better since most of yours are subject to the V2 spin it pits on such terms as "separated from the body of the Catholic Church", "nor be saved outside the Catholic Church," and or they are not from popes or councils.
However, whether modern or traditional, both are false churches, albeit yet retaining salvific truths amidst her trappings of deviating traditions, for distinctive Catholic teachings are not manifest in the only wholly inspired substantive authoritative record of what the NT church believed (including how they understood the OT and gospels), which is Scripture, especially Acts thru Revelation. /p>
Wow! If this what happens by becoming a Catholic? Best to be avoided even on the basis. For rather than having no Scripture the Messiah established His Truth claims upon scriptural substantiation in word and in power, as did the early church as it began upon this basis. (Mt. 22:23-45; Lk. 24:27,44; Jn. 5:36,39; Acts 2:14-35; 4:33; 5:12; 15:6-21;17:2,11; 18:28; 28:23; Rm. 15:19; 2Cor. 12:12, etc.)
And God manifestly made writing His most-reliable means of authoritative preservation. (Exodus 17:14; 34:1,27; Deuteronomy 10:4; 17:18; 27:3,8; 31:24; Joshua 1:8; 2 Chronicles 34:15,18-19, 30-31; Psalm 19:7-11; 119; Psalm 102:18; Isaiah 30:8; Jeremiah 30:2; Matthew 4:5-7; 22:29; Luke 24:44,45; John 5:46,47; John 20:31; Acts 17:2,11; 18:28; Revelation 1:1; 20:12, 15;
And as is abundantly evidenced , as written, Scripture became the transcendent supreme standard for obedience and testing and establishing truth claims as the wholly Divinely inspired and assured, Word of God. Thus the veracity of oral preaching subject to testing by Scripture, and not vice versa.
It was not because oral tradition preserved the Word of God that brought about a national revival, but because of the wholly inspired-of-God written word: (2 Chronicles 34:15
And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan. (2 Chronicles 34:15-31)
Now most likely you meant Jesus had no NT Scripture, for the word of God thru Him was spread mouth to mouth before it was penned, although most of the NT was directly written as Scripture.
However, rather than this meaning Rome likewise speaks the wholly inspired word of God top us, while men such as the apostles could speak as wholly inspired of God and also provide new public revelation thereby (in conflation with what had been written), neither popes and councils claim to do to speaking or writting what they assert is the word of God. .
As for preaching the truth of the word of God, as in the gospel, all the church did that. (Acts 8:4) God manifestly made writing His most-reliable means of authoritative preservation Moreover,
A 2008 Catholic commissioned survey of adult Catholics reported 68% of Catholics affirmed you could be a good Catholic without going to Mass every Sunday, and 55% thought of themselves as good Catholics. 77% of Catholics agreed they were proud to be Catholic, (85% of weekly attendees) and 61% agreed that sacraments were essential to their faith (83% of weekly attendees). 2008 poll of 1,007 self-identified adult Catholics by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University; http://cara.georgetown.edu/beliefattitude.pdf
43% of Catholics overall (and 36% of weekly attendees) affirmed they look to Catholic teachings and statements made the pope and bishops to form their conscience on what is morally acceptable . ^
I can see that my fatigue is showing (and arthritic typing) . Sorry for the typos and lack of proof reading.
Luther tossed nothing out of Scripture.
Luther Bible
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Bible
The Luther Bible (German: Lutherbibel) is a German language Bible translation from Hebrew and ancient Greek by Martin Luther. The New Testament was first published in 1522 and the complete Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments with Apocrypha, in 1534.
Well, it’s not like Roman Catholicism has given the laity any reason TO trust the clergy.
Catholic trust their so-called church.
Christians trust Christ.
I don’t see any other religious organization here on FR claiming to be the sole means of salvation for mankind, nor do I see any believers pushing denominationalism and telling others that they are going to hell if they don’t join their church.
Luther did not recognize the apocrypha as most denominations do not. Lither has a lot more respect for Scriptures that the Roman Church. He certainly never put tradition equal with scripture or pursued all sort of extra biblical doctrine like Mary, purgatory, indulgences etc. any Roman that want to challenge Lutheran doctine on respect for Scripture is on very thin ice
Total and unadulterated nonsense.
Luke 4:16-21 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Where did PP say that? I went back through the posts and there's no where that I can find what you are claiming or that he specified the NT.
Please provide the post number.
I suppose that works if one believes the Church to be God. But to some that sounds a bit like idolatry or at best a cult.
Because it bore witness to Him.
It prophesied His coming and by knowing it, the Jews were able to recognize Him as the fulfillment of it.
Another juvenile post.
Luther published his Bible that contained the Apocrypha in 1534 and the Council of Trent formalize its canon for Scripture in 1546.
Luther published what was recognized previously by Catholicism as Canon, not leaving any of the Apocrypha out.
Please no longer ping me about your feet.
I have zero interest in your feet.
If you want to focus and discuss salvation, let me know.
That pesky Luther. Giving people the Word in their own language so they would be able to read it for themselves. How dare he.
How is that your decision to make about your church leader?
Under what authority are you granted that right that you can decide for another Catholic whether they are Catholic enough or not?
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