Posted on 09/06/2020 8:05:30 PM PDT by marshmallow
CNA Staff, Sep 4, 2020 / 06:00 am MT (CNA).- A cardinal has suggested that the coronavirus pandemic may have accelerated the secularization of Europe by 10 years.
In an interview with L’Osservatore Romano Sept. 2, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich said he believed that the number of Catholics going to church would decrease as a result of COVID-19.
Asked whether he thought the Church in Europe would emerge stronger or weaker from the pandemic, he said: “I think about my country: we will be reduced in number. Because all those who no longer came to Mass, because they came only for cultural reasons, these ‘cultural Catholics,’ left and right, no longer come. They have seen that life is very comfortable. They can live very well without having to come to church. Even First Communions, the catechism for children, all this will decrease in number, I am almost certain.”
“But it’s not a complaint on my part. We would have had this process even without a pandemic. Perhaps it would have taken us 10 years longer.”
Stephen Bullivant, professor of theology and the sociology of religion at St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, in the U.K., noted that he had made a similar point to Hollerich in his recent eBook “Catholicism in the Time of Coronavirus.”
“At least in terms of church attendance, we’re almost certain to see a ‘jump forward’ along the long-set downward trend,” he told CNA. “Lots of dioceses have done forecasts in previous years along the lines of ‘if present trends continue, we’ll have X number of active priests for Y number of Mass goers by 2040,’ or whatever. Well, they’re going to have to bring those forward.”
“Whether I’d guess at ‘10 years’ myself, I don’t know -- but it’s not outside the bounds of the plausible.”
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnewsagency.com ...
Not much use for a church that simply parrots the government and pop culture. Might as well get the new religion from the source.
The Catholic church is doing WAY more to secularize Europe than Covid.
If you want to find a Catholic culture, you have to go to a heavily Protestant state. How pathetic is that?
Then in the next breath they give ORDERS to wear masks, avoid crowds, shelter in place, don't go out, stay home, order food for delivery. The pizza man can toss your pizza across the lawn.
Which is it? Both? Neither? A little bit of both? A little bit of neither?
No one can even say if/when COVID-19 will be "over."
.
One thing is for sure: THIS WINTER CHINA WILL BE SENDING OVER YET ANOTHER VIRUS.
They have been doing so for decades [minus the Spanish flu].
Having a Pope that works for the anti-Christ probably has a LOT more to do with it.
All of the churches around here are open except for our church. It has 1400 members but usually just a few hundred attend Sunday services. It is just crazy. The first time in my life I feel a need to go to church and it is closed. Oh it is on Zoom and you tube and facebook, but that isn’t the same. Our pastor is living in FEAR, not Faith.
The echo of silence as the coins vanish from the passing plate.
Also, all that good press that floats about on the Internet.
And, the growth of personal spirituality, which espouses personal responsibility, and self-determination.
Another reason to believe it was done by communist China on purpose.
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