Holiness, the Church, and the Road Less Traveled

Catholics United for the Faith ^ | June 22, 2002 | Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.

[St.Chuck]

Chaput is an enigma.

Then we could use more enigmas like this. Bishop Chaput is argueably the most orthodox archbishop in the U.S. Where he lives and how he dines are trivial matters compared to what he teaches in his role as shepherd to his flock. In that capacity, he is is peerless. To read more of his writings, go to the archiocese of Denver's website.

[St.Chuck]

Many are but actors on a stage.

Always the cynic! I would argue that it is his alleged opulent lifestyle, that is the act.

[St.Chuck]

I really enjoyed this article by Archbishop Chaput.Me too. Thanks for sharing it with us here.

[american colleen]

Where he lives and how he dines are trivial matters compared to what he teaches in his role as shepherd to his flock.

Right. I've read a couple of his books, so I think his flock is way past his own diocese. I wish to God we had a Chaput here in Boston.

[Conservative til I die]

I live in Massachusetts, live here for 43 years and then tell me I shouldn't have a problem with the "poor and underprivleged

I strongly suggest you reread my post. I did not say anyone shouldn't have a problem with the poor. I asked if the person had a problem WITH PRIESTS HELPING the poor. BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFFFFFFFFFFFFFEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEE

[Conservative til I die]

Yes. I agree with you on abusing the help of the Church. That's why I normally have given to religious charities rather than secular ones. Because presumably they are serious about who they give help to.

But in general, I was more concerned that the original reader (was it you?) had a problem of priests helping the poor in and of itself, apart from any abuse.

[american colleen]

I can't hear you if you are yelling!

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Bishop Chaput is argueably the most orthodox archbishop in the U.S.

Hardly.

Where he lives and how he dines are trivial matters compared to what he teaches in his role as shepherd to his flock.

A lifelong vow of poverty is hardly trivial.

In that capacity, he is is peerless.

Bruskewitz, for one.

To read more of his writings, go to the archiocese of Denver's website.

No need. The Denver Catholic Register gets delivered to my home weekly. I've lived in this diocese longer than Chaput has been a priest.

[narses]

I would encourage the good Bishop to read The Eternal Priesthood by Henry Cardinal Manning. In it he reminds the secular priesthood that their priesthood had been founded by Jesus Christ, indeed that they were the only religious order founded by Christ, ‘the first religious and regular Order instituted by Our Lord Himself, and the highest state of perfection in the world’, and that as much as any monk or friar, they also had to seek a world-denying and world-forsaking holiness, in order to bear spiritual fruit in their work in the world. I cannot imagine Cardinal Manning living as His Excellency appears to be. May he? Of course. Should he? Not in my opinion. More important, not in the opinion of the emminant Cardinal Manning, and most important, almost certainly not in the view of Our Lord. What was it He told those who would follow Him? "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers
of men." and "If you can't follow me and leave all else behind," Jesus said, "don't follow me at all."

[narses]

That said, btw, it is an excellent article. It is sad HE's lifestyle became an issue. Perhaps that is one of many reasons he ought to consider living in community rather than in oppulence.

[NYer]

Colleen, this is one of the best articles posted yet. Short of quoting the enitre article,I don't know where to begin extrapolating segments on which to comment.

Francis of Assisi has always had a big place in my life. History calls Francis the vir Catholicus—the embodiment of everything a Catholic believer should be; a person filled with faith, joy, simplicity, courage, charity, and zeal for Jesus Christ.
One need only double click on my FR identification to understand how important St. Francis is in my life.

What Franciscans remember about St. Francis is his demand that we live the Gospel sine glossa—without gloss, without excuses, without interpretations to make discipleship easier or more comfortable.
... without following the road paved by the modernists. How often, we on this forum have screamed out for an opportunity to help rebuild the church.

And as a son, he sometimes scandalized his brothers because he always insisted on fidelity and obedience to the Holy Father and reverence for priests and bishops—even the ones whose sins meant they didn't deserve it.
need I name names?

The fidelity of Catholics to the Church, generation after generation, even when her leaders have been weak or sinful—that fidelity is what carries the message of the Gospel through time. Without the Church, Jesus Christ cannot be known.
Others, before us, have walked down this road. The church survived then as it will today.

[St.Chuck]

A lifelong vow of poverty is hardly trivial.

Do you think that it possible that he recieved a dispensation from that vow when he was elevated to bishop? Why not e-mail him again, and see what his explanation is?

I wrote:Bishop Chaput is argueably the most orthodox archbishop in the U.S.

You wrote: Hardly.

I wrote:In that capacity, he is is peerless.

You wrote:Bruskewitz, for one.

Well, I stand uncorrected, as Bruskewitz is not an archbishop. What other gripes do you have about him?

[St.Chuck]

Right. I've read a couple of his books, so I think his flock is way past his own diocese. I wish to God we had a Chaput here in Boston.

Yes indeed, I have friends as far away as Australia that look up to Archbishop Chaput and follow his doings and writings rather closely.

[St.Chuck]

It is sad HE's lifestyle became an issue.

I agree. The penchant for throwing dirt on anything and everything has become prevelant even among good Catholics. It is a tragedy, that no thread can remain untainted by criticism and cynicism. We have met the enemy and he is us. I suppose the hypocrisy police have bagged another one; I pray that Christ on Judgement Day is more merciful than we are.

[St.Chuck]

The church survived then as it will today.

Absolutely correct. Take the panic mongers with a large dose of salt.

[St.Chuck]

I would encourage the good Bishop to read The Eternal Priesthood

Do it. He is very accessable and will respond to your e-mail.

[Salvation]

Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Following Him may be "the road less traveled" but, as St. Francis discovered, it's the one road that leads us to the joy and the light of God's love.

The example for all of us to follow.

[St.Chuck]

Joy is the flag that flies from one's heart when Jesus reigns there. :)

[Theresa]

"When we talk about the Church as if she were just another sinful bureaucracy disconnected from the problems of daily life, what we're really doing is creating an excuse to ignore her when she teaches. "

Excellent point!