"The fruit of Aparecida is a new pastoral approach,” he (Pierre) said. “I saw it working in Mexico. It changes the church.”
I've heard this before about the synodal process in South America, but If I understand things correctly, Catholic membership is on a swift decline across South America as well. It would have been interesting to have …
"The fruit of Aparecida is a new pastoral approach,” he (Pierre) said. “I saw it working in Mexico. It changes the church.”
I've heard this before about the synodal process in South America, but If I understand things correctly, Catholic membership is on a swift decline across South America as well. It would have been interesting to have heard the Cardinal's perspective on that.
In an effort to try to understand Pope Francis' theological/pastoral approach I've been reading "The Mind of Pope Francis" by Massimo Borghesi (Pierre endorses it as well). I'm about 2/3s of the way through, and while there are some points that set off some light bulbs for me, on the whole, its just.. so...unclear. Admittedly, I'm no theologian, but it just continues to reinforce for me how ephemeral and inaccessible the thinking behind this Papacy is for me most of the time, and it sounds like it is for the U.S. Bishops as well. I'm sure that's part cultural divide. Its clearly frustrating in both directions. I'm not sure at all what the solution is.
In Europe, including in Belgium, France, Germany…many of the Sant’Egidio, Nuvoi Orizzonti, and other new ecclesial Catholic communities have very very full parishes. These communities usually have a special charism or pastoral center appealing to groups that are in need of belonging (elderly, migrants, disabled, addiction, depression, etc. etc.). And those very full parishes buck the overall trend of decline around them. For example, why was one parish in the center of DC full last Sunday while another parish only 3 blocks away was 85% empty. People go where they feel they can thrive and belong. And you are right, a lot of parishes we deem “conservative” do a fantastic job at that as well. It’s not a one size fits all.
I’ll note that these are challenges the Church and society in general hasn’t had to face until recently. It is one of many reasons why our pastoral paradigms have to be creative and adaptive, just as they always have been. It reminds me of some leaders in the Middle East who have “modernization” down to a science… allow the people just enough freedom to move about that they do not rebel. But how do we keep them together as one? It’s an even greater challenge for many groups within a community (including churches) to thrive in a democratic or free society. If the group is not relevant to the peculiarities that people face OR if it does not offer a life raft from the crazy world around it, that attendance is naturally going to decline.
It is gospel among the Latin Americans that Aparecida is a revolutionary success—if not yesterday then tomorrow. They’ve staked the future of their entire quartersphere of the Church on it; it can’t not be the one true way.
"The fruit of Aparecida is a new pastoral approach,” he (Pierre) said. “I saw it working in Mexico. It changes the church.”
I've heard this before about the synodal process in South America, but If I understand things correctly, Catholic membership is on a swift decline across South America as well. It would have been interesting to have heard the Cardinal's perspective on that.
In an effort to try to understand Pope Francis' theological/pastoral approach I've been reading "The Mind of Pope Francis" by Massimo Borghesi (Pierre endorses it as well). I'm about 2/3s of the way through, and while there are some points that set off some light bulbs for me, on the whole, its just.. so...unclear. Admittedly, I'm no theologian, but it just continues to reinforce for me how ephemeral and inaccessible the thinking behind this Papacy is for me most of the time, and it sounds like it is for the U.S. Bishops as well. I'm sure that's part cultural divide. Its clearly frustrating in both directions. I'm not sure at all what the solution is.
In Europe, including in Belgium, France, Germany…many of the Sant’Egidio, Nuvoi Orizzonti, and other new ecclesial Catholic communities have very very full parishes. These communities usually have a special charism or pastoral center appealing to groups that are in need of belonging (elderly, migrants, disabled, addiction, depression, etc. etc.). And those very full parishes buck the overall trend of decline around them. For example, why was one parish in the center of DC full last Sunday while another parish only 3 blocks away was 85% empty. People go where they feel they can thrive and belong. And you are right, a lot of parishes we deem “conservative” do a fantastic job at that as well. It’s not a one size fits all.
I’ll note that these are challenges the Church and society in general hasn’t had to face until recently. It is one of many reasons why our pastoral paradigms have to be creative and adaptive, just as they always have been. It reminds me of some leaders in the Middle East who have “modernization” down to a science… allow the people just enough freedom to move about that they do not rebel. But how do we keep them together as one? It’s an even greater challenge for many groups within a community (including churches) to thrive in a democratic or free society. If the group is not relevant to the peculiarities that people face OR if it does not offer a life raft from the crazy world around it, that attendance is naturally going to decline.
See "From Christendom to Apostolic Mission".
It is gospel among the Latin Americans that Aparecida is a revolutionary success—if not yesterday then tomorrow. They’ve staked the future of their entire quartersphere of the Church on it; it can’t not be the one true way.