I am often reminded of this quote from HIllarire Belloc: "... The Catholic Church is an institution I am bound to hold divine - but for unbelievers a proof of its divinity might be found in the fact that no merely human institution conducted with such knavish imbecility would have lasted a fortnight ..." There is plenty of knavish imbeci…
I am often reminded of this quote from HIllarire Belloc: "... The Catholic Church is an institution I am bound to hold divine - but for unbelievers a proof of its divinity might be found in the fact that no merely human institution conducted with such knavish imbecility would have lasted a fortnight ..." There is plenty of knavish imbecility to go around these days. The "old boy" network of favors for who you know is very disturbing. There is either a system of Canon Law or there is not. A very loved pastor in my city was laicized because of alleged sexual crimes a few years ago. No one swooped down like a deus ex machina to save his vocation and career. I thank the Pillar staff for their work. However, it gets very demoralizing. What can we do as rank and file Catholics other than pray? The curia is not elected by popular vote, so we can't vote them out. They are self-perpetuating. We need to pray and suffer the rule of Christ's Church done in a fashion of knavish imbecility.
Sadly the only real vote we have, affecting our local church for Curial miscreance, is our offertory envelope/electronic contribution. Beyond that one’s only choice is to vote with your feet.
Become holy, so your prayers become more efficacious. Fasting will give them a boost too.
There are a number of organizations that help victims of sexual abuse; I try to help Metanoia out. Study your faith, including moral theology, so you don't get twisted around by knavish imbeciles, and so you will be ready to speak and work for justice when and if God puts you in a position to do so. Try to encourage others to do the same.
> What can we do as rank and file Catholics other than pray?
That's like what can I do when I'm hungry other than cook dinner? :) (sorry, I'm hungry and ordered a pizza and am waiting for it to arrive.) To pray (and fast and give alms) is the ordinary thing for laypeople to do to make the Church holy. A rising tide of holiness will lift all boats that are still seaworthy. But why not think outside the box? If what the Church needs is MORE SAINTS (I think this is generally acknowledged), what is the fastest way to generate more saints (other than to beg God "make me a saint", which is always the first thing to try)? There are as far as I know a bunch of souls in purgatory that are currently sweating off their debt, for whom we could accelerate the process and obtain new intercessors in heaven who are eager to return favors. I am not sure that this is the equivalent of ordering pizza but I had to put in a good word for them because they are having a very hard time in there, or down there, or whatever the right preposition is.
Or pray for the conversion of those who are going to die today who are not yet in a state of grace. According to Luke 7:47 the one who has been forgiven much loves much. And probably flies through Purgatory for that reason.
I am often reminded of this quote from HIllarire Belloc: "... The Catholic Church is an institution I am bound to hold divine - but for unbelievers a proof of its divinity might be found in the fact that no merely human institution conducted with such knavish imbecility would have lasted a fortnight ..." There is plenty of knavish imbecility to go around these days. The "old boy" network of favors for who you know is very disturbing. There is either a system of Canon Law or there is not. A very loved pastor in my city was laicized because of alleged sexual crimes a few years ago. No one swooped down like a deus ex machina to save his vocation and career. I thank the Pillar staff for their work. However, it gets very demoralizing. What can we do as rank and file Catholics other than pray? The curia is not elected by popular vote, so we can't vote them out. They are self-perpetuating. We need to pray and suffer the rule of Christ's Church done in a fashion of knavish imbecility.
Sadly the only real vote we have, affecting our local church for Curial miscreance, is our offertory envelope/electronic contribution. Beyond that one’s only choice is to vote with your feet.
Become holy, so your prayers become more efficacious. Fasting will give them a boost too.
There are a number of organizations that help victims of sexual abuse; I try to help Metanoia out. Study your faith, including moral theology, so you don't get twisted around by knavish imbeciles, and so you will be ready to speak and work for justice when and if God puts you in a position to do so. Try to encourage others to do the same.
> What can we do as rank and file Catholics other than pray?
That's like what can I do when I'm hungry other than cook dinner? :) (sorry, I'm hungry and ordered a pizza and am waiting for it to arrive.) To pray (and fast and give alms) is the ordinary thing for laypeople to do to make the Church holy. A rising tide of holiness will lift all boats that are still seaworthy. But why not think outside the box? If what the Church needs is MORE SAINTS (I think this is generally acknowledged), what is the fastest way to generate more saints (other than to beg God "make me a saint", which is always the first thing to try)? There are as far as I know a bunch of souls in purgatory that are currently sweating off their debt, for whom we could accelerate the process and obtain new intercessors in heaven who are eager to return favors. I am not sure that this is the equivalent of ordering pizza but I had to put in a good word for them because they are having a very hard time in there, or down there, or whatever the right preposition is.
Or pray for the conversion of those who are going to die today who are not yet in a state of grace. According to Luke 7:47 the one who has been forgiven much loves much. And probably flies through Purgatory for that reason.