> “In any case, the majority of them seem to be alienated from the settings and values of modern society,” he said. “They are also unfamiliar with the concerns of Church reform. Therefore, they will contribute little to creatively opening up the Church and contemporary society to each other.”
> “In any case, the majority of them seem to be alienated from the settings and values of modern society,” he said. “They are also unfamiliar with the concerns of Church reform. Therefore, they will contribute little to creatively opening up the Church and contemporary society to each other.”
What a horribly biased look at things. I would hope that any reasonable Catholic is alienated from the values of modern society!
That line struck me too. I don't want to read into it too much, especially if it's a translation, but the tone seems to imply the speaker thinks that most of these priests are clueless and feckless.
It's always a good time to ask St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) to pray for Germany (or Europe or the whole world while I'm at it). She is German and so it is in her job description.
I have no objections to opening up contemporary society to the influence of the Church (vice versa seems to bear strange fruit sometimes), but fundamentally Vatican 2 said that it's primarily the job of the *laity* to go make the whole world holy, as I understand it; we just do not want to (partly because we do not want to be made holy ourselves, which is a sine qua non; it might be uncomfortable and make a person late for dinner), which is why I think acedia is one of the parents of clericalism.
In social science research, we have a technical term for comments like that. It’s called ‘A Dick Move’.
Not to mention, the sample size is far from representative of a small sample. I don’t think you can draw any real causation effects other than German Bishops don’t seem to know their priests very well at all.
I'd be very curious just what those "settings and values of modern society" are, in his mind. Before my conversion I was secular mostly agnostic and even though it wasn't that long ago I feel completely at a loss speaking to people today from a similar background. Many of them don't seem to enjoy or be invested in anything in particular - no real hobbies (is social media doomscrolling a hobby?) I'm not talking here about vague impressions about "kids these days," but people I know and love dearly.
I really don't know how to reach them. There seems to be a really big disconnect and I don't know how to bridge it. I do retreat, I suppose, into traditional devotions and prayers because I just don't know what else to do. Hard hearts don't listen.
What a dismissive and prejudicial thing to say. Maybe we should explore the reasons why Germany is, in Bp Batzig's words, a mission country. It isn't like the German hierarchy is just now trying a liberalizing approach. I think perhaps it's the liberalization of everything to fit the mold of the "values of modern society" that just might be the problem. Many German Catholics have no voice in the Synodal Way, which has been pointed to and acknowledge by the Holy Father.
> “In any case, the majority of them seem to be alienated from the settings and values of modern society,” he said. “They are also unfamiliar with the concerns of Church reform. Therefore, they will contribute little to creatively opening up the Church and contemporary society to each other.”
What a horribly biased look at things. I would hope that any reasonable Catholic is alienated from the values of modern society!
That line struck me too. I don't want to read into it too much, especially if it's a translation, but the tone seems to imply the speaker thinks that most of these priests are clueless and feckless.
Well, there is no shortage of priests who are clueless and feckless, so they may be right.
It's always a good time to ask St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) to pray for Germany (or Europe or the whole world while I'm at it). She is German and so it is in her job description.
I have no objections to opening up contemporary society to the influence of the Church (vice versa seems to bear strange fruit sometimes), but fundamentally Vatican 2 said that it's primarily the job of the *laity* to go make the whole world holy, as I understand it; we just do not want to (partly because we do not want to be made holy ourselves, which is a sine qua non; it might be uncomfortable and make a person late for dinner), which is why I think acedia is one of the parents of clericalism.
Late for dinner? It might make you go off into the Blue on a mad adventure, without any pocket-handkerchiefs!
In social science research, we have a technical term for comments like that. It’s called ‘A Dick Move’.
Not to mention, the sample size is far from representative of a small sample. I don’t think you can draw any real causation effects other than German Bishops don’t seem to know their priests very well at all.
I'd be very curious just what those "settings and values of modern society" are, in his mind. Before my conversion I was secular mostly agnostic and even though it wasn't that long ago I feel completely at a loss speaking to people today from a similar background. Many of them don't seem to enjoy or be invested in anything in particular - no real hobbies (is social media doomscrolling a hobby?) I'm not talking here about vague impressions about "kids these days," but people I know and love dearly.
I really don't know how to reach them. There seems to be a really big disconnect and I don't know how to bridge it. I do retreat, I suppose, into traditional devotions and prayers because I just don't know what else to do. Hard hearts don't listen.
What a dismissive and prejudicial thing to say. Maybe we should explore the reasons why Germany is, in Bp Batzig's words, a mission country. It isn't like the German hierarchy is just now trying a liberalizing approach. I think perhaps it's the liberalization of everything to fit the mold of the "values of modern society" that just might be the problem. Many German Catholics have no voice in the Synodal Way, which has been pointed to and acknowledge by the Holy Father.
"Am I out of touch? No, it's the children who are wrong." - Principal Skinner