Pope launches drive to reclaim lapsed Western Catholics

[Nick the Pilot]

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict launched a campaign to bring lapsed believers back to the Roman Catholic fold on Sunday, opening a major convention of bishops on what the Vatican has termed the "new evangelization" of the developed world.

The Church is battling losses to its practicing flock in former strongholds in Europe, North America and Latin America in the face of sex abuse scandals, increasing secularism, rival faiths and open dissent against Church teachings on homosexuality and its ban on a female priesthood.

(cont.)

Pope launches drive to reclaim lapsed Western Catholics - Yahoo! News

 

[wil]

Seems the American nuns had a conference recently regarding female priesthoods, contraception and female reproductive rights and were demanding a discussion ensue...

Could very well be he needs to worry about those who are currently with the church as well...as many of those who have left have done so over the very same issues.

 

[Thomas]

One would hope there were grounds for a reasonable discussion on this issue, but as it's the two most prominent Catholic-bashers on IO, I really don't see the point in pursuing it.

I would suggest the sage's advice: If you can't think of anything constructive to say, better not to say anything at all.

God bless,

Thomas

 

[wil]

One would hope there were grounds for a reasonable discussion on this issue, but as it's the two most prominent Catholic-bashers on IO, I really don't see the point in pursuing it.

I would suggest the sage's advice: If you can't think of anything constructive to say, better not to say anything at all.

God bless,

Thomas

Hmmm if you were to take your advice....you wouldn't post at all.

But it appears you are saying you have nothing constructive to add to the conversation.

As the nun conference did happen, and while they have specifically not indicated which actions they will take....they did ask for a meeting....and if the meeting doesn't happen they will decide what they will do...

So I simply said....while the Pope is running around trying to gather the missing and lost out in the rocks and hills.....who is minding the flock??

 

[Nick the Pilot]

Will,

It goes a lot farther than not minding the flock. There are many questions and complaints against the church but the church leaders do not respond to these questions and complaints, they just pretend these problems don't exist. This is why people leave. If they want to stop people from leaving, the have to start answering the large number of questions and complaints that they now just sweep under the carpet.

If they don't want to take responsibility for what they do, then they have to be willing to accept the consequences -- people leaving the church.

 

[Hermes]

Roman Catholicism is a morally bankrupt, decaying religion. Good riddance...I give them a hundred years before they become extinct.

 

[wil]

If they become extinct...it will mean the whole G!d thing is gone...they are two large in Christendom to go without the rest....

to big to fail.

 

[Thomas]

Hi Wil —

If they become extinct...it will mean the whole G!d thing is gone...they are two large in Christendom to go without the rest....
to big to fail.

Interesting observation ...

The Catholic Church has been in a worse place than it is today, and she has been in better, but whatever people see, it is a reflection of the culture in which the Church stands, it's just the sin stands out more starkly against the backdrop of what the Church is and how she should be.

I am probably better informed about the Church than most here, I know Her better both from within and without, and where I see fault I say so, but I say it in places and to those whom I expect to do something about it.

But I don't indulge in gossip (and nor do you, by the way), dishing the dirt is a sin in the Western religious and philosophical traditions: "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless" (James. 1:26). "Men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matt. 12:36, 37).

God bless,

Thomas

 

[Hermes]

I am being serious about the Church. There is absolutely NO reason why anyone should give money to these people. I do not hate the Church(CC), as it comprises of people, most well meaning albeit very naive. The flock is needed, but it is disappearing. In an average year about 100,000 Germans leave(!) the CC, this year it more than doubled!
This means no money! The poor countries in Latin America and South America, people still faithful but they have little to give, certainly not the 10-percent of what they are making!
In religion there is no such thing as "too big to fail" rather it is BAD karma of the CC which is coming back now tenfold!

 

[Thomas]

I am being serious about the Church.

I'm sure you are. But this is just your opinion, one among many. We will have to wait and see. Personally, I doubt it.

The West is infatuated with the fruits of the Enlightenment. Currently we are dazzled by the glamour of technology and the cult of the individual, neither of which are sustainable in the long run. Meanwhile the warnings about environment and ecology pass because they're simply too big and too frightening to take on board. When the bubble bursts, we'll see what happens.

God bless

Thomas

 

[Nick the Pilot]

Here is a perfect example of the church being vague and not taking any responsibility for what is has done:

"Pope acknowledges "bad fish" in Church"

~~~

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict urged lapsed and lukewarm Roman Catholics on Thursday to rediscover their faith but acknowledged there are "bad fish" in the Church itself.

(cont.)

Pope acknowledges "bad fish" in Church - Yahoo! News

 

[Thomas]

Here is a perfect example of the church being vague and not taking any responsibility for what is has done

This is quite typical of the church-basher brigade — if we don't take responsibility, we're accused of not taking responsibility, which involves doing something about it, people start bleating about 'the inquisition' ...

Short answer Nick, is you should be wary of parroting the media (it's bad for your karma, if noting else ) — Benedict has been far from vague, and far from being inactive to sort out the situation ... but then to know that. you'd have to read balanced media reporting from both sides.

God bless

Thomas

 

[Bhaktajan II]

Roman Catholicism is a morally bankrupt, decaying religion. Good riddance...I give them a hundred years before they become extinct.

What fantasies you fancy.

Is the staff-writer at the "Guru-Reuters" the prophets to herald?

Remember "The mass media is the new mass-consciousness".

BTW, Old Jesuits don't die they just go on sabbatical.

The church exists to balance out the Dissent that covers the soul ---it aint going anywhere, dream-weaver.

If they don't want to take responsibility

Evidently, Il Papa must then be talking to your soul.
Do you "Feel His pain"?
Does the Papa's jaggernaut efforts NOT astound you?

You are part of a contingency that "wrangles over" the bad-judgement of some 'departmental adminstrators' especially since it's now during your lifetime, and you want to aide, or simply "make a difference"?

"Lead or follow . . . but, get out of the way" ---a famous maxim for leadership skills.

Being the boss nowadays is a 24/7 task.

Hasn't the CC been sued by many? Due to a few miscreants and several doomed souls ---whereas, "Governance" is a messy affair.
Society harbors a Labyrinth-hierarchy of "false methods and purposes"

But change comes only pragmatically over the course of time . . .

it is BAD karma of the CC which is coming back now tenfold!

Now regarding bad-karma [aside from secular world mass-karma] I have argued that the one common denouminator that keeps world peace un-attainable is:

The continance of Cow Flesh eating. She is mother.
Of course the consumption of 'Corpses' [as GB Shaw said it] hardens the heart . . . ergo, the future path of successive generation were gifted with wars [before arguing with me, re-check the per capita stats over a 3 to 4 generation timeline].

Which brings me to the commandment "thou shant kill" ---what to speak of consuming the Corpse.

The issue with 'Vegetarianism' is the idea of "Lordship over the beasts"
---whereas we Humans are also biological creatures ---with no right to infringe . . . except then, to except Karmic-interplay with the Corpses of "all sorts".

Hark! Corpses of "all sorts" on the menu!

This is what "bad" karma is about. "Bad" karma is famously associated with blood and guts!

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

FYI, I once feverously debated ---[really I just presented the position inre “Karma”] with a Hebrew expert about:

“Mis-translated Bible terms in favor of meat eating?”

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/religious-debates/108735-mis-translated-bible-terms-infavor-meat.html