Should the Church apologize for...
The dissenters are always demanding, as we know, that the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ apologize for everything under the sun, practically even for just existing.
Here is one apology we ought to see, though -- not by the entire Church, of course, but by the bishops and priests, and they know who they are, who for the past four decades have intimated publicly, or, much worse, have told people in Confession, that contraception is not a sin.
We REALLY need to hear an apology from them for perpetrating that great evil.
We also need restitution from them: Four decades, starting right now, of them studying, deeply assenting to and then preaching and teaching, and counseling in Confession, the beautiful Catholic truth about God's loving, happy and holy plan for marriage, children and family.
This is another one of those bright ideas that I am not holding my breath waiting to see happen. But it should happen, don't you agree?
Here is one apology we ought to see, though -- not by the entire Church, of course, but by the bishops and priests, and they know who they are, who for the past four decades have intimated publicly, or, much worse, have told people in Confession, that contraception is not a sin.
We REALLY need to hear an apology from them for perpetrating that great evil.
We also need restitution from them: Four decades, starting right now, of them studying, deeply assenting to and then preaching and teaching, and counseling in Confession, the beautiful Catholic truth about God's loving, happy and holy plan for marriage, children and family.
This is another one of those bright ideas that I am not holding my breath waiting to see happen. But it should happen, don't you agree?
posted by Quintero at 11:50 AM
11 Comments:
I have been a priest for nearly 25 years and, in all that time, I don't think anyone has ever confessed that they used artificial contraceptives but once. Unfortunately, most Catholics have simply reached the conclusion that the use of artificial means of contraception is morally OK. We really have an "erroneous conscience pandemic" in the Catholic Church. We need to educate our faithful about Natural Family Planning--maybe have an annual NFP Sunday where a guest speaker at all Masses could encouraage NFP much like we have guest speakers for mission appeals and the retirement fund for Religious collection.
Amen Father G.
Unfortunately here in Houston I know priests that don't believe it is appropriate to teach the catechism or morals in Mass. This mindset is common here in Houston and I infer it from the Masses I've attended outside of Texas that the same holds sway.
I will pray for more priests that move away from orthopraxy, personal orthodox devotion but no witnessing the Truth, to practicing their faith publicly through teaching as well as example.
Tito, the liturgical norms call for us to give homilies on the Scriptures rather than catechism lessons. It sometimes is a stretch to apply Scriptural texts to beliefs and practices that are explicitly grounded in Tradition more than in Scripture where they are implicit. But an annual Sunday devoted to promoting NFP (like Respect Life Sunday in October) would afford us the opportunity to have homilies or reflections during homily-time on that particular subject.
"an annual Sunday devoted to promoting NFP ... would afford us the opportunity to have homilies or reflections during homily-time on that particular subject."
An annual Sunday?
Not enough, father.
Reverend and Dear Father G,
Thank you so much, on behalf of myself and everyone who visits "lacatholic," for your quarter-century in the priesthood.
God reward you, and God bless you richly and continue to make your priestly ministry very fruitful for the Kingdom of Christ.
Reverend and dear Father G:
Here is what the GIRM say regarding the homily:
"The homily is part of the Liturgy and is strongly recommended, for it is necessary for the nurturing of the Christian life. It should be an exposition of some aspect of the readings from Sacred Scripture or of another text from the Ordinary or from the Proper of the Mass of the day and should take into account both the mystery being celebrated and the particular needs of the listeners."
As I read it, when it comes to choosing a homiletic theme, the norms of the Church give to the preacher a little more latitude than your comment suggests. Besides, the great power and beauty of the scriptures is its inexhaustibility. Certainly, on any given Sunday, a priest could easily find a scriptural opening for a homily on just about any point of doctrine, "taking into account the particular needs of the listeners."
Reverend and Dear Father FXB,
Thank you for providing the GIRM's mention of "tak[ing] into account both the mystery being celebrated and the particular needs of the listeners."
Learning the truth about marriage, family, the Culture of Life and how they relate to our eternal salvation would seem to qualify as a definite particular need!
Reverend and Dear Father G,
You are so right about the need to educate the faithful. Father FXB's commment that homilies can relate to "the particular needs of the faithful" seems to provide a way to do that, and even more often than just once a year.
By the way, one factor about NFP that people almost always forget is that it may be used only for a time and only in cases of grave need. Homilists and NFP teachers need to point that out.
Re: "By the way, one factor about NFP that people almost always forget is that it may be used only for a time and only in cases of grave need. Homilists and NFP teachers need to point that out."
therein lies the rub, not even many NFP teachers and preachers point out the above.
Kenneth M. Fisher
Dude, there was a priest in Huntington Beach who actually taught that masturbation was not a grave sin and that it was the FRENCH who'd propagated that "myth."
Anonymous,
Huntington Beach eh! That couldn't possibly have been St. Simon & Jude, could it?
Kenneth M. Fisher
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