See what happens when you have liberalism in the Church?
Okay, I know we get a lot of bad news from everywhere, and it's no fun for me or for you. But we need to stay informed so we can pray and work for the Faith.
In dealing with bad news, we can follow the example of St. Francis Xavier when he and his flock were threatened with attack from enemies of the Faith in India. He wrote, "Bad news pours in from all sides. Thanks be to God!"
So here's another item of crummy news.
It's an AP news story (click on this post's title) from last Sunday's International Herald Tribune. It's about how only about 5% of the French attend Mass now, versus 27% just 50 years ago -- and now, parishes and dioceses can't afford to maintain all of their tens of thousands of French churches, especially the rural ones, so they're contemplating destroying or selling some or many of them.
So, what happened in the Church in the past 50 years to cut Mass attendance in France so drastically? Well, a lot of things; but abandoning the Latin Mass, and Communion in the hand, and "the spirit-but-not-the-letter-of-Vatican II," and liberal bishops, and artificial contraception are certainly amongst 'em. Also, perhaps, a rise of homosexuals in the clergy, although I have no stats on that.
Good thing nothing like those things could ever happen here in the USA, right? (I'm being sarcastic in saying this.)
To preserve our Church and our churches, we need to pray and work against the liberals and against liberalism's bad fruits.
(Saw this story thanks to the online New Oxford Review bulletin.)
In dealing with bad news, we can follow the example of St. Francis Xavier when he and his flock were threatened with attack from enemies of the Faith in India. He wrote, "Bad news pours in from all sides. Thanks be to God!"
So here's another item of crummy news.
It's an AP news story (click on this post's title) from last Sunday's International Herald Tribune. It's about how only about 5% of the French attend Mass now, versus 27% just 50 years ago -- and now, parishes and dioceses can't afford to maintain all of their tens of thousands of French churches, especially the rural ones, so they're contemplating destroying or selling some or many of them.
So, what happened in the Church in the past 50 years to cut Mass attendance in France so drastically? Well, a lot of things; but abandoning the Latin Mass, and Communion in the hand, and "the spirit-but-not-the-letter-of-Vatican II," and liberal bishops, and artificial contraception are certainly amongst 'em. Also, perhaps, a rise of homosexuals in the clergy, although I have no stats on that.
Good thing nothing like those things could ever happen here in the USA, right? (I'm being sarcastic in saying this.)
To preserve our Church and our churches, we need to pray and work against the liberals and against liberalism's bad fruits.
(Saw this story thanks to the online New Oxford Review bulletin.)
posted by Quintero at 12:16 PM
2 Comments:
That is very much the solution, teaching the Faith as is.
That message didn't get to the organizers of the Papal Mass.
This is a late addition, but wanted to add it anyway. The churches in France belong to the state, they are administered by the Church (or all churches already in existance at the time of the 1905 law). While I am not Roman Catholic, when in France, I have had the privilege of attending mass at Notre Dame du Cros, a small, old chapel outside Caunes Minervois in the south of France. There is a Passionist father there who celebrates mass 6 days a week, with Vespers on Monday. There may be few who attend on weekdays, but the reverance is there. (here's a link to the site...in French, but the photos also tell a story):
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/passionistes.du.cros/
I have driven 100 km (each way) to come to a mass here. One doesn't have to be a communicant to derive benefit from a mass such as I have found here.
I have attended mass at many churches in France (over 8 years of vacationing there) and only the mass at Chartres (1st Sunday after Easter ) moved me as much. Some of the famous churches ND de Paris, Rheims, etc. have become so worldly with all the non-reverent tourists that they seem just other famous buildings. I don't think one has to be a Roman Catholic to see what has been, and is being lost of our spiritual heritage. There is an Anglican site (http://www.shipoffools.com/mystery/index.html) which has reports from Mystery Visitors. They visit other churches and report on their experiences.
I don't use their guidelines when I visit a church (my own interior radar works better) but I do enjoy reading their reports.
I have enjoyed reading a lot of your old posts, and thanks for all your work.
Lynda
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