Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Getting Harder To Be Catholic



When secular American culture unraveled after the 1960s, I took comfort that the Catholic Church seemed to anchor traditional morality. Now, however, I’m cheering the secular authorities investigating corruption in the Catholic Church because the Lavender Mafia controlling both the Vatican and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) continues to bury it. Attorneys general in more than a dozen states have begun investigations into cover-ups of sexual predation and coverup by Catholic bishops similar to the one reported out by the  Pennsylvania AG last summer. In just the past month, two federal investigations began and two lawsuits were filed in federal court as well.


Under this cloud, the USCCB met in Baltimore last week. Its president, Cardinal Archbishop Daniel DiNardo of Houston, Texas wanted that body to vote on a measure that would do two things: form a lay Catholic commission to investigate the Cardinal McCarrick scandal, and petition the Vatican to release documents on McCarrick's case. DiNardo knows how angry ordinary Catholics are that the pope and the Vatican hierarchy continue to cover for homosexual predators in their midst and that US bishops have either cooperated in this or remained silent. He knows grassroots Catholics want action now.

Cardinal DiNardo
But it was not to be. Pope Francis pulled the rug out from under DiNardo as the conference began when he brazenly ordered that no vote be taken! The pope’s toadies in the USCCB like Cardinal Cupich of Chicago and others cheered this move and suggested the USCCB vote should be taken next spring instead — after still another “conference” with the pope in Rome. They want to kick the can of corruption down the road yet again.

Written under Henry Sire's pen name

Humiliated by this action from The Dictator Pope (the title of Henry Sire’s devastating book on Pope Francis I just finished reading), Cardinal DiNardo moderated a debate over an obsequious motion that would only suggest the pope do these things. Unbelievably, even that vote failed 137-83. That means there are still 137 American bishops who think they can just drift along as they always have and ordinary Catholics in the pews will sit back and let them.


They’re wrong. Millions left the church after the 2002 Boston Globe Spotlight Series exposed widespread corruption. Many who remained have been further sickened by the revelations this past summer that hierarchical corruption was only covered up yet again. Worse, Archbishop Vigano, the former papal ambassador to the United States, has testified that the corruption extends to the Chair of Peter itself and calls on Pope Francis to resign! Vigano also accused US Cardinals Cupich and Wuerl of lying about it all. Another resolution in support of Vigano’s testimony was debated at last week’s USCCB Conference. Although it too failed, at least 43 bishops voted in favor.


Does that mean nearly a quarter of US Bishops believe Pope Francis should resign? Do they also believe many of their fellow bishops and cardinals are lying? It appears that way. What does this say about the spiritual condition of the Catholic Church in the United States and around the world? Locally, Maine’s Bishop Robert Deeley and Manchester, New Hampshire’s Bishop Peter Libaski were among the 83 voting for an investigation, but sadly, neither voted in support of the Vigano testimony.


Foreign Affairs Magazine calls this is the worst crisis in Catholic Church since Martin Luther posted his “95 Theses” in 1517 and precipitated the Protestant Reformation. Others claim it’s the worst since 1054 AD when the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Churches split.


Whether it’s the worst in five centuries or the worst in a millennium, it’s getting harder to be a traditional Roman Catholic these days. I understand those who have been steadily leaving since 2002, but I choose to stay and fight. However, if last week’s USCCB meeting was a battle, traditionalists like me appear to be losing. Polarization in the Catholic Church is widening and there are many suggestions about how to participate in the struggle for its soul.


According to Market Watch, some of us protest with our wallets. We don’t put money in the collection box or have severely cut back on what we used to contribute. When attending mass in nearby New Hampshire, I’d be sickened seeing a photo of former Manchester Bishop John McCormack on the wall of the narthex and I wasn’t about to put anything over $5 in the collection box if he was going to get any of it. I know I was not alone.


My wife and I attend mass at several different parishes depending on where we are on any given Sunday. Given the performance at last week’s bishops’ conference in Baltimore, I’m not inclined to raise my contribution anywhere in New England. Instead of money, some Catholics have begun putting a signed note in the box protesting both the pope and the USCCB. Maybe that will shake things up enough for real reform. Nothing else has worked.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Having read a book focusing on the history of popes, "Triumph" (H.W. Crocker), I was down on the Church since some popes were real bastards. Then I read, "How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization" (Thomas Woods) which reinvigorated my belief in the Church and made me very proud to be a Catholic.

Now, with this Marxist pope who is wrong on the sovereignty of borders, immigration, climate change and sexual abuse, I'm in the camp of those who find it difficult to remain a Catholic as well.

However, Michael Savage made the comment one day on his radio show that the Church is run by imperfect men. Ignore them, admire its rituals and follow the teachings and behavior of Christ as much as possible. Sounds like good advice to me.

For those atheists who denigrate all religions (except Islam), what do you use to provide you with a moral compass? The government? BaaaHaaaaa! Look how well that has worked our for the country.

Nathan said...

Charles, moral compass comes from within no church needed.

Anonymous said...

Nathan, I guess Tamerlane, Genghis Khan, Atilla the Hun, Ivan IV, Hitler, Stalin, Lenin, Pol Pot, etc. we’re all too busy killing, raping and pillaging to check their compasses.

Jay said...

Full disclosure, I am not a Catholic. I know many who are and feel the same way as Tom suggests.
I agree with what Micheal Savage said that Charles Martel just refered to. There may be some imperfect humans in places of power in the church but the church itself, and what it stands for are a good thing.
Again, not being a Catholic myself, I would encourage all Catholics to continue the fight to restore some sanity to the church higher ups.
Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.

Brian said...

Charles, I guess many of the Roman catholic leaders of the Third Reich, and so many others like Joseph Fritzl, Timothy McVeigh, Anie Lou Gibbs, Son of Sam, John Wayne Gacy, and all the pedophile priests were all too busy killing and raping to check their religious moral compasses.

I find it sad and confusing that so many feel that they can't be good without looking to the church for guidance.

As an atheist who places Islam at the top of the list of unnecessary religions I most say that I think the world would be a better place without any of them. Although I do admire the Dalai Lama tremendously. But just look at all the killing and war over the centuries done over religion. That said, I do think it is possible to take good aspects out of religion....Jesus sounded like he was an awesome, wonderful person.

No, don't look toward the government for moral guidance. Especially now. I agree with Nathan...look within. Some don't look deep enough and do evil, others look and ignore. But it's there.

DAWN said...

As a former Catholic and very knowledgeable about the religion I agree with Nathan. The moral compass does come from within. Church (Biblically speaking) is not a building or a denomination. It's people. Ecclesia (called out ones) is the church Christ has been building for 2 millennia. He's been calling us out of these worldly religious systems since he showed up the first time! He's still calling out a people for His name for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see.

“Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; Revelation 18:4

But just as Christ indwells his church, his own, so too does the evil one. Willful rebellion against God will result in God turning them over to a depraved mind (Romans 1) and there's more than plenty of that going around these days.

Brian said...

To me "Willful rebellion against God" would be when you look deeply within, know what is the right thing to do, yet not do it for selfish purposes. That is the spark of evil. I certainly agree that there are plenty of depraved minds going around these days. I'm glad that we agree that the moral compass does come within, and I love the idea that Church is not a building or a denomination. I would add that along with being people, it is also nature. What better Church than being with a loved one (atheist or otherwise) during a spectacular sunset?

Anonymous said...

Brian, being with a loved one during a spectacular sunset is no doubt an awesome feeling, but it is luxury that we have living in the freest country on the planet. I still believe people need guidelines and that most religions provide that.

Brian said...

I agree that religion and church can be effective at helping some people with guidelines on moral behavior. It can also be sometimes used as an excuse to show intolerant or hateful behavior, such as "hating fags", which is a sentiment I believe Jesus would vehemently disagree with.

Sunsets and loving people are everywhere in the world. But if a formalized church or religion helps those that can't distinguish between good and evil themselves, then it is doing a good service for those individuals...kind of like a crutch. I think we should be striving for a world that best enables everyone to find their moral compass, and heaven, within, and be able to throw away our crutches.

DAWN said...

Brian, you have a good grasp with your definition of rebellion when you said this: "Willful rebellion against God" would be when you look deeply within, know what is the right thing to do, yet not do it for selfish purposes" That's it in a nutshell.

There's nothing wrong with sunsets. But we must remember who created the sunsets. God very clearly warned us not to worship His creation but the one who created everything when he said this:

"For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever." Romans 1:25

There's a lot of creation worship going on these days...and one of the very biggest problems as to why we're so messed up. Our priorities are screwed up. Chaos happens when we're out of order. God is the God of order. Satan is the god of chaos.

Churches everywhere are falling...they are buckling to the world system. They are not heeding the warnings put forth by the Prophets and later Apostles.

Historically the church never does well when it tries to mimic the world and that's what we're seeing today. The church was called out to be separate and sanctified (holy) and not like the world. We are told to be lights like a lighthouse helping others find their way in the dark. Sadly that is not the case in many churches today. I think the door to clear understanding of God and His ways is either shut or almost closed. The churches/pastors are going to have an awful lot to answer for one second after they die. Another warning from God thru James who wrote this:

"Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment" James 3:1.

I take that warning very seriously.

CaptDMO said...

Not a Catholic,...Heathen is the best I can proclaim.
I had such great hopes for the Catholic Church when Benedict popped up that I went out of my way to get a couple "The Cafeteria is CLOSED" coffee mugs.
*sigh* oh well, c'est la vie.