Comments for Acting in Light of the Faith at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 5 out of 5 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Mon, 20 May 2013 04:44:22 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2011/acting-in-light-of-the-faith.html#comment-7994 Spanish-speaking Americans? Isn't that a contradicton in terms? Perhaps, rather, an American who speaks Spanish or whose mother tongue is Spanish? I always thought being an American was to put English first even if one had some other mother tongue? Unless, of course, I missed some recent presidential executive order declaring the USA a bilingual country with Spanish as one of its official languages. In officially bilingual countries such as Canada one can be either an English or French speaking citizen but despite multiple USA presidential executive orders (Clinton)or continuation thereof (Bush/Obama) to make this country into some kind of bilingual or multi-lingual utopia, English is still the de facto official language of the USA and yearly Rasmussen polling shows the vast majority of all Americans supports this position. Why English isn't made the official language of the USA is very puzzling. - Michael Tue, 06 Sep 2011 07:59:58 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2011/acting-in-light-of-the-faith.html#comment-7984 Unfortunately, the facts of the clerical abuse scandals do not permit us the comfort of thinking that greater fidelity to the Catholic faith would have led to stronger measures against the offenders. All too often, the abusers made successful appeals to the Christian principle of forgiveness and were returned to priestly service and allowed to offend again. An old-fashioned punitive sense of sin and against cheap forgiveness would have been better policy -- and perhaps ought to be recognized as a better expression of Christian faith. - Ken M Sun, 04 Sep 2011 18:22:24 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2011/acting-in-light-of-the-faith.html#comment-7982 Is there a no more glaring example of Catholic constituents voting for what they want rather than what is right than the national elections of 2008? When the new Archbishop of Los Angeles spoke before the Napa Institute, no where did he mention the voting record of hispanic Americans (and anyone who has lived in New York knows that even the the word "hispanic" is questionably if usefully vague) even as he diplomatically assailed "anglophone" Catholics and Americans for their narrow world view. A record, by the way, that Spanish-speaking Americans share with upper middle class Catholics who see themselves as enlightened and "progressive." "Too often mercy is meant letting off anyone who breaks the natural or Divine law... such mercy is an emotion, not a virtue... the divorce of mercy from justice is sentimentality." So wrote the late Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. As good a description of the current state of the American Church as I've read. This quote is from Sunday's parish bulletin. I have no doubt it reflects the pastor's thoughts. But this is something that should be said from the pulpit by priests and bishops alike. It seems that the Catholic faith must negotiate with every historical event, every political movement, every cultural trend. Only the Fads of our Founders are undeserving of such deference. Yet it is the liberty of the church basement as well as the sanctuary that gives Catholics the freedom to live their faith in opposition to the decontented rhetoric of politicians and the priests and bishops who may treat with them. (I refer readers to Seth Lipsky's recent WSJ essay on the famous Washington letter to the Truro synagogue.) - Graham Combs Sun, 04 Sep 2011 17:10:34 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2011/acting-in-light-of-the-faith.html#comment-7980 The failure of the popes to rein in the dissident bishops and clergy(e.g., Bishop Hubbard)leads to the practical conclusion that what the dissidents are sayhing is not all that bad. The diffeent standard applied to priests and bishops in the sex scandals is scandalizing. Rome needs to act vigorously. - senex Sun, 04 Sep 2011 15:26:41 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2011/acting-in-light-of-the-faith.html#comment-7977 Excellent analysis. Extremely helpful description of the factors in play. I have been working on methods we can use to structure and convene meaningful conversations when there are differences. In other words, how do we bring about unity and consensus at this point without fireworks ... but rather with the fire of the Holy Spirit. - Greg Sun, 04 Sep 2011 09:55:48 +0100