Comments for Six Things the Bishops Must Do Now at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 35 out of 20 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:48:57 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10326 The bishops are insulated from us by their bureaucracy and the second error left over from Cardinal Bernardin’s “smug” leadership, collegiality, which means to be nice to one another and compromise, no matter what. We have few leaders in the Church as a result, what we have is a “herd” of bishops all going in the same direction regardless of what the issue is. We are losing on abortion; we are losing on the definition of marriage all because a majority of Catholics are Democrats, first, Christians, second. Even now when the bishops stand up and say to Obama and his administration, “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more,” it gets a yawn and the Democrat Administration with a fawning media redirect the issue to free birth control and keeps plowing the Church under. When the bishops order all churches to have voting registration tables outside after every Mass on all weekends, and they address the issue of Freedom of Religion and the right to practice thereof somewhere in every weekend Mass with accompanying literature on the issue at the voter registration tables, will I think they are getting serious and that we will have a chance to win our Constitutional Rights back. There is only one threat that is attacking the Church today and that is the Democrat Party. There is only one thing that the Democrat Party fears, and that is losing Democrat registered voters, and Catholics are the largest, single Democrat voting block. Faith without action/”works” is dead. Register out of the Democrat Party, Catholics, and your voice will be heard; it’s not political, it’s a civic right and a spiritual decision. Who you supporting – the pro-abortion party, or your Profession of Faith? - Stilbellieve Sat, 10 Mar 2012 03:59:21 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10240 Excommunicating your senator and congress person if they as Catholics don't vote for issues of the Catholic Church won't solve the problem because the voters in the district next time will not vote for any one who will admit that they are Catholic. Is the only reason that the Bishops are really against Obamacare is that they don't want to PAY for these things and that Obama is Democrat and only half white? - budweitzel Sun, 04 Mar 2012 19:54:14 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10225 When I heard the Bishops were finally RILED on this HHS MANDATE....I knew this was BIG ! Never in my memory did I see this! I say thank God...Many of us have been fighting against this Crew in the Whitehouse almost from the beginning. My first alarm went off when Home Land security came up with Janet 's list of Home Grown terrorists...Naming returning veterans and pro-life groups. I had visions of going into church basements and arresting whhite-haired old ladies stuffing envelopes in support of Pro-life candidates! ....Like ME! We knew, and became aware of the treachery...one edict after another...one OUTRAGE after another...THIS ? is same old sameold for this crew....I think this time they stepped on the wrong toes...I remember as a child the nun telling us about PERSECUTION , never dreaming it woould come in our country...The NEWS it now HAS !!! God help us...draw us near you...give us strength in this battle! - Marion (Mimi) Palmer Sat, 03 Mar 2012 05:43:44 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10221 "--after only a few excerpts, it's easy to conclude writers are ordering God's ordained bishops on how to do the work God expects of them." And sometimes, God speaks not through the powerful but from the lowly for the powerful since those who have an ear, let them hear if they so choose. The Bishops with all due respect are not being "ordered" to do anything here. The Bishops will ultimately make their decisions and choose their courses of action. After Chamberlain's return form Munich, Winston Churchill requested and got a private meeting with the Prime Minister to object to the appeasement to Heir Hitler. "Mr. Prime Minister, you had the choice between war and shame. You chose shame, you shall have war." - Frank Sat, 03 Mar 2012 01:57:00 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10219 Many who commented posed the question "do the Bishops realize they're in a war with our government"? If the answer is yes it begs a more salient one. Do enough of them have the testis to fight it! - Dan Colgan Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:42:31 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10216 I must say that I agree with Peter Wilson's comment. The pro abortion, Catholic Senators and Representatives should be faced with the possibility of excommunication. The Catholic Church has always been the moral beacon of the world and as such we must stand firm and not waiver. Our Lord gave us our marching orders 2000 years ago. We know what we need to do. We need to resist this tyranny whith the most powerful weapon in existance. The Power of prayer, fasting and submission to Gods Law. To use the young peoples words,"What Would Jesus Do".Pax et Bonum. - Magdalynn Lattner Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:48:43 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10215 How about this: Exercise their seldom used authority and excommunicate the "Catholic in name only"politicians under their jurisdiction.Withdraw the imprimatur and Sever all ties with "Catholic" universities and colleges that continue to ignore Church teaching. Inaction on their part in the past in order to protect the beloved social projects has only emboldened politicians to further piece-meal eroding of our God given rights. - Dan Colgan Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:50:52 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10213 To Sue & Brad re: USCCB and Cardinal Dolan: One of the major issues facing us is that Card. Dolan is a big proponent of the USCCB, believing that it is a mechanism of unity. On this, I must sadly disagree with the Cardinal. The USCCB seems more like a sink hole that saps energy from the Church, and misdirects its resources. Card. Dolan is very appealing as a person because he tries to maintain a sunny, happy disposition. It will be interesting to see whether or not Card. Dolan turns out to be a happy warrior... - Chris in Maryland Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:54:05 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10212 I would add a seventh item to the list: the swift and FORMAL excommunication of all Catholic US Congressmen and Senators who refuse to conform their votes to the historical conscience of the Catholic Church on birth control, abortion etc. The time has come for universal episcopal action in this regard throughout the land. - peter wilson Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:52:11 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10210 --after only a few excerpts, it's easy to conclude writers are ordering God's ordained bishops on how to do the work God expects of them. Pray for them, for yourselves. Mr. Obama will be mightily disappointed to find God's Church will remain standing tall against his most wicked of assaults. "Be still and know that I am God," is not an Obama quote, folks. - JP Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:59:50 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10209 @Sue: Couldn't agree with you more. I've been spending a lot of time lately trying to learn what the cardinal can do and hoping to understand what he should do with regard to Canon 915, which deals with fitness for Communion and (in the extreme) the conditions for excommunication. It is a very complicated issue. The temptation is to suppose that this or that scandalous Catholic politician ('scandal' understood in its ecclesiastical sense, not in the word's more common usage) ought to receive the full "bell, book, and candle" of excommunication, but such a step is rare, because the conditions for actually meriting such a move are rare. A bishop's order that so-and-so public sinner be denied Communion is more possible. And I think there are some American politicians we could name almost surely deserve this punishment. And I won't be surprised to see it happen. - Brad Miner Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:14:52 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10208 The Obama health care initiative is built on a lie. The lie is that this country has the fiscal, physical and medical manpower, of all kinds, to provide an acceptable level of care for every one who asks for it. We do not. What we have will have to be rationed. The Government will decide who will get and what and how much. No one will like it because everyone will think that what they get is not what they need or deserve. If you do not believe me ask any VA hospital/clinic worker. - John Fri, 02 Mar 2012 06:44:01 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10207 Brad - you are correct and I apologize for (my too quick) misreading of your statement. However, your point about about the "Catholic" governor underlines the need for Cdl. Dolan to be present to his diocese, who need to see that label stripped from the governor, lest they fall into heresy. - Sue Fri, 02 Mar 2012 06:30:53 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10205 May I suggest one more thing the Bishop's should consider doing? Since the subject of contraception has been brought to the fore, the Bishops should explain clearly, yet gently, to the Catholic people the Church's teaching on contraception. Most people are ignorant of it. - Daniel Gerber Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:28:24 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10203 @Sue: No. What I wrote was that IF Mr. Delano's premises were true, his conclusion would likely be true as well. But (as I thought I had made clear), those premises are NOT true. There was nothing the archbishop could have done in Albany at the last minute to turn things around. Nothing. The Empire State's "Catholic" governor arranged the necessary votes — not a hard thing to do these days when legislators favor Caesar over God. - Brad Miner Fri, 02 Mar 2012 04:55:50 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10202 Brad Miner internally contradicts self when he says Cardinal Dolan could have prevented NY vote, and at same time knew the numbers wouldn't work. If Cardinal Dolan was in Washington fighting to undo Obamacare, it would be one thing. Or repealing Roe. Or fumigating the USCCB staff. But otherwise his flock needs him at home. As does each diocese. The illusion that things are being led by USCCB, I think, is causing individual bishops to shrink from action locally. - Sue Fri, 02 Mar 2012 04:39:19 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10199 In war, everyone has a job. The bishops must lead and leaders lead from the front. For 18 years I studied this church before I made the decision to "cross the Tiber." What I've always admired and respected about the Church during this period of my studies was that the Church stood and continues to stand firm: "This is WHO we are, this is WHAT we believe, this is WHY we believe it. We've been around for 2,000 years with the same message and we're not going to change. If you don't like what we believe and teach, you're welcome to go somewhere else." The Church is now faced with a "Thomas Paine moment." The time that tries men's souls. Are we as a Church sunshine soldiers and sumer patriots or will all of us remain firm and steadfast? Each of us must understand our individual and collective role. The ball is firmly in the court of the USCCB. They must lead for they are the shepherds. Every Bishop is a Bishop because THEY wanted to be Bishops. They wanted to lead. They worked to lead, they studied to lead and now they are faced with the tough aspect of leadership...leading in a difficult time with a difficult issue and leading to win and prevail. There are NO ambiguities, no shades of gray. It's win or lose, lead or follow. On this issue, the Church has to go "all in." Now we'll see if our Bishops will lead...preferably from the front. - Frank Fri, 02 Mar 2012 02:00:44 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10198 @Rick Delano: If it were true — as I believe you are suggesting as a premise — that NY's legislative approval of same-sex "marriage" might not have been given had Archbishop Dolan spent more time in Albany or campaigned there more effectively, I'm sure your conclusion would be correct. However, Dolan attended USCCB meetings in Washington (he is that group's president, after all), because he and his staff have at least rudimentary skills in math, which is to say: the votes to stop the measure simply were not there. If you think you've heard the last from him on this issue, I believe your are profoundly mistaken. And if you think the bishops don't know we're in a battle, you've not been reading the news. - Brad Miner Fri, 02 Mar 2012 01:38:12 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10196 It is very simple. Cardinal Dolan presided over the defeat of civilization's most important institution- marriage- because he perceived that it were more important to attend to USCCB business. The Cardinal is not a fighter. He does not understand that we are in a battle. Neither do his fellow bishops. The battle depends upon convincing these bishops that they have been duped, have been deceived, have been led to terrible misfeasance in office by failing to understand that our Catholic liberty itself is under direct assault. Somehow these men must be summoned to the battle. Otherwise we shall be presented with the awful prospect of martyrdom without the support of our own bishops. What is wrong with these men? - Rick DeLano Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:11:28 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/six-things-the-bishops-must-do-now.html#comment-10191 Good article. I hope they take your advice, Mr. Uhlmann. It may be their last chance to "take a stand". - Deacon Jim Stagg Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:09:09 +0100