Comments for Quo Vadis – O, Bishops? at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 32 out of 20 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Thu, 23 May 2013 01:21:36 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14428 Let's recall the Bishops' role in standing up to Henry VIII during the Reformation .... - Margaret O'Hagan Sat, 17 Nov 2012 11:19:42 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14427 We simply have to get behind the good Bishops and support them in every way we can. After all, one need look no further than the English Reformation - which bishop stood up to Henry VIII ? - Margaret O'Hagan Sat, 17 Nov 2012 11:16:49 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14409 On Confession: Sometimes all it takes is a specific and pointed appeal or directive. Put it this way: "People -- we will have confession regularly in this church for 1 1/2 hours, at this time. Every one of you should come as soon as possible. Don't worry about looking 'holy.' We've let this slide too long. If the lines grow, we'll set aside an additional hour. But it is your duty," and so forth. - Tony Esolen Fri, 16 Nov 2012 09:12:39 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14390 Jesus came not to condemed no one, he came so all can be save. In Matthew 25 clearly stated how all gonna be judge. Make no mistake, Jesus the Lord did not accussed the adulteress; so do anyone among us will think so much hightly of his/her self to now throw the first Stone....is that be Jesus LIKE? or that is what Jesus will do? ask yourself? - Carlos Mejias Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:55:46 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14389 Great article. As far as CCHD, I sent an email to the conference of bishops about the article on Lifesite News. I got chastised by one of their workers. I told him I had tore the envelope and do no plan to give to CCHD or Catholic Relief Services. - Tg Thu, 15 Nov 2012 12:23:14 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14388 What is going to be coming up next week? The yearly hateful Catholic Campaign For Human Development asking the Faithful to cough up more money for the Democratic Party Agenda. Abortion. Birth Control and same sex relationships. Until the American Bishops as a body stop this yearly collection which has gone on for over 30 years now with no end in sight, the bishops as a whole can't be taken seriously. - Joannie Thu, 15 Nov 2012 10:59:42 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14387 GK Thurs. said: "Reviving the Sacrament of Penance is extremely important, but how?..New ideas are needed" This is the easiest fix in the world: if you offer it, they will come. Confession available for 15 minutes a week, on Saturday night, immediately before mass is a bad joke. - Dusty Thu, 15 Nov 2012 10:55:12 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14386 There is one flaw in your article. To be "Kind" and to be "nice" are synonymous. Both in modern usage mean to be pleasing to the other. What you *really* mean is that the bishops should be *charitable*. That means to give the other what they need, not necessarily what they want. Sometimes what is needed is a swift kick in the ass, or a verbal condemning. - Cassandra Thu, 15 Nov 2012 10:31:27 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14385 I interpret Royal's article to mean that the bishops must be willing to stand up for the Church, including its teachings and how those teachings must be lived every day. I applaud this idea. I think we need to quit being defensive and constantly apologizing for being Christian and Catholic. But, to no one's surprise, it's not so easy; it's never a case of black and white. The defeat of the bishops' statement on the economy is a perfect example that among the bishops there is a wide range of priorities and an equally large number of ideas about how those priorities can be addressed. So, while strong, clear statements from the bishops could be effective, they should avoid getting mired in political quicksand and they should make effort to teach and inspire. At all costs they should carefully pick the issues about which to be militant. - TomS Thu, 15 Nov 2012 10:26:17 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14382 We could sure use all of the Dominican Order of Preachers to step up to plate and preach. Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine of Siena, please raise up your preachers. Amen. - Mar Thu, 15 Nov 2012 09:38:40 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14381 The comment of Sancti Dei, was totally out of place for the following reasons 1. The Bishops are men just like us. 2. They have been found by their actions NOT protecting the Holy Roman Catholic Church but taking the easy way out to placate the slimy politicians, 3. 50 percent VOTED for obama. This clearly indicates they are motivated by money and prestige rather then the Moral teachings of the Church. 4. The social justice verses Murder in the womb, Murder is over social justice any day. 5. ST Francis was NOT a Priest but he took the Bishops and Cardinals to task when they were doing wrong. 6. It is the Laity who have been the greater movement of the Church in our history. 7. When is the LAST time you hear of a Cardinal or Bishop excommunicating a pro DEATH suppose catholic politician? - NEVER! It is because they do not wish to upset the apple cart, but by NOT doing so, their actions to the Laity give the wrong message that you can have it both ways. Get some gonads. 8. I do not apologize for this message and I totally approve it. I would tell a liberal cardinal or bishop to his face the very same thing. Snake USMC - Snake Thu, 15 Nov 2012 09:09:17 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14378 May I recommend three saints to help us at this time: St. Thomas More, a lay man; St. Margaret Clitherow, a lay woman; and St. Bishop John Fisher, the only Bishop to stand up to Henry VIII. They will show us how to remain steadfast in the face of tyranny. - Maria33 Thu, 15 Nov 2012 05:32:05 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14357 Dar Ib (Nov 11th), The Pope just declared a woman saint as a Doctor of Church - one who took such folks to task (for the sake of the Apostolic Succession one may add). - Steve Golay Tue, 13 Nov 2012 06:53:16 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14350 @Quaecumque Vera: Thank you for your nice words. @Sue: The Ratzinger Report. I am sure you spend some time on pages 109-110 where the Third Secret is discussed and the word "Apocalyptic" appears to describe it (while it is never defined in this book). Penance? There has been no catechetics. What would be confessed, laughing at a transgender person? The reason the practice of Confession stopped is because the confessor as well as the penitent were so confused they could no longer define what a sin was or how serious it was. What sin caused the most confusion? CONTRACEPTION. The confessor would merely state: "Follow your own conscience".Eventually even the dullest Catholics figured out they could do that at home. Who needed a priest?Since if you are in a stste of mortal sin and therefore could not receive the Body of Christ, the host had to become mere bread and the "ALTER CHRISTUS" became a PRESIDER. And that is where we have been for forty-four years. By the way, the Council of Trent defined only two charisms for the Roman Catholic priest: forgiving sins and confecting the Eucharist(Transubstantiation). - Manfred Mon, 12 Nov 2012 17:31:58 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14347 Time is running out. Only 30% of Catholics regularly attend mass. It is getting more difficult to hear homilies telling me to live a Christ like life. Catholics are the most biblically illiterate of all Christians. They have no idea what "Christ like" means. I sometimes wonder if priests are ambiguous on purpose. They figure that everyone will come to their own conclusions and the baskets will stay full. It breaks my heart. - Dante Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:41:36 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14346 Meatless Fridays would be an important signal to the broader society that Roman Catholics are different. It should be made a religious obligation (somehow; canonically it may not be easy to do that). But the strengthening of Church discipline must be given immediate attention. Reviving the Sacrament of Penance is extremely important, but how? Many things have already been tried (including some bad ideas like general absolution at Penance services),yet nothing has worked. New ideas are needed. - G.K. Thursday Mon, 12 Nov 2012 14:28:56 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14345 Cardinal Dolan, in this morning's Presidential Address to the USCCB, proposed an agenda highlighting the Sacrament of Penance and perhaps re-instituting mandatory abstinence from meat on Fridays. This is probably not what you had in mind, although reviving meatless Fridays would be "daring" in a way. - Howard Kainz Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:00:20 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14344 Sue is right. National Bishops' Conferences undermine the Body of Christ. Look at Europe...the faith is disappearing under the corrosive effects of "conference katholicism." For heaven's sake...Catholics visiting Rome report back that there are almost no children seen about...there is self-deception going on...and it is well underway here in the US Church. The only effect of conferences is to dilute and undermine The Gospel and The Church. It is not encouraging that some leading U.S. Cardinals and other Bishops place so much emphasis on conferences and collegiality. - Chris in Maryland Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:46:54 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14343 dear RR - i must say: FAB-U-LOUS post. truly one of your best pieces of work here. i wish i had the ability to personally hand a copy to each Bishop, along with his favorite home-baked cookies of course. (the woman approach to the MAN, tho he may choke on them while readying. some things never change, ever since eve gave adam an apple...) i did not find you in the least bit offensive, critical or even judgmental in any of your comments. i believe you spoke "the Truth in Love" as we are all commended to do. if we look back in history, the Bishops and other leaders who left a lasting legacy are those who led the battle (the Church Militant, on the Move, on the Offensive)in front and most often with their blood. as much as people may complain about "education" and "catechists", i often wonder if what is REALLY the dire need isn't personal conversion: radical, no-strings, sold out LOVE for Christ. don't write a book and preach a sermon without your own life shining the Way to Him. those in LOVE cannot walk around hiding their genuine passion - it oozes from them. Archbishop Fulton Sheen comes to mind, along with Cardinal O'Connor, JP2 of course,..) so. let's all (at least those of us here together at TCT)make a commitment to our Lord God and to our priests to fast (from something) and pray for our personal bishop (like him or no) one day per week. beg our Lady to go and enfold "Her boy" to Her Heart and overwhelm him in Her Pure Love lived as Fiat and Magnificat. let's do our little tiny part and see what the Holy Spirit does. i mean this as much for myself as anyone. i can't say i've ever been a fan of the local here, but let me suffer for him in any case and trust God with my little pennies offered. a little note to jacob r - there are WAY MORE than 87 of you. my daughter is friends (quite literally) with a few hundred herself. go to Ave Maria University, Belmont Abbey, U of Dallas, etc., where you will find lots of heroic youth preparing their arms for battle, their fingers for war, their hearts for martyrdom. i want to thank you and your 86 friends for your battle-readiness and desire to be real Saints for our Lord and His Church. stay close to Our Lady and the Sacraments and your ship will never miss the harbor. - debby Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:41:11 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/quo-vadis-o-bishops.html#comment-14342 Point of disambiguation (and synechdoche and metonymy) - "the bishops" might mean, the USCCB, or an (unspecified) group of bishops. It might be more legitimate, however, to address this column to the *individual* bishop, which is where the seat of authority resides, not in the collective. This works as a curative against the pernicious tendency for bishops to actually fade into anonymity in the presence of a bishops' conference. As I noted in an earlier comment: "The Diocese of Lincoln wrote the following on 9/2/2011, "Bishops and Priests", in its Southern Nebraska Register: "In his 1986 book, "The Ratzinger Report", (published by Ignatius Press), the future Pope Benedict XVI spoke to the journalist, Vittorio Messori, at some length about what he saw as certain drawbacks deriving from excessive and exaggerated importance sometimes being attributed to national or regional Bishops’ Conferences and to their undertakings. He said, for instance, "It happens that with some Bishops there is a certain lack of a sense of individual responsibility, and the delegation of his inalienable powers as shepherd and teacher to the structures of the local (Bishops’) conference leads to letting what should remain very personal lapse into anonymity. The group of Bishops united in the conferences depends in their decisions upon other groups, as for example, upon commissions (committees) that have been established to prepare draft proposals. It happens then that the search for agreement between different tendencies and the effort at mediation often yield flattened documents in which decisive positions, where they might be necessary, are weakened." He then gave an example from the 1930’s in his native country of Germany. "Well, the really powerful documents against National Socialism (the Nazi doctrines) were those that came from individual courageous Bishops. The documents of the (Bishops’) Conference, on the contrary, were often rather wan and too weak with respect to what the tragedy called for." " - Sue Mon, 12 Nov 2012 06:58:40 +0100