I am convinced that the primary responsibility for this collapse of faith must be assumed by the priests. In Catholic seminaries or universities, we have not always taught doctrine. We taught what we liked! The catechism to the children has been abandoned. Confession was despised. Besides, there were no more priests in the confessionals! We are therefore partially responsible for this collapse. In the 70s and 80s in particular, each priest did what he wanted at Mass. There were no two Masses that looked alike; that is what discouraged so many faithful from coming there. Pope Benedict XVI says that the crisis of the liturgy has provoked the crisis of the Church. Lex orandi, lex credendi: as we pray, we believe. If there is no more faith, the liturgy is reduced to a show, to a folklore, and the faithful turn away. We were probably guilty of negligence. The desacralization of the liturgy always has serious consequences. We wanted to humanize the Mass, to make it understandable, but it remains a mystery that is beyond comprehension.
3 comments:
At this juncture, it's just words......words with which I agree but, just words, not action.
In the last month, I have had the opportunity to go to 3 different parishes in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend which has a Catholic (not fake catholic) bishop, Kevin Rhoades. The 3 parishes were in 3 different towns. All 3 of the celebrants were priests in their late 20s or early 30s ordained by Bishop Rhoades. All three said Mass by the book with great dignity (it was not about them), were properly vested, and the Masses all had bells at the consecration. The sermons were all orthodox and worth listening to. At 1 of the 3 parishes a Mass in the Extraordinary Form is offered. At one of the other parishes, the Kyrie was sung in Greek, and the Sanctus and Agnus Deo sung in Latin. All 3 parishes used the Nicene Creed with the "hard" words like consubstantial and incarnate. This would be a novelty in the Archdiocese of Chicago with a few notable exceptions like St. John Cantius.
When I witness this, I have great hope for the future since by then most of the juvenile delinquent priests and bishops in the 60 plus age group will have gone to their "reward" and we will no longer be subject to their sub-par ars celebrandi with the Mass being focused on them and subject to their whims.
Bee here:
I think Cardinal Sarah is still at the stage where he believes it was not deliberate on the part of bishops of the U.S. to create chaos and disunity within the Church in order to destroy Catholicism and make a new religion. He probably doesn't really know the history.
But look at Germany and the German bishops...anything Catholic about them at all? And they are barreling full speed ahead to dismantle the hierarchy and the Chair of Peter, replacing Rome's authority with themselves in the form of synods. And the U.S. bishops, led by Crdl. Cupich, are right behind them, pressing the pedal to the metal too.
All this teaches us is that our Faith can never rely on men (mankind). Our Faith must transcend earthly politics and machinations and rely solely on Jesus Christ. It must be supernatural. If it isn't, it will crumble as these men do their best to institute worship of Humankind.
God bless.
Bee
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