Catholic meltdown

The reputation of Catholicism has been in free-fall for several weeks, but things have been generally going downhill ever since the current pope has been in power. Is he incompetent? Is he evil? Does he just have terrible luck and timing? Where is all this going to end?

Just when it looked as if the Catholic priest sexual abuse scandal couldn't get much worse, there was a news story yesterday about a highly insensitive anti-Semitic comment from within the Vatican. Now Jews throughout the world are outraged.

So much profound, negative change is taking place within the Catholic Church, so rapidly. So many people are starting to view it, for the first time, as a corrupt and perhaps even toxic organization. Where will this all end? Is the pope about to lose a significant portion of his moral authority and influence throughout the world, as growing numbers of followers lose confidence that God is guiding this denomination?

Is this sharp decline in the fortunes of the church a depressing and disappointing surprise to you, or do you see it as an overdue bringing to light of serious problems that have been around for decades?

I seriously question the judgment of this pope, and that of the group that selected him. I expect him to continue to have lapses of judgment that shake the church to its core.

 

its pure gold..

 

Do you really think there will be an end? There will always be people who will never change their faith and could just insist that they are being persecuted and set up by other extremist faiths.

 

God's just testing them, isn't that the line?

 

No, I'm sure that the Catholic faith will always exist. But its size, social influence, and political power could be greatly diminished, as it was during the Protestant Reformation. No religious denomination ever completely goes away.

I truly believe that we are watching history in the making here. This huge organization has been increasingly out of touch with the times for many years, and has reach a crisis stage, while it is being led by a man who seems fanatically possessed with preserving the status quo at all costs. It's a recipe for disaster. Hundreds of years from now, historians may look back at 2010 as the year that the wheels came off.

With the Church's present image, what kind of person wants to become a priest right now? Mostly the kind of guys that they don't need. I don't see a good way out of this situation except social liberalization, which this pope is not going to touch. The celibacy requirement for priests has been a disaster in modern times. No other christian denomination has that rule. It doesn't work.

 

I knew a priest a few years ago, who retained as an Anglican vicar because he hated what it meant to be a catholic priest and couldn't agree with it any more.

I remember a while ago the Pope allowed married Anglican vicars to join the catholic church as priests as a way of converting them. So they will make changes as they see necessary to keep it going.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...en-priests-bid-attract-Anglican-recruits.html

 

Simple pragmatism, from an organization that claims to make all its decisions on a purely ideological and theological basis.

Then there is the legal aspect of all this. If it can be proven that high-ranking individuals within the church knowingly helped to cover up serious crimes, they are potentially facing some serious prison time.

 

Yeah they would, but there could just be a cover up. You can't let the people see what is really happening!

Like the government and monarchy will usually get away with everything, because they are the protected people. Perhaps the Pope and other high ranking people are untouchable?

It will take a lot of effort on the people's part for it to happen.

 

There are a lot of Catholic Churches in my city that are empty, crumbling, up for sale, converted into appartments, etc. A lot of Catholic schools now converted into charter schools. I personally know of a great many ex-Catholics.

All of the empirical evidence I've seen seems to suggest its decline.

 

I do not think there is one public institution that does not suffer from serious systemic hypocrisy and all of them are in decline, class struggles are emerging.

 

you reap what you sow..

Mr Gorbechev.... tear down this vatican =)

 

LOL Does everything that comes from Italy have to end up being like the Mafia?

 

Learn some facts.

The Priest, who was not speaking on behalf of the Vatican, was quoting from a letter from a Jewish friend of his.
By a rare coincidence, this year our Easter falls on the same week of the Jewish Passover which is the ancestor and matrix within which it was formed. This pushes us to direct a thought to our Jewish brothers. They know from experience what it means to be victims of collective violence and also because of this they are quick to recognize the recurring symptoms. I received in this week the letter of a Jewish friend and, with his permission, I share here a part of it.

He said: "I am following with indignation the violent and concentric attacks against the Church, the Pope and all the faithful by the whole world. The use of stereotypes, the passing from personal responsibility and guilt to a collective guilt remind me of the more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism. Therefore I desire to express to you personally, to the Pope and to the whole Church my solidarity as Jew of dialogue and of all those that in the Jewish world (and there are many) share these sentiments of brotherhood. Our Passover and yours are undoubtedly different, but we both live with Messianic hope that surely will reunite us in the love of our common Father. I wish you and all Catholics a Good Easter."

 

Catholicism still thrives 'round these parts.

My dad is really into it now. My family was always catholic but my dad never seemed to be that seriously into it. Now he is. He volunteers at a local catholic radio station almost every day. The only thing on the coffee table in the living room is a massive book, a tribute to John Paul with his goofy face inflated on the cover. He's a member of the Knights of Columbus. Its weird because he was raised as a lutheran, not a catholic - he just married into the faith. And yet he's really into it now.

I can remember the priests at my church way back when I was still naive enough to believe in something like christianity. I honestly think they meant well and, though I can't prove it, they probably didn't molest any kids.

I'm not trying to defend catholocism. I only want to point out that the corruption doesn't necessarily branch out to every corner of the catholic world.

I just mentioned my dad because its so strange watching this happen to him. It makes me wonder if I'm gonna get real scared and start going to church again when I'm older.

 

With any luck, this will somehow lead to them opening up the vaults and letting us see some of the ancient texts, grimoires, and other secrets they've been hiding in the Vatican for no good reason.

 

We converts are usually more "into it" than cradle Catholics.

Grim: The Vatican is "opening it's vaults". After many assailed Pope Benedict for declaring Pope Pius XII as Venerable, the Vatican has slowly been releasing documents showing his heroic virtues during the Second World War.

 

That priest needs to learn some facts about public relations. His approach was a disaster.

 

yes, like the Jesus chemistry book, written before Jābir..

 

:iagree:

But if you remember, the same thing happened to Benedict quoting someone else about Muhammad,

What it comes down to is the media and some groups have it in for the Church.

 

It's easy to blame to media. But it isn't always them to be blamed.