Marian Piety And My Priest

[Evangetholic]

Me: Father, do you think it would be possible to set up some kind of group to pray the Rosary?

 

Him: No. We don't really do the Mary stuff anymore. [laughter, flick of a cigarette lighter, inhale]

 

Me: The Church has always taught us to honor the Virgin and that in so doing we honor Christ.

 

Him: Yes, but we have a more Christ-centered spirituality now.

 

Me: The Church has always had a Christ-centered spirituality.

 

Him: Can I help you with anything else?

 

Me: [I wanted to say can you find me a priest who is not a heretic.] No sir.

 

Him: [starts to say something]

 

Me: [hangs up]

 

I am supposed to be grading the ill-written answers to banal discussion questions, not defending Catholicism to a priest. I don't know what to do--at least he believes in the Real Presence.

 

 

My Episcopal priest is seriously more orthodox than this profane man. :(

[Amppax]

Try explaining how the Rosary, at it's heart, IS Christocentric.  Again, it's exam week, but I can get you some resources for debate after I'm done. 

Edited February 28, 2013 by Amppax

[Nihil Obstat]

So common these days, to encounter priests who simply do not believe as the Church believes. :ohno: Such a painful state of affairs for us lay Catholics to endure. Because of all this we cannot safely trust our priests. Not that all our priests are bad, but simply that we have to figure out which ones are.

I do believe that things are slowly turning around, but we are only in the beginning stages of a renewal. I think it will be decades before we can truly say that we are on the other side of the current crisis of faith.

[Evangetholic]

So common these days, to encounter priests who simply do not believe as the Church believes. :ohno: Such a painful state of affairs for us lay Catholics to endure. Because of all this we cannot safely trust our priests. Not that all our priests are bad, but simply that we have to figure out which ones are.

I do believe that things are slowly turning around, but we are only in the beginning stages of a renewal. I think it will be decades before we can truly say that we are on the other side of the current crisis of faith.

 

It's weird. Sometimes I find myself wanting to check the sign to make sure it doesn't say St.**** Lutheran Community. But  my grandmother, me, some old ladies from the parish, and some of my Protestant friends will be saying the Rosary every day 'til Easter and maybe once a week after. Just not at the Catholic church.
 

[Nihil Obstat]

It's weird. Sometimes I find myself wanting to check the sign to make sure it doesn't say St.**** Lutheran Community. But my grandmother, me, some old ladies from the parish, and some of my Protestant friends will be saying the Rosary every day 'til Easter and maybe once a week after. Just not at the Catholic church.

God bless your efforts. :)

[Debra Little]

So common these days, to encounter priests who simply do not believe as the Church believes. :ohno: Such a painful state of affairs for us lay Catholics to endure. Because of all this we cannot safely trust our priests. Not that all our priests are bad, but simply that we have to figure out which ones are.

I do believe that things are slowly turning around, but we are only in the beginning stages of a renewal. I think it will be decades before we can truly say that we are on the other side of the current crisis of faith.

 

when i first came into the Church, i asked the priest, who's parish i was confirmed in, to bless my rosary,

These are his words, "i don't bless things, only people."

Me: Father, do you think it would be possible to set up some kind of group to pray the Rosary?

 

Him: No. We don't really do the Mary stuff anymore. [laughter, flick of a cigarette lighter, inhale]

 

Me: The Church has always taught us to honor the Virgin and that in so doing we honor Christ.

 

Him: Yes, but we have a more Christ-centered spirituality now.

 

Me: The Church has always had a Christ-centered spirituality.

 

Him: Can I help you with anything else?

 

Me: [I wanted to say can you find me a priest who is not a heretic.] No sir.

 

Him: [starts to say something]

 

Me: [hangs up]

 

I am supposed to be grading the ill-written answers to banal discussion questions, not defending Catholicism to a priest. I don't know what to do--at least he believes in the Real Presence.

 

 

My Episcopal priest is seriously more orthodox than this profane man. :(

i have been wanting to get up a rosary group here where i live.  one of the ladies i asked said, "no i already said my rosary

today."  i was wondering why once a day has to be the limit!

So common these days, to encounter priests who simply do not believe as the Church believes. :ohno: Such a painful state of affairs for us lay Catholics to endure. Because of all this we cannot safely trust our priests. Not that all our priests are bad, but simply that we have to figure out which ones are.

I do believe that things are slowly turning around, but we are only in the beginning stages of a renewal. I think it will be decades before we can truly say that we are on the other side of the current crisis of faith.

 

i do not trust the local priests.  i go with what Rome tells me.

[Nihil Obstat]

i do not trust the local priests.  i go with what Rome tells me.

I have been lucky in being able to find several priests whom I trust completely, but it was not always the case.

The value of a good priest cannot be overstated. That was something that perhaps we as a Church did better at in the past, when the idea of a geographical parish still held sway, when the priest would probably live and celebrate the sacraments in that parish for most of his life.

Obviously that model had its downsides, but these days we could use some of its advantages too. Of course, it also assumes that the parish priest is solid and faithful, which as we have found, is not always guaranteed.

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

I'm amazed with how many people say they have a hard time finding good priests...I think I can count on one hand the priests I've met who have been less than orthodox in their teachings and views. I guess I've been really lucky.

[mortify]

I am supposed to be grading the ill-written answers to banal discussion questions, not defending Catholicism to a priest. I don't know what to do--at least he believes in the Real Presence.

 

Welcome to the contemporary state of Catholicism. What you have said is not an isolated case, there are reports such as yours (and worse) from all quarters of the Church. Some look at the poor state of their parishes, the banal (sometimes heretical) sermons, the books filled with doctrinal error still bearing Nihil Obstats and the apparent impotence of the Church Hierarchy to solve the issues, or worse acknowledge the dire state of affairs we are in, and wonder if there is not a global crisis we are currently facing. "But the Church has faced tough times in the past" folks will say, but has the darkness we see today ever so deeply infiltrated the Church from top to bottowm, East to West? At least during the Arian crisis we had Athanasius and the Western part of the Empire which were imune to heresy. Today is a far more difficult and tragic situation. Absence of faith and heresy are common, you hear it from the priest, the catechist, and sadly even the bishop. Most laypersons are apathetic, discouraging any zeal as being "fanatical" or "a more holier than thou" attitude. It's why many underground currents of passive resistance have formed over the past several decades, so that when this dark period of Church history is over, things may once again be restored in proper continuity.

[Lil Red]

Evang - you should see if there is a willing group first. Get enough people together, go to the priest and say, We respectfully ask for time before Mass to pray the rosary as a group. Priests (parish priests especially) are loathe to do something if they perceive it will be only for a few people, and even more hesitant to tick off a group of people. edit to add: they're even more hesitant to be the one organizing stuff. tbh, most parish priests are extremely busy and don't have time to do it. that's why it's a good idea to organize the group yourself, then say, "Hey the group is already organized, you don't have to do anything but give us the time to pray!"

Edited March 3, 2013 by Lil Red

[Evangetholic]

Well, we've got the group together. I'll talk to him tomorrow or monday about him perhaps allowing us to pray in the church.

[Basilisa Marie]

^ Yeah, I second Red.  If Father knows you've already got a group together, it'd be way easy to get the time.  Especially if Father doesn't have to do anything himself, it shouldn't be a problem. :) 

Edited March 3, 2013 by Basilisa Marie