To be fair, as a former Non-Denominational Evangelical Protestant, the DC prayer vigil was for the most part in line with what that Christian group would do upon a death.
As a Catholic, um, no. But this wasn't organized by Catholics.
Pope Leo has disappointed me more in his silence on the brutal public murder of the unarguably devout Christian Charlie Kirk, whose wife is Catholic and who is from his own hometown of Chicago, than in anything else he has or hasn't done so far.
Irrespective of his politics, Charlie Kiek repeatedly clearly and articulately publicly proclaimed the gospel over and over again, far more than I've seen Pope Leo do. And in terms of spreading the message of Jesus, the actual gospel message of sin, repentance and grace, to people often ignorant of if not outright hostile to it, he was arguably more active at this than Pope Francis.
The freakish drone show for Francis seems oddly appropos somehow given his pontificate.
Basically, I'm trying to say simply this: people are searching. They truly wish to honor the dead and go back to church. I do not like the DC-style thing because it's derivative of modes that are not sacred, but it's hardly the fault of the organizers.
However, what will they find when they DO seek something more? Is the Catholic Church prepared? What if one of Kirk's followers says, "let me go to a Catholic Church"? What will he find?
This is my point: our hierarchy is looking over at the Protestants and the spectacle-mongers and going for that. And that is a huge mistake for the salvation of souls.
I agree completely. Sometimes I look around at the state of the Church today (particularly in Western Washington) and am amazed I managed to convert. I did so in 2017 before everything went seriously sideways, but today it would be much less compelling.
I under stand what you are saying Essay33, but I always go back to the fact that this is the Church that Jesus established for our salvation, and the Church that provides us with the sacraments.
When things go sideways as you say we just have to concentrate on that.
Reading even an overview of Church history will show that we have had serious problems in the past, but the gates of hell will not prevail.
Oh I agree. When I told them I intended to come into the Church, my Protestant relatives pointed out the obvious recent scandals. I quoted Hilaire Belloc ("proof of its divinity might be found in the fact that no merely human institution conducted with such knavish imbecility would have lasted a fortnight") and that if the Church survived the Borgia popes, it would survive Francis. It'll survive Leo XIV.
They thought it was kind of funny realized, realized this wasn't just a summer fling and gradually have accepted that it's permanent. They see that I'm the same Jesus loving person just with sacramentals all over the house and a proclivity for late dinners because I'm at evening Mass.
Just that I think we can still worship and find Jesus in the Catholic Church. More reverence would be wonderful, but He is still there looking for us. He has not abandoned us.
To be clear, I am not saying that God has abandoned us. I am saying that we need to ensure that those who are looking FIND Him, that we are not OBSCURING Him. They really, really need Him.
The drone picture of Francis’ face reminds me of the book 1984 “big Brother is watching”
"What church, whose people ask for bread, hands them a light show?"
What a great line!
To be fair, as a former Non-Denominational Evangelical Protestant, the DC prayer vigil was for the most part in line with what that Christian group would do upon a death.
As a Catholic, um, no. But this wasn't organized by Catholics.
Pope Leo has disappointed me more in his silence on the brutal public murder of the unarguably devout Christian Charlie Kirk, whose wife is Catholic and who is from his own hometown of Chicago, than in anything else he has or hasn't done so far.
Irrespective of his politics, Charlie Kiek repeatedly clearly and articulately publicly proclaimed the gospel over and over again, far more than I've seen Pope Leo do. And in terms of spreading the message of Jesus, the actual gospel message of sin, repentance and grace, to people often ignorant of if not outright hostile to it, he was arguably more active at this than Pope Francis.
The freakish drone show for Francis seems oddly appropos somehow given his pontificate.
Basically, I'm trying to say simply this: people are searching. They truly wish to honor the dead and go back to church. I do not like the DC-style thing because it's derivative of modes that are not sacred, but it's hardly the fault of the organizers.
However, what will they find when they DO seek something more? Is the Catholic Church prepared? What if one of Kirk's followers says, "let me go to a Catholic Church"? What will he find?
This is my point: our hierarchy is looking over at the Protestants and the spectacle-mongers and going for that. And that is a huge mistake for the salvation of souls.
I agree completely. Sometimes I look around at the state of the Church today (particularly in Western Washington) and am amazed I managed to convert. I did so in 2017 before everything went seriously sideways, but today it would be much less compelling.
I under stand what you are saying Essay33, but I always go back to the fact that this is the Church that Jesus established for our salvation, and the Church that provides us with the sacraments.
When things go sideways as you say we just have to concentrate on that.
Reading even an overview of Church history will show that we have had serious problems in the past, but the gates of hell will not prevail.
Thanks for your comment.
Oh I agree. When I told them I intended to come into the Church, my Protestant relatives pointed out the obvious recent scandals. I quoted Hilaire Belloc ("proof of its divinity might be found in the fact that no merely human institution conducted with such knavish imbecility would have lasted a fortnight") and that if the Church survived the Borgia popes, it would survive Francis. It'll survive Leo XIV.
Thanks for your comment, especially the Belloc quote. It's a gem, and should be heard more often. How did your Protestant relatives react to it?
They thought it was kind of funny realized, realized this wasn't just a summer fling and gradually have accepted that it's permanent. They see that I'm the same Jesus loving person just with sacramentals all over the house and a proclivity for late dinners because I'm at evening Mass.
The Church is still the Church with valid sacraments and the Catechism has not changed. We must pray and worship and strive for holiness.
I would say… yes? and? to my point?
Just that I think we can still worship and find Jesus in the Catholic Church. More reverence would be wonderful, but He is still there looking for us. He has not abandoned us.
To be clear, I am not saying that God has abandoned us. I am saying that we need to ensure that those who are looking FIND Him, that we are not OBSCURING Him. They really, really need Him.