Gus goes over what's been going on at the USCCB's Spring Meetings in Baltimore, including a call by the National Advisory Council to the U.S. Bishops for a resolution on the Theodore McCarrick scandal and for more lay involvement in sex abuse investigations. Also, a recent Pew Research study indicates that in the wake of more clergy sex abuse allegations in 2018, 25% of American Catholics have skipped mass. Gus asks listeners what is going to bring people back.
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Hello Gus,
I am new to your program, but I appreciate that you are asking for dialog on these topics of what will it take to bring people back or indeed keep the Catholic Church moving forward.
I also appreciated hearing some of the people who had previously been in the seminary.
Here are some of my thoughts, and by the way, I just read the piece in the Atlantic on the Catholic Church.
I continue to go to Mass because I love the Mass and the Eucharist. My faith is not based on the Hierarchy of the men.Two of my three grown children all are female, do not attend any faith at this time. The third “caught” her Catholic faith from the Catholic Camp she attended for 10 years! All three went through 8th grade in Catholic School which we all loved. The two who do not currently attend faith based services, graduated from Catholic HS. and were quite jaded by the time they graduated. (I’m sure this had much to do with the school administration at the time. 2002 & 2004)
My thoughts:
The culture of the Clergy has to be completely eradicated. They need to go back to what Jesus in tended, Shepherds, including how they dress. Like the Jesuits. This was one reason I was so excited for the possibility of what Pope Francis would bring to the church! I’m highly disappointed at this point. The regal robes and all that goes with it, need to be burned.
What really disappointed me with regard to Pope Francis is how he has slammed the door on women. This also surprised and disappoints me.
I believe Nuns need to immediately be confirmed Deacons with all of the equal rights. That is the least they can do. Yes, they bring different insights to the roll, but that is a good thing. It is the Nuns who do the heavy lifting of the work of the church!
Any women who wishes should be allowed to be a deacon. I understand if the church is not ready to accept women as priests, but this is a start.
And there has to be equal lay boards. No more private men’s club!
There has yet to be authentic sincerity in apologizing for what has gone on for probably forever! And then the latest letter about sexuality, are these people living under a rock! The amount of drastic change and spectrum of sexual change has been caused by environmental factors. Yes, there have always been sexual differences, but not like today. To again slam the door on people is literally slamming the door on this entombed insulated culture. They are digging their own grave, and so be it.
I sincerely hope the faith can recover, but it should look very different if it does. Another reformation needs to take place. A reformation of the heart and soul of the Church.
Sincerely,
Marian Chase