Talking about the "things that matter most" on May 9
4:00 – Kresta Comments
4:20 – A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of the classic plays by William Shakespeare.. Believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596, it portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Thesues, and Hippolyta. These include the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of six amateur actors, who are controlled and manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set. The play, categorized as a Comedy, is one of Shakespeare's most popular works for the stage and is widely performed across the world. Literary expert Henry Russell is here to exegete the play.
5:00 – Pope Francis and the Reform of the Laity
The reform of the Church already evident
in the words and witness of Pope Francis may be starting, but it won’t be
stopping at the revamping of the Vatican Curia and the renewal of the clergy.
It also will involve a thorough reform of the laity, since some of the cancers
the cardinals elected him to confront in Rome have metastasized throughout
Christ’s mystical body. Fr. Roger
Landry is here to discuss Pope Francis and the Reform of the Laity.
5:20 – Direct to My Desk: The
Co-Responsibility of the Laity in the Life of the Church
As a new listener to your program I was shocked and appalled by your comments about the problems in the church regarding gay marriage, abortion, and the new evangelization. I found it difficult to believe that I was listening to a Catholic speaker. Your comments were very contradictory throughout the entire broadcast. You blamed the clergy for chronic neglect and the need to recognize that "something was wrong" You claimed that "failure" occured and that there was clerical malpractice. You then went on to say that the blaming has to stop....which is what you had just done. You said the priests ordained in the 60's and 70's saw themselves as chaplains. I am confused by the very idea that you think you can be judge and jury of all those priests. That was a different time and the Church was different.You blame the priests for not teaching on topics of gay marriage and that is why so many Catholics don't know what to believe. The Church has always taught the faithful about the sacramenets and the sacrament of marriage. Nothing has changed with that teaching. Priests should not be faulted for... not teaching about what we DON'T believe.They teach what we DO believe.
ReplyDeleteYou are talking about the older priests who baptized us, gave us the sacraments, gave us First Holy Communion, presided at our parents and loved ones funerals. You spoke of priests teaching children's cathecism to adults. The blaming and blaming went on. It is the responsibilty of adults to study their faith and deepen their faith... That has always been taught by the priests. You blamed them for not teaching yet you also tell Catholics to not to depend on the clergy to provide all their formation or evangelization. This was another contradiction. Not all priests can teach the way Fr. John Ricardo does. Not all priests can speak or sing the same way. You grouped them all together from past generation as if they didn't individually have their own gifts of The Spirit. By placing this blame you confuse listeners and cause divisions. Why should you even go back to the past? There is only the need to deal with present. The Church teaches to "live in the present moment" ( Thats what prevents this type of backsliding in to the past) Also you failed to acknowledge that the problems in the Church are the work of the devil. There is so much evil in this world and many are blind to the truths. If you continue to discuss those negative issues and blame the dear priests....you have taken the wrong side of the battle. You didn't give one example of how to go out and evangelize. What needs to happen is a continuation of total consecration to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. That is what has been laid out and that is the solution. Also your statement that the Church will fail in America clearly shows lack of faith because Christ has already proclaimed.....upon this rock I will build my Church....and it will always prevail. Your program was disrespectful to the many priests who have offered their lives to the Church. They are human beings with gifts and talents and weaknesses and faults and sins ....just like you and me. And how would you like if a priest came to your home and evaluated your marriage and then proceeded to tell you how you have not upheld certain aspects of the sacramental marriage because of some of your mistakes or faults. Unfortunately, many Catholics simply are not choosing to follow Church teaching because of the evil that has pervaded secular society. It is a disaster but it has been predicted. They are denouncing their faith themselves. Now please don't bash the priests for the evil that has been brought on in force by the devil himself. The daily Rosary is the weapon and my suggestion is that you use that as your weapon ....instead of you tongue.
"Why should you even go back to the past?" The present comes "out of" the past. We can't understand where we are if we don't look back at the past.
DeleteI think Catholics do understand the teachings of the Church well enough, they just don't agree or agree to follow them. Church teaching is out of touch with the experiences of most people. The Vatican likes to speak of reality, but in fact seems to know nothing about reality in the areas of family and sexuality. Therefore, Catholics discount this part of the teaching.
I thought Al did a good job trying to evaluate American history on sexuality and the family since the 60s. I didn't see him as blaming as much as explaining the context of teh current debate. The truth is that a great many priests as well as laity accept the liberal critique of traditional family and sexuality (I certainly do). This is especially true on Catholic university campuses, where many religious support gay marriage and gays in general. What's more, today many Catholics see a conservative case for gay marriage as well as a liberal case. That there is a divide between Vatican Catholics, such as Al, and the majority of Catholics is undeniable and it's a subject well worth serious consideration.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteI am prepared to be misunderstood on this point, but the New Evangelization will fail it there is not reconciliation between the clergy and laity. I am referring to the clergy who have failed to teach truly and must repent. To ignore the divisions of the past is unbiblical and un-Catholic. We are rooted in history. We are part of a story that is being told.
Blessed John Paul II called for a New Evangelization. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI institutionalized it with an official office at the Vatican. And Pope Francis is showing us how to live it. With these Popes being so enthusiastic about a “New” Evangelization, you have to ask what the problem was that we needed a “New” Evangelization.
Pope Emeritus Benedict said we need a "change of mentality," especially regarding laypeople, shifting from "considering themselves collaborators of the clergy to recognizing themselves truly as 'co-responsible' for the being and action of the Church.” This is precisely what I am advocating. You mentioned Fr. John Riccardo, whose program we produce. Ask him if we have had a tremendous dearth of catechesis from the pulpit over the last 40 years and you may be surprised.
Christ’s Church will not fail, but the Church in America may well fail if the laity doesn’t get off the couch and take “co-responsibility” for the Church. The Churches Jesus addresses in Revelation 1-3 have all disappeared except one. At one point the Church in Japan virtually disappeared. While that is not likely to happen any time soon in America, the decline, numerically and in terms of a coherent believing community is precipitous.
Many of us have been blessed by sacrificial, faithful priests, but the fact that vast numbers of Catholics don’t understand Church teaching and are not confronted with their ignorance and spiritual neglect tells me clearly that we have a crisis of leadership in America.
- Al Kresta
They understand it well enough. They don't agree with it. They reserve judgment for themselves, rightly in my opinion, not subscribing to the authoritarian judgments of the Vatican which knows little about the reality of family life, sexuality, and homosexuality. The Vatican statements are quite bizarre to many Catholics
DeleteThe word "catechesis" should be replaced by something intelligible to average Americans. It sounds alien. Why not say "education in the faith"? or something similar. Too many weird words in Catholicism.
DeleteI missed the first half of the program, Al, but am curious to know what you're advocating the laity do that the clergy aren't. Could you be more explicit for those of us that missed it?
ReplyDeleteAgain, You say you are talking about priests "who have failed to teach truly and must repent" You have not sat in every church and listened to what every priest teaches or does not teach. Their deficiencies are covered by the Blood of Christ as they are "Christ in persona". You are not in a position to judge them. You are casting stones. They are all baptized and have received the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Your continued accusations are an attack on the priesthood. You have no authority to dictate that any of them should repent. You have know way of knowing the state of their souls or what they confess in the sacrament of reconciliation. We are each responsible to make our own examination of conscious. It is not your responsibilty to decide if a priest needs to repent. A priest, however, can advise you when repentance is necessary when you confess to him. Are you sure that you may not be having a problem because you think you can teach and preach better than them and your years away from the Church and pastoring in another faith gave you a position of leadership and authority that you can no longer exercise as part of the laity so you have allowed your frustrations to be directed at those who do have true authority? We are to support our priests unless they are blatantly misleading the faithful with false teaching, purposeful harm or crime. The new evagelization is about lay apostolate. As lay apostles we must conduct ourselves with humilty and and "put on Christ". Criticizing our priests is not "Christ-like" and is not New-Evangalization. Never attack a priest. Blessed Mother has repeated this often in her messages. She says they are her priest sons and they need our prayers and love and support because they are being persecuted in many ways. I think some changes are necessary but praying for them would benefit them far more than pointing out their failings. People just don't change because someone is pointing out their faults. People change when they are allowed an environment to grow and flourish. So what you are expecting these priests that you think you know so well to do is exactly what you should be doing for them. Now that is true New Evangalization. When people hear Catholics criticizing their own priests they become confused, distrustful and unlikely to become more engaged in a process of being evangelized......why would they? Please find some better topics because this is not one that you can address with love and humilty. Barb Milford MI
ReplyDeleteAlso your reference to Revelation 1-3 is confusing. There is only one church. When we say the creed we say I believe in the Catholic Church....one true and apostolic faith .....not I believe in the Catholic Churches.
DeleteAlso when the popes refer to a New Evangelization.....it does not require that I have to look at what the problem was that there must be a New Evangelization. It requires a that I recognize that the Church is always becoming a new creation. Created by God. I believe that is what they want us to know. They are giving us reason to look for the that renewal and re-creation by calling it a New Evangelization. We need to look forward and participate in the continual new creation by seeking it.... not ask why we need it. Barb Milford
DeleteAnd yes I can ignore the divisions of the past because I participate in the UNITY of the Church today. With the Father and the Son in the UNITY of the Holy Spirit. One Church One Body. This is our faith and if this is what we profess... then this is what we practice. The Church Militant are those who stay focused on the unity and don't feel they are there to police the church and its priests and failings for we are called to Build up the Body of Christ not dissect it in to problems and scandals. Each priest is part of the Body of Christ and each has different gifts.The Catholics that are straying from Church teaching are not as ignorant as you "excuse" them to be. They have every tool at their finger tips to explore their faith through technology. They are choosing not to educate themselves and they are choosing not to follow. Many of them do know the truth but it is not convenient for them.I am sure there are many who are very well educated and know how to do searches on many many topics that interest them. If their faith was a priority they would ask questions and find the answers. There is no excuse today in this world for Catholics not to do a "search" on topics of faith that they don't understand or that they question as the truth. By blaming the priests you take them all "off the hook" There are just no more excuses for such ignorance when every one has access to TV and computers. Again I can only emphasize that each of us who are trying to live according to the truth should consecrate ourselves to Jesus through the intercession of Mary for the conversion of souls. Mary can use us as her instruments in leading others to Christ. She is our Co-Redemptrix and Jesus gave her to us to mother us and others back to Him by becoming "other Christs" through her. There truly is a division and loss of faith....prayer is the answer.....not blaming the priests. When I defend the priests.....I defend my faith. And if there were only one priest left on one continent who performed the Consecration of the Mass.....then we can say that the Church is still present on that continent.
DeleteI only caught a few minutes when the second hour first aired. I caught part of it again today, most of it I had already heard, the just finished listening to the whole thing on the audio archive. I agree with your, except with a generation lasting between 20-25 years, we are well on having two generations affected by a lack of clarity about what the Church teaches and WHY.
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