tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post533759728318299328..comments2024-03-24T15:19:06.377-04:00Comments on The Continuum: The terrible burdenFr. Robert Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892141425033196616noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-58765011476255825542009-04-24T15:18:00.000-04:002009-04-24T15:18:00.000-04:00Pat:
I appreciate your obvious effort at bending ...Pat:<br /><br />I appreciate your obvious effort at bending over backwards to be polite in response to a post in which it may seem, to some, that I have slapped your church in the face. <br /><br />There has been much talk about the authority of local bishops in that largest of all Catholic communions. Nonetheless, many people have been scandalized by clerical criminals, especially child abusers, and some by a known <I>practicing</I> homosexual bishop years ago in the United States (who regularly hired male prostitutes). The problem was that they had no power themselves to get rid of these false shepherds by appealing to a responsive authority. <br /><br />Whereas I appreciate the stated goals of Pope Benedict XVI to prevent these things from happening again, the most he can accomplish is limited to his own tenure. With a bureaucracy as large as what it takes to pastor over one billion people, a more responsive system (one that Rome could help create) would be more democratic. The Church did, in ancient times, elect new bishops in each diocese from among the priests who were known to the people. They were not chosen by one central authority from across the world a continent away. Matters involving notorious clergy, including bishops, while requiring in the latter case a larger regional tribunal, still placed some responsible power in the hands of the people of the Church.<br /><br />There is no perfect solution on a merely human level; but overmuch clericalism makes a bad situation impossible, especially when added to a universal jurisdiction whose top man is far, far away.<br /><br />Frankly, I favor the system or polity of my own church. I worry about some Anglicans who might think of trading it in.Fr. Robert Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05892141425033196616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-70475276366114274112009-04-24T13:27:00.000-04:002009-04-24T13:27:00.000-04:00Fr. Hart,
Hello again! I am Pat the Roman Catholi...Fr. Hart,<br />Hello again! I am Pat the Roman Catholic or shall I say Pat The Catholic of the Roman Rite-lol. Anyway thanks as always for this site. It is excellent and I am always learning from those who post here. Your witness to the Lord is wonderful.<br /><br />Now, you ended this post with these words:<br /><br />"But, I am not able to see why anyone trusts the system itself." ie, the Roman Catholic system.<br /><br />In light of what you brought out in the post can you give a positive explanation of the 'system' that you 'trust?'Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-77308501062891797312009-04-24T13:20:00.000-04:002009-04-24T13:20:00.000-04:00I'm a bit confused by this comment, as it resemble...I'm a bit confused by this comment, as it resembles nothing I've encountered before.<br /><br />Latin Church is actually a bit less useful that Roman Church, and potentially a bit more offensive. "Roman" recgonizes thst what distinguished such churches is their adherence to the Bishop of Rome. Not all such churches are of Latin heritage (such as Byzantines inder Papal authority), and, for that matter, very few of those with a Latin heritage use Latin any more which makes the term sound rather antique. <br /><br />In my area (New Hampshire USA) the majority of parishes indeed do call themselves "Roman Catholic" on the signboard, and few RCs (other than the reverend gentleman we've referred to) are offended by our use of Roman Catholic, while probably most would be annoyed at being called "Latin" or the other accurate but somewhat snide Anglican term , "Italian Mission".<br /><br />ed<br /><br />edpoetreaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11613032927883843078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-62403746935966636942009-04-24T13:08:00.000-04:002009-04-24T13:08:00.000-04:00I have always been brought up to refer to 'The Lat...I have always been brought up to refer to 'The Latin Church' re Rome, and here in England Anglicans are known as English Catholics by Rome. I don't understand the term Roman Catholics at all, and I have never seen a Latin Church notice board describe its people or Faith as Roman Catholic at least not here in the UK.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-51484492519797238342009-04-24T09:47:00.000-04:002009-04-24T09:47:00.000-04:00You are both far kinder than I, Father, but then m...You are both far kinder than I, Father, but then my Roman uncle always found my discomfort with the attentions of his fellow churchmen amusing. Since the Greek roots of the word "catholic" mean 'according to the whole.' Consequently I find myself able only to refer to them as "The Roman Church." It does have its strengths, but also its weaknesses.Canon Tallishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05182884929479435751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-66055277460899330402009-04-24T09:16:00.000-04:002009-04-24T09:16:00.000-04:00Well said, Father!
St. Peter was not perfect, whi...Well said, Father!<br /><br />St. Peter was not perfect, which was made manifest in that St. Paul felt free to reprimand him soundly for not eating with the gentile Christians. However, he did evidence exactly that prophetic discernment that has been lacking more often than not in the leadership of the various popes purported to be his successors.<br /><br />The principal problem with the assertions of papal supremacy (and indeed infallibility) is that the claims rest upon the mere say-so of the organization making the claims, and are not ratified (as the apostolic ministry was) by consistent fruit of the charism. I'm afraid I would require a great deal more convincing than that in order to accept such large claims.<br /><br />edpoetreaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11613032927883843078noreply@blogger.com