Cleveland Diocese/Catholic Answers

IM2Phat4U · #1 Feb 2, '05, 8:29 am

The Diocese of Cleveland recently issued a statement: Ten Challenges for Catholic Leaders in the Aftermath of the Presidential Election. The statement appears to very directly attack the activities of Catholic Answers and the statements of bishops like Archbishop Burke.

Any thoughts on this. An excerpt is posted below.

Ten Challenges for Catholic Leaders In the Aftermath of the Presidential Election

1. Divisions exist within our Church that are deep and that jeopardize our ability to build community at the parish level and to be communities of salt and light to the larger society. (There is a great deal of alienation that needs to be addressed).

2. A creeping fundamentalism within the church provides space for some to demonize others (i.e. the notion that you can’t be a good Catholic and vote for John Kerry).

3. Outside organizations with significant resources are extremely well organized and energized. They are well situated to serve partisan purposes. They can and will exploit the divisions within the Church.

4. The independent statements of a few bishops has had a negative impact on the unity and teaching authority of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

aimee · #2 Feb 2, '05, 10:24 am

Come on now are they for real :eek sounds like they have some issues...Way too liberal

kmktexas · #3 Feb 2, '05, 10:49 am

Is there any indication that this proposal has any official recognition from the diocese? It looks like it was a newsletter item written by an leader of the Social Action Office. It doesn't even indicate that the writer was a member of the clergy.

That being said, it is too bad that the writer lists as #6 and #8 respectively (both of which I agree with wholeheartedly)

Quote:

Teaching on the consistent ethic of life needs to be strengthened

Quote:

Greater emphasis needs to be placed upon the proper formation of one’s conscience

.

yet none of his suggestions have anything to do with strengthening teaching on the sactity of life or on how to properly form ones' conscience.

**Edwin1961** · #4 Feb 2, '05, 1:45 pm

I am not aware of this and I live in the Clevealnd area.
Also, I am a Byzantine Catholic and we have a Different Bishopa nd Not associated with the Latin Rite dioceses. Yet what happens there does have some impact on our Eparchy. (But the Eparchy of Parma is actually 12 states large).

For my opinion based on personal refections and knowing some who are 'in the know', that Bishop Pilla is neutral an Most of the issues in the Diocese. Some of teir parishes have both Future Church AND orthodox Catholics in the same parish.
My brother is a pirest and he told me that he is given a list of parishes to relocate after his term with his current parish at the end of this June. He flattly refused one parish because of this one parishes' liberal stance.

I have to be amazed that our Byzantine Bishop is strictly holding on to orthodoxy of the Faith and follows our Holy Father's teachings.

God IS with Us!
Edwin

rwoehmke · #5 Feb 2, '05, 6:37 pm

I have come to the conclusion that there are not only liberal and orthodox/traditional Catholics, but also a growing segment who can be labeled fundamentalist Catholics. We have all three in our parish and I am of the opinion that these fundamentalists are at the point of the wedge splitting us from our fellow Catholics. When Vatican II happened, I almost walked away from the Catholic Church. Some smaller denominational groups were very attractibe because they did not have the level of bickering and ill will I was observing in our parish. The pastor with whom I was well acquainted said,"Yes you can leave and they will love you uintil you disgree with them on some point and they will make it obvious that you are no longer welcome. In the Catholic Church we have many forms of spirituality. We even disagree on the exact meanings of some truths, but no one will ask you to leave because you don't fit in. I am not a champion of Choice/Abortion or Women Priests. I lovr Pope John Paul II as I loved all of them from Pius XII onward. I have never figured out why I should be an enemy of those fellow Catholics who did not see things in quite the light that I did. Once they were my enemy, how could I hope to influence them to change to what I see as the better part of the loaf. I have to say that Catholics for a free choice, Called to Action, and VOTF folks are not goog Catholics, but until they formally renounce their Faith they are still Catgolics, albeit probably not very good ones. Like Father Greely says most Catholics, even the disagreeable ones, won't leave because they like being Catholics.

rwoehmke · #6 Feb 2, '05, 6:42 pm

I have come to the conclusion that there are not only liberal and orthodox/traditional Catholics, but also a growing segment who can be labeled fundamentalist Catholics. We have all three in our parish and I am of the opinion that these fundamentalists are at the point of the wedge splitting us from our fellow Catholics. When Vatican II happened, I almost walked away from the Catholic Church. Some smaller denominational groups were very attractibe because they did not have the level of bickering and ill will I was observing in our parish. The pastor with whom I was well acquainted said,"Yes you can leave and they will love you uintil you disgree with them on some point and they will make it obvious that you are no longer welcome. In the Catholic Church we have many forms of spirituality. We even disagree on the exact meanings of some truths, but no one will ask you to leave because you don't fit in. I am not a champion of Choice/Abortion or Women Priests. I love Pope John Paul II as I loved all of them from Pius XII onward. I have never figured out why I should be an enemy of those fellow Catholics who did not see things in quite the light that I did. Once they were my enemy, how could I hope to influence them to change to what I see as the better part of the loaf. I have to say that I consider Catholics for a free choice, Called to Action, and VOTF folks as dissident Catholics, but until they formally renounce their Faith they are still Catholics. Like Father Greely says most Catholics, even the disagreeable ones, won't leave because they like being Catholics. Welcome folks to the stew that is the Catholic Church, diverse but still one in Christ Jesus.