Future of Catholic church

goodcatholicman · #1 Sep 29, '07, 3:44 pm

If you were to look ahead 20-30 years, what do you think the Catholic church will look like? Smaller? Bigger? more liberal? more Conservative?

LDNCatholic · #2 Sep 29, '07, 3:50 pm

Personally I think it will shrink in Western Europe and North America, while growing in Latin America, Africa and Asia. It will probably keep the same leanings it has now. Hopefully within 20-30 years the cure for AIDS will have been developed and distibuted, allowing the Church to maintain it's stance on contraceptives. I also think we will see an African or Latino pope, which, God Willing, will lead to the Church as a whole having a greater focus of charity and humanitarian efforts.

Of course, my hope is that the Church will flourish everywhere, spread to all people and have a stronger voice in the world to proclaim the Gospel.

Br. Rich SFO · #3 Sep 29, '07, 6:53 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodcatholicman

If you were to look ahead 20-30 years, what do you think the Catholic church will look like? Smaller? Bigger? more liberal? more Conservative?

I think the Church will continue to grow and expand. It will become the single moral light in the darkness. This will draw people to it, Many will begin to see that the Church was always right in what she taught both Doctrinally and morally. Vatican II will eventually be properly implemented.

cyberwolf001 · #4 Sep 29, '07, 8:42 pm

Personally I'm expecting the church to grow a lot more rapidly in the South. Especally as more and more Catholics down here are starting to understand the concept and necessity of uniting prayer to action!

Leopard · #5 Sep 29, '07, 8:51 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodcatholicman

If you were to look ahead 20-30 years, what do you think the Catholic church will look like? Smaller? Bigger? more liberal? more Conservative?

I think the Church will look about 30 years older.

Tonks40 · #6 Sep 29, '07, 9:22 pm

I think that it will continue grow as more people learn and understand the Church here on Earth. I feel many that have left will be coming back - I've met sooo many reverts to the Church since my own reversion over 2 years ago - the ones that are the most active in my parish are the ones that have converted or reverted, and they're spreading the faith like crazy!

In 20-30 years, I feel that the Church will be bigger and stronger.

brigid12 · #7 Sep 30, '07, 6:39 pm

My hope and "vision" is that the RCC will become more zealous and more orthodox - possibly becoming slightly smaller in the northern hemispheres but becoming much larger in the southern hemispheres. I also would foresee a hispanic Pope in the not too distant future (I sure am liking this Pope).

pyropam · #8 Sep 30, '07, 8:13 pm

Doesn't that all depend on how much we evangelize? Go out to the people, witness to them, and bring them to the house of the Lord... Then the church will be overcrowded and overflowing with people who are eagerly seeking the Lord!

thomasf · #9 Oct 1, '07, 12:53 am

I think the church in North America is going to grow greatly. I think the church in Europe will continue to shrink, and that ironically the church in the US will lead the way with growth. IMO, as we come out of the post VII affect, and the church continues to reassert what it has always believed, people will be drawn to the truth of the catholic faith. It is already happening, with so many youth being attracted to the church. I think what is happening now is that the ground work for a new catholic culture is being laid, and in 20-30 years the church will be growing and feeling the positive results of so many people and youth coming back in to it.

People will tire of the wishy washy fuzzy christianity of protestantism, and seek the truth. That truth is the catholic church and more and more will come home to the faith.

I also believe we will see a return to larger families as people embrace catholic sexual teaching and that the families of the church will 'out grow' the small families outside the faith.

But I agree, our job is to spread that truth and faith.

NReily · #10 Oct 1, '07, 7:40 pm

I am predicting you will start to see better numbers in Europe. That is at least what I am praying for.

CapaxDei · #11 Oct 2, '07, 1:50 am

I hope everyone in my family... and all my friends... will be in it.

NewUlm1976_2000 · #12 Oct 3, '07, 7:40 am

I think the Church can have a big renewal in the west, but only if they make clear, transparent amends to make up for the sex scandal coverups. Retreating behind Church walls and then trying to move on by over-empahsising the rules to laity when they have not been followed by the Church leaders will only make things worse and more and more people will walk away.

An honest opening up of doors and keeping transparent policies there to the laity and public is the only way to regain the trust and credibility. Think of it as a large scale confession and redemption in reverse as the laity and public have to forgive the clergy for these sins (which will happen if done correctly).

Marsha Adams · #13 Oct 3, '07, 7:46 am

I believe that there will be a huge schism in the U.S. and Canada between liberal pseudo Catholics, and conservative Catholics loyal to Rome. The remaining Church will be much smaller, but it will also be more holy. I also believe that the remaining Church will be much persecuted for speaking out against abortion and gays which will be called "hate crimes".

quiet52 · #14 Oct 5, '07, 4:08 am

The western Church especially will increasingly continue to be under attack by government, by the mentality of relativism, and by indifference.

I don't think I'm being melodramatic. Public schools in the state of Massachusetts are now bound by law to teach five-year-olds that same-sex parents are okay. Due to a very recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, Catholic hospitals in the state of Connecticut are now required to provide contraceptives, and I think abortion services, in their employee health plans. Various Catholic institutions in some states no longer provide adoption services, because of state laws require them to consider placing children with same-gender couples. Which means Catholic institutions will have a harder time helping pregnant women find homes for their unwanted babies -- making it more difficult to dissuade pregnant women from aborting their babies. Priests in Canada are afraid to speak out against the homosexual lifestyle, for fear of being arrested. Because of a new law in one European country, bishops can no longer legally remove priests from a parish when they're contradicting Church teaching or living active homosexual or other lifestyles.

I have witnessed how fewer employers in the U.S. allow their workers "off time" during weekends to attend Mass. Freedom to express our faith has diminished.

I think the number of orthodox ("straight teaching") clergy and laity will be smaller in 20-30 years. But I pray I am wrong.

cyberwolf001 · #15 Oct 5, '07, 6:51 am

Well things are already turning around for the better.

The hippie generation is dieing and the one coming up is far more conservative. Colleges are being exposed for there anti-conservative slant and are being forced to correct themselves.

Pro-Lifers and people against gay culture are starting to grow in number and influence. Laws are being passed to outlaw gay "marriage". In Canada the people are so sick of this there voting in conservative parties.

An in our own camps our separated brethren are starting to fix some of there issues.

One thing I'm hoping for is a Christian version of the ACLU.

Yes I know there is the ACLJ but all they ever do is ask for money.

Seriously ACLU will ask for funding. But they'll also tell you who to write or call on any given issue whereas the ACLJ just wants donations period. But that's for another time.

Seriously I think this will go down in history as being like the Penal times on a more massive scale. We came to the brink but the remnant returned.

Well unless there is something to the prophecy of the next Pope being the last one lol then things really WILL be better for Catholicism in short order.