Thursday, May 28, 2015

The Treason of the Clerics -- Ireland and the Vote on "Gay Marriage"

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, a Traitorous Old Liberal Bishop
For a Long While
(Dublin) Looking for an explanation of how a Catholic people like the Irish could vote with 62.1 percent for the legalization of "gay marriage", some try to push all the blame on the illegitimacy of the government. Others prefer  to cheer in chorus, since the voices of "progressive Catholics" emphasized the crucial vote. However, even the term "progressive Catholic" is a contradiction in terms, because either one is truly Catholic, that is to say Catholics without any adulterations, or you are not really Catholic, but then it is not about Catholics.
In reality, there is a third factor that was decisive for the serious vote, in addition to the two mentioned: the betrayal of the clergy.

"Openings" by Certain Shepherds to the Homo Lobby

There is no doubt that the so-called "openings" by certain pastors have toward the gay lobby generated confusion among the faithful and influenced the voting behavior at the polls.
If the current mainstream sings its "homosexual song", there are also among the righteous one, who considering   the one-sided advertising and the path of least resistance are then described as "modern" and "contemporary." Thus the opposing voices  could  hardly have  been heard among the opinion-forming media in Ireland, had the voice of the bishops had a greater weight.
The press agency Médias Press release accused the Irish episcopate of "weakness and inability", of building a viable line of defense against the homosexual march on the island of Saint Patrick. Some bishops were quite successful. However, the veering of the others offered opponents the tactical opportunity to convey an image of disunity and hush up the timid,  to award the favorable voices visibility and to silence the others.

Dublin's Archbishop and Squaring the Circle

So the statements of some Irish prelates are, to say the least, problematic before the referendum. These prelates include Dublin's Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who tried to square the circle. He spoke of a coexistence of the "ethics of equality," and recognizing the homosexual "affective relations", and the unique nature of a relationship between a man and a woman.
From a Mea culpa- driven complex, he added apologetically: "I am aware that the severity with which  gays and lesbians  have been treated in the past in the Irish Church, in some cases are still treated today, so that makes it difficult for LGBT Persons  hard to accept the sincerity of what I am proposing. "
In fact, the archbishop remained faithful. After the announcement of the voting results, he directed attention to the so-called power of the factual. We must now "face facts," which can "not deny the obvious"  and must recognize a "social" and "cultural revolution" in the result. These words were picked up by the media with great satisfaction.

Bishop McKewon: Catholics Should Make a  "Mature" Decision, Whether Yes or No

Bishop Donal McKewon of Derry assisted the archbishop at once in this position. Before the ballot itself McKewon had prompted the faithful to make a "mature" decision, regardless of whether they would vote yes or no. If that was  worth as much as the other and ultimately indifferent to any decision for Catholics. Even more: "I do not want that anyone would vote out  of bad, that is, sectarian and inappropriate reasons or because of intimidation against."  What  it did was gave the impression as if it were next to impossible to vote solely against the legalization of "gay marriage", because that's the only right decision.
Then  Bishop McKewon, conversely added his statement: "I have no doubt that there are many Church-abiding people who are for a yes. I will not say they are wrong. " A statement, which is tantamount to a capitulation, and even more so a resignation from his duties as a bishop when he has to call attention to the doctrine of the Church and defend it.
It irritated and unsettled not a few believers that these sorts of politically correct prelates are not reprimanded for their unfortunate statements (formulating it as quite harmless), but can act completely undisturbed or are even encouraged in their attitude.

Irish Constitution as Washed Away

Of course, for the vote in Ireland was not only just the result of the "Treason of the Clerics." Even the constitution of the island nation was hit hard by this stab. In the Irish Constitution it states verbatim: 

"In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred, We, the people of Éire, Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial, Gratefully remembering their heroic and unremitting struggle to regain the rightful independence of our Nation, And seeking to promote the common good, with due observance of Prudence, Justice and Charity, so that the dignity and freedom of the individual may be assured, true social order attained, the unity of our country restored, and concord established with other nations, Do hereby adopt, enact, and give to ourselves this Constitution. ... "
Everything seems washed away by the outcome of the referendum. Ireland and the Irish people is now in the  rather sad list of countries and peoples, who require a new evangelization.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Corrispondenza Romana
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches...
AMDG

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Ireland and the Irish people is now in the rather sad list of countries and peoples, who require a new evangelization."

Forget the "new" and do what Pope St Pius V did -- get rid of any prayer, missal, song, magazine, "change" that isn't 200 years old!

Anonymous said...

Another one of Cardinal McCarrick's secretaries comes out of the closet:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/27/warren-hall-gay_n_7454612.html

He also served as priest secretary to Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, former Archbishop of Newark.
http://www.shu.edu/academics/profiles/adjunct/511829

Robbie said...

The real treason comes from the very top. Bergoglio, who has something to say about everything and anything, said absolutely nothing in the lead up to the Irish vote. Why? Well, my guess is one of two things. First, he didn't want to tarnish the halo he's received from the worldwide press. The other is he was more than fine with Ireland voting for sodomy. After all, who is he to judge?

We're living in a terrible time for Catholicism. We have a pope who cares nothing about doctrine and theology. Instead, he seems to see the Church as an appendage of the United Nations and himself as its quasi-spiritual leader. Consider this. Rather than defend the truth about marriage, he and his goons have been crafting an encyclical on the environment. What a joke!

The Catholic Church is in shambles and Bergoglio is making sure there are no survivors. I can only hope the Holy Spirit, however it chooses, intervenes to stop this unholy madness. The few conservative and traditional Cardinals who are left in the College must stand up and stop this. They can arrest this rapid decline, but only if they finally speak out against this nonsense.

Tereze said...

Ireland is worse than the pagans for legalizing gay marriage, says senior cardinal... ... Kard. Burke

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/2108/0/ireland-is-worse-than-the-pagans-for-legalising-gay-marriage-says-senior-cardinal#.VWegHjTW1-w.facebook

Anonymous said...

This country is now operating as an atheistic depraved tyranny, persecuting rhose who refuse to cooperate with intrinsic evil. And Archbishop Martin, Bishop McKeown, and most of the bishops and priests are complicit in bringing this about. They are collaborators with our persecutors. Nowhere has there been such hatred of the truth - in Faith or morals. Satanists are everywhere. Lord, save us.

Anonymous said...

The contempt for and defiance against God of the majority of bishops and priests in Ireland is the ugly face of the Great Apostasy. Having no fear of God, they care not for the salvation of souls but actively encourage them to commit mortal sin, stay in a state of mortal sin, and commit sacrilege against the Blessed Sacrament.

Savonarola said...

Instead of scapegoating bishops and other easy targets maybe we need to probe much deeper. Could it be that the traditional Catholicism that some people extol and want to restore - the doctrines and rituals and devotions - was never that firmly established in Irish or other cultures? For most people it was largely a matter of tribal identity that did not really engage them with God in a true personal sense. The short answer is that religion did not help people know God - most people, that is. There is no lack of interest in God and spiritual life in people today, but the Church does not connect with it and nobody seems to have much clue as to what to do about it. Going back to old style religion is little more than a counsel of despair.

Genty said...

There is no such thing as old-style or new-style religion. There is only God's truth.

geoff kiernan said...

Given that 2 Catholic American politicians changed their vote to accept Same sex marriage because of the Holy Fathers 'who am I to judge' comment, is it possible that he must bear some responsibility for the confusion in the ranks??

Anonymous said...

Bergoglio must be removed, either naturally, or by pressure from within....traditional and conservative Cardinals,Bishops, episcopal conferences such as Poland, and ordinary faithful Catholics who daily see our beloved Church ruined by this man and his "goons"....Dolan, Mariadiaga, McCarrick, Ricca, Forte, Kasper,Marx, etc.etc.

Wasn;t one of Bergoglio'smain supporters, a certain Archbishop Paglia, a radical liberal, just in the news a day or two ago under charges of racketeering, fraud, or some other shady business for which he is now under investigation? If I'm not mistaken, I think he was/is a huge supporter of Fracis and his corrupt ideas.

Anonymous said...

The lack of catechesis by Diocese Bishops and their Priests is a major cause of relativism not only in Ireland but in the USA and the rest of the world.
The literate Laity are not actively, and prominently encouraged to read a Catholic Bible and the "Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition" (aka CCC, 1997) at Home.

" My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
because you have rejected knowledge,
I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children. " - Hosea 4:6

And yes there is no such thing as a "liberal or progressive" Catholic or a "conservative", or a "cafeteria" Catholic.
There are heretical Catholics, schismatic Catholics, and Faithful Catholics and we should all use the correct terminology - effective immediately.

Anonymous said...

"Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition" (aka CCC, 1997) at Home."

People would do better to buy the Catechism of the Council of Trent (which I have).
That is TRUE Catholicism......not tainted by Vatican II.

Anonymous said...

And since many Diocese Bishops and Diocese Priests are not doing their jobs - teaching the Faith accurately and completely we all must encourage others to read:

1) A Catholic Bible;

( CCC: 81 "Sacred Scripture is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit."
"And [Holy] Tradition transmits in its entirety the Word of God which has been entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It transmits it to the successors of the apostles so that, enlightened by the Spirit of truth, they may faithfully preserve, expound and spread it abroad by their preaching." )

2. The "Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition" of 1997.

This is the only way uncatechised literate laity will recognize heresy and schism, and know the TRUTHs of our Faith.

Anonymous said...

Bishops (and their Diocese Priests) can not wait for a crisis issue to teach the Faith - accurately and completely.
And this is what many tend to do. And then they are shocked that people do not listen.

How many of them taught from the Bible, from the CCC all along ?

How many of them taught that all Catholic citizens are required to vote per the CCC ? (In Ireland many did not vote at all.)

Anonymous said...

Yours is a heretical position, and probably uniformed.

The teachings of all the Councils including Trent are contained in the CCC.

The CCof T was promulgated in 1566AD, and does not contain anything about artificial insemination, or organ transplants, or surrogate parenthood, etc, etc, etc.

Anonymous said...

For quotes from our Popes about the CCC, on the internet go to:
" What Catholics REALLY Believe SOURCE "
http://whatcatholicsreallybelieve.com/

“ The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which I approved … and the publication of which I today order by virtue of my Apostolic Authority,
is a statement of the Church’s faith and of catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture,
the Apostolic Tradition and the Church’s Magisterium.
I declare it to be a sure norm for teaching the faith and thus a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion. “ – Pope John Paul II (CCC pg 5).

Anonymous said...

Thursday, May 28, 2015


"The Treason of the Clerics -- Ireland and the Vote on "Gay Marriage"

You should actually say, the Treason of Bergoglio/Pope Francis for saying nothing (either before or after)

Anonymous said...

No one who believes in the Cathechism of the Council of Trent is a heretic.

On the otherhand, even by the admission of many scholars of a traditional bent, Vatican II and what came from it contains much which is a departure from Catholic belief and tradition....and indeed is rank heresy.

I would stand with the Council of Trent over Vatican II any day. And I would rather be called a "heretic" for following the teachings of the Council of Trent, than be called a "faithful Catholic" by following Vatican II and the teachings of Pope Francis.

Anonymous said...

No, you are not mistaken, he's really under charges for many shady business, he left to his diocese a deficit of 25 million euros, and he's from the big super 9 goons.......it's such a sad thing for us every day reading this news. God bless+.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of Pope Francis, he felt like saying something that 'might be heretical', but he said it anyway! https://harvestingthefruit.com/breaking-pope-takes-major-step-toward-formal-heresy/

LeonG said...

Ireland is no longer Catholic - after 50 years of ecclesiastical liberal modernism and 45 with an invalid protestant liturgy the consequences are apostasy, heresy and a schismatic church which has lost its way. Fortunately, there is a small but significant element of the the true Roman Catholic Faith remaining. Everywhere we witness the Novus Ordo we can see a systematic collapse into doctrinal confusion and pastoral chaos underpinned by a revolutionary liturgical fabrication designed to asphyxiate.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for confirming this. Many of Francis' "goons" have serious scandals or other misdeeds to account for. Dolan is another one. He should be brought down and out of New York. He is a disgrace. So is O'Malley "Cardinal Sean"!
But thanks for confirming this news. I saw Paglia's name, and remembered him as one Francis depends on for his warped agenda.
I wish Francis had some awful scandals revealed and had to run from the Papacy in disgrace.

Anonymous said...

Regardless of what JP II declares.....the Catechism of the Council of Trent, and for children the old "Baltimore Catechism" is best.

Robbie said...

He hasn't said anything likely because he approves of what has happened. Bergoglio's church is built on his soup kitchen theology. Gone is saving souls. Instead, it's all about the serving the financially poor who have been hurt by the evils of capitalism. In Bergoglio's church, gay marriage is great if it helps two poor men or two poor women have the money to put food on the table. The fact they are defying God's law is inconsequential.

Anonymous said...

The correct terminology for Archbishop Lefebvre is that he was a schismatic and died as such outside the Church.

Anonymous said...

The people have apostatised, but only, for the most part after our bishops and priests and religious. It is the bishops and priests who had the duty to lead us for the salvation of souls, not to feed us to the devil. That is why there is a special place in hell for those bishops and priests who refuse to do their duty but collude in the destruction of Faith and morality. Blessed Micha, the Archangel, defend us in battle . . .

Anonymous said...

This sad story demonstrates the fruit of scandalizing the little ones. The Irish people are the little ones. They were shocked and scandalized by revelations in the 1990's that priests and religious had been sexually abusing children for decades, often with the complicity of government officials who turned a blind eye. The people's anger and hatred was justified, but in the end it served to destroy their faith. Here is the irony: What was horrific and unacceptable to the Irish people in the 1990's is now accepted by them in the form of legalized "gay" marriage Their land will be turned into a spiritual Sodom and Gomorrah, scandalizing the souls of ALL their children, not merely the sad victims of past evils perpetrated in a time not so long ago when such deeds were still considered evil.

Anonymous said...

Well said: "Everywhere we witness the Novus Ordo we can see a systematic collapse into doctrinal confusion and pastoral chaos underpinned by a revolutionary liturgical fabrication designed to asphyxiate."

Gabriel said...

Fr Dr Professor Joseph Ratzinger (who cannot be in discontinuity with himself) in his Vatican II diaries has written:

"When Martin Luther attacked, the Catholic Church registered its reaction at the Council of Trent--a reaction Ratzinger deems inadequate. Trent, he writes, centralized all liturgical authority in the "purely bureaucratic" Congregation of Rites. Lacking "historical perspective," the congregation "viewed the liturgy solely in terms of ceremonial rubrics." A sort of "court etiquette for sacred matters" prevailed, reducing the liturgy to "a rigid, fixed, and firmly encrusted system." No wonder Ratzinger thinks that none of the saints of the Counter-Reformation--Ignatius, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross--drew their spirituality from the liturgy.

In the Baroque era, High Mass "became a kind of sacred opera," during which the people in church would be busy with their own devotions, reciting the rosary. "They were united with the priest only by being in the same church with him." In endeavouring "to preserve old forms," the Vatican Congregation of Rites had brought about "the total impoverishment of the liturgy." Yet Ratzinger insists that "for the church, divine worship is a matter of life and death
." Thus, if the liturgy's proper function was to be recovered, "the wall of Latinity had to be breached." But even more than that was necessary. "It was now clear, for example, that the selection of biblical texts had frozen at a certain point." So "a new theology of divine worship" had to be worked out."

Anonymous said...

Anon 4:08 AM
Mundabor has a step by step process for removing an heretical Pope, You might be more successful than he/she/it who runs that particular blog.

Anonymous said...

This truly is a disgrace, and is a treason of the clerics/priests who have abandoned Catholic tradition and have even abandoned God....Darmuid Martin being one of the biggest offenders.....and Pope Francis.
It is the corruption of the Church since Vatican II that has caoused this, by not guiding the faithful in the true ways of God. It is the fault of the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops,priests and nuns since Vatican II....and the scandals of the religious priests and nuns.

Speaking of the religious, especially nuns....if you really want to see the disaster the religious life has come to stand for since Vatican II....mostly every Order is the same....habitless, radical,lax,. Only the traditional Orders are at least stable.
If you really want to see the circus religious life has become, besides visiting seminaries,monasteries and convents, check out on the Internet, "fotografia felici", which has documented in photographs the Papacy and the Church for 130 years.
Go on the website and click the link for "recent events" under a photo of Francis. Click on May 16, audience for "religious of rome" (relgiouse di Roma". Be prepared to be shocked, disgusted, and appalled not only by the photographs of some of the lunatic liberal nuns.....many photos are from groups of nuns from Africa and India. My prayer when I looked at these photos of the nuns and the way they were dressed and the circus like antics of this gathering in the audience hall at the Vatican was, that I hope their Orders die out fast.....
No wonder there are no vocations.....even the Orders in India are going down now, because of this garbage....and good riddance.

Anonymous said...

It occurred to me at Mass(EF) this morning that we are witnessing the handing over of the Mystical Body of Christ - the Catholic Church - to the powers that hate Her. All these Judases will pay the price for their treachery. Meanwhile, the Passion will commence and the result will be the same - VICTORY!!!

Liam Ronan said...

The ghastly reality of this vote in favour of 'marriage equality' here in Ireland is that Ireland becomes the first nation on earth whose people, by direct vote, chose for public defiance of God, shaking their impudent fists toward heaven by consenting to legitimatise relationships which by their very nature cry to God for vengeance. Genesis 17: 20-21

And not happy to have accomplished in law what even the pagans of old would not countenance, this 'marriage equality' flash mob even now loudly and publicly bays at any intimation by anyone here that this vote is a direct affront to God and will draw down Divine Retribution on the Nation.

"Remember always that in the last days mocking deceivers must needs come, following the rule of their own appetites, who will ask, What has become of the promise that he would appear? Ever since the fathers went to their rest, all is as it was from the foundation of the world." 2 Peter: 3-4

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dublin-will-be-the-next-sodom-and-gomorrah-warns-liveline-caller-31258469.html

Vertuso said...

Dear traditional Catholics... You LOST, get over it.

Anonymous said...

CCC is great for modern issues (i.e. bioethics) but is dreadfully boring and long winded. Honestly, Trent feels more "modern" and accessible than the CCC.

The best catechisms in English are Baltimore, Trent and Apologetics and Catholic Doctrine by Abp. Michael Sheehan.

The CCC is littered with errors and problematic statements. Thankfully the CCC has a Xanax-like effect on its readers so 99.99% of self-professing Catholics never read it anyway.

http://archives.sspx.org/New_Catechism/new_catechism__is_it_catholic_part_1.htm

Anonymous said...

The average laymen won't read no boring CCC. Back in high school that thing used to put people to sleep.

I honestly think the CCC was sabotaged to make people dread learning the Faith, to make Catholicism look boring. Same goes with the Novus Ordo liturgy which likewise makes the Faith look boring and spiritually dry - it discourages prayer (especially mental prayer) instead of encouraging it, instead it substitutes prayer with a forced and monotone dialogue with the priest and there's not even one moment of silence, it's just constant blabber.

The problems with the Church are far deeper than people not knowing their CCC. Even if they know the Faith they won't keep it, I know countless of college aged people who left the Faith, not because of liberal brainwashing but because of irreverence at Mass which they thought was hypocritical and proved that nobody (especially the priests) believed in the Eucharist. It's really that simple. Without Faith, knowledge is nothing but foolishness.

The problem with the Catholic Church is that it isn't Catholic anymore, it's filled with apostates who cling on to their cultural traditions. Most laymen practice birth control and believe the Eucharist is just symbolic. Most priests and bishop preach heresy. Many people, faithful and atheist alike, doubt whether or not Pope Francis is even Catholic. Even Bill Maher thinks Francis is a closet atheist!

The only way the Church resembles Christ right now is in the Shroud of Turin.

Anonymous said...

Troll detected.

What are you still doing here? Trolling people with different views than yourself is a sign of severe mental health problems, especially for such a long period of time. You need psychiatric assistance.

Also, back in the old days people had Faith. There is nothing new under the sun. There were those who were "Culture Catholics" that stood outside the Church smoking fags while their wives and children were praying at Mass and there were those who prayed the rosary everyday and had a profound knowledge of Christ and saintly virtue. The only thing that has changed was Vatican II, which attacked the Faith and scandalized good people through sacrilegious liturgies and heretical preaching, leaving only "Culture Catholics" in the pews. The priests became worldly so the laymen joined the world. Jesus referred to laypeople as "sheep" and sheep follow their shepherds (priests), even if it's over a cliff.

You must not talk to elderly people all to often, which makes sense since the elderly aren't to fond of sociopaths that troll blogs and belong in straightjackets. Seriously though, get help. If you behave like this on the internet I can only imagine how you behave in the real world, you owe this to yourself and to your neighbours.

Anonymous said...

"The correct terminology for Archbishop Lefebvre is that he was a schismatic and died as such outside the Church."

OP never even mentioned ++Lefebvre. Your trolling attempts are pathetic. Go shave your neck beard, move out of your moms basement and start living like a psychologically healthy human being. Stop littering this blog with your Asperger's inspired tirades.

Anonymous said...

Oh look, a troll who's name links to some sort of bestiality website.

Dear fellow, I suggest you visit the following website: http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/mental-health-aspergers-syndrome



Anonymous said...

Mr Savonarola asks the question whether a Christian religion of rules and regulations allows people to engage truly with God. Well, “back to the primitive Church” free-form Christianity has been tried already. I will leave it to others to decide if John Huss, Martin Luther, Henry VIII et al ushered in a period of vibrant religiosity and Christian charity. Some might say that the broad-church approach has left Protestantism acutely vulnerable to contemporary secular cultural pressures – but who am I to judge.

When Jesus bade the apostles farewell, he could have said something like: “Be nice to each other, say your prayers, that’s all that matters. Everything else is negotiable”. But instead, in the Gospel of John, Jesus after his resurrection “breathed on them” and said “receive the Holy Spirit. Those whose sins you remit…. those whose sins you retain….” He is bestowing authority on the apostles to safeguard His Truth, under the guarantee of the Spirit. There are sins to be judged. There are “rules”.

Mr Savonarola doesn’t offer any proof for his assertion that the institutionalised Catholic mentality “was never that firmly established” amongst folks like the Irish. One thing’s for sure - it ain’t now.

Anonymous said...

Our Lord and His Holy Church triumph in the End when all those who defy Him join their prince in Hell.

Anonymous said...

Not that firmly established? Catholicism has survived a 1300 year siege from the Islamic rape/murder cult (a cult which you've extolled in posts on various blogs) and a 500 year siege from militant anti-Catholic Protestantism (which you've also praised).

The faith would seem to have collapsed quickly, but that isn't the case at all. It's been under siege for a very long time. The dawn of the modern age with it's mass media, world wars, etc simply accelerated the process of the decline of Christianity.

And by the way - the sects that reject doctrines, rituals and devotions have fared no better, actually they have fared worse. They mainly seem to serve today as a stepping stone from traditional Christianity to full blown secularism, from which they are barely distinguishable to begin with. It was precisely when the Church stopped emphasising doctrines, rituals and devotions that the faith started to decline precipitously everywhere.

By the way, if you have such an issue with rules and doctrines, why have you expressed such high praise for Islam in your various blog posts? You've praised it as engendering a superior relationship to God compared with Catholicism. Yet isn't Islam based around the brutal enforcement of Sharia law?

Savonarola said...

'Anonymous' is confusing me with someone else. I have never on any blogs praised anti-Catholic Protestantism or Islam, certainly not militant Islam which I am just as appalled by as anyone else.
Nor do I have an issue with rules and doctrines. They have an important part to play in religion, but they can easily become empty form, as Christ and the Prophets realised so well. You can be very good at keeping the rules, observing the rituals and knowing what you should believe while not really knowing God at all. Your heart has still to be circumcised.
So I merely ask, does a religion like Catholicism which, like Judaism, places much emphasis on rituals and doctrines really engage people's faith in God (not the same thing as belief) or does it give them a tribal religious identity which will easily be discarded under the pressure of powerful new influences? The fact that Catholicism can collapse so quickly and easily in traditional Catholic cultures like Ireland suggests this may be so, but if you are wedded to religion rather than God it will be hard for you to acknowledge this.

Anonymous said...

Hello Savonarola,

You acknowledge that "rules and doctrines......have an important part to play in religion". I'm sure you'd agree that the fact that some people may turn them into a fetish or an "empty form" isn't an argument for ditching them. Rules and doctrines, of course, aren't arbitrary.They spring from Our Lord's teachings as to how we are to live our lives in partnership with God. They were decreed by the Church under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They are the unchanging Truth, not a political manifesto.

BTW, it's easy to stereotype (not that I'm accusing you of doing so) but one must not confuse popular piety with popular superstition. And by the way, keeping the rules is a pretty good place to start if one wishes to live in obedience to God.

Savonarola said...

I agree with what you say. Rules can give you a start in religion and spiritual life. Whether they lead one further on into real personal knowledge of God seems open to question.