Wow. A reply to a post from more than 4 years ago. I’m impressed. I don’t even remember the thread.
My point remains a valid one, and I’ll state it a little more pointedly. There are a lot of western (Roman) Catholics who rightfully have problems with practices within their parishes. Yet when it comes down to it, they’d rather stand around, bitching and moaning, than take positive action such as finding another place to worship.
I identified five eastern Catholic parishes within the Minneapolis area. Eastern Catholic churches that are in full communion with the Holy See and which are under a completely different administration with different Bishops. Places where Orthodoxy is quite literally a point of pride. Yet I would bet that these parishes are relatively empty and devoid of these allegedly “orthodox” western Catholics.
I don’t participate in these threads anymore where western Catholics complain about the heterodoxy in their parishes or diocese. The vast bulk of those complaining live in metropolitan areas where they can either find a more orthodox parish, or go to an eastern Catholic church. Yet they don’t. And that’s probably a good thing.
These are people who would rather curse the darkness than light a candle, and I’ve come to the conclusion that in most cases, it’s better for eastern Catholics that they stay right where they are.
“My point remains a valid one, and I’ll state it a little more pointedly. There are a lot of western (Roman) Catholics who rightfully have problems with practices within their parishes. Yet when it comes down to it, they’d rather stand around, bitching and moaning, than take positive action such as finding another place to worship.”
If people don’t know any better, nothing will change. I don’t agree that retreating to an eastern parish and navel gazing changes anything.
I’ve seen liberal priests driven from their parishes because people start get get angry and threaten to pull financial support.
Of course, I’ve seen it work the other way too.