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Comfort Catholicism Has to Go; It is Time to Prepare for Persecution
National Catholic Register ^ | August 21, 2016 | Msgr. Charles Pope

Posted on 08/25/2016 5:00:50 AM PDT by Petrosius

We are at war for our own souls and the souls of people we love. We are at war for the soul of this culture and nation. And like any soldier, we must train to fight well.

There is a growing consternation among some Catholics that the Church, at least in her leadership, is living in the past. It seems there is no awareness that we are at war and that Catholics need to be summoned to sobriety, increasing separation from the wider culture, courageous witness and increasing martyrdom.

It is long past dark in our culture, but in most parishes and dioceses it is business as usual and there is anything but the sober alarm that is really necessary in times like these.

Scripture says, Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle (Psalm 144:1). Preparing people for war — a moral and spiritual war, not a shooting war — should include a clear setting forth of the errors of our time, and a clear and loving application of the truth to error and light to darkness.

But there is little such training evident in Catholic circles today where, in the average parish, there exists a sort of shy and quiet atmosphere — a fear of addressing “controversial” issues lest someone be offended, or the parish be perceived as “unwelcoming.”

But, if there ever was a time to wear soft garments, it is not now.

(Excerpt) Read more at ncregister.com ...


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 08/25/2016 5:00:50 AM PDT by Petrosius
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To: Petrosius

Just follow the 10 Commandments. Keep it simple.


2 posted on 08/25/2016 5:04:00 AM PDT by LibFreeUSA
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To: Petrosius

Yes, but non-Catholics with knowledge of history wonder just who will be persecuting who, Msgr. Pope.


3 posted on 08/25/2016 5:04:03 AM PDT by Resettozero
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To: Petrosius

The title with the term ‘Comfort Catholics’ got my attention. Look at the entire church for this. The pope’s outfits and jewelry is worth millions. Cardinals outfits in the tens of thousands. Many, many catholic parishes are gilded and worth a lot.

Yes, there is comfort in catholicism, one just has to look at the leadership to see who is setting the example.


4 posted on 08/25/2016 5:17:03 AM PDT by TMA62 (Al Sharpton - The North Korea of race relations)
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To: Petrosius

The article by Msgr. Pope was not bad, but of course at no point did he suggest that the Church should excommunicate, nor did he suggest that Catholic voters should stop voting for, politicians who support anti-Christian policies.


5 posted on 08/25/2016 5:20:00 AM PDT by Eric Pode of Croydon
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To: Eric Pode of Croydon
The article by Msgr. Pope was not bad, but of course at no point did he suggest that the Church should excommunicate, nor did he suggest that Catholic voters should stop voting for, politicians who support anti-Christian policies.

Or giving eulogies at the funerals for politicians like Teddy Kennedy

What a disgrace
6 posted on 08/25/2016 5:29:55 AM PDT by uncbob
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To: Petrosius
The headline is something of a tautology. "Comfort Catholicism" and being unprepared for persecution are essentially the same thing.

In fact, the only way that "Comfort Catholicism" will go, is through persecution.

Persecution will be the mechanism by which the Church will be purified, as so often in the past. Man can not, of his own volition, ease painlessly out of his comfort zone and adopt a mentality of martyrdom. Only God's grace can do this to us and for that, suffering will be necessary. The suffering brought by persecution.

7 posted on 08/25/2016 5:35:58 AM PDT by marshmallow
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To: TMA62

You must be a fan of Pope Francis’s papacy.


8 posted on 08/25/2016 5:43:02 AM PDT by Oratam
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To: Petrosius

Somebody tell the current occupant of the Chair of Peter. He seems to think that Catholics should apologize to the muzzards for standing in the way of their world-expansionist movement.


9 posted on 08/25/2016 6:12:50 AM PDT by I want the USA back (The media is acting full-on as the Democratic PartyÂ’s press agency now: Robert Spencer.)
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To: TMA62
In defense of Catholic vestments and churches:

Personally, I am **very** grateful to the Catholic Church for preserving masterpieces of Western Civilization in their magnificent churches and libraries. It is expensive for them to do this and they are open to all to see and use for scholarly research. (

Thank you Catholics for doing this wonderful work over many centuries!

As for local Catholic churches, their vestments and altar linens are an expression of folk art . These vestments and linens are often lovingly made by hand and paid for by the women of the the parish. Their church buildings, too,( especially in old immigrant neighborhoods) are an artistic expression of the parishioners that were (and continue to be) funded by sale of ethnic foods and yearly fairs. Eliminating these activities would be a tremendous cultural and artistic loss. It would also seriously weaken community spirit and community integrity.

By the way,....I am not Catholic.

10 posted on 08/25/2016 6:19:53 AM PDT by wintertime (Stop treating government teachers like they are reincarnated Mother Teresas!)
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To: Petrosius; nickcarraway; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; ArrogantBustard; Catholicguy; RobbyS; ...

Monsignor Pope Ping!


11 posted on 08/25/2016 6:56:50 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

this was excellent.


12 posted on 08/25/2016 6:58:17 AM PDT by xsmommy
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To: TMA62

He’s talking about spiritual comfort not physical comfort.


13 posted on 08/25/2016 6:58:17 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Petrosius

In other words, “cultural Catholicism,”.


14 posted on 08/25/2016 6:58:49 AM PDT by Biggirl ("One Lord, one faith, one baptism" - Ephesians 4:5)
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To: Petrosius
Again, if there ever was a time to wear soft garments, it is not now. It is zero-dark-thirty in our post-Christian culture. And while we may wish to blame any number of factors for the collapse, we cannot exclude ourselves. We who are supposed to be the light of the world, with Christ shining in us, have preferred to hide our light under a basket and lay low. The ruins of our families and culture are testimony to the triumph of error and the suppression of the truth.>b?
15 posted on 08/25/2016 7:01:17 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Petrosius

16 posted on 08/25/2016 7:16:08 AM PDT by COBOL2Java (Trump is to the political class what Uber is to taxicab companies)
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To: COBOL2Java

I only just now noticed the child kneeling in that painting.


17 posted on 08/25/2016 7:17:13 AM PDT by COBOL2Java (Trump is to the political class what Uber is to taxicab companies)
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To: TMA62
The pope’s outfits and jewelry is worth millions.

Got a source for that, or is that just your opinion?

Many, many catholic parishes are gilded and worth a lot.

Compared to evangelical megachurches most Catholic parishes are churchmouse poor.

18 posted on 08/25/2016 7:20:15 AM PDT by Campion (Halten Sie sich unbedingt an die Lehre!)
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To: Petrosius

Translation: Arm up Christians.


19 posted on 08/25/2016 7:21:03 AM PDT by Biggirl ("One Lord, one faith, one baptism" - Ephesians 4:5)
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To: Petrosius

Axios!


20 posted on 08/25/2016 9:21:28 AM PDT by NRx (A man of integrity passes his father's civilization to his son, without selling it off to strangers.)
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