Letter to Mrs. Don-o's bishop re: the New Paradigm (Cath Caucus)

Mrs. Don-o | February 28, 2018 | Mrs. Don-o

[nobamanomore]

Francis is a screwball, but there have been some really corrupt popes in the past. The Church will make it just fine.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Exactly. Well said.

[Mrs. Don-o]

This present one, Francis, I’d doing and will continue to do, a great deal of harm. And he’s not the only one.

The next one up could be Tagle or Parolin. Lord have mercy.

[Mrs. Don-o]

IS doing harm

Typo.

My fingers are too arthritic for Kindle.

[RitaOK]

Of course you’re right that finding these Traditional Catholic Church homes of traditional faith and practices would be the answer and the perfect earthly destination, for the starving and abandoned sheep, where the longing for the comfort of faithful shepherds and their faithful traditional teaching still survives, but all together, the numbers of these localities is so few as to be out of reach and inaccessible.

In the entire USA, the last count I saw there were fewer than 235 FSSP LATIN Churches, and a several of those have been choked off by opposing bishops transferring in. The sppx is nonexistent in all but a very few places.

In fly over country it is very bad. Older people can not make the long trip and many can’t afford it. We are told we can not leave these silent-to-sin and agenda driven churches in our diocese, to participate elsewhere outside our diocese. They say “who will bury you?”, and “you must not leave your Sunday obligation to the Eucharist “.

The people are captives to wolves in such a case. It is very stressful to endure the silence and cowardice of the diocesan agenda and terrible NO mass.

[RitaOK]

Personally, all here in this caucus thread have to be very proud of your letter and rather desperate me particularly.

I am so located as if to be held hostage in molasses.

You have made quite a little stand, whether your letter to the bishop is ever answered, and have done what all faithful Catholics should have done, by now.

We will not be rewarded for tolerating the intolerable without becoming complicit ourselves. We accuse the bishops and of their silence and inaction and tolerance of evil, and we sit and do not admonish our bishops and their snail following priests.

Most of us do not know the name of our arch-bishop, cardinal.

Thank you for the ping, very much.

[TADSLOS]

Excellent response.

[Marchmain]

I like this!

First, it’s not a bishop-bashing letter just listing complaints. They get those all the time and a whining diatribe never even gets up to the bishop.

Second, very clear and specific topics and questions. My impression is you’re a concerned rcia teacher. Referencing certain documents and ideas makes your concerns clear and gives some “meat” for chewing to whoever reads the letter.

Also, this letter expresses exactly what informed Catholics are wondering about. To Catholics who read and try to keep up with ideas, this conveys what we’re all wondering. We see an article or treatise, but what are we really to think? Is there a paradigm shift? Everyone is saying so, but does this effect our faith and our own Christisn lives?

It’s sincere, interesting and specific. I hope you will get an answer and share it with us!

[ADSUM]

The Pope cannot destroy the Catholic Church, it may grow a little smaller. Perhaps there is a need to clean house!

One can control his own actions, but not control everything else.

... unless we do it through logic and reason and the Truth of Jesus.

God is love and will conquer all like He conquered death.

Some may reject Him, but I would rather have Him on my side. Or really, I am on His side.

[ADSUM]

I did write to my archbishop on Amoris Laetitia. Silence .. no reply.

I did send a letter to Archbishop Cupich about his public remarks on receiving Holy Communion. I got a postcard without any response.

I have spoken with others - no significant concern.

I can just imagine how Jesus feels and has the humility to allow it.

[ebb tide]

From your location, I assume your bishop is Richard Stika.

From Stika's statement, "I share in the Pope’s desire to be a pastoral Church, filled with love and mercy, and I welcome the guidance the Holy Father has offered in this richly detailed 260- page document. I have encouraged all of our priests, deacons, and religious to read the entire document before rushing to hasty conclusions—and I invite you to do the same", I would not expect a positive, Catholic response from him.

Bishop Stika comments on Amoris Laetitia

[Marchmain]

I cannot imagine a practicing Catholic not knowing his bishop!? Even the least involved person who only goes to mass occasionally would hear the bishop’s name in the prayers.

The bishop comes around for Confirmation, this is a big deal. Even if someone is totally uninvolved there are occasional announcements in the bulletin about the chancery or bishop’s activities (if nothing else than a fundraiser!).

The diocesan paper, goofy though most of these are, has a regular column by the bishop and other big shots.

I don’t think there is any obligation to get more involved than mass, but it can be beneficial.

[RitaOK]

I said most don’t the Archbishop by name. (Or cardinals.). Everyone knows they have one but not everyone can name them.

[SaraJohnson]

It seems to me (and my sisters) that Pope Francis is a liberation theology adherent and believes in moral relativism. I’m no longer a Catholic; I just read the Bible and pray for truth. But my Catholic sisters are with you.

My sisters will never leave the church, and I never encourage that. But for me, the church was not useful nor trustworthy being the authority over Christianity. My sisters are finding out what it is like to live under the spiritual rule of one they see is unworthy of that authority.

Popes are men and it is to be expected that a twisted one will show up now and then. Look at the history of Popes in the church. The solution to this confusion is to read and study the Bible for truth. Give the Pope a rest. Jesus Christ has not changed and is still with you. God bless you.

[Songcraft]

Great letter, Mrs. Don-o!   Excellent questions, presented in clear language, yet well-modulated tones.   If you do get a real response, and choose to share it here at FR, I hope I get a chance to read it.  (I think your references to your RCIA teaching role should trigger a response from at least someone at your bishop's office, and hopefully that will be from the bishop himself.)

On EWTN's Raymond Arroyo show tonight (3/1/18), he featured a prominent Catholic guest who wrote a book you might be interested in reading.   Here's the Amazon link for that book:

"Lost Shepherd: How Pope Francis is Misleading His Flock"
by Philip F. Lawler

God bless you.

(P.S. Can you forward a copy of your letter to Archbishop Chaput in Philadelphia?   I think that might end up bearing fruit in the future.)

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thanks for you kind words, Pray All Day. I have Lawler's book on my lap right now! I am at page 159. Lawler has the virtues of being fair-minded, not driven by contempt or ire, intelligent, honest, faithful and equable: in other words, a solid Catholic. I can't think of a man I respect more.

And this book is devastating. I never dreamed the Church could have such bad leadership in my lifetime. It is deeply disorienting, surreal, like living in a nightmare.

I will send my letter to Chaput. Maybe Paprocki too. Good men. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Songcraft]

You're way ahead of me there with that book!        :-)

(I'm still just planning on ordering that book myself now, after listening to that interview with the author tonight.)

[RitaOK]

That was a riveting interview with canonist, Phil Lawler.
Mr. Lawler looked heartbroken. We can agree, I believe, that he was.

We never should have accepted the Modernism, cooperated with it, and thrown out the Saint Michael Prayer led by the priest following Holy Mass.

Certainly, we are experiencing due chastisement for our neglects.

[Songcraft]

I believe you are right.