AP News - Across the U.S., the Catholic Church is undergoing an immense shift. Generations of Catholics who embraced the modernizing tide sparked in the 1960s by Vatican II are increasingly giving way to religious conservatives who believe the church has been twisted by change, with the promise of eternal salvation replaced by guitar Masses, parish food pantries and casual indifference to church doctrine. The shift, molded by plummeting church attendance, increasingly traditional priests and growing numbers of young Catholics searching for more orthodoxy, has reshaped parishes across the country, leaving them sometimes at odds with Pope Francis and much of the Catholic world.
The changes are not happening everywhere. There are still plenty of liberal parishes, plenty that see themselves as middle-of-the-road. Despite their growing influence, conservative Catholics remain a minority. Yet the changes they have brought are impossible to miss.Generations of U.S. Catholics are giving way to religious conservatives who believe the church has been twisted by change. It has reshaped parishes and universities across the country, leaving them sometimes at odds with much of the Catholic world.
The progressive priests who dominated the U.S. church in the years after Vatican II are now in their 70s and 80s. Many are retired. Some are dead. Younger priests, surveys show, are far more conservative. “They say they’re trying to restore what us old guys ruined,” said the Rev. John Forliti, 87, a retired Twin Cities priest who fought for civil rights and reforms in Catholic school sex education.
1 comment:
A couple of quick thoughts:
A few years ago, a heterosexual married catholic school teacher in Wisconsin was fired just for having IVF.
As we learn early in our lives, one must color inside the lines. OK, the metaphor could be better, but the idea is that in any society we are somewhat forced to follow certain written, and also unwritten, rules. Granted, both kinds of rules change from time-to-time, with slavery (world-wide) being OK at one time then later not OK, catholic priests could be married (to a female) at one time but not now unless you in the ‘eastern rite’ (still a female), and maybe other rules.
Heck, it doesn’t seem all that long ago that I heard politicians could fight duels! And at one time Germany was a modern liberal country, then it wasn’t, then maybe it is, except for the skinheads, and Die Republikaner (“The Republicans) a German ultranationalist and arguably neo-fascist political party. Hmmm… the more things change, the more they stay the same!
In the u.s., the image and ideals of our two political parties have switched over the last century. Religion, then-and-now, important to both major parties, is now seemingly controlling the GOP. (Can you believe it, the GOP actually thought it could use religion as a ‘tool’ until it backfired). Also, in the u.s., political bribery used to be disapproved of and considered illegal, but is now de rigueur possibly due to economic / social / political theories of Ayn Rand and possibly Milton Friedman and Citizens United.
In a way, if the catholic church becomes dogmatic and possibly tyrannical, I suppose some might think that’s OK as long as that collegial group of boss’ and willing sheep keep to themselves and don’t try to declare war on others as experienced in the ‘inquisition’.
I guess we just need to find our own group of like-minded folks, espouse our ideas, and Vote.
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