I’m currently working on a project in which I’m soliciting and collecting letters from U.S. Catholics, both active and fallen away, regarding their faith issues. The fact that these issues are not solicited from us by our own parishes or archdioces, is no reason not to generate them ourselves. The only way to understand what’s happening to our Church is to understand what’s happening in the minds and hearts of its past and current members. My hope is to give us a documented Voice on subjects such as war, women’s rights, celibacy, priest abuse, the current investigation of women religious, etc. I would greatly appreciate the response from the VN community for this project! Many thanks, ladies!
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i use a combo of shea butter and aloe vera moisturizer. Works great. I use shea butter on my lips, around my eyes and nose (dry areas), My father swears by vasoline.
p.s. I dropped your name on Gina's post, Barb. ;)
I will tell him… i am mad at the church for hiding all those priests that did bad things to our kids. Shame on you!
Hi Rea, I rejected Catholicism at around age 8. Actually, it was more a rejection of God and religion in general. I kept asking God for answers but didn’t get any, and I couldn’t make that blind “leap to faith,” which Kierkegaard spoke so eloquently about. My anger toward the Vatican came later, mostly because of it’s position on women in the church, birth control, abortion, divorce, etc. I also became upset at how the molester priests were handled – very poorly. Many catholics were shocked and disallusioned by how this matter was handled.
Nowadays, I’ve mellowed considerably and feel much less hostility toward the Vatican and toward religion in general. I’m still an atheist, but I support religious freedom and religious traditions in founding history - on money and historic buildings for example, or by saying God in the pledge. Judeo-Christian values are a part of our history and I like and respect many of those traditions. I’ll always feel this way as long as we still have freedom from religion. Hope this helps.
I am not a Catholic, but grew up in a town where the majority of people were Catholic. Their system is so entrenched, that I doubt it will ever change.
How dare he pontificate on hunger when he sits in a palace that could feed hundreds of thousands?? How dare he preach on celibacy when his supporters/priests in the Church are so promiscuous?? How dare he think that all he has to do is ‘say it’ and ‘it’ will be done? Spare me the hyprocisy of his mind, Church and all that he represents in a world of chaos and confusion, anger and hate. Contribute to his coffers when most poor members of church can’t feed themselves. Have every child you’ve become impregnated with — even if it is your 6th or 7th and the doctors are warning that ‘next time having another could kill you’? Such an incredibly selfish, dogmatic and archaic approach to life. I find God is very very flexible –! Man – Popes – are rigid and greedy. Tell him that!!!
THanks, Maggie. I think alot of people will agree with this. I think it’s time to understand why so many people are disconnected. THe “shepherds” have lost their sheep and don’t seem to care.
I agreed wholeheartedly with your comments. If the coffers were actually spent on the poor, the hungry, the down trodden instead of accumulating even more wealth, the world would be a much better place! Man’s greed has taken over the fundimental roots of religion – love thy neighbour.
I was born and raised a Catholic. School was taught by nuns, very strict, who were unfair and cruel to the “poor” kids but would fawn over the children of privilege. I was around 7 when I figured that out.
I go to church for baptisms, weddings and funerals. But I am a believer of God. What I don’t believe in is the business of religion, be it catholic or any other faith.
Our parish priest called me one day to see why I was no longer attending mass.
I told him it wasn’t due to him, I just have a problem with the patriarchal society of the church.
Then I asked him:
Why can’t a woman be a priest? Is a woman less in God’s eyes?
Why can’t priests marry? Clergy of other faiths are allowed to do so and they don’t seem to do so badly. Acutally I’d far rather deal with a person who has the experience of family life, someone who knows first hand all that goes on in the day to day struggles of a family as well as it’s joys.
He hemmed and hawed and said I had some interesting points, perhaps I should join a committe to discuss my concerns.
I said thank you no, it’s going to take a lot more than my concerns to change that draconian mindset.
I hope they wake up and make some changes sooner than later.
Also asked your questions and got stone-walled – but – I expected it as well. Don’t count on any waking up or changing — when one gets what one wants – there is no need to change
I was born and raised catholic. I had left the church for a long time, but after a long journey of study in different religions, I have found myself back in the catholic church. It is who I am, culturally. It is certainly far from perfect, but so are all religions, as they are made of imperfect humans, stiving to know who we are spiritually. I probably would tell the pope that “the times, they are a changin”.
I probably am considered a heretic by many, and that’s o.k. As I said, I have done a lot of studying, and a lot of living. So my focus is on Communion,not politics. I keep my dialog between me and the Lord, not the Pope. There are many things wrong with my church at present, but my talking to the pope would do nothing.
I want to thank you Rea, once again for opening a wonderful dialog. I didn’t mean to be so abrupt, when I said talking to the pope would do nothing. I simply meant that WE ARE THE CHURCH. So, it is amongst all of us that dialog is important. I think that someimes, we can be pulled off track. I would like to believe that by our actions, born out of Love, and played out in Love, that the pope will see the importance of change. It is not necessary that we all agree. What is necessary is that we all respect each other. It is necessary that we all feel a part of the Body of Christ, not a part of the political entity, which has come to be falsely known as the catholic church. I know many sisters and priests who have a wonderful vision of the future church, as do I. So I remain, in prayer, in that vision, where our Divine selves will move forward, along with our human selves.
Alexsondra, I so agree! This idea of an open letter to Rome was actually born out of a conversation I had with a devout, but discouraged Catholic, who said that he feared it didn’t matter to Rome what we in the U.S. (or most of Europe) thought. That as far as Rome was concerned, it was up to its members to comply with them and not the reverse. It occurred to me then what a false model of shepherding that was. If all your sheep wander out of the pasture one by one, or in droves, does a shepherd just stand there and do nothing? Would Christ? And I realized it doesn’t matter who starts the process of dialogue, but that the dialogue has to begin. Instead of reaching out in dialogue to its current members, it evangelizes to countries who are more and more remote. And whereas I think evangelization has its place, it’s wrong to ignore the members who have supported you for millenia. Rome may never change, but something excellent can be born out of the dialogue, because the members who are being ignored will learn a great deal about themselves in the process. And that alone will change the dynamic or give birth to something brand new. Thanks for your reply!
What would I tell the Pope? There’s much, but like others, it’s, likely, a waste of my energy. The current Pope is doubtful, in my eyes. I see him as an entrenched old man without vision or interest in change for the good. I hope I’m missing something because if ever there was a time when our world could use strong, compassionate leadership is now. Alas, it (compassionate leadership) quietly comes from unexpected sources not dwelling in palatial estates.
That’s a good thing to tell him, Charmaine! He is so protected, I doubt he’s ever heard such straight-talk or has any idea how he’s perceived by his so-called flock. I think if he knew, he might care. It’s true that nothing at all may come of it in the short term, but the agents of change can be subtle. I think if a real shepherd suddenly wakes up and sees that his sheep are mostly gone, he’d be curious about the reasons. And eventually, (this pope or the next or the one after that) might be inclined to take some responsibility for the exodus. After all, are the sheep in charge, or is the shepherd? (In this case, I think the sheep may have taken control and the shepherd doesn’t even know it.) Thanks to everybody for caring enough to reply!
Maybe that’s why I keep hearing an awful lot of baaa baaa baaa from Vatican City. LOL>
I agree with the comments that the Church is “us”, not the pope, and that the pope is too protected to be truly in touch with the greater Catholic community. I sincerely doubt that meaningful change will come as a response to our voices – our American voices, our female voices. They already know that many American Catholics are far more progressive than they like, and have tried to snuff out dissent. Catholic colleges have Vatican-imposed draconian rules about on-campus entertainment; the clergy is not allowed even to speak with us about flash-point topics, such as female clergy, married clergy. Without dialogue there is little chance for better understanding, and very little chance of change.
But change can still happen – it has before. Did you expect the iron curtain to come down? Those who lived through the Cuban missile crisis -did you expect to see American astronauts on a Russian space station? So too, the Church can change. The Church hierarchy has lost its way, and is not leading much besides itself. It is in danger of making the Church irrelevant to many of us. But if the Church is the embodiment of our faith, our relationship with God, then who’s to say God won’t influence the direction of the Church in ways that we cannot see? I hope so, and I hope it happens soon. Extreme and sudden change is risky, and can drive some of the faithful away (ala Vatican 2)…but I’d be happy with a series of baby steps if they all head in the right direction.
this was so beautifully written. I just want to thank you. Ah yes, those baby steps. They can lead us completely around the world, knock down unnecessary barriers, and unite the most unlikely people.
God bless you.
I don’t think I could talk to this one, Rhea. Having made some real zig zags in life, I have perhaps stumbled upon more than most religious institutions would ever feel comfortable with me knowing. While I understand that his intentions are for the good of the church he leads, I do not care for or condone many of his life choices, or where his passions have led him to excel in his leadership. There is no way that I believe the voice of God speaks through him no matter what chair he sits in. However it is crystal clear that the underground stream of Rome certainly does, with all it’s guile and candor. And he makes a perfect mouthpiece.
As a young child, I watched the church “open it’s windows.” When the light came in, we slowly learned not to fear, because we saw reality clearly. I was probably the last person to lift my head an look objectively. And it wasn’t easy. Because I loved his predecessor, and I would have followed his rules to the letter no matter how badly I disagreed with a few.
And I was very lucky I did because five years later, this man took the leadership the church made it’s final move from what it could be to what it has been all along, underneath the good will and despite the good intentions for it’s people. I cannot stay and watch the the church I grew up in gradually close those windows so slowly that most people will never even recognize it. Or remember what it was like when they were open. So Although I haven’t FORMALLY left. I have stepped away. And it has been a very painful and fully conscious decision.