A few days ago, I wrote on the fact that as people of memory, we know and love our past, especially our religious heritage.
However, I have been noticing a trend among journalists and bloggers on line which is disturbing.
Too many are going over and over and over the things which have led us to the destruction of Western Civilization and even Church parishes and communities.
I wrote and have written articles myself on why and how we got to this state, but I am truly tired of the post-mortem articles which claim to understand the rot, and especially those articles which blame the hierarchy only. I wrote this eight days ago on another site.
I was talking with a holy priest at the December, 2012 rally in Dublin (I am in Dublin) and he told me that this moving away from the Gospel values and Church was a long time coming. Father stated, as we were standing with candles in the street outside the government buildings, that the adult population of Ireland did not appropriate an adult faith, but stayed like children-not reading, not studying, not praying or taking responsibility for their own souls. The result of this is a feel-good faith rather than an intellectual assent and a willingness to put politics before principles. Most Catholics have not read the CCC here, for example or Humanae Vitae. They have not interiorized adult ways of apologetics and discussing with those who do not believe.
In addition, we discussed whether or not the lie of socialism led to the softening of the adult Catholic consciences here. One cannot be a socialist and a Catholic, as more than one pope (in fact all back to 1848) have said. Socialism creates a false dependency on the State and deadens individual responsibility. The Irish people have voted these people in and they get what they deserve. If the vast majority repent of being irreponsible to date for their faith and take hold of the Catholic view of governing, which is not socialism, maybe then there will be a change. In addition, there are many so-called Catholic women who contracept, especially the younger ones. Abortion and contraception mentalities overlap. Change? I doubt it. The years of personal compromise led to this horrible decision.
As to blaming bishops, get over it, I say, as God is going to judge me, a lay person and not say at my particular judgement, "Oh you poor thing, you had a bad bishop". I am responsible for my own salvation, with the grace of God, in and through the Church, We can get to heaven and hold the Truth up in the public sphere bishops or no bishops.
But. I want to add that the reason I did the perfection series, including the Doctors of the Church series, which I mentioned as I was writing, is that the time for looking towards the past is over.
We must deal with the now and plan for our eternal goal, which is heaven.
I challenge all to stop hand-wringing and get on with the task of cooperating with grace to become a saint.
If you really have not been paying attention for forty years and need historical updating, follow the Gramsci tags
I remember, when I was down in Mississippi helping out a bit after Katrina, that one of the teens said to me, in tears. "Why do people keep going over the past again and again. I want to move on. I want to live." It took some people a long time to grieve, over a year. I was there exactly one year later. But, one must move on. I walked past some of these exact ruins for months. One must grieve and look forward. Someday, I shall show you my photo album of Bay St. Louis and Waveland a year after the hurricane.
But, one must decide what to do next.
The Irish have a habit of dwelling too much on the past. They have told me this themselves.
Stop crying in your beer, all Catholics, and move on. We do not have much time to take advantage of the sacramental life of the Church. We do not,.
