David Ancell / Monday October 20, 2003
This past week I have received my copy of This Rock magazine. It has three assessments of the pontificate of John Paul II. I am also reminded of the posting here that includes a comment about a priest who said that the way he handles things is to ignore the bishops and pretend they didn’t exist.
Well, we can’t ignore our bishops any more than we can ignore our own fathers. We must show concern for their salvation even if (especially if) they show no concern for ours. We must hear what they say and either obey it or be greatly disturbed by it. Let us not forget that these bishops will one day give an account of the way they held their office before Almighty God.
With that being said, however, I don’t believe that the clergy will be the ones to reform the Church. Much of the good fruits that we have seen in recent times comes from lay people like Scott Hahn, Catholics United for the Faith, and the people of the Catholic Resource Center. Granted, they get the support of the clergy, but it is largely the lay people doing the work. One reason that they do this is that the clergy (and the diocesean bureaucrats) are not doing it. Almost every great reform in the history of the Church has been the work of the laity.
Let’s see how many dissident homilies we hear when it’s known that the people in the pews won’t have it. Bishops will feel more comfortable taking action when they know their flock supports them. We as laity can and must make a difference. Just as the bishops will be accountable before Almighty God, so will we.
Category: Posts imported from Danger! Falling Brainwaves, Uncategorized
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