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Roman Curia Fears Bishop Sharing Reform Ideas With Pope Francis

Industry: Non Profit & Charity

Vatican Fears Change & Faithful Still Waiting For It.

Atlanta (PRUnderground) July 29th, 2014

Pope Francis was elected to the Papacy in March of 2013. I like him and it seems everyone does. Unaware to the faithful at the time was a concern by many cardinals over the decline in donations to the church by American Catholics under Pope Benedict XVI and fallen away Catholics in general. In fact it’s jokingly said that the biggest religious denomination after Roman Catholics is fallen away Roman Catholics. So why is that and where are we now? The sex abuse crisis hurt the church immensely and as important an issue as it was it masked other issues of lesser importance that was driving the faithful away. The resulting sell off of Catholic Church property churches in particular is mind boggling and it continues to happen. Watch the Daily Mass on EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) and observe that the people attending Mass appear to be in the age group of 50 years old and older. I believe that represents the norm at those Catholic Churches that remain open. Protestant Christian Churches can’t seem to be built fast enough. Their congregations are young and vibrant.

The Catholic Church has a truly excellent campaign entitled, “Welcome Home” encouraging fallen away members to return. The campaign is a marketing success wonderful in its presentation, tugs on the right heart strings and then fails with the returning members realization that nothing changed nothing at all. Pope Francis has indeed been a breath of fresh air. He has changed how his Curia operates and where he sleeps at night apart from the Papal Apartments in the Guest House. Worldwide however we are on a path already paved by Benedict XVI. We already know the results that we can expect. The cardinals likewise know the faithful are losing patience again. On one hand they are happy maintaining the status quo and preventing the Pontiff from making changes he might really like to make, screening out reform ideas from his mail and handling him like a candidate for public office. So what could the church do? Public Relations has always been a strong point of the church & so a Papal visit to the United States would be huge. It would boost popularity all over again and bring new life into the papacy of Pope Francis… and the resulting danger will be that the cycle repeats itself all over again. So where are the faithful now? They are living out their Christian walk in numerous ways through countless charities, ministries and discovering Christian houses of worship. They are still catholic attend weddings & funerals and mass as family life directs them. But they are not blind to the scriptural calling in Matthew 18:20 that “where two or three are gathered in my name I am there with them.” It’s difficult to fix a negative without bringing it into the light of day. I write on these topics with that aim and share thoughts with Pope Francis by correspondence. The donations Catholics once gave their church are now dispersed among charities that have found favor with the donor. That’s a good thing for everything from local food pantries & the needs and services of other faith groups so long as the funds go to good purpose. The bishops, archbishops & cardinals are terrified of change and the faithful- just as the Apostles were before Pentecost. Once receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost that should have encouraged us to embrace change, make it our own and make it a force for good works among all without division. The presumption that people are not educated or smart enough to figure things out on their own may work in third world nations but people by and large are smarter today and at the very least expect clergy to live out the teachings of the Bible first and foremost. Church policy should be viewed from this perspective- if it doesn’t come from the love of God then it is from Satan. In the end the real test can be like the saying on those bracelets people used to wear and some still do that says, “WWJD standing for -What would Jesus do?” Remember, He wants us all to be one!

About U.S. Port MInistry

The Most Rev. Joseph M. Corrigan is from an ”Old Roman Catholic jurisdiction” which is recognized by the Roman Catholic Church but not under the authority of the Vatican & is a ”validly ordained minister of Jesus Christ”. While happily married Rev. +Joseph enjoys the fullness of the priesthood. A gift from the church, in the tradition of the Old Roman Catholic Rite to help him further carry out his special ministry.

Liturgical expressions follow the Roman Rite Catholic Mass. When members of the Roman Catholic Church encounter us for the first time, they are often surprised to learn that Catholic denominations exist apart from Rome. Understandably, questions are raised about the validity of Orders and Sacraments administered by the ”Orthodox or Old Catholics.” I hope the following information will be helpful. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Dominus Iesus

At the Vatican, 16 June 2000, Pope John Paul II ratified and ordered the publication of Dominus Iesus.
This Declaration of the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith was signed and published by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) in August of the same year.

In this Declaration, the Roman Church recognizes the validity of Orders and Sacraments of Old Catholic denominations.

”The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the (Roman) Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches.”

”Therefore, these separated Churches and communities as such…have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church.” IV. Unicity and Unity of the Church, 17

Other Citations:
Catholic Almanac – 1974
” The Roman Church recognizes the Validity of Old Catholic Orders and other Sacraments.” (Felican A. Roy, OFM, page 368)
The Pastoral Companion – A Canon Law Handbook for Catholic Ministry – Third Edition by John M. Huels, JCD, page 335
” The principal condition is that these sacraments can be received only from validly ordained ministers. These are ministers who belong to ”churches that have preserved the substance of the Eucharistic teaching, the sacrament of orders, and apostolic succession.” This would include all Eastern non-Catholic Churches, the Polish National Church, Old Catholics, and Old Roman Catholics.

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