Contraception has been a “clear factor” in the steep decline of parishioners at Catholic churches across the United States, says Bishop Alexander Sample of Marquette, Michigan. “Not everyone wants to talk about it, but that is a clear factor in the decline of the Catholic community,” the bishop told Catholic World Report in a newly-published interview.
He noted also that the drop in numbers is explained by Catholics leaving the faith. “They are not well formed in the faith and have been swayed by a secular culture. They don’t see religious values as important,” he said.
The vast majority of ex-Catholics who now inhabit the 'mega-church' non-denominational places are there because of issues below the beltline: contraception and divorce.
And he pins the tail on the right donkey.
According to the bishop, these problems resulted from poor catechesis in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, which took place in 1962-1965.
“While I certainly don’t blame the Council, much upheaval occurred in the Church in its aftermath,” he said. “Culturally, society was experiencing the sexual revolution, the women’s liberation movement, and the anti-war movement, among others. There was an anti-authoritarian spirit.”
You don't have to be a genius to read between those lines: most US Bishops failed miserably in their duty as teachers.
Oh, well. Back to the basics.
Too much time being polite to the failure bishops, me thinks. They were wrong and they should be told so in public.
ReplyDeleteIt was not just catechesis, but revolt against Church teaching by laity, priests, bishops and bishops conferences. The revolt was very public and widespread. To anyone who remembers the lead-up to and aftermath of Humanae Vitae it’s not hard to see where things went wrong.
ReplyDeleteIn the years leading up to 1968 while Pope John XXII’s Commission on Birth Control (begun in 1963 and concluded in 1966) there was widespread expectation that some form of birth control – particularly The Pill – would be allowed. It is said that even future Pope John Paul I – then Bishop Luciani – expected a change. The publication of the Majority and Minority Reports from the Commission (by The Tablet in England and The National Catholic Reporter in the US) fed the flames of expected change.
When Humanae Vitae was published on July 25th, 1968, all hell broke loose. The rest is history – and we’re still living with it.
He gets it BIG TIME! He will be a Bishop (force) to be reckoned with for a while to come!
ReplyDeleteI posted about something else awesome he did today... Kicking... stuff, and taking names!