Uses for Catholicism in 2023

[Thomas123]

Matthew 23:3
'So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.'


Speak as an observer if you are not a Catholic.

Does Rome lead the efforts to provide housing for Ukrainian refugees in Europe? I think not!

Is Rome taking to task its Eastern Orthodox offshoot about their ties and support for Putins troops! I don't think so!

Is Rome in the vanguard of a new environmental crusade. I think not!

Is Rome going to relax gender/celibacy/etc doctrines for its dwindling priesthood and encourage them to mix more. I doubt it.

Etc, etc,etc

Catholicism is a huge religion that deserves guidance in todays world.

They abstained from giving guidance about, TV, Internet browsing, business, etc etc

What is it actually doing?

I am probably missing something!

What do you think?

[Thomas123]

Look at the outdated Doctrines that prop up the Peter Papacy. A hierarchial church with directives centralized through Peter's successors. There is a stranglehold on reform and improvisation at the grass roots of this monolith.

If you are going to use this structure at least energize the top. Here is a better idea, change things. Forget precedent.

If Jesus said(he didnt) that Peter was to be the rock on which the church is built it doesn't mean build a citadel on his grave and keep renewing the succession with geriatrics, God Bless them.

This preacher Jesus knelt down and washed his disciples feet, allegedly. The least shall be the greatest and all that,why not run things by committee, and disperse energy quickly to the body peripheries of Catholicism before rigomortus sets in permanently.

Will there be reform? No!

[historia]

Does Rome lead the efforts to provide housing for Ukrainian refugees in Europe? I think not!

I'm not sure what your complaint is here. Are you saying Roman Catholics in Poland and around the world aren't providing enough direct or indirect aid to Ukrainian refugees? Or are you saying that the Vatican should be somehow coordinating all efforts to provide housing to Ukrainian refugees, including those of secular governments and not-profit organizations?

Is Rome taking to task its Eastern Orthodox offshoot about their ties and support for Putins troops! I don't think so!

I assume here you mean specifically the Russian Orthodox Church, and not all Eastern Orthodox churches, since the latter aren't supporting Putin. You might consider this CNN article: "Pope Francis warns pro-war Russian patriarch not to be 'Putin’s altar boy.'"

They abstained from giving guidance about, TV, Internet browsing, business, etc etc

The Pope has had a lot of things to say about business and capitalism, much to the consternation of conservative politicians. Just Google "Roman Catholic" and TV or Internet and you'll see lots of guidance on those things.

Is Rome in the vanguard of a new environmental crusade. I think not!

Even an organization as large as the Roman Catholic Church can't do everything on every issue. If that's your criticism here, it seems a rather vacuous one.

What is it actually doing?

A lot in terms of providing health care and education, as well as aid to the poor. It also addresses the religious needs of its partitioners, giving meaning and purpose to hundreds of millions of people.

[Miles]

Matthew 23:3
'So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.'


Speak as an observer if you are not a Catholic.

Does Rome lead the efforts to provide housing for Ukrainian refugees in Europe? I think not!

Is Rome taking to task its Eastern Orthodox offshoot about their ties and support for Putins troops! I don't think so!

Is Rome in the vanguard of a new environmental crusade. I think not!

Is Rome going to relax gender/celibacy/etc doctrines for its dwindling priesthood and encourage them to mix more. I doubt it.

Etc, etc,etc

Catholicism is a huge religion that deserves guidance in todays world.

They abstained from giving guidance about, TV, Internet browsing, business, etc etc

What is it actually doing?

I am probably missing something!

What do you think?

Are you under the impression that Rome (Italy) is a theocracy? Only 2/3 of Italy's total population is Catholic. (source: Wikipedia)

.

[Thomas123]

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesc ... tutti.html

You are correct, historia,when you say that the Pope writes stuff. Imagine wading through the above. I would not find 5 in 10,000 Catholics that would know that this document exists, and the others are the lucky ones. Extract a morsel of God inspired Catholic wisdom from it please, if you can, I want to be corrected
It is geriatrically cautious theological gobblygook like this that reinforces the disconnect that exists in Catholicism. What happened to the plain speaking preacher that was Jesus..the .' Let the dead bury the dead, enter through the narrow gate, etc' guy?

I live among Catholics and a pleasanter group you would never meet. I have good friends who are priests and they are people I admire. Most Catholics that I know are indistinguishable from anyone else with regard to life habits and social attitudes. They are ordinary folk. Should it be so. Why bother?

[Shem Yoshi]

My problem with Catholicism is not that I oppose them, it is that when i thought about joining them, I found they have closed doors to outsiders.

If it is that the sacraments are salvation, why does the church not allow people who arent confirmed to eat the eucharist? Or go to confession?

While to be confirmed is to accept dogmatic issues that divide the church. It really shines light on how Paul rebuked Peter for only eating with Jewish people like a hypocrite. Do i believe a confirmed person is any more worthy of the sacraments then someone who is no confirmed? I do not believe that (Romans 3:11). All people who are confirmed are in the same boat as those who are not.

And in order to be confirmed you are taught that you ought to believe in the infallibility of the church, and the pope. However we see the earliest churches in the Bible (whom the Catholic church claims to be the foundation of) were rebuked by the disciples. For example, if Paul had to believe that the Church of Galatians was infallible, the letter correcting and rebuking the Galatians for departing the truth of the Gospel would never have happened... Likewise if someone is critical of the catholic Church, there is not much hope in joining Catholicism, Paul would have been casted out of the church for his teachings.

[historia]

Are you under the impression that Rome (Italy) is a theocracy?

I think we can safely assume that Thomas is using "Rome" here as a short-hand for the Roman Catholic Church, and particularly its leaders. Just like how "Washington" or "Moscow" often serves as short-hands for the United States government or Russian government, respectively, since that is their capital city.

[Thomas123]

Hi ,Shem Yoshi, thank God for unanswered prayers.

That size is this phenomena?

The Catholic churches form a denomination within Christianity and, with around 1.3 billion believers worldwide, are the largest Christian grouping.


Wow!

[bjs1]

What is it actually doing?

If you are asking about charitable organizations run specifically by the RCC, then there is a long list.

• Aid to the Church in Need
• Ascension
• CAFOD
• Catholic Charities USA
• Catholic Home Missions
• Catholic Near East Welfare Association
• Catholic Relief Services
• Caritas Internationalis
• CIDSE
• Community of Sant'Egidio
• Cordaid
• Fidesco International
• Jesuit Refugee Service
• Malteser International
• Maryknoll
• Missionaries of the Poor
• Pontifical Mission Societies
• Renovabis
• Society of St Vincent de Paul
• Talitha Kum
• Trócaire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_charities

Those are some of the big ones. Individual dioceses and churches run or support many smaller programs.

The RCC is the largest non-governmental provider of education and medical services in the world. That strikes me as significant.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_charities

[SacredBishop]

Matthew 23:3
'So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.'


Speak as an observer if you are not a Catholic.

Does Rome lead the efforts to provide housing for Ukrainian refugees in Europe? I think not!

Is Rome taking to task its Eastern Orthodox offshoot about their ties and support for Putins troops! I don't think so!

Is Rome in the vanguard of a new environmental crusade. I think not!

Is Rome going to relax gender/celibacy/etc doctrines for its dwindling priesthood and encourage them to mix more. I doubt it.

Etc, etc,etc

Catholicism is a huge religion that deserves guidance in todays world.

They abstained from giving guidance about, TV, Internet browsing, business, etc etc

What is it actually doing?

I am probably missing something!

What do you think?

I Googled Catholic finances for the heck of it, and the Catholic Church is impoverished. All the lawsuits, and dwindling donations have bankrupted the Church. I am not a Catholic, but they're too poor to do much of anything. Various Cathedrals have been sold across Europe and are now hotels, bars, restaurants, etc. Kinda kicking em while they're down