Monday, July 12, 2010

Disaffection

It's summer now. Some people have more time on their hands to think about their lives and the sad state of the Church. In some ways I worry I've sort of given up, and am just trying to live my life now in spite of it all. But I still hear from so many young people who are jaded, disillusioned, and feel helpless in this situation. I think we all need to hang on. Surely, some opportunity will present itself. Just keep praying.

4 comments:

Michael said...

indeed

sortacatholic said...

I'm currently reading a book on the Elizabethan Christianity. The similarities between the first hundred years or so of English Protestantism and the post-Vatican II Latin Rite are striking. The official dissolution of the Catholic faith in England exposed a number of fault lines. The dissolution brought about great liturgical and theological upheaval between Puritans, Anglicans, and recusant Catholics). This instability exposed of the financial and moral corruption of the clergy. Furthermore, radical nonconformists experimented with liturgy and called for hierarchical anarchy.

The one difference between Elizabethan England and today's Latin Rite is the actions taken to enforce uniformity. Elizabeth's settlement enforced Anglicanism through fines or the point of a sword. Pope Benedict has tried to standardize both rites through legislation. We should pray that the eventual divorce between progressive and traditional Latin Catholicism is an amicable one rather than a simmering discontent that never mends. Protestantism in England was a political compromise that never satisfied any party. I suspect that there is no way of joining the many rifts that have surfaced since the 1960s.

Michael said...

I'm curious, does it seem like our culture glorifies apostasy?

Michael D said...

I don't think 'glorifies' is exactly the right label; I mean, there's not really glory to be had in it. I think 'fetishizes' would probably be a more accurate word.