LETTERS
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ROAMIN' CATHOLIC
Contents © 2003
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
LETTERS
October 2003
THE CHURCH NEEDS TO WAKE UP
The phenomenon of store-front churches described in "The Latest Challenge" (September Mission) should serve as a wake-up call to the ecclesiastical establishment. The general unresponsiveness to the needs of both the Latino and the Anglo community for the reverence and transcendence once provided by the old liturgy and devotions are driving defections to these "storefront" operations and to the likes of the SSPX [Society of St. Pius X]. I and my family were drawn to the SSPX for the very reasons outlined in the article: reverence in the Mass and sacraments and the deeply satisfying devotions that have been largely forgotten by the modern Church. We returned only after realizing that the differences between the Church and SSPX were not going to be settled anytime soon and that we must follow Peter. However, this yearning must still be dealt with by the establishment if the Church is going to stem the hemorrhage of Latino Catholics to the "independents" or to the Jehovah's Witnesses or to the Mormons. The Latino Catholic culture is profoundly deep and rich in devotion, and we can all benefit from it. The Church needs to wake up to reality and begin to respond to the need both of Latino and Anglo Catholics, otherwise this exodus will continue.
Dave Jones,
Inyokern
RUBBISH, IF NOT BLASPHEMY
Reading your article "The Latest Challenge," I felt sorry for its author and your whole group. You endlessly proclaim your concern and care for the Catholic Church, and in the same time you publish this article that could be considered more rubbish if it were not a blasphemy. You can agree or disagree with your bishop, but to let an apostate declare to be "more Catholic than Cardinal Roger Mahony" is a blasphemy or insanity.
But let me say few words about some other falsehoods in your article!
"What Latinos really want is a Catholicism they grew up with." Did Latinos grow up with a Catholicism of fallen away priests, married, apostates? Did Latinos grow up with sacrilegious worship with excommunicated guys and farcical liturgies, performed by self-made "priests" and "bishops"? Did the author of the article go to the "communion" at the "High Mass" by "a bishop more Catholic than Roger Mahony"?
"The priests there are hard-working and make many sacrifices just to get by." As far as I know, their hardest work is to hide their real identity, according to the Lord's warning about wolves in sheep's clothing. They do their best to be taken for true Catholic priests. On several occasions I called and asked directly: "Is this a Roman Catholic Church?" but the answer was always the same: "Who are you? Why do you ask?" And asking the people why they went to those phony churches, I always get the same answer: "We didn't know it wasn't a real Catholic church. Everything looks the same." Mimicry, as Guadalupe Wedding Chapel!
"Some are divorced Catholics who joined an independent church where it is easier to remarry. Others say that sacraments like baptism, confession, marriage, and even cultural celebrations like Quinceañera are easy to receive in independent churches." Almost shedding tears for poor people who cannot receive the sacraments in the Church! But let us see the truth: Baptisms: besides the catechesis for the parents and godparents, the Church requires that the godparents must be practicing Catholics, and that the couples, without being married by the Church, cannot act as godparents. Instead of blaming the bureaucracy of the Church, you should better inquire about the mentality of paying more attention to the "padrinos" than to the holiness of the Sacraments.
Marriage: for very solid pastoral reasons the Church requires at least six months of preparation, and "the independent churches" don't mind. Why should they? They have a re-marriage option.
Quinceañeras: It is a struggle to give some spiritual meaning for something that has become a vanity show. Evidently "independent churches" don't mind. Pay and play!
First communion and confirmation: the Church requires two years of preparation; in my opinion too little, but many "Catholics" think it is too much. They go to the "independent" and everything is done in couple of weeks. Just a little bit more money!
I could go on, but why? On the next page you put an advertisement for EWTN. Our dear Mother Angelica deserves a better environment.
Father Vlatko Poljicak,
Pomona
Editor's reply: The article in question did not promote the independent Catholic churches but detailed a new phenomenon. Why do Latinos attend these churches? There is a variety of reasons, including some which are unworthy. Yet, many, including Latinos, long for traditional Catholic worship and devotions, and when other groups offer these, they flock to them. I would hope that the Catholic clergy would learn something from the phenomenon of the storefront churches rather than descend to wholesale condemnation of them. Custom and tradition are second nature and, in the Church, incarnate the essence of the Faith. To remove these from people (as so many clergy have) is to violate the very faith of the people. Indeed, before we criticize the independents, we should look to our own house.