I want to comment on the failure of the Bishops of the United States to educate their flocks for many years resulting in the large numbers of Catholic women and Mexican Americans voting Democratic instead of Republican. I understand that the Church cannot dictate a particular candidate or party to vote for but the Bishops did not require enough from their parish priests and have not for a long time. Copying a letter from the USCCB into the bulletin but never talking about issues from the pulpit gives parishioners a poor example. I propose the following: Consistent preaching in all churches – the Catholic Conference of Bishops must require that at least 26 of the 52 Sunday homilies touch on subjects dealing with faith and morality, especially addressing the fallacies of Moral relativism, the three non-negotiables, the Mass, including preparing for Mass, Confessions, including how to examine one’s conscience, what is sin, including the review of what constitutes a mortal and a venial sin.

Daily Masses must have a homily that that reinforces the homily of the previous of subsequent Sunday Mass homily.

Church Ministries must be vetted to insure that members adhere to the faith. And practice their faith.

A number of outside speakers (from such organizations as Catholic Answers, the local Abbey or Oblates, etc.) that reinforce the faith and morality as espoused by the Catholic Church during Advent and Lent.

Strengthen RCIA Program curriculum in the areas most attacked by worldly morality and the three non-negotiables. The Catholic Church in the US is way behind in preparing its members to face what may be the real challenge of the next decade and that is martyrdom. We have to be ready to die for our religion – dying could include loss of a job or a business or a benefit such as health insurance. We as Catholics have to realize that we are going to have to share more with our Catholic neighbors – share our resources including money; to stop accumulating material goods and instead sharing like the Apostles after receiving the Holy Spirit.

William

There is nobody who has done a better job of laying out the failures of the hierarchy than Archbishop Charles Chaput who did a brilliant job of pinpointing why Catholics are so ignorant of Church teaching in his November 17 address which is well worth reading:

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/archbishop-chaput-renewing-the- church-and-her-mission-in-year-of-faith

Judie Brown

COPYRIGHT 2013

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