From Irene Durler, Cape Town –
It is a real pleasure to find in your weekly newspaper letters, reviews and debates. Many of your readers present very strong views and it is very clearly exposed that the Church is far from perfect.
Maybe we need to emphasise our being Christian (Christ-like) more than boldly claiming to be “staunch Catholics”!
I experience far more social Christianity in the other Christian churches than I encounter among Catholics.
The strict Catholic practices of the past have surrendered to ecumenism, thousands of ordained priests have left the ministry, vocations in many areas are down to almost zero, there are more divorces among Catholics than ever before.
Our preaching is shocking in many parishes; our people justifiably search for nourishment in other Christian bodies.
Even the wonderful holy sacrifice of the Mass is not “celebrated” with full participation.
And there are thousands of nuns who have dropped their “witness robes” and have returned to the world. We have empty convents and schools are forced to close.
So, again, we face the irritating question: what is going wrong in the Church of Peter?
And granted that the Holy Father is the head of the Church, he must listen to his many bishops with their vast experience.
Finally, is one not justified in searching for that body of Christians founded by Christ where one finds humble obedience, compassion, justice, love and poverty truly alive and zealously practised?
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