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WantsChange
wrote:
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Hi, guys —
I recently saw a video on You Tube that says
Muslims will overtake Europe in fifty years,
and this scares me. I was wondering what the
Catholic Church is doing to convert more people
and slow down the amount of people leaving
their religion.
I personally think that we need to team up
with the other Christians and have them turn
back to Catholicism. We could do this by changing
some controversial laws.
We could allow priests to get married which
would result in a large number of new priests.
The only reason priests are not allowed to
marry is because about five hundred years
ago the priests were the richest people in
town, and the kids would be fighting each
other for the inheritance, but that wouldn't
happen now.
I also think that instead of trying to convert
conservative Protestants, we should convert
moderate Protestants, by allowing women to
become priests. I see no reason why a woman
cannot preach the Bible like a man. If we
allowed women to preach, there would be an
enormous change.
Overall, I am nervous about the state of
the Church, its declining numbers, and the
rise of Islam.
I would love to know what the Church is doing
to address these issues.
From a teenage Catholic in the upper class
neighborhood of a Chicago suburb.
WantsChange
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{
What
is our Church doing to reach out to others and bring
Muslims into the Catholic faith? }
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Mary
Ann replied:
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Dear WantsChange,
I agree with a lot of what you say,
but the rise of Islam is not due
to the defection of Christians.
It is due to the fact that Christians
don't have babies, and Muslims do,
and the countries that don't have
babies need workers, so they let
Muslims in.
As for priests getting married, most
of the rites in the Catholic Church
do allow it. Only the Latin Rite
does not and,
of course, it is the largest rite.
This discipline may change, but the
problem with priests has not been
the number of them, but that those
who were there, were often not teaching
and preaching the faith authentically.
If they did, it would strengthen
faith and then the young men who are called would have the strength
to answer. Perhaps you are called
by God to be a priest.
As for women priests, a lot of Anglicans
(whole parishes) are coming into
the Catholic faith over that. I doubt
that mainline Protestants would convert
if we could have women priests (and
we can't, because a sacrament is
Christ's deed carried on, and He
ordained men, to image Him, as He
images the Father in His mission
to unite men to God — which
is what a priest does).
I am glad you are nervous. The Church
is embarking on a New Evangelization.
You are the Church, too. Ask your
parish priest how you can help!
There is something for young people
called New Evangelization Teams — maybe
you could help with that!
Mary Ann
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WantsChange
replied:
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Dear Mary Ann,
Thank you for such a quick yet detailed
response. I will make sure to tell
my peers about the wonderful service
you are providing.
Thanks again for taking the time
to respond.
WantsChange
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John
replied:
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Just a slight correction to what
Mary Ann has written. I'm sure it
was just an oversight.
She wrote:
As for priests getting married, most
of the rites in the Catholic Church
do allow it.
Actually, that's close but wrong.
Most of the rites in the Catholic
Church will ordain married men, that
is, men who are married prior to
ordination. No rite in the Catholic
Church or Orthodox Church allows
their priests to marry once they
are ordained.
If a married priest's wife should
pass away, he is not allowed to remarry.
John
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Mary
Ann replied:
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Thanks for the correction John.
You are absolutely right!
Mary Ann
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