Okay, I will try and take a stab at it.

Re:  The Graying

 

I am unapologetically Catholic. Religion is an accident of birth and later becomes a choice . I choose to be what I am.  There are times in my life that I believe that this faith and this philosophy have helped me.  My local Bishop is writing a series of articles in the Diocesan paper as to why we are seeing fewer people in Church.  This is not just a Catholic phenomenon, but I don't think he is seeing beyond the Catholic Church.

Baptist, Episcopalians, Methodist, Lutherans  all are showing big drop off in participation.

   But my response to the Bishop would go like this:

I read with interest your commentary on the state of affairs facing the Church in modern times.  And the apparent lack of participation in regular Mass attendance.  And because I have a deep connection with The Church, as it is just as much my Church as it is anyone elses, I am giving you my unsolicited lay persons assessment.

 

I had previously written The Beacon and stated quite straight forwardly that one main reason for the decline is the way the Church has responded to divorced Catholics.   

The Church has driven away those who have been divorced.   Not exactly conforming to my idea as to how Jesus would have treated those people, those families, the children of those families.  So until such time as the Church can examine this situation and rectify it , the Church will continue to experience the fall out.   In my own home town of Wayne, there are churches almost entirely populated by  Catholics who were divorced and who were welcomed into their folds.  They never looked back for they were told in their new church that Christ would not look upon their failed marriage as an unforgivable transgression.  And frankly neither would I, even saying that from the viewpoint of a 32 year marriage.  The Clergy being largely unable to view marriage from the participants view has distorted the reality and needs to do some serious reflection on where their position has taken us. 

Your last column mentioned the Irish Embassy closure,  that can not be ignored in view of the widely held notion that it was closed not only for budgetary reasons but also as a result of the Sex Abuse Scandal. 

No one in this country can deny the impact that the abuse scandal has and will continue to have on the Church.  A voice of moral authority in the form of the Church has been silenced for many due to the highly immoral actions of the Church Hierarchy.  In other words there are those who simply will not listen to anything the Church speaks to. The Church needs to  examine the complete history of abuse from a moralistic viewpoint  and explain.  The  Church has remained virtually silent in explaining what exactly happened here.  It is damaging its relationship with the congregation and until it is set out and aired it will continue to be a wedge issue.  

Lastly, by way of anectdote.  I was sitting in the chair at my dentist and we got to talking and he began to tell me that he made sure that he attended Mass and participated in The Church as he wanted to instill some grounding in spirituality in his children.  I was reminded of my own similar desire when my children were young, just a few years back.

We educated them K through 12 in Catholic Schools, my daughter later  graduating from a Catholic University.  I believe that some of the teaching has rubbed off as each child is a fine young adult.  But as I sat there, my dentist, who is a bright, articulate man began to say that he was having some difficulty with the Church.  He was educated in Catholic Schools also, so he is grounded in the faith. 

At that , I said to him :  “ You are tiring of waiting to hear the Gospel of Joy”  , and he fairly well jumped and said, “That is it”.  Finally ,someone understands what I am feeling.  

We went on to speak of the negativity and the depressing sermons and how instead of inspiration (breathed upon by the spirit) we came away sometimes with a bag load of burdens.   Too much talk of the travails of humankind, the weakness, the troubles will tend to keep people away.  We fully understand that they exist, for we live them everyday.  So every so often it would be nice to hear about the triumph of human spirit inspired by God. 

 

I have a Parish Priest who gets it more than most I have seen and he speaks to kindness and gentleness and humor---the Gospel of Joy, but there are many who simply are incapable of delivering a sermon or homily that speaks to the Joy that God has given us.  This life is a gift of joy, even when the bills mount, the knees ache, there is sickness ---through all of it there is Joy.  We need to focus on that.  Not so much on sinning, but on joy.  I had a joyful moment the other day, it was when I was delivering a message to my son about responsibility as he turned 21.  Not a joyful topic, but the joy was in the idea that I could summon the parental gut to speak to him in frank and understandable terms.  Most parents I know just leave it to chance.  I will not.  There is no drinking and driving. there is responsibility. Joy ??? some would call me crazy, but I had joy in being able to do what I was supposed to do as a parent.  

 

So in closing , if the Church wants to know why the numbers are down, the Church needs to examine the role it plays through its representatives and through its approach to Christian love . A full and complete act of examination is needed.  Don’t rail that the people don’t show up.  Look into the idea that we have a world to be grateful for, a life to be grateful for, a purpose, a gift.  The Church needs to let the laity know that there is benefit of a uniquely personal basis in maintaining the faith. 

 

I know that if I miss Mass, I have a feeling that there is something missing, it is not guilt, but rather I have lost that one hour of my week that is devoted to reflection and analysis and time when all else is left on the doorstep.  The one hour when I close my eyes and completely let God take over and allow me to be lead and consoled and relieved.  And when I walk out the door, 9 times out of 10 I walk out with a real sense of gratitude. 

 And after doing so, it may be able to go to the congregation and preach the Joy and let people know that there is something of value that they can receive by participation in the Church. 

There are many unsettled issues in these times, and I personally believe that some of the issues we confront in our world are there because we have drifted from the guidance of religion.  Our Church is not alone in declining attendance and participation.  While our national level of religious participation goes down, it seems as if our national level of anti social violence and substance abuse and sexual promiscuity goes up.  In my mind there is a direct connection between the two and with that in mind I hope you can find some answers for the future kind of does rest upon it.