The bishops also voted to issue a document on contraception. The standard liberal theologian interviewed for the article says that it was probably done to please the Vatican.
In any case, it seems fairly pointless. We don’t need more pamphlets. What we need are bishops and priests willing to be courageous and preach the truth from pulpits on Sunday.
Just another reason to show that these bishops’ meetings are essentially pointless. At best, they do no harm. At worst, they muddy the waters and make bishops afraid to do the right thing.
Seriously, who’s going to read it? If all it took to convince people of the truth was written material and not personal witness to it then we would just hand out Bibles and Catechism and wouldn’t expect anyone to personally evangelize anyone else or hold RCIA classes for those seeking to convert.
Pamphlets do nothing except use up paper. Only personal witness accomplishes the goal.
Rather than waste time on pamphlets, the bishops should be addressing the absence of priests who will witness to the Church’s teachings.
A really really great way to get the message out is to organize events in your own parishes and invite speakers such as Christopher West who does an excellent presentation on this exact subject. I agree with Dom: A little pamphlet won’t be taken seriously. I mean, it may pique someone’s interest to investigate more…but why not bring out the big guns?
Another option is to order West’s tapes at [url=http://www.giftfoundation.org]http://www.giftfoundation.org[/url] listen to them and pass those babies around. Babies! get it? (someone send her home!)
Both West and George Weigal proclaim this this information IS the New Evangelization. Let’s learn it and proclaim it!
Marie,
I agree that such a pamphlet can be a valuable tool. What I question is whether it takes all the bishops in the US to decide to come up with one. Their time could be better spent leading their priests, giving them an example to follow in boldly proclaiming the Truth.
I’m not saying that a pamphlet is bad, but the bishops spending time creating one is like worrying about whether the iron is on, when you’re house in on fire.
Plenty of other organizations can develop pamphlets (and have). Let them do their job and the bishops can do theirs.
“It seems absurd to me that these bishops bemoan the fact that polls show how poorly informed Catholics are on Church teachings and then do nothing to change it. Good grief! What do these men do everyday? “
Though not directed soley at johnb, I’d like to say I’m sad that we think it is only the priests and bishops whose job it is to teach the faithful. Certainly it is their job, to shepherd their flocks, but they are not the only ones who are responsible for educating others:
WE are! Educate ourselves. Get some good authors, start somewhere. Then share it with others, teach a Catechism class or join RCIA as an assistant. Get informed, then get on the boards at your local parishes. Folks, this is part of our baptismal call! Why wait for others to get the job done-many are still getting poor catechsis and we don’t have time to let that continue happening. Let’s get it out there!
Better than a pamphlet is personal witness and educated defenses for the faith. Many of us were poorly formed, esp if we are post-VatII babies. But there is a plethora of good stuff out there for the average lay person. Unfortunatly there is alot of not good stuff and we are front lines, often, of the good fight.
Colleen and JohnB, thanks for the thoughts.
However, JohnB, I do not let the Bishops off the hook, rather WE cannot let OURSELVES off the hook. Colleen, there is so much good material out there. Get a study guide for the Catechism, read books by authors you know you can trust, sign up for magazines such as Envoy and Crisis.
I am not sure whether anyone will read this again, esp since there is so much else going on with VOTF, Mass vote for Gay Marriage, etc and all the other good stuff on the main page.
However, I want folks to know that the battle is not lost, it is the Lord’s. We MUSt keep ourselves armed, it is not just the Bishop’s battle, nor Rome’s battle. We are sons and daughters of Christ who died for us and gave us The Church. I just can’t see not taking a grave responsibility to educate ourselves and get out there and evangelize and catechize. Join the Battle, for the Battle is the Lords!
Peace,
JB