POPE FRANCIS & THE DEATH OF A CATHOLIC PARISH

 

POPE FRANCIS & THE DEATH 
of a catholic PARISH

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POPE FRANCIS HAS A RECURRING MESSAGE FOR CATHOLIC PARISHES THAT HAVE FAILED TO REACH OUT TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. SET OUT BELOW ARE SOME ACKNOWLEDGED SOLUTIONS THAT HAVE WORKED IN OTHER PARISHES. We also practice what we preach, as can be seen here, where we successfully utilised much of the guidance demonstrated below....




The three major themes that lead to the death of a church (IT IS TIME TO SPEAK THE TRUTH ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS):

 1. The church becomes inwardly focused.

This problem has been exclusively the consequence of Catholic congregations being Over Sacramentalised & Under Evangelised over the past 60 years. As the New Evangelisation is now developing across the country, the default setting of "no one will be interested" and "the parish is not big enough" is no longer an option. Lowest common denominator parish council 'efforts and initiatives' have all failed over the past 60 years.. it is time to move on to aspects which are known to work. Returning to the 'same old mistakes' will not renew the your church...

2. Self-centeredness wins the day. 

A Hard message to hear, but middle class prejudice i.e. snobbery, and professional-middle-class 'maintenance only' parish councils have resulted in the working classes, the disabled, and ethnic minorities regularly becoming sidelined within their own parishes. This has sadly lead to unwelcoming parish environments. It has also lead to a high level of lapsation (and loss to denominational churches). Christ specifically chose to found the Catholic Church upon Peter who was a working class fisherman. When we forget this fact, and move away from this reality, it is the first step towards hearts becoming hardened within a parish.

3. The congregation then forgets their mission (which is winning souls for God’s Kingdom and concern for their own salvation).

Catholic congregations have been blighted over the past 60 years by the paralysing agendas of 'liberal and conservative' Catholicism. Vatican II clearly states that the salvation of ourselves and others is the primary concern of Catholics in the modern world. Vatican II challenged ALL Catholics to strive for sainthood, in what it called the Universal Call to Holiness. All Catholics are called to sainthood, through discipleship with Christ, and not just a select few.



EVANGELISATION IS A CONSEQUENCE OF LIVING A HOLY LIFE, NOT A CONSEQUENCE OF A PROGRAMME.

THE RENEWAL OF THE CHURCH WILL NOT COME ABOUT BY PROGRAMMES, PLANS, AND STRUCTURES, BUT BY HOLINESS OF LIFE.

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IF YOUR CHURCH HAS STAGNATED OVER RECENT YEARS WITH AN AGING CONGREGATION AND FEW YOUNG FAMILIES OR CHILDREN THEN IT IS TIME TO HEED THE MESSAGE OF POPE FRANCIS.




ACKNOWLEDGED 
SOLUTIONS THAT WORK...

A significant group in the church must admit that they need help and do not have the answers. This group must lead the church from denial - to a painful awakening - to reality.

That same group must confess guilt. They failed to reach the community. They held on to the idolatry of yesterday. They were only comfortable with “our kind of people.” They saw the church to be a place where their needs were met and only personal preferences catered for.

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The new leaders must be willing to lead the church toward transformation. The leader is the priest, who always has the last word and is the deciding voice in ALL matters. The priest should be supported only by genuine practicing Catholics who wish to be pro-active on parish councils, pastoral care committees, and parish working groups.

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The days of striving for social status by sitting on a church committee must be seen for what it really is. What counts for good service in the secular life does not always translate into effective church leadership. Love of Christ must always be the central motivating force in those who put themselves forward for leadership, whatever their role.

Followers of Christ Only!



WHILST LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE CATHOLICS ARE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE RUNNING PARISH PASTORAL COUNCILS YOU WILL NEVER GAIN JUSTICE FOR THE POOR, JUSTICE FOR THE NEEDY, OR  JUSTICE FOR THOSE WITHIN THE CHURCH WHO WISH TO DRAW CLOSER TO CHRIST. THIS HANDING OVER OF OUR CHURCHES TO LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES IS POSSIBLY THE MOST SEVERE FAILURE OF THE POST VATICAN II CHURCH. IT IS THE GREAT ILLNESS OF THE CHURCH. EITHER ONE OF THESE 'SECTS' GAINS MORE POWER AND SUBSEQUENTLY THEIR 'MANTRA' BECOMES THE 'RULE OF LIFE' FOR THE INDIVIDUAL CHURCH, OR ALTERNATIVELY, LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES CREATE A STALEMATE WHICH STAGNATES THE VERY HEART & SOUL OF THE CHURCH. BOTH OF THESE FALSE PATHS CONSEQUENTLY HARDEN THE HEARTS OF PARISHIONERS AND PUTS BARRIERS UP TO PARISHIONERS DRAWING CLOSER TO CHRIST.

Lay church leaders (including Eucharistic ministers) must always strive to be genuine practicing Catholics* who do not believe in personal interpretation and who do not disagree with Church teaching. Leading 'from the front' in any church setting means practicing what we preach. Church leadership, first and foremost, means being a Catholic role-model and witness to others. If there is no genuine commitment to the teaching of the faith on the part of the lay leaders then the churches parishioners will be left with a contradicting message of hypocrisy. 

*The requirement of lay leaders to be living a life according to the scriptures is standard practice in the most successful and thriving churches of other denominations. The Catholic Church cannot be seen to have lower standards if our church communities are serious about moving forward in serving our own parishioners and the community. 

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The new leaders must wish to be pro-active, or have a track record of being pro-active. Sitting around on committees, doing very little, never adds anything to the missionary and pastoral life of a Catholic parish. Diocesan guidelines for parish councils state that those on PPC's should normally be heading up other groups. These groups should all be active in the pastoral, missionary, and social life of the parish, but should never interfere with the Sacramental life of the Church unless authorised by the priest.

 The members of the church must stop idolising and conserving how their church has been in their lifetime. God has allowed us to be in 'this present moment' to deal with the 'here & now'........ 

......The church must be willing to storm its own parishioners, and the local community, with a pro-active witness to the Catholic faith. The church can not cover up its guilt by holding the occasional junk sale, or by just keeping giving money to charity. Members must go into the community, reach out to those in most need in the local area, and give sacrificially of time, money, and heart. The new team must also look after the old and new members of their own congregation - spiritually, pastorally, and socially, whilst adhering to the magisterium of the Catholic Church.

 

Finally....

...the parishioners must relinquish control of their church. If the church reaches the community, the community will come to the church. They may be poorer. They may be ill or disabled. They may speak differently. They may have a different culture than members of the church.

If the church is truly to reach the community, it must be joyfully willing to welcome the community into church. This attitude is radically different than welcoming the outsiders to “our church.” It is an attitude that says it is now “your church”.

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HOW WILL THE CONGREGATION KNOW THAT IT HAS WORKED

When looking back after five years the make-up of the congregation should have changed. There should be poorer people, and people who are sick or disabled. There should also be more young people. However, frictions arise when the make up of the congregation starts to change. Once again, Pope Francis has the following words for these people:

“We need to avoid the spiritual sickness of a church that is wrapped up in its own world: when a church becomes like this, it grows sick.”

“Church is the home of all, not a small chapel that can hold only a small group of selected people… a nest protecting our mediocrity”