This
year denotes the five hundredth anniversary of the Protestant
Reformation. As a devout Catholic, my initial emotion is "ugh!"
Not why you think.
Basic knowledge of Church history instills in me an acute awareness that the hierarchy of the Catholic church (not the institution itself) was peppered with hypocrisy a half millennia ago. In particular, Popes Sixtus IV (1471-1484), Alexander VI (1492-1503), Julius II (1503-1513), and Leo X (1513-1521) were less than stellar representatives of Jesus. Uh, such could be said of you! Bugger, even me.... To be transparent, many of the curia and medieval bishops swam in the same tar pits. These scandalous shortcomings were very much in need of stern correction. Promptly.
Coincidentally, the successor to the Chair of Peter, Pope Adrian VI (1522-1523), sought to bring Christ's church back into plumb, to rescue the apostate shepherds; however, by this time significant damage to Christianity and the authenticity of the Church had been sustained. Trust waned.
Even though there were many unscrupulous deeds performed under the watch of the aforementioned popes, there was not and never has been a single dogmatic proclamation issued regarding faith and morals which was fallible. Miraculously, such an error has never been proven. Not ever. Thus, the Church continues to maintain an infallible record when teaching faith and morals, no matter how corrupt a few wayward popes may have been. How can this be? It's doubtful that these impious scoundrels and their Vatican cohorts issued any declarations of substance, whether from the pope himself or ex cathedra; after all, their interests were self serving and not aligned with glorifying God! But this only address the "why" on the surface, there is considerably more depth as to why there were no poor teachings on faith and morals.
The "church of the living God [is] the pillar and bulwark of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15 RSVCE). And because of this, the Holy Spirit guides the Church into all truth (John 14:26; 16:13; Acts 15:28). Thus, the gates of hell will never prevail against our Lord's church (Matthew 16:18-19). Note, it is the Office of the Pope which is infallible, not the man himself (Catechism of the Catholic Church 889-891, 2035). Remember, Saint Peter himself denied our Lord three times (John 13:36-38; 18:15-18, 25-27 RSVCE) and questioned his teachings repeatedly.
So, to that end, reform was needed. However, such should have been handled within the Church as Saints Peter Damian, Bernard of Clairvaux, Francis de Sales, or any other number of Church Fathers would have and did engage.
The sour taste which arises when I hear of this year's Reformation celebration is not the result of some lingering angst. That would be silly and immature. In this turbulent period of Christianity, the Catholic church manifested both profound piety and high reaching corruption, culminating in unmeasurable confusion. A sad blight. Thus, revolt.
The vast damage which has resulted since Luther, Calvin, and a host of others rebelled is heart wrenching. Some of their grievances were sound and very much in need of resolve, no doubt, but the ensuing division has proven too painful! Surely, this outcome is not what Jesus envisioned when praying "that they may become perfectly one" (John 10:23). Or, similarly, when Saint Paul offered the following discourse: "I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment" (1 Corinthians 1:10). To the Reformers defense and credit, evidence reveals that the resulting upheaval and division was not intended. Nonetheless, there is no escaping our continued division; up to this very moment, today, we continue disunity. Ouch. The Catholic church has addressed the valid portions of Luther's grievances, so why do we continue to exist in crisis?
Earlier this year a Catholic apostolate (ministry), The Coming Home Network International (www.chnetwork.org), posed potentially volatile questions: "In what areas do you see the strongest growth in unity among Christians...[secondly], what are the areas where we have the most work to do?" Wow!
My relationship with Jesus was nonexistent for many years. A small army of well intentioned Bible wranglers repeatedly stood on their soap boxes in attempts to coax me into opening the door to Christ's knocks. As is easily discerned, their approaches were ineffectual. More often than not, offensive. Abrasively so. That being said, eventually I became sick and tired of being sick and tired of my own lack of purpose and began asking questions why this, that, and the other exist (including myself)? Could intelligent design be involved? Undoubtedly, there was more to life. There had to be.
The major turning point which propelled me on a trajectory towards God was the compassion and gentleness of two friends, Doug B and Troy P. Both evangelically charged Protestants. Full disclosure: Doug is now Catholic and an Oblate of Saint Benedict's Monastery! Mind you, at that time in my Christian exploration I was merely sipping milk...tentatively.
With their encouragement and love, I reluctantly attended a four day spiritual retreat, Keyrx. Such was nondenominational, though clearly charismatic and way non-Catholic. Curiously, its roots stem from a similar Catholic retreat, Cursillo, established by a Spanish layman in 1949. Go figure! To exhibit and promote ecumenism, there were a couple of Catholics who were members of the Keryx missionary team. The Protestant bent of this retreat is only significant insofar as my response to the Coming Home International query extends: These wonderful people showed me unadulterated Christian love. It must be disclosed that at that time I was not a Papist. For that matter, it is questionable whether I could be considered Christian! Anyway, from that point in my pilgrimage I have been a tenacious firecracker of evangelization. You can find my complete story in: "Catholic Street Evangelization, Stories of Conversion and Witness," Ignatius, ISBN 978-1-58617-988-5.
Ever since the Keryx retreat my life has been saturated with Catholic influence. Heavily. Don't be sad, rejoice! My Catholic brothers and sisters have taken very good care of me. To those of you reading this, thank you, thank you, thank you. This notwithstanding, I have continued to be the recipient of Protestant compassion. At one point it became necessary to bow to humility and admit that, in public gatherings, I only knew how to recite memorized or printed prayers. There was an overwhelming lack of confidence when praying spontaneously. Craig B, the prison chaplain, a Protestant, provided much guidance. I was so scared and petrified. It was bad. Now? Ha, much to our Lord's chagrin, I can't be shut up!
Not long after, I was one of thirty candidates accepted to participate in a four year pilot seminary opportunity, The Urban Ministry Institute, offered at a prison and sponsored through a Christian organization, Prison Fellowship International. The teachings and focus were decidedly Protestant. However, the faculty never once chided or belittled my faith. I was able to express my beliefs without rebuff; though, I typically saved such for term papers as it was clear that presenting such in class would be divisive and unproductive. Restraint and timing were learned. I grew in confidence and the ability to share my faith gently.
Through this seminary and missionary pilot, I was introduced to countless volunteers who oozed the definition of living their Christianity. A beautiful experience. Very influential in my formation.
After graduating from The Urban Ministry Institute, I have been graced by an invitation to assist with facilitating a year long Prison Fellowship program; Pre-Release, a Christian based model which prepares people to leave prison and orientate their lives in a Christlike manner. This is significant; the administrators are very much aware that I do not hide my faith. It must be noted, however, I refrain from forcing my beliefs - as an Oblate, the Rule of Saint Benedict counsels me: "Guard your lips from harmful...speech" and to "not love quarreling" (RB 4.51, 68). Instead, I live my Catholic faith with ardor. I am Christian, through and through, and there is no mistaking that. What a joy. Yahoo!
A dear friend who I am able to share my walk and seek counsel, Elgie D, is also of the Protestant camp. He is an example of a man who exercised no preconceived notions or biases upon meeting me, or none that I am aware of. A wonderful man who has picked me up when I have felt down. He is also a soul with whom I can simply be myself and do not feel pressure to be something else. Again, an expression of Love.
Oh, geez, I nearly forgot my mom, Betty. Okay, I did not forget her, it just seemed more practical to have her be the exclamation point, finishing with the strongest. My dear mother has been on this journey at the same time. She, too, is growing in her faith while supporting and encouraging me. From what she tells me, and there exists no reason to discount her assertions, I apparently encourage her, too! Ah, but here is the clincher: She is a Protestant! Ah, I love her despite this fault.... In all seriousness, she needs much applause - I have taken a rather scholastic approach to faith; whereas, my mom has the envious faith of a child (Mark 10:15). The poor woman no doubt scratches her head in regards to what I am sharing most of the time - let's face it, the vocabulary differences between Catholicism and Protestantism can prove unnecessarily wide.
Now, to address the negative component of the initial inquiry presented by The Coming Home Network. Oh, how I could fill pages with frustrations and tear stained encounters with people of questionable, dare I say, Christian faith. But to what end? These challenging souls have helped me become a stronger and more vibrant Catholic! Plus, the dirty laundry has been cleaned by our Lord's blood!
Both sides of the Christian equation are equally guilty of dysfunction. We need to be more patient and understanding of one another. Definitely, we would excel if we disposed of erroneous and preconceived notions of what the other believes. Also, we must stop holding the past against one another; let us instead forgive and come together. May we live our Christian gift of life! Geez, if we did that, um, it's plausible that we'd be more effective....
Marana tha
Basic knowledge of Church history instills in me an acute awareness that the hierarchy of the Catholic church (not the institution itself) was peppered with hypocrisy a half millennia ago. In particular, Popes Sixtus IV (1471-1484), Alexander VI (1492-1503), Julius II (1503-1513), and Leo X (1513-1521) were less than stellar representatives of Jesus. Uh, such could be said of you! Bugger, even me.... To be transparent, many of the curia and medieval bishops swam in the same tar pits. These scandalous shortcomings were very much in need of stern correction. Promptly.
Coincidentally, the successor to the Chair of Peter, Pope Adrian VI (1522-1523), sought to bring Christ's church back into plumb, to rescue the apostate shepherds; however, by this time significant damage to Christianity and the authenticity of the Church had been sustained. Trust waned.
Even though there were many unscrupulous deeds performed under the watch of the aforementioned popes, there was not and never has been a single dogmatic proclamation issued regarding faith and morals which was fallible. Miraculously, such an error has never been proven. Not ever. Thus, the Church continues to maintain an infallible record when teaching faith and morals, no matter how corrupt a few wayward popes may have been. How can this be? It's doubtful that these impious scoundrels and their Vatican cohorts issued any declarations of substance, whether from the pope himself or ex cathedra; after all, their interests were self serving and not aligned with glorifying God! But this only address the "why" on the surface, there is considerably more depth as to why there were no poor teachings on faith and morals.
The "church of the living God [is] the pillar and bulwark of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15 RSVCE). And because of this, the Holy Spirit guides the Church into all truth (John 14:26; 16:13; Acts 15:28). Thus, the gates of hell will never prevail against our Lord's church (Matthew 16:18-19). Note, it is the Office of the Pope which is infallible, not the man himself (Catechism of the Catholic Church 889-891, 2035). Remember, Saint Peter himself denied our Lord three times (John 13:36-38; 18:15-18, 25-27 RSVCE) and questioned his teachings repeatedly.
So, to that end, reform was needed. However, such should have been handled within the Church as Saints Peter Damian, Bernard of Clairvaux, Francis de Sales, or any other number of Church Fathers would have and did engage.
The sour taste which arises when I hear of this year's Reformation celebration is not the result of some lingering angst. That would be silly and immature. In this turbulent period of Christianity, the Catholic church manifested both profound piety and high reaching corruption, culminating in unmeasurable confusion. A sad blight. Thus, revolt.
The vast damage which has resulted since Luther, Calvin, and a host of others rebelled is heart wrenching. Some of their grievances were sound and very much in need of resolve, no doubt, but the ensuing division has proven too painful! Surely, this outcome is not what Jesus envisioned when praying "that they may become perfectly one" (John 10:23). Or, similarly, when Saint Paul offered the following discourse: "I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment" (1 Corinthians 1:10). To the Reformers defense and credit, evidence reveals that the resulting upheaval and division was not intended. Nonetheless, there is no escaping our continued division; up to this very moment, today, we continue disunity. Ouch. The Catholic church has addressed the valid portions of Luther's grievances, so why do we continue to exist in crisis?
Earlier this year a Catholic apostolate (ministry), The Coming Home Network International (www.chnetwork.org), posed potentially volatile questions: "In what areas do you see the strongest growth in unity among Christians...[secondly], what are the areas where we have the most work to do?" Wow!
My relationship with Jesus was nonexistent for many years. A small army of well intentioned Bible wranglers repeatedly stood on their soap boxes in attempts to coax me into opening the door to Christ's knocks. As is easily discerned, their approaches were ineffectual. More often than not, offensive. Abrasively so. That being said, eventually I became sick and tired of being sick and tired of my own lack of purpose and began asking questions why this, that, and the other exist (including myself)? Could intelligent design be involved? Undoubtedly, there was more to life. There had to be.
The major turning point which propelled me on a trajectory towards God was the compassion and gentleness of two friends, Doug B and Troy P. Both evangelically charged Protestants. Full disclosure: Doug is now Catholic and an Oblate of Saint Benedict's Monastery! Mind you, at that time in my Christian exploration I was merely sipping milk...tentatively.
With their encouragement and love, I reluctantly attended a four day spiritual retreat, Keyrx. Such was nondenominational, though clearly charismatic and way non-Catholic. Curiously, its roots stem from a similar Catholic retreat, Cursillo, established by a Spanish layman in 1949. Go figure! To exhibit and promote ecumenism, there were a couple of Catholics who were members of the Keryx missionary team. The Protestant bent of this retreat is only significant insofar as my response to the Coming Home International query extends: These wonderful people showed me unadulterated Christian love. It must be disclosed that at that time I was not a Papist. For that matter, it is questionable whether I could be considered Christian! Anyway, from that point in my pilgrimage I have been a tenacious firecracker of evangelization. You can find my complete story in: "Catholic Street Evangelization, Stories of Conversion and Witness," Ignatius, ISBN 978-1-58617-988-5.
Ever since the Keryx retreat my life has been saturated with Catholic influence. Heavily. Don't be sad, rejoice! My Catholic brothers and sisters have taken very good care of me. To those of you reading this, thank you, thank you, thank you. This notwithstanding, I have continued to be the recipient of Protestant compassion. At one point it became necessary to bow to humility and admit that, in public gatherings, I only knew how to recite memorized or printed prayers. There was an overwhelming lack of confidence when praying spontaneously. Craig B, the prison chaplain, a Protestant, provided much guidance. I was so scared and petrified. It was bad. Now? Ha, much to our Lord's chagrin, I can't be shut up!
Not long after, I was one of thirty candidates accepted to participate in a four year pilot seminary opportunity, The Urban Ministry Institute, offered at a prison and sponsored through a Christian organization, Prison Fellowship International. The teachings and focus were decidedly Protestant. However, the faculty never once chided or belittled my faith. I was able to express my beliefs without rebuff; though, I typically saved such for term papers as it was clear that presenting such in class would be divisive and unproductive. Restraint and timing were learned. I grew in confidence and the ability to share my faith gently.
Through this seminary and missionary pilot, I was introduced to countless volunteers who oozed the definition of living their Christianity. A beautiful experience. Very influential in my formation.
After graduating from The Urban Ministry Institute, I have been graced by an invitation to assist with facilitating a year long Prison Fellowship program; Pre-Release, a Christian based model which prepares people to leave prison and orientate their lives in a Christlike manner. This is significant; the administrators are very much aware that I do not hide my faith. It must be noted, however, I refrain from forcing my beliefs - as an Oblate, the Rule of Saint Benedict counsels me: "Guard your lips from harmful...speech" and to "not love quarreling" (RB 4.51, 68). Instead, I live my Catholic faith with ardor. I am Christian, through and through, and there is no mistaking that. What a joy. Yahoo!
A dear friend who I am able to share my walk and seek counsel, Elgie D, is also of the Protestant camp. He is an example of a man who exercised no preconceived notions or biases upon meeting me, or none that I am aware of. A wonderful man who has picked me up when I have felt down. He is also a soul with whom I can simply be myself and do not feel pressure to be something else. Again, an expression of Love.
Oh, geez, I nearly forgot my mom, Betty. Okay, I did not forget her, it just seemed more practical to have her be the exclamation point, finishing with the strongest. My dear mother has been on this journey at the same time. She, too, is growing in her faith while supporting and encouraging me. From what she tells me, and there exists no reason to discount her assertions, I apparently encourage her, too! Ah, but here is the clincher: She is a Protestant! Ah, I love her despite this fault.... In all seriousness, she needs much applause - I have taken a rather scholastic approach to faith; whereas, my mom has the envious faith of a child (Mark 10:15). The poor woman no doubt scratches her head in regards to what I am sharing most of the time - let's face it, the vocabulary differences between Catholicism and Protestantism can prove unnecessarily wide.
Now, to address the negative component of the initial inquiry presented by The Coming Home Network. Oh, how I could fill pages with frustrations and tear stained encounters with people of questionable, dare I say, Christian faith. But to what end? These challenging souls have helped me become a stronger and more vibrant Catholic! Plus, the dirty laundry has been cleaned by our Lord's blood!
Both sides of the Christian equation are equally guilty of dysfunction. We need to be more patient and understanding of one another. Definitely, we would excel if we disposed of erroneous and preconceived notions of what the other believes. Also, we must stop holding the past against one another; let us instead forgive and come together. May we live our Christian gift of life! Geez, if we did that, um, it's plausible that we'd be more effective....
Marana tha
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