Wednesday, January 26, 2011

German Politicians Pressuring Church to Have Married Priests?

I must say as an American I guess I don't understand why it's a Germans politico's business if the Clergy is married or not. But the Church has different relationships with the State depending on culture so I understand not everything should be a cookie cutter of the United States. I also understand the Church is much more closer linked to the German State than here.

That being said I am not sure what competence this politicos bring to the debate . See German politicians pressure church to ordain married men.

The politicos helpfully note that if the Catholic Church can't do it for the whole Church they would be happy if it just applied to Germany! LIKE THAT WILL HAPPEN.

After I converted to the Catholic faith many moons ago it did not take me long to see the folly of the married Priest argument that is laid out. That is it is like trying to cure a brain tumor with aspirin.

It also gets the "Laity" off the hook as it were. Something those lay groups mentioned may not like to hear. If parents do a horrible job of passing down the faith, if you live in a culture of Death where Laws promote things contrary to the Gospel,if you have dismal Church attendance that has been in a free fall for decades, and if you don;t encourage vocations to the Priesthood where you get what you deserve.

It is strange but this whole debate often operates in an alternativeuUniverse it seems. In the United States we have Dioceses and schools that are producing a ton of vocations to the religious life and the Priesthood. Normally what would be done is those Dioceses would be examined to see what they are doing right.

YET, in the secular press and indeed in the Catholic press there seems almost an concerted effort not to do that. Maybe because those Dioceses are doing things that put obligations on the Lay Faithful themselves that have produced fruits. Maybe it is because what these Dioceses are doing , such as teaching a vibrant ORTHODOX Catholic faith gets in the way of other agendas. It is much easier to go LETS JUST HAVE MARRIED PRIESTS.

The problem with that is the Clergy shortage is a symptom of something a lot more serious. Putting a faulty bandage over it without applying medicine will cause more sickness in the end.

It is time people faced up to that.

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