More disastrous data on the state of the Faith

This comes from Catholic World Report:

Among the 19 percent of Catholics who described themselves as “committed” in their adherence to the faith, [good Lord, only 19% - less than 1 in 5 - are serious about the Faith]49 percent said it isn’t necessary for a “good” Catholic to go to Mass weekly, 60 percent said good Catholics needn’t follow Church teaching on birth control, 46 percent said the same about the teaching on divorce and remarriage, 31 percent about the teaching on abortion, and 48 percent about marrying in the Church. A surprising 39 percent even said good Catholics needn’t give time or money to help the poor. To repeat: these are Catholics who think they’re committed in their faith. [These people are horribly, horribly formed.  What a scandal]

A level-headed friend, looking at those numbers, remarked, “It seems to me that there is an undeniable and severe crisis by any measure, at least so long as one thinks of Catholicism as something to believe in and adhere to because it is true. But so many Catholics today are universalists who think one religion is better than another only on subjective grounds of taste, personal history, tribal loyalty, and so forth.”

Much of the problem—again, thanks in part to theologians—lies in the fact that the teaching authority of the Church is denied or simply ignored by many American Catholics. “I’m old enough to make up my own mind about what to believe and what to do. I don’t need the Church telling me,” they say.

Now, the article at Catholic World Report doesn’t cite the poll or the methods used, but the data tracks well with the results of numerous other polls taken in recent years.  The biggest thing I take away is that less than 10% of Catholics are truly serious about the Faith, meaning they not only self-report that seriousness but also submit to the Doctrine of the Faith with their intellect and will. In fact, the number is probably more like 3-5%. On another note, with the numbers above, it seems likely that many of the “bleeding-heart” type liberals are actually hard-hearted scrooges, desiring government programs (meaning you and I) to do their “charity” for them.  This tracks with other data from the secular world.

This polling data, and the belief, or lack thereof it reveals – what can one say?  It puts to the lie the bizarre fantasies of some of the more extreme elements of the spirit of Vatican II generation, still imagining a repressive, overbearing Church that crushes the life out of the sweet, poor, holy innocents in its charge.  Because men like that Fr. Emmett Coyne have been in charge for the past 50  years, even those who consider themselves the most devout Catholics believe there is nothing wrong in rejecting core Dogmas and Precepts of the Church.  If they even knew what a precept or a dogma was.

How did these ostensibly committed Catholics come to the conclusion that a “good” Catholic could skip Mass every week, abort, contracept, divorce and remarry, and in essence live an amoral, pagan lifestyle, all the while remaining, somehow, “faithful”?  Where does this idea come from?  Yes, surely, from their own pride, egoism, and self-pleasing, but, perhaps they’ve picked up some of it elsewhere?  When Fr. Bob denigrated the Church for the 978th time, you think that might have had a bit of an impact?  When Sr. Bob (heh) told the confirmation class that the Church was terrible, evil, wrong, up until the magical 60s, when it shifted towards goodness and light, only to retrench towards evil repression again – you think that had an impact?  How about when the lay RCIA instructor told the class that “Luther had it right”……..you think that might have had an impact?

Good Lord, I can’t think of much distinction between these “committed” catholycs and the worst pagan libertines of Rome.  I’m sure they’re down with fornication, adultery, and fornication, too.

This reminds me of a little incident after Mass this morning at the local diocesan parish.  The layout of the church is kind of odd, but what used to be the narthex is now kind of a pseudo-seating area connected with the “nave-ish” area of the Church.  Since this used to be the narthex, after Mass a lot of people still congregate and talk there, even though others are still trying to pray in the same area – this same area now being part of the “church proper.”  At least most people try to whisper. But today, this older man and woman were talking about their work out regimens in really loud voices. I was fighting through it, but this Asian woman near me kept looking over at them, then she looked at me to do something.  Then, she looked at me again.  So, I told the  loud talkers they needed to go to the new, actual narthex to continue their conversation.  The man – who wears shorts and several sizes too small T-shirts to church every time I see him – said “we’re doing something spiritual, too,” before leaving.  Really?  Talking about your workout regimen and disrupting others praying quietly – that’s “spiritual?”  Yes, surely, “spiritual,” but not “religious.”

Oy vey.  We have so much work to do.

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