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the reproach of Christ 
Ron,
I have posted the above for one reason only:
I submit these questions are for those persons whom are waiting for the Warning & Miracle. There is a belief out there that our society will be correcting itself due to the Warning and Miracle.
I maintain the Warning & Miracle are for individual souls seeking a greater union with God and offering repentance for their sinful ways.
They will need all of God’s graces to combat the upcoming evil brought on by our collective societies.
IE. TRIBULATION
After the Warning and Miracle, many things will be better, but some things in society will be much worse. The repentant will become holier, and the unrepentant will become more sinful.
Ron.
I hope you will allow me to post the following:
IS AMERICA DESTROYING ITSELF ????
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“The family is the original cell of social life. It is the natural society in which husband and wife are called to give themselves in love and in the gift of life. Authority, stability, and a life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security, and fraternity within society. The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom. Family life is an initiation into life in society.” (CCC #2207)
– Are today’s families on the increase in rejecting God and Prayer?
– Are Marriage rates decreasing?
– Are Divorce rates increasing?
– Are Marital roles changing from the norm?
– Are Changes in the Family structure hindering the function of the family as an institution?
The Government persists in intruding into the Family’s obligations and responsibilities of their offspring via public education’s indoctrination of the youth.
– Why are the educators trying to hide the subject matter being taught today?
– Why are law enforcement agencies trying to determine which families could be troublesome?
– Why do the educators reject male and female nouns?
– When did the rights of parents become less in their authority and stability for their children?
The Government will very shortly capitulate to Iran in releasing billions of dollars.
– Why does the government give aid to those countries whom call for our destruction?
– Why do we make it harder and hinder other countries to prevent terrorism?
The aforementioned questions are only a subset of what is wrong with our society today.
We may try to put up the good fight against evil but I maintain history has provided us a guide that society on a whole always trends to become less God oriented and more materialistic.
My last question will be concerning the aftermath of the Warning and Miracle:
– Why are we surprised that our institutions have hardened themselves against God?
Mr.Conte,
For communicating key points to others:
“Made in the image and likeness of God”, and “possessing an immortal soul” are concise (though opening to mystery and infinity) names/descriptions.
Would it be possible to give a simple way to name/describe the fact that we will have eternal bodies–in either Heaven or Hell(?)–, and their basic relation to our temporal bodies?
Thank you very much!
I don’t understand the question.
Sorry. Not sure it really makes sense.
What I’m trying to get at is that: Along with saying that our souls have an eternal fate after death, people might be surprised to know that we will have bodies also (eventuslly), and I was just trying to find a simple way to sum up the dynamics involved in how that turns out–for good or ill– and if there is a common name for this subject?
The human person is body and soul, so if we are immortal, then we must have bodies as well as souls forever.
Ben,
My last point is – I will always be grateful to all peoples of the church. They have done a wonderful job over the centuries. Yes, there are problems with certain people of the church and will remain so as they are all imperfect human beings. The positives of the church overwhelmingly outweigh the negatives.
My last point on this topic is: There were many saints and saintly priests in the Church over the centuries, and even now among us. I never said the opposite. The beauty of cathedrals, music, art, and pieces of theological thought, or the smooth everyday life of millions. But the Church needs to reform, as pope Francis dedicated his pontificate to that reform. The sooner the better for all of us.
The recent lightning events in Russia show us God can turn the things in 24 hours. For good or for bad. I can’t even start commenting it now. We have never been as close to the nuclear button as in these last hours, when a desperate regime fights for its survival. It is not over yet. Not until the Consecration gives its real visible fruit of Conversion.
Ron,
Over the past years, I am not sure if I asked for your opinion on the following:
I have always maintained our society would have been in a better place if we had near equal footing in the “Fear of God and the Love of God”. I am not saying they should be
be on par with each other. However, it appears to me the loss of fear has contributed to the secular society we have today. I believe the same can be said with the loss of corporal punishment. The Love of God is paramount but I am not sure why and when we lost the fear of God.
Your opinion is greatly appreciated.
I agree that fear of God has lost its proper place in religion today. We love God not as equals, but as children of a great and powerful father of all. But there are many problems in society today, especially the rejection of religion itself, of prayer and faith in any form.
Our secular society has obliterated the word “SACRIFICE”. Today’s youth in lending their services to the church and community do so out of love for God, church and its people. They seek no materialistic gains in doing so, instead, they seek to form a greater union with God and church.
The youth upon entering the priesthood receive a wonderful education, have many obligations and responsibilities during their lifetime in servicing the church. I believe Canon Law and the 2nd Ecumenical Council urges priests to say mass every day regardless of the congregation being present or not. Their daily tasks may include Sacraments of Penance, Baptisms, Matrimony, perform funerals and burials, conduct spiritual and theological readings, Teach catechism to children and adults.
Visit and anoint the sick in homes, hospitals, and nursing homes.
Attend public parish and diocesan meetings.
Attend private meetings with other priests and their Bishop.
As for the youth desiring the priesthood and not being able to fulfill their wishes due to clerics deeming them unworthy – I suggest it is in the realm of being miniscule. Just as any business, human beings are imperfect and make the wrong decisions
based upon their imperfect human nature. Corporations and businesses have human resources not to protect the individual but to protect their business against liabilities.
In general, the priesthood is a far cry of being a materialistic luxurious lifestyle and is one of spiritual gratification in giving of oneself to the Glory of God.
“Today’s youth in lending their services to the church and community do so out of love for God, church and its people”
how about the priests? Why the priests are overpaid then for practically the same amount of work during the mass or in other activities such as pilgrimages, youth activities, marches, etc, only they are consecrated and the youths are not? Arent they baptized and confirmed too? We will not oppose one sacrament to another. Do the priests monetize their ordination, and in no little terms? Aren’t they a bit shy when they buy the newest brands of cars to park it for everyone to see infront of the parish? It is a shame! I have seen it in not only one or two parishes. How about the millionaires among the bishops? Why the double standard? How beautiful idyllic picture of sacrifice! Especially when it is not yours. God does not want ruined lives of youth or anybody.
“As for the youth desiring the priesthood and not being able to fulfill their wishes due to clerics deeming them unworthy – I suggest it is in the realm of being miniscule.”
So among the holy priests that somewhere between 1-3 percent were pedophiles over the years, there aren’t even greater percent of other vice and misjudgment? How about McCarrick who had “love” and “sacrifice” with seminarians and young priests who had no other option but to keep deep silence or to ruin their place in the Church they loved, sacrificed for, and intended to serve their entire lives? You believe he is alone? Another cardinal O’Brien was removed from cardinalate for sins with young adult priests – formally they agreed to sin but they had no other choice. Only those two? Those two were caught red handed.
How about the cases that do not involve pedophilia but which are destroying life paths in no less terms? Why the drain of vocations? A great many people who would like to follow priesthood either abandon the idea before start or after the start. And that decision happens mostly in the young age. You can’t write to the pope for everything, can you? And if you write and you are caught, may God has mercy on your soul because your life in the Church will certainly be ruined!
But now we are heading towards a world war with news coming not every hour but every 10 minutes, so I abandon the idea of discussing further the issue, even if Ron gives such platform for the coming Synod. The Church follows After the events, it was shown with the failed consecration although I do not know the concrete reason why it failed, something is deeply rotten…may God give her strength to reform herself on this Synod. Was it blessed Elena Aiello to predict it? Actually not only one saint or blessed said so.
Shouldn’t the Church pay some reward to those young ministrants who spend the best years of their lives in service of the Church in the face of the local priests, sometimes well into their 20s especially if they consider priesthood? And later many of them are not accepted into priesthood, not always because they are not worthy but rather because of the unworthiness of those clerics who judge them? What would recompense the lost years of those youths, who of course later are no more youths but who could have done something else in life instead, also serving God (i.e. a better education, a profitable job etc)? If the Church considers their service a voluntary service to God, then why the same principle is not applied for the Church clerics themselves – to work some other job and in their free time to celebrate the mass, for example? It is evident they have the best cars and live a luxurious lifestyle, for the work of saying the mass? Isn’t the mass a Divine gift and not a mean of profit?
Is there a mechanism in the Church by which a credible allegation against such behavior, quite different from a sexual assault and yet capable of bringing quite much suffering and destruction of someone’s perspectives in life, to be made? And not to be returned back to the local bishop for review, i.e. for revenge against the one who made it? The majority of those who serve on the altar as young and of those who later consider priesthood, never make it to the end. That means the number of those destroyed youths would be rather significant, likely higher than the sexual assaults.
I don’t know.
I think the incoming Synod has to address these and other questions of internal misfunctioning of the Church that are not just some isolated cases that the victims should offer it as a sacrifice. Otherwise, the good intentions and words of Evangelization of the world and opening to the marginalized, outcast, in the outskirts of society, made the objective of pope Francis’ pontificate, will become empty words if the Church cannot deal with the problems within its own ranks for the sake of her already existing devote old faithful. If a Vatican anonymous hotline should be established for reporting cases of various kind, similar to those established in some dioceses for sexual abuse of minors, let it be so.
I have a great confidence that FINALLY the things will be made different and better. You can’t for example allow a bishop and his closest entourage including relatives to command a diocese for 30 plus years where you grow, mature, get older and ultimately die, with above mentioned or worse cases of expelled priests, nuns and seminarians, even to the point of committing suicide, etc. Isnt it better just to retire that guilty one at the top and to put a younger not corrupt priest as the next bishop? There isn’t another one maybe? St Ambrosius wasn’t even a priest when he was appointed bishop. Isn’t it better to put more overseeing cardinals to deal with such obviously incompetent bishops (to avoid the word bad) controlling them from the top and not to wait the scandal to become too inconvenient for the Vatican in order to deal with it? Would the sexual scandals reach such extend if they were dealt with promptly at the time they appeared first? As if the Vatican doesn’t know which bishop is doing what…Worldwide there were only 2 TWO CASES of removing a bishop for financial misconduct (one in Brazil and another one in India that were made public in the media). Sorry but these things should be said, and the best way to be said is directly to the Vatican in an established hotline where the people will not feel threatened for reporting such misconduct. Such systems of oversee exist in the secular government
my point was not to defend some expelled priests and nuns, and let make it clear I am NOT one of them. My point was that many young people lose many YEARS in serving in the local Church for nothing in return. Yes I am one of them. Maybe many of them are motivated for perspectives of priesthood, and when that doesn’t happen, they are left empty handed with lost best years of their lives that cannot be returned. How much would they make if they would have worked a secular job during that time? How far in career, house, etc etc? However holy the service in the Church is for the young, however many spiritual graces they receive for it, it is a work done too. As the work done by the priests themselves. Again, if the spiritual benefits are the only ones to be rewarded with, let that be applied to the priests and bishops and let their high salaries be dropped significantly. Much more could be said.
In all, the Reform in the Church should take more radical course. Maybe there are Dioceses that are doing that, that collect the views of the common faithful. The dioceses I have been recently, are not doing that. People are not heard, there isn’t even a theoretical way to communicate unless you want to reveal your full name to the diocesan office (and I am speaking of dioceses in the United States and Europe alike).
I don’t know the cure. I am not in a position to tell the cure even less to make it work in practice. But isn’t it exactly for that purpose the Synod of Synodality is called for in the first place, to make the things inside the Church TRANSFORMED in 21st century? As the recent document issued by the Vatican speaks of? And not only transformed to include selected groups of minorities, but for all of us the faithful. I welcome this and other documents of the Vatican and expect they find the practical way of their implementation, not in some distant future again. I guess the faithful at the time of the Second Vatican Council 1965 were equally expecting some big change. We have no more decades to lose. The world wouldn’t give it to us. We may have only few months left to make the things different. Yes I am talking of the war and all the rest. We can’t have today’s Church failures moved in the Era of Peace. God will fix it instead of us, only we cooperate be obedient and…die while expecting a better real Kingdom of God? I heard that already, for many centuries that was the motto. It proved it didn’t work, otherwise we wouldn’t have the biggest crisis in the Church since…you name it, to require First and Second Vatican Council and now the Synod. It became too long, sorry, maybe a thread on the Synod of Synodality? I don’t want to write anymore on these topics in secular forums where the answers will be all against the Church in general.
If you please, Mr. Conte,
The existence of our immortal souls is integrally due, isn’t it, to having been made in the image and likeness of God?
Or, rather, is it seperate and independent from that?
Thank you!
God made our souls immortal because we have free will, the ability to reason abstractly, so as to understand transcendent values, and the ability to love. I suppose you are right that we are made in the image of God, and so our souls are immortal. But I don’t know of any particular teaching on that point.
Wow, that is a rich direction which the answer went in to. Alot for me to learn in that.
FWIW, I was asking because those two points are so essential to know about ourselves so that we can approach life adequately; so in sharing them with others, I wanted to be able to have the basics right.
Thank you!
Dear Mr. Conte: Fr. James Martin SJ is truly propagating heretical LGBT crap. Why do you think pope Francis hasn´t realized that? It seems that he is completely backing his way of thinking! Thanks and God bless you.
I don’t think the situation is that simple. I agree that Fr. Martin’s theology has some serious errors. But the Holy See does not typically intervene to such an extent as to attempt to correct every serious error of every priest or author. The Pope likes the aspects of Fr. Martin’s approach that treat LGBT persons with respect and that tries to bring them into the Church, rather than the approach of the far right that would condemn them and refuse them spiritual care.
Are You familiar with the different philosophical positions on free will (libertarianism, compatibilism, determinism)? If so, what is the church’s position on it? May a Catholic believe in a compatibilist view of free will?
Thank You for Your answers.
I’m not familiar with those positions. The Church teaches that God gave us free will, which requires grace for certain types of decisions or acts, prevenient grace to make the will free to choose good, and also to enlighten the mind to understand transcendent values of good and evil, so as to understand what we are choosing. Then subsequent grace assists us as we choose good over evil.
Predestination includes, inherently, free will. It is the foreknowledge of God about our free will decisions along with grace and providence to guide us aright, but with the possibility that we might choose to sin and not repent and so deserve punishment.