Being Catholic Now: Prominent Americans Talk About Change in the Church and the Quest for Meaning

What more can one say other than: "Despite all, still Catholic." After the abuses, the arrogance of clerics and the hierarchy, a long period of "fuzzy-wuzzy" theology post Vatican II, and the apparent return of clericalism as evidenced by the young "turks" graduating from some seminaries today, is it any wonder why anyone remains in the Church? As pointed out by several of those interviewed for Kerry Kenney's book, it appears to be a genetic thing.

A good read albeit unsettling.

PT

This book is nothing but yet another attempt to discredit the Catholic Church by saying their views are old-fashioned and out of date. What the author and others like her fail to realize is that the truth is never out of date. What was morally true 2000 years ago is still morally true today. The only people who will find this book of any value are people who are anti-Catholic and are just looking for more people to agree with their positions. The Catholic Church is not a democracy. The Pope and the Bishops through the power of God establish the rules even if they are unpopular with a growing number of people. If you do not agree with them then you should not call yourself a Catholic. These would be like calling yourself a liberal but holding conservative views on most issues.

I think this title should be CHANGED to: "Pretending To Be 'catholic' Now". Luther would be right in line with this mostly misguided group of pretenders. If they truly believe what is written (I'm talking about the majority of the quoted pretenders); then they should really stop saying they are Catholic and commence with their own religion. And if they did, it would soon be apparent that their lame shallow thoughts would have no real basis and no staying power. The 'Magisterium' has the authority as deemed by Our Lord, and not this eclectic group of 'sound bites' personalities.

Don't judge a book by its cover. With few exceptions, the interviews contained in this book define what it means to NOT be a Catholic now, or at any time for that matter. The majority of the "prominent Americans" who contributed to this work are misguided, having serious personal issues with various teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church. The only benefit I gained from reading it comes from a better understanding of the off-base, secularistic ideologies of some who claim to be Catholic.

I must admit that those interviewed are not completely to blame for their present day beliefs. If, in the past 30+ years, many in the Church had taught the Truth of the faith instead of a watered down version of Catholicism, these Americans and many like them would have a better understanding of a Church, placed here by God, to help each and every one of us live good, decent and fulfilling lives that will lead us to a place beyond the "Now".

Anyone who loves the Catholic Church will be distressed by this book.

Kerry Kennedy, who collected these essays, writes she has a friend who endured "a sermon that amounted to a frontal assault on gay men's and women's rights"(p xxix). While she says she continues to love the Church, she wonders if it hasn't gone over to "the dark side" (p xxxi).

Then her book goes on to feature people who loathe the church, like Bill Maher, whose film "Religulous" is a long scream of hatred at God. Or those whose information about the church is embarrassingly ignorant, like Anna Quindlen, who believes the old, wholly discredited story of a woman pope.

One striking essay is by Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives. She snips, "I've always been pro-choice. To me, it's like saying, `Should we surrender our brains?'" (p 79). How many bishops have rebuked her advocacy of abortion recently? Is it 14, 20? I've lost count.

Over 40 million babies have been killed in the United States since abortion was legalized. That's a continent of human beings lost forever. Not to mention the lives of the mothers and fathers who so often experience emotional turmoil for decades after. Why is Pelosi so uncaring, so sure her way is right?

Archbishop Raymond Burke, the US Vatican prelate, has said the Democratic party is at risk of becoming the "party of death" for its strident advocacy for abortion and euthanasia. Why won't Pelosi listen to the Church? Or read about the beliefs of the Church, or pray, or consult her bishop? Catholic belief about abortion and birth control has been constant, ever since the first years of Christianity.

Pelosi also writes of being hopeful about "Humanae Vitae" until she read it and realized "It was a missed opportunity for the Church" (p 79). As if the 2000 year old Catholic Church, founded by Jesus himself and guided at every moment by the Holy Spirit, was in the business of car loans instead of salvation.

About the time Pelosi was bemoaning "Humanae Vitae" Father Stephen Kurti was being shot and killed in a communist camp in Yugoslavia because he had baptized a baby. At about the same time, also, Viet Minh communists shoved chopsticks into children's ears for listening to Catholic school lessons. This took place in the village of Haiduong.

The 20th century had more Catholics killed for their faith than all the other centuries combined; some estimates put the figure as high as forty million (The Catholic Martyrs of the Twentieth Century, by Royal).

Priests like Father Pro were hunted down and killed in Mexico, communists in Spain shot, crucified, and slaughtered nuns and priests and lay Catholics by the thousands. Nearly every priest in Poland was killed under Hitler. Of more than 900 Catholic priests in 1920 in Russia, only 300 were left in 1930. And then there are the nameless hundreds of thousands of people who were shipped to the gulag to endure unimaginable suffering. Some still linger in Chinese and Korean prisons.

And the death and persecution continues today. In September, 2008 Archbishop Cheenath reported that in India, from August 24th to 31st, some 25 Catholics were killed by radical Hindus, six priests were hospitalized , one woman was burned to death, two priests were kidnapped, and 4,300 houses were demolished in 160 villages. This is a report that the western news, by and large, ignored.

People have been willing to suffer and die for the Church since its inception. In the secular, spoiled west, few seen capable of even making it to Mass every Sunday.

Cokie Roberts, delighting in her cute irreverence, writes, "The notion of leaving the church would just be to give them a victory, and I'm not about to do that. They aren't winning" (p 29).

What a tragedy for her that she has to follow in conformist lockstep to the current fads of today. What a tragedy she thinks in terms of "they".

But then there's just the silliness of the remark. Because of course the Church will win. It's always been on the brink of falling off the cliff. And yet, after 2000 years of constant assault, it's still here. And I believe someone once said that even the gates of hell could not prevail against her.