Then out spake brave Horatius, The Captain of the Gate:“To every man upon this earth Death cometh soon or late.And how can man die better Than facing fearful odds,For the ashes of his fathers, And the temples of his gods, “And for the tender mother
“A schism is fueled by people who, little by little, latch themselves on to the notorious doings of the opposition.” – Yves Congar, O.P. One of the potential pitfalls of striving to be holy is the temptation to schism. This hazard is not unique to Christianity – Islam, for instance,
The chief issue with Bishop Barron’s letter is whether or not in attempting to assuage concerns, he may be acting to mute the criticisms and lull the rank and file back into complacency.
At the end of the day, there is no substitute for real human contact. We Catholics need to find people whose hearts are open to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit and make them a part of our lives.
Even better, what should it mean to be a Catholic? This straightforward question should admit to a simple and straightforward answer.
Catholics can no longer deliver the vote, as once we did. And the reason is simple: too many of us are unwilling to do the hard, responsible work of a free people.