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On a couple of other boards, the issue of American bishops criticizing President Bush's handling of the Iraqi situation has come up. My respone has been along this line: the bishops need to stop meddling in government and clean their own house first. It is beyond incredible to me that these men, who couldn't keep pedophiles from harming our children would think now to run our government. If they wish to become involved in government affairs, let them do so by starting with public excommunication of all pro-abort Catholic politicians.

Because of such statements, I have been roundly criticized, most people telling me that I have neither the right nor wisdom to criticize the bishops of the Church.

Well?

Am I treading on dangerous ground before God here by runnin' my mouth and need to hit the confessional? Or is there a legitimate arena for such greivances when one sees the Church being mismanaged?

I appreciate your input.

Cordially in Christ,

Brother Ed

Dear Ed, the Pope himself has expressed through his special envoy Cardinal Etchegaray his opinion that unilateral action by the U.S. would not fit the "just war" criteria. This is a much bigger issue than just meddling in affairs of a certain nation, and it goes far beyond the American bishops.

The Pope has also stated that Iraq must also disarm if it is to be considered as legitmately working for a peaceful solution.

I believe his remarks and opinions on this issue to be thoroughly balanced and as with most if not all of his statements, discerned through much prayer and contemplation.

Diak --

Thank you for your reply, however, the answer does not fit the heart of my question, which is whether or not I should be criticizing the bishops of the Church and whether or not the kind of statement I printed is intemperate before the face of God Almighty.

Your opinion?

Brother Ed

I think we should always be slow to criticize others, especially bishops and other Church hierarchs. We cannot know their inner motives, thoughts, and outlooks on every (or any) situation. We cannot begin to comprehend the difficult complexities that are involved in governing and shepherding a group of faithful.

I just think its unfair to willingly criticize the decisions of men who have consecrated their entire life to Christ through Holy Priesthood.

Just my opinion, and I'm not saying that AltarBoy is doing this.

ChristTeen287

Ed, it never hurts for us to express our opinions to our hierarchs, but obviously with a spirit of charity. If we never communicate with them, we can't say we have spoken our conscience, can we?

It is frustrating, given the current situation once could certainly think individual bishops were using the war protests as a sort of "smoke screen" for the darker domestic problems they may be harboring within their dioceses.

Our Lord certainly gave his opinions to those He felt doing wrong, even using such terms as "brood of vipers". That's not always a good way to start a converstation with your bishop, though

Diak --

Well, actually I have not voiced this sort of thing to any bishop. It is God Who is hearing this, and His opinion of my verbiage is more of what I am concerned about.

If I did go to a bishop, I would not think it right to approach in anything other than the most humble and respectful tone. Regardless of his personal failures, that office carries the authority and blessing of our Lord with it, and that is not to be taken lightly, which is why I asked this question. I am not sure just where to draw the line regarding voicing my opinions in public.

Brother Ed

Teen,

Altar Boy and I both share the same "Ikon" of St Seraphim but we are different people.

Dear Brother Ed,

Your zeal for keeping the Church pure and unspotted from the world is commendable, and frankly, reminds me of me.

All the same, we are given the model for taking up grievances against another member of the Church in Matthew 18:15. This a model for problems within the Church. Problems with someone outside the Church will necessarily conform more to the societal norms (voting booth, political action committee, debate in the town hall).

Because our bishops are often far away or hard to reach, I wouyld say that such grievances might also be taken to him via a trusted father confessor, spiritual father, local presbyter/priest, or a diocesan chancellor.

Your question is a worthy one. The answer should be rooted in the Gospel.

With love in Christ.

Yeah, I just noticed that, lol.

ChristTeen287

Dear altar boy,

I think theproblem with your query is that it is based on a false (or at least debatable) premise -- namely that the bishops should get their OWN HOUSE in order before they meddle in someone else's HOUSE.

That presumes that preaching on the morality of war is government business and not the church's. Some make the same point about abortion.

I don't accept the premise, therefore can't agree with the conclusion.

Axios

Greetings,

The church has to keep going with its mission to evangelize the world. Yes we have been given a blow to the Institutional church, but not to the church of God. The church has a moral responibility to do what it should have done years ago about the sex abuse situation, but it also has the moral obligation to up hold church teachings. The Bishops who are speaking out, like my Bishop, John Michael Botean of the Romanians, has not been involved in the the crisis.
The Pope, our Pope by the way, has come out against the war. I guess we have to decide where we stand. Can we support the president, and the war, and still be called faithful to the magisterium? Some of my seminairian brothers seem to think we can pick a choose what we want to believe in.
The church needs to be called back to prayer. We need to spen more time on our knees praying for those people who have to make these decisions.
This is a very confusing time for all of us. The Church Crisis and the War Crisis have touched us all. Pray, Pray, Pray.....

And also remember; Peace is a pro-life issue.

Blessings,
Peter

I think Axios has said it well.

When I was a boy growing up as a Roman Catholic, I remember the distain that the nuns had for the Reformation...it wasn't until Catholic High School that I heard a positive thing about Martin Lurther and the Reformation...look Bishops are only human...in the early Church they married and were elected...pls don't be afraid to criticize them...I'm still a Catholic, but since I've grown-up I have learned a great deal from the Prostestants.

Dear Brother Ed,

Sometimes, we expect more from our bishops than their apostolic charter has entrusted to them. And sometimes the bishops themselves overstep that same charter.

The bishop is not responsible for living out the gospel in other peoples lives, but in his own life, as you so aptly point out. But we are not responsible for living it out in his life, only in our own.

Did the Lord and the Apostles comment extensively upon the evils of the day or did they teach the flock how to avoid these evils? Did they comment upon the gladiators, excessive and unfair taxes, or the evils of slavery for their own sake? No. They taught and warned us in the Church not to be men of violence, not to deny Ceasar what is rightly his while also not cheating others, and that a slave should secure his liberty if he can (it may imply "purchase his liberty" since Paul did send Onesimos to return to his master, Philemon. But in the context of the day, slaves were not nearly as bad off as those in the conditions that the USA permitted up until the end of the Civil War).

One should never preach about war, abortion, divorce, or sexual immorality. But while preaching the Gospel of peace, the sanctity of life, the blessing of marriage, and the holiness of chastity, these would be mentioned as the alternatives toward which the great Liar will mislead us.

So if your bishop preaches the Gospel of peace and mentions the calamity of war, he is only doing his job. Even if we are not living it out, the preacher is obligated to preach the Gospel, even if he convicts himself as a hypocrite! But I agree that his job is not to teach the significance or insignificance of intelligence photos of Iraq. I worked with such photos for seven years as a Naval Cryptologic officer, but I wouldn't dare to preach to the Church based upon what "I think" a photo tells us. We don't have to "think" when we preach, we just have to "know" what the Gospel says and repeat it with our own words.

The Protestants have a bumper sticker that is very correct: "Know Jesus, know peace. No Jesus, no peace."

My brother in Christ, the world does not "know" Jesus, and so, war will most likely follow. The Eastern Church has always accepted this with sadness and sought to ameliorate the subsequent sufferings. The Orthodox warrior always repents of having killed men in battle and abstains from communion for three years subsequent to his confession, according to the canons.

Allow me to add one further insight that has been attributed to Archbishop Demetrios, currently head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America. While a professor at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in Brookline, Massachusetts, he was reported to have taught that (paraphrased) "the role of the Church is not to bring heaven upon the earth, but to keep the earth from becoming a hell."

I hope that this is helpful.

With love in Christ.