There is a serious Catholic “man-crisis”: The pews have fewer Catholic men in them than ever before.
The New Emangelization Project (NewEmangelization.com) has documented the devastating loss of faith among Catholic men. Large numbers of baptized Catholic men have left the faith and the majority who remain are “Casual Catholic Men”, men who don’t know the faith and don’t practice the faith.
One in three baptized Catholic men in the U.S. have left the Church. The fastest growing religious segment of the U.S. population are called “Nones”, those who profess no religion. The single biggest contributor to the “Nones” are men who were formerly Catholic.
To have one third of our fathers, brothers, uncles and sons leave the Catholic Church is a disaster. Imagine an army in a fierce battle that had one third of its men desert or fight for the enemy. The loss of so many Catholic men weakens the Church Militant in the battle against Satan’s ongoing assault on all people.
It gets worse: the majority (some 50-60%) who remain are “Casual Catholic Men”, men who don’t know or practice the faith.
Large numbers of Catholic men don’t have a basic understanding of the faith. Only about one in three Catholic men strongly agree the Sacraments are essential to their faith. About half of Catholic men are “bored” in the Mass and don’t feel they “get anything out of the Mass.” Men who understand the Mass could never be bored when encountering the King of Creation.
Most Catholic men believe that “how one lives is more important than being a Catholic.” Large numbers of Catholic men do not believe that Catholicism has a “greater share of truths than other religions.” Only about one in four Catholic men believe that being a Catholic “is among the most important things in life.” A startling 60% of Catholic men would consider leaving the Church.
“Casual Catholic Men” do not practice the faith. Only about one in four Catholic men consider themselves to be “practicing Catholics.” Indeed, only one third of Catholic men attend Mass weekly despite the fact that weekly Mass attendance is a precept of the Church.
The majority of men are not going to Confession. Some eight out of ten Catholic men have not gone to Confession in the last year; annual Confession is a precept of the Church (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2042). Only 1 in 50 Catholic men (2%) have a monthly practice of Confession. Studies show that 60-70% of Christian men are viewing pornography monthly. Many Catholic men likely receive the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin, bringing down judgment on themselves (1 Cor 11:27-29).
Most Catholic men are disengaged from parish life. Research shows that eight out of ten Catholic men do not participate in a Catholic activity outside of attending Mass. A third of men who call themselves “Catholic” are not even members of a parish.
These men are not committed to pass the faith along to their children. Half of Catholic men do not know the faith well enough to explain it to their children and they are not convinced it is important for their children to remain Catholic. The lack of commitment of fathers to pass the faith along to their sons will add to the Catholic “man-crisis.”
The Catholic “man-crisis” is wreaking havoc on men, women, children, the Church and society. What is needed now is for all Catholics of good will, especially priests, deacons and men themselves, to commit to call our wayward brothers back to the fullness of the faith.
Jesus Christ, the Perfect Man, expects no less from us.
74 thoughts on “The Startling Absence of Catholic Men in the Pews”
As a Roman Catholic man who does attend mass on a fairly regular basis and who has brought is formerly culturally Buddhist wife to the Church and helped raise two daughters and now a grand-daughter in the faith, I’d like to say something about the so-called crisis of men in the Church.
It’s this: Stop sending the men away.
Everywhere I turn, there are women or members of the clergy bemoaning the lack of men in the Roman Catholic church. We apparently don’t go to mass. We apparently don’t care. We apparently are not as involved in catechism classes and other programs.
And it’s true. We’re not. But there’s a very simple reason why we’re not. And it’s that we’re not welcome and we know it.
For all the claims about the patriarchy in the Roman Catholic church, the fact is that it has become an emasculated version of what it once was. Today, men in the Catholic church are often treated as outsiders, helpful assistants at best and dangerous interlopers at worst.
When I arrived in the Roman Catholic diocese where I now attend mass, I remember walking up to the elderly lady who was in charge of the volunteers. I walked up, my arms wide open, and said, something like, “Hi, I’m new. Put me to work!”
Now, I had in the past taken a Catholic evangelization course approved by the Archdiocese of Vancouver in Canada. I had written for that archdiocese’s Catholic newspaper and the Christian AlphaNews publication. I had attended Catholic retreats, both for men only and for men and women, and done door-to-door evangelization in what was then my parish of Notre Dame de Lourdes in Coquitlam, British Columbia. With Father John from Precious Blood Parish, I even had the privilege of doing a little streetcorner evangelization. I briefly served as a deputy grand knight of the Knights of Columbus at one council and took part in praise and worship evenings and silent worship of the Eucharist at the Perpetual Adoration chapels in the Vancouver area. Spiritually, it was a heady time.
When I arrived in New Brunswick, I expected things to be the same. After all, it was the same church, wasn’t it? Apparently, not so much. To my surprise, the lady in charge of the volunteers told me there was nothing for me to do. It would be quite a while, many months and possibly more than a year, before I would be allowed to do anything as a volunteer in that parish even though I had taken a short, one-day course to catch up on the latest procedures and policies for volunteers. When I was finally allowed to do anything, it was to teach a catechism class that no-one else wanted. In desperation, I think, they let me teach it.
I was given no books, no materials, no curriculum, no training. Nothing. I showed up one day and there were students. And I began to do my best but, for some reason, I wasn’t getting through to the kids. So I went out and bought them each a Bible, a notebook, pens and pencils, and a bunch of props to re-enact some of the scenes from the Bible. Still nothing. Finally, near the end of the catechism session, with only one class left to go, I was called up and told that parents were complaining that I was not following the curriculum. When I pointed out there was no curriculum, that didn’t seem to make things any better. So, realizing that what I was doing was not appreciated, I resigned.
In the years since, I have twice tried to bring pastoral programs for teenagers and young adults to the diocese, even negotiating a 50 per cent discount for materials and offering to volunteer for the program. The pastoral committee refused. The rational? There are no young people in the church so there’s no point in having a program for them. Later, a new bishop asked for ideas to deal with the serious problem of the drop in attendance and, I imagine, revenues from the collections in our diocese. I wrote a lengthy brief explaining the need for a pastoral outreach program to bring lapsed Catholics and others back to the church. I submitted to the bishop and never heard anything about it. It fell into a black hole. The diocese continued on its favoured strategy of shutting down church buildings instead and consolidating the existing parishes into smaller units. The demographics are still heavily skewed towards senior citizens, meaning the future of the church itself in this area is in jeophardy, but that doesn’t seem to be of much concern to the church leadership. Finally, last year, another new bishop arrived and made a call for men interested in the diaconate. I applauded this move in a letter to the bishop and inquired as to what education and programs I might take to supplement my university degree to be considered as a candidate for this vocation. Despite my letter and phone calls, the bishop or his staff never responded except to eventually tell me he had received the letter.
When and where the Roman Catholic church’s leadership refuses to accept the sincere and well-intentionned help of men of faith, well, these men eventually stop trying to force themselves upon the church. Many of them do what I have been told to do several times by other Catholic men: They walk away. They leave the church. Some of them go to other churches. Many simply stop attending. After all, if the church leadership doesn’t seem to believe in what it is saying – or so the thinking goes – then why should we?
Men – real men – are doers. When they commit to something, they commit to it 100 per cent. They don’t just want to utter platitudes about helping the poor; they want to raise money and actually help some poor people. They don’t just want to talk about spreading the faith; they want to evangelize. They don’t just want to talk about social justice; they want to ensure it is done. In places where men are allowed to do things, they sometimes go completely overboard with their devotions, willingly having themselves nailed to crosses to join their suffering to that of Christ. They flagellate themselves and, like Saint Brother Andre, even wear barbed wire under their clothes to mortify their own flesh.
While we as a faith community must be on guard against excesses of zeal that lead to unhealthy forms of worship, let’s be clear about one thing. It is not an excess of zeal that the Roman Catholic church in Canada has to worry about. We could do with a little zeal. Even a lot more zeal. A very wise youth leader told me once that we are often afraid to demand too much of our Catholic youth out of fear of driving them away with our demands but that this is an unfounded fear. Young people want to do things. They want to make a difference in the world. When we as a Roman Catholic church empower young people to do things in the name of Christ, they will do all that we ask of them, finish it in half the time we expected them to take, and then come back to us demanding what else they can do.
When church leaders prevent men from acting, they are – perhaps unwittingly – committing that same serious sin. They are pushing men away from the church and father away from God.
Since I do not come from a very religious family myself and was for many years an atheist, I have often been asked by people why I do not simply leave the Church. In frustration and sometimes in anger, I have often asked myself the same thing. Then, I am always reminded of the words of Peter to our Lord: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.”
As a man, I want to leave the Roman Catholic church. It has frustrated me to no end to see church buildings close and people drift about without faith or their faith weakened to the point of almost vanishing when a good evangelization program, a little outreach and kindness could have made all the difference. It saddens me to see buildings deteriorate when men with skills can fix them and are not asked to do so. Children go to school cold and sometimes hungry because we are not allowing men who can raise money and take care of these issues step in and relieve this suffering. It aggrieves me to see the faith modeled by a physically and mentally tough Saviour, a Man who suffered great physical pain and emotional distress for us, reduced to a simpering, emasculated version of its formerly robust self.
But I cannot leave the Church. I cannot leave Christ. Because, despite it all, I believe in the Catholic church’s teachings.
And so, I stay. I wait. And I hope that one day Canada’s Roman Catholic church will once again allow men to be men and take their place in the Church. I look forward to the moment when the Holy Spirit will sweep across this land and there will be a great revival of Roman Catholicism.
Come, Holy Spirit. Come. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Come.
You sound like a male version of the Martha story in Luke 10.
I’m not sure what you mean by that. Can you explain?
Well, you did nothing but complain about others not helping you when truly it’s your own
soul that needs the work. Nothing will prevail against the CC so why worry about it.
Ah. You chose to ignore my main point and instead attempt to insult me by judging the state of my soul and then falsely imply that I am somehow against the Catholic church. I think this falls into the “troll” category.
So I’ll say OUR souls need work and call it a day. Peace
The Roman Catholic church does not need to change and water down its teachings to attract wimpy Catholics. It simply needs to boldly proclaim the Truth in a renewed evangelization.
I started a new blog dedicated to the lives and teachings of Sts. Maximilian Kolbe and JP II, 16670mk.wordpress.com. If you or anyone you know has questions or suggestions by all means, feel free to contact me via the site. I am all ears and want to help guys heal our numerous wounds.
Lord bless you all!
James L Berkon
Thanks….we need the saints and their prayers.
Priests please give energetic and inspiring sermons that are a call to action, sacrifice, fidelity to the Holy Father and men will stay and bring their brothers and friends. While you´re at it get after wives for being nags who bicker about everything. When working with couples ask them if they are using birth control and explain that they are distrusting God. Get them to say the Rosary and come back to the large family ethos where you rely on God and one another. Pastors often give cream of wheat sermons that are PATHETIC. We need courageous witness-priests should lead the way.
Homiletic-public speaking-is a skill which, if it isn’t taught starting in the first year of a seminarian’s academic life through theology and beyond, will stultify the priest’s message. You hit several nails on their heads. Don’t stop complaining; it’s our right to demand intelligent and understandable sermons.
Is this true of other Christian faiths and if not, why?
Why not check out: https://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/42390.htm…..how Orthodox stay in the Orthodox Church and how it challenges them.
Yes, the orthodox. No purgatory per se, divorce kinda allowed, no stigma on first, baptism and confirmation together, and no mortal sin per se – at least that’s what I heard. Hey I’m all for it
I do believe they have some concept of purgatory….but one can be married and divorced up to the third….that is a problem for me.
And the Catholic Church is also reflecting in various parts of returning the rites of initiation together. Instead of waiting for confirmation for teens, when that times is more about fitting in with their peers and becoming adults in the world, they should instead be prepared for adult Christians…the Orthodox way.
Ya, i think 3 strikes you’re out on marriage is too much. The first should be a gimme and
then a tough annulment on the second. If we extrapolate the difference between the CC and Orthodox view then Francis has the right middle ground – mercy. Of course, a civil
marriage with entrance into the CC’s sacrament decades later ( so as to prove success )
is probably the best way. Oh well, see ya in < 500 years.
Problem is their children being damaged.
Julie, mostly tongue-in-cheek remarks but the CC does go way overboard in the penalty
phase of these particular sins and other ludicrous transgressions vs penalty type things
and is why a good 50 % of the church left for less holier-than-thou pastures.
They also were not raised with penance and the Cross…have you read the letter by St. Francis of Assisi to Catholics around the world…1221…around there…the interior life is so similar to the Orthodox.
I think we are spiritually weak in some ways compared to the Orthodox.
I would add as well that there are some Orthodox churches who allow contraception and we see the impact now it has on our modern society. We have the highest STD rate of all the industrial countries, and our native population is dying…we never hardly see any models of stay at home mothers as well, and today it is impossible to do so with the heavy taxation and income that requires 3 jobs to maintain a family.
” If you compare yourself to itheres you will become vain and bitter …” Desiderata
I try to focus on the Cross. How about you?
It would HELP GREATLY if many priests instead of repeating in their own words almost verbatim the gospel that was just read instead sat down and wrote a good homily that lifted the spirits and gave insight into what was just said…but unfortunately, their homilies are nothing but a second reading of what was just read. Too many lazy clergy make for falling away Catholic men. As Dr. Ben Johnson said, “Not only are they boring, they are the cause of boredom in others.”
Real Catholic men were run off from the church for being….well…..Catholic. Bishops want protestant types everywhere.
Hey,”TincanJoey”…what’s a”protestant type” ?
No recognition of the Holy Eucharist, not Genuflecting when coming into church, no adherence to the magisterium and the deposit of faith, instead of dressing in nice clothes to go to church one dresses like one is going to a party to get laid, no devotion to Mary, no love of classical church music & fawning over tunes set to Barney & Friends music, wanting to rip out the beautiful art, altar rails, kneelers and replace it with plain non-descrip walls with chairs, hatred of everything Latin……basically worship of the self rather than the divine.
Hmm…This is an interesting reply, “TincanJoey”. So,let me get this straight.According to YOUR assessment, you want the readers to believe that…genuflecting,altar rails,kneelers,the man-centered “magisterium”,the clothes you wear, (You remember that the… “Lord looks on the heart”…right? { 1st Samuel 16:7; also,you are warned against judging according according to apparel in James 2:1-4.)etc.,etc., is supposed to be considered”divine” ? In what sense? Do you have any Scriptural evidence for your assertions? ( It’s a rhetorical question; we know you don’t.)-“Hatred of everything Latin”? What in the world are you talking about?? While there is no doubt that Catholics and Protestants approach their worship activities entirely different in many respects for you to render some kind of perogative judgment against the so-called” separated brethren “(and sisters) by claiming that they engage in”worship of the self” as opposed to worshipping Almighty God according to the unwarranted dictates of the man-centered institution known as the roman catholic church is grossly inappropriate.Now I want you to understand me—On various websites I label myself”The Protestant Gadfly”; most of the time I’m cordial and try to be fair and polite to my Catholic brethren and sisters.But be warned: I do NOT allow my Prostestant brethren and sisters to be thrown under ANYONE’S ecclesiastical bus,PERIOD.I have been / still am a student of the Ecclesiastical history of both our faith constructs for over 25 years; I’m fairly certain that I know as much about the ins-and-outs of Roman Catholicism as you,or any other Catholic knows.If you have a problem with Protestantism,that’s fine,but don’t delude yourself into thinking that you are somehow better,holier,or more favored by Almighty God than your non-Catholic brothers and sisters.You’re not,and your catechism itself makes that clear.So…we can agree to disagree here,or I am more than willing to engage your catholic groupthink at any time . Contrary to Roman Catholic belief,the pope is no one’s”saviour, ( Boniface VIII’s”Unam Sanctum”notwithstanding.), your so-called ” Magisterium ” is no one’s judge,and Almighty God has NOT put Roman Catholicism in charge of Christianity.Now,again,I’m willing to drop this given the fact that well-educated Protestants and Catholics are well-versed in the differences between us; if not,well…I await your reply. I’ve been a born-again, blood-bought, Spirit-filled child / servant of Almighty God for over 39 years,and I bow to no one in defense of my Faith,and trust me: I’m more than willing to defend my Faith in My Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.I have no God-given mandate to worship and serve Him in the manner of any other human beings or in accordance to any other man-centered institutions,only as HE commanded me according to Holy Scriptures,NOT anyone’s INTERPRETATION of it.Again,I await your reply.
Good grief dude, take a Valium and get off of your high horse.
Hmm…an offer of drugs in the place of engaging in dialogue…very telling,Mr.Broussard.I would remind you that an unwarranted attack upon the”separated brethren”(and sisters) triggered my response,and I stand by EVERY word I said.If that’s the best that you or anyone else can do, man up and say so; otherwise,don’t try to insult my intelligence with nonsensical drivel.Good day,and God bless.
There are not more than 100 people in the world who truly hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they perceive to be the Catholic Church.
But nice try Larry
Wow…a tired,waay-overused quote? That’s the best I can expect from you,Mr.Broussard? As though the Roman Catholic Church is some deep,unfathomable mystery that no one could possibly understand unless they,how does that quote go?…oh,yeah:….”willingly submit your wills and intellects”…to the so-called ” magisterium”. No doubt that relieves one from actually investigating and discerning whether one is being taught the truth instead of man-centered drivel and pseudo-theological claptrap.When you let others think for you,well,all that is required for you to do is,you guessed it: “PAY,PRAY,AND OBEY”. You’re bringing a knife to a gunfight here,Mr.Broussard.While I bought a little cliché to the conversation here,don’t kid yourself; Roman Catholicism isn’t that hard to grasp.After all,who would embrace it if was? But make no mistake,you don’t want to go down this road with me; I’ve yet to hear anything substantive from you.Now,if you want to get back on point and discuss the original article…otherwise,let’s just agree to disagree and I will wish you farewell and Godspeed.Your choice.PEACE.
Pastors will avoid strong conservative men. Those who abhor Socialism will be ignored as much as possible. One pastor snorted in a huff at the mention of “The Life of Christ” by Bishop Sheen. The Church treats men simply as sources of revenue, fork it over and keep your opinions to yourself.
My point.
I can spend rest of my life out of the Church looking to blame. God knows I have REAL cause and people think me insane for remaining.
But true faith makes well. Brings abundant life in Christ.
Don’t blame others or each other.
Become REAL men and women. Even there are just two of you. Take off the black belts, go on your knees and pray.
The Rosary. Mary is true Mother to all.
She does not like the children at odds and scapegoating. She knows where that lead – Jesus Crucified.
St Therese of Lisieux sees her vocation through the words of St Paul.
She desires to fulfil all vocations and sees this possible in asking the crown of all gifts, vocations – to become love in the heart of the Church – Mother Church.
The Church doesn’t need ‘real men’. It’s always been real women, mothers who are the real life of the Church.
If the Church had had a truly maternal heart – like Mary’s Heart. The abuse would have been nipped in the bud much sooner and those I knew now dead – still alive. Straight priests abuse. They abuse adult women making concubines of them. The ones who are honest enough to leave are real men – straight or gay, if they are not able for celibate life.
Though I believe marriage should be an option too. Marriage is a sacrament. My mother had seventeen pregnancies. Twelve children survived to birth. Hard life. As much faith and sacrifice as any religious or priest. All are called to become living sacrifices of loving service.
The ‘real men’ here are WIMPS. Scapegoaters. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
I’d give you a sermon with a mirror and you’d not like what you see. That’s real love.
‘Real’ men scapegoating gays.
Ya big cissies. Grow a real pair ya useless, whining gits.
It’s not a new phenomenon. Look at Calvary. When the going gets ‘tough’ the ‘tough’ get going. The men ran cept the ‘effeminate’ John. And the women and His Mother.
WIMPS !!!
This from a gay MAN abused, survived and ‘re abused by so called ‘real’ men of the Church.
Look to Mary. Stronger than all of you together.
Such a bunch of gutless, scapegoating babies.
GROW UP !
Mangelisation ? Jesus wept. ONLY in America.
Want a tough sermon ? Just ask. I’ll wipe the floor and make you kneel on it.
Hey, don’t lump me in with these fanatics I only asked a question.
I couldn’t agree more. a lot of these comments have “ME” stamped all over them.
Throw some of the valium this way. You’d need it on the internet at times. lol.
As me granny used to say, “God save us all from the bites of the cannibals.” ;). Enoy weekend.
Pray for peace in this insane world.
And to the men here.
Preferably on the knees.
Greg ‘fore I go. I am not sure what this is really all about here – but see the usual need to scapegoat some group or other when real men can’t grow up and take responsibility.
I have seven very real men brothers. One was a fire man.
Younger than I and died this time two years ago. Long before his time. I have my thoughts about priests and all of it. Times I could have wrung the necks of the lot of ’em and thrown in their own hell. Anger is not a good emotion.
But then came back to myself eventually. Well most of the time. Whatever any priest is – straight or gay or anything else – they work damned hard, especially with the shortage. Like the good sisters too. 24/7 on call most of the time.
Was a great priest here – gentle man – what I am sure some of the a’ holes here would think ‘not manly’ enough. He did my brother’s funeral and there wasn’t standing room inside or outside the chapel. Brilliant job.
In case there are any other priests here feeling intimidated by the bufoons – THANK YOU for all you do.
For offering Mass, hearing confession, baptisms, weddings, funerals, hospital visits, home visit etc etc etc. God bless you all. I don’t think I could do it. You’re more manly than some of these half wits gibbering on like ‘old women’ in this place.
Sorry to the real women. You know what I mean I hope. 🙂
I have nothing but respect for women and believe wholly they are far stronger than men.
I watch a programme here occasionally – EWTN.
Jesus wept.
One of our priests gave it to one of my nephews as penance after his confession, thinking it would convert him. Turned him off even more and was a true penance.
Priesthood isn’t about vocation – but getting men in a locker room, readying for a World Series something or other, which is laughable in itself – considering the world comprises so much more than the US.
Scapegoating is not the way to go boys.
Admittedly I’d like to hear sermons about infidelity. lust, fornication, adultery and all the things men do. And women. Not the place here to discuss such things. The real men might get horny, burn with lust for each other and commit mortal sin.
I think people in Church should use what they have – come together and maybe ‘re’ build Church.
The young people and everything bombarding them – ruining their innocence and young lives. Yes a lot of it pure filth. And then drugs, drink and the rest. Talk about those things and you real men – stop making excuses and get your sorry asses in gear.
Moonriver, you would love my Pastor then. Our diocese is about 300k and VERY conservative with heavy Marian devotion in deep south Louisiana. The sermon’s heard at Our Lady of Fatima emptied the church when Fr. was first assigned there and slowly but surely that very real hard truth teaching start attracting families and men. All 4 weekend masses are full now and we seat roughly 700 max capacity. Because of these strong truthful messages heard throughout our Diocese, vocations are booming. We also have Ragin Cajun Catholics on a secular campus here and it is thriving. Make no mistake, even though ULL is secular, the majority of the faculty and and students are practicing Catholics. It’s beautiful to watch young minds being formed truthfully, not by trends which eat so many people alive.
And men need strong men next to them, on their knees, praying with them and holding each them up in their struggles. The desire for the Truth is a real one and fighting the devil in a state of Grace through Reconciliation and The Holy Eucharist is strongest most obedient way to learn it. The most growth in my life has come through men’s group fighting the attacks and numerous weapons of the devil.
“The desire for God is written in the human heart” and only in God will man “find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for” (CCC 27).
Peace Moonriver and God love you,
Greg
My husband, son and I recently attended the first Latin Mass we’ve been to in a long time. I was the one who wanted to go. I long for silence, reverence, and decorum in church. I got it!
There were only about fifty people there in the church which our diocese designates for the Latin Mass. Half of those in attendance were men of all ages. Confession was offered before Mass. Two men were in line.
It was beautiful. There were only altar boys. No clapping, no laughing, no talking in the pews. No one brought along a bottle of water. Everyone was focused on the Eucharist.
” There were only altar boys ”
Hmm, wonder if nuns served on the altar if you’d have such subtle contempt for your own gender.
If English speakers would stop adulterating the Word of God, and refrain from reading rebukes to those in need of them, the spark of faith in such men would return. But, with lukewarm practices that allow justification for sin–or, dissolution of it–how do men with weak faith find a sure footing on the Rock? They don’t. So, they slip, never knowing or wanting to know what power lies with every believer who does right. America will go as Europe without a return to basics–the Sacraments and the Rosary. That’s all it takes. It’s actually quite easy to understand. But, when a lack of courage makes us cringe at looking at Jesus, nailed with Blood dripping, on a piece of wood, we would rather disregard what pings at our conscience when we are called to act….to act in a way that means we should not avoid suffering. Rather, we should offer that suffering because it is redemptive.
Not a man I know who has left the faith, or weakly returned, has ever explained that following Jesus in His suffering also is part of the program. Everyone wants to sound right and acceptable. But, it is not those who talk nice and are congratulated who get the job done. It is those who, without being clapped at, who do God’s Will, and suffer for it, who act on a sure foundation. The others slip.
And so, if we look to a weak Jesus whose model of suffering in Faith is ignored, do we also ignore the path to our Father and avoid the Cross? If so, we confuse what is easy to understand with what we are called to do. Christianity is not a religion of pussies. Christianity is of the Hounds of Heaven.
As such, let us seek the New Adam, Jesus. He is not found when we look at statutes of Him that seem more like someone took a female saint, added a beard, removed the pain of redeeming sacrifices, and dressed up the redeemer as an effeminate excuse of a savior.
In doing so, Men will see their model and return to the pews. If not, Men will see a substitute for their Savior and stay away.
Let us seek Him who guides us to the Father and do so without compromise.
Some things don’t add up. The Catholic Church has not honestly revealed scandal that has occurred. The
priesthood was refuge for men with same sex attraction. I am glad for this. Men with same sex attraction have been some of the most talented and gifted men. With a nod and a wink, the Church embraced these men. I am comfortable with this. But it may have had side effects that were not dealt with honestly in the long run. It
is not just the lay man who has left the Church. How many ordained men have quit practice in
order to start families? Was the embracing of same sex attracted men a factor in their alienation from the
Church?
Men are weak. When a man sins, there is no surprise. When men with same sex attraction and a position in the Church sin, some find it more heinous, but I don’t think it is a greater tragedy than other sin. But the Church has not honestly revealed any of this. The Church has hid information and probably lied to cover up actions of priests. Where is the faith? The cover up and lies are to avoid legal assault that might cost the Church all of its money. So what!! Give up your money freely and you shall be rewarded. A Church that honestly assesses its problems and honestly reveals them will find support that is unimaginable. “At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Mark 10:22 Faith is needed to deliver this type of honesty.
Jesus died for the sins of all men. The Eucharist is meant to be shared with all who pray, Lord I am not worthy. Being the arbiter of who can and cannot receive communion is sinful arrogance and exclusivity.
Yet, being the ‘arbiter of who can and cannot receive communion’ is an authority that Jesus gave His first priests. “Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven them; whose sins you retain, they are retained…” He also told them not to give that which is Holy to ‘dogs’, or to ‘cast their pearls before swine’. He told them to ‘shake the dust from their sandals’ when people refused to ‘hear’ them, and to treat them as the ‘publican’. In the Didache we know that they taught “On the Lord’s Day of the Lord come together, break bread and hold Eucharist, AFTER CONFESSING YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS that your offering may be pure; But let none who has a quarrel with his fellow join in your meeting UNTIL THEY BE RECONCILED, that your sacrifice be not defiled.”
So, you see, Communion is supposed to be sort of ‘exclusive’. Though none of us is worthy, one must at least have the sincere intent to repent of their sins and TRY to be worthy. “I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to do penance and AMEND MY LIFE”. That’s important, for the sake of not defiling Our Eucharistic Lord, and for the sake of not eating condemnation to ourselves, as St. Paul warns. Just saying “Lord I am not worthy” but knowing “I’m not going to do anything at all about it” isn’t going to cut it. It isn’t arrogance for a priest to defend Our Lord from sacrilege. It is his duty. It isn’t arrogance for a priest to refuse to let us compound our sins by receiving the Eucharist unworthily; it is a work of mercy. It isn’t arrogance for a priest to shield his flock from Scandal that comes when those known to be living in a state of sin present themselves and are given the Holy Eucharist. It is his sense of duty to his flock and to his own soul. “…woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh…”
Re: “The Eucharist is meant to be shared with all who pray, Lord I am not worthy. ”
Yes, this implies a spirit of humility, submission and repentance; those who are actively rebelling against God in a spirit of arrogance should not seek to approach Him in Holy Communion lest they pull down God’s Judgement on themselves.
I think a big part of the problem is a poorly founded pursuit of “dialogue” with the world. Vatican II talked about dialogue, as did St. JPII. Both, but especially the latter, affirmed the importance of knowing and standing where your faith stands, and from there entering into a respectful conversation with the other. Many who claim to dialogue in the spirit of Vatican II do not dialogue at all in the way Vat II and JPII intended. They blur their own moral lines out of a false sense of charity, and soon become imbued with cultural ideologies that are not part of Church teaching at all – including in the area of sexuality. So much of this pseudo-dialogue has gone on within and without the Church, and men see that a lot of Catholics don’t in fact stand for anything at all. Big problem.
The TLM advocates are attracted to something solid – something that takes a STAND. It’s not just about language. It’s about standing firm in faith where one is and not budging, and from there dialoguing with the world, calling it as our faith tells us how to see it. A true inward and outward dialogue is desperately needed to address the reasons so many children – especially young boys – have been molested by priests who should have been stopped by superiors whose moral lines were blurred by this false sense of worldly dialogue.
Why would we men want to worship with such a wishy washy crowd? Does this kind of looking the other way from the Gospel appeal to our manliness? I doubt it. Anyway, I believe what the Church teaches and attend every Sunday, but many men I know don’t. God bless.
With gay and effeminate priests as role models and a masculine, contemplative Mass replaced with a masonic, feminized, chatty, protestant-style praise and worship service, why would a man stay in a Church?
I only attend the Traditional Latin Mass, I have no use really for the NO mass at all. So many men come to the TLM and with families, but many single men too. I ve talked to many there, and they are looing for more than you get in the NO mass, its just nothin at all, every one prays to the priest and the priest prays to them, facing eachother. Its like a man made mass, where the true focus is on the priest and not God. a lot of singing to each other, it looks like a non catholic mass, so why attend and for what. They call it a supper which it is not, its a sacrifice as we call it.
so why attend a non catholic style of a mass?? I get it why men don’t go to that mass.
While Latin is an elegant and ‘economical’ (in the sense that the language is concise) language, it is not useful if one does not understand it. There is no good argument why the vernacular should be so stripped that it does not also convey the sublime in worship.
I agree that the posture facing the people does seem to tempt the priest to think that he is the main attraction, usurping the Lord’s place. And even generally devout priests seem to be unable to resist the temptation to alter the official text and to add their own versions. This is not acceptable as it shows a spirit of disobedience which is sinful and, therefore, is a bad example.
Has anyone here heard of a translating missal, with the Latin on the left side of the page, and the vernacular translation on the right . . .? With a little practice, and in a matter of moments, most people with a fifth-grade reading level or better, should be able to follow along and understand reasonably well.
It’s really not that hard, folks.
And after months and years of reading the same material over and over, most people know not only the Latin, but the English, by heart.
Whichever Mass I go to, Jesus is made present for Holy Communion. The external conditions really don’t make that much difference: Cathedral, battlefield, hospital room, living room, prison cell. Jesus is there and that makes all the difference. I like having my family with me.
Well, there is an inverse relationship between level of education and religiosity….more people are highly educated as time goes on; you simply need to put the pieces together
http://www.gallup.com/poll/7729/does-more-educated-really-less-religious.aspx
That may be in our current period, when by educated one could also substitute highly indoctrinated. They teach a Godless evolutionary theory and that science is somehow all knowing. On the other hand, you have the current Church woefully under-educating the faithful, so that we are ignorant of the beauty and fullness of the Truth. However, there was a time when the highly educated were those in the Church and if not for the Church, the world would have lost much of the knowledge we have. That’s one of the things neither side teaches any more.
I am happy to be a scientist who knows that science is limited, like medicine. It always amazes me that people blindly and wholeheartedly drink in all that their doctors tell them in spite of excellent evidence to the contrary. Crazy!
Embrace the warrior. Jesus came not to bring peace but a sword.
Spot on
It’s the Mass, stupid. Dump Vatican II.
I agree with Johnny Voxx. It’s the Mass, stupid. Dump Vatican II.
This is not the case in Traditional Catholic communities. We attend an FSSP parish and have more men than women that attend the daily Mass. If you want to see men at Mass, find a Traditional Latin Mass. The TLM maintains its strong wordage in the Mass propers and this is very attractive to men. Lets be honest here, the Novus Ordo Mass has been watered down and feminized to the point that men are not fed spiritually the way they need to be.
This is very true. And those who are most active in Church say the Latin Mass is out. However, I pointed out to one of the main promoters as such that there are young people who are being drawn to the Latin Mass.
And those who go to the Latin Mass have large families as well.
Couple these two facts:
The American Catholic Church has been feminized in numerous ways; and
for a man to be effeminate can be a mortal sin.
Perhaps for some of these men who have forsaken the pews at their local parish, staying away from some feminized parishes is avoiding a near occasion of sin. There is so much that comes under what has been elevated to the neo-rubric of implicitly enforced “feminization” – the whole ambiance-priests (not priestesses, but non-warrior, feminine ones, or worse), songs, liturgy, ministries and ministers, no-sin no-hell preaching, go-along-to-get-along dialogue with evil, get out (you need to find a parish more suited to your beliefs) or stay here and get in touch with your feelings evangelization – and in certain parishes one wonders if the only sin left is the production of testosterone.
St. Paul on mortal sin [you don’t get to heaven] effeminacy: “Do you not know not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate men, nor men who lie with men will inherit the Kingdom of God?” 1 Cor 6:9,
St. Thomas Aquinas on St. Paul (from Catechetical Instructions): “Against them stand the words of St. Paul: . . .Do not err: neither fornicators, . . . nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor liers with mankind shall possess the kingdom of God.” But one is not excluded from the kingdom of God except by mortal sin; therefore, fornication is a mortal sin. . . . It is heretical to say that fornication is not a mortal sin.” [another subject: heresy saying it is not a mortal sin for divorced-remarried-no-annulment-no-repentance folks to receive Holy Communion)
Guy McClung, San Antonio, Texas
Being effeminate is certainly no sin…it’s a personality which simply is. God does not condemn a person being who they are by nature/nurture. He made them and usually make no mistakes. Paul’s use of effeminate (malakos) refers to transvestites not men who are gentle, soft, etc….
Yep. Effeminacy, initially, can cause aversion on the part of some folks. But if the guy is really straight, those feelings go away. I had theology profs in school who, if I didn’t know better, could be called “girly.” Outside of class, they proved their masculinity in many ways.
Masculinity and femininity are externalized behaviors and characteristics of the human primate. They exist on a continuum in our species. The most effective, compassionate people blend the characteristics of both and are in the middle of the continuum. Neither characteristic is good nor bad in isolation, neither is preferable unless one is a misogynist. If an effeminate man causes anyone an aversion….that’s the person’s problem not the effeminate man.
USCCB removed that part of sacred scripture from the Lectionary…..very very disturbing
Bring back a mystery-based liturgy and challenging sermons and I guarantee you will see men return to church on a regular basis. Anything short will not work. I say this out of experience and talking to other men.
I would also add stop ordaining effeminate males, homosexuals. To sit in church and hear an effeminate priest preach a homily that neither I or my sons can not relate to makes it difficult to get them to mass. The sex scandal and worse, the moving of priest molesters has does so much harm to the credibility of the church, it will take a generation to start seeing a change. Stop ordaining liberal democrats as bishops. To see my bishop and others through Catholic Charities overly focused on global warming…. housing illegal aliens and Muslims in our diocese is enraging. Our once respected and mystical faith has been taken over by Pharisees, hypocrites,and blind guides.
Hey, I was impressed by many of the truly masculine sermons (homilies) preached by guys who later left the active priesthood and entered active homosexuality. Their leaving, because they kept their personal life so quiet, stunned the hell out of me. Like you, I’m disheartened by the effeminate apparitions in some of the parishes I’ve been. With all the sacerdotal sin made public over the past twenty years or so, I can’t fault men, who’d ordinarily sign up for the seminary, doing a 180 away from the unnatural and sign up for a lifetime of dedication in Matrimony.
But one needs a strategy to get the men back in – in the first place. Once one leaves, it is very hard to get them back unless by invitation or similar strategy. Why would they think that things had changed? One has to reach out to them – and what are the women doing about it? Are they happy to sit back and literally watch their men and families go to hell in more than one sense?
You mean lots of smoke (kaff-kaff) and ringing bells, foreign languages (Latin/Greek) elite people with their backs to us mumbling (yes, mumbling those magnificent words) and doing a “Sinners In the Hands of An Angry God” alongside Pietas and Sacred Hearts?
I started a group, The Order of Lepanto (www.orderoflepanto.com) to attempt to address this. We want to push back against the perception of femininity in the Church by providing a faith-infused western martial arts program.
God bless you! I was a female lector. Pulled out. And also didn’t sense to be a Eucharistic minister. A priest visited my home who is probably on same page as you, Michael, and he says women should not take the place representing the priesthood.
I was in a parish where it was all women doing liturgical ministry. All women it seemed as far as I knew…running parish with pastor.
Is this true of other Christian faiths and if not, why ?