Pope's comments on "True Churches"

I have to say truthfully that I was initially confused by the statement released by the Vatican entitled: "Catholic ecclesiology”— the study of the way, according to Catholic theology, God works through the Church to bring about the eternal salvation. While admittedly not an expert in theology, I made the mistake that 95 percent of readers did in interpreting it as a position change. "Upon further review" as our friends in the NFL officiating game say, it is not this at all, however that is not necessarily the topic of this post.

Father Jonathan Morris, a Catholic Priest who I have mentioned a few times in this blog and a Fox News writer, makes a statement which more aptly identifies the core issue when he comments on the document in this way... (pay particular attention to the red highlighted text)

"The Pope doesn’t mean that. I’ll say it again; the Pope is not saying only registered, baptized Catholics can be saved, and any journalists or critic who says otherwise, has officially missed the point.
Speaking of salvation, from the sight of things as I see it, it is quite possible that many present day non-Catholic Christians who are fervent believers in, and practitioners of, the teachings of Jesus will get to heaven before the throngs of wishy-washy, nominal Catholics who only show up to the church doors for infant baptism, the taking of marriage vows, and their own funeral. Of course, I don’t know who will be on the other side of the pearly gates, but I believe, with the Pope, that there is more to the challenge of personal justification and salvation than calling oneself a Catholic — or a Christian, for that matter."

I think that the beginning of the second paragraph identifies the more appropriate issue that the Vatican and all Catholics should be concerned with addressing.

In my opinion (someone who will reluctantly admit not being a member of the list in review for Sainthood), Catholics in general should be more concerned with the "Faith" of the faith community in which they proclaim affiliation. A growing number of parishioners are falling into the category of what we in my community call "two-fers". They show up two times a year at Christmas and Easter, as if somehow God doesn't notice that the remaining 50 weeks a year they are lying in bed reading the newspaper or watching old John Wayne movies on TNT. Too "busy" to be bothered by their lack of commitment to that same "Faith", they are first in line to complain about the comfort of the pews or the availability of parking or even the length of the homily.

We don't have to look far to see the effects of absent participation. Prayer programs with no one to coordinate them, elimination of Masses due to poor attendance or lack of Priests, breakdown and disrepair of Church facilities due to lack of financial support and finally and most definitely the worst of all ... the degradation and collapse of the parish and community.

Jesus said; "Whatsoever you do for least of your brothers, you do it for me"

How exactly do you think he would react to some of the poor excuses that we give for not taking one hour a week to say thank you to him for giving up his very life? or even simply to come together as members of the Church body to pray for each other, interact and assist the less priviledged of its members or to simply say hello to our friends and neighbors. - It's incredible what lengths we'll go to in order to meet or pay homage to a sports star or music celebrity who've done little to deserve our gratitude or respect, yet we write off our savior for a pregame show.