The Church Militant Or The Church Belligerent?

[Lil Red]

The May/June copy of [u]This Rock[/u] magazine has an article entitled: "The Church Militant or the Church Belligerent? How Fighting for the Faith Can Destroy Charity". I really encourage all of you to read this article. Lately I have been so caught up in all the bad things Catholics are doing (from priests to bishops to laypeople) and not recognizing their inherent dignity or the amazing-ness of the sacraments. I've decided to take this summer and make it an opportunity to enrich and enhance my spiritual life and not focus on all the negatives around me (and there are plenty!). I encourage all of you to do the same.

The issue is not online, but here are some excerpts: (author is Fr. Paul Scalia, parochial vicar of St. Rita parish in Alexandria, Virginia)

[quote]In short, the risk is to cease being the Church Militant and to become instead the "Church Belligerent". This term describes not so much a specific group of people as a certain attitude, mindset or approach. It indicates the necessary fighting spirit of the Church Militant severed from the principle of charity. .... Rather, it poses a threat precisely to those - to us - who take the demands of the Church Militant seriously, who see the crisis in society and within the Church, who recognize the catechetical and liturgical fallout of almost four decades, and who desire to enter into the battle for souls.

[b][u]The Pitfalls - Characteristics of Church Belligerent[/u][/b]

[b]-First, prizing principles over persons.[/b]
Evangelization and apologetics try to unite two things: God's truth and the human heart. To effect this union we must possess a love for both the truth and the person. Rather, the purpose is to bring people to Christ and to establish his truth in their hearts. We depart from the right path when we prize a certain principle or truth and run roughshod over the person in our delivery.

[b]-Second, losing the supernatural outlook.[/b]
It is precisely the supernatural character of the Church and her mission that inspires us. Nonetheless, our behavior can at times betray and exacerbate a merely worldly view about divine things. [b]Consider the constant scouring of blogs and websites, the incessant speculation about this prelate and that, the wondering about who's doing what, who will be appointed where (and why), the parsing of statements, the gauging of each "group's" gains and losses, and so on.[/b] All this is not merely staying informed. It is keeping score in the Church.

[b]-Third, making our preferences mandatory for others, or requiring more than the Church teaches.[/b]
In various areas the Church grants certain options and leaves the choice to our prudential judgment. We may find certain practices preferable. Yet we cannot insist on them, because the Church does not. On the other hand, we may dislike certain practices. Yet again, we cannot fault others for doing what the Church permits. We stray from militant to belligerent when we mandate what the Church does not, or forbid what the Church permits.

[b]-Fourth, giving free rein to the critical faculty.[/b]
We should possess a critical faculty. We should be able to analyze and determine how words and actions square with the truth. We must do the very thing our culture hates most: make judgments. At the same time, however, we need to be taught. At some point we must set aside or turn down the critical faculty and allow ourselves to be formed and instructed. Those who constantly challenge and criticize cannot be taught. But they cannot learn, because they never stop questioning, criticizing, picking things apart.... Further, the constant criticizing quickly becomes just complaining. At the end of the complaining, have we become holier? Have we grown in the interior life? And what attitude have we fostered in those around us?[/quote]

I really encourage every one to go get this magazine and read the full article.

[Ash Wednesday]

:applause: BRAVO! :applause:

Thanks for posting!!!!

[Chiquitunga]

We get [i]This Rock.[/i] Thanks for recommendation! I will definitely read this!

[Sojourner]

[quote name='Lil Red' post='1262561' date='May 2 2007, 01:15 PM']The May/June copy of [u]This Rock[/u] magazine has an article entitled: "The Church Militant or the Church Belligerent? How Fighting for the Faith Can Destroy Charity". I really encourage all of you to read this article. Lately I have been so caught up in all the bad things Catholics are doing (from priests to bishops to laypeople) and not recognizing their inherent dignity or the amazing-ness of the sacraments. I've decided to take this summer and make it an opportunity to enrich and enhance my spiritual life and not focus on all the negatives around me (and there are plenty!). I encourage all of you to do the same.

The issue is not online, but here are some excerpts: (author is Fr. Paul Scalia, parochial vicar of St. Rita parish in Alexandria, Virginia)
I really encourage every one to go get this magazine and read the full article.[/quote]
That is lovely, thanks.

[N/A Gone]

One of my goals in life is to be a phatmass Church Militant...

I do feel that article is an awesome reminder for us to keep perspective.

[KnightofChrist]

[u]Bravissimo[/u]

[Maggyie]

Fr. Scalia is one of Justice Antonin Scalia's nine children. He's written some great stuff!

[Thy Geekdom Come]

I hope that I have not reflected these, but in case I have, mea culpa.

[jplumey]

Yeah, really awesome article. We all get so sucked into defending the Church and we focus on our words that we neglect the impact of our attitudes.

[Innocent]

Wow, that's a great article; thanks for letting us know.

If anyone wants to read it, here's the link to the article from the online archives of This Rock:


[quote][url="http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2007/0705fea2.asp"]The Church Militant or the Church Belligerent?:

How Fighting for the Faith Can Destroy Charity

By Fr. Paul Scalia [/url][/quote]

[Deb]

The article is a great reminder. I have been guilty of some of the things pointed out in the article myself. It is easy to complain.
Thanks for posting.

[rachael]

[geetarplayer]

I'm bringing this article to my rad trad friends. They are totally belligerent.

[geetarplayer]

[quote name='Maggie' post='1262748' date='May 2 2007, 07:28 PM']Fr. Scalia is one of Justice Antonin Scalia's nine children. He's written some great stuff![/quote]
Yeah!

Edited September 27, 2008 by geetarplayer

[eagle_eye222001]

Relevant article. By that I mean it as a compliment. We need to defend the faith however, ovbiously we can get too caught up in winning the battle and losing the war.