[Catholics Only] Do you ever wish it didn't matter?

spicoli said:

I don't know if, even five years later, this is still some latent protestant tendency inside me but occasionally I find myself wishing it didn't matter where we went to church and that as long as we affirmed orthodox teaching on God and what he wants from us then it's all good.

This is more in regard to Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus. I know JP2 had the two lung theory but AFAIK that was dogmatic and we're not obligated to subscribe to it, so I don't. Call it scar tissue from the time I spent with the Orthodox looking into their church but I don't buy into this view, not that our fruit is particularly appetizing right now but I digress.

But even if you do subscribe to the two lung theory, I think at the end of the day it does matter. The Orthodox don't allow us to receive their sacraments, and sometimes I think even if we did people would still just go to either an Eastern Catholic Church or the Latin Church just to be on the safe side.

This whole question stems out of me reading an article about something in Greece, which turned my mind to the Greek Orthodox Church, which then had me thinking about how it's kinda cool Greece has their own Church and so does the UK and Russia, and yet (ostensibly anyway) they all worship Jesus and on a very superficial level everything's hunky dory. We know it's not but for a moment it's nice to think that it is.

Maybe the question is less "do you ever wish that it didn't matter?" and more "do you ever wish things were as tidy as they sometimes appear?"

I'm super tired so my brain is weird this morning.

Click to expand...

spicoli said:

I don't know if, even five years later, this is still some latent protestant tendency inside me but occasionally I find myself wishing it didn't matter where we went to church and that as long as we affirmed orthodox teaching on God and what he wants from us then it's all good.

Click to expand...

This is more in regard to Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus. I know JP2 had the two lung theory but AFAIK that was dogmatic and we're not obligated to subscribe to it, so I don't. Call it scar tissue from the time I spent with the Orthodox looking into their church but I don't buy into this view, not that our fruit is particularly appetizing right now but I digress.

Click to expand...

Maybe the question is less "do you ever wish that it didn't matter?" and more "do you ever wish things were as tidy as they sometimes appear?"

Click to expand...

pdudgeon said:

And it's about to get less tidy for traditional Catholics and their parishes.
For example, if a parish offers a traditional mass, they can't publish the time or day of that mass. And the offering of that mass is now being discouraged.

Traditional Catholics are being sidelined in some places. So far they are still accepted here at CF, PTL!

But we've seen this happen before, during the French Revolution, when priests were arrested and thrown in prison for being priests, and acknowledging Christ as King.

So, to wrap up and tie in to the OP, this newest development is something that has happened before in history.

We know that God will triumph, no matter how much men try to silence Him, and that this will not change things that are yet to happen.

No, it is just another step in daily events that, in retrospect, will continue to mark the coming return of Christ.
So keep praying for Christ's return.

Click to expand...

spicoli said:

I don't know if, even five years later, this is still some latent protestant tendency inside me but occasionally I find myself wishing it didn't matter where we went to church and that as long as we affirmed orthodox teaching on God and what he wants from us then it's all good.

This is more in regard to Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus. I know JP2 had the two lung theory but AFAIK that was dogmatic and we're not obligated to subscribe to it, so I don't. Call it scar tissue from the time I spent with the Orthodox looking into their church but I don't buy into this view, not that our fruit is particularly appetizing right now but I digress.

But even if you do subscribe to the two lung theory, I think at the end of the day it does matter. The Orthodox don't allow us to receive their sacraments, and sometimes I think even if we did people would still just go to either an Eastern Catholic Church or the Latin Church just to be on the safe side.

This whole question stems out of me reading an article about something in Greece, which turned my mind to the Greek Orthodox Church, which then had me thinking about how it's kinda cool Greece has their own Church and so does the UK and Russia, and yet (ostensibly anyway) they all worship Jesus and on a very superficial level everything's hunky dory. We know it's not but for a moment it's nice to think that it is.

Maybe the question is less "do you ever wish that it didn't matter?" and more "do you ever wish things were as tidy as they sometimes appear?"

I'm super tired so my brain is weird this morning.

Click to expand...

pdudgeon said:

This is the entrance antiphon for Sunday, August 7.
"Look to your covenant, O Lord, and forget not the life of your poor ones for ever. Arise, O God, and defend your cause, and forget not the cries of those who seek you."

Click to expand...

WarriorAngel said:

That's beautiful.

I prayed it for reunification.

Would be nice to have a reunification but only the Almighty Lord above can reign in hearts and transform.
We just have to keep praying and hoping and loving.

Click to expand...