Politics from the pulpit.

[Mountainmike]

I'm at a loss to know what to do.

I almost walked out of mass the other day at the homily because I despair of being fed a diet of left socialism. Later in the post, I identify what it was specifically that made me almost walk out. But a little background first.

I get the fact that the priest (lovely bloke he is in every other way) only ever comes into contact with public sector workers., so he only ever hears one side of a story.

So we are forcefed a diet of what ever the guardian newspaper feeds him. He has no concept of economics, or that someone must earn the money his public sector spends. The businesses that pay for the public sector, did not get 100% of salary paid to stay at home like much of the public sector did. At best they got a portion of wages paid. Many businesses lost a fortune. Including many in energy sector!

So We are now paying the cost of shutting down the economy for COVID and an expensive war in russia causing massive energy price spikes that manifest as inflation.. The costs of an ageing population and too much green focus do not helo . Also in the UK the monumental costs of public sector pension inflation proofing that noone else cam have but them . And if everyone gets an inflation proof rise, nobody wins. Since inflation repeats itself.

The strikers as always are those who can hold the economy to ransom. They demand an inflation proof rise.
Which is why most of them are already way over average wage for average jobs.
But Whatever your thoughts on the above..

This is what almost made me walk out..

I drew the line when we were asked to pray for strikers!!! (no mention at all of their victims, or others affected, the ones who will die from striking healthcare workers, and the businesses wrecked by covid, those bankrupted and who wil lose their jobs now deprived of income by striking rail workers, none of whom lost anything in covid.

Does that one sided view bother anyone else ?


Yet (such as ) the hospitality sector are already wrecked by COVID and now excess energy bills.
Their workers are the ones who need prayers! Many will find them selves unemployed and unemployable in the recession to come.So to have their best time at christimas destroyed by union greed is a disgrace. The rail sector was offered 9% (nobody else got) at the start of the strike. They turned it down.

For sure SOME politics has a place in the pulpit. Take the one apprehended by police on suspicion of "silent prayer" near an abortion clinic.
But priests have no idea how the economy in general functions and should stay out of partisan politics. A priest commands a certain authority so should be very careful with intervention.

What is the catholic church view on partisan politics from the pulpit?
What would others do?
Speak to the priest? Write to the priest? Write to the diocese?
For peace of mind I am now going to another parish. But it is not a good solution.

 

[Michie]

I'm at a loss to know what to do.

I almost walked out of mass the other day at the homily because I despair of being fed a diet of left socialism. Later in the post, I identify what it was specifically that made me almost walk out. But a little background first.

I get the fact that the priest (lovely bloke he is in every other way) only ever comes into contact with public sector workers., so he only ever hears one side of a story.

So we are forcefed a diet of what ever the guardian newspaper feeds him. He has no concept of economics, or that someone must earn the money his public sector spends. The businesses that pay for the public sector, did not get 100% of salary paid to stay at home like much of the public sector did. At best they got a portion of wages paid.
So We are now paying the cost of shutting down the economy for COVID and an expensive war in russia causing massive energy price spikes that manifest as inflation.. The costs of an ageing population and too much green focus do not helo . Also in the UK the monumental costs of public sector pension inflation proofing that noone else cam have but them . And if everyone gets an inflation proof rise, nobody wins. Since inflation repeats itself.

The strikers as always are those who can hold the economy to ransom.
Which is why most of them are already way over average wage for average jobs.
But Whatever your thoughts on the above..

This is what almost made me walk out..

I drew the line when we were asked to pray for strikers!!! (no mention of their victims, the ones who will die from striking healthcare workers, and the businesses wrecked by covid, those bankrupted and who wil lose their jobs now deprived of income by striking rail workers, none of whom lost anything in covid.

Yet (such as ) the hospitality sector are already wrecked by COVID and now excess energy bills.
Their workers are the ones who need prayers! Many will find them selves unemployed and unemployable in the recession to come.So to have their best time at christimas destroyed by union greed is a disgrace. The rail sector was offered 9% (nobody else got) at the start of the strike. They turned it down.

For sure SOME politics has a place in the pulpit. Take the one apprehended by police on suspicion of "silent prayer" near an abortion clinic.
But priests have no idea how the economy in general functions and should stay out of partisan politics.

What is the catholic church view on partisan politics from the pulpit?
What would others do?
Speak to the priest? Write to the priest? Write to the diocese?
For peace of mind I am now going to another parish. But it is not a good solution.

I think the Church stands up for the common good as she should. But there are always two sides to a coin. It’s never good to show partisan politics behind the pulpit. I’m there to hear the gospel and find some enlightenment in the readings. I feel the Catholic Church has become far too political and shows partisan politics from the top and it’s tricking down. Of course we are to pray for others and stand up for the most vulnerable but I think it has gotten more about politics and less about the Gospel. It is very distressing so I understand where you are coming from. Go where you are getting fed is my opinion. If you feel distressed, there is a reason. I’m not sure if talking to this priest or even your Bishop would help anymore. People have swapped their faith for politics and get the two confused these days.

 

[WarriorAngel]

I'm at a loss to know what to do.

I almost walked out of mass the other day at the homily because I despair of being fed a diet of left socialism. Later in the post, I identify what it was specifically that made me almost walk out. But a little background first.

I get the fact that the priest (lovely bloke he is in every other way) only ever comes into contact with public sector workers., so he only ever hears one side of a story.

So we are forcefed a diet of what ever the guardian newspaper feeds him. He has no concept of economics, or that someone must earn the money his public sector spends. The businesses that pay for the public sector, did not get 100% of salary paid to stay at home like much of the public sector did. At best they got a portion of wages paid. Many businesses lost a fortune. Including many in energy sector!

So We are now paying the cost of shutting down the economy for COVID and an expensive war in russia causing massive energy price spikes that manifest as inflation.. The costs of an ageing population and too much green focus do not helo . Also in the UK the monumental costs of public sector pension inflation proofing that noone else cam have but them . And if everyone gets an inflation proof rise, nobody wins. Since inflation repeats itself.

The strikers as always are those who can hold the economy to ransom. They demand an inflation proof rise.
Which is why most of them are already way over average wage for average jobs.
But Whatever your thoughts on the above..

This is what almost made me walk out..

I drew the line when we were asked to pray for strikers!!! (no mention at all of their victims, or others affected, the ones who will die from striking healthcare workers, and the businesses wrecked by covid, those bankrupted and who wil lose their jobs now deprived of income by striking rail workers, none of whom lost anything in covid.

Does that one sided view bother anyone else ?


Yet (such as ) the hospitality sector are already wrecked by COVID and now excess energy bills.
Their workers are the ones who need prayers! Many will find them selves unemployed and unemployable in the recession to come.So to have their best time at christimas destroyed by union greed is a disgrace. The rail sector was offered 9% (nobody else got) at the start of the strike. They turned it down.

For sure SOME politics has a place in the pulpit. Take the one apprehended by police on suspicion of "silent prayer" near an abortion clinic.
But priests have no idea how the economy in general functions and should stay out of partisan politics. A priest commands a certain authority so should be very careful with intervention.

What is the catholic church view on partisan politics from the pulpit?
What would others do?
Speak to the priest? Write to the priest? Write to the diocese?
For peace of mind I am now going to another parish. But it is not a good solution.

Thankfully in the US medical is not allowed to strike.
But our government also does not pay for the care and in turn creating low and poor wages.

All that said: pray for the strikers because if they're holding things up - they need it, pray for the country, pray pray pray.

Also, pray for humanity in general because evil runs amock.

To change the world, expect miracles - because faith and prayer can suspend a natural disaster in mid movement.
Challenge yourself to find some powerful prayers [Rosary, St Michael chaplet] attend Mass frequently, fasting on bread about 2 x's a week.

We're in spiritual warfare and it's up to us to get on our knees and pray.

 

[WarriorAngel]

Eucharistic adoration. Go before the Monstrance and pray.

 

[Mountainmike]

Thankfully in the US medical is not allowed to strike.
But our government also does not pay for the care and in turn creating low and poor wages.

All that said: pray for the strikers because if they're holding things up - they need it, pray for the country, pray pray pray.

Also, pray for humanity in general because evil runs amock.

To change the world, expect miracles - because faith and prayer can suspend a natural disaster in mid movement.
Challenge yourself to find some powerful prayers [Rosary, St Michael chaplet] attend Mass frequently, fasting on bread about 2 x's a week.

We're in spiritual warfare and it's up to us to get on our knees and pray.

They do not "need" it. "want" is not "need"
The rail workers always have been overpaid in proportion to their willingness to inflict harm on the rest of society.
A train driver earns £70K and a ludicrous pension. Double what comparable jobs are paid.
Yet they are on strike tomorrow. Stopping poor people getting to work.

We live in a world in which COVID, Ukraine, Life expectancy, and Obsession with Green issues is costing a fortune.
EVERYONE will have to accept doing more for less.

But these are arguing others should pay their share of inflation.

Everyone else in the economy suffered greatly to "protect the NHS" which then proceeded to do only 70% of what it normally does when we needed 110%. Many companies, jobs and pensions were trashed whilst NHS workers got paid in full.
Nurses already have already had pay rises determined by the pay review bodies. They will have so called "spine rises" anyway.
The NHS pension fund got 100bn to inflation proof just a year.
The nurses are striking for an ADDITIONAL 20% rise!!!! It is greed.
Or in another statistic from BMJ 60% of nurses are dangerously overweight, yet they claim to be "rushed off their feet"

My sympathy goes to the old people, children who will die as a result of strikes, the parents that will grieve.
Just as my sympathy goes to the new cancer sufferers NHS refused to screen or treat whilst it did less than ever in COVID

I will pray for all.. certainly NOT just for the strikers.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I think the Church stands up for the common good as she should. But there are always two sides to a coin. It’s never good to show partisan politics behind the pulpit. I’m there to hear the gospel and find some enlightenment in the readings. I feel the Catholic Church has become far too political and shows partisan politics from the top and it’s tricking down. Of course we are to pray for others and stand up for the most vulnerable but I think it has gotten more about politics and less about the Gospel. It is very distressing so I understand where you are coming from. Go where you are getting fed is my opinion. If you feel distressed, there is a reason. I’m not sure if talking to this priest or even your Bishop would help anymore. People have swapped their faith for politics and get the two confused these days.

I think to be fair we have to try to talk to them first. At least to let them know that not everybody shares their opinions. If they blow you off, that's another data point in deciding to switch parishes or to move to a better diocese. Or at least to tell him he gets no financial support while the silly season in his head continues.

 

[Mountainmike]

I think to be fair we have to try to talk to them first. At least to let them know that not everybody shares their opinions. If they blow you off, that's another data point in deciding to switch parishes or to move to a better diocese. Or at least to tell him he gets no financial support while the silly season in his head continues.

Thanks - trouble is, this is not a one off event, ive become increasingly dissilussioned over 2 years

 

[chevyontheriver]

Thanks - trouble is, this is not a one off event, ive become increasingly dissilussioned over 2 years

I’ve been increasingly disallusioned under pope Francis, but the Church still survives and even pf is right a little more often than a stopped clock. We have to engage these people when we can. And avoid them when we must.

 

[Mountainmike]

Thanks.
BTW the score is 0-0 . I checked! Turns out we both spelled "disillusioned" wrongly!