Pope Francis/Francesco Addresses the RCCs' Hypocrisy

[Anxious Girl]

The pope told his audience in a recent mass that (part of the numerous reasons) Christians are leaving the Church is that because the Church doesn't do what it preaches. Umm, and water is wet? He wants to solve the infighting. Pope Benedict left a secret document to him. Wonder what it is? Here's the link: worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/14/17749244-pope-francis-hypocrisy-undermines-churchs-credibility?lite

[dramallama]

That's nice and all, but that fails to solve the problem that much of what the church says is problematic to many people in the first place, whether it's followed or not - the rules against birth control, the views on homosexuality, I could go on.

[mockingbird]

I guess acceptance is the first step...

[samurai_sarah]

Oh, fantastic! A patronizing statement about why I left! I'll be back in church as soon as I've confessed, which will take a while. If I do it in instalments, I'll be able to make it back in June. Some poor priest might also need counselling afterwards- I haven't been in twenty years-, but hey, Abigail would be so proud of me, right? And now everything will be better.

Only, the absolute last straw for me, which drove me from lukewarm cafeteria Catholic to leaving, was that sometimes the RCC does precisely what it preaches. It is doctrinally sound to excommunicate the mother of a 9 year old pregnant rape victim for procuring a life-saving abortion. It is also doctrinally sound to excommunicate the doctor who performed the surgery. That doesn't make it any less of an asshole move. Especially, when taken together with the child-abuse within the RCC that they forgave themselves for, for decades. If it was confessed, it was doctrinally sound, but again, that doesn't make it right.

So, forget about me coming back to church, and giving that lot my money again. I understand why people stay. I understand the heartfelt belief. I also understand how someone can disagree, but stay. But the Vatican saying that oh, we've been a bit naughty, which is why people leave, is too simplistic and frankly, outright insulting. I have lots of reasons, but if I had to absolutely pick only one I'd say it's that the Vatican (not your average Catholic) is so far removed from its people, and so far up its own arse that it doesn't understand the meaning of the word "compassion" any longer, while getting lost in a jungle of dogma and doctrine. Thanks, but no, thanks. /end rant

P.S.: Apparently I do have stronger feelings about a church I grew up in, and once loved, than I thought.

[desertvixen]

Only, the absolute last straw for me, which drove me from lukewarm cafeteria Catholic to leaving, was that sometimes the RCC does precisely what it preaches. It is doctrinally sound to excommunicate the mother of a 9 year old pregnant rape victim for procuring a life-saving abortion. It is also doctrinally sound to excommunicate the doctor who performed the surgery. That doesn't make it any less of an asshole move. Especially, when taken together with the child-abuse within the RCC that they forgave themselves for, for decades. If it was confessed, it was doctrinally sound, but again, that doesn't make it right.

So, forget about me coming back to church, and giving that lot my money again. I understand why people stay. I understand the heartfelt belief. I also understand how someone can disagree, but stay. But the Vatican saying that oh, we've been a bit naughty, which is why people leave, is too simplistic and frankly, outright insulting. I have lots of reasons, but if I had to absolutely pick only one I'd say it's that the Vatican (not your average Catholic) is so far removed from its people, and so far up its own arse that it doesn't understand the meaning of the word "compassion" any longer, while getting lost in a jungle of dogma and doctrine. Thanks, but no, thanks. /end rant

You aren't the only one.

[ceg045]

P.S.: Apparently I do have stronger feelings about a church I grew up in, and once loved, than I thought.

Me too. Having grown up in the church, including 12 years of Catholic education, has made me just about as cynical as it's possible to be. I don't buy any of what they're selling.

[Nothing2CHere]

I have lots of reasons, but if I had to absolutely pick only one I'd say it's that the Vatican (not your average Catholic) is so far removed from its people, and so far up its own arse that it doesn't understand the meaning of the word "compassion" any longer, while getting lost in a jungle of dogma and doctrine. Thanks, but no, thanks.

:clap:

So very well said.

Disclaimer: I am still a practicing Catholic, but I'm practicing in spite of the Vatican, not in support of them.

[alba]

As others have suggested, the reason most people I know have left or considered leaving the Catholic Church has nothing to do with hypocrisy and everything to do with the Church's mediaeval stance on anyone who isn't a cis-hetero man.

[uber frau]

Hmm, I think the hypocrisy and the mediaeval stance on most things related.

How can an organisation that supposedly preaches love for humanity behave the way it does? The way the it has addressed the HIV/AIDS issue is a classic example: How can an organisation that stands for the sanctity of human life actively lie about condoms and support a patriarchal society, putting the lives and health of woman and children at risk? They're working with some of the world's poorest and disenfranchised people and they're knowingly making their situation WORSE.

As for the reform council, I'd have a little more help if it didn't include the likes of George Pell. The man as a long history of standing up for one thing, and it isn't for truth or justice or rights of the least powerful among us. As recently as a few months ago he was still basically telling the victims of child sexual abuse to shut up and go home. He only seems to care for keeping the image of the church as shiny as possible.