Sloth
Sloth
- a translation of the Latin term acedia (Middle English, acciditties) and means "without care".
Anglican bishops are returning to the fold. It has been reported by reliable Catholic media, often quoting the testimony of lay and clergy converts, that Catholic prelates are discouraging such conversions. Given the witness of people who have experienced directly the acedia of one prelate or another, one could be forgiven for praying that the Lord may spare His people from leaders who routinely fail to welcome those following the call to communion with Christ's Church.
This Church constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him, although many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure. These elements, as gifts belonging to the Church of Christ, are forces impelling toward catholic unity. (Lumen Gentium, 8)
WHY CONVERSIONS ARE DISCOURAGED
Fr Dwight Longenecker, himself a convert, exposes the shameful lack of enthusiasm of diocesan managers, er... prelates, who, it seems, could care less about welcoming separated brethren into the Catholic fold.
Excerpts from a post by Fr Dwight Longenecker. Read the full article at:Today’s news is that the former Anglican Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir Ali, has been received into full communion with the Catholic Church and the rumor is that he was discouraged from taking this step not so much by his Anglican colleagues, but by very high ranking Catholic prelates.
Converts to the faith and those who work with converts like Marcus Grodi at The Coming Home Network will testify to the many stories of potential converts–especially clergy–who knock on the door of their local Catholic rectory or bishop’s residence seeking admission to the Catholic Church only to be discouraged, dismissed or even mocked for their desire.
They may be told, “Stay where you are and work for the kingdom” or “We don’t do that anymore.” Clergymen who wish to be ordained are often given the “Roman delay” or simply turned down as if Catholic bishops don’t know what to do with them or can’t be bothered. Men who apply for a religious order or the diaconate are too often simply ignored or dismissed with an embarrassed wave.
Why is this?
There are several reasons, but as Belloc said, “Every argument is a theological argument.” The underlying reason converts are discouraged from taking the step is because liberal priests and bishops simply do not think it is necessary. Their attitude is conditioned by four heads of the hydra: indifferentism, universalism, false ecumenism and MTD.
Indifferentism in religion is the attitude that different denominations don’t really matter. [...]
Universalism is a head of Hydra connected to indifferentism. This is the view that everyone will be saved in the end. “No need to convert to the Catholic faith. You’re good where you are. You’ll make it. Don’t worry. Christ died for ALL. All are welcome!” says the liberal Catholic priest or prelate. [...]
False ecumenism is the sincere belief that any further ecumenical efforts are a waste of time. [...]
Finally, conversions are discouraged because of the widespread poison of MTD – Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. This horrible parody of the Christian faith reduces the historic supernatural religion to Moralism, Therapy and Deism. [...]
All of these together create in the mind of the liberal Catholic cleric an attitude that discourages conversion because he really doesn’t believe it is either necessary or helpful.
This is one of the reasons for the disastrous decline of the Church in the West. In terms of supply and demand the liberal churchman eliminates the demand which makes any need for the supply to be superfluous.
On Welcoming Converts
The Personal Ordinariates established by the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus represent a dynamic call to unity in the Truth, a leaven that other Catholics desperate need to better inform and strengthen their identity as Catholics.
(As members) of the Ordinariate, we participate locally in the larger mission of the Universal Church in the salvation of souls. Our unique contribution to this goal is through our Anglican patrimony, the liturgical, musical, intellectual, and cultural expression of the Catholic faith expressed through the English Catholic tradition. We are particularly missionary-minded and exist to unite non-Catholics with Holy Mother Church, and to help Catholics continue together with us in our own continual conversions. - Saint John Henry Newman Catholic Church, Irvine, California
On Realized Ecumenism
Divine Worship and the Personal Ordinariates represent, in many ways, a realized ecumenism. Here, the unity of faith allows for a rich diversity in the expression of that faith, creating a space wherein the cadences of the Coverdale Psalter and the sobriety and disarming frankness of the Prayer Book will continue to resound and call to faith. Article III of Anglicanorum Coetibus had it right: this is indeed a treasure to be shared. - Archbishop J. Augustine Di Noia: in a lecture at Queen’s College, Canada, in 2010, Cardinal William Levada, former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The ordinariate is the first time any group has been able to enter the Catholic Church without abandoning their entire identity, which Bishop Steven J. Lopes (Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter) calls “realised ecumenism”. - https://catholicleader.com.au/news/australia/why-the-ordinariate-is-the-living-form-of-the-second-vatican-councils-decree-on-ecumenism/
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