Bishops May Need Their Own Version of Alcoholics Anonymous

Pondering what to do in this ever more palpable calamity confronting Holy Mother the Church, and not wanting to constantly dump on and criticize every Bishop who opens his mouth, I am thinking that there may be a need for some variation on Alcoholics Anonymous, or "AA", to help defuse this awful situation.

AA will tell you that the first thing an alcoholic has to do is to admit he has a problem.  The same would hold true to those addicted to drugs or pornography.  I suspect there are a fair amount of Bishops and priests who inwardly sense that something is dreadfully wrong but cannot or will not confront the causes,  Here is where Catholics who are aware can perhaps be of some help to these people.  I believe we must find opportunities to sit down in a relaxed, non-confrontational manner with our clerics and help them to see that by refusing to admit there is a problem, their refusal will bring the Church as we know it to the point of collapse. If we can but help them start that process of realization we may just be able to help stop the insanity that is engulfing the Church.

A tall order, to be sure.  But not, I think, an impossible one.  This blog has been constant (some would say, too constant) in its criticisms of Bishops, the type who give the impression that they are not in the slightest bit interested in acting like true defenders of the Faith.  Perhaps it is time to face the cold, hard facts and finally write them off.  To wipe the dust off our feet, so to speak.  They are not going to change.  They will go to their graves, a la Bernardin, proudly contemptuous of the ancient Faith.

As for meeting with wavering or frightened Bishops and priests this, I think, is a job for the men, at least at first.  Men are pretty much dismissed nowadays in Church circles - odd for an institution that has an all-male priesthood - and are generally ignored or bypassed when big parish or chancery decisions are made.  That's a bit of a generalization, I know; but if we look at any parish bulletin and cast our eyes over the names of those who hold much of the decision-making powers in parishes or, ominously, parish councils, I think you will see my point.  Clerics are terrified of women and even more terrified of media opprobrium so it should hardly be surprising to see the ladies dominating.  This can be a very bad thing, if the ladies are of a progressive or feminist bent.  A priest or a Bishop, then, confronted (politely but firmly) be men who are concerned about what is happening to the Faith, the world, the education of their children and a thousand other things can be an eye-opening experience for clerics who are accustomed to weak yes-men or liberal ladies who like to take charge.  I suspect it will be a refreshing eye-opener for these clerics; gutsy men cannot be twirled around the little fingers of domineering types.

If men don't act like men, the women will start acting like men, and then the world turns upside down.  The enemies of God's order know this very well.  Extremely well.  So well that we are now reduced to having mincing homosexuals, and transvestites who mutilate themselves, essentially calling the shots (or so they believe; they are actually the pawns of the decadent elite).  For a simple but strong, humble yet firm man start to defend Faith and family by sitting down with priest or Bishop could be the turning point in this whole onslaught against sanity which has encircled us.

And the women?  Instead of the types who wish to dictate orders as chairmen of corporations or parish councils we want a lioness who will tear apart anyone or anything that threatens her cubs. That is a force to be reckoned with.  And a team to be reckoned with: a manly man defending Faith and family and a woman doing the same.

We are not quite at the point where such teams are the norm.  At times it seems the only ones defending the Faith at parishes are the gals, while the men are off flipping pancakes at the parish breakfast jamboree.  It does not have to be this way.  True, most men are bored silly by the effeminate, silly liturgies they call "Masses" today.  They sit in pained silence as little lasses dress up as altar boys, or are forced to mumble the most atrocious, eye-rolling hymns.  They desperately try to find a few minutes of meditative silence at these Masses and find none.  They cannot wait for it to end so they can beat it out of there and do something manly.  It is especially difficult for men if the priest is one of these prissy idiots who sits on his rump while every female in the parish from 8 to 80 finds themselves up at the altar singing, reading, or co-consecrating - or giving out Holy Communion to every pair of dirty hands that are thrust in front of them.  Men instinctively recoil at such nonsense.  I am speaking about real men here, of course.

So, men, having read all this, what do we do?

If I may offer a suggestion, start by finding if you can a reverent liturgy to attend.  I recommend the historic, ancient Rite of Mass as a first choice if at all possible.  I believe that will start our manly wheels turning in our aging brains and might just rekindle our sense of who we are and what our responsibilities are.  I suspect that that, coupled with some solid spiritual and historical reading will help us along the road until we are finally, at last, prepared to assume our rightful roles as defenders of our families and the Holy Catholic Faith.

Which brings us back to those meetings with Bishops and priests.  Let us help them, like AA, recognize that there is a problem.  We cannot allow them to continue blithely on as if all is right with the world and there is nothing to worry about.  If we approach them with humility and respect and a firm purpose we may just be the Alcoholics Anonymous that they so desperately need to lead them away from this destructive-to-the-Faith attitude they have.  I think the more Bishops we can convince, especially now with this horrendous Synod fast approaching, that there is a problem the more likely we are to have some impact, small though it may have to be.  Trees start out as acorns, as they say.  

What do we do if we are rebuffed after politely trying to show them the problem?  Every one will have a different answer for that.  As for myself I wouldn't necessarily burn any bridges but I might make them clearly aware of my displeasure over the Church's failure to protect Her flock.  I would remind them of the sufferings my children and grandchildren will endure at the hands of an Empire of Sodomites.  I would remind them of the millions of souls who will never see God when they die, despite what the Urs von Balthasars and Robert Barrons may believe.  I would remind them that a General protects his troops and a father protects his children.  More than anything else I would leave him with the impression that a manly man has confronted him.

If on the other hand they show sympathy, then give them all the encouragement and espirit de corps that the situation calls for.  Work with them.  They may be ignorant of the richness that the Church offers; after all most of them were probably taught by incompetents or worse in seminary.  When the time comes you will know what to do and how to help them.  God's grace will provide.