From Online Opinion By Peter Sellick
Let me propose an outrageous suggestion. The 16th century Reformers of the church had good cause to protest against a church that was drunk on power and greed and which had largely reduced the faith to economics and political manipulation. While they did not mean to create a parallel church called Protestant this was how history panned out for reasons too numerous to mention here. The church in the West has since been fragmented into many denominations which has weakened its voice in the world and which is a falling away from Jesus’ promise “that you may be one”.
After 480 years or so the Protestant experiment has run out of steam and its reason for being has largely evaporated due to the reform of the Roman church. There is now a large consensus among professional theologians both Protestant and Catholic about the centre of the faith and this consensus is growing.
The question is: why do Protestants remain separated after most of the reasons for their separation have disappeared?
I was stimulated to write this article after reading a sermon by Stanley Hauerwas (yes, him again!) on Reformation Sunday. He admits that he does not like this fixture on the Protestant calendar because it tends to celebrate a dark event in the history of the Church, the schism in which we stand today.
While Protestants celebrate the things gained in the Reformation, often things that the Roman Church has also now caught up with, there is little mention of the things we have lost. The first is obvious, it is the unity promised by the Lord. Hauerwas expands:
I often point out that at least Catholics have the magisterial office of the Bishop of Rome to remind them that disunity is a sin. You should not overlook the significance that in several important documents of late, John Paul II has confessed the Catholic sin for the Reformation. Where are the Protestants capable of doing likewise? We Protestants feel no sin for the disunity of the Reformation. We would not know how to confess our sin for the continuing disunity of the Reformation. We would not know how to do that because we have no experience of unity.
Once the break with Rome had occurred the Protestant church found itself prey to the philosophical movements of modernity initiated by the philosophies of Descartes, Hobbes and Locke that undermined all received authority and produced the man who was his own orthodoxy.
December 7, 2007 at 11:26 am
“The severely reduced teaching office of Protestant Churches means that clergy cannot be leaders but only cheerleaders. “
What a great line!
All in all, I think the article is pretty good. I don’t think that ecumenism failed across the board. Ecumenical discussions were not in vain. They taught separated communions and communities great many things about each other and did away with many false conceptions. As such they paved the way for conversion of communities, but also individuals.
December 7, 2007 at 4:27 pm
As to why many Protestants don’t convert even when they admit that the Catholic Church has reformed and the reformation is no longer necessary:
One of my friends, who agrees that Catholics trump on Theology and Tradition, cites the following:
1. Crummy Music
2. People who wear jeans to church
3. REALLY CRUMMY MUSIC (He wants to know, since we have Palestrina and Chant, why don’t we use them?”
4. Sloppy, disrespectful liturgy
5. LIFE TEEN MUSIC
6. Lack of community and fellowship after Mass.
7. ATROCIOUSLY BAD MUSIC!
So, as a Catholic (who also hates crummy music), I really think we need to address these concerns.
I mean, to me, they all seem pretty superficial. After all, while music is nice, we’re talking about THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST — really, He’s the point of Mass for me…
But, why drive people away over stupid things? I think the answer to getting protestants back may be to improve the superficials: Good Music, Encouraging nice outfits, GOOD LITURGY, and yeah, Coffee and Donuts after church.
After all, it’s not like Catholics are OPPOSED to good music and donut day… it’s more that we don’t really care much when they’re missing.
But, if Coffee and Donuts and chatting for 45 minutes after Mass while the kids play ball in the gym is what it takes to win converts, then By-Golly, I’ll make that sacrifice….
Especially if it includes Boston Creme…. =)
December 7, 2007 at 5:16 pm
I went to the original article, and then I read the comments of the readers of the original article.
Wow, we still have so far to go before we fulfil Christ’s desire that we all be one.
December 7, 2007 at 10:49 pm
It is interesting. He is coming from an Anglican perspective so he doesn’t see many things that evangelicals would. Mary, the hierarchy, liturgical worship style, preaching and music that they don’t like. You need to get past the whole idea of choosing a church being about taste. Going where you feel comfortable is probably the worse way to choose a church. Yet that is where most protestants are at.
December 10, 2007 at 11:43 am
But as a pretty orthodox Catholic (who converted from Anglicanism) I find myself church-shopping everytime we move. I don’t feel comfortable going to Mass where the priest says things contrary to the Faith, I don’t like having the only large family in attendance, I don’t feel right receiving Our Lord from a lay person’s hands.
So, I won’t condem the Protestants until we get the Catholic Church into some semblence of order. What would they see at your average parish? Little respect for God (in clothes and manner), poor catechesis, and members not following what the Church does teach (not going to confession, rates of ABC and abortion…).
December 12, 2007 at 2:49 am
kat,
Please take heart. The rebellion is literally dying out. It took 40 years(something significant about that) to get to this place and it may take 40 years to reclaim what had been placed aside(maybe for it’s own protection?). It is not just about what we see but that we participate in the restoration. Try to find a TLM somewhere nearby and attend when can. That is our past and our future. Go to http://fssp.org/en/messes.htm for locations.
Sancta Maria, spes nostra, sedes sapientiae, ora pro nobis!