Why are people
scooting from the Roman Catholic Church in some of the countries?
The flight of Catholics is a major concern for the Church. Pope Francis recently said the “flight of Catholics is caused by distance, clericalism and boring homilies as opposed to closeness, work, integration and the burning word of God.”
The flight of Catholics is a major concern for the Church. Pope Francis recently said the “flight of Catholics is caused by distance, clericalism and boring homilies as opposed to closeness, work, integration and the burning word of God.”
He says it’s a phenomenon that affects not
only the Church but also the evangelical communities.
In a recent interview to Valentina Alazraki
from the Mexican broadcaster Televisa, Pope said that in Latin America, a
“strong clericalism creates a certain distance from people”. Clericalism in Latin America has been one of the biggest obstacles to
the growth of the laity. The laity in Latin America
grew only thanks to popular piety, which the Pope said, has given the
opportunity to lay people to be creative and free, through worship and
processions.
But organizationally, the laity has not grown
enough. They have not grown because of the clericalism that creates distance, he
told Televisa.
Pope Francis has been broaching the subject of clericalism in the church, much to the discomfort of many in the church. Clericalism is defined as a state of affairs in which there is an unnecessary or overly exaggerated importance attributed to clergy, in such a way that the laity relate to them as subjects to be ruled rather than a people to be lovingly pastored.
Pope Francis has been broaching the subject of clericalism in the church, much to the discomfort of many in the church. Clericalism is defined as a state of affairs in which there is an unnecessary or overly exaggerated importance attributed to clergy, in such a way that the laity relate to them as subjects to be ruled rather than a people to be lovingly pastored.
Boring homilies
The Pope also spoke of “disastrous” homilies
as another reason for the flight of Catholics. "I do not know if they are
the majority - but they do not reach the heart. They are lessons in theology
and are abstract or long and this is why I devoted so much space to them in
Evangeli Gaudium,” he said.
Typically evangelicals are close to the
people, they aim for the heart and prepare their homilies really well. “I think
we have to have a conversion in this. The Protestant concept of the homily is
much stronger than the Catholic. It’s almost a sacrament,” he said.
Pope Francis made these observations when the
Televisa journalist asked Pope for a reflection on the proliferation of sects
in Mexico and more generally
in Latin America and the Churches’
responsibility in the loss of faithful.
On evangelical movements, he said, “what they
typically offer is personal contact, the ability to be close to the people, to
greet and meet people in person.” Pope also made a distinction between honest
and good evangelical movements and those that are considered sects. For
example, there are proposals that are not religious and Christian evangelicals
also reject them. There are sects -- some originate from the theology of
prosperity -- that promise a better life and, although they appear animated by
great religious spirit, eventually they ask for money, he said.
