Friday, August 1, 2014

A 'New' Kind of Cafeteria Catholic?

I read this article on Patheos about the 'new' kind of cafeteria Catholics: conservatives. In it, Father indicates that conservatives are picking and choosing the points of Pope Francis's words/actions they like and denigrating him on points they disagree. The former cafeteria Catholics, he says, were liberals who disliked Pope Benedict and love Pope Francis. The switch is one he claims is ironic.

I disagree that conservative Catholics are now guilty of being cafeteria Catholics. I would most likely be considered a Conservative Catholic with leanings towards the Traditional (I veil, but don't attend TLM). I think Pope Francis is a good pope, but I think he has a tendency to speak off the cuff without putting a lot of thought behind how his words will be interpreted. In this age of sound bites, some of those attributed (yes, I know some are wrongly attributed or poorly translated, but not all) to Pope Francis are damaging to how the world, and Catholics even, view our Faith. In context and properly translated his words are not as damaging, but many will never take the time to investigate the truth behind the sound bite. 

Additionally, many people wrongly compare and contrast Popes JP II, Benedict, and Francis. In order to build up Pope Francis they denigrate Benedict. The truth of the matter is that these three holy men were, gasp, all Popes of the Catholic Church. The doctrines, dogmas, and Faith Deposit of the Church have remained the same. One telling meme says something to the effect of JP II told us what we believe, Benedict told us why we believe, and Francis is telling us how to put our beliefs in practice. I was in Denver for JP II and shouted "JP II we love you" with fervor. I have a scholarly mind, so Benedict appealed to me with his explanations (plus I'm German and love my Papa). I was glued to the tv when Pope Francis was elected and enjoy his down-to-earth practice of what he preaches. I think his recent photo in a cafeteria with others working (in the Vatican?) is really the 'new' kind of cafeteria Catholic - those who volunteer in the cafeterias and those who evangelize in the cafeteria. That's one kind of cafeteria Catholic I won't disagree with!

I think the problem lies not in 'conservatives' disliking or disparaging Pope Francis, but in liberals and conservatives alike putting Popes JP II, Benedict, and Francis against one another. None of these popes sought competition with one another. They should not be in competition with one another. It should never be an either-or between popes. It should just be the Catholic Church and Her Bishop of Rome. 

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