Any Such Thing As A Progressive Catholic?

[surattius]

 

Hello fellow seekers,

 

I have been surfing around the web looking for information and found this site. I checked out the debate regarding the Passion movie by Mel Gibson and felt that I was "home". People who think, and are not afraid of dissent and discussion! Here's my problem:

 

I was raised as a Catholic up to a point. My husband too. However we've both gone away from being practicing Catholics for many years. We married in a civil ceremony and have two lovely sons.

 

The first son was baptized in the Catholic church at my insistance. The second son was born while we lived in our present, different parish. I know have to reenter the parish, convince them I'm sincere, etc.

 

Yet there are some things about the organized church that bother me. It seems exclusionary. It seems stuffy. I am afraid of going astray. I have never been to confession as my mother pulled us out of Sunday school before I was old enough to be introduced. Now I have a chain of sins so prodigious that in comparison, Marley's ghost (granted, he's a fictional character but bear with me) would look like he was carrying a thread. If I just walk into a confessional and lay things on the line, will the confessional burst into flame? Will the Priest chide me and drive me away for another five years? What?

 

Also, it is likely that the presiding priest will ask that we have our marriage blessed before we had our son baptized, and to qualify for that we would have to go through training and indoctrination which I worry will make hypocrites of my husband and I. Especially my husband, who in terribly aspiritual.

 

I love the precepts of the Christian faith, and the symbolism has great meaning for me in my life. However, where do I turn to get my second son baptized? Am I silly to insist that they both be baptized in the church? Am I worrying too much?

 

I can't quite bring myself to turn away from Mother Church.

 

Suggestions are welcome. Please don't chew me out, 'though.

 

surattius

[BrotherRog]

Hmm.. My experience with Catholics is a bit more limited, but I have these thoughts to offer:

* Brothers/sisters (nuns) of the Franciscan persuassion seem to be very open minded and progressive theologically.

* Matthew Fox's Creation Spirituality rose out of Catholicism (though I think he's been booted out)

* Hans Kung - I think - is a progressive Cath. theologian

* Fathers Daniel and Philip Berrigan (brothers) are/were (respectively) what I'd call "radical activists." (Along with the late Dorothy Day)

* The Pax Christi organization seems to be the peace and justice wing of the Catholic Church. You would do very well to check out their websites and get on their mailing lists.

[Lolly]

hello, surattius

 

I am new to this board and also a new Christian; I recently became a member of the Episcopal Church in the US.

 

From what I've been given to understand, the Episcopalian way of doing things is rather similar to Roman Catholicism, liturgically speaking, but quite a bit more open to individual interpretation, theologically speaking.

 

This is not meant as a "plug" for the Episcopal Church; it's pretty much all I'm familiar with as far as Christianity goes, however I'm pretty liberal and I took to it very quickly.

 

I understand that some parishes may be more progressive leaning than others; mine is extremely progressive but there are conservative Episcopalians, too. It may be worth investigating a few Episcopal (or Anglican) churches in your area to see how you feel about the services.

 

Good luck in your quest!

 

Lolly

[surattius]

Thanks for the ideas, both of you. I will explore them.

 

The Pax Christi site is very cool, Brother Roq, thanks. An inspiration.

 

Susan

[Rev. Smith]

You may also want to see if there is an Old Catholic communion near you. (There are many different kinds, including my own Church). We are each different from one another - but all come from the same roots, generaly progressive sees that broke with Rome after Vatican I over the papal infallibility flap.

 

http://www.ind-movement.org/links_denominations.html is a link to a listing.

 

Good luck finding the right spiritual home.

[Haganrih]

I'm a progressive Christian who was raised Catholic and still has a problem "leaving" the Church. Yes, I think you're worried too much about baptism. I would look to a UU community as that's where I tend to fall these days. I would also recommend Fr. Andrew Greeley to the others that were recommended.

[Tom Head]

Andrew Greeley, Hans Kung, John Courtney Murray, and Joan Chittister. Agreed. (Not to mention John Kerry, IMHO; I haven't heard enough of his theology to be certain, but the little he has said leaves me suspecting that his private faith is very theologically sophisticated and that he would be an 8-pointer.) There are actually many progressive Catholics, though the hierarchy doesn't seem to be very fond of the idea right now.

 

I'm an Episcopalian, and our church gets plenty of progressive ex-Catholics, so I'd love to be able to tell you "No, join us"--but the truth is that there's still plenty of room in the RCC for those who disagree with parts of the current Vatican platform.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Tom

Edited October 23, 2004 by Tom Head

[ArmadilloUCC]

I am not a Catholic but one of the Catholic churches here is involved in stuff that I'd call progressive. They are involved in People of Faith Against the Death Penalty, they have a farm worker union ministry, and they go to anti-war rallies.

dillo

[Haganrih]

I'm an Episcopalian, and our church gets plenty of progressive ex-Catholics, so I'd love to be able to tell you "No, join us"--but the truth is that there's still plenty of room in the RCC for those who disagree with parts of the current Vatican platform.

 

Call me small minded if you want. I see a lot of good things happening in the Episcopal church but, being of Irish Catholic descent, I just have trouble signing on with what is, essentially, the Anglican Church.

[Haganrih]

http://www.ind-movement.org/links_denominations.html is a link to a listing.

 

Good luck finding the right spiritual home.

 

Rev.,

 

You have a lot of links on that page. I live in upper Bucks County, PA. Do you know of any congregations in my area? Thanks.

[Chokmah]

Why worry about going to confession? Just get your child baptized.. no big deal. The RCC is the granddaddy of them all.. that and the Orthodox. But the RCC gave us the bible through its councils.The symbolism of all the Christian Churches is borrowed from the RCC and EO. Is this coincidenc? This impresses the heck out of me.

 

The RCC and the Orthodox are the most Christocentric Churches out there... with all their faults they have singelhandedly kept Christianity alive. I believe that the Church is dynamic.. its leaders and faithful make mistakes but God does not abandon them. All the other churches can do what they do BECAUSE of the RCC and EO.

 

 

Would I like to see the RCC become more liberal and progressive? Yes, but in some ways it is light years ahead of the Evangelicals and Fundamentalists. Get your children baptized.. raise them in the ancient Faith.. you get out of something what you put into it..

 

 

Have Faith!

 

 

 

Peace,

 

<>< chokmah

[Socius]

you may like to try the following site

 

International Movement We Are Church (IMWAC)

http://www.we-are-church.org/

[Guest admin]

You may be interested to know that I, TCPC Executive Council Member and sole employee, am Catholic

 

Feel free to write me any time!

[peaceseeker54]

Go to your browser and type in Liberal Catholic Church International

 

al

[curlytop]

Any such thing as a progressive Catholic? Yes, a thousand times yes! And I am just one of them. Check out organizations like Call to Action, Pax Christi, and Catholic Worker. Read the National Catholic Reporter. If you're ever in the Los Angeles area in February, check out the Religious Education Congress, an amazing four-day feast (even during Lent) of Catholic speakers, musicians, liturgies . . . of various political persuasions, but generally moderate to progressive. Last time I was there I got to attend workshops led by such unruly Catholics as Martin Sheen, Helen Prejean, Richard Rohr, Michael Crosby, Barbara Fiand, John O'Donohue. Also got to see Arun Gandhi, the mahatma's grandson, and progressive evangelical Protestant Jim Wallis! Read The Mystic Heart by Wayne Teasdale (who sadly has just passed away), a lay Catholic brother who was also a member of a Hindu order. Read anything by Bede Griffiths, Thomas Merton, Karl Rahner, William Johnston, Dorothy Day, Joan Chittister, Diana L. Hayes, Meg Funk, and Megan McKenna! And go out and rent (or purchase) these video/DVDs: Romero, The Mission, and Brother Sun, Sister Moon.

 

Progressive Catholics? Yes, we are out there! Come on out and play! And pray!

 

Salud,

 

curlytop

[BeachOfEden]

Here it is: the direct link to the offical Liberal Catholic Church of America:

 

http://members.tripod.com/~LiberalCatholic/

[soma]

I was baptised Catholic too, but found that God ithe Father is explained in many forms and in many ways, but that God is the same. I like to think of God the Father as the all pervading pure consciousness that is guiding us internally and externally. The force that maintains our life is the same consciousness that controls the stars and the planets in the universe. This happens through the law's of nature and as we know the pull of gravity. Man's true knowledge of himself; therefore, includes the external knowledge of everything or the universe and the internal. realization. Divine intelligence flows, inspires, guides and enables us to take and put more back into life. All we have to do is to recognize that pure consciousness exists and accept its action internally and externally. Jesus is guiding you and your family to Christ consciousness all you have to do is listen to your internal messages, you are on the right path. God bless your and your family.

[soma]

A good progressive Catholiic site. Read all the links.

The web site is http://geocities.com/trinitypublishing2004/

[BeachOfEden]

I also found this one on MySpace.

 

http://groups.myspace.com/openmindedcatholicsOpen Minded Catholics

[Yatiri]

I'm a progressive Maronite Catholic!

[soma]

What is a Maronite Catholic?