Toward a Holier Catholic Church: Removing Barriers to Evangelization

By George E Pfautsch

For two thousand years the Roman Catholic Church has survived through many periods of difficult times. The most recent period of clerical sexual abuse has been the cause of considerable angst for the Church and has resulted in some substantial economic losses for many areas within the Church. Through the many hundreds of years following its beginning by Jesus Christ, the Church has maintained a governance structure that has changed very little. The ascendancy of Pope Francis to the papacy has brought considerable emphasis on the importance of humility. That emphasis is sorely needed by the Church. This book will examine some areas of the Church, where its historical governance structure is too often an obstacle to the humility the Pope demonstrates and desires within the Church. The time may have come for the Church to examine its governance structure in order for it to be a holier Church and not to be a barrier to evangelization. However, the Church structure is not the only need for change within the Church. With the many changes that have taken place within the Church there is a need for a renewed emphasis on spiritual simplicity and on the basic lessons of Sacred Scripture and Apostolic Tradition. Such changes can remove the barriers to evangelization and provide a greater appeal for many to find a richer spiritual value within the Church.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 7, 2015
• ISBN: 9781496962386

George E Pfautsch

George E Pfautsch spent most of his working life as a financial executive for a major forest products and paper company. His final years with Potlatch Corporation (now Potlatch Deltic Corporation) were spent as the Senior Vice-President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. Following his retirement, he began writing about the national morality he believes was intended for this country by the founding fathers. He is the author of fifteen previous books covering the subjects of faith, freedom, morality, and justice. In addition, he is the co-author of a book written by Melitta Strandberg, which is the story of her family’s quest for freedom, before, during and after World War II. He is also the co-author of a book written by Leroy New, the “Guitar Wizard” of Branson, Missouri. George is married to Dodi, his wife of more than 60 years. He has two children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

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2015 GEORGE E PFAUTSCH. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/05/2015

ISBN: 978-1-4969-6237-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-6238-6 (e)

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Need For Humility

Chapter 2 Worldly Obstacles

Chapter 3 The Importance Of Subsidiarity

Chapter 4 Cases Lacking Discipleship

Chapter 5 A Modern Day Case Lacking Discipleship

Chapter 6 Lessons From Cases Harming The Poor

Chapter 7 Greater Dedication To Sacred Scripture

Chapter 8 Standard Catechesis

Chapter 9 The Sanctity Of Life And The Immortal Soul

Chapter 10 Greater Emphasis On Family Values

Chapter 11 Returning To A Simple Form Of Humility

Chapter 12 Holiness Begets Holiness

Chapter 13 The Duty Of Discipleship

About The Author

Introduction

It is through our Lord’s divine mercy that we are able to achieve salvation. By his mercy, passion and death on the cross, it is possible for all flawed human beings to one day be with our Lord in Heaven.

In order to achieve that goal we must follow the narrow path He has laid out for us. It is a beautiful path, but it is a path that has human and other worldly obstacles along the way. It is also a path that sometimes requires us to carry a cross.

When we were baptized, the Holy Spirit instilled in us the faith we need to one day take our place in His Kingdom. If we are people of faith, we are also expected to be his disciples. If we are to be His disciples we cannot place the temptations of the world above the chores of discipleship. We must not only be faithful in word but also in deed.

Most people of faith understand the chores associated with discipleship but our flawed human nature frequently results in placing greater emphasis on worldly matters than on being good disciples. That is true of everyone, because we are all sinners and succumb to worldly temptations. It is not only the lay person who stumbles occasionally, but also members of the clergy.

Our Lord let that be known when he spoke of St. John the Baptist. He told us that John was the greatest of men born on earth, but even as great as he was, he was not as great as the least of those in His Kingdom. Why? Because John was a human being and as such was still subjected to worldly temptations.

All of us on earth need spiritual crutches. We need the help of our religion and our spiritual religious leaders to help us stay on the right path. The greatest help He made available for us is the clear teaching of Sacred Scripture and Apostolic Tradition. In the world we live in today that remains as true as it ever was.

But sometimes the clarity of those teachings is not forthcoming in all matters. It is the purpose of this book to help us discern some situations where greater clarity would be helpful in spreading the Good News as well as in teaching matters related to faith and morals. Greater understanding and greater clarity can lead to better discipleship.

There are also numerous standards and procedures within the Catholic Church that do not relate to the teachings of Sacred Scripture and Apostolic Tradition. Our Lord frequently reminded the Pharisees and Sadducees during His time on earth, that such standards and procedures needed to be applied in a loving, kind, merciful and compassionate manner. That places a special duty on those most closely involved, especially members of the clergy and religious orders, when applying those standards and procedures.

All Christians have a duty to proclaim the word of God. With so many in the world today who stray from the path our Lord has shown us, our spiritual leaders have a special obligation to provide spiritual clarity by their words, deeds and examples. They are the ones who can best help others in this world understand the role Sacred Scripture and Apostolic Tradition must play for all on the road to salvation. They also have a great obligation to make sure the application of Church rules and procedures are applied in a manner which adheres to Sacred Scripture and Apostolic Tradition.

Much of this book will note areas that today need such spiritual leadership. If such leadership is forthcoming as it was by the early disciples the results will be the same.

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Chapter 1

THE NEED

FOR HUMILITY

On March 13, 2013, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina was elected Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. He chose the name of Francis. By the selection of the name Francis and by his early words, deeds and examples, the new Pope promoted on behalf of the Church the extremely important virtue of humility.

Over its two thousand years of existence many worldly things have crept into Church structures, practices, procedures, etc. that do not always reflect the message of humility which our Lord stressed was of great importance.

Our Savior demonstrated the importance of humility by coming to earth as a human being and by being born in a manger. He further demonstrated his humility by working as a carpenter before He began his public life. His Precursor, Saint John the Baptist, also demonstrated great humility by wearing clothes made of camel hair and by eating honey and locust.

Our Lord selected humble human beings as his Apostles and disciples. He reminded them often of the importance of humility. He did not direct them to wear elaborate vestments or to build magnificent structures in which to honor and adore Him. Rather He sent them out to be evangelists with only the bare minimum of earthly garments and possessions.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Jesus could not have been more clear regarding the value of