The self-righteousness and spiritual pride – there is no other word for it – of fundamentalist-leaning Catholics in the United States has to be witnessed to be believed. It is a phenomenon in itself. Such Catholics seem to believe that it is they and, presumably, they alone who are ‘going to save’ the Catholic Church from ruin by going to Hell in the proverbial hand basket. They consider themselves part of ‘the remnant’ that is supposedly protecting the One True Faith from error, including ‘error’ coming from the Vatican.
As you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye – Jesus Christ.
Some of these Catholics refuse, even in public, even when asked directly, to accept the leadership of Pope Francis – the Vicar of Christ who holds in his hands the power to bind and loose in the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 16:18-19). They do this despite knowing full well that such a refusal to assent, let alone consent, to the Magisterium of the Pope automatically places them, at the spiritual level, outside the very Faith and the very Church they profess to so love and ‘protect.’ Both assent and consent to the said magisterium are requirements of the Catholic Faith. Further, these individuals – self-appointed mini-demagogues who have far more in common with Sola Scriptura folks or the tight cult of Scientology, than true Catholicism – manifest no hesitation in engaging in widespread slander and libel, products of hatred, not just against the Pope himself, but also against priests who themselves follow the magisterium and who have done nothing to them.
Who am I to judge? – Pope Francis
A case in point is the recent release of the book Building a bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT community can enter into a relationship of respect, compassion and sensitivity, written by a well-known priest. Apart from the fact that it does have an eye-grabbing title, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – in the book that goes against faith and morals. The book itself has been granted the imprimi potest by the Superior of the Society of Jesus.
It should be noted that this site has no skin in the game, so to speak, in relation to this book. But justice demands that we do not stand idly by while something that is good becomes the recipient of the above kind of hatred, by Catholics no less. Silence would, otherwise, be tacit consent.
What does all of the above thus tell you about the real agenda of said American Catholics? Who, in reality, is trying to construct a ‘parallel’ Catholic Church – a Church built into his or her own image – despite claiming to love Her and all protestations to the contrary? Rather than manifest docility to the Spirit and to the Church given to humankind by Jesus Christ?
None of such fundamentalism is from God or of God.
None of it.
The Divine Heart of God the Father Encompassing All Hearts 