Commenting on the Catholic Church

by Zeke Flores

I recently read a shared post on Facebook written by a Catholic priest who is angered by "a sea of stupid articles, idiotic commentary and boneheaded op-eds about the Catholic Church, by people who have no clue what they're talking about." He goes on to rant about "the number of misinformed articles I've read about celibacy, the priesthood, the papacy, the church in this country, the causes of the sexual abuse crisis, church authority, papal infallibility, the role of the magisterium, life in a religious order, the vow of chastity, and Benedict XVI" while suggesting that people who know little or nothing about the Catholic church should refrain from writing about it, and especially writing critically about it. He sardonically remarks that in response he's going to start writing pieces about quantum physics and other things he knows nothing about.

Second Vatican Council by Lothar Wolleh

He's wrong and here's why. Catholicism is religious and claims to be the true and original Christianity. If so, then one would expect to see its laws and practices found in the Bible, specifically in the New Testament since the New Testament claims authority over all that is practiced in Christ's religion. So, one doesn't need to know everything, or even very much, about Catholicism or even Protestantism, for that matter. All one needs to know about religion is the Bible, and more specifically the New Testament in order to ascertain whether a religious group or practice is right. The New Testament says nothing about "celibacy, the papacy, ... papal infallibility, the role of the magisterium, life in a religious order, the vow of chastity, and Benedict XVI," archbishops, cardinals, and popes much less a "conclave" assembled to elect one. So, instead of raging against "misinformed" writers who know nothing about the church, perhaps he should be enraged against "misinformed" religionists like himself who know too little about the Bible.