17 July, 2012

Mission Territories: Philadelphia?

"As you are probably aware, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is going through a very rough time.  Those good people, our family members in the “Household of the Faith,” and their brave archbishop, Charles Chaput, deserve our love and prayers.


In his courageous and inspired efforts to bring hope and renewal to that Church in crisis, Archbishop Chaput recently made a statement that stopped me cold:  “The Archdiocese of Philadelphia . . . is now really a mission territory.’’


Yes, I had to read it twice, too.


Uganda a mission territory?  Sure . . .


Peru a mission territory?  Yes . . .


Alaska a mission territory?  Okay . . .


But Philadelphia?  Come on now!  That archdiocese in a way was the model of a robust, intact, cohesive Catholic infrastructure!  Parishes, schools, apostolates, ministries galore!  A huge Catholic population, with cardinals as past archbishops, vocations abounding, close to a million–and–a–half Catholics proud of and fervent in their faith, right? What do you mean a mission territory?  Is Archbishop Chaput bluffing?


No!  I’m afraid he’s right on target."

Read the rest of what Cardinal Tim Dolan (NY) has to say about today's 'mission territories' by clicking on the link below.

Mission Territories « The Gospel in the Digital Age
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1 comment:

  1. Anonymous17 July, 2012

    Mission territory is code for no longer obedient. The New Evangelization is code for making them obedient. Europe and N America are now "Mission Territory". They are in need of the "New Evangelization"

    Charle Chaput is the Pope's fair haired boy in N America. He is charged with running a pilot program to down size the church if necessary but to return the laity to obedience. "Orthodoxy" is code for obedience. Will it work? Who knows? Maybe, anything is possible but I doubt it. I guess it depends too on how much the institutional church is willing to downsize. I guess if they're willing to go far enough they could do it. I doubt there would be many women of childbearing age left in the ranks of the new "evangelized", "orthodox", "missionary" church. Where would that leave them? On the other hand, given their stance and goal, what other choice do they have? I guess it's go for broke.

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A Roman Catholic Evangelical Priest of the Diocese of Pembroke, Canada. Shown in my profile photo with my canine companion, Mateo.

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