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Broken Souls

Broken Souls

I have, as converts do, a zeal for the Church as the pearl of precious price, the bulwark and foundation of truth.

Also, as a former Protestant, I know that a variety of things causes most serious Protestants to regard Catholic doctrine and practice as inscrutable. I appreciate what you are doing to make that connection too — it is ecumenism of the better type. Before we can come together we must understand one another, and you guys and gals at Catholic Answers are doing your share.

I want to share something I read in Fulton Sheen recently. He says that the time is coming (is here) that man will not be compelled to receive the gospel by being presented the universal truths about creation and God. It is not the order of the external creation which will attract him, but rather it is the disorder he sees within himself and in society that will drive him to God.

Nowadays many souls come to God to receive the gospel after they are in a state of great brokenness, like the lady who had the issue of blood, had gone to many doctors and was still sick, until she met the Lord. Many of these souls are attracted to the “gospel” that is the most accessible, direct, and simple: the Protestant gospel all too often fills that bill. Obviously, the Protestant “gospel” seems tailor-made to meet the individuals’ needs. Protestants will take the seamless garment of Christ and cut it any way to fit your needs, if you will just accept their formulas.

Broken souls have little patience for the dogmatic formulations of the Church. They have a need, a hurt, an insoluble problem; they want relief, and they want it fast! New Age or Protestant versions of the gospel seem to offer the quick fix. The Catholic process seems comparatively laborious, tedious, ponderous, “legalistic” and encrusted with things which seem ancillary.

My point is: While there are many Catholics who have deserted the faith for the Fundamentalists, there are many more who have deserted it for nothing in particular. You might say they have left the faith for secularism: the world, its attractions, and the satisfaction of their appetites. I think we desperately need an apologetic for these souls, for the Church is not speaking to them at all. 

Many experience the emptiness and even the madness of their existence, but they don’t know where to turn. Their own efforts towards gratification bring them everything but what they are looking for: satisfaction-and often what they were not looking for: guilt.

The Church has the tools to address the disorder and cynicism that dog these souls, but I have never seen a single apologetic book or pamphlet directed at them, except from Protestants.

Why can we not draw these souls back into the Church by apologetics that speak to, answer and solve their perplexities? And solve them authoritatively, definitively, and incontrovertibly!

Such an apologetic would not necessarily end in non-theological terms, but it would certainly have to begin that way. It would have to begin with us and end with God. This is not the common approach of the Church, but it is the common approach of the Protestants. And it works to draw converts! Why? Everyone is interested in understanding himself, even if he does not feel he is presently in a fix. We just plain find ourselves the most interesting of all things, and love to be told things about ourselves.

Why can we not capitalize on this, and bring forth a full and authentic gospel apologetic instead of letting the dwarfed versions of the Protestants be the only thing that is put into the hands of a disillusioned, worldly ex-Catholic who is in need and in trouble? 

Tom Ridenour 
via the Internet 


 

“That’s JP2’s Opinion” 

 

I have been an avid reader of  This Rock for several years. The past two-and-a-half years I have been in Yakima volunteering with REACH Youth Ministries. REACH is a Catholic traveling ministry with two teams of Catholics between 18 and 25 who travel around the U. S. and Canada putting on retreats for Catholic youth.

On retreat, some of our team members get bombarded with questions from Catholic youth about their faith. As part of our training we go through an extensive Catholic doctrine book to prepare them for some questions that may come up. 

Your most recent issue of This Rock came in handy when the question of women priests came up. I have a copy of the Pope’s Apostolic letter of May 1994 regarding this issue. I show that to people and they say, “Well, that is the Pope’s opinion. When we get a new Pope he will change that.” I was glad to see your article in “Dragnet” about Cardinal Ratzinger explaining that as infallible. 

I think it is sad that a lot of Catholics do not have enough knowledge of their faith to realize that the Church is divinely instituted. If you believe that, then you shouldn’t have any trouble with any of the Church’s teachings because they come directly from God.

I really enjoyed your article on sedevacantists (“<|’ Habemus Papam’?”, July/August 1995). I found it interesting that they have a headquarters in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. This coming July our REACH Camp and Conference will be in Coeur d’Alene. Our theme for the conference is “And the Truth Shall Set You Free” I thought it was kinda ironic that this is where a sedevacantist headquarters is located.

Are Traditionalists the same as sedevacantists? Or are Traditionalists trying to restore some of the pre-Vatican II customs but are orthodox? 

Shawn Exner 
via the Internet 

Editor’s reply: Although sedevacantists may style themselves Traditionalists, they shouldn’t be confused with “regular” Traditionalists, none of whom believe the sedevacantist theory.


 

Her AoG Is not y AoG 

 

I enjoy your magazine but I had some problems with a recent article. I left the Roman Catholic Church to become a member of the Assemblies of God. The Story in This Rock, “Up From Pentecostalism” (September 1995) about the lady [Kathleen M. Gavlas] who left the Assemblies of God and entered the “true church” grossly misrepresents the AoG denomination. She describes what occurred at her local AoG church as though that represents the whole denomination. 

The AoG are an affiliation of churches which pool resources. That is it. The activities at her church are not present at where I attend. The “Loony Toons” on Trinity Broadcasting Network do not represent AoG. 

We are not trying to get Catholics or others into our “sect.” We do not consider Catholics as our enemies- my pastor will not stand for it. There may be individuals who feel this way, but they do not represent the pastor or the elders of my church. In fact, I do not know exactly what the doctrinally gutless wonders in Springfield, Missouri, do stand for, considering that for which they will lie down. 

When I witness to those who already attend a church, I do not consider it my place to get them to leave their church; I only try to determine their standing with Jesus and go from there. I was engaged at one time to a Baptist. In fact, if I am unfamiliar with the churches of an area and I am asked to recommend one, my first choice would be to recommend a Baptist congregation. 

I do not know where [Gavlas] is coming from, but you should know that her Protestant theological orientation is confused. I would think that Catholic Answers would not want to emphasize her existential encounter as the basis of her conversion. This kind of criterion for determination of doctrinal veracity is very dangerous.

This is not a Catholic vs. Protestant issue, but one of accuracy. From your book and editorials I know that you have a dislike for Protestant misrepresentation of Roman Catholicism and so do I. I hope that it works both ways. 

Gerald Fuentes 
via the Internet 


 

Praise from Parma 

 

Whoever opens up the mail — would you please just be good enough to let the “powers in charge” know that people like me are very glad Catholic Answers exists!

And you just don’t hear from us too often because widows on Social Security with $350 health insurance bills each month — gulp — don’t have too much left for all the many groups they’d like to help. Honest.

But I am thankful that there are people like you who have the talent, the dedication, the blessing of God to do all you can for him and his Word. 

Mary Ann Hisnay 
Parma, Ohio 


 

Surfer Boy 

 

YOU do not understand how happy I am to have found this [World Wide Web] home page. I am a converted Catholic from a Baptist background. I am still trying to learn about my new faith, but it is a slow process. I am constantly attacked by my friends who are conservative Baptists and Fundamentalists. 

Since I am in Texas, I am in the minority. I try to defend my faith, but I am not always successful. It really hurts that these people think that Catholicism is some sort of misled and corrupt faith. But in my heart I believe that the Holy Spirit led me to being Catholic, and I have no regrets. I am going to surf through your page now. Keep up the great work. 

Brett Cofer 
via the Internet 


 

Saying “Huh?” 

 

I appreciated Fr. William Weary’s article taking novelist James Michener to task for his hit and run attack on the Church (“Ballyhoo from Mr. Bali Hai,” October 1995). 

Unlike Fr. Weary I do read a certain amount of “pulp fiction” and have noticed the tendency on the part of Michener and others to toss a grenade then hide behind the defense that it’s only a novel. For example, in Covenant (about South Africa) one of his characters compares Dutch Reformed support of apartheid to the U. S. Catholic Church’s opposition to abortion! 

I’d like to encourage Fr. Weary and others who can say “Huh?” and then explain the Catholic position in such clear terms. 

Rev. Phillip Bloom 
Seattle, Washington 


 

Entering at Easter No. 1

 

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you are doing for the Catholic community and for Catholicism as a whole. Earlier this year I was convinced that I was to become Catholic and I am now in RCIA and hope and pray that, come Easter, I will be a full member of the Church.

For eighteen years I was a Methodist, and, after going to college, I started searching out different types of spirituality to try to satisfy the hunger that has burned in me. In this search I went from agnosticism to paganism and still couldn’t find the answer. 

Hopefully the Lord will use me as a beacon to bring people back to his Church. He has been using you guys and it shows. 

John Gibson 
via the Internet 


 

Entering at Easter No. 2

 

I would like to thank you for your book Catholicism and Fundamentalism. I am a former Protestant Fundamentalist who will be a confirmed Catholic at Easter. This book helped to clear up a lot of Catholic issues for me and helped me to see the beauty of the Catholic faith. Thank you again for your devotion to the faith. 

Stephanie Feddes 
via the Internet 


 

There and Back Again 

 

I went for 25 years (converted in 1962 at 20) as a Catholic without any type of support from others with a similar experience. The last seven or eight years have been terrific. So often the articles I read in This Rock or other orthodox publications as well as interviews on “Mother Angelica Live” have put into words what I have felt all these years and helped me to take my lamp from under the bushel. 

If it wasn’t for the liberal agenda forcing the issue I wonder how many guys like you would have been forced into business. It has encouraged those of us with like mind to band together, and our faith is stronger than ever. 

In the last three years, two non-Catholics have come to me and wanted to become Catholics. The latest one is a young fellow (married with two small children) who fought the good fight against the liberal Sophia/goddess problem for six years within Methodism in this area. He kept me informed over those years and would ask occasionally how I, now a Catholic, would interpret certain positions. 

A few months ago he came to me and asked how he could investigate the Catholic Church. I put him in touch with a wonderful Augustinian (almost 70) who is now instructing him. And soon he will be received into our church. Praise God! 

I was a religious brother for many years and departed back in 1981 when it was clear it would never be right again. I had entered in 1963 when things were as they should be in religious life. I acquired a position with the oldest Methodist church in America and am now in my fifteenth year. I have wondered why I am here all these years lecturing Methodist history to tour groups as well as many other duties. And in the last three years I have come to find out why. Both persons who have asked me about becoming Catholic knew me through my position here. So, doesn’t the Lord work in mysterious ways?

I surprised a few years back when I saw my former confrere Fr. Tom Dubay on EWTN with his series on contemplation. When I was with the community, as well as now, they had no time for his views. It’s very sad. 

Brian McCloskey 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 


 

A Severe Reconversion 

 

We just wanted to drop you a quick note to tell you how grateful we are to you and the others at Catholic Answers for all that you do for the Catholic Church. 

We have recently experienced a severe “reconversion” of our Catholic faith due greatly to the material we’ve read by you, Patrick Madrid, Scott Hahn, etc. We are doing our best to spread the truths of the faith down here in the Bible Belt! Thanks again — keep on writing, and we’ll keep on reading! (We love This Rock magazine!) 

Rymon and Julie Wilborn 
via the Internet

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