esrosedotblog

I am a lot more interested in the doings of the Catholic Church than you might imagine.

Without getting into the faith side of it, the Church is a huge institution which umbrellas a lot of difference in what it believes, who gets to say what the beliefs are and how they are practiced.

For years, I worked with priest/managers who went to our programs and learned new skills for application back home. They made a lot of difference to the world around them.

Today some of those change makers are rising to the top.

U.S. Bishops Struggle to Follow Lead of Francis

The Church has historically been seen as conservative and hard on its reformers. And yet, the reformers are winning around the world.

Humans are inclined toward faith and spiritual ways of life. Where the Church can help this happen as an individual pilgrimage it is to cheered and supported.

I went to mass a lot when I was in college and then later on when I worked with priests who wanted to make changes, I was struck by the good works that these people were able to do.

Sure there is a lot to condemn.

But the spiritual Program that I follow suggests that we be "quick to see where religious people are right".

God knows we can get behind that and cheer the reformers no matter where they work to alleviate human suffering. We can also cheer the keepers of the institution who have kept the flame alive for so long in such an oppressively hierarchical structure, long ago antiquated, but still strong enough to hurt.

Labels: religion