Catholics look toward Baltimore

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  Bob Hope made a comment once, "When President Kennedy was elected, there was white smoke over the Vatican and a black cloud over Republian headquarters". Now the Catholic majority in the US are receiving alot of guff for their stance on items such as same sex marriage, stem cell research, abortion, among other hot topics.

  But every year, the USCCB have their meetings. The fall meeting this year, fell on the first weekend of November. Most of the meeting was directed toward famiily and political  matters. Things that most Catholics defend as their position. The one thing that interested me, was the finalization of the translation of the Roman Missal.  This process has taken years. It was announced that the project was completed and will be sent to Rome for final authoritative approval.  [q url=http://www.examiner.com/x-21521-Huntington-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner~y2009m11d30-The-nations-Catholic-Bishops-gather-in-Baltimore-for-fall-meeting.htm] One of the main studies, was the translation of the Roman Missal. The Roman Missal is the liturgical booklet used for Catholic service. It consists of daily readings, songs, and homilies. The final approvals went as such: “The bishops approved the Proper of Saints with 195 in favor, 23 opposed and 4 bishops abstaining. The bishops approved the Commons with 200 bishops in favor and 19 opposed. They approved the Roman Missal Supplement with 203 in favor, 15 opposed and 3 abstaining. They approved the U.S. Propers with 199 in favor, 20 opposed and 1 abstaining. They approved the U.S. Adaptation to the Roman Missal with 199 in favor, 17 opposed and 1 abstaining.
  These items will now go to the Vatican for recognitio, or approval, which Bishop Serratelli said is expected sometime in 2010. Once the new translation is approved in its entirety, the materials for its implementation at the parish level will be ready in approximately a year."  (http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2009/09-243.shtml) [/q]

  As a convert to the Catholic faith, I am purely post Vatican II in theology. But the things that I have seen about the Church that intrigue me, are the ways that the Church has strayed from Rome. They present the Pope as the highest authority of the Church. But more and more, there are those that idle away from certain teachings. They tend to allow compromise in their belief system. There are those that call for allowing priests to be married (supposedly to curb the abuse by priests), female priests, and even some that call for the removal of the ban of homosexuality. There is premarital sex, the allowance of certain conditions for abortion (private parishioners, not the Church), and the lack of an outcry of the country's immorality.  

  They show up at Mass, Christmas, and Easter. Most, it seems, have forgotten Rosary services, First Saturdays, the mandatory masses such as The Solemnity of Mary and All Saint's Day. The confessional is empty except for the one time required a year for Eastertide. The consume the Body and Blood while not seeking forgiveness through confession. The marry outside of Church doctrine and still receive Eucharist.

  I admit, I married outside the graces of the Church, by marrying for a second time with having the first marriage annulled by the Church. But I don't take Eucharist.

  The Roman Missal, if approved for American use, may help bring about the needed change within the Church, that calls faithful back to the pureness of being Catholic.