The corruption of the Christian ethos by Catholicism becomes ever more apparent as lay Catholics in wealthy communities in Massachusetts whine over the loss of real estate. The parishioners at St. Francis Cabrini, for instance, have been occupying the Catholic Church in the coastal town in hopes of taking it over from the archdiocese of Boston after the Vatican's final decision to close the church down. The wealthy parishioners are willing and able to buy the church.
Why not? Perhaps Rome is missing out on a great opportunity here. The independently-owned franchise is an American tradition. Why not sell off the churches as Mac-temples to the more prosperous and materialistic congregations? For the Catholic devout, the church is obviously comparable to a country club or other community organization, with the added mystical provenance. Then there's the possibility of adding a Dunkin Donuts drive-thru.
Somehow all that good Catholic teaching has failed to convey the Christian message to these die-hard congregants. Simply put: "It's NOT about the church, stupid!" The rites, bricks and mortar of the Roman Catholic Church have been its focus for centuries. This is at the root of its decline and, hopefully, its fall.
Perhaps these dispossessed congregants can find some community in their displacement. Perhaps they will form the kinds of relationships which will supplant the significance of vestments and hollow absolution in their lives. Perhaps they will learn to love on another and care for each other, instead of running bingo games to buy gold candlesticks for pedophiles. I hope so, for their sakes.
