Where Charity and... Foul Language Prevail?

I think anyone would agree that our world is a mess.  People seem like they keep getting crazier and doing more outrageous things, and we're all becoming more and more corrupt.  It's scary and it's frustrating, and I get that.  It's perfectly normal to be upset and even angry at the actions and choices of others that we don't agree with.  There is such a thing as righteous anger, and many times these days, righteous anger is what is called for.

But thanks to Facebook and social media, I've noticed something else on the rise along with the mess of the world, and it's that a lot of Catholics are getting just as nasty as everyone else out there.  Sadly, it's not hard to scroll through my newsfeed and see ranting statuses and comments from "Catholics" that are bashing the Pope, bashing the Bishops, bashing every form of the Mass and priests and bashing music and bashing everything - and more often than not, it's mixed with language that you'd expect from a sailor.

And lest you think I'm singling out one particular "side", oh no, it's the "Traditional Catholics" just as much as the "Liberal Catholics" - and sometimes, sadly, it's even more so.  Actually, I just decided as I was typing this that those are the people I'm going to call out.  It is sad and horrible at the manner in which many people who claim to love the Church and God conduct themselves.  Guys, there is some serious attitude adjustment that needs to be happening.  I'll take on the "liberal Catholics" some other day.

I love the Latin Mass and the traditions of the Church, I think they are beautiful and a special part. I also love many parts about praying in English and more modern hymns.  I think both have a place.  yes sometimes I'm a little uncomfortable with changes - either in the liturgy or in declarations from the Pope and the Bishops -  but I try to stop and ask myself if I'm uncomfortable because I don't like change or because something is amiss?  I subscribe to the school of though that acknowledges that things change, things can change and sometimes things should change.

God directs our paths and just because the interpretation of Vatican II got screwed up doesn't mean everything since then is from the devil and the Pope is some liberal nut who is taking us to hell in a handbasket.  For crying out loud, if you love and trust Pope Benedict so much more than Pope Francis then why don't you stop your swearing about the things he's doing for a moment and think about the fact that no body forced Pope Benedict to resign, he did it out of prayer and discernment.  Don't you think he knew what he was doing? Don't you think that God knew what he was doing?  Don't you think God directed Vatican II and the changes that where made?   How can you call yourself a Catholic and call the "Novus Order" a load of BS and talk about the F**** Bishops all in the same breath?  Really?  That's how good traditional Catholics act now?

And then there is the manner in which people talk about homosexuals and politicians and sinners and any other group or even people who they think should wear a little more clothing.  Whether or not these groups are doing anything wrong or sinning is irrelevant at the moment.  It doesn't matter what someone is doing, or how they are living their lives.  As a Catholic you are called to love and mercy.  I'm not saying to be afraid to call a sin a sin, but there are far better ways to do it than referring to a woman with skimpy clothing a whore or talking in a vile manner to any other group of people.  Who are you to point out the splinter in someones eye, often while spewing hate and profanity, when there's a giant log in your own?

I suppose I'm writing this because I have gotten fed up with the hypocrisy of people I know who call themselves Traditional Catholics and go around labeling everyone and professing to be better than the rest.  I've read one to many profanity laced conversations on Facebook to not say anything.  Who are you going to win over with actions and words like that?  What hearts will you open up to the love and the tenderness of the church when all your actions scream harshness and hatred?  Last time I checked, that song was "Where Charity and Love Prevail", not "Where Hatred and Swearing".

We are Catholics, we are called to a higher path and a higher behavior.  If you truly want to make the world Catholic then stop.  Just, stop.  Stop hating the Pope, stop criticizing every single move the Church makes. You are not God. You are not the Pope. You are not the Holy Spirit.  You have no position to look at the first article from Huffington Post you see and cry "See! I told you! Corruption and scandal!"  Yes the world is messed up, and yes there is sin, and yes the world needs to know that what they are doing is wrong, but living a perpetual witch hunt and looking for new ways to bash and shame people is not going to fix a thing.

Stop giving Catholics a bad name.  Stop giving people a reason to call the Church heartless and hateful.  Start being the followers of Christ that He is calling us to be.