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Dear @USCCB,
You know what's hard? Providing meaningful, practical support for parish priests, for lay staffers, for parents trying to help their children keep the faith.
Know what's easy? Culture war battles where you just bang drums and shout abortion over and over again
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You know what's hard? Providing meaningful, practical support for parish priests, for lay staffers, for parents trying to help their children keep the faith.
Know what's easy? Culture war battles where you just bang drums and shout abortion over and over again
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U.S. Catholic bishops: your priests NEED you. They weren't prepared for this. Any of this. They went to seminary and studied sacraments and homiletics, and now they're CEO, CFO, COO, and Chief Spriritual/Sacramental Officer...
DURING AN UNCONTROLLED PANDEMIC
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DURING AN UNCONTROLLED PANDEMIC
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Priests are being asked to get people excited about livestream liturgies, figure out weddings with 10-person or fewer restrictions, help families plan funerals...
...and convince people to increase online giving so they don't have to fire the DRE or shut down the food pantry
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...and convince people to increase online giving so they don't have to fire the DRE or shut down the food pantry
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Many priests are being asked to spearhead parish mergers or make impossible decisions about whether or not to go to online school, losing enrollment and possibly shuttering their doors permanently!
And THIS? This is what you're focused on, U.S. Catholic bishops?
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And THIS? This is what you're focused on, U.S. Catholic bishops?
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You are first and foremost the shepherds of a flock, and your sheep are being ravaged by this pandemic. Unemployment, eviction, default... the hopelessness of job hunting or powerlessness of a phone call with a family member dying of COVID...
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Parents privileged enough to have jobs that allow them to work from home are trying to juggle Zoom everything with raising children in an all-virtual environment
Everyday people in the pews are exhausted, burnt-out, dying for spiritual and practical support
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Everyday people in the pews are exhausted, burnt-out, dying for spiritual and practical support
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People are terrified about losing their jobs, and thus health insurance, during a fatal pandemic that's killed a quarter million people, and you're picking a pre-emptive fight with the Biden Administration over contraception!?
Are you kidding me, @USCCB!?
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Are you kidding me, @USCCB!?
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Black folks have to wake up every morning in existential fear of which loved one could easily end up as the next hashtag at the hands of systemic, violent white supremacy!
Immigrant communities live in terror of ICE raids and forced deportations!
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Immigrant communities live in terror of ICE raids and forced deportations!
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There are SO many areas of overlap between the Biden Admin's stated goals in terms of employment, healthcare, immigration, etc. that overlap directly with Catholic social doctrine, and you're starting out by putting together a working group to treat Biden as an adversary?!
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Honest-to-God, U.S. Catholic bishops, most of you will never read this, but to the ones who do... do you have any idea how much harder you're making it for the priests and laity on the ground in parishes and schools trying to do the work of the Gospel?
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Two generations of U.S. Catholics are leaving the Church permanently, in real time, and the bishops have decided that this is going to be the focus for the next four years.
I cannot overstate how much damage this is doing. All while your priests and parishioners need you.
11/11
I cannot overstate how much damage this is doing. All while your priests and parishioners need you.
11/11
BTW, this is what I'm talking about https://twitter.com/mbayer1248/status/1328815485828390916
Oh, and for further context https://twitter.com/mbayer1248/status/1328818507694399489
