How are the politics like in your parish

[meow2u3]

This discussion thread is pinned.

My parish priest, actually a monsignor, seems to be moderate or even progressive. The bulk of his homilies focus on peace, labor rights, freedom, sticking up for the poor, but he talks a lot about the soldiers and military. The only times he preached against secular progressives and contraception was when the bishop or the Pope ordered him to do so.

46 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	Far-right conservative
	5 (11%)
	Conservative
	15 (33%)
	Moderate
	14 (30%)
	Progressive
	9 (20%)
	Non-political
	3 (7%)
	Other (explain)
	0 (0%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[rug]

1. Generally moderate but, like most organizations, it depends on the topic.

[tjwmason]

2. From the pulpit - nonexistent

I attend two churches, in both of them political issues are never hinted at - I could take a guess at the personal political views of the Priests, but it would only be a guess (including in one case a friend where my best guess would be that his views are highly nuanced).

In terms of the congregations - I would guess that both lean to the political right, one quite strongly.

[demosincebirth]

3. My parish is center-left.

[apocalypsehow]

4. Conservative, but not aggressively so. n/t.

[LeftTurnOnly]

5. Progressive all the way

My parish is quite progressive which is especially odd since I live in the Southwest. Our clergy call out corporations and those who attack the rights of labor all the time. They are devoutly anti-war and several members of clergy and I love to discuss contemporary events.

[IrishAyes]

22. That's great

Maybe I was spoiled by a similar situation during much of the social upheaval of the '60's, when some clergy actually led the marches! Makes it harder to sit easy at a sternly conservative place today.

[Advocatus-Diaboli]

6. It almost amuses me

How uncannily prevalent the trend appears to be with lower-tier priests in the Catholic church. That is, almost every Catholic priest I have encountered seems to possess a fairly progressive ideology, despite the assumed conservative prerogatives handed down the hierarchy from above. It seems a shame that any actual change to Church doctrine remains so isolated from any possible progressive "tampering".

[musical_soul]

7. It's mostly moderate.

They talk about how we should help the poor, but don't say it should be done with government or that we should stay away from it.

They talk about respecting life (including the unborn), but they don't condemn people for being pro-choice.

The bishops did make them put flyers out in the bulletins saying to vote for marriage when our anti-gay right marriage amendment passed, but Fr argues that they didn't directly tell us to vote for the amendment. I told him I didn't think homosexuality was a sin, and he didn't have a problem with me saying that.

One time, the other priest did a sermon where he said he'd stay where he was at so nobody was too close to him. He said he'd be controversial. I braced myself for a sermon against abortion, homosexuality, or some other cause. He said we needed to be nice to each other and respect each other despite political differences. I was like "That's controversial?" lol.

[IrishAyes]

23. Controversial?

Indeed, it could almost get him horse-whipped in RedNeckLand where I retired.

[Mc Mike]

8. Many decent rank-and-file priests here (Diocese of Pitt.)

Unfortunately, they are trumped by our whack-job bishop, Zubik, and have that vow of obedience thing.

[No Vested Interest]

11. Obedience

Diocesan priests usually do not take a vow of obedience. Order priests (jesuits, Franciscan, etc.) do take an obedience vow.
However, diocesan priests are expected to bow to the authority of their bishop. I guess this gives the priests some leeway when their conscience tells them something else.

[Mc Mike]

14. A simple yahoo search 'Catholic Priests Vow of Obedience' will provide some edification.

I admit I'm not personally a priest, and have never been to an ordination ceremony. Diocesan priests don't have to take the vow of poverty.

[IrishAyes]

24. As I've often said,

... there's real obedience and then the other kind. Moving around so much and now being so old to boot, I've seen a lot of surface obedience that's still openly subversive. So it doesn't do the hierarchy much good, really. Any priest worth his salt can find plenty of ways to be defiant.

Once I knew well a particular Claretian who had been made head of an extremely wealthy large parish much to his dismay. After a few years of protesting, he secured a transfer to a small and very poor outlying parish. When they ran out of supplies, which was often the case, he followed St. Francis' example by marching back to the rich parish and liberating whatever he felt the poor one needed. They threatened him with church censure and even said they'd call the sheriff if he kept on. But he did anyway. He always left a note describing what he'd appropriated, but they knew if they sent him a bill he'd never pay it on principle as well as need. So when HE decided what needed doing, everybody might as well step back and clear the way, because here he came! I can safely expect he likes our new Pope.

[Mc Mike]

26. Good low level clergy shouldn't have to fight against the hierarchy

to be able to do what's right. Shows the organization is off base, overall.

I'm glad the Claretian priest you knew followed his conscience and acted for the good. Those kinds of actions keep our faith viable.

I like and respect the low level clergy that I've interacted with, for the most part. It's troubling that when they attract negative attention from higher up, they're picking a fight with their employer and land lord at the same time, and they can't just find another company to work for. And most of them have no savings to support themselves with, if they come to a parting of the ways with the bosses. On the other hand, the clergy who have money don't have any reason to disagree with the bad moves by the bosses.

I'm willing to give Pope F. a chance, after opposing the last two strongly. I would like to see any info regarding his actions during the Argentine gov's fascist death squad era. I checked Penny Lernoux's book Cry of the People, but didn't see him mentioned.

[IrishAyes]

27. Agreed

Just please do keep in mind, though, that sometimes the innocent are slandered by the guilty.

[Mc Mike]

28. Sure. But I trust Penny Lernoux's coverage. No text.

[shenmue]

9. I can't tell

There are a few Republican bumperstickers in the parking lot... and a couple Democratic ones, too. I don't always stay for coffee after liturgy, so I'm not sure how the party divisions go for the whole congregation.

[Pterodactyl]

10. "...but he talks a lot about the soldiers and military". I don't understand the "but".

The "but" implies that the second part of the sentence is opposite of the first part. How is talking about soldiers and the military opposed to peace and freedom?

[FreedomFighter98201]

12. Nit-Pick

The comment clearly reflects the ambivelence people feel when justifying war. War can be justified, but it is always Hell on Earth

[Pterodactyl]

17. War is never good, but we should support our military in war and in peace.

[hunter]

13. I waivered between moderate and progressive.

Call it Democratic-labor-immigrant-Hispanic.

At the English language Masses the majority have parents or grandparents who came to the U.S. as farm laborers, mostly from Mexico, but also the Philippines and China. Some Hispanic families have been here since the time this was Mexico. They are not immigrants. The border moved, they didn't.

The Spanish language Masses serve more recent immigrants, mostly farm laborers from Mexico.

Our children's generation is amazing. Most of them pay no attention at all to anyone's ethnic origin or sexual orientation, unlike, say, my white wild west grandfather who was very upset I was marrying a "Mexican Girl" and did not attend our wedding. But he got over it.

[Don Draper]

15. I'm Orthodox (OCA)

In my parish, most of the cradle Orthodox tend to be Democrats & nearly all of the evangelical converts tend to be right wing republicans. Unfortunately, the religious right baggage seems to be a carryover from evangelical converts (both laity & clergy).

[mojowork_n]

16. In our OCA congregation, converts aren't mostly 'non-denominational' or evangelical.

And a few of the older -- traditionally, anti-commie, ethnic members -- lean sorta moderate right. At least on
some economic issues.

But by and large, we're a pretty progressive group. In the sense of being thoughtful, open, compassionate and community-minded. (As Americans, "we're all in this together," not "you're on your own.&quot It's a very ethnically diverse group.

[beerandjesus]

40. Very interesting thoughts

My mom is a total right winger; she grew up Lutheran and converted to Orthodoxy around the time I was born. Not that the Lutherans tend to be so crazy, but she still makes for an interesting case in point in regard to your comment about the converts being the loony ones. (My dad actually converted with her, but he supports Bernie.)

On occasion, when she's gone off on something particularly ludicrous (like saying "evolution is just a theory", even though we both know she knows better), I've been tempted to hit back with, "well, that's a really Protestant thing to say!" .....but that just seems too harsh!

By the way, I'm nothing now, but grew up ROCOR. My dad goes to an OCA church since he and my mom divorced, and since the ROCOR and the Moscow Patriarchate are making nice, she's joined up with some clowns who are even more "Othodox" than anyone else, no idea what they're up to.

[AProgressiveThinker]

18. Mostly moderate or Democrat

I go to a Roman Catholic church and most of the people including the priests are moderates or Democrats mainly because they are VERY anti-war however they are still pro-life. However, Obama is not very anti-war... That's why we need real Democrats in Congress.

[ColesCountyDem]

19. My parish is moderately progressive.

Our priest is definitely progressive. Our bishop is conservative, but not reactionary, thank God.

[TommyCelt]

20. Fairly progressive

But William Murphy is our Bishop...NOT a friend to social progressives. I was a graduate of our diocese's accredited lay leadership program, the Pastoral Formation Institute; 2 years worth of college level courses for which my parish footed half the bill.

Murphy arrived in our diocese the year after I graduated (2006) and dismantled the program in favor of "orthodoxy". My parish and my Franciscan fraternity are progressive strongholds in an increasingly conservative diocese.

[IrishAyes]

25. And you're badly needed

Good people, both clerics and laity, are what help me keep holding on. As a cradle Catholic I don't budge easily when reactionaries overreach themselves. True enough, I'm on temporary extended leave due to a dangerously hateful woman who even stooped to accusing me of theft to get rid of me, but everybody knows it was a sham and I'm likely to outlive this self-annointed Head Hen and come back. She's the type who'd throw herself down the stairs just to claim I pushed her.

But nobody gets to tell me I need their permission to be Catholic - not even the Pope. Actually if it came to that, I bet the last 3 at least would side with me. I know Pope Francis would!

[IrishAyes]

21. Sounds like a good one

... and he might've had his fingers crossed when backed into a corner of the pulpit.

When you ask how the politics are in my parish, may I refer you to my rants #5 and #7 in Hedgehog's thread "The conclave and the Sistine chapel - is this the appropiate"

It's just as well I've been absent from church for a long time, because if I'd been present on the day the bishops' letter was read just before the presidential election, I'd have walked out in front of God and everybody, then next week I'd have returned wearing a shirt emblazoned "CATHOLICS FOR OBAMA". That could've resulted in my involuntary expulsion! I might've retaliated by picketing the church. Don't faint or laugh - the previous circuit priest for our little mission was so mean that the last Christmas I was there, he loudly ridiculed my favorite holiday shirt when we were all filing out, and I retaliated by wearing it again the next two Sundays just to stare him down. He was not amused, which was the point. So luckily I've escaped fruitless overheating by this long absence.

Time will come when I return, though. There are some good people at that parish even though they dive under the pews at the first sign of trouble.

[IrishAyes]

33. Been away awhile or I would've responded sooner.

Not that I really have anything worthwhile to add; just wanted to say hi.

[IrishAyes]

35. Thanks for the tip.

I need something to help me feel better today, for reasons I won't go into.

As for paganism, it's been my distinct impression that most of it is/was largely beneficent and earth based. You won't ruffle my feathers! I'm more of a universalist than most fellow Catholics would approve anyway, except for maybe Pope Francis, GodBlessThatMan!

As a second-gen straight-line Irish American and a history/sociology lover anyway, I don't feel as separated from our history as one might imagine. For instance, when an animal rescue group set up a 500-mile multi-party relay to bring me a half dead 3-month old smooth coat Jack Russell Terrierist, it didn't look as if she could possibly last the night. So I named her Brigid after the ancient queen of all Celtic goddesses and kept telling her she would live up to that name. I spent the night lying on my back with her on my stomach, feeding her little bits of food every hour so as not to shock her stomach, and she made it through. But nobody can tell me the name didn't help as much as anything else. And you'd better believe she considers herself queen of all she surveys, too!

Now I'm off to the poetry group to search out your work.

[IrishAyes]

37. Are you following Sinn Fein on FB? (sorry, DU)

They're already doing a commemorative series on the 1916 Easter Rising, and today featured Connelly. Good read, dwelling on your quote. I'll check my bookmarks for the link. Back later.

[IrishAyes]

38. I'll PM Sweeney so as not to get too political in this group.

[blue_roses_lib]

29. Conservative...

With a handful of moderates, and a handful of far right wing types.

[Lefty Nast]

30. Talk is Cheap

It doesn't matter what they say...it is what they do.

[boatsnhose]

39. Greek Orthodoxy

Although my specific parish chooses to remain non-political, it is to the best of my knowledge that the official Greek Orthodox church is conservative.

[k8conant]

41. Greek Orthodox here

a bunch of individual right-wingers but a share of us progressives. The priest doesn't say much but decries abortion and same-sex marriage.

[Andrew73]

42. Moderate to right leaning

Even if we disagree on things i love the people in my Parish anyway!

[Willie Pep]

44. Probably conservative

Our priest rarely discusses political issues. I think most of the parish members are Republicans, though. My precinct and the surrounding precincts voted for Trump in 2016. There are a lot of union members though so I was tempted to choose moderate but sadly many Catholic union members are conservative.

A lot of people I talk to from my parish say that they can't vote for the Democrats because of abortion even if they agree with some liberal stances like supporting unions and protecting Social Security and Medicare. There are also many police families who think that the Democrats are too soft on crime.

[Christopher-81]

45. Social justice oriented

My parish, for the last forty years or so, has been social justice oriented in its programming and outreach initiatives. What this means in practice is that the parish runs a day program for marginalized women--most of whom are not Catholics--as well as a soup kitchen five days per week for both men and women. The parish also raised money to sponsor Syrian refugee families, including a Muslim family. As well, one of the most active ministries in the parish serves the LGBTQ community.

[VA_Jill]

46. In my tiny Orthodox parish

it's social justice-minded from the pulpit, although biblically so. Father is moderate, Matushka is progressive, I'm a flaming liberal. We have one inquirer who's far right, a part-timer who is, frankly, crazy(but his wife isn't, and she's a social justice middle of the roader who votes Democrat). The rest I don't know about.

[Onama Biden Man]

47. I'm Orthodox

My parish used to be about 60% conservative 40% liberal, but over the last decade it seems that it’s now about 85% super right wing (especially with all of the evangelical converts coming in). It got really bad under Trump. I wish that we had a Greek parish close by. They seem to be the more sane ones these days. It was rough hearing Trump commemorated during the liturgy each week.