“It has often been argued that the problem of so-called ‘cafeteria’ Catholics is poor catechesis. This may be so. But not in the way most people mean it. Most people mean that if these people had just been taught the doctrines of the faith properly, they wouldn’t be so antagonistic to the Church, or so dismissive of the teaching authority of the Church, or so darn lukewarm about attending mass. The underlying assumption is that the problem is one of the intellect.
“While there may be some such Catholics who might change their minds regarding abortion, or contraception, or infallibility if only the doctrines were better explained to them, most Catholics who disagree with these, and other, doctrines understand well enough why the Church teaches what it teaches, but they still refuse to accept them. So if they understand on an intellectual level the general reasons for a doctrine, why do some Catholics accept doctrine and others reject it? The answer is that the fundamental obstacle lies not with the intellect, but with the will. One can provide all manner of logical arguments for accepting a given doctrine as true, but if the will is not predisposed to divine truth, the arguments will not matter one bit. When the will is turned against divine truth, and thus focused on the self, the intellect tows the line, defending the desires of the will at all costs.”
In a recent commentary, Arman J. Partamian reflected on the role of confession in bringing us closer to the Lord and His Church.
To access his complete post, please visit:
Matins Musings: Struggling with Church Doctrine? Go to Confession! (27 JUN 12)
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