Fred Stone <fstone69@earthling.com> wrote in news:Xns97578378EF39Efstone69@
213.155.197.138:

Jim07D6 <Jim07D6@nospam.net> wrote in
news:911it1l8egb8fqivf98kcdfvfohh0e6msr@4ax.com:

"R. Pierce Butler" <spamsucks@google.com> said:

Calico^Linx^Green <Use-Author-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote in
news:a122c0d40601251659q7333187fwacc6d7fb8853f253@mail.gmail.com:

In Catholic countries, you will see people praying in churches
and
cathedrals while holding a crucifix or a rosary. The beads of the
rosary are used for counting prayers offered in devotion to Mary.
And it is not difficult to identify nuns and priests, distinctive in
their black garb.

What else Catholics do?

As a former Catholic I can sum it up in three words.

Receive the sacraments.

Now if you want to talk about the really hard core catholics, then
that involves a rosary and more. There are novenas, scapulars,
Miraculous Medals, Palm fronds behind pictures, Praying the Stations
of the Cross, midnight mass at Christmas, Good Friday meditation, and
if you really get hard core there are shrines to make in your home,
The weekly Catholic paper to read. The paper is especially usefu for
determining which movie are of to watch and which ones are
"Condemned". The B+W version of "Miracle of 34th Street" was a
condemned film for example. There is the Pilgrim Madonna to bring
into your home periodically. Books about the saints to read for
inspiration (the stories of the saints are stunning examples of mental
illness). I am sure there is more but I just can't recall it all just
now.

Now if you want to know what the clergy are supposed to do, then that
is another can of worms.


pierce
Catholic, Ret.

What's the name of that thing some Catholics wear (or used to wear)
around their necks? It has two thin ribbons or strings, and a piece of
paper or cloth with a picture and/or prayer on each one. One piece is
worn in front, and one in back, connected by the ribbons. I want to
say "scapula" but that's a bone.

A "scapular" is a piece of a priest's vestment that goes over the
shoulders and hangs down front and back.

That is one type.

the one i am referring to is pictured at
http://www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/19980701/SCRMNTL/SCAPUL.HTM

Do a google search for brown scapular and various other colors like black,
red, white, blue,and green.

At one point in time you could get a free brown scapular from the
Carmelites.

pierce

"R. Pierce Butler" <spamsucks@google.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9757CC57DB53mc2500183316chgoill@10.232.1.1...

"Zhavriol" <zodriol@gmail.com> wrote in news:1138243329.908778.123200
@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

R. Pierce Butler wrote:

Calico^Linx^Green <Use-Author-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote in
news:a122c0d40601251659q7333187fwacc6d7fb8853f253@mail.gmail.com:

In Catholic countries, you will see people praying in churches
and
cathedrals while holding a crucifix or a rosary. The beads of the
rosary are used for counting prayers offered in devotion to Mary.
And it is not difficult to identify nuns and priests, distinctive
in their black garb.

What else Catholics do?

As a former Catholic I can sum it up in three words.

Receive the sacraments.


Now if you want to know what the clergy are supposed to do, then that
is another can of worms.

Go for it!

Short version.

The main job of an order is usually quite specific. The Jesuit's main
purpose is teaching and education, the Dominicans is preaching, the
Vincentians is missionary work, and so on.

With rare exception, the members of an order are celebate. The result
of this is that there are many nuns who have dealt with psychological
issues by not dealing with them. Most Convents have at least one nun
that have been abused, raped, etc. living there. Others decide that
that life is appealing to them. While material possesions are minimal,
they are well fed, clothed, and have good medical care at no cost to
them.

Many nuns are well educated with Bachelors and Masters degrees. Many
priests are too.

One of the priests job is to adminster the sacraments which is additon
to teaching, etc. Many priests teach, are missionaries, etc. which is
dependent on the order they join. Again many a young man have been
known to run away to the seminary in an attempt to deal with an issue
or to make his situation better. I have also seen parents push a young
man into the seminary because he is a problem that needs 24x7
supervision. High school seminaries had a low "success" rate and many
have closed over the past several years.

The catholic church is in trouble. It has failed to keep up with a
changing society and is stuck in the 1950's, 1960's or 1300's depending
on what you are examining. The old ways die slowly many of the old
ways were ineffecitive at best anyway. As skepticism and common sense
becomes more prevalent, the power of the religous over the lay is, and
has been diminishing. People are no longer content to live the way the
Pope demands
so they live a compromise. The Church knows this and call these
people "cafteria catholics". The sad part is that Christianity is a
cafeteria religion anyway, so what's the point?

Priests and Nuns spend a fair amount of time in daily prayer and mass.
Well, the ones I knew did.

What the clergy are supposed to do, they do very well. The Jesuits
teach and they really prep one for college. The last time I saw stats
regarding Freshman dropouts that were Jeuit taught, the numbers were
strikingly low. The graduation numbers are very impressive.

As far as far as the clergy doing what they are *not* supposed to be
doing,
that is something else again. All I can offer is anecdote as any
evidence was "hopelessly lost" years ago when the schools I had
attended closed and the properties sold off.

Good luck.

pierce

So what's your credentials to becoming an expert on Catholicism aside
from being an ex-Catholic?