(October 28, 2021 at 2:04 am)Oldandeasilyconfused Wrote: I've been a recovering Catholic for over 50 years. Below is my 2 cents.
The Catholic church was founded in the first century. Its structure became hierarchical within a generation. That is when corruption probably began. In the fourth century, the emperor Theodosius 1 made christianity the State religion of the Roman empire. With the emperor's approval and encouragement, the christians began murdering any opposition and burning their books. IMO it is from that time that the church became ineffably corrupt.
As far as I know, the church hierarchy has always bene autocratic, with the pope its absolute ruler. Add an obscene amount of wealth to that and the merely corrupt becomes evil over time.
During the Renaissance the pope was arguably the most powerful man in Christendom. He could (and did) dethrone monarchs. Have look at the history of the Borgia and Medici popes.
The pope still had absolute power in thee papal states until the unification of Italy in the nineteenth century.
For centuries, no cleric could be tried by civil authorities for any offence whatsoever . They had to be turned over to church authorities for trial by a church tribunal.
During in all of those centuries up until the present day, it was church teaching that Canon (church) Law trumps civil law.
Imo it's not that the church has only become corrupt in relatively recent times, say within the last hundred years or so. It's that we only really found out about the depth and systemic pervasiveness of that corruption within well within the last 50 years. I'm unsurprised at new revelations. if anything I'm surprised at the furore. What the fuck did people expect? The church was permitted to operate unsupervised and often ignored for 2000 years.
I am comforted with the knowledge that all human systems and institutions eventually crumble and fall. In the case of the church, I'm only saddened that I won't live to see it. Over my lifetime, the church though its teachings and hatreds has caused me much personal suffering. I would love to piss on its proverbial grave.
I agree with much of what you are saying here. There is a lot NOT to like about the RCC.
My agreement is with the dogma. And the sacraments. The fellowship is good too.
Whether or not the "clean-up" happens in my lifetime, I believe that the Truth will prevail, and evil will ultimately lose.
There are many. many good people involved. Most are not good judges of character, or motive. When spiritual matters are involved
or even political matters....we are inclined to "believe" authority. Case-in point. our society and the pandemic.
All we as Christians can do is pray for discernment and strength to change the things we find to be corrupt and a cancer in our lives.
Lastly, we NEED to remember the Church is God's people. It's not a building, a religion or institution. IT'S PEOPLE. God's people.
Quis ut Deus?
