TTSNBSIM 6: "The Church Needs to Compromise"

TTSNBSIM (Things That Should Never Be Said In Mass)

#6: "The Church Needs to Compromise"

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This series is on the subject of things that I've heard said at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which should, in reality, never be said there.  Often, it's because these things are incorrect, but occasionally, it's simply because the remark, as stated, is not explained well enough, and will inevitably be misinterpreted.  In the latter case, the post will also contain an explanation of why this is, as well as proposed -alternatives,- which make the intended statement a bit more clear.

This is a pretty bad one, because I honestly can't think of any situation in which it would be true.

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You see, there are a few ways to think of "the Church."

1. "The Church" is the mystical body of Christ, in which case it -cannot- compromise, since it essentially is a part of almighty God, and God does not compromise.  He rules.

2. "The Church" can mean the authoritative teachings, upheld by the Pope and the Magisterium.  Again, any compromise on these would mean drifting away from the will of God, in order to fall into error, which according to Jesus, it's impossible for the Catholic Church to do.

3. "The Church" can mean the total, combined number of people and institutions that claim to be Catholic.  However, there's a reason why Jesus gave his authority to the Catholic Church on this earth, and especially to the Bishop of Rome.  If Catholics aren't in conformity with the teachings of the church, they don't need compromise.  They need to get in conformity with them.  If Catholics -are- in conformity with the teachings of the church, they don't need compromise.  They need to -stay- in conformity with them.

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I suppose you could say that -in certain projects,- individual priests, bishops, or even whole parishes may compromise on getting what they want for the purposes of following the teachings more closely, but that's not the same thing as -the Church- compromising.

The Church's task is to teach the truth, and when you compromise the truth, it becomes falsehood, regardless of how small a compromise it may seem to be at first glance.  That's why this should never be said in Mass.