Friday, January 05, 2007

A good 10 to begin the new year.

10 rules for handling disagreement like a Christian

The Catholic Voice - In His Light, Bishop Allen H. Vigneron's Column

This is a great reminder for us all, especially those involved in "debates" in the blogosphere. I have slowly been learning some of these on my own, but the good bishop gives us 10 rules to help us act like Christians, even when we disagree.

1. The Rule of Charity: “Charity is primary.”

2. The Rule of Publicity: “Think with the mind of the Church.”


3. The Rule of Legitimate Freedom: “What the Church allows is not to be disallowed.”


4. The Rule of Catholic Freedom: “There’s something for everybody, but not everything is for everybody.”

5. The Rule of Modesty: “Not all of my causes are God’s causes.”

6. The Rule of Integrity: “To do evil in order to accomplish good is really to do evil.”

7. The Rule of Realism: “Remember that Satan is eager to corrupt my efforts to build up the Kingdom, and he’s smart enough to figure out a way to do it.

8. The Rule of Mystery: “Not all the habits and attitudes which belong to a society governed by a representative democracy are appropriate in the Church.”

9. The Petrine Rule: “Nobody ever built up the Church by tearing down the pope.”

10. The Eschatological Rule: “The victory is assured; my job is to run out the clock with style.”


Not quite sure on the wording for #10. But I would agree in principle. And I would add to #9 "or bishop." We must get over openly tearing apart our bishops. No matter if they don't live up to our standards. The latest "This Rock" magazine has a great article on this (more later)

Tip to Dom.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'll stop criticizing the Bishops when they stop acting like the Cosa Nostra. The only thing worse than a wolf in sheeps clothing is a wolf in shepherds clothing.