The only way to see Catholics really impacting the culture and country in which they live is by fully embracing the tenets of the authentic meaning of the Second Vatican Council. The role of the laity from the Mass to the home, to the work place, to the arena of politics and decision making was and is to be motivated by one's Catholic faith. It shouldn't take bishops, priests, deacons, religious sisters and brothers, doing all these things for the laity, it should be the laity. In fact clergy and religious are forbidden to run for public office, but not so the laity. But the laity are to bring our Catholic morals and ethical positions to politics and everywhere else the laity has influence. In 2010, from the Mass to political office, the laity in large numbers have failed in their mission. Look at the Catholics we have in political office today and how Catholics vote in terms of the cultural issues of the day. They are influenced more by fads and anti-Catholic polemics than by their Catholic faith and the mandates of Vatican II. The reform of the reform within the hermeneutic of continuity is an attempt to implement Vatican II faithfully.
With these two videos in mind and the role of the bishop, including the pope, to not only teach and sanctify, but to rule the Church, I find it interesting that Pope Benedict unfurled a new papal coat of arms this past Sunday. I'm not sure what it means since there has been no press release about it, but maybe the pope in bringing back the papal tiara to his coat of arms is rehabilitating the crown that pope's once wore to symbolize the unity of of the spiritual and temporal in God's plan for governing! In addition, the synod for the Church of the Middle East began this past Sunday. As you know, many bishops of the Eastern Churches wear crowns rather than miters to symbolize the office of bishop. In addition, brides and grooms are crowned in the Eastern Rite. So the papal crown I suspect is to show solidarity with the crowns of the Eastern Rite?
The old papal coat of arms with the missing papal tiara and the new coat of arms with the papal tiara:
Do these crowns of the Eastern Rite bishops offend your religious sensibilities in 2010?
Coat of Arms of a bishop in the Eastern Rite, does it look like the pope's new one? Does the crown look kind of like a tiara?
Finally, the Holy Father himself speaks of the false divinities that wear crowns of dictatorship striving to cause the true faith to fall. But it is the false divinities that must fall. This sounds like the Church Militant must once again take up the Crown of the Tiara to face the false divinities, combat them and restore the Gospel message to the world and bring down all the false powers and principalities:
2 comments:
This title says quite a lot.
First they must know Church teachings....most don't.
Second they must love Church teachings....the more one knows and actually thinks about Church teachings, one can't help but love them. who wouldn't love the Truth?
then the rest falls into place.
If true, the Tiara would represent that continuity that the Pope so often speaks of. It should be seen and worn sometimes.
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