The Catholic Church prior to the Second Vatican Council can be caricatured as an institution that was clear, rigid, disciplined, like an army and masculine in outlook with the Church Militant like an army to fight the spiritual war against the world, the flesh and the devil. The Church’s liturgy exemplified this regimented, masculine approach to the spiritual combat that the Church had to fight with all the masculine spiritual weapons available.
Catholics prayed, paid and obeyed. Today the more feminine model uses euphemisms like spiritualities, stewardship and discernment.
John Allen has a striking piece in Crux which you can read here. Basically he voices the concerns of many that the men of the Church, meaning the pope and bishops, have abdicated their God-given authority to the state. Their voice isn’t being heard other than to offer comfort to those who are shut out of their Churches by them for the Sacraments, This is the Post Vatican II ethos which is a very feminine approach to this spectacle where the Church is shut out of this pandemic because the four last things, death, judgment, heaven and hell, are no longer viewed as relevant in our secular culture with its godless secular religion. It isn’t even relevant to majority of the upper and lower clergy!!!! Thank Vatican II’s “spirit” for that.
One of my parishioners, works in a nursing home down the street from my church. She is a nurse. She knew that we couldn’t bring Holy Communion to our 8 residents there. She asked me, since she is an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, if she could bring Holy Communion to them when she was on her shift. I said, wonderful, yes, that would be great. She checked with her supervisor who told her she couldn’t do this!
This feminization of the men of the church is exemplified by the fact that no bishop is calling out secular authorities who allow medical personnel to treat the bodies of the sick to the complete neglect of the soul. Priests who are spiritual doctors are not allowed into medical institutions and nursing homes to offer the Last Rites. Only essential personnel to take care of medical needs are allowed.
And no bishop seems to have warned civil authorities about their infringement on the separation of Church and state when they order churches to cease public gatherings and ban priests from visiting the sick and dying!
Not a peep out of the bishops about this heresy of dualism or a word about it to the faithful who should be outraged that priests aren’t allowed to offer the Last Rites in public institutions.
The Post Vatican II Church which has turned relationships, inclusivity, ecclesiology, lay participation, liturgical reform into false idols having to do with the here and now, has abandoned what the purpose of the Church is: to save souls from eternal damnation, to prepare them for their particular judgement and to do penance for their sins.
God’s judgment on the Church has been taking place these past 50 years and at the General Judgment, the men of the Church will have a lot to answer for transitioning from male to female.
27 comments:
100 years ago no "secular" supervisor would have prohibited a priest from entering the nursing home to celebrate the Anointing of the Sick for a resident.
The priest would have gone the visit that person after spending the day visiting the sick, teaching in a classroom with 40 third graders, meeting with his office staff for planning, etc.
The priest would have exposed the resident in the nursing home to all the potentially deadly microbes he picked up during the day. That resident, then, would have been the source in the nursing home for infection of other residents and staff.
Thanks God, we understand the dangers of person-to-person disease transmission. Thank God the bishops and most priests understand that the good intentions of the clergy don't trump the medical realities of disease transmission. Thank God the hubris of some clergy today is stymied and shut down by people with common sense who act on the best medical advice available.
I wish I could thank God for your common sense but you lack it. Who is saying that a priest going to an institution should not take the same precautions as the doctors and nusrses and ancillary staff do. My parishioner lives in the real world as I do, but works in the nursing home down the street. What is the difference between her taking Communion to our parishioners while at work (presuming she is taking the precautions required by the institution, and I doing the same with the very same precautions.
Thanks for emphasizing my point about the feminized Church I and so many others decry.
Oh, and as I mentioned, my nurse-parishioner extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, was told she could not bring Holy Communion to our parishioners there. Can you explain that in these extraordinary time of mortal danger?
And by the way, at the height of the panic over AIDS, nurses and doctors were glad clergy were visiting them. But they insisted that we were told to put on the proper medical protection garb, mask, etc to visit them in case they coughed or sneezed in our faces and not touch any bodily fluid whatsoever.
The same was true when I visited a dying teenager who contracted meningitis after drinking from a can of coke after her boyfriend. I was told to suit-up and use gloves to pray the Last Rites and Anoint her, not only for my protection but those I would come into contact with, if I got the highly contagious disease, later.
PRIESTS WERE NOT BARRED FROM VISITING THE SICK AND DYING BUT NOW THEY ARE AND YOUR THINKING IS THE FOUNDATION OF IT.
What's the difference? A person who has been inside the hospital using the required precautionary procedures all day long is far, far less likely to spread disease than you, who have been pushing your way into nursing homes and hospitals all over town to prove that you are not part of a "feminized" Church. Holy MOTHER Church would be so proud of you.
Yes, I can explain it. Those who act responsibly are doing everything they can to stop the spread of the coronavirus. You, it appears, are the ONLY person in Bryan County who has not heard the phrase "Flatten the Curve." And if you have heard of it your are irresponsibly trying to ignore it.
The only "foundation" that matter here at this point is that of germ theory. Yes, germ theory trumps your hysteria. Yes, for the time being priests and family members and ministers and anyone else should stay the heck out of nursing homes and hospitals.
If priests cannot administer the sacraments or, will not in the case of the hierarchy; there is no church. Under the effeminate model, we are going from too few priests to no priests. You reap what you sow. "Cure the sick, O physician of souls and bodies!"
Father McDonald,
Bravo!
We all have a pretty good idea who "anonymous" is. I guess he is sitting home watching TV instead of tending to his parishioners spiritual needs. So manly
Father McDonald,
There is an excellent article today at Rorate Caeli by De Mattei. I think your thinking and his are aligned
Anonymous go crawl back under your girlie rock. You will be the first to administer the chalice to the faithful and shaking hands as soon as the current crisis is over, science be damned.
a@8:24 and also, the custodial help, the technicians and the nurses and doctors, all of whom go home at the end of the day, shop, visit with the family and could spread what they have to them too or bring back something. Every nursing home should allow ministers/priests who have parishioners in these institutions, to come, wear the appropriate gear that is needed to visit their parishioners who are dying. In the Catholic understanding, it isn't to simply give comfort or pray, which anyone an, but to hear the confession of a dying person, offer the anointing and Viaticum and other prayers associated with the Last Rites. Stop your ideological, worldly ways which says the physical health of a person is more important that the spiritual health, that the soul doesn't matter.
I hope you aren't the same one who said that drinking from the common chalice has only a slight risk of transmitting disease, slim to none, and thus you should go and yet you would advice against licking door nobs, hymnals and other surfaces. Idiotic to say the least. Lack of common sense, absolutely.
Many locations, including nursing homes, are burning through their PPE quickly.
Keeping that equipment in stock for those who, for the care of the residents, must be in the facility is the priority.
Or do you want patients cared for by staff using the same gloves, masks, and gowns for two or four of six days at a time?
A@11:10, thanks for making my point, the world and you think that the psychical care of a dying person if more important than the spiritual care of them which includes the Last Rites, with Confession and Viatcum, if possible, after the anointing.This worldly view causes you to be a heretic in one of the schools of dualism, that the flesh is more important than the soul whereas Catholic teaching teaches both are equally important and require treatment when ill or dying. Sad to say the least that you would write such a thing.
By the way, if I am dying, and the doctor won't let a priest in to offer me the Last Rites, because you and others have succumbed to the ideology that the doctors of the body are more important than doctors of the soul (priests) I will sue you from the grave for malpractice as a Catholic and perhaps a priest. Since I will be in hell for lack of priestly care, I will throw the book at you in seeking revenge.
"...you think that the psychical care of a dying person if more important than the spiritual care of them..."
We have a temporary moratorium on entering care facilities. This is a good thing, a very good thing.
In your usual manner, you have turned a minor matter into a earth-changing, faith-denying, ministry-shattering mountain. Hyperbole, thy name is Fr. McDonald.
No, that's not what I think. You have to make up falsehoods to support your position, and that's sad.
If you die and go to hell without benefit of the "Last Rites" it will be because you chose to sin, not because a priest was not allowed to hear your confession.
EXACTLY, thanks for making my point again.
My church (Bishop) stopped allowing people to attend Mass for over a week before the restaurants (Governor) and bars were told to close. Church versus State. Did government advise the Bishop to close his churches, I don’t know. Interesting that the not particularly religious President wants churches filled for Easter even though many of the Church leaders are advising against that. Regarding priests not being allowed into hospitals, I wonder if hospital chaplains are on staff to meet the spiritual needs of patients. Might it be only that visiting priests are not allowed?
Certainly if a priest is considered staff even in a secular institution, he would have access. I am thinking more about those health care places with no paid or official voluntary clergy. And I am speaking about a Catholic who is dying and there is a request for a priest for the Last Rites, not the “luxury “ of regular Holy Communion.
"Interesting that the not particularly religious President wants churches filled for Easter even though many of the Church leaders are advising against that."
To me, the President is providing a goal.... Soldiers in the hospital respond and heal more quickly when their leader provides hope and a goal. He's just trying to provide the American People with hope and a target. If we make it, great. If we don't, ok, let's pick another. I applaud him for doing this.
I suspect that a priest that walks into a hospital as a “visitor” to administer last rights would be turned away because during this epidemic hospitals are ordered not to allow “visitors.” If the same priest called the hospital and stated he needed to administer sacraments to people in the hospital, he would be told the proper procedure for admission. It certainly is something priests should work out with their local health care facilities in advance. Most security guards are simply doing what they are told regarding visitors. They don’t know the details of every administrative policy. For that you need to talk to administration .
Bee here:
I did watch a video which recommended priests contact local hospitals and nursing homes and ask what protocol might be to administer Last Rites for any Catholics residing there should it be necessary. Getting one's name on a list of acceptable personnel who are allowed in would be ideal.
I think it would be an heroic act of charity if a priest would take it upon himself to contact hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities within a certain radius of his parish and ask them what their plans are for Catholics who may require the Last Rites.
Also, a priest may be able to procure his own masks, gloves, and gown in case of the need to visit. Maybe parishioners or even your own maintenance staff have a few N95 masks around (I know I have some left over that I purchased when cleaning up possible mold) and maybe some vinyl work gloves that would do in a pinch. Also, some big box hardware stores carry paper-like coveralls (all in one suits) that are used for painting and the like that can be used instead of a gown. Safety glasses used when working with power tools would suffice to shield the eyes from germs. A priest could suit up once inside the facility, and remove the gear before leaving, putting it in a plastic bag to limit germ transfer. It might be possible to put the items in a washer (on gentle cycle) so they may be reused.
If you assemble a "kit" and let the facility know you will come prepared, they may welcome you. In the urgency of getting everything locked down they may have not thought about what to do if a priest is needed at the hour of death. If they haven't planned for it, it's probably just easier to say no to the request. But most are very sensitive to the needs of the residents, including their spiritual needs.
I know I for one would be frantic if my elderly parent was dying and no priest was allowed to come in to administer the last sacraments. I know I myself would be frantic if I were dying and no priest was allowed to give me those sacraments. So
Father McD, I think your instincts are right.
The priests at St. John Cantius have an emergency number to call for those in dire need of the sacraments. I don't know what they have done to insure admission to health care facilities, but I am guessing they have taken some action, because they think like you do. They are not just Kumbaya priests. They know this is not a time of vacation and sitting back enjoying the extra time on their hands, but that it's time to be ready to enter the battle and minister to souls in a more profound and inventive way, to go out and meet the need within the boundaries of the directives from the chancery.
Those priests who think otherwise are like the "hired hands" Jesus talks about, who do not love the sheep, and abandon them when the wolf comes. He would never do that.
God bless you Fr. McD.
God bless all.
Bee
Bee here
Fr. McD, I just saw this posted on OnePeterFive. It is helpful advice for priests visiting heath facilities given by a Catholic ICU nurse who works at a hospital in Michigan.
"As of Sunday, I had already contacted my canons to take extra precautions: wiping down pews and confessionals, among other things. Also, made sure my priests know if they need anything to contact me.
What to wear for a priest to stay protected to administer last rights: well, it will depend on the facility and the amount of patients they are overwhelmed with to even know if they are allowed entry. Upon entry to the hospital, you will need at least a surgical mask.
However, here’s what they would need upon entering the patient’s room: N100 masks (N95 masks at bare minimum, I’m assuming hospitals would only sacrifice a surgical mask for them), basic disposable gowns (typically get at the unit), eye protection (glasses or goggles), surgical caps (not vital, but recommended) and finally gloves, but they should wear 2 sets of gloves. Gloves should be worn, but if they’re blessing someone, they need to just make sure they wash their hands thoroughly before exiting a patient’s room.
As for any instruments they bring into the room, i.e., a crucifix, place it in a paper bag after cleaning it off with some sort of sanitized wipe and then leave everything in that bag for at least three days before using it again. All protective gear should be thrown out when exiting a patient’s room. Goggles and or glasses should be wiped clean with sanitary wipe. Place a clean surgical mask on when exiting the hospital.
When a priest gets home after visiting with these patients, he shouldn’t enter the rectory fully. Make sure you have left an extra set of clerics just inside along with a pair of shoes. Change once you’re just inside your home. Put disposable gloves on and take contaminated clerics and wash immediately, then clean shoes with sanitary wipes.
Studies say that the virus doesn’t stay on clothes for too long, maybe just a few hours, so it’ll be up to the priest how cautious he should be."
Hope this is helpful to any priests preparing for such emergency visits.
God bless.
Bee
"Two Georgia health care workers died late last week after contracting the novel coronavirus, apparently the state’s first medical personnel claimed by the pandemic.
A 48-year-old woman who worked at Donalsonville Hospital in southwestern Georgia tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and died Thursday at a hospital in Tallahassee, Florida.
The same day, a mammogram technician at Piedmont Newnan Hospital was found dead in her Coweta County home.
Laboratory tests confirmed the woman had COVID-19, Coweta County Coroner Richard Hawk said."
AJC 23 March 2020
So you go ahead and push your way into hospitals and nursing homes and tell people what a good pastor you are.
How cruel and heartless you are. You would deprive those two souls, if Catholic, the Last Rites of the Church. How do you spell coward?
"As for any instruments they bring into the room, i.e., a crucifix, place it in a paper bag after cleaning it off with some sort of sanitized wipe and then leave everything in that bag for at least three days before using it again. All protective gear should be thrown out when exiting a patient’s room."
"Place a clean surgical mask on when exiting the hospital."
The above makes it difficult for a priest to visit that many patients, wouldn't you say?
As for N95 masks, did you know that nurses have to undergo special training just to know how to put one on properly?
They are far more practiced when it comes to sanitizing procedures and PPE use than any visitor.
It absolutely frightens me that there are people who would keep a priest from dying Catholics. Through this pandemic, the lack of belief in the Sacraments has really come to surface in many so-called Catholics. Sadly, I have seen it at my own parish. My wife and I pray daily to die in the presence of a Catholic priest. Keep up the good fight against the worldly, Father McDonald. Dying without the Sacraments terrifies me beyond anything else in this world!
It absolutely frightens me that there are people who would keep a priest from dying Catholics. Through this pandemic, the lack of belief in the Sacraments has really come to surface in many so-called Catholics. Sadly, I have seen it at my own parish. My wife and I pray daily to die in the presence of a Catholic priest. Keep up the good fight against the worldly, Father McDonald. Dying without the Sacraments terrifies me beyond anything else in this world!
Stephen Conner,
You should be more frightened that a so-called "catholic" priest who posts here regularly is in that camp
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