I have been reflecting on today's Vatican news conference and the things I heard and didn't hear.
What I heard from the cardinals and archbishop there was post-Vatican II process babble and the neo-palegianism that I was taught in our 1970's seminary under the guise of eschatology--that some how, we, meaning the Church, through our efforts could bring about the kingdom of God here on earth.
What a crock then and now.
The other thing I heard was the babble of Vatican II and its post Vatican II spirit, that the process by which decision are made by individuals, by dioceses, by conferences of bishops is the best thing everrrr.
Then I heard the bishops, trying to give meaningful theological answers to practical questions of reporters using terms like "communion (not Holy Communion, but the vertical variety), collegiality, synodality and the like.
The camera panned over the reporters and their eyes were glazed over and I was quite embarrassed by the theological babble I was hearing too.
Most of the secular reporters believe that celibacy is the foundation of the problem and that the bishops don't get it. They think that if priests could have healthy, mature relationships with men or women, marry whoever they want, the problem would be solved.
The orthodox Catholics believe it is all about the homosexual subculture in the Church to include the bishops themselves. Delilah Gallagher of CNN basically stated it herself with her question, with disgust in her eyes and voice asked, why she or anyone should trust the bishops, meaning the three in front of them, O'Malley, Cupich and Sciculuna that they aren't having illicit sex themselves since at another Vatican conference it was then Cardinal McCarrick who was acting in the same capacity as these three prelates declaring everything would be made well again by the process that the bishops in the USA had undergone and the Vatican was allowing. What a red faced moment that was!
Heterodox Catholics want priests to marry, whoever they want, women to become priests and the laity to provide temporary priests for specific needs. That 1970's theology, quite popular from Holland, that the assembly could elect its presider from week to week from the faithful who had the charisms for that week.
The bishops need to say there is a moral morass in the Church in both the laity and the clergy and only sack cloth and ashes will be the solution along with common sense practices in terms of recruitment and supervision of those who are ordained.
The ordained must be orthodox and disciplined men of God who actually abide by the faith and morals of the Church. The liturgy must be celebrated in a mature and masculine way and by the book.
If someone can no longer fulfill their high office due to fixated immorality, they should be removed from the clerical state or suspended.
Those who are harmed by immoral priests and bishops should be cared for by the Church and nipping the immorality in the bud before it proliferates to staggering dimensions of abused individuals should be the goal.
7 comments:
Sounds like you think holiness might be the solution to the crisis, but realize that not one of these men achieved their position because of holiness.
Wow, the FRAJM we knew in Augusta 15 years ago surely has become a tour de force! I never would have thought you’d be saying something like these observations! Good on you, Father. A true man of God has to always be open to the Holy Spirit’s promptings, and willing to be tested in the fires of Truth. Thank you.
You need to step away from the reporting for a breather. You're over-dosing, and the effects are beginning to show.
It might be a good idea to make a roster of the attendees for future reference. These are charletans who use our Church to get personal enrichment and physical pleasure. It is sad for the Church, us and them, that they are setting themselves up for this fall. Our best actions will be to keep them from doing more damage on their way out.
Anonymous "You Know Who" at 7:03
You ought to be praising your confrere and stop sounding like a "company man."
Father McDonald, you might appreciate this take on the synod which seems consistent with what you have been saying all long:
"Robert Royal of The Catholic Thing went to Rome for the Vatican “summit” on abuse. He has an excellent summary piece today, which I warmly recommend.
Three things in particular stood out for me in his piece.
First, try this on…
But like many Catholic prelates, including the Holy Father, [Card. Gracias] also leaned too heavily, in my judgment, on inequities of power – the clericalism gambit – which I believe betrays a wish to make the abuse crisis into more about social justice than personal sin.
It strikes me that so many movers and shakers in the Church, both ordained and in chanceries and plum posts and lay in academia, have become so mesmerized by “social justice” that they have nearly completely forgotten about personal sin. These same types, libs, are inclined to talk about sinful structures that have to be changed, etc.
No. Fail. If a structure lends itself to evil actions, it was built on the foundation of personal sins. People sin, not structures.
You will also find interesting Royal’s comments on the chatter about structures.
Next, speaking of structures, Royal recounts Card. Cupich’s caution that changing structures isn’t enough. Royal adds,
“True enough, but even changing structures, for many of us, would be a good – a real – start. Let it be noted, in fairness, even if it does not lead to any effective action, that Cupich ended with no fewer than twelve suggestions about how to hold a bishop accountable. These included structural and procedural changes that he elsewhere played down.”
This leads to the observation that, as it seems, Cupich’s talk was inherently incoherent.
Lastly, Royal gives a summary of questions asked by journalists during the presser on Friday. They are, in fact, more to the point of The Present Crisis than what the agenda of the “summit” set out to discuss."
Father Dan,
Here is some more "ancient history" (last year). I wonder what PF did about this?
https://www.christiantoday.com/article/male-escort-outs-40-gay-priests-and-seminarians-in-dossier-sent-to-vatican/126827.htm
Post a Comment