tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post3205370286417539867..comments2024-03-28T20:30:10.681-04:00Comments on southern orders: IF THIS EDITORIAL IS TRUE, THEN POPE BENEDICT IS RIGHT: A SMALLER BUT PURER CHURCH IS THE ONLY OPTION, NOT ACQUIESCENCE TO THE PREVAILING SECULAR CULTUREFr. Allan J. McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16986575955114152639noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-79427425041275991792014-03-27T10:18:40.377-04:002014-03-27T10:18:40.377-04:00Another point: the Catholic priesthood is prefigu...Another point: the Catholic priesthood is prefigured by the Old Testament priesthood. That priesthood is all-male.<br /><br />Boy, does a lack of a sense of continuity cause problems. That's all over rubbish like this op-ed piece, and it's arguably a pervasive problem in the Church in the United States.<br /><br /><i>And watch the People of God march right out the door.</i><br /><br />Wouldn't be the first time. That's been true since the time of Christ. That's been true with all of the Old Testament Prophets. Moreover, Mr. Linker simply begs the question of what-- and indeed <i>Who</i>-- forms any people into the People of God.<br /><br />For that, we have the story of the people Israel, and they most certainly didn't become the People of God by themselves.WSquarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-7023955216983756722014-03-27T10:04:16.433-04:002014-03-27T10:04:16.433-04:00Oy vey.
But even drivel can be instructive: noti...Oy vey.<br /><br />But even drivel can be instructive: notice that what he thinks is the "strongest" argument for an all-male priesthood assumes Sola Scriptura.<br /><br />Problem is, Catholics don't read Scripture that way. As I also suspected, Mr. Linker proof-texted the Catechism. The part that he lifted assumes knowledge of the entire section on Holy Orders, to say nothing of the parts that come before that section-- like the stuff on the Sacraments.<br /><br />Which leads me to what he thinks is a "weaker, and yet somewhat more defensible" argument about the essentially different nature of men and women that bars women from ordination.<br /><br />Well, actually, the Church <i>does</i> teach that. Not only is it Christ's power that ordains, but there is no Sacrament with incorrect matter. Not even the Pope has the authority to change this. He has no power, and no authority on his own. He can only receive what he has been given. And God protects the Sacraments.<br /><br />A Bishop can no more ordain a woman a priest any more than he can confect someone's birthday cake into the Eucharist or initiate anyone into the Body of Christ by baptizing them in Kool Aid. He can "say the right words," and nothing would happen; likewise, the woman claiming to have been ordained could say "this is My Body" all she wants, and nothing would happen-- that's not an ordination, that's not a priest, that's not the Eucharist, and that's not Jesus. <br /><br />...to say that something did is actually lying to the faithful, and both the woman and the Bishop (if memory serves me correctly) incur an excommunication latae sententiae. The faithful have to be able to trust that they are receiving a valid Eucharist; they have a right to a valid Eucharist. And it is a scandalous to suggest that someone's "hurt feelings" matter more than people's souls and their salvation.<br /><br />Moreover, true as it is that all of the Apostle were male, the more direct point is that Christ the High Priest and Bridegroom and husband of the Church-- in whose priesthood all validly ordained Catholic priests share-- is male. Priests are fathers and husbands in their own right. Only males can be husbands and fathers.WSquarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-5182664158137884762014-03-24T19:06:15.966-04:002014-03-24T19:06:15.966-04:00The Church in most of the Western World has reduce...The Church in most of the Western World has reduced itself to a compassionate charity, in Francis' words a pathetic NGO. Consider CCHD which throws Catholic teaching out the window at every opportunity or Catholic bishops tucking it up with anti-Catholic politicians. <br /><br />And many in the Church have been wishing the NcR crowd would leave, already. So I'm not sure this article is off the mark, except in one thing. I doubt people will leave the Catholic Church and join the Episcopalians in large numbers. They'll just sleep in on SundayGenXBenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15298459502431357489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-54152413851147362012014-03-24T13:13:43.077-04:002014-03-24T13:13:43.077-04:00The Church is already very small. In my parish, I ...The Church is already very small. In my parish, I know many who deny Church teaching on all of the usual points: birth control, cohabitation, illicit use use of the sacraments (communion without confession for years on end), supporting same sex marriage, womens' ordination, and voting for anti-life politicians etc. Many of such people claim to be Catholics in good standing but by and large have placed themselves outside the communion of the saints.Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-6164298834485716002014-03-24T10:00:24.977-04:002014-03-24T10:00:24.977-04:00"As I've argued at length, there is no in..."As I've argued at length, there is no indication that anything of doctrinal substance is going to change under the new pope..."<br />Who has he been arguing about that? Who would ever take up such a futile opposing argument?qwiknesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15439450727837308035noreply@blogger.com