More Notre Shame March 3, 2010
Posted by Tantumblogo in foolishness, General Catholic, scandals.comments closed
Notre Dame, fast becoming America’s most laughably Catholic university, is in the news again. Their student newspaper refused to publish the regular bi-weekly column of a distinguished professor because he explained the Church’s teaching on homosexuality with clarity and accuracy. We can’t have that, it’s far too controversial.
Creative Minority Report has the story. The professor’s column, and letters back and forth with the editor of the newspaper here.
Notre Dame is bound and determined that nothing will stand in the way of their being accepted and loved by their atheistic, secular friends at other major universities. Our Lady must be completely ashamed.
This will come to a head, and relatively soon. Eventually, these nominally Catholic universities are going to have to reinvigorate the faith on their campuses, or disassociate themselves from the Church. The current farce can’t go on much longer. It’s becoming too ridiculous.
Huffpost on religion March 3, 2010
Posted by Tantumblogo in foolishness, General Catholic.comments closed
Apparently, Huffington Post has a new religion feature. Hmmm, are the secularists interested in studying this phenomenon in the same manner that a biologist dissects a strange new reptile from deep in the Amazon? Well, at least they are true to form. They got everyone’s favorite dissenter, Joan Chittister, to write their ‘Catholic’ column!
Acts of the Apostasy has some fun taking apart little sister Joan’s first submission. Sr. Joan feels that in order for the Church to thrive in the 21st Century, it needs to change, and by change, she means, be totally deformed and left prostrate to conform to Sr. Joan’s preferences. Funny how these absolutely necessary for the survival Church recommendations have been what little sister Joan has been clamoring for for over 30 years: female priests, married priests, “inclusiveness” (you know what that means), and telling priests and bishops to keep their faith in the sacristy and shut up about politics and the culture.
The money quote from AoA: ” Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, may permit strife and trials to occur, but He won’t allow His Church to be transformed into some style of New Age Cosmic Good Vibrations Eco-Spiritual Spa and Wellness Center.” Hah!
If it weren’t so sad, it would actually be kind of funny watching the Chittisters, the McBriens, the Currans, the Rohrs and the Gramicks of the world watch the vision they had for the Church, the whole wrecking ball mentality, slipping away inexorably with their remaining years. There isn’t a new group of young dissenting ordained and religious coming up behind them, particularly among the female religious, because young and vibrant people are rarely attracted to envy and rage. No, the younger generation of priests and religious are overwhelmingly attracted to orthodoxy and a return to treasured spiritual practices. These orthodox orders are growing by leaps and bounds, while many of the larger and more well known orders are slowly dying. At some point in the next 15 or so years, the graph lines will cross, and orthodox religious will outnumber the heterodox, a trend that will increasingly accelerate as time goes by.
So they rage, rage against the dying of their light. But this too shall pass.
Catechesis for the New English version Roman Missal March 3, 2010
Posted by Tantumblogo in Dallas Diocese, General Catholic, North Deanery.comments closed
As I’ve blogged about before, one day relatively soon, possibly as early as Advent 2011, we in the English speaking countries will (finally) be getting a new and much improved translation of the Novus Ordo Mass, from the original Latin to English. This new translation has been under development for two decades, and as I’ve related, it’s introduction promises to set some people running off to the panic button.
One of the problems with the original English version of the Roman Missal that was released in the early 70’s is that it was dumped on the people with no preparation. Quite literally overnight, the Mass was changed from the 1965 Missal in English to the 1970 Missal. Many liturgical experts have long lamented both this sudden transition, and the haste with which the 1970 missal was produced. It has been hoped by many that the introduction of the new translation would not be so sudden, and would not take place without proper catechesis. It is very important for all the bishops in the English speaking countries to put together programs to provide the faithful with information on what to expect in the new translation. This should include examples of the changed texts, why they were changed, and what the changes mean. I had hoped we would start seeing such programs by now.
However, I do have one piece of good news on this front. At Mass at St. Mark this morning, the pastor, Fr. Cliff Smith, went into some detail explaining one of the changes, that being the proper translation of the Latin pro multis from “for all” to “for many.” According to the liturgical experts I’ve read, this is definitely the proper translation of the Latin. Fr. Smith went to some lengths to try to explain what this change means in terms of the liturgy and the doctrine of the Church, and this can be a bit of a sticky area. While Jesus did suffer and die on the cross for all, not all will accept that salvation. How does the Church communicate that reality? I think Fr. Smith did a good job explaining the beliefs the Church holds, and why it is necessary to modify the language in the Mass in this fashion.
So, like in so many areas, another good effort from Fr. Smith and another positive occurence at St. Mark. There are many good things happening at St. Mark to help strengthen the faith, the formation, and the catholic identity of the parishioners there. I do wish I could report that all goings on at St. Mark were so positive, and not just the substantial majority of them. But, we should all try to remember that pastors do have tremendous pressures put on them by a wide variety of perspectives, and not just those who take a traditional, orthodox view of the Church. I don’t think that justifies an invitation to Dr. Gaillardetz, but it may explain it.
Good resource – find Eucharist Adoration anywhere in USA March 3, 2010
Posted by Tantumblogo in Dallas Diocese, General Catholic, North Deanery.comments closed
My sweet, beautiful, wonderful wife found a good resource on teh Intarwebs for Eucharistic Adoration. You know, that thing Richard McBrien says is backwards, medieval, and superstitious, where we worship Christ in our midst through the Blessed Sacrament. Eucharistic Adoration has made quite a comeback. Twenty five years ago, you’d have been hard pressed to find two or three parishes in a large diocese that had regular Adoration hours. Now, most parishes have Adoration at least weekly.
So, if you go here, you can find a list of most parishes in the US that offer Eucharistic Adoration, their location, and when they offer it. I say most parishes, because I know of a few that haven’t been added to the list, but this site should help anyone find a convenient adoration site, either near their own home or when travelling.
I should also add here, again, that St. Mark in Plano is to be commended for now offering 24 hour adoration every Friday, and 40 hour Adoration periodically. In fact, starting tomorrow (Thursday, 03/04) at 3 pm, there will be a 40 hour period of Adoration. This is wonderful, and exactly what the late Great Pope John Paul II had in mind when he exhorted pastors and bishops to make Eucharistic Adoration more widely available.
Eucharistic Adoration is a beautiful way of honoring God and meditating on his wondrous nature. There is really no better way to come closer to Jesus, than to honor and venerate him directly, in His Presence. I encourage everyone to venerate Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration weekly, if possible. It can do great wonders for you, and the Church.
One thing I did note on the Adoration finder site, is that there seemed to be a relative dirth of listings for Adoration in the North Deanery of our own Dallas Diocese. I’m not sure if this is because the site needs updating, or a number of parishes in Plano, Frisco, and McKinney just don’t have Adoration yet. I will try to research this myself, but if any of my readers could chime in on the comments regarding Adoration times at the following parishes, I’d appreciate it:
Prince of Peace, Plano
St. Francis of Asissi, Frisco
Our Lady of Angels, Allen
St. Gabriel, McKinney
St. Michael’s, McKinney
St. Patrick’s up in Denison has perpetual Adoration! I’ve been meaning to take a pilgrimage to what I am told is a very beautiful Church, now I have another reason to do so!
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