Protest Planned Parenthood grandees gettin’ their drink on September 22, 2010
Posted by Tantumblogo in Abortion, Dallas Diocese, General Catholic, North Deanery.comments closed
I’m opposed on two levels – Planned Parenthood, of course, but the drinking to raise money for baby butchery, well, that just gets my white knuckle repressed alcoholic rage all boiling over. How dare they sully the fine, lovely, Lady Liquor with their slaughter! Turning her out to “raise money” for their nefarious schemes! It is an outrage!
Just kiddin, but Planned Parenthood is raising money by having a cocktail soiree in downtown Dallas on Sept. 30, not too far from the Cathedral. More info below:
Please join us for a public witness against Planned Parenthood’s Cocktails For A Cause, Thursday, Sept. 30, at 1807 Ross Avenue, Dallas, at the Fashion Industry Gallery, (same place as last year). It is down the street from the Cathedral, between St. Paul & Ervay St. on the north side of Ross St. The event is from 6-8. We will arrive by 5:40 and stay until everyone has arrived (about an hour). Last year we parked on Ross St., in front of where we stood on the sidewalk. I am bringing our new Planned Parenthood signs, which have different messages and are large enough to be read by those driving by. We want people to know that it is Planned Parenthood that we are targeting. You may also bring your own signs. Please stand far enough apart so that the messages on the signs may be read. We ask that you do not call out to the guests attending and respond only to the questions and remarks addressed to you, if appropriate. Unless otherwise indicated, only one person at a time talking to someone. Some carpooling is available. Please let me know if you are coming so we can watch for you. Contact JoAnn Murray, 972-442-1127
Quick, silly note September 22, 2010
Posted by Tantumblogo in Admin, Dallas Diocese, General Catholic, North Deanery.comments closed
I have a problem with the sign of peace. Not <entirely> the sign itself, just its placement in the Mass. Here we are, building, building, building to the ultimate point of the Mass, the reception of our Lord, literally, into our bodies, and we have to stop, take a break and say hi to our neighbor. If the sign of peace were at the beginning of the Mass, I would much less problem with it (although, I still think the excessive exuberance that many engage during our handshaking routine causes a lack of reverence – in some churches, the sign of peace goes on and onnn…….). Today, though, I had a…..telling?…….experience. I was seated kind of off to the side (strictly by happenstance), and there was only one other guy in my section, several rows in front of me. We couldn’t really reach to shake hands. Instead of the usual nod or wave, he flipped me the peace sign. Yes, he was of that age. It sort of put it all in perspective for me…..
I promise to be better, Lord.
Wow! Who would like Mass like this? September 22, 2010
Posted by Tantumblogo in awesomeness, Dallas Diocese, General Catholic, North Deanery, Society.comments closed
This is a video showing a parish that celebrates very reverent Novus Ordo Mass, the current Mass everyone is used to, by the way. Who would like to see the Mass at their Church more like this? Vestments more like this? Altar boys (not servers) more like this? Church decor more like this?
Am I the only one?
There is a parish in the area that celebrates Mass in a very similar manner. It’s a bit of a drive. Would anyone else like to have more parishes celebrating Mass in this manner – parishes closer to the centers of population in this diocese, perhaps? Would very reverent and beautiful Mass celebrations cause your checkbook to mysteriously fly open? That sometimes happens to me…..
We are told that celebrating Mass in this manner just could not happen – so many people would be upset, they would have palpitations, pearls would be clutched, etc. I think the conventional wisdom is wrong, again. I think of various folk who say only the very old and out of touch would like to celebrate Mass in this manner, and for some reason, I can’t stop clearing my throat! Ahem! AHEM! AHEMM! Is it not perhaps the other way around, the ultra-modern, barren churches and folk guitar Masses that are, perhaps, not quite what many desire?
As this video indicates, there are very palpable benefits to be had by celebrating Mass in a very reverent manner, and enhancing the worship experience (because, that’s what we’re doing – rendering honor and glory to God) by having very beautiful churches. As the priest says, the statues, stained glass, altarpiece, etc, are not distracting, they hope to focus one back on what the Mass is really about when one gets distracted by the kids, the woman in the short dress, whatever.
I think having Confession during Mass is another good idea.
Thanks to Fr. Adamcyzk!
Voris on the Church suffering September 22, 2010
Posted by Tantumblogo in awesomeness, Basics, General Catholic.comments closed
Buck up.
My quick hits are longer than most September 22, 2010
Posted by Tantumblogo in awesomeness, Basics, Ecumenism, General Catholic.comments closed
Another quickie (for me) post, this time cribbing from Terry Nelson. A protestant comes to terms with the fact that protestant doctrine on sexual theology is virtually bankrupt due to an inability to argue from the natural law:
I think the one thing that has happened in the last couple of years that has really forced people to think about this issue is the legalization of so-called same-sex ‘marriage’ in Canada. The idea of same-sex ‘marriage’ seems to entail a legitimation of homosexual behaviour, and when homosexual behaviour is legitimized, it is described as being morally equivalent to heterosexual sexual behaviour that is contraceptive in nature. This presents a real problem, because in order for Christians to say homosexuality is wrong, it seems inconsistent to say contraceptive heterosexual behaviour is right. And so if you’re relying on a strictly Biblical law perspective – simply the fact that homosexual behaviour is considered to be wrong in the Bible – if that’s your only basis, then the problem that is you may very well be able to say, “Well we Christians in the Church ought not to engage in that,” but for those who don’t accept the Bible, for those who are non-Christians, there doesn’t seem any way to justifiably require them to accept the anti-homosexual perspective.
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And so without a natural law approach to it, it seems as though Christian support for traditional marriage collapses. And this is what we are seeing in our society. So I’m in the process of re-thinking the basis of Christian opposition to homosexuality, and asking the question of whether, in fact, it is justifiable to expect a society that is pluralistic, that is made up of Christians and non-Christians, to accept anti-homosexuality. While in asking that question one is driven to a natural law analysis of the morality of sex, which raises the question of contraception.
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Theology of the Body
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I have developed a great appreciation for the Theology of the Body, and it’s very possible to read the Theology of the Body as a massive explanation for why Humanae Vitae (Pope Paul VI’s encyclical) is correct from a Biblical theology perspective. The Catholic Church has always based its opposition to contraception, clearly and openly, on a natural law analysis.
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As the sexual revolution took off in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, the western Church was divided between Protestant and Catholic thought; the Protestants had a Biblical theology/divine command approach to ethics, while the Catholic Church emphasized the natural law reasoning against contraception. Now, after Protestant opposition to contraception collapsed during the 20th century, I see the churches as having been put in a weakened position, because on the one hand we had Protestants with a Biblical emphasis on sexual morality and family issues, but then you had the natural law analysis of the Catholics. But the Catholic position didn’t seem compelling to Protestantism, hence the collapse of their opposition to contraception, and not sharing the Catholic natural position, Protestants were not able to speak strongly into the culture about the morality of sexuality
This is from a piece by a baptist, writing how they have come to oppose the use of artificial contraception.
What can I add? I walked this road several years ago, and if you dig deep into Christian moral theology, there is no moral theology that is consistent and incapable of being deconstructed outside the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has loads of problems, being made up of sinners – Lord knows, I am one. But it’s the only institution guaranteed by God to be kept free from error. It’s very difficult to argue with that.
Short on time today, but here’s something to chew on September 22, 2010
Posted by Tantumblogo in awesomeness, Ecumenism, General Catholic.comments closed
St. Alphonse Liguori, one of 33 Doctors of the Church (not 36, America!), refuting protestantism and other rejections of Catholic doctrine:
Against the Reformers“A church which is not one in its doctrine and faith can never be the True Church. Hence, because truth must be one, of all the different churches, only one can be the true one, and outside of that Church there is no salvation. “
“Now, in order to determine which is this one true Church, it is necessary to examine which is the Church first founded by Jesus Christ, for when this is ascertained, it must be confessed that this one alone is the true Church which, having once been the true Church must always have been the true Church and must forever be the true Church. For to this first Church has been made the promise of the Savior that the gates of Hell would never be able to overturn it [Matt 16:18]. “
“In the entire history of religion, we find that the Roman Catholic Church alone was the first Church, and that the other false and heretical churches afterwards departed and separated from her. This is the Church which was propagated by the Apostles and afterwards governed by pastors whom the Apostles themselves appointed to rule over her. This character can be found only in the Roman Church, whose pastors descend securely by an uninterrupted and legitimate succession from the Apostles of the world [Matt 28:20]. “Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Detail of the Polytriptich of the Resurrection by Titian“The innovators have been challenged several times to produce a text of Sacred Scripture which would prove the existence of the invisible church they invented, and we are unable to obtain any such text from them. How could they adduce such a text when, addressing His Apostles whom He left as the propagators of His Church, Jesus said: “You cannot be hidden” [Matt 5:14].
Thus He has declared that the Church cannot help but be visible to everyone. The Church has been at all times, and will forever be, necessarily visible, so that each person may always be able to learn from his pastor the true doctrine regarding the dogmas of faith, to receive the Sacraments, to be directed in the way of salvation, and to be enlightened and corrected should he ever fall into error. ““The innovators themselves do not deny that the Roman Church was the first which Jesus Christ founded. However, they say that it was the true Church until the fifth century, or until it fell away, because it had been corrupted by the Catholics. But how could that Church fall which St. Paul calls the “pillar and ground of truth” [1 Timothy 3:15]? No, the Church has not failed. The truth is, that all the false churches, which have separated from the Roman Church, have fallen away and erred. ”
“To convince all heretical sects of their error, there is no way more certain and safe than to show that our Catholic Church has been the first one founded by Jesus Christ. For, this being established, it is proved beyond all doubt that ours is the only true Church and that all the others which have left it and separated are certainly in error. But, pressed by this argument, the innovators have invented an answer. They say that the visible Church has failed, but not the invisible Church. But these doctrines are diametrically opposed to the Gospel. “The innovators have been challenged several times to produce a text of Sacred Scripture which would prove the existence of the invisible church they invented, and we are unable to obtain any such text from them. How could they adduce such a text when, addressing His Apostles whom He left as the propagators of His Church, Jesus said: “You cannot be hidden” [Matt 5:14].
Thus He has declared that the Church cannot help but be visible to everyone. The Church has been at all times, and will forever be, necessarily visible, so that each person may always be able to learn from his pastor the true doctrine regarding the dogmas of faith, to receive the Sacraments, to be directed in the way of salvation, and to be enlightened and corrected should he ever fall into error. “
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