OK, so I lied…the mini-series conclusion on CBS is TOMORROW evening at 8:00. I know that a lot of you may be in a Vigil Mass for the Immaculate Conception (as I will be), so be sure to TiVo it (or tape it, if you have an ancient system like our house does). But don’t try to catch it tonight–you’ll be 24 hours too early!!
Sign seen in a protestant churchyard in downtown Columbus:
“Saturday 5:00 Informal/ Communion”
Someone want to explain to me what, exactly, is informal about receiving Communion? (Sometimes the sign says Holy Eucharist)
I guess if you don’t see it as Catholics do (that is, the actual presence of God in the Bread and Wine, which become and Body and Blood…spare me the transfiguration is a crock emails, please!), then it could be ‘informal’. And we all have seen plenty of Catholics who dress as nicely for Mass as they do for an afternoon at the ‘Shoe in Columbus. But at least we never go out of our way to note that informality is acceptable!
If anyone could explain to me how Communion/ Eucharist could be “informal” in any way, please let me know.
This is news to me.
Welcome to the modern era–where you can potentially boycott a cause for sainthood?!
From Yahoo! News (OK, it’s long, but bear with me):
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Dissident theologians opposed to the beatification of Pope John Paul have issued an appeal urging Catholics critical of the late pope to tell the Vatican if they also think he should not be made a saint. The 11 Catholic theologians said Church officials who are reviewing John Paul’s life and pontificate should also consider the “negative evaluation” liberal critics have of the nearly 27-year-old papacy that ended when John Paul died in April.
The Rome diocese has opened a beatification cause for the Pope. Church officials have asked all Catholics to come forward with personal experiences or evidence of possible miracles that could support a reputation for holiness.
In their appeal, which received wide play in major Italian newspapers on Tuesday, the theologians from Italy, Spain, Austria and Latin America said those judging the case should also take into account “negative” aspects of John Paul’s papacy.
One of the best-known signatories was Jose Maria Castillo, a Jesuit professor who has taught theology at the University of Granada. Another was Italian theologian Giovanni Franzoni.
“We invite such persons (critical of the late pope) to overcome their shyness and timidity and formally express, with gospel freedom, facts which according to their consciences and convictions should be an obstacle to beatification,” they wrote.
CHURCH SCANDALS
While the theologians acknowledged John Paul’s papacy had “positive aspects,” their seven-point appeal included criticism of his rigidly conservative stand on issues such as contraception, limitations on the role of women, and of scandals in the Church. (emphasis mine)
It included the sexual abuse scandal that swept the United States in 2002, when it was discovered that priests who had molested children were moved from parish to parish instead of being defrocked or turned over to authorities.
The appeal criticized what it called a lack of control over some of the Vatican’s “murky financial maneuvers,” specifically naming the Holy See’s relations with Italy’s Banco Ambrosiano, which went bankrupt in 1982.
Italian magistrates at the time said the Vatican Bank, which had a small stake in the Ambrosiano, bore some responsibility for the $1.3 billion in bad debts. The Vatican denied wrongdoing but paid $250 million to creditors in what it called a goodwill gesture.
The theologians said the Church’s saint makers should also consider the “repression and alienation” inflicted on some theologians by John Paul, a reference to his moves to discipline promoters of Latin America’s “Liberation Theology,” which he felt was too close to Marxist social analysis as a way of helping the continent’s poor.
Last May, Pope Benedict put his predecessor on the fast track to possible sainthood by dispensing with Church rules that impose a five-year waiting period after a candidate’s death before the procedure that leads to sainthood can even start.
One miracle is required after John Paul’s death for the cause to move on to beatification, the last step before sainthood. The miracle must be the result of prayers asking the dead pope to intercede with God.
Another miracle would be necessary between beatification and eventual sainthood. Miracles are usually a physical healing which doctors are at a loss to explain.
OK, let’s acknowledge that this was written by Reuters, which is probably the most left-leaning of the major wires. But let’s look at the points here:
1. Geez, let’s not make JP The Great a saint because he actually embodied Catholic doctrine and theology! Ooooh, this makes me mad. Liberals are going to try to have their way with him even after he’s gone. GRRRRRRR. But believe you me that if he had been a liberal, he would’ve been canonized as soon as possible.
2. Um, so there were some banking issues? And this is the pope’s problem how? And it is a barrier to sainthood how ????
3. Liberation theology’s problems weren’t just based on the pope’s “feelings”. They were based on fact. They made Jesus into a liberator crusader that has no bearing on his gospel teachings. In some document on Liberation Theology, someone cool (It may even have been B XVI in his official document on the topic when he was head of the Congregation) said that Liberation Theology never quite comes back to the nub of “Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.” The whole thing is about liberating you from oppression. While that’s nice, that’s not exactly the crux of Christianity. And it was Marxists/ Socialist in nature, which the Church is not. Study it, please.
All in all, I find this repulsive and gag-inducing. Instead of people who are against JP the Great sending emails, those of us who support his canonization should email, sending “facts which according to our consciences and reason” are for his canonization. But then again, the Left commonly supposes that the Catholic Conservatives don’t have reason. We’re just poor, dumb folks who blindly follow the Church’s teachings and have babies in the woods, or something like that. We’re too dumb to think. I’d really like to prove them wrong…
From Ferrari on Monday…
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI received a special gift from Ferrari on Monday - a steering wheel from one of Michael Schumacher’s title-winning F2004 cars, bearing the dedication: “The Formula 1 World Champion’s steering wheel to His Holiness Benedict XVI, Christianity’s driver.”
A delegation from Ferrari, including President Luca di Montezemolo and Vice President Piero Ferrari were attending a special audience with the Pope to present him with a cheque for 950,000 Euro, raised from the sale of the company’s 400th Enzo road car, built especially to be auctioned for charity.
The proceeds of the car were promised by Ferrari for humanitarian purposes to the late Pope John Paul II in a previous papal audience attended by Schumacher and then team mate Rubens Barrichello back in January.
How cool is that? I mean, even though it’ll probably end up being auctioned off for charity, or something…it’s still pretty cool. I wonder if G.W. wants one, too, but I guess it’s only natural that the Pope gets “better” gifts, while the President gets stuff like a “fifty-pound halibut” (if you can guess the reference, you must have been a poli sci major in college!).
Tonight will bring CBS’ second part of their miniseries Pope John Paul II . If you missed it the first time around, scroll down to read my take on it, and be sure to tune in tonight. I’d like to see it get better rating than the first half (which could have been due to football running late…although JP II was a sportsman, I don’t know if he’d be thrilled knowing he got bumped for pigskin…kidding! Just kidding!). The first half was quite good at showing the humanity of the pope as well as proclaiming what he believed quite fearlessly. I know that a “Charlie Brown Christmas” is also on, but switch over to CBS and watch Charlie later, or buy him on DVD. Let’s try to boost the ratings here! (It has a BXVI thumbs up and Vatican approval…so you know it’s kosher!)
…that of the “abortion capital” of the United States. From The Corner: (http://corner.nationalreview.com…one of these days I’ll get the link function on this site up and running….)
New York Magazine this week:
In 1970, New York passed the most permissive abortion law in America, one that defined the state as the country’s abortion refuge. Overnight, a new industry materialized in New York City, promoting itself to women across the country. The pitches were often blunt. A newspaper ad from the time inquired, “Want to be un-pregnant?”
Thirty-five years later, New York has the highest abortion rate in America. In 2000, the last year for which good data are available, 39 out of every 1,000 women in the state ended a pregnancy, for a total of 164,000 abortions that year. In America, one of every ten abortions occurs in New York, and in New York, seven of every ten abortions are performed in New York City. In absolute terms, there are more abortions performed on minors, more repeat abortions, and more late abortions (over 21 weeks) in New York City than anywhere else in the country. In parts of the city, the ratio of abortions to births is one to one. (emphasis mine)
Sigh. You know, a real Republican mayor would attempt to clean this up….but then he’d never get elected. We’re in a catch-22, aren’t we, with NYC elected officials….
Shouldn’t the archbishop of NYC have some sort of comment about this?
Today’s entry:
God of God
Light of Light
Lo! He comes forth from the Virgin’s Womb
Our very God
Begotten, not created
O Come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
Yesterday’s answer: “O Holy Night”
