The recent homosexual and pedophilia crisis in the Church, with the scandalous revelations concerning Cardinal McCarrick and others, raises some interesting questions as to the ministry of the Bishop or priest in the Catholic Church. Can they, in fact, represent Christ in a meaningful way as an alter Christus?
The history of the priesthood and its traditional practice of celibacy is instructive. Even in those who were married the Church once stated that they could not say Mass the day after they had intercourse with their wives and in earlier Church practice many older married men who were married took a vow of celibacy when they entered the priesthood. In this way they could fulfill their ministery to the entire Church and at least enter into a a type of spousal relationship with the whole Church; becoming a ‘father’ to all the people and nurturing their spiritual lives and directing them toward’s God.
To be a celibate man in ordinary good health and constitution has always been the norm. One cannot, for instance become a priest if they only have one arm or if they are confined to a wheelchair. It is not a prejudice against these men but it is something that prevents them from fulfilling their ministry and their physical abnormalities do not represent the person of Christ in a way that is not distracting to the people; perhaps drawing more attention to themselves than to Christ whom they came to encounter through prayer and sacrament.
It is also the reason why a woman cannot be a priest; for a woman can in no understandable way become a ‘father’ to the Church or represent Christ in persona Christi.
We also do not allow psychologically handicapped persons from becoming priests as might be expected. They cannot adequately be expected to carry out their ministry as they should. So this is where the idea of homosexuality and homosexual tendencies (even if not acted upon) become impediments and even inimical to the idea of the priesthood. One must ask if a homosexual (active or not) can act in persona Christi when they are celebrating Mass or any of the other sacraments. How then will Christ be portrayed to the people?
In a very interesting article written by Fr. Brian Mullady, O.P., S.T.D. after an interview with Pope Benedict XVI in 2011 brings out some very important reasons for why the Church must make an effort to rid the priesthood and the Bishops of the Church who have homosexual leanings. You can read this article here.
Even the effete who seem to have lost their spine and act more womanish than a real man are flawed for the ministry of the priesthood. For Christ was anything other than effete. He was True God and True man and His manhood was not some squishy manhood that we see portrayed far too often in today’s Church.
Please tell me why a priest, as the one in yellow in the middle of the picture above, should have been allowed to enter seminary much less to receive his ordination into the priesthood? It is scandalous and we need not only rid ourselves of the McCarrick’s in the Church but also of these scandalous atrocities of ‘men’ who bring disgrace on the Church and to Christ on a regular basis. And by the looks of this photograph, I would guess that there is more to the obvious sexual perversity of this priest than simply hanging around with a bunch of transvestites in the sanctuary of his parish for a selfie. He and others of his ilk need to be run out of the Church for the good of Christ, the Church and the laity.
I love it. The very flower of the catholic priestcraft.
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He’s a flower alright; a real pansy.
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The Catechism altered against doctrine… I honestly have one foot out the door at this point.
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Then you would be doing what the antipope wants. He is the one along with his homosexual cardinals who need to leave. We must rouse up support for the good guys to stand up and rid the Church of those who would destroy the Church.
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In my particular diocese, the annual diocese fund is tithed 10% from all parishes. So, if I want to withhold funds from the diocese, I have to withhold them from my parish.
What recourse or leverage do I have as part of the laity?
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Send a letter to the Bishop requesting that you have control of which programs the diocese use your money for. For me there aren’t many: money for the care of aged priests and religious is one I care about but most of the others, I can make better choices about on my own. As to your parish. Give them only what you think your cost is for the hosts and altar wine you consume, some small amt. for the utilities and upkeep and a portion of the priests salary. Nothing that will be ‘extra’. Just my suggestion. The rest you can tithe to traditional groups and charities that are 100% legitimate in the use of the money.
I have been thinking that, once again, we need to make this a national appeal with an open letter to our bishops. We need more pots to put our money in and a guarantee that the money will go into that specific pot. I do not want a single red cent going tot he USCCB, Catholic Charities or Catholic Relief Services. And obviously I do not want to fill the Diocesan coffers with money to use at their discretion: like paying off the victims of abuse cases.
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I don’t care if there death penalty in all practicality is never used, which is what I assume is why he Pope decided to change this language of the Catechism first. What I care about is the change of language and the can of worms it could possibly open with other settled doctrines in the Church.
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I agree. It is heretical to start inserting ones personal opinions as the faith given to the Church to pass on. He has no right to change 2000 years of Church Teaching and a previous 2000 years of OT Teaching on these matters.
Not only that, the premise is certainly not without its flaws. Murderers still murder people in prison, including prison guards. Given enough money they can even pay for others to be killed or to arrange a breakout only to commit their heinous crimes once again. The whole Idea is preposterous and I disagreed already with the non-heretical language of JPII in the catechism for it makes no allowance for future victims of these criminals.
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JP II’s position I thought always left room to disagree. Will Liberal bishops withhold communion to conservatives? Can conservatives now say, “ I’m privately against Capital punishment, but for it politically.” ?
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According canon lawyers and Fr. Z and others the answer is no. We do not have to abide by everything in the Catechism on the defined truths. And by tradition, the state’s right to capital punishment is part of the Church’s teaching as well. Barnhardt had some gems yesterday:
Avery Cardinal Dulles
“The reversal of a doctrine as well established as the legitimacy of capital punishment would raise serious problems regarding the credibility of the magisterium. Consistency with scripture and long-standing Catholic tradition is important for the grounding of many current teachings of the Catholic Church; for example, those regarding abortion, contraception, the permanence of marriage, and the ineligibility of women for priestly ordination. If the tradition on capital punishment had been reversed, serious questions would be raised regarding other doctrines.”
(2004, Avery Cardinal Dulles)
St. Augustine
The same divine authority that forbids the killing of a human being establishes certain exceptions, as when God authorizes killing by a general law or when He gives an explicit commission to an individual for a limited time.
The agent who executes the killing does not commit homicide; he is an instrument as is the sword with which he cuts. Therefore, it is in no way contrary to the commandment, ‘Thou shalt not kill’ to wage war at God’s bidding, or for the representatives of public authority to put criminals to death, according to the law, that is, the will of the most just reason.
(The City of God, Book 1, chapter 21)
St. Thomas Aquinas
It is written: “Wizards thou shalt not suffer to live” (Ex. 22:18); and: “In the morning I put to death all the wicked of the land” (Ps. 100:8). …
Every part is directed to the whole, as imperfect to perfect, wherefore every part exists naturally for the sake of the whole. For this reason we see that if the health of the whole human body demands the excision of a member, because it became putrid or infectious to the other members, it would be both praiseworthy and healthful to have it cut away. Now every individual person is related to the entire society as a part to the whole. Therefore if a man be dangerous and infectious to the community, on account of some sin, it is praiseworthy and healthful that he be killed in order to safeguard the common good, since “a little leaven corrupteth the whole lump” (1 Cor. 5:6).
(Summa Theologiae, II, II, q. 64, art. 2)
The fact that the evil ones, as long as they live, can be corrected from their errors does not prohibit that they may be justly executed, for the danger which threatens from their way of life is greater and more certain than the good which may be expected from their improvement.
They also have at that critical point of death the opportunity to be converted to God through repentance. And if they are so obstinate that even at the point of death their heart does not draw back from malice, it is possible to make a quite probable judgment that they would never come away from evil.”
(Summa contra gentiles, Book III, chapter 146)
“…a secondary measure of the love of God may be said to appear, for capital punishment provides the murderer with incentive to repentance which the ordinary man does not have, that is a definite date on which he is to meet his God. …the law grants to the condemned an opportunity which he did not grant to his victim, the opportunity to prepare to meet his God. Even divine justice here may be said to be tempered with mercy.”
St. Alphonsus Liguori
It is lawful to put a man to death by public authority: it is even a duty of princes and of judges to condemn to death criminals who deserve it; and it is the duty of the officers of justice to execute the sentence; God Himself wishes malefactors to be punished.
Jorge has stepped over his bounds and any priest or bishop that tries to enforce this as a teaching will lose the canonical trial.
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Maybe this might be the weekend I yell it heresy and walk out…
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I can bet you money none of the average priests will touch the McCormick or the Catechism question with a 10 foot pole.
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I’m looking at this article from one peter five and as you can imagine Scoop, I don’t agree with them many times with their commentaries. However, from what I’ve studied on doctrinal language, this fits the bill for authoritative language from Pope Innocent.
““It must be remembered that power was granted by God [to the magistrates], and to avenge crime by the sword was permitted. He who carries out this vengeance is God’s minister (Rm 13:1-4). Why should we condemn a practice that all hold to be permitted by God? We uphold, therefore, what has been observed until now, in order not to alter the discipline and so that we may not appear to act contrary to God’s authority.” –Pope Innocent I, Epist. 6, C. 3. 8, ad Exsuperium, Episcopum Tolosanum, 20 February 405, PL 20,495.”
Another issue that I’ve heard on a podcast is that for many of the Catholic doctrines when challenged by Sola Scriptura Christians we have scriptural evidence for our teachings; however, whereas capital punishment is supported in the Old Testament is never repudiated in the New Testament. I would surmise though that someone would attempt to use John 8 as scriptural proof text; however, recently I’ve read that we can’t be entirely sure if John 8 isn’t a later edition. I suppose that it’s in the canon gives its authority.
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It isn’t even needed for the ordinary traditions form an unwritten magisterium that has never been challenged. Our Popes have had to defend it a few times as have our greatest theologians and saints . . . and they all say the same thing. The state has been given the right by God Himself to exercise such authority for the common good of its people. That is all we truly need to know. Francis has stepped beyond his bounds as Pope. His job is to defend the teachings of the Church and he has just defied them or tried (impossibly) to change them.
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Did you see the One Peter Five article? New Ways Ministry has already said this is their foot in the door to promote LGBT in the Church.
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Haven’t read it yet, Phillip but I usually get to it as i go to their site usually daily. I’ll take a look now.
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I jumped down to the bottom of the article to see what New Ways Ministry said: even though it is not true. I has opened a Pandoras box and yes, there are plenty of clerics licking their chops to advocate the same . . . even though canonically it is impossible . . . but in the realm of practice and where these clerics lead the people it will be a complete disaster especially if they do something similar to the words of the CCC concerning homosexuals.
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read this commentary and comments from NCR. http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/death-penalty-a-genuine-and-important-development-of-catholic-teaching
Tell me Scoop, how they haven’t won? This isn’t the Church anymore that I’ve known…
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It hasn’t truly been the Church of Christ and the saints for a long time my friend . . . only in small enclaves. The last of the really exceptional saints was Padre Pio in my mind. Mother Teresa was great and so was Solanus Casey but all of them were pre-Vatican II saints. They had a different odor of sanctity around them that the Church we see before us today. There are a few really good men like the Archbishop Sample of Portland but they are rare indeed.
But Christ told us that Satan would have his hour (and this seems to be that hour) but that God would have His day. Just like He had to die on the Cross to arrive at the resurrection so must the Church. Give thanks that we are alive to perhaps witness this miracle that God has already wrought . . . though it is not yet manifest to us who are living. But we very well may see it since Christ said that time itself would be speeded up because if it were not we might not be able to stand it. Keep the faith, my friend, because the lies are becoming transparent and people are beginning to wake up. Those who won’t never will awaken. Pay attention to the signs of the times.
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Functionally, in the Church, the Church’s position in Communion to Divorcees and Remarried has changed, whether any of us will admit or want to admit it.
The Death Penalty is now changed doctrine as well.
What’s next is the Church acknowledging the “truth” about what constitutes human dignity and LGBT.
Those who want to profess historical, orthodox, Catholicism have no place in the Church anymore. So, we need a plan of action.
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I think the best approach was what was discussed on The World Over last night. We need an independent investigation that has legal authority to not only obtain all of the information that the Church has on its finances, its predators and homosexuals but also has the judicial ability to try and to convict and punish people civilly. Everyone who has looked into the Vatican Bank have either been dismissed or destroyed personally when they started seeing all the filth that the Church has used its money for etc. That will greatly weaken the Pope’s power as most of the folks close to him are going down and he might as well if they look into Buenos Aires and their records on predators when he was Bishop.
I am hopeful that we can find reasons to remove Francis and if not, I am waiting for his ego to try to make an ex cathedra statement that is obviously and unequivocally a change in doctrine rather than practice. If that does not get the Cardinals fired up to dismiss him then nothing will. Then it will be time for marches and pilgrimages to Rome and to our national conferences to protest until something is done: a general uprising. People will have to become totally committed to pushing these people into action or nothing will change.
It would be nice that they would do what needs to be done without us but at the very least we need to push the good guys into acting and doing something. I’ll bet somebody will come up with a plan of action that we can get on board with. Out of a billion and a half people there has to be a fairly large number of folks who are getting fed up and who will do something if a plan is put in place.
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This weekend, we’re actually getting a new priest, I think he’s about 28ish. I think while people are welcoming him, I might go through the line and say, “Welcome, I pray that you’re a cleric who will defend our children and teachings of the Church.”
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Help me figure this out, I’m trying to figure offering with communion wafers come in a box 1000 for 16.00 which is .02 cents for one. Wine comes 750 ML, I’ll say I get one ML which equals .27 cents. How much do you think I should give based on utilities for the week? $5 or $10?
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Depends on the sq. footage of the Church and how many families are members. Going by gut . . . I think $5 should be sufficient for both heat, light, candles etc. But in a small parish with few members it could be much more.
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I went ahead and splurged $10.29. I’m in a larger parish in the diocese but with all Western parishes it’s getting older. We have three priest too. It’ll probably go unnoticed but Maybe the odd amount may trigger some notice by the accountant at least.
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Scoop, you see that majority of superiors in religious orders in US say “yes” to women deacons?
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I surely did.
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I also saw on lifesite retreats for certain clergy in Milwaukee. It sometimes feels I’ve work up and now we’re Episcopalians.
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Glad you woke up at least. 🙂
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Bishop James Conley came out in support of the new change in the Catechism, I always thought of him as somewhat orthodox…
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Well he also opened talks with Call To Action as well and has made some other statements that put him to the left of the bishop that he follows; Bruskewitz. Not sure about him yet . . . he may be trying to play both ends against the middle. I haven’t been all that favorably impressed with him yet.
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Can you also explain to me the idea that the laity are now to be known as Dicastery…have you seen this? wouldn’t that make us part of the Curia?
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No I haven’t seen this: got a link. Yes a disaster is part of the Curia . . . it just keeps getting better and better doesn’t it?
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http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2018/08/04/is-the-vatican-giving-a-promotion-to-laypeople/
The Herald is of course pulling back but the National Catholic Reporter it seems is running with the idea.
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Fine with me as long as the Lay Dicastery is the Vatican Dicastery for the Prosecution and Sentencing of Predators in the Church: and the Death Penalty is an option.
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Thanks, I about spit up coffee from laughing…
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See. We can still laugh at least. 🙂
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So how is your new priest?
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It depends. Our community parish is a bit progressive when it comes to Liturgy. The music director is very spirit of Vatican II and the horrors of the altar rails, fasting, and penance. We use the Mass of the Resurrection by Dan Schutte every weekend. The new priest chants, beautifully, all the prayers and then folk Trash of Schutte plays—the juxtaposition is amusing. The new priest is young and his homily on the Bread of Life and the real presence was firm but left out 1 Cor 11 when he asked the parish whether they truly believe in the sacrament.
So, we’ll see.
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Do you know what seminary he attended? Most of the new priests I’ve encountered lately have truly been rather boring and almost mechanical in their approach, using all the normal liberal cliches concerning fellowship, welcoming and their desire to get the laity to participate more in the Church. This usually means that they want more laypeople running amok in the sanctuary.
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I don’t know what seminary he attended but he spent a year as a parochial vicar with Bishop Paprocki. They closed the school at our Cathedral: low enrollment. Prior to coming to our parish he spent the summer studying in Rome. I did notice when he changed the collect and other prayers his face looked like belief—if that makes sense. I think all of which are good signs.
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Well good luck with him. It is always a crap shoot and hard to evaluate until a few years have passed.
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We had a priest that said the word “sin.” The music director said, “He just made everyone feel bad.” Parishioners complained to the pastor and before we knew it, Fr. Samuel was gone.
If the people who are perceived to be wealth complain that their feelings are hurt in the pews… like crying tantrum children they get their way.
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Oy vey! Yes, money talks here as well. If a rich family is distressed by something then the Bishop usually acts. If a commoner complains then they rarely even get a response.
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The other obvious tactic that Francis is employing is the practice of the left wing politicians when the heat is getting too much for them; they change the conversation.
The antipope wants to end the news cycle about McCormick and all the other friends of Bergoglio who are homosexuals and pedophiles themselves. So he created a new news cycle that was fashioned to do just that.
However, the more heresies he seems to spout out of his mouth the closer we may be getting to loosening the tongues of those silent bishops and priests who will finally reach the end of their rope and start talking.
We may get him removed if this keeps up. Let us pray that this will happen.
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What namby pamby red nosed little weakling took off my comments? If it wasn’t for good brothers scoop and phillip there would be no truth in this Pharisee blog
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I’m not C and I’m not Jess. If they want to let you spew out your puke here they can repost it. I am quite tired of it and as long as I am the author of a post I intend to be able to moderate the comments as I see fit. So I left the 1 that was actually a comment and deleted the rest. It is just a waste of space and it serves no purpose whatever.
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Oh, so it was you who took off my wonderful commente eh? I admire your honesty. My comments are puke eh? Well, I never!!! I resemble that remark.(;-(
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Way to go, Scoop!
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