Care to join the "Heresy of the Month Club"?

This isn't new at all, not sure why it popped up on the screen, but USCatholic is so dependable...

Really, why settle for a measly little Trinity when you can have a Quaternity?

No, It Is Not True That "We Never Really Die As Long As Someone Remembers" Us

I understand such heretical nonsense, the denial of our immortal souls, in movies and tv scripts.
It's the warm-fuzzy of the Viaticum/Extreme Unction/Anointing of the Sick the way the  "unity candle" is the secular culture's warm-fuzzy of Matrimony, since it doesn't understand the sacramentality of marriage, but knows something is missing is missing without ritual.

Okay?
I understand that, I accept that.

But how is such   bull*  *t   finding its way into Christian thought and speech, into eulogies and sermons and saccharine poems on the back of memorial cards, even into homilies at Catholic funeral Masses?

Stop it.

Just. Stop. It.

So the lonely and friendless in this life will be even more so in the next? your continued existence is dependent on some other human being, and their managing to escape the scourge of Alzheimer's or senile dementia?
What a wonderful world...

(Yeah, yeah, all of this is compounded by "theological discourse" of the sort that may or may not have been conducted by an aging atheist and an elderly member of the hierarchy, but which has been allowed to stand uncontradicted by the latter:

Q: What happens to that lost soul? Will it be punished? And how? A: there is no punishment, but the destruction/annihilation of that soul.  All the others will participate in the beatitude of living in the presence of the Father. The souls that are destroyed/annihilated will not take part in that banquet; with the death of the body their journey is finished,) 

but what are you going to do?)

Because Saying Something About Who You Are As Individuals Is What the Sacraments of Christians Initiation Are All About

USCatholic's stable of writers seldom disappoints, ya know?
Planning a Christening?

We needed some ongoing conversations before we could celebrate what I believe is our most important sacrament. Our son’s baptism couldn’t be a rote ritual of water and oil, but one that would say something about who we are as individuals and as a family within a larger community. 

But she needn't ever worry about churchy things, because "God can take care of Godself."
Sigh...
Young enough to have an infant, and talking like one of those aging hippies we need to be kind to at Church as we ease ourselves back into Catholicism...

Oddly, we're heading into the baptism of the newest member of our family, just now.
The father, a nominally Presbyterian non-believer, would like all the sacraments in which he takes part to say something about who he is, and who he is, as he said to the officiant at his wedding, as he tried to wheedle him into allowing a dog as the ring bearer, is a man who could say in front of his bride-to-be, "Nothing in this world means more to me than my dog."

How cherished his fiancee must have felt...

A Catholic Publication On Traditionally Masculine Roles - Not What You Think

 A periodical that regularly and peevishly revisits the women's ordination non-issue has an editor who deep down seems to understand that to insist that the idea that women's worth can only be properly acknowledged by having them assume male roles is... well, not only wrong, anti-feminist, and cock-eyed, - IT ACCOMPLISHES THE OPPOSITE FROM THE DESIRED EFFECT:

The idea that schools need to somehow “make” girls interested in [science, technology, engineering and mathematics]... reaffirms the social narrative that STEM is a prestigious boys’ club that girls must break into, and a girl’s intelligence is only validated once she excels in one of the more complex “boy subjects.”...
the STEM obsession is less about equality and more about masculinity.
[A female economist muses] "what does it say about me, as a staunch feminist, if I’m relying on masculinity to convey my worth?”
The underlying belief, whether STEM advocates realize it or not, is that traditionally male-dominated fields are more valuable to society than those that have traditionally appealed to women.... a field’s overall pay drops when women enter it in greater numbers. ...
Society simply undervalues jobs once women start doing them.

Do you think the rest of the editorial staff will finally see the clericalism of which they are guilty, that it is the notions THEY float that contribute to the denigration of not just women's roles, but all roles and offices proper to the laity?
Will they promote the Church's understanding of apostolate?

Decision Fatigue, and Catholish Charities

Some people wear grey t-shirts every day, trying in vain to protect themselves against "decision fatigue."
I haven't taken it upon myself to tell the world what's trending, with what topics it should concern itself, so  burden is somewhat lighter than that of such movers and shakers, but it seems to me that the shade of the fabric I pull over my head in the morning is not just a relatively easy choice to make, it's an actively pleasant one, even if the pleasure is very small - it is virtually impossible that ten minutes, or ten hours, or ten years from now I'll be kicking myself and moaning, "Periwinkle? WHY, why, why, why.....?"
Other choices are neither easy nor pleasant, so when the day starts, it's nice to get something like t-shirt color under my belt, so to speak - decision-making successfully navigated!
My current decision fatigue comes from the apparent elasticity of the word "Catholic," with an upper case "C."
I used to think that persons and institutions calling themselves "Catholic" were, you know... actually Catholic in thought and practice. Naif!
Alas, there is no guarantee that the word means anything of the sort nowadays. My time, my efforts, my charitable dollars, (few though they may be,) - how can I know they do not support practices I abhor?
I must research for myself.
Several times recently Himself has bemoaned finding himself aligned with people with whom he is not used to agreeing, because those who more usually share stances seem to have gone off the deep end, more intent on pushing the agenda of a bizarre ideology than in improving the world and the lives of those in it in commonsensical ways.
And I know how he feels, but I'm also aware that it is virtually, perhaps literally impossible to live in the world without compromising ones principles at least to the degree required to some times collaborate with those with whom one disagrees, perhaps even on fundamental issues.
Aren't we glad when Der Schränker in "M" organizes other criminals to guard the children?
Shouldn't Melanie take Belle Watling's money in the noble cause of fighting for the Glorious Confederacy?
Don't the good Daniel Craig and the evil Harrison Ford justifiably band together against a common enemy in Cowboys and Aliens?
Sorry about the tangent. Anyway, I came to terms some time ago with the fact that if you need mosquito nets to save lives and the only NGO with mosquito nets to sell in that part of the world also provides abortions, you may end up temporarily engaging in commerce with someone who provides abortions.
You are not yourself doing or endorsing evil, and you hold your nose when you materially, remotely, mediatedly cooperate with it.
But when you complacently enter into a long term relationship with the devil?
Now sometimes the people who make you aware of what's going on may not be people with whom you'd necessarily wish to associate, either, but I think you must be grateful to them for opening your eyes.
The Lepanto Institute, for instance, are provocateurs, and I'm told not above stretching a point to connect the dots as they demonstrate the webs of cooperation that allow certain kinds of evil to flourish unchecked by, indeed, supported by good people.
And they may be a bit to quick to try to establish guilt by association.
But they are right too often to ignore, and I think they're going to be a go-to for me in days ahead.

Right now, I don't need them to spill the goods, I can be disappointed all on my 'onesome.
A family member asked me to join in helping a medical charity.
The "Catholic" board chairman, when I asked point blank where they stood on the use of embryonic stem cells for research or therapy because "I can not support that," said absolutely not, no way, never, that's important to me too.
Come to find out, I don't know whether the chair is lazy, deceitful, or ignorant, but the groups they bankroll actively lobby for money for the development of new embryonic stem cell lines, and laws protecting such development, and actually pursue such research themselves.

Gonna go live in a cave...

Serial Rapist Awarded Laetare Prize? Dont Make Me Laugh, That's About As Likely As the Capa di Tutti Capi of Some Murder For Hire Outfit Being Invited To Speak at a Catholic University!

.... oh.
Wait.
Randall Smith has a beautifully reasoned, utterly nonbelligerent piece in the Catholic World Report about the way Catholish institutions hold oh, kinda, but not really.... truths.

   

"And please, this argumentum ad Hitleram?* you've already lost with such an absurd comparison! What are 58 million babies compared to over 50 women?"

Is drugging and raping women kinda sinful? No, it's genuinely, unarguably sinful.
Right?
Might there be extenuating circumstances that would mitigate the sinfulness?
No.
What about other sins?
Is being personally opposed but doing everything in your power to allow others to dismember poison or burn a baby in the womb kinda sinful?
Is helping ensure payments to allow others to dismember poison or burn a baby in the womb kinda sinful?
Is working to pass laws establishing the "right" of others to dismember poison or burn a baby in the womb kinda sinful?
Is requesting or insisting someone dismember or burn or poison your baby in the womb kinda sinful?
Is actively compassing the dismemberment or scalding or poisoning of a baby in the womb kinda sinful?

One receives the impression the answer from a Georgetown or a Notre Dame would be Oh, yeah, dismembering or burning or poisoning a baby in the womb is kinda sinful, but not.... not really.

Remarkably similar to the way so many "Catholics" might ponder the phenomenon of the Real Presence, if you think about it.
Christ's Most Precious Body and Blood.
Oh, yeah, kinda, but not... not REALLY.
---------------
*The principle being, as far as I can ascertain, that if someone or something is "not as bad as Hitler", well.... it's pretty good. Or at least, good enough to be above criticism.

Girl Scouts and Catholic Values

As it happens, I am allergic to Girl Scout cookies.
That said,
Each year [the Girl Scouts]

contribute over one million unrestricted dollars in membership dues to the [World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts]. ...WAGGGS has indicated to GSUSA that less than 3% of its budget is allocated towards advocacy efforts which cover a number of topics, including basic education and health care.
The [US bishops] recognized that both GSUSA and WAGGGS have been responsive to particular concerns. However, GSUSA’s limited purview to address particular positions within WAGGGS that are objectionable based on Catholic teaching and the natural moral law (e.g., “sexual and reproductive health/rights”) is a concern. [ya think?]In addition, with regard to the unrestricted membership dues, any monetary amount applied to advocacy or educational efforts deemed problematic is still a concern. [Because, say it with me boys and girls, MONEY IS A FUNGIBLE COMMODITY.]
In sum, GSUSA’s relationship with WAGGGS over the years is understandable ["understandable" as, "permitting of comprehension", or "understandable" as in "deserving of our understanding"?] given the history and purpose of the organizations; however, the current relationship remains a concern due to WAGGGS’ problematic promotion of “sexual and reproductive health/rights” and other matters.

The USCCB LMFLY, as far too often, says the right thing, but says it in Catholish, so that the take away can be whatever you want it to be.

"Reproductive rights" doesn't mean anything other than access to contraception and abortion on demand any more than "states rights" in the 19th century meant anything other than legal chattel slavery.

"Ut duo sint"?

A Catholic/Jewish panel in Rome has issued a statement.

Par for the course from the Vatican nowadays, clear as mud and flexible enough to support 'most any position already held by anyone.

The secular press, (and, true, the portions of the Catholic media less given to precision in reportage than I might like,) ,) is therefore to be forgiven for stating flatly that "the Vatican says".. Catholics "should not try to convert" the Jewish people.

The document is far more equivocal and far less authoritative that NPR et al would have it be, but hard as any German bishop or rabbi might wish, it does not really say quite that.

Rather than actually proscriptively banning such evangelization, the doc, (which clear states of itself that it is "not a magisterial document or doctrinal teaching" of the Church, descriptively  says how things are at the present time, that the Church "neither conducts nor supports any specific institutional mission work directed towards Jews," and it "is not a matter of missionary efforts to convert Jews" which is "a very delicate and sensitive matter," and "must be presented correctly."
The Jewish people are unique, unlike any other non-Christians, occupying a special and privileged place.
BUT, the Church's members are "nonetheless called to bear witness to their faith in Jesus Christ also to Jews," since She believes in the "universality of salvation in Jesus Christ," She "cannot refrain from proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Messiah," and yeah, sure, the "figure of Jesus thus is and remains for Jews the ‘stumbling block’", and the Old Testament is meaningless for Christians unless interpreted through the "key" of Jesus Christ, who is the "cornerstone" of the faith.
"Jesus Christ is the universal mediator of salvation,...there is no other."

Oh, and yeah, forced conversions and violence and antisemitism are bad and soup kitchens are good.
What was that commission Christ gave his disciples? and how did He pray to the Father?

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, except the Jews, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching everyone, oh, but like I said before, leave the Jewish people out of it, to observe all that I have commanded you." 
"I pray that they may all be one, but, You know, with the usual exceptions, as You, Father, are in me and I in you... but now that I think of it, You and I are one but We're also kind of two, so yeah, like that, I pray that they all may be two...."

.... said Jesus NEVER. 

In the World Yet Not Of the World

 Really thoughtful piece in First Things, by Robert Louis Wilken, regarding the "Church As Culture."

 Christ entered history as a community, a society, not simply as a message, and the form taken by the community’s life is Christ within society. The Church is a culture in its own right. Christ does not simply infiltrate a culture; Christ creates culture by forming another city, another sovereignty with its own social and political life.

Go read it.
One of the aspects of culture that he discusses is the ordering of time.
In Sunday school we've been talking about the whys of the Liturgy, of the liturgical calender, of the Ordo Missae, (though they inevitably think and speak of it as, "the missalette." Which reminds me, I said I'd post those lyrics.)

Nine and ten year olds have no trouble at all acknowledging the advantage of us all, "being on the same page."

Children are naturally liturgical beings and are naturally catholic.

They see the value of sharing a ritual, having a common focus of attention with persons of other places and of other times.

For all the fretting about the synod, which I admit to sharing with other right-minded Catholics, besides our surety that the gates of hell shall not, etc., I am encouraged at the constant reminders that the Truth is accessible not just to the great souls and deep thinkers among us but to any child with ears to hear and eyes to see a soul to perceive, and having perceived, love.
Or any middle-aged layabout as well, of course.
Aquinas can give me a headache, and I may become catatonic in the presence of one too many Greek theological terms, and my mind may wander when I think I'm engaged in spiritual reading, but whatever it is that is needed, I know that the Lord has created me, like every other human being ever conceived, enough of it to know Him and to love Him and to serve Him and ultimately be with Him.

I digress -- where I was really going with that was, whatever mess Catholic adults make make of things, however rough the sailing as we stupidly rush en masse to the starboard or the port railing, there are new little people all the time and the Barq will be righted.

And another aside, I know very little of this St. Isidore, and this intrigues me, (I spend a great deal of my time with a person whose use of language is imprecise to the point of random, said person's extreme tenderness of ego dates from damage in youth; I am never wholly successful in explaining that I am NOT correcting grammar or disagreeing with an expressed opinion, merely trying to ascertain what is being said - sorry, is that a yes or a no? do you mean done to them or by them? because of that or in spite of that? that sort of thing. But I digress from my digression.)

Isidore recognized that grammar, “the science of expressing oneself correctly,” is crucial not only for reading, writing, and speaking, but also for thinking and understanding. Grammar is knowledge of the way language works and of the rules that govern the relation of words and concepts. Without grammar there can be no transmission of the text of the Scriptures and no understanding of its content; hence, no grammar, no Christian culture.

Small Discussion Groups? Oh, the Horror!

So I'm watching some news from the Synod as Himself is strolling through the room, and he hears something to the effect of the whole assembly breaking up into, small discussion groups .

For a minute he freezes, staring aghast at the screen, seemingly transfixed - then he screams and runs away, crying out, "No, no! Keep the facilitators away from me, HELP!"

Alas, it must be admitted that some converts, because of the timing of their entrance into the Church, learn, rather than theological terms, buzzwords. Instead of the language of the Faith, they are schooled in Catholish.

So yeah, Himself is scared of facilitators.
Me?
As Thoreau was leery of activity requiring a new outfit, I give the skunk eye to any requiring facilitators.
(Or during which we might be asked break up into small discussion groups, for that matter. PLEASE tell me the Synod Fathers are not using a "speaking piece.")

So, some might think I'm a bit askeered.

But patterning myself after the Blessed Mother, I try to be meek and mild fierce and bold.

("Seriously, don't mess with me, don't mess with my family... I'm talkin' to you too, Fathers")

"Catholish" School

Over at the CMAA forum there was a job notification.

The name of the parish seemed familiar, and indeed, it was one that had been in the news because some folks at what I incorrectly recalled as the parish school were opposed to the Catholicism of the newly appointed pastor.
A new hire often means there was a new pastor, but my fears were allayed,  he is still the pastor.
What he is not is chaplain of the school.
Which is not a bad thing. Not a good thing, either, but not a bad thing, since the school may not be, in any meaningful way, actually Catholic.
At least, they're doing their dam-- best not to convey that impression to anyone.

On the page laying out their "philosophy" Catholicism never rears its controversial head, the word "Catholic" is never used, nor is "Christian," for that matter, though they confess to be on a "path to Christ" however meandering, (not "the," never "the," that would be exclusionary, we know there are plenty of ways to the Way, right?)
The simply invoked "Mary," is their patron, (don't want to bog things down with talk of "Blessed" or "Mother of God," or "Virgin.")
On the page declaring the school's "mission," they do dare the word "Catholic," in the name of the school, even. But only as an afterthought in stating their name, not when the name is first introduced.

And certainly not as part of their name in their seal, proudly proclaiming who they are.

Well, at least the education they offer is holistic.
And how could it not be? 
Because, Authentic Educational Technology.

The Numbers Game

Every time results of a new poll or survey are released what we "knew" yesterday seems turned on its ear.
No, no, this isn't about Republican presidential; hopefuls - a new Pew study tells us about what "Catholics" in America believe.

And yeah, it's pretty depressing, but not surprising, especially when you consider the catechesis of the last five decades, and how difficult Catholic religious education becomes when the average elementary school Catholic kid seems to have four parents, one of whom identifies but doesn't practice, two of whom identify but don't believe, and one of whom is a functional pagan.

1.I don't think you hafta go to church to be a good person.
2. No one's gonna tell ME --
3. I think you gotta follow your own conscience, but I do like the palms, and bells, and incense, and statues, especially the statues -- you should see this Buddha I just got on vacation!
4. But the Redskins have a home game this Sunday and the tailgating is always AWESOME! Sometimes you just need to prioritize and let the less important stuff go...

one finding of the Pew study has given me great hope.
The study found that Catholics who regularly attend Mass are more likely to adhere to the teachings of the Church.
One could argue the chicken-or-egg question.
Do those who regularly attend Mass do so because they already are committed to the teachings of the Church?
Or, does regular Mass attendance encourage greater commitment to the Church’s teachings?

Now, how can anyone answer that question without the phrase "Source and Summit"?

And yet she does.

I definitely think that folks go to Mass because it’s what the Church teaches.
I also think, however, that the Mass has a power of its own to foster a desire to love Jesus and adhere more closely to his Church’s teachings. The closer you come to Christ – and you can’t get much closer than in Mass – the more closely you will want to follow him.
The Eucharist has the power to transform hearts.
When you go to Mass, you receive the strength and courage you need to more fully live your Catholic Faith and to be able to more faithfully and joyfully adhere to the Church’s teachings.

Repeat after me - Source and Summit. Source and Summit. Source and Summit. Source and Summit. Source and Summit. Source and Summit. Source and Summit. Source and Summit. Source and Summit. Source and Summit. Source and Summit. Source and Summit.

Godfather.... erm, Godmother... Godparent?

The selection by parents of godparents has become a very debased procedure in the Church in this country, as far as I can observe.
In what I take, (from movies and tv,) to be the Anglican/British understanding, godparents are chosen as a way to honor ones friend or relative, and insure the receipt of sterling baby mugs, so really, the more the merrier, let's get some swag!
And that is the way far too many Catholics look on the proceedings in this country.
Is the father who seeks to rope his baptised Catholic but now vaguely agnostic drinking buddy into the role, or the Mom who asks her best friend, oh, really, you're Jewish? at much remove from the poor souls in this story, when it gets right down to it?

Alex Salinas is 21 years old. [S]He was assigned [observed to be] female at birth, but is now living as his authentic self as a man. [S]He is a "firm believer" and wants to be a godparent at his her nephew's baptism but the diocese of Cadiz and Ceuta is standing in his her way. According to them, [s]he is not a "suitable" person because of the life [s]he leads, a life not "congruent with faith.”
However, they do not find their argument to be discriminatory.The diocese says that. in responding to the petition they received from Salinas to be a godparent at the baptism, the priest maintained a "cordial conversation" with him [her], indicating that [s]he must fulfill the requisites stated in the Code of Canon Law which requires that any godfather or godmother at a baptism "be Catholic, be confirmed, have received the holy sacrament of the Eucharist and, at the same time, live a life congruent with faith and the mission they are assuming."
The statement insists that in the "long chat that protected the feelings of the applicant, the priest encouraged him [her] to live congruently with faith" and that, despite not being a godparent at the baptism, [s] he could participate in some way as a "spiritual godparent," and able to encourage and help his her nephew in his life of faith....

"To the church, I am still a woman, even though my documents of identification have changed," explained Alex Salinas, who wants the diocese to reconsider their decision, which [s]he took "as a kick in the stomach" because he is a "firm believer."
Salinas, who since February of last year has had the I.D. of a man and is on a waiting list for a gender confirmation surgery, [well, there's some Newspeak, for you, "gender CONFIRMATION surgery"?] does not understand the Church's refusal ...
The young man, who identifies as Catholic, said at first the parish of San Fernando de Cadiz did not object to him being a godparent in the religious ceremony.

However, upon asking the diocese for documentation for the baptism, the parish told him he could not carry out the role.
The young [wo]man then appealed to other parishes in the town, but found all of them greeted him [her] with the same response.

"Identifies as" is rapidly becoming the most over-used and finally, meaningless phrase in the language.
Is a person who does not believe what the Church says, or do as the Church asks, or follow what the Church teaches, really "Catholic" in any meaningful sense, regardless of how he "identifies"?

I now identify as someone in want of another cup of coffee, so I shall make an end to this....