Universalis, your very own breviary in pixels...

Thursday 19 September 2013

Sacraments Celebrated by the Entire Community?

I am a little taken aback by this piece in US Catholic.
The author was surprised and delighted by a baptism at "regular" Mass.

I assumed it was going to be a criticism of the frequent complaints of the PIPs at having their time taken up, because I have certainly heard that often enough.

No, it was a very mild criticisms of the fact that in her experience such celebrations are rare.

Really?

All over the country I have found myself at Sunday Masses with baptisms, anointing of the sick, even, (though this is truly rare,) a wedding.

And in my experience, the average PIP often does object, and often does so vociferously, (the worst is the whinging about "my Easter Vigil" being, and I am sadly quoting here, "ruined,")  but only because the celebration of the sacrament reeks so much of the Rite of Makin' It Up As We Go Along, as celebrated by the parish of Saint The-Way-We-Do-It-Here.

My experience is, I'm sure, not universal, but in at least two cases it came down to a DRE who apparently had no other creative outlet in her life.

Couldn't she take up macrame instead of inventing her own rituals?


What Did the Pope Say?

I am very tired of reading purported news or purportedly honest opinion, "So-and-so Says Such-and-Such!" following the link to what was actually said, and finding that... well, no, what you are claiming is NOT what was said.

"[Pope Francis said] The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrine."
is not
"Pope Francis faulted the Roman Catholic church for focusing too much on gays, abortion and contraception, saying the church has become "obsessed" with those issues...We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible."

A warning against a potential misstep is not a criticism of an actualized misstep.