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.

As a gin-swilling, rosary-clutching Ritualist....

As a gin-swilling, rosary-clutching Ritualist, I should very much like to thank Jeffrey Tucker for pointing out this marvelous site.

Addressing Priests as “Father”

It is often confusing for loyal churchmen to navigate ecclesiastical circles, since in a social gathering that includes several priests it is not uncommon to hear the same person address multiple men as “Father” in the course of an evening. The loyal churchman gapes in astonishment, wondering what complications of consanguinity might explain this behaviour. The woman next to the punch bowl has acknowledged at least five “fathers” since she arrived here a few minutes ago; the gray-bearded old man next to the window is obviously senile, for he has identified as his “father” a mere youth in his twenties; and the bespectacled clergyman whom you know to be unmarried has already been greeted by several of his children, all presumably illegitimate.

If you find yourself in this situation, you may think that the people around you are playing an elaborate practical joke, or are simply insane. Either would be preferable to the third possibility, that you are surrounded by gin-swilling, rosary-clutching Ritualists.

Horrible as it may seem, ritualists are taught from childhood to address their priests in this manner, a symbol of the powerful influence that High Church clergymen have over their flock: the thoroughly indoctrinated Ritualist is prepared to sacrifice even his closest family members at the will of his cassock-clad “Father.” When he leaves the sphere of influence of his parish priest, the Ritualist layman is totally helpless; he will address even low-church clergy as “Father” and pepper them with requests to hear his confessions, bless his thurible collection, and say special prayers to shorten his pet iguana’s time in purgatory. His requests met with either incomprehension or indignant refusal, he will return to his home parish even more firmly in the grip of Ritualism than before.

The above photograph is illustrative of the confusion that may arise from Ritualist practices. An ordinary Englishman would identify the older man in the middle of the image as the “father,” but a ritualist will cheerfully admit that all three people could be “fathers” to each other; after all, they are all wearing vestments and a hat which seems to be a regional variant of the biretta.

Craic, Antoin Mac Gabhann

The most marvelous evening, yesterday.
Landmark Tavern in NYC has a session, (every Monday? I think...) led? hosted? don't know quite how these things work, by Don Meade  and the fiddling last night was stupendous.
Tony Smith/Antoin Mac Gabhann is pretty dang fantastic.

Weirdly, or perhaps not so weirdly, the music making, (playing no portable instrument, and not knowing any authentic Irish vocal music, I took no part in said making, I was purely a spectator,) I was reminded of some of the best moments at affairs like the CMAA Colloquia, I felt this utter rush of love for the musicians, in large part because the flood of love from them, for the music and for what they were doing was so palpable.
There is a real familial helpfulness and support for the younger or less experienced players, a splendid concern shown to  include, to lead, to teach.
I understand that, despite a high degree of musical literacy no one would be caught dead reading, every tune is learned by familiarity -- with the ears of the heart, as it were, rather as the chant would have been, (and still may be.)
Writing music down priveleges young whippersnappers in a way that isn't alwys good -- for the music OR for them.

Eucharistic Adoration

It was better than usual yesterday.... I was better than usual.

I didn't put so much effort, no, I didn't try to understand.
I didn't really even try to "believe."

I decided just to sit there and try to know.
And I think I succeeded.

I was younger by several decades than the next youngest person there when it began, and I was struck by the idea of the deceptive power of the prayer of such collective age, such collective wisdom and collective devotion... as if Yoda were Catholic ;oP.

I only "discovered" Adoration as an adult, I am part of that first wave of the grossly miscatechized.

My blessed Mother, (lower case "b", ) was devout and pretty darn knowledgeable, but she was overwhelmed sometimes, and I think she expected her enormous brood to learn a good portion of their Catholicism as she probably had, by osmosis.
And I suppose I did... eventually.

The weekly classes at parish or convent were mostly a waste.

I remember her shock when she had to explain the Angelus to me. (even worse was when a brother received a medal as a confirmation gift and murmured quizzically, "Oh... a bird.")

How DARE the President...

... or the child, for that matter, voice any opinion as to what ought to be done?
WE will say what ought to be done, with "it".
She doesn't know enough to be allowed to refuse an abortion....

Chile's president has praised an 11-year-old girl after she said in a TV interview that she wants to give birth to the baby who was conceived when she was raped by her mother's partner. ...

"I've asked the health minister to personally look after the [girl's] health," Pinera said. "She's 14 weeks pregnant and yesterday she surprised us all with words showing depth and maturity, when she said that despite the pain caused by the man who raped her, she wanted to have and take care of her baby." ...

"I'm going to love the baby very much, even though it comes from that man who hurt me."

The former president Michelle Bachelet, the frontrunner in the 17 November presidential elections, favours legalising abortion in cases of rape or risk to the health of the pregnant woman or the child. Bachelet – a paediatrician who spent the past several years heading the UN agency for women – referred to the child's case in a recent interview. "She's a girl who needs to be protected and therefore I think a therapeutic abortion, in this case because of rape, would be in order," Bachelet told local Radio ADN.

Today is the birthday of the greatest man I have ever known personally.
He would have been 100.
If enjoying the Beatific Vision can somehow be improved upon, I believe that this is his most joyful birthday.

 It is a marvelous thing to have known saints in ones life.

Sorrowful Mother Shrine, prayers requested

 

In my email today...

On Wednesday, July 10, the Sorrowful Mother Shrine was hit by severe storms. A confirmed tornado caused significant damage to the shrine woods.  Luckily the buildings were spared but over 80 trees were destroyed, many being large old growth trees. Cleanup is underway and we hope to have the grounds open by August 4 to accommodate pilgrimages scheduled through August.

At first it seemed that we were devastated but as the trees are being removed we are finding that all the statues, grottoes and shrines that dot our grounds were spared. A number of trees fell within inches of treasured objects without causing harm.

We plan to not simply clean up the mess but to make it an opportunity to enhance and improve our beautiful grounds. Join with us in thanksgiving that the damage wasn’t greater and stop by and visit us as we look to the future.
I am certain that not just prayers, but donations would be greatly appreciated.

What is "Marriage"?

I don't think many dictionaries, even a few decades ago would have recognized definition 2.b.:

mar·riage [mar-ij] noun

1. a legally, religiously, or socially sanctioned union of persons who commit to one another, forming a familial and economic bond: Anthropologists say that some type of marriage has been found in every society, past and present.

2. a. the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc.

b. a similar institution involving partners of the same gender, as in gay marriage; same-sex marriage

So is marriage open to redefinition, is it purely human construct?
If the sex of the participants can change with loosening of societal restrictions, and to prevent it is a violation of rights, of freedom, of our notions of fairness -- why not the number?

Why must marriage be two joined as one?

How dare we legislate against marriages of three or four persons?
Why can't I be married to Himself and to someone else? how about my brother? is there any logical reason the law should not allow me to marry him?

It could make child care easier.

Perhaps adoption agencies should be forced to place children with consortiums , (consortia?) of more than two people.

Your bridge group could adopt together. Heather Has Five Mommies.

Why not? is there a logical consistency to what is acceptable, legally, morally, socially, and what is not at this moment in history?

How to Have a Beautiful Sung Liturgy on a Catholic Campus? EASY-PEASY...

...LEMON-SQUEEZY!

All ya need besides the choir is:

a director knowledgeable about both the music of the Church and Her theology of sacred music; as well as a chaplaincy with a shared enthusiasm for the liturgy.

How many parishes are in want of those minimal requirements?
But seriously, folks... nice article by CMAA stalwart Dr Kurt Poterack.

I'm trying to not worry about the fact that they are thinking of instituting a "Children's Mass" at my parish, and that as a CCD (yes, they call it by that old school term,) volunteer who is known to have some small  knowledge of music I may be asked to help teach the young'ns the, uhm... liturgical  songs that have been selected as the core repertoire.

I'd bet every penny I own that this tops the list.
And Let There Be Cheese in Church is next.....

So, how to have a beautiful sung liturgy in a Catholic parish? we got an article on that?

The Disadvantage of being Dead, or What Happens to Children Who Are Not Aborted

This is a most worthwhile and valid thing to study, what happens to women who are denied abortions. But this finding from an earlier study, that,

the children born of unwanted pregnancies had significant disadvantages

is just too weasel-words to go unremarked upon. Significantly disadvantaged compared to whom? Dead babies? Lovingly adopted babies? Me, I think being dead is one of the greatest obstacles to a happy life...

Catholic Funeral Music

Amazing Grace
Were You There?
Something that went, "Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling"
How Great Thou Art

Oh well...

Jane Eyre?!?!???!??? I want to read this...

This.
I want to read “The Gospel of Womanhood according to Jane Eyre,” because... well, because Jane Eyre is "my book".
Everyone has one, right? The great work which everyone else kinda knows, but which really speaks to him and of him? Jane Eyre is mine. (Not that I even approach her moral strength...)

So, Miss Stimpfle, make this thesis available, please.

Publish, or put it on line.
"Faith and Reason Honors Program"?
What an attractive idea. Although I probably would have... misapplied myself? out of it.

Liturgical Thought In Passing

At the very time when I both have my choices of Sunday Mass drastically restricted, (a seasonal thang, doncha know...) and have a (rare) opportunity to check in on blogs of which I have been deprived of late, I  read about purported dissatisfaction with the Roman Missal in English right after having noted at mass, with some surprise, that the rhetorical style of the current translations actually force a better, (in my POV,) approach to proclamation on the part of the priests I hear Mass from most often.

There are interjections in the text, for instance, that while not strictly necessary for meaning, offer "breathers" in which the listener may contemplate the preceding phrase, or change up the speaker's rhythm in ways that highlight certain phrases.

Very nice....

Oh, and I also noticed, (just before Acension Thursday/Sunday,) that my parish uses a plastice tube with oil in it masquerading as a Paschal candle.

Can Just Anyone Claim to Be an Ethicist?

The NYTimes word-putter-together currently so described seems to be a sports and arts journalist?

In any case, he certainly seems a step-up from the last one whom I read with any frequency, who was a comic, or something of the sort, and fairly ignorant on most issues, and very inconsistent in the application of his "principles."

The column today addresses a subject that is kinda ironic for the Times to address, at least from the point of view of a Roman Catholic.

It deals with the credentials one needs for being a weather forecaster, (since there is little expectation that that anyone is usually, or even often correct, regardless of advanced degrees in meteorology, the question seems moot, but I digress.)

I don't recall who, but some blogger, in answer to the Times' insistence on humoring people who were not to proclaim themselves "Roman Catholic priests" despite the Roman Catholic Church's holding that these presbyteral wannabes were no such thing, wrote a very funny piece claiming his identity as a New York TImes journalist, despite the Times' refusal to pay him a salary, or give him a byline.

'Cause isn't that how it works?

And me?
I'm the Queen of Romania,.

 

Children of Men, anyone?

One knew just how prescient P.D.James was when every second person one encountered seemed to have a "teacup" animal, dressed, carried, and spoken to as if a child.

 

Zenit has a piece on the demographic cliff toward which we are hurtling. Hopefully Jonathon Last's new book will get people talking, and thinking.
And praying?

"A country without children is a nation without a future." According to a recent post on the Demography Matters blog, this was a comment by Portuguese President Aníbal Cavaco Silva, referring to his country’s low birth rate.

The post noted that the number of births in Portugal has been below the level needed to replace the current population since the early 80s. Moreover, the stagnating economy is leading younger Portuguese to emigrate in search of jobs, keeping the youth unemployment rate to only 38.3%, quite a bit better than the situation in neighboring Spain, at over 55%.
The economy is still shrinking, government and private sector debt is enormous, and, as the blog post commented, “So with less people working and paying into the welfare system, less GDP, and huge debts the numbers simply don’t add up.”
Portugal is by no means alone in struggling to cope with an aging population.
“Britain is ‘woefully under-prepared’ to cope with an expected explosion of older people and ministers need to respond by raising the retirement age and tackle the costs by reviewing pensioner benefits, a House of Lords inquiry concluded,” observed a March 14 article in Britain’s newspaper the Guardian.
It said that from 2010 to 2030 there is expected to be a 50% increase in people aged 65 and over and that Britain will need to make major changes in order to cope with this change.
The article stemmed from a report by a group of peers of the House of Lords. The “Select Committee on Public Service and Demographic Change - First Report Ready for Ageing?”
Living for longer is something to be celebrated, the report noted. This comes, however, with risks and costs and the fact that people can outlive their pensions and savings.
The report made a number of detailed proposals on how to deal with the growing number of elderly people and the economic pressures this will cause.
The problem is Europe-wide. On March 26 Eurostat, the statistical agency for the European Union, published demographic data for 2012. At the start of 2012 the number of persons aged 65 or over had grown to 18% of the total population, compared to 14% in 1992.

Another First for Francis?

I realize the election of the new Holy Father is very old news, but I've been occupied, so...

Is he not the first Pontiff to have been ordained in the Novus Ordo, the first to have never celebrated  what we now call the Extraordinary Form?

Or would his seminary training in Argentina have included the "old Mass"?

If only the Church had some sacred language that belonged equally to all of us...

If only...

This morning Mass was said by a very sick man.
I appreciate that so much.
Father had to drag himself out of his sick-bed because the arranged substitute was in even worse shape.

Father told us the Bishop would certainly send someone had he asked, but it is always someone from Honduras, or Kenya, or Haiti, or Sri Lanka, and then the parishioners, (who, it must be said, are generally elderly and don't hear very well under the best circumstances,) complain and complain and complain about the visiting priests' command of English.

If only Mother Church, in Her wisdom, had thought to designate some sacred language that belonged equally to all of us, that all priests could learn, something with open, easily pronounced vowels, few difficult consonant blends, and actually, when you get down to it, a fairly limited vocabulary...

If only....

Anachronism on "Mad Men"?

Did I hear wrong,  am I mistaken about the era in which the season permiere is taking place -- or did a Catholic charactger on Mad Man use "and also with you," as a snarky retort at least a couple years before that mistranslation became part of the Mass in English?

(Although good catch,Weiner, we really do do that... There was the same little thrill I got the first time I heard someon correct the pronunciation of my last name in a Cagney movie.)

Goodness Gracious...

... and me stuck, probably, with a Holy Thursday full of sacro-sacchro-pop background music.

Archbishop Wolfgang Haas will be the first Diocesan bishop since the 1969 reforms of the Catholic liturgy to celebrate the Chrism Mass with his clergy using the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. This will take place on Holy Thursday at 9 am in Vaduz Cathedral in the Archduchy of Liechtenstein).

I wonder if this can be accurate? Cannot read the link, of course, and have no idea about the reliabilty of the site cited.

So very me...

... yes, my world turned upside down, my life forever changed, IMPORTANT things going on in the world, and what do I break silence to say?

Jackass.
 (I'm not a very nice person, am I?)

The Bitter Pill, as the blood-crazed ferret calls, it is far worse trash than even his blog had given me to understand.
"Incredibly insensitive and inconsiderate, even - let me say it - arrogant; and also wide open to being very harmfully divisive."
Umm.... yeah. That covers it pretty nicely.