Still here

Yup, I know I haven't blogged in almost 3 months. I'm still here though! I occasionally check in and look at the blogs I follow, lurking mostly. Sometimes I do leave a comment, but I stay silent.

I'm still Catholic and lovin' it :) also, I'm becoming more and more traditional by the day... :) :)

Just some eye candy:

Up All Night

St. Peter's Square, in Vatican City, earlier tonight. The papal apartment is on the top right, the one with the lights on. I don't think I can add to that.

Another h/t to Fr. John at On This Rock

Exciting Times

Somewhat continued from my previous post:

This an incredible time for a Catholic such as myself (or any Catholic, really) to be living. This is historical...these times just--I don't even know the word...how shall I say it--are ineffable. There is just so much happening; we are witnessing history in the making.

While I am sad to see His Holiness Benedict XVI resign--for he is the first pope I can really remember; I have learned much from his writings, his speeches, and his behavior; and he, even from afar, has been such a helpful, servant-like spiritual father and brother in Christ--I am excited to see where we will go next! Under all the emotions I feel, there is an optimism, a knowing that everything will work out according to God's plan.

Could this be a sign from God?? :-D

And then there's the video I posted at the end of this post (go watch it!!!!). Seeing the Holy Father smile, interact with young people, lead the Church in liturgies...it almost makes me wish he could have been younger, so he could have led for a longer time. Then, i remember that it is all in God's time.

And so, to close: the times, they are a'changin' and we don't know what's coming next! But everybody pay attention, this next month or so could be very significant for the future of Catholic life everywhere!

Non habebimus papam illo tempore

NB: my title means: we will not have a pope at that time (I think)

So, I have promised a reader to post today about the Holy Father's announcement that he will resign from the papacy/"renounced the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter." His whole statement can be found here.

I am still a little shocked; I see the headlines at news.va and it just seems almost surreal. It doesn't help that this hasn't happened in, oh, 600 years! While the Code of Canon Law does say that a pope can resign...it doesn't add much else! How do we address him? Pope "emeritus"? Bishop emeritus of Rome? Cardinal Ratzinger? How much will he influence the conclave? Will he be close with the future pope? Perhaps biggest of all: who will be the next pope??

I won't even try to answer those questions; others with more knowledge of the history of the Church, Canon Law, and the politics of the Holy See either already have, or will, answer those questions. The conclave that will occur in March will definitively answer the last!

Honestly, I just want to type this out so I can put all my feelings on "paper."

I began my day with the news, and it never left my mind or heart. I woke up around 6:30; I checked my phone. I had received a text from a friend, a Protestant. The words: "I didn't know the pope could resign." As my heart rate began to increase, I thought, "He can! But he wouldn't...would he?" I immediately checked the news feeds. It was true. He had announced his decision to renounce.

I lay there in bed for a few minutes, just trying to comprehend all of the implications of that decision. Eventually, I got up and made my way to the kitchen; the first words out of the mouth of my mother, a devout Catholic: "Did you hear about the pope?" While I didn't know it then, that would be the refrain of the day. Arriving at school, going through classes, seeing all of my friends: all minds were on this surprise decision. My theology teacher from last year was busy looking through the list of cardinal-electors, the men who will elect the future pope, and from whom the future pope would most likely be drawn. He tried to whittle down the papabili; eventually he gave up, having to start class. I noticed a theme like that starting to develop: people trying to do something to distract themselves from the hard truth: the Holy Father is resigning.

People are feeling pain. I know I have been, and will continue to. It is almost as if the pope had died; the feelings are just so raw and unexpected. It's all so mixed up.

And honestly, I'm somewhat scared. Benedict XVI, Papa Bene, may not be strong physically, but he is strong mentally and spiritually. He is a master theologian; an orthodox liturgist; and a master of true ecumenism. While I know that the next Vicar of Christ will certainly not bring the Church down...I do know bad things can happen under his watch, as they can under any pope's eye. Just look at the last 25 years following the Second Vatican Council! Slowly, we have gotten back on track, but those years are proof that bad things CAN happen, and if Satan gets his way for a short time (as he will never truly defeat goodness), WILL happen. I have no illusions about possible future troubles.

But I put the future in the Holy Spirit's hands. I cannot do anything except that. So, in prayer and sacrifice, I will turn to the Lord for comfort; and He will deliver us, mourning and weeping, from this valley of tears.

Yes, the Holy Father Benedict XVI, the Successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ, the Pontifex Maximus, the Supreme Pontiff, the Keeper of the Keys, has announced his intention to resign; yes, the near future is rather uncertain. But we, as the Church Militant, must soldier on, fighting in God's army!

Seriously: watch this video. It is excellent!

Before I forget: h/t goes to Fr. Hollowell at On This Rock

With times like these...

I think of Psalm 13.

Here we go again.

Yesterday, the Toledo Blade reported that a woman was to be ordained to the Roman Catholic Womenpriests.

Yes, I know what you're thinking: "Oh boy! Yet another delusional 'priestess.'"

Well I'm sorry, but I must say something about this. Here it goes.

An article from the Toledo Blade describing Ms. Bingle's story, with my emphases and [comments]:

  Deacon [notice how they immediately jump in calling her that, and then continue to say she will be ordained a "Roman Catholic" priest? Yet, as you will soon find out, nowhere is it discussed why the Catholic Church holds that this could not be true.] Beverly Bingle, a 68-year-old Roman Catholic woman from Toledo, will [not] be ordained a priest by Roman Catholic Women priests today.

Her ordination at 2 p.m. at First Unitarian Church [have you ever noticed how people like these often can't even get into a Christian church building? They seem to have to talk to loonie cults for facilities.] of Toledo, 3205 Glendale Ave., will not be recognized by the Diocese of Toledo, however.

After she was ordained a deacon on Sept. 13, the diocese stated her participation “in an invalid and illicit attempted ordination” meant she was automatically excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church.[latiae sententiae, I presume?]

The diocese has released a similar statement in advance of today’s ceremony, reminding that Deacon Bingle is excommunicated and that Ann Klonowski, a woman from the Diocese of Cleveland who will be ordained a deacon at the same ceremony today, will lose her standing in the church.[Remember that excommunication isn't a form of punishment. It is meant to remind someone that what they are doing is wrong, so they can fix their errant ways.]

However, the Reverend Bingle, as she can be called with today’s ordination by Bishop Joan Houck of Roman Catholic Womenpriests, not only will participate in the ceremony; on Sunday, she will start holding weekly services as a priest for the Holy Spirit Catholic Community, a church she’s starting that will meet at Unity of Toledo, 3535 Executive Pkwy., at 5:30 p.m. Sundays [Well, at least they aren't called Masses.]. Ash Wednesday services are set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday [Are they really set for Wednesday? Remember, no one could ever take any time out of their week just to go give time to God...or "Rev." Bingle...or whoever it is they worship there].

“The whole excommunication thing, I don’t accept,” she said. “Neither do the members of the church [Which church? The Unitarians? The Unity-ans? Or simply misguided Catholics in manifest disobedience to legitimate authority?]. People are literally fighting over who gets to give me communion every day [What, you mean they use Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion daily? I must say, I'm shocked to find that at a parish such as hers!!!!]. It’s beautiful.” [Seriously? "Oh yes, it's wonderful to see people fighting." So much for the whole pacifistic thing.]

She attends despite controversy.

 “I go to Mass daily, or at least try to,” she said. “That’s my most important prayer, is the Mass, the assembly of the people of God acknowledging that they are the body of Christ [And likely completely disregarding the Body of Christ sacrificed on the altar], and that we are called to make a difference in the world. I go various places. I normally go to Corpus Christi [in Toledo]. I’m still a member, and they can’t take away my baptism [Notice how she makes it all about conflict. That "Us-them" mentality seems to be awfully common with a certain older generation]. I just go and I sit there at Mass, and and I will receive communion. Somebody will break a host and give me one surreptitiously, or I’ll receive it before or after.[So they realize it is something that should not be done? Something that shouldn't be seen by others? And yet they still do it.] I drive a good distance sometimes to go to Mass where nobody knows me.”

Knowing Roman Catholics do not welcome women into the priesthood, why did she pursue this dissident path rather than finding another denomination?

“Roman Catholic Womenpriests calls it prophetic obedience,” [I call it acid flashbacks] the she said. “I am obedient to God and that requires me to speak out against injustice, and when God says, ‘Do this,’ I do. I feel I’m called [to be a Roman Catholic priest][Well, you aren't. Sorry, but it just isn't possible.]. Our purpose is renewed priesthood in a renewed church. We can only renew from where we are.”

She started on a more traditional route to Catholic ministry with the Toledo diocese’s five-year deacon-training program. “I started in, and I did two years [of study.] This would have been the early ’90s. At the end of the second year, they handed out this paper. One of the questions was ‘Do you want to be ordained a deacon?’ I said yes — what did I know? Well, I was told that I didn’t have ‘the equipment’ and I was not allowed to continue in the program. I guess they expected that [as a woman], I would have known to say no, but then I would have lied.”

She continued to work for the church, though. She was the pastoral associate at Most Blessed Sacrament Parish until she retired in 2011. “As an employee of the Catholic parish,” she said, “I did everything except sacraments at one time or another.”

Priests traditionally [Traditionally? Really? How's that for loaded language.] administer sacraments, such as blessing the host for communion [Who is this writer? This...this is what broke me. This is what got me really riled up.], performing weddings, and leading other sacred acts.

 [In hindsight, I think this is the point at which I gave up on logic.]

The Reverend Bingle says she doesn’t believe she will be mystically transfigured with the bestowal of priesthood or as the actions of her hands invoke God’s blessing. “It’s God’s actions, the spirit of God in the community transforming us and the elements of the Eucharist into Christ’s holiness, but we’re Christ ["we are church"], [all people] [even un-baptized people? Even people who murder and rage against Christ? You sure about that one?] are,” she said.

She is jumping into parish ministry by starting the Holy Spirit Catholic Community. “I never thought of myself as starting a church,” she said, “and in a lot of senses, the church is already there. I’m just going to hopefully allow those folks who have been dissatisfied, alienated by the [Roman Catholic] hierarchy, they’ll see a place to come. There’s a lot of people who might be able to walk into a community that is renewed, a community that understands that they were abused by priests; that understands that their kid couldn’t go to a Catholic school because he had a handicap — that we got fixed [I'm not even sure what this line means...]; or parents who won’t go because their kids are gay, ‘their kids can’t go, so I won’t go.’ [Who says their kids can't go? The kids just can't live an active homosexual lifestyle. And that is a BIG difference.] That’s what keeps me going. Those folks, they need a church, they need a place to go.”

There is the possibility she could preside in a Roman Catholic church, she said. [!!!!!!] “I’ve had a Catholic church in the diocese contact me about saying Mass for them when they can’t find a pastor,” she said, laughing. “I wish I could say who they are, but I can’t.” [!!!!!!! That is a serious matter indeed! Ha. Ha. Hilarious, Bingle.]

 So. That was fun, I must say.

Really, this is a failure of catechesis. We, as the Church, need to do a better job of explaining the "reason for the hope within us." (1 Pt 3:15) Otherwise, we will see more and more of this in the future. But honestly, that article left me to depressed to say much.

One thing is for sure: go join LarryD's Adopt-a-Priestess project to pray for these poor peoples' conversions. From this distance, the only thing that can be done is prayer and fasting.

There is another article, describing Bingle's ordination itself. I may parse it tomorrow, but the way today went it might best to leave it lie.

And so it continues

Why is it that Super Bowl ads become less and less amusing over the years?

How much is it me changing, or the world changing? I think it is both. One is good, the other, bad.

My only hope is that people can figure out which one is bad.

Gospel reflection, 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

At the beginning of this Gospel, there is what seems like an “author’s note,” but it is simply the first few verses of the Gospel, in which Luke explains how, why, and to whom this Gospel was written. Then Jesus returns to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit,” and His reputation spreads throughout the area. He teaches and is praised for His teachings. He then returns to Nazareth, His hometown, and “according to His custom” entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. He then read from the prophet Isaiah, saying that the Lord has anointed Him to bring the Gospel to Earth, to set the those who are burdened free and to proclaim the year of the Lord. He then rolls up the scroll and says “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

            One thing that bothers me with this current day and age is the “spiritual-but-not-religious,” anti-establishment movement is that in taking an honest look at Jesus’ practices, He never would’ve gone for that. He kept the feasts; He visited the Temple regularly; He joined the rest of the community in communal worship, according to the rules of that time. However, do we see that in modern-day Catholicism? Many people will say that they want to be like Jesus, but they don’t realize what it actually takes. It’s more than being a “nice”; it involves discipline. There is much to be said about the passage Jesus read from Isaiah; in brief, Jesus comes to declare freedom! Freedom from sin and from death. He doesn’t promise prosperity or happiness per se, but He promises that those who are beaten down will be sent free and those who cannot see will see. Basically, what holds us down (the shackles of this world) will be removed from us, by Him, so that we can live to the full in Him and for Him.

            Christ has a mission. As a baptized Christian (with the offices of priest, prophet, and king), I share in that mission. It is not enough for me to be holy, or to pray a lot, or to say nice things. This brings to mind something that I said on the ACTS retreat (I’m not sure where I got this): “Service is love, just put into motion.” So while I may be tempted to rest on my laurels, saying words that sound good, I must always remember that I am here to serve, and I am here to bring Jesus’ message of “sight to the blind” and “glad tidings to the poor” to the world, so that they may see His light.

(Sorry about the awkward look of this post, MS Word and Blogger apparently don't cooperate)