Thursday, March 24, 2011

Patrick Reilly Slanders Jesuits

Patrick Reilly Slanders Jesuits by Michael Sean Winters

I suspect that the Provincial did not know of the activities of the University in this area. It would be below his attention. Sometimes one must be obnoxious to be noticed.

I also suspect that health care reform will remove the need for Planned Parenthood to provide many of the services they now provide. Eventually, they will be defunded because there will be nothing left to them but abortion.

If the child tax credit is raised to living wage levels (with state matches), most clients would not go to Planned Parenthood at all. One would think that this is enough to get Republicans to support both the ACA and the expansion of the credit. If you expect that, though, you would likely be mistaken.

The GOP needs Planned Parenthood to distract us from the plutocracy they have created. The provisions defunding it would have never passed if it was not a sure bet that the Senate would evicerate them.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

New Report on Catholic Attitudes Towards LGBT Issues

New Report on Catholic Attitudes Towards LGBT Issues from Michael Sean Winters

There are fewer older Latinos in the US among Latino families, since many are recent immigrants and people who immigrate are likely more socially liberal because of both youth and openess to change.

Studies like this give bishops the Willies, since eventually Catholic families will demand that gay unions are blessed, even if they are originally contracted civilly. Indeed, many post divorce unions are "blessed" this way, even if there has been no annullment.

The number of gay priests makes this a problematic one for episcopal discipline. I have a feeling more than a few priests have the attitude that what the bishop does not know, won't hurt him.

In a generation, many of those priests will be bishops and once they compare notes in private, you will see profound doctrinal change on this issue.

All comments about relativism aside, the Church only exists in the conversations people have about it. When the conversation changes overtly, there is not much CDF can do about it - if CDF even survives the predicted (and quickly upcoming) destruction of Rome by both St. Malachy and Our Lady of Fatima.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Pastor says it's time to 'let go,' accept new missal as inevitable

Pastor says it's time to 'let go,' accept new missal as inevitable by Tom Roberts

This could go one of two ways. The people may actually like the new translation, especially those of us who are older. Some say it is quite impressive, as the Extraordinary Rite is impressive. Indeed, I see little difference between the new Roman Rite and most of the Extraordinary Rite.

They could have saved a lot of time and trouble by simply translating the Extraordinary Rite at Vatican II, rather than also writing a new Mass. I suspect the new Roman Rite is an attempt at synthesis.

The other option is that people will hate the new Roman Rite and the process by which it was foisted upon us. Given the current Reapproachment with Orthodoxy, this might well be the moment that the American Church demands a more, to use the term of art, Autocephalic Status - our own Patriarch and Rite.

The English speaking Church could also demand the same thing as a whole - although given how the African Church in both the Anglican and Catholic Traditions is growing ever more conservative while the English North is not, perhaps this would be a good time for Africa to link with Alexandria rather than Rome. Indeed, when such things were being worked out originally, the ancient Church of Alexandria was given jurisdiction for all of African Christianity. Perhaps this is the moment to honor that traditional right.