German Roman Catholic Bishops Get Slapped With a Wet Noodle

 After their bold attempt to approve blessing same sex relationships (as I posted two weeks ago), the Vatican responded with a letter. Not a personal visit, but a letter suggesting a face to face meeting. The letter spends most of its ink on rejecting the ordination of women, but adds this short note to what is considered "a proposal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith." 

From Rorate Caeli and Die Tagespost

b) Another issue on which a local Church has no possibility of taking a different view concerns homosexual acts. For even if one recognizes that from a subjective point of view there may be various factors that call us not to judge people, this in no way changes the evaluation of the objective morality of these acts.

The constant teaching of the Church emphasizes that "the objective moral evaluation of sexual relations between persons of the same sex is precisely and certainly established. Another question, which is not under discussion here, is the degree of subjective moral imputability of such relationships in each individual case." *

* Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Notification concerning certain writings of Fr. Marciano Vidal, C.Ss.R. (February 22, 2001).

Note that this letter is not a denunciation, but more of a "Let's talk about it" message to an intimate friend, and it does not come from Pope Francis, but instead was sent by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. 

Not exactly as harsh as the being removed from office which is what happened to the conservative Archbishop Joseph Strickland in Texas a few weeks ago. 

Addendum: Cardinal Raymond Burke also may get unequal treatment (From Fox News),

"During a meeting last week with the heads of Vatican offices, Francis said he was taking action against Burke because of his disunity, one of the Nov. 20 meeting participants told the Associated Press. The participant spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not in a position to reveal the details of the meeting."

"The second participant who spoke out on condition of anonymity said the pontiff was revoking Burke’s salary as a retired cardinal, as well as his privilege of having a subsidized Vatican apartment because he used the resources against the Catholic church." 

Was Parolin's letter just a wrist slap with a wet noodle?

Time will tell.

If belief in the devil is good enough for Jesus, then it is good enough for me

In this Sunday's reading from Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus does not shy away from preaching about hellfire and damnation,

‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’

I was once a member of an Episcopal parish in which the priest said in a sermon that "Episcopalians don't believe in a literal devil." One man objected, stood up, and walked out. 

I have one thing to say to that priest, "If belief in the devil is good enough for Jesus, then it is good enough for me." 

Giving Thanks

 

A post by Br. Jacob Gerber at Dominicana points to Jesus as the center of our Thanksgiving. In it he writes,

"This week leading up to Thanksgiving provides a great opportunity to take some time to remember those singular moments of grace in your life. Write them down and carry them with you throughout the week. Let them culminate on Thanksgiving Day by taking all these moments of grace to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the truest and greatest act of thanksgiving. There is no greater gift than receiving the very body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Prepare a thankful heart for him to dwell in. And never let that spirit of thanksgiving leave your heart."

Amen to that Brother! 

Would of, Should of, Could of

 This Sunday's reading from from Matthew 25:14-30 tells the parable of the talents, and it reminds me of something a famous football coach once said about his team after a disappointing loss,

‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.”His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The slave that buried his talent is reminded me of the New Orleans Saints that fateful day that they lost to the 49ers. Coach Jim Mora gave his "Would of, could of, should of" post game press conference. 

The slave who did not invest the talent given him would of avoided God's wrath if he had done what he should of and could of done with the treasure entrusted to him. 

Aren't we all guilty in one way or another of not being fruitful from the talents God has given to us? 

As Jim Mora would say, "We ain't good enough yet!"

Won't we all have to answer to the coach for that?

Thank God we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 

That should be enough encouragement for us to buckle up our chin straps and go out there and get some wins for His team. 

 

Selective Disciple: Pope Francis the Softie shows that he can come down hard... on conservatives

Point one: Archbishop Joseph Strickland in Texas was recently removed from his office by Pope Francis. Strickland has been critical of what appears to be a more lenient Vatican unwritten policy towards the LGBT+ movement. He also was critical of the lack of discipline of our American President, 

"Last year, when the Vatican defrocked ultra-conservative U.S. anti-abortion priest Frank Pavone for 'blasphemous' social media posts and disobedience to bishops, Strickland was one of the few American bishops to defend him publicly.

'The blasphemy is that this holy priest is cancelled while an evil president promotes the denial of truth and the murder of the unborn at every turn, Vatican officials promote immorality and denial of the deposit of faith and priests promote gender confusion devastating lives...evil,' Strickland wrote on the platform then known as Twitter." - Reuters.

There had to be more,  

"Strickland indicated in an interview with the ultra-conservative website LifeSiteNews that one reason (for being in trouble) was his refusal to implement Vatican directives to restrict the use of the old-style Latin Mass favoured by some conservatives."

 The NYT also recently published a story about Strickland (subscription required) which probably tipped the scales against him.

 Point two: Same sex blessings will be allowed in a Roman Catholic diocese in Germany. Recall that I reported two years ago that 100 Catholic churches across Germany offered blessings to same-sex couples on March 10, 2021 according to the NYT, Now,  Anglican Ink reports that one Bishop is making it official, 

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Speyer in southwestern Germany has given permission to his clergy to bless same-sex marriages and the marriages of divorced and remarried.

In a 2 Nov 2023 letter to clergy and lay pastoral workers Bishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann said the ceremony would not be a sacrament and must “differ from a church wedding ceremony in terms of words and signs and should explicitly reinforce the love, commitment, and mutual responsibility in the couple’s relationship as an act of blessing.”

The bishop called for the creation of a pastoral rite that would provide for the blessings “for various couple situations (remarried couples, same-sex couples, couples after civil marriage).”

The bishop stated: “Both with regard to believers whose marriages have broken down and who have remarried, and especially with regard to same-sex oriented people, it is urgently time — especially against the background of a long history of deep hurt — for a different perspective to find a pastoral attitude inspired by the Gospel, as many of you have been practicing for a long time.”

“That’s why I campaigned for a reassessment of homosexuality in Church teaching in the synodal way and also voted for the possibility of blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples. I stand by that. I hope that on the path of the global synod this pressing question of our time can also experience positive development.”

While the recently concluded synod on synodality in Rome did not address the issue of same-sex blessings, Pope Francis responded to a dubia, a question, from five conservative cardinals asking for a statement on the licitness of same-sex blessings.

The pope said it was a matter of pastoral prudence to “properly discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or more people, that do not convey a misconception of marriage.”

“Decisions that may be part of pastoral prudence in certain circumstances need not be transformed into a norm,” Francis wrote. “In other words, it is not appropriate for a diocese, a conference of bishops, or any other ecclesial structure to authorize constantly and officially procedures or rules for every type of affair.”

There was no discipline of the mass disobedience of March 2021 in Germany. I am betting that there will be no investigation into the actions of the German Bishop, and he will not be forced to resign by his Archbishop or by Pope Francis. 

This should serve as a warning to those thinking about swimming the Tiber that the virus has already spread to Rome and that resistance will be put down even by a softie like Pope Francis.

Sleepers Wake

 This Sunday's reading is from Matthew 25:1-13, and once again, Jesus is advising his followers to be prepared.

‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten virgins took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

 

Antinatalism: Stop having babies and watch humanity and its problems go away

The Age of Reason is believed by some to be still ongoing, but the following report should alert them to the fact that it appears to have drawn to a close.

Two Finnish bioethicists wrote an editorial about “antinatalism” in Bioethics, one of the world’s leading bioethics journals. 

From MercatorNet,

“By adopting antinatalism through voluntary human extinction, all of humanity’s problems could be solved,” they say. Joona Räsänen and Matti Häyry believe that it is arguably “morally wrong to have children”. 

If there were no children, suffering would disappear in a few generations. Severe problems such as climate change would find a resolution if humans ceased to exist, thus eliminating environmental destruction. 

It appears clear that numerous problems plaguing humanity—such as wars, famine, crime, discrimination, and cruel treatment of animals, to name a few—would vanish if humans would not exist. The adoption of antinatalism would, therefore, truly solve “everything.” Humans are causing planetary destruction so great that it would be better if they ceased to exist, the two bioethicists contend. They quote a character from the popular TV show “Real Detective”: “The honorable thing for our species to do is deny our programming. Stop reproducing. Walk hand in hand into extinction, one last midnight. Brothers and sisters opting out of a raw deal.”

No doubt Räsänen and Häyry are a barrel of laughs at the pub...

The two Finns have reached a logical conclusion that even this poor chess player could have figured out: Do away with humanity and the problems of humanity will disappear.  

Genius!

A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Two wasted minds are an accident waiting to happen.

 

 

A Lesson in Humility

   In this Sunday's reading from Matthew 23:1-12, Jesus gives his disciples and the crowd a lesson in humility.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

I don't think that needs much explanation, but I am aware of the controversy over calling priests "Father".  Personally, I usually refer to priests by their first names without an appellation, and I have never been corrected. I think that as long as people keep God the Father as #1 on their hearts and minds, they can call their ministers, pastors, or priests whatever they want as long as the clergy maintains the humility that Jesus demands.

Turn off your phone before you leave for church

I usually place my cell phone on "Airplane Mode" once I get to church, but I may want to start turning it off before I leave home.

From the Daily Signal,

As worshippers gathered at the Calvary Chapel in 2020, they were being watched from above.  

Satellites were locking in on cellphones owned by members of the nondenominational Protestant church in San Jose, California. Their location eventually worked its way to a private company, which then sold the information to the government of Santa Clara County.

This data, along with observations from enforcement officers on the ground, was used to levy heavy fines against the church for violating COVID-19 restrictions regarding public gatherings.            

“Every Sunday,” Calvary’s assistant pastor, Carson Atherly, would later testify, the officers “would serve me a notice of violation during or after church service.”

Calvary is suing the county for its use of location data, a controversial tool increasingly deployed by governments at all levels—notably in relation to the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. While enabling law enforcement to more easily identify potential offenders, the practice, called “geofencing,” has also emerged as a cutting-edge privacy issue, raising constitutional issues involving warrantless searches and, with Calvary Chapel, religious liberty.

 While I am sure that the government knows where to find me on Sunday mornings no matter what I do (after all I had a DOJ computer following this blog for a number of years), you might want to shut your phone off before you leave home from now on.