John Schultz: July 2005 Archives

The rise of Benedict XVI: the inside story of how the pope was elected and what it means for the world

This quickie - one title page reads "Habemus papum", which even the most inattentive participant in the media blitz would know is wrong - as sympathetic as it strives to be, is handicapped by the new Pope's previous press. Virtually every positive quality Allen identifies in Ratzinger is described as surprising, or contrary to his image. The most telling of the off-the-record remarks Allen garners from the cardinals is by an American, on the new Pope. "I'm worried how to sell this back home," he tells the prominent American Catholic opinion-former.

Give me an M. Give me an A. Give me an H.
I still think Cardinal Mahony received exactly one vote in each ballot in the conclave.

Catholic nuns under 50 gather to discuss future

Finally - quotes where they belong. But still a depressing story.

'Ordained' Woman is Pro-Abortion Religion Professor at Catholic University of San Diego

A priest, a minister and a rabbi walk in to an I.R.A. arms dump...

It's actually not a joke. Except for the rabbi part.

Roberts Would Be Fourth Catholic on Court

Fr. Paul Scalia, son of Justice Scalia and Parochial Vicar of St. Rita's get's a mention in this article. I met him last year when my seminarian bro was assigned to St. Rita's.

names changed to protect the suspicious...

[15:16] chatter1234: need more content for the bulletin – it's a slow news week in this parish
[15:16] chatter1234: so
[15:17] operamaing: make stuff up
[15:17] operamaing: like
[15:17] operamaing: let's see... headlines/announcements
[15:17] chatter1234: "Metosis doubles size of 9 AM choir"
[15:17] chatter1234: "Please don't pinch your babies during Father's homily!"
[15:17] chatter1234: "For the feed-a-priest program, please drop off fresh cheesesteaks with mayo daily at the rectory by 5:00 PM"
[15:17] operamaing: "The Women's Ordination Club WIll Meet Out Back After Mass To Get Some Sense Knocked Into Them"
[15:17] chatter1234: " 'Harmony Man' retires, causing statue of Mary to unplug her ears"
[15:18] operamaing: HAHA
[15:18] operamaing: that's funny
[15:18] operamaing: dude I think I need to kick someone out of the choir
[15:18] operamaing: he's just terrible
[15:18] chatter1234: harmony man is this guy who sings harmony to all the hymns at 110 Db
[15:18] chatter1234: people actually turn their head towards him with a horrified expression

[15:18] operamaing: and he doesn't have the sense to shut his yapper
[15:18] operamaing: so I can't have precision
[15:18] chatter1234: well
[15:19] chatter1234: let him join a committee that doesn't require precision
[15:19] chatter1234: such as the liturgy committee
[15:19] operamaing: it's like giving someone a hammer and chisel and saying - here's some italian marble, knock yourself out
[15:19] operamaing: haha
[15:19] chatter1234: right
[15:19] chatter1234: tink tink
[15:19] chatter1234: tink tink tink tink
tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink
[15:20] chatter1234: "Look, it's the baby Jesus!"
[15:20] chatter1234: "No, it's a loaf of bread!"
[15:20] chatter1234: tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink
[15:20] chatter1234: "It's James the Lesser and James the Greater!"
[15:20] chatter1234: "How can you tell?"
[15:21] chatter1234: "One is so much shorter than the other!"
[15:21] chatter1234: tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink

[15:21] chatter1234: "No, it's Zaccheus up in a tree!"
[15:21] chatter1234: "That's not a tree, it's a burning bush!"
[15:21] chatter1234: tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink tink
[15:21] operamaing: um
[15:21] operamaing: what are you doing?
[15:21] chatter1234: sculpture
[15:21] chatter1234: with running commentary
[15:22] operamaing: that's funny
[15:22] operamaing: haha
[15:22] operamaing: I get it

Related to the article below, here's another steaming pile of horse pookie.

A CHALLENGE TO THE CHURCH - Two Central Coast women will be 'illicitly' ordained

Try not to have kittens when you read this:

"We consider these ordinations to be valid but illicit," said Rue, who was ordained as a deacon last year and will move a step up to priest this year. Despite the Catholic Church excommunicating several of the women who have participated in these illegal ordinations, "there are some 70 women in the preparation program, globally. Forty of those women are in the United States," Rue said.

I think I know how "valid but illicit" will be viewed on judgement day.

Don't believe the hype about real bishops secretly ordaining these ladies. They have no authority to make a person something they can't be.

One final quote:

"I feel that a piece of paper or an excommunication can not take away the fact that I am Catholic in my heart and soul," said Reynolds. "It cannot obliterate my truth."

Me me me me me. The whole thing reads like a Nellie Melba warm-up session.

B.C. woman to be ordained Catholic priest

The irony of it all: a woman's "ordination" in international waters so that no diocese has jurisdiction. She must be looking for a Vatican smackdown instead of a diocesan smackdown.

And a very special quote:

She said she is willing to conduct some church rites with followers, but doesn't expect to be invited to preach sermons at local churches.

I wonder if she'll try to do baptisms in international waters?

(I'd be remiss if I didn't comment that the article is amazingly one-sided, starting with the title.)

...someone starts beefing about the riches of the Vatican art collection and how the Church ought to do a better job of helping the poor and needy, remember this:

Vatican gave about $650 million in tsunami relief

UNITED NATIONS (CNS) -- Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Vatican nuncio to the United Nations, said July 13 that agencies related to the Vatican had given an estimated $650 million in relief to victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami in the Indian Ocean area. In addition, work is still being done by several organizations involved in projects throughout the region, he said.

Someone tell me if I'm nuts, but aren't the dems all over Bush to fire Rove now, because if the grand jury doesn't return an indictment this becomes a non-story?

Am I crazy?

Catholic reform group approves resolutions on tougher laws, finances

This reads as you'd expect but includes a pretty telling quote at the end:

Virgine Elking, of Dayton, Ohio, a member of the Sisters of the Precious Blood, presented the resolution on behalf of her working group. She said women have little standing in the church.

"I feel used and non-recognized. Why? Because I am a woman," Elking said.

Perhaps Sr. Elking would like to be more involved with an institution that supports and upholds the dignity of women, like the institution which published this, or this.

Of course, that's not what VoF wants. It wants power and the ability to reshape the Church in its own image.

"Bishop says Anglican refugees not wanted"

That's not exactly what he said, and the article title implies he's telling disaffected Anglicans to go jump in a lake.

"When there was the ordination of women in the first place there were some Anglicans who applied to be received into the Catholic Church, and the same provision is there at the moment," he told Catholic News Service. "But there is an understanding that you don't come into the Catholic Church for a negative reason.

"Those Anglican priests who were received into the church were received for positive reasons - for example, that they accepted the teaching authority of the church," he said.

In the Archdiocese of Washington, DC - Priest publicly protests transfer.

"Groused publicly" is usually not a good thing.

Dress code for Mumbai churchgoers

Cardinal Dias told the Times of India: "Whereas in days gone by, the 'Sunday best' used to become at times a sort of fashion parade, the modern tendency would seem to go to the other extreme.

"People [are] wearing attire which is considered casual and unbecoming of the sacred dignity of the church and the members of its congregation."

My question for our summer visitors:
How much does our AmChurch architecture and music influence the dress in the US? Talk amongst yourselves.

Document targets Eucharist abuses

The paper covers a range of issues related to the Eucharist: It suggests, for example, that Latin be used during international liturgical gatherings so all priests involved can understand the proceedings, and it suggests that parishes consider using more Gregorian chants to prevent more ''profane'' types of music from being played.

That's interesting wording: not only is it bad to use profane music at Mass because it's profane, it's bad because there are so many great choices of sacred music.

I'll be curious to see how much description is applied to profane to avoid confusion.

The blogosphere wants to know.