Category: Controversies

Phil Lawler of Catholic World News grouses about the parish closings in his e-mail today:

Closing parishes might solve the superficial problem, by saving money. But it doesn’t solve the deeper problem. If there’s a long-term plan in place for revitalizing the archdiocese– getting ordinary Catholics back to church– I haven’t heard about it.

I don’t want to lump Phil in with some of my fellow parishioners, but they make the same complaint too, and in their case I call it whining, because they speak of long-term efforts to preach the gospel and re-convert the lapsed faithful as a substitute for consolidating parishes.
That’s a losing proposal from the start: instead of correcting real current problems with overextended priests and underfunded, underattended parishes, it tells everybody to keep paying and praying, and tells Father to keep saying four Masses on Sunday, and makes the future of the Church dependent on the return of people who have left the Church!
Look, miracles are great, and a substantial re-conversion of lapsed Catholics would be one, but to base the Church’s pastoral strategy on them would be somewhere between irresponsibility and presumption.

At the state-owned Cow Palace in California, you’re allowed to have a convention dedicated to sex shows. However, if a bunch of law-abiding citizens want to sell each other legal firearms, they can’t do that in the Cow Palace, according to a bill passed by the California legislature.
I know what you’re thinking: no woman would ever go to a place called the “Cow Palace,” so that’s why their events must revolve around guns and sex.

terrisfight.org has the latest news on efforts to protect disabled Terri Schindler Schiavo from a death by starvation imposed by her adulterous husband. This week, Terri’s parents have been cleared of spurious accusations that some marks a nurse’s aide saw on Terri’s arms were puncture wounds and that the parents had caused them. The Clearwater Police report stated that was no evidence that there were any such wounds or that any assault had been committed. The accusations are especially baseless, considering that the marks were discovered before the parents’ visit that day.
A petition seeking sanctions against Mr. Schiavo’s attorney George Felos for his alleged public misrepresentations is being prepared for submission to the Florida Bar, Department of Lawyer Regulation.
(Thanks to Juan Schoch for info on the petition.)

Retired Episcopalian “bishop” “marries” “male” “partner” in SF “church”.
Caption contest at The Curt Jester.

“Well… not exactly… I get to keep my job and stuff. I just have to do some community service… and also speak about the dangers of alcohol.
Of course, I already had to speak about the dangers of alcohol in my job as Alexandria, VA’s Public Schools Superintendent!”
You tell me the lesson for the children.