Here’s my contribution to someone else’s Blog today. You’ll understand when you go there if you haven’t been already.
“Onealism Has Left The Building”
“Onealism is a Journey, Not a Destination”
“Onealism Tastes Great With an ’88 Barolo”
“Heterodoxy is someone else’s Doxy: Onealism is my Doxy.”
“Hello, My Name is Onealism”
“What This Stew Needs Is A Bit More Onealism”
“Look Both Ways Before Crossing Onealism”
“Holy Onealism, Batman”
“Tune Your Clock Radio to Onealism”
“Today: Heavy Rain With A Slight Chance of Onealism”

I would love to hear from people who experience the trotting out everyone who knows a language besides English to read part of the first reading on Pentecost. I heard it twice at my parish because I went to both the Vigil and morning Mass with my choir. Driving away from church, I asked my wife, “Honey, do you think I’m stupid? Does someone need to draw me a picture of what happened on X day of salvation history? Do they need to light a bush on fire when Moses runs into God? Do I need to see Zacheus fall out of tree? I understand the concept of the miracle of the Apostles speaking in other languages.”
She laughed and said, “You’re not *that* stupid.”

over at Emily Stimpson’s place. I couldn’t have said it better if I tried.

I will add that we should choose our words carefully describing the present crisis and its solution. I hate to see it called “The Situation” or “The Scandal.” It is more than each of those. It is a whole mess of situations and scandals that add up to a crisis for the Church. If I had my way we would call it “the Crisis.” The answer is not reformation, it is restoration. Transformation should occur on the part of individuals by the working of the Holy Spirit – perpetrators, victims and innocents alike. God willing it will occur and those who have damaged or who have been damaged by the Crisis will come back to the fold. Hope and pray. Trust in the mercy of God!

takes a long walk off a short pier into the river Styx today in his blurb about homosexuality and the Church. Under the heading “USING THE CHURCH’S CRISIS AGAINST GAY RIGHTS” Sullivan writes:

But now the Church stands almost alone in its inability to confront or even discuss the matter of homosexuality, while the broader society has changed beyond recognition. The result is the current catastrophe. Gay Catholics – priests and laity – are caught between these two worlds. One world is pushing them toward liberation, self-esteem and responsibility; the other is still infantilizing, pathologizing and marginalizing them. In such a context, human beings can lose their way – especially when the Church refuses even to articulate or discuss its own doctrines about homosexuality – or indeed any sexuality.

The Church and secular societies have almost always been at odds – this is nothing new. A government can declare something a right but that doesn’t make a divine right. Take abortion for instance. And what of gay rights? Because a state allows civil unions between homosexuals does it mean the Church must change the truths that have been revealed in Scripture and tradition?

The Church articulates it’s doctrine on sexuality very clearly in the CCC. Kicking the woman who can’t cut fabric straight off the art commitee is up for debate. As is what books are going to be used for religious education. Doctrine is not up for debate – it is doctrine. What is liberating about justifying sinfulness? Not just sinful sexual behavoir, but any kind of sin? This only makes sin more oppressive to our souls.

Regarding applause in church, Karl of Summa Contra Mundum writes:

We don’t applaud because the songs are supposed to be prayers. We don’t applaud prayers.
I am probably more churlish than you!