Św. Franciszku Regis, któryś zupełnie poświęcił się na posługę bliźnich, a nie żałowałeś trudu i niewczasu, aby wszystkich pozyskać Bogu, uproś mi te łaskę, abym kochał wszystkich ludzi miłością czystą i bezinteresowną, wspomagając ich modlitwą, a gdy potrzebują dobrą radą i jałmużną. Amen.
In the past two days I’ve commented heavily on R.C. Church issues. I, as an ex Roman Catholic, still tend to have a kind of fleeting attachment to things R.C.
I washed my hands of the N.O. liturgical mess I had lived with for far too many years —“ and that was easy. I also found it very easy to drop the overblown Marian doctrines, the infallible, monarchical Pope, and the overriding and ever present focus on sexual issues which drowned the key points of the faith – the key points from which the theology and teachings on human sexuality are derived.
I experienced great joy in joining the PNCC. The spiritual growth and the caring concern I experienced in the parish through which I entered made the process all the easier.
My process of study and growth has led me to firmly and fully embrace PNCC doctrine, theology, sacramentality, and the PNCC way of life —“ all with deep love. I genuinely feel that the PNCC Catholicity fits me like a custom made glove (or better yet, I fit to it). Yet, I still allow myself to get pulled into commenting on R.C. Church issues. Why?
This is a struggle for me. I feel like I want to say something or must say something. Then upon saying it I think, why do I care what they do?
I have to reflect on this and I need to move on, extricating that one foot I’ve left behind.
I’m starting from the premise that my commentary comes from a sense of anger. It’s not anger at people or even the R.C. Church as an institution, but anger at the lack of vision. It’s an angry frustration. When I see something not working, or when I see an accident about to happen I want to step in and do something. I see a Church that should, if it believes what it proclaims about itself; take an approach that would be much different. I see a Church whose way of life should reflect its faith.
In seminary there was quite the discussion about celibacy. The priests who lectured on the issue made the point that celibacy is more than not having a wife, its about not having intimate or close relationships with any person, place, thing, or group to the exclusion of closeness with God (and Mary) and all God’s people. Be close to everyone but to none. This wasn’t confusing for me at all and I understood the ideal (being young helps that process).
In the long view, and with age, I saw the problem. An ingrained sense of apartness (and not all R.C. priests are like this —“ especially the good ones) sets up an ‘us against the world’ dichotomy. It all becomes so formulaic. It leads to the destruction of the weak in loneliness and the aloofness of the strong that are within or conjoined to the hierarchy. It becomes more and more difficult to find Machiavelli’s ‘Good Prince.’
That’s where the PNCC gets it. We are a community, the priest and the people working together, each with his own job to do. The priest focused on bringing the people up.
Bishop Hodur wished to bring the people up from the coal mines by education – bringing them up in their human dignity. He wished to engender in them a sense of citizenship and ownership, giving each, every man and woman, a voice and a vote. At the same time he brought them up through the praise and worship of God —“ raising them up as active participants in, advocates for, and children of God’s kingdom.
In the PNCC the priest is not celibate and apart, but from and of the people —“ an active member of the community. The PNCC has no need of a ‘Good Prince’ for we have but one —“ Jesus Christ. What we need and have are good citizens, each doing his part.
That is a Church that reflects its faith —“ a faith in Jesus who came to save us. He left his disciples in the world to get the job done. They lived a life of holiness as an example for believers and non-believers, yet they still connected to the needs and personalities in their communities bringing them the message. They were part of communities referring to their membership as brothers and sisters, beloved, and friends:
For I long to see you, that I may share with you some spiritual gift so that you may be strengthened, that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith, yours and mine. (Paul to the Romans 1:11-12)
Will I still comment —“ for course because it is today’s news. I will try however to make my commentary less biting. I need, as a blog writer, to expound on ‘getting it’ and living out the message of Christ’s Holy Catholic Church. I need to extricate my foot and wash from it (through God’s grace) any trace of being a know-it-all and savior. Only then can I live the Catholic way —“ catholic in community, a much better witness.
Błogosławiony Juście, wstawiaj się za mną do Boga abym czynił pokutę za grzechy moje i opłakiwał je gorzko przez wszystkie dnie żywota mego. Obym zerwał pęta wiążące mię do grzechu, a wyswobodziwszy się od nich, należał w zupełności do Boga. Amen.
From the Associated Press via Forbes: U.S. Bishops Approve New Mass Translation.
Now comes the waiting. Someone should start a pool on which Bishop will take the longest to implement the changes in his diocese. After the Vatican approves the changes and the bishops put it off a little (about two years per the AP), I’m guessing 2020 – representing the final moment for clear vision :).
In the interest of full disclosure, and to present the thought of the R.C. Diocese of Albany, I am providing links to the Evangelist (the Albany Diocesan Newspaper) and their articles on restructuring.
Boże, który nas uroczystością błogosławionego Wita, męczennika Twego uweselasz, dozwól łaskawie, abyśmy czcząc jego zasługi na ziemi, zostali przypuszczeni do radości obcowania z nim w niebie. Amen.
Fr. Marin Fox testified before the Ohio Legislature in regard to House Bill 228 which would outlaw abortion in Ohio. Read his witness —“ its fantastic.
Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them in, but without force, because they were afraid of being stoned by the people. When they had brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, “We gave you strict orders (did we not?) to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men.”
From the Philadelphia Daily News: Urban Warrior | Church Meets a Sad Fate by Chris Brennan
A MASSIVE stone church, stately rectory and sturdy elementary school once held the power to transfigure long lines of West Philadelphia rowhouses into something bigger, greater, more glorious – a community.
But the Catholic Church turned its back on the 5500 block of Cedar Avenue six years ago, closing the Transfiguration of Our Lord parish that sits on the high ground of a full city block surrounded by small houses.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia sold the property last year for $1 million to real-estate speculators who went into business to scoop up land cast aside by the Catholic Church.
I took a long, slow walk through six years of neglect last week. There was nothing exalting about it. Boards have been pried loose from the church’s massive stained glass front. The rectory’s first-floor windows are smashed. The school is a burned-out wreck.
And then there’s that name, that terrible, mocking irony.
…
If you check out my most recent entry on Diocesan restructuring and the Fix Buffalo blog (search for Transfiguration), you’ll notice that the same thing happened to Transfiguration R.C. Church in Buffalo, NY —“ exactly the same thing. By the way, it was the church my father was baptized in.
Biretta tip to the Young Fogey.
The R.C. Diocese of Albany announced its plans to plan for restructuring in the Diocese (read Church closings).
Like Buffalo, and so many other R.C. Diocese in the United States, Albany is engaging in the businesslike process of evaluating assets and liabilities, cash flow, and infrastructure in light of its overall business model and customer base.
Wow, I should be a consultant. I can schmooze with the best of ’em.
Unfortunately, the model for these processes is well established. Identify the weak assets and cut and run. The Fix Buffalo blog refers to this as dumping and flipping churches.
The property is dumped and flipped to unsuspecting not-for-profits or other owners at a low price. The new owners cannot support the cost of repairs/maintenance and the property deteriorates. This often adds to the blight in already depressed neighborhoods. The magic is that the Diocese is absolved from responsibility for these structures. Rather than the Bishop ending up in court for code violations, the not for profit does.
For some great info check out Fix Buffalo’s article WWJD and their planed Tour de Neglect.
In any event, the announcement regarding the Albany process was featured in the Albany Times Union: Bishop asks faithful to plan future – Two-year process will allow parishioners to guide diocese’s reorganization.
I’ve excerpted a few of the statements that jumped out at me:
ALBANY — The leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany urged parishioners to come together with “courage, strength, conviction and vision” as they embark on a two-year discussion to prepare for sweeping changes in the church.
The process, known as “Called to BE Church,” will involve closing some parishes and combining others in the 14-county diocese, Bishop Howard Hubbard said Monday. He urged Catholics to stay receptive to new possibilities, participate openly in the discussions and draw on prayer.
“It’s a marvelous opportunity to go back to our roots and assess what do we really want to do, and be, as a church,” Hubbard said. “Will it allow us to have a better future? I believe yes.”
I don’t know. I thought who the Church is and what it does was settled a long time ago. Wasn’t it something about teaching all nations and baptizing them? While we are at it, what roots will the R.C. Church in Albany be going back to? Are they doing restorationism? Are they going back to Trent?
Statements like this are scarry in that they reflect a lack of faith in what the Church is. It’s like the Episcopal Church’s decline into apostasy. They’ve searched so hard for what they want to do and be that they forgot who they were.
…
“It’s ultimately my decision to accept or reject recommendations that come forward,” Hubbard said. “However, there’s always an appeal.”
Yeah, like appeals have ever worked. The Bishop is the final voice in the Diocese. He shouldn’t be leading people on. I’d say, ‘well you can appeal, but you’ll loose, so don’t bother.’ At least that would be truthful.
…
“We want to see why people are not participating and consider how we, as a church, can welcome them back,” Manning said.
Let me guess what the solution will be —“ based on this article alone —“ reinvent what the Church wants to do and be.
I just had a thought, the new hymn for the Diocese:
Strangers in the Church: scoo-do be do be. Wondering what to do, shoo do be do be. Still so confused, not knowing what to do…
The bishop did not rule out the possibility that parishes may need to be closed before the completion of the planning at the end of 2008.
“My hope is we can wait,” Hubbard said. “But if a reality overcomes that process, I have to have the freedom” to act.
You already do Bishop, everyone already gets that point, but thanks for the heads-up.
This suggestion has been made elsewhere, and was previously noted in this blog – get rid of the dump and flip business model, it makes you look like a caricature of bad businessmen. Rethink your model and process and invent solutions that are in tune with what the Church is and does (you don’t need to reinvent the ‘is and does’ part – God already gave you the Word).
Wysłuchaj Panie prośby nasze, które do Ciebie zanosimy, a za wstawieniem się błg. Olgi i błg. Włodzimierza, racz nas wyzwolić od wszelakich grzechów. Przez Chrystusa Pana naszego. Amen.