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Saturday, September 20, 2014

A Tale of Two Cardinals by Pat Archbold

I like Pat Archbold. I think he's an honest man. His Creative Minority Report blog is always interesting as are his article in the National Catholic Register. I couldn't agree more with this one:

The Humiliation of Cardinal Burke
this move, if it happens, will be unspinnable. Some have already tried with embarrassing results. This is brutal Vatican politics carried out at the highest level for the crime of intransigent orthodoxy. This would be a blatant humiliation of a Curial Cardinal at a crucial moment to prevent him galvanizing opposition to the current zeitgeist going into the synod. 
If this happens as rumored, there will be no spinning it or removing the Pope's fingerprints from the crime scene.
And I couldn't agree more with this one as well:

Re Cardinal Dolan's Explanation
One could focus on the first paragraph in which he compares this crucial topic, that of defending Catholic doctrine...to a meaningless discussion about which baseball player was better. This is all so much discussion about how many angels can dance on the end of a pin, don'tcha know? 
Or one could focus how the Cardinal completely and disingenuously avoids any real discussion on the topic at hand by suggesting that acceptance of "Gay Identity" (read finding one's identity in sin) and promoting that identity is somehow not promoting sin even though everyone knows that is exactly what it does. 
Or one could focus on the fact that a Cardinal Archbishop of New York cannot even say the word "creed" without apologizing for it..
One could focus on any one of those things. But I would like to focus on something else. 
Here is the crux of the Cardinal's statement. 
"I found their sensitivity wise, and publicly said so. If, in doing so, I have shown an insensitivity to you, I apologize." 
If my sensitivity was insensitive to you, I apologize. 
There are many things that could be said about that line. There are many things probably better left unsaid. But the thing I will say is this. Men, real men, do not speak like this.
Amen to that! Real men defend babies in the womb, but we will not see Cardinal Dolan "go to the mat" for them. He might have to act like a man who cares about the faith more than having dinner and drinking green beer with pro-abort politicians and gay activists.

3 comments:

  1. Pat rocks. There is such a distinction between the zeal for the House of The Lord and a writer expressing views.

    The former shines a light that leads to God and the latter to the author.

    What a difference there is between the two!

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  2. Mary Ann ... As a mom and a returnee to the faith I never knew growing-up, please know my experience (like so many others) seems similar to yours as you expressed briefly on Terry's post in the comment line.

    As you simply expressed, 'I'm torn', is a state I have lived for the last 9-years, with the last three being lived without s sense of 'Catholic' community or priestly guidance, nor their prayers. The phrase of 'dry wood' keeps in my thoughts.

    Thank you for expressing so straight forward and simply the 'motivator' behind the actions because so many cannot see or understand.

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  3. So sorry for your situation, PML. It is so hard to live in isolation. I am so fortunate to have a group of like-minded women around me. We occasionally get together for rosary lunch to pray for our own intentions, our Church, our country, etc. Then we spend the rest of the time catching up, laughing, and affirming each other in our various apostolates. It is soooo good to just get together to celebrate our Catholic community. Can you find even ONE person like that in your area -- a Catholic pro-life activist? They are most likely to share your values. And a "green wood" grove begins with one tree.

    I'm adding you to my rosary intentions journal.

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