The most recent chapter in the rebellion is the dissident nuns' response to the Vatican crackdown of the LCWR (Leadership Conference of Women Religious), an action that is long overdo. I'm not going to rehash here what I've already written. You can see past blog posts about the radical nuns here. The fact is, however, that these fundamentally protestant rebels are entrenching and lining up their allies.
Among the first to sign on was the leadership of the Franciscan provinces in the U.S. Now, keep in mind, that, just as the LCWR represents only a small fraction of the 55,000 nuns whose congregations belong to the group, the same is true of the Franciscans. It would be interesting to see what a secret vote revealed about where the individual monks and nuns in these orders really stand. In one sense it makes no difference, the faith is not determined by popular vote and the religious "platform" isn't man made. But the "vote" by the Franciscan leaders and the letter released are great PR for the renegade nuns.
Frankly, it didn't surprise me. I know some renegade Franciscans from my days in Christian Family Movement. One, Fr. Ken Himes, who ended up later as the head of the Catholic Theological Society and now heads the Theology Department at Boston College, defended abortion as a seminarian. I remember the night he told our CFM group he held the same position as Fr. Robert Drinan. I felt physically ill. And his long, subsequent career in LaLa Land still makes me sad. Many religious who rise to leadership positions are politicians, as many of the dissident nuns illustrate. When people ask, "Why do they stay in the Church when they don't believe what she teaches?" I respond, "That's where the power is. The media only care what they think because they attack the Church from within. If they leave, they lose their platform" So stay they do and enjoy the secular world's approbation. Too bad they can't take it into eternity.
If you have any doubts that it's all about politics, take a look at the nuns' strategy for responding to the Vatican. Not only are they gathering supporters, but selling T-shirts, developing a Facebook page, and organizing a bus tour to attack Congressman Paul Ryan. NETWORK, the nuns' lobby group that works hand in hand with LCWR, is headed by Sr. Simone Campbell who attended the signing of Obamacare and received a hug from the president.
The Vatican will come out looking like the demon in this fight because the Church is not about PR and many of the dissenters have their hands in the deep pockets of rich Church haters like George Soros But we have something they don't have -- the truth and the power of the Holy Spirit. When the victory comes it will be to the honor and glory of God alone because the enemies of the Church despite all their money and worldly power cannot prevail against the God's Church.
The Vatican will come out looking like the demon in this fight because the Church is not about PR and many of the dissenters have their hands in the deep pockets of rich Church haters like George Soros But we have something they don't have -- the truth and the power of the Holy Spirit. When the victory comes it will be to the honor and glory of God alone because the enemies of the Church despite all their money and worldly power cannot prevail against the God's Church.
14 comments:
Maybe they will get a reality TV show. Kyrie Eleison. It is a free fall down the rabbit hole, isn't it?
I don't care what you say Mary Ann, when I see those men in Rome living in luxury, eating in the best of restaurants, travelling first class, and I see the nuns wearing second-hand clothes and living in the inner city and working with abused women, I can see who takes the Gispel seriously and who doesn't. I want to be more like the good sisters than these pompous bureaucrats And I hear a lot of religion but very little Gospel in your blog so you aren't the best advocate against the sisters. I'm sure you're a good mother and grandmother--from a human point of view--but I don't see much of Jesus in what you write like the pharisees you are concerned about the pots and the dishes and neglect the greater matter of hte law--justice, pealce, and the joy that comes form the Holy Spirit
Funny that you picked that scripture verse. It's one that I read just this morning and it stood out to me. It's a good verse to ponder. When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?
St. Thomas More wore some pretty fine clothes, but he wore a hairshirt underneath to remind him of the poor, and that everything he had could be taken away from him because it was only by God's grace he had it. Who knows what those men Annonymous at 8:15 on June 10th mentioned are wearing underneath those fine robes and what Crown of Thorns comes from having to decide such weighty issues, or what white or red martydom they might have in store for them in the future. Pray for them. They need it. Many of them get hit from the left and the right.
Anonymous 8:15 PM, You're talking about the wrong nuns. Sr. Carol Keehan makes almost a million dollars a year. Do you think she dresses in rags and eats beans for dinner? I'd like to know what the head of NETWORK makes as a salary. If I find out I'll post it. She's a lawyer and I'm betting it's not peanuts.
And many of these nuns aren't working with the poor, they teach liberal theology at universities and run around the world giving speeches.
You need to distinguish between the good nuns and the bad ones. And the ones who are being interviewed by NPR and the National Catholic Reporter are bad nuns. They talk about and use the poor just like Bill Clinton used to talk about the children. Some of them are deathscorts at abortion mills.
There are bad clerics, but so are there bad nuns and brothers. And many of them are in the category of those who "cry peace, peace and there is no peace." NETWORK, the liberal social justice lobby, doesn't care a wit about the greatest injustice of our time -- murder of the unborn. Many are busier lobbying for the wetlands than caring for the poor.
I have read your newsletter—and now your blog—since moving back to Great Falls from Paris about fifteen years ago. My husband and I belong to Saint Matthew Cathedral Parish in the District because we got spoiled in Europe with a more traditional liturgy, but we find the preaching in the “traditional” parishes of Arlington diocese to be vapid in content and toxic in tone. On the other hand, where you get good preaching you get liturgies that are just too outre for our taste. Monsignor Jamison provides prayerful liturgy with sound homilies. I have to agree with Anonymous 8:15—reading you over the years I find you to be like the Pharisees—right intentioned but caught up in the superficialities of the faith and missing the point of the Gospels. Maybe our years in the Order of Malta have just given us a different perspective, but I don’t find that you express the faith of the Church, but simply try to baptize Catholic a rather narrow and inexperienced worldview that comes from social prejudices rather than our Catholic heritage.
From Anonymous June 18th at 9:02 PM, I meant to write to Anonymous June 18th, not June 10th. I had the correct time, though (8:15 PM). It gets tricky with all us Anonymouses or should I write Anonymae. The ending looks better in Latin, no "mouses". Have a good laugh on that one. It is actually from Greek, but I do not know Greek endings.
I'm familiar with the Cathedral parish, Anonymous from Paris. And I'm not surprised that you find my blog provincial. Personally, I would rather get outre sermons (whatever you mean by that) than belong to one of the "gay friendly" parishes like St. Matthews.
http://www.gaychurch.org/find_a_church/united_states/us_district_of_columbia.htm
All sinners should be welcome at all parishes and be challenged to turn from their sins to eternal life. That's not exactly what homosexuals mean when they label a parish "gay friendly." Love me love my sin.
As for being "narrow and inexperienced," to an old geezer like me that sounds like a compliment - makes me sound young and innocent. Oh for those days. LOL!
Well, anonymous june 18, 9:02/ June 19, 2:36 I suppose it could be a hair shirt and not hte 5 course lunchs at Da Roberto in the Borgo Pio that adds all the bulk under Cardinal Burke's scarlet silk, but somehow I doubt it These guys are living like Princes. Cardinal Burke's quarters in Santa Maria Maggiore were known to be the most elegant of all the Cardinals when his altrnative was a Boston jail cell. I'm still with the nuns--these prelates may be an alter Christus by virtue of ordination but hte "light to the Gentiles" are the good sisters
You're obviously confusing Cardinal Burke with Cardinal Law. Cardinal Burke was never in Boston.
They don't leave, because their purpose is to destroy the One True Church, not to begin another of the 30,000 Protestant sects. Satan is pulling the strings behind these heretics.
Roger
Well, Blog Mistress Mary Ann, it was more to my point that while our purpose in Malta is primarily the ministry to the sick, and the sick poor in particular, it does put us in the company of and conversation with official church circles with which your bucolic life in the Shenandoah leaves you somewhat unfamiliar and that, while your blog is at times spot on, at other times your understanding of our faith is insufficiently nuanced to be as faithful to the magisterium as you might want your readers to think. As I said previously, you are—I am sure—well intentioned, but that doesn’t mean that always correctly apprehend all the nuances of official Church teaching and consequently you leave your readers under some false impressions. And as for Saint Matthew’s being “gay friendly,” I am not sure what you mean. I presume there are homosexuals who go to Mass there as I presume there are homosexuals who attend whatever parish it is where you hear Mass but it is hardly Dignity or whatever they call themselves. And, after all, Jesus sat at table with sinners so I have no problem attending Mass with gay or lesbian Catholics.
You missed the point of my comment on homosexuals. I have no problem going to Mass with anyone. But St. Matthews has a reputation for allowing active homosexuals who are publicly living the gay lifestyle to be leaders in ministries. The article on this website is a strong indication that is true. http://notpukingrainbows.com/2011/04/21/gaycatholic/
Several times you have indicated that I am not presenting the real Catholic faith, but you haven't given a single example. I would like to know where I have deviated so I can correct any misinformation or distortion I've presented. You give me credit for meaning well, but, as my mom used to say, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions," so if I'm presenting a gospel different from that of Jesus Christ I want to know where I've erred.
So please give some specifics.
Yes, Mary Anne, she certainly got her cardinals mixed up like she gets her nuns mixed up, which proves she is not very knowledgeable, or that she agrees with the immoral teachings of some of the nuns who are being corrected. I believe it is probably the later. She thinks two wrongs make a right, a very dangerous mistake for the salvation of the soul.
Post a Comment