What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

From the liberal daily The Guardian comes this with me emphases and comments:  

Rowan Williams urges Rome to rethink position on female bishops
 

    * Riazat Butt and John Hooper in Rome
    * guardian.co.uk, Thursday 19 November 2009 19.50 GMT

The archbishop of Canterbury insists there is more uniting Anglicans and Catholics than dividing them.

The archbishop of Canterbury today pleaded with Roman Catholics to set aside their differences with Anglicans over the issue of female bishops, [?] insisting there was more uniting the denominations than dividing them.

Rowan Williams was giving a lecture in Rome before Saturday’s meeting with the pope, their first encounter since the Vatican’s surprise announcement of a special institution for traditionalist Anglicans wanting to convert to Catholicism.

In his address at the Gregorian University, Williams said the Anglican communion was proof that churches could stay together in spite of their differences.  [And what a great job they have done of it!]

The communion has teetered on the edge of schism for nearly a decade over the issue of gay clergy but has retained a sliver of fellowship. Williams urged Roman Catholics to continue their 35-year dialogue with Anglicans in spite of theological and ideological divisions.  [I don’t think there was any question of that.]

He said: "The various agreed statements of the churches stress that the church is a community, in which human beings are made sons and daughters of God.

"When so much agreement has been established in first-order matters about the identity and mission of the church, is it justifiable to treat other issues as equally vital for its health and integrity?"  [So… what would those secondary issues be?]

Those issues included papal primacy, female clergy and the relations between the local and universal church in making decisions. "Is there a level of mutual recognition which allows a shared theological understanding of primacy alongside a diversity of canonical and juridical arrangements?" he wondered.   [In other words, forget about the Petrine dimension of the Church and accept women priests and bishops… for the sake of these other "first order" matters, which I assume would be something like belief in the Trinity, Incarnation, Resurrection, etc.]

Williams challenged Roman Catholic thinking on female bishops, saying there was no proof that their ordination damaged the church.  [You mean other than the fact it is it contrary to the God’s will, the Christian tradition, and the obvious rifts it has caused in the Anglican Church.  Hey!  Other than that, its fine!]

For his part the "ecumenical glass" was "genuinely half-full". [Why wouldn’t people want a fuller glass?] Catholics and Anglicans had achieved "striking" agreement on the broader questions. All that stood between them now were the "second order" issues of church organisation.  [If ordination is solely about "organization", then Williams has a point about female clergy.  In that case, anyone who is competent can do it.  But the nature of the clergy, the priesthood in particular, is of fundamental importance to who the Church is.]

In an explicit but fleeting reference to the pope’s move last month, Williams said it was an "imaginative pastoral response, but did not break any new ecclesiological ground." His speech was aimed at reviving dialogue between Anglicans and Catholics. But it also carried an implicit threat that there would be little point in continuing if the Catholic side continued to insist that the obstacles were insuperable.

Williams said: "The question is whether this unfinished business is quite as fundamental as our Roman Catholic friends believe."

He seemed tense, biting the sides of his fingers while he listened to the speaker who followed. His anxiety is understandable.

Bishop Brian Farrell, the secretary of the Vatican department that deals with ecumenical dialogue, told him: "You have certainly presented us with a challenge." [Which is pretty much a way of saying, politely, "Nice try."]

From newpaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis The Catholic Spirit with my emphases and comments:

New archdiocesan speaker policy to aid administrators
By The Catholic Spirit  
Thursday, 19 November 2009

The following new speaker policy was recommended to Archbishop John C. Nienstedt by the Archdiocesan Presbyteral Council on Nov. 11 and approved by the archbishop that same day.

The following policy is offered to help pastors and administrators of any Catholic institution or organization in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis as they consider inviting speakers and/or granting awards.

To be considered for invitation, the person should be in good standing [which probably means not excommunicated or under interdict] with the Roman Catholic Church. [Here we go! ...] The speaker’s writings and previous public presentations must also be in harmony with the teaching and discipline of the church. A priest who left the ministerial priesthood without dispensation would not be eligible for consideration.

Those in irregular marriages or those living a lifestyle at variance with church teaching would also not be eligible.

Pastors/administrators should make a prudential judgment after appropriate research about the suitability of a speaker in light of the above criteria. If there are any questions needing clarification, they should feel free to confer with the archdiocesan Office of Commu­nica­tions.

For any archdiocesan-sponsored program, the moderator of the curia considers proposed speakers according to criteria listed above. If the speaker would also be addressing seminarians at St. John Vianney or the St. Paul Seminary, the seminary administration would need to grant concurrence.

[Here we go again…] Politicians and candidates for pub­lic office — regardless of their relationship with the Catholic Church — should never be invited to speak during or after the holy Eucharist. An appearance of a political candidate or incumbent government official on church property is at the discretion of the local pastor/administrator and only if consistent with the political activity guidelines issued by the United States Con­fe­rence of Catholic Bishops. [Can we assume that the politician may therefore not be pro-abortion?] Similarly, if a parish intends to host a candidate or other political forum, that must be done in keeping with the United States Conference of Cath­o­lic Bishops and Minnesota Cath­o­lic Con­ference guidelines. It should be clear that none of the candidates enjoy endorsement by the church.

With regard to granting of honorary awards, degrees, special recognition or commendation, the archdiocese abides by the 2004 policy of the United States Conference of Cath­olic Bishops that we should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms that might suggest support for their actions.  [Indeed!]

I wonder if there is any such stated policy in South Bend?

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) hasn’t been one of my favorite US Senators (though he is pro-life).

This moment, however, deserves attention.

Watch the Senator vaporizes Attorney General Eric Holder in hearing.  The Senator asks the Attorney General about the federal prosecution of terrorists as if they were criminals. 

This heat up about 2 minutes in and the whole thing is about 9 minutes long, you don’t have to pay much attention after Holder tries to rebut.

Today is the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.   It wasn’t much attended at the moment, but over time it has been recognized one of the greatest public speeches ever delivered.

Four and a half months after the Battle of Gettysburg, on the afternoon of Thursday 19 November 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered a "few appropriate remarks" at the dedication of the cemetery for fallen soldiers.

After a 13,607 word speech by Edward Everett, the President’s address consisted of 10 sentences in 272 words.

This address took me only about 2 minutes to read aloud.






 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

 

 The Gettysburg Address [2:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

From a priest reader, Fr. Johansen:

Chant Workshop This Saturday!

This Saturday, November 21, Fr. David Grondz of St. Philip Neri House and I will be conducting an Introductory Gregorian Chant Workshop. We have had great success with these in the past, and contiune to attract interest. So far we have about 30 people signed up!

With this workshop coming just before Advent, we will give special attention to chants of the Advent season.

So, Catholics in Michigan and beyond – come and learn the music which is most truly that of the Liturgy!

No previous knowledge of Chant required – This is truly for beginners!

Saturday, November 21, 2009
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Hackett Central Catholic High School
1000 E. Kilgore Rd.
Kalamazoo, Michigan.

For more information or to RSVP call St. Philip Neri House at (269) 385-9933, or e-mail to frdavid AT stphilipnerihouse DOT org.

(Hackett Central Catholic High School is in Kalamazoo, just a few minutes from I-94.)

Cost: $30.00 per person (includes lunch and a copy of the Parish Book of Chant).

Sponsored by St. Philip Neri House.

From CNA:

Terminally ill priest meets with Pope, offers sufferings for the Church

Vatican City, Nov 19, 2009 / 02:02 pm (CNA).- Father Luigi Squarcia, a pastor in the Italian town of Acquapendente who has suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease for the last four years, met with Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday and offered his “sufferings for the good of the Church.”

After the meeting with the Holy Father in Paul VI Hall, Father Squarcia said, “I came to offer the Pope my sufferings for the good of the Church.  I am here, for the first time, after years of working with the parishioners and the children at our school.”

Now, he told L’Osservatore Romano, “I can no longer move my arms or legs and I know I will lose my speech and later maybe the ability to breathe.”  He noted that more people than ever are coming to him for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Lou Gehrig’s disease is a serious neuromuscular disorder that causes muscle weakness, disability and eventually death.

This is nice.

From the site Priests in Crisis.

There is a "pray for a priest" package you can get… and then hopefully use!

You can also come up with your own ways to support a priest.

 

Z-Cam & Radio Sabina, or "Fr Z TV" is on the air most of the time!

Watch the feeder and very often windows of the chapel and also my office.

Live Broadcasting by Ustream

There is Z-Chat in a chatroom from time to time.  I send out Tweets about when it is open via Twitter.  (Latin pipata, or "tweets" from pipio "to twitter, chirp")


Open as a pop up.

"tuppence a bag…"

Well… far more than tuppence, actually…. HELP!



REGISTER to be able to post comments.

Am I off base here or is this just… wrong?

This comes to you from purity solutions: "artistic World-Class Churchware Proudly Mass in the USA for Over 60 Years".

D’ya s’pose they have a ShamWOW in liturgical colors for those pesky Precious Blood Dispenser accidents?

There is an important poll on the site of the Independent Weekly, in South Australia.

From a reader:

I have some South American friends who are from a ‘lay community’ who are showing a strong intrest in the Latin Mass. I wanted to buy a Latin-Spanish 1962 hand missal for them for Christmas. Could you or your readers recommend something good (not being a Spanish speaker!)?

No idea.

Readers?

From a reader:

Father, did you see this: http://masswepray.com/ ? A game for Nintendo Wii simulating Holy Mass. At first I thought it’s a hoax, but "gameplay movies" look quite real. Someone put a lot of effort into it. Maybe some of WDTPRS readers can shed some light on this matter. I also wonder what you, as a priest, think about such games. Personally I’m feeling a bit uneasy.

I don’t know what to say.

An initial reaction would be….

well….

I don’t know.

Okay, if forced to say something I would have to make two observations and a question.

First, perhaps this could be a tool for instruction.

Second, whatever we do concerning Holy Mass should bring us to an encounter with mystery.  I am not sure this will do that.

That said, is Master Chief one of the ministers?  Is he, perhaps, an usher somewhere?  Can we take prayer books from our "allies", or throw sticky grenades if the priest says something stupid?

Kudos to Mulier Fortis!

Card. Kaspar about the Anglican ordinariates.

The gentlemanly Sandro Magister has this.

From Vincenzo, the official WDTPRS photoshopper, comes this homage to guerrilla warfare at the meeting of the USCCB.

During the USCCB plenary meeting there was a riveting report from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice about sexual abuse of minors by priests.

Armed with statistics, she hammered seminary formation in the 60’s and 70’s.  An increase in the number of homosexuals entering seminary in 70’s lead to an increase in abusers.

Furthermore, the studies confirmed that some 80% of the victims were male, boys.

However, there was also a comment made about whether homosexuality should be a factor in excluding men from the seminary.  The response came "If that exclusion were based on the fact that that person would be more probable than any other candidate to abuse, we do not find that at this time."

I will at this point recall to your minds that the Holy See issued a strong document treating this very subject and that document is not optional. 

But you can be sure that this response during the Q&A period will be trotted out by all who desire to set aside anything from the Holy See on this matter, or common sense for that matter.

One sally onto to this field comes from, big surprise here, the Jesuit weekly America.  James Martin, SJ wrote:

Let’s hope that this study helps the bishops to continue their work in combating sexual abuse in the priesthood, and also begins to bring to a close the false conflation of homosexuality and pedophilia, and the vilification of celibate gay priests.

Leaving aside the question of how a homosexual functions as a priest, alter Christus, for a Church which is Christ’s Spouse, other points of concern remain.

First, look at the sex of the great majority of victims.

Second, reread the Holy See’s document on seminary formation.

At the same time, this is from Fr. Martin, SJ, saying "This is either the funniest thing I’ve ever seen or the scariest.  Or a pretty good hoax.  "

I don’t know about you, but I am a little tired of the suggestion (from churchmen who shall remain nameless, out of respect for those who are offended by gender-exclusive language) that people are too stooopid to understand the new translation which, God willing, we will be able to use before the Lord returns.

Let me put this to you this way:

Are you stooopid or something?

Okay, boys and girls, let’s have a test!

Let’s read the new and improved text of the Creed used at Mass.

Here we go!   I will flag in RED the parts that might be tooo haaard.  Skip them if you have to.

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
consubstantial* with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit
was incarnate* of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake
he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated
at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
[...] And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord,
the giver of life, who proceeds
from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son
is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
[...] And one, holy, catholic
and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection
of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

I mentioned Zuhlsdorf’s Law in another post.

Apparently, and for no reason I can discern, the self-registration function here switched itself off.

I was wondering why I didn’t see new registrations coming in for my thumbs up (or down, as the case may be).

Thus, I believe self-registration is functioning again.  I must approve registrations, which doesn’t always happen immediately… or ever if I don’t like what I see.

TIP: I like registrations that include something in the personal blurb category.  None of that appears to the reading public, just to me.  I tend to pay attention to and approve more quickly registrations with info in that category.

Remember: I have to approve these, and I don’t always get to them rapidly during the day, especially when I am traveling.