Signs of the times…
First, Archbp. Vincenzo Paglia – head of the Pontifical Academy for Life – did an interview for RU-486‘s (aka The Tablet) with the writer most suited for that sort of intercourse. You will recall that when Paglia was bishop of Terni he commissioned for the apse of their cathedral a fresco of a homoerotic scrum featuring himself, visible in a zucchetto and not much else. I won’t post an image.
Paglia says that some day the Church’s teaching on contraception will be reversed by some Pope. Really helpful. Some, reading that, will say to themselves, “If it is going to be reversed someday, we might as well do it now.” Surely then woke-bishops will coo at such suggestions and offer accompaniment and smiling synodality (“walking together-ity”). But, some also believe that Traditionis custodes will be reversed, too, so we should simply ignore it now. Surely then woke-bishops will… will…. well, maybe not.
Moreover, if you are not on board with this, you are fighting against the Holy Spirit. Because defense of anything traditional these days is against the Holy Spirit. Not only that, you are also sick in the head (which would be a mitigating factor in resisting the Holy Spirit, I guess – but why be consistent?).
Follow this line of thought as reported via LifeSite…
[…]
“Today what is always important to us is to be really pro-life in a manner that is effective and in no way ideological,” Paglia stated. The archbishop added that “we’re interested in demolishing – how to say – the ideological prejudices that contaminate reflection, contaminate public opinion. And they prevent broad engagement across the board.”
Paglia also argued that discussions “about abortion or euthanasia have become ideologized,” without expanding on what he meant by such a statement.
However, he gave a hint on his thoughts when he attacked Catholics who Lamb described as being opposed to “even having a theological dialogue about certain moral questions.”
“I say to those who oppose discussing these issues: I think there is a deep problem of faithfulness to the Spirit,” argued Paglia. “And that is to say, that it is a pathology, it is a sick faith. And faith in the formula and not in the Spirit. I would say it runs the risk of blocking the Spirit.”
[…]
So, if you are against “progress” in moral issues – the sort of “progress” that entirely reverses what the Church has consistently taught, you are, in terms of faith, sick, pathological.
What sort of “progress” might Paglia be interested in dialoging about?
Second, LifeSite also reported on an interview given by the Bishop of Aachen (Germany aka caput omnium malorum) to Deutsche Welle. He says that sex acts between people of the same sex are a manifestation of the sexual diversity “willed by God”.
[…]
The German prelate said that the “current state of Church teaching does not do justice to certain realities in the area of human sexuality.” Dieser called the Church’s teaching on sexuality “too simplified.”
“This applies, for example, to the question of homosexuality,” Dieser continued. “We cannot give homosexual people the answer that their feelings are unnatural and that they must therefore live celibate lives. As a Church, we have to answer these questions in a new way.”
The German prelate claimed that “the science” would show that homosexuality is “not a mishap, not a disease, not an expression of a deficit, nor, by the way, a consequence of original sin.”
“The world is colorful and creation is diverse,” Dieser stated. “And then I may also accept a diversity in the area of sexuality that is willed by God and does not violate the Creator’s will.”
This is not the first time that Dieser expressed his view that homosexuality is “willed by God.” He made the same assertion in an interview in September, in which he also claimed that contraception “strengths the protection of life.”
When asked by the interviewer if God opposes “a man loving a man or a woman loving a woman,” Dieser replied that “same-sex attraction and lovemaking is not an aberration, but a variant of human sexuality.”
Dieser said that he used to think that homosexuality was a “limitation in male or female identity,” that “young people” have changed his mind, and that he learned that his old views are not “theologically binding.”
Furthermore, the German prelate said that the German bishops want to ask Pope Francis to change the catechism on this matter, as the heterodox Synodal Way has called for.
[…]
The Dictatorship of Relativism and the Culture of Death come together in the following.
Third, … I hope this is a spoof, really… someone dropped me a note a virtual reality headset that kills you if your character dies in a video game. Yup.
The inventor is Palmer Luckey, who is a defense contractor and a key figure in virtual reality technology. He was a founder of Oculus which Facebook bought for $3 billion. Luckey wrote in a blog post: “Pumped up graphics might make a game look more real, but only the threat of serious consequences can make a game feel real to you and every other person in the game.”
[…]
It was only a matter of time.
Okay, everyone, back to the Matrix. I’ll leave alone the story about the guy who has invented DIY “assisted-death” pods, “Sarco pods”. Really.
But before you get plugged in again, might I suggest that you…
- pray a Rosary,
- perform an act of reparation,
- GO TO CONFESSION!
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Episcopus vacerosus est.
Let’s see…according to Archbishop Paglia of ye olde graphically sacriligious church mural infamy, sodomite physical activity = good, but defending unborn babies = bad.
I’m thinking even Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ has limits to his patience. Yes, we laity must take up our spiritual weapons and use them, in my case, a rosary with a First Class relic of St. Padre Pio in the centerpiece. No cavalry is going to riding to the rescue out of Vatican City State for the foreseeable future.
This is all so sickening. Especially the German bishop’s comments. But as someone involved with the Couple to Couple League and other such organizations, I have fought hard as a Catholic husband and father to uphold the Church’s teaching on marriage, regulation of births, etc. To hear Archbishop Paglia undermine our Lord’s teaching once again brings me great sadness. But it also makes me most irritate. He says those “opposed to ‘even having a theological dialogue about certain moral questions'” have a “sick faith”. What would he say to the following, then, from a certain Polish pontiff who founded his Academy?
“[E]ven within the Christian community voices have been heard, and are still being heard, which cast doubt upon the very truth of the Church’s teaching. This teaching has been vigorously expressed by Vatican II, by the Encyclical Humane Vitae, by the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio and by the recent Instruction “The Gift of Life”. A grave responsibility derives from this: those who place themselves in open conflict with the law of God, authentically taught by the Church, guide spouses along a false path. The Church’s teaching on contraception does not belong to the category of matter open to free discussion among theologians. Teaching the contrary amounts to leading the moral consciences of spouses into error” (Address to participants in a study seminar on responsible procreation: June 5, 1987). Link to Italian: https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/it/speeches/1987/june/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19870605_procreazione-responsabile.html
Or how would he respond to this:
“[I]n their effort to live their conjugal love correctly, married couples can be seriously impeded by a certain hedonistic mentality widespread today, by the mass media and by ideologies and practices contrary to the Gospel. This can also come about, with truly grave and destructive consequences, when the doctrine taught by the Encyclical [Humane Vitae] is called into question, as has sometimes happened, even on the part of some theologians and pastors of souls. This attitude, In fact, can instill doubt with regard to a teaching which for the Church is certain; in this way it clouds the perception of a truth which cannot be questioned. This is not a sign of ‘pastoral understanding,’ but of misunderstanding the true good of persons. Truth cannot be measured by majority opinion” (Address to the participants at the Fourth International Congress for Families in Africa and Europe: March 14, 1988). Link to Italian: https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/it/speeches/1988/march/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19880314_famiglia-africa-europa.html
Or even more to the point, what would Archbishop Paglia say to this:
“By describing the contraceptive act as intrinsically illicit, Paul VI meant to teach that the moral norm is such that it does not admit exceptions. No person or social circumstances could ever, can now, or will ever, render such an act lawful in itself. The existence of particular norms regarding man’s way of acting in the world, which are endowed with a binding force that excludes always and in whatever situation the possibility of exceptions, is a constant teaching of the Tradition and of the Church’s Magisterium which cannot be called in question by the Catholic theologian (translation of John F. Kippley).” Ai partecipanti al II Congresso Internazionale di Teologia Morale (12 novembre 1988): https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/it/speeches/1988/november/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19881112_teologia-morale.html
Does Archbishop Paglia believe that Pope St. John Paul II has a pathologically sick faith? Does he believe that pathology, it is a sick faith. Does he believe that St. John Paul does not have faith in the Holy Spirit? That St. John Paul “runs the risk of blocking the [Holy] Spirit” by saying that this matter of contraception is NO LONGER OPEN to discussion by the theologian?
God have mercy on us all.
Professor Roberto De Mattei’s book on Pius V helps one trust in Christ’s promise regarding the Church. These ‘modern’ voices are no different than the heretics in Pius’ time.
ATTENTION PLEASE ! Sexual relations between a Man and Woman aka Husband and Wife , is for producing children and raising them int the Catholic Faith.
Does God allow physical pleasure to come from this, Yes.
The Archbishop failed to catch his spelling error. Homosexual sex is not diversity but perversity.
Regarding the VR Headset, whether intentional or not (I’m not sure), it is a strong reference to an anime/manga/light novel series called Sword Art Online, which, in the first story arc, features just such a technology. At the time, the story was set to start in the not-too-distant future of November/December of 2022.
Without knowing anything about the person who claims to have made this VR headset, I would guess it was a PR stunt to play off the anime. There are mixed reviews on the series, but I happen to like it.
”However, he gave a hint on his thoughts when he attacked Catholics who Lamb described as being opposed to “even having a theological dialogue about certain moral questions.” ”
The first theological dialogue was between Eve and the devil.
Nothing has changed.
Fathers. we need to do more 40 hours Devotion in reparation! Consistently. How much patience does God have?
Lord, have mercy on us.
vacerrosus -> vacerrosus (sorry for the typo)
It’s impossible not to regret all the Catholics who still pay attention to these men. It’s sad to think of anyone being influenced by them, one supposes it still happens, the Catholic world is a big one. But it also seems that many have written these men off for good. Many probably do not pay one bit of attention to what they say, and perhaps Vatican audiences reflect this, the crowds are no longer there, it’s down to a trickle. If you took out the seniors, far fewer again.
We shouldn’t have to live in a parallel universe of Catholicism, but that’s where we are. To some degree Novus Ordo Catholicism is still chained to these guys, or anchored really. The TLM in various iterations is not. I can’t help but encourage Catholics who find this whole thing demoralizing or depressing, leave it behind. Find the TLM. Cling to Christ, His Mother, Our Lady, the saints, devotions, the Rosary, scripture, prayer. These are the weirdest of times, but God is the same today as He ever was. God doesn’t change, what was good and true yesterday is the same today. Leave these pagan modernists their church. What have they to do with us. We have faithful priests and a few faithful bishops. We should cling to what we knew and know and support the faithful men and religious left. These are very hard times, for them. We don’t know what the future holds but we can guess. No matter what these men at the top of the ladder do, they will not end the Traditional Latin Mass, which is our safe harbor. Let them rail and shake their fists at God.
What sort of “progress” might Paglia be interested in dialoging about?
Hmmm. That’s a tough one, Father. I’ll have a look at the apse at the Terni Cathedral, maybe that will provide a hint.
Does Archbishop Paglia believe that Pope St. John Paul II has a pathologically sick faith?
I am confident that he does think that. He would have voted JPII off the bus if he had the opportunity. The nasty thing was Francis – knowing Paglia and his views – appointing him to run the JPII Institute: it was as direct a slap in the face of John Paul as he could manage, post mortem. Nice pope. All nice and welcoming…if you don’t like the Catholic Church. But if you believe the Catholic Church and its ACTUAL teachings, no love for you.
Abp Paglia is just another shallow careerist who will say whatever he thinks will give him an advanced post. It is interesting that such spiritual and intellectual voids are still crawling about in the Church. I wonder whether Paglia is familiar with the phrase “Nuremberg Defense”.
Dieser is another matter. A good friend who is a Swiss priest and an admirer of German industriousness said to me that for some reason Germans insist on committing suicide every 70 years. To his comments I added the reflection of my and Fr Z’s late, great Latin teacher (like yours truly, half German). You know those people up there (in Germany) and just waiting for someone to line them up and march them off a cliff.”
I am reminded that during my Roman years I heard that Cardinal Ratzinger was trying to make the likes of Cardinal Sodano and Re understand that there were serious problems in Germany . . . To no avail.
It was also my impression that Italians and most nationalities feared the Germans. The only exceptions were Americans (US) and the English.
Laity, our leftist bishops and priests are only stumbling blocks to us at this point (not ALL of them, obviously, — only the non-Catholic, leftist ones). If our priests/bishops, after our sincere, repeated efforts to reform policies, will not work with us to strengthen the faith, we need to start working AROUND them.
– Homeschool. Number one priority. Join or start Catholic homeschool playgroups/teen groups.
– Evangelize friends, acquaintances, and strangers despite the resistance of leftist priests and bishops. St. Paul Street Evangelization teaches you how to do it easily and effectively. Invite neighbors to your home for dinner, put up a Catholic calendar at work, ask friends in need if you can pray with them, etc. The book “Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions,” by Greg Koukl (a Protestant), is excellent.
– Teach the faith and make disciples of kids in your parish and adult Catholics, in your own homes if nothing else, despite leftist priests. Do Ascension Press Bible studies, etc., as private, invited study groups. [Private groups will have the same lures to pedophiles as parishes do, so be sure to use the old Boy Scout rules of always having two adults in any room with kids, never just one; the adult pairs should change often and randomly; and document everything – who’s in charge at each meeting, etc.]
– KofC guys, start holding twice-yearly Rosary & Marian processions through town despite the leftist priests. Invite them to participate… and maybe they will! Maybe you can even have Eucharistic processions, if you get the ball rolling and the priest gets on board. But otherwise, work around them.
We can do all of this in a very kind, non-threatening way… just be enthusiastic laypeople who are willing to do more, without requiring any funding or time from the parish or priest.
Time to change the Ten Commandments to Ten Topics for Discussion.
Maybe even making this comment is unwise…it might give them ideas.
Not very original on Paglia’s part. It was always a quick resort of the Bolsheviks to dismiss dissidents with the accusation of mental illness.
Well, how about some good news for a change? Found out just yesterday that the Norbertine Fathers from California, whom I understand are quite orthodox, are establishing a catechetical institute and satellite community right here in Springfield IL. It will be callled the Evermode Institute.
But wait… there’s more! Right next door to the Institute, Dr Gianna Emmanuela Molla – daughter of St Gianna Molla – plans to build an international pro-life and family center in honor of BOTH her parents. She’s hoping it will become an internationall pilgrimage destination eventually.
You can thank our most excellent Excellency, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, for bringing these projects to central Illinois. Check out the recent podcasts at dio.org for more.
” What would he say to the following, then, from a certain Polish pontiff who founded his Academy?”
Why would he say or listen to anything a certain Polish pontiff said since he doesn’t even listen to a certain son of God the Father and His own words, “In the beginning he made them, male and female…”
The VR headset thing is definitely related to Sword Art Online, as the blog author makes clear in the article. It’s only a spoof in the sense that it’s not on the level of the NerveGear from SAO since it doesn’t have total immersion nor the specific kill mechanism from SAO. It’s far cruder in that it has small explosives in the headset programmed to detonate under certain pre-determined conditions. So still insane, but not yet SAO insane.
In the anime the people using the headset weren’t aware of the kill mechanism, which was hidden by its creator. However, after the initial story arc and the headsets were “fixed” people still used them. To be honest, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if lots of people in our world would choose to use them knowing there was a kill mechanism.
The most ominous aspect of the post is this line: “It is also, as far as I know, the first non-fiction example of a VR device that can actually kill the user. It won’t be the last.”
Actually, that’s incorrect. It’s this line: “I am convinced that, like in SAO, the final triggering should really be tied to a high-intelligence agent that can readily determine if conditions for termination are actually correct.”
“the young convinced me”
Translation: sin always polls well