WDTPRS HIGHEST KUDOS to Norma Jean Coon!

Posted on 23 February 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Norma Jean Coon, A woman who did the “woman priest” thingie and simulated ordination to the diaconate has had a change of mind and heart.  She has a webpage where she explains herself.

My emphases and comments.  This starts off a bit odd, but keep reading.  This is not the usual stuff about women being ordained.  She becomes clearer and clearer until, at the end, she makes a deeply impressive conclusion!

I admire her courage.

Document of Renunciation of Ordination to Diaconate

On July 22, 2007, I was ordained to the diaconate [No, Ms. Coon, you weren’t.] by [pretend] Bishop Patricia Fresen, of Germany and South Africa who was [not] ordained by three male bishops in Germany for the group called Roman Catholic Women Priests. The [fake] ordination took place at the Santa Barbara Immaculate Heart Spiritual Center. Because neither Patricia Fresen nor myself were given permission for the ordination by Pope Benedict XVI, the ordinations were illegitimate and not recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. Thus an excommunication process called Latae Sententiae occurred, excommunicating oneself by failure to observe the Canon Laws of the Church. [There is a bit more to it than that.  NO Church authority gave permission or even could give permission because you are a woman and cannot be ordained to anything.  The statement Coon makes above buries the lead: “I am a woman and I cannot be ordained.” But read on!  What follows is amazing…]

I wish to renounce the alleged ordination [Here she says “alleged”.  This is a shift in language.  If it were a simple matter of lack of permission (and it involved a baptized man) the ordination would have been valid but illicit, much in the same way that SSPX ordinations are valid but illicit .  But in this case it was obviously invalid and it was also one of the graviora delicta.] and publicly state that I did not act as a deacon as a part of this group except on two occasions, when I read the gospel once at mass and distributed communion once at this same mass. I withdrew from the program within two weeks of the ceremony because I realized that I had made a mistake in studying for the priesthood. [AND HERE IT IS…] I confess to the truth of Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis . I confess the authority of the Holy Father on these issues of ordination and recognize that Christ founded the ordination only for men. [BRAVA!  Quite simply BRAVA!]

Formally, I relinquish all connection to the program of Roman Catholic Women Priests and I disclaim the alleged ordination publicly with apologies to those whose lives I have offended or scandalized by my actions. I ask God’s blessings upon each of these folks and their families.

Norma Jean Coon, RN, MFCC, PhD
San Diego, California
Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Going on she says…

Holy God, I ask your blessings on my Bishop and my pastor and priests in Rome who have assisted me in the process of being re-instated into the Roman Catholic Church and I forsake all connection with the Roman Catholic Women Priests program via Internet or otherwise.

I thank you for the efforts of my family in my behalf and ask for Jesus’ Light and Love to pour over my husband of 47 years and my five children.

Forgive me my Beloved Jesus and Mother Mary for pursuing my own will in this matter of ordination and as I consecrate myself to your Divine Will through the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I ask you to pour out Light and Love upon any who have placed themselves outside of your Love and Light Bless us, O Lord, for these thy gifts and place us in the Heart of the Father, as we pray for more priests to serve in our church and for vocations to enrich our Church in the United States.

Forgive us for failing in obedience and enrich us in your Holy Love, I pray through Jesus and Mary. Fiat+

Okay.  I am impressed.

WDTPRS HIGHEST KUDOS to Norma Jean Coon.

I will say Holy Mass for her and her family later this week.  I ask you readers to stop and say a pray for them as well.

Biretta tip   o{]:¬)   to Rorate.

Posted in Fr. Z KUDOS | Tagged
46 Comments

Mix up in reporting about ordaination of a married Lutheran minister

Posted on 23 February 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

VOTE FOR WDTPRSLiberals are having palpitations over the story that a "German man married to nun ordained as priest with pope's approval".  That is how AP put it. 

Here is what happened. Permission was given by Pope Beneditct XVI that a married Lutheran minister, Harm Kleuting, 61, be ordained a Catholic priest.  Now Fr. Klueting has been married for some time to Edeltraut (great name!)!  The accomplished Edeltraut, a medievalist – of course, has a webpage on which she identifies herself as a T.OCarm.  She is a tertiary.  She is a third order Carmelite.  She is not a fully professed Carmelite nun.  The now-Fr. Klueting had to have permission to be ordained because he was married, but he wasn't married to a nun.

Carmelites far and wide will correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think that tertiaries have to be dispensed to marry.  Am I wrong?

Anyway, AP seems to have adjusted its headline.   Let's see what the story looks like from the AP via NPR.

Married German Ordained As Catholic Priest

by The Associated Press

BERLIN February 22, 2011, 10:45 am ET

In a rare move that needed the pope's approval, a Lutheran convert was ordained Tuesday as a Catholic priest in Germany and is being allowed to remain married to his wife — who has already become a nun. [Again, Edeltraut seems to be a T.OCarm, a tertiary and not a fully professed Carmelite nun.  Third Order Carlmelites live in the world, rather than in community (usually) according to Carmelite spirituality.]

Harm Klueting, 61, was ordained by Archbishop Joachim Cardinal Meisner in a private ceremony at the city's seminary, the Cologne archdiocese said.

Pope Benedict XVI gave Klueting a special permission to remain married to his wife Edeltraut Klueting, who became a Catholic Carmelite nun [tertiary] in 2004.

The Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican's chief spokesman, said the exception is rare but there have been similar cases.

"It doesn't happen every day," he said.

Klueting and his wife were Lutherans when they married in 1977 and both served as Lutheran clerics before converting to Catholicism several years ago. They have two grown children.

The Cologne archdiocese said in a statement that [How many things are wrong with this next statement] the couple would not have to take the traditional vow of celibacy as long as they remain married — a highly unusual move since celibacy is normally a key requirement for Catholic priests.

Klueting and his family could not be reached for comment, and it was not clear whether they still lived together as a couple. [Perhaps becaaaaaaause… they are married and she is not, in fact, a Carmelite nun?]

Lombardi said he didn't have any specific information about the Kluetings, including what the pope said about the case.

Klueting is a professor for historical theology at the University of Cologne and teaches Catholic theology at Fribourg University in Switzerland. From now on, he also will provide services as a spiritual counselor for university students.

Cardinals HatThe archdiocese published pictures of the ordination ceremony showing Klueting with short gray hair and a beard, wearing a simple white priest vestment as he received his blessings from Meisner, who was wearing [Get this!] a festive yellow embroidered robe and a golden cardinal's hat.

In 1950, Pope Pius XII first allowed clergymen who had converted to Catholicism to remain married, the Cologne diocese said in its statement. However, each case has to be approved by the pope himself, the statement said, adding that in the past married priests also had been ordained in the German cities of Hamburg and Regensburg.

Last month, three former Anglican bishops were ordained as Catholic priests in London, becoming the first ex-bishops to take advantage of a new Vatican system designed to make it easier for Anglicans to embrace Roman Catholicism.

———

Frances D'Emilio contributed to this report from Rome.

 

Meanwhile, all this talk of Carmelites reminds me to remind you to refresh your coffee supply!  Help some professed Carmelites in Wyoming build their monastery and put groceries on the table!

Mix up in reporting about ordaination of a married Lutheran minister

Posted in Biased Media Coverage, Lighter fare, The Drill |
40 Comments

UK: Catholic Church rejects Govt. plans to allow homsexual “weddings” in churches

Posted on 23 February 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The other day I posted a new PODCAzT about the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's 2003 document Considerations regarding proposals to give legal recognition to unions between homosexual persons.

That CDF document, addressed to bishops, states in terms that cannot be misunderstood what the Catholic Church, and right reason, says about legal recognition of same-sex unions as if they were "marriages" and about doing all that is possible to stop the shift from toleration of homosexuality to legitimization.

Now I read this on the Telegraph blog of Damian Thompson.  My emphases and comments..

Catholic bishops mount ferocious attack on gay weddings. So why don't they want to talk to the press about it?

By Damian Thompson Religion Last updated: February 23rd, 2011

The Catholic Church in England and Wales has unequivocally condemned the Government’s plans to allow gay weddings in church. Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark has really torn into the Coalition on this one, even though Catholic churches wouldn’t be forced to hold gay weddings – or allowed to do so by the bishops. Here’s what the Archbishop said in a statement:

    No authority – civil or religious – has the power to modify the fundamental nature of marriage. [OOH-RAH!  WDTPRS KUDOS to Archbp. Smith.]

    The Equality Act was amended to permit civil partnerships on religious premises, which unhelpfully blurs the distinction previously upheld by parliament and the courts between marriage and civil partnerships.

    A consenting minister is perfectly free to hold a religious ceremony either before or after a civil partnership. That is a matter of religious freedom, but it requires no legislation by the state. [That's the point. And that is what the CDF document addressed.] We do not believe it is either necessary or desirable to allow the registration of civil partnerships on religious premises. These will not take place in Catholic churches.

As Riazat Butt notes in the Guardian, Archbishop Smith is implicitly condemning not just politicians but other religions who solemnise gay partnerships in church, synagogues or wherever. Strong stuff, particularly compared to the bishops’ earlier evasiveness over civil partnerships.

[…]

Then Damian gets into media coverage/reaction/availability, etc.

He does have an interesting aside:

It’s a myth, incidentally, that the Catholic Communications Network played a significant part in the success of the papal visit: much of the work of keeping journalists informed was done by the Catholic Herald.

Remember that there is still time to get the discount on the digital version of the Catholic Herald.

Posted in Fr. Z KUDOS, One Man & One Woman, Our Catholic Identity, The future and our choices | Tagged , , ,
6 Comments

Turn about is fair play

Posted on 23 February 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I posted a cartoon about a parish bulletin here in which the character, writing the parish bulletin, picks on a parishioner who is a parsimonious lick-penny.

Giving equal time…

Turn about is fair play

Posted in Lighter fare |
5 Comments

Dog Bites Man! Sun Rises In East! SSPX, Holy See disagree!

Posted on 22 February 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

National Catholic ReporterJohn Thavis of CNS has a piece today, with the headline “Traditionalist bishop cites lack of progress in talks with Vatican” which was also – for reasons which will be obvious – picked up by the National Catholic Fishwrap and given another headline adding also “Society of St. Pius X head: Cure of ‘sickness’ of Vatican II ‘almost impossible'”. Somewhat fairer is Reuters which says “Catholic splinter group sees no Vatican accord”.  True enough.

As I read both the English version of part I and the French, I did not get the sense that Fellay was being so very pessimistic about the course of the talks between the SSPX and the Holy See.  Nay rather, I came away from that interview with the idea that Fellay saw that the talks were positive.   He also says that there hasn’t been a big shift of positions in either side, but… is that a surprise?

Dog bites man… Sun rises in East… SSPX and Holy See disagree about Vatican II.

The CNS article spends a lot of energy on the lack of enthusiasm about the upcoming beatification of Pope John Paul II and about the upcoming meeting in Assisi.  You get the idea that these things in themselves are enough to derail the talks.

Dog Bites Man! Sun Rises In East! SSPX, Holy See disagree!It is no surprise that the SSPX would object to the beatification of John Paul II.  But then, so do a lot of liberals.  The first Assisi confab was so dreadful that anyone would hope and pray that it not be repeated.

Would it surprise anyone that CNS or Fishwrap would want to put anything having to do with the SSPX in as negative a light as possible?

There are seasons and tides in difficult talks between parties who sharply diverge.   Does anyone think that these talks would go fast or smoothly in any respect?   Some things take time.   They may take various sets of interlocutors.  They may need to warm and then cool and then warm again.

They are going to sit down and read some papers to each and – BAMMO! – AGREEMENT!  Right?  Does that sound realistic?

So, they have come to the end of the first round.   So?

The talks are time limited, of course.  But what in the affairs of men is not?

Posted in Biased Media Coverage | Tagged , ,
75 Comments

PODCAzT 118: Benedict XVI’s Message for Lent; Fr. Z on love and on Peter

Posted on 22 February 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Spiritual BouquetNB: iTunes users… I found that there was a second enclosure buried in these posts which screws up the iTunes feed. Let me know if you are not getting this on iTunes.

Pope Benedict’s XVI’s Message for Lent 2011 is available.  We will hear the whole message.

Lent is coming fast!  Have you made plans?

The Holy Father offers messages of this kind to help us make a better use of our Lenten preparation before Easter.

In this message, he looks at the structure of Lent through the Gospels of the Sundays.  His focus is on our baptismal character.  We who are already baptized can make use of the experience of catechumens to reaffirm the great gift of baptism.

Especially useful is Pope Benedict’s brief explanation of the use of fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

Also, I digress for a bit about the Cathedra of Peter, since today is the Feast of the Chair of Peter, and about love and our lives and our judgment.

OLDIE PODCAzT of relevance:

050 08-02-22 St. Leo the Great on Peter; Fr. Lang on the Cathedra of Peter

Also, here is another suggestion for your Lenten preparation.

Jesus of Nazareth, Vol. II: the second volume of the Holy Father’s work Jesus of Nazareth will be released worldwide for Lent 2011, with a date of 10 March (the day after Ash Wednesday).

This volume will focus on the period the Lord’s life from the entrance into Jerusalem to His resurrection. In other words – Holy Week. The Holy Father’s book would help you prepare well for your participation in the liturgical Holy Week worship.

I am reading a preview copy sent by the publisher. It won’t disappoint.

In the first volume the Holy Father’s exposition of the problems with an unbalanced “historical-critical” approach to Scriptures masterful and invaluable. Also, he has a succinct explanation of how we are to understand “inspiration” and Scripture. His reflections on the temptations of the Lord was rich.

I suggest that these would be good gifts to priests, useful for their preaching. Both volumes would be useful for your Lenten reflections.

Posted in LENT, Our Catholic Identity, PODCAzT, Pope of Christian Unity | Tagged , , , , ,
4 Comments

QUAERITUR: Dress code for teens for dances, etc?

Posted on 22 February 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader:

We belong to a Catholic homeschooling group and now that our children have reached their teen years, we are beginning to organize dances and formal social events for them. The question of modest dress came up after a recent dance and caused a bit of controversy since some parents believe there should be no specific standards while others would like to implement a basic dress code to avoid the more egregious and inappropriate fashions at these events.

Do you think a specific dress code at formal Catholic teen social events is necessary?  If so, what bare mininum (no pun intended!) standards would you suggest?

As an example, some parents formulated the following list as a possibility. Do you think this is adequate?

Girls
No strapless dresses
No spaghetti straps
No backless dresses
No mini-skirts
No skin-tight garments

Boys
Shirt, tie, dress pants.
Optional jacket/blazer

Thank you so very much for any advice you could offer on this matter.

Vote for Fr. Z!I am reminded of the great Italian film Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, wherein the parish in Sicily has a movie theatre, a focus of the town.  The priest censors the films and cut out every scene that he thinks isn’t decent, especially every kiss.  I recall a scene – I think I have the right movie – in which there is a dance, during which Father works pretty hard to prevent anyone from getting close.

In the list, above, that the girls are defined by “No” and the boys… well… pretty simple.  I guess we know what fact of life is being addressed.

I think a dress code is reasonable at that age and parents have the right to impose one.

However, I want to bring parents into this.  Perhaps they have been through this issue and will have insights earned through experience.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box | Tagged ,
107 Comments

Film about confession up for an Oscar?

Posted on 22 February 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
From Headline Bistro.  I have not seen this movie.
Hollywood Goes to Confession:
The Hollywood glitterati aren’t  leaving religion at the door this Oscar season. In fact, they might award it.
You see, buried in the Oscar nominations this year is an unlikely suspect: a young boy preparing to make his first confession.
If you haven’t seen The Confession—a live-action short film by Tanel Toom—you should.  It isn’t an easy filmette to watch.  Like Oscar-winner Doubt (2008), it is possible to spin the story from both a pro-Catholic and anti-Catholic perspective. (And take to heart the synopsis’ warning: “tragic”).
But what it nails, it nails (almost literally, with its crucifix-like poster). It is rare to see a film delve so deeply—and express so vicerally—the life-changing power of a sacrament.
So often, sacraments only make it to the silverscreen to convey a generic moment—matrimony (for weddings), and Extreme Unction (to ease or express the finality of death).
But confession, doesn’t really have a secular equivalent—meaning that when it does appear on screen, the director ends up delving deeper into what it means.
From the film perspective, when you think about it, confession is a uniquely difficult sacrament to “study” for a movie. For one thing, no matter whether you are an actor, or director, or screenwriter…or plumber, or professor, or violinist, for that matter…every person’s experience of confession is completely personal: it is shaped by your sins, and by which priests you spoke with.
There is no way to really go and “just study it from a distance.” And those who have the most experience with it—witnessing a hundred times the number of confessions of your average Catholic Mary or Joe—are priests, who can’t really talk about it.
This makes Hollywood’s treatment fascinating. Confession is both a world we know intimately, and a world we know little. (It is also unfortunately easy to “get in character”).
So while Hollywood examines its artist consciences at the Oscars, and Catholics “get in the mood” for confession as Lent approaches, let’s listen in on what the silver-screen Joneses have been saying about the secret life and death of sin over the years.
First up: The Confession (2010)
Posted in The Campus Telephone Pole | Tagged , , , ,
14 Comments

A new spin on parish bulletins

Posted on 21 February 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I saw this at And Sometimes Tea.  Tea… but… is that Mystic Monk Coffee? You decide!

A new spin on parish bulletins

Posted in Lighter fare | Tagged ,
9 Comments

WDTPRS Spiritual Bouquet for Pope Benedict for St. Joseph’s Day (19 March)

Posted on 21 February 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
WDTPRS Spiritual Bouquet for Pope Benedict for St. Joseph’s Day (19 March)

Pray for Pope Benedict

Think of the great cares the Holy Father bears in his heavy mandate as Vicar of Christ. He has need of our prayers to help him be strong and to guard him from his enemies.

I propose to all readers here a Spiritual Bouquet for Pope Benedict with a ending date of 19 March, the Feast of St. Joseph, which is the Holy Father’s baptismal “name day”. Since we are beginning on 19 February we have about a month.

Will you participate?

If you are a blogger, will you direct people here for the during of the time?

You are able to check more than one of the options below. I have it set so that you can participate once per 24 hour period (24 hours from the last time you voted).

Many of these works also gain an indulgence under the usual conditions.

If some of the options don’t seem exact enough for what you have done, that’s okay. This isn’t a scientific poll. It is a spiritual bouquet.  Just find the option that best describes what you did to participate.

WDTPRS SPIRITUAL BOUQUET FOR POPE BENEDICT XVI (ending 19 March - St. Joseph's Day) - You can choose more than one. Once per 24 hour period (since the last time you chose).

  • Prayers during the day (including hour of the Office) (18%, 893 Votes)
  • Mass and/or Holy Communion (16%, 793 Votes)
  • Chaplet of the Rosary (5 mysteries) (15%, 767 Votes)
  • Spiritual reading (11%, 563 Votes)
  • Decade of the Rosary (11%, 535 Votes)
  • Visit to the Blessed Sacrament (9%, 457 Votes)
  • Other (6%, 310 Votes)
  • Day of fasting from food or another thing (5%, 237 Votes)
  • Entire Rosary (all the mysteries) (5%, 233 Votes)
  • Work of mercy (4%, 197 Votes)

Total Voters: 2,605

Loading ...
Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
Comments Off on WDTPRS Spiritual Bouquet for Pope Benedict for St. Joseph’s Day (19 March)