'We Live It Every Day:' Pope's Visit Cheers Young Conservatives...

Washington Post ^ | 4/9/2008 | Jacqueline L. Salmon

[Pyro7480]

During an era when two-thirds of young Catholics say they can be good Catholics without going to Mass and many believe in a woman's right to choose abortion and view premarital sex as morally acceptable, Karen and David Hickey might be considered renegades -- because they are so devout.

The lives of the Fairfax County couple and their five young children revolve around the Catholic Church, and they stand out as devoted because so many others do not follow the teachings of their church to the letter.

For the Hickeys and a community of young, conservative Washington area Catholics who piously follow the teachings of the church, Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Washington next week carries a special meaning.

They appreciate Benedict for his unwavering advocacy of what they hold to be "Catholic": ancient liturgical practices such as the traditional Latin Mass, the supremacy of the Catholic Church, Gregorian chants in worship and theologians who concur with the pope's teachings. As the Vatican's orthodoxy watchdog for 24 years before becoming pope, Benedict earned this group's devotion.

"I love Pope Benedict," said Karen Hickey, 35, who keeps a bust of him on her piano. "He's done so much good in the little time that he's been there."

...Those who eschew artificial birth control and have large families say they hear comments and rude remarks when they venture out with their children: "Don't you have enough?" and "Aren't you done yet?"

Sam Fatzinger, a Bowie mother of 11, has learned to respond with a tart: "No, I'm just getting warmed up."

...In the Hickey household, daily life revolves around the Catholic Church.

"We try to make this like a mini-church -- a domestic church," said Karen Hickey, a former Senate press secretary who grew up Jewish.

[Pyro7480]

Check out the comments for this article if you have the chance. It looks like a more extreme version of some of the threads on here, since the anti-Catholic left gets to participate as well.

[Pyro7480]

Catholic ping!

[fatima]

Hey Pyro7480,You going to see the Pope?

[Pyro7480]

I am going to the Mass, and I’m going to try to see him when he passes by in the Popemobile the day before.

[Tax-chick]

Not a bad article, although the implication that only those too liturgically rigorous to attend Mass with the Pope are faithful Catholics is misleading.

[MrB]

So, Benny, when ya gonna call the next Crusade to protect Christians being victimized by Islamists?

[Pyro7480]

I don’t think that’s the implication. It’s just their choice not to go.

[fatima]

I have a pro-life friend who is going to the Mass.I saw Pope John Paul 11 when he came to Philadelphia.We went by train to center city.Everybody on the train had their little Papal flag.My oldest daughter was an honor guard and I told her to cheat when she got to the outdoor Mass and she did and was able to all the way to the front and even see the secret service under the platform.The Pope change his route so we never saw him going to Mass but he felt sorry for us and took that way back.A man picked me up so I could see over the people.I swear the Pope waved just at me:)On the way back to the train a young man tried to sell us pot.I told him-Boy do you have the wrong crowd.After that we got Pope fever and there was no cure-heeheee

[Tax-chick]

Implications, of course, can be in the eye of the infer-er.

I wouldn’t go because I avoid taking my family into situations with uncertain bathroom facilities!

[Mrs. Don-o]

Pretty Deo Gratias and not too Miserere Domine: though this sentence made me roll my eyes:

They appreciate Benedict for his unwavering advocacy of what they hold to be "Catholic": ancient liturgical practices such as the traditional Latin Mass, the supremacy of the Catholic Church, Gregorian chants in worship and theologians who concur with the pope's teachings.

It's not enough to hold "Catholic" by hygienic thumb-and-index-finger at an arm's length ---with those silly scare quotes--- but they had to say what they hold to be "Catholic"" for good measure. Like, "Don't assume there's anything in particular that's objectively and indisputably Catholic..."

Sigh. Habemus Papam.

[ELS]

Well, it is the Washington Compost ... it may have been the editor to tweaked or added that sentence.

[Salvation]

Typical WaPo leftist nonsense. And I’m being nice.

Sounds like they are patronizing the devout couple. May there be more and more of them.

[Salvation]

Aren’t you aware it’s in progress? Get with the program! Really!!!! (Shakes head)

[Straight Vermonter]

...Those who eschew artificial birth control and have large families say they hear comments and rude remarks when they venture out with their children: "Don't you have enough?" and "Aren't you done yet?"

My wife and I are hearing a lot of these types of comments. We just had third child 14 years after our second. Whatever happened to good manners?

We waited so long to be blessed with this little boy and people assume he was a "mistake". Grrrrrrr.

[therut]

I was born in 1959. Most people had 4 children. The questions at that time were just the opposite. Those only having 1 were thought weird those with 2 or 3 were always asked “When are you going to have another child”,

[ELS]

Congratulations!

[Mrs. Don-o]

Yay! Yay! Yay! (And a couple more Yays!) for you and your little boy!

God be praised.

[Gingersnap]

The comment section really was awful. I always find it to amusing to hear people criticize a religious tradition when they firmly rejected it themselves.

Leaving a faith because it’s meaningless for you is fine but instantly accusing those who remain of being moronic sheep is little short of evil.

[Bigg Red]

Sam Fatzinger, a Bowie mother of 11, has learned to respond with a tart: “No, I’m just getting warmed up.”

&&&&
God bless her! What a great line.

[Straight Vermonter]

Thank you! He has been such a blessing. We named him after St Michael the Archangel who interceded on our behalf.