Posted on 10/09/2013 6:24:04 AM PDT by Whenifhow
Again, I refer to canon law.
A Mass can be said outside of Church for good reason, as designated by Church teaching.
A priest, standing outside of a base chapel, with 400 parishoners on a sunday morning, is not going to perform some half assed tailgate service when there is an Our Lady of Grace, St. Rita’s or Holy Trinity Church, 5 miles away, saying mass in one hour from then.
He might if he’s a Barney Fife type, who dreams of making a stand, but can’t because he’s inadequate.
Most of these priests have been deployed and in places where the religious persecution is real and palpable. They know it could happen here. But this is not it.
They work for the government. The government works for us. Until they get word from the government, or their military leaders otherwise, they have no business not telling their parishoners to go to the local church until this blows over.
The base community is NOT their primary mission. THe soldiers in the field ARE. they are completely enabled to celebrate Mass in the field, but this is not the field.
Celebrating mass at home or getting arrested would be Kardashian level histrionics.
they are pointing out to us that the guy who works for us who is their boss is doing this. the proper response is for us to do something about him.
There is nothing more wimpy than a ceo telling an underling to stand up to his manager who, in turn works for the boss, and could fix the abuse with one word from the ceo, but he is too weak. He tells the underling to deal to run away, to do his work in some other location.
It’s wimpy.
You want to go back to Biblical time? Jesus said he would spit the lukewarm out of his mouth, they are neither for nor against anything and He could not work with them, nor trough them.
The Catholic Church adheres to The Bible, the Magisterium and Tradition.
Which Verse in the Bible states that this is wrong?
“the sacredness of the church building” ????
IMHO
The “church” is the body of believers who love the Lord and are hungry for the Holy Spirit. It is not a building.
Love and revere God where ever you are...
Nowhere is it written nor stated that you must adhere to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
All over North America are churches who go by what ever rules work for them. And the Catholics, the Church, that is, not to be confused with family posing as the Church, will never tell you that you have to practice Catholicism.
You are free to believe whatever you want to believe, by virtue of God given free will.
If you are saying you are Catholic and putting forth opinions. That’s a different story.
Stanne, it is unfortunate that the Catholics serving in the military or anywhere are denied their place to worship. If this thing does not blow over soon, all Christian faiths are going to be persecuted in this country.
BTW
I have taken communion on a creekbank, on a farm, and in a tent in Iraq. And in a church building of course.
As have I, all four, and then some.
The military is not denied worship. There is a base chapel by tradition. It is not a parish. It serves military members. Their family and friends are welcome. Retirees are welcome at the invitation of the priest, who I have seen deny privileges to retirees dating back at least fifteen years.
The chaplains are there for military deployed.
THis obstruction by the administration is an annoyance and it is persecution of the military and people should look at it.
But it is just not a case for the priests to head for the catacombs, nor to stage a protest.
Any protest is the role of the civilians for whom the politicians work.
I agree with you, that the priest is not called to political protest nor retreat into the catacombs, as the priests’ calling is SPIRITUAL.
Sadly, some folks do not recognize Persecution until it comes into their own house. More Christians have been persecuted in the last 100 years (especially Orthodox and Catholic) than all previous centuries combined. We are not martyred in this country yet, but I think that it is just a matter of time.
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.