Replies

I think, on the ground, it's important to remember, as a matter of political science, that the RCC is an eleemosynary institution. If anything, when you quit you have MORE worldly goods.

I don't understand what you mean.

So, I'm suggesting, FUNCTIONALLY it's like there's a charism given to the Church as a big, huge blob, and another charism given to the Successor of Peter as something like a pressure valve.

OK, I can see that comparison in its intent. It matches what I have been told elsewhere. Even so, I would respectfully disagree on the need for a pressure valve.

First of all, I have no clue what I meant over 300 posts ago! I mean literally I know I meant something like the ancillary benefits of being a Catholic ain't much these days. But WHY I said that escapes me and on this dial-up connection I dread going to find out.

Even so, I would respectfully disagree on the need for a pressure valve.

I think the idea I had was that there are lots of currents, flows, pressures, urgings desires, blah blah blah. For example, the way some people talk, if we DON'T officially call Mary co-redemptrix, the price of oil will go up or some other terrible thing will happen.

So, if we can stipulate just for this example, that there might be a good reason (as opposed to a bad reason, like keeping oil cheap) to give that title to Mary, the vast, creaky, machinery of the Vatican, maybe even in some ways because it's a bureaucracy, can get all sort of methodical and say, "Our Holiness, we have a list of umpty-ump reasons why it's NOT a good idea, and umpty-ump plus one arguments in favor, so we recommend doing nothing at this time." A little plodding now and again is a great governor on whim disguised as inspiration.

But all that is introduction to asking if you would care to say more about the good and bad aspects of pressure valves.