Rome must blast this heresy out of the water!
“The night is the darkest before the dawn.” And I’m not just quoting from a popular movie. ;-)
When it comes to life issues, that is the only one that matters to me. Economics be darned, it all means nothing if we don’t protect the most vulnerable.
Salvation, “Thanks to the last couple of Popes, the bishops are more conservative.”
You would have to ask Salvation more specifically about her comments. The perception and reality is that the above statement is correct. First, remember that there are a billion Catholics world wide and that the US Bishops are but a part of that.
But to the point, Since Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict were installed from the late 70’s, it is believed that the Bishops they are appointing are much more conservative/orthodox than prior Bishops. In addition to this, some of the misinterpretations from Vatican II are being exposed and expounded on. There is also an effect on younger people that is filtering down to the local parishes and ultimately to those who chose to become priests.
So, compared relatively, from the VaticanII and influx of more liberal priests along with more liberalized teaching -Bishops and priests are “growing” more conservative/orthodox.
It won’t change dramtically or instantly, but it is changing for the better.
Barack Obama's Wife Michelle to Join Hillary Clinton at Pro-Abortion Dinner
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Barack Obama's Pledge to Overturn Every Pro-Life Abortion Law One Year Old
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Roman Catholics for Obama '08
OBAMA TO CATHOLICS: NO VOUCHERS
How can Catholics for Obama rationalize their support for the pro-choice candidate?
Obama’s director of Catholic Outreach ‘dodges’ opportunity to reach Catholics
Barack Obama Slams John McCain For Opposing Abortion, Activist Judges
Catholics and Obama
COMMENTARY: Quandry for Catholics At Election Time
The Latest Refinement (Obama on Abortion)
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The Battle for Catholic Voters
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Deal Hudson: Obama and Infanticide?
Ad asks Obama: ‘If fatherhood begins at conception, when does life begin?’
Embryonic stem-cell research immoral, unnecessary, bishops say
Catholics should not vote for Obama
Catholic Caucus: It is a sin to vote/support Obama/DNC [abortion]
More Catholics leaning towards Democrats, poll reports (really not Catholics)
The Catholic-Obama Problem (Pope Benedict XVI instructs Catholics about pro-abortion candidates)
Obama's Abortion Bombshell: Unrestricted Abortion....
NARAL Catholics Line Up for Obama
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Commentary: Faithful Citizenship and the Formed Conscience
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Thoughts On ‘Roman Catholics For Obama’
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Catholic Pro-Life Leader Feuds With Barack Obama's "Catholic" Backers
McCain and the Pope: McCain cannot win in November without the Catholic vote (Reagan re-visited?)
Catholics Cannot Vote for Pols Who Support Abortion, Except for Morally Grave Reasons: KY Bishops
They are, in fact, as a body, growing more conservative. Unfortunately, 20 years is an eye-blink. It will take another 20 (along with some relatively conservative nuncios and popes) to get them back on track fully.
Fortunately, McCarrick is retired, so the damage he can do is less now than it was in 2004. Unfortunately, his retirement makes him far more available to be a talking head for MSM media panels.
The weird thing is that I've met His Eminence on a number of occasions, since he became the Archbishop of Washington (and since he's retired). He, on a personal basis, is a very nice, humble man with a "air" of personal holiness. The homilies I've heard him deliver at our parish have been quite orthodox (calling the people to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, calling people to repentence and to live a life of humility, and so on). In conversations, I've heard the same themes. I just don't understand why he tolerated what he did (does).
And the above comments are from somebody who stopped contributing to the Cardinal's fund from 2004 until his retirement for political reasons (his stand on certain issues and his lack of willingness to take a stand on certain others). And when asked why I no longer participated (yes, I was asked), told the person that was the reason...that, as a layman, withholding my $$ was my only legitimate form of dissent.
The following may seem off-topic, but it's not:
I lived in Turkey for three years; one of which was living in the country. I spent about a year in rural Southern Italy. In both instances, I saw shepherds tending their flocks on a regular basis. They did so, I imagine, in much the same way as shepherds have done for thousands of years. In those years, I got a really good appreciation for shepherds and for sheep. Sheep have got to be one of the stupidest creatures that God ever put on the planet. They are nasty, can be quite mean, and are, above all, total idiots. When it's time for them to rut, they rut. When it's time for them to mow the lawn, they mow. When it's time for them to cr*p, they cr*p. They have ZERO situational awareness. They will literally "eliminate" all over themselvs and all over each other. They would, if the shepherd allowed, walk straight across a busy highway, without regards to traffic or blaring horns. They would also walk off the side of a cliff...if the shepherd would allow it.
Shepherds typically have two tools for their job: the sheep dog and the staff. Sheep dogs are an interesting study: sure, they protect the flock against predators. They also help herd the flock: they generally have to bite and physically prod the animals to get them to move in the correct direction (as the animals are too stupid to respond to barks). The staff also is used, not only to defend against predators, but is used to move the flock. The hooked end is used to hit the lead sheep on the head, in order to get them to move in the correct direction. I've seen the hook, itself, be used to grab a sheep by the neck and pull it back. The straight end is used to prod them to move forward. Sheep, being dumb as they are, respond to pain more than anything else. So you can imagine exactly where the staff is applied, in order to get them to move ahead (hint: it's between the legs).
Sheep that are sick get well tended to, as do the young lambs. But those adult sheep are an interesting study.
For that reason, I find it absolutely illuminating that Jesus used the analogy of shepherd and sheep. I think, given the above, it's a very, very useful analogy that the bishops are considered shepherds.
I wish that, as part of their formation, all bishops were required to tend a flock of sheep for about six months prior to their episcopal consecration. It might tend to teach them an abject lesson on how to do their jobs.