The Future and the Popes

Catholic Planet ^ | September 2002 | Ronald L. Conte Jr.

[JNB]

Popes are chosen often in response to the challenges the church and society face, in addiction to the Curia politics. Pope Pius XII was in no doubt made Pope because of his expertise in foreign affairs during a time of extreme foreign turmoil(WW II). Pope John Paul II was in part chosen because of his resistence to Communists, and the fact his papacy would give opressed Catholics in Communist Countries a sign of hope.

What is the biggest challenge the church faces today? It is not really in the 3rd world, but in the now secularised West, and how faith has collapsed especially in Europe. What is needed is a Pope who can restore faith in Europe, that is the biggest challenge the faith faces today by far. That said, I think this means somone else than Cdl Arinze, or most any Cardinal from a 3rd world country, because lets face it, if a POpe from a 3rd world country brings up morals, the Europeans will simpily dismiss him as being a uninformed man from the 3rd world. It is crisis mode all over the West now, even the more progressive Cardinals are very concerned.

[drstevej]

Such insight. Care to be a Cardinalette?

[NYer]

It is crisis mode all over the West now, even the more progressive Cardinals are very concerned.

A symposium was held yesterday at Siena College, attended by Bishop (you don't get more liberal than this) Hubbard, Archbishop Harry Flynn - Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Rev. John Cozzens and hundreds of area catholics. I would post the story but the Times Union, surprisingly, did not have a link at their web site.

Bishop Hubbard told those in attendance that financial claims from victims of clergy sexual abuse could threaten the church's ability to serve others in need and said the diocese has a responsibility to - if necessary - fight them in court. Such gaul! Rev. Cozzens drew a standing ovation when he said: "We've started to feel more like a corporation than a church."

In his 25 years as bishop, Hubbard has damaged this diocese with his liberal endorsements of such changes as "wreckovated" churches, ripping out kneelers (he now has asked those churches to install new ones), liturgical dancing, and manning his parishes with gay priests. When attending mass on Sunday, I now find myself checking to determine if the norms established by the GIRM are being respected. We have no fixed crucifix in our church. Rather, there is a life sized statue of the Risen Christ on the back wall. That means, the processional cross becomes the "fixed cross" during the mass. I have lost count of the number of times they neglected to carry it up to the altar.

You make an excellent point regarding the crisis mode in the West, however, I am not convinced that the cardinals are concerned. Some, perhaps, but others stick to their liberal agenda. Last week, a neighboring parish was subjected to an anti-war, president bashing "homily" by the pastor. Many walked out. Hubbard's only concern is his pastoral commitment to the poor. He totally neglects the majority of catholics in his diocese who are now "poor" in faith, as a result of the abuse he has allowed to pervade this diocese.

[BlackElk]

It would take a lot to persuade me to come out of retirement but, if I can also help Polycarp with his job, it sounds like a plan.

[american colleen]

I got more great great ideas. Care to give me any other suggestions?

Nyer in charge of re-writing "Built of Living Stones"

Me and sandyeggo and Salvation in charge of RCIA and CCD materials

Siobhan and Maeve in charge of promoting the use of Latin

Ya gotta put us wimin in there somewhere

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Why yeeeeeeessss, I would love to be a Cardinalette! I want to chair the building aesthetics committee.

[Domestic Church]

You also will have the parish schools...use

http://www.love2learn.net

to get back to basics of Catholic education

[Porterville]

This is interesting...but in the end we can destroy anyone who messes with us and our tech gets more advance.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***I would love to be a Cardinalette!***

Why limit yourself? Go for the top!
POPE JOAN II!

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

lol....you're right. I, I'm just gonna bust right through that glass ceiling!

[american colleen]

Sorry DM... I quickly mentally (and my brain doesn't hold much) went through the list of Catholic Chicks here and left you out unintentionally. Since we aren't democratic, you can't be voted to the ministry on a whim, but I did the pink smoke thing alerting everyone that you've been elected to the teaching ministry.

I bookmarked your link - it's great! Thanks!

[Domestic Church]

I don't want to be running anything but pick a Catholic HSer for the parochial system. There is plenty of good stuff to fix the parochial system, not to mention all the republished books.

[Desdemona]

Better music please. If nothing else, can we go back to chant?

[american colleen]

I don't want to be running anything either! I'm more the type that hauls all those great republished books, drags the votives back where they belong and hoists all the beautiful statues out of the dark and puts them where I'm directed to put them.

I like manual labor.

[drstevej]

Here's a recap:

Pope Peil (formerly drstevej)

New Cardinals:

• Cardinal Polycarp -  in charge of cleaning up the pedophile mess in the USA
• Cardinal Ultima Ratio -  in charge of liturgical standards
• Cardinal Tantumergo - tasked to whip England into shape
• Cardinal Black Elk - personal attorney &  special assistant to Polycarp
• Cardinal Catholic Guy  - personal body guard
  

New Cardinalettes:

• Canticle of Deborah - building asethetics committee [future popette]
• Nyer - editor in chief for re-writing "Built of Living Stones"
• Sandyeggo and Salvation - in charge of RCIA and CCD materials
• Siobhan and Maeve - in charge of promoting the use of Latin
• Desdemona - chanting enforcement

Special Papal Assistants:

• American Coleen - care of republished books, votives and statue

 

[Desdemona]

Don't forget to dust off the organs. It just isn't church, IMO, without one.

[NYer]

to get back to basics of Catholic education

Thanks for the link ... looks like a wonderful resource!

Tomorrow night is the last time I will be with my confirmandi. The DRE, suggesting that we spend some time discussing the Sacrament of Reconciliation (they MUST go to confession on Tuesday), gave me a copy of the book they use with the 4th graders. So, I opened to the first page and begin to read .....

As you prepare for your child's First Confession it's important to look at these different images of Confession and also to look at the truth about the sacrament of Reconciliation.

You and your partner will have your own personal impressions ......

My jaw dropped when I read that sentence. I was planning to assigne two commandments to each group of 4 and have them examine their consciences against them. In perusing the church's book, I came across this paragraph on Examination of Conscience.

In the light of Christ's life we can then turn to our own life. It's not ver helpful to try to remember everything - some people spend hours before they go to confession trying to recall every fault and failing. Or sometimes we spend ages trying to think of the best was of expressing our sins so that we we don't appear worse than we really are. God isn't interested in how good a memory we have or how many failings we can discover in ourselves. He's interested only in restoring us, in being reconciled with us in love and healing.

Puhlease!!!! Padre Pio had the gift of reading men's souls and held nothing back. I hate this diocese!

Please help me through this week. It will be a painful once since my daughter won't be there amongst the candidates. Each time I think about it, I start crying. Not only is it patently absurd to postpone Confirmation to the age of 17, my pastor never even picked up the phone to give her a call after I apprised him of her decision. He saw how upset I was .... nada! I hate this diocese.

[Desdemona]

Please help me through this week. It will be a painful once since my daughter won't be there amongst the candidates. Each time I think about it, I start crying. Not only is it patently absurd to postpone Confirmation to the age of 17, my pastor never even picked up the phone to give her a call after I apprised him of her decision. He saw how upset I was .... nada! I hate this diocese.

Of course, you have my prayers, but I feel compelled to tell you that as one who made Confirmation at 17 (due to a series of moves), it was the best thing that I could have done. The 12 &13 year olds in the class were clueless. I am one who believes that since marriage is not allowed until 18, there is no reason to Confirm so young. And the fact that your daughter wants mote time to think about it is a good sign. This means she takes it seriously.

[american colleen]

NYer. My rosary tonight will be for you and your daughter. Please know that I too rejected the Church at your daughter's age and never made my Confirmation until I was 26 - after I was married. You have done your best and surrounded her with all that she needs to know the Truth. You have done your job. The rest is up to Him.

Your diocese is appalling. I can't believe they still have those kids making their confession in 4th grade - I thought that had been stopped everywhere. And partners?!?! --- OMG. That is just bull bleep. But we don't want to offend, do we???