Posted on 04/18/2010 9:37:23 AM PDT by Steelfish
A Church Mary Can Love
NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF April 17, 2010 I heard a joke the other day about a pious soul who dies, goes to heaven, and gains an audience with the Virgin Mary. The visitor asks Mary why, for all her blessings, she always appears in paintings as a bit sad, a bit wistful: Is everything O.K.? Mary reassures her visitor: “Oh, everything’s great. No problems. It’s just ... it’s just that we had always wanted a daughter.”
That story comes to mind as the Vatican wrestles with the consequences of a patriarchal premodern mind-set: scandal, cover-up and the clumsiest self-defense since Watergate. That’s what happens with old boys’ clubs.
It wasn’t inevitable that the Catholic Church would grow so addicted to male domination, celibacy and rigid hierarchies. Jesus himself focused on the needy rather than dogma, and went out of his way to engage women and treat them with respect.
The first-century church was inclusive and democratic, even including a proto-feminist wing and texts. The Gospel of Philip, a Gnostic text from the third century, declares of Mary Magdalene: “She is the one the Savior loved more than all the disciples.” Likewise, the Gospel of Mary (from the early second century) suggests that Jesus entrusted Mary Magdalene to instruct the disciples on his religious teachings.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
leftists. When they’re not being racist, they’re being sexist.
...but did not appoint any of them as apostles! Hmmm.
“The first-century church was inclusive and democratic, even including a proto-feminist wing and texts. The Gospel of Philip, a Gnostic text from the third century, declares of Mary Magdalene: “She is the one the Savior loved more than all the disciples.” Likewise, the Gospel of Mary (from the early second century) suggests that Jesus entrusted Mary Magdalene to instruct the disciples on his religious teachings.”
Why is he quoting gnostic texts to bolster his case?
“Why is he quoting gnostic texts to bolster his case?”
The only “gnostic” text that is worth quoting is maybe the Gospel of Thomas... and that is because there is a possibility that it was written early... the rest were written way late...
I just view this as one more attack on the Church.
Mary DID love the Church just as it was when she lived and just as it is now, while she is “Queen Mother” in heaven.
Mary and the fathers of the church: the Blessed Virgin Mary in patristic thought by Luigi Gambero
Mary: mirror of the Church by Raniero Cantalamessa
Mary in the Church Today by Fr. Bill McCarthy, MSA
The sadness in her face is the sadness of longing for all Eve’s children to come to the knowledge of her Son and thereby to become her children as well.
Exactly- not a hint that homosexuality (A Sacrament for the NYTimes) might be the problem
Meanwhile, 2/3’s of the worshippers (either Catholic or Protestant) are women. Go figure.
The NYT being pro-gay and anti-Catholic?
I’m shocked!
Surely having married, divorced, and dating Priests would solve everything...../sarc
Hey NYT!
How’s that story the NYC PUBLIC SCHOOL sex scandal coming along?
Over 50 years of widespread abuse by PUBLIC SCHOOL teachers, with administrators shuffling the offenders from district to district, and not a peep from the NYT!
He quotes gospels that were never considered to be worthy of inclusion in the Bible.
These people never shut up. As a Catholic I get so irritated about it. They are trying to destroy the Catholic Church - but these folks have even bigger plans - they are trying to wipe Christianity off the face of the earth.
So do not be fooled, all you Christians of other denominations. Never forget it. The Catholic Church is the anchor of Christianity just as the USA is the fortress defending freedom. Leftists want to destroy both!
The author starts his attack on the Catholic Church with a joke about the Blessed Mother. What offensive garbage!
The atheist in them desires to dance on the grave of Christianity so the opposite can take power over earth.
But the writer isn't interested in the truth. He just wants to attack the Church by any possible means. Lying is nothing new for the Old Grey Hooker.
I’m not even going to bother to read the whole thing. It’s all so transparent. The Church is NOT going to change just because ephemeral authors think it should. This isn’t the first time Catholic life has been counter-cultural. We didn’t change then and we’re not going to change now.
Any female-led early churches withered away. So are the present ones doing, that have women as pastors.
So has Kristof ever published an article where he discusses the shortcomings and misogyny of the Muslim faith?
Placemark to pingout.
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