John Paul II — The Face of Love

e3mil.com ^ | 8/6/02 | James Bemis

[nickcarraway]

One picture told it all: At Toronto's airport, the world's eye caught little ten-year-old Georgia Rae Giddings as she emotionally burst into tears after Pope John Paul II embraced her. For the next hour, she recalled the moment repeatedly before crowds of journalists. "When I stood in front of the Pope, I just got dizzier and dizzier," she said.

"Out of Step" with the Contemporary World

She's not the only one. Many of the million or so attending the World Youth Day celebrations reported the same phenomenon.

Most people would be astonished to hear that the Holy Father might be the most beloved person in the world among young people. After all, we're always told the Catholic Church's message is irrelevant, outmoded and - worst of all - square. Cynics charge it has nothing meaningful to say to today's fun-loving, hedonistic youth.

According to the press, polls repeatedly show the Pope's relentless opposition to contraception, abortion, homosexuality, pornography, pre-marital sex, easy divorce and other fruits of the sexual revolution is anathema to the modern and fashionable. (It goes without saying that no one knows the mind of the modern and fashionable like the media.) The Holy Father, they conclude, is out of step with the contemporary world.

A Rebuke to the Modern Age

Okay, then how do you explain nearly a million kids at the Pope's World Youth Day? And where else would the gathering of that many youngsters be termed a "disappointing" turnout?

Perhaps it's because young people's love for the Holy Father is a direct rebuke to the modern age, and thus to its primary megaphone, the modern journalist. No institution has been a more powerful force for secularism, materialism or sexual freedom than the media.

Most reporters today are alienated from religion, looking at faith as little more than an ancient superstition. They don't understand it, so they don't cover it - unless a "religious" story involving scandal or human weakness pops up. That they comprehend.

In listening to World Youth Day participants speak, their deep affection for the Holy Father is clear. The same words keep popping up over and over to describe him - "radiance," "hero" "world's role model," "leader of youth," "our rock," "following in St. Peter's footsteps," and "the person closest to Jesus."

Thus, reasons for the Pope's youthful legions are quite simple: When young people see the weary, lined, rugged, leathern visage of the Holy Father, they see the face of love. Not love the way Hollywood loves them - as walking wallets, rear ends in movie theaters, pairs of ears to listen to the latest CDs - but real affection, from someone who sees them rightfully as precious individuals with eternal souls. And when the Vicar of Christ's deep, aged, honeyed voice is intoned, it seems they're hearing the very Words of God.

An Inexhaustible Treasure of Grace

This, then, is the Papal appeal to the young: faith, as the steadfast leader of the Church, the eternal Bride of Christ; hope, offering refuge for the restless heart; and love, from a elderly man walking in persona Christi. Of these, as St. Paul says, the greatest is love.

This is what Georgia Rae Giddings reacted to. After telling the Pope she loved him, he tenderly stroked her head and whispered gently that he loved her too, the perfect personification of Cardinal Newman's great motto of "Heart Speaketh to Heart." It's hard to imagine any other world leader reacting this way to the presence of an unexpected young stranger - so fearless, so compassionate, so Christlike.

No wonder kids love him.

Catholicism may be known as the Old Faith, it's the Young Faith too, with a remarkable, time-tested ability to outlive every fad that mocks it as passe. Each Catholic generation discovers anew the richness and power of their ancient religion, finding within it an inexhaustible treasure of grace and beauty, boundless as the sea. Once that discovery is made, as a million young pilgrims recently learned, no worldly interest can ever again quite satisfy.

[redhead]

""What a shame that the St. Gregory hymnals are all languishing in storage closets and basements."

Mine's on the piano. So's my St. Basil.

I have two copies of St. Gregory. And I know where all the church copies are. But since I am not the "liturgy planner," I have less than NO say about what is sung at a mass.

I have a suspicion, though, that if our current organist/planner is still with us when the new norms are required, she will be doing some ranting and raving, since she hates Latin. If she has to include Latin responses in the Masses, she is liable to simply quit. (Outside of the fact that she and her husband are friends of ours, I wonder if this wouldn't be better for the parish in the long run?)

We have one small ace in the hole...for the last couple of years, about 20 parishoners have assisted at a sung Latin High Mass on First Saturdays. We sing all responses a capella. So, in the event that she removes her talents from the organ, there are enough of us sprinkled through all the Masses to lead whatever responses need to be sung until the rest of the congregation learns them. I don't foresee any major problems with the transition in our little parish. As a matter of fact, the sooner the better, as far as I'm concerned...

[.45MAN]

ping

[sitetest]

Dear Bud McDuell,

It's a big document. In my copy, it's over a hundred pages. I'm happy to re-read it, but without a little more specificity, I may not be back to you on this for quite some time.

sitetest

[Catholicguy]

Take a look at today's headline at Diocese Report.com: Witch Is Hired to Teach at Jesuit College. Above it is a picture of an attractive woman dressed in black. So there you have it. Wicca practicioners are being hired by Jesuits

"She turned me into a newt." (Pause) "I got better."

All things considered, I prefer good looking witches to ugly SSPX Nazi's, but, I'll admit that is an individual preference.

[Desdemona]

Hmmm...

I know where the St. Gregory's are at my parents' parish, but I've pretty much made up my mind to leave there. I've had it. Especially with the patronizing I get from the music director. Not to be conceited, but I'm a better musician than he is. Less sloppy... I've gotten into more fights over Latin and singing, I finally gave up. Just to be able to sing "Veni Creator Spiritus" on Pentacost was a battle. And I lost. Enough of us complained that we at least still do "Pange Lingua" on Holy Thursday. Truthfully, that's one of the few my mother demands to be done the way it always has. Odd, but true. She almost killed the music director when he suggested at practice one night they do something else, like sing it in English. He did get out a Mozart for Corpus Christi that was labelled "funerial" 10 years ago by the same group. And then, most of it has to be done as prelude. Drives me crazy, but you see, the music for Mass cannot be chosen to fit one voice. Just because it happens to be the songleader's means nothing. None of the music goes above the passagio, so in my voice, it sounds really bad.

Red, you can't get me on these kicks.

[sitetest]

Dear Bud McDuell,

Found it. It was only about a dozen pages in it.

Yup. I agree with it, in its context.

It would surprise me that any Catholic would not.

sitetest

[sitetest]

Dear allend,

"Let's pass that quote on to the Proddies on The Neverending Story. They're always looking for good 'Gotcha' quotes."

LOL. Are you suggesting that Protestants might share the same concern with the quote as Bud McDuell?

sitetest

[drstevej]

Pagan witch is hired to teach at Jesuit college

By PJ Bonthrone

(Filed: 24/01/2002)

A WITCH has been hired as a lecturer at a leading Jesuit university faculty.

Heythrop College, part of the University of London, has appointed Vivianne Crowley, who describes herself as a Wiccan high priestess, as a visiting tutor.

Dr Crowley, once described by a women's magazine as "the nicest witch you could ever meet", will lecture throughout the Lenten term on the psychology of religion.

Wicca work: Dr Crowley

Wicca, from the old English word for witch, is defined as the practice or cult of witchcraft, a form of paganism. It is now regarded as part of the New Age movement.

The appointment, reported in this week's Catholic Herald, is bound to create controversy, not merely because Heythrop is a leading Roman Catholic educational institution, founded in Belgium in 1614, but because the liberal Jesuit order has been criticised recently for "disloyalty" to Rome and its teachings.

The Principal of Heythrop College, Fr John McDade SJ, denied yesterday that Dr Crowley would be promoting witchcraft.

"She is not a member of the theology faculty at Heythrop College," he said. "She has been assisting us with some teaching in two areas of psychology of religion. She does not teach any other areas of study at Heythrop."

Fr McDade said Dr Crowley was until last year teaching at King's College. Dr Crowley was not available for comment last night.

++++++++

I find this astounding! Wonder if she is a descendant of Aleister Crowley

[Gophack]

I feel good about the Catholic faith because the Catholic Church was established by Jesus Christ as His church on earth.

I also get goosebumps when during Lent we sing Kyrie Ellisum (excuse me if I'm not spelling it properly) and when the Priest says, "This is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."

There is nothing wrong with uplifting, positive songs as well as humbling songs, as long as everything we sing praises and glorifies the Lord.

God bless.

[sitetest]

Dear Bud McDuell,

"I'm very happy for you."

Thanks!

"After all, all things on earth should be related to Sitetest as their center and crown."

Hmmm... That isn't what it says, is it?

Surely you can understand that while I am a man, I am not Man.

You seem to be catching ultima ratio's difficulties.

sitetest

[tiki]

But you think and act like a groupie, whether your hero-worship is directed towards the Pope or to a rock star. It clouds your reason. You attribute to him qualities you can't, in fact, know he possesses.

The Pope has a very well-known history and his writings are out there for all to see. So yes, I believe I can, with reason, respect him deeply.

Besides, what happens if the next pope is a sour-looking man without charm?

Time will tell, I do respect the office of the Pope but don't respect the individual who holds that office unless he has earned my respect by his behavior.

Would that invalidate his message for you?

The message is already out. It is contained in the Bible and the Tradition of the Church, no Pope can change that and as long as any Pope's message is consistant with revealed truth his message is valid. I believe that Jesus instituted the office of the Vicar of Christ but that no Pope has a claim to impeccability, I will respect any future Pope according to his behavior

Clinton had loads of charm, but he was a lousy president.

And if Clinton had charm I didn't see it, I saw through him the first time I saw him talk and you can ask anyone who knows me. I fought tooth and nail to keep him from getting elected in the first place and I was a Democrat at the time.

[drstevej]

Dr. Vivian Crowley's resume

=======

Research interests Wicca, Goddess spirituality, contemporary Paganism, women’s religious experience, nature religion, Carl Gustav Jung, influence of Eastern spiritual traditions on Western psychology.

=========

Heythrop College found a winner.

"The Principal of Heythrop College, Fr John McDade SJ, denied yesterday that Dr Crowley would be promoting witchcraft."

Yeah, right.

[ultima ratio]

I saw this. It's the same old same old with that crowd. And it will take Rome another thirty years to notice--though it would be the pot calling the kettle black if it did, ever since Assisi II. Witches and voodoo priests are in favor these days.

But it took only about 2 weeks for the Vatican to come down hard on a fraternity of traditional priests, though--firing two of their orthodox theologians for the dastardly crime of questioning the doctrinal soundness of Novus Ordo. Can't have that sort of thing, you know.

[redhead]

"Red, you can't get me on these kicks."

No, but you have my DEEPEST sympathy. It is very, very hard to stand by like a lump and let someone choose music who seems to hate the Church. The ICEL translations of the Scriptures were bad enough, but when the "composers" of the Church's new songs dumbed them down even further, the beauty of the Mass was dealt a near-fatal blow. Thank God for cantors like yourself, who really care how the music sounds and really CARE about what is sung. (Harp and halo, coming up... :o) )

[ArrogantBustard]

I suppose you didn't notice that the Vatican just excommunicated a bunch of women who pretended to get ordained?

[sitetest]

Dear Bud McDuell,

"'Surely you can understand that while I am a man, I am not Man.'

"Where did the capital "M" in Man come from? That's not in Gaudium et Spes."

You are entirely correct. I added the capital letter for emphasis. In a similar manner, you deleted my emphasis, by italicizing my entire statement, in your response. I'll repeat: I am a man, not man.

Surely you understand the difference, even without my added emphasis.

sitetest