Archive for the ‘Church doctrine’ Category

Some Catholic Thoughts Under the Fedora: Pope Nails One, And Another, Trouble in Germany, Practical Reasons to support Priestly Celibacy and the Post Christian Experiment

Posted: March 16, 2023 by datechguy in catholic, Church doctrine, culture, under the fedora
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The Pope had something to say about all this Transgender Nonsense.

“Gender ideology, today, is one of the most dangerous ideological colonizations,” the pope said in an interview to Argentina’s La Nacion newspaper. “Why is it dangerous? Because it blurs differences and the value of men and women.”

Always good to hear him get one right. He also has been strong on coining a phrase:

He has frequently used the term “ideological colonization” in reference to cases in which influential organizations and governments require developing countries to accept abortion, contraception and Western values before they can receive aid money. For example, he lamented to Catholic bishops in 2016 that schoolchildren were being taught that they can choose their gender. “Why are they teaching this? Because the books are provided by the people and institutions that give you money.”

That nails it.

Even better Francis is two for two

“With great respect, I have no choice but to think about a derangement (“desequilibrio”) in the person who leads [Daniel Ortega]. There we have an imprisoned bishop, a very serious, very capable man. He wanted to give his testimony and did not accept exile. He is a something that is outside of what we are experiencing, it is as if it were bringing the Bolshevik communist dictatorship of 1917 or the Hitlerite dictatorship of 1935, back to life… They are a type of rude dictatorships, or, to use a nice distinction from Argentina, “guarangas” (vile), assured the Pope in the interview published on Friday.

Via Babalu Blog who notes how this contrasts with his treatment of Cuban communists:

 In its 64 years of existence, Castro, Inc. has committed millions of crimes, and its cruelty dwarfs that of Daniel Ortega. Yet, Papa Che [Francis] has never uttered a single word of condemnation — or anything close to it — against Cuba’s communist dictators.

Its’ a fair critique but it’s such a nice change to see him get things right I’ll take it.

Meanwhile in Germany things aren’t so good:

The German Synodal Way has voted to adopt “implementation texts” related to same-sex blessings, lay preaching during Mass, and a request for Pope Francis to reexamine the discipline of priestly celibacy in the Latin-rite Catholic Church.

If you think that’s bad it gets worse

While the Vatican has not explicitly condemned the Synodal Way’s promotion of heterodox proposals related to same-sex blessings and women’s ordination, the Holy See has been increasingly clear about its rejection of this form of ecclesial governance, which involves bishops and laity “sharing responsibility.” In the German proposal, laity could even overrule a bishop (or bishops at the national level) with a two-thirds majority.

Hey who needs confession when the sinners can just vote to cause sin to be legit?

Pray for these folks they need it.

There is one issue that these folks have brought up that I have mixed feelings on, that’s priestly celebacy.

This is because it was introduced as a reform to stop the practice of heredity parishes and dioceses which is no longer a problem.

I do have some practical objections.

Given the workload of most priests I don’t see how a married Priest would have time for a family and given the commitments a family involves I don’t see how you could make time for the 24/7 nature of priestly duties.

My primary objection to the idea is that as a parent I would not want priests to be in a position where there is a conflict between church and family. Furthermore the insurance costs for families might be prohibitive, particularly at a time when there is so much trouble in supporting retired priests.

Then again Anglican priests who have converted and kept their wives and families have managed to pull it off.

Anyways those are the practical objections I see, but in terms of theology I see no objection to the Vatican changing the rules, just as long as they think long and hard about it because if they think this is a solution to the sex scandals that are primary homosexual they’re wrong.

Finally one of the advantages of being my particular age is I’ve been able to observe the difference between a Christian culture and a “post Christian” culture.

We see the promotion of vice, the sexualization of children, the redefinition of basic terms we have understood for centuries. We see people unable and unwilling to deal with basic situations that our society was able to cope with less than 50 years ago without issue.

We see youth confused and unable to cope, we see people without direction grabbing different fads, dissatisfied with themselves and their positions in life without hope.

Put simply the world, as it does by it’s very nature, is chewing people up and spitting them out because they can’t cope.

One can only think of this verse from scripture:

At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.

Matt 9:36

That is what happens always happens when you remove Christ from the picture. Because he respects our free will if you choose the world he will step back and let you face it alone if you choose, but fortunately he always has a hand extended if you change your mind. No person or nation is ever so far gone that God will not bless it if it repents.

Santos the Pol vs Santos the Catholic

Posted: December 28, 2022 by datechguy in catholic, Church doctrine, politics
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I’ve known the Popes back in Illinois known all of them, they’re all liars and braggarts but don’t know of any particular reason why a liar and a braggart shouldn’t make a good general.

Abe Lincoln on being told John Pope can’t be trusted to tell the truth.1862

I must admit I’m slightly conflicted about the George Santos business.

On the one hand I’m a great believer in people being hoisted on their own petard. Our Democrat friends have become big on utilitarianism, (remember Harry Reid’s famous “He didn’t win did he?” concerning his lies about Romney) and the whole abandonment of the standard of honesty among the left has become so great that it’s almost laughable that they’re complaining about Santos’ whoppers.

Furthermore there is the question of vetting, I think Jazz Shaw’s theory on the matter is likely on the nose here:

How did George Santos make it over the finish line before all of this information came to light? The general consensus among New York Democrats seems to be that it’s a matter of timing. You see, Santos ran for this seat in 2020 against Democrat Tom Suozzi. It was obvious that Santos was going to get his clock cleaned and he did, losing by roughly 20 points. He was basically little more than a placeholder name on the ballot for the Republicans, so nobody really bothered vetting him or looking at the race too closely. And two years later, since he had run before, a lot of people clearly assumed that he’d already been vetted. (And there were bigger, hotter races to cover in the state anyway.)

Given the Democrats failure to vet an opponent and the tactics they have repeatedly used the partisan in my sees no reason for George Santos to resign anything. If they voters in his district want him out the proper solution is a recall election and who knows maybe Lincoln observation about not knowing of any particular reason why a liar and braggart shouldn’t make a good general applies to being a member of congress too.

But then we run into the Santos the Catholic business.

Santos is in fact a Catholic and as a Catholic there is a specific thing about the whole “bearing false witness” business. To win this office by bearing false witness is going to be damaging to his soul.

Christ was rather emphatic about this being a bad idea

Then Jesus said to his disciples,

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.

Matthew 16:24-27

Since gaining the whole world isn’t a good enough reason to forfeit eternal life how much less is a two year term in congress?

So my advice to George Santos: resign the seat and take a good look at the state of your soul.

That’s the best advice I can give, however since he has embraced the whole gay marriage, Joe Biden Nancy Pelosi “Catholics for Mortal sin” business I suspect this advice will go unheeded.

I’ll pray for him anyways. You should too.

The Three Dangers of the Frank Pavone Case Danger #3 The Idolatry of the Masses

Posted: December 24, 2022 by datechguy in catholic, Church doctrine
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Click here for Danger 1: The errors of the Church

Click here for Danger 2: The Sin of Pride

I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose. For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you.

I mean that each of you is saying, “I belong to  Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Kephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

St. Paul’s 1st Letter to the Corinthians 1:10-13

If there is one thing that you will note if you read the old Testament is that the children of Israel are constantly falling back into a state of idolatry from household Gods to Solomon giving sacrifices to his wife’s Gods to the various high places. No matter how much God asserts himself in doing things for them and saving them when they cry out, Israel again falls back into idolitry.

This is of course not purely a religious state of man but something that crosses all of those lines. All one has to do is look at our culture of sports and celerity and you can see that we constantly erect idols to worship and follow. Just take a look at the Taylor Swift ticket insanity if you don’t believe me.

And of course we see this in various megachurches from our protestant brothers whereby a “bishop” will make an idol of themselves and obtain wealth power and influence.

The real danger of all of these things is that the idol becomes more important that the God to be worshiped. This is in fact one of the great advantages of the Catholic system and hierarchy as it provides a check not just to personalities within the church getting too big for their britches but for any cause to supersede the cause of Christ and salvation which should be the primary goal of any and all in the Church. Lewis warned of this in the Screwtape letters:

Certainly we do not want men to allow their Christianity to flow over into their political life, for the establishment of anything like a really just society would be a major disaster. On the other hand we do want, and want very much, to make men treat Christianity as a means; preferably, of course, as a means to their own advancement, but, failing that, as a means to anything—even to social justice. The thing to do is to get a man at first to value social justice as a thing which the Enemy demands, and then work him on to the stage at which he values Christianity because it may produce social justice. For the Enemy will not be used as a convenience.

CS Lewis The Screwtape Letters #XXIII

I have already heard reports of outraged people saying they are going to other denominations due to this case and as I’ve already noted Frank Pavone has, to his credit already urged people not to go down that road.

Even so there are some who might be holding off again due to idolatry, again following the idol to those folks I’d like to remind them of what I wrote at the very start:

there are priests who have some background because when he was still Fr. Frank Pavone they were aware of the history between himself and the Bishops over him. His willingness to defy edicts from Bishops would not tend to grab sympathy from people who like him have taken a vow of obedience to such authority nor might the final result be a surprise to them.

And if there is one priest who knows the background of all of this it’s Fr. Stephen Imbarado the protest Priest. A tireless foe of Abortion who led the Eucharistic Procession here in Fitchburg before the Planned Parenthood in Fitchburg that our local and state press completely ignored but less that two years later, they were gone. (My videos of those events are all over Rumble) He recently put out a post on facebook on the subject. I’m having trouble embedding the video but you can see it via the link below

https://www.facebook.com/FrStephenImb/videos/910187783693495/

If you are even slightly considering dodging the church and the sacraments over this I urge you to watch this video and I urge you alto to take the warning that the folks at Church Militant gave of those who will use this events both to promote schism and to obtain your email for fundraising purposes.

This event is a tool that the enemy will try to use against your soul and let me remind you the enemy that I’m referring to is not the curia in Rome or the left or even Planned Parenthood, it is the only real enemy the Devil whose primary goal is to separate you from Christ and the Church for the purpose of obtaining your soul. He will use any tool toward this end and while I suspect he has a great hatred for Frank Pavone for all he’s done over the decades for the cause of life he will happily hold him up as an idol before you to saying: “See how horrible he is being treated by the church. How can you follow a church like that?”

That’s the danger and the game being played on you, don’t fall for it.

The Three Dangers of the Frank Pavone Case: Danger Two: the Sin of Pride

Posted: December 22, 2022 by datechguy in abortion, catholic, Church doctrine
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Lt. Barney Greenwald: I’m glad you brought that up, Mr. Paynter, because that’s a very pretty point. You know, I left out one detail in the court martial. It wouldn’t have helped our case any. [to Maryk] Tell me, Steve, after the Yellowstain business, Queeg came to you guys for help and you turned him down, didn’t you?

Lt. Steve Maryk: [hesitant] Yes, we did.

Lt. Barney Greenwald: [to Paynter] You didn’t approve of his conduct as an officer – he wasn’t WORTHY of your loyalty! So you turned on him. You ragged him – you made up songs about him. If you’d given Queeg the loyalty he needed, do you suppose the whole issue would have come up in the typhoon? [to Maryk] You’re an honest man, Steve, I’m asking you. You think it would’ve been necessary for you to take over?

Lt. Steve Maryk: [hesitant] It probably wouldn’t have been necessary.

Lt. Barney Greenwald: There!

Ensign Willie Keith: [horror-stricken] If that’s true, then we *were* guilty.

Lt. Barney Greenwald: Ah, you’re learning, Willie! You’re learning that you don’t work with a captain because you like the way he parts his hair; you work with him because *he’s GOT* the job, or you’re no good! Well, the case is over. You’re all safe. It was like shooting fish in a barrel.

The Caine Mutuny 1954

Go here for Part 1: The Errors of the Church

Mortal sin is a horrible thing and of the mortal sins murder ranks high on the list and abortion is one of the worst types of murder there is.

  • It is the murder of an entirely innocent person.
  • It not only kills the child but all those who would be descended from that child
  • It’s a murder that is done with the consent of the mother and often with the complicity of the father & grandparents

That is what makes it something to be fought and opposed but in terms of a sin deadly to the soul there is one sin that sin is pride.

C.S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters #7

Pride is the sin of the devil, pride is the sin that created hell, pride is the sin where we put ourselves up above God. Pride is the sin that offends the first and greatest commandment. Remember what Christ himself said when asked about the subject:

One of the scribes, when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied,

“The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ‘He is One and there is no other than he.’ And ‘to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself’ is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that (he) answered with understanding, he said to him,

“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Mark 12:28-34

Note that Jesus put the love of God before the love of neighbor. To fight abortion is a fine and worthy cause but to love God comes before it.

And that’s where the danger to Frank Pavone comes in.

One of the primary vows of a priest or religious is obedience. Obedience to valid authority above him or her. The rule doesn’t say “obedience if the person is smart”, “obedience if the person is holy” it’s obedience.

The church has been around for 2000 years, Over that time we’ve had Popes and Bishops that ran the entire gamut from Saintly, to, mediocre to bad as is normal in any institution. This is also true for Priests, in my lifetime I have been in parishes with good priests, saintly priests, prideful priests and bad priests but the mass was still the mass and the Eucharist still the Eucharist.

Moreover if we want examples of obedience to a seemingly bad decision we can turn not only to the great saints but great saints in living memory. Padre Pio for example had his authority to hear confession and say mass removed from him for years before they were restored. Or consider this exchange between the Lord and St. Faustina when Christ commanded her to request permission for a particular mortification and was refused:

I apologized for taking up Mother’s time and left the room. At that very moment I saw Jesus standing at the kitchen door, and I said to Him. “You commanded me to ask for these mortifications, but Mother Superior will not permit them. Jesus said:

I was here during your conversation with the Superior and know everything. I don’t demand mortification from you, but obedience. By obedience you give great glory to Me and gain merit for yourself.

The Diary of St. Faustina Notebook 1 #28

I will concede that obedience, particularly to a request we might find unjust and when it seemingly impedes a beneficial end is not easy but again it cuts to two critical things

  1. Trust in God
  2. Keeping the priorities in order

CS Lewis put it very well:

Once you have made the World an end, and faith a means you have almost won your man and it makes very little difference what kind of worldly end he is pursuing. Provided that meetings, pamphlets, policies, movements, causes and crusades, matter more to him than prayers and sacraments and charity, he is ours—and the more “religious” (on those terms) the more securely ours. I could show you a pretty cageful down here.

C.S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters #7

Again I don’t know the details or the history concerning the former Fr. Frank Pavone, the Vatican or the individual Bishops he has crossed swords with. I don’t know what is true and what is not and my personal dealings with Fr. Pavone have always been great. He always struck me a priest dedicated to the cause of life.

If he were to ask my advice on the matter, I’d say submit in humility and in prayer, while still working with Priests for life. There is no reason why Mr. Frank Pavone can not advance the cause of life as long as he has God behind him and if God wills that he once again be Father Pavone it will happen.

He has already made one statement in his exchange with the folks at Church Militant on these events which is likely the single most important public statement he could have made.

It’s fair to say that as a priest Fr. Frank Pavone has done a lot to advance life and save souls but In my opinion this statement by Mr. Frank Pavone may do more to save souls that might be in danger than anything else he could do as it directly addresses the third great danger which will be the subject of my final piece in this series.

I’ll continue to pray for him and all involved in the case I suggest you do as well.

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