Sunday, January 25, 2009

Rome: Reforming Backwards--As Usual

With so many other beckoning subjects available, I'm brought up short with the news that the Roman pontiff, Benedict XVI, has reinstated four bishops who had previously been excommunicated from the Catholic church. As a progressive Catholic, this sort of thing just makes me crazy. This is the last thing the Church needs, although I increasingly wonder if this is not just sort of the thing the present Catholic church welcomes. That is to say, the rightward drift of the church has carried it to the point where something like this won't upset most Catholics.

Why had the four reinstated bishops been booted out in the first place? Because they were what is known in the church as schismatics, breakaways, mavericks. These guys had all been ordained by a far-right kook bishop by the name of Marcel LeFebvre, the director of a group of a whole collection of right wing kooks called the Society of Pius X. Lefebvre and his society refused to accept the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, period. Basically he wanted to go back to the post-Trent church, the church shaped by a 16th century council called to oppose everything Protestant. Totally a creature of the Reformation, Trent was a reactionary council. Essentially what it did was deny the validity or even the right-to-exist of any theological position other than Rome's. LeFebvre was so far to the right that even a hidebound theological conservative the likes of Pope John Paul II could not abide him and excommunicated him and condemned his organization.

So it's acolytes of this guy LeFebvre, who went to his eternal reward in 1991, who are being admitted once more into the ranks of the Catholic clergy. One of these guys, a wing nut named Richard Williamson, recently went on record as saying that historical evidence "is hugely against six million Jews having been deliberately gassed." Say what? Yes, you heard me correctly. He's a holocaust-denier. I wonder what historial evidence this idiot has in mind. The same guy also says that 9/11 was the product of the U.S. government which needed a pretext to go to war in Afghanistan. Oh yeah, let's let this moron back in the church so he can spread his view around. And his friends, whom I would hardly expect hold views any more palatable or rational.

As you might expect, this latest bow from Rome to the so-called "traditionalists" in the Church--bring back Latin! bring back no meat on Fridays! bring back Father knows all the answers! down with religious freedom! down with ecumenical understanding of other faith expressions! down with all the Vatican II reforms that transformed the Catholic church into an organization attuned to modern life!--has considerably hampered Catholic-Jewish dialogue. And "hampered" probably putting it mildly.

Why do I care? Because I'm a Catholic who has found the Church increasingly hostile to the reforms that kept me in the Church to begin with. The present pope has given several signs that he finds the presence of these odious people in the church congenial to his own views. Most discouraging, to say the least. I have told my wife several times that this may be the church I was born into, but I doubt if will be the one I die in.

Update: There's been quite a bit of storm raised about this issue. Here's one of many.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

By the way you are talking it seems as though you have already left the Church. What is a progressive Catholic? Meat on Friday has never left and VII was an ecumenical council, not doctrinal. Unfortunatley you are an uneducated Catholic that only knows the lastest catch phrases. I will pray a rosary for your intention. (yup Catholics should still say the Rosary although it is outdated and non-progressive)The holy Catholic Church will not fail and it is the the only way to salvation. Look before you leap.

Unknown said...

I must say, I'm not surprised to hear from somebody of your ilk. Uneducated the man says! I know more about Scripture, the church, its history, theology, and liturgy than would fit the confines of your tiny brain. Just a small part of what I know in your cranium would give you a headache.

I haven't left the Church. But the increasing number of nut cases like you may yet drive me to it.

But by all means say a rosary for me. Say two. Say three.

In the meantime, I'll ask our brother Jesus to give me patience and give you compassion and insight.

Anonymous said...

Hopefully a nut case here and there won't make you walk away from the one true Church.

I didn't mean to start name calling. I'll concede that you are infinatley more intelligent than I. I just wanted to start a good conversation.
The Churches goal is that we all may be one. So I'm glas the SSPX is back. Now we can work out the kinks.
Hope you are interested in continuing this conversation via e mail. it will be more efficient.
timc@counterstone.org.
Lets talk meat on fridays (was not done away with)
We've bowed down long enough to the other Christian religions and it has produced not fruit. I don't mind bowing down to a society that has countless fruits of faithful Catholic who love their Church and wish to be one woth it. Hope to hear from you. God Bless. (man my brain already hurts)

Unknown said...

Tim,

I have neither time nor inclination to argue with you. Given our predispositions, discussion is fruitless. Grace is more powerful than logic. It's my hope that it may be active in both our lives. Pax Christi.

BTW, I know Friday abstinence from meat has not been done away with.

Anonymous said...

CHICKEN! What is the purpose of that infiniatley intelligent brain of you are not going to use it.

way to be humble and admitt I was right on themeat thing.

Round one for the man of ILK!

round 2: Catholic? Jewish Dialogue

I'll let you go first so you can have a running start.
(grace has led me to engage in conversation with you.
This is very eccumenical.
In Christ, Tim C

Montag said...

I am interested in your RC perspective, having been an RC myself forever.

I cannot say that I am overly fond of the Bishop of Rome, but I find myself tending to be cosier with the Church in case full-blown culture wars break out: I want to be in the ranks of a substantial group militant!

Unknown said...

I'm one of those guys who had 16 years of Catholic education, a lot of it at the hands of the Jesuits. It's been a long time since I've been "cozy" with the Church, and my theology has broadened a great deal over the course of my life. I've basically reached the point where I consider myself more a follower of Jesus than a Catholic, but I continue to attend church regularly. Unlike Garry Wills, I can't say I have any great love for the Church as church. It is indistinguishable from any other human institution in its zeal for self-preservation.

I was almost completely shipwrecked by the sex scandals of a few years ago. And since that time, I've had no respect whatever for the NCCB and all its members. These people, the ones who enabled the pedophiles for decades, to this day have not disciplined a single one of their number, and yet they purport to tell the rest of us about morals.

What's more, several of these charlatans dare to threaten us will excommunication if we don't vote the way they want us to.

It's all too much, my friend. I hand on by a thread.

Anonymous said...

I believe the culture war has already started. I think the Holy Father sees this and is trying to close ranks and tighten up the unit for when the real hard hitting begins. Having a well run ship is best for fighting any battle. There are a lot of people in and out of the RCC that want to see it go away. It is better to have a solid core so we are best prepared for the great chastisment.