A sneak preview from the Catholicism project

Learn more Fr. Robert Barron's upcoming 10-part series at his website, Word On Fire.

Warning: Ugly vestments...

...and bad theology go together.

Brought to you by the New York Times, your friendly neighborhood purveyor of anti-Catholic media, a story about dissident Belgium Catholics pretending to form their own parishes and be priests:  

BUIZINGEN, Belgium — Willy Delsaert is a retired railroad employee with dyslexia who practiced intensively before facing the suburban Don Bosco Catholic parish to perform the Sunday Mass rituals he grew up with.

“Who takes this bread and eats,” he murmured, cracking a communion wafer with his wife at his side, “declares a desire for a new world.” 

 I'd love to know what "Sunday Mass rituals" include those meaningless and trite words.The reporter doesn't have a clue what she's writing about, does she?

 At this sturdy brick church southwest of Brussels, men and women are trained as “conductors.” They preside over Masses and the landmarks of life: weddings and baptisms, funerals and last rites. Church members took charge more than a year ago when their pastor retired without a successor. In Belgium, about two-thirds of clergymen are over 55, and one-third older then 65. 

 "Conductors" drive trains and lead orchestras. Priests - men called by God and made into living icons of Christ through the sacrament of holy orders- have the authority and the responsibility to baptize, act as the Church's witness at a wedding, hear confessions, anoint the sick and dying, and celebrate Mass. Just FYI, folks, since you're apparently reeaaallly confused.

“We are resisting a little bit like Gandhi,” said Johan Veys, a married former priest who performs baptisms and recruits newcomers for other tasks at Don Bosco. “Our intention is not to criticize, but to live correctly. We press onward quietly without a lot of noise. It’s important to have a community where people feel at home and can find peace and inspiration.”

Interesting how their hero is Gandhi, and not a saint, isn't it? And that their focus is all about "living correctly" and "community" and "peace and inspiration", and not one word about worshiping, loving and serving God? But it gets even better. Here's the description of their "worship service":

Mr. Delsaert had no such qualms. He donned a rainbow sash — the church’s symbol of a worship leader — and carried his notes. “It’s the second time,” he said. “For me, it’s very intense. Reading is very difficult for me because I have dyslexia.”

Almost 150 people gathered around him for a service organized by teenage members who picked a theme of peace and music from John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Mr. Delsaert delivered a homespun sermon that drew on his years as a railroad worker, urging parishioners to wage peace by talking to people in their daily lives. By bidding hello to a daily commuter, Mr. Delsaert said, “the man opened up to talk about train delays.”

“He seemed much happier,” Mr. Delsaert said.

During services, teenage members surrounded the table while a parish statement was read aloud: “We regret the pain caused by priests and those responsible in the church. We regret the damages to the victims, to the community and our church.”

Then a young girl lighted a rainbow-colored candle in the center of the table. She watched the flame flicker in memory of the 475 Belgian victims of sexual abuse.

Those priests who committed unspeakable acts will tremble before God when they must accept responsibility for destroying lives and souls. May God grant their victims healing and peace.

But no act of evil ever justifies apostasy, schism or heresy, any more than the treachery of Judas justifies abandoning Jesus Christ.

Nevertheless, I'm afraid that it wasn't the scandal that drove them out - though it certainly gives them a great excuse. I'm afraid that these folks lost their faith in the Lord and His Church a long time ago, when neither would condone today's trendy sins and become "relevant."

Or perhaps, due to the abysmal catechism of the past couple of generations, perhaps they were never taught the faith to begin with, and truly do not understand the nature of the priesthood, the Holy Eucharist, and the mission of Christ's Church.

I'm inclined to think it's a little of both, combined with the smoke of Satan, who delights in division and confusion.

St. Jude, exorcist, pray for us.

Congratulations, Archbishop Dolan!

New York Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan was elected president of the USCCB today.

The true treasures of the Church

The 800 Martyrs of Otranto, who died rather than convert to Islam, honored by the Otranto Cathedral in Italy.

"..but the bones were preserved by the church, and held more precious than gold and diamonds." The Martyrdom of Polycarp, Antoninus Pius. a.d. 137-161.

Martyrs of Otranto, pray for us.

(Picture source.)

Hymn of the Week

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence



Just once in my life, I want to sing this at Mass.

Perhaps someday the music director will realize that Haugen, Haas, Farrell and Schutte are sooo 1970s? And that its way cooler to be 370s? Or 1370s? Maybe?

Reasons 486 and 487 why American Catholics desperately need to be catechized:

486. Cantors who announce before the start of Mass, "Let us all rise and sing [hymn] to greet Father."

I have to think that the angels surrounding the tabernacle are rolling their celestial eyes every time they hear this nonsense.

Of course, to be fair, it's not like the first hymn is really a hymn to God, anyway. "Gathering hymns" tend to be full of Hallmark-card sentiments masquerading as theological truths. And they rarely seem to be prayers to God - mostly we sing to each other about how great we are. No wonder the cantor is confused. It makes sense to assume we're greeting the priest with the song of our awesomeness.

See "Gather Us In", "Gather the People," "All Are Welcome", etc., etc., ad nauseam.


487. Hymns that deny central teachings of the Faith.

Exhibit A: "Here at This Table" by Janet Sullivan Whitaker and Max Whitaker:

Refrain
Come and be filled here at this table
Food for all who hunger
And drink for all who thirst.
Drink of his love, wine of salvation.
You shall live forever in Jesus Christ the Lord.

How many theological problems can you find in 5 lines? I see two, with an option for three.

1.) The presumption of salvation ("You shall life forever.."). Really? Last I checked, presumption is a sin.

2.) The denial of the Eucharist. We don't drink "wine" at Mass. Ever. The average second grader preparing for his First Holy Communion is aware of this fact. The songwriter is either dangerously ignorant of the Faith or denying the Eucharistic Lord. There's no lyrical reason to use "wine" rather than "blood". Both are 1 syllable words. Either the writer is ignorant of the Faith - in which case, why is he/she writing Catholic music? - or he/she doesn't believe in transubstantiation - in which case, why is he/she writing Catholic music?

Problem 3.) is more arguable (the emphasis on "table" rather than "altar") since the Eucharist is both a meal and a sacrifice. But since millions of American Catholics are ignorant of the sacrifice aspect, can we please stop singing about tables?

End rant. St. Cecilia, pray for us.

Christmas is coming...