The perverse are hard to be corrected and the number of fools is infinite. (Ecclesiastes 1:15)

One Step Forward, Two Backwards

Poor Anglicans. Their bishops finally screwed up enough courage to say that active homosexuality was in-appropriate for the clergy, ‘because of the difficulty many people have in accepting their ministry.’ But the bishops have decided not to do anything about such clergy. And further, Their Lordships could not bring themselves to object to homosexual practices among laymen.

Gays, filled with moral righteousness, have denounced this double standard for clergy and laity.

Pluralism In Trouble

Catholic ‘triumphalism’ was set aside at Vatican II in favor of ‘pluralism’, that is, the right to religious infidelity. Pluralism, don’t you know, is so much more democratic and civilized. However, Catholics in the diocese of Brooklyn still have trouble getting the hang of this religious liberty thing. They got terribly upset last summer over an art exhibit at the Laguardia Community College, which merely used some religious symbols in a way that was different from the Catholic mind-set. Specifically, the student artists displayed, among other things, a crucifix with a naked woman nailed to it and with coat-hangers draped about. (Coat-hanger= illegal abortion.)

The president of the college, Raymond Brown (it couldn’t be the same one, could it?) has apologized to officials of the diocese. Apparently it is very difficult to practice pluralism with just the right measure of political correctness.

Another Dissident Self-Destructs

Fr. James Burtchaell has been asked to resign from the University of Notre Dame -- 25 years too late. He was one of Fr. Theodore Hesburgh’s stars and one of the smaller “brains” behind much of the renewal of the American Church. In spite of (or because of?) his public opposition to Humanae Vitae, and such things as his invitation to Planned Parenthood to come to the University to discuss family and childbearing, he was the long time head of the theology department and provost of the University.

It seems that male students would go to Fr. Burt-chaell for counselling and he would sexually harass and abuse them. The Holy Cross Fathers have sent him away for psychological counselling. Let’s hope he gets better counselling than he gave.

European Synod

If there were orthodox bishops at the November/ December Synod on what the Church should do about lands recently freed from Communism, they must have been most uncomfortable. A cardinal tried to persuade Their Excellencies that yes, they must -- contrary to their compassionate instincts -- they must include Catholic morality when they spread the Gospel. A German bishop, however, argued that believers should not be burdened with unnecessary laws like those which ban artificial birth control, which treat divorced and remarried Catholics differently, which exclude women from ‘positions of authority’ in the Church, etc.

Eucharist

Tivo factions are developing on the question of what to do in priestless parishes on Sundays. One line of thought (usually advanced by bishops) is that parishes should have a simple Communion service conducted by lay Eucharistic ministers and ministresses. Others (usually liturgists) argue for throwing some kind of Scripture service with no trace of the Eucharist.

Before you develop an opinion on the question, you might want to glimpse the level of discourse which is taking place on the topic (according to Catholic News Service, 12/9/91):

“The Mass is a necessity for Catholic life, [Gabe] Huck [a liturgist from Chicago] said, because it involves the total congregation in a eucharistic offering up of themselves in sacrificial action affecting their total existence. That cannot be replaced, he said, with ‘passive reception of bread consecrated somewhere else’.”