Thursday, 11 October 2012
LOUD MOUTHED CARDINAL ACCUSED
OF KEEPING HIS MOUTH SHUT
One of the world's most "holier than thou" church leaders has been linked to the possible cover up of one of the most vile cases of systematic child sex abuse by priests that has so far come to light. This is the bishop who is famous for denying that climate change is happening. I doubt that he will have much trouble denying his part in this sordid episode in his church's history. Of course, he is wrong about climate change.
From BIG POND:
Australia's most powerful Catholic, George Pell, was present when a boy raped by a Christian Brother in regional Victoria described to another priest what happened, a parliamentary inquiry has been told. The victim, a student at St Alipius school in Ballarat, was raped by principal and teacher, Christian Brother Robert Charles Best, in 1969. Best was last year convicted of 27 offences against 11 schoolboys including two rapes, and jailed for 14 years and nine months. Two other Christian Brother teachers and the school chaplain from the school were also convicted of child sex offences years later.
Police are now investigating 50 suicides by graduates of St Alipius, all thought to be linked to sex offences by Brother Best and Father Gerald Ridsdale who operated the parish.
From BIG POND:
Australia's most powerful Catholic, George Pell, was present when a boy raped by a Christian Brother in regional Victoria described to another priest what happened, a parliamentary inquiry has been told. The victim, a student at St Alipius school in Ballarat, was raped by principal and teacher, Christian Brother Robert Charles Best, in 1969. Best was last year convicted of 27 offences against 11 schoolboys including two rapes, and jailed for 14 years and nine months. Two other Christian Brother teachers and the school chaplain from the school were also convicted of child sex offences years later.
Police are now investigating 50 suicides by graduates of St Alipius, all thought to be linked to sex offences by Brother Best and Father Gerald Ridsdale who operated the parish.
WHERE DOES HE FIND THEM?
A NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS ONE SPECIAL
I've posted this under the "Where Does He Find Them" heading but only because it's very interesting. In fact, I'm thinking of adding to the "Soundtrack To Our Lives."
It is also uncannily apt to my state of mind at this moment and the general zeitgeist among the good guys.
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
FROM MADDAD (ADAPTED FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION BY MADPRIEST)
A makem (man from Sunderland) applied for a job at a factory in his home town. A geordie (man from Newcastle) applied for the same job and since both applicants had similar qualifications, the manager asked them to take a test. When the results were in, both men had scored 19 out of 20.
The manager went to the makem and said, "Thank you for coming to the interview, but we’ve decided to give the geordie the job."
The Makem said, "Why? We both got 19 questions correct. This being Sunderland and me being from Sunderland surely I should get the job."
The manager replied, "We have made our decision not on the correct answers, but on the question you got wrong."
The makem said, "And just how would one incorrect answer be better than another?"
The manager said, "Simple. On question number 7 the geordie wrote down, 'I don’t know.'
"You put down, ‘Neither do I '"
The manager went to the makem and said, "Thank you for coming to the interview, but we’ve decided to give the geordie the job."
The Makem said, "Why? We both got 19 questions correct. This being Sunderland and me being from Sunderland surely I should get the job."
The manager replied, "We have made our decision not on the correct answers, but on the question you got wrong."
The makem said, "And just how would one incorrect answer be better than another?"
The manager said, "Simple. On question number 7 the geordie wrote down, 'I don’t know.'
"You put down, ‘Neither do I '"
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
THE MIDNIGHT JUKEBOX
Some very well played Swedish folk music tonight from a group of young musicians who add slight classical smoothness to the sometimes jarring (to non-Scandinavian ears) traditional tunes of their homeland and end creating a sound that is really very classy.
BAND'S WEBSITE
PURCHASE FROM AMAZON UK
SPEED WORSHIPPING
From THE SUN-SENTINEL:
Some South Florida churches struggling with shrinking attendance are shortening their traditional Sunday services, promising to get a generation with limited attention spans out the door in as little as 30 minutes.
These abbreviated ceremonies are an innovation leaders hope will lure back the enormous numbers of young people who avoid Sundays at church. With distractions such as the Internet and a weak connection to the faith of their childhoods, many are steering clear, to the dismay of religious leaders who desperately want them back.
"We are increasingly aware of the time pressures on families, and they have been telling us that the traditional service is too long for them," said the Rev. Chip Stokes of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Delray Beach. "We recognize that things are changing and we have to be more adaptive without losing our core."
This is exactly what happened with the game of cricket in England.
Some South Florida churches struggling with shrinking attendance are shortening their traditional Sunday services, promising to get a generation with limited attention spans out the door in as little as 30 minutes.
These abbreviated ceremonies are an innovation leaders hope will lure back the enormous numbers of young people who avoid Sundays at church. With distractions such as the Internet and a weak connection to the faith of their childhoods, many are steering clear, to the dismay of religious leaders who desperately want them back.
"We are increasingly aware of the time pressures on families, and they have been telling us that the traditional service is too long for them," said the Rev. Chip Stokes of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Delray Beach. "We recognize that things are changing and we have to be more adaptive without losing our core."
This is exactly what happened with the game of cricket in England.
PRAY THE MAD AWAY
From IRIN NEWS:
Doris Appiah, 57, has bipolar disorder. In her early twenties, she was sent to an overcrowded psychiatric hospital followed by a “prayer camp” to be treated. She stayed there for five years, at times tied to a wall or forced to fast. Her story is mirrored by thousands of mentally ill people across Ghana, according to a 2 October Human Rights Watch (HRW) report entitled Like a Death Sentence.
The government is trying to update the country’s mental health care laws, starting with the passing of the 2012 Mental Health Act. The act is supposed to improve access to mental health services and prevent abuse. But HRW says the law does not go far enough as it only addresses the formal health sector rather than community-based mental healthcare needs.
Patients with mental health problems are often kept against their will in overcrowded and unsanitary psychiatric institutions.
Doris Appiah, 57, has bipolar disorder. In her early twenties, she was sent to an overcrowded psychiatric hospital followed by a “prayer camp” to be treated. She stayed there for five years, at times tied to a wall or forced to fast. Her story is mirrored by thousands of mentally ill people across Ghana, according to a 2 October Human Rights Watch (HRW) report entitled Like a Death Sentence.
The government is trying to update the country’s mental health care laws, starting with the passing of the 2012 Mental Health Act. The act is supposed to improve access to mental health services and prevent abuse. But HRW says the law does not go far enough as it only addresses the formal health sector rather than community-based mental healthcare needs.
Patients with mental health problems are often kept against their will in overcrowded and unsanitary psychiatric institutions.
RASPBERRY TURBAN
From YAHOO NEWS:
A group of atheist students were thrown out of their fresher's fair in London because they displayed a pineapple labelled 'Mohammed' on their stall. The Reading University's Atheist, Humanist and Secularist Society (RAHS) said they wanted to celebrate free speech and promote their upcoming debate 'Should we respect religion?' But they were ordered to remove the offending fruit by union staff who said their actions were causing 'distress' to a number of Muslim students and other societies.
A group of atheist students were thrown out of their fresher's fair in London because they displayed a pineapple labelled 'Mohammed' on their stall. The Reading University's Atheist, Humanist and Secularist Society (RAHS) said they wanted to celebrate free speech and promote their upcoming debate 'Should we respect religion?' But they were ordered to remove the offending fruit by union staff who said their actions were causing 'distress' to a number of Muslim students and other societies.
GOD FORCES CORDILEONE TO DRINK ALCOHOL AND THEN INSISTS HE DRIVES HOME DRUNK
At his instillation as the new Vatican enforcer in San Francisco (Anglican bishops not welcome), Salvatore Cordileone joked about his recent arrest for drink driving.
From THE SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER:
Archbishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone, wearing gold and red robes with a matching miter, told an audience of more than 2,000 invited guests at his installation mass that he was grateful for the messages of support he had received from people of different religious and political viewpoints following the Aug. 25 arrest in his home town of San Diego.
“I know in my life God has always had a way of putting me in my place. I would say, though, that in the latest episode of my life God has outdone himself,” Cordileone said with a chuckle as he delivered his first homily as archbishop.
Oh, that God! He has such a wicked sense of humour.
From THE SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER:
Archbishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone, wearing gold and red robes with a matching miter, told an audience of more than 2,000 invited guests at his installation mass that he was grateful for the messages of support he had received from people of different religious and political viewpoints following the Aug. 25 arrest in his home town of San Diego.
“I know in my life God has always had a way of putting me in my place. I would say, though, that in the latest episode of my life God has outdone himself,” Cordileone said with a chuckle as he delivered his first homily as archbishop.
Oh, that God! He has such a wicked sense of humour.
POPE PLAYS GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD
During the whole span of the Year of Faith, proclaimed from October 11, 2012 to the whole of November 24, 2013, all individual faithful truly repentant, duly confessed, communing sacramentally, and who pray according to the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, will be able to acquire a Plenary Indulgence from the temporal punishment for their sins imparted by God’s mercy, applicable in suffrage to the souls of the deceased faithful.
a.- Every time they take part in at least three instances of preaching during the Sacred Missions, or at least three lessons on the Acts of Vatican Council II and on the Articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in any church or ideal place;
b.- Every time they visit by way of pilgrimage a Papal Basilica, a Christian catacomb, a Cathedral; Church, a sacred place designated by the Ordinary of the place for the Year of Faith (for example between the Minor Basilicas and the Shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to the Holy Apostles and to Patron Saints) and take part there in some sacred function or at least pause for an apt time of recollection with pious meditations, concluding with the recitation of the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, according to the case, to Holy Apostles or Patrons;
c.- Every time, in days determined by the Ordinary of the place for the Year of Faith (for example on the solemnities of the Lord, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on the feast s of the Holy Apostles and Patrons, on the Chair of Saint Peter), in any sacred place they participate in a solemn Eucharistic celebration or the Liturgy of the Hours, adding the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form;
d.- A day freely chosen, during the Year of Faith, for the pious visit of the baptistery or other place, in which they received the sacrament of Baptism, renewing the baptismal promises in any legitimate formula.
e.- Voting for a right wing political party in a national or local election.
f.- Managing to listen all the way through one of MadPriest's "Where Does He Find Them?" musical choices.
g.- Inviting a friend or relative to a baptism, wedding or funeral and then telling them when they get there that they can't take communion because they are not proper Christians.
h.- Buying a copy of one of the pope's books.
i.- Hanging an inconvenient banker from a London bridge.
Diocesan or Eparchial bishops, and those who in law are equivalent to them, in the most appropriate day of this time, on the occasion of the main celebration (for example November 24, 2013, on the solemnity of Jesus Christ King of the Universe, with which the Year of Faith will close) will be able to impart the Papal Blessing with the Plenary Indulgence, to be gained by all the faithful who receive this Blessing devoutly.
The truly repentant faithful, who cannot take part in solemn celebrations for serious reasons (as, first of all, nuns that live in convents of perpetual cloister, anchorites and hermits, prisoners, the elderly, the sick, as well as those that, in hospitals or other nursing places, give continuous service to the sick), will obtain the Plenary Indulgence in the same conditions if, united in spirit and thought to the faithful present, particularly in moments in which the Words of the Supreme Pontiff or of the Diocesan Bishops are broadcast on television or radio, recite in their own home or where the impediment keeps them (for example in the chapel of the convent, of the hospital, of the nursing home, of the prison) the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and other prayers in keeping with the objective of the Year of Faith, offering the sufferings or discomforts of their life.
a.- Every time they take part in at least three instances of preaching during the Sacred Missions, or at least three lessons on the Acts of Vatican Council II and on the Articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in any church or ideal place;
b.- Every time they visit by way of pilgrimage a Papal Basilica, a Christian catacomb, a Cathedral; Church, a sacred place designated by the Ordinary of the place for the Year of Faith (for example between the Minor Basilicas and the Shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to the Holy Apostles and to Patron Saints) and take part there in some sacred function or at least pause for an apt time of recollection with pious meditations, concluding with the recitation of the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, according to the case, to Holy Apostles or Patrons;
c.- Every time, in days determined by the Ordinary of the place for the Year of Faith (for example on the solemnities of the Lord, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on the feast s of the Holy Apostles and Patrons, on the Chair of Saint Peter), in any sacred place they participate in a solemn Eucharistic celebration or the Liturgy of the Hours, adding the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form;
d.- A day freely chosen, during the Year of Faith, for the pious visit of the baptistery or other place, in which they received the sacrament of Baptism, renewing the baptismal promises in any legitimate formula.
e.- Voting for a right wing political party in a national or local election.
f.- Managing to listen all the way through one of MadPriest's "Where Does He Find Them?" musical choices.
g.- Inviting a friend or relative to a baptism, wedding or funeral and then telling them when they get there that they can't take communion because they are not proper Christians.
h.- Buying a copy of one of the pope's books.
i.- Hanging an inconvenient banker from a London bridge.
Diocesan or Eparchial bishops, and those who in law are equivalent to them, in the most appropriate day of this time, on the occasion of the main celebration (for example November 24, 2013, on the solemnity of Jesus Christ King of the Universe, with which the Year of Faith will close) will be able to impart the Papal Blessing with the Plenary Indulgence, to be gained by all the faithful who receive this Blessing devoutly.
The truly repentant faithful, who cannot take part in solemn celebrations for serious reasons (as, first of all, nuns that live in convents of perpetual cloister, anchorites and hermits, prisoners, the elderly, the sick, as well as those that, in hospitals or other nursing places, give continuous service to the sick), will obtain the Plenary Indulgence in the same conditions if, united in spirit and thought to the faithful present, particularly in moments in which the Words of the Supreme Pontiff or of the Diocesan Bishops are broadcast on television or radio, recite in their own home or where the impediment keeps them (for example in the chapel of the convent, of the hospital, of the nursing home, of the prison) the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and other prayers in keeping with the objective of the Year of Faith, offering the sufferings or discomforts of their life.
NO JAM TODAY, NO JAM TOMORROW
From THE TELEGRAPH:
The Church of England has written to parishes warning them that conserves should not be sold in jars that have been previously used because of new food-hygiene regulations.
“You can re-use jam jars at home, and you can use them for private gifts to friends; what you are not allowed to do is to make jam, put it in re-used jam jars, then either sell it or even give it away at a public event,” warned the circular from the Churches’ Legislation Advisory Service.
Canon Michael Tristram, of Portsmouth Cathedral, said: “On realising that this was not a belated April Fool’s joke, I was very anxious, not only from the fund-raising point of view for all our churches, but, also, because it goes against the green agenda of recycling.”
It's a war against religion!
This example of political correctness gone mad is more proof that the militant atheist agenda is out to destroy Christianity in England and throughout the world.
Anybody who works for the Food Standards Agency and anyone who supports their satanic policies should be excluded from taking communion forthwith.
CONSERVE THE JAM!
PICKLE THE ATHEIST FSA!
The Church of England has written to parishes warning them that conserves should not be sold in jars that have been previously used because of new food-hygiene regulations.
“You can re-use jam jars at home, and you can use them for private gifts to friends; what you are not allowed to do is to make jam, put it in re-used jam jars, then either sell it or even give it away at a public event,” warned the circular from the Churches’ Legislation Advisory Service.
Canon Michael Tristram, of Portsmouth Cathedral, said: “On realising that this was not a belated April Fool’s joke, I was very anxious, not only from the fund-raising point of view for all our churches, but, also, because it goes against the green agenda of recycling.”
It's a war against religion!
This example of political correctness gone mad is more proof that the militant atheist agenda is out to destroy Christianity in England and throughout the world.
Anybody who works for the Food Standards Agency and anyone who supports their satanic policies should be excluded from taking communion forthwith.
CONSERVE THE JAM!
PICKLE THE ATHEIST FSA!
IS THE POPE A CATHOLIC?
EVIDENTLY NOT
From SEATTLE PI:
The Catholic bishop of Yakima (Joseph Tyson) has delivered the most fiery denunciation yet of Referendum 74, claiming legalization of gay marriage “jeopardizes freedom rather than expands it,” and “endangers our religious liberty and the right of conscience.”
“Once marriage is redefined as a genderless contract, it will become legally discriminatory for public and private institutions such as schools to promote the unique meaning of marriage . . . This law will challenge our right to educate about the unique value of children being raised by his or her own mother and father in a stable home.”
The bishop did not say HOW that right would be challenged. A pro-Referendum 74 group, Catholics for Marriage Equality, delivered a sharp rejoinder to Tyson and his fellow bishops in the Archdiocese of Seattle and the Diocese of Spokane, who have issued letters and videos opposing marriage equality.
“We are shocked when we read the language and examples used by our bishops to incite fear in our Catholic brothers and sisters if Referendum 74 passes: The message of Jesus is love and compassion, not fear,” said Kirby Brown with Catholics for Marriage Equality Washington.
From NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER:
In late September, Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark, N.J., upped the ante in the hierarchy's culture war against LGBT civil rights by declaring that those who support marriage equality should refrain from receiving the Eucharist. With somewhere between 52 percent and 72 percent of Catholics in this country supporting same-sex marriage, a lot of people are going to be turned away hungry from the altar.
Since multiple studies and surveys have confirmed that more Catholics agree with marriage equality, I've often wondered whether there is a connection behind the Catholic theological tradition and this particular issue. I don't think this phenomenon is evidence of increased secularization among Catholics. Nor do I think it is simply the result of Catholics having been raised in a justice-oriented tradition. The answer to why so many Catholics support marriage equality lies, I believe, in understanding the Catholic imagination.
Catholics believe the finite is capable of the infinite. Objects, events and persons all have the capability to reveal God's grace to us. That grace can come in our experiences of love, forgiveness, compassion, justice, sacrifice, but also in the midst of suffering, brokenness and desolation. It is the Catholic imagination that gave Dorothy Day the vision to see a prostitute with advanced syphilis as Jesus Christ on her doorstep. It's Catholic sacramental view of the world that allowed Pierre Teilhard de Chardin to see that "Christ has a cosmic body that extends throughout the universe." It is the Catholic theological tradition that made Thomas Merton see, in the middle of a Louisville, Ky., shopping center, that he was so in love with all of the people buzzing around him that he longed to tell them that "they are all walking around shining like the sun."
Those with a sacramental view of the world find it challenging to separate the sacred from the profane in this world. The Catholic imagination sees God everywhere, believes that God reveals Godself in all things and understands God can work through any human being or human relationship. By insisting that genital complementarity is an absolute requirement for marriage, the hierarchy places limits on God's power to work within all of the relationships of all God's beloved children.
Those who possess a sacramental view of the world often realize that any human person or relationship that brings love, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, generosity or faithfulness into the world is a sign of God's grace. Perhaps this is the reason so many Catholics defend marriage equality: They have recognized these graces can come forth as much through same-sex couples as heterosexual couples. Those who have a Catholic imagination recognize that a couple's ability to enter into a marriage commitment is not contingent on their anatomies, but on the depth, strength and fruitfulness of their bond.
From THE GUARDIAN:
Hans Küng is appealing to priests and churchgoers to confront the Catholic hierarchy, which he says is corrupt, lacking credibility and apathetic to the real concerns of the church's members.
"The unconditional obedience demanded of bishops who swear their allegiance to the pope when they make their holy oath is almost as extreme as that of the German generals who were forced to swear an oath of allegiance to Hitler," he said.
The Vatican made a point of crushing any form of clerical dissent, he added. "The rules for choosing bishops are so rigid that as soon as candidates emerge who, say, stand up for the pill, or for the ordination of women, they are struck off the list." The result was a church of "yes men", almost all of whom unquestioningly toed the line.
"The only way for reform is from the bottom up," said Küng, 84, who is a priest. "The priests and others in positions of responsibility need to stop being so subservient, to organise themselves and say that there are certain things that they simply will not put up with anymore."
Imagine a Conservative (Republican) party in which over half of its membership were in favour of universal, free welfare provision, high taxation of the rich and the unionisation of the workforce. In essence the Roman Catholic Church at this time is the real-life, ecclesiological equivalent of this imagined, political institution.
Ironically, it is the Vatican's insistence on absolute obedience from the church's membership that may well end up drastically weakening the authority of the hierarchy. If people ignore your authority then you have no authority.
The times they are a'changin'. But I disagree with Hans Kung on one point. It's the Roman Catholic laity who are pushing for change, not the priests who, on the whole, are as scared of upsetting their paymasters as most clerics in most denominations. It's the laity who will cause reform of their church or allow it to continue indefinitely as the most schizophrenic institution the world has ever seen. The choice is theirs. My worry is that they have got so used to completely ignoring the bishops, cardinals and popes that they won't see any point in campaigning to change things officially.
The Catholic bishop of Yakima (Joseph Tyson) has delivered the most fiery denunciation yet of Referendum 74, claiming legalization of gay marriage “jeopardizes freedom rather than expands it,” and “endangers our religious liberty and the right of conscience.”
“Once marriage is redefined as a genderless contract, it will become legally discriminatory for public and private institutions such as schools to promote the unique meaning of marriage . . . This law will challenge our right to educate about the unique value of children being raised by his or her own mother and father in a stable home.”
The bishop did not say HOW that right would be challenged. A pro-Referendum 74 group, Catholics for Marriage Equality, delivered a sharp rejoinder to Tyson and his fellow bishops in the Archdiocese of Seattle and the Diocese of Spokane, who have issued letters and videos opposing marriage equality.
“We are shocked when we read the language and examples used by our bishops to incite fear in our Catholic brothers and sisters if Referendum 74 passes: The message of Jesus is love and compassion, not fear,” said Kirby Brown with Catholics for Marriage Equality Washington.
From NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER:
In late September, Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark, N.J., upped the ante in the hierarchy's culture war against LGBT civil rights by declaring that those who support marriage equality should refrain from receiving the Eucharist. With somewhere between 52 percent and 72 percent of Catholics in this country supporting same-sex marriage, a lot of people are going to be turned away hungry from the altar.
Since multiple studies and surveys have confirmed that more Catholics agree with marriage equality, I've often wondered whether there is a connection behind the Catholic theological tradition and this particular issue. I don't think this phenomenon is evidence of increased secularization among Catholics. Nor do I think it is simply the result of Catholics having been raised in a justice-oriented tradition. The answer to why so many Catholics support marriage equality lies, I believe, in understanding the Catholic imagination.
Catholics believe the finite is capable of the infinite. Objects, events and persons all have the capability to reveal God's grace to us. That grace can come in our experiences of love, forgiveness, compassion, justice, sacrifice, but also in the midst of suffering, brokenness and desolation. It is the Catholic imagination that gave Dorothy Day the vision to see a prostitute with advanced syphilis as Jesus Christ on her doorstep. It's Catholic sacramental view of the world that allowed Pierre Teilhard de Chardin to see that "Christ has a cosmic body that extends throughout the universe." It is the Catholic theological tradition that made Thomas Merton see, in the middle of a Louisville, Ky., shopping center, that he was so in love with all of the people buzzing around him that he longed to tell them that "they are all walking around shining like the sun."
Those with a sacramental view of the world find it challenging to separate the sacred from the profane in this world. The Catholic imagination sees God everywhere, believes that God reveals Godself in all things and understands God can work through any human being or human relationship. By insisting that genital complementarity is an absolute requirement for marriage, the hierarchy places limits on God's power to work within all of the relationships of all God's beloved children.
Those who possess a sacramental view of the world often realize that any human person or relationship that brings love, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, generosity or faithfulness into the world is a sign of God's grace. Perhaps this is the reason so many Catholics defend marriage equality: They have recognized these graces can come forth as much through same-sex couples as heterosexual couples. Those who have a Catholic imagination recognize that a couple's ability to enter into a marriage commitment is not contingent on their anatomies, but on the depth, strength and fruitfulness of their bond.
From THE GUARDIAN:
Hans Küng is appealing to priests and churchgoers to confront the Catholic hierarchy, which he says is corrupt, lacking credibility and apathetic to the real concerns of the church's members.
"The unconditional obedience demanded of bishops who swear their allegiance to the pope when they make their holy oath is almost as extreme as that of the German generals who were forced to swear an oath of allegiance to Hitler," he said.
The Vatican made a point of crushing any form of clerical dissent, he added. "The rules for choosing bishops are so rigid that as soon as candidates emerge who, say, stand up for the pill, or for the ordination of women, they are struck off the list." The result was a church of "yes men", almost all of whom unquestioningly toed the line.
"The only way for reform is from the bottom up," said Küng, 84, who is a priest. "The priests and others in positions of responsibility need to stop being so subservient, to organise themselves and say that there are certain things that they simply will not put up with anymore."
Imagine a Conservative (Republican) party in which over half of its membership were in favour of universal, free welfare provision, high taxation of the rich and the unionisation of the workforce. In essence the Roman Catholic Church at this time is the real-life, ecclesiological equivalent of this imagined, political institution.
Ironically, it is the Vatican's insistence on absolute obedience from the church's membership that may well end up drastically weakening the authority of the hierarchy. If people ignore your authority then you have no authority.
The times they are a'changin'. But I disagree with Hans Kung on one point. It's the Roman Catholic laity who are pushing for change, not the priests who, on the whole, are as scared of upsetting their paymasters as most clerics in most denominations. It's the laity who will cause reform of their church or allow it to continue indefinitely as the most schizophrenic institution the world has ever seen. The choice is theirs. My worry is that they have got so used to completely ignoring the bishops, cardinals and popes that they won't see any point in campaigning to change things officially.
CHURCH OF ENGLAND BISHOPS STRIKE SPONSORSHIP DEAL WITH CADBURY
From THE TELEGRAPH:
In a landmark High Court victory last week Cadbury, now owned by the US conglomerate Kraft, saw off a challenge from its rival Nestlé over the exclusive rights to use the distinctive shade of purple used on its Dairy Milk wrappers. The ruling was the culmination of a long-running legal battle between the two of the world's biggest confectionery companies but it has also forced a rethink by one of the smallest. The Meaningful Chocolate Company, based in Manchester, produces a special range of fair trade chocolates for Christmas and Easter with a Christian message. Last Christmas it sold a range of chocolate Christmas tree decorations with nativity scenes, displayed in a purple packaging – the colour long recognised by the Church as symbolising advent. But the company has been forced to switch to scarlet wrappers this Christmas after being advised by intellectual property lawyers that it could be infringing Cadbury’s rights.
The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell, last night urged Cadbury to ease the restriction, warning that it could “demean” itself by being “precious” about the colour.
David Marshall, founder of the Meaningful Chocolate Company, said: “When a large American owned corporation, such as Cadbury, claims the rights to a colour, that is a move which needs careful thought. The reason we use purple is that it has been used for centuries by the church during advent – but apparently no longer … it appears that the association is now with Cadbury."
Christmas? Isn't that something to do with Coca Cola?
In a landmark High Court victory last week Cadbury, now owned by the US conglomerate Kraft, saw off a challenge from its rival Nestlé over the exclusive rights to use the distinctive shade of purple used on its Dairy Milk wrappers. The ruling was the culmination of a long-running legal battle between the two of the world's biggest confectionery companies but it has also forced a rethink by one of the smallest. The Meaningful Chocolate Company, based in Manchester, produces a special range of fair trade chocolates for Christmas and Easter with a Christian message. Last Christmas it sold a range of chocolate Christmas tree decorations with nativity scenes, displayed in a purple packaging – the colour long recognised by the Church as symbolising advent. But the company has been forced to switch to scarlet wrappers this Christmas after being advised by intellectual property lawyers that it could be infringing Cadbury’s rights.
The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell, last night urged Cadbury to ease the restriction, warning that it could “demean” itself by being “precious” about the colour.
David Marshall, founder of the Meaningful Chocolate Company, said: “When a large American owned corporation, such as Cadbury, claims the rights to a colour, that is a move which needs careful thought. The reason we use purple is that it has been used for centuries by the church during advent – but apparently no longer … it appears that the association is now with Cadbury."
Christmas? Isn't that something to do with Coca Cola?
BISHOP SUGGESTS REPUBLICANS
COMMIT SELF-DECAPITATION
From ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH:
A Roman Catholic bishop from Springfield, Ill. (Thomas Paprocki), who has called the Democratic Party platform "intrinsically evil," challenged the likes of Sen. Roy Blunt and U.S. Rep. Todd Akin on Sunday to be more like Sir Thomas More, who was beheaded in 1535 after being convicted for treason.
I don't get it. If the bishop is such a right-winger himself why does he want Republican politicians to commit treason and be beheaded. Anyway, I thought the Roman Catholic Church was against capital punishment.
On the other hand it is an interesting idea. Although, to be honest, I doubt that having no head will make that much difference to the performance and rhetorical skills of the majority of Republican politicians.
A Roman Catholic bishop from Springfield, Ill. (Thomas Paprocki), who has called the Democratic Party platform "intrinsically evil," challenged the likes of Sen. Roy Blunt and U.S. Rep. Todd Akin on Sunday to be more like Sir Thomas More, who was beheaded in 1535 after being convicted for treason.
I don't get it. If the bishop is such a right-winger himself why does he want Republican politicians to commit treason and be beheaded. Anyway, I thought the Roman Catholic Church was against capital punishment.
On the other hand it is an interesting idea. Although, to be honest, I doubt that having no head will make that much difference to the performance and rhetorical skills of the majority of Republican politicians.
THE MIDNIGHT JUKEBOX
This is very beautiful. You will love it.
ARTISTS' MYSPACE PAGE (for bio)
PURCHASE FROM AMAZON USA
PURCHASE FROM AMAZON UK
Monday, 8 October 2012
MESSIANIC SECRET REVEALED AT LAST
The good news (gospel) of Jesus Christ - we all talk about it, we all know that we should be out there proclaiming it to the nations. But, to tell you the truth, I've always been a bit confused as to what exactly the gospel is. Some people claim that it is the teaching of Jesus Christ about the nearness of God and God's love for us. Others claim it is all about what Christ achieved for us on the cross. I expect there are many other definitions as well.
Fortunately we need not argue about this any longer. A defecting, Church of Scotland minister has discovered the true, one and only definition of the word "Gospel."
From THE SCOTSMAN:
A former Church of Scotland minister has accused the Kirk of an “erroneous liberal agenda” and of the “systematic dismantling of the true gospel” over the ordination of gay ministers. The Rev Paul Gibson has become the latest minister to leave the Kirk for the Free Church of Scotland over the issue.
There you have it, and who'd have thought it? The good news of Jesus Christ has nothing to do with forgiveness, grace or love. It has nothing to do with the incarnation or the atonement. It has nothing to do with eternal life, the kingdom of God or Jesus returning to earth to judge the living and the dead.
The good news that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us just to tell us is simply that gay people mustn't be ordained.
Now, some of you will be thinking, how come, if this is the gospel of Jesus Christ, he didn't actually mention it, or even allude to it, during all the time he was walking around the Holy Land preaching to anyone who would stop and listen to him?
I asked Professor MadPriest of the Newcastle Academy of Convenient Theology this very question and, quick as a flash, he had the answer. It's the "Messianic Secret." Those of you who have done a degree in theology will have heard of this secret and probably know it's something to do with Saint Mark's Gospel. Perhaps some bright spark of a lecturer even told you what the secret was. But I guarantee that he or she was lying. The Messianic Secret, the piece of wonderful news that the disciples were far too stupid to be told, was that blokes who fancy each other cannot be the person who stands at the front in church waving his hands around and introducing the hymns. Jesus couldn't tell the dimwitted fools who he deliberately chose to be his disciples about this glorious news because they were not ready to hear it. In fact, the whole of humankind has not been clever enough, or enlightened enough, to be told this secret until today.
That I am alive at this time when the true nature of God Almighty is being revealed to his people is a great honour. Fortune has smiled on me. To think, I might have gone through the whole of my life mistaken in my belief that the good news of Jesus Christ was something nice instead of having the sure knowledge that it was just another bit of illogical, bigoted, legalistic nonsense like something a human being would come up with and nothing new at all. Heck, it doesn't bear thinking about.
Fortunately we need not argue about this any longer. A defecting, Church of Scotland minister has discovered the true, one and only definition of the word "Gospel."
From THE SCOTSMAN:
A former Church of Scotland minister has accused the Kirk of an “erroneous liberal agenda” and of the “systematic dismantling of the true gospel” over the ordination of gay ministers. The Rev Paul Gibson has become the latest minister to leave the Kirk for the Free Church of Scotland over the issue.
There you have it, and who'd have thought it? The good news of Jesus Christ has nothing to do with forgiveness, grace or love. It has nothing to do with the incarnation or the atonement. It has nothing to do with eternal life, the kingdom of God or Jesus returning to earth to judge the living and the dead.
The good news that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us just to tell us is simply that gay people mustn't be ordained.
Now, some of you will be thinking, how come, if this is the gospel of Jesus Christ, he didn't actually mention it, or even allude to it, during all the time he was walking around the Holy Land preaching to anyone who would stop and listen to him?
I asked Professor MadPriest of the Newcastle Academy of Convenient Theology this very question and, quick as a flash, he had the answer. It's the "Messianic Secret." Those of you who have done a degree in theology will have heard of this secret and probably know it's something to do with Saint Mark's Gospel. Perhaps some bright spark of a lecturer even told you what the secret was. But I guarantee that he or she was lying. The Messianic Secret, the piece of wonderful news that the disciples were far too stupid to be told, was that blokes who fancy each other cannot be the person who stands at the front in church waving his hands around and introducing the hymns. Jesus couldn't tell the dimwitted fools who he deliberately chose to be his disciples about this glorious news because they were not ready to hear it. In fact, the whole of humankind has not been clever enough, or enlightened enough, to be told this secret until today.
That I am alive at this time when the true nature of God Almighty is being revealed to his people is a great honour. Fortune has smiled on me. To think, I might have gone through the whole of my life mistaken in my belief that the good news of Jesus Christ was something nice instead of having the sure knowledge that it was just another bit of illogical, bigoted, legalistic nonsense like something a human being would come up with and nothing new at all. Heck, it doesn't bear thinking about.
Sunday, 7 October 2012
WORSHIP AT SAINT LAIKA'S
A SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION
THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
THE NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
All are welcome to join me in taking communion.
The order of service is posted beneath the audio file so that you can join in with the service. The words in bold type are the ones we say together.
If you want to physically partake of communion you will require a small piece of bread and a small amount of drink (preferably made from grapes and containing alcohol). How you view the nature of this part of the service is completely up to you.
The order of service is posted beneath the audio file so that you can join in with the service. The words in bold type are the ones we say together.
Click on the arrow on the player to stream.
Download via the MP3 icon below the player.
MP3 File
CLICK HERE for order of service (opens in new window)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)