To worry about us, that is. Fortunately, though, we are doing OK, as there are still quite a few clear and honest thinkers around for us to feed our minds on. By the Grace of God, we don’t have to settle for fluff like “leadership in a society of equals”.
Actually, on a very similar topic to Timbs’s lightweight foray, Fr Zuhlsdorf - There, I’ve done it – I’ve mentioned that name, so I guess you won’t be able to handle anything else I write, will you?
Anyway, if anyone is still reading, on a very similar topic to Timbs’s piece, Fr Z refers to an article in Commonweal that would be right up Timbs’s alley. I think you and Timbs would love this fuzz: Hence, the need for priests, more properly known as presbyters; persons ordained and sanctioned by the church authorities (the bishops) to preside at the Eucharistic liturgy, the Mass.
Don’t you just love it – not priests to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, but “presbyters … to preside at the Eucharistic liturgy, the Mass.”
After that reference, Fr Z goes on, in his customary fashion to point out the triteness of the article and indicate the true path back to the Church Christ established.
But enough of my commentary; the article is Disaster. Vocations. Identity. Liturgy. Prayer., and it commences:A while back I wrote that people get the priests that they deserve. Collectively, at least. Priests don’t just spring full grown from the heads of… cabbage.
Recently, a writer at hyper-liberal Commonweal suggested that vocations are down because his grand vision of the spirit of Vatican II was stifled by the baaaaad Popes John Paul and Benedict. If only we had more visionaries like Card. Kasper, we’d have more wonderful “presbyters” and sunshine and happy little puppies and more hugging, etc.
The problem is, in those places where his vision of the Church has been implemented in full force, hardly anyone goes to Church anymore and there are no vocations. What a wonderful success! Take Belgium, for example: 5% Mass attendance.
I remember some time back when there were no men admitted for one year to a major seminary for an archdiocese, they crowed about how effective their screening process was. Another success!
Many years ago my old pastor, Msgr. Schuler, commenting on the liberal trend in the archdiocese at that time and about how the powers-that-were were talking about priest-less parishes, quipped that they were like the Irish, sitting around talking about how to die rather than figuring out how to plant more crops.
Now I read this, about Ireland, another place where the liberal modernist spirit has for decades ravaged the land. This is from the Irish Times (with my emphases and comments):No Mass to take place in Limerick diocese next Tuesday
Fall-off in Catholic priesthood vocations leads to unprecedented situation
Masses will not be said at any church in the Diocese of Limerick next Tuesday, April 25th – the first time since Catholic Emancipation in 1829 that this has happened in any Irish diocese.
Instead, there will be only lay-led liturgies of the Word (readings) and public prayers in churches, with no Mass and no Communion on that day. The lack of services in the Limerick diocese is directly related to the fall-off in priestly vocations, despite major efforts by the diocese to best use existing priests. [This is the reporter writing, granted, but note… “existing priests”.]
I’ll leave it there. Fr Z’s comments, as usual, are well worth reading, but only if you can handle the truth.
--Previous Message--
: You're losing your mo-jo, John George. No
: posts for over 40 days. Have you been
: wandering in the desert? Poor old "True
: Catholic" is going the way of Mind and
: Heart and CathPews — sinkin' beneath the
: waves. We're getting worried at catholica as
: our competition is all disappearing.
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