The latest angst expressed by the aging and increasingly irrelevant Rev. Richard McBrien (with emphasis and commentary):
“The problem is that many Catholics believe [Opening with the Bishop Clark tactic of expressing your view while hiding behind others by saying something like “I always hear…” or “many women tell me…”], not without reason, that the leadership of the church has been in the process these past few decades of ignoring or even dismantling the reforms achieved at the Second Vatican Council. [They haven’t. If anything, our leaders are trying to promote a faithful reform which adheres to the documents of the Council. The ones who have dismantled the Council are those (like McBrien) who have misinterpreted it all these years by claiming that their own selfish desires was the will of the Council Fathers. Vatican II did not promote women’s ordination, lay pastoral administrators, lay homilies, or any other kind of dissent which sprung up after the Council in the name of the Council, or rather the “spirit” of it]
This dismantling effort is revealed in the changing of the texts of the Mass and the other sacraments (often referred to as the “reform of the reform”) beginning on the First Sunday of Advent [I am not aware of a single word changing in the Latin text of the Novus Ordo come Advent. The English translation we have been using these past few decades is putrid and unfaithful to the official Latin], and in the appointment of bishops deemed unquestionably loyal to the Holy See [Versus what?], especially on issues such as contraception [Not an issue], the ordination of women [Definitely not an issue and infallibly declared impossible] and obligatory clerical celibacy.
The changed complexion of the U.S. hierarchy, to take but one example, was dramatically disclosed in the insistence of some leading American bishops (one of who was subsequently called to Rome and made a cardinal [Are you jealous, Rev. McBrien?]) that it would be a grave sin for Catholics to vote for Sen. John Kerry, a Catholic, for president in 2004 or for Sen. Barack Obama in 2008 [The most pro-abortion president in U.S. history who is increasingly “coming out” in favor of the homosexual movement]; the widespread opposition of many more bishops to the University of Notre Dame’s invitation to now-President Obama to be its commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient in 2009; and the virtual silence of the bishops in key states such as Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida regarding the attack on workers’ bargaining rights, long a linchpin of Catholic social teaching [Right up there with global warming and immigration reform?].
Such bishops, in turn, attract (or discourage) a certain type of candidate for the priesthood [These bishops attract many good, orthodox priests. I don’t recall a single complaint from the “Rev” while orthodox men were being rejected over the past 40 years so often that the number of priests in many areas is approaching a crisis level today]. So the problem [having more good priests is a problem?] comes closer and closer to home for the majority of Catholics, one in 10 of whom have already drifted away from the church [I’m sure this figure has much more to do with the hostility the “Rev” is trying to instill among the laity. Why can’t the Rev. McBrien embrace the movement of the Holy Spirit and support our good young priests? Why does McBrien continue to tear the Church apart by pitting Catholic against Catholic and promoting hatred for the leaders of the Church? This man is leading more souls to the devil than to God!].”
Tags: Politics, Progressive Drivel
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The biological solution is working, slowly, but working. Pray for him he needs it
A wonderful sign of true reform in the Church would be if people like Fr. McBrien couldn’t make it past first year of seminary. How long, O Lord, how long will such pollution of holy teaching be allowed to continue?
Leila at Little Catholic Bubble has a great reply to this argument:
Fr. McBrien turns 75 one month from today. It’s too bad Notre Dame won’t ask him to submit his resignation.
Regarding women’s ordination…
If there really are so many women’s ordination supporters out there and it truly is such an important “cause” to these folk, then why aren’t they filling St. Mary downtown, St. Anne/Lourdes, and Church of the Resurrection every Sunday as a show of support? Instead, these female-led parishes are among the least attended in Monroe County!
People leave the church because she stands for nothing as promoted by priests like Fr. Mc Brien.
I wonder if he says daily mass and recites his office every day?
Dr. K: exactly! In fact, many people flee a parish when one of the proponents of the “cause” sets up shop in a parish. That is what happened at St. Anne Church, I can tell you.
Re Richard Thomas’ musing about Fr. McBrien saying Holy Mass and his Office daily, whenever I meet up with these disgruntled clergy and religious, not to mention lay Catholics, I feel like asking the Bishop Sheen question with a sure-fire answer (if only such were honest with themselves): When did you stop praying?
Fr. McBrien is a cancer on the Catholic Church. He is an ornery curmudgeon who has never done anything but criticize and tear down. He is exactly the opposite of what I think of when I think of Jesus Christ.
That the Courier wastes perfectly good trees on his bile is shameful. That he is a tenured professor at Our Lady’s University surely must cause Our Blessed Mother great angst. She might consider petitioning her Son for a name change.
It appears that these liberal Catholics are more interested in the horizontal aspect of religion, being centered within themselves instead of looking upward to Jesus. Perhaps that is part of the reason the Tabernackle got booted and churches look like airplane hangers.
My thoughts exactly, ‘mouse!
I heard a homily in another state where the priest had new revelation concerning the Eucharist. The Eucharist was now the congregation, expressing their love to one another. Yuck. So much for Divine worshop.
Anonymouse:
I hope Mother Mary aka “Notre Dame” does not petition a name change for herself but for the university. I’ve been using those titles ( Our Lady, Mother Mary etc) for over 65 years and I cannot change now!!! 🙂