Kudos, plentiful kudos, to Abaccio for his diligent analysis of Bishop Matthew Clark’s letter to the flock, which was tucked away in church bulletins rather than widely proclaimed from the pulpit. And it points out how varied are the experiences of Catholics throughout the country, and how divisive can be bishops’ personal opinions to the oneness of the faith. At least we can follow other bishops on line, and emulate their faithfulness and cherish their insightfulness so we can better understand our own responsibilities, and the imminent danger in which we find ourselves and our Church.
There is not a single thing I disagree with in Abaccio’s posting; it is accurate and an excellent comparison to what has been written by faithful (and quite frankly even some rather too liberal) bishops in the US. Even those to the far left seem to recognize a real threat when they see it. All of this musing makes me wonder just how a bishop can go about excising crucial information and leave a shell of a letter which can be read even as favoring that which we oppose, through the amiguity of his writing.
For example, what does it mean “May God bless our efforts to do what is right?” Suppose a bishop personally thinks contraception is “right?” Why doesn’t he say: “May God bless our efforts to do what our Church tells us is right?” (for example)? Well, all this led me to wonder what it must have been like to sit at one’s desk, seeing the righteousness of what so many brother bishops wrote, and raising pen to paper to emend their words, hand them off to the typist, and claim to have been one who spoke out for — what was it anyway?
This musing led me to fantasize a peek into the Buffalo Road dumpster, to envision just what that page of changes must have looked like, and here it is, using Cardinal George’s letter and my fantasy. I would have preferred to use almost-Cardinal Dolan’s letter but he is in Israel and I am wondering if that has caused a delay. In any event, not able to get a copy of the now-chair of the USCCB, I settled for the letter from the prior chair. Abaccio’s post is far neater; but this may add another dimension — of just how it all might have come down.
Tags: Bishop Clark, Politics
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This is brilliant, Diane. Its explains the disconnect from the appearance of a moral action and the sense that it is somehow lacking. Your “emend” illuminates exactly what is lacking. Its a great visual!
Good point, here:
For example, what does it mean “May God bless our efforts to do what is right?” Suppose a bishop personally thinks contraception is “right?” Why doesn’t he say: “May God bless our efforts to do what our Church tells us is right?” (for example)?
I also found that phrase to be a weak and nebulous. It reminds me of the sacred responsibility he has so long neglected: to teach his flock what is right. He has withheld from us the rich teachings of our Church. He has been a shameful failure.
It does upset me knowing his vague comments to people genuinly concerned about issues in the diocese are more often an “up yours” attitude, discuized in this kind of “gobbly goop” language.
For all the blustering he has uttered about dialogue concerning local issues, I find him to be unavailable and unable to directly confront people who disagree with his vision (lack of vision) in the diocese.
Instead, he hides behind the likes of nuns, lay people and priests who take the heat for his decisions. And these same people are the ones who proclaim heresy so the bishop can give the appearance he is “innocent” and not get in trouble with Rome.
Can you imagine a bishop like St. Ambrose or St. Francis DeSales hiding behind others, letting them take the heat? No, they boldly proclaimed the message of the gospel.
PRIVATE/PERSONAL TO THE PERSON WHO EMAILED ME, rejoicing that I had been able to find this piece of paper in DoR’s dumpster:
Thank you for all your kind words, and for your concern, but please understand that the word “Fantasy” in the headline means that I only compared Bishop Clark’s letter to Cardinal George’s, and made the handwritten changes to convert Cardinal George’s to the one sent to DoR parishes. I did not trespass or go “dumpster diving.”
🙂
Diane
Eliza10 said:
“…the appearance of a moral action and the sense that it is somehow lacking.”
Right on the money. The letter is yanked of all its teeth and what we are left with is the usual progressivist moral vanity coupled with moral vagueness. Give me ambiguity, or give me something else!
Scott and Eliza:
He has told us his beliefs on these issues.
Perhaps he is also FAN of O’Bama and all the Democrats. After All, he evidently is pro-choice, pro contraception and pro homosexual rights.
I think he and traditional Catholics are on a different planet when it comes to morality. So being ambiguous when he is supposidly telling basic Catholic beliefs is his way of being faithful to O’Bama and the cause.
hmmm – going through the dumpsters sounds like a good idea 🙂 nice work, Diane!
I would be surprised if he WAS’T a fan of pro-choice, pro contraception and pro homosexual rights, I am ashamed to say. Oh, may an honestly Catholic bishop come to the DOR soon!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
ABORTION GRAPHICS BEING OPPOSED IN ROME AS WELL AS ABROAD
On video Police seize pro life signs in Calgary
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.com/2012/02/abortion-graphics-being-opposed-in-rome.html
We may never learn but it would be interesting to know how the bishops opinions were really formed.
Well excuse me, anybody. But my wonderful CF day-ticker doesn’t work. Its just a white box. How many more days is it til the last possible day that Clark has to submit his retirement? I think he likes his job and will make us wait to they boot him…
156 days until July 15, 2012. The days are going by fast.
Bishop Clark’s reign of terror will soon come to an end.
I had to laugh when I read Bishop Clark’s column about his upcoming retirement. Leave it to Bishop Clark to try and sugar coat an article making it sound like he is looking forward to retirement. In his own words: “more time for rest, prayer and contemplation is a blessing indeed.”
Now you will hear the truth.
Bishop Clark loves the power and money and does not want to retire. It will be very traumatic for him to step down and fade away into the background. He is so defiant with the Vatican, I would be willing to bet the farm that Bishop Clark will not send his resignation on July 15, 2012.
Now is the time for parishioners to write to Rome and ask for an orthodox bishop for Rochester. Send letters, email or post cards. You heard the old saying: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Get this message out of Rochester and straight to the Vatican.
Ha ha ha! I’d love to dive into Cardinal Dolan’s dumpster and see what is in there…assuming he hasn’t shredded everything. I wonder what I’d find.
Oh, about Bishop Clark’s retirement: I’ll bet he DOES submit his letter tot he Pope on time. And I’ll bet he’s glad to be getting out.
Regarding an “orthodox” bishop – what makes you think that he will do all the things you all have been urging to be done. Require birettas, lacy surpilices and fiddleback chasubles? “Benedictine arrangements” on all the altars? Even mandated preaching about contraception? No, I predict he’ll be more conservative, but not confrontational. He won’t be like a recent Bishop of Scranton, now retired well before his time. And don’t expect that he’ll surround himself with little sycophant toadies who try to curry his favor in the hopes that they will be appointed auxiliaries. Or reinstate monsignors and protonotaries apostolic.
?
@y2kscotty:
Thanks for your thoughts. Let’s take a look:
Ha ha ha! I’d love to dive into Cardinal Dolan’s dumpster and see what is in there…assuming he hasn’t shredded everything. I wonder what I’d find.
I’m not sure what this is supposed to mean. Dianne took two things from the public record, the form-letter and +Clark’s version and compared them and when weighed in the balance, +Clark’s response came up wanting. If you find something similar from +Dolan that makes an interesting point, I’ll give it a hearing.
Oh, about Bishop Clark’s retirement: I’ll bet he DOES submit his letter tot he Pope on time. And I’ll bet he’s glad to be getting out.
I happen to think that as well, and I don’t think anyone has a horse in the race over being right about whether he does it on time or not. Rather, I take the idea of delayed submission more as a “nothing would surprise me” estimation. Now in an ideal world, on the day of his retirement, the new bishop would show up at the office with with moving trucks and a crew all with synchronized watches going “3…2…1…NOW!!” and rush in. Dare to dream, eh?
Regarding an “orthodox” bishop – what makes you think that he will do all the things you all have been urging to be done.Require birettas, lacy surpilices and fiddleback chasubles? “Benedictine arrangements” on all the altars? Even mandated preaching about contraception?
Again, this can be filed under the dare-to-dream file (or “audacity of hope” if you will). Frankly, I have not advocated birettas, etc. I can’t imagine anyone thinking there is something inherently wrong with them. But it is kinda funny in the sense that whenever some priest is doing some lefty-loony stuff in the liturgy, the defense is usually, “do you think Our Lord really cares about such peripheral matters?” Yet, if a priest does something that actually resembles Catholicism, suddenly those same people see the “peripherals” as a major threat. Re: contraception, there doesn’t have to be mandated preaching about contraception, but given that the lackluster treatment of the teaching has got us into the mess we have now, then something ought to be done.
No, I predict he’ll be more conservative, but not confrontational.
Again, we dare to dream. Frankly, even a middle-of-the-roader would be a vast improvement over someone actively trying to destroy every vestige of authentic Catholicism he can find.
He won’t be like a recent Bishop of Scranton, now retired well before his time.
I assume this is a reference to +Martino. People have tried to read his retirement as some kind of indictment of his orthodoxy, but no one has provided anything other than salacious gossip to support it.
And don’t expect that he’ll surround himself with little sycophant toadies who try to curry his favor in the hopes that they will be appointed auxiliaries. Or reinstate monsignors and protonotaries apostolic.
To echo Dr. K: ? In any case, if the new bishop stops appointing female lay-pastors as a part of a cynical attempt to do an end-run around the infallible teaching of an all-male priesthood, I’d call that progress and a blessing.
Scott W.
He won’t let his diabolica gains be erased. He will support his causes and people any way he can. Anticipate him sticking around as long as possible.
Remember Bishop Casey? He was very pro life and would appear at abortion centers. He was spoken to and never again demonstrated in that way.
In similar fashion, the new bishop better keep the corrent bishop on a short leach and threated him with visits to the woodshed.
How come there was no other assiciate bishop appointed after the old ones died? Is Rochester on of the few dioceses with no assistant bishop? Who arranged that? How did that happen?
Traditionalist priest prays for a holy bishop.
Sursum Corda by Fr. Michael Rodriguez
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.com/search/label/Fr.Michael%20Rodriguez
It reminds me that many years ago, Bishop Clark’s stationery read “His Loves Endures Forever”; now it is “God’s Love Endures Forever”. Can remember exactly when it changed, but I’m guess in the mid80s.