Umm ... ditto?

Listen to Michael Voris' latest think-piece on RealCatholic TV. He kinda reminds me of a blow-dried, physically fit Rush Limbaugh with a baccalaureate in Sacred Theology ... except that he knows something of what he's talking about.

As much as I can agree with the substance of Voris' smackdown, and while I can to a certain extent enjoy the rant as a rant, I just can't get that worked up about the quasi-religious nuns left in the old orders. Sure, they've done their damage; but like the KKK in American politics, they're pretty much a spent, sterile force in the Church in America. They're old, sad and pathetic. Let's smile at them, nod at their misanthropic ravings, and pray that their hearts and minds be opened before they die to God's redemptive grace.

How JFK corrupted American Catholicism!

This was shot at Thomas More College's President's Council Symposium on Catholic Statesmanship at the Harvard Club, held just the other day. The speaker is Dr. Hadley Arkes of Amherst College, a Jewish convert to Catholicism and a remarkably earthy, witty fellow indeed:

Dr. Hadley Arkes at the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts from Thomas More College of Liberal A on Vimeo.

Speaking of being offensive ....

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Chase Bank is afraid to put up Christmas trees in their lobbies because they don't want people to feel unwelcome. Good Lord, I feel sorry for those poor atheists, surrounded everywhere by signs that people still prefer hope to despair, prefer stories that bring meaning to our existence rather than stories that mash our noses in meaninglessness.

Chase Bank, this song's for you:

This is where I draw the line

As a Catholic raised in the post-V2, Novus Ordo Church, I've come to accept a few common problems with the way the Mass is celebrated at many parishes. What follows is not necessarily specific to my parish:

I accept that the choir will sing with more enthusiasm than skill, and that the director will choose songs unfamiliar to us and just beyond the choir's ability. If I attend a folk Mass, I accept that the songs will be performed 4-8 bpm too slow, leading "Blessed Be the Lord" to sound like a dirge, and that at some point during the liturgical cycle "Lord of the Dance" will be played despite my most desperate pleas to God. If I attend the LifeTeen Mass, I accept that I will know none of the lyrics, and that the lead guitarist will rock the house whether rocking the Lord's house is appropriate or not.

What's happening in College Station, Texas?

Somewhere I heard that the university which has produced the most vocations in the last few years isn't a Catholic institution, like Creighton or Loyola or CUA. Rather, it's Texas A&M. Perhaps the secret lies in a church near the campus ....

Another sign that some people just don’t get Catholicism …

From LifeSite News:

A homosexual organization is planning a massive “kiss-in” in front of the pope as he leaves Barcelona's cathedral on Sunday during his planned visit to Spain.

The group, which calls itself Queer Kissing FlashMob, is calling on homosexuals to kiss each other for two minutes as the pope passes, and then disperse. The group hopes to infiltrate the crowd by dressing like people from traditional Catholic movements such as “Cuentame” and Opus Dei, according to its website.

“In view of the inevitable visit to Barcelona by the highest representative of an institution that for many years has been antagonistic, not to say an enemy of the struggle for sexual and affective rights of many who don’t practice exclusively reproductive sex ... we have planned to do something to show our discomfort,” said one version of the group’s Facebook page, which has also called upon participants to avoid all verbal forms of expression and gestures of hostility.

Show us your rosaries!

Thus saith The Crescat: "October is traditionally the month of the Holy Rosary. The rosary is one of the most obvious outward signs of our Catholic identity. I've also noticed that every rosary has a story and holds a special place in the heart of the owner. All you have to do is comment on someone's rosary, remarking about it's beauty or uniqueness. What usually follows is a brief story of how and where they acquired it. Some used to belong to a special person, some were purchased on a pilgrimage, while others may have been blessed by a priest who is a good friend."

The Way

From a book I gotta read to a movie I gotta see:

From Rome Reports:

September 26, 2010. The American film actor Martin Sheen is returning to his roots. He’s making a journey to Spain, the land of his father, who decades ago emigrated from Galicia to the United States.

Father Barron on a book I gotta read!

Father Robert Barron, the maestro of WordOnFire.org, gives us a book report on Peter Hitchens' The Rage Against God. (Hitchens, if you don't know, is the brother of the rabidly atheist journalist Christopher Hitchens. He's also a journalist and editorialist, and a high-church Anglican.)

 If anyone wants to buy themselves—or me (hint hint)—a copy, they can find it here at Amazon.com.

And, by the way, in the spirit of charity I want to offer prayers to both brothers on the revelation that "the Hitch" is dying of cancer. For Christopher, that he may finally embrace the truth he has denied so long, and for Peter that he may find comfort in his sorrow. I suggest the Divine Mercy Chaplet: For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

From the "Public display of ignorance" file ...

 A letter published in Guardian.co.uk:

We, the undersigned, share the view that Pope Ratzinger [This sort of gratuitous discourtesy merely puts the signers' immaturity on display] should not be given the honour of a state visit to this country. We believe that the pope, as a citizen of Europe and the leader of a religion with many adherents in the UK, is of course free to enter and tour our country. [Mighty white of you.] However, as well as a religious leader, the pope is a head of state, and the state and organisation of which he is head has been responsible for:

• 
  
  Opposing the distribution of condoms and so increasing large families in poor countries and the spread of AIDS. [Take note that papal opposition hasn’t stopped the distribution of condoms anywhere. The increase of large families and the spread of AIDS has been in countries where condoms have been widely distributed. In areas where the government has actively promoted chastity and fidelity, AIDS has diminished as a threat.]
• Promoting segregated education. [And this is a problem ... how? By not making Catholic schools non-sectarian?]
• Denying abortion to even the most vulnerable women. [Because the Pope is for the most fundamental human right—the right of life.]
• Opposing equal rights for lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender people. [The only thing the Pope has openly opposed is same-sex marriage, which is an oxymoron. See the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s letter On the pastoral care of homosexual persons. It was written while Cdl. Joseph Ratzinger was the Prefect of the Congregation.]
• Failing to address the many cases of abuse of children within its own organisation. [Okay, and where have you been the last eight or nine years? The Catholic Church has done a lot more to address the problem than most government-run school systems.]