- Money Matters. Have you ever noticed that the very poor don’t care about money … they buy cigarettes, alcohol, candy and anything else to provide some modicum of pleasure in a hard and difficult life. And the very rich don’t care about money … they buy art and vintage cars and 5th vacation homes for tens of millions of dollars. Why is the middle class so fixated on money?
- John XXIII in Limbo. Pope Francis waived the second miracle requirement (what was the first miracle?) on BJXXIII. So what if he wasn’t in heaven? What happened to him? If he was not prepared to be in heaven but was moved there prematurely, did he suffer seeing the face of God when he wasn’t prepared? Is heaven now populated by a man that may not be disposed to fully love God because he wasn’t properly cleansed in purgatory? Did God complete the final cleansing himself so BJXXXIII could come to heaven when boosted there by PF? BJXXIII wasn’t the first to have a miracle waived, but better to just follow the rules deemed good enough for JPII and Mother Teresa, don’t you think?
- Not for Nothing. I’m reading The Autobiography of a Hunted Priest, about a Jesuit priest who risked his life in 16th century England to serve the Catholic faithful struggilng under heinous persecution. Imprisonment, torture, starvation and execution were the most common ends of these heroic men. And countless other faithful Catholics met the same fate for refusal to participate in Protestant liturgies. The sad irony is that later iterations of those same Protestant liturgies bear an eerie resemblance to the Novus Ordo mass of today, including the priest facing versus populam, use of the vernacular, dropping the mantilla for women, a Protestant version of the Our Father and a misguided focus on the community instead of worship of the Divine. But the tide is turning against such an alien form of worship and the stories of priests like Father John Gerard, S.J. will inspire those seeking to revive traditional Catholicism today.
Looking for Losers
Some so-called Catholic colleges seem to be going out of their way to find liberal dissenters to speak at their commencement exercises. Nine colleges have invited leftist dissenters to defy the Church’s teaching and speak at their graduations. But only two speakers are anyone you might know. The rest are a pack of liberal has-beens that the administrations of these institutions seem to have pulled from the bottom of the vacuum cleaner bag. How else do they find these people? Have you heard of Maria Vullo? How about Paulette Brown? Mary Frances Berry? Of course not. But each is a thumb in the eye of the local bishop, who almost assuredly will do nothing about it. Why not start by picketing the apparatchiks at these schools who make the invitations?
Brexit: A Blueprint for American Secession?
From Article 50 to the Great Repeal Bill, Brexit is providing an ironic blueprint for a state to leave the United States of America. The rumblings are growing louder in California, Texas, South Carolina, Colorado and other states to go it alone. With meaningful reform of the bloated federal government seemingly insurmountable, to avoid a catastrophe like the Civil War, America might look to Brexit for a step-by-step guide to an orderly division.
The first step is Article 50. In 2009, the European Union voted to enact Article 50, which contains a brief but certain process for a member country to leave the EU. It contains a method to notify the EU governing body and a 2-year negotiation period to settle the details. Although the US constitution does not specify that once ratified by a state there is no withdrawal, there is currently no express provision for a state to withdraw from the Union. Step one is to pass a constitutional amendment with provisions similar to Article 50. The mood is ripe in America, on both the left and the right, and the people at large would likely support a brief and reasonable amendment like Article 50. It would be Amendment 28 to the US Constitution, so let’s call it that.
Continue reading “Brexit: A Blueprint for American Secession?”
Surprising Analysis of Hookup Culture on Catholic Campuses
Here’s an interesting article on how Catholic colleges with varying degrees of Catholicity fare against the prevailing hookup culture in America. Not surprisingly, the 2017 study finds that Catholic colleges where at least 80% of students identify the college as Catholic have the best resistance. But surprisingly, Catholic colleges where only 75% of students think the college is Catholic have a greater instance of students engaging in illicit sexual activity than those with only a 68% rating. There are some guesses in the article as to why this might be, but the numbers alone are what is most shocking.
You’ll have to follow the links in the article, sub-articles and studies to get down to the details, but here is the sad commentary on the numbers presented. [Note that the definition of “hookup” includes activity that is illicit and sexual in nature but may not involve sexual intercourse.]
1) 7 in 10 college students “hookup” in the US at large.
2) 3 in 10 college students “hookup” on very Catholic campuses (80% of students there think the college is Catholic, plus some other factors)
3) 6 in 10 college students “hookup” on mostly Catholic campuses (75% internal rating)
4) 5 in 10 college students “hookup” on somewhat Catholic campuses (68% rating)
Given the fallen nature of man, it’s not surprising that there is no category where the hookup rate is 0%. But 3 in 10 at very Catholic colleges is sad. If 3 in 10 students at a particular college randomly got free tuition, they would be inundated with applications. If 3 in 10 students had a communicable disease at a particular college, who would apply? 30% is huge. And I wonder how many Catholic colleges are even in the “very Catholic” category….
Ten Family-Friendly Movies
As a father of 7, my kids range from ages 20 to 3. Finding movies we can all sit down to watch and enjoy can be challenging. Usually, we have to divide and conquer – the older kids watch something that would scare (or bore) the younger kids; the little ones watch something entirely different. But sometimes we find a fun movie that everyone can enjoy together. Below are 10 movies that fit this category.
Before I launch into the list, a word about what qualifies for this list and what doesn’t. To make the list, the movie must have a real story – steadily rising conflict to a climax and a conclusion. This is the stuff of good stories. The story must be plausible and thought-provoking so the older kids don’t get bored . The movie can not have excessive violence between people. Mild representations of such violence for a legitimate purpose are acceptable if they contribute to the story, are limited in duration and are not gory. Situational, non-personal violence is acceptable for the same purpose and with the same caveats. The movie may not play excessively on fear or over-develop a suspenseful situation to elicit the sensation of fear. And lastly, the movie must be well-acted, contain quality cinematography, move forward with a reasonable pace (which often disqualifies old movies), avoid profanity and have a morally acceptable ending.
As you might imagine, meeting all these criteria is difficult to do. Pixar seems to do a good job at it and several of their movies are on the list. Disney used to do so as well, but only a few recent films qualify. Here’s the initial list. It’s not in any particular order and some may not be of interest to your family. Links are provided to Amazon.com for more details on the films.
1. Incredibles
2. Snowball Express
3. Captain Johnno
4. Hot Lead and Cold Feet
5. Inside Out
6. National Treasure
7. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
8. Frozen
9. Cars
10. The Lego Movie
Some of these movies are right on the line of passing the test – for instance National Treasure has some bones in it, and slanders Charles Carroll by saying he was a Mason. Captain Johnno is not a funny movie (which is not a requirement) but is a moving story. On the whole these movies fit the requirements and are good family fare.
Is the Latin Mass “Rigid”?
It hasn’t even been 50 years since the Roman Catholic Church changed the Mass from the ancient Latin-based Tridentine form to the Novus Ordo (New Order) of 1969. The principal rationale for the radical change in form was that the Latin Mass was too “rigid”. Pope Francis recently repeated this position in a November 11, 2016 interview with the Jesuit publication Civiltà Cattolica. In contrast, by turning the priest to face the people, saying the prayers in the vernacular, requiring responses from the congregation and adding a handshake, the New Mass was designed to be community-building. It turns out, however, that the New Mass is far more rigid than the Latin Mass, and parish communities that celebrate it appear to be painfully divided.
I was born in 1968 and almost my entire life I attended the New Mass. I even served at the altar from age 8. Recently, however, I was invited to attend the Latin Mass, and after attending now for more than four months, I am struck by how inapposite is the canard that the Latin Mass is rigid. On the contrary, the Latin Mass is very organic and the New Mass suffers from extreme rigidity.
During a celebration of the Tridentine Latin Mass, the people and the priest together face East – the direction associated with the return of Christ. Since the priest does not use a microphone, his position at the altar indicates the part of the Mass that is being prayed. Portions of the Mass may also be sung in Latin by a choir. The people may follow along with a translation of the Mass in their missals, read the inspiring prayers in Latin if they are so inclined, or say other prayers if they wish. In general, there are few responses from the congregation, no one is looking at you, and you are free to assist in the re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross in a manner that you choose. Does that sound rigid? One is never truly out of step with the celebration of the Mass – particularly since the position of the priest, and well-timed bells, are always available to turn your attention to the worship at critical points.
In contrast, the New Mass requires lock-step responses from all present, at almost every moment of the Mass. Failure to comply gives one the feeling he has not adequately “participated.” Furthermore, there is little room for private prayer at the New Mass. Since rote responses are almost continuously required, and since the spoken words of the priest and hymns are broadcast with a loadspeaker and readily understood in the vernacular, the mind has no rest to formulate a personal prayer. Such forced participation – which demands continuous attention and response from the congregation – is truly rigid.
I have not polled those who worship at the Latin Mass I attend, but I think it is fairly safe to say they are likely in concurrence on matters of faith and morals – at least if bumper stickers are any indication. On the contrary, priests I know who celebrate the New Mass are regularly accosted after Mass for any thoughts in a sermon or homily that break with the liberal orthodoxy on matters pertaining to sex, the environment or economics. It’s not just matters of prudential judgment either, where disagreement is permissible. How ironic that with its heightened focus on inclusiveness and community, the New Mass has achieved the opposite of what was intended – division and factionalism. In contrast, worshippers at the Latin Mass enjoy the community of a lively and common faith that the Church desired in 1969.