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Rainaldo
Guest
“I just found, especially with the new translation, that it doesn’t match what I’m talking about,” he said.
Indeed.
Indeed.
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Rainaldo
Guest
I think the Reagan Administration popularized the term “strategic containment”, albeit in the context of the expanding Soviet influence on the world stage. Same idea, though.
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Rainaldo
Guest
That puts him in that notorious generation.
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Rainaldo
Guest
Here’s a brief interview video from the Belleville News-Democrat website that blew me out of the water. Note *the way in which *Rowe expresses himself and discusses the facts of the case - very interesting from a psychological point of view, especially in light of the Vitz & Vitz article, regardless of whether he is a priest: videos.bnd.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=131242621&item_index
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catharina
Guest
Brilliant, phemie.
Great move by the Bishop.
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ProVobis
Guest
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opus101
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prolife2011
Guest
I will pray for him
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NewEnglandPriest
Guest
Its not that big of a deal, however, my point was simply that just because someone finds the wording awkward or confusing doesn’t mean they’re “dummies.”
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NewEnglandPriest
Guest
That seems a bit uncharitable to a whole generation of priests…
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NewEnglandPriest
Guest
Not all that unusual, especially given his age. In my diocese the usual “limit” is 12 years, but once someone is in their 60’s they don’t tend to move them unless they want to be moved.
In this case the pastor would have been assigned there when he was 54. If he was there for 12 years, that would mean his term was “up” at 66. And given that at that age he’d be close to retirement Bishops tend not to uproot such guys.
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irishpatrick
Guest
Sort of tells us the value of Masters Degrees today.
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ProVobis
Guest
Well, they wanted vernacular. I guess it’s not vernacular enough. (Or is it too much vernacular?) Next they will be demanding a priest who speaks their dialect.
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Dale_M
Guest
Thank you for that explanation. I appreciate the insight.
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pnewton
Guest
He seems like a nice priest, and surely an understanding bishop. I guess the lesson here is that if you can’t do what you are told, you should step down before you are removed. I can’t imagine though not being capable of praying the Eucharistic Prayers as written, but then I am not a priest.
I too will look to Micah for advice. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
I too will look to Micah for advice. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
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catechizeme
Guest
God bless Bishop Braxton. He has his hands full with this Diocese…I dare say this is not the only priest who has been improvising for years. We need to pray for strength and wisdom for the good Bishop.
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Holly3278
Guest
This bishop did the right thing in my opinion. Priests have no right to change the prayers of the Mass for any reason whatsoever.
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opus101
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Elizium23
Guest
It is a crying shame that such a well-loved priest should lose his post over something like this. But it really draws my sympathy for the bishop, who must often be placed between a rock and a hard place in such decisions.
A priest represents a vast investment by his diocese. You choose them young and put them in seminary. You support them spiritually and financially through years of formation, ordain them by your own hands, and accept his promise of obedience. Perhaps you detect these problems during that process, perhaps not. You send him out to a parish, where he does well and garners a following of faithful people. He dispenses the sacraments, preaches the truth, and saves souls. There is just one problem: he doesn’t stick to the script. Perhaps he has an inflated ego, perhaps he just feels that the texts are deficient in some way, but he fails to live up to his obedience to you in this seemingly small matter.
And is it a small matter? The faithful have a right to liturgy propery celebrated. We have a right to participate in public prayer that reflects the mind of the Church and the mind of God. A priest can be very orthodox, but if he substitutes his own opinions for the formulas painstakingly crafted by the best minds of the Church, how can we expect that our prayers are acceptable to God? It is even worse if he encourages the faithful to change the words of their own responses. How can these people pray effectively if they aren’t going by the book? The unity of the Church is expressed in the unity of her liturgy. If the people visit another parish, they and those around them will be shocked and disturbed by the disunity of prayers and responses. Some will develop an unhealthy “cult of personality” for the priest who devises his own prayers. They will come to feel that he is superior to all others because his words please them more than the prescribed prayers of the Church.
As Catholics, we are not called to put our trust in human beings. Humans are unreliable and sinful, and fleeting in this world. As Catholics, we put our trust in God, and in the sacraments of His Church. These are the unchanging things which will never fail to support and heal us if we believe in them. It is acceptable for us to love and cherish human beings as they are; it is acceptable for us to show preferences for one priest over another, but we should never allow that love to lead us astray or take our eyes off Jesus Christ, our true Savior. The priest is called to act in persona Christi, and he accomplishes his ministry most effectively if he humbly diminishes himself and submits to the will of God in all things.
A priest represents a vast investment by his diocese. You choose them young and put them in seminary. You support them spiritually and financially through years of formation, ordain them by your own hands, and accept his promise of obedience. Perhaps you detect these problems during that process, perhaps not. You send him out to a parish, where he does well and garners a following of faithful people. He dispenses the sacraments, preaches the truth, and saves souls. There is just one problem: he doesn’t stick to the script. Perhaps he has an inflated ego, perhaps he just feels that the texts are deficient in some way, but he fails to live up to his obedience to you in this seemingly small matter.
And is it a small matter? The faithful have a right to liturgy propery celebrated. We have a right to participate in public prayer that reflects the mind of the Church and the mind of God. A priest can be very orthodox, but if he substitutes his own opinions for the formulas painstakingly crafted by the best minds of the Church, how can we expect that our prayers are acceptable to God? It is even worse if he encourages the faithful to change the words of their own responses. How can these people pray effectively if they aren’t going by the book? The unity of the Church is expressed in the unity of her liturgy. If the people visit another parish, they and those around them will be shocked and disturbed by the disunity of prayers and responses. Some will develop an unhealthy “cult of personality” for the priest who devises his own prayers. They will come to feel that he is superior to all others because his words please them more than the prescribed prayers of the Church.
As Catholics, we are not called to put our trust in human beings. Humans are unreliable and sinful, and fleeting in this world. As Catholics, we put our trust in God, and in the sacraments of His Church. These are the unchanging things which will never fail to support and heal us if we believe in them. It is acceptable for us to love and cherish human beings as they are; it is acceptable for us to show preferences for one priest over another, but we should never allow that love to lead us astray or take our eyes off Jesus Christ, our true Savior. The priest is called to act in persona Christi, and he accomplishes his ministry most effectively if he humbly diminishes himself and submits to the will of God in all things.
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Dale_M
Guest
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