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From the Daily Telegraph blogs.telegraph.co.uk/damian_thompson/blog/2008/10/15/catholic_bishops_plan_a_politically_correct_travesty_of_the_mass_for_youth_sunday
Catholic Bishops plan a politically correct travesty of the Mass for ‘Youth Sunday’
Posted By: Damian Thompson at Oct 15, 2008 at 14:43:22
The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales are planning a “Youth Sunday” next month which is so politically correct, patronising and biased to the Left that it is beyond satire. It is also beyond Catholicism, playing barbarous tricks with the liturgy that break the Church’s rules governing the celebration of Mass.
Among the highlights:
• A “litany of penance” that asks God’s forgiveness “For over-filling our kettles” and “For wasting paper”
• A prayer “that the tyranny of profit be quelled”
• The distribution at Mass of Fairtrade chocolates wrapped in paper carrying an exhortation to switch to energy-saving lightbulbs
• Persuading the priest to wear a chasuble stitched together from recycled material
See what I mean about being beyond satire? “Youth Sunday”, on 23 November, is devised by environmental ideologues and climate-change activists well to the Left of the political spectrum - but funded, needless to say, by ordinary churchgoers. Most Catholics in their teens and twenties are sick to the back teeth of this sort of drivel, but I’d be surprised if many of the Church employees running this stunt were actually young.
But the real scandal is what Youth Sunday plans to do to the celebration of Mass, which is to turn it into a propaganda exercise punctuated by comedy turns. It suggests following the Gospel reading, about the Last Judgment, with a sketch about sheep and goats. Let me quote from the author of the document on the Bishops’ website. (Hat tip to James Preece, who has some powerful things to say about this travesty here.)
I couldn’t possibly reproduce the whole sketch here, so I’ve simply taken the parts with my favourite puns - it is puntastic and you know how I like my puns.
News Reporter: This is the Good News. The headlines at six o’clock. Bong! Feeling sheepish? It’s eternal life for the nation’s favourite animal. Bong! Get your goat up! Gruff news for selfish beasts. Bong! It’s the end of the world as we know it. Which side will you end up on?
Larry: Well, Sue, Jesus certainly wasn’t pulling the wool over our eyes. He didn’t mince his words; he told us quite clearly that we had to do good things for one another. They flocked to see him … The crowd were pretty divided really. I have to say that some of the goats looked a little sheepish, funnily enough.
Sue: I bet the goats didn’t like that.
Larry: No, Sue, they were baaa-rking mad. Especially when he told them they’d be for the chop
This is during the Mass for the Solemnity of Christ the King. And its performance is not just permitted by the Bishops of England and Wales: it is suggested by them. These are the same bishops who would not dream of suggesting a Mass using the ancient Latin liturgy of the Catholic Church - indeed, who do everything in their power to block its celebration.
One final touch. At the offertory, bread and wine are brought to the altar to be consecrated by the priest. But Youth Sunday doesn’t want to stop there. The organisers have some further suggestions for “gifts” to be presented at the altar. You can probably guess what they might be, but let me confirm your suspicions: “Energy saving lightbulbs, recycling containers, fairly traded goods…”
How about an extra gift of sick bags for the congregation? But I’m confident that any orthodox Catholics would have left the church by this stage.
blogs.telegraph.co.uk/damian_thompson/blog/2008/10/15/catholic_bishops_plan_a_politically_correct_travesty_of_the_mass_for_youth_sunday
Catholic Bishops plan a politically correct travesty of the Mass for ‘Youth Sunday’
Posted By: Damian Thompson at Oct 15, 2008 at 14:43:22
The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales are planning a “Youth Sunday” next month which is so politically correct, patronising and biased to the Left that it is beyond satire. It is also beyond Catholicism, playing barbarous tricks with the liturgy that break the Church’s rules governing the celebration of Mass.
Among the highlights:
• A “litany of penance” that asks God’s forgiveness “For over-filling our kettles” and “For wasting paper”
• A prayer “that the tyranny of profit be quelled”
• The distribution at Mass of Fairtrade chocolates wrapped in paper carrying an exhortation to switch to energy-saving lightbulbs
• Persuading the priest to wear a chasuble stitched together from recycled material
See what I mean about being beyond satire? “Youth Sunday”, on 23 November, is devised by environmental ideologues and climate-change activists well to the Left of the political spectrum - but funded, needless to say, by ordinary churchgoers. Most Catholics in their teens and twenties are sick to the back teeth of this sort of drivel, but I’d be surprised if many of the Church employees running this stunt were actually young.
But the real scandal is what Youth Sunday plans to do to the celebration of Mass, which is to turn it into a propaganda exercise punctuated by comedy turns. It suggests following the Gospel reading, about the Last Judgment, with a sketch about sheep and goats. Let me quote from the author of the document on the Bishops’ website. (Hat tip to James Preece, who has some powerful things to say about this travesty here.)
I couldn’t possibly reproduce the whole sketch here, so I’ve simply taken the parts with my favourite puns - it is puntastic and you know how I like my puns.
News Reporter: This is the Good News. The headlines at six o’clock. Bong! Feeling sheepish? It’s eternal life for the nation’s favourite animal. Bong! Get your goat up! Gruff news for selfish beasts. Bong! It’s the end of the world as we know it. Which side will you end up on?
Larry: Well, Sue, Jesus certainly wasn’t pulling the wool over our eyes. He didn’t mince his words; he told us quite clearly that we had to do good things for one another. They flocked to see him … The crowd were pretty divided really. I have to say that some of the goats looked a little sheepish, funnily enough.
Sue: I bet the goats didn’t like that.
Larry: No, Sue, they were baaa-rking mad. Especially when he told them they’d be for the chop
This is during the Mass for the Solemnity of Christ the King. And its performance is not just permitted by the Bishops of England and Wales: it is suggested by them. These are the same bishops who would not dream of suggesting a Mass using the ancient Latin liturgy of the Catholic Church - indeed, who do everything in their power to block its celebration.
One final touch. At the offertory, bread and wine are brought to the altar to be consecrated by the priest. But Youth Sunday doesn’t want to stop there. The organisers have some further suggestions for “gifts” to be presented at the altar. You can probably guess what they might be, but let me confirm your suspicions: “Energy saving lightbulbs, recycling containers, fairly traded goods…”
How about an extra gift of sick bags for the congregation? But I’m confident that any orthodox Catholics would have left the church by this stage.
blogs.telegraph.co.uk/damian_thompson/blog/2008/10/15/catholic_bishops_plan_a_politically_correct_travesty_of_the_mass_for_youth_sunday
I can’t believe anyone would do this. Why? For what purpose? Why not just not be Catholic? It just boggles my mind.