Lincoln Diocese (in Nebraska) attracts conservative Catholics

[rpp]

I’m an attorney except when I’m on vacation like this week and I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Way too many people are convicted by those who pre-judge others. I try not to be judgmental absent hard evidence to the contrary.

Richard, what Rand Al’Thor is doing has nothing to do with “benefit of the doubt”. Your position is frankly absurd. You may as well claim that Howard Dean, the Chairman of the Democratic Party voted a straight Republican ticket. Maybe he did, but it is absurd to claim he may have. WQhy in the world would the Democratic Party have a closet Republican as it’s leader? It would not.

Would NOW elect Dr. Laura as it’s president? Or NARAL? No.

In the same way, it is absurd to think that an organization like Call for Action, or any other, would elect someone who disagrees with them to be it’s president.

You want hard evidence. Isn’t being president of a political organization hard evidence of some beliefs? If not, then there is no such thing as hard evidence.

Can’t you see how foolish this looks? Can’t you see when you argue this position that you loose credibility?

I think you should give Rand Al’Thor the same benefit of the doubt you absurdly insist that he give the president of a dissident, apostate and excommunicated organization.

 

[Prague]

I was born and raised in Lincoln, and I am glad they are still Conservative…

 

[iserve]

“I’m an attorney except when I’m on vacation like this week and I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Way too many people are convicted by those who pre-judge others. I try not to be judgmental absent hard evidence.”

No wonder that the law is in a shambles these days! It seems that any doubt for some is like having a pinhole in the universe out of which all good reason flows. As a prison counselor, even the inmates will tell you it’s hard to find an incarcerated man who hasn’t gotten away with a gazillion other crimes. Most of these folks are habitual criminals once they have gotten to the point where they are incarcerated, and they are judged on this habituation as well as for their current crime. The "hard evidence you are looking for is in the faxt the 78% of them will be back- often after taking out a few more victims. The moral here is : if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck, and sounds like a duck, guess what?..it’s a duck!

Orthodox Catholics hang in there- despite the fact that they were in the majority- it was witless sycophants that could not find the courage to tell the Emperor he was naked. Truth will prevail over the ramblings of silly mortals.

 

[cheese_sdc]

Why is that disturbing?

I would wonder if it is a diocesian policy to deliberately exclude women from the role of Eucharist minister. Such a policy (if a policy that allows men to be EM’s and specifically exclude women) would seem to assume a certain inferiority inherit in women.

But I don’t know. The article doesn’t go indepth about that point. Maybe someone here from that diocese could elaborate.

 

[irenaeus1]

But, we don’t know that she accepts every thing. We just don’t know.

Give me a break! I suppose even if she explicitly and unambiguously stated her agreement with the positions of Call to Action, you would claim that perhaps she was on medication (or off her medication, whatever the case may be) the day she filed the affidavit and was not necessarily in her right mind. I mean, we just don’t know!

In Christ,
Irenaeus

 

[rpp]

I would wonder if it is a diocesian policy to deliberately exclude women from the role of Eucharist minister. Such a policy (if a policy that allows men to be EM’s and specifically exclude women) would seem to assume a certain inferiority inherit in women.

But I don’t know. The article doesn’t go indepth about that point. Maybe someone here from that diocese could elaborate.

First, only Bishops, Priests and Deacons are Eucharistic Ministers (EMs). They are all men. It is not a p9olicy of the diocese to exluse women from this role, it is the doctrine of the Church and cannot be changed.

But I suspect you really meant Extraordinary Minitsters of Holy Communion. That is different than Eucharistic Minister.

To equate limiting who handles the Holy Eucharist in pretty the same way as who can be a Eucharistic Minister with discrimination is narrow-minded feminist thinking. Personally, I like the policy. I would also like to see fewer women as lectors as well. It think it is emasculating when women serve in these roles. But that is a topic for another thread.

 

[jediliz]

I am from the Lincoln diocese and I just adore our Bishop!

Back in September I went to Mass in the Omaha Archdiocese and my sister and I sat in the cry room with her youngest son (her husband and older kids went home - it was the night of the USC vs Nebraska game and my sister and I wanted to go to Mass Saturday evening since she had to go somewhere the next day). Anyway, I didn’t want to leave the cry room to go to Communion. So, an EEM or whatever the abbreviation is, brought communion into the Cry Room (I’ve been there when they’ve done this in the past) and I didn’t feel comfortable receiving from a woman. But I did because the alternative was to get in line in the regular part of the church and get confused where I was.

I feel more comfortable in my home parish. We usually have Permanent Deacon or Acolyte and at least two priests. The deacon/acolyte goes to the choir loft to bring the choir communion, then gives it to other members of the congregation after he has given the Eucharist to the choir.

My view is this: EME or whatever it is called should only be used in extreme circumstances.

my sister’s parish also has altar girls - but one time when I went to Mass there they had two altar girls. Most of the time its one of each (boy and girl).

I am so glad that altar girls are not allowed in Lincoln diocese. Now I could see if some very small parish (in a small town) had families of only girls…but then they could use adult males).

I’ll be sad when Bruskewitz is replaced someday. I just hope the next Bishop is as great as he is.

 

[Tom317]

I would wonder if it is a diocesian policy to deliberately exclude women from the role of Eucharist minister. Such a policy (if a policy that allows men to be EM’s and specifically exclude women) would seem to assume a certain inferiority inherit in women.

But I don’t know. The article doesn’t go indepth about that point. Maybe someone here from that diocese could elaborate.

Happy Thanksgiving!

If the policy is to have men only as EM’s, that does not mean women are seen as inferior, rather it likely has to do with encouraging vocations to the male-only Priesthood. It is beyond debate that the Church is overwhelming lead by females in every area but the clergy and some people think that has lead to a decrease in vocations to the Priesthood because boys and young men see it as a female environment. This view is mere speculation, since I do not know the Bishop’s reasons, nor do I know if there exists such a policy.

 

[KathleenElsie]

Your diocese is truly blessed!

We can’t even get one indult mass in our diocese!

We come from the same area. But, when we retire in a few years maybe Lincoln would be a great place to do it.

 

[cheese_sdc]

First, only Bishops, Priests and Deacons are Eucharistic Ministers (EMs). They are all men. It is not a p9olicy of the diocese to exluse women from this role, it is the doctrine of the Church and cannot be changed.

But I suspect you really meant Extraordinary Minitsters of Holy Communion. That is different than Eucharistic Minister.

Nice hair splitting, but you legally correct.

To equate limiting who handles the Holy Eucharist in pretty the same way as who can be a Eucharistic Minister with discrimination is narrow-minded feminist thinking. Personally, I like the policy. I would also like to see fewer women as lectors as well. It think it is emasculating when women serve in these roles. But that is a topic for another thread

.

So your rebuttal is that I’m a feminist and therefore wrong?

Or is your rebuttal that, in your opinion, men are emaculated by women when women are allowed to participate in the Liturgy?

As your first rebuttal is a fine example of an ad hominem attack, I will not respond to that.

In your second rebuttal, I don’t understand why a man would be threatened by a women participating in the Mass.

As I understand the distinctions in the church, you have Clergy and Laity. That’s it. There are no distinctions between male laity and female laity.

That is why I’m confused.

 

[E.E.N.S]

There are no distinctions between male laity and female laity.

That is why I’m confused.

There are disctinctions. I know most of this thread was directed towards EMHC, but this is an excellent article on male/female altar servers - I highly recommend everyone involved in this thread to read it.

Here is the link:
rtforum.org/lt/lt88.html

 

[roccoangelo]

Greetings,

Soooo… does anyone know how easy it would be to find a job in Lincoln? Are apartments expesive… oh and how’s the weather there like?

Pax Tecum,
Rocco

 

[Riley259]

We need more dioceses like this. This summer I visited Francisan University of Steubenville and was impressed with the reverence and respect the young people showed at Mass. It sounds like the Churches in Lincoln are the same. It makes you proud and humble to be a Catholic.

 

[Letchitsa1]

This is disturbing.

What is so disturbing, the quote you posted a response to, or the fact that the bishop requires strict adherence to correct doctrine, and doesn’t let the abuses resulting from the “spirit of Vatican II” **** fly?

 

[Letchitsa1]

First, only Bishops, Priests and Deacons are Eucharistic Ministers (EMs). They are all men. It is not a policy of the diocese to exluse women from this role, it is the doctrine of the Church and cannot be changed.

Actually, this has never been confirmed to be infallible doctrine, so yes, in time, it could change. Pope John Paul II had the opportunity to declare it infallible, but for whatever reason did not. Is it likely to change anytime soon? No, but that is not the point. Doctrine can and does occasionally change. The original deposit of faith passed on to our bishops from the Apostles and the dogma passed down in the Church Councils since then does not change. An all-male priesthood, however, is neither part of the deposit nor is it dogma, therefore it is not necessarily going to be a permanent thing that will never change. Who is to say what the Church will look like 2000 years from now assuming Christ hasn’t returned by then? I can tell you this–the deposit and the dogmas that we have today will still be there. The doctrine, devotions, and disciplines, however, may or may not be.

But I suspect you really meant Extraordinary Minitsters of Holy Communion. That is different than Eucharistic Minister.

To equate limiting who handles the Holy Eucharist in pretty much the same way as who can be a Eucharistic Minister with discrimination is narrow-minded feminist thinking. Personally, I like the policy. I would also like to see fewer women as lectors as well. It think it is emasculating when women serve in these roles. But that is a topic for another thread.

I agree with you on this–we’ve all been brainwashed by society to see everything as discriminatory if it doesn’t let us have our way. The use of EMHCs is grossly abused in many parishes and dioceses throughout the country and should be far more restricted than it currently is, but that is a discussion that is potentially its own thread.

 

[Riley259]

Actually, this has never been confirmed to be infallible doctrine, so yes, in time, it could change. Pope John Paul II had the opportunity to declare it infallible, but for whatever reason did not. Is it likely to change anytime soon? No, but that is not the point. Doctrine can and does occasionally change. The original deposit of faith passed on to our bishops from the Apostles and the dogma passed down in the Church Councils since then does not change. An all-male priesthood, however, is neither part of the deposit nor is it dogma, therefore it is not necessarily going to be a permanent thing that will never change. Who is to say what the Church will look like 2000 years from now assuming Christ hasn’t returned by then? I can tell you this–the deposit and the dogmas that we have today will still be there. The doctrine, devotions, and disciplines, however, may or may not be.

I agree with you on this–we’ve all been brainwashed by society to see everything as discriminatory if it doesn’t let us have our way. The use of EMHCs is grossly abused in many parishes and dioceses throughout the country and should be far more restricted than it currently is, but that is a discussion that is potentially its own thread.

The all male priesthood has been infallibly settled. Please read the document from JPII in 1994 and the followup document (written by then Cardinal Ratzinger but with Pope’s approval) clarifying the Pope’s declaration as infallible. Women can’t be priests in the Catholic church, period - it won’t change. See this great article for clarity on that.

catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0001.html

 

[Nohome]

Greetings,

Soooo… does anyone know how easy it would be to find a job in Lincoln? Are apartments expesive… oh and how’s the weather there like?

Pax Tecum,
Rocco

Plenty of low paying agricultural jobs. Rent is reletively high because of the University. The weather is cold and windy in the winter and very hot and humid in the summer.

That said, Lincoln is a very nice town. Plenty of family oriented fun and the university attracts a lot of cultural events. If you are a sports fan, Lincoln is to college football what Rome is to Catholicisim. Many schools have a football team, Nebraska has a football tradition. The difference is profound.

Nohome

 

[jediliz]

Every Football saturday, Memorial Stadium becomes the third largest “city” in the state.

Nebraska has MORE than agricultural jobs!

 

[Nohome]

Nebraska has MORE than agricultural jobs!

Perhaps some, but ag is the predominant occupational pursuit. The largest industry is food processing, an ag spin-off. There is nothing wrong with ag, everybody needs to eat, but it doesn’t pay what many would consider a living wage.

Now, with biofuels coming on-line, Nebraska could become the next Texas. Write your Senators because Iowa and Missouri are already a mile ahead in this race.

Nohome

 

[jschwehm]

I was born and raised in Lincoln, and I am glad they are still Conservative…

My wife and I entered the Catholic Church in Lincoln, NE and I was confirmed at The Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln, NE. Bishop Bruskewitz is a friend of mine and I am grateful to him for the way in which he taught my wife and I the Catholic Faith. We need more Bishops like him and, in fact, we are starting to get those types of Bishops.

I am glad that the Lincoln Diocese is still setting a sterling example of what it means to be faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Jeff S.
www.catholicxjw.com