GOOD: today there are two very important posts; the great Father ZED gives a superb prayer to the Magi composed by Evelyn Waugh; and my friend Father BLAKE has important things to say about how papal bureaucrats and diplomats should not have the charism of episcopacy sprayed all over them as a matter of course. Fr B has said this sort of thing before and I've said it before; but we need more people to say it more often until it gets through. I would add an analogous point about Cardinals' hats. And wonder why certain curial posts, and certain archiepiscopal sees, should automatically attract them.
BAD: you may have noticed that an increasing number of blogs now lack the facility to comment. I love comments. But I will not enable them if they speak disrespectfully about our Holy Father or about members of the hierarchy who like to be treated with respect.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
It would appear that the conferral of titles - or in the case of Vatican posts: Episcopal Orders – has more to do with status and appearances rather than actual requirements of the office.
If I am a Nuncio and a mere sacerdos simplex in basic black, how will I be viewed by the episcopate of the country to which I am assigned – not to mention the secular authorities? Will not basic black ‘pale’ in the company of resplendent red and precocious purple?
Perhaps a mere ‘uniform upgrade’ is needed to distinguish the position, rather than Higher Orders. Something akin to the Swiss Guards would suffice – a little color, a halberd, or perhaps a sword…
Just a suggestion.
Dear Fr Hunwicke,
What of members of the hirerachy who aren't over-exercised by robust criticism?
No one is above criticism. Some years ago I was rebuked by an old MC for speaking ill of a priest, simply because he is a priest (even if he is a fat, rather crass, American). But is it not this very attitude of lay people to the clergy that has caused so much rot to set in?
But then, as I have no qualms about calling a spade a spade, it's no wonder that I have no friends left!
The whole notion of "staff" is best left to the army. (Does the Archbishop of Canterbury still an bishop for a chaplain, as he was doing?)
Hmmm... what of those worthy priests to be entrusted in the future with the running of Ordinariates?
Patricius, criticism is not equal to being rude and disrespectful.
It is sad how much sheer vitriol and judgmentalism occurs in the threads following posts. May I commend to all words of the late Peter Geach, that fine Catholic philosopher and lover of truth:
“For God’s sake we must have charity towards our fellow-men; and that means actual love of people individually, not just generalised attitudes of goodwill. We cannot in this life love very many individual people: let us love where we can, and not let love die in indifference and oblivion or be extinguished in a quarrel. Let us above all root out day by day from our hearts the weeds of envy, anger and malice…If we cannot love our enemies actively, let us at least forgive them, since each of us stands in such need of forgiveness. Let us be generous in judging the motives and meanings of other men; this is not a matter of preferring love to truth – nothing blinds the heart more than malice…Let us do good where we can…If we so live we may hope for God’s mercy to come to that Glory in which all men love and all are loveable, and where without care or fret there is infinite leisure to get to know those who will be our friends for ever because both we and they were God’s friends first.”
Post a Comment