If I were non-I reading this blog, I would wonder why its writer spent all his time scrutinising the words of PF and then laboriously dreaming up arguments wherewith to contradict them.
In fact, this writer does precisely the opposite. I get in before PF has said his stuff and I explain why he will be wrong. If you want to know what errors or mistakes PF will make at some time in the future, and the reasons he will be wrong, you need only read and mark this blog daily.
The current pope is reported in Vatican News thus:
"Setting aside his prepared text, pope francis warned against the danger of what he termed as 'clericalising the laity'. Sometimes, he said, permanent deacons, who are to be the custodians of service in dioceses, soon find themselves 'looking at the altar' and end up as 'wannaby [sic] priests'. Work with the laity but don't clericalise them, the pope said. 'Move the deacons away from the altar ... they are the custodians of service, not first-class altar boys or second-class priests' he added".
PF's concept of the diaconate is exactly and precisely wrong. Diakonia is basically and essentially cultic and relates to service performed towards the Eucharistic celebrant.
I would explain this in detail were it not for the fact that I did so in May, 2017.
See my blogposts of 2017, May 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, and 12.
This pope daily gives further evidence of his distance from, and deep-rooted antipathy towards, the Great and Holy Tradition of the Roman Church, the Mother and Mistress of all Churches. He just cannot bring himself to stop rubbishing the Depositum Fidei, the revelation handed down through the Apostles, which Vatican I said it is his duty sancte custodire et fideliter exponere [devoutly to guard and faithfully to expound].
If he contented himself simply and merely with not teaching the Faith, that would be less dangerous than what he actually does.
But, but, father,
ReplyDeletedon't you see, PF is not teaching (actually it is clarifying) the Faith. He is teaching an anti-faith.
Ivan
Dear Father. Just imagine the positive effect PF would have were he to cite Dom Gueranger's accurate observations about the Feast of the Presentation of The Blessed Virgin Mary;
ReplyDeleteThe world, unknown to itself, is ruled by the secret prayers of the just: and the Queen of Saints, in her hidden mysteries, wrought far more powerfully than the so-called great men whose noisy achievements fill the annals of the human race.
The truth about Mary is far more startling to modern man than installing idols in Holy Consecrated Churches and it gives modern man hope whereas the idols are a forlorn surrender to The Devil and democratic decadence.
Dear Father:
ReplyDeleteHow would you respond to the objection that the Acts of the Apostles present the first deacons as taking care of practical business (e.g. food distribution) to free up the Apostles, i.e., bishops, for their own cultic activity?
I know that the diaconate has become cultic and deserves to be seen thus, so perhaps the missing element is to say that Pope Francis is guilty here of antiquarianism.
"Move the deacons away from the altar"
ReplyDeleteThat gave me a good laugh.
"Put your hands on your head, and move slo-o-owly away from the altar now, and if I see any one of you guys trying to genuflect, he's gonna be sleeping with da loaves and fishes. As for reading out the gospel or giving a sermon, for-gedd-it."
Remember that PF flat dislikes the Liturgy.
ReplyDeleteOne of his first acts as Pope was to look at his watch during the Easter Vigil.
Dear Dr Peter
ReplyDeleteI thought I dealt in the series I mention with how that idea developed ... I will check some time. There's a discussion in DiaKonia by J N Collins.
I, in my simplicity, thought that Deacons are 'clerical', as were/are the minor orders.. They are not merely 'laity', although his distinctions seem to me to suggest a lack of respect for the hoi polloi like me sitting in the pews. Thanks for your blog...The hoi polloi are getting a bit depressed and it is good to have a sharp mind explain to us and support us in our distress.
ReplyDeleteWhatever the merits or demerits of permanent deacons, they are as much clergy as permanent presbyters who don't become bishops.
ReplyDeleteDid someone call them "laity"?