Surely we can all agree that orthodox Catholic teaching must be defended and promoted vigorously in this challenging time in our history. Here in America, and across the industrialized world, a vicious relativism runs rampant through a culture in crisis — a crisis of faith.
But now that I’ve been blogging for awhile, I’ve discovered there is something much, much more dangerous and important than the slaughter of millions of babies every year, the needs of the poor, the obsession with money and power and vanity, the fight for freedom and against tyranny across the globe, the solidarity to combat it together, the call to prayer, the promotion of the sacraments and our obligation to love our neighbor and God. Yes, there is a much more dangerous and clever heretic that needs confronting. These apostate schismatics have infiltrated the faithful and they must be vigorously weeded out or we risk the gates of hell surely prevailing against the Church.
We need to train the faithful - the true faithful - to be on the lookout for these hidden heretics lest they destroy the Church.
Here are a few helpful guidelines to equip the faithful:
1) The Pope - Listen carefully to how the suspect refers to the pope. If, in casual conversation, they refer to him as simply “Pope Benedict,” instead of “His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Vicar of Christ, Successor to St. Peter” (or something of equal status), then you know you’ve got a full-blown infidel on your hands.
2) Capitalization - This is an especially good screening tactic when questioning a suspected heretic in an online forum or blog community. Watch which words they capitalize. If they ever mistakenly spell “Catholic” with a lowercase “c,” this person is surely out to destroy the Church. DO NOT trust anything else they say. Especially note how they spell the word Mass. If they don’t capitalize the word “Mass,” do not risk further interaction with this devil. Not only do they hate God, but they hate the Mass!
3) The Parish Leadership - Be wary of anyone at your parish that uses any of the following watch words: professional, high quality, marketing, business, internet, new media, website, community, competitive wage, engaging, relevant, helpful, fun. These folks obviously don’t believe in the power of the Eucharist and have already self-excommunicated.
4) The Sign of Peace - If somebody tries to shake your hand during the sign of peace, or even look at you, be on guard. And absolutely under no circumstance should you shake their hand. Or even look at them, unless to do so with a sour face. This is the rehabilitative tough love they’ve probably been deprived of their entire, heterodox lives. Use it as an opportunity to tell them you are praying for their soul. Also, don’t handle the same hymnal as they or their children. Their hereticism is more contagious than samaritans.
5) Smiling at Mass - This is the number one way to tell if you’ve got a heretic on your hands. Personally, I think we should put up some cameras on the congregation to better weed out these enemies of the Church. They wouldn’t call it the HOLY Mass if you were supposed to smile during it. There is simply no excuse for this. Sometimes I think they even do it intentionally just to try and distract the rest of us from the Liturgy.
6) This Post - One final tool for this holy inquisition is this blog post. If a person finds this blog post to be some kind of sarcastic, funny, entertaining joke done in good fun and charity, then treat him a like gentile and a tax collector.
Hope these help! Stay vigilant, folks!
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Whoah. I need to go turn myself in.
Hmmm, I always thought the Pope was the successor to St. Peter…
David - Ha, oops. heretic. (mis-typed…thx :-))
I am so taken aback by the above. I think this over-the-top strategy for seeking out the heretics in our congregation would leave few of us in the pews. It’s not where I want to be. Why not smile at Mass? and we always shake hands at the Peace Offering in our Parish. I don’t want to be in the pew with you. Too much judgment!
Matt, you do know that this post is going to “CONFUSE the HECK” out of a lot of people don’t you? LOL!
LOL at W. Bittman. This post is clearly a joke.
But fair enough. This sort of “edgy” humor is designed to trip people up and invitably creates a divide where the “smart few” will get it, and the commonners will read it literally and definitely not get it.
It took me a second or two to catch on tthat it is obviously good-natured in sending up traditional Catholics. But I don’t think it’s terribly effective or funny. It’s perhaps not bad among close Catholic friends but not worthy of print of a publication of this caliber, either. Better luck next time, Mr. Warner.
man I’m screwed I use all the words in number 3 hahahha
I like hyperbole as much as the next guy, but I’m not digging this piece. Sure there are some people who are a over the top in their devotionalism. They can even be caricatures of themselves. And yes, I know #6 is supposed to mean that we’re all just supposed to chuckle and move on. I get it, I really do.
But in an atmosphere where real heretics are on the TV daily (Pelosi, Sebelius) and the SSPX just finished suckerpunching the Pope, it seems in bad taste. Sure, some people cry “heretic” at every turn, but there are real, actual heretics that we can’t laugh away and making light of them… just bad timing.
I was a little scared for you there in the beginning, but I would have to say that I completely agree with you. I may even have to turn myself in for being such a huge heretic.
I do agree with Fr. Humphries in that we ought to vigilant for true heretics, though we can still laugh at the tendency to find (fake) heretics around every corner in my opinion.
Andrew - this wasn’t at all supposed to be something that only a few “smart people” (as you put it) get. This doesn’t have anything to do with how smart somebody is. It has to do with an unhealthy sensitivity that’s been built up in the orthodox Catholic community, not only to having a sense of humor (that’s completely secondary here) but, where we nitpick each other about minutia that ultimately have little to do with the most important parts of our faith…indeed, the heart of our faith. It is THAT which is dividing us (not pointing it out!). And that division is one of the inspirations for the post.
And contrary to what you seem to think, this was not aimed at “traditional Catholics” specifically. There is nothing “traditionally Catholic” about not being joyful and smiling at Mass. There is nothing traditionally Catholic about giving people sour faces when they innocently reach out their hand in peace. There is nothing traditionally Catholic about running a parish poorly and unprofessionally. There is nothing traditionally Catholic about having a sense of humor. There is nothing traditionally Catholic about nitpicking other members of the Body of Christ apart about minutia when they are quite obviously working hard along side us (even imperfectly) on much more important issues that deserve much more focus.
Fr. Ryan Humphries, that’s why I feel like your comments make my point. This has little to do with devotionalism. It has to do with so many orthodox Catholics forgetting the spirit of our faith and the priority of our beliefs. The heart and effect of this post does not belittle the word “heretic” at all. It elevates it. The entire point of the post is that we treat people like heretics that we shouldn’t. And when we get distracted by these petty issues, it not only takes away our focus on more important and serious issues (like those you mention), but it diminishes the weight of our language in those efforts.
OF COURSE, we should be vigilant in rooting out true heretics. And we need to be unified in doing so. Which is all the more reason we need to stop the nitpicking of each other. We need to be more charitable to people who may not understand the faith as much as we do, or who come from varying customs - especially when they are on our side!
And I’m sorry, but if anytime Nancy Pelosi is causing public scandal is “bad timing” then there is no such thing as a good time.
LOVE this piece. Especially about the sign of peace.
While I found this post amusing and somewhat funny, it does little to alleviate the frustration of Catholics who are indeed battling to protect the faith (especially during Mass).
I consider myself a “Traditionalist” as I now prefer the traditional Latin Mass to the Novus Ordo Mass. Funny thing is, the issues you joke about do occur amongst church-goers but they are indeed trivial compared to the real issues which you referenced in your introduction.
While I get the whole “don’t get distracted by petty issues” theme of your post, I think many people are simply fed up with the state of the Church and it’s poorly catechized members. I don’t think you should be surprised that some fail to agree with your method.
I’ve been a “Latin Masser” now for about 5 years now. As a parent I want my children to experience the faith in all it’s depth and beauty without the petty distractions. The sad part is, the petty distractions are the least of my worries; it’s all the consequential distractions..the scandal that marginalizes the faith.
I grew up poorly catechized. I was on the receiving end of such behavior as is joked about above. I was ignorant of a lot of things which was pointed out to me indirectly either through example or reaction. Looking back I consider their behavior as charitable and a grace from God.
I encourage anyone who finds themselves at a point where even the petty issues are intolerable to seek out a Latin Mass community and these issues will become inconsequential.
Hey, looks like I got taken in. First time read of The Register and came across this article and got totally taken in. No wonder you are LOL
In using the word “Catholic” or “catholic” distinction should be made between using catholic as an adjective in a pre-reformation sense meaning the universal Church and “Catholic” as a noun meaning members of the Roman Catholic Church or as part of the noun “Catholic Church”.
The Nicene Creed in the New(CTS) Sunday Missal says “ I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.”
That distinction for example was made in a letter on the Natural Law that I posted on the (London) Times newspaper on 31 January 2012 which is reproduced below showing the use of “catholic” in footnote [1].
==
The Catholic Church [1] considers three criteria [2] for interpreting scripture, content and unity of the whole Scripture, the living Tradition of the whole Church, the coherence of the truths of faith among themselves and within the whole plan of Revelation.
The literal and spiritual analysis of the Bible is summed up by the a mediaeval couplet ascribed to Augustine of Dacia.
The Letter speaks of deeds; Allegory to faith;
The Moral how to act; Anagogy our destiny
Letter meaning the recorded history. Allegory the figurative symbolism used to express truth, The moral being the unity of the natural law [3] with the revealed instructions as expressed in the Decalogue[4]. Anagogy is the viewing of events in terms of their eternal significance.
Regarding the OT “the economy of the Old Testament was deliberately so oriented that it should prepare for and declare in prophecy the coming of Christ, redeemer of all men.” [5]
The unity of the OT and the NT has been shown by the prefigured events of the OT being accomplished in the NT with Jesus Christ. [6]
==
[1] St Cyril of Jerusalem (313-350 AD) provides a definition of catholic Church in a catechesis before baptism.
http://dailygospel.org/main.php?language=AM&module=commentary&localdate=20120126
[2]
CCC 112-114. Cf. DV 12 § 4.
[3]
Natural Law. CCC
1978 The natural law is a participation in God’s wisdom and goodness by man formed in the image of his Creator. It expresses the dignity of the human person and forms the basis of his fundamental rights and duties.
1979 The natural law is immutable, permanent throughout history. The rules that express it remain substantially valid. It is a necessary foundation for the erection of moral rules and civil law.
[4]
CCC
1962 ...God wrote on the tables of the Law what men did not read in their hearts.
2069 The Decalogue forms a coherent whole. Each “word” refers to each of the others and to all of them; they reciprocally condition one another. The two tables shed light on one another; they form an organic unity. To transgress one commandment is to infringe all the others. One cannot honour another person without blessing God his Creator. One cannot adore God without loving all men, his creatures. The Decalogue brings man’s religious and social life into unity. .
2070 ... The Decalogue contains a privileged expression of the natural law..
[5]
CCC 122 Cf. DV 15.
[6]
CCC 128 The Church, as early as apostolic times, and then constantly in her Tradition, has illuminated the unity of the divine plan in the two Testaments through typology, which discerns in God’s works of the Old Covenant prefigurations of what he accomplished in the fullness of time in the person of his incarnate Son. (Cf. 1 Cor 10:6,11; Heb 10:l; l Pet 3:21.)
Abbreviations
OT Old Testament
NT New Testament
CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
DV Dei Verbum
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html
In using the word “Catholic” or “catholic” distinction should be made between using catholic as an adjective in a pre-reformation sense meaning the universal Church and “Catholic” as a noun meaning members of the Roman Catholic Church or as part of the noun “Catholic Church”.
The Nicene Creed in the New( CTS) Sunday Missal says “ I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.”
That distinction for example was made in a letter on the Natural Law that I posted on the (London) Times newspaper on 31 January 2012 which is reproduced below showing the use of “catholic” in footnote [1].
==
The Catholic Church [1] considers three criteria [2] for interpreting scripture, content and unity of the whole Scripture, the living Tradition of the whole Church, the coherence of the truths of faith among themselves and within the whole plan of Revelation.
The literal and spiritual analysis of the Bible is summed up by the a mediaeval couplet ascribed to Augustine of Dacia.
The Letter speaks of deeds; Allegory to faith;
The Moral how to act; Anagogy our destiny
Letter meaning the recorded history. Allegory the figurative symbolism used to express truth, The moral being the unity of the natural law [3] with the revealed instructions as expressed in the Decalogue[4]. Anagogy is the viewing of events in terms of their eternal significance.
Regarding the OT “the economy of the Old Testament was deliberately so oriented that it should prepare for and declare in prophecy the coming of Christ, redeemer of all men.” [5]
The unity of the OT and the NT has been shown by the prefigured events of the OT being accomplished in the NT with Jesus Christ. [6]
==
[1] St Cyril of Jerusalem (313-350 AD) provides a definition of catholic Church in a catechesis before baptism.
http://dailygospel.org/main.php?language=AM&module=commentary&localdate=20120126
[2]
CCC 112-114. Cf. DV 12 § 4.
[3]
Natural Law. CCC
1978 The natural law is a participation in God’s wisdom and goodness by man formed in the image of his Creator. It expresses the dignity of the human person and forms the basis of his fundamental rights and duties.
1979 The natural law is immutable, permanent throughout history. The rules that express it remain substantially valid. It is a necessary foundation for the erection of moral rules and civil law.
[4]
CCC
1962 ...God wrote on the tables of the Law what men did not read in their hearts.
2069 The Decalogue forms a coherent whole. Each “word” refers to each of the others and to all of them; they reciprocally condition one another. The two tables shed light on one another; they form an organic unity. To transgress one commandment is to infringe all the others. One cannot honour another person without blessing God his Creator. One cannot adore God without loving all men, his creatures. The Decalogue brings man’s religious and social life into unity. .
2070 ... The Decalogue contains a privileged expression of the natural law..
[5]
CCC 122 Cf. DV 15.
[6]
CCC 128 The Church, as early as apostolic times, and then constantly in her Tradition, has illuminated the unity of the divine plan in the two Testaments through typology, which discerns in God’s works of the Old Covenant prefigurations of what he accomplished in the fullness of time in the person of his incarnate Son. (Cf. 1 Cor 10:6,11; Heb 10:l; l Pet 3:21.)
Abbreviations
OT Old Testament
NT New Testament
CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
DV Dei Verbum
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html
Where is THAT in the Bible? Matter of fact, where is that in the Catechism? Jesus ate and drank with sinners, and I am one of them; a repentant sinner but none the less a sinner… working out my salvation in fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12) I guess I have a lot more to work on.
This comment section is as funny as the post!!!
Maybe there aren’t enough of us looking to the log in our own eye.
WELL DONE—-I have to admit that I had to read through this twice before I realized where you were going but when the old “light bulb” came on a wide, “heretical” smile appeared on my face. Good job
OMG!!!!! I’m a HERETIC!!!!
Sarcastic, yes. Entertaining and funny, not so much. A gentle poke to remind us all to lighten up, definitely.
Matthew, had to add some words so the filter would stop thinking this is spam. Regarding your item 6: Sarcastic, yes. Entertaining and funny, not so much. A gentle poke to remind us all to lighten up, definitely.
Maybe I should read your articles in the afternoon when I am still not awake. Almost had to read it twice, before I caught on. I wonder how many people cancelled their subscription not knowing what you were trying to do? Your reply to Father was wonderful; but, it should have been put into your piece maybe as a post-script. Many times I have watched DVDs with the commentaries on & they would explain why they had some things put into the movies: maybe a sign or a building, etc. but, us viewers that were not in the know, wouldn’t even see these things and I am afraid that is what happened to those of us reading your article. We missed the point that you were trying to make; at least on the first go-around. Please try to remember that some of us do get very confused very easily. +JMJ+
I HOPE that this article was tongue-in-cheek. Otherwise, Matt, you might have scrupulosity issues!
HA! :0)
Myresponse is always “May the peace OF CHRIST be with you, ” just so we are not throwing bon-bons and marshmellows in a social setting. His peace involved Golgotha.
One self anointed mark shea is sufficient for the Register. Your about as humorous as the GOUT !
Is this the Onion or NCR?
Top 10 Indicators That You’re a Liberal Catholic Heretic:
1) Every formal statement, important homily, article, etc. contains the term “Vatican II,” preferably near the beginning.
2) The word “sin” is almost never used.
3) The word “heretic” is never used, unless accompanied by air quotes.
4) The words “social justice” and “seamless garment” flow like living water.
5) Latin=Laughter.
6) Three little initials. BCE. Because we’re all climbing the same mountain.
7) How do you know we’re all not saved?
8) Women. Girls. Flooding the altar with servers, ministering Communion by the dozen, delivering Homilies In All But Name, strumming guitars, improvising inclusive prayers, dancing in the aisles, questioning the patriarchal authorities.
9) Did I mention Vatican II?
10) Still refers to the Pope as “Ratzinger.” Go figure.
Based on the first question, I am a heretic. I call Pope Benedict: Pope Benedict. The more I read articles like this one, the more I understand no one is righteous, no not even one; and only God is holy.
Whatever happened to real heretics being those people that deny the divinity of Christ, and the Person of the Holy Spirit?
While I can appreciate jovial banter as much as anyone else, and God gave us a sense of humor to enjoy, our world (its morals and values) are nothing about which to laugh right now.
My opinion is that no matter whom they are, if the person is Christian, and a God-fearer, we’d best remain on the same page with them, OR we may all find ourselves here in the USA going where we do not want to go. Remember, Nancy Pelosi called our USCCB “just another group of lobbyists”.
Bottom line: they have neither respect or clout in Congress.
So the more like-minded people that can stay together & rattle Washington DC cages, the better. Let’s embrace “heretics” such as me, that are Pro-Life, Pro-Traditional Marriage, and Pro-LEGAL immigration.
Even the pope is leaving the situation in the US and in Italy, to the populace. Correct me, if I’m wrong, but isn’t same-sex marriage just dandy in Spain? Wasn’t Spain known as a Catholic country, not long ago?
Meh…I clicked the link thinking this might be helpful in spotting real, but subtle heresy. Nevertheless, I do think some of us might be taking it a tad too seriously. ;)
LOL - you got me at #1. We routinely chat about Papa Ben at our house ;-)
Matt,
Your column blew me away. I thought that this was going to be helpful. If this is the direction that we are going in the catholic church, I may need to start looking for another faith community. Based on your article, there is no hope for me. I have been condemned to eternal damnation. God help us all. Those who judge will be judged.
*Whew* Tough crowd!
This makes me laugh, because it’s how I sometimes feel during daily *m*ass. The sign of peace! More like “the glower of grudging acknowledgement”. *shiver* Sorry to bother you, fellow member of the body of Christ!
I want to shake the person in the next pew and say “Come ON! We should be kicking up our heels! We’re totally flooded with grace right now! Participation in the heavenly banquet and such! Shouldn’t we at least….make eye contact and smile?”.
HA! Just read it again. Even funnier.
Who was it that prayed something to the effect - Lord save me from dour faced Christians?
You forgot those who sing and aren’t in the choir. You Really have to look out for “those” folks. All the same, I think given the uneveness of the com box, you needed to wink just a bit more at your audience or at least put a notice before reading…have a cup of coffee first. Thanks for the morning chuckle.
Matthew, your post was a waste of time to read. Heresy is a real problem whether you want to admit it or not. You may think that it is deserving of nothing more than this smart alecky trope. But, it is much more serious. If the faith is so trivial that it should not to be defended—why not join the ecumenical non denominational church down the street? I am sure they will greet you with all smiles and allow you to embrace whatever heresy you choose to follow.
@Matt,
I’m confused by your article.
There is such a thing as Heresy. Much of it today goes under the title “Dissent”.
Dissent, heresy or whatever it’s called, is a serious sin. By example it leads Others to to moral/spiritual confusion, then finally sin.
Darken the mind and you darken the will.
Is that funny?
Boy, if we Catholics can’t laugh at ourselves, we are in for a long haul with the drama of our political climate and society’s growing hatred for us. Matthew’s right, we have to stop getting overly sensitive about things. Our parish holds hands during the Our Father. I loathe it both because it’s not liturgical and because I find it distracting. However, I think were I not to participate it would cause someone else to be distracted as I pointedly ignore their outstretched hand. Instead I pray privately and sometimes talk to my pastor about it. I save my outrage for actual problems like priests who counsel couples to go ahead with invitro. (Sadly, a real thing I’ve encountered personally.)
Doesn’t comparing an abortion supporter, a priest that tells couples its ok to take oral contraceptives, a person who supports same sex marriage- to someone holding hands during the Our Father make light of real heresy?
I think there is a temptation amoung othodox to look down upon something as innocent as holding hands and pointing out that legalistic sin of an orthodox is good, but to compare it to real heresy is to fall directly into the trap of thinking that one can be catholic and support abortion, gay marriage and contraception, that it’s all “relative”.
Not good at this time to make light of heresy -when it is so rampant.
David and Tom - please read my comment in the comment section above. This post says nothing about there being no such thing as heresy. On the contrary, it reminds us that heresy is a very serious thing and that we should focus on real heretics, not beat each other up so much on petty, non-heretical differences of opinion where which the Church gives room for differences.
JMS - I think you misunderstood me. Sorry about that. Please read my comments above.
Annie Jean - you got it! I think it was St. Teresa of Avila that said “God save us from sour-faced saints!”
David WS - that’s exactly what the point of the post is. Not sure if you are agreeing or disagreeing though. I think you are agreeing…since the point of the post is for orthodox Christians to not make light of heresy and to get over being so sour faced so we can share the joy of our faith as we combat the serious problems in the world together.
Matt, Thanks for clearing that up.
I’ll make the observation that there will be fewer “sour faced” saints now that the Bishops are finally taking a lead. It has not been easy being catholic when so many “catholics” looked down on you even hated you for being catholic. My wife and I used to give a talk on NFP to pre-Cana. Our fellow presenters often looked down on us and dismissed us. It wasn’t easy, by the grace of God we presented NFP and smiled.
There will be a lot more smiling now. For the first time in 20 years I heard contraception mentioned in the sermon this weekend. It was a letter from our Bishop. And my wife and I were beaming. It has not been easy when you know that there will be no end to abortion until there is an end to the widespread practice of contraception..
MINUTIA!! M I N U T I A!! This is exactly what Our Lord and the Apostle Paul were speaking of: James 2:10 And whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all.
So MATT..stop trying to appeal to one’s decency and demeanor, and focus on the bickering of which pertains to morals and litergicals changes in the Romanistic Mass itself! It is NOTHING at all like the Mass before WWII.
Honestly, I get Mr. Warner’s point. I wasn’t blown away by the post. I can take it or leave it.
But his greater point—- that we are a demoralizing force in the church when we nitpick at the variations of expression in faith among faithful who want nothing more than to seek the kingdom of God alongside us as one flock—kind of is made better in the responses to this post, albeit inadvertently.
Here’s a shorter way of saying it: “Let us endeavor to be more charitable to one another.”
We absolutely have to be charitable to everyone, not nit picking on silly little things -(which is definitely a temptation from the evil one, he is a chameleon that adapts to pious people with pioty ... Ect)
But what if we encounter real heresy. Do we politely excuse ourselves from having to do anything - just pray? Or do we confront it? prayer is important, without God we can do nothing. But should we not do anything?
If you met a hungry person would you just pray?
I think many of us are under the false impression that somehow “being Nice” is the most important virtue. This is a lie. That’‘s the chameleon again.
We need to confront evil. And if we have a scowl on our face when we do - so be it.
Assemble the Inquisition and collect the kindling, I’ve been known to refer to the pope as B16. I always stand when I receive Communion IN MY OPEN HANDS. I’ve also been known to laugh out loud in the sanctuary and actively pray for those born without funny bones. Great post, Matt.
“I think many of us are under the false impression that somehow “being Nice” is the most important virtue.”
Yeah, this isn’t me. But being charitable is a heckuva starting point. Loving God and loving your neighbor will always go hand in hand.
I had dear, dear friends leave my church after 15 years this week because of words from the pulpit—- words that were doctrinally correct, but terribly uncharitable. Do I celibate my priest’s courage, or mourn for my friends and their children, breaking themselves off from what I believe to be the legitimate and true Body of Christ?
@Francis O’Neill
What did the priest say?
“What did the priest say?”
He came out on the side of decrying and condemning the sinner instead of speaking of God’s mercy, and challenging us on how we may be stewards of that mercy in order to bring the sinner home.
You could hear wounded hearts shatter. I thought of what a bunch of Pharisees we can all be, and I gripped my neighbor’s hand all the tighter when we prayed the Lord’s prayer.
“It has to do with so many orthodox Catholics forgetting the spirit of our faith and the priority of our beliefs.”
It has to do with judging , more than being funny. I doubt it relieves any tension or brings anyone to any kind of ‘self-realization’. It may encourage a little smugness in the ‘not being ridiculed ourselves today’ group. You’ve written better columns.
I get weary (not wary) of the oft-repeated meme that because you find some practices disturbing or even wrong,or you are working on one cause and not another,or you support one politician and not another- you don’t know what’s really really truly important about your faith… (as if you were one-dimensional, unlike themselves , of course.)
Charity takes a lot of effort, and we can all use a good work out in that area, for sure.
@Francis—it is a fine line, is it not? I have no problem with charity and love for the sinner; I think it is what we are called to provide. However, we must always speak the truth as well. Sin should not be redefined nor should teaching be silenced because it is difficult for some to hear or accept.
@Francis O’Neill,
I still don’t know exactly what your priest said, but we can never judge a person only God can judge a person.
It is equally wrong though not to judge actions.
Holy Mass is not a “meet & greet”. If we were paying more attention to Christ in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, we wouldn’t be able to tell if the person next to us is “smiling” or “scowling” at us, would we? Aside from this, it’s interesting that a small handful of National Catholic Register blogsters seem to have come up with the idea that using sardonic humor to rail against perceived “zealots” is a better course than confronting the real heretical and schismatic bloggers like the ones at National Catholic Reporter - or should that be lower case “c”?
I apologize, but I don’t think I’d be doing him or them justice in getting overly specific in describing his topic, and I don’t want to distract from the topic her by drawing the discussion into a question of the sinfulness of the behavior—- which I do not dispute, nor call for a redefinition of.
And I certainly don’t wish for Holy Mass to be a meet and greet (at least merely so), but communing with each other is certainly part of the Sacrament of Communion with God.
Tony, I think the idea is not to pay attention to whether folks are smiling or scowling at us, but to pay attention to whether I myself am scowling at another.
I once attended Mass where a famous pro abortion politician was in attendance. And I did scowl at him. And he did notice. Unfortunately no one else did react negatively. All positive. Most were overwelmed with excitement at attending Mass with this person.
Should I have smiled? Don’t you think that if people had reacted negatively he may have reconsidered his voting for abortion. He has since passed away. God will hold each of us responsible for our actions and inactions.
my conscience is clear.
David WS: I take two things from your anecdote. One, most Catholics couldn’t care less if prominent Catholic politicians are openly pro-abortion. Two, the priest in question didn’t care if a member of his congregation is causing major public scandal in the Church—or at least didn’t take public notice of it and act by excommunicating him. Both clergy and laity are at fault, one for its dereliction and the other for its apathy and ignorance.
In other words, business as usual.
Yes, but it’s not business as usual anymore is it. Not after the HHS mandate.
I think sometimes you have to scowl. I’d like to see a Bishop scowl. If someone were leading my children down a path a perdition you can bet I’d scowl.
this man Matthew has totally missed the whole point of Christianity, he is obviously a sad fanatical crazy type who needs help, but will probably reckon he is Jesus himself, well we all know where the best place for treatment for that condition lies, God never said not to smile at Mass, it seems its only Matthew who has this crazed lunatic idea in his head, i suppose we can only pray for him at this point.
^^^ Is this last one written in satire or earnest? I don’t like those winky emoticons, but forgive me, I can’t tell anymore.
Wow! Reading the posts that your article spun off, surely proves your point! I shall pray for them. Also, I shall hope they were being tongue-in-cheek, too.)
I think Ross is attempting to be sarcastic (or at least that is how I read it.) And that is the reason that columns like Matthew’s are worthy of scorn. Heresy is a serious matter—not something to be equated with mere looks or frowns or sour dispositions. It doesn’t matter how or what he intended—when he makes light of heresy—he also makes light of the seriousness of the faith.
LOL! Don’t forget women who wear pants and don’t homeschool their children!
Matt, Please remove this. This is imprudent and confusing.
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