"Smarmy, idolator priest!"
"Worshiper of the god Narcissus!"
"Vain, butterfly-priest!"
"Priest-wheeler dealer!"
"Priest-tycoon!"
At some point, I'll have to sort these insults into alphabetical order. I know Our Lord criticised the Pharisees quite a bit and even called St Peter, 'Satan' at one point. However, generally I'm not sure how regularly, if ever, Our Lord insulted His own believers. Our Lord's Ministry on Earth lasted three years, before His Crucifixion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension to the Heavenly Father.
27 comments:
I think if you lived in the States, rather than poor Broken Big Brother Europe, (my real spiritual home, btw), then you would see these types of priests here. Too many priests in America live lifestyles way beyond those of most of the middle class. My own pastor spends weeks in Los Vegas yearly. Why?
Liturgies have "tightened up" but in this same parish, people "dance" up to the altar with the gifts STILL after all this time.
Some priests idolize money, status, even the Democratic Party and its pro-death policies.
Some priests are careerists.
I think the Pope has a larger view than so many see in Europe. Take a quick look across the pond and try and find a John Vianney or a Don Bosco.
I do wish the Holy Father's spiritual advisor would give him the suggestion that he take, oh say, a year off from mentioning any of these "straw figure" priests. In his short time so far, he has given all of us, his priests especially, plenty to think about, but to continue on in this fashion truly raises a troubling question about his prudence. Clearly, he has some individuals in mind; the trouble is, none of us can use the same referents as he can. He runs the risk of turning us off by a kind of passive aggression that doesn't square with the rest of his message.
Dear Mrs Dean
I don't know what part of America you spend most of your time in but if the Priests I have met in the Diocese of Lacrosse (My spiritual home)are anything to go by it is a strong diocese. Having just come back from my yearly trip across the pond I recognize NONE of the attributes that you ascribe to the clergy there.
Sure Fr X has a nice rectory that probably cost a bit to fix up (I'm told it was a wreck when he arrived) but he takes care of three parishes, regularly hosts seminarians (he was kind enough to put me up whilst I was there), works night and day; and next month is hosting a Ukrainian Bishop who is coming to talk to the Catholics in Lacrosse about the pro-life movement in the Ukraine.
Fr R left his family in Australia when Cdl. Burke was the Bishop to answer the call.
Fr B although technically retired still helps out regularly at one of the local religious houses when the Priest is unwell and doesn't pull punches in the Sunday Sermon
A Look at the Parish directory will show several 'clustered' parishes under the jurisdiction of one Priest, hardly 'living in up'...... oh by the way did I mention that like the Madison Diocese they have in excess of 30 seminarians. Cdl Burke sowed the seed and Bp's Lesteki and Callahan continue the good work.
Better to not menton the contents of the box - especially as there's bound to be a file of what was being leaked by a vatican secretary [now promoted] to a certain Argentinian prelate [who claimed to have no interest in gossip or roman affairs - so much so that he didn't bother to attend congregation meetings]
also, having been employed by a US diocese I can confirm Supertradmum's account of clerics living in the lap of luxury - wasting exorbitant amounts of money on vanity exercises - rings true!
Priests who are materialistic or profligate - this is just a symptom of the massive collapse of Faith and morals among bishops, priests, and thus lay people. It is not the issue to be focussing on when the Church is in such extreme crisis, from top down, and the faithful Catholics abandoned, derided and persecuted while the Church, from the Pope down "engage" and "dialogue" with the enemies of the Church both within and without. Indeed there are many enemies of the Faith and morals at the highest levels of the Church. Why are so many good people denying what is apparent? We need them to acknowledge the terrible facts and give us the leadership we are crying out for. The denial of the situation, even just by silence, on the parts of good bishops and priests is allowing the scandalous de facto apostasy in the Church to continue and escalate exponentially. Ditto, the concomitant persecution of the orthodox who persist in adhering to the unchanging Deposit of Faith. Many people seem to have abandoned reason and logic since Pope Francis was elected and are refusing to acknowledge what's happening. If they took the risk of being persecuted, smeared, etc., for the sake of the truth, the Church and the salvation of souls, they would do enormous good, spiritually and otherwise and encourage and uplift the oppressed remnant. Bishops and priests who are true to the Deposit of Faith, to the natural moral law and objective truth and reason must take the leap and speak out. They will be persecuted, but others will be encouraged to join them, and the remnant will get the leadership they need from priests and bishops - and many graces will be bestowed, allowing for a push-back against the prevailing evil. We need bishops and priests to speak out as Palmaro and other lay people are. They will have more spiritual and moral graces if they do and are subjected to persecution from the enemies of God within the Church. We need the good bishops and priests to be prepared to suffer yearly for the Faith, to be saints, to lead the suffering remnant and lead souls to the true Faith and salvation (and the Church back to showing the glory of God to the world).
Every time we read the words of Our Lord, regardless of the Chapter and Verse, we may find it helpful to consider that He Is always speaking with exquisite tenderness. The Love and the Serenity He makes manifest in no way contradict the sharpness of some of His statements.
Also consider that the righteous indignation He demonstrated with the thieves in the Courtyard of the Temple, was perfect in temperance; perfect in every way.
"Smarmy, idolator priest!"
"Worshiper of the god Narcissus!"
"Vain, butterfly-priest!"
"Priest-wheeler dealer!"
"Priest-tycoon!"
again...he just seems to be looking in the mirror.
Catholic apologetics is a long and rich ('scuse such a naughty word) tradition (oops, another naughtier word). But the Pope Frankic Apologetics Inc. is seeping into corners that used to be set aside for clear-headed Faith.
Frankie no do what Frankie speak. Frankie say, relax, don't judge, then Frankie go - smarmy blah blah blah, and shut down the Franciscans of the Immaculate for drifting too far away from 'relax'. Then Frankie hires the world to redo the Church, I guess to achieve a closer relationship with 'relax'.
As the Pope said to his friend who he just happened to run into whirling around in the Pope mobile, “The picture will go around the world.”
Many of the priests in my diocese are fine young men. I've never met one who preached the prosperity gospel and not one but the old guys praise the Democrats. The US isn't all bad and the Faith in Europe is just about dead.
Excuse me, did someone say "papal projection"?
well angels I shall be sure to mention your comments to Fr X, Fr R, Fr B the next time I go to the states.
just another - they already know - and if you read my blog I take considerable lengths explaining that the US has both avaricious renegade scoundrels and spiritual apologetic giants the UK doesn't have to our great regret
@Lynda
as Gnocchi and Palmaro wrote in their brilliant article, with this Bishop, 'Simon has overthrown Peter'. the infernal implications of which I guess we are witness too. have all the good bishops turned into stealth warriors? we know they are there...somewhere...gonna make their move any moment now...one can only imagine how carefully they must have to tread.
for Truth's sake we cannot canonise what this Simon Says...or 'do this', when it harms souls. easier said than done - there are Simon says bishops and priests who take it upon themselves to ignore the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. and now, with Francis' example the masslands of the informal and the ordinary over reverence and piety become worldlier by the Sunday.
What about Fr Vincent Lampert exorcist of Indianapolis?
I guess we can exclude that he is talking about his friend Monsignor Ricca.
Msgr Ricca is still the Director of Domus Sanctae Martae.
http://www.vicariatusurbis.org/?page_id=188&ID=3165
http://eponymousflower.blogspot.de/2013/06/pope-appoints-archbishop-ricca-to.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/10191600/Popes-eyes-and-ears-in-Vatican-bank-had-string-of-homosexual-affairs.html
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/new-vatican-bank-official-reportedly-part-of-gay-lobby/
http://eponymousflower.blogspot.de/2013/07/scandalous-past-of-msgr-ricca-is.html
He's a poor communicator unfortunately. He relies on name calling and straw men to make his points, some of which are no doubt valid. What disturbs me at this point in his pontificate is that I have never once heard him encourage sexual purity. Not once. It's all about the materially poor, and making fun of those catholics who don't have his very neo-Jesuit mentality.
It's a huge red flag to me. Let's not talk about abortion, and let's not talk about chastity; let's talk about equalizing incomes.
JB:
the pope just said: 'it is horrific even to think that there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the light of day...a crime against humanity.’
is there really some hope in this Pope? I still can't tell, because he says some many, many things.
p.s. abortion is a crime that cries out to heaven for vengeance.
p.s.s I'm still not sure what a crime against 'humanity' is.
I have a suspicion it's original and personal sin.
excuse my typo clumsy, the Pope says 'some many many things.' Fr Hunwicke, who mutally enriches seekers supplies: "miraculous loquacity".
I saw that he said that yesterday. Nice that he at least mentioned it. Yes I guess it is first and foremost a crime against God, and the unborn child, more than the generic "humanity." But the latter mode of expression is the fashion of the day.
If he would stop the name calling and attack on the FFI I'd be more inclined to listen to him.
I think you should have the Little Book of Insults properly bound and covered in calfskin - although by then it would probably have to be re-titled the Rather Larger Book of Insults - and present it to Francis during his general audience. He'd be delighted, I'm sure. And you'd get your 20 seconds of fame recorded by the ever-present Popemobile video camera.
Hello, Lawrence, I just stopped by to say hello and hoping you are holding up. For some reason the morning news made me think of you. Here in the US the tide is changing regarding abortion, and most pro-life folks are celebrating. At least twenty two of our states are presently entertaining legislation limiting abortion in significant ways, and the supreme court is going to hear arguments against the 'buffer zones' abortuaries have around them that forbid sidewalk counselors from approaching entering women, and the commentary on our version of the BBC, NPR, said the court today is very much more 'conservative' than in previous decades so that it might actually be struck down! I mean done away with. So you can see why pro-life folks are celebrating. Not me. See, I know where this new initiative is coming from. The powers that be are permitting themselves a dim understanding of how abortion is affecting the financial crisis, including pensions. They are beginning to see the fall in tax revenues as a possible consequence of their love for Planned Parenthood. So they are much less abortion-minded than previously but not for any love of women. I don't know why this made me think of you. Possibly I wanted to hear some of your wonderfully sarcastic commentary regarding their flip flop from forced abortion, to what must ultimately come in our sick version of The Handmaiden's Tale, to forced insemination. And women, unmarried and unable to marry in this economic and cultural climate, will simply leave their offspring exposed, as in days of old. Perhaps they will force us to walk about naked so they can tell who's pregnant. It's close to that now (my granddaughter's pre-kindergarten school recently forbad them to wear skirts). So now we could taste what happens when you settle for easy solutions without a greater strategy in mind. The only solution is the Catholic state, but no one sees it, no one calls for it, no one realizes they've covered all the other exits with machine guns. Women are in the line of fire.
But hoping you are holding up. I know things aren't better there. I pray for you at mass, I hope you pray for me, in the general sense of praying for Catholic bloggers.
Jan at The White Lily Blog (I don't have much new stuff there, I am working on a novel.)
lawrence.i went to mass in the oratory in birmingham last sunday and i was taken back to the years before the dreadful council of-you know what vat 11.we need to get back to tradition lest the church will become a come all ye with cucumber sandwiches to all who think that we are all ok.we are not ok .2017 is the 100th year since fatima.think and pray.god bless.philip johnson.
The quiz in the post above allows only one answer, whereas in the last few weeks I have thrown away things in the back of my fridge AND a nice pair of red shoes.
"Smarmy". This is an interesting example of how language can get muddled.
The Pope said "“We are anointed by the Spirit, and when a priest is far from Jesus Christ he can lose this unction. In his life, no: essentially he has it... but he loses it. And instead of being anointed he ends up being smarmy."
"Smarmy" was apparently a translation of "unctuoso" or in English unctuous. The original meaning is being smeared with oil which happens when you are anointed as in Extreme Unction. Are you then not inevitably oily? So a different connotation arises as in "oily dago" for example. I am not clear when one slides from one meaning to the next. It is a bit like being so very 'umble. When do you become Uriah Heep?
Reminded of GKC's comnent that St Thomas Becket wore cloth of gold on the outside for the people & God's glory yet a hairshirt on the inside for his own benefit - yet the modern " 'umble" expect praise for doing the opposite....
Here's a translation of some pieces from your «Pope Francis little book of insults» into Spanish (with some other considerations):
http://in-exspectatione.blogspot.com.ar/2014/01/acerca-del-insulto-como-docencia.html
We were so glad to read these words that we've previously heard with horror!
I have often wondered if there are any Catholics he does like? Any he's proud to call his own?
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