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Thursday, November 14, 2013

Bishops Burbidge and Jugis Quit The North Carolina Council Of Churches

Dear Patrick,

Pope Francis is morphing the church from a cabal of fire-and-brimstone moralists to ministers-of-mercy whose suspended judgement lets them renew the long-mothballed work of "kissing Muslim feet," which is to say, embracing "the least among us."

The decision by North Carolina's two dioceses to quit the NC Council of Churches is the last gasp of finger-wagging Catholicism.

In hindsight, we see that anathematization and excommunication of 16th century Protestant leaders provoked the needless rupture of Christianity. 

 Many Protestant grievances -- chiefly, the Primacy of Individual Conscience -- have now been incorporated by Catholic teaching.

As a result of "The Magisterium's" foolishness -- a furious exercise in "much ado about nothing" -- we still suffer hostile divisions within the Christian family.

 We feign ecumenism but are - at our own hands - a broken Church.

Dialogue is essential. 

 It is the one thing that must never end - an open line of communication. 

Shut it down and it no longer matters who's right and who's wrong. 

 We all suffer, and suffer dearly.

 Reconciliation? 

 Let it begin within our broken family...

Deliberate termination of dialogue is the child of aggressive ignorance coupled with self-righteous superciliousness. 

More often than not, an end to dialogue is prelude to catastrophe.

Yes, it may be holier-than-thou, feel-good catastrophe, but it is catastrophic nevertheless.

Departure from the Council of Churches is a kind of self-imposed excommunication from the only "communion" our churches have.

 It is not a perfect union... but we would wisely revel in our imperfection.
"The terrible thing about our time is precisely the ease with which theories can be put into practice.  The more perfect, the more idealistic the theories, the more dreadful is their realization.  We are at last beginning to rediscover what perhaps men knew better in very ancient times, in primitive times before utopias were thought of: that liberty is bound up with imperfection, and that limitations, imperfections, errors are not only unavoidable but also salutary. The best is not the ideal.  Where what is theoretically best is imposed on everyone as the norm, then there is no longer any room even to be good.  The best, imposed as a norm, becomes evil.”  
"Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander,” by Thomas Merton

Like their kin on the political right, Bishops Burbidge and Jugis giddily cut off their noses to spite the face of Christ's Mystical Body.

To cite another political parallel...

After decades of conservative opposition to Vatican II, "we" finally "got our church back." 

It is now incumbent on discordant moralists to sing a new song - heedful of the original harmony.

People get ready.

A train is comin'.

Don't need no baggage.


Pax tecum

Alan

Pope Francis Links



Alan: Some of the following links are "clickable" on the first line; others on the second.

Pax on both houses: Pope Francis Calls Us To Love the Poor, Use ...
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-visits-refugees-calls-us.html 

Pax on both houses: Pope Francis hits out at global 'cult of money'
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/06/pope-francis-hits-out-at-global-cult-of.html

Pax on both houses: Pope Francis: "Mercy Makes The World More Just"
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/03/pope-francis-mercy-makes-world-more-just.html

Pax on both houses: Pope Francis Quotations
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/10/pope-francis-quotations.html

 Pax on both houses: Pope Francis Embraces Disfigured Man
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/11/pope-francis-photos-from-ground-up.html 

Pax on both houses: Pope Francis: The Wounded
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-wounded.html

Pax on both houses: Pope Francis: Rumors Of Pending Assassination
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../pope-francis-rumors-of-pending.html‎

Pope Francis - Pax on both houses - Pope Francis' 12,000 word America Interview
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-12000-word-interview-with.html

Pax on both houses: Pope Francis: "Eventually people get tired of ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../pope-francis-eventually-people-get.ht...‎

Pax on both houses: Pope Francis: If A Person Is Totally Certain ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../pope-francis-if-person-is-totally.html‎ 

Pax on both houses: Excellent Pope Francis Cartoon!
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/10/excellent-pope-francis-cartoon.html 

Pope Francis's Radical Enactment Of "The Good News"... And Getting "My" Church Back

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-franciss-radical-enactment-of-good.html 

Pax on both houses: Pope Francis Calls Money "The Dung Of The ...
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-calls-money-dung-of-devil.html 

Pope Francis: "Carnival Time Is Over." Pope Francis On Refusing To Wear The Ermine Cape
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/10/carnival-time-is-over-pope-francis-on.html 

  1. Pax on both houses: Pope Francis: Rumors Of Pending Assassination
    paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../pope-francis-rumors-of-pending.html‎

  2. Pax on both houses: Pope Francis provides inspiration for all faiths

    paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../pope-francis-provides-inspiration-for....‎

    Pax on both houses: "Pope Francis: A Modernist Heretic? Ridiculous ...
    http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/10/pope-francis-modernist-heretic.html

    Pope Francis: New Popemobile Is An Old Renault. The Vow Of Poverty Becomes Central
    http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-new-popemobile-is-1984.html

    Pope Francis' Homily: Encounter Jesus through the poor, sick, marginalized
    http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/07/pope-francis-homily-encounter-jesus.htm

    Pope Says Empty Convents And Monasteries Should House Refugees
    http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/10/pope-says-empty-convents-and.html

      1. paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../pope-francis-conservative-columnist....‎

      Pax on both houses: Pope Francis: Enacting Moral Theology By ...

      paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../pope-francis-enactment-of-moral.htm...‎

    2. Pax on both houses: Pope Francis: "The Audacity Of Pope" (The ...

      paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../pope-francis-audacity-of-pope-indian...‎

    3. Pax on both houses: Pope Francis: Church May Fall "Like A House ...

      paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../pope-warns-catholic-church-may-fall....

    4. Pax on both houses: Pope Francis provides inspiration for all faiths

      paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../pope-francis-provides-inspiration-for....‎

    5. Pax on both houses: Pope Francis: The Wounded

      paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-wounded.html‎

    6. Pax on both houses: Pope Francis: "Truth Is A Relationship" Not An ...

      paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../pope-francis-truth-is-

      Pope Francis: "Truth Is A Relationship" Not An Abstract Absolute
      1. paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../pope-francis-truth-is-relationship-not....‎

        Pope Francis: Defends Amazon, Indigenous People. Calls For A "Garden"
        http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/07/pope-francis-defends-amazon-indigenous.htm

        Pope Francis Suspends Bishop Known for Lavish Spending. $4 Million Private Chapel
        http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/10/vatican-suspends-german-bishop-known.html
    How Catholic Traditionalists Are Reacting...
    "The Thinking Housewife": The Pornography Of Compassion
    http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-thinking-housewife-pope-francis-and.html

    ***

    To understand religion across its full spectrum of virtue and vice, it is helpful to remember that Pharisees thrive in every generation. 

    "Yeshua Excoriates Fellow Pharisees"

    On Wed, Nov 13, 2013 at 10:58 AM, <pmtoneill@aol.com> wrote:

    Did you ever send me your "measured comments"
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Alan Archibald <alanarchibaldo@gmail.com>
    To: Patrick O'Neill
    Sent: Fri, Sep 27, 2013 2:06 pm
    Subject: Re: Catholic Dioceses to withdraw from NC Council of Churches
    WARNING: Some readers may find my comments offensive.

    Bishops Burbidge and Jugis
    Dear Patrick,

    Thanks for updating me on this tragic news.

    Soon, I will pass along more "measured" comments.

    For now, I will say this: 

    What next? A reprise of The Inquisition? 

    Lest we forget... Bishop Burbidge was totally wrong on The Iraq War, encouraging his flock to "trust" President Bush who 'surely has access to information" unavailable to mere mortals. 

    My ass! 

    Anyone with a folded cortex and an internet connection knew Smirk and Snarl were so full of shit their back teeth were turning brown.

    If possible, I encourage you to include the following quote by Merton:

    "The terrible thing about our time is precisely the ease with which theories can be put into practice.  The more perfect, the more idealistic the theories, the more dreadful is their realization.  We are at last beginning to rediscover what perhaps men knew better in very ancient times, in primitive times before utopias were thought of: that liberty is bound up with imperfection, and that limitations, imperfections, errors are not only unavoidable but also salutary. The best is not the ideal.  Where what is theoretically best is imposed on everyone as the norm, then there is no longer any room even to be good.  The best, imposed as a norm, becomes evil.”  
    "Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander,” by Thomas Merton
    (The link leads to lots of other good stuff by Merton.)

    ***

    It also cannot hurt to reference Pope Francis' recent interview:

    Church May Fall Like A "House Of Cards" If It Prolongs Its Sex Obsessions
    (Burbidge is playing with a deck containing 52 jokers.)

    To Defend Church Teachings Without Different Understandings Is Wrong.

    If Christian Legalists Want Everything Clear And Safe, They Will Find Nothing

    If A Person Is Totally Certain, This Is Not Good

    The Universal Church... A Nest Protecting Our Mediocrity?

    Pope Francis: "The Truth Is A Relationship"

    Pope Francis Calls Money "The Dung Of The Devil." "It Corrupts Us." "There Is No Way Out."

    "Eventually people get tired of authoritarianism."

    Pope Francis Is Shifting Catholic Church's Priority From Dogma To Mercy

    If you have not heard back in a couple days, feel free to ding me.

    Pax vobiscum

    Alan

    (My reply is posted at http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/north-carolina-bishops-burbidge-and.html  I would like to post your letter along with it but understand you may wish to delay that decision.)
    On Fri, Sep 27, 2013 at 11:57 AM, Patrick O'Neill wrote:
    The Catholic Dioceses of Raleigh and Charlotte are leaving the NC Council of Churches as ecumenical partners (alone with their membership dues on Dec. 31, 2013) -- This is a severe blow to the great ecumenical work begun by Bishop Gossman, and carried on for 35 years. The Council takes a neutral position on abortion, and stands opposed to a Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage (but takes no position on same-sex marriage per se) -- These were the points of contention with Bishop Burbidge and Jugis. I need to speak with Catholics about this decision for articles I am writing. Please Email your comments as well as anyone you can suggest I talk to with contact information. Thanks and Peace, Patrick


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