Paul Elie Laments the Leadership of the Church
From the op-ed in the NY Times, A Church in Search of Followers
A very quotable line in the piece is,
But in the meantime, in their drive to protect their dioceses' worldly assets, the bishops are squandering the church's only asset of any value: its claim to fidelity to Christ and the Gospel.
Monday, June 23, 2003
Saturday, June 21, 2003
Bring the Kneelers Back!
From The Beacon Journal:
Kneeling has its price, and churches in Stark and Portage counties soon may have to pay it.
Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, who leads the six-county Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, has sent a letter to the 116 parishes he supervises making it clear that kneeling is required while parts of the Mass are being celebrated.
That's created a problem in the pews at churches such as Holy Spirit in Uniontown.
When it was built in 1986, the Catholic church had been rumored to be moving away from the practice of kneeling during the Mass. And since standing was recognized by the church as a sacred position, it seemed reasonable to cut costs by building a sanctuary without kneelers.
Now, the parish of more than 500 families is faced with the challenge of installing kneelers to comply with Tobin's directive. It's a challenge that could cost tens of thousands of dollars.
From The Beacon Journal:
Kneeling has its price, and churches in Stark and Portage counties soon may have to pay it.
Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, who leads the six-county Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, has sent a letter to the 116 parishes he supervises making it clear that kneeling is required while parts of the Mass are being celebrated.
That's created a problem in the pews at churches such as Holy Spirit in Uniontown.
When it was built in 1986, the Catholic church had been rumored to be moving away from the practice of kneeling during the Mass. And since standing was recognized by the church as a sacred position, it seemed reasonable to cut costs by building a sanctuary without kneelers.
Now, the parish of more than 500 families is faced with the challenge of installing kneelers to comply with Tobin's directive. It's a challenge that could cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Friday, June 20, 2003
Death Ship Delayed by Storm (or God?)
From the (washingtonpost.com):
A storm raging on the Baltic on Friday is set to delay a Dutch floating abortion clinic's controversial stop in Poland in a challenge to the Roman Catholic country's strict laws on terminating pregnancy.
The ship, which offers abortions in international waters to women in countries where the procedure is more restricted than in the Netherlands, will remain at sea until at least Saturday, according to the Women on Waves Foundation which runs it.
From the (washingtonpost.com):
A storm raging on the Baltic on Friday is set to delay a Dutch floating abortion clinic's controversial stop in Poland in a challenge to the Roman Catholic country's strict laws on terminating pregnancy.
The ship, which offers abortions in international waters to women in countries where the procedure is more restricted than in the Netherlands, will remain at sea until at least Saturday, according to the Women on Waves Foundation which runs it.
Busey World - I'm With Busey. Gary Busey reality show
A new show on Comedy is very unique and quite funny, if not a bit over the top.
A new show on Comedy is very unique and quite funny, if not a bit over the top.
Thursday, June 19, 2003
Christian One-Liners (sent to me by a friend who lives in the deep south)
Quit griping about your church; if it was perfect, you couldn't
belong.
The phrase that is guaranteed to wake up an audience: "And in
conclusion."
If the church wants a better preacher, it only needs to pray for the
one it has.
God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why
should you?
To make a long story short, don't tell it.
Some minds are like concrete, thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
Peace starts with a smile.
I don't know why some people change churches; what difference does it
make which one you stay home from?
Be ye fishers of men. You catch them - He'll clean them.
Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.
Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.
Forbidden fruits create many jams.
God grades on the cross, not the curve.
God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over
"religious nuts!"
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
He who angers you, controls you!
If God is your Co-pilot - swap seats!
Prayer: Don't give God instructions - just report for duty!
The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.
Quit griping about your church; if it was perfect, you couldn't
belong.
The phrase that is guaranteed to wake up an audience: "And in
conclusion."
If the church wants a better preacher, it only needs to pray for the
one it has.
God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why
should you?
To make a long story short, don't tell it.
Some minds are like concrete, thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
Peace starts with a smile.
I don't know why some people change churches; what difference does it
make which one you stay home from?
Be ye fishers of men. You catch them - He'll clean them.
Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.
Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.
Forbidden fruits create many jams.
God grades on the cross, not the curve.
God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over
"religious nuts!"
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
He who angers you, controls you!
If God is your Co-pilot - swap seats!
Prayer: Don't give God instructions - just report for duty!
The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.
Iraqi Information Minister Revisited
I fear that the Iraqi Foreign Information Minister may reimerge in the coming days as a spokesperson for a group that is under fire from the media and seems incapable of rising to the occaision of dealing honestly with the heat. Rather we are likely to hear that "there is no problem", "this is a fabrication of the media", and maybe even "there never was a bishop named O'Brien in Phoenix."
While the antics of the "information" minister in Iraq were amusing, one cannot say the same for those who follow the one that said "you shall know the truth and it shall make you free." My hope is that within the tight knit group there is a holy man who will rise up and lead the Church both honestly and truthfully. This bishop would rally the many good bishops and leave behind those who are more comfortable blaming everyone else for their personal failures and insist on trying to drag the lot of bishops down to their level.
Please offer your prayers these days that such a bishop (and they are there) might be moved by the Spirit of God to take on this role.
I fear that the Iraqi Foreign Information Minister may reimerge in the coming days as a spokesperson for a group that is under fire from the media and seems incapable of rising to the occaision of dealing honestly with the heat. Rather we are likely to hear that "there is no problem", "this is a fabrication of the media", and maybe even "there never was a bishop named O'Brien in Phoenix."
While the antics of the "information" minister in Iraq were amusing, one cannot say the same for those who follow the one that said "you shall know the truth and it shall make you free." My hope is that within the tight knit group there is a holy man who will rise up and lead the Church both honestly and truthfully. This bishop would rally the many good bishops and leave behind those who are more comfortable blaming everyone else for their personal failures and insist on trying to drag the lot of bishops down to their level.
Please offer your prayers these days that such a bishop (and they are there) might be moved by the Spirit of God to take on this role.
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