Anselm's return: more thoughts on the doctrine of the atonement

I just performed an interesting thought exercise. Part of Year IV theological studies here involves taking a thesis writing tutorial class. The Prof. has been pushing us pretty hard to develop some ideas of what we will write about next year. Tomorrow's assignment: turn in a two page proposal in which you lay out the main lines of your thesis. So, (almost) completely off the cuff, here is what I'm thinking to write about (no surprise to Unam Sanctam readers who remember me from days gone by):

THE DOCTRINE OF THE ATONEMENT

IN THE THEOLOGY OF JOSEPH RATZINGER

The doctrine of the atonement merits close attention for two reasons, one speculative, the other practical. Firstly, the sacrifice of Christ upon the altar of the Cross is at the very center of Revelation and therefore also of theology, and yet the inner working, so to speak, of the atonement remains open to speculation. Secondly, it has great practical consequences: the doctrine of the atonement stands at the heart of the sacred Liturgy, which shapes to a great degree the faith and therefore also the lives of those who participate in it.

The traditional Catholic theory of the atonement was first formulated by St. Anselm (d. 1109). Its basic lines are these: Christ offers to the Father, in the place of sinful mankind, an infinite satisfaction. The value of his sacrifice more than counter-balances the offense of sin. With the order of justice thus restored, and the Father’s wrath appeased, God is pleased to forgive man his sins. Classical Protestantism retained much of the Catholic understanding of the atonement, but with the mistaken tendency to treat Christ’s sacrifice as a case of penal substitution, i.e., as if Christ’s death were a case of our just punishment being reassigned to him – God’s just anger redirected at him. In the modern era this notion of penal substitution has increasingly crept into Catholic theology, especially in the theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar.

Ratzinger’s theology of the atonement is especially interesting along the same two lines outlined above. In regards to speculation upon the atonement, Ratzinger makes an excellent contribution to the discussion through the example of his hierarchical method, wherein he allows his soteriology to be shaped and guided by Christology, as also through his development of a line of thought taken from Romano Guardini that seeks to understand Christ’s “suffering through” evil as a process of healing mankind’s guilt from within. Secondly, in regards to the practical importance of the doctrine of the atonement, Ratzinger expresses both the importance of the liturgy in shaping the faith and therefore also the lives of the faithful, and the importance of the doctrine of the atonement in shaping one’s approach to the liturgy.

The main lines along which my thesis will develop are these: first, a consideration of the practical importance of the doctrine of the atonement according to the axiom lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi. Second, a discussion of the method employed (rightly) by Ratzinger in interpreting Christ’s sacrifice. His method, in brief, is to respect the hierarchy of truths: he allows his soteriology to be illumined by Christology, which is illumined in turn by the mystery of the Trinity. Third, then, it will be necessary to turn to the basic datum of Christology that Ratzinger applies to his soteriological speculation, i.e., that Christ is the Son of the Father: an obvious statement with great implications for the doctrine of the atonement.

My fourth task will then be to turn to Ratzinger’s theology of the atonement itself: and in this regard he offers a negative critique of “mechanistic” theories of the atonement (here it will be necessary to counter objections put forward by proponents of the penal substitution theory in regards to Christ’s “cup” of suffering, his cry from the Cross, and especially his descent into hell), positing instead that Christ’s death is a great transformation of death into love. It is here that Ratzinger develops his favorite theme of “suffering through” evil and sin, for if Christ’s suffering is not part of some mechanized legal process in which he is punished for our sins, then why the intensity of his suffering? Ratzinger’s answer is that suffering is simply the form that love takes in a broken world; it is a necessary part of the process of healing guilt from within.

Fifthly, I will be to take stock of Ratzinger’s theology of the atonement within the wider field of Catholic tradition: his interpretation of Christ’s death as essentially an act of love (rather than punishment) fits easily into St. Thomas’ doctrine of the fourfold salvific causality of Christ’s Passion (by way of sacrifice, satisfaction, redemption, and merit). His emphasis on love, however, over and against St. Anselm’s emphasis on justice, must in turn be counter-balanced by the latter. In conclusion, I propose to return to the practical importance of the question of the atonement to see what connections can be drawn between Ratzinger’s soteriology and liturgical theology.

Question: Behind the screen always??

A question from a Unam Sanctam Catholicam fan:

Thank you for your thoughts on behind the screen confessions! I have been recently contemplating changing to doing face-to-face confessions, but I fully agree with your reasons. I'd like to know your thoughts on this one- if the priest you are confessing to is your spiritual director, would you do face-to-face? Or, avoid going into his line altogether? Your thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks!

This is an interesting question. The confessional screen preserves anonymity, but need the pretense of anonymity be observed when the priest is your spiritual director and he obviously knows who you are?

Well, I would argue that though anonymity is a good effect of going behind the screen, it is not the exclusive reason. A few personal stories: as many of you know, I am empoyed by a parish. I got to confession to my parish priest sometimes. Often, I am the first person in line, so that he clearly sees me as he is walking up to go into the Confessional. I still go behind the screen anyways. Or often times I will go into the Confessional, kneel down behind the screen, then say, "Hey Father, this is Boniface," so that he knows who I am. But I still go behind the screen and wouldn't dream of doing it any other way. I met with my new Spiritual Director (a priest of Miles Christi) two weeks ago for the first time. We talked face to face for forty minutes, but when it was time for Confession, he gestured me to go behind the screen that he had set up.

Is this all just an elaborate farce, since the priest obviosuly knows who you are? I would argue that behind the screen confession has great value, even if the priest knows who you are already. Basically, the same reasons apply for this as when the priest does not know you, which I have elaborated here in this August, 2007 post. But let's look at a few of them that pertaint to this case:

1) Sign value: even if the priest knows you, there is a sign value in going behind the screen. It reminds us that sin puts us outside of God's grace, and that the priest (who acts in persona Christi) is separated from us by a division just as sin separates us from God. Only in the next life will we see "face to face."

2) Better preserves role of the priest: even if the priest knows who you are, when we go behind the screen there is still a theological anonymity. This is the same anonymity as, say, a priest offering the TLM. His personality means nothing. The fact that he is Father Bob and not Father John means nothing. His own quirks and foibles mean nothing, and we are better able to get down to the essense of the Sacrament itself. Sure, you will still know it is Father so-and-so, and he will still know it is you, but going behind the screen helps us to better get into the understanding that in Confession we meet Christ Himself and that it is from God that our forgiveness comes, not through a little chat with Father across a little table sitting in two office chairs.

3) Allows better confession: as I pointed out in my other article, even when you know somebody, it is hartder to fess up to something if you have to look them in the eye while saying it. When we injure somebody else and have to apologize to them, don't we have a tendency to look at our feet instead of the eyes of the other? I think people do not want to look into another person's face while confessing, and so behind the screen will make it easier to bring your sins to mind and say them. Also, it absolves the priest of having to figure out what kind of facial expressions to make in response to the horrid things you are confessing! Are there any priests out there who havehad a hard time with how to react in a face to face situation when a person is confessing? I'd love to hear from you!

At any rate, I think all of the benefits that I listed with behind the screen still apply, even anonymity, though it is a theological anonymity, not a literal one. Hope this helps.

Synod's view of post-Vatican II Church (part 4)

WARNING: What you are about to read can be categorized as "ranting" and/or "raving."

The more I study the Synod's working document, the more red flags pop up in my mind - no sooner do I finish researching for one post than an idea for another crops up. Perhaps this will be the last in this series, perhaps not. There is much more that can be said. In particular, I am noticing the Synod's tendency to exalt the "dialogue" and active aspect of the Scriptures almost at the expense of the intellectual and exegetical meaning. When exegesis is mentioned, it is usually in the context of unresolved exegetical "difficulties," reminding us that we are not a people of the Book, or by way of reminding us that we can have to not just read it put the Word into action, like in this awkward quote from section 23: "Revelation in the Bible can therefore be said to be an encounter between God and people who, in experiencing the one and only Word, actually together "do" the Word." Together we "do" the Word? I guess I get what it is trying to say, but can you imagine any statement being more imprecise or open to multiform interpretations? "Do" the Word?

An overriding problem I have with this document is that it is very obviously rooted in the worldly-humanist optimistic view of the Church's role in the world that was so prominent after the Council and is exemplified in Gaudium et Spes. According to this view, the Church since Vatican II has been a phenomenal success, the aspirations of the Council Fathers have all been vindicated and everybody is much better off now than before 1963. This also tends to go hand in hand with a very worldly-oriented view of the Church's mission. Take a look at section 58: "The Word of God [is] the source of grace, freedom, justice and peace and the safeguard of creation." Only one of those terms, grace, has an unambiguously theological meaning. All the rest are worldly terms. When it says freedom it means political freedom, justice means social justice, peace means international brotherhood, and safeguarding creation means ecology (if you don't believe that it is referencing ecology, check section 10, where the Synod very seriously raised the "pastoral implications" of the "relevant questions concerning natural law, the origin of the world and ecology").

Peace is a good thing. Ecology is a good thing. Justice is good. But they are not the essential concerns of the Church (whose mission is the sanctification of souls), and we are not helping anybody if we reduce the place of the Scriptures or the Church to be just a tool for the improvement of worldly, earth-bound institutions and relations. Scriptures is given to tell us about Christ. It is not some kind of universalizing book of platitudes that tells us all about how to attain world peace and reduce our carbon footprint. Now the Pope is coming out with an encyclical on social justice. Unless he is prepared to reshift the whole man-centered emphasis in social justice theology that has prevailed in the past thirty years (and I doubt he is), then why do we need another statement on social justice? Don't we have enough stuff on social justice? I think this goes back to my other theory about the modern Magisterium thinking it just has to churn out documents periodically the way a Congress keeps turning out new laws. This is contrary to the traditional stance that the Magisterium and Papacy were there to make pronouncements and definitive declarations when things needed clarification, not to be cranking out encyclicals every few months just for the sake of publishing something.

The Synod's document has some interesting things to say about the post-Vatican II Church. The most amusing of these is the Synod's labeling of the post-VII years as "a season of plentiful fruits" (5). That's a good one! What are these fruits exactly? This is another one of those buzz words like "richness" that are often used to refer to the outcome of the Council but which lack substance. When I think of "fruits" of the Council, I think of 80% of Catholics disbelieving in the Real Presence, Obama-voting Catholics, empty convents, nuns in suit-pants, New Age monks, lax bishops (though they're getting better recently), heretic priests, homosexual seminarians, Protestant Church music, table altars, and everything that goes along with them. But I am just a private amateur theologian and historian, and what I say doesn't matter or have any authority. But let's see what the Synod's "fruits" are:

"A renewed appreciation of the Bible in liturgy, catechesis, and more importantly in exegetical and theological studies" (5) Two thoughts: one, they obviously mistake putting more readings in the liturgy for "renewed appreciation." The two are not necessarily the same (see here). Second, the idea that there is a greater appreciation for the Scriptures in exegetical and theological studies today is laughable--these are the two regions where heresies concerning the meaning of Scripture abound the most.

"An ever increasing number of new readers and ministers of the Word of God" (5). i.e., because we have a severe priest shortage and the offices of Acolyte and Lector are all but extinct.

"A greater availability of ways and means of modern communication" (5). Granted, that is a good thing, but this is supposed to be about positive experiences that are "a result of the dynamic activity of the Word of God" in the 40 years since the Council. What does the fact that we have modern communication have to do with the implementation of the Council and how can it be listed as a positive fruit of the post-Conciliar Church? There is not even a remote connection. They just wanted another "fruit" to put on their list so it wasn't too short.

"An interest in the Bible in the field of culture" (5), i.e., to compensate for the fact that it is increasingly not taken seriously in the field of theology.

Here's an amusing view of the post-Conciliar Church: "The People of God have a growing consciousness of the importance of liturgies of the Word of God, prompted in part by the reference and revision of them in the new Lectionary" (33). If they do have a growing appreciation of the importance of liturgy, then why are liturgies in so many parishes such a debacle? However, in the same paragraph the documents admits that homilies "could clearly stand improvement" and that Bishops often "lack interest" in the "riches" of the liturgical books.

Here's a good one from section 40: "Undoubtedly, the Lord is owed praise for the fruits produced after the Second Vatican Council, one of which is the commitment of a great number of exegetes and theologians who study and explain the Scriptures according to the sense of the Church and interpret and present the Word, written in the Bible, within the context of living Tradition." Did it really just praise theologians for their faithful exegesis and interpretation of the Bible in the context of Tradition? That would be like congratulating the Jesuits for their orthodoxy or commending the English hierarchy for their support of Summorum Pontificum! It is simply not true! There are many good Scripture scholars out there to be sure, but I think the vast majority of Scripture scholars in the Church today are working under the heretical misunderstanding of Dei verbum 11 and have a very restricted view of inspiration. A pastor not far from here recently lost many congregation members by preaching that the Scripture pretty much meant whatever you wanted it to mean. There is an immense poverty in the Church with regards to faithful interpretation of Scripture, and I think this is one reason for the modern Church's weakness. But, this has been the trend since Vatican II: close seminaries and religious houses and allow heretical preaching all over and then pat ourselves on the back and talk about what a rich harvest we are reaping!

The following quote is a little disturbing: "Because the Word of God was made flesh and dwelt among us the Spirit is prompting us to meditate on the new itinerary which He intends to pursue among the people of our time" (40). The document does not go on to state exactly what this "new itinerary" is, but I have to wonder, why are the "people of our time" so special that we need a new itinerary? Was the old itinerary not good enough? Are we different than all our ancestors who came before? The Synod apparently thinks so, and this is in keeping with the Future Church vision of many of the Council periti, that modern man is too sophisticated for the old ways.

Well, that's enough for now. Suffice it to say that the Synod is still playing the same, tired old Emperor's New Clothes game, declaring the Church more glorious and fruitful because of the Council when in reality we are impoverished and weak.

"I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead." Apoc. 3:1

Defective form in SSPX ordinations? I don't think so.

Anselm, our sometime contributor to this blog who is currently residing in Gaming, Austria at the International Theological Institute, reported to me last week that a fellow student there challenged the validity of the 1988 SSPX episcopal ordinations. The supposed reason for the invalidity was the argument that all episcopal ordinations need be done by three bishops, and that since Archbishop Lefevre ordained the four bishops alone, the ordinations were therefore invalid.

Anselm was beside himself with amusement with this assertion, which he and I both laughed off as pretty stupid. But, as the week went on, he and I decided to do a little research and clarify this issue once and for all. After all, if somebody at the ITI is spouting this idea, I'm sure there must be more out there. After a few hours of research this past week, I put together the following brief synopsis.

Question: Whether or not an episcopal ordination is invalid due to lack of three consecrating bishops?

Answer: Negative. An episcopal consecration done by one bishop alone is certainly not invalid, though it is irregular/illicit.

Sacramental & Canonical Reasons

1. The sacrament of Holy Orders resides in fullness in the office of Bishop (CCC 1558; LG 21§2), which is called the summa of the sacred ministry. This fullness resides not in a collegiality of Bishops, but in each Bishop in particular. There are no sacraments that require the presence of more than one minister for valid confirmation. Each Bishop alone possesses (by virtue of his episcopal ordination) the power to confer Holy Orders on others, even by creating other Bishops. As canon 1012 says, “The minister of sacred ordination is a consecrated Bishop.” Notice it specifies only one, “a consecrated Bishop.” Therefore, it is false to assert that three bishops are needed for valid episcopal consecration. This is what can be called the sacramental-theological reason: i.e., that fullness of orders resides in the office of Bishop individually.

2. The CIC 1014 and the CCC 1559 make reference to the practice, since Nicaea, of having a Bishop consecrated by three bishops. However, the Catechism says that this practice was only to evidence the “collegial nature” of the episcopate (CCC 1559) – it is a symbolic recalling of the unity of the College of Apostles. The commentary in the official CIC says that this was instituted “for organizational reasons” (p 635). While canon 1014 mandates three bishops present, the Catechism and the CIC commentary make clear that this does not affect validity. Thus, we have (in addition to the sacramental reason why the above assertion is false) a canonical reason as well.

3. As evidence that lack of three bishops does not affect validity, we can read the words of canon 1014, which begin, “Unless a dispensation has been granted by the Apostolic See, the principal consecrating Bishop at an Episcopal consecration is to have at least two other consecrating bishops with him.” If the two other bishops were absolutely necessary for validity, the Apostolic See could not dispense them under any circumstances, just like it cannot dispense with the form and matter of any sacrament.

4. Furthermore, we know in fact that bishops are regularly consecrated by a single bishop in the nation of China, where the Church exists in a state of persecution. No one asserts that Chinese bishops are invalidly ordained because of this point. The CIC commentary also points out the dispensations from this practice were regular going back even to Nicea and before (p. 635). The only difference between Chinese ordinations and SSPX ordinations is pontifical mandate.

5. Furthermore, though multiple bishops are present and participating, the CIC (can. 1014) recognizes only one bishop as the consecrator, for it makes a distinction between the “principal consecrating bishop” and “other consecrating bishops,” which are also referred to as “assistants” in the commentary, as opposed to the “primary minister.” By this language, we see that the Church recognizes a difference between the primary bishop who is conferring Holy Orders and the other bishops who, though assisting, are not actually conferring the sacrament.

6. Furthermore, if three bishops were required for validity, how could any bishop trace his episcopal lineage and apostolic succession? But we do know that in fact bishops trace their apostolic succession through one predecessor only: as in the Diocese of Lansing, MI., Bishop Earl Boyea is listed as being ordained by Adam Cardinal Maida, not by three bishops, though there probably were three in attendance (see www.catholic-hierarchy.org).

7. Furthermore, we understand this principle in celebration of the Eucharist very simply. If more than one priest is present, they concelebrate, although only the priest who is the principal celebrant is really confecting the sacrament. The same is true for episcopal ordinations.

8. Furthermore (and finally), the commentary on the CIC on the same page as canon 1014 (page 635) says at the bottom of the page: “it is highly appropriate that all bishops present participate in the ordination together with the principal consecrating bishop; however, a single bishop is sufficient for validity.” This should lay the matter to rest.

Conclusion

9. No one has ever claimed seriously that the SSPX ordinations are invalid due to lack of three bishops. Canonically they are irregular (i.e., illicit) due to proceeding with solitary ordination without a dispensation from the Holy See, as stipulated in canon 1014. The SSPX ordinations were illicit by reason of lack of co-consecrating bishops (can. 1014), but more importantly because they had no papal mandate at all (can. 1013), and therefore Archbishop Lefevre and the four bishops incurred latae sententiae excommunication, as stipulated in canon 1382. However, their ordinations are perfectly valid, as even the CIC commentary on 1014 points out plainly.

Can anybody think of any other arguments to add to this? Have you ever come across this position yourself? I find this idea even more strange since Anselm told me that the same person who asserted this also claimed that the Greeks were not in schism.

Synod: Opening door to Lay Homilies? (part 3)

Last time I signed off with a cryptic reference to lay homilies and the Synod on the Word of God. I was exaggerating a little: the Synod does not call for lay homilies as such. As my dear friend Japhy (who often corrects me when I become overzealous) pointed out, the Synod document specifically mentions in paragraph 50 that the homily is to be preached only by an ordained minister. Fair enough.

However, I am interested not so much in what the document says and does not say, as much as what progressives will stretch the document to mean. Therefore, the question for me is not "Does the working document call for lay homilies?" as much as "Can progressives twist this in any way that seems to imply or lead to lay homilies?" To this second question, the answer is a resounding affirmative.

For the troubling passage in the working document with regards to lay homilies, we need not look to sections 50 and 51 which specifically address the homily as such, but back to paragraph 37 which deals pastoral implications in the context of the ministry of the Word. Paragraph 37 begins by talking about a harmonic unity between the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy of the Eucharist. With regards to the liturgy of the Word, it goes on to talk about the vital importance of making the readings meaningful and understandable to the people, so that the hearing of the Readings consitutes a true "encounter" with the Word of God. To this end, the Synod recommends in the middle of section 37:

"In the liturgy of the Word, maximum attention should be given to clear, understandable proclamation of the texts and a homily based on the Word. This requires competent, well-prepared readers who, for this purpose, need to be formed in schools, even ones which might be established by the Diocese [watch this last sentence]. At the same time, the Word of God might be better understood if the lector made a brief introduction on the meaning of the reading to be proclaimed."

Now step back and think about what that says. It was not referring to the pastor giving the homily, otherwise that would be redundant: of course the homily will expound the meaning of the reading. It specifically says lectors, and if it says lectors, we can assume it means the Old Testament and Epistle readings commonly done by lay people in most parishes. Now, we know that lector is an actual office, along with acolytes, who are referred to with lectors in the CIC as "lay men" who have a "stable ministry" (CIC 230:1). Realistically though, how many Novus Ordo parishes have properly instituted lectors or acolytes? Almost none. I certainly don't know of any around here. Instead, we have just a bunch of lay people volunteers doing the readings who are commonly called lectors. Is this not the case? These persons are spoken of in canon 230:2-3:

"Lay people can receive a temporary assignment to the role of lector in liturgical actions...where the needs of the Church require and ministers are not available, lay people, even though they are not lectors or acolytes, can supply certain of their functions, that is, exercise the ministry of the word, preside over liturgical prayers..."

So, we see that though the Church retains the official office of lector, they confer upon any old lay person the exact same duties and responsibilities as a true lector, thus eliminating the distinction. So, let's come back to the Synod document. Knowing that in practice, most lay readers are not lectors (but are errantly called so), and knowing also that the Synod in paragraph 37 has called for "lectors" to give "brief introductions to the meaning of the readings," do you see the potential for a huge abuse to be opened up here?

Imagine, you are at Sunday Mass. A middle-aged woman wearing suit pants comes up in front of the congregation and steps up to the ambo. The reading is from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. She starts off: "Before I begin this reading, I'd just like to give a few insights into the meaning of this passage..." Then follows a five to ten minute "introduction" to the readings prior to the Gospel and the homily. And if you come up to the pastor afterwards and voice your concern, he points to paragraph 37 which encourages lectors to give introductions to the meaning of the readings.

Of course, we know that the woman is not technically a lector. But (and let's be real), do 99% of parishes know or care about the distinction? When they see lector, they translate it as "reader" (which I guess is the literal translation, but that's beside the point). This clause in the working document, if adopted, will encourage lay people doing the Readings to start spouting off their own half-cocked introductions to what they think the readings are about. Even if what they say is good, it is still an inversion of liturgical roles.

What is the meaning of the Synod's statement here? Either it is calling for lay readers to give explications of the Scriptures, or else it is making a statement about the instituted office of lector, in which case it would be next to meaningless since the office of lector is practically extinct in most mainstream NO parishes. I'm telling you, if this gets adopted, we will get the equivalent of lay homilies, only done before the first readings, so they technically will not be called homilies.

Am I drawing correct inferences here?

Just as a little experiment, do a Google images search on the phrase "Catholic Mass lectors" and check out all the pictures that come up.

Next time, the final installation: Synod's fanciful statements on post-Vatican II Church

Synod's "Difficulties" (part 2)

Though I have been a friend to Catholic Tradition for some time, it is only within the past two years that I have begun actively identifying myself as a Traditionalist. When I became aware that I was indeed a Traditionalist, I made up my mind that I wouldn't be overly critical and nitpicky. I wanted to be a positive Traditionalist, extolling the beauty of Catholic culture and Tradition without being the type to be too ornery or critical, especially of things regarding the papacy and the statements of the popes. However I may feel about the Church under John Paul II, he was still the Vicar of Christ, and I must honor him and be respectful towards his writings and his life. A big part of Christianity is joy in the Holy Spirit, and I have taken great pains in my own spiritual life to ensure that the frustration I feel about the state of the Church does not become so overwhelming as to quench my joy.

That's my disclaimer. Now, regarding the working document for the Synod on the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church which I began to review last time, I have to honestly say that the further I read into it (I am now more than 2/3 done), the more I am shocked by what it says. This is truly a radical document, from a traditional standpoint. Not only that, but the wording on many things (even orthodox points) is very sloppy and liable to a multitude of interpretations. In fact I have to say, this document is horrible from every angle. I didn't even say that about Gaudium et Spes. At least GS is well-written. This working document is sloppy, confusing, self-contradictory, full of ambiguity and borderline heresy. Very strong words. It is only a working document, however, and we shall see what the Pope does with it.

Let's look at what the document has to say about the Old Testament. As the Church has ever affirmed since Marcion first challenged it, the Old Testament is a vital part of the Scriptures; the Catechism even calls the Psalms the heart of the Bible, and any attempt to belittle or do away with the OT is an attack on the very fundamentals of the Catholic Faith. The Synod recognizes this and urges greater familiarity with the Old Testament, but I have a problem with some presuppositions about the OT that the document seems to make. Here are some excerpts:

"The Bible needs to be seen as the Word of God who continues to reveal, despite many difficulties in understanding certain passages, especially those in the Old Testament" (3).

"[Local Churches] experience difficulty in taking up and understanding the Old Testament passages with risk of their being incorrectly used" (6).

"[Pastors should] present simple criteria for reading the Bible with Christ in mind, thereby resolving the difficulties in the Old Testament" (13).

"Still other [questions] touch upon difficult parts of the Bible, especially in the Old Testament" (14).

"Knowledge of the Old Testament...seems to be a real problem among Catholics, particularly as it relates to the mystery of Christ and the Church. Because of unresolved exegetical difficulties, many are reluctant to take up passages from the Old Testament which seem incomprehensible..." (17).

"Significant cultural and social changes taking place in the world call for a catechesis that helps to explain the "difficult pages" of the Bible, primarily in the Old Testament" (45).

Geez. Did anybody get the impression that the Synod considers the Old Testament "difficult?" What are these difficulties that the Synod keeps referring to? The document never clearly spells it out, but there are a few things it hints at. But before I go into that, let me ask one simply question: if you give a 7th grader the Book of Genesis to read side by side with the Book of Romans, which is easier to understand? I'd say for a child (and probably for anybody not acquainted with Scripture), Romans would present far more "difficulties" than Genesis. In fact, I can't think of many places in the Old Testament that are not easily understood, with the exceptions of some of the visions of Ezekiel and Daniel. Everything else is pretty straight forward. Sure, the books of Deuteronomy, Leviticus and Numbers are tedious and dull at times, but that does not mean they are "difficult" to understand.

So, what are these "difficulties?"

I can only assume that by "difficulties" the Synod is making a veiled reference to a preferred historical-critical interpretation of the Scriptures that mythologizes away much of the Old Testament. I believe, therefore, that the "unresolved exegetical difficulties" referenced by the Synod are fact that the Old Testament presents many things to us as historically factual (things Christians have always believed to be factual) that the Synod would prefer we interpret mythically. This would involve us with problems concerning inerrancy: thus, we have our "difficulty."

Is this really the case? When the Synod says "there is a real problem among Catholics, particularly as it relates to the mystery of Christ and the Church," it is in fact reminding us that much of the Old Testament can be applied mystically to Christ and the Church, as in the Song of Songs. There is nothing new here. But, thereby it seeks in a subtle manner to rob some of these passages of their literal or historic value. The Synod is concerned that we might read Genesis and take it literally, attributing historical value to Noah's Flood, the Tower of Babel or things like that. This is in fact what it has in mind: look at what it says in section 45:

"Significant cultural and social changes taking place in the world call for a catechesis that helps to explain the "difficult pages" of the Bible, primarily in the Old Testament, which give a certain view of history, science and the moral life, particularly ethical behaviour and how God is portrayed. Working towards an overall solution needs to take into account what is provided by not only exegesis and theology but also anthropology and pedagogy" (45).

Things seem to be historical which the Synod thinks ought to be interpreted symbolically. Certain scientific views of Creation and geological chronology are found in the OT which the Synod is embarrassed about; they need to be rethought (moving towards an "overall solution") in light of modern anthropology. The ethics of the Old Testament are also troubling to the Synod. People in the Old Testament are commanded to do things by God that the Synod is uneasy about having to explain. Rather than work at real theological understandings of these issues (and rather than standing upon the 2,000 year Tradition of the Church in seeking to "harmonize" these passages), the Synod would rather have us invoke "not only theology and exegesis but also anthropology" to symbolize these things. This is a reflection of the modernist Biblical interpretive scheme that is embarrassed by the Old Testament. I would say that it is the Synod, not Catholics, who seem to have "difficulties" with the Old Testament.

Touching on inerrancy, the Synod goes radically far in attempting to establish the heretical view of Scriptural inerrancy, popular since Dei Verbum. Look at what it says in section 15 on inspiration and how it uses Dei Verbum:

"--with regards to what might be inspired in the many parts of Sacred Scripture, inerrancy applies only to 'that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings for the sake of salvation' (DV11)."

"Might" be inspired? Applies "only?" We all know that this is contradicted by mountains of Magisterial statements, especially Pius XII's Divino Afflante Spiritu 3, which specifically says, "It is absolutely wrong and forbidden either to narrow inspiration to certain parts only of Sacred Scripture or to admit that the sacred writers have erred." Yet the working document does just this in taking the modernist position on Dei Verbum 11, and asserts that the Bible does contain errors in matters of "history, science and the moral life."

The Synod's document takes a hard line against any literal interpretation of the Old Testament. I do not believe they are meaning to condemn all literalism, but the wording is so sloppy that this is in fact what they do, when in section 20 it states that despite a new resurgence of Biblical studies, there is "the risk that the Scriptures will be interpreted arbitrarily or literally, as in fundamentalism." Do you see the import of this passage?

Notice the language: It didn't condemn excessive literalism, or relying only on the literal interpretation, but it simply said "literally" alone, as if interpreting the Old Testament literally at all was wrong. Literal interpretations lead to "serious errors and...useless controversies." I can only imagine that by useless controversies it is referring to things like St. Augustine attempting to reconcile the two genealogies of Christ in the New Testament. Is it too difficult to resolve? Well, it's just symbolic and has no historical value. Problem resolved!

Indeed, the document has harsh words for those who dare to take the words of the Old Testament literally:

"In Bible reading, fundamentalism takes refuge in literalism and refuses to take into consideration the historical dimension of Biblical revelation, It is thus fully unable to accept the Incarnation itself" (29).

This is horrid and a terrible definition of fundamentalism. The document seems to say that fundamentalism consists simply in insisting that the Bible be taken literally, and even says that if you do insist on literalism, that you have not accepted the Incarnation! St. Athanasius defended the Incarnation and a literal belief in the Old Testament. What would he say about this? Augustine interpreted the stories of the Old Testament literally--did he not accept the Incarnation? What about Anselm? Aquinas? This statement makes a mockery of Catholic Scriptural exegesis throughout history.

Traditionally, Catholics have understood papal infallibility to apply to the region of faith and morals. Yet, among the "difficulties" of the Old Testament, the Synod's document lists "the moral life, particularly ethical behaviour" as presented in the Old Testament (45). Isn't morality supposed to be the one thing that we never waver on, along with dogma? Well, it seems to be referring to certain difficulties in explaining God's commands to commit genocidal warfare and things of that nature. St. Augustine and St. Thomas long ago dealt with such issues, but the Synod, once having rejected pre-Vatican II interpretive schemas (see last post), now is embarrassed to turn to the Saints and instead chooses to go down the road of a moral code that is "relative" to every historical period.

Now, let me end this rant on the following note: I am not saying the Church or the Synod even actually believes these things. Perhaps they do: perhaps they do want to advocate a relative morality and a strict symbolic application. I don't know, but I am willing to grant them the benefit of the doubt. My problem is this: this theology is so shoddy, the language so sloppy, that is this document is adopted as the basis for the Apostolic Exhortation, the modernists will run with it as far as it will take them, and we will have so many exegetical problems, confusions about inerrancy and modernist heresies that it will be well-nigh impossible this side of the Second Coming to sort them out.

Next time: Synod document calls for lay homilies!

Synod on the Word of God (part 1)

Since the Synod on the Word of God is now closed and we are awaiting the upcoming Apostolic Exhortation, I decided to take a look at the working document for the Synod that was posted on the Vatican website in May. I am still in the process of plowing through the 56 pages of the working document, Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church . I am only a third of the way through, but many things popped to mind immediately when I began reading.

First, I am very happy that the Church has decided to address the issue of the Scriptures. There is much confusion on the matter, even among informed Catholics, and clarity from the Magisterium is needed. This is a perfect opportunity for the Magisterium to step in and make clear what exactly the Church's teaching on the Sacred Scriptures is. Unfortunately, that does not happen with this document. When a clear, strong statement was needed, we instead got 56 drawling pages of obfuscations. Fortunately, this is only a working document, and perhaps we shall get a better finished product.

Second, I wonder at the modern mentality in the Magisterium which seems to view itself as a kind of Church congress which is perpetually in session and needs to make continual declarations and reaffirmations of things. The Councils of Constance and Basel tried to impose a permanently sitting Council in the Church, which of course was rejected by the Popes. However, we seem to have adopted this position in the modern Church without stating so explicitly. Traditionally, Synods and Councils (even regional ones) were called to resolve doctrinal or disciplinary problems, which they did by the promulgation of decrees of canons, such as the Synod of Whitby on the submission of the Celtic Church to the Roman rite, or the Spanish Council of Toledo which gave us many valuable canons on the Trinity that are quoted in the CCC.

What is the purpose of this Synod? According to the document, "The Synod's purpose is primarily pastoral and missionary, namely to thoroughly examine the topic's doctrinal teaching and, in the process, spread and strengthen the practice of encountering the Word of God as the source of life in various areas of experience" (II.4). Interesting. I agree there are times for pastoral statements, but it seems to me that in the past several decades, the word "pastoral" has been so overused and beaten into the ground that for me it is a code word for "We are issuing a document that really does not need to be issued just for the sake of appearing like we are doing something." It seems to me that the current Magisterium (since Vatican II) has taken to the idea that it needs to periodically make statements about things just for the sake of making statements, almost like the Constance-Basel idea of a permanently sitting Council that would continually work. Zenit reported that the Pope has already assembled the Bishops who will organize the next Synod, though they do not even have a topic selected yet! Perhaps I am drawing too tenuous of a connection here, but it seems to me that the more "pastoral" a document tends to be, the less effective.

By the way, who ever introduced this idea about pastoral being something truly distinct from doctrinal? The true doctrine is the best way to approach things pastorally, and all true pastoral approaches must be based in sound dogma. I think they are really two sides of the same coin, and that labeling things "pastoral" is a way to say "we are going to change teaching without officially changing teaching."

Now, on to the document.

One troubling thing about the document is the extreme subjective view it takes on the believer's relationship to Sacred Scripture. First of all, it whole-heartedly embraces the historical-critical method: "Every Christian is invited through the words of Sacred Scripture to discover the Word of God, the splendor of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the likeness of God. This takes places through a demanding, patient and ongoing process, involving historical-critical study (even diachronic), the application of every scientific and literary method available (intended for a synchronic understanding) and research from the vantage point of literature" (preface). These things are not bad in themselves if given a very positive spin, but we all know how the modernists will take these words and run with them. The Magisterium seems to perpetually make the mistake that theologians and lay people will give their decrees the most traditional, orthodox interpretation possible when in reality it is the opposite.

With regards to the subjective bent of the document, there are a lot of passages about "encountering" and "experiencing" and things like that. Notice the common use of subjective reference points:

The purpose of the document is stated to be "a reflection, in light of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, on the various experiences and aspects of encountering the Word of God in the Church today, according to her various traditions and rites and from the vantage point of faith" (1).

"The Word of God needs to be given greater priority in the life and mission of the Church; this will require courage and creativity in pedagogy of communicating, adapted to the times (culture, real-life situations, communication)" (3).

"The Synod's purpose is primarily pastoral and missionary, namely to thoroughly examine the topic's doctrinal teaching and, in the process, spread and strengthen the practice of encountering the Word of God as the source of life in various areas of experience" (4).

"Dei Verbum presents the theology of revelation as dialogue" (8). Doesn't "dialogue" seem to imply ongoing conversation, as if the faith was not given "once and for all" to the saints? (Jude 1)

"The Word of God is like a hymn with many voices" (9); I just don't know what to make of this one, which is the title of section nine: "The Word of God as a Hymn with Many Voices."

A particularly odd thing about the Synod is that it repeatedly refers to the proof of the inspiration of the Sacred Scriptures being not in any objective criteria, but in their subjective appeal to people! Listen:

"Through the charism of divine inspiration, the Books of Sacred Scripture have a direct, concrete power of appeal not possessed by other texts or human discources" (9.e).

Later, again, "As previously mentioned, the Books of Sacred Scripture have a direct concrete power of appeal not possessed by other Church texts" (18.a.).

This is not problematic if viewed in wider context of other proofs for the inspiration of Sacred Scripture; the Scriptures certainly do have a subjective appeal. However, as far as I have read, this "direct, concrete appeal" is the only evidence given for why Scripture should be considered inspired by the Church. What is the Synod doing by listing only the most subjective criteria as the sole criteria? This reminds me of my father in law saying that he can just "tell" by reading Wisdom of Solomon that it is not inspired.

The reference point for understanding Scripture, according to the Synod, is entirely modern. Perhaps the most laughable part of the document is its forward which refers to the post-Vatican II period as "A Season of Plentiful Fruits" (5). But listen to how the Synod just summarily dismisses all papal pronouncements from before the mid-20th century:

"The times again call for an obedient hearing of the Word of God in union with the Church’s Tradition, in light of the Second Vatican Council, specifically, taking up the contents of the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum (DV), and other conciliar documents, notably the Dogmatic Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC), the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen gentium (LG) and the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes (GS) (1). The two Notes of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church and The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible are also directly related to the synod topic. In addition, The Catechism of the Catholic Church and its Compendium, as well as The General Directory for Catechesis also have an authoritative character in the subject" (2)

I can understand citing Dei Verbum, but why Gaudium et Spes? What does that have to do with Scripture? And where are Spiritus Paraclitus, Divino Afflante Spiritu, Providentissimus Deus and Lamentabili Sane? Those documents treat very specifically about Sacred Scripture, why are they excluded? The Synod seems to be saying that we need to interpret it's findings within the worldview described in Gaudium et Spes. We see in the next section how it categorically dismisses pre-Vatican II statements:

"The teachings of Pope Pius XII, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI are part of the Magisterium on the Word of God, as well as the documents published by the dicasteries of the Roman Curia, over the past 40 years since the Second Vatican Council" (ibid).

So what, things before the past 40 years are not to be considered Magisterial statements on the Word of God? Here is an excerpt from 18.c on the Old and New Testaments:

"The Synod is providing the occasion to rediscover Dei Verbum and later pontifical documents." I guess pre-Dei Verbum stuff is irrelevant now.

It is obvious that, at least from the working document, the Synod hopes to gives a purely modern spin on the Scriptures: one that looks only to "Dei Verbum and later pontifical documents" as the points of reference. In my opinion, as this working document stands, it establishes a modernist reference point for understanding the Scriptures, promotes an excessive subjectivism in interpreting them, and raises several highly questionable points about inerrancy (to be examined in the future). I know there is nothing outright heretical about any of this stuff, but we all know how the modernists will spin it. We'll just have to pray that Benedict throws a lot of this out when composing the Apostolic Exhortation.

Next time I'll take a look at the document's persistent but unexplained "difficulties" with the Old Testament. Please see the blog "Popin' Ain't Easy," linked on my sidebar, for some more good stuff on the document.

Kudos to Bishop Boyea

We are very blessed in our Michigan diocese (which will remain unnamed, but it so happens to have the same name as the capitol of the state) to have Bishop Earl Boyea. Besides the fact that he is a historian and a lover of the Traditional Mass, he has also proved to be the perfect harmonious union between being a keen and precise administrator and a charitable and loving pastor. Before I took my trip to Emmitsburg with the kids, the Bishop sent me a personalized letter asking me and the Youth to pray for him at the Seton Shrine, which we did do.

This week, our Bishop made a strong statement against our apostate Catholic Governor Jennifer Granholm and her support of Michigan Ballot Proposition 2, which would completely legalize unrestricted stem cell research in Michigan. I love to give good Bishops credit when it is due, and this is certainly one of those times.

The Most Reverend Earl Boyea, Bishop of Lansing, today issued the following statement in response to recent comments of Michigan Governor JenniferGranholm:

In a Sunday address in Grand Rapids, Governor Jennifer Granholm incredibly said of Proposal 2 "As a Catholic, I can say to be pro-cure is to be pro-life." Of course, Catholics and all other responsible citizens will continue to seek cures for disease and injury. But to imply that Proposal 2 is a valid expression of Catholic principles is shocking. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Proposal 2, which goes before Michigan voters in a week, would give an unrestricted license to those who perform destructive experiments on human embryos. While the Catholic Church strongly supports legitimate forms of stem cell research and all other proper forms of scientific inquiry, the Church also teaches that is it is always immoral to destroy a human embryo. For that reason, the Catholic Bishops of Michigan have taken a strong position in opposition to this well-funded assault on human life.

Saint Paul reminds us that we must preach the Truth in season and out ofseason. The Truth will never go unspoken. To be in favor of Proposal 2 isnot to be pro-life. A well-formed Catholic conscience would never lead aperson to support Proposal 2 "as a Catholic."

I'm particularly glad that the Bishop addresses this increasingly common (and ignorant) fallacy that to be in favor of embyonic stem-cell research is to somehow be Pro-Life.

I'd like to hear from you all about any morally contoversial ballot proposals in your states. We also have one that is trying to legalize medical marijuana, but nobody is really paying attention to that one.

Our Lady of Emmitsburg?

Mrs. Gianna Talone-Sullivan, alleged visionary of Emmitsburg

While in Emmitsburg last weekend, I happened to pick up the local newspaper, the Emmitsburg Dispatch, and was surprised to see the headline "Our Lady of Emmitsburg Silenced." As I read on, I found that something very reminiscent of Medjugorje (and other areas not so far from me) was going on in Emmitsburg. The article is much to long to transcribe, but you can see the original here.

First, it appears that beginning in 1989, a resident of Emmitsburg named Mrs. Gianna Talone-Sullivan claimed that she was receiving messages and teachings from Jesus, Mary and most recently God the Father. Following these alleged apparitions (which of course were in the form of locutions that nobody could confirm or deny positively), a small prayer group formed around Mrs. Talone-Sullivan, called the Our Lady of Emmitsburg Prayer Group. The messages are sentimental and highly repetitive, just like the Medjugorje apparitions. Like Medjugorje, many of them end with the phrase "Thank you for responding to my call." Like Medjugorje, they have made outlandish claims and predictions, such as a foolish prediction of a "second sun" entering our solar system and a catastrophe that would wipe out almost 70% of the earth's population:

"I can tell you this: Even your governments and the Church authorities already have knowledge of the stars aligning and its implications upon you. You must not fear but must be prepared, primarily spiritually. After awhile, you will see a time when there is another body in orbit around your solar system, coming between Earth and the Sun and leading to tremendous devastation. Approximately 60-70% of the world’s population, as you know it, will cease. Of those who survive, 60% of them could die of disease and starvation" (source).

She also claims on the authority of Jesus Himself that the Holy Family sojourned in Cairo during their stay in Egypt when Cairo wasn't even founded until 969 AD. What foolishness!

This fiasco went all the way up to the CDF, where then Cardinal Ratizinger issued a declaration of constat de non supernaturalitate in February of 2003 (document here). Sullivan has been ordered to stop having the prayer meetings on archdiocesan property (Baltimore), which she was obedient to. However, confronted with Rome's conclusion, Sullivan arrogantly stated in 2006 that Rome had never in fact condemned the apparitions, and had a special apparition in March 2006 to confirm that her visions were in fact real. Isn't that convenient!

Finally, on October 8th, 2008, Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of Baltimore issued a very strong statement against Mrs. Talone-Sullivan. Notice his strong language:

"Recent messages and activity by those who support Mrs. Talone-Sullivan have created confusion among many and division in our parishes and our Archdiocese. On more than one occasion, the Archdiocese of Baltimore has conducted investigations into these matters in an effort to protect the faith and good morals of the Christian faithful. Each investigation has concluded that there is nothing of significance to be found in the messages and locutions... I also strongly caution Mrs. Gianna Talone-Sullivan not to communicate in any manner whatsoever, written or spoken, electronic or printed, personally or through another in any church, public oratory, chapel or any other place or locale, public or private, within the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Baltimore any information of any type related to or containing messages or locutions allegedly received from the Virgin Mother of God...Further, I strongly caution those who participate in any activity surrounding these alleged apparitions or who seek to disseminate information and promote them here in the Archdiocese. To do so is a great disservice to the Church and creates further confusion and division among the faithful."

Now, how did Mrs. Talone-Sullivan respond? While grateful for the clarifications, she seems to shrug her shoulders at the possibility that she is being disobedient: "All of my priests spiritual advisors and canon lawyers that I have consulted have told me that I am obedient, and that the Church says what it means and would have specified differently if it meant otherwise. So we continue to hold this prayer meeting monthly, open to the public, at the Lynfield Complex in Frederick, MD. All are welcome! If you desire something different, please let me know."

So, everybody tells her she is obedient, and so she insists. The Bishop cautions her against communication in "any matter whatsoever" within the Diocese, whether or not it is on Church property. Mrs. Talone-Sullivan has at least been outwardly complicit: she has canceled the prayer meetings until further notice and urged obedience to the bishops. However, it seems that her obedience is only on the surface, for we notice that she has not stated that she will not speak or teach about these apparitions anymore, and that her Foundation of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary has changed its address from Emmitsburg, within the Baltimore Archdiocese, to Fairfield, PA, within the Diocese of Harrison. She seems to be setting herself up to continue her teaching outside of the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Baltimore, technically complying with his letter but utterly ignoring its spirit.

For me, if the Vatican declares your apparition constat de non supernaturalitate, that should be the end of it. Period. You should not be able to find any haven in any diocese where you can disseminate your visions, nor should you yourself continue to insist on their authenticity. All of the great spiritual writers who touched on the subject of visions have stated that the default position one should take is one of doubt, even the person having the vision. Let God prove its authenticity, and in the meantime, test it critically.

What if the Vatican were to declare constant de non supernaturalitate with regards to Medjugorje, and the local bishop was to forbid any dissemination of the messages of Medjurgoje, public or private, in any manner whatsoever (which I believe he already has)? If this lady doesn't look lke she's going to stop, then believe me, such a thing would not stop the Medjugorjists either. At least it would clear the lines a bit, but the audacity of these people continues to amaze me. They get condemned and censured left and right and continue to maintain that they are in good standing with the Church. I guess when all else fails, just lie.

Disappointment from Madonna University

A disappointing report came out from my school, Madonna University, last week regarding the ousting of their long-standing mascot, the fighting Crusader. The decision was spearheaded by the university's "Diversity Discussion Group" who said that the Crusader was "offensive and a poor representative of Madonna's mission to be a diverse and inclusive school" (quotes from Madonna Herald, Oct. 2008). The vice-president of Madonna refered to the Crusades as "such a sad time in the Church's history" and stated that they represented "crimes against women and certain groups of people."

The interesting thing is that most kids did not see what was so offensive about the knight. Nursing major Claire Michalik said that though the Crusades were brutal, "the Crusades were also seen as a noble thing to do in that time. I link the nobility to the Crusader, too." Many other kids surveyed said they loved the fighing knight. There was also your typical tripe: like this statement by Chris Benson, associate Dean of Advising: "In a society where we are trying to be comprehensive and understanding of all the different cultures we have, I think that we have to be very sensitive and would not want to offend anybody."

This is very eye-twitching to me, because as the Crusader is being removed from the school, I also see that the university is also promoting the celebration of Ramandan and offering prayer and fasting rooms for the Muslim students. An interfaith prayer chapel upstairs greets students as you walk in the main entryway, and pro-homosexual stickers can be seen on many of the professor's office doors. Clearly, Madonna has ceased to believe in any sort of mission tied with Catholic identity and instead sees its goal as be a "diverse and inclusive school."

Though, on the flip side, Madonna Campus Ministry does have the excellent Miles Christi order as their chaplains, so it is not all bad.

It has not been announced what the new mascot will be. In true democratic fashion, they are putting it to a vote before the student body. It wil probably be some stupid animal or something.

Two questions for the vice-president of Madonna: first, has it never occured to you that perhaps there are elements of the Crusades that we can be proud of, and that it isn't all just about rapine and slaughter? And second, could it be that the reason the Crusaders undertook the Crusades was precisely because they knew exactly what type of religion Islam is? We always suppose that religious division is due to lack of understanding. The medieval Christians knew exactly what Islam was all about (unlike us) and that is why they fought it so vehemenetly, in Jerusalem, Lepanto, Belgrade, Vienna and anywhere else they were encountered.

In your face OPEC!

Saudi Prince Waleed Bin Talal's diamond studded car ($4.8 million), which he charges $2,500 just to touch.

Well, I hope nobody will fault me for turning much of my gaze towards political and economic matters in the past few weeks: there is just so much to comment upon! Ideally, this blog would be all about specifically Catholic related stuff, like liturgy and theology. I have noticed, however, with regards to the Church that it seems like it is only in the Catholic Church that we are seeing genuine good news. Isn't that interesting? When the economy was booming and the United States was sitting pretty on the top of the heap for the past two and half decades, the state in the Church was abysmal. Now the Church is finally making some progress towards true reform and true restoration, and it is against the backdrop of a collapsing economy and the possible loss of the US's worldpower status. Is there some kind of spiritual law that the Church will always prosper when the secular civilization fails? Perhaps. Look at the rise of the Church around the time of the Fall of Rome.

But I digress. I am so tickled pink that gas is coming down (though it is still at least 50% too expensive in my estimation), and I am even more delighted that the criminal band of robbers and cheats known as OPEC is running around like a chicken with its head cut off over the astronomical "drop" in oil prices recently. Check out this article, which describes how they are having "emergency" meetings to try to curb the price drop. It is laughable indeed!

When did gas falling below $3.50 become an emergency? I have been recording in my journal over the past few months the price of gas at various intervals, and I notice that where I live, it was $3.53 in June of this year. OPEC wasn't complaining about low prices then. Why not? Because, of course, the price was on the rise. OPEC is saying that they are concerned about the price of oil falling with regards to wishing to "stabilize" the oil markets. Where were their calls for "stabilization" when it was going up five dollars per barrel per day? They don't care about stablizing the market. Here's what is really going on:

The cost just to pump the oil out of the ground is about $6.00 per barrel. Factoring in some other cost for shipping and production, most of what OPEC gets paid is profit. Starting around late 2002, when the average price of gas first rose above $2.00, the OPEC nations started making tremendous profits, which only got bigger as the decade wore on. They have taken in staggering amounts of money: $1.9 trillion dollars of oil profit in the six gulf states, with an annual surplus of up to $300 billion every year (source). Wallowing in wealth, they have begun to live the high lifestyle, as is evident by the extraordinary developments in cities such as Dubai.

But they made the same fatal flaw as many in the housing market: assuming that prices would always be going up. Now that they are dropping, they realize that they may no longer be able to afford to maintain the type of culture they are creating and are thus scrambling to keep the price of oil inflated so as to keep their wealth. Think back to 1999. I was nineteen then, and working at a gas station. I remember the price being $0.88 that winter. It was wonderful. If you look at this graph, it shows how low prices once were; January and February 1999 were the lowpoints, when gas on average was $0.96 per gallon. It theoretically could get that low again. But the profit of the Saudis was so low during that period (the 1990's is remembered with loathing in Saudi Arabia as a time of terrible profit-loss) that they are determined to never let it happen again.

Thus, OPEC is doing all in their power to stop the oil prices from going any further down. They want to keep enjoying the fabulous wealth they have gotten in the past six years. But some say that there is no stopping the drop. I say, "In your face, OPEC!" It's about time you felt what it was like to get it stuck to you! I am very pleased fuel prices are going down. I am happy that they are dropping. When will I be satisfied? Well, when it gets below $3.00, then I'll get excited, but I won't stop complaining until it goes back down below $2.00, and even then I'll still probably whine that it should be closet to $1.29.

Some say we'll never see those prices again, and the days of good, cheap oil are over. Maybe so. But either way, I hope we can all get into renewable energy, if for nothing else just so we can get off of Saudi oil, drive their prices into the ground and watch that theiving country reel back to the dark ages.

Essay on Chiliasm

I am very sorry I have not posted lately, but I do not have very much spare time these days! And what's more, the spare time I do have I have been devoting to a special project. A week or so ago I mentioned that I was in a debate with a Protestant friend of mine regarding the Millennium and the heresy known as "chiliasm," or belief that Christ will reign literally for a thousand years over a political kingdom centered in Jerusalem. He made the claim that all of the Fathers believed chiliasm, that it was Augustine and Constantine who changed it, and that chiliasm is taught by the Bible (and that we ought not to use allegory in exgeting Scripture). I have spent the last week here and there working on an essay response, which I am going to link up here. It is the most systematic and thorough patristic and biblical refutation of chiliasm that I have seen, much more complete than a lot of the things I found on the net. If you print it, it is about 25 pages long.

Even though I am done with it, I appreciate any further comments, insight or patristic quotes on the matter.

See my essay on chiliasm and the Fathers here.

Episcopal Church continues to dissolve

More schism in the Episcopal Church over the issue of homosexual ordinations as the Diocese of Pittsburgh, led by non-Bishop Robert Duncan voted to secede from the Episcopal Church. Pittsburgh is the second diocese to leave the church since the 2004 (non) ordination of Gene Robinson, and the Primate of the Episcopal Church (Katharine Jefferts Schori) mentioned at least three other dioceses that she knew of who were contemplating a secession, including the Fort Worth and southern-Illinois regions.

Of course, media coverage of this event was full of interviews with theological and social liberals whining about the intolerance of those conservatives voting to leave the Church, and lots of crap about how Jesus wouldn't want to exclude homosexuals from ministry, etc. The thing I found most interesting was the expression of the differing ecclesiological views of the Episcopalian church from the Catholic Church, which essentially is the root of their problem.

Katharine Jefferts Schori, head of the Episcopal Church, said that the United States Episcopalian Bishops had voted to relieve Bishop Duncan of his ministry, which she explained meant that effectively he was no longer a bishop (not that he ever was) and that he could no longer exercise the powers of a bishop. She explained that a Episcopalian diocese exists only by its unity with the "General Convention," and that by extension, a bishop who attempts to secede from the church at large automatically loses his powers, just like an employee who quits a job loses the authority from the company that came with that job.

This is the whole doctrinal difficulty with non_Catholic churches in general: the ministry is not something that has to do with the person himself, but is seen as a job or office, whose power comes not from Christ directly but from the delegation of the "General Convention" or whatever body is running the outfit. For Episcopalians, a priest is certainly not "a priest forever" as we would understand it in the Catholic Church. The priest is a person filling an office, whose fitness is based on certain performance-related criteria.

Notwithstanding the fact of null orders, this ideology is the reason why the Episcopalian Church sees no logical reason why a homosexual or a woman can't serve as a bishop just as well as a man. The issue is shifted so the question becomes about how well a person can "do" their job rather than about what they are. The authority comes from some human body or council, not from God. I have to admit: if we belonged to a church who adopted that ecclesiological vision of the ministry, then there would be no reason why a woman couldn't be a priest or a bishop.

But fortunately, we do not share that vision (though there are some in the Future Church establishment who would no doubt like it to be so). A priest or a bishop is never just a person who does a job, but something somebody is, and that they are forever, regardless of what choices they may make. An excellent book that really emphasizes the identity of the priest is the Graham Greene novel The Power and the Glory. Let the Episcopal non-Church scatter and divide over the issue of the false-ordination of homosexuals! But for us, we remember the words of the Psalms, "Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."

Bail out is a joke

Well, the bail out passed. Drat! I wrote my congressman twice in protest ( I don't know whether or not he voted for it). After all that has happened, how could we be so foolish as to let our government rush through another piece of legislation of such monumental importance and cost as this so quickly? The scare tactics were disgusting: Harry Reid saying he "knew of another big insurance company" about to go under if the bill didn't get passed, but wouldn't tell us who it was. After everybody is sufficiently frightened, he then renounes his comment and says that what he really meant is that he's not aware of any companies about to go under (source). But of course, the damage is already done. Give me a break!

First, we don't even know if this will work. The hole could be bigger than we know, and there is no guarantee that this bail out will help anything. It might be like trying to stop up a toilet with a pebble-and that's exactly what our economy is, a big stinking toilet going down.

Not to mention the $150 billion of extra earmarks they threw into it! How about article 503, which stipulates a tax break on wooden arrows made in the state of Oregon, deisgned to save the Oregon based Rose City Archery, Inc. 39 cents per dollar on every arrow they make! (source) If that is not an earmark or a pork barrel addition, I don't know what is. Mr. Maverick McCain swore he would veto any earmarks that came across his desk, and yet here he is voting for a bill that has $150 billion worth of them! It is so revolting.

So, we are back to the stupid status-quo. Everybody is worred about housing prices "plummeting" as if it is some disaster. I guess it is a disaster to those who foolishly bought homes that were grossly inflated in price. But guess what: homes were way overpriced and (in my opinion) are still overpriced! I'm glad house prices are plummeting, because it will make it more affordable to people to become homeowners. Prices have been way overblown for over a decade. They are only now starting to get where they need to be. Everything is too expensive, and this bailout (if it works) is designed to bring us back to the same stupid place we were before.

Well, perhaps it won't work. Perhaps it will fail miserably and we'll all be begging in a few years. Whatever (sorry for the pessimism).

Great moments in interreligious dialogue: St. Marcellus destroys the temple of Zeus

From Butler's Lives of the Saints, for August 14th, a very intersting episode:

St. Marcellus, Bishop of Apamaea, Martyr (c. AD 389)

In 380 [The Roman Emperor] Theodosius the Great and the co-emperor, Gratian, issued a decree that all their subjects were to profess the faith of the bishops of Rome and Alexandria. Eight years later he sent an officer into Egypt, Syria and Asia Minor, whose duty it was to enforce an edict that all pagan temples were to be destroyed; this violent policy was carried out very roughly and not unnaturally aroused the anger and resentment of the pagans. When the imperial prefect arrived at Apamaea in Syria he set his soldiers to work to pull down the temple of Zeus there, but it was a large building and well built and the soldiers, being inexpert at systematic demolition, made little progress. The bishop of the place was one Marcellus; he told the prefect to take off his men to their next job and in his absence means would be sought to destroy the temple. The very next day an engineer came to the bishop and said that, if he would pay him double wages, he could do the work himself. St. Marcellus agreed, and the man proceeded to demolish the temple by the simple device of undermining some of the supporting columns, holding up the foundations with timber, and then burning it away.

Marcellus proceeded to have other temples dealt with in this manner, until he went to one in a certain unidentified place; this building was stoutly defended by those who worshipped in it, and the bishop had "to take up a position some way from the scene of the conflict, out of the reach of the arrows, for he suffered from gout and so was not able either to fight or to run away." But while he was watching from this point of vantage, some of the pagans seized him, and put him to death by throwing him into the flames.

A bishop who was an expert in the demolition of pagan temples! This would certainly never be the case today. Now, of course, we have the rector have the Fatima shrine allowing pagan worship and receiving blessings from Hindus: here is Rector Guerra receiving a Hindu shawl covered in the "sacred text" of the Hindu scriptures.

St. Marcellus, ora pro nobis!

Commemoration of St. Remigius

Bishop, Confessor

St. Remigius, Bishop of Rheims, in France, converted the Merovingian king Clovis and the Frankish nation. He died in 534.

Today in the NO calendar is the Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux, but in the traditional calendar of St. Remigius, bishop of Rheims and the one who baptized the Frankish King Clovis I in the year 496, thus ushering in the beginning of Catholic France. In my opinion, it is this date that should be selected as the division between antiquity and the middle ages, for what else is the middle ages but the story of Catholic France and the diffusion of its culture throughout the rest of Europe?

Below is the famous accounts of Clovis' baptism, the from Chronicle of St. Denis:

St. Denis Chronicle

At this time the King was yet in the errors of his idolatry and went to war with the Alemanni, since he wished to render them tributary. Long was the battle, many were slain on one side or the other, for the Franks fought to win glory and renown, the Alemanni to save life and freedom. When the King at length saw the slaughter of his people and the boldness of his foes, he had greater expectation of disaster than of victory. He looked up to heaven humbly, and spoke thus: "Most mighty God, whom my queen Clothilde worships and adores with heart and soul, I pledge you perpetual service unto your faith, if only you give me now the victory over my enemies."

Instantly when he had said this, his men were filled with burning valor, and a great fear smote his enemies, so that they turned their backs and fled the battle; and victory remained with the King and with the Franks. The king of the Alemanni were slain; and as for the Alemanni, seeing themselves discomfited, and that their king had fallen, they yielded themselves to Chlodovocar and his Franks and became his tributaries.

The King returned after this victory into Frankland. He went to Rheims, and told the Queen what had befallen; and they together gave thanks unto Our Lord. The King made his confession of faith from his heart, and with right good will. The Queen, who was wondrously overjoyed at the conversion of her lord, went at once to St. Remi, at that time archbishop of the city. Straightway he hastened to the palace to teach the King the way by which he could come unto God, for his mind was still in doubt about it. He presented himself boldly before his face, although a little while before he [the bishop] had not dared to come before him.

When St. Remi had preached to the King the Christian faith and taught him the way of the Cross, and when the king had known what the faith was, Chlodovocar promised fervently that he would henceforth never serve any save the all-powerful God. After that he said he would put to the test and try the hearts and wills of his chieftains and lesser people: for he would convert them more easily if they were converted by pleasant means and by mild words, than if they were driven to it by force; and this method seemed best to St. Remi. The folk and the chieftains were assembled by the command of the King. He arose in the midst of them, and spoke to this effect: "Lords of the Franks, it seems to me highly profitable that you should know first of all what are those gods which you worship. For we are certain of their falsity: and we come right freely into the knowledge of Him who is the true God. Know of a surety that this same God which I preach to you has given victory over your enemies in the recent battle against the Alemanni. Lift, therefore, your hearts in just hope; and ask the Sovereign Defender, that He give to you all, that which you desire---that He save our souls and give us victory over our enemies." When the King full of faith had thus preached to and admonished his people, one and all banished from their hearts all unbelief, and recognized their Creator.

When shortly afterward Chlodovocar set out for the church for baptism, St. Remi prepared a great procession. The streets of Rheims were hung with banners and tapestry. The church was decorated. The baptistry was covered with balsams and all sorts of perfumes. The people believed they were already breathing the delights of paradise. The cortege set out from the palace, the clergy led the way bearing the holy Gospels, the cross and banners, chanting hymns and psalms. Then came the bishop leading the King by the hand, next the Queen with the multitude. Whilst on the way the King asked of the bishop, "If this was the Kingdom of Heaven which he had promised him." "Not so," replied the prelate; "it is the road that leads to it."

When in the church, in the act of bestowing baptism the holy pontiff lifted his eyes to heaven in silent prayer and wept. Straightway a dove, white as snow, descended bearing in his beak a vial of holy oil. A delicious odor exhaled from it: which intoxicated those near by with an inexpressible delight. The holy bishop took the vial, and suddenly the dove vanished. Transported with joy at the sight of this notable miracle, the King renounced Satan, his pomps and his works; and demanded with earnestness the baptism; at the moment when he bent his head over the fountain of life, the eloquent pontiff cried, "Bow down thine head, fierce Sicambrian! Adore that which once thou hast burned: burn that which thou hast adored!"

After having made his profession of the orthodox faith, the King is plunged thrice in the waters of baptism. Then in the name of the holy and indivisible Trinity---Father, Son, and Holy Ghost---the prelate consecrated him with the divine unction. Two sisters of the king and 3000 fighting men of the Franks and a great number of women and children were likewise baptized. Thus we many well believe that day was a day of joy in heaven for the holy angels; likewise of rejoicing on earth for devout and faithful men!

The King showed vast zeal for his new faith. He built a splendid church at Paris, called St. Genevieve, where later he and Clothilde were buried. Faith and religion and zeal for justice were pursued by him all the days of his life. Certain Franks still held to paganism, and found a leader in Prince Ragnachairus but he was presently delivered up in fetters to Chlodovocar who put him to death. Thus all the Frankish people were converted and baptized by the merits of St. Remigius.

At this time there came to Chlodovocar messengers from Anastasius, the Emperor of Constantinople, who brought him presents from their master, and letters whereof the effect was, that it pleased the Emperor and the Senators that he [Chlodovocar] be made a "Friend of the Emperor," and a "Patrician" and "Councilor" of the Romans. When the King had read these letters, he arrayed himself in the robe of a senator, which the Emperor had sent to him. He mounted upon his charger; and thus he went to the public square before the church of St. Martin; and then he gave great gifts to the people. From this day he was always called "Councilor" and "Augustus."

By the way, in case you are wondering what happened to this holy oil brought from heaven, it was preserved lovingly in the crypt of St. Remigius and used for royal French coronations thereafter, until in 1793 the maniac-atheist revolutionaries smashed it, in same orgy of violence in which they destroyed the the only surviving relics of St. Joan of Arc, so that, as Mark Twain said, "There remained nothing on this earth which had been touched by Joan." Damned revolutionaries!