Tag Archives: Christianity

Art and the “Jesus Event”

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“An artwork that shows Star Wars characters nailed to crosses has sparked controversy before its public debut at a Melbourne gallery in two weeks. The Herald-Sun reports that the controversial piece called Crusci-fiction consists of a roomful of 25 replicas of robot C3P0 hanging on crosses.”

At first I didn’t react very strongly to this story. I just rolled my eyes and chalked it up as just another example of hateful garbage masquerading as art. It’s not the first nor will it be the last we’ll see. I’d rather these craptastic works of modern “art” not be inflicted upon the world, but I see them as inevitable. After all Christ siad, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” (John 15:18-21)

What really caught my interest in this article was the difference between the Catholic and Anglican response.

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Abstaining From Meat on Fridays

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I was recently corrected in my mistaken belief that Vatican II softened the requirement to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year. I now know the matter was left to episcopal conferences to decide proper weekly penance. In the United States, the norm has not changed, however we are permitted to substitute acts of charity or piety or other appropriate penitential acts. Let’s put aside for a moment the fact that fewer American Catholics perform Friday penance than obey the rule forbidding artificial contraception, and look at the rest of the world (I’m guilty of the former, BTW.). Specifically, I’m wondering if any of my readers might know what other episcopal conferences around the world require of their flocks? How many still absolutely require abstinence from meat of Fridays? Of those, how faithful and obedient are the people?

Ultratrad Schismatics to Speak With Pope

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I wonder if anything productive will come of this meeting. While I do not much sympathize with SSPX, I do hope that their possible return to the Church is at least a partial antidote to the poisonous "Spirit of Vatican II".

Meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and the Lefebvrists could initiate path towards reconciliation

"Vatican City, Aug. 23, 2005 (CNA) – The schismatic branch created by the late French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre might begin path to return to the heart of the Catholic Church during next encounter that will be held by Pope Benedict XV, with the current schismatic leader, Bernard Fellay."

….

"According to sources close to the Society, Fellay will present two demands to Pope Benedict in order to return to full communion with the Church: the withdrawal of the excommunication and the possibility to celebrate the Saint Pius V mass in Latin in any part of the world without having to ask for permission of local ecclesiastical authorities, as it is currently required by Church norms."

I'm sure the pope will have some demands of his own, such as the acceptance of Vatican II as valid.

On a less serious note:

The Society of St. Pius I

"Welcome to the fledgling website of the Society of St. Pius I (SSPI). Unlike other so-called 'traditionalist' Roman Catholic groups, we adhere to the ORIGINAL Roman Catholic Mass of A.D. 40-200, and described by St. Justin Martyr and the Apostolic Constitutions, and used by Pope St. Pius I of happy memory."

Pat Robertson Does Not Speak For Me

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Pat Robertson does not speak for me. He should not speak for you, either. I used to merely sigh when people spoke as though Robertson is or ought to be representative of Christianity, like some kind of Protestant pope. Now, I will shudder.

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