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Tag Archives: Catholic
Carnivals 01/06/05
Sins of the Fathers
There’s been a lot of buzz in the Catholic blogosphere (blogohemisphere? hemiblogosphere?) about a homosexual couple who enrolled their adopted sons into kindergarten at a Costa Mesa Catholic school. Apparently, parents of some of the other students are having a conniption over this and demanding that only Catholics in good standing be allowed to enroll children in St. John the Baptist School.
Not all of the parents oppose the enrollments and one of them, John Stephens, says most of what I’m thinking.
"As for a moral covenant solution, I just think that most parents in school, if not all of them, are sinners in a lot of ways. I certainly don’t want my kids’ admission into the school to be based on my morality."
"These kids are baptized Catholics, so they’re entitled, therefore, to be members of our parish, which includes going to our school. No one suggested the kids did anything wrong, so I don’t see how anyone could exclude them from the school. Even if you took the position that homosexuality is a bad thing, logically you would want the kids to get a good Catholic education so they could eventually get exposure to the faith on the issue of homosexuality."
Let us suppose that the punishment for the sins of the father should be visited upon the son. Is homosexuality more wrong than adultery? Than contraception? Than abortion? Than taking the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin? Homosexual acts are but one small part of the sin of lust. What of the other six capital sins? Surely nearly every parent of a child at that school is guilty of one or more of them. Should their kids be kicked out? Heaven forbid!
However, the truth is that everyone is responsible for his/her own sins. This was established before Jesus came and pointed out the message of love the Jews had been blind to.
"Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself." – Ezekiel 18:19-20
These children have a decent chance of learning the teachings of the Church through their Catholic education, perhaps even witnessing to their parents against homosexuality.
Or at least they had a decent chance until their story made news. Heaven only knows how this will scar them. How many reporters will harass them? How many classmates will torment them? How many parents will look down at them? How many lawsuits might they have to endure? May the Lord bless them and keep them.
Dress for the Occasion
I was visiting with my in-laws in North East, PA and went to their parish for the Epiphany (Anybody know why it was moved back from the 6th?). I noticed something there that I’ve noticed at other parishes, and it drives me nuts. Those familiar with the Diocese of Erie (home of Bishop TrautFishmanperson) are probably thinking of the usual laundry list of liturgical abuses, such as improper vessels. That abuse, among many mentioned in Redemptionis Sacramentum, is a concern with the "trappings" of the mass if you will. What irks me is the slovenly attire worn by those attending mass, in particular those serving at the altar.
How can people serve at the altar in the Divine Presence wearing blue jeans and sneakers? How can parents allow their children to dress so poorly for such a high office? More importantly, I wonder how priests can allow children to serve like that? I’ve even seen it at weddings!
I’ve heard arguments about God wanting us to "come as we are" and that it’s good that parents bring their children to church at all. Granted, it is better to be there than to not be there, and some people cannot afford fancy "Sunday go to meetin’" clothes, but I’m certain these suburban folks, working class though they are, would dress themselves and their children better if the Mayor, the President, Dad’s or Mom’s boss, or the Pope came to dinner. Why can’t they dress appropriately for the King of Kings as we celebrate the Paschal Meal?
I’ve also heard that priests couldn’t just turn kids away for dressing thusly. Why not? Servers are not mandatory. Serving is a privilege, not a right. Poorly dressed, poorly trained, and sometimes poorly behaved children should not be permitted to serve at mass. They set a bad example for the rest of the congregation and are poisonous to the catechizing aspects of the liturgy. I am reminded of Archbishop Fulton Sheen who said, "If you don’t behave as you believe, you will end by believing as you behave." The Church was more explicit about this 500 years ago.
"It is fitting that He Whose abode has been established in peace should be worshipped in peace and with due reverence. Churches, then, should be entered humbly and devoutly; behaviour inside should be calm, pleasing to God, bringing peace to the beholders, a source not only of instruction but of mental refreshment. Those who assemble in church should extol with an act of special reverence that Name which is above every Name, than which no other under Heaven has been given to people, in which believers must be saved, the Name, that is, of Jesus Christ, Who will save His people from their sins. Each should fulfil in himself that which is written for all, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow; whenever that glorious Name is recalled, especially during the sacred Mysteries of the Mass, everyone should bow the knees of his heart, which he can do even by a bow of his head. In churches the sacred solemnities should possess the whole heart and mind; the whole attention should be given to prayer." – Second Council of Lyons, A.D. 1274
As a kid growing up in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, I saw a decline in the decorum and dignity of the office of acolyte. Venturing beyond the orthodox confines of the Pittsburgh Oratory and Saint Paul Cathedral, I am seeing the same sad trend in the Roman Catholic Church.
Catholics: Is this, or has it been, a problem in your parish? Was it or will it be rectified? What did/will you do? Protestants: Is this a problem at your church or friends’ churches? Is this a widespread problem or seem to be limited to certain denominations or sects?