The Conformity Gap - Catholics

 This came in an email this morning from Ryan Burge  that is relevant to the discussion of original sin and baptism.

“There’s a running joke in American religious life that goes something like this: ask ten Catholics what the Church teaches on a given issue, and you’ll get eleven different answers. It’s meant to be affectionate, a nod to the big-tent nature of a tradition that has managed to hold together nearly a billion people across wildly different cultures, languages, and political contexts. But like most jokes, it contains more than a little truth.

Original Sin

 There is a group on Facebook that discusses the books and ideas of Fr. Richard Rohr.  It is not a group sponsored by Rohr or the Center for Action and Contemplation, but just a place where those interested in his insights and ideas can converse.  There was a post today that caught my eye because I don't agree with the Augustinian understanding (official church teaching) of original sin.  I accepted all of it when I was a kid, and was well into adulthood before I really began dissenting from the many christian and Catholic teachings that don't make sense to me, such as atonement theology, transubstantiation, and original sin (among others).  This was the lead comment in the FB group today. Thoughts?

Several years ago, i attended a church that was doing an infant dedication, and the pastor offered an interesting suggestion.

He asked his creative arts department to design "onesies" for the babies, with the following printed on the front:

Dιɾƚყ Rσƚƚҽɳ Sιɳɳҽɾ

And on the back:

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗠𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹

What do you think of this idea?

If YOU were the Creative Arts Director...

What would you have printed on the front/back?!

[Note: most in the audience that day cheered loudly, while I became a little sick to my stomach. They likely hadn't read Immortal Diamond, or anything else by Father Richard... and they need to]

Pope Leo's Sesquicentennial letter to Americans

While looking for something else today, I ran across this letter from Pope Leo to the American people on the occasion of our 250th annivesary.  The letter, which is pretty short, is here.  

I don't think there is anything controversial about it (although I could be wrong - I'd be interested in folks' thoughts about it).  Here are my random observations, below the break:

What to make of the Graham Platner situation?

As I am sure everyone knows by now, Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for the Maine Senate seat occupied by Republican Susan Collins for 30 years, has ended his campaign.  A drip-drip-drip of revelations of problems in his personal history has become more than Democratic leaders and donors can stand, and they have prevailed upon him to step down.  

I confess I am not sure what to make of it.  

SPXX Splits Traditional Catholics

 RORATE CAELI is a traditionalist blog that focuses upon the Roman politics that surround the Latin Mass.  Its recent posts on the illicit consecrations of the SPXX bishops document that split that is now occurring between the SPXX traditionalists and those inside the Church advocating the Old Latin Mass. 

Happy birthday, United States

On the theory that nice, round numbers are significant, today's Independence Day anniversary would seem to be a big one.  The American experiment has been underway for 250 years.  

I know all of us are old enough to recall the 200th anniversary, in 1976.  I was a teenager at that time, so I don't claim to have had a long, mature perspective then; but that anniversary felt bigger - it felt as though the country as a whole was celebrating it more than what I'm feeling today on the 250th.  

I visited my folks yesterday.  They were children during WWII.  They are as patriotic as they come, although not usually in an overt, loud, annoying way.  I don't think the 250th anniversary came up once during our visit.  People aren't really going out of their way to mark the occasion.  Or so it seems to me. 

We've had a typical Fourth of July celebration today: we went to our town's parade in the morning.  I'm writing this after spending the last 90 or so minutes doing food preparation: boiling potatoes and eggs for potato salad, preparing and baking a baked bean casserole in the oven, and assembling a raspberry pie which will go into the oven while we eat our dinner (bbq ribs, prepared by my wife).  We'll have three of the kids over.  This is pretty much what we do every year.

I told my wife that I'd endeavor to say positive things about our country today - a pledge I intend to keep in this post.  So from time to time today, I've been trying to appreciate good things about our country.  There is a lot to appreciate.

Are you marking this anniversary in any particular way? 

The Continuing Saga of the SSPX

 Didn't we see this movie back in 1988?  Then we had the sequel in 2007. They were back in, and everybody kissed and made up.  Except they didn't. So now we have the remake of the original.  It all seems kind of 10th century AD.  Can't they be just another Protestant church?  Except that's not how they or Pope Leo see it.  Because they see themselves as the remnant, the real Catholics. Who don't accept Vatican II or the popes since then.

From NCR:  Defying pope and facing excommunication, SSPX consecrates bishops at huge outdoor Mass | National Catholic Reporter