Posted 2:51 AM by John Mallon | link

An Instruction, Religiosorum institutio, to the Superiors of Religious Communities, Societies without vows, and Secular Institutes on the Careful Selection And Training Of Candidates For The States Of Perfection And Sacred Orders
1961

Posted 2:23 AM by John Mallon | link

I like this story...

Mallard duck nests in Kmart garden

Posted 11:08 PM by John Mallon | link

From my friend, Dale O'Leary

Voice of Dissenters

Dale O'Leary

According the New York Times, May 31, 2002, a group called Voice of the Faithful has been formed in Wellesley MA and claims to have 10,000 members in 40 states and 21 countries.

The Voice of the Faithful presents itself as coalition of laity and religious, progressives and conservatives. A visit to the group's website Voice of the Faithful reveals that a group is using the crisis to forward a long-standing objective of Catholic dissenters ˆthe democratization of the Catholic Church.

According to the biographic information Dr. Jim Muller, the group‚s founder, is "a devout catholic, medical researcher, and accomplished peace movement activist" has been a Catholic his entire life. Dr. Muller attended Joan of Arc grade school and Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended Notre Dame for College and Georgetown for Graduate Studies in Russian History."He is a medical doctor "one of 3 American Co-founders of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). Many of the lessons learned in developing that movement are being utilized to aid the growth of VOTF."

Muller explains his vision in a slide show posted on the website, in which he identifies the "underlying cause"of the problem of "pedophilic priests"and "institutional cover-up"as "Centralized Power, with No Voice of the Faithful"The solution: executive, legislative, and judicial power within the church exercised by clergy in conjunction with the liberal and conservative laity. A schematic of the "changed church"shows the new power structure which includes a "Constitution for Voice."Nowhere on the website was there an explanation of exactly how this would work. Muller did include a schematic of "The Checks and Balances of the United States Government." Perhaps he looks forward to the day when the Church reconstitutes itself as a representative democracy.

Voice of the Faithful covets power. The problem is they don‚t understand power. Several Greek words in the New Testament are translated in the English text as "power‰: Kratos (kratos) refers to brute strength; Dunamis (dunamis) to spiritual power, often the power to work miracles; and Exousia (exousia) refers to delegated authority. Exousia appears 101 times sometimes translated as power, sometimes as authority. It always refers to power delegated through a hierarchical structure.

The key to understanding exousia is found in the story of the Centurion who says "I am a man under authority (exousia)."The Centurion understood that his authority over his men did not come not from his personal charisma or his ability to physically coerce obedience, but from the fact that he was part of a hierarchical structure which had the emperor as its head and put the entire weight of the Roman Empire behind his orders. The Centurion recognized that same kind of authority in Jesus.

If dissenters are interested in the dunamis/power of the spirit to work signs and wonders which comes to believers -- male and female, lay and clergy -- as a gift of the Holy Spirit, let them ask and they shall receive from the Father who is generous in his gifts.

But if they want exousia/power/authority they must be told that such power comes only to obedient servants who are part of a God-ordained hierarchical structure. And since obedience and hierarchy are, for most dissenters, anathema, true exousia/power/authority will never be theirs.

Dissenters reject the Biblical concept of power. Those covet "power"in the Church because they want to change the teachings of the Church. For them power would give them the right to determine the content of Catholic moral theology and to impose it on others. They want the power to decide what is right and what is wrong, what the Church shall teach about faith and morals, and how those teachings shall be implemented.

Unfortunately, today we face a situation in which dissenters have gained positions within the hierarchy and church leadership. They have not been able to change the teachings of the Church, but they have caused confusion and suffering. When a person in a position of authority refuses to obey the authority over him ˆ in this case the clear teachings of the Church and Holy Father -- but demands obedience of those under him, he becomes a tyrant. If he uses his position to undermine the source of authority, he is a saboteur.

Voice of the Faithful wishes itself to be seen as a coalition of liberal and conservative Catholics who, once a "democratic"Church has been established, would share power. According to Muller‚s schematic, the laity would strengthen the Church by providing insight on "understanding sexuality", "representative democracy,"and the "equality of women."Would this mean that there would be a vote on whether homosexuals could marry, contraception was okay, women could be ordained, and pastors should be elected?

Conservative Catholics frustrated by the failures of the bishops in a number of areas may be tempted to join this movement, but they will be wasting their energy. The Church needs holy, faithful bishops, holy faithful priests, and holy faithful laity. Giving the laity a voice in the determination of Church teaching would not produce obedience to the truth which the Church is commissioned by God to guard and transmit.

Let us be clear, the teachings of the Catholic Church on sexuality, marriage, and life cannot and will not be changed. Women cannot be ordained Catholic priests. While the rule on celibacy could be modified, it will not be; indeed the controversy is leading to a renewed defense of celibacy in the Roman Rite.

The Voice of the Faithful will fail to achieve its stated objective. The Catholic Church will not be reconstituted as a representative democracy. The activities of the Voice will, however, cause increased alienation within the laity, diminish support for the truth the Church teaches, and provide fodder for New York Times and Boston Globe reporters.

Posted 7:52 AM by John Mallon | link

Go here to answer a poll on contraception!

Poll on contraception

Posted 8:47 PM by John Mallon | link

The AmChurch! Survey is here!!!

Please take the following survey to help us find out about you! We want to design a pastoral plan just for you! We at AmChurch! have worked very hard to raise the generation now grown in the Church as we see it. This is your chance to have a voice! We have carefully crafted each question so as to be entirely objective. There's no right or wrong answers! Whatever works for you! We screened out all the wrong answers for you. Now it's up to you!


The AmChurch! Survey, by John "Man of the People" Mallon

1. Which of the following describe best why you go to Mass?

a. My mom says I hafta.
b. My wife makes me.
c. The priest never talks about contraception.
d. You mean I'm supposed to go?

2. Which of the following is your favorite sacrament?

a. Social Justice.
b. Coffee and donuts.
c. Inclusive language
d. I like all three of them.

3. Which of the following describes why you don't go to confession?

a. I'm a good person.
b. Jesus loves me.
c. It's not in the Bible.
d. The last time I went the priest said I didn't have to go anymore.

4. Who can administer Confirmation?

a. The bishop.
b. The archbishop.
c. The Bride and groom.
d. Barbara.

5. Why don't we have to follow the Pope's teachings?

a. My pastor says we do it differently in America.
b. My pastor says we do it differently in Oklahoma.
c. He's not married.
d. He's old.
e. He's Polish.

6. Which of the following Catholic periodicals do you read?

a. U.S. Catholic.
b. The National Catholic Reporter.
c. America
d. Commonweal

7. What words does the priest say at Mass?

a. It doesn't matter.
b. I don't know, the last time I went it was all in Latin.
c. It doesn't matter so long as its not Latin.
d. He reads from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.
e. He recites the words to John Denver songs.

8. Who decided which books were to be included in the Bible?

a. The parish council.
b. A diocesan Committee.
c. A diocesan survey.
d. The Council of Priests.
e. Barbara.

9. Which of the following is a valid reason for missing Mass? (check all that apply)

a. Illness.
b. It's a hot day and the kids want to go to the beach (lake/pool).
c. Football game/soccer practice.
d. I plan to go on Wednesday.

10. What is your favorite thing about Mass?

a. The greeters.
b. The female altar boys.
c. When Barbara gets up on the altar with Father in her vestments to help at the consecration.
d. Coffee and doughnuts.

11. what was the most memorable homily you ever heard?

a. The time Father played a tape of Rod McCuen reading his poetry.
b. The time Barbara got up to invite us to a WomanChurch conference.
c. The time Father threw out balloons to help us find our inner child.
d. The time Father read to us from his poetry.

12. Who has the power to do sacraments?

a. The priest.
b. The bishop.
c. The ushers.
d. Barbara.

13. Why should priests be allowed to marry?

a. They just should, that's all.
b. They need their consciousness raised.
c. So they won't touch little boys.
d. So they won't go to those bars.

14. Why should women be ordained?

a. You mean they can't?
b. Because Jimmy Breslin says so.
c. I thought Barbara was ordained.
d. I dunno they just should, I mean they drive trucks and all now. Why can't they be priests?

15. Why should it be okay to use contraceptives?

a. My daughter needs them.
b. Because do old men in dresses don't know anything about marriage.
c. My son needs them..
d. Barbara says so.

Thank you for your cooperation. Your answers will be fed into a computer and assist AmChurch! in correlating new church teachings we can all live with. Please feel free to make your own questions and pass them on to us.

Posted 7:52 PM by John Mallon | link

I think I know who's behind this...

Pastoral Letter

Posted 7:31 PM by John Mallon | link

Twelve years and counting...

CNN.com - Catholic campuses head for showdown - May 28, 2002

Posted 12:10 AM by John Mallon | link

Excellent article:

Don't end celibacy for priests -- The Washington Times

Posted 5:58 PM by John Mallon | link

St. Luke May Lose Accreditation (washingtonpost.com)

One of the treatment centers where bishops send priests with sexual problems.

Once again, I post this article from
Catholic World Report, February 1997, For some background on St. Luke's. When you get to the page, on the left-hand side click where it says Essay: Salt in Their Wounds.