You had me googling “cod-theology”... always enlightening, these Pillar posts!
But seriously, I hope that discussions like yours about Sen. Kaine will convince bishops of the importance of speaking “coherently” and boldly about “Eucharistic coherence”. Otherwise, as you say, many Catholics may have their consciences seriously malformed by people like Sen. Kaine and those who “teach by omission” in this area.
Gents. String theory - not poppycock. Please leave physics to the physicists. Also, lawyers deal with hypotheticals all the time. Please don't be so aggressive in your avoidance of applying existing Canon Law to the question of ET life. If it doesn't, please explain that. It's not silly, though you dismiss it as such.
I am a relatively new subscriber to The Pillar (found my way here via The Bulwark). But I must say: the lack of charity is disillusioning me, in the same was as First Things, only faster. Exhibit A is today's pointless article on Prince Harry. The "indolent princeling" served 10 years in the army and saw combat. The "arduous life" included not just "ribbon-cutting" but a childhood of being served up for public display, in a household with parents who hated each other's guts, and losing his mother violently at age 12. If your argument is that being cut off from Love (not to mention the sacraments) should not matter if a person has enough money, then it is, perhaps, just possible that it is you who have missed the point of the Gospel message. I am not sure what kind of brand you are looking to build, but the cheap shots are genuinely distasteful.
“ His reasoning is, more or less explicitly, derived from a reading of some of the words of the Eucharistic liturgy through the lens of a sixth grader’s sacramental formation, which, to be fair, may be all he has to work with.”
In my experience as a religious and priest for over 30 years this is true of most Catholics. Their religious instruction ended before the chrism was absorbed on their foreheads. What they have “learned” since then is mostly opinion colored by anti-Catholic sentiment and ignorance of theological truth and historical fact. The issues of indulgences, Galileo, the Crusades, and the Real Presence come initially to mind. How many have ever read and studied the Gospels, not to mention the entire New Testament or Bible? How many study the Catechism of the Catholic Church? As St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” By extension ignorance of Church teaching is ignorance of the one true Faith.
Like the public education system the Catholic religious education system has failed miserably. We priests have failed miserably in our role as handlers-on of the Tradition. But so have the faithful failed by not seeking to educate themselves. Satan loves ignorance and lies but cannot tolerate Truth.
I think we know we've got a problem when it comes to how the US bishops are dealing with politicians if the politicians who brazenly promote abortion talk brazenly about what bishops should be doing. It's already political. The ship has sailed, this is really just a small action of trying to grip back some moral authority.
As a resident of VA, my apologies for Senator Kaine.
Three cheers for today's post. But, gentlemen, really. 'Knight of the long knives', 'reining', tsk, tsk.
You had me googling “cod-theology”... always enlightening, these Pillar posts!
But seriously, I hope that discussions like yours about Sen. Kaine will convince bishops of the importance of speaking “coherently” and boldly about “Eucharistic coherence”. Otherwise, as you say, many Catholics may have their consciences seriously malformed by people like Sen. Kaine and those who “teach by omission” in this area.
Gents. String theory - not poppycock. Please leave physics to the physicists. Also, lawyers deal with hypotheticals all the time. Please don't be so aggressive in your avoidance of applying existing Canon Law to the question of ET life. If it doesn't, please explain that. It's not silly, though you dismiss it as such.
I am a relatively new subscriber to The Pillar (found my way here via The Bulwark). But I must say: the lack of charity is disillusioning me, in the same was as First Things, only faster. Exhibit A is today's pointless article on Prince Harry. The "indolent princeling" served 10 years in the army and saw combat. The "arduous life" included not just "ribbon-cutting" but a childhood of being served up for public display, in a household with parents who hated each other's guts, and losing his mother violently at age 12. If your argument is that being cut off from Love (not to mention the sacraments) should not matter if a person has enough money, then it is, perhaps, just possible that it is you who have missed the point of the Gospel message. I am not sure what kind of brand you are looking to build, but the cheap shots are genuinely distasteful.
“ His reasoning is, more or less explicitly, derived from a reading of some of the words of the Eucharistic liturgy through the lens of a sixth grader’s sacramental formation, which, to be fair, may be all he has to work with.”
In my experience as a religious and priest for over 30 years this is true of most Catholics. Their religious instruction ended before the chrism was absorbed on their foreheads. What they have “learned” since then is mostly opinion colored by anti-Catholic sentiment and ignorance of theological truth and historical fact. The issues of indulgences, Galileo, the Crusades, and the Real Presence come initially to mind. How many have ever read and studied the Gospels, not to mention the entire New Testament or Bible? How many study the Catechism of the Catholic Church? As St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” By extension ignorance of Church teaching is ignorance of the one true Faith.
Like the public education system the Catholic religious education system has failed miserably. We priests have failed miserably in our role as handlers-on of the Tradition. But so have the faithful failed by not seeking to educate themselves. Satan loves ignorance and lies but cannot tolerate Truth.
As always, I love some good Ed royal commentary!
I think we know we've got a problem when it comes to how the US bishops are dealing with politicians if the politicians who brazenly promote abortion talk brazenly about what bishops should be doing. It's already political. The ship has sailed, this is really just a small action of trying to grip back some moral authority.
Great work, Ed.