ChurchMilitantTV Special Report : Dolan & the Dolanites

Philothea on Phire blog/ CMTV ^ | 3/26/2013 | Jay Boyd, Ph.D.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

CMTV: Dolan and the Dolanites

Thank God for the courageous and honest analysis of Michael Voris and ChurchMilitant.TV. In this Special Report, Michael Voris takes Cardinal Dolan to task for multiple offenses against the Church and Our Lord, including the Cardinal's latest escapade of allowing abortion-supporting Vice-President to receive Holy Communion at a Mass where the Cardinal was presiding.  

This report is not "bishop-bashing"; it is an act of charity. Our shepherds are held to higher accountability than we, the lay faithful.  It is time that some of them realize that their own actions are scandalous and perpetuate the crisis in the Church. Their own souls are at stake here. Pray for our bishops and priests.

Oh...in case you hadn't heard...Bishop Vasa has backed down on his requirement that teachers in Catholic schools in his diocese sign an affirmation of faith. Sigh.

Our Lady said to the children at Fatima: "Stop offending God, for He is already so much offended."

Prayer. Penance. 

The report includes this quote from St. John Eudes:

"The most evident mark of God's anger, and the most terrible castigation He can inflict upon the world, is manifest when He permits His people to fall into the hands of a clergy who are more in name than in deed, priests who practice the cruelty of ravening wolves rather than the charity and affection of devoted shepherds. They abandon the things of God to devote themselves to the things of the world and, in their saintly calling of holiness, they spend their time in profane and worldly pursuits. When God permits such things, it is a very positive proof that He is thoroughly angry with His people and is visiting His most dreadful wrath upon them." 


More prayer. More penance. 

May God have mercy on us.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I don't thing demonstrating at a church is the way to go: the Left always does this, and they're wrong every time: not just on the issues, but on the tactic as well.

I would fast in front of a bishop's residence, though. A long fast, Cesar-Chavez style, repenting not of the bishop's shortcomings, but repenting for my own slack, slothful, careless, mindless puke-worthy lukewarmness toward the Great Sacrament, and inviting many to join me.

We could be an order of penitents. We could go around visibly doing penance for sacrilege. We could do the equivalent of beating the Dharma drum (what would be the Catholic equivalent? Chanting the Dies Irae) -- let others make the obvious connection to Biden, Cuomo, Pelosi. We would focus on "our own sins and those of the Church."

I'm just rattling on here. But I do think Big Penance (rather than Big Protest) is the answer.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Actually, it would be rather easy to teach a rough-hewn schola to just chant the first stanza of the Dies Irae with a big drum in the background: can you imagine a solemn, slow, deep "Boom. Boom." on the accented syllables: DI-es IR-ae, etc:

It would grab attention. It would be solemn. Incense would be good too. People dressed in sackcloth. And real, I mean real, repentance: not just a media photo-op, but a phenomenon of people in heartfelt public ritualized repentance.

Do not speak of the bishop's shortcomings, but be there -- right time, right place --- so everyone can make that connection and more.

What do you think?

[piusv]

Eh, although I get the “no protest” protest (lol), I’m not so sure people would make the connection to the violation of canon 915 without it being painstakingly obvious...not to mention that most Catholics don’t even *know* what Canon 915 is.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Sure, we have to make the explicit connection someplace. But someplace else. It should not be the penitents carrying signs ("Yo, Bishop! 915!")

I'm belaboring this point because the #1 spiritual poison that will ruin us on this, is moral grandstanding, the pharasaical frisson that comes from "YOU'RE wrong , YOU'RE a Judas Priest and I'm telling the world."

It has to be personal repentance, and repentance of us on behalf of Our Church.

I'm casting about for a way to avoid the neighing, buck-toothed High Horse of self-righteousness that can quickly carry away this kind of campaign. Moral indignation is a drug. I know. I have a weakness for it. ("My name is Meg. I am a Reproach-aholic.") I can get hooked in a heartbeat.

So one must scrupulously avoid a oversized wagging Judge Judy finger that points to anybody other than "me" or "us."

On the other hand...

: : : : : sigh : : : : :

I want to beat the drum.

[Mrs. Don-o]

[DManA]

Let’s think theoretically, not practically.

A laymen has accused a Bishop of sacrilege. What’s the worst they can do to him? Excommunicate him I suppose.

But think about this. A layman is laying the most serious charge possible on a Bishop of the Church. You seem to agree with him.

What are you going to do about it?

[DManA]

I’m not trying to trap you, I’m trying to understand.

You free as a Roman Catholic laymen (I’m assuming you are) to accept or reject the teaching of your Bishop?

[piusv]

I’m not Mrs DOn-o, but I would argue that we aren’t required to accept what our Bishops do if it goes against teaching or if it isn’t truly doctrine. In this case it appears that Church law (vs doctrine) has been ignored.

From what I am gathering, bishops are allowed to respond to Church law as they see fit; however, I have also seen strong comments, writings by Cardinal Burke, head of Canon Law (not sure of the exact title or group) saying that this particular Church law *must* be obeyed.

I think this particular law is too serious to be left to bishop’s judgment. I would like to see the Pope himself make a statement as to denying communion to politicians who promote anti/non-Catholic views. This is serious stuff and should be something the Church shows unity on. But I’m not feeling to oconfident that our POpe will do such a thing.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"A laymen has accused a Bishop of sacrilege. What’s the worst they can do to him? Excommunicate him I suppose."

Help me out here --- I need a clarificaton. When you say "excommunicate him," do you mean excommunicate the Bishop, or excommunicate the layman?

[Mrs. Don-o]

"You free as a Roman Catholic laymen (I’m assuming you are) to accept or reject the teaching of your Bishop?"

We are obliged to accept his teaching which is in conformity with the truths which Christ teaches us in the Catholic Church.

We are obliged to reject his teachings when they are against those truths.

A good example of this would be the martyrdom of St. Thomas More --- a 16th century layman: husband, father, chancellor of England --- whose position in the matter of King Henry VIII contradicted that of every bishoip in England, except John Fisher.

And to the point: a bishop who offers Communion to a person in manifest, grave, obstinate and unrepentant sin, is in violation of Scripture (1 Corinthians) and, exactly and specifically, of Canon Law (Canon 915).

These bishops --- all of them --- are clearly in the wrong. No one has an obligation to obey a sinful order, even from a Bishop. Even from a Pope. Even from a demon assuming the appearance of an angel of light!

[Mrs. Don-o]

I think Papa Francis might. He took an exceedingly hard and public line against the Kircher govt. in Argentina on abortion and gay marriage, and even defended not giving Communion to divorced/remarried couples.

All of which is solidly in conformity with Catholic doctrine and law.

I think we need to pray for Pope Francis. He's got 100,000 things on his agenda, and it's just a matter of what things he puts on his Top One Hundred list.

Let's see if he supports Cardinal Raymond Burke or leave him out there hanging.

[NYer]

Ping!

[trisham]

Must see indeed. Voris is doing God’s work here, unlike Cardinal Dolan.

[DManA]

Yes, the layman. I tried to clarify that in #18.

[Mrs. Don-o]

OK, now I get what you were saying.

No, a layman cannot be excommunicated for saying his bishop is guilty of sacrilege. No ecclesiastical penalty can be brought against him whatsoever if

• what he's saying is truthful, and
• he does not urge insubordination against the office, or contempt against the person of the bishop, e.g. physical attack, verbal abuse, apostasy, schism.

There's a Canon on that, but right now I don't have time to look it up. It's basically, you can't say "My bishop is a --- I'll put it in Latin --- saquus shitentiae," or words to that effect. :o0

Canon Law cannot be used to penalize anyone who is respectfully exhorting his ecclesiastical superior to act lawfully.

People who did that are canonized saints, e.g. St. Catherine of Siena.

[DManA]

Can you think of a more serious charge than that a priest is committing sacrilege with the Blood of Jesus?

[Heart-Rest]

Thank you for posting this very interesting and thought-provoking video link.

Cardinal Dolan is a very friendly and likable guy, but he seems to have some serious and dangerous blind spots, including these involving "anti-Catholic Catholic" celebrities who openly flout and thumb their noses at certain Catholic teachings on faith and morals and intrinsic evils, including abortion, homosexual behaviors, etc.

One thought that has crossed my mind before in dealing with Cardinal Dolan and the USCCB on some of these very important issues is

$$$-MONEY-$$$

The USCCB often bundles their CSA funding campaigns with the CCHD funding campaigns, which have included funding for pro-abortion and pro-homo-behavior groups.

Some priests have said they will divert regular collection basket money to their CSA and CCHD funds, and my thought was to maybe consider specifically directing our "tithes, almsgiving, and other offerings/collections" to specific kinds of organizations, such as EWTN, various Catholic Radio groups, various good organizations who help the poor and hungry, etc., as opposed to the favorite funds of the U.S. Bishops.

I think the U.S. Bishops will actually listen to

$$$-MONEY-$$$

when they might not listen to anything else.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"Can you think of a more serious charge than that a priest is committing sacrilege with the Blood of Jesus?"

No. That's what we call "grave matter." Which means, objecively speaking, as bad as you can get.

[Mrs. Don-o]

HR, I know about CCHD. What is CSA?

Dr. Brian, I give very modestly to my parish. I haven't given to my Diocese for years, even though it's a pretty conservative, morally straight and worthy Diocese, and Bishop Stika is pretty Catholic.. But I don't give anything precisely because the Diocese still trucks with CCHD.

I confine my charitable Catholic giving to specific (local, small) organizations that don't outsource, subcontract, share, liaise, or form coalitions with other organizations, or through-put money, goods or services in any way.

"Structures of injustice," as they say? The USCCB itself is a structure of injustice, IMHO.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Catholic Services Appeal?