An angry Fr. Z’s Trinity Sunday with help from Fr. Rutler

WDTPRS ^ | June 1, 2015 | Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

[NYer]

My friend Fr. Rutler, pastor of St. Michael’s in Manhattan, wrote a “pastor’s page” column this week about the same-sex debacle in Ireland.  You don’t want to miss it.

At the time of this writing, it isn’t yet posted on the website linked above, but I’m sure it will be updated soon.  I suggest that you keep checking/clicking until it is posted (spike their stats like they have never seen!).  HERE [UPDATE: the column for the 31st is now posted.]

The column was so good that, before my own sermon on the Most Holy Trinity, I read his column word for word from the pulpit.

Before I read it, I mentioned that I was going to do what St. Jerome accused St. Ambrose of doing: plagiarism.  Jerome despised Ambrose.  We know via Rufinus, that Jerome accused Ambrose of being a jackdaw who clothes himself in another’s showy feathers.  So, today I channeled my inner Ambrose and read Rutler – with full attribution, of course.  First, I told the people that I was angry about the despicable betrayal of God by the Irish people, that slap in God’s face.  I observed that we will be pressured in these USA to follow suit.  Then I started with Rutler’s piece.  Even as I read the first few sentences, I could see jaws dropping.

Rutler starts with this:

The Constitution of Ireland begins: “In the name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred, / We, the people of Éire, / Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ . . .” [!]

The landslide vote in Eire for legalizing the fictitious form of marriage between persons of the same sex, in contradiction of all laws natural and divine, unearths the pulsating Druidism that Saint Patrick and his fellow saints defied. The estimated $17 million from pressure groups in the United States is no excuse, for people will only be pressured if they are willing to be pressured. Another dismal fact is that over 90% of the young people influenced to subscribe to this vote were formed in Catholic schools. The vote was less in favor of inversion and more in hostility to a Church whose Jansenism and clericalism had incubated corruption and lassitude. While most of Europe suffers from the deadly sin of indifference, or sloth, Ireland is in adolescent rebellion, virulent and irrational. This was exploited by political interests hostile to Christian civilization, and their propaganda combined legitimate accusations against ecclesial failings with a left-wing, secularist agenda.

[…]

As I said… you don’t want to miss this one.  He hit it out of the park.

Fr. Z kudos to Fr. Rutler.

[NYer]

You can sign up for Fr. Rutler's weekly column at the above link to St. Michael's web site.

Catholic ping!

[CharlesOConnell]

Be vigilant, but why be angry? Because Ireland had some kind of reputation for sanctity? Why was there no message in the Apparition of Knock? Because there was nothing to say to the Irish? Or because it was simply an act of pure mercy, of consolation so their generation wouldn't give up? They are some poor people at the end of the world, their Book of Kells is like African ceremonial art, but there are misspellings and decorations of biblical lettering suggesting that they never quite made it into the heart of the monastic movement that preserved western civilization. "The chief relic of western civilization." Not quite; they were primitives at the end of the world. It's nice they lasted as long as they did, but don't be overcome with grief at their loss.

[onyx]

Thanks very much for linking Fr. Rutler’s column.
Well worth reading!
He’s correct about Ireland and I think, correct about America, too.

[ricmc2175]

Thank you. Great article. Sad day for the Irish.

[Kolokotronis]

“...that slap in God’s face.”

Full blown case of crazy convert disease right there!

[NKP_Vet]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3295240/posts