It Was Us Against Them: Does Mahony Want A Priestless Church?

If FR isn’t bringing you closer to God, and especially if it pulls you away, take a break.

Honestly, I find exactly the opposite. I've learned a great deal on FR about the Church and enjoy coming here to swap information, stories, etc. It's one of the few places I can talk about things Catholic and find a ready and willing group of compatriots. I certainly can't get the same level of feedback from most of my family, friends, and business associates on Catholic issues that I get here. Heck, I even enjoy jousting with sinkspur on occasion!

The trick to enjoying FR and participating successfully, I think, is having a thick skin and not letting the garbage get to you -- water off a duck's back. Good advice, though. If something draws you away from God, you should probably give it up.

BTW, I like your invisible motto.... You're not they guy from Roman Catholic Faithful, are you? He uses AMDG too...

No, I've been a bit critical of him at times as well, though like Michael Rose I think the function is necessary, I just sometimes disagree with the execution. As to invisible, I think entirely too many people realize its there. It is a reminder to myself to keep it civil, as once upon a time I found myself having more and more problems that way. I leave it invisible because I think it would be a bit in your face otherwise. Re posting here, Like you, I find my faith very enhanced by discussions here, but at times I've needed to step back a bit to restore balance and charity to my posts.

patent boo

One question that I had/have that I couldn't find a direct answer to is regarding the end of the Mass.

There are different options. Sometimes our priest will sing the multiple dismissal prayers to which we answer a capella "Amen".

And then other time he or the Deacond uses the regular form in dismissing the congregation. I think it can vary church to church.

"A ban on kneeling would somehow be excused by a need for efficiency. Nonetheless, it suggests another step in the ongoing process of promoting nonbeliuef in the Real Presence."

It would if you are totally paranoid and have a habit of putting the worst possible interpretation on the reasons why people disagree with you. This is exactly what we have to stop doing if we want the Church to heal.

"This comes on top of the effort to remove kneelers from the pews, place the tabernacle out of sight, etc. "

Here's what we should do do. Go here. http://www.nccbuscc.org/liturgy/index.htm

It is the USCCB web site. Read the norms for the various liturgical celebrations. Then obey them exactly as written. If ALL Catholics did that, the church would be better off than it is now.

"Face it we have a pack of liberal jackals running many AmChurch dioceses and, like most liberals, they suffer a neverending series of new itches that must always be scratched immediately lest our liberal bishops and their vacuous lay enthusiasts be ignored. "

Well there you are. We are holy but they are jackals. We never sin, they always sin. Therefore we are excluded from obedience to our bishops. Whatever they say we may do and think the opposite without even thinking about it. I hope that is not your attitude.

"Furthermore, it is quite evident that most AmChurch bishops have absolutely no intrention of cleaning up their cesspool seminaries."

It is? It is just evident? Common sense tells me that they WILL clean them up if only because lawsuits and scandal are no fun at all.

"The Catholic Church is a very big place. There is a lot of room in it for disagreement. There are some things that are non-negotiable, certainly, and some positions that are harmful to the faith. But most people do not hold to those things. Have some tolerance on others who hold a belief you think is wrong. They may be wrong, they may be harming the faith, but give them a fair chance to understand their error, as each of us have them. "

Exactly.

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