Friday, December 02, 2005

Jim Petro Redux

Well Petro has a new commercial out. He believes that life begins at conception, and that marriage is forever, or maybe for life, I can't quite recall.

Pan images of a baptismal certificate, pacifier, nice navy leatherbound Bible, family photo's. Screeech, reverse. That Bible. Says Holy Bible on the front. What does it say on the spine? It appears to say "King James Version".

Jim, Jim, Jim. I thought you were Catholic. We don't use the King James Version. Did you leave the Church or something?

More likely, you're trying to appeal to fundamentalist Protestants, whom you see as your conservative base. Can't make it too obvious your not one of them.

I was going to vote for you Jim, I really was.

But, alas, I can't support a man who sells out on his faith to appease a bunch of Chick Tracters. Looks like Blackwell now.

But We're Catholics

Call me crazy, but I think a parish ought to foster, instill, and reinforce a Catholic identity in it's people. They ought not to be acting like a bunch of "Bible Christians."

Okay, my Church is putting on a Christmas play. In this play, Mary has sisters. They also have the chorus singing this "L'Chaim" song containing verses about "romance" and crap.

Our music director really needs to read the Proto-Evangelium of James. You should, too. It's not long, a really easy narrative, and rather interesting.

It's not considered inspired (obviously, or else it would be in the Bible), but it is considered worthwhile for a historical perspective of what the earliest Christians believe.

The longheld pious tradition that Mary was an only child--toss it. Hey while were at it, let's be out and out heretics and give Jesus blood siblings.

The fact that Mary was raised in the Temple isn't a Doctrine of the Faith, and believing it isn't necessary for our salvation. Nevertheless, November 21 commemorates her parents leaving her there.

And I kinda like the idea of a play where they gather the geezers, and have them draw straws on who has to marry Mary. Marry Mary! Ha! Say that 5 times fast.

Arrggghhh!!!

I'm pulling my hair out in frustration here, people. And basshing my head against the wall.

A commision is supposedly recommending the Church ditch limbo. Which is fine. What I can't stand is the misrepresentations of the reporting. There is no need for this Reuters reporter to check facts or anything, as we all know what Catholics believe.

Limbo -- the place where the Catholic Church teaches that babies go if they die before being baptized -- may have its days numbered...The Catholic Church teaches that babies who die before they can be baptized go to limbo, whose name comes from the Latin for "border" or "edge," because they deserve neither heaven nor hell.

Gee, that's not what the Cathecism says. This is what the Church actually teaches.

As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,"64 allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.


And this:

According to Italian media reports on Tuesday, an international theological commission will advisePope Benedict to eliminate the teaching about limbo from the Catholic catechism.
A hundred bucks to the first person to find limbo in the Catechism. You won't because ain't there!

Limbo is theological speculation. A theory formulated to resolve the dilemma of those who die without personal sin but with original sin. It was never formally defined by the Church, much less elevated doctrine. Who can believe in it, but you're free not to. It's not revealed truth, nor does it contradict revealed truth.

Here's what Cardinal Ratzinger had to say back in 1984:

"Limbo has never been a defined truth of faith," he said. "Personally, speaking as a theologian and not as head of the Congregation, I would drop something that has always been only a theological hypothesis."