The Problem of Catholic Name-Calling

January 18, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog

Here’s the audio clip of my recent interview on “The Catholics Next Door” show, which airs on the Sirius Satellite Radio network (The Catholic Channel). Hosts Greg & Jennifer Willits and I discussed the problem of name-calling among Catholics, including epithets such as “neo-Catholic.” Take a listen.

Also, as suggested by a reader of this blog, here are some comments about this problem made back in 1914 by Pope Benedict XV in his encyclical Ad Beatissimi Apostolorum. They seem quite apropos:

As regards matters in which without harm to faith or discipline — in the absence of any authoritative intervention of the Apostolic See — there is room for divergent opinions, it is clearly the right of everyone to express and defend his own opinion. But in such discussions no expressions should be used which might constitute serious breaches of charity; let each one freely defend his own opinion, but let it be done with due moderation, so that no one should consider himself entitled to affix on those who merely do not agree with his ideas the stigma of disloyalty to faith or to discipline.

It is, moreover, Our will that Catholics should abstain from certain appellations which have recently been brought into use to distinguish one group of Catholics from another. They are to be avoided not only as “profane novelties of words,” out of harmony with both truth and justice, but also because they give rise to great trouble and confusion among Catholics. Such is the nature of Catholicism that it does not admit of more or less, but must be held as a whole or as a whole rejected: “This is the Catholic faith, which unless a man believe faithfully and firmly; he cannot be saved” (Athanassian Creed). There is no need of adding any qualifying terms to the profession of Catholicism: it is quite enough for each one to proclaim “Christian is my name and Catholic my surname,” only let him endeavour to be in reality what he calls himself. . . . (continue reading)

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So You Want to Be a Bass Player?

January 17, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
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2 Comments

One of my favorite bands in the early 80s was Haircut 100. And one of my favorite Haircut 100 songs was “Love Plus One.” As a bass player myself (once upon a time), I spent a lot of time studying and trying to learn how to play the rather complicated bassline to this tasty song, and I was delighted when, awhile back, I ran across this video tutorial by Zuma, a very proficient bassist, who splains how to play this one. As you’ll see, it’s complicated but a lot of fun. And if you like this, you will probably also like Zuma’s tutorials on some delectable Duran Duran and Kajagoogoo 4-string goodness. Enjoy!

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Lamb born with a human-like face?

January 13, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
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14 Comments

Is this a hoax? If not, could it be merely a natural (unnatural) anomaly, or could there have been some kind of vile attempt at human/animal genetic engineering that was responsible for this? If any of you are geneticists or veterinarians, feel free to shed some scientific light on this for us.

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Medjugorje Fact-Sheet: Is the Devil in the Details?

January 13, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
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73 Comments

Given the turmoil, uncertainty, and speculation that has been engendered by Cardinal Schönborn’s recent high-profile visit to Medjugorje, I, like many who have been following the story closely, am waiting and watching to see what this new development might portend for the Church’s eventual decision on whether the Medjugorje phenomenon is an authentic Marian apparition or not.

The Catholic Church will, I presume, eventually issue some kind of definitive decision on this question, but in the meantime, before that happens, I believe it is wise to consider all the available relevant information and evidence, those which lend support to Medjugorje and those which do not. As St. Paul said, “Test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).

In addition to the bemused reaction to His Eminence’s visit there from the Bishop of Mostar-Duvno (within which territory Medjugorje is situated), a few other high-level Churchmen have been speaking up about the matter, including Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, who is disinclined to accept the claims that the Medjugorje phenomenon is base on authentic Marian apparitions.

Regardless of whether one believes Medjugorje is a true Marian apparition, disbelieves it, or is simply skeptical toward the whole thing but remains open to all credible evidence, pro or con (this is my personal position, by the way), it seems clear that these recent statements from such well-informed bishops are certainly worth pondering.

Consider this, too:

Under the heading: “Medjugorje, Secrets, Messages, Vocations, Prayers, Confessions, Commissions,” Bishop Ratko Peric, in 2007, provided an exhaustive chronology and outline of salient facts surrounding the alleged apparitions. For anyone who is serious about wanting to know all the details pertaining to Medjugorje, this “Fact Sheet” is a must read, regardless of where you currently stand on this issue.

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Another Prominent American Priest, Fr. Richard Gill, Leaves the Legionaries of Christ

January 12, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
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12 Comments

This news is being reported on various blogs, including Genevieve Kineke’s “Life After RC” site, which contains the text of Father Gill’s January 9th letter announcing his departure from the scandal-plagued Legionaries of Christ.

I am not surprised to hear of this development, as there has been a significant, though quiet, exodus of LC priests and seminarians from the order in the past year (my friend Father Thomas Berg, for example). I am aware of other priests who, not having left the order quite yet, are definitely moving toward the exits, and I am happy to see that at least some of the departures are being publicized this way.

Historically, the Legion has been very intent on preventing the news of defections from the order by its priests and seminarians from becoming known among the rank and file membership of the Legion and its lay affiliate, Regnum Christ. The euphemism that “Father So and So has been reassigned to a different front” has long been a standard opaque response given when someone inquires as to why a certain LC priest is suddenly no longer around.

But with Father Gill’s open letter explaining the reasons for his leaving to seek incardination as a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, there can be no doubt as to why he left and where he went. I suspect that more than a few of his LC confreres will follow his lead and that of other Legionaries who exited before him because of the Fr. Maciel scandals and the mishandling of the scandals which have engulfed the order over the past year.

I’ve known Father Gill personally for nearly 20 years now and have always known him to be a dedicated, cheerful, and energetic priest. I have no doubt that he will excel in whatever new ministry the Lord guides him to carry out. He’s a good man. It’s such a crying shame that so many good men have been caught up in the putrid machinations of the founder of this religious order (see my previous commentaries about that) — so many excellent years in the prime of their priesthood spent grinding away in a system that, it now appears quite clearly, was orchestrated by the founder primarily as an engine of cash, pleasure, power, and influence for himself.

Good for you, Father Gill. I admire your courage of conviction and I wish you well in this new chapter of your priestly ministry. You can count on my prayers and, I am certain, the prayers of a great many others who feel the same way. God bless you.

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"It's Crap," says Mark Shea, and he rejects it. And so do I.

January 11, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
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Mark Shea throws down the hammer on those who impugn Catholics (such as Karl Keating, myself, and others) as “Neo-Catholics,” pointing out that this epithet is simply a thought-stopping term used by some against those who, as Mark pegs it, are not “sufficiently bitter” toward Pope John Paul and Vatican II.

While Mark and I may disagree on a variety of issues, I think he’s right on target in his analysis of the connotations implicit in the snarky “neo-Catholic” put down. Frankly, his push-back on this particular issue is overdue, and I am happy to see it. Thanks, Mark. You said it better than I could have.

(See also my post on Catholic name-calling [with audio clip])

Sorry, but no deal. “Neo-Catholic” remains a swear word designed to impute the odor of heresy to faithful Catholics who are docile to the Church, to Vatican II, and to the papacy of JPII. To say that such people are not Catholic is a smear. And to say that calling them “Catholic” means that people with Traditionalist sensibilities are not Catholic is a lie. The Church is the home of many kinds of piety and many schools of opinion. Traditionalists are Catholic. So are people who think the Council was a good thing and JPII a good Pope. Indeed, sometimes those two classes of people overlap. All “neo-Catholic” does is provide Traditionalists who would like to reduce the Faith to their particular cultural obsessions with a tribal label designed to traduce the good faith of Catholics docile to the Church. It’s crap. And I reject it.

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The Big Chill

January 8, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
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7 Comments

Britain’s SKY News is reporting that winter conditions across the UK are bad and getting worse. This satellite image shows all of England, Wales, and Scotland entirely covered in snow and ice, with temps in some areas rivalling those in Antarctica.

Click . . .

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Yesterday, on the "Open Line" radio program . . .

January 8, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
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8 Comments

We had two hours worth of calls on a good variety of issues, including a few on Medjugorje, Guadalupe, and Marian apparitions in general, the sinlessness of Mary, priestly celibacy, the tetragrammaton YHWH, the Novus Ordo Missae, Calvinists and baptismal regeneration, whether the devil spies on you when you’re praying, indulgences, and more. Click to listen to the show.