If John Kerry is truly looking for a parish that might deny him communion, he is not trying that stunt this week.
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, a Catholic whose support of abortion rights has prompted some in the Church hierarchy to say they would deny him Communion, will receive the sacrament if he attends Easter Sunday services at Boston’s Paulist Center.
[Full Story]
Boston’s Paulist Center is listed on many Gay and Lesbian web sites as a Gay Friendly Parish. One of the members of the Boston’s Gay Man Chorus is also the music director there. Probably the only people that would get denied communion there are orthodox Catholics. This article says that this is the parish the Kerry’s normally go to so it is not surprising that Mr. Kerry is so ill informed about his faith. You just know the “marginalized or alienated Catholics” their mission statement says they are reaching out to are not those who believe in the entirety of the Catholic Faith. Plenty of talk about social justice and not much more.
I really don’t know what to make of this crucifix at the Paulist Center. My firsts thoughts are a deep fried Jesus and the tree that is suppose to be the cross is just plain creepy.
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It says here that Kerry will be denied communion somewhere between now and the election. And the blaze of righteous indignation from the Senator will be truly awesome indeed. And the screech of the petulant whine will be heard across the fruited plain. There will be many angry, complicated, nuanced words spoken about the nature of Catholicicm that no one in the media will have a clue about, because the phrase “sexual abuse” will not be part of the conversation.
The brave, but not very savvy, cleric that denies Kerry communion will discover that they made a career-killing decision. They will also discover they have been reassigned to an apostolic mission to the Inuits of Alaska, or Guam perhaps.
Is it just me, or does that Jesus on the crucifix look somewhat like a profile of Kerry? Jeff, maybe a parody of something like that when Kerry pulls his denial stunt?
It’s the shadow on the wall, that’s most interesting.
Father, we know not what we do.
A “career-killing” decision? Well, I suppose, if the priest is into thinking that ministry is a career. I didn’t know that the priest is supposed to be “savvy” so that he can save or even promote his “career.” I mean, I encountered these kind of guys in the seminary — they were called “climbers.” But nearly all of my classmates were already inclined to make decisions based on the moral truths, not based upon what would be best for personal advancement.
One could argue that the current “hapless bench of bishops” are a product of the kind of thinking described earlier, those who studiously avoid making the dreaded “career-killing decision.” One could argue that Jesus, in his dealings with authority, made one “career killing decision” after another.
And the Inuit aren’t entitled to a pastor with integrity? Nor are the residents of Guam? Besides, do you really think that one of the publicity-conscious bishops we have today will make a “career-killing decision” by exiling some priest, in the face of the harsh lights of the media inquiry.
You GO, Fr. Stanley!
When I was in grad school at Ohio State in 1991-93, I attended mass at the Newman Center. See, I had no car and it was the only mass I could get to on foot, and it was a mile and a half each way, so it was pretty much my only choice.
It was run by Paulists. Mass began in the name of the Creator, the Redeemer and the Sanctifier. Homilies were delivered by members of the community, who had help preparing their homilies from the woman DRE.
The discussion/lecture series they had on the Truths of the Faith taught that the doctrine of Jesus being both human and divine is best understood by realizing that Jesus most completely lived his call to be the image and likeness of God by actualizing his entire potential, and so that is why we say he is both human and divine (btw, this is very much like the heresy known as “Adoptionism”).
Once they put up flyers letting everyone know that Matthew Fox, who had been silenced by the Vatican, was coming to speak and everyone should come hear what he has to say.
Back home in Memphis there is a parish run by the Paulists and it’s the same stuff. I’d trust a Paulist to faithfully teach and uphold the Truth about as much as I’d trust Joseph Smith to reveal God’s word.
Well, Jesus is both human and divine. 100% human 100% divine. Isn’t that the Hypostatic Union Which is a Catholic faith?
The crucifix at the Paulist Center in Boston (the church I go to!) is beautiful. Go see it when you come to Boston. Or at least read the following brochure:
http://www.paulist.org/boston/liturgy/chapel/website_art.pdf
Yes, it’s unusual artwork. But art doesn’t have to be traditional to be beautiful.
And John Kerry did not go there for Easter Mass to avoid being denied communion. That’s where he’s been going for years.
I vote for Kerry coming to my parish one Sunday to receive Holy Communion. I know our Pastor would not give Our Blessed Lord to him.
The Paulists are those guys that run the Busted Halo site. If John Kerry has been going to church at a parish run by them for years, it is a small wonder that he thinks that he can be a pro-abort and be Catholic at the same time. We had one Paulist priest around here that I thought was a good guy, so I went to daily Mass a few times at their church when I lived downtown. Big mistake!! I ran to confession after one Mass and confessed my participation because I was afraid that I had sinned because of what they did. They had Mass around a rectory dining room table and passed the Communion patten around the room at Communion time. I never went back.
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