This is the sixth volume of The Weekly Benedict ebook which is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I pull from Jimmy Akin’s The Weekly Benedict.
Since Jimmy did not post a list last week this volume covers the last two weeks along with material from Nov 20th to Jan 9th.
One of the arguments for the existence of God is the teleological argument, or argument from design.
With this weekends NFL playoff games there is apparently a new argument for the existence of God, the Tebowlogical argument, or argument by completed passes by touchdown in the final moments of a game.
Being that Tim Tebow is from the same town I live in and went to a Baptist church blocks from my own parish I have some prejudice to like him. Even if I am annoyed that his church has it’s own parking garage, while parking at my parish is quite limited.
That he annoys so many people because of his open discussion of his faith is also a point in his favor. The irrational reaction is quite interesting and apparently you can wear any advocacy on you sleeve just as long as it is not Christianity. Though his families involvement in the Philippines with statements like “Of the 86 million Filipinos, we estimate that over 65 million have never once heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ” does not exactly warm my heart, especially considering my wife is Filipino. All those Catholic Filipino’s will be surprised that when the Gospel is read at Mass they didn’t hear it.
Regardless the Tebowlogical argument seems to go both ways as both a proof for the existence of God and for his nonexistence. Especially as both wins and losses are tied to his Christianity.
Apparently some seem to think that God closely watches the stats of a game to help them reference scriptural verses. His last weeks win ending in 316 passing yards is tied to the 3:16 he use to display in his eye black. Now imagine if he loses this weekend’s game and passes for 330? John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Of course Patriot fans would think that it was Tom Brady who must increase. Though exactly how does the passing yards to scriptural passage connection work? Is it just the Gospel of John or can other books be referenced. If so how do you infer which book? Hard to decide unless the receivers name is Mark, Matthew, Luke, or John.
Plus how does the physics of a God-influenced football game work? Are arm and leg muscles divinely inspired or is the flight of the football affected on the way to the receiver? Or is air resistance changed in route?
Regardless I would like to see Mr. Tebow become a Catholic, just as I want the same for all. After all all if he thinks he is hated and disparaged now he might as well get the full treatment of hate and disparagement.
I do hope LarryD updates his The Catholic’s Examination Of Conscience Guide To The NFL Playoffs so I can get my bets in.
One of the trends in recent years is more and more bishops speaking out. Bishops have intervened regarding Catholic universities and Catholic hospitals, but unfortunately this is been met with very little obedience. For example Bishop John M. D’Arcy criticism of the President’s invite to Notre Dame and Bishop Thomas Olmstead in regards to St. Joseph’s Hospital.
The latest case involves the University of Scranton inviting former Congresswoman Marjorie Margolies as a key speaker. She was once a director of a PAC committed to electing women pro-abortion supporters she co-sponsored the Abortion Clinic Access Bill. After the Cardinal Newman Society posted about this Bishop Joseph Bambera specifically requested the Jesuit university to withdraw the invitation, which they’ve refused.
In response to the University of Scranton’s decision to refuse his personal request, Bishop Bambera expressed his disappointment and concern by offering the following:
“The gravity of this issue speaks to the heart and substance of who we are as Christians. Because of the incarnation of Christ, every human life has value and worth. As Christians, we must be committed to defending human life at every age and every stage from conception to natural death.”
“Although a forum such as this, designed to support and encourage women to engage in public service, is by its nature good and noble, for a Catholic institution in the Diocese of Scranton to invite a pro-abortion advocate to speak at a University sponsored event is dismaying and personally disheartening to me. And to do so within days of the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., is particularly demoralizing.”
The University’s unwillingness to work with Bishop Bambera in an effort to reach an acceptable resolution to this unfortunate situation is an unsettling turn in the relationship that the Bishop has been pleased to maintain with University officials during his tenure as Bishop of Scranton. In Ex Corde Ecclesiae, the apostolic constitution issued by Blessed Pope John Paul II regarding Catholic colleges and universities, it is noted that: “Bishops have a particular responsibility to promote Catholic Universities, and especially to promote and assist in the preservation and strengthening of their Catholic identity. A Catholic University, as Catholic, informs and carries out its research, teaching and all other activities with Catholic ideals, principles and attitudes.”
The university of course tries the “We are personally opposed to her view on abortion, but” dodge. Everyone knows a racist with expert views in another field is instantly disqualified, but you can support the murder of a child in the womb and that is not serious enough.
A Statement Regarding Ready to Run By
Kevin P. Quinn, S.J.,
President of the UniversityThe University of Scranton is part of a national network of institutions offering the Ready to Run program. Our workshop on January 28 is open to men and women throughout the region. This non-partisan and non-ideological program gives women the tools they need to run for political office.
In recent days, questions have surfaced about the pro-abortion views of one of the speakers, Marjorie Margolies. Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, asked the University to withdraw its invitation to Ms. Margolies. The University has decided to move forward with the program as planned. Speakers for this University event are experts chosen to provide women with information about the challenges of politics; they are not chosen to engage in a discussion of abortion. By inviting these speakers to campus, the University is not endorsing their personal views.
As Catholic and Jesuit, the University treasures its relationship with the Diocese of Scranton and with Bishop Bambera. We are saddened that any action on our part might in some way compromise this relationship. This is especially true given that we, like Bishop Bambera, strongly oppose the pro-abortion views of Ms. Margolies.
Though even citing Ms. Margolies as an expert on helping women to run for political office is rather odd considering her failed run for Lieutenant Governor and Senator. I guess from her PAC experience she can advise on helping pro-abortion supporters run.
Just another example of Catholic Identity Theft.
Via the Cardinal Newman Society
A reader pointed me to an article on the Huffington Post on the new English translation of the Mass. As you would expect from this source it is unintentionally funny in being so mind-dumbing stupid.
Supposedly this was all done in the name of authenticity. If that were true, why not embrace the Jesus Seminar, a group of over one hundred of the world’s foremost biblical scholars who have identified inaccuracies in the liturgy?
If we took our cues from the Jesus Seminar there would be no Mass at all. John Dominic Crossan a co-founder of the Jesus Seminar and an “ex” Catholic priest said that dogs ate Jesus’ body. The Jesus Seminar’s criteria was self-selecting in that Jesus only said what they wanted him to say an anything tied to the incarnation and his being the Messiah was obviously false. He also goes on to reference an article by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. Yes he is really batting 500 in references to authentic Catholic sources.
Why not go back to the original language of the Bible — Hebrew and Greek? Why not reconcile with the Eastern Orthodox Church which also has a legitimate claim as the original denomination? Some Jesuit scholars are now questioning if this new translation is indeed more accurate, but no matter, they are usually ignored and frequently excommunicated for their clever use of facts and their crazy powers of reason.
Excommunicated Jesuits? Frequently excommunicated? I guess his idea of frequent is much wider scope than my own. Of hand I can think of but one in the last 20 years – Fr, Leonard Feeney S.J. who was excommunicated for his rigorist view on “Outside the Church there is no salvation.” He was later reconciled with the Church. Somehow I don’t think the author of the article was referring to Fr. Feeney. Or maybe he thinks that Fr. Reese being supposedly forced out as editor of America Magazine is within his definition of excommunication. I guess the author of this article will not be accused of the “clever use of facts and their crazy powers of reason”.
The main thrust of the article is “Yes, that’s it — the New Mass as New Coke.” One of the dumbest analogies ever. Though from it I can think of a way that the analogy could be more correctly applied.
I would contend that the first translation of the Liturgy into English did indeed have some comparisons to new Coke. There are even some comparisons with the new order of Mass.
For one it was much more saccharine tasting than the product it replaced. It was not an organic development of Coke, but a flavor of Coke much closer to the competition – Pepsi.
It came out as a total replacement of classic Coke and upon its introduction the number of Coke drinkers was greatly reduced. Classic Coke was abrogated. Only later was Classic Coke reintroduced.
Now I could equally be guilty of a dumb analogy, but being a blogger I don’t usually refrain from making dumb analogies. All analogies break down at some level and I don’t want to infer I have the same distaste of New Coke with the Ordinary Form of the Mass. The analogy works better with the flawed implementation and experimentation that occurred. I do not use the term Novus Ordo with a sneer. So here goes:
Like New Coke the newer Mass and English translation resulted not in a greater appreciation, but a decline in reception. Mass attendance is way down, though of course there are many cultural components that also had their influences. New Coke was crafted to appeal to a wider audience and could have been called Contemporary Coke. The attempts by implementers of the Ordinary Form had the same though process – and a similar failure.
The Novus Ordo totally replaced the TLM, it was only later that the TLM was reintroduced.
New Coke continued to do quite well in Los Angeles. Hmm, I wonder if they had an annual Coke Education Conference with dancing girls?
The implementation of the Novus Ordo was much closer to the “P” competition. For New Coke it was Pepsi for “New Mass” it was Protestantism.
Okay I won’t torture this analogy any farther, but go ahead with you own analogies in the comments.
Today being the feast of the Epiphany here is a little known episode of what happened after the three wise men left.
Many people are aware of the fact that we don’t know the exact number of Magi and that the number we use is based on the number of gifts. Also the idea of them being kings is also rather dubious and the term Magi is vague in that it covers a lot of areas between wise philosophers and astrologers.
Knowing this I can understand why the popular Epiphany hymn made the choice it did because “We indeterminate number of men with a vague occupational definition” just does not have the same ring to it.
In the Navy there was a term we used for people who seemed to think they knew all the rules and would use technicalities to avoid work – Sea Lawyers. Within Catholic circles there is a something similar though not an exact parallel. There are many that seem to think they can pick up the code of Canon Law and just read a canon and correctly interpret it authoritatively. This attitude is kind of Sola Canon Law and closely parallels Sola Scriptura. Instead of Sea Lawyers perhaps the term of use is “Holy See Lawyers”.
This is an easy trap to fall into and that I have fallen into. Thankfully we have bloggers like Canonist Edward N. Peters, who has a whole bunch of letters after his name, that can help us from falling into this mindset. Reading his blog over the years and following his appearances on Catholic Answers live it has certainly helped me to understand that there is so much more to it than simply reading the canons as there is much commentary and years of understanding in how they are to be interpreted. Plus of course within the Canonist community there is also differing opinions. There is a very interesting cross-section of theology and Church law involved that certainly catches my attention. I remember Jimmy Akin’s discussion on his podcast on what actually constitutes heresy and the subject is very involved with many nuances, yet many seem to think it is very easy to class somebody a formal heretic.
I bring this up because I was thinking about the subject due to Ed Peters discussion on his blog about the canonical situation of Michael Vorbis and the Archdiocese of Detroit. My own “Holy See Lawyer” attitude would have thought it was a slam dunk that the Archdiocese did not have a correct canonical case since RealCatholic.tv legal headquarters is not in this Archdiocese. Nice to be reminded that once again I am not a Canon Lawyer or even attempting to play one on my blog.
Jennifer Fulwiler posts a list of book recommendations from many Catholic bloggers including myself. The recommendations look quite excellent having read most of them and adding to my wish list the others.
One was for a book I read last month:
Marc Barnes on Love In The Ruins, The Adventures of a Bad Catholic at a Time Near the End of the World by Walker Percy:
Because Walker Percy is the man and perhaps the most undervalued Catholic writer of our time. Because everyone needs a little existential crisis. Because Catholics need to balance every book on a Saint with a book on wonderfully pathetic sinner. Because this book will make you laugh.
I certainly agree. While I really love Walker Percy, I found this book especially hysterical.
Reading the news about LA Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala who resigned and admitted fathering two children now teenagers I reflect on my own feelings.
Seeing that he was a President of Pax Christi, presided over wacky liturgies in the dreadful L.A. Religious Conference, and had previously attacked Catholic bloggers it is sad the filter that I tried to apply to him. I wanted to put him in a nice little box with the label “progressive Bishop” and say “I’m not surprised.” So much easier to dispose of people that way.
Further reflection causes me to think of the mystery of sin. Original sin affects all of us and that goes whether someone sides on the so-called progressive side or see themselves as being faithful to the Church. There certainly have been those who have evangelized the faith with the truth of the faith who have fallen and lived double-lives like Fr. Corapi.
Certainly it is much more scandalous when a bishop succombs because the seeming level of hypocrisy is much higher. They “should have known better” we say as we live our own flawed lives not fulling living up to the Gospel we profess. So much easier to dismiss someone than to sincerely pray for theirs and your own salvation with some fear and trembling involved.
Marcel LeJeune posts his list of the top 20 Catholic bloggers of 2011. His list is pretty close to what my own such list would be, though I would have included Happy Catholic in place of my own blog. Though I would have a hard time myself coming up with a top 20 list as there are just too many Catholic blogs that I do love.