With so much news on vocations, often negative it is nice to see so many vocations from a non-Catholic University.
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Leaders representing 59,000 women religious are questioning what they say is a lack of full disclosure about what is motivating the Vatican’s apostolic visitation that will study the contemporary practices of U.S. women’s religious orders.
In an Aug. 17 press statement, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious also said the leaders “object to the fact that their orders will not be permitted to see the investigative reports about them” when they are submitted in 2011 to the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and its prefect, Cardinal Franc Rode.
In addition, the women religious expressed concern about secrecy they say is surrounding the funding of the study, said Sister Annmarie Sanders, director of communications for LCWR.[reference]
Yeah what could possible be the reason for such a visitations. Scratching my head trying to figure this one out. Could it be rampant dissent to the magisterium? Can’t be that. How about widespread support of women’s ordination? Couldn’t be. How about the massive destruction in religious life over the last four decades with so many orders having few if any novices? Surely not that. How about the web pages for most religious orders looking more like a page for some left wing advocacy group than a Catholic religious order? No, just because they seem to pay a lot of attention to the United Nations and none to the Vatican surely could not be a reason. Maybe it is the range of wacky ideas ranging from radical feminism to eco-theology? No, that couldn’t be it. Well, what about the fact that there is zero interest in the pro-life cause by so many orders. No, just
– that doesn’t mean anything.
This is certainly a case of someone in the Vatican holding a grudge for some unknown reason and initiated an Apostolic Visitation.
Actually though the LCWR saying this is like a guy driving 130 mph, getting pulled over and asking “Is there something I can do for you officer?”
Even more annoying is Catholic News Service basically passing on the LCWR’s news release with no discernment whatsoever.
The Peter Principle is the principle that “In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to Rise to His Level of Incompetence.” As Wikipedia references people are promoted so long as they work competently. Sooner or later they are promoted to a position at which they are no longer competent (their “level of incompetence”), and there they remain, being unable to earn further promotions. I have found this principle to be easily observable in real life.
But I want to write about another principle, the St. Peter Principle which in many ways is opposite to the Peter Principle.
St. Peter as a fisherman was likely no ones idea of somebody who go on to head what is the Catholic Church. No doubt a capable fisherman liked by his friends and peers. But he was also a bit exuberant in his opinions as evidenced so many times in scripture. At the Transfiguration much was lost on him as he planned to build booths as a testament to what happened. He was often quick in his opinions, just not necessarily quick in his thinking prior to his opinions.
As a religious man it was his brother that led him to Jesus. Those once led to Christ came to realize who he was following. In John 6 the great Eucharistic discourse when so many followers left Peter had the sense to say “”Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life;” He did not demand to have to understand everything, but realized the simple truth” When Peter witnessed the miracle after casting the nets he said “Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man.” Of all the Apostles he was the only one to be able answer Jesus’ question that he was the son of the living God.
Peter certainly was able to respond to truth, but could also waiver a bit. His famous denial of Jesus three times is the most famous example. But even after the Resurrection Peter could preach the truth about the Church being for the Jews and the Gentiles, yet in practice did not follow this at times and was even rebuked by St. Paul.
If somebody was taking resume’s for who was going to be the first Pope, Peter’s resume would have been quickly pulled. A fisherman with no great learning and not the capacity to be a theologian like St. Paul or St. John. Lower management maybe, but not the head of the Church.
This is where the St. Peter Principle comes in and where grace plays the major role. Peter on his own would have been an example of the Peter Principle. It was the Holy Spirit which guided his answer to Jesus’ question that he was the Messiah. When Peter heard about the Eucharist, which must have seemed quite outrageous to a Jew, it was the Holy Spirit that guided him in the truth even if he did not fully understand it. It was the Holy Spirit that guided Peter into understanding that the truth of Jesus was for the Jews and the Gentiles. The same goes when the Apostles selected a new Apostle in that they acknowledged the Holy Spirit’s role.
The St. Peter Principle shows that no matter what ability and knowledge you have God can take it and make you a saint. No matter our abilities and our countless failures when we conform our wills to Christ and let the Holy Spirit transform us we too can become saints. With grace you do not rise to your “Level of Incompetence” because in the beatific vision there is no incompetence. Though our journeys can certainly be full of incompetence. The real incompetence is not to be a saint to loosely paraphrase Charles Peguy.
Peter would not be mans idea of somebody to be the first Pope and to lead the Church. Ourselves as saints might also seem equally ridiculous, yet Jesus in fact choose Peter to lead the Church, just as he chooses each of us to be saints. So repent and let grace guide you and be yet another example of the St Peter Principle.
Ron Cattany had a long, full career in natural resources. Next on his agenda are supernatural resources.
After 35 years in Colorado state government shepherding minerals, fossil fuels, water and timber, Cattany, 55, at the end of this month will enter a seminary to become a Catholic priest.
When Cattany told one of his best friends he was going to be a priest, the old Regis High School buddy was not even mildly surprised.
“It was written on your forehead in freshman orientation,” his friend told him.
“I wish somebody had told me,” Cattany said.
He does recall first considering the priesthood when he was about 8, “like any Italian Catholic boy” at the time.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar called Cattany, who served most recently as director of Colorado’s Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, one of the state’s great champions of land, water and natural resources.
Gov. Bill Ritter said Cattany’s career exemplified “the ideal of public service.”
Cattany says the priesthood is “just a different form of stewardship.”
After reaching retirement age with the state, Cattany said he asked God: “For 35 years, I’ve had the best job I could have. What do you want me to do next?”
He now begins a four-year program at Blessed John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Mass., where older seminarians who already have had extensive education can take a faster track to priesthood than the usual six to eight years.[reference]
The president of a small Catholic college said Friday he would rather close the school’s doors than violate the church’s teachings on contraception should the college lose the latest battle involving health-insurance laws and religious freedom.
The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has determined that Belmont Abbey College violated discrimination laws because the school’s employee health insurance plan does not cover contraception, according to a letter the EEOC sent to the school.
“I hope it would never get this far,” college President William K. Thierfelder told The Washington Times, “but if it came down to it we would close the college before we ever provided that.”
I listened to an interview with President Thierfelde this week on Al Kresta’s show and it was quite nice hearing him defend the truth the Catholic Church teaches and to take a hard stance on the encroachment of the government into a Catholic college. He was even quoting Ex Corde Ecclesiae. Catholic college presidents who quote this document are rarer than hens teeth. I am sure there is some mutant hens out there with teeth.
“By denying prescription contraceptive drugs, [the college] is discriminating based on gender because only females take oral prescription contraceptives,” the EEOC wrote in a letter to the North Carolina college. “By denying coverage, men are not affected, only women.”
Yes this is the same tactic they always use – make it a case of gender inequality, even if it makes no sense. Liberal groups who hate the Catholic Church are quite willing to use the government to enforce their will on the small number of holdouts who still believe what the Church teaches. This is just on the state level, imagine the red tape they would try to strangle the Church with as a Federal manner.
… Mr. Thierfelder wrote at the time that “it is the clear, consistent, incontrovertible, public, official and authoritative teaching of the Roman Catholic Church that abortion, contraception and voluntary sterilization are actions which are intrinsically wrong and should not be undertaken because of their very nature.”
The college, which has about 1,500 students, no longer covers contraceptive services as part of its employee health coverage.
“As a Roman Catholic institution, Belmont Abbey College is not able to and will not offer nor subsidize medical services that contradict the clear teaching of the Catholic Church,” Mr. Thierfelder wrote in a letter explaining the changes.
Belmont Abbey College is one of the schools that is taking back its Catholic identity just as the University of Stuebenville did in the past. Unfortunately this case came about because of eight current and former faculty members. I guess they don’t make enough to be able to buy their own contraceptives. As if this was a significant expense in any way except on the moral calculator. Well any stick to beat the Church.
The worst it gets. Jill Stanek covers the he now infamous Section 1233 in a House version of the nationalized healthcare plan. Big shock that two of the writers of it are major proponents of euthanasia, assisted suicide – oh but wait the President told us “we aren’t going to pull the plug on grandma.” No it will be grandma, grandpa and everybody else without acceptable “quality of life.” Remember the President said on Terri Schiavo that he wished he could take back his vote “that allowed Congress to interject itself into the decision-making process of the families.”
But according to some Catholic advocacy groups we should go full speed ahead with Obamacare and not worry about these details.
Michael Barber and Brand Pitre of the “Singing in the Reign” blog have started a new blog and will be adding another scripture scholar to the mix. So make sure you bookmark/RSS The Sacred Page
In other news I received an email by Fr John Hogan
To introduce ourselves: our association, the Fraternity of St Genesius, is a family of prayer within the Catholic Church dedicated to praying for those who work in theatre, cinema, the arts and media (internet included) so these people and media came come to recognise their role in witnessing to Christ in the world. We also seek to assist the Church in her mission and outreach to those working in these areas, and to promote the arts and media as a means of evangelisation in the modern world. The Fraternity was founded on the 19th January 2007 and received the formal approval of the Church as a “private association of the faithful of Diocesan right” on the 27th August of the same year: our protector bishop is Bishop Michael Smith of Meath (Ireland). Last October during our first pilgrimage to Rome as a group, we met with the Holy Father following his General Audience and he gave us great encouragement in our work. More details about us and our mission, St Genesius’ life, together with online back issues of our quarterly magazine, can be found on our website.
Considering St. Genesius is also the patron saint of Jesters I will be sure to participate in their online novena at stgenesius.com.
Sandra Miesel has done an excellent article on Catholics in the field of science fiction. Very thorough from the old school to the new generation of Catholic authors. Including the old old school such as St. Thomas More with Utopia. It is very cool that some of my very favorite authors are also Catholics such as Gene Wolfe, Michael Flynn, Jerry Pournelle, Fred Saberhagen, Tim Powers, and of course recent convert John C. Wright.
In my previous post I was wondering about how Catholic organizations could be promoting Obomacare. This post by Diogenes does not put my mind at rest. In fact it frankly pisses me off. Well maybe they are letting their right hand not know what their left hand is doing.
Support Our Aging Religious will award the 2009 Elizabeth Ann Seton Award to Cokie and Steve Roberts. No surprise, more honoring of pro-abortion advocates. [reference]