Let Him be Anathema!

Well, it's happened.

I suppose it had to, given my propensity for speaking out against abuse in the Catholic Church. What is interesting is that this reaction was not due to something I said, but something my husband said.

Or rather, something he requested. This is something I have requested in the past myself.

My husband has been "suggested" to leave the church. The word 'church' was written with a small 'c', so I suppose this may have meant parish. For it to be otherwise is absolutely ludicrous!

I can say that we certainly have no plans to leave the church or the Church. Our quirky little chapel in our quirky diocese has been our spiritual home for nearly a dozen years. Our work in the diocese itself goes back much farther.

We have outlasted one bishop, several chancellors, and almost innumerable priests and PAs. The number of volunteer hours we have clocked is also innumerable. This is nothing in which to boast, but shows our commitment to doing our best to make the chapels work as well as we can.

We do not try to extend our own agenda. We both try hard to to make 'our' agenda that which the Church itself seeks. As we have learned things over the years, we have become more confident in expressing the Church's teaching, especially where we believe we see it being misstated.

So, what got us 'suggested' to leave? My husband merely pressed the point, with the appropriate official, that no documentation supporting a particular liturgical anomaly perpetrated by our diocese was forthcoming when we asked to see it. We have been told that permission has been given, but nothing in writing has followed. According to the document "Redemptionis Sacramentum" we have a right to ask for and receive such information.

Why we question the statement is that Rome has stated and restated that this practice is not licit. While it does not invalidate the Mass, it is a practice which is not to be done. By our estimation, Rome has covered all the loopholes.

We aren't sure right now if this latest brush fire will be taken to a higher 'court'. It could be interesting!

God Bless and Happy Advent.

Jaye