Roman Catholic Blog

Ex-Papal Liturgist, Archbishop Piero Marini: Liturgical Renewal "Irreversible"

Christ Healing The Blind Bartimeus by Carl Heinrich Bloch

Here's the link: Vatican official calls liturgical renewal 'irreversible path'

Here's a section of the article:

Liturgical renewal launched by the Second Vatican Council is an "irreversible path" and has not been affected by Pope Benedict XVI's concession on wider use of the Tridentine rite, a Vatican official said.

"The pope's decision has so far not produced any change in the celebrative practice of our ecclesial communities. His gesture was only one of service to unity," Archbishop Piero Marini, who arranged papal liturgies for more than 20 years, said in an interview April 25 in the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano.

"Therefore let's look ahead and let's continue with enthusiasm the path undertaken by the council," he said.

Late last year Archbishop Marini was named to head the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses.

The archbishop remains involved in international liturgical issues, and he said a revision of the committee's statutes is giving it wider authority over eucharistic congresses at the national and regional level, too.

Asked if Pope Benedict's relaxation of restrictions on the use of the pre-Vatican II liturgy signaled a halt to the liturgical reform movement, Archbishop Marini said that was clearly not the pope's aim.

The pope's decree "does not intend to introduce modifications on the current Roman Missal or express a negative judgment on the liturgical reform desired by the council," he said.

He said the decree, which reached out to disaffected Catholics, should be seen as an effort to maintain unity in the church.

Archbishop Marini said his own experience in organizing papal liturgies in more than 100 countries has convinced him that the liturgical reform movement has brought overwhelmingly positive results.

"Everywhere, the liturgy desired by the council was celebrated with lively participation and enthusiasm. Everyone understood the liturgy as proper to the local church and at the same time as an expression of the universal church," he said.

Those liturgies also demonstrated that liturgical reform has solid theological foundations, he said.

"Therefore this is an irreversible path," he said.

Liturgical celebration cannot be separated from the life of the church, the archbishop said, and this means "the church of today, not the church of yesterday or of tomorrow."

At the same time, Archbishop Marini said celebrating the liturgy according to Vatican II is not an easy thing. It takes patience, perseverance and pastoral charity, he said.

One particular issue that has emerged during papal trips, he said, is the fact that some Masses are now attended by hundreds of thousands of the faithful. That raises practical considerations like the number of concelebrants, the distribution of Communion and the level of personal participation, he said.

Pope Benedict has already asked for reconsideration of the role of concelebrants, and Archbishop Marini said it makes sense to look at the question through a serious study and with eventual pastoral-liturgical guidelines.

My thoughts:

We'll see, Archbishop Marini. I suspect you're wrong, though. I certainly think it's wrong to claim that Summorum Pontificum was only issued in an effort to preserve unity and avoid schism. How does the allowance of a right Archbishop Marini clearly views as old and outdated alongside the Ordo Missae promulgated by Pope Paul VI signify a movement that preserves liturgical unity?

It's clear that the archbishop is not in agreement with Pope Benedict XVI with respect to the liturgy. That is probably why he's known as ex-papal liturgist, Archbishop Piero Marini.

Any thoughts?

Brett Favre, Tom Brady & Catholicism

In Ictu Oculi, a vanitas painting by, Juan de Valdés Leal, (1622-1690)

Here's an interesting article which attempts to contrast Brett Favre and Tom Brady, both of whom were raised Catholic, from a Catholic perspective: Brett Favre, exemplary American Catholic

Here's a quote:

Earlier this month, legendary Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre announced his retirement after seventeen years in the NFL. He walked away holding most of the major records at his position, and as much as any athlete of his time he attracted not just admiration but veneration, inspiring even a "Packers Prayer" ("Our Favre . . . Hallowed be thine arm"). Favre has become a football deity, but he has also achieved the status of an exemplary American Catholic. Indeed, the website Catholic Online (www.catholic.org) names him second among the "Top 10 Catholic Heroes of the Super Bowl." For many Americans, "Our Favre" is less a divine figure than a fellow believer. Favre, though, is a peculiar Christian athlete whose career defies familiar evangelical optimism in favor of a darker, distinctly Catholic vision.

Brett Favre would never be mistaken for Kurt Warner, the born-again former St. Louis Rams quarterback who accepted the Super Bowl trophy in 2000 with a "Thank you, Jesus." Unlike his late Baptist teammate Reggie White, Favre did not convene on-field prayers or claim to receive personal communication from God. Green Bay's gunslinger was never that earnest or, frankly, that devout. The product of a small Mississippi town, his career brings to mind the fiction of Flannery O'Connor or Walker Percy, Southern Catholics for whom faith was often occluded and salvation often arduous.

More than any public proclamations of devotion, Brett Favre's well-publicized personal suffering marked him as a model Catholic for those who cared to look. Early in his career, he struggled with addictions to painkillers and alcohol. In December 2003, his father died unexpectedly. Ten months later, his wife Deanna was diagnosed with breast cancer, only a few days after her brother had been killed in an ATV accident. The next year, Brett's mother's home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Most of these travails followed his lone Super Bowl victory, evoking not so much the generous God of prosperity theology as a more inscrutable Almighty, intent on humbling the exalted. In her bestselling 2007 memoir Don't Bet Against Me!, Deanna Favre compared the couple's ordeals to those of the biblical Job. Indeed, Brett increasingly exuded a Job-like equanimity, remarking after his wife's diagnosis that "if I asked why my father died or why Deanna has breast cancer, I would have to ask why I throw touchdown passes."

Contrast the Favres' litany of grief with the high living of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, also raised Catholic. Brady had a child last year with actress Bridget Moynahan, and then took up with supermodel Gisele Bündchen. Wisconsin's Catholics, who include more recovering alcoholics and cancer survivors than actresses and supermodels, may respect Brady's skill on the football field, but they understand much more deeply a religion of pain and loss. Brady, a three-time Super Bowl winner, is conspicuously absent from the "Top 10 Catholic Heroes of the Super Bowl."

My thoughts:

I don't know much about the personal or professional lives of either of these men beyond blurbs I've read about them here and there. I'm not a fan, but I'm not a "hater" either.

I'm not sure why the article appears to imply Brett Favre is an exemplary Catholic. I suppose I can see good and bad in the things the article shares about his personal history.

The author doesn't seem to think much of Tom Brady. Again, not knowing much about him, I wouldn't presume to pass any judgment on him. I will say I've heard and read more about Tom Brady than Brett Favre, and I've noticed a tendency to tear him down. I'm not sure how much of that is due to Mr. Brady's personal choices and personality, though, and I sometimes get the perception that some writers seem envious of Tom Brady. Maybe they are just articulating the sense that Mr. Brady hasn't always used the gifts God gave him in an unselfish way or demonstrated a sense of humility and a recognition that anything good that he has came from God and was given to him so he could glorify God and lead others to God, but I don't generally perceive sports journalism as tending to think along those lines, especially because of the tendency many sports journalists have exhibited of making heroes out of men they knew were living lifestyles that were debauched. Which is another reason I tend to think picking on Tom Brady has become popular and a potential means of selling advertising space. It may just be that lots of people are envious of the life Tom Brady has led and resent him in the same way they may have resented athletic golden boys in their high school years – or maybe there are things Tom Brady has said and done in public that I don't know about. You probably know more than I do in that regard.

I do know the media, whether it be television, radio, or print (including scholarly biographies) can't tell us what anybody is really like, at least not in the way actually knowing them can, even if we utilize reliable sources or perform extensive studies about the life of some individual. It's also helpful to remember that the way any medium presents any given individual tells you a great deal about the one presenting the information and the perspective (lens) through which they are filtering the information you're receiving.

People often talk and act like they think they know any number of celebrities on a personal level, but they can't and don't really know these people. They know of them. They know what has been reported about these people as being of public interest. They know the image the media, sometimes in collaboration with a celebrity and sometimes against a celebrity's wishes, presents the person to the media.

Sound bites and images are used to present the public with an image that may or may not be accurate, but which is designed to either build the person up or tear them down. This helps sell newspapers, magazines, products, tickets, etc. Sometimes they'll stick with an image that resonates with people, even if it isn't entirely accurate or fair. Sometimes a person is stuck with a label that may reflect one particular choice at one time in their lives, but definitely not the totality of the person.

That's why it's dangerous to give too much credence to the way the media presents celebrities and even the way celebrities present themselves.

You can read ten different biographies on the life of a given individual and even gain some sort of insight or sense about the person, especially in terms of what can be accepted as trustworthy and factual. Yet biographies can't tell you everything there is to know about any person. They give you highlights and paint a picture of a person's life, but can't possibly tell you what it is or was like to live each day in that person's skin.

I don't recommend making a hero out of anyone though, and certainly not an idol. I don't care if they're an athlete or a movie star or a priest or a bishop. Our only idol should be Jesus Christ. We can honor the saints because of the ways in which they reflect Him, but it's generally safer not to try to canonize people before they've died and everything that can be known about their fidelity to the Lord is scrutinized by the Church.

When we make idols who are unworthy of our admiration, we set ourselves up for a fall. Some people end up leaving the Church because of the actions of a priest, religious man or woman, or a bishop. They've clearly put these people on pedestals where they never belonged, and when the truth was revealed, it shattered their faith. Their faith should never have depended on these people to begin with, so the revelation that these people were human, flawed, broken, and even sinful should never be so great of a stumbling block for them as to ruin their relationship with Christ.

Still, there is a paradox we must all be conscious: Despite the fact that we shouldn't make idols out of other people, we must all be a good example to others and will have to render an account before God if our choices scandalized others (which is to say: tempted or led them to commit sin). Nobody should be a idol. The evil choices of others do not justify making those choices ourselves or diminish our responsibility for choosing to imitate or defend them.

To those who have been given much, much will be expected, and the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Yes, some people have been given much, but have wasted their gifts by either not using them or only using them selfishly, but that shouldn't shatter or shock us unless we've given these people more importance than they were due.

Whatever the case, people should resist the temptation to focus on the deficiencies and sins of others in a way that distracts them from honestly recognizing their own failings and amending their own lives.

Any thoughts?

Obama's Divisive Pastor

Link: sevenload.com

Bishop Warns Catholics To Avoid Life Teen Founder's Renegade Services

Here's the story: Bishop warns Catholics to avoid services started by Life Teen founder

Here's a quote:

A Jan. 3 statement posted on the Web sites of the diocese and St. Timothy Parish said the diocese "wishes to express its grave concern for Catholics who may be misled or confused by the actions of Dale Fushek and Mark Dippre." Dippre is a former associate pastor of St. Timothy who left public ministry in 2002 and later married.

The diocesan statement described Dippre as "a priest not in good standing" and said both men's actions "are not in union with the Catholic Church and may potentially mislead well-intentioned Catholics and other members of the Christian faithful."

"It is important for the faithful to know that both priests are acting contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church and remain disobedient to directives of the bishop of Phoenix to whom they pledged obedience and respect when they were ordained to the priesthood," it continued.

The diocesan statement encouraged Catholics "to refrain from attending or supporting the Praise and Worship Center. We remind Catholics that the ultimate form of praise and worship is and always will be the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and we urge them to keep the Mass as the center of their lives. There is no substitution for the graces received at Mass and no prayer more edifying."

The Web site of the Praise and Worship Center says organizers do not encourage people to either join or leave any particular church or denomination. The center "is not a 'new religion,'" it says, "but is a gathering of people of diverse religious backgrounds and experience as a community for the purpose of praising God in prayer and in service."

The center's mission statement calls for building a community through "worship of God, breaking open the word, total acceptance of each person and learning to love more deeply," to supplement the faith journey of its members.

In a note on the Web site, signed by "Dale," Msgr. Fushek said the goal of the center is to create the type of spiritual renewal experience found at the "tent revivals" he held as a pastor.

"First, we desire to create a gathering of people, of different faiths and backgrounds, in order to create community," he wrote. "Secondly, we desire to create an environment where lively prayer and music ignites our hearts and make us all more passionate for God."

Msgr. Fushek did not respond to Catholic News Service efforts to interview him.

Jim Dwyer, spokesman for the Phoenix Diocese, told CNS that although Msgr. Fushek, a former vicar general of the diocese, has said he resigned from the priesthood in November "it's not that simple. You don't just resign."

Dwyer said, as far as he knows, the process has not begun for Msgr. Fushek to be laicized, which involves an appeal to the Vatican. Dippre has never been formally laicized, Dwyer said, but the diocese considers him "functionally laicized" because he has not been in ministry and has had no ties to the diocese for several years.

But, according to Dwyer, people are confused about Msgr. Fushek's status which prompted the diocese's statement. When the Praise and Worship Center's activities were announced, the diocese neither encouraged nor discouraged people from participating, he said.

But after the first service, the diocese received calls from people who still consider Msgr. Fushek a priest in good standing and asked whether they should participate, he said.

Another problem is that it's unclear what the plans are for the Praise and Worship Center, Dwyer said. "In a sense, it's competing with the Catholic Church. If they're not trying to draw people away, why are they trying to get people to contribute to building up something?"

Dwyer said he knew nothing about reports that employees of St. Timothy Parish were told their jobs were at risk if they participate in the Praise and Worship Center.

"I'm not aware of any direct threats," Dwyer said. "But I'd certainly consider it poor judgment if you're supportive of someone who's being disobedient to the bishop."

You will know them by their fruits.

See also:

"Father Dale" Fallout: Life Teen Founder Indicted For Sexual Misconduct With Young Men Is At Odds With His Diocese

Indicted Life Teen Founder Starts Non-Denominational "Worship Center"

Any thoughts?

Clintonian

See also:

Mitt Romney Attended A Planned Parenthood Fundraiser In 1994

Jimmy Akin On Mitt Romney's Speech: Not Impressed

Any thoughts?

One More Reason Not To Heart Huckabee: Huckabee Forces Attack El Rushbo

Here's the links: Mike Huckabee: The anti-Limbaugh candidate

Huckabee Forces Attack El Rushbo

Huckabee's Rollins Trashes Rush Instead of Debating Conservatism

Identity Politics and the Hucksters – We've seen this phenomenon before with Perot.

My thoughts:

The Republican party is being hurt by the self-centered grab for power by men who have no business running for the Republican nomination. Giuliani, Romney, McCain, and even Ron Paul, shouldn't be running and they're dividing the party by doing so. It may be good for the party to debate its core principles and sort of find its way back from the moderate policies of both Bush presidencies, but not at the expense of losing an election when we're so close to having a Supreme Court with a strict constructionalist majority.

Huckabee is a problem for the Republican party. He's using his Christian identity to grab votes, and it's apparently working, but at the expense of the Republican party and the conservative base.

I'm hoping Huckabee's poll numbers don't reflect his actual standing among voters and that he turns out to be the new Howard Dean.

Liberals are salivating at the idea of Huckabee as the GOP nominee, because Huckabee is loathsome to their base and he'll bring their base o the polls in the same way Hillary will bring the Republican base to the polls. They also love the fact that he's going to be an easy target. Republicans are already queasy from Huckabee's use of religion for political gain.

Success for Huckabee now will only help Rudy Giuliani or possibly John McCain. That's why FOX News (which is clearly pro-Giuliani – to the point of ignoring Fred Thompson in much of their coverage of the primaries, especially on The O'Reilly Factor) is building up Huckabee's candidacy. If Huckabee can knock out Thompson (the only electable, consistent conservative running, and the apparent favorite in the blogosphere and on the internet) and/or hurt Romney, then Giuiani and McCain (who are currently tanking in the polls) have a chance to come back, because Huckabee can't carry states without a big evangelical base, many sensible conservatives won't like his betrayal of conservative principles, and many conservatives will eventually realize Huckabee is not the best nominee to go up against the Democrats in the general election.

Huckabee is not a good candidate for conservatives, because he's not a conservative. As Ann Coulter pointed out, he's running as an evangelical candidate, but he isn't even a consistent evangelical. His positions on Supreme Court decisions are bad for social conservatives. His positions on taxes and big government are bad for fiscal conservatives. His positions on immigration, foreign policy, and executive pardons are bad for all conservatives. Mike Huckabee is essentially a pro-life liberal.

As Rush Limbaugh asked on his program:

"If we can choose a candidate who is pro-life and anti-same-sex marriage and good on national security, illegal immigration, taxes, and spending, why shouldn't we choose that candidate? Why do we have to choose somebody who's trying to get a redefinition of conservatism to comport to his views? By the way, this is not just about Huckabee. This has been my lament from the moment this campaign began, if you recall."

I'm hoping conservatives in Iowa who support Huckabee or Romney realize Fred Thompson is best for conservatism and the pro-life movement.

Otherwise, Republicans may well have to deal with Giuliani as the nominee, which will seriously divide the Republican party.

I'm baffled as to why Huckabee, whose own brand of "compassionate conservatism" will produce the same kind of fiscal policies that caused George W. Bush to fall out of favor with many conservatives is suddenly okay for Mike Huckabee.

That's why I don't heart Huckabee.

Any thoughts?

The Anglican, Archbishop of Canterbury's Perspective On The Birth Of Christ

St. John's Valdosta Blog has the story: "Archbishop" of Canterbury Says Nativity Is a "Legend"

My thoughts:

Catholics should read this book: Free From All Error: Authorship, Inerrancy, Historicity of Scripture, Church Teaching, and Modern Scripture Scholars, by Fr. William Most

Any thoughts?

Mike Huckabee Campaign Parody

I don't think Huckabee would say the things the parody mentions about immigration (and neither would I, because it's wrong to think that way), but Huckabee's unlikely to say such things because his shifting immigration policies have always leaned in the direction of amnesty and providing government benefits and scholarships for illegal immigrants and their children. The rest of the commercial is just about right in terms of the way Huckabee seems to hope voters will perceive his competitors.

The parody may (or may not) amuse you, but the reality is this: Mike Huckabee is not a conservative. (Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and John McCain aren't conservatives, either.)

Giuliani is pro-abortion and therefore not a moral option: The Giuliani Problem, and his logic on the issue of abortion is appalling: Rudy Giuliani On Abortion: "Very Good People Of Equally Good Conscience Could Come To Different Opinions"

Mitt Romney's a problematic candidate: Jimmy Akin On Mitt Romney's Speech: Not Impressed

I continue to maintain that Ron Paul is also problematic: Ron Paul – Not A Catholic Option

The consistent conservative in this race is Fred Thompson: Ann Coulter & Rush Limbaugh Offer Some Constructive Criticism

See also: Fred Thompson "Revolution" Web Ad (Two Minute Version) and Fred Thompson: Serious

As far as Mike Huckabee s concerned, I completely agree with the things Mike Huckaee says about the abortion issue.

I just wish there weren't so many problems with Mike Huckabee.

See: Mike Huckabee Says He's The Strongest Republican on Abortion Issues

Listen to this: Audio: Mike Huckabee invokes Reagan on the Laura Ingraham Show

Then listen to this: Audio: Michelle Malkin debunks Huckabee on the Laura Ingraham show

Any thoughts?

Indicted Life Teen Founder Starts Non-Denominational "Worship Center"

The video above is one of many Life Teen videos on You Tube. It's titled "Life Teen Praise & Worship Fall 2003". The About This Video section says, "Our Lady of Lourdes Life Teen Praise & Worship lead by the Life Teen Band".

This type of Life Teen liturgy, designed to bring lots of teenagers to Mass and involve them in other types of ministries, was the fruit of Monsignor Dale Fushek's priestly ministry.

From Wikipedia:

Life Teen is a Catholic youth ministry organization and movement originating in the United States. It was established in 1985 at St. Timothy's Parish in Mesa, Arizona. Pastor Fr. Dale Fushek, Youth Minister Phil Baniewicz, and Music Minister Tom Booth came up with the plan aimed to revolutionize youth ministry and bring the message of Jesus Christ to teenagers in a way they could understand it. It was decided that a new approach was needed to evangelize the Catholic youth in their area. According to Life Teen sources, they now have over 1000 individual programs in the United States and around the world. Life Teen programs are typically established in individual parishes.

Here's the story: Indicted Mesa priest starts new worship center

Quote:

The former pastor at a Mesa Catholic church who faces seven misdemeanor charges of sexual misconduct has started a new worship center and conducted his first services.

More than 500 worshippers gathered to hear Dale Fushek conduct a service at a Mesa hotel Thursday.

Known as "Monsignor Dale" during his 20 years at St. Timothy's, Fushek co-founded the national Life Teen program and served as vicar general of the Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.

But all that came tumbling down in late 2005, when he was arrested on one count of assault, five counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one count of indecent exposure. He is accused of engaging in sexually related discussions with teenagers during confessions and exposing himself to teens as he got into his hot tub.

Fushek was suspended by the diocese and is now resigning from the priesthood. He is tying to win the right to a jury trial on the charges and a hearing is pending on that issue before the Arizona Supreme Court.

On Thanksgiving Day, he said he was happy to be back before a group of worshippers.

"I feel alive again," he said after the two-hour morning service. "This was inspiring and beautiful. I thought there was a really good spirit among the people here."

Fushek said he started the nondenominational Praise and Worship Center as a place where people can come to worship between regular services, not as competition for the Catholic Church.

Another quote comes to mind:

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.

"Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.'" (Matthew 7:15-23)

This has been a bad week for liturgical innovators and people with appalling musical taste.

First we get this news: Pope To Purge The Vatican of Modern Music

Now we learn that Dale Fushek, the founder of Life Teen, who has been indicted for predatory homosexual acts with minors, thinks it's okay for priests who resign in disgrace to officiate at non-denominational worship services.

It's another blow to insipid liturgies everywhere.

If you aren't familiar with the details of the case against Fushek, you can read them here: For 20 Years Dale Fushek Was the Golden Boy of the Phoenix Catholic Diocese. Now, His Golden Boys Are Talking

Any thoughts?

The Daily Telegraph: Pope To Purge The Vatican of Modern Music

The Daily Telegraph reports, "The Pope is considering a dramatic overhaul of the Vatican in order to force a return to traditional sacred music."

Here's the story: Pope to purge the Vatican of modern music

Here's an extended quote:

After reintroducing the Latin Tridentine Mass, the Pope wants to widen the use of Gregorian chant and baroque sacred music.

In an address to the bishops and priests of St Peter's Basilica, he said that there needed to be "continuity with tradition" in their prayers and music.

He referred pointedly to "the time of St Gregory the Great", the pope who gave his name to Gregorian chant.

Gregorian chant has been reinstituted as the primary form of singing by the new choir director of St Peter's, Father Pierre Paul.

He has also broken with the tradition set up by John Paul II of having a rotating choir, drawn from churches all over the world, to sing Mass in St Peter's.

The Pope has recently replaced the director of pontifical liturgical celebrations, Archbishop Piero Marini, with a man closer to his heart, Mgr Guido Marini. It is now thought he may replace the head of the Sistine Chapel choir, Giuseppe Liberto.

The International Church Music Review recently criticised the choir, saying: "The singers wanted to overshout each other, they were frequently out of tune, the sound uneven, the conducting without any artistic power, the organ and organ playing like in a second-rank country parish church."

Mgr Valentin Miserachs Grau, the director of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, which trains church musicians, said that there had been serious "deviations" in the performance of sacred music.

"How far we are from the true spirit of sacred music. How can we stand it that such a wave of inconsistent, arrogant and ridiculous profanities have so easily gained a stamp of approval in our celebrations?" he said.

He added that a pontifical office could correct the abuses, and would be "opportune". He said: "Due to general ignorance, especially in sectors of the clergy, there exists music which is devoid of sanctity, true art and universality."

Mgr Grau said that Gregorian chant was the "cardinal point" of liturgical music and that traditional music "should become again the living soul of the assembly".

The Pope favoured the idea of a watchdog for church music when he was the cardinal in charge of safeguarding Catholic doctrine.

I always enjoy Gerald's posts on this topic at The Cafeteria Is Closed. Here are a couple gems:

Kicking butt and taking names

Angry screed - Let me tell you how I really feel

My thoughts:

Deo gratias!

One can only hope that such a purge will eventually save Catholics from the banal music heard in so many parishes.

It's time to put the ubiquitous "Here I Am Lord" (words and music are by Daniel L. Schutte, S.J.) out to pasture.

Incidentally, has anyone else noticed that a section of the chorus sounds exactly like a slower tempo version of the Brady Bunch theme?

Is it I Lord?/of a lovely lady

I have heard You, calling in the night/Who was bringing up three very lovely girls

This quote sums things up nicely:

“Two thousand years of music for the Christian church, including some very fine recent contributions, and all of it gets shoved aside for The Brady Bunch.” - Thomas Day, Why Catholics Can’t Sing, on “Here I Am, Lord”

More on Schutte here:

Schutte is a leader of the dreadful movement in modern liturgical music that has changed the emphasis of our hymns from adoring, praising, and glorifying God to pridefully asserting how wonderful and faithful and loving and marvelous We ourselves are. A discerning eye will note how often these new hymns mention "I" and "My" and "Us" and "Our" far more often than the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Eucharist, God the Father, Jesus Christ, the angels and saints, or even the wages of sin or the grace that saved a wretch such as "me."

More troubling is the fact that Schutte is no longer a priest but is now publicly identified as a partnered gay man. He is best known for his song, "Here I am, Lord, " a song that has become the anthem for the dissenting gay rights movement within the Catholic Church.

There should be, and probably are, Church laws against Catholic dioceses and colleges sponsoring workshops by former priests living what most Catholics consider a scandalous lifestyle. But as one of our local pastors quipped, when asked why his parish was making a liturgical change that violated Canon Law, "In this diocese, we don't obey Canon Law. We obey the bishop."

More after the jump...