A reader writes from Maryland:
Like so many throughout the US, our priest read a letter during the Holy Mass on Sunday from our bishop, in this case Cardinal Archbishop Weurl of DC. It dealt with the mandate from the Obama Administration and HHS Secretary Sebelius forcing religious institutions to cover contraception and sterilizations in their healthcare insurance policies.
It was a very strongly worded letter and I applaud the Cardinal Archbishop for his strong, public stand.
After the Mass was over, I thanked our pastor for being such a courageous defender of the faith. He then told me that the retired priest who helps at the parish boycotted all the Masses this weekend, that is, he did not celebrate any of the Holy Masses because he refused to read the Archbishop’s letter. What a classic example of the defiance and disobedience that is the hallmark of his generation of priests. God help him.
Booyah to Abp. Wuerl (who used to be out here in Seattle, by the by). Thanks for showing the moxie to stand up to our God King on this. I’m not so sure the priest who protested is a “hallmark” of his generation, but it is sad that there even those among the clergy who want to see Caesar smash religious conscience. If God does not hear our prayers and allows the US to continue on its path, they will wind up seeing a lot more smashing from the People’s Democratic National Security State of Heaven and even these incurably foolish people will not like it when they do.
Resist!
I might have missed it, but I didn’t hear the priest at our parish read the letter but it certainly was not because he disagreed with Cardinal Wuerl; he gave a strong sermon where protested the actions of the Obama administration. I suspect his omission had something to do with him being an extended visitor to the diocese (he is studying at Catholic University right now) and therefore he may not have gotten the word.
In any case, I am happy to say, even if it is not appropriate, quite a few people applauded when he finished his sermon.
I am not sure whether or not all the parishes in the Archdiocese of Seattle were instructed to read/discuss this, but as is typical of our parish, nothing was mentioned. I wrote a letter to the priest expressing my concerns and how I would support his efforts to educate our parishioners on these matters. I seriously doubt it will do any good, but if nothing is ever mentioned to me, I will go to the Archbishop and ask why his priests refuse to discuss these things.
He then told me that the retired priest who helps at the parish boycotted all the Masses this weekend, that is, he did not celebrate any of the Holy Masses because he refused to read the Archbishop’s letter.
I think that father committed detraction .
Hmm, that is a possibility, though it is arguable.
What Father should have done was to announce at all the Masses that Fr. X would no longer be coming to “help out.”
“He then told me that the retired priest who helps at the parish boycotted all the Masses this weekend, that is, he did not celebrate any of the Holy Masses because he refused to read the Archbishop’s letter.”
Betcha he is a Spirit of Vatican II practitioner.
I’m with the Cardinal and the rest of you. But since less than 25% of self-identified “Catholics” attend Mass weekly, the work has really barely begun. Let’s mobilize the pew-sitters into action to explain and defend the teachings of the faith to our neighbors, coworkers, non-Catholics, and less practicing Catholics. If we can’t fire up the 75% who don’t attend Mass and the 90% who contracept so they don’t just shrug this off, I could see the administration getting re-elected to another four-year term with the majority of the self-identifying Catholic vote, the Church getting out of the hospital and college businesses, and the President and his Sec. of HHS lauded in the press as geniuses. Time to get cracking.