Catholic Sensibility

The Catholic English-speakers think they’re getting picked on? What about non-Western cultures in Asia? Father William Grimm has an interesting commentary on UCA News today.

Bishops there have had to convince Rome that some European gestures and words are better left on the other side of the Urals. One doesn’t kiss an altar in Japan … and get away with it as a gesture of anything less than sexual. Fr Grimm:

It appears that since sex enters the picture, the curial officials involved have finally agreed to back down and allow some form of bow instead.

The slavish translators have run into another Japanese roadblock: there is no word for “spirit,” except with two connotations I don’t think belong in the liturgy: as a spook or ghost, or in the sense of a hyper-patriotic spirit. With typical bureaucratic hubris:

The curial response to native Japanese speakers who try to point out that difficulty has been that they just do not know their own language well enough.

Check out this quote from a Roman document of a different era:

Make no endeavor and in no way persuade these people to change their rites, habits and mores as long as these are not very manifestly contrary to religion and good mores. Indeed, what would be more absurd than to introduce Gaul, Spain, Italy or some other part of Europe to China? Bring not these things but the faith, which neither rejects nor harms the rites and customs of any nation provided they are not perverse but which rather desires them to remain intact.

And because it is almost the nature of men to prefer in estimation and love their own things, and especially their own nation, to things that belong to others, there exists no cause of hatred and alienation more poignant than the tampering with native customs, above all, of those which men have grown accustomed to from the memory of their forefathers. Especially is this true when you substitute and bring in the mores of your own country in place of those you have removed. Therefore never interchange the practices of these people with European practices; rather with great diligence become accustomed to their practices.

From the permissive and over-accommodating 60′s and 70′s? Nope. It goes back to ’59. Really.

1659.

Deacon Greg linked this NYT Kenneth Wolfe op-ed on his blog. The usual meme: Annibale Bugnini was the antichrist; the pope and bishops were stupid:

How was Bugnini able to make such sweeping changes? In part because none of the popes he served were liturgists. Bugnini changed so many things that John’s successor, Paul VI, sometimes did not know the latest directives. The pope once questioned the vestments set out for him by his staff, saying they were the wrong color, only to be told he had eliminated the week-long celebration of Pentecost and could not wear the corresponding red garments for Mass. The pope’s master of ceremonies then witnessed Paul VI break down in tears.

It’s really no wonder Catholic conservatives go off on Bishop Trautman. The people-are-stupid complaint seems to be their home turf. American Catholics voted for Obama: they were ignorant. Two-thousand Catholic bishops adopted the vernacular in the 60′s: they didn’t know better. The pope gets sad over the end of the Pentecost Octave: he wasn’t a liturgist.

Baptism pokes into the news now and then, especially with recent irregularities on words and form. Let’s read how RCIA instructs it be done:

226. The celebrant baptizes each candidate either by immersion, option A, or by the pouring of water, option B. Each baptism may be followed by a short acclamation (see Appendix II, RCIA no. 595), sung or said by the people.

[If there are a great number to be baptized, they may be baptized in groups and baptized by assisting priests or deacons. In baptizing, either by immersion, option A, or by the pouring of water, option B, these ministers say the sacramental formulary for each candidate. During the baptisms, singing by the people is desirable or readings from Scripture or simply silent prayer.]

A. If baptism if by immersion, of the whole body or of the head only, decency and decorum should be preserved. Either or both godparents touch the candidate. The celebrant, immersing the candidate’s whole body or head three times, baptizes the candidate in the name of the Trinity.

N., I baptize you in the name of the Father

He immerses the candidate the first time.

and of the Son

He immerses the candidate the second time.

and of the Holy Spirit.

He immerses the candidate the third time.

B. If baptism if by pouring of water, either or both godparents place the right hand on the shoulder of the candidate, and the celebrant, taking baptismal water and pouring it three times on the candidate’s bowed head, baptizes the candidate in the name of the Trinity.

N., I baptize you in the name of the Father

He pours water the first time.

and of the Son

He pours water the second time.

and of the Holy Spirit.

He pours water the third time.

Commentary:

The rite calls for music. I think the baptismal acclamation needs some attention. It should be singable, memorable, and sturdy. There’s something to be said for using the same acclamation for infant baptisms, either at Mass or at liturgies outside of the Eucharist. As a pastoral liturgist, that says to me the acclamation should sing well without accompaniment. At the Vigil, obviously, one would presume instruments offering a festive arrangement not unlike what would be provided for the alleluia before the Gospel or the Eucharistic acclamations.

The provision for large numbers of baptisms is interesting. Did you notice the explicit priority for music? First, songs. Second, Scripture readings. Third, silent prayer.

Touching and body contact: note the importance given to the physical contact of the godparent(s). Note also the prescription for a threefold soaking; not one immersion with the threefold formula. There’s not any reason why a threefold soaking shouldn’t take place.

Notice also in option B that pouring on a forehead is not an option given in the rite. The choreography the Church gives is that the candidate bows her or his head–not tilts–and that water is poured over the head, not the upper face.

See anything else in the rite you may have missed? I have to say I never noted the preference for Scripture readings above silent prayer.

She said, “Don’t call me a saint. I don’t want to be dismissed so easily.” I like this quote from her:

I feel that all families should have the conveniences and comforts which modern living brings and which do simplify life, and give time to read, to study, to think, and to pray. And to work in the apostolate, too. But poverty is my vocation, to live as simply and poorly as I can, and never to cease talking and writing of poverty and destitution. Here and everywhere.

Three decades (almost) after her death, I’d say the time for dismissing a living Dorothy Day as a saint is past. I think the admiration for her will outlast the Vaticanistis who moderate the causes for sainthood. It really doesn’t matter if she gets this day as a feast or not. People will do to her what they do for declared saints. They will read her books and others’ books about her and be inspired. They will serve the poor at houses of hospitality. They will follow her path and do things heroic and saintly.

John Paul II may well be declared a saint, but consider that very very few people will ever follow in his footsteps. Teresa of Kolkata–people will follow her. Dorothy Day–people will follow her, too. We would do well to follow and imitate this person, and I don’t think that’s a dismissive comment at all.

I’ve thought this opening for Sirach 21 would make a thoughtful reading for reconciliation. I’ve pitched it to the pastor for this year’s liturgies. (We have two.) I’ve suggested we match it to Luke 3:2-3, 7-8, picking up a bit of Luke’s gospel that doesn’t appear during Advent. The music will be Psalm 80 for entrance and “On Jordan’s Bank” at the end. Is that gospel passage too strongly worded, do you think? Would you keep or omit verse 9?

The NJB version of Sirach 21:1-6 reads:

My child, have you sinned? Do so no more, and ask forgiveness for your previous faults.
Flee from sin as from a snake, if you approach it, it will bite you; its teeth are lion’s teeth, they take human life away.
All law-breaking is like a two-edged sword, the wounds it inflicts are beyond cure.
Terror and violence make havoc of riches, similarly, desolation overtakes the houses of the proud.
A plea from the mouth of the poor goes straight to the ear of God, whose judgement comes without delay.
Whoever resents reproof walks in the sinner’s footsteps; whoever fears the Lord is repentant of heart.

Snakes and lions. For the ancients, these were real worries. Especially for those who went off wandering in the wilds. Verse 4 might strike more fear into modern folks. What the NJB translates as “terror and violence” is rendered “violence and arrogance” in the RNAB. Even so, many of us are rightly fearful about having our homes “overtaken” or in the RNAB, “destroyed.”

The long-simmering discussion for many conservatives is the use of blue during Advent. There are a few distinctions, often overlooked, I think. First, I see very little blue replacing purple these days. I think this is the barbell memory of many conservatives, like Father Z, who seem to focus on some long-ago offense, possibly before they were even born. Second, blue works quite well as a complement to Advent purple. Few churches I’ve seen are monochromatic in their approach to any other liturgical season, even ordinary time. So why would Advent be different? Banning blue seems extreme.

I’ve never read anything that would counterindicate one couldn’t use the color blue somewhere in an Advent church. When I reproduced the Advent wreath pic in the last Armchair Liturgist post, I noticed the candle color didn’t really get captured by my cell phone. The banners behind the Advent Angels look even bluer in the distance. I wondered if I’d draw any comment on that.

So sit in the (appropriately) purple chair and render judgment. Should blue replace purple? Is using blue as part of a palette including purple appropriate? Or is the ban on any blue appropriate?

Not a good week for the Roman Catholic hierarchy. There is a bright side, however. In a way, it’s a good thing the new English translation wasn’t rushed into action by tonight, like the earliest timetables were suggesting. Can you imagine? One of many Irish dioceses in turmoil, and American women religious (with support around the world and at home) now in open non-compliance with Cardinal Rodé’s investigation. Asking the lay people to go on about fault, fault, grievous fault? If it weren’t so scandalous, it would turn the penitential rite into a laughfest.

I wasn’t aware the Irish report was just a sampling from one diocese. Just imagine what the report would hold if it were like the Jay Study: numbers derived from everybody abused in the country who is still alive. And that still wouldn’t include women, adult men, or those who have been abused in a non-sexual way.

This is one time that I actually feel badly for the institutional church. I really do. I think there is a valid and spiritual place for leadership in Christendom. In the best of times, leaders are chosen with openness to the Holy Spirit, and are part of an ordered ministry of the Gospel. What some cheer as a “JP priesthood” would seem to be a curial notion of human loyalty. I find it quite sad that otherwise sound and sensible commentators actually celebrate the culture of ego intruding on what should be a culture of service.

Now, we will see if a suitable culture of penance will take root among the Irish episcopacy. Almost eight years and billions in legal settlements later, the American bishops are still trying to spin this as a priest problem. Pass the buck. Play the blame game. I suspect this Irish situation is somewhat more white hot than what hit the US in 2002.

Personally, I think we need to see some serious shuffling in the upper hierarchy. Red hats taken back from some individuals. Expectant sees denied them in the future. Down with Boston, and up with another New England city. Down with Dublin and up with another Irish city. Not every nation has a cardinal, and perhaps some have too many.

Amid calls from some stateside Catholics to disband the USCCB, my suggestion is to dismantle the Congregation for Bishops. It wouldn’t guarantee better bishops necessarily, but I’d say there are many Catholics around the world who can rightly question the competence of Rome-picked appointees. It’s a sad day when we have good reason to question the very moral orthodoxy of some prelates. Lacking a confession of fault, fault, grievous fault, and a suitable period of reconciliation, I’m not sure certain select prelates have anything at all to say or offer in terms of religious leadership. It’s one thing to wax on about skulls of bishops and road pavement. That’s the afterlife, as it were. There are good Catholics thinking far worse today about prelates who aren’t even dead yet. And who’s to say any of it is wrong?

I had hopes for the election of Pope Benedict in 2005. But I think through his appointees the man and curia are losing their grip on the Church. Some may well celebrate the end of authoritarianism, but jeez: this is an outright embarrassment.

The home tradition of an Advent wreath has, for better or for worse, invaded our churches.

Sit in that purple chair and render judgment as a new liturgical year commences. How would you handle the Advent wreath in a church?  Does it not belong at all: would you be a holdout for keeping it in the home?

If you used it, how would you execute the plan? A small house-sized wreath in some corner of the sanctuary? Put it in the narthex, suspend over the assembly heads, devote a devotional space to it?

What about something big? I knew a parish that used an eight-foot wagon wheel. While that was a good proportion for their large church, it was a pretty hefty display. At one of my parishes, they covered an eight-foot plywood ring with chicken wire, then stripped down two trees to flesh it out. It was mounted on the wall near the baptismal font. A liturgist colleague told me of her parish where the Advent wreath was positioned inside the front entrance. People walked through it on the way on and out–it night have been twelve feet in diameter.

Nothing really teeny or huge for us at the student center:

How was your Black Friday? Where on earth did they come up with that term, anyway? Isn’t this supposed to be a happy day for the economy, with all these people pouring their recession-squeezed dollars into the coffers of business?

I was working on a freelance assignment and the computer monitor went dead. (It’s been dying for weeks.) So it was off to Best Buy. I was grumbling. My wife reminded me that a computer monitor was a necessity for my writing work and for the young miss’s homsework. What a sensible spouse.

She also mentioned that our printer has been dead for the last few months, so I made a deal. If we could find a scanner/printer combo for less than $100, we’d get that too. (I confess I’ve been getting tired of having Brit send her homework to my office and having to plunk down 5 cents a copy into the personal use envelope.)

Well, we found “best” buys for both items under a hundred. A good bit under, in fact. No more 1999 clunky television set on the computer desk.

It was our second venture into the High Holy Day of Materialism. The young miss had saved up some money for a cd player. She thought one of those under-the-counter models would be a perfect mount on the headboard of her bed. She was curious about why they also had timers. I told her the usual use wasn’t on a bed, but under a kitchen cupboard. So we had been out earlier this morning looking for such things. The local Target was pretty crazy. I was glad to escape from there.

Any good deals?

I saw this effort to put Christmas back in the economic spotlight. I wish them the best. Meanwhile, if you see me around, “Happy Advent” or better, “Blessed Advent” is fine until sundown on Christmas Eve. “Happy holidays” is also okay. After that, Merry Christmas is great all the way through to January 10th this year.

Honestly, I never saw the problem with “Happy Holidays” as an alternative. Given the Orthodox devotion to Epiphany/Theophany as the apex of the Nativity cycle, I think we can easily suggest there are multiple Christian holidays the first two weeks of winter.

The rite has already explained in section 211 that the renunciation of sin and profession of faith are two inseparable part of one ritual. According to RCIA 223, after the baptismal water is blessed, sin is renounced and faith professed.

RCIA 224 gives three formularies from which to choose to reject sin. Choice A:

Do you reject sin so as to live in the freedom of God’s children?

Do you reject the glamor of evil, and refuse to be mastered by sin?

Do you reject Satan, father of sin and prince of darkness?

Choice B:

Do you reject Satan, and all his works, and all his empty promises?

Choice C separates B’s questions.

In RCIA 225, the celebrant, informed again of each candidate’s name by the godparents, questions the candidates individually. Each candidate  is baptized immediately after his or her profession of faith.

[If there are a great many to be baptized, the profession of faith may be made simultaneously either by all together or group by group, then the baptism of each candidate follows.]

And the Creed follows in question and answer format.

Note the preference for the individual questioning and then the immediate baptism. Even with smallish groups of candidates, say three or four, I don’t recall having seen the first option used in many years. What have you readers seen at your Easter Vigils?

Dilbert nailed it last week.

Somehow I don’t think the blogosphere is quite ready to shoulder serious journalism in response. Kevin Clarke at America notes a full-scale withdrawal by the WaPo. We already know they’re running away from religion faster than the eighth plague devoured Egypt. I can tell you the blogs sure aren’t ready to fill the gap with their Dogbert-style cheapskate gossip. I used to read the Chicago Tribune, so I had a sad laugh at this money quote:

The Chicago Tribune had likewise long ago given up the ghost on international and national coverage (I’m not sure they’re covering Chicago anymore)

Another blogger commented to me earlier today:

What exactly do you think you’re going to accomplish here? Have you ever changed a mind?

My task isn’t to change minds. If you need conversion, don’t look to a human being. Seek Christ.

As a blogger I look for interesting facts that fit my interests. When I visit other places, if I see things that don’t quite ring true factually, I’ll point them out. I don’t care greatly if blog hosts change their minds, ban me, or do something in between. I like to write. I can get a rise out of some less than logical bloggers. That’s pretty fun, too. That’s about all there is to it.

As for this blog or any other writing endeavor you see me in, I will strive for not only parasitism on other people’s news, but I’ll hopefully have some original commentary to add. If I can’t think of anything decent or thoughtful to mention, I probably won’t post on it.

Speaking of blogging, I should be getting news soon of another internet endeavor I’ve been invited to join. It will be somewhat pleasant to get out of the contention of Catholic blogging on occasion. I’ll pass along the information as things develop. For now, I’ll just say it will be a fun supplement to what I do here at CS.

Non-cooperation seems to be the widespread response to the Vatican investigation of women religious. From Tom Fox at NCR:

With about half of the responses from the nation’s 59,000 women religious accounted for, only about one percent answered, as directed, most or all of the questions contained in the study’s working paper, officially called an Instrumentum Laboris, according to one informed source.

By contrast, according to the source, congregations representing, by far, the greater majority of women religious decided not to comply and answered only a few, or none, of the questions. Many of the 340 U.S. apostolic congregation heads instead sent letters to Millea stating that what they were sending was what the Vatican was looking for.

“Cover letters [to Millea] have been respectful and kind,” one woman, familiar with the responses, told NCR. “Many of the letters have essentially said that what we have to say about ourselves has already been said in our religious constitutions.”

Bishops don’t want to pay. Women aren’t cooperating. Lawyers, canon and civil, have been consulted. Anybody want to render a prediction as to what happens next?

I’d say this is all unfamiliar territory for the Vatican. American clergy might be restive about being hung out to dry by bishops. Over 50,000 religious is a most unangry non-cooperative mood. Bishops demurring on donations. I doubt that the conservative blogosphere would hesitate, though. Just set up a paypal button on every self-styled orthodox web site, right?

This is one of three very long prayers of the Easter Vigil. The rubrics are as follows:

222. After the Litany of the Saints, the celebrant blesses the water, using the blessing formulary given in option A.

When baptism is celebrated outside the Easter Vigil (see RCIA 26), the celebrant may use any of the blessing formularies given in options A, B, and C.

But when baptism is celebrated during the Easter season (see RCIA 26) and water already blessed at the Easter Vigil is available, the celebrant uses either option D or option E, so that this part of the celebration will retain the themes of thanksgiving and intercession.

Thanksgiving and intercession: just like the Eucharist. Here’s the text of option A:

Father, you give us grace through sacramental signs,
which tell us of the wonders of your unseen power.

In baptism we use your gift of water,
which you have made a rich symbol
of the grace you give us in this sacrament.

At the very dawn of creation
your Spirit breathed on the waters,
making them the wellspring of all holiness.

The waters of the great flood
you made a sign of the waters of baptism,
that make an end of sin
and a new beginning of goodness.

Through the waters of the Red Sea
you led Israel out of slavery,
to be an image of God’s holy people,
set free from sin by baptism.

In the waters of the Jordan
your Son was baptized by John
and anointed with the Spirit.

Your Son willed that water and blood
should flow from his side
as he hung upon the cross.

After his resurrection he told his disciples:
“Go out and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Father, look now with love upon your Church,
and unseal for her the fountain of baptism.

By the power of the Spirit
give to this water the grace of your Son,
so that in the sacrament of baptism
all those whom you have created in your likeness
may be cleansed from sin
and rise to a new birth of innocence
by water and the Holy Spirit.

Here, if this can be done conveniently, the celebrant before continuing lowers the Easter candle into the water once or three times, then holds it there until the acclamation at the end of the blessing.

[Outside the Easter Vigil, the celebrant before continuing simply touches the water with his right hand.]

We ask you, Father, with your Son
to send the Holy Spirit upon the waters of this font.

May all who were buried with Christ in the death of baptism
rise also with him to newness of life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The people sing the following or some other suitable acclamation.

Springs of water, bless the Lord. Give him glory and praise for ever.

Commentary:

It’s all based on Scripture. It’s deeply trinitarian.

I’ve seen the presider continue the text as the candle is lowered three times. It would seem that a pause is called for in the rite.

What are the other options like? Shorter, with brief acclamations inserted into the text.

Thoughts? Comments?

Here’s the schedule:

During Advent, St. Cecilia Parish in Detroit hosting four “Thug Sundays” with 8:30 a.m. Mass and a community-wide gun buyback:

Saturday, Nov. 28 – The St. Cecilia gun buyback, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., 10400 Stoepel St., Detroit

Sunday, Nov. 29 First Thug Sunday Mass: “Making Room for God in Your Life”

Dec. 6 Second Thug Sunday Mass: “How to Prepare Oneself to Prepare for Jesus”

Dec. 13 Third Thug Sunday Mass: “Choosing to Live in Hope”

Dec. 20 Fourth Thug Sunday Mass: “Be Surprised by Joy”

Fr Theodore Parker, pastor, concedes …

At first they were kind of taken aback by the term. But, I explained the fact that we’re not asking people to come to church with guns blazing.

Other churches, other communities have done things like this. Police assist the church in getting the guns out of circulation. Fr Parker again:

All these guns do no more than aggravate the problems in the city. People do resort to guns because of the anger and the emotion of the moment.

Not much positive to say about the hip-hop experience, either:

It seems to be a culture that has flat-lined morally. Basically (the culture) is about what you can get, when you can get it. It’s an African-American sort of expression of the general American experience.

It’s a whole different world from translations, eh? It’s the real world, where people are not on the knife edge of Church disunity and conflict, but where people are on the edge of their very lives.