July 11, 2009
The Episcopal Church determines its policies, liturgies, etc. through regular (every 3 years) meetings of bishops, clergy, and laity called General Convention. It was at a General Convention in 2003 that openly gay and partnered Gene Robinson was approved as bishop, starting off the worldwide firestorm in the Anglican Communion. TEC this time around is wrestling with same-sex blessings, how to embrace (or not) homosexual activity, liturgical concerns, and social questions. Clearly the biggest issues for TEC revolve around sexuality, but for many people, myself included, the liturgical questions are the most interesting.
Since I cannot cover all the topics myself (nor would I want to since this is a Catholic blog), I thought I would link to various resources on the event:
BabyBlueOnline
TitusOneNine (General Convention 2009)
Stand Firm in Faith (GenCon 2009 search)
I know many of us have strong feelings about TEC and wonder what the point of praying would even be. But, I still think we should pray for those in TEC and their General Convention.
Leave a Comment » | 
Anglican and Episcopal | Tagged: Catholic, Episcopal, General Convention 2009, Homosexuality, Liturgy | 
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Posted by Jonathan B
July 9, 2009
The Catholic Church in Australia has offered 100,000 dollars towards adult stem cell research and has already given 300,000.
I think this is great because sometimes the Church is criticized for hectoring society about right and wrong. While the Church certainly has that duty (well, I wouldn’t use the word hector), I think it’s awesome that the Church down under has decided to back up its principles with money. Oh, and adult stem cell research has actually produced results, which is nice too.
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Pro-Life Issues | Tagged: adult stem cell research, Australia, Catholic Church, stem cell research | 
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Posted by Jonathan B
July 7, 2009
I went to Barnes and Noble this weekend and got a chance to actually visit a bookstore since I normally do most of my shopping online. It was, however, nice to check out some of the various Bibles out there and actually look inside.
The first interesting one I saw was the Green Bible. I’m sure it was made in an eco-friendly fashion, but the oddest part was that it includes words about nature and the earth in green text. While it’s an interesting concept, it still strikes me as a waste of money, or better yet an attempt to get others to waste their money (I’m sure they’ll find quite a few takers).
The second “unique” Bible was the American Patriot’s Bible, which combines Scripture with themes from US history. I love Scripture and am generally proud of my country, if not a lot of my countrymen (and women)…but…this is way too much. Although it looks like the writers were as sensitive as possible, the whole endeavor strikes me as idolatry.
The final Bible that I examined was the new Orthodox Study Bible with the Septuagint translated for the Old Testament. It has many notes from an Orthodox perspective. Although it comes from an evangelical convert apologetic angle, it still looked helpful. It’s definitely the only one of the group that I’d buy if money were more plentiful.
I also noticed that someone had put little fundamentalist tracts in all of the Catholic Bibles. I took care of that.
4 Comments | 
Scripture | Tagged: American Patriot Bible, Bibles, Catholic, Green Bible, Orthodox Study Bible, Scripture | 
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Posted by Jonathan B
July 4, 2009
Most Holy Trinity: Our Father in Heaven, who chose Mary as the fairest of Your daughters; Holy Spirit, who chose Mary as Your Spouse; God the Son who chose Mary as Your Mother, in union with Mary we adore Your Majesty and acknowledge Your supreme, eternal dominion and authority.
Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to You. Through her we wish to thank You for the great resources of this land and for the freedom which has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our President and on all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy, born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor. Protect the family life of the nation. Guard the precious gift of many religious vocations. Through the intercession of Our Mother, have mercy on the sick, the tempted, sinners – on all who are in need.
Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Our Mother, Patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give ourselves to you. Protect us from every harm. Pray for us, that acting always according to your will and the Will of your Divine Son, we may live and die pleasing to God. Amen.
Source (which also includes a very cool litany with all 50 states)
Leave a Comment » | Prayers and Requests | Tagged: fourth of july, Immaculate Conception, patron, Prayer, United States | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
July 2, 2009
Pope Benedict’s newest encyclical is due to be released July 7th. It will be a social encyclical and will reflect on the economy in light of the current crisis. Knowing the Pope as I do (well, not personally), it will no doubt be solidly Catholic and grounded in true notions of justice. One author feels that American Catholics can apply these principles through healthcare reform. To the author’s credit, she doesn’t equate the Catholic position with Obamacare as some have done. Yet, I know that reforming healthcare is not as simple as executing justice or punishing the “evildoers.” Here’s why.
Who is the evildoer? The insurance company that denies or stalls coverage or charges high rates? The business that requires its employees to cough up more money or drops coverage? The doctor who wants a six or seven figure salary? Most liberal leaning Catholics (and people) would probably answer yes to all three. And, in some senses, they’d be right. Insurance companies, businesses, and doctors sometimes behave badly and treat others badly.
But, to borrow from Michael Jackson, we should start with the “man in the mirror.” Healthcare costs are high because, like with the financial crisis, we take huge risks with our health and expect others to bail us out when it all collapses. We incur bad habits and make poor lifestyle choices and then someone has to pay for it. So, we blame others for being unjust when most Americans are committing several deadly sins that have lead to our current predicament.
So, the liberal solution, to which some Catholics have given the Church’s imprimatur without consulting anyone in authority, is to simply provide more supply without decreasing demand. It’s kind of like saying that since the price is oil is high and some people can’t afford gasoline, we’ll just buy gas for everyone. That, of course, would simply lead to shortages and rationing while not doing anything to bring down the price from too much consumption. That, folks, is what Obamacare will bring, in addition to deficits and lackluster care.
A balanced Catholic approach should work to get people taken care of better in the short term, while emphasizing personal health responsibility and accountability in the long term.
1 Comment | Catholic, General | Tagged: Benedict, caritas in veritate, Catholic, encyclical, Obamacare, Pope Benedict XVI, universal healthcare | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
June 30, 2009
When it comes to churches, a lot.
I know this post will seem a little like nitpicking, but I’ve noticed that when some conservatives leave the Episcopal Church, they name their churches in ways that aren’t terribly catholic. The names sometimes reflect what you would see at a Presbyterian or Baptist church. I looked through a few conservative Anglican websites that are associated with the AMiA and ACNA and found that while names like St. Peter, St. Andrew, and even Divine Mercy Anglican were present, there were also some other interesting, more evangelical ones: Emmanuel Anglican Fellowship, City of Grace, Legacy Anglican Church, Faith Anglican, Church of the Word, Galilee Church, New Hope Anglican, New Wine Anglican. While there’s nothing wrong with these names, this is indicative of how the new, emerging alternative Anglicanism in North America has a huge evangelical contingent. How New Wine Anglican and Divine Mercy Anglican (a FIF parish btw) will co-exist and thrive in the long run is a big question.
2 Comments | Anglican and Episcopal | Tagged: Anglican, Anglican Church in North America, Anglican Mission in America, Anglo-Catholic, Catholic, Episcopal | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
June 25, 2009
The USCCB has fortunately clarified its views on missions to the Jews. Essentially, they upheld the Great Commission, which is exactly what I would expect of a Christian body. This has angered some Jewish groups. (See the USCCB statement (.pdf) and the response of the Anti-Defamation League)
Ecumenism is important. So, is interfaith dialogue. But, and our partners must realize this, even when we hope to learn, understand, celebrate, cooperate, or find common ground, we are still guided by the call to evangelize.
It probably won’t (and shouldn’t) look like the evangelical Protestant way of doing things, but we can’t get around it (if we’re doing our jobs). We can and must do it respectfully; we can and must give the other side a chance to be authentic regarding their views; but at the end of the day, our most basic calling as baptized Christians is to tell others about Jesus.
That is a non-negotiable part of the Catholic Faith.
Leave a Comment » | Catholic, General, Ecumenism | Tagged: Anti-Defamation League, christian, evangelism, Jewish, statement, USCCB | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
June 23, 2009
A permanent deacon was cured of severe spinal problems that would have prevented him from providing for his family and receiving ordination after asking the intercession of Ven. John Henry Newman. A Vatican committee recognized that there is no medical explanation for the healing and this miracle means that Newman is ready for beatification, pending formal papal approval.
Newman is an interesting figure and certainly has been a huge influence for many of us Catholics who used to be Anglican. I won’t get into a lot of the details now, but Newman, an Anglo-Catholic, discovered that movement’s weaknesses which eventually led him to Rome.
2 Comments | Saints and Sainthood | Tagged: Anglican, beatification, Catholic, John Henry Newman, miracle | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
June 20, 2009
I’ve decided that there’s no better time to visit the area shrines than during this summer. Ever since I’ve been Catholic I’ve always been fascinated by shrines. They are, to be sure, special places. For example, one local shrine has a rock from where Mary stood at Lourdes and another was the spot of a miracle. You’d be surprised how many shrines are close to your area, some small, some large. I will be posting on my shrine experiences (3 on tap). Here is a place to find shrines. If you decide to go or have had meaningful experience already, please share in the comments box.
4 Comments | Catholic, General | Tagged: catholic shrines, lourdes, Mary, our lady of consolation, summer | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
June 18, 2009
A mother-daughter team on the reality TV show Biggest Loser not only lost a bunch of weight, but also gained a deeper relationship with God and a renewed commitment to the Catholic Church. Interestingly, the show’s contestants often had discussions about religion and Kristin Steede, the daughter in the Catholic team, felt that she didn’t know enough about her faith, which helped her want to go and learn more.
I love Biggest Loser, so naturally this story appealed to me. I also think it shows how important catechesis is. Many Catholics want to know more and desire the Truth, but have been shortchanged by their education.
Leave a Comment » | Catholic, General | Tagged: biggest loser, Catechesis, Catholic, Cathy Skell, Kristin Steede | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
June 16, 2009
And by this I mean the Catholic movement within Anglicanism, not Catholicism in England, although the two could become the same again. For a movement devoted to reclaiming the past, talk of the future is very important. The mass conversion of a group of Episcopalian nuns has gotten me thinking about the topic of Anglo-Catholicism as a movement. Will it survive? Can it survive? How should it survive? Does it even matter? Here are a few options that I’ve either thought about personally or read about on the internet:
-Stay and work for a “reform” of the reform (or innovation)- Rowan Williams is not Pope Benedict (in the scope of his jurisdiction or his resolve) and at any rate, I think the changes in the last 30+ years within Anglicanism run too deep. TEC has a female presiding bishop and will probably have a majority of female clergy in the next few years and the vast majority of the world’s Anglicans are evangelical.
-Form or join an alternative Anglican community- This has been a preferred solution for many Anglo-Catholics in the USA since the changes in the Prayer Book and women’s ordination. It has not led to much except a proliferation of small churches populated largely by bishops. Plus, it’s kind of ironic to further a Catholic movement through continuous schism.
-Stay and hunker down- Considering how much Anglo-Catholics are in the minority now in the USA and especially the world, this option doesn’t have much promise. You can only survive the onslaught of progressivism and evangelicalism so long before something has to give.
-Change- This has been the view of groups like Affirming Catholicism, basically saying people can keep the ceremonial and ritual and some of the theology, but jettison other traditional AC teachings like the male only priesthood and traditional sexual morality.
-Swim to Rome or an Orthodox jurisdiction- A fair number of people have taken this option and it could end the nervousness about orders that grips some Anglo-Catholics. And, this option would allow them an opportunity to be a part of a group that generally, although not always, shares their strong Catholic views. However, those leaving often have to give up dignified liturgy or their Anglo identity. And, on the ground level, some Catholics (and even Orthodox) espouse views just as crazy as TEC’s most loony.
-Hey, wait a minute! We’re all Anglo-Catholics now- Well, Anglicans anyway…and this is a big part of the issue…Anglo-Catholicism managed to win a bunch of the battles (vestments, high church ceremonial, Roman customs, images, etc.) while thoroughly losing the war. The war they lost? Catholic ecclesiology.
Just my two cents…thoughts?
Inspiration: Young Fogey on the Anglican Use Conference
4 Comments | Anglican Use, Anglican and Episcopal | Tagged: Anglican, Anglo-Catholic, future, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, schism, Women's Ordination | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
June 13, 2009
As a former Anglican, I still see a lot of the good in my former tradition, most especially the dignity in liturgy as shown in the Book of Common Prayer. Fortunately, the Catholic Church, through the Anglican Use, has “Catholicized” the Book of Common Prayer. It is now the Book of Divine Worship and is mostly the BCP with more Catholic elements such as prayers to the Saints. The book is huge and costly, but you can also find it online (warning: 900 + page .pdf). It may be especially appealing to those of us who used to be Anglicans.
5 Comments | Anglican Use, Anglican and Episcopal, Catholic, General | Tagged: Anglican, Book Divine Worship, Book of Common Prayer, Catholic, online | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
June 10, 2009
A mixture of iced tea and lemonade becomes an Arnold Palmer. A mixture of iced tea, tomato juice, whiskey, chocolate, olive oil, beet juice, and garlic is just a tasteless mess. The same can be true of religion. There comes a point when “inclusivity” turns into such chaos that only those who believe in inclusivity for its own sake are included and anyone holding to an authentic tradition is excluded. One Episcopal parish in New Jersey seems to be in contention for the most inclusive Christian parish in the world (that also manages to exclude most of the world’s Christians) .
Church of the Redeemer in Morristown, NJ has a whole page devoted to how their worship “excludes no-one.” To cover every base they:
-Offer an inclusive language Eucharist with collects that end with “through Jesus, our Christ”
-Admit everyone to communion, regardless of tradition
-Allow non-Christians to be leaders in their parish
-Consecrate grape juice for those who don’t want wine
-Take one of the Sunday lessons from a secular or non-Christian source
-Omit the Nicene Creed in favor of singing “Jesus is Lord”
-The celebrant receives communion last as a sign of a lack of hierarchy
-Anyone can preach
-The Lord’s Prayer is now “Our Mother, our Father”
-They have changed the liturgical year to include a “season of creation”
-Worship is modified by a committee to make sure it aligns with parish values
-Celebration of “Liberation Holidays” such as Recovery Sunday, Celebrating Men’s Journeys Sunday, etc.
-There is no junior or senior warden (too hierarchical)
-They brag about displaying rainbow and black liberation flags prominently in their church
-They use a UCC inclusive hymnal and all hymns must be inclusive of male and female images of God
I’ll tell you that at first I wondered if this was a parody. But this church is serious! Ironically, this parish, while trying to be completely inclusive, has excluded the Catholic and even classical Christian tradition practiced by most of the world’s Christians today.
9 Comments | Catholic, General | Tagged: christian, Episcopal, Liberal, inclusive language, feminism, Nicene Creed, inclusiveness, season of creation, omit | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
June 9, 2009
It appears that Kevin Thew-Forrester the Episcopal Bishop elect of Northern Michigan is not going to get the necessary consents to become the next bishop. In the Episcopal process a majority of diocesan bishops and standing committees have to give new bishops the green light. Enough must have decided that Thew-Forrester’s Buddhist ordination, tinkering with the Prayer Book, and troubling Christology were simply too much.
What does this mean? On the surface it seems like a victory for creedal orthodoxy within the Episcopal Church. And, perhaps it is. However, Thew-Forrester has already started talking about his possible rejection and assuring everyone of his orthodoxy.
My prediction: he will affirm his orthodoxy (but not define it), stop messing with the prayer book (so much), stand for election again (with some token opposition), be elected, and this time receive consents. Of course, I don’t believe much will have changed, but I think he will be consecrated.
5 Comments | Catholic, General | Tagged: bishop, Buddhist bishop, Episcopal, Kevin Thew-Forrester, Northern Michigan, Prayer Book | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
