According to SMN, Savannah's diocese has been ranked 2nd in the nation. 3 reasons for this, in my opinion:
- Having a conservative approach on the inside (there is little hand-holding or guitar-playing, the priests are Irish instead of gay), while preserving a "live and let live" approach on the outside (saying Goddamn a lot, drinking PBR, not having to read the Bible, BC & SVA, St. Patrick's Day, etc.). This, in my opinion, is Catholicism at its finest.
- Southerners are typically more religious than the rest of the country, because we do "weird" things like preserve traditions that have always worked and care about weird things like the difference between right and wrong. We're just weird and backwards like that.
- More Mexicans in South Georgia
Good job Savannah.
7 comments:
There's two things about Bishop Boland that I'm most proud of.
1. When the priest scandals broke out, he immediately prepared a statment for the diocese to follow. Basically, the letter said if anyone knows of a pedophile priest, that parishoner was obligated to 1st, call the the police. 2nd, seek help for the child. 3rd, inform the diocese.
2. About five years ago, the Bishop read a letter during his homily regarding hand holding during the Our Father or any other parts of Mass. He strictly forbid such acts, explaining that the practice has been brought in by Protestant influence and is unwarranted. Sorry to say, the practice continues.
There are two things I'm upset about.
1. When the Bishop was pastor of Blessed Sacrament, he led an effort to make the Church more new age and modern. Now, pink marble scars the back of the Sacristy.
2. He allows the Tridentine Mass only once every two months. His most faithful members of his flock attend this Mass. Why not allow a full time Tridentine parish? The ones I've read about up North are the fastest growing parishes. In fact, in Chicago, there are two in the city. The diocese of Kansas City has two as well.
There is a convent in Richmond with a large chapel that holds Tridentine Mass every day. Whenever I was visiting family we went to Mass there and it was great.
The last year or so Monseignor O'Neil has been adding more and more Latin into the 10 AM Sunday Mass at the Cathedral. Aside from the predictable complaints by tourists that there's "too much Latin," everyone loves it and wants more. Hopefully that means soon we might get a full Latin Mass every Sunday.
Monsignor O'Neil is the best priest we have right now. He's mean as hell and he likes the old way of Mass, the way it ought to be. I hope his health lasts.
Look for Pope Benedict XVI to give an indult for the Tridentine Mass in the near future... which would allow any priest to say it without the approval of the bishop, the current rule. The Pope is very methodical, making progress slow but sure.
Benedict has been pushing the indult for years, the biggest opposition coming from European bishops, especially the French. Yet, his greatest supporters are the Polish.
I don't see the value in sitting through a Mass and not understanding what the priest is saying.
Stephen, you might as well join Opus Dei, get you one of those studded belts that dig into you thigh, and start whipping yourself every night. Give Mel Gibson a call too. He would probably like to join you.
Will, first of all... I won't join Opus Deit until I make all my money. Second of all, Mel Gibson would never join the order because he denies the validity of all Popes after Vatican II, which is nuts. Mel has his own priest who is not in communion with Rome, so he is a heretic.
Third of all, you can read along in English during Mass. I'd rather read through Mass than sing "I love you Lord, you are my light"-hand-holding-Baptist hymns.
*Dei
Another step in the right direction would be to ban all hymns written after 1940. If I have to sing "Here I am Lord" one more time...
Post a Comment