Blog Recommend
A really good blog I've been reading quite a bit. "Pontifications"
http://pontifications.classicalanglican.net/ is posted by an Anglican Priest in the midst of a deep questioning of the Anglican Communion and a thorough inquiry into Catholicism and Orthodoxy. The comments following his posts are really insightful, which are posted by a mixture of Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans, and others. It has been a relief over the past few months to read people much more knowlegeable than I with less polemics than I have too often expressed. Sure, they still "argue", but it is a very civil place. I'm a little tired of the ranting apologetics too often found on the Internet (and at times expressed by myself). This seems to be the true ecumenism I long for and have failed at expressing. I love being Catholic (every day, even if it is burdensome many times) and always wish to have a reasonable answer to my Faith, but not at the expense of others. Lent is almost upon us. Penance and prayer for a more full conversion to the Heart of Christ.
posted by Peter @ 1:47 PM
4 Comments:
Pete, would you quit the anonymity thing on my blog comments already? You're not fooling anybody.
Seriously, though, here's a link just for you...
Bishop to let Clinton speak at CanisiusIn explaining why he would not overrule campus officials, Kmiec cited a statement issued last June by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The conference position is that Catholic institutions should not honor pro-choice public officials but should maintain communication with them.
The paper arranges these items in a different order so it's easy to miss this following slap in the face toward the bishop:
"Canisius is an institution of higher education, and I believe, personally, it should be an honor (emphasis mine) that she is addressing this important issue on the Canisius campus," LaFalce said Friday."
An honor, not communication.
Anyhow, it's pretty sorry that Kmiec is allowing this.
P.S. I'm obviously not using these (these meaning this and my recent post about soft rock priests) as arguments against the RC churches, just letting you know what a sorry state the Buffalo diocese is in, despite a large RC population.
P.P.S. I am a regular reader of the Pontificator. I've especially appreciated his recent interaction with Alastair Roberts, whom I also regularly read.
I just so happened across this today from Channel 2 News
(http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=26139).
Over the weekend, after withdrawing the Diocese of Buffalo's sponsorship of a speech by U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, Bishop Edward Kmiec issued the following statement:
"As Bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo, I wish to inform the faithful and the community that the Diocese of Buffalo is not associated with the planning or promotion of the lecture of Senator Hillary Clinton at Canisius College on Monday, January 31, 2005. This event has been arranged under the auspices of Canisius College without previous consultation.
Although Catholic Charities was listed as a sponsor, this was without the knowledge that Senator Clinton would be one of the presenters of the lecture series. They have since withdrawn their sponsorship, as has the diocesan office of Church Ministry.
We have communicated our displeasure and have discussed the situation with Canisius College officials.
We certainly subscribe to the statement on "Catholics in Political Life" issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that 'the Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principals with awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.' However it also states that we are 'committed to maintaining communications with public officals who make decisions everyday that touch issues of human life and dignity.'
It is for that reason, despite calls for the cancellation of the event, that it was thought best to allow it to proceed, though reluctantly, in order to maintain channels of communciation with Senator Clinton and others who hold her views. In regard to Senator Clinton, I believe she will be well aware of the depth of our beliefs on life issues in this very Catholic region of New York State. We trust that she will respect and be sensitive to those sentiments.
We hope and pray for the understanding of our community of faith and that the outcome will be a positive one"
--Most Rev. Edward U. Kmiec, Bishop of Buffalo, January 28, 2005
So I guess any Diocesean sponsorship was removed. This doesn't seem to be a very strong statement however. I don't know about the state of the Diocese of Buffalo, but advertising for vocations on the radio is not how vocations are fostered. I pray for the faithful in Buffalo if their Bishop is not living up to his Apostolic calling. I'm not there firsthand, so it's hard to be too critical.
hey pete, thanks for the full bishop's statement. i should have gone and read it myself first. but, that being said, i don't think there was anything in it that wasn't covered by the buffalo news piece.
i think that this is the weakest part of the statement:
"We have communicated our displeasure"
what a nambypamby position. i can't help but wonder if there wasn't an official condemnation because the diocese was afraid that the college would go on as planned anyhow. it didn't say no, because it would have caused too much of an uproar. can't have catholic colleges disobeying the bishop, so don't give them any orders to disobey, just express displeasure.
I agree it's weak. Too many Bishops seem much more concerned that society at large will view them as at the fringe or irrelevant than being Servants of the Truth and their flocks.
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