Comments on: Catholic dissenters…call the Episcopalians! http://www.bloggernews.net/115417 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:21:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: BrotherPhillip http://www.bloggernews.net/115417#comment-354797 BrotherPhillip Mon, 26 May 2008 21:48:27 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/115417#comment-354797 Mr. McNichol... Though I appreciate you tenacity and courage, I am rather put off by your elitist attitude that you have decided to establish within yourself as a Roman Catholic. I have had many many MANY years of Catholic monastic experience and have seen the Church grow and backslide in those decades. In those years, two things I have discovered that turns people off more then anything to the Catholic Church is: 1. failure to dialogue (which requires listening) 2. and telling someone 'We pray that you will come around'. Chances are that SJ Reidhead will never 'come around' now. For as much as we know, SJ may remember your unencouraging words and never want to be a part of the Catholic family because of that. Where was the love and the humility of Christ needed in your response to SJ? As a 'Catholic author' I am sure it can become easy to push your own Catholic agenda. However, it is important, especially in this day and age, to 'RESPOND' to people rather then to 'REACT' to them. You were more quick to address and react to the fallacies of SJ's faith then you were to patiently and lovingly respond to SJ in a way that SJ may have needed you to respond in order for him/her to grow in their faith and understanding of ours. Mr. McNichol, I say this respectfully as I am sure you feel called to be a writer and I do not want to discount your thoughts, feelings, and/ or personhood... You lack a certain pastoral element in your writings that is absolutely necessary for an unbelieving world to not only listen to you but also hear you. It is your 'I'm right, you're wrong' mentality towards God that an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable. Please take my words into consideration. I only want to see the world begin to dialogue rather then argue or ignore. These are my thoughts. I respect yours. Go in peace :) -Br. Phil OSB Mr. McNichol…
Though I appreciate you tenacity and courage, I am rather put off by your elitist attitude that you have decided to establish within yourself as a Roman Catholic. I have had many many MANY years of Catholic monastic experience and have seen the Church grow and backslide in those decades. In those years, two things I have discovered that turns people off more then anything to the Catholic Church is:

1. failure to dialogue (which requires listening)

2. and telling someone ‘We pray that you will come around’.

Chances are that SJ Reidhead will never ‘come around’ now. For as much as we know, SJ may remember your unencouraging words and never want to be a part of the Catholic family because of that. Where was the love and the humility of Christ needed in your response to SJ? As a ‘Catholic author’ I am sure it can become easy to push your own Catholic agenda. However, it is important, especially in this day and age, to ‘RESPOND’ to people rather then to ‘REACT’ to them. You were more quick to address and react to the fallacies of SJ’s faith then you were to patiently and lovingly respond to SJ in a way that SJ may have needed you to respond in order for him/her to grow in their faith and understanding of ours. Mr. McNichol, I say this respectfully as I am sure you feel called to be a writer and I do not want to discount your thoughts, feelings, and/ or personhood… You lack a certain pastoral element in your writings that is absolutely necessary for an unbelieving world to not only listen to you but also hear you. It is your ‘I’m right, you’re wrong’ mentality towards God that an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable. Please take my words into consideration. I only want to see the world begin to dialogue rather then argue or ignore. These are my thoughts. I respect yours. Go in peace :)

-Br. Phil OSB

]]> By: Hugh McNichol http://www.bloggernews.net/115417#comment-313312 Hugh McNichol Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:35:35 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/115417#comment-313312 Thank you for your comments. However, your Church: Has an invalid Eucharist, invalid Holy Orders as well as illicit Sacraments. We require extensive background checks for all individuals working in any capacity in the Catholic Church, with required training. Being homosexual and a pedophile are not directly related. All Catholics are called to a celibate and chaste lifestyle, except in the traditional sacrament of Marriage. In all of my Catholic experiences I have never encountered an actively homosexual priest. If indeed your community of faith are so engaged by the Pope, then there is hope of salvation. Traditional Episcopalians indeed have a comprehensive appreciation for the Catholic Church, however issues like transsubstantiation and consubstantiation as well as Papal Primacy are incorrectly held by your faith, as is the views on the ordination of women. With some prayer and penance, We Catholics pray that you will come around:) HJMN Thank you for your comments. However, your Church:
Has an invalid Eucharist, invalid Holy Orders as well as illicit Sacraments.
We require extensive background checks for all individuals working in any capacity in the Catholic Church, with required training.
Being homosexual and a pedophile are not directly related. All Catholics are called to a celibate and chaste lifestyle, except in the traditional sacrament of Marriage.
In all of my Catholic experiences I have never encountered an actively homosexual priest. If indeed your community of faith are so engaged by the Pope, then there is hope of salvation.
Traditional Episcopalians indeed have a comprehensive appreciation for the Catholic Church, however issues like transsubstantiation and consubstantiation as well as Papal Primacy are incorrectly held by your faith, as is the views on the ordination of women. With some prayer and penance, We Catholics pray that you will come around:)
HJMN

]]> By: SJ Reidhead http://www.bloggernews.net/115417#comment-313209 SJ Reidhead Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:31:01 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/115417#comment-313209 I don't know which I resent the most anti-Episcopalian bigots or those who are ignorant about what we believe. I am so sick and tired of people denigrating my church I could scream. I don't preface everything I write about the Catholic Church with a comment about pedophile priests, so why do anti-Episcopalian bigots continually point to a handful of truly disgusting individuals who have hijacked the public face of the Episcopal Church? The average Episcopalian is just as decent, "Christian" and just as devoted to "Christ" as any other denomination. The worst of it, is most of us are basically treated like illegitimate children of the Catholic Church. We would love to be Catholic, but cannot stomach the fact that your church looks down on women and will not allow them into the priest-hood. If you allowed your priests to marry you might not have such a problem with gay priests. I hate to break it to you but they are all over the place. If the Catholic Church in the US follows the Pope's edict about ejecting gay priests, you guys are going to come crawling to the Episcopal Church. It might help with the pedophile issue. Contrary to what you have written, we treasure the Pope (most of us do). We long to be in communion with your church, but we just aren't good enough. Funny how Christ allowed for imperfection in people, but the "Church" cannot. We believe in the Holy Eucharist. We embrace the beliefs stated in the Nicean Creed and recite it every time we take HE. We believe in the confession and forgiveness of sin. I'm a fairly new Episcopalian. I don't claim to know everything that is going on. I do know that the rank and file, "normal" Episcopalians are just as decent, devout, and "catholic" as the official "Church". There are a few bad apples in every group. I live about 35 miles from a Catholic parish where pedophile priests were shipped. Since it is New Mexico, we're considered the end of the earth. The dozens of lives destroyed probably don't matter, either. In the Episcopal church we are required to maintain a license, go through hours of training, and are subjected to an extensive back-ground check before working with children. I know this is a cheap shot, but I'm sick and tired of having my church defiled and slandered because of the actions of a handful of people who do not represent the views of the rank and file church. Maybe it's time to start looking for the similarities and stop looking for the differences. SJ Reidhead The Pink Flamingo I don’t know which I resent the most anti-Episcopalian bigots or those who are ignorant about what we believe. I am so sick and tired of people denigrating my church I could scream. I don’t preface everything I write about the Catholic Church with a comment about pedophile priests, so why do anti-Episcopalian bigots continually point to a handful of truly disgusting individuals who have hijacked the public face of the Episcopal Church?

The average Episcopalian is just as decent, “Christian” and just as devoted to “Christ” as any other denomination. The worst of it, is most of us are basically treated like illegitimate children of the Catholic Church. We would love to be Catholic, but cannot stomach the fact that your church looks down on women and will not allow them into the priest-hood. If you allowed your priests to marry you might not have such a problem with gay priests. I hate to break it to you but they are all over the place. If the Catholic Church in the US follows the Pope’s edict about ejecting gay priests, you guys are going to come crawling to the Episcopal Church. It might help with the pedophile issue.

Contrary to what you have written, we treasure the Pope (most of us do). We long to be in communion with your church, but we just aren’t good enough. Funny how Christ allowed for imperfection in people, but the “Church” cannot.

We believe in the Holy Eucharist. We embrace the beliefs stated in the Nicean Creed and recite it every time we take HE. We believe in the confession and forgiveness of sin.

I’m a fairly new Episcopalian. I don’t claim to know everything that is going on. I do know that the rank and file, “normal” Episcopalians are just as decent, devout, and “catholic” as the official “Church”. There are a few bad apples in every group. I live about 35 miles from a Catholic parish where pedophile priests were shipped. Since it is New Mexico, we’re considered the end of the earth. The dozens of lives destroyed probably don’t matter, either. In the Episcopal church we are required to maintain a license, go through hours of training, and are subjected to an extensive back-ground check before working with children.

I know this is a cheap shot, but I’m sick and tired of having my church defiled and slandered because of the actions of a handful of people who do not represent the views of the rank and file church.

Maybe it’s time to start looking for the similarities and stop looking for the differences.

SJ Reidhead
The Pink Flamingo

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