forests and trees

To paraphrase the old adage about forests and trees, they can't see the point because of the agenda. The article (via Ironic Catholic) does hit on some points, but makes sure there is a definite green slant.

Take for instance,

In recent months, Pope Benedict has made several strong appeals for the protection of the environment, saying issues such as climate change had become gravely important for the entire human race.

Under Benedict and his predecessor John Paul, the Vatican has become progressively "green."

It has installed photovoltaic cells on buildings to produce electricity and hosted a scientific conference to discuss the ramifications of global warming and climate change, widely blamed on human use of fossil fuels.

Read that last line, it makes it look like the Pope is blaming fossil fuels.

The article does at least give credence to the main subject of the "new sins".

Asked what he believed were today's "new sins," he told the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano that the greatest danger zone for the modern soul was the largely uncharted world of bioethics.

"(Within bioethics) there are areas where we absolutely must denounce some violations of the fundamental rights of human nature through experiments and genetic manipulation whose outcome is difficult to predict and control," he said.

The Vatican opposes stem cell research that involves destruction of embryos and has warned against the prospect of human cloning.

I love the last line in regards to Catholics no longer attending confession.

20 percent felt uncomfortable talking about their sins to another person.

Well duh, that is called guilt and a good part of the reason Jesus setup the Sacrament in the first place. Human nature would rather not talk about sin, repress it and never deal with the guilt it causes. Then after years of this, we pay a therapist to assuage this guild and reaffirm that we are a "good person."

Phil at CWN has a good summary of the media missteps.

Just how would this be a good idea?

Catholic World News : Joint confession acceptable for married couples?

Thankfully, canonist Ed Peters refutes this concept But I wonder what this priest was thinking. Having the person who many of your sins may involve be listening while you confess? One of the requirements of confession is to confess your sins completely, no withholding, and this would seem to stand in the way of that.

Not that I am saying men hide things from their wives, but imagine the discussion on the ride home? "No honey, it wasn't like that!" The couple would probably have to turn around and head right back to confession.

Mininstry of reconciliation

A side note in today's Epistle from 2 Cor 5:17-21

And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us the ministry of reconciliation.
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Consider who the "we" refers to in those two lines. Given the "we implore you", I would say this could be St. Paul and the other Apostles. There is some aspects of the "Ministry of Reconciliation" in this reading. It isn't a proof text that can be taken out of context and tortured to say whatever we want, but in light of Sacrament of Reconciliation, we see that the Apostles (and the bishops in their place) are ambassadors for Christ just as they are in the confessional.

New blog

My apologies for not writing more lately. I have come across numerous items I should have blogged, but my heart is a bit heavy lately. So on the positive side, I have been spending more time praying instead of blogging.

On the down side, I really enjoy writing and blogging. So I will wade back in. And I have a good one. A new (to me) blog, Profound Gratitude, by a soon-to-be-Catholic, homeschooling mother. My wife met her last night and from what I understand, she did the design for her blog on her own. No cheesy blogger template for her. (as an amateur web designer myself, I am humbled.)

Seems she desires to be a Canon Lawyer now too. We can always use a few more blogging Canon Lawyers to keep us all straight. Dr. Ed Peters and Pete Vere can make room I am sure.

So Shellie, welcome to the Church! And welcome to the blog roll.


And on her post, The Ministry of Reconciliation

Scripture does not state that our future sins are forgiven; instead, Jesus taught us to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matt. 6:12). There is a theology that believes this? That asking “repeatedly for forgiveness would be admission that we believe that Christ’s work was imperfect “?

So if you concur with me that we still need to ask for forgiveness, rather than just express thanks, then shall we ask, What is the means by which our sins are forgiven? Only God may forgive sins, but he may mediate that forgiveness in any way he so chooses.

I spent some time defending Confession and The Blessed Mother on the local Huckleberries site. Seems some were put off by my faith and by my belief in Mary as an intercessor for us.

I ignored the blatant anti-Catholics just looking for a fight, and has some good discussion with some ex-Catholics and others. I was encouraged by some Protestants that seem to be realizing Mary is their mother too and that she isn't a stumbling block, but another sign pointing to her Son.

It may seem that Catholics make too much of Mary, but remember this. We only imitate Christ. As God commands in the 4th Commandment, Jesus honored his mother. And as we are too imitate Christ, so we too should honor her.