Still Running Off at the Keyboard

CATHOLIC JOURNALISTIC LANDSCAPE IS QUAKING

The February "New Oxford Review" came today. This one is a smoker! My fingers are still burning!!

When NOR adopted the Papa Ratzi Post blog, I figured they had sold out--that whatever the Pope did would be sanctioned in order to save face. Well, I was wrong. Really wrong.

The editorial that begins on page 4 unpacks the document "Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations With Regard to Persons With Homosexual Tendencies in View of Their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders," or "Concerning" for short. The article compares the discipline in place from a document issued by John XXIII with this newest document. In John XXIII's 1961 document titled "Careful Selection and Training of Candidates for the States of Perfection and Sacred Orders", which Benedict's replaces, is the statement: "Advancement to religious vows and ordination should be barred to those who are afflicted with the evil tendencies to homosexuality or pederasty, since for them the common life and the priestly ministry would constitute serious danger." NOR claims that Benedict's document, which replaces the document of John XXIII, softens the previous stance to "those 'who practice homosexuality' (italics added) are 'profoundly respected'." It goes on to explain why in detail, but you'll have to get a copy to find out what they say.

A couple quotes from the NOR article:

*** The 1961 document was signed by the "liberal" Pope John XXIII. "Concerning" was signed by Pope Benedict XVI, supposedly a "conservative." With his new policy, Benedict has forfeited his conservative credentials. Benedict has given away the store.

*** In the NOR's June 2005 Editorial, we gave "Three Cheers" for Benedict. So far, that Editorial has turned out to be an embarrassment. If the Pope can dialogue with arch-dissenter Kung, then it would seem that dissent is legitimate.

*** At this rate, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's investigation of Fr. Maciel for multiple acts of pederasty on his seminarians will likely vanish into thin air. With "cover-up" Levada at the helm of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and with Benedict failing to uphold the 1961 document and basically endorsing the status quo regarding homosexuals in the priesthood, we cannot expect that the Vatican will do anything about the Maciel case.

*** It appears that Ratzinger (now Benedict) is not the Panzerkardinal after all, not God's Rottweiler.
When Ratzinger became Pope, we orthodox Catholics were ecstatic. But it's likely that Benedict's papacy will be very unpleasant--even bitter, since we had such high hopes.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Lavender Mafia in the Church, and it goes all the way to the Vatican, and Pope Benedict will do nothing about it.

Then there is the editorial on Ave Maria University (negative evaluation of the school), an article titled "The Truth About the Homosexual Rights Movement" which I haven't completed yet, some comments from the editor about Fr. Richard John Neuhaus's opinion of NOR ads (he doesn't like them), and in "New Oxford Notes" is one note titled "Amy Has Seen the Light (& the Darkness)" which discusses Amy Welborn's take on Michael Rose's book.

I guess that when NOR changed their logo to one representing a battle, they weren't kidding!! This issue of NOR should keep a certain member of the blogsphere who shall remain unnamed too busy to be bothered about me!

Now I think I'll go get the fire extinguisher and finish reading the magazine.