Monday, December 22, 2008

To paraphrase the great Jewish prayer,

"Oh Lord, thank you for not making me 'nice'."

From Nice Bishops, good Lord deliver us in your mercy.

14 comments:

Dr. Adam DeVille said...

As Anne Roche Muggeridge (of blessed memory) used to say, "With shepherds like these, who needs wolves?"

Anonymous said...

What Hilary? You don't say the Nicene creed?

Guffaw guffaw.

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

Mrs. Muggeridge is still with us.

DP said...

England's Hapless Bench: Making Americans Feel Better About Their Bishops Since 1965.

For me, the worst bit was his denigration of regular confession--way to chase people away from the Sacrament, vicar.

N. Trandem said...

His Excellency may be correct that hell is not mentioned over much in the New Testament. Then again, neither is hireling, but I seem to recall a verse containing it that His Excellency may want to meditate upon... Oh sorry, was that not nice?

Anonymous said...

This was the moment for me:

Did the bishop think any of the suggested liturgy was a bit silly?

"Well, it might be. But it's youth. We're not going to switch light bulbs on in young people's heads, not at a single event. But it was felt some of that would be appropriate for young people." Leaving water in the kettle? "For young people that's an issue - energy saving."

SO is contracting such high rates of sexually transmitted diseases, your Grace, that the government is now suppressing the figures. We also have an increasing number of girls under the age of 14 having abortions and an entire generation who do not know what sin or salvation is.

If I were you, sir, I'd carry on talking about energy saving lightbulbs, because, frankly after this patronizing drivel, If you told me what the time was, I'd check my watch.


Happily the Pope has caught wind of this and has a fairly robust reply this week about selective Moral teaching. Save the rain forests or save the souls ? I know which group is in more danger.

Dr. Adam DeVille said...

A.R. Muggeridge is still alive? Oh, good. I had it in my head she had died. Perhaps I had confused her with her husband?

fitzhamilton said...

His Eminence is a silly twat.

Anyone who thinks "young people" really care about "leaving water in their kettles" (huh?) and not at all about personal salvation is simply an idiot.

Progressives tend to transfer their own lame desires and thoughts onto "modern youth" - they've been doing it for at least a century, and it is really very stale.

His eminence has obviously never been to World Youth Day, a Regnum Christi Retreat, or my current home, the Fraternity Eucharistein. Or any of a thousand other places where young people who have been catechized and exposed to the Catholic Faith and its traditions respond with enthusiasm and fervor.

I just read that St. Nicholas put his fist into Arius' gob at Nicea. Reading this interview I thought, well at least Arius believed passionately in something. This guy is so insipid and limp that he's hardly worth smacking. All you would need to do is light a censor in his presence, and he'd probably faint from the scent.

Like I say, what a silly twat.

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

Adam,

John Muggeridge, of blessed memory, died November 25, 2005.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/dec/05120104.html

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

I'll thank you to mind your language, Fitz.

fitzhamilton said...

Excuse me, Mdm. White.

My apologies for being rude.

But in the spirit of St. Jerome,
who was often as rude, even occasionally as vulgar, in his insults to his heretical enemies, or in that of St. Athanasius, who organized groups of Orthodox Catholic hooligans to take to the streets of Alexandria against the Arians, and crack some skulls,

I say a little brutality is sometimes apropos. Call a thing what it is.

I only regret that I've caused you, my host, offense.

As far as I'm concerned, my choice of words regarding his Eminence are quite apt.

See, I'm not nice at all.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Fitzhamilton,

you are banned on the grounds of presumption.

M. Alexander said...

But I so liked Mr Fitzhamilton. He reminded me of the Evil Traditionalists in their heydey.

Presumption is such a little thing in the gravity of the present.

He reminds me of incipent, passionate youth. He has fervor.

Where has ours gone?

I think you should marry him.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Mary, for the suggestion. It will be given all due consideration.