From Diogenes comes this story.
From Maryland comes yet another
while-you-weren’t-paying-attention story about Catholic priests who
just happen to be women. You don’t need to read it (by now you could
probably write it yourself), but the lede raises an interesting point:
Priest Andrea Johnson of Annapolis,
dressed in a white robe, the red swirls on her sash rippling like
water, lifts a goblet of wine to offer Holy Communion at the Stony Run
Friends meetinghouse in North Baltimore on Nov. 12. Behind her, Deacon
Gloria Carpeneto of Catonsville offers grape juice and gluten-free rice
cakes to those on restricted diets.
So we’ve got priests who aren’t priests offering food-stuffs that
couldn’t be consecrated even if they were. Here’s my question: does
there exist a woman priest or a supporter of women’s ordination who
would discountenance the Eucharistic use of rice cakes and grape juice
as invalid? Does anyone in fact maintain the Church is wrong about
valid matter in the one instance and right about it in the other? If
so, it would be interesting to hear the arguments for the Church’s
authority in the case where she’s got it right.
Just more evidence that those who
dissent on women’s ordination have more on their plate than just this
one issue. It is never the case that they are fully with the
Church on everything except just this one item. Though of
course their theological idea of authority isn’t exactly very strong
and when you ask them about final authority they just look into the mirror of their makeup compact for it. But then again when you are
your own authority obedience becomes quite easy.
I wonder if they sang “I am the Rice
Cakes of life” for the communion hymn?
13 comments
Evidentally the Wymyn Church (or WC) has the motto “It’s all good”.
MissJean,
I’d add “unless Rome says it is.”
How bizarre.
Hmm, was not Archbishop Lefebvre excommunicated for ordaining Bishops (consecrating) them without the vaticans approval?
Where is the Bishop here, and when should we expect these excommunications?
Dont hold your breath as the traditionalists seem to be the antichrist to the Vatican and the church and all other so called abuses from homosexuality to woman ordaination to stealing of money all goes unpunished
One can only wonder what the fear is?
Very good point. With such a profoundly different understanding of Church authority and the Majesterium, it stands to reason that this movement will very rapidly evolve/dissolve into something completely unrecognizable as “Catholic.”
So in effect what they are doing is proving the reality of the Church’s role and the obedience of the faithful throughout Christian history.
Object lesson in insanity.
These women aren’t priests, no matter what kind of a ceremony they went through. I wish the newspapers would stop calling them “priests” because that just confuses people.
Does anyone in fact maintain the Church is wrong about valid matter in the one instance and right about it in the other?
Probably one or so, but coverage of women who believe in the appearance of power but not Truth is so much cooler….
I agree with you, Jeff, but would be curious to know if there is anything in the catechism or another church document that specifically addresses the issue of what people who are gluten-intolerant but Catholic are supposed to do.
My own reading on Celiac disease suggests that gluten-intolerant people should not eat anything wheat-based, as it takes their systems up to six months to recover from even a nibble. If you couple that with reservations about receiving the blood of the Lord after umpteen people (including the almost-always-unnecessary “extraordinary minister of the Eucharist”) have shared the same cup, you’re left with what for the gluten-intolerant Catholic? Reception of Jesus by desire?
Patrick,
It is not in the Catechism but the Vatican has determined that at least some gluten must be present for valid matter. Though very low gluten hosts are acceptable. A group of Benedictine nuns have come up with a low-gluten recipe that seems to work for most people with celiacs disease. For those who can not even use these than of course they can receive the precious blood instead.
I don’t know about the Host, but ironically every Bible-Belt Fundie is going to be on the side of Grape Juice. There is no end of fussy discussion concerning “Jesus didn’t REALLY use wine, it was more like ‘grape-juice wine'”; it gets silly. These are the same churches that would forbide Womyn-priests, or women in any authority for that matter.
Patrick
With all due respect, do we have to always be a politically correct church at every turn even for the body of Christ? Morals, teachings, and yes the content of the matter (as well as the form) of the church’s sacraments are what they are in my opinion. I do think that being at Mass and though not being intollerent to gluten, would someone really die from taking in that little bitty wafer which has become the body of christ if they consumed such? Cant they talk to their doctor maybe there is something they can eat?
I just find that there are so many today looking for the church to compromise and conform to their wishes and desire than for they to do the conforming at least when it comes to making the rules more lax
My bible says that Jesus said that he was the rice cake that came down from heaven, that the Jews who ate the rice cakes while in the wilderness died, and that Jesus gives us the rice cake of eternal life ,and he who eats of the rice cake will have eternal life and never hunger.
Brilliant!
If we can have rice cakes then I should be able to baptize using motor oil.
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