This didn't cross MY mind when watching the Papal funeral...

This observation of the Pope’s funeral was made by a man who obviously has no female children:

Such a wonderful display of patriarchy! "Batten down the ladies room, there's no one here but men, men, men....." (Apologies to M. Mull) Eastern patriarchs in their crowns and beards. Africans, Latinos, Europeans. Young and old religious from everywhere. Every Catholic should see this, because that's what the word means.

Oh, and by the way, feminists; UP YOURS!

We're men, we run the Church, we're here, we're not going anywhere. Go fix dinner. And bow on your way out. "She will be saved through childbearing, provided she continues in faith and love and holiness - her chastity being taken for granted". 1 Tim. 2.15

If you don't like that, there's some mullahs and some smelly Taliban guys who want to talk to ya.

Why doesn’t this man have any female children?

a. He is  Patricia Ireland’s (President of NOW) former husband whom she left for another woman.

b. He is Donald Trump.

c. He is a Catholic Priest.

If you picked, “c,” sadly, you are right.

People are different, I know, but this guy, for example, didn’t seem to impose patriarchy at his death, in the funeral, and subsequent events.

When we’ve gratuitously insulted half the flock, it’s hard to complain of sheep stealing. Mullahs and Taliban are not the only other options. Additionally, those inquiring into the Catholic faith may decide to go elsewhere after all in the face of such chest thumping mysogyny.

Comments

[Talmida]

He may be a Catholic, but he is no Christian.

[Steve Bogner]

Wow, that's really sad. Such language and sentiment is certainly not 'Christian', nor is it 'Catholic'.

I suppose he wouldn't get along with my Jesuit pastor, who had a lay woman co-preside with him this past Good Friday.

I still do not understand why the Church is so against women taking an equal role with men in the priesthood and church-life in general.

[TheSquire]

At first I thought it was either sarcasm or a condemnation of patriarchy. Then I clicked through to the site and saw that he was happy about it.

Were I his parisioner, I'd be writing a letter to His Excellency, Fr. Matthew's Bishop right now.

[TheSquire]

Oh, and his Abbot too.

[Talmida]

You don't suppose he's mentally ill, do you? It's such an odd thing for a priest to get all worked up about. Does he have no parishioners? Does he not know any women?

[Jocelyne]

Is staggering ignorance and insensitivity a mental illness? Oops, that's not a very Christian thing to say, is it?

I, too, thought he was being ironic at first. I am truly flabbergasted.

[andrea]

Thank God Benedictines take a vow of stability. I don't have to worry that he will ever show up in my parish. And prayers for the women of South Dakota.

[Rick]

I was going to speculate that he really wasn't a monk or a priest -- just because most Benedictines I've read or known about seem pretty reasonable.

Alas -- the links to his abbey seem valid.

Maybe vows of silence weren't such a bad idea aftera all.

[Susan]

Sigh.......

I'd get all worked up about it but there's no point.

Instead I think I'll just say a little prayer for him (and any women in his family. He may not have female children but I bet he has a mom and sisters)

[a female who used to be Catholic but wised up]

Priests are all women-haters at heart. Plus, they're not even real men, anyway. Let him think what he wants. He doesn't even count as a person as far as I'm concerned.

He's an animal, and the husbands of every woman in his parish should get together, knock on his door, beath the living crap out of him, tar and feather him, and then run him out of town on a rail.

The good news is his DNA dies with him. Well, one hopes...although he sounds more like the kind of guy who prefers little boys.

No wonder the Catholic Church is as good as dead. Good riddance.

[jcecil3]

Hi UC,

Like a prior reader, my first thought was that this was a criticism of patriarchy written by someone like Fr. Michael Crosby, OFM Cap.

I know people will call me naive, but I am literally shocked, flabbergasted, saddened and angered that a Roman Catholic priest would write something like this and post it to the web, and support it.

Thanks for exposing him.

Peace!

[Odd]

It seems that this is the only Catholic Blog that has had absolutely nothing to say about the Pope's death. I was wondering what the author's thoughts were.

[Unapologetic Catholic]

"Odd" asks my thoughts on the Pope's death. I really can't believe I'm the only Catholic blog that hasn't commented onthe Pope's death, but that may be so.  If you read here you may notice a pattern--I seldom comment on immediate events of the day. I often post several days after events. Theere are a couple of reasons for this.  First, "quick thought" posts are frequently poorly thought out, unoriginal, or idiotic, to say the least. The original post  tha tthis commentis directed to is a perfect example.  You'll find I only have one post on the elections and only one on the Terri Schaivo situation, for example. Second, I like to process my own thoughts privately before commiting them to the blog.  I change my mind, reflect and look up information in an effort to be both accurate and thoughtful.

So I didn't post on the Pope's death mainly becasue I was preoccupied.

Second, I don't think the Pope's death is significant to Catholics. Wow, how's that for an attention grabber! But let me explain.  I separate beteween the Pope and the person Karol Wotjila--the public figure and the indivdual.  It's hard to think of it but this person had freinds and family who shared their lives with him on a daily basis.  These people have lost a huge part of their lives and I think they are entitled to their special grief without my (or other people's) comments on the "meaning" of the Pope's life or death.

Nevertheless, the Pope was also a public figure, the head of my Chruch the successor to Peter. This is a person I have met, who said Mass for me (along with 120,000 other people in Los Angeles) one evening. He had an amazing charisma clearly evident to each of us in that stadium.  The Church was blessed the day he was elected Pope.  But, the Church is not dependnent upon this Pope or any other Pope. That's why his death is not important to Catholics becasue we believe that the Church is led by the Pope, who leads according to God's will, and each Pope will lead for a short while in the grand scheme of things and then another Pope will also lead according to God's will.  We make a mistake by placing too much faith in the individual Pope and lesser faith in the Papacy.

I don't feel competent to comment about the "meaning" of the papacy of Pope John Paul II but here are my observations, since you asked.  He developed a revolutionary theory, the Theology of the Body.  I think that wil be developed in the future in very positive ways. I personally think this may be his  greatest legacy. He re-emphasized social justice and redefined the Church's teaching on peace and war. In the Pope's viw, there is a seamless garment of the culure of life, banishing war, abortion, unjust poverty and capital punishment. His teachign on this subject alone would be a tremendous legacy in its own right for most Popes.

However, I think his handling of the clergy sex abuse crisis was inexplicable. I have no plausible reason for why that was done. It was objectively and categorically poor. 500 years from now they will still be discussing this.

[Kat]

GAH!