Palm Sunday Usus Antiquior Style 2023

 As there is an embarrassment of riches in worshipping in the America's capital city, I often explore interesting liturgies during Holy Week which are not my common round.

With the promulgation of Pope Francis' moto propio:  Traditionis Custodes (2021) and further restrictions on the pre-1962 Mass imposed by Cardinal Roche at the Congregation for Divine Worship, I felt compelled to attend the Palm Sunday Mass in the Usus Antinquior at the Franciscan Monastery in Washington DC before proponents of the "Spirit of Vatican II" entirely quash the Mass of the Ages.

It is curious how uninformed much of the laity is about the Liturgy Wars, even as it heats up.   Just before Passion Week, I was sharing my plans with some theology graduate students at Catholic University.  Of course they were aware that the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) was celebrated in Latin but seemed fuzzy about the differences in lectionary, vestments and gesticulations which makes the Mass of Pope John XXIII and its Tridentine predecessors so distinct.   However, even proponents of the TLM seemed unaware of how restricted is the celebration of what Pope Benedict XVI dubbed "the  extraordinary form" in his moto propio: "Summorum Pontificum"  (2007).   Moreover, several with traditional pious preferences did not know other local locations of the Traditional Latin Mass. 

The TLM Palm Sunday Mass needed to be started almost an hour earlier than normal due to the length of the liturgy and the tight timeline allotted for traditional worship at the shrine.   The procession took place on a sunny but brisk morning with gusts of strong winds, but that did not deter the people of God from memorializing Jesus' triumphant entrance into Jerusalem as the messianic Son of David.  Hosanna!-- Pray, save us! 

One of the rituals to which I was unaccustomed was how the presiding priest used the processional cross to knock three times on the church doors before it was opened.  This gesture had a strong impact on me, as I recently learned from Fr. Mitch Pacwa's   Ecce Homo lecture that when traveled from Bethany to Jerusalem in his triumphant entry into the Holy City, he took an extent bridge from the Mount of Olives to the Temple and tradition has it that he preached from several days.   Thus a humble itinerant preacher who was not a priest and raised the ire of the Sanhedrin proverbially busts into the Temple and proclaims the Kingdom of God. 

Another thing that I noted is the changes in vestments and adornments during the TLM Palm Sunday.  The presiding priest switched from a scarlet chasuble for the entry into Jerusalem into a penitential Lenten purple vestment during most of the TLM liturgy, except during the chanting of the Matthean Passion Gospel, in which he was stripped to his white alb. I also noted that between the start of the procession to the altar, the processional and altar crucifixes were clad in purple. 

This "Extraordinary Form" Latin Palm Sunday Missa Cantata had many participants.   The schola  consisted of twelve singers.  There were at least fourteen altar servers, most of whom seemed like seminarians. Several additional priests assisted in the proclamation of the Passion narrative. With an ensemble that large, it was vital that one of the seminarian altar servers acted as a silent Master of Ceremony with a commanding clap noting when to kneel.    At times, I was so close to the action that I could hear an acolyte holding the edge of the celebrant's vestment tell him when to turn.  Also due to my positioning, I was directly behind the thurifer, hence some snapshots with rising smoke.

As I neither have a pre-1962 missal nor do I prefer to read the Mass, I reveled in the mystery evoked during the liturgy.  I had already heard the Novus Ordo readings for Palm Sunday and my less than proficient Latin could pick out keywords to discern where we were in the liturgy. 

Being s a Vatican II baby, my instinct is to interpret the "full and active participation" in the Mass as called for in Sacrosanctum Concilium (1963)  as listening attentively and vocalizing liturgical responses.  Earlier in the year, Monsignor Pope made a poignant point that proclaiming scripture in "dead languages" like Latin is not meaningless. as it gives due to the Lord in worship using a sacred language.  If one take one's faith seriously and prepares for the "'Sunday Obligation", this foreign sounding proclamation may offer unexpected insight through its reverence and beauty.   

As I could not do my usual active vocal participation, I was moved to align my frail human gifts with the Lord's during the Eucharistic prayers and was felt profoundly moved.  The reverence and relative silence is a rarity in our overstimulated culture.  Moreover   singing melodies from the St. Louis Jesuits sometimes harkens to faded glory of the 1960s rather than the majesty of scripture filled motets composed in the 1560s.

The church was about 90 percent full.   Most were formally dressed. Many (but not all) women wore chapel veils.  There were a fair number of small children present, dressed nicely without portable snack bowls or need for a cry room. All partaking in the Eucharist received it kneeling on the tongue.  Many attendees remained after Mass for post liturgical thanksgiving prayers.   Pope Benedict XVI predicted that the contemporary church may become smaller but more intentional and devote. These are the faithful who should be supported to that end. 

Indubitably, this was a long two hour liturgy.  The suit and tie attire for worship generally is not my style.   My preference is not to need to rely on a missal when I worship at Mass.  That being said, I do not understand the harshness during this pontificate for the faithful who prefer the Traditional Latin Mass. They are not sede vacantists  who deny the legitimacy of sitting Pontiffs.  They do attend Novus Ordo liturgies also but prefer the Mass of the Ages.  They are well catechized.  And the demographics skew younger, with many young families with several children, unlike the Rock of the Ageds guitar masses at many Novus Ordo parishes.   

This pontificate professes to give more local autonomy and "synodality".  Alas, the Synod of the Amazons (2019)  has brought the scandal or Pachamama as well as recently approved Mayan rite messes Masses with purely pagan elements.  And the German Synodal Way is instituting heterodox Catholic practices.  Yet the one group that does not experience synodality are traditionally worshipping Catholics.  

Again, I feel fortunate living in an urban area with many Catholic churches-- some of which strive to have reverent liturgy, including a few licit Mass of the Ages.  I suspect that soon the latter option will be further suppressed.  I wish that I could understand why.  

Watering Down Baptism?

 While listening to Personally Speaking, a  Catholic interview program hosted by Monseigneur Jim Lisante, the prelate host shared sua sponte that he recently was approached by two lesbians who sought to have their child baptized.  Despite being turned away at two other parishes, the priest proclaimed to the couple:  “There isn’t anything in the bible about being gay so it must be OK” thus he consented to perform the sacrament.

The cleric’s superficial scriptural analysis speciously seems to ignore Jesus’ perspective on marriage in MT 19 as a married man and woman become one flesh. That passage clearly does not include alternative arrangements.   But the conundrum is on the propriety of baptizing a child to parents who manifestly are living contrary to the teachings of the church. 

While I appreciate the pastoral inclinations, the scenario calls into question the rationale for the sacrament of initiation and what is involved in infant baptism. Ideally, baptism claims the person as a child of God with an indelible mark on the soul. But an infant is unable to make baptismal promises, so those proclamations of faith are made by parents and godparents. Thus, pastoral discernment is required of the parents and godparents

Canon 1255 anticipates that the faith promise given infant baptism be supplemented by the parents, godparents and community.  In Acts 2:38 St. Peter exhorts us to “Repent and be baptized” which requires a metanoia (i.e. turning away from sin) in those professing the faith.

Practically speaking, the faith must be nurtured by the practice in the home church as well as with the People of God. The difficulty is when parents are living lives that are manifestly and publicly contrary to the tenants of the faith.

Those inclined to seek the mercy of God would surely say that an innocent child should not be punished for the sins of the parents.  But baptism involve promises made in rearing the child in the faith.   In this scenario, we can assume that they are living as a same sex couple and have pride in their lifestyle.  If one of the couple is biologically the mother, it raises issues about artificial insemination or procreation outside of marriage. This would mean that a child would be expected to be raised in the faith by a couple co-habitating outside of sacramental marriage and with orientations that the church teaches are disordered? 

 Despite Monseigneur Lisante’s claims, the Church in Canon 2357 considers homosexual acts as intrinsically disordered.   It is unclear if the couple was civilly married but the Church does not recognize such unions as being covenantial or sacramental. Perhaps the couple was not church going and those pastors deemed the sacrament of baptism being used as a ritualistic rite of passage rather than a conferral of grace.

Near the beginning of Pope Francis’ papacy, the Holy Father chided young priests to not become “little monsters” doggedly adhering to doctrine but instead to focus on compassion, evangelization and inclusion.  In that spirit, pastors may be reluctant to turn away anyone from the Church, even if adherence to baptismal promises made for them seem tenuous so as to see if takes hold. This calls to mind the conversion story of Fr. Donald Calloway who was baptized at age ten at the behest of Episcopalian kin even though his parents were not practicing their faith.  The only thing that he remembered from his baptismal sacrament of initiation was the donuts they eat afterwards.  Hearing his hair raising testimony, the graces of baptism did not take from merely that liturgical ritual.  Is it merciful to give the impression that one is saved by baptism but has no context to living properly as a Catholic Christian?

Pope Francis’ encyclical, Amoris Laetitia, attempted to reconcile the practice of the Catholic faith with the Modern Family.  Pope Francis declared that marriage was between a man and a woman for life (para. 62), same sex unions can not be equated with marriage (para. 52) and that education is the of a child is the “primary right” of parents (para. 84).  It is hard to believe that the child would be brought up in the ways of the church in the aforementioned scenario, which argues against  a profligate administration of baptism.

Pro arguendo, one could attempt to apply the logic of Chapter Eight of Amoris Laetitia in this instance.  After all, Pope Francis opined that pastors ought not throw moral stones and be done with irregular situations.  In footnote 351, the Holy Father sought to reconcile those in irregular marriages (Catholics civilly remarried after a divorce without obtaining an annulment) with the Church through a circuitous procedure in lieu of canon law.  

This alternative approach required extensive pastoral counseling for the couple so they could understand the wisdom of the Church and conforming their lives to the teaching.  In conforming irregular marriage to the norms of the church, the couple would need  to be catechized and gain an informed conscience. If children were a consideration and couples could not easily separate, so they would be enjoined from marital relations in order to receive the sacraments. And the couple would be encouraged to join another parish so as to avoid the appearance of scandal.  Of course, that is asking a lot. But the Gospel exhorts us: “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” 

So how would this Amoris Laetitia logic be applied to parents of a child seeking baptism who are flagrantly living their lives contrary to Church teachings?  That’s the rub.  Those making the baptismal promises are more than falling short of virtue.  They are publicly living their lives contrary to the teaching of the Faith.  Amoris Laetitia anticipates some metanoia as well as a resolve to sin no more.  Is it reasonable to expect the child to be raised under the Church’s precepts, particularly with the Home Church defies the theology of the body and a sacredness of the covenant of marriage?  

In America, we fret about the lack of Sunday Mass by many baptized Catholics  and of the glaring lack of understanding of fundamental precepts of faith (e.g. the Real Presence in the Eucharist). So many poorly catechized Catholics are poached by Evangelical denominations since they hunger for the divine, but are sacramentalized but not catechized.  So much for the fruits from the Church of Nice. For seekers of Divine Truth, it is disheartening if they discover that were holy fools for playing by the rules because mercy to the unrepentant overrides all.

While it sounds merciful to baptize a child from a proud lesbian couple, sadly it seems that the child would be left as a spiritual orphan through a perfunctory ceremony which waters down the sacrament.

Handicapping Episcopal Bracketology for the ADW

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington has been rocked with scandals involving two Cardinals which touched upon the sexual molestation of minors.  Disgraced former Cardinal Archbishop now Mr. Theodore McCarrick was defrocked in February 2019 for a credible allegation of abuse four decades before. But "Uncle Ted" had quite the reputation for having special relations with promising seminarians.  

 His successor, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, was the Archbishop of Pittsburgh when he seemingly let a couple of clerical bad apples get off easy for credible abuse of minors in the 1990s.  Wuerl resigned his role as Archbishop under pressure in October  2018 but has remained as the Apostolic Administrator.

For nearly eight months, the Archdiocese of Washington has been praying for a new shepherd  for to the flock. To whimsically work off the anticipation of Pope Francis' momentous choice to fill the See of DC, longtime Vatican reporter Rocco Palmo likened the selection to the NCAA March Madness Sweet Sixteen.

Such piquant playfullness in ecclesial politics is welcomed at DC-LausDeo.  After all, the supposed contenders for the 2013 Conclave were presented in a Survivor style motif.

Brussels Cardinal Gotfried Danneels 

During Conclave 2013, then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (Buenos Aires) did not even make the brackets because the arbitrary age cut off was 72 and he was 75 when elected as Pope.  While proceedings of any Conclave are supposed to be kept secret, there have been some chatty Cathy Cardinals (particularly Cardinal Archbishop Gotfried Daneels of Mechelen-Brussels)   who have leaked about the left-leaning St. Gallen Group which was said to be instrumental in electing Pope Francis.

The handicapping of a choice for a new episcopal leader of the Archdiocese of Washington is considerably more challenging because of the wider selection pool.  While Papal Conclaves almost exclusively select within their own ranks, so that means only 125 conceivable "candidates", our Holy Father has plenty of bishops from which to choose.  And it is not out of the question that a cleric might ascend the ranks if he is the right choice for the ADW.

Having not been discouraged by the Sweet Sistine shutout of 2013, it is amusing to muse on Episcopal Bracketology.

It is instructive to consider the Washington See.   The Archdiocese of Washington is the home to nearly three million Catholics (about 22% of the area's population).  It is located in the Nation's Capitol and thus has increased prominence.  





Almost since its separation from the Archdiocese of Baltimore was complete in 1947, the ADW it has been graced with a Cardinal at the helm.  That being said, the past two Cardinals have left under scandal, which involves the hot button issues of clerical chastity and sexual abuse of minors.   The Archdiocese of Washington is one of four American  diocese under scrutiny by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops for reports of sexual abuse.  No wonder Rocco Palmo sees this choice to be the singular move which will define Pope Francis' stewardship in America.


So the stakes concern a large and very prominent Archdiocese which has been plagued with sexual scandal surrounding two preceding shepherds. 

Our Holy Father ought to discern (a fine Ignatian term) if his choice is deliberately free from ties  which plagued predecessors , if a choice with local ties would help, charism which suit the See, and if he wants to make a statement with the selection.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin with Pope Francis (circa 2016)

Initially, I anticipated that  Cardinal Joseph Tobin to be shifted from Newark down to DC.  After all, shortly after the small Diocese of Indianapolis was elevated to a Cardinalate See in 2016, with Tobin at the helm, he was transferred  to the Archdiocese off Newark, which has a significant Catholic population, thought previously overshadowed by the Archdiocese of New York and Philadelphia.  Tobin made headlines in 2014, warning American Catholics not to be balkanized as right wing  or left wing, progressive or traditional.

 One might conclude that Tobin had favor under Pope Francis' pontificate and  a supra political leader would be well suited for the leadership of a prominent archdiocese.  However, when news arose that  McCarrick may have orchestrated the appointment of Tobin and Cardinal Cupich of Chicago, it tied him to the disgraced prelate.  Furthermore, there were reports that Tobin dismissed "rumors" that McCarrick slept with seminarians as it was incredulous.  Thus, it is unlikely that Tobin will ascend to the helm of the Nation's Capital.  Tobin did not even make Rocco's bracket.

Bishop Kevin Vann (Orange, CA) and Christ Cathedral 

As there is an increasing need for outreach to prominent and vibrant ethnic minorities in the American Catholic Church, multi-lingual proficiency may be an influential factor.  Bishop Kevin Vann of the Diocese of Orange (California) speaks Vietnamese and Spanish, two important sub cultures in the ADW.  However, linguist acumen may not be the deciding factor in getting the episcopal nod in Washington. The fact that Bishop Vann is overseeing the major transformation of the historic  Protestant Crystal Cathedral into a Catholic Christ Cathedral may show more crucial leadership and managerial skills.

Baltimore Archbishop William Lori

If local ties and a distance from still raw scandals then Baltimore Archbishop William Lori would be a natural selection.  Lori became an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Washington.  Lori has no connections to McCarrick or Cardinal Wuerl.  In fact, Lori has been tasked to clean up sexual scandal in the suffragan diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. Lori also headed the Fortnight for Freedom campaigns for religious liberty.  But a couple of those advantages also work against serious consideration of Lori for the ADW.  Baltimore is the mother Archdiocese in America so moving to Washington would at best be a lateral move. Lori's strong oversight of Wheeling began in the fall of 2018, so shifting diocese would create complications in two other dioceses.  Even though Lori's experience with the Fortnight for Freedom demonstrates experience in navigating religion in political waters, this may not be the sort of political experience which would be valued by the Vatican today. In addition, Lori has been leader of a major American See for seven years, yet has not been named a Cardinal, which might be a signal about his favor within the Holy See.

Some of the names in this ecclesial bracketology are familiar, such as former USSB chair Archbishop Kurtz (Louisville) and Archbishop (Wilton) Gregory (Atlanta).  But both of those prelates are over 70, which effectively would be a short term appointment (as Bishops are asked to turn in their resignations by age 75, but as 78 year old Cardinal Wuerl has demonstrated, retirement is not automatic--even after one has "resigned" the post).

San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy at Social Justice conference 

One name did jump out for its notoriety,  Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego. McElroy is widely regarded to be a supporter of progressive policies of Pope Francis. Moreover, McElroy has been in the forefront of opposing the Trump Administration on immigration issues. McElroy argues against denying public officials the Eucharist for public officials because of their political positions, arguing that a traditional "theology of scandal" should be invoked.  McElroy sports a Jesuit education, writes for America Magazine and focuses on social justice issues.  

All of those attributes would seem to suit the opening in the ADW under this pontificate.  But McElroy received a letter from a clerical sex abuse expert in 2016 warning about now Mr. McCarrick, but McElroy did nothing about it as he could not determine the credibility of the source. There is also a recent San Diego diocese scandal in which the bishop sided with a diocesen employee who was openly homosexual and shut out traditional Catholic dissenters during some of his listening sessions on clerical abuse in the fall of 2018.

Some of the bishops who made the bracketology cut hail from some unlikely places, which fits in with Francis' pontificate. Like Archbishop Paul Etienne, who currently leads Anchorage, Alaska.  Or Bishop Christopher Coyne of the Diocese of Burlington (Vermont).  My favorite of underdog picks from far flung places is Archbishop Peter Bryan Wells, an American who serves as apostolic nuncio to South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland. 

Who will vault to top and receive "the call"?  Learning from the past, only the Holy Spirit and the Pope knows for sure.  But this ecclesial bracketology  exercise illuminates choices in leadership. 

 Although it would be imprudent to lock in a name, as such prognostication will likely be wrong, it is hoped that the Archdiocese of Washington will be blessed with a shepherd after God's own heart.  Being more specific, it would seem prudent to have a header who can not be facilely tied to connections of the clerical sexual abuse scandal, considering how it has rocked the ADW. It would be a blessing if the leader was not effectively an  interim candidate due to age.  And it be wonderful if the man chosen can diplomatically navigate delicate political issues while standing up for longstanding Catholic values. 

Nevertheless, it is time to end the period of the Apostolic Administrator, particularly as it is occupied by the same man who resigned the Archbishoric under pressure in October 2018.  It is unlikely that Pope Francis will choose a candidate during Lent.  But the longer this interim administration lasts, the less confidence that faithful Catholics will have that Wuerl's resignation mattered other than to take public relations pressure off the Washington hot seat. 

On Guardian Angels

Pope Francis on the Feast of the Sacred Heart

Pope Francis on Holiness

Archbishop Chaput Speaks the Catholic Truth in Defending Traditional Marriage

Since the Synods of the Family of 2014 and 2015, Munich Archbishop Reinhard Cardinal Marx, the Chairman of the German Bishops Conference, has been associated with the theology of gradualism, proffered by Cardinal Walter Kasper (said to be Pope Francis' favorite theologian).

That is why Cardinal Marx interview with Bavarian State Broadcasting that "there can be no rules" about Catholic priests blessing Same-Sex Marriages is so alarming.  The attitude which embraces the ambiguity coupled with the supposed pastoral discretion implements the progressive theological gradualism which is being implemented in some diocese regarding Amoris Laetitia.

To preclude the faithful from getting the wrong idea that Catholic doctrine on the sanctity of traditional marriage is gradually changing, Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput wrote a column in the Archdiocese newspaper to set things straight.



Moreover, Archbishop Chaput affirmatively issued a directive explicitly forbids clergy from blessing any same-sex union, mindful that this does not constitute a rejection of persons but is a defense of the truth of marriage.

On the Politicization of Church Life

Cardinal Raymond Burke gave an extended interview with Christopher Altieri for "Thinking With the Church" about matters of controversy among Catholics.  Burke's interview was recorded as a podcast and the transcript was published in the Catholic World Reporter. The Patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta expressed anguish that some consider his request to the Holy See for clarifications (dubia) about the  apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (2016) are motivated to create a schism in the Catholic church.  

Cardinal Burke is concerned that the interpretation and application of Amoris Laetitia contradict long standing traditional teachings on the Sacrament of Marriage.  While Cardinal Burke scrupulously avoided ideological labels in his Altieri interview, he noted the Bishop of Malta's innovation regarding irregular second marriages, which clearly are progressive in nature.

One of the characteristics of Pope Francis' reign is the injection of secular progressive politics into papal pronouncements.  In Laudato Si' (2015), Pope Francis implored world leaders to approve the Paris Climate Change Accords.  Pope Francis' visit to the Mexican-US  border was a pointed ploy to champion open borders, counter to the platform of then  candidate now President Donald Trump. Even Pope Francis' annual announcement for World  Communication Day  railed against "fake news". 

Pope Francis' advocated a journalism of peace, which the Holy Father defined as:

“A journalism created by people for people, one that is at the service of all, especially those – and they are the majority in our world – who have no voice,” A journalism less concentrated on breaking news than on exploring the underlying causes of conflict, in order to promote deeper understanding and contribute to their resolution by setting in place virtuous process. A journalism committed to pointing out alternatives to the escalation of shouting matches and verbal violence."

A true faith ought to be challenged and should not be confined to the sanctuary of the Church. There is the danger , however, that the Catholic faithful are being shepherded to take sides on secular political issues which are outside of the aura of competency of the Petrine office) and sometimes seem counter to traditional church teachings).  Those who object to this progressive polarization and stand fast to the Magisterium have increasingly been scorned, ostracized or dismissed as getting with today's program, even if the innovation is not magisterial.

For example, Chicago's Archbishop Blase Cardinal Cupich interpreted Amoris Laetitia as being a development of doctrine which the Petrine office has loosened requirements when pastorally addressing irregular marriages. But the apostolic exhortation did no such thing.  

Paragraph 3 of Amoris Laetitia indicates that the document was not doctrinal and was intended to start the conversation.  The controversy over Amoris Laetitia involves footnote 351 regarding Paragraph 305 which suggests that there might be some pastoral means of curing irregular second marriages.  But Pope Francis has refused to answer dubia's regarding the implementation. And progressive powers in the Church are attempting to steamroll their will, in a jesuitical manner, speaking with great force but not having the facts on their side.

As we grapple with the politicization of Church life, we ought to heed 16th Century Lutheran theologian Peter Meiderlin's wisdom that we ought to have "[U]nity on necessary things, liberty on dubious things and charity in all things." 

On Pope Francis on Pre-Mass Silence and Lex Vivendi

Recently, Pope Francis lamented the tendency of Catholics to engage in small talk before Mass when they ought to be spiritually preparing for the liturgy.

This may be related to how the Mass is considered by the faithful.  The Council of Trent affirmed the holy sacrifice of the Mass.  The spirit of Vatican II considers it a family meal, thus what would be wrong with some pre-supper conversation?

While it is laudable to have pre-liturgical silence to encourage the People of God to prepare for the Liturgies of the Word and the Eucharist, it should be tempered by fostering community.

It is my experience that at least in America, parishes are no longer the tightly knit and stable discreet communities that they once were.  Folks typically move around.  There are volitional parishes where people choose to attend.  People often do not make a day of worship, sticking around for coffee or pot luck.

The infrastructure can also be an issue.  My parish's main church was built in the 1850s and has a very small narthex, so there is not a courtyard for people to gather and make small talk before going into the sanctuary.  Many modern churches have incorporated a gathering area for such purposes.

So what would be the best way to cultivate more reverence prior to Mass?  I would suggest catechesis and clues.

While I want thoughtful exegesis from a homily, it can sometimes be edifying to also have some instruction.  I regret that I did not hear more priestly presiders educate the faithful about the change from dynamic translation to static translation of the new Roman Missal in 2011.  I sought to educate myself and attended some additional talks which helped me understand the logic of the syntax changes as well as to become accustomed to the "clunky" new sound.

Pope Benedict XVI observed that the essence of liturgy disappears when we applaud in church and it becomes religious entertainment.  While the Mass that I frequently attend has a wonderful contemporary choir,  it still garners applause "from the crowd" after Mass.  Being shepherded by our Holy Father, I curbed my enthusiasm for post-prandial celebration.  It would have been instructive if clergy discerned if such a critique was praiseworthy and shared it with their flock.

Another moment where reverence not revelry ought to be instructed is during the "sign of peace". In some liturgies, it becomes a "half time" where people will briefly socialize with their neighbors.  Some celebrants campaign, needing to shake the hand of every Catholic "constituent".    Liturgically, we are sharing the unity coming from the altar after the fraction rite that comes sharing one body of Christ. So several years ago, the Congregation for the Divine Worship  published a piece which discouraged irrational exuberance during the sign of peace.  Yet this instruction received nary a mention from the pulpit.

One parish which I attend while visiting relatives has a barn-like sanctuary.  Several minutes before they start they dim the lights to get the People of God in the mood. Visually, they are giving them a clue.  Where I believe that they go off the right path in making announcements or having brief secular speakers come up front "before the show". 

For me, good liturgy is key.  However, community is also important.  There is probably not a one-size-fits-all approach.  But pastors and sacristans can discern what will work best for their "faith community".  And homilists ought not to be afraid to challenge their congregation to  prayerfully consider how we comport ourselves in the sanctuary before, during and after our liturgies.  And may the clergy not dismiss righteous chaffing from the faithful just because they are in charge. 

Pope Francis on Guardian Angels

Autumn de Forest to Pope Francis

Artistic child prodigy Autumn De Forest presented  a painting of the Resurrection to Pope Francis.  The 14 year old had a realistic expectation of her oeuvre. 

Pope Francis on the Resurrection and Life

Pope Francis on Forgiveness

BOOK REVIEW: Churchy by Sarah Condon

Churchy [Mockingbird 2016 180 p.]  is a  non-fictional version of chick lit which shares Sarah Condon’s unvarnished personal vignettes that seeks to lead readers towards retrospective religious reflections. It is published by Mockingbird Ministries, which strives to connect the Christian faith with the realities of everyday life in fresh down-to-earth ways. No one will mistake Sarah Condon’s Churchy musings as mundane faith history.

"St." Flannery O'Connor

Churchy’s subtitle is “The Real Life Adventures of a wife, mom and priest”.   Truth be told, she thinks that the real title ought to have been: “Churchy Prodigal Daughter Who Is the Worst” which packs in a lot of theology, but those leitmotifs were already taken. Clearly, Condon is influenced by Southern Goth, as demonstrated by her reverence to “St.” Flannery O’Connor. This honorific should be no surprise as she attributed sainthood to Whitney Houston in prior Mockingbird articles 

Condon is an Episcopal priest who is married to another Episcopal priest pastoring a  parish in Houston Texas.  Sarah Condon’s ministry has included hospital ministry, in the dreaded “Liver Floor” filled with alcoholic patients in need of organ donations.

Rev. Sarah Condon 

After hearing Sarah speak at a retreat, I was prepared for her irreverent, earthy rhetoric (but the harshest epithets published were “holy shit” and “bullhockey”) to accompany her vivid story telling.  I noted that a couple of the vignettes were reworked into part of her speaking repertoire.  



Since my Roman Catholic tradition neither has many married clergymen (much less priestesses), I was interested in understanding her vocation as well as appreciating the strains of family life with clerical duties.   Honestly, this angle was not clear.  Most of Churchy seemed drawn from the lens of a Churchy mother who was wont to extrapolate theological truths from the quotidian.

Condon’s view on her vocation was not crystal clear. In the introduction, she noted that: 

“Josh [her husband] and I are both Episcopal priests. But most Sundays, you will see me in the pews with my children. On occasion, I stand behind the altar and celebrate communion.”  

As someone who understands sacramentality as a key distinction between the laity and the ordained, it seemed like  a nonchalant approach to take a priestly vocation yet to only feel obliged to “stand behind the altar” from time to time. 

Regarding her role as an off hours hospital chaplain, Condon conceded that she often hears the awkward inquiry: “What do you do for a living?”  She modestly asserts that she utters  a ratio 70%-30% stupid to wise things while “bumbling around” hospital wards. This underplays  the vital mission of just being present to  those who may be on the precipice of death. Such companioning in Christ echoes tenants of Ignatian spirituality which Pope Francis has been championing during his papacy.

In the chapter which contains the Cereal Aisle Stranger section, Sarah Condon wrote: 

“And there is the issue of me telling strangers what my husband and I do for a living while standing in front of a row of Fruit Loops.” 

Kind of surreal small talk in the Cereal Section. Yet the way that Sarah described the query as being about what they did for a living rather than refer to their priestly vocations or ministries. That particular turn of phrase niggled at me.

Condon’s later  reflections on her household concluded: 

“Meanwhile, I bring in some income with writing and part-time ministry work, put food in the crock pot, spend an incredible amount of time with my children and talk on the phone to my mom, a lot.”  

Sarah’s description of her role is a dose of honesty mixed in with a good measure of self-deprecating humor. However, it begs a poignant question –Should ordination be deemed just a part time job or a vocation of sacerdotal service to the people of God?  It is certainly unusual for a priest to be married to a priest while raising a family. I again wonder about how there can be sufficient self sacrifice to the needs of the faithful. Can active priests really be part-timers?

Irregardless of that dialectic, Sarah Condon does not easily fit into feminist stereotypes. In reflecting on her early attitudes towards her marriage that:

“[I]t was easier to think of myself as a woman liberated from role of ‘wife’ than it was to think of myself as a co-signer in covenant of sickness and health.” 

That liberated attitude along with being a priest being married to a priest might lead one to believe that Condon had totally signed unto the feminist agenda. Yet Condon rues the Episcopal Church’s expectation that of a  feminist art installation as a spiritual superhero who be both a real mother as well as a mother in ministry. Sarah also chaffed at feeling as if women priests are figuratively shoved through male shaped boxes, as exemplified as being required to complete an ordination exam as she was in the midst of a first trimester miscarriage. 

Condon does work in some theological concepts in layman’s terms.  She jars her readers attention with the theological precept that: “Humanity is a clown parade of jackwagons.”  Her vivid illustration of low anthropology contrasted with high Christology. This highlights how God loves us flawed sinful men and women but his only Son redeemed us through his Cross and resurrection. She also explores how “If your boss thinks you’re awesome then you’ll become awesome” has a nexus with the imputed righteousness of Christ. 

There were two poignant thoughts which I gleaned from Sarah Condon’s Churchy self-reflections.  As she was being shadowed as a hospital chaplain, she was ministering to a family who had decided to withdraw life support for a dying loved one.  Condon wondered why her mentor returned to the terminal patient’s room and whispered consoling phrases into her ear.  That taught her that she was at the most important time in a person’s life–the deathbed.  Moreover, Condon noted that hearing is the last sense to go, so it is always worth whispering love into the ears of the dying. It called to mind St. Faustina Kowalska’s recommendation to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet at a death bed.

The other striking idea Condon borrowed from her friend's bon mot.   While at a ecumenical pastors meeting in New York City, they were discussing which were their "target audiences" for planting ministries. Many participants suggested going after youth groups. But her friend puckishly suggested: “We’d like to get more middle-aged divorced women”, which underlined the need to minister to the broken-hearted. This vision sees church as a field hospital tending to those wounded and suffering from life’s battles. 

While I suspect that I was not part of Churchy’s “target audience”, I can appreciate how Sarah Condon’s witty writing desultory anecdotes and contemporizing gospel lessons might inspire a modern metanoia.  To wit, Lady Gaga  sought Rev. Sarah Condon to hear her preach before performing at the Houston Super Bowl.   

Sarah Condon  should be commended for writing Churchy as an honest soul searching book as well as expressing a willingness to see God in all things.