tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10944560.post116976659805670385..comments2024-01-01T08:18:36.278-05:00Comments on Real Physics: The Crisis of Fatherhood and Christian UnityLawrence Gagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01242322119143922513noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10944560.post-58365902313459578032007-07-20T09:13:00.000-04:002007-07-20T09:13:00.000-04:00"After the Second Vatican Council, the impression ..."After the Second Vatican Council, the impression arose that the pope really could do anything in liturgical matters, especially if he were acting on the mandate of an ecumenical council. Eventually the givenness of the liturgy, the fact that one cannot do with it what one will, faded from the public consciousness of the West... Even the pope can only be a humble servant of its lawful development and abiding integrity and identity."<BR/><BR/>Joseph Ratzinger, <I>The Spirit of the Liturgy</I>, pp. 165-6 (as quoted in OSV, 2006-07-22).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10944560.post-21661100369455825742007-03-02T10:38:00.000-05:002007-03-02T10:38:00.000-05:00Jim,You're entirely right. The Church has a lot o...Jim,<BR/><BR/>You're entirely right. The Church has a lot of historical baggage to unload and that doesn't happen overnight (contrary to many people's assumptions after the Council).<BR/><BR/>LGLawrence Gagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01242322119143922513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10944560.post-5510096744505154342007-02-24T10:28:00.000-05:002007-02-24T10:28:00.000-05:00It's a difficult complex of problems in the Church...It's a difficult complex of problems in the Church just now.<BR/><BR/>Certainly over-active hierarchical authority during the post-Vatican II period led to destruction of tradition and consequent bureaucratization. As a result the only place genuine authority can reside in the Roman Church seems to be the Pope. Everything else looks like a bureaucratic instrumentality. In such a situation the most obvious choices for a not-specially-gifted Catholic are (i) to transmit and comply with whatever the Pope says (a sort of "Catholic neocon" option), (ii) to adhere to a sort of counter-magisterium based on neutral bureaucratic expertise (like various dissenters, educators, liturgists, academic theologians and other ecclesiastical functionaries), (iii) to follow one's own inner light (various new agey types), (iv) to pick and choose like a good citizen of the democratic consumer society (that's what most ordinary Catholics now do), or (v) to rebel against authority in the name of authority (trads).<BR/><BR/>I'm not sure just what the best way is to get out of the hole. Fasting and praying maybe. The Pope certainly sees the problem and wants to get rid of bureaucracy and put more tradition in the liturgy. I think that's one reason he thinks relations with the Eastern Orthodox are so important. The top guy can't just order people to think about things less bureaucratically though. How would he do that, hire educators and set up timetables to make sure he gets compliance?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10944560.post-25005462935094928202007-02-10T16:36:00.000-05:002007-02-10T16:36:00.000-05:00A friend reminds me of a point that I had intended...A friend reminds me of a point that I had intended to include, but forgot: the Church is much more than the hierarchy and depends on the laity raising good children. In fact, this is the genius of clerical celibacy: there can be no permanent ruling class, because the "rulers" have no (legitimate!) progeny.<BR/><BR/>In case there's any question, I should note that Fr. Loya has nothing to do with the the complaints from Eastern sources.<BR/><BR/>LGLawrence Gagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01242322119143922513noreply@blogger.com