“A Girl Thing”
September 21, 2007 by ken88
Be of good courage and let us behave ourselves manfully for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord will do that which is good in his sight. (Paralipomenon 19:13)
Cardinal Heenan
During the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October 1967, after seeing a demonstration of the proposed new Mass, Cardinal Heenan told the Synod: “At home it is not only women and children but also fathers of families and young men who come regularly to Mass. If we were to offer them the kind of ceremony we saw yesterday in the Sistine Chapel we would soon be left with a congregation mostly of women and children”. His words of warning went unheeded.
The above is unfortunately true. The only place I have seen a large male presence in church was at the Latin Mass. Something about the Old Ritual speaks to men, whether it’s the Hierarchal/Sacerdotal nature of the ceremony, or the rigidness of the Rubrics, or whatever. The quickest, easiest way to drive men out of anyplace (church or otherwise) is overt emotionalism (holding hands, talk of love, basically anything too saccharine). The objective nature, quietness, and use of Latin in the Old Mass provides a “blacket” to express yourself while not feeling like a sappy extroverted buffoon. The expression is kept internal, God can see it, my neighbors should be focusing on Him.
Some Examples of Catholic Masculinity from the “Before-Time”:
Do we really want a weak emasculated Catholicism? Remember what is lurking around seeking the ruin of Souls: our “Brothers in Abraham” (puke):
(Picture of anti-Catholic riot in front of Westminster Cathedral, Cardinal Heenan’s seat)
Are the first two images of a matador or toreador?
Matador.
It wasn’t a riot, it was a protest (even if we didn’t like it). Don’t inflame the situation with ill-chosen words!
I see a riot, you see a protest. Tomatoe/Tomatoe, Statement stands. Who’s inflaming the situation?, they’re the ones rioting in front of a Church! Pretty damn flaming.
Ken:
You continue to be just right on the money.
I am fortunate to have a Latin Mass to attend and it is hard to find a seat most Sundays.
Keep up the wonderful work.
Take care.
David
To be honest there are plenty of men young & old at the Oratory..
At my old church it’s mostly a woman, girl and boys under 18 club. At my current parish we have a lot of men. I think it’s because we have two very manly priests and emotionalism is kept in it’s place.
Looked like a riot to me - and one that incited hatred against a minority - Catholics. Why weren’t these fascists arrested? If we stood outside a mosque with signs saying “God curse Mohammed”, we’d be carted off in a Police car.
Go figure!
It was an exhibition of the hatred these folks have for non-Muslims. Call a spade, a spade.
Any photos of Blessed Rupert Mayer wearing his Iron Cross?
Hello Woody, funny you mention him, I just has a coversation about him the same day you left the comment. Only heard about him once before (Strange how things like this work).
I looked around, there does not seem to many pics of him out there, but I will keep an eye out.
So you think that talk of love is unmanly? Then I guess God is unmanly, because God (according to St. Paul) is love. And wasn’t it Christ Jesus who also spoke at great length, and frequently, about love? But go ahead if you want, take a fourth-grade approach to things: love…how yucky…how uncool…how unmanly. I’m glad that the love of God, and love among human beings, is preached and practiced in my parish. Wouldn’t go back to your world if I could.
Steve
Silly Steve, it’ not Love I am against, it’s the Sappy expression thereof. It’s the overly, “touchy-feely” effeminate Sentimentality I am shooting at. I guess the Good Cardinal Heenan, and I will stay in “our World” where the virtue of Religion is not is not a sappy emotional Pacifier.
You stay in your world holding hands, and singing Kumbaya, Thank you very much.