tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848362360964404779.post9156917666950198496..comments2024-03-28T03:04:51.580-05:00Comments on Musings of an Old Curmudgeon: Liturgy and ImbecilityJovan-Marya Weismiller, T.O.Carm.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05563666190071708640noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848362360964404779.post-38672707667963935702022-01-30T01:09:43.513-06:002022-01-30T01:09:43.513-06:00Dear Curmudgeon Dude, The nearest latin mass to me...Dear Curmudgeon Dude, The nearest latin mass to me is about 70 miles away. I haven't been to a full latin mass in decades, but I have been to masses that were partially celebrated in latin, mainly because of an ethnically diverse population in an inner city neighborhood where most of the attendants had English as a second language (or as I like to joke, English as a last resort), so the old priest said many of the usual parts of the mass in latin and gave the sermon in English. It's as difficult for me (born in 1955) to remember enough latin as it is for others to understand English, so I sympathize with their plight. I think we've thrown so many things of importance out with the loss of the latin mass, but I also think that at least for a time, the Church gained some ground with people from other Christian backgrounds being able to more easily join the Catholic Church after Vatican II, although I've read somewhere that the statistics don't really bear that out and that we've steadily declined in our participation and membership for many, many years now. I miss the respect that my mother automatically had for the faith, the priest, the church itself and the liturgical rubrics and of course, the presence of the Holy Eucharist. I am frustrated by the behavior of others at mass who don't show the traditional respect and I must confess, I am occasionally guilty of the same. So many things just compile to undermine our religious celebration of the mass. Also, the hierarchy of the church, from our bishops to the pope, are all guilty of not adequately cleaning house and eliminating the vast numbers of the ordained who are actively undermining the very foundations of our faith with their aberrant behaviors and beliefs. I find myself a bit demoralized as a result. The legal issues involved with the sexual abuse cases particularly makes me angry and completely unmotivated to financially support the church while nothing of real consequence seems to be happening to fix this. The pope is supposed to lead the church in the right direction and so far as I've seen, he's failing. <br /><br />There is a strong difference in being critical in our thinking and righteously criticizing what is happening. I agree with how it was stated in the article. There is an obligation on all our parts to speak up and stand up for morality, lest we all be judged in the general judgment for our failures to do that.<br /><br />Thanks for your continued efforts to bring the conservative point of view into this social realm.<br /><br />CathyCathy Titchenalnoreply@blogger.com