I'm Telling!!!
Posted by: tony on 04/26/2007 02:30 PM
Updated by: tony on 04/26/2007 03:39 PM
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Expires: 05/27/2007 12:00 AM
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Nobody loves a tattletale. When we were kids, one of the worst things you could do was break the "code of silence" and report a sibling's (or the more egregious offense, a friend's) misdeeds to your parent, or some other authority figure.
Todd at Catholic Sensibility is appalled by the lack of charity he's finding with regards to the story about a certain Mass celebrated in a certain dormatory lounge on a certain coffee table used as an erstwhile altar by Bishop Clark of the diocese of Rochester.
This story first came to my attention via Fr. Erik Richtsteig at Orthometer with a blog post entitled Play spot the liturgical abuse!
Todd writes:
It bespeaks the continuing emergence of a pseudo-magisterium of tattletales or of anonymity, or sometimes of both. It includes priests such as this guy and this other guy who should realize that while they might be young, "orthodox," and rarin’ to go*, their ordination bestows not just a certain quality of leadership, but also one of prudence and gravity. In other words, maybe the sheriff can’t join the lynch mob like he used to. Though heaven knows I share the itch to call people "nut jobs" (though probably not the same souls as attract the Catholic Right) I consider that my thoughts don’t have to match with one-hundred percent congruence my written or spoken words. Making judgments is part of the thinking human condition, but that doesn’t mean we're obliged to act on our passions at every given opportunity.
Strong words.
When my daughters were growing up (and even now when they are teenagers) I tried to teach them that it isn't sufficient to simply speak the truth. There are actually three criteria in this logical pathway.
1. Is it true?
2. Is it kind?
...and if not...
3. Is it necessary?
By Todd calling someone a "tattletale", the implication is that there is something bad to tell about. After all, if what they were doing was fine and dandy, there would be nothing to tell, and if it was told, the teller would be the one to be corrected.
Also when my daughters were growing up, we told them that if they noticed someone doing something dangerous, they were required to tell someone in authority. If they did not, and the doer of dangerous deeds got hurt, they also shouldered some of the blame. They even needed to tell on a friend who was doing dangerous things even if they would lose that friend in the process. We are called to correct someone lovingly when they stray.
I do have to agree with Todd that "lovingly" is a requirement.
In the case of the dorm lounge Mass, it was true. Correction may be considered unkind, but IMO is necessary. Partly because souls are at stake.
It might have been handled better, because playing "spot the liturgical abuse" is a game I use to play when I visited other parishes. I had my own "checklist" of things that I looked for.
1. Tabernacle that was not in prominence.
2. "Eucharistic Ministers" vested or in the sanctuary.
3. "Altar girls" in cassock and suplice.
4. Pottery or glass chalices and cibora.
I discovered that in each and every church I want into, when I was "looking for trouble", I would invariably find it. It didn't hurt the priest, the congregation, or the Bishop of the diocese. It hurt me. It affected my peace, and the communion at Mass with my God and the other faithful gathered to worship.
I've been trying to stop, but it hasn't been easy. I'm getting better.
Other abuses I am loathe to ignore. In those cases, I won't write a barbed blog post, I will write the Bishop in question. If the Bishop doesn't correct the problem, I may write about it to try and help people who find themselves in similar situations.
I have been involved in "out of church" Masses. They have generally been handled in a prayerful, respectful and devotional manner. If mass away from a church was improper, then why do they make traveling Mass kits?
That might be an idea, all of those who had a problem with Bishop Clark's liturgy can contribute $10 and before long you'll have the $684.90 required to send the Bishop a top notch, GIRM following, orthodox traveling Mass kit.
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