I can't wait for the EWTN episode.A leading Catholic cardinal at the Vatican has essentially said that complying the with Obama birth control mandate would have Catholics and Catholic organizations participating in sin.
The mandate compels religious employers to pay for birth control and drugs that may cause abortions in health coverage for their employees and a revised mandate will compel them to refer employees for free coverage from their health insurance plans, which will eventually have the payment mandate.
In an upcoming episode of Catholic Action Insight hosted by Thomas McKenna to air on EWTN on Wednesday, Cardinal Raymond Burke speaks out for the first time on the controversial mandate.
Speaking of sin, the clashing colors of His Eminence's vestments against the clashing green of the throne are surely an ecclesiastical fashion sin. Help!
Yes, I think we’re well on the way to it," he said, pointing to areas of social outreach - such as adoption and foster care - where the Church has had to withdraw rather than compromise its principles.What about the red vestments?
This trend could reach a point where the Church, "even by announcing her own teaching," is accused of "engaging in illegal activity, for instance, in its teaching on human sexuality."
H/T to Charles Pierce at The Politics Blog for the links to the latest on the 'Clan of the Red Beanie'.
UPDATE: Ann V sent me the link to a post by Armando at Daily Kos titled, 'Is Walgreens committing a sin by selling condoms?' According to the words of His Eminence, I can't see how not. Strip the shelves!
UPDATE 2: I asked my expert consultant on ecclesiastical vestments if the objects on either side of the Cardinal Raymond Burke's hat were pom-poms, and he replied that they were "the tassels that hang down the side of a cardinal's hat, apparently sutured into place on top of the hat". There you have it. The cardinal's hat may be a galero.
Thanks to Lapin for the picture.
Classic example of what Disraeli termed "man millinery".
ReplyDeleteI remember when many of my progressive Catholic friends breathed a sigh of relief when he got "kicked upstairs" and out of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Now they're going, "Oh, no, it's worse than I thought!"
ReplyDeleteLapin, I believe you sent me at least one of the pictures, and both are too good to use only once, so I jumped at the chance to post them again.
ReplyDeleteKirke, I'm sick and tired of the RC prelates' heavy-handedness in pushing their warped teachings on human sexuality on the rest of us.
Cardinal Burke and others like him are the essence of arrogance. I am certain they will do whatever it takes to undermine the 2012 election.
ReplyDeletewhiteycat, no doubt, but the efforts of the RC hierarchy may backfire. I hope so. Fewer and fewer Roman Catholics pay attention to their extremist views.
ReplyDeleteAnd people are still persecuting the Church over that old Holy Inquisition flap!
ReplyDeletePaul (A.), I know. It's so unfair.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Wikipedia, His Eminence is now 'the current Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura', which is 'the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church (apart from the Pope himself, who as the supreme ecclesiastical judge, is the final point of appeal for any ecclesiastical judgment). In addition, it oversees the administration of justice in the Church.'
I couldn't keep a straight face with the final sentence of the description of the tribunal.
I want my draperies back!
ReplyDeleteMary Clara, the green or the red?
ReplyDeleteBoth!
DeleteActually, the green square on his lap looks suspiciously like the fabric of a silk sari of mine, a particular favorite which suited me very well. I haven't worn it for years as I've outgrown the matching blouse. I was suspicious that he might have taken advantage of my inattention to my saris and raided my closet, making off with some of my most opulent Indian fabrics. Wouldn't put it past these guys with their textile envy and lust. Isn't there something in the Ten Commandments about coveting your neighbor's fine fabrics? . . .
Mary Clara, I'm sure 'neighbor's goods' includes their fine fabrics.
DeleteIf you click on the picture of the cardinal in green, you get a fuller effect of the clashing shades of green. I have to say that the sight makes me a tad nauseous.
I liked him better as the lawyer on TV when I was a kid.
ReplyDeletecloud-hidden, do you mean Raymond Burr in 'Ironsides', or was His Eminence an actor in another life?
DeleteOn a personal note, Burke regularly wears a mitra pretiosa lifted and copied without permission by a leading Roman ecclesiastical outfitter from a scan of the 18th c original, purchased on eBay years back, that I posted on flickr.
ReplyDelete[The copy currently sells for 7,000 Euros ($9,225.00) which is vastly more than I paid for the original!]
His Eminence's mitre looks to have more height than the original, which, even in the photos, is shown to be of much higher quality than the copy.
ReplyDeleteThe angle of the picture might have something to do with the perceived height, but it does appear to be taller. Size is everything, you know! Quality, not so much.
DeleteIt may look taller since wearing the mitre (my head's too big even though 18th c mitres were sized for wearing over a wig) makes the bottom edge seem smaller as it is rounded out. I have posted a scan of my mitre perched on the head of a slightly fey-looking model at this link. You can see that this makes the mitre seem taller. [Good it is too small for me, since otherwise I might spend whole days posing before the mirror]
Deletesusan s., true.
DeleteLapin, 'slightly fey' model? We are all thankful that your mitre doesn't fit you and that you are not frozen in front of your mirror admiring yourself.
"it does appear to be taller. Size is everything, you know!"
DeleteOr is he just glad to see you? [No, he's not. You're not an altar boy.]
Well, their concept of what is "sin" certainly boggles the mind. Recently I was at the "Enlightened Catholicism" blog and read of a priest abuser who actually had t shirts printed up for the young boys that he (repeatedly) molested. The print said "Philadelphia Rovers". I have read lots of horror tales about that particular sin, but the sheer cynicism of this act keeps dragging at my heart. He actually made his victims be marked and be outstanding as if he was silently bragging about his activity.
ReplyDeleteThe word "sin" seems to have different meanings for laity.......
Considering the widespread abuse by priests, I don't understand how the bishops have the nerve to keep attacking healthcare for people while they are sitting on such a nauseating pile of criminal activity themselves. What must the honorable priests be thinking as they keep on working and plodding along?
On a lighter note, I always wonder what happened to Burke's neck...his voluminous draperies make him look like a bobble doll dressed in Mary Clara's draperies. Wonder where the line is that divides 'pomp' from 'silly'?
nij
What must the honorable priests be thinking as they keep on working and plodding along?
DeleteSee, here's the thing.
I know an RC priest. I can't say too much about HOW I know him . . . except we both know our powerlessness.
My friend seems like a great guy. I really like him. From what I know, he has an exceptional ministry.
...and yet, he's an RC priest.
And I can't help but think, "Well, what if...?" O_o
And my friend has the hierarchy---people like Burke---to thank for my doubts.
Sometimes it's hard to understand why people stay, but good ministry is still happening on the ground in the RC parishes in spite of the hierarchy.
DeleteHe looks to be a mighty miserable person. I don't really blame him for looking miserable. If I had to wear those outfits, I'd be miserable, too. Yes, I know he brought it on himself.
ReplyDeleteNij, I deleted your duplicate comment. I know it always annoys me when my comments post twice, and I assumed you would want yours removed.
ReplyDeleteYes, the RC hierarchy has a nerve! Could it be that this campaign against health care has something to do with deflecting attention from the child abuse and cover-up? The abuse story is not yet over.
As I see it, the outfits worn by His Eminence certainly belong in the category of ecclesiastical dress run amok.
susan s., I agree. I'd be grumpy, too, if I was decked out in the silly vestments.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the double posting again, Mimi. If it keeps happening, I can't figure what I'm doing wrong please delete.
ReplyDeletenij
Nij, I know it's not your doing. It happens to me, too.
ReplyDeletePossible medical diagnosis: the weight of his..... outfits and his own magnificence is perhaps stopping blood from reaching the brain of this embarassment to the Church.
ReplyDeleteDid he ever even entertain the possibility that it is the like of himself, George Pell and their fieldmarshall Mad Bennie who are persecuting the Church?
Chere Mimi, as a gay man, you know I'm morally obliged to indite this..... cadinal for extreme bad taste with his high-clerical-drag. The photo of the red get-up in particular might also result in charges of implausible impersonation of the old Margaret Rutherford (British actress).
David, His Eminence is badly in need of gay fashion advice. No self-respecting gay man would have put his costumes together.
DeleteLOL at your comparison to Margaret Rutherford
You know, the older he gets, the more he's starting to look like Truman Capote. Just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteHe's only 64 years old, but he looks older.
ReplyDeleteHe is an extremist and buffoon. He is a disgrace to the church. I hope the pope and his g8 advisors sack him.
ReplyDeleteBob, perhaps the pope will ease the cardinal into retirement.
Delete