DERRICK GOES TO THE PROM WITH RICHARD

Derrick and Richard in their matching black tuxedos

A follow-up on the story of Derrick Martin who asked for and was given permission by the school authorities to take his boy friend to the prom. Unfortunately, Derrick's parents threw him out of the house when the publicity began. A friend's parents took him into their home.

From Macon.com:

Bleckley County High School senior Derrick Martin made history Saturday when he arrived at his high school prom on the arm of another boy.

He was the first in his hometown of Cochran — and perhaps in Georgia — to ask permission to take a same sex partner to prom and have his school allow it.

About 7:45 p.m., couples started to arrive at the high school in a line of stretch limos, a bus, a John Deere tractor and even carriage and buggy, and afterward walked through a crowd of parents and friends who snapped photos.

When Martin, 18, and his boyfriend Richard Goodman, also 18, stepped onto a makeshift “red carpet” and their names were announced, a few parents whispered but many in the crowd gave him a loud cheer. No one yelled out in protest.

“I wonder if they realize what they’ve done,” said Arturro Beeche, a San Francisco professor who flew into Georgia on Friday and drove Martin and Goodman to the prom. “Once it happens in small-town America, it will inspire so many,” he said.
....

The move had been met with some conflict, such as talk of a separate prom.
A few weeks back, a small group of students held an opposition rally in front of the town courthouse to protest. Martin’s parents also kicked him out of his home after the publicity.

But a rally in support of Martin was also held in a Macon park and supporters have donated more than $5,000 for college this fall.

Bleckley County High School in Cochran, Georgia, showed Itawamba High School in Fulton, Mississippi, the right way to do it. Fortunately, Constance McMillen's parents stood by her as her school, her classmates, and their parents failed her. There's no word in the story as to whether Derrick's parents have relented and invited him back home, so I presume they have not.

H/T to Jim Burroway at Box Turtle Bulletin for the link.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAME OVER ME...

An Alabama preacher said to his congregation, "Someone in this congregation has spread a rumour that I belong to the Ku Klux Klan. This is a horrible lie and one which a Christian community cannot tolerate. I am embarrassed and do not intend to accept this. Now, I want the party who did this to stand and ask forgiveness from God and this Christian Family."

No one moved. The preacher continued, "Do you have the nerve to face me and admit this is a falsehood? Remember, you will be forgiven and in your heart you will feel glory. Now stand and confess your transgression."

Again all was quiet..

Then slowly, a drop-dead gorgeous blonde with a body that would stop traffic rose from the third pew. Her head was bowed and her voice quivered as she spoke, "Reverend there has been a terrible misunderstanding. I never said you were a member of the Ku Klux Klan. I simply told a couple of my friends that you were a wizard under the sheets."

I know. The joke is quite naughty. Don't blame me. Blame Doug.

YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING!

I am not kidding. Lionel Deimel has gone and done it. He's created a whole line of clothing and other "NO ANGLICAN COVENANT" products. Check it OUT!

Pictured above is the value T-shirt for only $9.99.

Read all about how Lionel's online shop came to be.

H/T to Torey Lightcap at The Lead.

DESMOND TUTU SHOWS US HOW IT'S DONE

From the The Middletown Press:

With all the pageantry the Episcopal Church can muster, the Rev. Ian T. Douglas was consecrated Saturday the 15th bishop of the Diocese of Connecticut.

And the Episcopal Church can muster pageantry when it has a mind to.

Before numerous bishops laid their hands on Douglas, signifying the unbroken line of bishops stretching back to Jesus’ apostles, the candidate made the promise required of all bishops:

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, I, Ian Theodore Douglas, chosen Bishop of the Church in Connecticut, solemnly declare that I do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation; and I do solemnly engage to conform to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Episcopal Church.”
....

In his sermon, [Archbishop Desmund] Tutu spoke of how God requires Christians to love everyone, no matter who they are:

“All the poor, rich, white, black, Hispanics, all, all. Clever, not so clever, beautiful, not so beautiful … tea party, Democrat, Republican. This is radical, man. This is radical.

“Bin Laden, George Bush, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, gay, lesbian, so-called straight, all, all …”

He charged Douglas, “Please tell the children of God, each one of them is precious. … Each one of them is a member of God’s family in which there are no outsiders.”

There are no outsiders - love all, all. Beautiful words. The Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ.


H/T to MadPriest for the link, since "...there is nothing new under the sun".

FR. HANS KUNG'S LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Fr. Hans Kung in the Irish Times:

VENERABLE BISHOPS,

Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, and I were the youngest theologians at the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965. Now we are the oldest and the only ones still fully active. I have always understood my theological work as a service to the Roman Catholic Church. For this reason, on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the election of Pope Benedict XVI, I am making this appeal to you in an open letter. In doing so, I am motivated by my profound concern for our church, which now finds itself in the worst credibility crisis since the Reformation. Please excuse the form of an open letter; unfortunately, I have no other way of reaching you.

Kung lists the missed opportunities, the directions Benedict XVI could have taken and did not. He notes the regressive actions of the pope which moved the Roman Catholic Church away from the spirit of Vatican II.

I know that many of you are pained by this situation. In his anti-conciliar policy, the pope receives the full support of the Roman Curia. The Curia does its best to stifle criticism in the episcopate and in the church as a whole and to discredit critics with all the means at its disposal. With a return to pomp and spectacle catching the attention of the media, the reactionary forces in Rome have attempted to present us with a strong church fronted by an absolutistic “Vicar of Christ” who combines the church’s legislative, executive and judicial powers in his hands alone. But Benedict’s policy of restoration has failed. All of his spectacular appearances, demonstrative journeys and public statements have failed to influence the opinions of most Catholics on controversial issues. This is especially true regarding matters of sexual morality. Even the papal youth meetings, attended above all by conservative-charismatic groups, have failed to hold back the steady drain of those leaving the church or to attract more vocations to the priesthood.

You in particular, as bishops, have reason for deep sorrow: Tens of thousands of priests have resigned their office since the Second Vatican Council, for the most part because of the celibacy rule. Vocations to the priesthood, but also to religious orders, sisterhoods and lay brotherhoods are down – not just quantitatively but qualitatively. Resignation and frustration are spreading rapidly among both the clergy and the active laity. Many feel that they have been left in the lurch with their personal needs, and many are in deep distress over the state of the church. In many of your dioceses, it is the same story: increasingly empty churches, empty seminaries and empty rectories. In many countries, due to the lack of priests, more and more parishes are being merged, often against the will of their members, into ever larger “pastoral units,” in which the few surviving pastors are completely overtaxed. This is church reform in pretense rather than fact!

And now, on top of these many crises comes a scandal crying out to heaven – the revelation of the clerical abuse of thousands of children and adolescents, first in the United States, then in Ireland and now in Germany and other countries. And to make matters worse, the handling of these cases has given rise to an unprecedented leadership crisis and a collapse of trust in church leadership.

The letter is brilliant, and, in my opinion, demonstrates the words of a prophet. Fr. Kung lays out his suggestions for six steps to move forward to turn the dire situation around. The final step is for the pope to call an ecumenical council.

6. Call for a council: Just as the achievement of liturgical reform, religious freedom, ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue required an ecumenical council, so now a council is needed to solve the dramatically escalating problems calling for reform. In the century before the Reformation, the Council of Constance decreed that councils should be held every five years. Yet the Roman Curia successfully managed to circumvent this ruling. There is no question that the Curia, fearing a limitation of its power, would do everything in its power to prevent a council coming together in the present situation. Thus it is up to you to push through the calling of a council or at least a representative assembly of bishops.

Kung notes what I consider to be the pope's slap in the face to Anglicans.

He refuses to put into effect the rapprochement with the Anglican Church, which was laid out in official ecumenical documents by the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, and has attempted instead to lure married Anglican clergy into the Roman Catholic Church by freeing them from the very rule of celibacy that has forced tens of thousands of Roman Catholic priests out of office.

Although I've quoted large chunks of the letter, I suggest that you read the entire missive. I hope the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, including the Bishop of Rome, read the letter and give serious consideration to the implementation of Kung's suggestions.

IARCA SYNOD ELECTS THE RT. REV. ARMANDO GUERRA AS PRIMADO

Primate-elect Armando Guerra and Padre Mickey

Padre Mickey gives an account, with pictures, of the IARCA Synod at which the Rt. Rev. Armando Guerra, Bishop of the Diocese of Guatemala, was elected the new Primado.

So, today was the big day at the Synod of la Iglesia Anglicana de la Región Central de América (Anglican Church in the Region of Central America, or IARCA). The House of Bishops of IARCA elected the Rt. Rev. Armando Guerra, Bishop of the Diocese of Guatemala, as the new Primado of IARCA, succeeding the Rt. Rev. Martín Barahona , Bishop of El Salvador and Primado for the past eight years.

The Synod has been meeting at Ciudad de Saber, or the City of Knowledge, located in what was formerly Fort Clayton military base, just across from the Miraflores locks of the Panama Canal. We met at the Templo Ecumenico, the former military chapel which is now used by the Ecumenical Committee of Panamá.

Read the details at Padre's blog, Padre Mickey's Dance Party.

UPDATE: From Padre Mickey:

Here's the English translation of the IARCA Press Release that la Revda. Glenda McQueen and I made yesterday.

"The Rt. Rev. Amranod Guerra of Guatemala was elected Primate of the Anglican Church in the Region of Central America, known in Spanish as IARCA, during the IV Provincial Synod helod April 15 - 17, 2010, in Panamá.

"Bishop Guerra, who is 60 years old, is married to Norma Elizabeth Romero; they have three children and three grandchildren. The new Primate takes office in the context of a new mission for IARCA.

"This role includes maintaining communication with the rest of the Anglican Communion, working with the other bishops in the region and serving as an expression of the unity of the Church.

"The new Primate's term of office is for a period of four years, according to the canons of the Church.

"Thank you for your support. This is a difficult task. A new era begins. . ." said Bishop Guerra, visibly emotional. At the same time he thanked God, the House of Bishops, and his family.

"Bishop Julio Murray of Panamá was elected Vice-president of theHouse of Bishops and Bishop Hector Monterroso of Costa Rica continues as Executive Secretary of the Province.

"Among the challenges the new Primate will have to take on is the Mission Consultation Report and its implementation. The report was worked on during the Synod and is the basis for several resolutions to strengthen IARCA´s mission.

"IARCA is one of the 38 Provinces of the Anglican Communion, with some 25,000 members, and is multicultural, mutli-ethnic, and multilingual in character.

"Bishop Guerra succeeds Bishop Martín Barahona of El Salvador, who was Primate for the past eight years.

"The installation of Bishop Guerra as Primate of IARCA will take place on June 12. 2010, in Guatemala.

"IARCA celebrates this meeting in the historic "Ciudad de Saber" or "City of Knowledge" in the former Canal Zone, in which the U.S.A. administered the Panama Canal. Currently this facility offers lodging and is the seat of programs of the United Nations and other organizations.

"The new Primate received the congratulations of those present and was received by the house of Deputies with the singing of the Doxology, a traditional hymn of gratitude in the Anglican Communion.

Susana Barrera/Communications Officer of the Episcopal Church of El Salvador."

Translated by the Rev. Michael Dresbach and the Rev. Glenda McQueen.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?

From the Guardian:

A report in the German news magazine Der Spiegel, to be published tomorrow, will say that a former aide was put under "heavy" pressure to take the blame for an abuse scandal in the pope's former archdiocese of Munich and Freising. In 1980, while the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was archbishop, a priest known to be a paedophile was accepted into the archdiocese and, instead of being given therapy as planned, he was swiftly assigned to parish duties.

After the case was brought to light by the New York Times last month, Benedict's former vicar-general in Munich, Gerhard Gruber, accepted "full responsibility" for the decision.

According to Der Spiegel, citing sources very close to the 81-year-old prelate, Gruber received a string of telephone calls in which church officials "begged" him to take the blame. After he agreed, he was sent a fax containing the statement that he eventually issued, the weekly will say. The priest, Father Peter Hullermann, went on to commit an offence involving a boy for which he was tried and convicted.

In Spain, meanwhile, it was reported that a cardinal who congratulated a French bishop on not reporting a paedophile abbot said he had cleared his message of congratulations with the late pope, John Paul II. La Verdad, a newspaper in the southern city of Murcia, said that Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos told a press conference in the city on Friday that he wrote a letter to the bishop "after consulting the pope and showing it to him".
....

The statement was one of several indications that Benedict's supporters were shifting from defence to attack in their run-up to the fifth anniversary of the start of his papacy tomorrow.

When I read the article, I felt sick. The news is shocking, and yet, who believed that Benedict did not know about the priest in his archdiocese? Who didn't think that Vicar-General Gruber was falling on his sword for the sake of protecting the pope? I expect that what will come out in Der Speigel is only the beginning of a flood of revelations that will follow. Benedict and John Paul II are and have been bad news for the Roman Catholic Church. The one enabled the other, and now insiders in the know appear to have decided, "Enough is enough!"

Thanks to Cathy for the link.

AFTERNOON AT THE MOVIES

 

My grandson and I headed off to the movie theater this afternoon to see "How To Train Your Dragon". In my habitual fashion, I was running late, so by the time we bought our tickets and made the stop at the concession stand, the movie had already started, but only by a few minutes. Sigh.... When we handed in our tickets, the ticket-taker said they were for the next showing of the movie, about two hours later!!! He said, "The movie has already started." I asked if we could go in anyway, and he said yes. Yay!

Of course, my grandson ran far up the stairs to a seat higher than I wanted to go, but I gamely followed. We crawled over the folks in the row and settled down. After a few minutes, GS says, "I left my candy on the counter! I'm going to get it." He jumped up, passed me, and knocked my bag of popcorn on the floor. I said, (in the middle of a movie for kids!) "Gotdammit, you spilled my popcorn!" Lord, forgive me. Children forgive me. On GS went crossing in front of the people in our row again, but not spilling their popcorn.

He came back with his candy, and we settled down to watch the movie. Suddenly we begin to see double, and I realized that 3D had kicked in, and we didn't have 3D glasses! Honestly, I thought about watching the movie in double vision, because we'd already made such a fuss, but GS wanted the 3D effect, which is quite understandable. I told him to go wherever to get us our glasses, and he crawled over me and the others in the row again and made a successful run for the 3D glasses. I guarded my half bag of popcorn which I had rescued from the floor, so he didn't knock it down again. We settled again to watch the rest of the movie with our 3D glasses without causing further disturbance. When I reached into my pocket to get a napkin, there was GS's bag of candy. I picked it up off the counter and forgot all about it, because the server distracted me by trying to sell me a new item, a cinnamon pretzel for $5.50, which I declined.

The movie was charming, enjoyable for both children and adults, with enough in the way of chases on the ground and in the air, close calls, fire-breathing, etc. for GS, and a literate and lovely message for all ages.

When the movie was over, I picked up our trash, except for the sea of popcorn at my feet, turned in the extra bag of candy at the concession stand, (I am honest to a fault!) and we were on our way home.

So. Should I give up taking grandchildren to the movies? We seem to have more than our share of adventures. We, no doubt, annoyed a few folks, but we didn't hurt anyone. I suppose we'll try again.

IS TEC ON A WAYWARD PATH?

Check in at Openly Episcopal in Albany to read the post titled, Former Bishop Savages TEC, on the opinion column in the Richmond Times-Dispatch by retired Suffragan Bishop David Bena of Albany, who departed from the Episcopal Church.

The painful irony is that TEC's decision to reject the authority of God's Word has been gravely injurious, and has itself caused the very division that TEC's leaders claimed they sought to avoid. Once someone rejects Scripture, then they reject Jesus Christ and Christianity as a whole. It's as simple as that. We could not follow a national body that rejected the very Word of God.

Strong words indeed from Bishop Bena, who continues to speak to groups and preside over Eucharists at the Spiritual Life Center of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany.

IRVIN MAYFIELD'S "BOOK ONE" WINS GRAMMY

"The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra won for the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album the debut CD Book One at the 52nd Grammy Awards. The album was composed and arranged by Irvin Mayfield, Artistic Director and founder of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra - and good friend to our diocese [the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana]. Book One explores post-Katrina stagnation, the ongoing financial crisis, and falling in love.

Mayfield and Ronald Markham CEO and president of the 20-piece orchestra accepted the award and thanked the City of New Orleans, members of the orchestra and past jazz greats Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Jelly Roll Morton and Danny Barker. 'This Grammy award demonstrates that jazz is alive and resides in New Orleans,' said Mayfield, adding that 'the musicians in the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra took original compositions and created timeless music.'

Book One was recorded live at Christ Church Cathedral in November 2008 for the Cathedral's annual 'All the Saints' concert. The concert was originally commissioned after Hurricane Katrina and was hailed as the cultural reopening of New Orleans. Each year the performance includes elements of the original along with new music composed by Mayfield. Congratulations to everyone involved!"

Text from Churchwork, the official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana.

If you like big band jazz, go to Amazon to listen to snippets of the tracks. If you like what you hear, you may want to buy the album. I already have the album and recommend it highly. It's good, quite good.