Saturday, February 12, 2005
Smack down number 2
Burke gets Medieval on a rebellious parish and puts them under interdict! The article is poorly written. As I understand it, basically, the parish refuses to submit its title to the archbishop. Burke, upon assuming the See of St. Louis, noted the irregularity of the autonomous parish and requested, numerous times, to correct it. Curiously, not a word is said by or about the pastor of the church in the interview. I wonder how he stands. I'll bet the lay parish governing board doesn't help any. Nothing combines theological ignorance and audacity like untrained laymen without vows of obedience thinking they can sass-talk their bishop into abiding by their preferences.
When the board of directors considers what Jesus would do in their situation, not suprisingly it resembles their own opinion. Funny that no one asks WWPD: What would Paul do? The inspired writer who wrote the most on the topic of church order would have had them all anathematized a month ago. I love the primitivism implied in the remark that interdict is about "raw power and greed" and not "the teachings of Jesus Christ." One might imagine the next line reading: "After all, Adolf von Harnack has clearly shown that anything Medieval is a gross distortion of the unstained, completely horizontal communal life of the first century, where everyone wore flowers in their hair and ate agapes all day."
Burke's uncompromising episcopal response calls for a round of the Pelagian drinking song:
And with his stout Episcopal staff
So thoroughly whacked and banged
The heretics all, both short and tall --
They rather had been hanged.
Oh he whacked them hard, and he banged them long
Upon each and all occasions
Till they bellowed in chorus, loud and strong
Their orthodox persuasions.
With my row-ti-tow
Ti-oodly-ow
Their orthodox persuasions.
When the board of directors considers what Jesus would do in their situation, not suprisingly it resembles their own opinion. Funny that no one asks WWPD: What would Paul do? The inspired writer who wrote the most on the topic of church order would have had them all anathematized a month ago. I love the primitivism implied in the remark that interdict is about "raw power and greed" and not "the teachings of Jesus Christ." One might imagine the next line reading: "After all, Adolf von Harnack has clearly shown that anything Medieval is a gross distortion of the unstained, completely horizontal communal life of the first century, where everyone wore flowers in their hair and ate agapes all day."
Burke's uncompromising episcopal response calls for a round of the Pelagian drinking song:
And with his stout Episcopal staff
So thoroughly whacked and banged
The heretics all, both short and tall --
They rather had been hanged.
Oh he whacked them hard, and he banged them long
Upon each and all occasions
Till they bellowed in chorus, loud and strong
Their orthodox persuasions.
With my row-ti-tow
Ti-oodly-ow
Their orthodox persuasions.
