Countercultural & courageous.Franz Klein and his "John Paul II John Paul II, 1920–2005, pope (1978–2005), a Pole (b. Wadowice) named Karol Józef Wojtyła; successor of John Paul I. He was the first non-Italian pope elected since the Dutch Adrian VI (1522–23) and the first Polish and Slavic pope. " cohorts are on a jet headed for the Promised Land in their flight from the fleshpots of Egypt fleshpots of Egypt where Israelites “did eat bread to the full.” [O.T.: Exodus 16:3] See : Luxury ("John Paul II Priests," August 12). Yet, if Aquinas's dictum that "there is nothing in the mind that hasn't been previously in the senses" is still true, they cannot possibly fathom the experiences of their "Vatican II Noun 1. Vatican II - the Vatican Council in 1962-1965 that abandoned the universal Latin liturgy and acknowledged ecumenism and made other reforms Second Vatican Council Vatican Council - each of two councils of the Roman Catholic Church priest" elders, let alone that of Msgr. Harry Byrne's generation (July 16, 2004) to which I also belong. The latter crowd did not board a plane from the Tenderloin of San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden or other metropolis as converted former cynical occasional churchgoers. They started their treck when "Standing on the corner, watching all the girls go by ..." was a mortal sin mortal sin n. Christianity A sin, such as murder or blasphemy, that is so heinous it deprives the soul of sanctifying grace and causes damnation if unpardoned at the time of death. (unless you managed to "not fully consent"), when young women in college were enjoined not to wear patent leather shoes lest it reflect their under-panties into the lusting eyes of their lecherous lech·er·ous adj. Given to, characterized by, or eliciting lechery. lech  er·ous·ly adv. male escorts, when--in the words of the 1917 Code of Canon Law--marriage was, for practical purposes mostly, a remedium concupiscentiae, or in blunter English, legally licensed lustfulness. For that cohort to question the obligatoriness of priestly celibacy is as sincere, courageous, and countercultural as Klein's cohort perceives themselves to be. Our Lord said it right: ultimately celibacy for the sake of the kingdom is a mystery (Matt 19:12). For those who "get it" no explanation is necessary, for those who don't none will suffice. And God's Spirit has many gifts, distributing them to each individually as he wishes (1 Cor 12). Pastorally, none of the lip service given to the excellence of marriage will be convincing unless we profess in deeds also the equal dignity and efficacy, for those who are called to it, of the sacrament of matrimony--both for personal holiness and for communal flourishing. EDMUND F. KAL Fresno, Calif. |
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