Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Nunsophrenia

Grab a latte, put your feet up and enjoy the adjectives, adverbs and allegory in this story.

They were walking into what Fr. Hans Küng, the internationally renowned theologian who has had his own battles in the palazzo, calls "a new Inquisition.... 
"The sisters were accused of undermining church moral teaching by promoting "radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith." To many sisters, the congregation's action is a turn toward the past, causing a climate of fear and a chill wind reaching into their lives.
Priceless.

 Yeah. When they promote immorality and hand out condoms and contraception, they are just taking care of the poor by embracing the social justice teachings of Vatican II.

Rob a soul of their salvation while giving them a piece of bread.    

The devil tried that trick on Christ but Grace in its most perfect form resisted.   And, it resists it still.  From the Sanctuary come the merits of the gifts sufficient enough, even in hunger, to resist. In every corner of the earth.

Brace yourself for the climax in the story:

But a stark drama of attrition has unfolded as the Vatican II generation reaches an eclipse.

I'd say Santa Claus brought somebody a new Thesaurus, wouldn't you?

 It was an eclipse all right. They stood in front of the Son and spent fifty years forcing us to listen to the werewolves barking at their own full moon. You ready for more?
The Vatican crackdown of LCWR has exposed a schizophrenic church... 
This is about the Vatican II church, how we have come to live collegially with participatory decision-making... 
When I entered in 1965 we studied and prayed with [the Vatican II] documents, implementing new charters. ... 
When Vatican II requested nuns to search their history, Rome believed in a mythology of plaster statue women...
In certain parts of the church we have an us-versus-them mentality...

Us' is religious, and 'them' is officers of the Holy See...The Vatican is trying to assert control, 'we are in charge.' ... Many people are saying the two churches are not coming together...
There was never to churches and there never will be, but I think something is getting through her thick skull.  Her life's work to divide the flock from Christ's Church is getting a ride on the end of the Pope's shoe.
There is a fundamental problem of honesty.

Yes dear. That would be you.

Get ready for the plaster statue women baby.  They're back.  And, one of them has Her foot on your head and is about to crush it.   Mr. Kung too. (Is he still alive?  I thought he was long dead.)

If you have not seen Les Meserables, get thee to this masterpiece. The timing of this story about love and redemption, valor, in a world of terrible oppression at the hands of the government during the French Revolution is perfect.

As I'm sure you have read, the message about the Catholic Church and the imagery is magnificent. I wondered though, how many of the people in the theater understood the final scene and its lyrics.

Do you hear the people sing?
Lost in the valley of the night
It is the music of a people who are climbing to the light
For the wretched of the earth
There is a flame that never dies
Even the darkest nights will end and the sun will rise

They will live again in the freedom of the garden of the Lord.
They will walk behind the ploughshare
They will put away the sword
The chain will be broken and all men will have their reward!

Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade is there a world you long to see?
Do you hear the people sing?
Say, do you hear the distant drums?
It is the future that they bring when tomorrow comes!



2 comments:

Kelly said...

LOVE that show. It has ministered to me since I first saw it in 1996 or so. At that point I was still mired in an abusive marriage and it was reaching hellish levels. Then I read it and saw it several more times. I never stop gleaning more. I am going, along with three of my daughters again tomorrow night. Not the movie yet, but the live musical. I have the distinct advantage of being married to a senior usher at the Academy of Music. :)
I know I grabbed onto the Les Mis part of your post, but I did read and "get" the rest.

I certainly see the schiziod behavior but feel sadness because I think the sisters that I know have been duped. I think they truly love God and the Church and have loving hearts, but they got misdirected somewhere along the way. :(

TTC said...

Kelly, I'm so glad you grabbed onto the Les Mes part of the post - it was the best part.

Lucky you seeing the play. See the movie when you get the chance. You'll love it.