like a deer longing for water

Another year beginning and awaiting the new Pope's encyclical on love. Apparently the vetting process allowed for some tinkering, but the general thrust deals with, as the title implies, God Is Love, with the inevitable ringing of the Hans Urs von Balthusarian echoes, love, which I would believe will be agape, and erotic love. In this, he follows in the footsteps of our beloved John Paul the Great, whose Love and Responsibility, and Theology of the Body talks, constitute an emotionally redeeming and ethically demanding foundation for any talk of personal love and the dignity of life and life's loving relationships.

While I move from the English tranlation of Confessions into the redacted City of God, I've developed a fondness for St. Augustine and his beautiful and throbbing, moaning is a better rendition, love of and praising of God. It's comforting to a postModern person's ears to feel the faith expounded from a position of truth in a time where the Church was a constant and pervasive experience and faith was questioned but never treated as a remote and even quaint notion.

Work places its burdens and yokes, as usual. At least it's there and to some extent enjoyable.

Time with the kids is good as always. And taking one to Mass and singing together was righteous.

First things first

This is my initial foray into the blogo-sphere. The primary purpose of this blog is to discuss 'faith seeking understanding' in a Roman Catholic context. I viewed ABC's movie on John Paul II last night and am planning to see the two part version that CBS will run beginning this Sunday.

I was struck by the rendition of the Tridentine Mass and the use of Latin, which was appropriate for the time in question, shortly after JP II's ordination. I suppose I was not surprised that very little theology entered into the picture and only a superficial treatment of Vatican II. It was also a bit abrupt in its temporal jumping.

I'm not surprised by the recent statement of the Church, and by that in this case I mean the Magisterium, which I would define as the teaching office of the church, i.e., the episcopacy, whose leader is the Pope, on homosexuality in the priesthood. I've always understood, even when I was in the seminary and appearances seemed to be contra, that a homosexual lifestyle was incompatible with the priesthood.

Many times in Scripture, both the Old Testament and New, provide images of the people of God as the bride and God as the Bridegroom. In the New Testament it is explicit that Christ is the Bridegroom and the Church is the Bride. The priest parallels this role especially in the Sacrifice of the Mass. Specifically, the priest in the Consecration participates in the paschal sacrifice by way of mediation when the bread and wine is transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Christ. How can a person be a bridegroom to the bride of the church and authentically mediate this sacrifice if they do not themselves participate in some real way, although attenuated due to celibacy, in a heterosexual perspective which implies a conjugal relationship, whose purpose is fecundity and children?

I would think, however, that a celibate and restrained man of homosexual leanings could remain a priest especially if his bishop and parish find him to be a pastor leading his flock. That leaves the issue of chaste homosexuals who desire to become priests or who are seminarians. It will take much reflection of rectors at seminaries and bishops to determine what to do on an individual basis. I do not think a line in the sand approach is either fair or mandated from the language, at least the English translation, which I read. And it appears, from NCR, Commonweal and the many blogs that the issue is far from resolved.