"I never truckled; I never took off the hat to Fashion and held it out for pennies. By God, I told them the truth. They liked it or they didn't like it. What had that to do with me? I told them the truth; I knew it for the truth then, and I know it for the truth now." Frank Norris.
If only there were some theological framework in place for priests and congregants to interpret the meaning of Christ's teachings for themselves.
Posted by: Jamie | April 19, 2010 at 11:05 AM
I'm not sure I can agree with your conclusion. What's "uplifting and humanizing" about this? The couple in question appear to be lucky to have found an open-minded priest, unlike those in the 385,000 people, 120 parish and 47 school archdiocese of Denver.
Not that I can understand why they'd WANT to send a kid to a school that will probably require all evening every school day to properly deprogram them from the day's indoctrination...
Posted by: JB | April 19, 2010 at 04:51 PM
"What's 'uplifting and humanizing' about this?"
I thought the back story on these folks and their choices was interesting, but mainly the answer is precisely what you said - they were lucky to have found an open-minded priest. Just a window into a more complicated institution than a lot of us who aren't part of it are inclined to acknowledge. That said, I'd like to see the pope "impeached" or whatever and a wave of reform which tips the balance within the church decidedly toward the approach of the "open-minded" Catholics we see in this piece.
Posted by: reg | April 19, 2010 at 05:11 PM
Yes. All fish-in-a-barrel ballistics aside, the Catholic church, just like any large organization, will change when enough of it's members and leaders change, essentially one open mind at a time. And the good work that they do should not be belittled. Charity, education, giving solace, even political organizing are performed by the boots on the ground.
Posted by: Jamie | April 19, 2010 at 08:00 PM