Sunday, November 11, 2007


Finally a Bishop Who Knows What a Shepherd's Crook is Used For
A little pastoral kick in the ass

Let's lift a toast and say a prayer of thanksgiving for His Excellency Bishop Edwin Frederick O’Brien.

O'Brien was just appointed as Ordinary of the Baltimore archdiocese back in July but he isn’t wasting time letting his flock know who the big dog is. Or that he won’t brook any liturgical or ecumenical nonsense.

It seems a Father Ray Martin, pastor of three parishes on Baltimore’s south side, invited an Episcopal priestess to join him in officiating at a funeral Mass in clear violation of canon law. He allowed the priestess to read the Gospel and even gestured for her to take Holy Communion (although there is no report she did so). The good bishop personally ordered Fr. Martin to resign from the three churches and sign a statement yesterday apologizing for "bringing scandal to the church."

Of course, there was the expected bitching, moaning, and name-calling by the modernists and Roman Protestants.

Before being appointed to Baltimore, Bishop O’Brien was the bishop over the Military Archdiocese, which pastors all our military and naval chaplains, so no surprise that he probably clangs when he walks.

Father Martin was already on the bishop’s watch list for allowing dogs in the sanctuary.

20 comments:

  1. Wait. I keep hearing that this can't be done.

    Not shouldn't. Can't.

    If all those voices are right, then how did he do it?

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  2. What can Roman Protestants possibly say in defense of someone clearly breaking canon law?

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  3. The whiners are not useing the ecclesial avenues to register their dismay, rather they are writing to the Baltimore Sun, and commenting on it's blog.

    One of my commenters sent a link to the blog. maybe we should all go there and comment too?

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  4. It seems he is immitating the example of another former head of the Archdiocese for Military Services, John Cardinal O'Connor.
    If we only had more leaders like this.

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  5. Ho! "Roman Protestants"...love that.

    Apb. O'Brien is a one reason I could be persuaded that cloning was a good thing. We need more with his courage.

    I had the great honor and pleasure of being seated beside him at a dinner some years ago.(In my beyond the blog life) He is as genuine as a man can be. Miraculously, he is also of "good cheer" as in "Be of good cheer for I have overcome the world." This is a bishop who knows who wins in the end.

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  6. I thought you would like this story! A bishop who has backbone AND who was in the military!

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  7. I will say a prayer that this good bishop remains strong in his conviction to hold to the truth. Hooray for him. After hearing so much about the watering down of our faith I am relieved to hear about him.

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  8. Well it's about bloody time! Now get the Pope to stop doing those commercialized modernist "stadium masses."

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  9. We need more like him.

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  10. Well, I used to be a Roman Catholic, unitl I realized the Church was incompassionate, intolerant, more interesting in brainwashing poor folks like yourself into giving money, Father Ray was a personal friend and most compasssionate person. Couldn;'t have a better example of a man in the priesthood. At least he wasn't molesting little boys.

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  11. "Priestess"? She's an "Episcopal Priest." No need for the sneering pejorative.

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  12. This bishop is in my prayers that he remain strong despite the pressure that he must be under to cave.

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  13. Michael,
    Episcopal "priests" lack true priestly orders (per Pope Leo XIII and John Paul II). Added to this, seeing that women can NEVER be true priests, they are therefore nothing more then pagan "Priestesses."

    Semper Fi

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  14. Prevat2, the Episcopal Church ordains women to its priesthood. Calling them "priestesses" is a pointless insult that says more about your own lack of manners than about the orders of a non-Catholic denomination.

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  15. Ann,
    So you think someone can violate the rules and not pay any consequences? Tell that to your kids (if you have any) or to the cop the next time you get pulled over.

    As for "used t be a Roman Catholic," it doesn't sound like you were a very strong one. (Seeds planted on thorny ground?) Sounds more like you belonged to the cult of Father Ray and not the Church for which he was ordained.

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  16. Former Alter Boy,
    You make an excellent point. Many are either "cultural", "cafeteria" or "cult believing" Catholics and not real ones.

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  18. the Episcopal Church ordains women to its priesthood.

    As PV2 has already correctly pointed out, there is no such thing as an "Episcopal priest". Any believing Catholic knows that.

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  19. Michael,
    I have always considered myself a civilized man, with impecable manners. However, one must call a spade a spade: Episcopalians do not have a true priesthood. In fact, that denomination has, for all intensive purposes, ceased to be Christian. They have become of group of sodomite loving pagans, and should be treated as such.

    I'm just trying to uphold 2,000 years of the One, True Faith. Go figure?

    Semper Fi

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