The iPadre Catholic Podcast

After making a hospital last week, I drove to the booth to pay the parking fee.  They young lady at the booth saw my Roman Collar and asked “Is it true that you can’t be married?”  I said, “Yes, I may not be married, but I am married to Jesus and to the Church.”  She responded by saying, “That is beautiful!”.

According to statistics, Rhode Island, my home state is the most Catholic in the United States.  We are “53%”.  That is a bit of a drop since I remember it being about 65% in the past.  However, even with 53% Catholic, maybe 25% of the 53% probably practice the faith by attending Mass weekly.  I would dare to say that most Catholics have an elementary level of Religious Education at best.

My point is this.  Even a young immigrant woman, who came from a Catholic country & culture did not really know that a priest is celibate, she had to ask.  I think that gives more urgency to the New Evangelization, but also to the long practiced forms of evangelization.  I did not say or do anything to make this young woman think, all she had to do was look at me wearing the Roman Collar.

The collar, cassock and Religious habit are strong signs pointing to the Other, namely Christ and His Church.  In fact, the clerical dress is not only a sign telling all who see me who I am, it is a counter cultural sign.  All who see the Roman Collar, the cassock and the Religious habit know we are called to chastity/ celibacy.  They may not know why, but it all points to the kingdom.

Here are some new tricks I learned for my Mini Cooper! Don’t try this at home!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9UlaKOIdZg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

(My comments are in Red)

To Fr. Jay Finelli (iPadre), Lisa Graas and Dr Jess Mirus (Catholic Culture),

In my letter I would like to remind you about our Boss who said in Luke 6:37, “Do not judge and you will not be judged….”.  Please look at Fr. Pfleger the way our God is looking at him and just think for a while….Please, think for a while…..before you judge anyone again from your warm and safe office.

(Lidia, do you claim to have a corner on the voice of God?  You are wrong about what Jesus said in Luke 6:37.  There are objective facts that can be judged, unless you are a relativist.  A judgment according the the dictionary is “the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions.”  I have only come to the conclusion by Fr. Pfleger’s own words in his homily on Youtube “That’s why there should be woman priests, that’s why there should be married priests, that’s why there should be women bishops, that’s why there should be women cardinals, and”.  Now according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church #2089 “Incredulity is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it.”  “Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same.”  In 1976 the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith concluded that the Church “Does not consider herself authorized to admit women to priestly ordination.”  And in 1994, Pope John Paul II declare the question closed in saying “I delcare the Church has not authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful.”  This is VERY clear.  The Church has spoken in an infallible manner and to obstinately refuse to accept or deny this sacred truth is heresy.  Not my words, by the Church’s words.)

Fr. Jay, do you really think that God will be more pleased with your comfortable pod-casting business, or with the priest who rolled up his sleeves and dedicated his entire life to the “least of His brothers”, peace and social justice? Have you ever been to St. Sabina or on the south side neighborhoods of Chicago?  I am sorry to say that, but your dissection of Fr. Pfleger’s words and ministry is apprehensive and almost like Pharisee or Satan-like. My Church is not a gang or mafia that requires blind obedience above common sense and truth! Where did you get that idea? When was the last time you were reading about our “radical” Jesus Christ in the New Testament? When was the last time that you were hungry, cold or scared to walk home?

(You write about judging and now you judge me!  Enough said!)

Dr. Jeff:  One of my favorite teachers in the seminary told us that one must be a genius to be called “heretic” and these usually helped the Church to catch up with its flock and saved the Church from falling down. I do not want my Church to be corrupted.  It hurts to see empty Churches throughout Europe and United States, Catholic schools closing, homeless on the streets, violence and wars. Without these people, women will continue be treated like property, Earth would be flat and we might be still buying Heaven through indulgences, if you know what I mean. Do you want that for my Church?

(Obviously your “favorite” teacher was wrong!  And now you want to judge the Church!  The Church IS the greatest champion of women, homeless and the down-trodden everywhere!)

Dear Lisa, I do not understand your point, if you could help me. I am very much Pro-Life, from womb to tomb, regardless of social status and skin color, but I cannot understand your attacks on Fr. Pfleger. If our government did not go to wars and greedy corporations did not kill the economy, there may be more a lot more lives saved? Or if the Catholic schools were not closing so much, we might have better pro-life education…please have guts to work with the root cause of the problem, not with Fr.Pfleger who is saving lives throughout his all life and he is also a single parent.

My dear brothers and sister in Christ, you are entitled to your opinions, but could you consider that perhaps you are missing His boat? Just a suggestion.

With God’s Love,
Lidia Kuzniar

P.S. I am only a practicing Catholic woman, confirmed by JPII in Poland, single mother with a certificate in Lay Ministry from a Catholic Seminary.