Firing up the Catholics

I am telling you, do not get a couple of Catholics-Out-Loud fired up.

Lee Anne and I have each sent emails and she has telephoned the priests involved with the Cathedral in San Jose. Why? I tell ya why - someone who considers himself a Priest with a concern for social justice is saying Mass on March 29 for a group known as Catholic Democrats.

Well, what's the big deal? Catholics can go to Mass, right?

Look, anyone can go to Mass. These people, however, really don't want to be Catholic.

They want to be Pope.

See, there is the idea in America today that you can be an outspoken critic of doctrine and dogma of the Catholic Church and still be considered a Faithful Catholic. You can't - can you ask questions? Sure. Can you speak openly about the struggle you may have with obedience and acceptance? ABSOLUTELY - for heaven's sake, we NEED to talk about that stuff. If we don't everyone will get the idea that we are a bunch of stuffed wind-up dolls just genuflecting and crossing ourselves on demand.

I have had an incredible journey regarding the question of obedience and acceptance. For me, it was a gradual realization that some things were not worth seperating me from The Eucharist...and it went to being NOTHING is worth seperating me from The Eucharist. And, if the doctrine and dogma of the Church is right about The Eucharist, who am I to question Her teachings on Faith and Morals?

But it was a long, hard road for me...because I had bought the lie that society tells people - freedom means doing whatever you want without consequence. Then, when we get consequences, we get mad...so we start to blame anyone and everyone around us, rather than take responsibility for going against God's Law in the first place.

So, Lee Anne and I and others have been respectfully asking the priests involved in this goofy organization to stop and think for a minute - because if they are trying to tell me they really love women, then they would not support an organization that purposefully exploits us for profit and gain...they would not support any 'right' that devalues me as a human being and tells me that my liberation is incumbent upon my ability to live my life as an immoral man would - having sex without having babies.

So, let's keep Father Jon Pedrigo in our prayers. Let us hope that the Holy Spirit fills him with grace and knowledge and courage, so that he has the guts to stand up at the pulpit at the Mass for Catholic Democrats and say, "If you do not follow the teachings of the Holy Mother Church, you are welcome to come up for a blessing...but not receive Him who created you and wants you to stop killing yourselves."

Time to go home!