Camden Priest Upset About St. Pat's Parade

[countrygal]

I thought this was pretty silly on the Priest's part. He'd rather have the parade on Easter Sunday?? I was under the impression that Easter was the most important of all next to Christmas. I guess not.

romesentinel.com/news?newsid=20080202-141220

[frankcor]

Gee, this may be the greatest schism to strike the church since Martin Luther.

[Clipper]

This will probably turn into a pissing contest of major proportion, as the parade in Herkimer that was inadvertently scheduled for a jewish holiday. I said then, how many jewish people are there in Herkimer, and how many of them would have attended the parade anyhow. Surely not a majority of the citizens.

A St Patricks day parade is an observation of a catholic holy day also, so what the hell is the problem for this priest?

I am sure there are devout catholics that will not attend, but the priest is way out of line by calling for a boycott of the parade. Usually local clergy are civic minded supporters of community events. I guess this priest needs to get a life, and take a chill pill.

Maybe the parishioners need to write to the bishop. Crap like this is why the catholic church is losing members. Modern day catholics go to church for "guidance" but not to be dictated to.

Maybe if the parishioners "boycott" his mass for a few weeks and go to Rome to mass, the bishop will do something with the windbag. Nothing wakes up the bishop like short collection plates, haha!

[Swimmy]

I stopped listening to the church when the Pope said it was ok to eat meat on St. Patrick's Day when it fell on a Friday a couple years ago.

[frankcor]

Did it make you feel bad for all those souls who had gone to hell for eating corned beef prior to the Pope's pronouncement?

[corner]

does this meani could be sitting next to hitler, mussolini and ghengis khan because i eat meat on fridays during lent... and all this time i thought i had a pass do to my extreme seafood allergies

[Swimmy]

No. I just realized that it's a joke. If the pope can make "exceptions" for the bible's instructions of how to live during Lent, then what the hell are they doing the rest of the time?

I still believe in God, but I don't pay attention to the waked out priesthood.

Did you guys hear about that nun who was sentenced to 1 year in jail for forcing teenage boys to have sex with her about 40 years ago? I guarantee that if she had been a man, the story would have been front page headlines and she would have received 6 or 7 yrs in jail.

But I guess when a guy is raped by a woman, he's gotta be gay if he complains because what man doesn't want to have sex? At least that's the mentality I've heard most people say whenever I hear about a woman being charged with rapping someone boy, unless it's a female teacher sleeping with her 14 yr old male students. Then the public is in an uproar.

[frankcor]

It's been a long time since I studied Catholic Church history, but I don't recall the Bible ever prescribing anything about Lent (other than describing Christ's fast and confrontations with Satan in the desert prior to his final journey to Jerusalem).

I may be wrong, but prohibition of eating meat was not God's law, it was church law dating to some time in the first millennium as an effort to bolster a sagging fishing economy around the coasts of Italy, Sicily and Sardinia. The Pope set the law and the Pope repealed it. I stand to be corrected by any liturgical scholars out there.

The double-standard you observe in regards to the gender of rapist and victim is based on the incorrect belief that rape is a sex crime. It is not. It is a crime of force or violence.

[Swimmy]

You're probably right, I just thought it was ridiculous thatnsuch an exception was made...

[Clipper]

I don't know, but I hope it is resolved before St Patrick's day. I absolutely cannot stand "corned mackerel and cabbage" It is way too salty, and leaves a funny smell on your breath. LOL

[concerned]

frankor you are right. The fasting and abstenence debate has always been a great source of philosphical argument throughout the ages. Vatican Council II in its attempt to modernise the Church and its practices in some cases threw the baby out with the bath water.

It's like the same argument for 'giving up something that you enjoy during Lent. Everyone gets on the bandwagon and makes sure they tel everyone what they gave up, LOL

I think it is better to do your practice of self mortification in private. Of course if a person wants to wear sackcloth and ashes and parade up and down Genesee St. well good for them. As for me I would rather watch a St. Pat's Day parade and then join the crowd getting drunk as a skunk only to wake up the next day with a pounding headache and then for the few weeks left of Lent go about my daily routine of self mortification.

In a way I can see the priests point. Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday are the major parts of Christ's suffering and ultimate death. The entire world of all Christians hold those days to be something special. To stick a parade,
; and lets be honest I doubt many people cars less about the saint behind the event, is maybe a little out of touch with was is the cornerstone of our faith as Christians-namely the sufferings and death od Christ leading up to Easter( the day of Ressurection).

[countrygal]

Something else that annoys me is the whole Ash Wednesday thing. People walk around with a gray dot on their forheads. Are you trying to tell me that since you went to church to get your gray dot, you are better than me? This is me....rolling my eyes.

[concerned]

countrygal said:

Something else that annoys me is the whole Ash Wednesday thing. People walk around with a gray dot on their forheads. Are you trying to tell me that since you went to church to get your gray dot, you are better than me? This is me....rolling my eyes.

I doubt that anyone with the 'grey dot' on there foreheads even know who you are let alone think they are better than you.

I think you missed the point of Ash Wednesday and the symbolism behind the sign on the forehead. Many parishes simple sprinked ashes one the tops of a persons head. I quess so as not to offend individuals like you.
Either way God bless you.

[countrygal]

Thank you for the blessings. I just don't see the need to walk around all day with a gray dot on your forhead all day long in public places. Is there some reason you can't wash it off after or does the blessing go away if you do?

And I didn't necessarily mean better than "me" myself. I meant "me" in a general term meaning those of us that don't walk around with gray dots on our forheads.

I guess this can get added to my pet peeve list. Moving on.

[Ralph]