“... and this time, we’re not kidding around!”

Yesterday after Mass, the celebrant and I (as his master of ceremonies) were greeting those who were leaving, as we usually do. One of our guests identified himself as a member of Austian nobility -- a count, I believe -- who lamented that the Traditional Roman Mass was not available in his native land. We assured him of our prayers. He said to me: "Thank you, Father." (I get that a lot. Can I help it if I look good in black?)

I thought of that young man today as I read this item from the National Catholic Reporter, concerning ...

... 144 leading Catholic theologians from Germany, Switzerland and Austria in a bluntly frank open letter to the Roman Catholic hierarchy. Among other demands, the statement calls for ending celibacy requirements for priests, opening the priesthood to women, and in general introducing significantly more democracy into the church's structures.

The thing that was funny about the article, though, was the way it began: “In our roles as theology professors we can no longer remain silent.”

Oh? It surprised me that anyone, even those who agree with them, would be under the impression that they've been holding back all this time. What's more (and you don't hear this often), many dissident Catholic-in-name-only theologians such as these, have approved of the very forms of deviant behavior over the years, that they accuse the Church of covering up today. Notice how their laundry list of demands do not even speak directly to the problem.

Remember that priest in Boston who was active with the National Man Boy Love Association? You really think he was without distinguished company, do you now? And can you really say that violating the innocence of young boys by older men does not constitute a form of homosexual act? If you have a problem with that line of reasoning, ask an openly gay man about what is known as a "chicken hawk."

I rest my case.