For faithful Catholics, this is painful to read: http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/marcos-breton/article55104045.html There’s a reason why California Catholic dioceses are having to spend so much time explaining the true teachings of the Church, and Bishop Quinn is one of those reasons.
I find it very sad that Bishop Quinn is spending his last remaining time on this earth railing against doctrine, specifically women priests and the indissolubility of marriage, as well as disciplines such as the celibate priesthood, which is quite a good discipline (the archbishop might want to give Corinthians a read).
I’m rather sick of hearing how sad it is that the current discipline is for the celibate priesthood. Sad for who? It’s definitely not sad for me. It takes a special kind of man to CHOOSE to deny himself of the marital embrace and to be a spiritual father to us all. Why in heaven’s name wouldn’t I want such sacrificing men to be priests? Is it sad for them? I’m reasonably sure that, should they hold to the teachings and examples of Our Lord, their reward will be great in heaven. Isn’t that the goal? Is that a sad end?
As usual, the liberal clergy in our area do nothing but whine about how tough they have it, instead of embracing the fact that their reward could be really great in heaven. Of course, the only thing a bunch of whiners really can teach people is how to be whiny. That’s what it’s like in California for a vast amount of the clergy and laity. “We’re not happy we can’t have sex!” “We’re not happy we have to stay married to the same person the rest of our lives.” “We’re not happy the Church says that we can’t use birth-control and expects us to put our travel plans aside for those disgusting little creatures called children!” “Waaa! Waaa! Waaa!” Guess what, people? Life can be hard no matter what your vocation, but your reward can be great in heaven, too. You know what else? If it’s easy, you are probably aren’t doing it right.
Matthew7:13 Make your way in by the narrow gate. It is a broad gate and a wide road that leads on to perdition, and those who go in that way are many indeed; 14 but how small is the gate, how narrow the road that leads on to life, and how few there are that find it!
What is the point in making a vow if you get to tweak the terms? It’s pretty much making a vow to yourself, not to God. And here’s the thing, life changes as you go, and so do you wants. If you don’t invest your life in following your vows, no matter what they are, you will be constantly changing the terms. You will never be happy. You’re always going to be searching for greener pastures. When your greener pasture is the ultimate goal of heaven, you spend your life trying to get there. Once you’re there, you will always be satisfied.
The other thing I find sad about the article is that Bishop Quinn seems to be dwelling on every lost happiness instead of embracing and cherishing the blessings he’s experienced as a priest of God. He had the opportunity to be a father to all of us, yet he seems to have spent his life regretting that spiritual fatherhood. Like I said, I really doubt he would have been satisfied, no matter which vow he ended up making. He was too caught up in the “mentality of me.” I’m just devastated he’s trying to take the younger priests and religious and those who made vows of matrimony down the same road. They will never see past “the road is narrow and the way is hard” and realize it is the road that leads to real, glorious, fulfilling, everlasting life.
Hopefully, Bishop Quinn will realize that God’s giving him the gift of a whole lot of time to come to that conclusion, so he can see the fruit of the narrow road someday. Let’s throw up some extra prayers for him.
One Mad Mom 
I found this prayer for priests, written by a priest–a Jesuit, as a matter of fact. To me, the prayer exemplifies what and who a priest should be. I would hope that seminary formation would have helped in the discernment process of those who are ordained. I note that although Quinn entered the high school seminary at 13 he would have been around 25 when he was ordained in 1946. I don’t know that he was being forced to stay in the seminary.
O my God, pour out in abundance Thy spirit of sacrifice upon Thy priests.
It is both their glory and their duty to become victims,
to be burnt up for souls,
to live without ordinary joys,
to be often the objects of distrust, injustice, and persecution.
The words they say every day at the altar,
“This is my Body, this is my Blood,”
grant them to apply to themselves:
“I am no longer myself, I am Jesus, Jesus crucified.
I am, like the bread and wine, a substance no longer itself,
but by consecration another.”
O my God, I burn with desire for the sanctification of Thy priests.
I wish all the priestly hands which touch Thee were hands whose touch is gentle and pleasing to Thee,
that all the mouths uttering such sublime words at the altar should never descend to speaking trivialities.
Let priests in all their person stay at the level of their lofty functions,
let every man find them simple and great, like the Holy Eucharist,
accessible to all yet above the rest of men.
O my God, grant them to carry with them from the Mass of today,
a thirst for the Mass of tomorrow,
and grant them, ladened themselves with gifts,
to share these abundantly with their fellow men. Amen.
The prayer was written by Fr. William Doyle. Father Doyle died in 1917 as a chaplain ministering to his troops in the battlefield during WW I.
I found it here. (The Siverstream Monestary blog has some wonderful prayers.)
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I have nothing deeply philosophical to add. I would mention I tell co-workers who complain incessantly about their jobs: QUIT and find a new job. Life is too short to spend it doing a job you hate. There are certainly other churches who will accept married clergy.
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I read his piece in the New York Times and it was sad to hear the tears were over regrets of not having been a married man instead of his personal sins. I was offended by his admission of dissent on the Church’s teaching on the three items he felt needed mention. I’m sure there are others, but he felt these were the ones he wanted to openly address. What made me the saddest was the fact that the author noticed something relevant that he thought should be mentioned: the lack of a penitential attitude. His tears were for his own personal losses, not for his own personal sins, and this so close to his own personal judgement. That is the saddest part. There is only one sin God cannot forgive: the one that remains unconfessed. If a person is ninety something years old and has spent his life trying to live as a Christian yet remains steadfast in his heart, dead set against something that must be assented to, there is nothing God can do. He is bound to honor and respect the free will of everyone, no matter their station in life. If this poor man dies with dissent in his heart for God’s teaching thru His Church, then God will not be able to relieve the sins that this hides from the person with the dissenting opinions. They think it a small matter of opinion, but it means much more than that. It is a flat out denial of much of the whole point of the Cross of Christ. We deny ourselves and follow Him and that means in all things, especially those treasured opinions that may be formed out of public acceptance and societal norms. Thanks for the article and the link. I will pray for this poor man and more importantly, I will pray for those he has spent his life influencing away from solid Church teaching by his words and example. God bless. Ginnyfree.
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