And Roosting Karma
Everyone is abuzz about the Pope getting jumped and tackled by a woman inside Saint Peter's. A cardinal is waiting surgery for a broken hip. Not nice- in fact criminal to assault anyone. Particularly upsetting at Christmas, even more upsetting during a church service.
But is it too easy to dismiss as the demonic derangement of a woman off her meds? A couple people (admittedly not Catholic) I know actually said "he deserved it but that's not nice at Christmastime."
At the Christmas church service I attended, a high up catholic clerical type in the pinnacle of his homily repeated that the pinnacle virtue is the Eucharist. This is of course, not correct. The pinnacle virtue is LOVE- the Eucharist is not a virtue, it is food for the journey and it is the 'real presence' of Christ with us, which means that it is a focal point of heaven touching earth- just as wherever and whenever, just as forcefully, real Love is present it is a focal point of heaven touching earth. God is Love. It's in the bible, read it.
Faith, Hope and Love, and the greatest of these is LOVE.
Why this "the greatest of these is the Eucharist" is such a dangerous mis-statement of the Heart of Jesus is because anything can be justified in the name of the Eucharist, giving far too much justifying power to do anything in the name of the Eucharist to protect the institutional organization that provides it- and even evil can be done in the name of the Eucharist and the Priests who serve it.
The Priests who serve it are all men. Single men. Men who have had the desire for intimate relations with women beaten out of them either by their own "immolations" or castigations from an emotionally castrating institution-all in the name of Holiness, virtue and the greatest virtue- ostensibly "the Eucharist." It thus creates a milieu ripe for abuse against women. An institutional discrimination against women persists in the misunderstanding that Jesus only wanted celibate priests to serve him- when he picked on purpose Peter, a married man, and the Holy spirit inspired scripture makes sure everyone knows that the man had a mother in law that he took care of. Emotionally and physically healthy women naturally understand Love in all its dimensions and manifestations, culminating in the supreme pinnacle of Love- incarnation. New Life. Childbirth. Like that in the manger you see in paper mache, plastic and plaster painted relief, rather than in the burping, smiling, cooing, suckling nursing flesh and blood of an infant child. Paper, plastic or flesh and blood- you choose.
Article after article is written about the issue of the abuse against minors, two billion dollars has been paid in the US alone in secret and not so secret settlements in the name of the highest pinnacle of virtue; the Eucharist. And the issue of abuse against women, when reported at all, is deemed such a litigation threat to even mention that archdiocese insurance dogs everywhere gnash their teeth at any woman people find too attractive for her choir robe.
So is it shocking or surprising that this confluence of arrogant institutional pride/conceit, theology off the rails, and brutal insensitivity has landed the Pope on the floor of the Vatican by an angry woman? No, it's surprising it hasn't happened sooner, and frankly, more often. Were I her criminal defense counsel I would argue "provocation in the heat of passion for the Love Of Christ."
Everyone is abuzz about the Pope getting jumped and tackled by a woman inside Saint Peter's. A cardinal is waiting surgery for a broken hip. Not nice- in fact criminal to assault anyone. Particularly upsetting at Christmas, even more upsetting during a church service.
But is it too easy to dismiss as the demonic derangement of a woman off her meds? A couple people (admittedly not Catholic) I know actually said "he deserved it but that's not nice at Christmastime."
At the Christmas church service I attended, a high up catholic clerical type in the pinnacle of his homily repeated that the pinnacle virtue is the Eucharist. This is of course, not correct. The pinnacle virtue is LOVE- the Eucharist is not a virtue, it is food for the journey and it is the 'real presence' of Christ with us, which means that it is a focal point of heaven touching earth- just as wherever and whenever, just as forcefully, real Love is present it is a focal point of heaven touching earth. God is Love. It's in the bible, read it.
Faith, Hope and Love, and the greatest of these is LOVE.
Why this "the greatest of these is the Eucharist" is such a dangerous mis-statement of the Heart of Jesus is because anything can be justified in the name of the Eucharist, giving far too much justifying power to do anything in the name of the Eucharist to protect the institutional organization that provides it- and even evil can be done in the name of the Eucharist and the Priests who serve it.
The Priests who serve it are all men. Single men. Men who have had the desire for intimate relations with women beaten out of them either by their own "immolations" or castigations from an emotionally castrating institution-all in the name of Holiness, virtue and the greatest virtue- ostensibly "the Eucharist." It thus creates a milieu ripe for abuse against women. An institutional discrimination against women persists in the misunderstanding that Jesus only wanted celibate priests to serve him- when he picked on purpose Peter, a married man, and the Holy spirit inspired scripture makes sure everyone knows that the man had a mother in law that he took care of. Emotionally and physically healthy women naturally understand Love in all its dimensions and manifestations, culminating in the supreme pinnacle of Love- incarnation. New Life. Childbirth. Like that in the manger you see in paper mache, plastic and plaster painted relief, rather than in the burping, smiling, cooing, suckling nursing flesh and blood of an infant child. Paper, plastic or flesh and blood- you choose.
Article after article is written about the issue of the abuse against minors, two billion dollars has been paid in the US alone in secret and not so secret settlements in the name of the highest pinnacle of virtue; the Eucharist. And the issue of abuse against women, when reported at all, is deemed such a litigation threat to even mention that archdiocese insurance dogs everywhere gnash their teeth at any woman people find too attractive for her choir robe.
So is it shocking or surprising that this confluence of arrogant institutional pride/conceit, theology off the rails, and brutal insensitivity has landed the Pope on the floor of the Vatican by an angry woman? No, it's surprising it hasn't happened sooner, and frankly, more often. Were I her criminal defense counsel I would argue "provocation in the heat of passion for the Love Of Christ."
The Message of Christmas is INCARNATION-
Love of God that was so fierce, so real, so true, so powerful it was INCARNATED in human flesh
so he could save humanity and reach it where it lived.
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