This story is from March, but I didn't have time to do anything with it at the time.
Pelosi: Women Should Be Priests: 'That Is Real Power'
...Speaking at an event at Georgetown University last week, Pelosi said that she had been "attracted" to the notion of being a priest because of the power of the clerical office. But she added it was disappointing Pope Francis had not permitted the ordination of women to the Catholic priesthood.
"Every day [priests] have the power … of turning bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, that is real power, now we're talking power, and that's why I was more attracted to that than being a nun," Pelosi said during a conversation with Rev. Jim Wallis, the director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice, according to the Washington Examiner.
"Every day [priests] have the power … of turning bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, that is real power, now we're talking POWER, and that's why I was more attracted to that than being a nun..."
That made me think of...
Now, there's truth here.
God's Power is real, and it is an astounding truth of our faith that he entrusts some of that power to human beings, in a very obvious way, to priests. As former Speaker Palpa-, er, Pelosi said, "that's real power"! (I'd loved to have been at her talk, just to see the force lightning erupt from her fingertips.)
I might add, bishops have the same power, and even more: they ordain priests and other bishops. The entire existence of the Church on earth depends, in a sense, on them. If every bishop on earth disappeared, there would never be any more priests, and no more bishops to ordain them. We would no longer have the Eucharist. We would have but the sacraments of baptism and matrimony, and our own acts of contrition in place of the power --
POWER! UNLIMITED POWER!!!!
Please, Ms. Pelosi, settle down! (Hands her a gold ring to hold on to)
Now, what was I saying? Oh yes, acts of contrition in place of the p-, er, sacrament of confession. And in place of the sacrament of anointing, we'd have...Our own prayers for healing. It would be terribly sad to lose so much of our treasure as Catholics, but...
Do you realize that many times in the life of the Church, that's exactly what many Christians, even many Catholics, experienced? In Mexico and England and France, among other places, bishops were driven out and priests were hunted. The Catholic Faith first came to Korea by way of laypeople, who baptized and shared the teachings of Christ, and they prayed for priests to bring them the rest of the sacraments; that took awhile. Meanwhile, with but the grace of baptism, with nothing other then faith, they found (looks around to see where Rep. Pelosi went, drops to a whisper)...
>>power<<
to evangelize, and even to die for the faith. They are martyrs under the Lord's throne!
Nor forget our Protestant brothers and sisters, who with only baptism and matrimony, have so often put us Catholics to shame with their witness, even to death.
That all sounds like, well (looks around furtively), I don't want to say it out loud, because, well, you know. That (mouthing the word silently) belongs to every believer.
Every believer.
I won't deny that some priests and bishops and higher-ups in the church have the same lust for you-know-what. My point is, that's not what any of this is about. It is hard to think of a worse way to approach the priesthood, or to decide why this or that person should be ordained. I provided the image at the head of this to remind you that, yes, Smeagol did crave that power, and tremendous evil came as a result. But what became of that lust of his? And if you haven't read the book or seen the film...look, squirrel!
12 comments:
This rambles a bit but I think that what you're trying to say is that it's okay for priests and bishops to have the power they do but the only power the laity (which always means women) should wish for is that of martyrdom. Okay, but if laity only want to be martyrs, then how do they become priests and bishops? And what of priests who want to be bishops?
What you're really saying is that you don't like powerful women. Women should be meek and submissive so as not to hurt the fragile egos of men who measure their self-worth by the power they have. It's sad that so many men who fear women with authority become priests.
No, Bluebird, he's saying that being power-hungry without even appreciating the power that one already has is not good.
And in sarcastically saying "Women should be meek and submissive so as not to hurt the fragile egos of men who measure their self-worth by the power they have." you yourself acknowledge that being power-hungry is not all that good (or else that would be an attempt to praise and not an attempt to criticise).
For, well, if there was nothing wrong with being power-hungry, why wouldn't it be fine for the ones already with the power just keep it to themselves?
In fact, being openly power-hungry is not even all that useful for actually getting the power - for example, even Stalin himself was seen as having limited ambitions until he ended up the one actually ruling the Soviet Union.
Bluebird misses the point completely. In fact, Nancy P. does too. She had/ has power in the political realm which she has often caused people suffering. That power at times was abused. Pelosi's view of power is control for the sake of controlling others and amassing more wealth. She has no understanding of the priesthood of Jesus Christ. The priesthood is about sacrifice - offing self for the sake of the other. Each time the priest goes to the altar of God, he is offered up in sacrifice in union with the High Priest, Jesus Christ. Is that power? I guess in one sense it's power, but not the power she thinks or desires. For Pelosi, it's not about "transubstantiation," of the sacred elements. In fact one of her books made it clear she doesn't believe in that (from a conversation with her granddaughter after her first Holy Communion).
Bluebird sounds like a Democrat operative masquerading as a Catholic. Pelosi is an evil woman inviting herself go Hell. Read: Ordinatio Sacerdotolis
They will tell you exactly who they are and what they want, if one is patient. Old Scratch has either lost the knack for communications security or has decided to drop it entire.
The Holy priesthood is about service, sacrifice, and conformation to Christ. It is not about power, at least not in the worldly sense. Women need not apply; cannot be ordained.
Well said Father ! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
"Each time the priest goes to the altar of God, he is offered up in sacrifice in union with the High Priest, Jesus Christ."
Thank you, Anonymous. We very rarely hear this truth anymore. God bless you.
well said Farther.
Bluebird lacks the necessary acumen to comprehend and discern what Father Fox has written.
Excellent article, Father.
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