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Cardinal Rodé photos: a meditation
by Thomas C. Fox on Oct. 28, 2009
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Printer-friendly versionSend to friendPDF versionCardinal Franc Rodé, Prefect of the Congregation for the Religious, and the person charged by Pope Benedict to conduct the Apostolic Investigation of U.S. women religious congregations, last March ordained six new deacons for Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest at the institutes mother house in Gricigliano, Italy, near Florence, Italy.
Looking at these photos, one is reminded of the cultural, ecclesial, and socio-psychological diversity that make up our church. Living, as we do, in the early 21st century, we should recognize we are products of a mix of complex and unprecedented pre-modern, modern, and post-modern influences and temperaments.
Looking at these photos, one is moved to ask if Cardinal Rodé, who, according to John Allen's profile, is a charming person and a product of old European, Slovenian, anti-communist forces, is, indeed, so far removed from contemporary U.S. cultural and social settings, that he cannot possibly fairly fathom the lives and work of our women religious. The cardinal, whose penchant for a traditional, monarchical, European styled, pre-counciliar church, is clearly evident in these photos, told John that Vatican II triggered "the greatest crisis in church history." Our women religious have dedicated their lives to carrying out the council's mandates of service and reform.
Looking at these photos, one is reminded that multi-culturalism is a central ingredient in our church and world today, requires understanding, patience and special tolerance. It is also true that judgment leads to judgment, and that's why growing numbers in our communities are asking, "Who, exactly, is this man who has been commissioned to judge the souls, lives, dedication and faith of our women religious?"
Looking at these photos, one can hardly avoid the conclusion that the Apostolic Investigation, as currently structured, and carried out is tragically flawed, and could cause irreparable damage to our church unless wise minds figure out a way to call it off.
Praying the preparatory prayers:
Processing to the chapel
Mass is underway
Altar boys receive Communion.
Read more about it on the web site of the New Liturgical Movement.
See more photos here: S. E. R. le Cardinal Franc Rodé ordonne six diacres
Just to add a bit of info,
Just to add a bit of info, these pictures were taken at a seminary. So naturally, there aren't too many women around. If this were a mass at a convent or a parish church there would be women around.
There son't be women around
There son't be women around much longer if all this keeps up.. Also, why is it "naturally" women are not there because it is a smeinary??????????That needs to change also.
There you are wrong. There
There you are wrong. There would be no women in any pictures of the sanctuary, and since the sanctuary is where it happens, there would be no photos with women.
Basta basta
Basta basta
OH THIS GUY NEEDS A DOSE OF
OH THIS GUY NEEDS A DOSE OF JESUS AND SERVICE! He missed out on these lessons. Can you imagine Jesus in this position?
Boy oh boy! You have to feel
Boy oh boy!
You have to feel sorry for the poor fellow who needs to retreat into fancy dress to express his role. Not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like Cardinal Rodé.
I advised a while ago that sisters interviewed in this process should insist on the presence of an independent witness and an authenticated audio record of the interview.
Since a sister who is not in the religious house at the time of the investigative visit is not obliged to take part, I reckon that congregations should team up for the duration and sleep in each other's houses during the vulnerable periods while continuing to work at their usual concerns.
Of course the goody two shoes types will probably scorn my advice. They'll reap the whirlwind.
Perhaps this meditation
Perhaps this meditation should signal a wake-up call for those religious orders that their "version" of religious life hasn't worked and, if there aren't any significant changes made, will be dying out very soon.
I think your shameless attempt at sabotaging the process of the Apostolic Visitation is diabolical. I hope and pray that Bishop Finn eventually demands that you remove the word "Catholic" from the title of this very anti-Catholic rag of a newspaper.
Finn??? What a joke!!! (and
Finn???
What a joke!!!
(and he has no say in the management of this newspaper)
No, he has no say in the
No, he has no say in the management of this "newspaper," but he does have the right to allow or disallow the word to allow "Catholic" in its title and declare that it to be outside the Church. Of course, I'm sure the publishers and readers would simply disregard this, which is just fine. Ultimately, the publishers, editors, and writers for the NCR will have to submit to a much higher Authority when they leave this world for the next. I hope and pray that John Allen eventually realizes that he is wasting his talent and his devotion to the Church on this rag and eventually moves to a more respectable publication.
TheNonCatholic then why in
TheNonCatholic
then why in the world do visit here?
As the great Joseph Campbell said: Follow your bliss!
or your own cramped and crabby ecclesiology, which is not the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic vision
Just a question: regardless
Just a question: regardless of the AV, is this really the kind of Church you support? If so, I would sincerely like your help to understand how this scene connects with the tradition I read in the Gospels and the stories of the early Church.
And your grace is reading
And your grace is reading it....why?????
WOW!
WOW!
Someone should tell Cardinal
Someone should tell Cardinal Rode about Vatican II and the preferential option for the poor.
Did I just fall into a time
Did I just fall into a time warp? You're kidding - right?
"You're kidding -
"You're kidding - right?"
Nope. A picture is, indeed, worth a thousand words.
(not necessarily good words, mind you:)
Someone once suggested that
Someone once suggested that some "cultures of Catholicism" resemble a medieval Disneyland...
Someone once suggested that
Someone once suggested that some "cultures of Catholicism" resemble a medieval Disneyland...
Tom Fox must have been absent
Tom Fox must have been absent during Logic class, for it is really a bridge too far to assume that because Cardinal Rode is celebrating the extraordinary form of the Mass, he therefore is not competent to direct the apostolic visitation of women religious. It's really a shame that Fox's wild conclusions have tainted the very even-handed and fair interview of Cardinal Rode by John Allen.
Precisely so! No matter what
Precisely so! No matter what one thinks of the Cardinal as a person, I think that this is the most sensible comment on this whole board. "Judge not lest ye be judged!"
In regards to the debate on Liturgical forms: Whether one prefers the rich symbolism of the "Extraordinary Rite" or the simplicity and approachability of the Novus Ordo, it is important to remember that each form is sacred, because it is the way in which Christ comes to us from Heaven and the way in which we participate in His glory! It is good for us to have both rites so that all can worship in a way that is meaningful to them. For me, I find the "Extraordinary Rite" too overwhelming to attend every week, but I do enjoy participating in it about once a year or so, to immerse myself in its mind-blowing symbolism and to remind myself of the Church's liturgical heritage.
I think it is folly to condemn either Liturgical Rite. The beauty of Catholicism is that we are one Church, but we can worship in many different liturgical forms! Whether we choose to focus on Christ's humble humanity or His awesome kingship, He is one God and we are one people. This kind of diversity is *good* to have in the Church so that there is something for everybody. Why condemn it? These incessant judgments and assumptions we make about each other based upon each one's preferred form of worship are unjust, hastily generalized and absolutely uncalled for.
I would not want this man to
I would not want this man to sit in judgment of religious men, much less women religious. His garb and style are repugnant to the memory of our naked, homeless, beggar Savior. His personal holiness entitles him to such? How apostolic is that?
How does his long, red train fit into his alter Christus definition?
Christ wasn't naked, he had a
Christ wasn't naked, he had a semmless garment, those were rather expensive things, that's why the soldiers cast lots to see who would have it, rather than tear it up. He wasn't a begger either.
And no, it's not his personal holiness that entitles him to this, but his position and successor to the apostles and prince of the Church. Just like it's not the personal holiness of a priest that entitles him to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass but his ordination to the priesthood of God.
These 7-month-old photos show
These 7-month-old photos show the beauty and pomp and majesty of the liturgy, very impressive. They also show the all-male stranglehold on the Church, something that must change if we are to realize the acceptance and love of all people - as exemplified by Jesus. My final thought is really a question: would Jesus have dressed and acted like this cardinal does? I love my church, but it's gotten so far from the true center of love and simplicity that Jesus taught, it makes me sad sometimes.
The problem with that is that
The problem with that is that Christ only chose men as his apostles and sinse apostolic times we have held the dogma that only men can be ordained, that can't change, even if the pope wanted to change it.
Dressing Christ's Church in glory doesn't take it far from Christ's message of salvation through His death and resurrection, I would say Vatican II did that with it's false ecumenism and what not. It also never stopped the Church from being THE most charitable organisation of Earth.
As much as I enjoy and
As much as I enjoy and appreciate John Allen's verbal analyses and reports, on this issue Tom Fox's photographic essay makes the point much more effectively!!!
I love her long, flowing
I love her long, flowing gowns. Oh, pardon me, it's a man.
Way back to the future!
Way back to the future!
I love the outrage of our
I love the outrage of our *orthodox* brothers and sisters.
I challenge them to justify what is depicted in these photos.
Leave the indignant verbiage behind and just explain that what you see is in any way right in terms of the fact that most of the world lives in abject poverty and Christ's life example to us of simplicity and generosity.
Can't do it, can you?
Yes we can. The Church is not
Yes we can.
The Church is not Marxist, unlike about 95% of NCR's board, staff and intended audience, so the Church does not interpret the world exclusively in terms of economic or power divides, which is just about all that NCR does.
The Church is hierarchical, as stated definitively in Lumen Gentium. These pictures depict an aspect of the Church's sacred hierarchy, which should be set apart from the ordinary. But NCR types decry affirming any substantial difference between sacred and profane, between ordained and lay because their Marxist filters consider such divisions to be a manifestation of oppressor and oppressed.
Most of the world lives in poverty. Christ said that we will always have the poor with us. That does not excuse a "do-nothing" attitude, but it does promote a realism about what can be accomplished during this life and what the proper role of the Church is.
The proper role of the Church is to be Christ's instrument of salvation, not a Marxist revolutionary wealth redistribution agency.
I may not be great, but do I
I may not be great, but do I understand you to say that us ordinary folk are profane? Does that also make me a Marxist?
"The last shall be first and the first shall be last."
from each according to their
from each according to their gifts, to each according to their needs
was that Marx or the fist apostolic community?
Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor
was that Marx or Jesus Christ whom we profess to follow?
the rich young man went wearily away as he had a lot of really cool stuff but could not own Jesus as well
I don't know that the words
I don't know that the words of Jesus that the poor would be with us always was meant as justification for Emperor Rode and the mindless pursuit of personal wealth.
Don't you ever wonder why Jesus chose to present Himself as His usual self after His resurrection? He could have come in Cardinal finery and glorify Himself had He wanted. But He didn't. Don't you think there's a message there?
I live in a poor parish and
I live in a poor parish and never once have I heard any of the poor complain about the beauty of the Church. They have so little beauty in their lives why should we deprive them of this beauty?
I'm sorry, but where's the
I'm sorry, but where's the beauty in an 80-year-old man wrapped in yards and yards of red silk and lace? Even young men in yards of the same? I've seen beautiful old men and beautiful young men (not to mention women) but they're Christian beauty had nothing to do with watered silk.
This is just embarrassing, and it hardly reflects the best of Catholic tradition. More like the dark days of the Medici popes, which is where all this nonsense comes from anyway.
Stop looking through the eyes
Stop looking through the eyes of cynicism and you will see the beauty.
okay nope didn't happen I see
okay
nope
didn't happen
I see far more beauty in giving to the poor than from stealing from them
false dichotomy. Your
false dichotomy. Your statement implies that the beauty of the robes and the ceremony is as a direct result of stealing form the poor.
Do you also think that Chartres was built by stealing from the poor? do you see the beauty in Chartres?
It is clear that the saying,
It is clear that the saying, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is true.
You find these images to be beautiful. Given the context, Christianity, many find them to represent the antithesis of everything Jesus taught us through words and his own life. These images represent a bygone day when the primary impact of the church came through its secular, imperial power - illustrated by these images - these images actually seem to represent everything that Jesus held up as an example of what is NOT desirable in a christian (images of wealth, power, tyranny of kings etc)
The photographs do not depict beauty - they look like caricatures - something enemies of the church could so easily latch on to in order to hold the church up to ridicule.
At one point in the gospels,
At one point in the gospels, doesn't a woman come to Jesus and pour perfume on his feet? Wasn't it Judas who suggested that the perfume should have been sold and the profits given to the poor?
I'm sorry, but far more money is spent on bridal gowns worn once than on the cappae magnae and silk vestments that are bought once and worn continuously for sometimes several generations if maintained properly. Where's the outrage against the tens of thousands of silk bridal gowns worn into church? Doesn't the bride in her wedding ceremony carry out a ritual function in the conferment of the sacrament? Why is that okay?
So is Cardinal Rode Jesus
So is Cardinal Rode Jesus JMA? The scripture you refer to refers to a kind act done to Jesus, doesn't apply to anyone else, especially a cardinal. Also, brides do not represent Christ but a silk laden cardinal in a pink dress and 40 foot long cape claims to be "in persona Christi"! There is absolutely no justification or defense for this baloney.
It applies to Christ's
It applies to Christ's Church, and the heirarchical offices thereof, remember, this isn't to honor a mere man.
Baloney. If it's not to honor
Baloney. If it's not to honor the cardinal then we all can wear a 40 foot long capa, chasubles and pretty silk to Mass? My wife would especially like to wear his nylons. If you think that garb isn't worn to honor the cardinal then you need a reality check.
In that case, why can't all
In that case, why can't all Christians, all Catholics, all clerics, all Vatican personnel, or at the very least all clerics in the Vatican, be given trains of watered silk about 20 yards long ? Why can only Cardinal Rode have a long train of watered silk ?
After all, this style of clothing "isn't to honor a mere man".
I'm as fond of ceremonial *in the right place* as any - but previous posters are spot on: how can such conspicuous consumption be justified ? If it's to be criticised us in laity, how is it right when the clergy engage in it ?
If such display is to be justified by appealing to the fittingness of outward display in the Liturgy, why are mere servers dressed in a white cassock & a black cotta ? Why no red silken train for them ? And isn't inward holiness worth all the outward splendour in the world ? Outward show all can too easily replace inward love of God and man - as though God were to be bought off by attractive appearances :(
Donating time and resources
Donating time and resources to the poor fulfills God's commands, but it it not the highest good. Participating in the Eucharistic sacrifice is the source and summit of the whole Christian life (Lumen Gentium 11). There may be other legitimate use of resources in addition to donating to the poor, which to my mind is the lesson to be drawn from the Gospel. The Church has never said, "Now that Jesus is no longer with us, the only legitimate use of money is for the poor." Adding dignity and nobility to the liturgy seems to be a proper use of financial resources. BTW, I have no problem with brides wearing silk gowns.
True, the laity does not act in persona Christi capite in the way that a priest or bishop does, but we are all part of the body of Christ by virtue of baptism, so don't we all unite ourselves with Christ in some way at the Eucharist.
Do you know where these
Do you know where these vestments came from?
In my experience, real vestments, not the rainbow polyester garbage many of us have been subjected to, are either donated by volunteers who make the vestments themselves using old patterns or by priests who purchase the them using their own meager funds. Of course, many old beautiful vestments were simply thrown away along with many other beautiful liturgical objects following the Council.
I‘d be happy to discuss the matter further with you but I don’t know your name. I suppose I can’t just look for the person in the burlap sack.
Yes, I can answer that!
Yes, I can answer that! Every priest acts in the person of Christ by vurtue of Holy Orders. In heaven Jesus Christ is our high priest and reigning king. The clergy of the church show forth this regal spendor and kingly dignaty by there vestments at Mass and there clerical dress. The vestments cover the humanity of the priest at Mass, to show forth the splendor of Christ the high priest and king. The priest's clerical dress shows forth the dignaty of the office that Christ established, an office the draws it's power from Chist. Thus this type of dress honers Christ, and also shows forth the dignaty of Christ's church which everyone should submidt! It is the one true faith! The church should show her authority AND feed the hungry as Christ's had told her to do - and she does! Anyone against this picture, should read there Catechisms, Vatican II documents, and the BIble! This picture is against none of these text! An further more, if certain women religious ordeers were acting like they should, they would not have to worry about being visited by Vatican representatives. The truth is, they have not been acting as they should. Their days are numbered!
Glory be to Jesus Christ!
Travis NC
Brainwashed!
Brainwashed!
An the Church has a problem
An the Church has a problem with gays?
These guys put the G in Gay!
JIMNY the Church doesn't have
JIMNY the Church doesn't have a problem with gays as you claim. There are gay men and women who live in lives of Chastity and holiness as we are called to do.
And Also the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign PRiest have a vocation problem one THAT THE ORDER IS GROWING AND RUNNING OUT OF ROOM.
CHRIST CALLS US TO HOLINESS. THE LITURGY CELEBRATED IN THE ROMAN RITE AS CARDINAL CANARAZES OF SPAIN SAID "Liturgy is giving ourselves to God"
IT is JEsus Christ who we fall down in our knees when we receive him in the Blessed Sacrament.
It's about time the Vatican
It's about time the Vatican investigated American orders. On Oct. 23rd, LifeSite news broke the story of a Dominican nun escorting women to abortion clinics.
And they wonder why they're being investigated? They need to get a clue.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/oct/09102302.html
Come on now. This is NCR.
Come on now. This is NCR. They love abortions, I'm sure they're ready to make this "nun" a living saint.
That is just one nun!
That is just one nun!
It's only one nun that got
It's only one nun that got caught. And, if I'm not mistaken, she is head of NCAN. NCAN is troubling on many accounts. Here is part of a letter they put out a couple of years ago:
Rather than following rididly prescribed sexual rules, a more compassionate church would welcome into full parnership women in the church as priests and other ministers, support the rights of same sex persons entering into permanent relationships, provide condoms to diminish the spread of AIDS, support victims of sexual abuse and their perpetrators by responding to them with justice, and recognize the right of women as moral adults to be decision-makers in reproductive rights. Rather than silencing prophetic voices, a more compassionate church would welcome diverse voices as manifestations of the spirit and encourage their public expression.
They support legalized abortion, women as priests and gay marriage within the Church.
Here is the full text of that letter:
http://www.ncan.us/2007/10/call-to-compass.html
So, no, it is hardly just one woman.
Images of the Royal
Images of the Royal Religious, what a sad waste. It's a travesty that sisters who are doing the work of the gospel in the United States, and begging for the money to support their missions of helping the poor and the powerless, must suffer the mind game of the apostolic visitation while watching money being poured down the drain in the process. Shame on those in charge. WWJD
Matthew 7: 1-5. These are
Matthew 7: 1-5. These are only images: of traditional vestments and solemnity of Traditional Catholic rituals, that are still in use today, in many parishes around the world. People are putting far too much interpretation in the imagery. They are part of being Catholic, particularly at the Vatican. When I go to the D.R. Congo and teach in the war zones in the eastern provinces of that country, I go to Mass with my students, in Goma, and we pray together in French and Swahili. When we go to the stark Trappist monastery, nearby, we pray in Latin and Swahili. When we go to the Cathedral, Our Lady of Peace, in Bukavu, we travel 15 hours by boat, to celebrate the Mass in the Extraordinary Form, with a full house of Congolese, in Latin. And none of us, my students or myself, see the contradiction in venerating all of it, the Modern, the Traditional, progress, and the historical continuum. None of us are reactionary, none of us are rich, none of us are misogynists, or fascists, or without a duty towards caritas, and ecumenical respect.
are you or are you not
are you or are you not tradinistas?
All I can say is Forgive them
All I can say is Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.....except they do know. Years ago I was told by numerous Christian friends that the pope is the Anti-Christ. Seeing these pictures, I have to sadly agree wholeheartedly. The culture they represent could not be farther from that of Jesus the Christ, the One who walked the Earth, sat with the sinners, shared table and communed with the sick, the downtrodden, the voiceless, and powerless. It saddens me greatly that the church I knew and grew up in has become again (as it was in the Middle Ages and until the Reformation) the Church of the Powerful, Elite, and Wealthy. It is clearly time for a second Reformation - it is time for Rome to again follow Christ and those that truly understand his message - those that are in the streets with the poor, the trodden, the powerless. The sisters get it - its very sad that those in power (including Mr. Benedict and Mr. Rode) do not.
to think that these pompous
to think that these pompous idiots control the organizational apparatus of the church! It is clear that it is necessary to refuse the refusal - cut off their funding. Simply refuse to deal with them. The church has harbored too many WW2 era fascists and even promoted them because of their twisted sense of tradition, and they have worked from the inside to block any chance that Vat2 might begin to affect the structures. The pictures say a lot - but really only confirm visually what we know about this sad spectacle of episcopal egotism. It is all about power, and the power they want is so obvious and frightening. The Vatican is making room for misogynists, homophobes, holocaust deniers and antisemitic lunatics. If only the Taliban would put a cross around their necks, they could easily make it with the Legionaries.
Matthew 7: 1-5. These are
Matthew 7: 1-5. These are only images: of traditional vestments and solemnity of Traditional Catholic rituals, that are still in use today, in many parishes around the world. People are putting far too much interpretation in the imagery. They are part of being Catholic, particularly at the Vatican. When I go to the D.R. Congo and teach in the war zones in the eastern provinces of that country, I go to Mass with my students, in Goma, and we pray together in French and Swahili. When we go to the stark Trappist monastery, nearby, we pray in Latin and Swahili. When we go to the Cathedral, Our Lady of Peace, in Bukavu, we travel 15 hours by boat, to celebrate the Mass in the Extraordinary Form, with a full house of Congolese, in Latin. And none of us, my students or myself, see the contradiction in venerating all of it, the Modern, the Traditional, progress, and the historical continuum. None of us are reactionary, none of us are rich, none of us are misogynists, or fascists, or without a duty towards caritas, and ecumenical respect.
This is but a wink of the eye
This is but a wink of the eye compared to the gloss and glitter that coats the palacial structures, processes and processions of the Church. Travel around Europe and be scandalized. There are some medieval churches that seem to be truly neighbourhood parishes. The ones like this though seem to be poor and cannot even afford cleaning let alone restoration.
How can these "guys" put on these museum pieces and pretend to be representatives of the Christ who walked, taught, healed? I think they stopped thinking when they heard of Christ "the king". Kinda got misunderstood.
Maybe that's the whole idea
Maybe that's the whole idea Dennis. If they dazzle us with their sartorial splendor and elaborate ceremonies we won't notice they fail utterly in dazzling us with their ability to heal. It's easier to emulate Christ the King, than it is Christ the healer.
For those who long for the
For those who long for the pre-Vatican II church, this is it, except in my parish the pastor didn't have as long (and not red) cape. I think many of the younger generation who really feel we need to get back to the "way it was" really have no idea about how it was. These pictures are not caricature--this is how it was!!
And yes, Cardinal Rhode, I have no doubt, wants the nuns back in their habits and back in their convents and back doing the work that the Cardinal deems is authentic nun work, ie, the Cardinal's laundry, cleaning the 3 story high main alter, which is against the wall, dusting the statues, trimming candles, etc. This is one former nun who's done that, been there and I pray that today's women religious can hold their own against this pre-Vatican onslaught---they are truly doing God's work in this crazy world and we need them more than ever...
Looking at these photos, one
Looking at these photos, one easily understands why Cardinal Rode longs for the good old days of the monarchy. That is what you get when poor boys advance in the ranks of the Vatican. They just can't believe that they have finally been redeemed from their poverty. And they justify it by thinking that it all comes from God; why else would they be there? This man is proud of his humility, and it shows.
OMG!!!! Funny, if it wasn't
OMG!!!!
Funny, if it wasn't so, so sad....
FMP
The origin of the Magna Copa
The origin of the Magna Copa (the red train) was to cover the horses ass when riding a horse in public. There may be a good reason for some to continue wearing the Magna Copa since it seems to be serving its original purpose -- sans horse.
Ha, Ha, Ha! The best comment
Ha, Ha, Ha! The best comment yet and so true! I'm laughing so hard I'm tearing up!
touche!
touche!
too funny. thanks.
too funny. thanks.
I'm laughing so hard I'm
I'm laughing so hard I'm crying.
Cashing in all that frou-frou
Cashing in all that frou-frou would likely fund the investigation!
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