The Practical Parson

 Recently, the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte, NC has taken it upon himself to fully implement the Motu Proprio "Traditionis Custodie" of the late Bishop of Rome.  Apart from banishing all adherents of the Latin Mass to a single parish as of July 8th, which won't even open until late in the Fall; an even more disturbing document was leaked from the bishop's office this week.  In the letter that Bishop Martin had planned to issue to the diocese, he makes a multitude of uninformed and personal liable claims against traditional liturgy and people who worship in that manner; as well as theological arguments which have no basis in Catholic teaching, and would be more at home in a Baptist church than a sacramental one.  He has a desire and plans to ban every semblance of tradition from all parishes in the diocese: From banning altar rails, to telling priests they cannot cross their stoles or say vesting prayers for specific vestments (which he claims cau...

 President Volodymyr Zelensky has recently signed into law a complete ban on the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.   While that may seem and sound like a commendable action from the outside, banning a church that has a patriarch in Russia while there is an ongoing war with Russia; the reality of what the law invites is actually quite sinister, and I would dare say, diabolical.  Let's start with the foundational issue: banning Russian Orthodox anything in Ukraine.  While it might sound like they're just cutting off the Patriarch of Moscow, what is truly happening is the Ukrainian government is seizing church properties: monasteries, cathedrals, convents, churches, shelters for the poor and homeless- all being seized by the state.  However it doesn't end at seizing church property, oh no.  The government has now enabled themselves to seize the personal and private property of private citizens who are Russian Orthodox as well.  This level of land-g...

 In a seemingly endlessly repeated story-line, we see headlines across the country proclaiming "books banned"; and subsequent outcry from (usually) the progressive side of politics, calling such things "un-american" and "Anti-freedom".   But what is the true issue behind the scenes here?   Well primarily speaking, virtually all of the accused "book-bans" have taken place in locations that are elementary and middle school libraries, or libraries that cater to adolescent children.  Now the progressive ideologues will go to war to proclaim that all books need to be available to all children regardless; but do they really mean that?   Does this mean we will soon be having Kama Sutra for Kindergartners?  Sun Tzu for second grade?  Mein Kampf for Middle Schoolers?   Of course not.  Not because there are not some who aren't crazy enough to push for them; but because at the end of the day those books do not reinforce the 'progress...