Religion

I’m rather suspicious of the idea, presented in this Catholic Exchange article, that the glory of Vatican II’s marital theology was its rescinding a contractual model in favor of a “covenantal” one — and, consequently, the advancement of the notion of “partnership” in place of a hierarchy which is clearly delineated in the passages from Ephesians V the article cites [it is so concerned with delegitimizing the notion that St. Paul's words justify domestic violence, abuse, and/or tyranny (fair enough) that it neglects to even address the question of whether under the new conception any hierarchy between the spouses exists], alongside advancing “the good of the spouses” as equal in importance with procreation as fundamental ends of marriage [again, in a clear deviation from traditional theology, which holds procreation as primary end, the good of the spouses and the allaying of concupiscence as subordinate ends].

So we got a dress-rehearsal yesterday. Pope John Paul II rushed to a hospital after suffering from the flu for several days: this on top of his being nearly 85 years old, in declining health, susceptible to freak injuries, and thus slowing physical momentum, for over 10 years now. They say he’ll come out of this one OK, but frankly, it’s a harbinger of things to come. That he has hung on this long is incredible enough, but he can’t last forever….

Those of us who don’t quite accept the “John Paul the Great” mythos, and instead fear that he will indeed have much to account for in his long pontificate before the Divine Majesty, have thus all the more reason to pray for him — and the Church — in these, his last days.

The rest of the country will talk about some groundhog in Pennsylvania today, but serious Catholics know that the real significance of this day is its being the Feast of the Purification of the B.V.M., the theme of the 4th Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, when our Lord is presented in the Temple at the age of 40 days — and when St. Simeon, he of the Nunc Dimittis, warns our Lady that her Child will someday be the occasion of deep division in Israel and of incredible suffering for herself.

[After a long hiatus, another installment in one of A9C's irregular series, in which are explored the doings and sayings of those who call themselves Catholics but yet refuse to accept Christ the King's jurisdiction over the political sphere, just like that wicked mob in Pilate's courtyard that said, well, you know....]

Some bishops in Colorado, including the noteworthy Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs, affirmed in writing their defense of Catholic hospitals that would be forced to provide “emergency contraception” under a bill that cleared the state House, is expected to clear the state Senate, and will end up on the desk of Gov. Bill Owens, who professes to be Catholic but refuses to disclose his position on the bill.

Other bloggers talk about taking the Christmas holidays off, but since the Annals is so infrequently updated, what would be the point in that? There’s always something to say about something….

So I’m rummaging through the meager Web site of John Vennari’s Catholic Family News, to which I’ve never had a subscription.* One of the few articles it does replicate online is “Karl Rahner’s Girlfriend,” referring to the infamous Jesuit considered the foremost of the Modernist periti of Vatican II and the late German feminoid writer (and aren’t all contemporary German women writers feminoids???) Luise Rinser and the, um, unusual relationship they shared during the Council and for the rest of Rahner’s life (he died in 1984). Well, Vennari reports that she protested that this relationship did not include direct sexual acts….

I have the understanding that columnist Robert Novak is what’s called a “neo-conservative,” but his work this morning deserves much attention (and has already gotten some from Open Book, whence I found this): pointing out the White House snub of visiting Italian dignitary Rocco Buttiglione, whose nomination to serve as Justice Minister in the European Union was rejected on account of his public affirmations, consistent with his Catholic Faith, against sodomites (and feminoids also, I think).