When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart....
When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”
And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. (2 Samuel 6)
Now, some people are upset about this video:
In fact, one famous Catholic "conservative" blogger priest whose name begins with Z specifically and visually compared the bishops who participated to Nazis. Imagine - a priest of God calling Catholic bishops "Nazis". Reminds one of... oh, maybe the leftist heretics who do the same thing, doesn't it?
In reply to the incredible amount of criticism unleashed against the bishops, one commentator (Henry Babek) on Rorate Caeli blog had this to say:
The young people participating at WYD are planning on doing the largest organized flash mob skit in history. What you see in the video is the bishops simply watching them practice and participating. They will not be participating during the actual skit and this is not for a mass or spiritual gathering. It'll be a small show for the pope done by the youth only. Unless you know the full details, then do not criticize.
Finally, I absolutely love how many of you come and rush to comment on the critical articles of HH Pope Francis while lovely articles such as "Stat crux dum volvitur orbis" or the "Juventutem" articles only get about 10-20 comments.
I truly cry when I see how easy it is for soo many of you to criticize or attack instead of commend or love.
Now, I'm not a dancer, I don't like to dance, etc. But calling bishops "Nazis" for emulating King David seems untoward. Having lay people, or worse, ordained men, chastising bishops for emulating King David seems downright evil.
These "orthodox" people don't mind a bit if the sun dances, but may the Lord have mercy on us all if a bishop does the same! Celebrate Fatima, castigate bishops!
If anyone wonders why the kind of people who get upset with this can't seem to grow their parishes much... well, ask Michal.
Everybody thinks scenes like this are cute.
Nuns can do it, but bishops can't?
Double standards abound.
In fact, one famous Catholic "conservative" blogger priest whose name begins with Z specifically and visually compared the bishops who participated to Nazis. Imagine - a priest of God calling Catholic bishops "Nazis".
ReplyDeleteUm, no he didn't. That's not what I got out of it at all. What I saw in that nazi photo was the courage of one man to stand against the majority. Father Z did not call bishops nazis and for you to state that he did is an offence against Father Z's character.
Reading the other comments on that page was quite amusing, to say the least, of what I could stomach anyway.
ReplyDeleteHaving attended WYD in Sydney in 2008, with many friends having taken part in them from 2002 till now, and along with being part of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal here in Australia, I've got to say that it is refreshing and inspiring to see Bishops getting involved in the little and unimportant things like this.
The graces that I have seen flow out from these events have been amazing. The great love that develops for the Body of Christ, whether it be the Church in the form of its pope, bishops, priests and religious and lay people, or in the form of its Sacraments, especially in the Eucharist, can only be described as a specific grace from God.
The desire of the youth to get out and be involved, and the hunger that they have for God to truly know and love Him, isn't something just on the surface. And to know that the bishops are willing to engage a new generation of Catholics who want to bring, through the Holy Spirit, new life to their parishes and dioceses, is encouraging.
But what would I know? I'm a cradle Catholic in Sydney Australia, and had no idea about the extraordinary form of the mass until only a few years ago.
Michael
Ron Van Wegen, Zuhlsdorf could have used a lot of different ways to get that sentiment across.
ReplyDeleteHe chose a Nazi meme.
That was absolutely uncalled for and unconscionable. I haven't offended against his character, I have merely described it. You find it offensive. Rightly so.
I won't praise Fr. Z, nor bury him.
ReplyDeleteSuch a video, with Bishops in-full-regalia doing a 'Village People' routine, runs a great risk. It is truly impossible to 'un-see' some things. The Church's brand is suffering greatly with young men due partly to such behavior, where its men are encouraged to act in un-manly ways.
The video is hilarious. It is also hilarious that progressives will attack traditions, like kneeling for Holy Communion, as being undignified. If kneeling is an affront to human dignity, then aren't bishops forming a chorus line also an affront?
The Church's "brand"?!?!
ReplyDeleteSigh...
Father Zuhlsdorf obviously didn't call the bishops Nazis nor equate their actions with the Nazi Holocaust, as some foolish people have said, and it's a pretty dumb thing to claim that he did -- but people who are offended are prone to think and say dumb things.
ReplyDeleteBut his use of that photo was imprudent and unhelpful, and made it pretty difficult for people to hear what he was trying to say, so it's a good thing he took it down.
Granted, the bishops were doing something pretty cringe-inducing, but cringe-inducing liturgical abuses or paraliturgical actions are pretty common in Latin America and, well, most of the Catholic Church these days. There's a lot more serious stuff going on than what those bishops did, or than what Father Zuhlsdorf did.
Jordanes, if Zuhlsdorf wasn't making the comparison, he would not have to pull the photo.
ReplyDeleteThere were a lot of ways he could have made that statement - he chose to make it using Nazi imagery. It's the first thing that leapt to his mind, and he obviously felt it appropriate to post.
So, who am I going to believe? The people defending him or my lying eyes?
Hello again, Steve!
ReplyDeleteOK, I'm dense!
What is wrong with the term 'the Church's brand'?
Should I have said 'the Church's standing' or 'the Church's reputation'?
What I was trying (unsuccessfully) to communicate is that such images can get stuck in people's minds. If this one sticks, then we should expect it to repel masculine boys from considering the priesthood.