Cardinal-designate William J. Levada needs a reality check

[hedgehog]

Apparently he delivered a homily to the seminary at Rome's Pontifical North American College indicating that it is improper to have gay priests because a priest stands for Christ as the bridegroom of his bride, the Church and it is difficult for people to relate to a gay priest as the bridegroom. While I am fully aware of all the metaphors of Jesus as the bridegroom and the Church as the bride, I find people who push a too literal interpretation entering very icky territory (pardon the unsophisticated language). For one thing, I already have a husband, thank you very much, and I don't see the priest as my bride groom. Somehow my husband has never had this particular vision, either.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. Ah yes, Levada!

He used to be the bishop (archbishop?) in Portland, OR, and he made headlines a few years back when he required a fine non-church-affiliated choral group, the Oregon Repertory Singers, to change their program at the last minute.

The Singers were doing an all-Italian Renaissance program, including magnificent motets by Gabrieli and Monteverdi, as well as some madrigals, and were scheduled to perform at St. Philip Neri church.

Well, having lived in Rome, Levada, who sat in on a rehearsal, understood what some of the madrigals were about, and told them they had to change the program or find another venue.

It was too late to find another venue, so they changed the program.

[hedgehog]

4. He must faint every time they play Carmina Burana on the radio!

The first time I heard it, 20 some years ago, I knew it was in Latin but I didn't know anything else. So I called up the radio station and asked them for the name of the piece thinking it had been a Mass! It gave the programmer quite a laugh!

[Matilda]

2. He'd get along well our Archbishop, Cardinal Pell.

Pell has a female cousin, a former nun, who left her Order and has been in a lesbian relationship
with another former nun for years. Pell refuses to allow them to receive the Eucharist, although
they lead exemplary lives and are very moral people. But their sexuality gets in the way as far
as he's concerned.

Sure, the Church has to set a moral tone, but it persists in seeing things in black and white, and
I just think that it flies in the face of true Christianity at times. Humanity is too often absent.

And I have it from a good friend who comes from the same country town as Pell that he himself is
illegitimate. I can't swear to the truth of it, but my friend grew up with him (he is also Catholic,
although long ago lapsed) and insists it's true. In country towns, people do generally know all
there is to know about one another, so I'm inclined to think it's probably true.

[hedgehog]

3. Well, the facts of Pell's birth are neither here nor there except

that in the old days, if in fact he had been "illegitimate", he would have been ineligible for the priesthood. But of course, the rules of eligibility never change, (wink wink, nudge, nudge)