Botticelli's Venus
Thought for the day:
As I read the opinions and editorials surrounding the Vatican's recent edict listing both priests raping children and the ordaining of women as priests as graviora delicta or grave offenses, I wonder if there ought to be a type ritual associated with severing one's ties completely from the Catholic Church. A Sacrament of Severance, perhaps? I have read, equally, many good Catholics' views on the whole thing -- on what is good and admirable about the Church, on its many good deeds, etc. etc. I've read those editorials, the articles passed around on Facebook among "friends," and my own back and forth again thoughts that are partly constructs of my culture and typical Catholic "guilt" and partly a really well-intentioned effort on my own part to be tolerant. While these winds that sway can often make me list one way or another, my feet are growing roots, I think, that are slowly enabling me to stand firm. The trouble is that so much of the ritual that makes the Catholic Church beautiful is what also makes it horrific, and those opposites are not the yin and the yang, the life and the death, the ever-repeating cycle of good and bad that makes the world what it is. I need a ritual to remove myself, ironically, permanently.
Please don't tell me that it is one and the same edict, and it lists those together.
ReplyDeleteendswith8741 -- where've you been? YES!
ReplyDeleteI have talked to my very catholic yoga teacher about how the Church treats women. I have said, "You would never be part of an organization which doesn't honor women enough to let them be in positions of authority."
ReplyDeleteShe wiggles, she waggles, she says, "No. But that's not really important."
I wish there was a real "Chris Stevens" who could perform your ritual like he did to divorce Shelly from her first husband, Wayne.
I would do it for you, Elizabeth. We could gather a coven of women and divorce you from the church. We could and we would.
dear sacred sunday,
ReplyDeletei saw the comment signed endswith8741 and was so intrigued i had to go there. an hour later, i was still reading.
thanks for that. and all the many doors you open in my mind and heart.
(p.s. it is so much simpler for non catholic artists types...we just get to dig the religious art work, no guilt involved.)
xoxoxoxoxo,
rebecca
Rebecca -- endswith8741 has a FANTASTIC blog. She is an incredible mother in every respect --
ReplyDeleteI know, it's unbelievable that ordaining women is heresy. Even my most devout friends were shaken by that one.
ReplyDeletewhat a concept. I have always thought it was so weird how the Catholic Church has a stance of "once a catholic - always a catholic" no matter what the person involved has to say about it. The severing happens on your part - what is needs is the release on the institution's part. It would mean having to admit to a lot of failures (on the church's part) though wouldn't it?
ReplyDeletestuff like this makes my head hurt.
ReplyDeletechurch stuff.
I mean seriously.
insert expletives
I don't have any answers.
I guess people really don't at all. Which is why I don't necessarily believe in them.
Is it okay to just take the hope for baby steps? Ignore the blatant . I don't know.
I have heard that even those Catholics that remove themselves from the church and Catholic Religion, never truly shed all the guilt that goes along with it. Such is the wonder of the Church's upbringing. Hitler should have been Catholic, he might've gotten a lot more done with this method of conversion.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, from a personal point of view, I don't believe God is small enough to fit into any given religion. But people usually take steps in belief as they evolve and are comfortable with it.
Try googling severing rituals, or something to that effect because I know there are personal 'cutting the cord' rituals that one can perform which work on a subconscious level to help you.
on the plus side, I had forgotten how beautiful she is, Venus.
ReplyDelete