T.Q. Notes–June 12-13, 2004:
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Webminister's note:
I used to edit each TQ note to make it more understandable (to me, at least),
and add italics and bold type to provide the intended emphasis. But,
from now on, the TQ notes will appear exactly as they do in the weekly
bulletin. They are untitled in the bulletin, but I will attempt to
assign a meaningful title so we'll have something to refer to when posting lively discussion items.
The Installation of the Bishop was a
Not Politically Correct - a Sad Day
“‘Twas the night before Christmas” - oops, wrong poem.
“‘Twas a sad day in Confederate City” - May 24, 2004, the day of the installation
of the 12th bishop of Richmond, Virginia!!
1. The venue was horrendous. Our “beautiful” cathedral, nostalgized
by the editor of “The Catholic Virginian” is the most unsuitable site in
the state. Over thirty years ago when Carroll T. Dozier, pastor of
Christ the King, Norfolk, was ordained and installed in the small midland
diocese of Memphis, Tennessee, it was celebrated in the Mid-South coliseum
with 15,000 present on a most frigid day. About 900 of our 215,000
people were present May 24. The People of God were cut out. The
Richmond Coliseum is near by.
2. The music was so triumphant I thought we were in the so-called “National(?)
Cathedral, feeling like I was awaiting the arrival of the Monarch-sanctioned
Archbishop of Canterbury. No African-American drums or voices,
no Korean or Filipino or Hispanic guitars and other instruments. The
tri-lingual intercessions were a farce. Who speaks Latin in Richmond?
Who
in this diocese can pass a 9th grade Latin exam? A bunch of WASP hymns
and anthems blasted out on the 55-rank pipe organ by a musicologist who plays
to himself and for the dead!
3. For the first time in memory there were no LAY extraordinary ministers
of the Eucharist distributing the Body and Blood of Christ. The
sea of white vested clerics (deacons and priests) “grabbed “ everything with
a sort of “it’s our Church” possessiveness. A GIRMness
pervaded all.
4. There was no real representation of Tidewater parishes where more
than half the Catholics live. The bishop was greeted by three monsignors
from the city of Richmond which is NOT the center of the diocese by any standard.
Tidewater, Roanoke, Appalachia, and Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee might as
well have stayed home and had picnics in any one of our state parks.
5. And the procession itself was counter-ecclesial, red and magenta
pom-pom wearers assembling in the episcopal palace, separated from the lower
clergy, and the Protestants and Anglicans separated from both.
6. And after the great foot-washin’ pericope of the Fourth Gospel,
we had a homily about the implementing of our vision by the use of a manual,
already long forgotten, that caused a wave of tittering among the priests,
and a hundred whispered “what book is he talking about?” not to mention,
one old presbyter muttering: “ Is Gorbachev here? Communists
use manuals, not Catholics.”
7. And finally, the lack of the full presence of our former female
chancellor who was given “woman’s work,” inviting us to the reception.
On the other, right, hand, of our new Ordinary, we experienced the full male
presence of Bishop Joseph A. Gallante, the Eucharist-refusing, conscience-judging
new bishop of Camden, New Jersey.
And all this counter-personal to a broad, tall, vibrant, ever-embracing,
smiling paesan!
“‘Twas a sad, sad day in Richmond.”
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TQ's Notes
The Fool
for Christ article used with permission
of The Virginian-Pilot.