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November 10, 2005
A tale of two parishes
Trying to track Alito's Catholicism
But it is telling that Alito also chooses to go to St. Aloysius occasionally. Perhaps he does so for mundane reasons like convenience or timing. Or perhaps he hasn’t settled on which parish suits him better. God knows he wouldn’t be the first Catholic to suffer from such indecisiveness. There is little mystery about what kind of judge Alito is—he has a long conservative track record. But judging from the difference between his parishes, questions about his Catholic leanings remain."
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Comments
Alito may not a preference of parish but Maurice Timothy Reidy, the author of the article, clearly favors the liberal parish.
Posted by: epovick at Nov 10, 2005 7:28:02 AM
The author might have trouble discerning Alito's style of Catholicism, but it looks to me like he sticks to his geographical parish perhaps out of habit, but he goes to St. Aloysius to hold on to his sanity. "One Bread, One Body" sung to the accompaniment of conga drums? At mass in suburban New Jersey? Really?
Posted by: Efche at Nov 10, 2005 7:32:54 AM
Or perhaps at St. Aloysius there is an excellent confessor there, or an excellent homilist, or any number of things. If Alito goes to Eucharistic adoration, more power to him! Perhaps, too, he recognizes the need for balance in our lives. We can be as traditional as we like, but if we neglect the "little ones" that Our Lord talks about, we fail in our duty to spread the Gospel.
What really irks me is that the article author seems to imply that more traditionalist-leaning Catholics don't care about social issues. Wanting people to have accessible, decent, and timely medical care is not incompatible with traditional Catholic values. See, for instance, the many cities with Catholic (or formerly Catholic) hospitals that were started, you guessed it, before Vatican II. Same goes for caring for the poor. Entire religious orders were founded to care for the poor. All before Vatican II.
As for the Church architecture, I notice even the author can tell the difference between good and bad. Although he seems to equate traditional architecture with "holier-than-thou".
Unrelated funny story: A parish south of here just opened their new "faith center". I read through the entire article and even looked at the pictures. It was a full day before I realized this wasn't a parish social hall and office building. It's supposed to be a church! I was going through it: "where's the pictures of the church?"
Posted by: Josh at Nov 10, 2005 7:57:19 AM
He may also be a parishioner of long-standing at the more liberal parish, and feel guilty about cutting his ties--I know plenty of people like that. Either way, its an interesting read (bias notwithstanding). But since when is Padre Pio a favorite of "conservative Catholics"? Shouldn't he just be a favorite of all Catholics--at least all Catholics who identify enough with their faith that they venerate saints? Who would be a popular "liberal" 20th-Century saint, for instance?
Posted by: Dan Vitz at Nov 10, 2005 8:31:13 AM
just a note Josh: I know about that church south of you. The "Faith Center" is the interim space until the big church is built in a couple of years. Its longterm design is for a hall or other gathering space, it is not designed to be the church. Because of space limitations in the old parish church, they are building a bigger church. Just an FYI, in case you didn't know. Many places that are building start with a hall, and hold Mass there while the church is being built. :)
Posted by: TiaKay at Nov 10, 2005 8:44:06 AM
Sounds like Alio's Catholicism is just as normative as the Pope's. The last few Popes attend both "conservative" and "liberal functions," appoint orthodox and openly heterodox bishops. They support and tolerate both "traditoonal" and "Modernist" clergy.
In short, Catholicism has become Anglicanism. Anything goes! If the Popes can do it, why not Alito?
Posted by: Eric Giunta at Nov 10, 2005 8:58:16 AM
Who would be a popular "liberal" 20th-Century saint, for instance?
Dan Vitz: At the liberal parish I once attended for All Saint’s Day, they had paintings surrounding the altar of Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and someone who I couldn’t identify but looked a lot like Martin Luther.
Posted by: epovick at Nov 10, 2005 9:05:53 AM
I laugh at the notion that the liturgical music at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament - replete with conga drums - appeals to a younger crowd. That line is repeated so often it's become accepted as fact, even though it doesn't square with reality. Sure, some people like jazzy music at Mass. Sure, some older folks like Gregorian chant. But the clear lines of demarcation no longer exist, and someone who still makes use of the notion that young people = guitar, old people = organ obviously isn't paying attention.
Eric, you sound bitter.
Posted by: Tim Ferguson at Nov 10, 2005 9:10:23 AM
Tim:
I'm just fed up with it all. Ya know? I understand the Church will never, on a natural level, be perfect; but I just find all this wide-scale dissent, and its toleration by supposedly orthodox Popes . . . intolerable. Here we lay Catholics are, trying to uphold orthodoxy and the integrity of our faith, and our efforts are constantly being undermined by our Popes and bishops. I'm just sick of it.
Posted by: Eric Giunta at Nov 10, 2005 9:30:46 AM
Honestly, I read something like this and wonder why they even wasted space on it. My neighborhood parish church is one of those 1970s monstrosities with lots of natural wood and abstract sculptures on the walls. We've had our share of both effective and ineffective pastors over the years. But five years ago we got a new pastor who is very orthodox, holds regular Eucharistic adoration, etc. Since the parish was founded 75 years ago there has been a Monday evening Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Like many fellow Catholics in Pittsburgh, my family sometimes attends Mass at neighboring parishes for any number of reasons (more convenient Mass times, family connections, etc.)
In short, I would laugh if someone tried to pinpoint my "brand" of Catholicism based on where I attend Mass and the "trappings" of the particular building. I'll bet Judge Alito would, too.
Posted by: CV at Nov 10, 2005 9:31:02 AM
"But judging from the difference between his parishes, questions about his Catholic leanings remain."
In a society where 2/3 of Catholics aren't going to Mass regularly, and one in which a far higher percentage aren't going to Confession at all, are we now going to create a religious test for voting purposes?
What might the form look like?
Do you shake with one or two hands at Mass?
Is the Wanderer for sale in your parish?
Were the composers of the music in your parish born in the 20th Century?
On how many knees do you genuflect? (See appendix for definition of "genuflect").
How long are your parish's homilies? Do the preachers reflect the demographics of the parish?
etc.
Posted by: Minn-Ray at Nov 10, 2005 9:31:47 AM
Maybe Alito's choice where to worship comes down "I need to go to the 10:30 at St. Al's because I would be late for function if I went to Blessed Sacrament's 11:00."
Posted by: Badly Drawn Catholic at Nov 10, 2005 9:56:25 AM
I kinda figure if some Catholics can put up with being burned at the stake, torn apart by lions, shot, hung, starved and worse and remain true to the faith then I can put up with bongo drums.
Posted by: John J. Simmins at Nov 10, 2005 9:59:11 AM
Cluuuueless. I thought we're supposed to go to our geographic parish unless we have grave reasons not to (like missing Mass otherwise, or Mass there is truly driving us nuts and making us uncharitable).
So why the heck shouldn't someone conservative be going to a liberal parish? It's more conservative than leaving, to be honest.
(This is not to fault people who do go parish-hunting, as they often do have grave reasons. But the principle remains.)
(What do they call that principle by the way? Stare attendis?)
Posted by: Maureen at Nov 10, 2005 10:01:56 AM
Oh, and how liberal can Blessed Sacrament be, if the priest is preaching purgatory and damnation? At all?
Heck, I must have been twenty-nine before I heard a homily that even mentioned purgatory, and my parishes were moderate ones.
Posted by: Maureen at Nov 10, 2005 10:04:29 AM
And I thought it was bizarre that the guy would only see Padre Pio as a saint for conservatives, when I'd be more likely to consider a statue of him (especially in a parish named for the Italian St. Aloysius!) to be a sign of Italians still being in the parish. Which, if true, would also do a lot to explain the Italian Alito heading over every once in a while. Obviously ethnicity doesn't explain everything, but... it's not something you can ignore, either.
So basically, I feel the article did a stunning job of overlooking the obvious.
Posted by: Maureen at Nov 10, 2005 10:09:36 AM
Erica, what people who claim to be more Catholic than the Pope don't realize is that anything they say afterwards is less credible.
Posted by: Mary Kay at Nov 10, 2005 10:12:31 AM
Eric:
What in this article illustrates:
"all this wide-scale dissent, and its toleration by supposedly orthodox Popes"
or
attempts to undermine "orthodoxy and the integrity of our faith"
Are we reading the same article?
Posted by: MercyMe at Nov 10, 2005 10:13:17 AM
The more I read about Alito the more I like him. I like people who can put up with annoying liturgical music on occasion while retaining liturgically traditional core convictions.
The most encouraging report about Alito was this one in Slate:
http://www.slate.com/id/2129230/
Of course the Slate reporter's message--that Alito is going to be as pro-life as is constitutionally possible--was intended to alarm its readers.
Posted by: reluctantpenitent at Nov 10, 2005 10:20:26 AM
Maureen,
Just fyi, no, we're not obligated to attend our territorial parish any more. See the 1983 Code of Canon Law for details.
And that's a good reform, in my opinion. It also makes sense, given the rise of the new movements and the existence of the Pastoral Provision.
Posted by: Flambeaux at Nov 10, 2005 10:47:27 AM
I attend St Aloysius also - well, the one in Littlestown, PA anyway - . But on every 2nd Sunday of the month, I go a couple miles farther to another church. That's when they have the Metallica Mass, er, I mean, the guitar mass.
Even the Priest has admitted that it's too loud and that he's had to tell them to tone it down. He doesn't like it, obviously, but he goes along to get along, which is what he said to me in so many words.
I'd rather be at the Latin mass, but that's an hour away. It's not always an exact science to pin someone's faith on where they attend.
Posted by: Paul Nichols at Nov 10, 2005 11:44:45 AM
reluctantpenitent is right, and I agree that on balance this change is probably good. But like many things it has a negative side, too. People often parish shop for less than noble reasons such as finding a priest who gives short homilies, or a priest that doesn't harp on about things like abortion and so-called "pelvic issues." Many people leave parishes simply because it is easier to move to a parish with a good choir than to actually volunteer to join an understaffed choir. Sadly, folks leave parishes much the same way as they leave marriages -- all too easily.
Posted by: Mike Petrik at Nov 10, 2005 11:54:20 AM
St. Aloysius is also obviously committed to the devotions of the pre-Vatican II era. Eucharistic adoration—in which a consecrated Host is venerated—is held every Monday.
Eucharistic adoration was outlawed by Vatican II? Did I miss something? It seems that JP2 spent a fair amt of time encouraging adoration. It might be a fair question to ask if it is more popular than ever.
Posted by: brian at Nov 10, 2005 11:55:47 AM
Hmm, praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet only became popular after Vatican II. Thus, by the logic of this article, if you're at a parish where that devotion is popular, then it must be a "liberal" parish.
Posted by: John P Sheridan at Nov 10, 2005 2:02:42 PM
I go to the very conservative parish in town, the most liberal, an Eastern rite when I feel like it and a suburban parish now and then. I've even been known to show up at a TeenLife Mass. All this means is that I go to Mass; trying to figure out my orthodox/heterodox leanings based on which parish I'm at on any given Sunday is a fool's errand.
Posted by: Radactrice at Nov 10, 2005 2:10:08 PM
