Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
Earlier this month, I wrote about the Episcopal Church's plans to celebrate Earth Day on Good Friday, which earned the church no small dose of outrage among the Ricochetoisie. I now direct your attention to the audacity of the Earth Day Network, which has petitioned priests at hundreds of Catholic parishes across the country to consider holding an Earth Day Sunday mass on, you guessed it, Easter Sunday. In the letter dated April 1, the president of the Earth Day Network urges priests to
participate in Earth Day Sunday and share with your parishioners a story of creation care that will impart to them the importance of protecting and nurturing the planet that was provided to us....Earth Day Sunday is a great way to bring your parish together through community building and sharing the faith with those in the community while improving the world around us.
The letter goes on to provide some fun and creative suggestions for priests to celebrate Earth Day Sunday. Here are just a few:
- Deliver a homily or sermon that explains Catholics' moral responsibility to protect Creation.
- Sign to join others in their commitment to discuss climate change as a moral issue at Mass at least once this year.
- Encourage your parish to carpool to church on Earth Day Sunday.
Question for the Catholics in the room: How would you react if at mass this Easter Sunday, your priest delivered a homily on climate change?
(h/t The Daily Caller)
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Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
I would hang around after mass until he was about to leave. Then, I would tell him what I thought of him.
Jun '10
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
I'm not sure there is a word in Latin for "climate change" so I suppose I'd find it odd at my parish.
If for some reason I was transported to a parish where this might happen, I would 1. pass out due to rage, 2. wake up, leave, and find another mass to attend for Easter, 3. write to the Bishop of the diocese where the mass took place, 4. write a blog about it, and 5. die a little (ok, a lot) inside.
Edited on April 22, 2011 at 3:29amOct '10
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
As one of the key benefits of being a Christmas Catholic, I will be playing golf on Sunday. Pagan worshipers of the Earth/Gaia, as well as those seeking salvation from a hairy rodent that lays eggs, will be vacant from my spiritual fairways and greens.
Aug '10
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
This has always been prophesied, that Satanic forces would co-opt religion and twist it for its own purposes. Every person on earth has to make a choice whether they believe in the Creator or the creation, and which they will worship.
"Why do the people imagine a vain thing?... The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take council together, against the Lord and His anointed...You will dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel..." Isaiah
We have reason to rejoice that the battle is now joined globally. This is a first in human history.
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
You know what? I'm almost tempted to fly to Michigan just to witness this scene.
Jan '11
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
Well, I already check out the ushers when I first walk into church. Why? Because if I feel compelled to charge the pulpit in a fit of rage, or in some fugue state brought on by folk singing, I like to estimate how many shots I can get in before they pull me away.
Come to think of it, the pastor coincidentally delivers his most unctuous homilies when that ex-Marine is one of the ushers ...
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
KC Mulville: Well, I already check out the ushers when I first walk into church. Why? Because if I feel compelled to charge the pulpit in a fit of rage, or in some fugue state brought on by folk singing, I like to estimate how many shots I can get in before they pull me away.
Come to think of it, the pastor coincidentally delivers his most unctuous homilies when that ex-Marine is one of the ushers ... · Apr 21 at 6:41pm
The man who is now the president of the Lutheran Church (LCMS) was once an inner-city pastor. One Sunday a man, perhaps high, visited the congregation and proceeded to charge the altar as the sacrament was being administered. Rev. Harrison had to tackle him. I hear that he later joked about how they might need to better train the ushers. On the other hand, I always have liked being part of a church body where the pastors are just as capable of breaking up a fist fight, when needed, as giving communion to the hospitalized.
Jul '10
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
Yes, let's replace the reason for the holiest day of the religious year for Christians with Gaia worship. This is going to go over brilliantly!
May '10
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
I'd be too dazzled by the thought of the copious boeuf, pork and veal products awaiting me, and somewhat groggy after the bacon feast I'd had that morning. So basically, will sleep through it. My response will be satiated snoring, Homer Simpson style.
Edited on April 22, 2011 at 3:54amJun '10
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
The letter goes on to provide some fun and creative suggestions for priests to celebrate Earth Day Sunday. Here are just a few:
Jan '11
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
Well, that was one of their original functions.
In the early church, the Romans had been told that those diabolical Christians were practicing cannibalism! Eating the body and drinking the blood! So, the Romans wanted to put a stop to this horrible practice, and so they sent agents and spies into the Christian congregation to catch them in the act.
In what we now call the mass, there were two liturgies. One now survives as the Liturgy of the Word, where we do readings. But there was also the Liturgy of the Eucharist, where the "cannibalism" happened. For safety reasons, only the fully baptized were allowed to participate in the Eucharist.
The role of the ushers, then, was to kick out anyone who wasn't baptized. According to reports, sometimes people didn't want to leave, and the ushers had to apply ... persuasion.
So, even though I was joking earlier (of course), that really is their function.
Jun '10
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
Irony is a beautiful thing. In the upper right corner, the ad that was showing as I was reading is this...
Join the celebration!
This Earth Day, celebrate the planet we live on with good food and great people. Choose a favorite outdoor location, round up some friends and take the planet out to lunch! Learn More
Jun '10
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
I'm on the Highway to Hell anyway, so I'd probably walk out.
Jun '10
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
To be clear...
I am appalled that anyone would consider celebrating Earth Day on Easter. Actually, I am not celebrating the Earth Day any day. Stewardship is one thing. Worship is something else.
Dec '10
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
OK, but what if he preached in favor of global warming.
I don't know where you live, but around here I think the earth is just too cold.
Mar '11
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
Climate Change? Does that not bump against the first commandment about having false Gods before me? I agree with AUMom on stewardship, but stewardship is not the teaching of the climate change folks.
Dec '10
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
Apr '11
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
I doubt that very many Catholic priests are so decadent that they would distract from the most important holy day of the year (which culminates Holy Week) by bringing up some politically correct nonsense. Anywhere it might happen (outside of a few strongholds of leftists such as Ann Arbor, MI) would occasion plenty of angry calls to the local bishop. He would then have a "heart to heart" talk with the offending priest.
Unlike the festival of Obamism that took place at Notre Dame a couple of years, the bishop has disciplinary authority over the diocesan priests. The priests at Notre Dame knew that the bishop could not do anything to them for conferring an honorary degree on such a pro-abortion politician. They were right about the bishop and wrong about the former donors to Notre Dame who closed their checkbooks.
The Catholics are not Episcopalians yet.
Edited on April 22, 2011 at 4:52amDec '10
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
Praise God, my self-described radical conservative pastor would never... I repeat, NEVER do such a thing. His homilies are always about the presence of the risen Christ among us. But, based on the hypothetical, I would walk out, duct tape my brain back in place, kick off the dust and find another parish to join.
Sep '10
Re: Dilemma for Catholics: Earth Day Sunday or Easter?
How would you react if at mass this Easter Sunday, your priest delivered a homily on climate change?
I'd do the environmentally friendly thing and email him an adobe acrobat file containing all the cheques I was going to send to him that I can no longer bring myself to do because of the shameful environmental cost. And don't get me started on the thirty pieces of silver.