Author: Jim Bowman

Jim Bowman covered religion 1968-78 for the Chicago Daily News, since then has written books, articles, etc., mostly on corporate history but also on religion (Company Man: My Jesuit Life, 1950-1968), and more recently on politics (Illinois Blues: How the Ruling Party Talks to Voters -- Lulu.com, Kindle). Longtime Oak Park, Illinois, resident, he lives now on Chicago's North Side, where four of his and Winnie's six children live close by.

The doctoring of a council document, the one on worship, from which important footnotes disappeared

Mysterious . . . unless . . .

Dominus Vobiscum: Notes from a massgoer's underground

Why important? Because they referred to council fathers’ reasoning behind liturgical changes, positioning them in the history of such change, from Pius X to Pius X.

From the article pointing this out, by Dr. Susan Benofy, in the Adoremus Bulletin, June of 2015, cited here:

[T]he idea that the council was a continuation of work already begun was obscured by numerous commentaries that treated [Sacrosanctum
Concilium, the document in question] as a departure from the past, the beginning of a “new” liturgy for the “new” post-Vatican II church.

This brave new world concept, was declaimed happily by Joseph Gelineau, S.J., in his book The Liturgy: Today and Tomorrow (New York: Paulist Press, 1978): “the Roman rite as we knew it exists no more. It has gone. Some walls of the structure have fallen, others have been altered; we can look at it as a ruin or…

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‘Metropolitan model’ may not answer question of abusive bishops

Cupich of Chicago’s idea, “looks like it is gaining favor in Rome,” does it?

Why wouldn’t it? He’s Pope Francis’ man in the U.S., defeated in last election for head of the conference but locked in to where it matters in today’s HQ-dominated church:

The so-called “metropolitan model” was first suggested by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago during the USCCB meeting in November, after the vote on the original plan of a national lay review board was stopped by the Vatican.
Cupich gave more details of the proposal on Feb. 22, during a press conference at the Vatican summit.

Basically, the metropolitan archbishop – now a largely symbolic role – would be in charge of investigating abuse complaints against the bishops in his territory, called a province.

But:

4) The biggest problem facing the model is the lack of trust people have in the bishops right now. The national review panel originally proposed by the U.S. bishops was an acknowledgement of this fact. The “metropolitan model” is, in effect, the bishops saying, “Don’t worry. You can trust us.”

I doubt if there’s a bishop in Illinois who would trust his future to Cupich, who being a metropolitan (primate, as it were, of the Illinois church), whose heavy- if not high-handedness has shown itself in at least two highly public defenestrations — Fr. Frank Phillips, peremptorily ousted from his pastorate before an independent panel had even convened, much less exonerated him, as happened later, and Fr. Paul John Kalchik, effectively chased out of town for allowing parishioners to burn a rainbow flag hung over the altar by a previous pastor,

But his idea of resolving bishops-accusations would put the matter in his hands.

Note also the studied naivete displayed by Crux in this story. Tsk.

Andre Vasquez for 40th Ward Alderman – A New Progressive Chicago Alderman

Actually, regressive:

Andre “Our ward, our moment” Vasquez opposing incumbent Alderman O’Connor in runoff.

I picture Fidel coming down from the hills, waving his rifle, galloping down Western Avenue, his people yelling “Viva Andre” and “Nostra La Sala.”

Means business, apparently. Wants a beachhead in my ‘hood. Don’t want him to have it.

Among supporters, by the way:

Cory Booker: USA Not “Top Country” To Be Born In Anymore – Big League Politics

Not kidding about this:

During an appearance on Nick Hanauer and David Goldstein’s “Pitchfork Economics” podcast released earlier today, Booker said that America was no longer “the top country” for “poor people” to be born into, and said this has changed drastically in his lifetime.

It’s an old leftist dumb thing to say. Get yourself a new shtick, Cory, something we haven’t heard before.

Lori Lightfoot, Toni Preckwinkle claim top spots in Chicago mayor’s race, appear headed to runoff

A party boss — no recommendation at all.

The runoff battle between Lightfoot and Preckwinkle promises to be a donnybrook, pitting a new reformer against an old one who has since become a party boss. Whatever happens, assuming the two indeed face each other in a runoff, Chicago will make history with its first African-American woman as mayor. [emphasis added]

Makes it an easy choice when you say it (credibly) that way.

CARDINAL PELL’S APPEAL IS JUSTIFIED

A holes-filled case:

Australian Cardinal George Pell was convicted in December of molesting two choirboys in the 1990s, but it was not until yesterday that the details were disclosed; charges against Pell that would require a second trial over other allegations were dropped. Pell’s lawyers are appealing the conviction.

There are many holes in the story that led to Pell’s conviction. To begin with, one of the boys who was alleged to have registered a complaint overdosed on drugs and died.

More important, the boy’s mother said her son admitted, on two occasions, that Pell never abused him. This does not matter to the boy’s father: He says he is going to sue the Church or Pell once the appeal is resolved. Let him. And let him sue his wife for libeling their son.

The other case:

Regarding the other boy, the sole complainant, he said that Pell made him perform oral sex on him after saying Mass at Melbourne’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral two decades ago. I have already written extensively about this, so I will not repeat it here.

AP account further serves to exonerate Pell.

However, I will offer a good summary of what this one boy alleges to have happened. The quoted parts are taken from a well-researched news story published today by Rod McGuirk of the Associated Press; he writes from Melbourne.

Go here for rest.

Pope Francis covered up for bishop who had gay porn on his phone, Vatican journalist says

If the shoe fits . . . 

A prominent Vatican journalist has accused Pope Francis of covering up for an Argentine bishop who had gay porn on his phone.

Inés San Martin, who is one of the most respected journalists in the Vatican press corps, asked Archbishop Charles Scicluna at a press conference after the abuse summit: “We know there is a bishop in Argentina, Zanchetta, who had gay porn on his phone involving young people.

More:

“How can we believe that this is in fact the last time we’re going to hear ‘no more cover-ups’ when at the end of the day, Pope Francis covered up for someone in Argentina who had gay porn involving minors?

“How can we believe that this is going to change now?”

Followed by fumbling:

Archbishop Scicluna appeared to be taken aback by the question, responding: “Well I’ll quote what the Holy Father said this morning about the law. About the case, I’m not, I’m not, you know, I’m not authorised… I mean, yeah.”

And then, putting a stop to the whole thing:

Vatican interim press office director Alessandro Gisotti then cut off Archbishop Scicluna’s response, saying that questions about specific cases were not permitted.

It’s how it’s done in an organization pledged to openness.

For specifics on the Argentinian . . .