#old catholic church

[sophiemariepl]

Sorry, that was actually a mistake. They were officially registered, after functioning in Poland since late 2000s, in January 2020. Then, due to the intervention of our ✨wonderful✨ minister of national defense, Zbigniew Ziobro (I’m being sarcastic of course), the church was delegalised again.

In the end, they managed to register again, of course. But there is an interview with the community’s bishop, Father Tomasz Puchalski, done shortly after this delegalisation and before the second registration. In this interview, Father Puchalski openly admits that this is a political, homophobic action against the church’s open and tolerant rules towards its queer members.

Well that is just fucking depressing.

Thank you for letting me know.

[webdiggerxxx]

꧁★꧂

[sonyaheaneyauthor]

The Roman Catholic Church of Saint Nicholas, Kamianske, Ukraine.

Photograph taken between 1900 and 1905.

[godslove]

[secretariatess]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

I think it's a dang shame that we'll put celebration of the day the church split over the day the church was formed.

It's not that I think what the Catholic Church was doing at the time that instigated the Reformation was good or in no need of correction, but rather that God's church was split and created factions upon factions where we now squabble with each other. We went from a united church to one with many denominations that fight with each other about which ones are the "true" ones, or which denominations are "wrong."

Don't get me wrong, I like being Nazarene. I like what the Nazarene church offers, and I agree with Nazarene theology. And it wouldn't be possible without the Reformation. I don't agree with Catholic theology. I think there are many things where they are off base. But there are still those in the Catholic church who are Christian, and I'm not going to write them off because of the Protestant/Catholic chasm.

The Reformation was necessary. I'm not sure it was necessary to celebrate. The Church split. It split. The Church, where Jesus said that the world would know us by the love we have for each other, split.

To put it another way: God's family split. How is that not heartbreaking? I am under no delusion that everyone was working in harmony previously, but still . . . .

When Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses up, his goal was not to split the church. It was to correct the church. But he had lobbed a hand grenade at a festering rot, gone too far deep to accept correction and instead desired to keep its corruption.

There's a lesson in the Reformation. There was good in the Reformation. I do believe God worked in the Reformation. But I feel like the lesson and warning of the Reformation is lost when we celebrate "no longer being Catholic!"

The Reformation should be sobering.

And if we are going to celebrate a formation of the church, why are we putting so much stock on the Reformation, and ignoring the Pentecost, where God came down again?

What is the purpose in celebrating the Reformation, and what is the excuse in forgetting Pentecost?

[andulkaphoto]

[gramaphonejammin]

This drabble exists only because I was compelled by the sheer enjoyment this scenario brought me. I joked on @swifty-fox 's beautiful beautiful Brady art that he is my sweet Catholic boy and if he lived in the modern day would love being involved in the gay community building part of his local church. Hence this short modern AU! Drabble was born. Brady's characterization is largely inspired by "understanding in a plane crash" but he has slightly less issues bc he got access to the socialist Catholics at like age 18. So obv this is dedicated to Swifty-Fox for the brain worms!

(Brief Catholic explanation: the Catholic church is really big globally, in cities each church community is divided up into "parishes" where one or more priests manages that local community. Pastoral councils are volunteer/community groups that advise the parish on certain social issues and run events etc. In the modern day there are growing numbers of LGBTQIA+ groups that seek to create belonging and advocate for change in the church. I'm a part of one and think John would be too. Cue comedy.)

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A once-white plastic fan that’s been pulled to the end of its cord up to the plastic folding table is the only thing fighting against the oppressive late evening heat. This meeting should have ended an hour ago and John Brady knows it’s at least partially his fault.

John sighs, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief, “we are not changing the entrance hymn and I’m not budging on that.”

Thanks to this very pastoral council, their parish has been hosting a bi-monthly LGBTQIA+ affirming Saturday evening mass for years. Working with this fine group of people has been so good for John (or at least that’s what his husband tells him) but sometimes some of them can get on his nerves.

John is not even sure how they got to this topic. The entrance hymn has worked just fine for the past eight years, does it really have to change now? If anything, they should be talking about getting some A/C installed in this church. But this is the discussion they’re having, and John intends on finishing it.

Eugene, a retired older gentleman sitting across from John, is his main opponent. “I just don’t understand why not, it could be good to have a change. Spice things up!”

“It. Sets. The. Tone,” John says. Really, he’s the one who leads the church choir every mass you’d think they’d trust his musical opinions.

John looks around the table for back-up and realizes he’s almost out of luck. With summer vacations in full swing, there’s only five of them at tonight’s post-mass meeting and everyone (other than Eugene and John, of course) seem too tired to put effort into wrapping this argument up.

River, the youngest member of the group, is very clearly on their phone. David, Eugenes husband, is hopeless. (John doesn’t have anything against David, in fact he bakes wonderful shortbread, but he is Eugene’s husband and therefore a coward.)

John turns to his last hope sitting beside him and stares at her imploringly until she speaks without looking up from the rosary she’s thumbing, “we should listen to little John, he is usually right.” A Filipino grandmother to a transgender son, Mary Evangeline is the one voice of reason that John can always count on.

“Well, that’s two voices against one and—” before Eugene can interrupt him, John’s phone begins to buzz in his pocket. It’s his husband, “hold that thought, Eugene, I have to take this.” John rushes into the hallway and answers.

DeMarco’s smooth voice comes across clear and bright through the speaker. “There a battle going on down there?”

John laughs and silently sends a thank you to The Lord for gifting him this wonderful man. Benny knows him better than he knows himself. “And what makes you say that?”

“Could there be another reason why you’re late?”

“You know I don’t mean to fight I just—”

“Don’t like being wrong. I know.” John can hear the smug smile in his tone.

“I’m not wrong, that’s the thing.”

“You never are, dear. But it is getting late and I was expecting to spend my Saturday evening on the couch with you.”

Out of the corner of his eye he can see Father George shuffling down the hallways towards him.

“Sorry, love, I have to go. I’ll be home soon, I love you.”

“I love you, too. Play nice now!”

John hangs up just as Father George sidles up to his side, out of breath from the walk, “hello dear Bernard, are you all still here? It’s nearly 9!”

Pleasantly plump with tiny wisps of white hair and small rectangle metal glasses, Father George is the oldest priest in their parish and no matter how many times he earnestly gets his parishioners names mixed up no one has the heart to correct him. John, like everyone else in the parish, knows that that Father George has a weakness for treats and likely came by the meeting hall looking for any leftovers he could nibble on before going to bed.

“Yes, Father. But we are just wrapping up and will head home soon. There’s still some carrot cake that David baked left that you’re very welcome to, Father.”

“Now that, my child, is an offer I cannot refuse.”

Father George walks into the meeting hall alongside John to a chorus of hello Father. The Father walks over to the slices of carrot cake with intent and John watches aghast as Eugene turns to speak to Father George. That sneaky rat.

“Father George, you know that we’ve had ‘All Are Welcome’ as our entrance hymn for song long now and I was thinking that it would be great if—”

“Oh! I just love that hymn. What a joy it is to hear it!” Using the plastic fork he’s just grabbed as a mock-baton he starts singing in his nice but age-roughened voice, “let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live…all are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place!” Father George chuckles at the soft clapping he gets from River for his impromptu performance. “Now what were you saying about our entrance hymn, my son?”

Eugene looks defeated, “nothing Father,” he says. John smiles. Victory.

Time to get home to Benny.

[psymachine]

not gonna lie -- i saw this on tumblr a few days ago and fully assumed it was a shitpost

[gnb-pictures]

Metz, 08/24, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France.

Camera : Nikon D70.

[reginamillls]

having vampire Eddie thoughts

[ano-po]

I love revenge tropes, but I am also a believer of forgiveness, maybe that's why Joseph the Dreamer appeals to me so much.

You exact revenge towards your brothers, all of which have repented and have seen the wrong in their ways, then you proceeded to forgive them.

Revenge, check. Repentance, check. No bad karma points and everyone is happy. Fulfilling drama. Temple soldiers cried of happiness. Good ending.

[hypo-critic-al]

There’s something so astounding about working in a job that has ties to a catholic church, looking up icons of saints (work related task), sipping from a bottle with a virgin Mary sticker, all while being an atheist and listening to Genetically Modified Skeptic’s videos about satanism.

[momentsbeforemass]

Not what I was expecting

My old house still has its original cast iron radiators. Which are wonderfully efficient when it comes to heating the house – when you take care of them.

Last September, I was getting the radiators ready for winter. It’s a once-a-year job that takes less than a minute. But it requires a special tool, called a radiator key. And I couldn’t find mine anywhere.

After a few days of fruitless looking, I gave up, went online, and bought one. Only it was backordered. They said it wouldn’t be available until sometime in late October.

So, I was really surprised when it was delivered 3 days later.

That didn’t match up with what I was expecting. But it was exactly what I needed. And I was happy to have it.

Today’s Gospel is all about expectations. And how easy it is for you and me to become lost in our expectations. To become fixed in our expectations.

This is what Jesus is hearing from his critics. They have become set in their preconceived notions about how things have to work. They know how it has to happen. That’s the only way that it can happen. End of discussion.

And doing that is having the same effect on them that it has on you and me 2,000 years later when we do it.

When you and I become fixed in our expectations, we close ourselves off to other possibilities. Making us miss what God is doing in our lives.

Keeping us from the joy that comes from receiving God’s grace.

Because it doesn’t match up to what we were expecting.

Even though it’s exactly what we need.

Today’s Readings

[welcometogrouchland]

Does life ever get so bad that you want to start hanging out at church/mass again?? Like not really for spiritual reasons (kind of but not really but maybe but no) but more for nostalgia reasons

[brokendoll00]

🍂⛪☕🌕 need a movie with these vibes got any recommendations??

[frobby]

Rin okumura is a little catholic boy. To me