Darlene Starrs 2013 articles Darlene's background
Nov
3: Unbind
the people, says Jesus
In so
many ways and in so many places, the RC clergy undermine the vocation of the
laity by lording it over them. This is the sin of clericalism
and so we find ourselves, the RC Church facing yet again, a situation that calls
for reform
Oct
27: Beware of the Yeast of the Pharisees
We see the leaven of Pharisaical yeast in our RC Church
and it is called: "clericalism". Clericalism is not a recent
phenomenon, as the Church is 2000 years old, and we have had a plethora of
ecclesiastical persons and theologians who have left their contributions
to clericalism. I am not going to cite the origins of the
"clerical" elements of the Church, but, I remind you that Pope
Francis has said a number of times: "Clericalism is a
problem".
Oct
20: Church: A simple definition
Isn’t it a shame that a woman, called by Christ to teach, preach,
and sanctify has to prove it? And while we waste precious years
debating the issue, the woman’s precious gifts are wasted and the
Church ultimately suffers for it
Oct
13: Excommunication…What
a Way to Witness to the Love of God
I find it absolutely idiotic that
anyone should be thrown out of the Church because they have experienced
and understand that Christ is incarnated in men and women alike and the
Holy Spirit is able to empower men and women alike with the same spiritual
gifts, including ecclesiastical leadership. I wonder how many Catholics
deserve excommunication by the Vatican’s standards?
Oct
6: Change
comes in dribs and drabs
I want to believe that things will change, but,
honestly, I think, change will come in dribs and drabs and that in the
final analysis, I will have heard a lot of great ideas and promising talk,
but, very little of the rosy rhetoric will create real change. I would not
be the only one of this opinion
Sep
29: Angels watching over me
I look not only therefore to Christ and Mary and the Saints for their
continued protection and guidance, but I also look to Michael,
Gabriel, and Raphael to intervene on my behalf as I seek to discover the
new square one.
(Darlene, for what it's worth: maybe
try some involvement with a group of poor people. I've found that such
involvement opens doors. jw)
Sep
22: Return to Canada
The banks are becoming the sole owners of Ireland. I have been told it is
only going to get worse. My heart breaks for the people of Ireland who not
only lost material things, but who have lost hope and trust in a healthy
and fulfilling livelihood. And then there’s the Church. Given those
circumstances, it was impossible for me to establish myself and remain in
Ireland
Sep
15: My
Abrahamic Journey
Whether or not I remain in Ireland to do a
missionary work depends on what God has ordained…but, as yet, it is not
evident that I am to remain. There does not appear to be a new wineskin
for this new wine…for this lamp with oil
Sep
8: September
8 is the Feast of the Birth of Mary
-
the birth of someone who changed all of history for all of humankind.
Allow me to briefly say who Mary is to me, and more than likely your
experience of Mary is the same or similar
Sep
1: September,
the return to work and school and the start of new projects …….
September means change for many people whether that’s starting a new
job, moving into a new home, or returning to school. Somehow I do
not anticipate an ordinary September!
Aug
25: Irish
Roman Catholic Faith in 2013
I have been in Ireland since July 20th and I have noted that
while church attendance has certainly dramatically decreased, I am no less
hopeful that faith in Christ will revive and thrive
See also:
We
face a post-Catholic Ireland — Archbishop Martin
And: What
has Archbishop Martin done to foster dialogue in Dublin diocese?
August
18: Bert Thelen is my hero
Bert Thelen's decision is of insurmountable
importance because it zeros in on the systemic sin of the Church,
clericalism. As long as clericalism is allowed to thrive, the Roman
Catholic Universal Church will be as the Pope says, "stale and
sick"
August
11: One momentous speech by Pope Francis
If Pope Francis is sincere about all that he says in this address to the
Brazilian bishops, then, indeed, we will see revolutionary change. What
Pope Francis speaks about is not just relevant for Brazil, he gives
direction to the entire Church. I would say without hesitation "By
George, I think he’s got it."
August
4: New wine needs new wineskins
Bishops must be free and the laity on fire with the Good News of Jesus
Christ
in order to be that New Wine for the Church, and for the many souls the world over, that hunger and thirst for the living
God
July
28: Some No Nonsense About How We Become A Saint
Deciding who is or is not a saint, is a decision rendered by God.
I am baffled as to how anyone, even a pope, thinks they have any
"authority" to declare someone a saint
July
21: When the Rubber Meets the Road.
Ireland Papal Nuncio Charles Brown denying common Eucharist
to an Ecumenical Gathering that is celebrating 50 years is absolutely
incomprehensible and offensive.
c.f. Ireland
interfaith gathering denied permission for shared Communion service
and Anniversary of Communion on the Moon, July 20, 1969
(re common Eucharist)
July 14: LGBT will decide the future of the Institutional Church
(c.f.r. Elephants in the men's room jw)
July
7: What
Would I Do, If I Were Pope, In My First 100 Hours!
The things I would do as Pope are not arranged in any prioritized
fashion.
They are the "things" that must be done!.........And that's just
in my first 100 hours....
June 30: Sean O'Malley: A Reprimanding Cardinal
I have seen Father Schuller interviewed by Father Bryan D'Arcy of Ireland, and
Father Schuller appears to be a very intelligent/wise, approachable, caring, and
compassionate man. He is also passionate about the Church, both the people and
the institution. He only wants the best possible scenario for all of us. To
refuse Catholic people the opportunity to hear him on their own ground is
unconscionable
June
23: Prospects
of Change
I like Pope Francis, and he is a rose in a field of dandelions, but, I
really, really, hope, the abuses within the Church are recognized by him
and corrected, otherwise, there is no substantive reform
June
16: Saints,
Sinners, and the Corrupt Sliding Down the Road of Corruption
I have heard many a profound, hopeful, and inspiring word emanate
from Pope Francis, but, his words need to address the corruption as it is
associated with the CDF and the rest of the hierarchy
June
9: Powerfully Prophetic
We need to really examine what Christ is saying with the so
called 'shortage of priests'. I think Christ is saying, that we have
professionalized the Church to the point, where the faithful became the 'frozen
chosen', and the clerics, from priest to Pope came to own everything there was
about being Church
June
2: A prophetic flicker out of Canada
If I were to offer an alternative to the traditional
parish, it would be to divide a parish into zones, and in those zones,
create many "cell groups" of Catholic Base Communities who would
not only come together to worship, but, who would be actively proclaiming
the Gospel of Jesus Christ beyond the perimeters of their basic
communities
May
26: Whoever
has the Son has Life, the Second Person of the Trinity!
I understand the 'Trinity' in this way, as described by
Jesus, when he says, "I am in the Father, and the Father is in
Me". Jesus also says, "that He will be with us always, and
so he's sending the Spirit". I see a natural flow and mingling
of the Father/Mother, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
May
19:
New Pentecost, 2013, the Holy Spirit as the Fire of Woman
When all is said and done there is more to the New Pentecost than
the empowerment of women. There is also a new evangelization, a new
governance, and the emergence of a new laity. However, no aspect of
this New Pentecost can be achieved without the women and their gift
of feminine power, a power whose source is Jesus Christ
May
12: The Cry of the Poor
Scripture tells us that the Lord hears the cry of
the poor. Given what happened with the Sisters of the US this week
at the Vatican,
I dedicate this song to them, and all of us women, who continue to
be told by the Vatican that our place is to obey the men
Darlene's
feelings are echoed in
this email from a reader which has the words
"Not
sure if there was any problem with the translation, but I was
dismayed by what Pope Francis said during his meeting with
representatives of the UISG"
This issue seems to be a case of "mixed signals": first Abp saying Pope backed previous (harsh) assessment then a cardinal saying he wasn't consulted about the assessment then the pope's address to the sisters. Full text of pope's address - in Italian. Can anyone find text in English? Please let me know: jdwomi@gmail.com. A final thought: parts of text quoted in English don't seem "Franciscan" ...more like something written by a Vatican official???
May
5: Garry Wills and his book
"Why
Priests?" A Failed Tradition
Garry Wills does
not have all the correct answers, but he's courageously willing to open the
discussion: why priests?
Such a discussion is going to bring about brisk
conversation about priests, about Eucharist, about sacraments, about new
ministry, about authority etc
(Another review of Wills' book)
April 28: My sheep listen to my voice
April 21: Mixed Messages and New Beginnings
March
31: Happy
Easter!
The
March
24: Pope
Francis to empower laity?
Please God Pope Francis stands by his words of 2007, because he gives me
great hope that the laity will indeed be empowered to
embrace more of what it is to be Church.
March 17: Happy Saint Patrick's Day
March
10: Conclave:
Is the Lord among us?
May
the Church’s work of choosing the next Pope be a work done only in and with
our Lord Jesus Christ
March
3: Awaken
the sleeping giant, the laity
I
suggest that until the majority of Catholics understand that they are Church,
we
cannot have an effective mobilization of the laity
(This is the sort of cry from the
laity's heart that should be heard by the next pope! - jw)
Feb
24: Remembering
the changes
after Vatican II
My point
is there appeared to be a forward momentum in the Church after Vatican II
and it seemed to move along fairly well, and now, it’s like we’ve hit
a brick wall?
Feb
17: Feb
11: A Momentous Day!
I would hope that a
pope such as Cardinal Marc Ouellet would be
reasonable and compassionate, willing to engage the Church at all levels, and in
particular, listen to and reflect with the laity, theologians, and maybe even
women!
Feb
10: Why
is change really so difficult,
specifically in Catholic Church?
At the
root of all the discord, injustice, and abuse of power in the
Church, is the work of Satan.
This point came home to me,
while I was reading Jesuit Father Gerry
O’Hanlon’s book
A
New Vision: A View From Ireland.
Why are we, as the Church, having to prove
our need for change, having to
beg and cry and shout to be heard by the powers that be?