Leticia wrote about her optimism about the Diocese of Rockville Centre. I would say I am "cautiously optimistic". I see a few trends occuring here that mirror the larger Church in the USA:

The mainstreaming of the "orthodox", "new charismatics", "traditionalists", and "conservatives".

The decline of the "liberals".


The DRVC is, like many dioceses, recovering from a past where the orthodox, traditional Catholic faith was ground up and spit out by revolutionaries bent on changing the Church into a more politically correct, watered down, more cocktail-party-friendly version. Tradition was discarded entirely and some pretty non-Catholic ideas and actions crept into the Liturgy and parish life. This was done by both well-meaning and not so well meaning people. The traditionalists were the canaries in the mine that were ignored and vilified and left for their chapels. The conservatives railed against what they saw but were powerless to do anything. The charismatics were busy having home Masses and strumming guitars and didn't really get involved. The liberals ran things with a ruthless efficiency.

Just as the abuses and failures and missteps of the 70's and 80's and 90's were being corrected or discarded, the sex abuse scandals exploded and all Catholics were thrust into the world of intra-Catholic politics. Then, JPII died and Ratzinger elected and the world watched with amazement. As nobody said at the time, but should have, we were all Catholic nerds now.

When the dust settled, this much was clear: the liberals who ran this Church for 35 years were done. Not because of some "smackdown" by Pope Benedict as some had hoped, but because after 35 years nothing liberals proposed was "new" "exciting" or "relevant" anymore. Their ideas were exhausted and their ruthless rule didn't exactly lead to a mass influx of people to the Church.

So, now we are at the point where the "dynamic orthodoxy" of groups like the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal for example, is starting to show up at the parish level, in apostolates (even those groups run by the DRVC), in the seminary, and in schools. Combined with a renewed understanding and appreciation of tradition and Liturgy evident particularly in the young, this gives me reason for hope. Now if we just don't mess it up.....

From Newsday:

Mayor of tiny LI village apologizes for anti-Hispanic comments

Manorhaven Mayor Nicholas Capozzi was tape recorded saying:

"Do you drive down that --- block? It looks like --- Harlem. It looks worse than Harlem. It's a --- hole over there."

The online story at Newsday.com omits three things that are in the print edition:

1) That he was also tape recorded admitting that he allowed someone to break the rules of the town because he was a political supporter

2) That a man who "shares a ranch house with Capozzi" was arrested for threatening to kill a critic of the mayor

3) The picture showing him to be an ugly, fat pig-like creature.

This article details the arrest of the mayor's house mate.

" Richard C. Li was arrested July 17 by Nassau police and charged with harassment, and is scheduled to appear Aug. 4 in First District Court.
Neither Li nor Mayor Nicholas Capozzi, who lives in the six-room ranch Li owns on Sagamore Hill Drive, returned calls seeking comment"
"Grenfell said Li rushed up to him as he drove into the parking lot and began punching the side of the car while yelling, 'You'd better get out of here if you know what's good for you or you're a dead man.'
Michael Davenport, one of three witnesses police interviewed, said Li shouted profanities at him and two others who carried signs supporting Grenfell's campaign. 'He was cursing at us, telling us to leave,' Davenport said."

From the VOTF Long Island "Faith Convention"


David Gibson on electing Popes: "Noted that the white smoke tradition for announcing the election of a new Pope is only about 100 years old, but the Church makes it seem as though it has been around from the very beginning." [Citation please]

Gibson again on Pope Benedict: "The Pope is a cultural Catholic – no conversion experience. He cannot accept the past errors of the Church with respect to anti-Semitism and the response to the Holocaust. Benedict is focused on the beauty in the Church. He is enshrined in ecclesiology. Benedict is old fashioned and conservative – activism and reform are out of bounds. He does not have his finger on the pulse of the laity." [???]

Camille D’Arienzo on why she should be allowed to give homilies instead of the priest: "It is very important that they hear good homilies. Some priests and deacons are not gifted in this way. There is also the problem of the priest shortage and the number of priests whose first language is not English [Racism anyone? Xenophobia anyone?] So un-ordained, qualified, enthusiastic preachers should be considered as an alternative. She enjoys her one-minute Catholic commentaries on 1010 WINS each week [I think they are trite and boring], but would prefer the pulpit and is available"

Richard Sipe: "Claimed that the Church is wrong about sex."

"Each of us has the capacity to determine what is right and what is wrong."



Is VOTF still wondering why they can't attract young people????