Why is it so hard to spoof the heresy and dissent of Priestettes and Co.?

Because when it comes to farce, cluelessness, arrogance, and downright nuttiness, it's nigh on impossible to satirize this sort of "reality", presented by the National "Catholic" Reporter:

Editor's Note: The following is the homily preached Nov. 19 by Janice Sevre-Duszynska, ordained a priest in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests. She and Franciscan Fr. Jerry Zawada led an inclusive Catholic eucharistic liturgy at the SOA Watch Vigil at Ft. Benning in Columbus, Ga., as part of the Progressive Catholic Coalition. Zawada and Sevre-Duszynska have both served jail time for civil disobedience to protest nuclear weapons and militarism.

First Reading: "Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable," in The Eucharist and the Hunger of the World by Monika K. Hellwig.
Second Reading: Ballad of the Carpenter (sung in English, then read in Spanish)
Gospel: Matthew 25: 31-46.

We afflicted the comfortable after showing "Pink Smoke Over the Vatican" for the first time in Rome in October. Following our press conference, our group met at the corner of Via Concilizione, the street leading to the Vatican. We were members of Call to Action, Women's Ordination Conference, and women priests. We were here to support Roy Bourgeois and women priests.

All are invited to say the words of consecration during the inclusive Catholic eucharistic liturgy Nov. 19. All are invited to say the words of consecration during the inclusive Catholic eucharistic liturgy Nov. 19. "What shall we sing?" we asked one another. I shook my ordination tambourine as the WOC banner was displayed and Roy brought out his red-and-white banner with "Ordain women priests" in English and Italian.

We were chanting the Celtic Alleluia and singing "Here I am, Lord" on our way to the Vatican to present the petition signed by 15,000 supporters of Roy and women priests. We were in Rome to cleanse the Vatican temple of sexism. A church that excludes women distracts us from being aware of the feminine aspect of spirituality and the experience and perceptions of women's living and dying. The result is we have a church with a distorted understanding of God. The imbalance creates evil, sin and the suffering continues in our world community.

"What do you want? Women priests. When do you want them? Now," we shouted out.

Roy turned to me and said, "Janice, we're turning over the tables in the Vatican."

"Yes, Roy. We are," I nodded, smiling.

Temple cleansing is not easy and can be unsettling.

I. Shook. My. Ordination. Tambourine. Lord have mercy!

Today, by the way, is the memorial of St. Cecilia, virgin and martyr, who was beheaded for her love for Christ and his Church. St. Cecilia is also the patroness of music, musicians, composers, and singers. While little is known for certain about her life, I'll bet my collection of sacred music that she never took up or shook an ordination tambourine. No, she preferred death over rejecting her Lord and his teachings. That is not easy and should be unsettling.

Comments

[Gail F]

I wrote a piece on the movie mentioned by Janice for this august site, and she spoke at the screening of it I saw. She comes across as kind and earnest, not (as one might imagine) raving madly, as some in the film do. But she says stuff just like this. Who is this Fr. Zawada, and is he going to be disciplined for this?

You should all read the whole story, it'll amaze you. How is that publication still in business? Are there really enough people who think this sort of article is great to support the paper and web site? That's what I want to know...

[Sharon]

Who is this Fr. Zawada, and is he going to be disciplined for this?

You should all read the whole story, it'll amaze you. How is that publication still in business?

I completely agree with you Gail. Who is Zawada'a religious superior and what he is doing about this man? In what diocese is the newspaper offices situated? Why has the bishop not done anything? The scandal given to the little ones and the people who have left the Church because of shows like this are incalculable.

[Charles E Flynn]

Father Z (as in Zuhlsdorf) noted that he did not receive an "ordination tambourine":

Fishwrap promotes a “sermon” by a wywymprystess.

[David Elton]

Why don't these folks start their own religion, and stop bothering people. This doesn't have anything to do with the Catholic Church.

[Peter l]

These "Catholics" are doing more harm to the Church by sowing discord among the faithful.Thank God we have a strong Pope.

[Mary De Voe]

Mary always brings Jesus. If God wanted women priests, God would have created them men.

[William]

Keep referring to that publication as "The National Catholic Fishwrap" -- they hate it!

[Agnieszka]

Now I can think of tambourines only in the context of priestettes (and fairies and unicorns).

[elm]

Awe, yes, Dan Schutte. He has been resurrected again in the new translation. Lord, give us holy composers to fill us with music that is worthy of your praise.

[Stephen J.]

I am always reminded of C.S. Lewis's essay "Priestesses in the Church?", and the money quote from it: "The Church claims to be the bearer of a revelation. If that claim is false then we want not to ordain priestesses but to abolish priests."

It really does seem to me that these women can believe in a Church which has the imprimatur and guidance of the Holy Spirit, or they can believe in a Church that for two thousand years has unjustly denied one of its Sacraments to half the human race -- but they can't believe both are the same Church and still be honest.