Defending the 12th century since the 14th; blogging since the 21st.

Catholicism, Conservatism, the Middle Ages, Opera, and Historical and Literary Objets d'Art blogged by a suburban dad who teaches law and writes stuff.


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Who was Cacciaguida? See Dante's PARADISO, Cantos XV, XVI, & XVII.


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Always Our Children, the American bishops' pastoral letter on teh gay (particularly, on advice to parents of "out" kids), gets here what I feel pretty sure is its first good review from someone who recognizes its faults. (It got plenty of them, of course, from those for whom its faults were its virtues.)

For even more perspective, check out the "alternative pastoral letter," Always Our Bishops. A bit rad-traddy in parts, but since rad-trads aren't known for humor, I'm happy to encourage them in it. From the section titled "Accepting your bishop":

There seems to be no single cause of a heterodox orientation. A common opinion of the experts is that there are multiple factors. Perhaps the bishop understands The Faith but has no backbone. Perhaps the bishop is really a Unitarian. Maybe it has something to do with his hormones, or maybe he was once kicked in the head by a horse.

....Without condoning the destructive behavior of bishops or denying personal responsibility, we reject the idea that the imposition of such a bishop on a diocese is always a direct punishment from God. But sometimes it is.

posted by Cacciaguida at 2:46 PM