Labels are so very tiresome aren't they? But they are a requirement in order for us to commence the process of understanding one another. Hence, Mr, Mrs and Miss are all at the primary end of the process.
In the Catholic Church of my youth we were all Catholics, no left wingers, no right ones, no charismatics (Deo Gratias) - we were just plain Catholics.
Now we are a little divided by the tags that range from modernist through to Taliban Catholic (not nice). There is nothing intentionally offensive about them per se, it is just a convenient way of establishing who you are speaking to and where the conversation is likely to lead you.
Now, I am certain that left wing, modernist, liberal Catholics are just as fed up with those tags as I am with right wing, orthodox, traditional ones so, I have experienced a eureka moment and come up with a solution.
It's so obvious that we have all ignored it over the past three or four years. The answer has been staring us in the face and, what is more, it comes with a Papal push behind it. Intrigued?
Let me bring you into the picture before the chest pains commence and hyper-ventilation sets in.....we have the Ordinary Form of Mass attended, by and large, by the ahem...left wingers and the Extraordinary Form attended by the err.... right winger lobby.
Therefore, we are either Ordinary Catholics or Extraordinary Catholics....simple!
In the Catholic Church of my youth we were all Catholics, no left wingers, no right ones, no charismatics (Deo Gratias) - we were just plain Catholics.
Now we are a little divided by the tags that range from modernist through to Taliban Catholic (not nice). There is nothing intentionally offensive about them per se, it is just a convenient way of establishing who you are speaking to and where the conversation is likely to lead you.
Now, I am certain that left wing, modernist, liberal Catholics are just as fed up with those tags as I am with right wing, orthodox, traditional ones so, I have experienced a eureka moment and come up with a solution.
It's so obvious that we have all ignored it over the past three or four years. The answer has been staring us in the face and, what is more, it comes with a Papal push behind it. Intrigued?
Let me bring you into the picture before the chest pains commence and hyper-ventilation sets in.....we have the Ordinary Form of Mass attended, by and large, by the ahem...left wingers and the Extraordinary Form attended by the err.... right winger lobby.
Therefore, we are either Ordinary Catholics or Extraordinary Catholics....simple!
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| Do you see an Extraordinary Catholic when you look in the mirror? |
I have quickly grown rather fond of the 'Extraordinary Catholic' title and frequently look in the mirror, Mr Bean style, admiring my Extraordinariness.
Of course, what those poor Ordinary Cs are going to do is another matter and, please, please do not comment and say that you attend both forms of Mass as that well and truly scuppers my scenario!
