Catholic Church Archives - Voice from the rooftop

Ohio bishops and death penalty

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Sometime back California bishops had opposed death penalty. Now Ohio bishops oppose death penalty.

Do Ohio bishops want Ohio to end up like Mexico? Why bishops ignore the dangers of not having death penalty? The bishops have eyes but they do not see. They have ears but do not hear. Death penalty is according to the tradition of the church. Christianity is not opposed to death penalty.

Pope Benedict XVI may be opposed to death penalty but sometimes popes have been wrong. One pope was declared a heretic in 681.

Catholic Church and sex scandals

Posted on March 21, 2010 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Sex scandals involving Catholic priests are making news with regularity. USA, Canada, Ireland, Spain, Holland, Germany, Austria and some other countries have reported sex scandals. Some scandals are cases of paedophilia. One case refers to a priest who was in Munich when the present pope Benedict XVI was then Joseph Ratzinger, archbishop of Munich.

Apostolic Administrators

Posted on August 20, 2009 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

A bishop being Apostolic Administrator of another diocese reminds me of Pre-Reformation days when many bishops had two or more dioceses under them. In some cases those appointed as bishops were not consecrated for years.

Catholic Church and Clerical Celibacy

Posted on May 9, 2009 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Roman Catholic Church has three Western Rites and 22 Eastern rites. Bishops, priests and deacons are clerics. Latin, Ambrosian and Mozarabic are Western Rites. Celibacy is obligatory for priests in Latin, Ambrosian and Mozarabic rites. Celibacy is not obligatory for priests in most of the Eastern rites. Celibacy is obligatory for priests in Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara rites which are Eastern rites. Celibacy is obligatory for bishops in all rites.

Inculturation

Posted on October 30, 2005 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

NDTV 24X7 in its Mumbai Live on 26/10/2005 at 10.30 p.m. had news and discussion about inculturation. Srinivasan Jain was the anchor. Fr. Anthony Charanghat of Bombay Archdiocese, Fr. Dominic Emmanuel of Delhi Archdiocese and Swami Agnivesh took part in the discussion. Three persons outside a church were interviewed. Two were Christians. They did not…

Church

Posted on August 14, 2005 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Church is a place for mass, prayers, preaching and sacraments. It is not a place for clapping, singing happy birthdays and happy feast days. It is not a place for people who want to talk. Some keep talking nonstop throughout the mass.

Cardinals

Posted on July 23, 2005 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Cardinals above 80 should have the right to vote in conclaves which was the case till 1971. Till the number of cardinals comes down to 120 new cardinals should not be appointed. There should be one cardinal for one crore catholics. Italy is overrepresented. Brazil is underrepresented.

Dress Code

Posted on July 23, 2005 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Cardinal Ivan Dias, Archbishop of Bombay, has come out with a circular regarding dress code in churches which is a good thing. Some women oppose it saying it is discriminatory to women. One said if men get excited by looking at women they should be blind folded. I was amused. What about a dress code…