February 10, 2014

Rome affirms parishioners, and circumscribes US bishops

http://www.buffalonews.com/life-arts/religion/church-closings-in-limbo-as-rome-overrules-bishop-20140208

...Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy, in a recent ruling on an appeal by St. Ann parishioners, has made it clear that repairs of up to $12 million are not a good enough reason for the building to be demolished or converted into something other than a Catholic church.

...So why have hundreds, if not thousands, of Catholic churches, including several dozen in Western New York, been allowed to close during the past few decades?

Simply put, it’s because bishops were not challenged on their decisions, and if they were, the people making the challenges did not follow procedural requirements as spelled out in canon law.

“The people had no clue they could take recourse,” Kuenstler said. “Bishops were not telling them about it.”

In Europe, Catholic churches may not get used to the extent they once were, but they’re almost never completely shut down or demolished, and it’s only within the past 30 years in the United States that bishops have moved to close many churches....

February 1, 2014

definition of terms: ultra

Many describe the Republican Party as composed of two large subgroups. Often a term that is used is "moderate". This is cloudy and inaccurate. If we start that they are all 'conservative', and the distinction is really that of degree, and the "ultra-conservatives". The press, and the public shy away from saying "extremist"; and there is more than one type of extremist in their ranks.

'Ultra' and 'ultras' have been used in other political and historical contexts elsewhere. I propose that the distinction is to be made between conservative Republicans, and ultra-conservatives Republicans; and relegate the term "moderate Republican" to join the terms "liberal Republican", and "progressive Republican" to the historical past. They have no present currency other than obfuscation.