Fr Z: "God's Pit Bull"

His Eminence Raymond Card. Burke has been underscoring the interplay of civil law and the Church’s canon law.  Last summer he organized a conference on that very subject.

This will be more and more important as the Church and state (and prevailing mores) become more and more estranged.

Catholics must consider what it will be like to maintain the Catholic identity of Catholic schools and hospitals (…. and, eventually, parishes).  We must consider whether it is worth trying to do so.  Most people will say that it is.

Under what conditions and constraints?  At what cost?

I suspect we are going to get more direction from Card. Burke on these matters.   Once he gets hold of something he, like a pit bull, doesn’t let it go.  Think of can. 915.

Card. Ratzinger was nicknamed “God’s Rotweiller”.

Perhaps Card. Burke will be “God’s Pit Bull”.

Father Z

I think recovering Catholic identity has to come first with our institutions.  If "Catholic" hospitals dispense contraception, then it must be okay for Catholics to use contraception.  Until the Catholic Church recovers what the word "Catholic" means, we will continue to live through our identity crisis.