Angry Effeminate Men
My it is funny how a man given to such weakness can turn angry on a dime, isn’t it?
Case in point: I had a conversation a few days ago with not one but two priests of a certain diocese (not my own). These two men (one just ordained) are decent men to be sure. And I am sure that in another age they would have shone for their virility. But this is the current year and the fan has stopped spinning for the shit clogging it. Unfortunately in hard times, most men – yes, MOST men – latch onto their comforts.
Remember the definition of effeminacy. It is, in a nutshell, failure to act because of the fear of the loss of one’s comfort. This is different from sloth which is failure to act because something is hard to do. No, effeminacy strikes at the heart of the very sex of man. God created us fellas to be hard and to do hard and to struggle and to fight hard. He made us thus to protect and to provide. And yet we still lapse back into that sin of Adam. He didn’t give into the serpent. He gave into his wife. And then he threw her under the bus. We do the same. We fail to speak up. We fail to protect. We fail to do what is right; not because speaking truth is hard but because we might lose the easy life.
In my conversation with these two young priests, the Argentine Jesuit came up in an oblique manner. One of the two men mentioned the TLM and then said, “Well I say it but I’m not allowed to say it publicly.” My reply was, “Have you not read Quo Primum?”
This lead to a back and forth where the final rejoinder from both priests was – wait for it…
“Yes, yes, we know all that but we have to live in this diocese.”
They said this with the same anger I’ve seen on the snarling face of my dog when I have to corner him for his monthly heartworm pill.
Friends, this isn’t the first time a priest has said to me those words. “We know he’s not the pope but there’s nothing we can do about it,” or “We’re just waiting for him to die,” or “What do you want me to do?”
I want you to act like a man.
I’ve been there. It’s hard. But see above about virility. It suck’s when you have to confront the principal because she doesn’t want you to teach Catholic morality in a Catholic high school. It sucks when you have to walk away from a job because you won’t just take the jab. It sucks when family turn on you because you won’t just let the cousin’s same-sex “partner” come to dinner. These have happened to me and to my friends over the past few years and I am sure to a number of you readers. But you know you did the right thing.
If you want to make a cogent argument for the validity of a papacy then make it if you can. But for heavens sake, don’t tell me I’m right but you don’t want to give up your paycheck. And I say this with the utmost respect for these dear men (all priests) whom I believe feel trapped and uncertain. But guys, the time to wake up and fight has come and gone.
If you want to know where to start, take a look at the stellar work of Dr. Ed Mazza. He has a piece up on NonVeni Mark’s blog right now here:
https://nonvenipacem.org/2024/12/11/is-francis-pope-dr-mazza-lays-it-out-to-fr-brian-harrison/
If you want to equivocate and argue that keeping mum and playing it sly is the prudential thing to do in order that you may continue to offer the sacraments in this climate for your people as one friend of mine has argued, I at least respect that and you may have merit to that argument.
But jumping headlong into the logical fallacy of dead-ending the argument in that manner? “We know all that but we have to live in this diocese…” In other words, you’re telling me I’m right but you’d lose your job. I’m right but you’d lose your insurance. I’m right but you’d lose your housing. In other words, I’m right and you’re weak. It sounds cruel but it’s really charitable. Again, I’d love to have the argument but not when you cede my point on the grounds that you’re afraid. What kind of a fight is that?
Pray for our priests – the good, the bad, and the really bad. If you think Satan wants your soul, know how much more he wants any one of theirs.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!
Stellar!!!! This made my day, my week, maybe even my year. I am going to send it to a few priests and others. Thank you, Mark, for providing this to your readership.
I love Harvey’s posts and look forward to them.
I’m going to make a personal opinion prediction… As long as we have an anti-church, and a 95-plus percentage of cardinals and bishops who are either in full support of the anti-church, or too effeminate to say or do anything to stop it, Heaven is going to have to intervene. What does that mean?
We know that Russia has to be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart and certain rules for the validity of the consecration were spelled out at Fatima. Let’s say that the antipapacy was resolved tomorrow and we all of a sudden, got a holy holy father but the bishops we currently have largely stayed intact… does anyone seriously believe those practicing homosexuals would join the consecration in union with Rome?
When the system is as rotten as it is and we’re taking rotten to the point of decomposition beyond recognition, something new has to emerge. That’s where we are right now.
I predict that something catastrophic is going to happen from the Divine Providence. What will emerge will be a very, very holy father and just 12 very, very holy men who none of us have ever heard of. Then, the consecration will take place, the period of peace will happen, and the church will be glorious again. There won’t be any celebrity priests yukking it up at the Al Smith dinner with pro-abortion politicians. There won’t be any more gay hook-ups in the sacristies. No priests secretly registered as Freemasons. And, no more black masses in our churches.
Stay Catholic my friends and stay rigid.
Can’t argue with this James. I’ve thought along the same lines.
In His extreme mercy and patience, Out Lord has been waiting for these men to act before many many souls will be lost but they force His arm of justice to act.
Amen, James.
Hey, remember how I said there would be a nuclear event before Trump took office that would either prevent him from taking office or make sure he has to fight Russia?
Well there’s a theory that those drones everyone is seeing are radiation detection drones for dirty bombs/nukes. Dress rehearsal?
“God created us fellas to be hard and to do hard and to struggle and to fight hard” — maybe, but you don’t have to do labor and delivery, do you?
Ah here comes the feminist. We do all the fighting in war, we die before women and in the west the law says you get half of a man’s income in a divorce. You’re welcome.
FWIW, more women have died in childbirth than men have died in war — throughout history. And women are killed in war too — think Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Dresden — I could go on. And most men never go to war. Yes — men die before women: men have more immediately available strength, women have more long term strength. And in a divorce, women — if they have given up work outside the home to raise children — absolutely are entitled to a portion of the husband’s paycheck. That system, of course, was designed by overwhelmingly male legislators. Thanks.
Oh Deborah, everything you have said is the opposite of Mary. And if men were so awful God wouldn’t have given Jesus Joseph, nor would Jesus have chosen all men to make disciples of all nations.
I get it, you are a boomer woman and thus are a child of the feminist movement.
Men are why you know anything about Jesus. And a man is why you have eternal life. You’re going to have to learn how to cope with this, even at your advanced age.
Actually, yes — men are why we know about Jesus, because women were denied education and could not write. Imagine if our Blessed Mother had been able to write — what a Gospel we might have. And if women traveled, they would have been attacked (by men). I am a very moderate feminist and was a prolife protestor for about ten years in Brooklyn — most of the protestors were women — I wonder where the fathers were. What is wrong with traditional feminism? Education for women? Access to business and the professions? Ability to have bank and other financial accounts? To serve on juries? You would — I think — want to deny women their right to vote but that is just too huge a subject for me to try to enlighten you on. As for my advanced age — I’m 72. I hope you didn’t do some kind of internet research because that would be just too creepy, and as it is, it’s weird enough to bring up anyone’s age.
Deborah, so Jesus chose men then because He is a bigot, that seems to be your implication.
Yes you’re a boomer because I know how boomers act, think, write.
You’ve got a lot of work to do.
Give it a rest, Deborah. In life we all have our roles, pains and difficulties. No one is saying women are weak. Men and women are different, different strengths and weaknesses. That’s why God made us. We each play a different part in His plan and that’s why the whole transgender thing is so ludicrous.
There are more reasons than those that transgenderism is ludicrous and worse than ludicrous, but that is just not relevant here — or maybe you got me on that because I just don’t see its relevance. And certainly biological roles are different but there is way more to life than biological roles (which the author of that article seems to completely miss — and there is a lot of that nonsense circulating on the internet). But I’m going to brunch soon and it would take more time than I have to help you out there so…..happy Sunday.
I am sorry you’re so bitter in regard to men and their predominant role in society throughout the ages. Anger breeds unhappiness and destroys peace in the soul. This is contrary to the message of this third Sunday in Advent. Gaudete! Rejoice, the Savior is coming soon to save us, all of us, male and female as He created us. I’ll keep you in my prayers.
Thank you for your prayers (I will never reject those!). I have, I think, no bitterness toward anyone, female or male, but I am, emphatically, fanatical about justice.
Once there was a layman handing out flyers after Mass describing some things in the church that werent Catholic. Maybe laymen could help, if any of sheep cared. Then priest could be safe.
Susan, how would a layman handing out antipope truths on church property be treated by those priests? Perhaps re-read the base premise of the essay.
It wasnt his parish.
Slightly off topic. I am one of those who thinks Francis is an antipope, for the usual reasons. But when other topics are discussed, especially annulments (super trad brothers who feel they “deserve” one) the argument devolves into “but you think Francis is an antipope” as if this was a clinching argument that counters my logic that their 20+ year marriage with 9 children is and always has been valid…
Does this happen to other people? Your views on totally separate topics are dismissed because of your views on the papacy?
Hey Mike, up there in the comments. I think you’re embarrassed and I understand why. I will state right now that I cannot comprehend how you interpret my comment to suggest that our Lord was a bigot (!?!?!). I am indeed a boomer and, as you noted (I don’t know why!) advanced in age (72! and I hope to get as very much older as our Lord wishes on this earth!). Everyone has work to do — including you — might I suggest you reflect on how you, in your (dare I say it?) maleness know how a huge generation (aging boomers) thinks, acts, and writes. Really — that is a lot of work to do.
Well, use logic, Deborah. You said women were denied education and could not write. That was the custom at the time. Jesus was not only God, but he was a man. Ergo, using your logic, Jesus didn’t choose men as his disciples because even though he could easily educate women and give them, instantly, the ability to write, he did not.
Or, maybe, just maybe, he saw different roles for men and women? This will make you shiver, but my guess is, and this is only from me reading the bible, so you know, but maybe most women are meant to be….MOTHERS.
I mean, the most perfect human that ever lived was Mary, and she was a MOTHER, but you go girl, women have been held down forever, Christianity is where the patriarchy began, we shall overcome, yada yada yada.
Well, just gotta say…..WHEN Mike’s right, he’s reeaallly right.