" PAST " STRANGE DAZE INDEED1

 

In Happier Times - The  Consecration of St.Joseph's Cathedral Rockhampton

Bishop "Call me Brian"Heenan of Rockhampton

 

Strange “Daze” Indeed!


Now, we know that Rockhampton has been through a lot of late, what with the terrible floods and all, but does that excuse anything and everything?

We have been accustomed to many odd things in the Diocese of Rockhampton, from Episcopal liturgical abuse on down. But the current Lent 2011 booklet of the Diocese “BEING EUCHARIST TO EACH OTHER” just about takes the cake! (We won’t bother about the photograph on the cover of an American family holding hands whilst “giving thanks” before a Thanksgiving Meal – huge turkey, candied vegetables and all.). No, let’s concentrate on the genuine local content, or is it?

Bishop “Call me Brian” Heenan writes in the introduction: “We are invited to reflect on how we are eucharist to one another. What does this way of life call us to do? It calls us to gather together with others, listen to God’s word and share in the Eucharist, and to be to others what Jesus is for us, “To Be Eucharist To Each Other”.

What is happening here? We know that the word “eucharist” is a noun meaning “thanksgiving” and that the Catholic Church speaks of “the Eucharist” Holy Mass (this usage has become very common among the clergy since the Council especially- it was originally common among liturgically inclined Protestants) it is much less commonly used in referring to the Blessed Sacrament. But Catholics have NEVER spoken of “being “eucharist. And that, quite reasonably, because it is meaningless.

I began to wonder where this abuse of language might have originated. Sure enough! “Only in America” as they say! But who would seek to abuse this most sacred Catholic word, it seems a queer thing to do. “Queer” indeed as it turns out. About six years ago the use of this weird language by the Diocese of Rockhampton - indeed Bishop “Call me Brian” Heenan himself on Holy Thursday evening was highlighted by the then sole lay voice of orthodox Catholicism in Australia, the magazine AD 2000. It came from a poem called “The Eucharist” and had originally been contributed to the website of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco” The Author, one R. Voight is said to have been a regular contributor.”We primarily serve the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community” the website tells the enquirer very openly. Further internet enquiry makes this all too clear.

Is it not puzzling that a Catholic Bishop should take up such a weird abuse of language, and even more so when it comes from a homosexual source? And a militant one at that!

The Bishop goes on “Eucharist is about being in relationship allowing each of us to be present to each other as well as forgiving and welcoming to outsiders.”Remember we are not talking about “the Eucharist”-just as well- but about this invented Americanism. Rather neat really, because it is meaningless one might be free of criticism. "And Eucharist can confirm and enable the things we are passionate about” says the Bishop. What are we talking about here?

All of this is stirred in with occasional references to “the Eucharist” and one or two concepts Catholics are familiar with. In the end it is a bit like a badly made trifle, little bits of cake a lot of watery jelly drowned in a sickeningly thin custard. One is left to wonder, who in Rockhampton Diocese is so familiar with a homosexual website for so many years, and still in a position to get this rubbish used? The Deceiver is at work leading people away by destroying the meaning of words.