Is there any possibility that it's referring to allowing priests to marry? Or perhaps the controversy over when to deny politicians or protestors from receiving the Eucharist? Just looking for alternate explanations, but you may have some context that says more about it.

Do you think it's also code for the possibility of allowing priests to marry?

If it indeed addresses the priest shortage, it may just as well be code for married priests, openly homosexual priests...

On the other hand, it may also be speaking to the notion that some are "unnecessarily" denied communion because of their status (e.g. as divorced and remarried, as protestants, as open advocates of various sinful behaviors.)

I am noticing more open dissent in sermons, days of reflection, etc. recently in more than one place around the country.

It saddens me, and I can only assume it is a reaction to some Catholics, including religious, having had their hopes dashed by the election of a thoroughly orthodox pontiff.

Long live Benedict XVI!!!

Don't worry, the youth won't put up with it they want the Truth. They feel that some of these folks are trying to take down thier Church and they won't stand for the Church being messed with!!!

With all due respect, the literal arguments about the imagery of church as bride and Christ as bridegroom don't make much sense to many of the faithful when applied to questions about who acts in persona Christi at eucharist.

It's an image, an important one, but not the only way to meditate on the relationship of Christ and the church.

We're still allowed to discuss the quality of the reasoning presented by the church about this situation.

That said, Father Jeff, I do believe you are interpreting the broad intent of the PBLC correctly.

I will keep you in our family prayers. .... your postings on this subject reminds me of my last two weeks ... My daughter is in a new private Catholic girl school and religious class [lessons is suppose to be on Jesus] has touched on�

1. The ancient Church had priestesses
2. We only use 10% of of our brains ... someday we may use 100% and we might not need our bodies
3. The Church needs to change, it needs new lively music, and other things not stated
4. Explore other faiths on Sunday ... the UU church is really neat-they have ice cream socials, Baptist for music how-to,
synagogue [no mention, however, about the girls' Sunday Catholic obligations or Gee, we got the Eucharist]
5. Native American Indians pray more than we do and have the ability to communiate w/their dead ancestors and travel between our material world and the spiritual word. We need to learn to pray more like this ... sigh where do I even begin??

Meanwhile, a community near my village has in their Catholic church a Deacon's wife who recently was "ordained" into the priestesshood .... and he supports her ... double sigh

I am tripping over "new age", "new thought" & "channeling" & priestess want-to-be's and S-He created you, regularly .... and lo & behold I receive an e-mail yesterday from a community organization that one of our Catholic area churches support, notifying me on a conference about how we only use "10% of our brains and how I can find my full brain potential if I attend their conference" yikes!

What do you think would happen if I showed up and told the propagandist that humans do use 100% of their brains .... ahh, at least some do ....

Father Keyes, God bless you and your community. Your in our family prayers!