Are you tired of having that same old dinosaur? Have you been worried for years about the deleterious effect that those old clunkers have had on the environment and art in our worship? Have you been thinking about upgrading but were just not sure if now was the right time? Well think no more!
Thanks to an exciting new Vatican Program you can trade in your tired, old, progressive Priest, Liturgist, or Music Director for a brand new – certified orthodox – model.
The Vatican has begun a a new program officially called “Faith and Tradition Recovery Act” but otherwise known as “Mass for Clunkers.” Under this program you can trade in your harmful old “Community Faith Director in the Catholic faith tradition” for a brand new Priest in the Order of Melchizedek! This exciting program also applies to progressive liturgists and music directors.
A brand new orthodox model comes with many benefits! First and foremost, a new model is guaranteed to save more souls! These antiquated and out of date models have wrecked our churches for too long! Save our environment and trade in your old progressive clunker now and as a bonus you will receive a 4500 days indulgence absolutely free!
So trade in you old clunker now! This is a limited time offer!

August 8, 2009 at 1:27 am
I, for one, love it.
"Angels fly because they take themselves lightly." – GKC.
I thought it was hilarious, and since it didn't single out a particular priest (his name isn't on it) and it was done in good humor (not destructive humor that tears people down) I think it's fine. We could probably all do with a little humility on the issue, but perhaps a little reality check too– neither the image nor the resulting discussion warrants such serious discussion. If the images were blasphemous or profane, or the commenters disrespectful, well, then it'd be justified. But at this point a harmless bit of fun is getting mired in muck.
And personally, I think being willing and able to poke fun at ourselves (not mean-spiritedly, of course) and not holding anything or anyone "untouchable" is part of our faith and our human nature. Untouchable human institutions has caused a lot of trouble for us.
August 8, 2009 at 6:26 am
One of the funniest things I have encountered in a long time.
Keep them coming!!
Mr. H
http://www.allhands-ondeck.blogspot.com/
August 8, 2009 at 7:15 pm
LOL – this is BRILLIANT! Thanks for the laugh! đŸ™‚
August 8, 2009 at 8:26 pm
OK, I'm feeling the need to defend Jennifer here. This is feeling a pile on on this poor woman (who is not me, fyi). I do think those of us who create this stuff need to think–are we making fun our ourselves (OK by me) or making fun of "them" within our communion (like it or not)? There is a big difference. I can see people reading this either way. Jennifer is simply advocating he primacy of charity, something B16 just wrote a spanking great encyclical on….
Anyway, carry on….
August 8, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Ironic Catholic, there is no charity without humility. Dear Jennifer has quite a journey ahead of her. She should work on her condescending manner as well.
August 8, 2009 at 11:55 pm
The picture of the Swingin'-Seventies groovy priest is neither Photoshopped nor pulled from the dusty archives of some now-extinct order.
It is his current publicity photo.
August 9, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Patrick, this is funny stuff, and just when I needed it.
Thanks!
August 10, 2009 at 6:31 am
Hilarious! Thanks for the laugh!
@ Jennifer: How can a priest have a bad formation if he has access to the Scripture, books of the Church Fathers and the Code of Canon Law? Hint: it's sort of a trick question.
I mean, a priest is supposed to be a *priest* for Pete's sake.
August 10, 2009 at 10:09 am
His publicity photo has not kept up with the times. A current view of the poofy, middle-parted hair and the big beard, no less plenteous but somewhat paler, is available here: http://www.hhm.org/endowmenteventimages2009.html#
August 10, 2009 at 8:07 pm
LOVE THIS!!!!! Just posted a link to it on my blog.
August 13, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Liberal Catholicism in a nutshell:
Nuns in light cotton dresses that are too tight at the top and too loose at the bottom dancing banners around the altar? Great!
Clown Masses? Innovative (they *are* out there, rare, but in existence)
_Glory and Praise For Kids_ (a redundant title if ever there was one)? The liberal says, "brings the kids in" (even as the kids make fun of every song in the book).
Host falls out of the Monstrance and rolls down the aisle? Hilarious!
Man with Down's Syndrome singing at Mass? The liberals guffaw (behind his back, of course).
A conservative dares to mock their treasured hymns or liturgical practices? "That's irreverent and uncharitable!"
August 17, 2009 at 7:29 am
lol! YOu left out DRE's! My "clunker" is a DRE.
October 8, 2009 at 11:58 pm
I just found this post – so I'm commenting a long time after everyone else. After reading the entire post and the comments, what I keep thinking about is Jennifer's posts. First of all, I think she has a point, but G.K. Chesterton she is not. Meaning, she simply does not know how to speak the truth with love and tact. Good that she wants to defend God – but SHE comes off sounding self-righteous (she says rather snippy that she usually does not read this site), and the fact that she has to explain that she is "fun-loving" clues me in that she IS NOT fun-loving. She sounds more like she is defending God – not out of love (which if that was her motivation – it would shine through her words). But out of a need to do it for herself and because she has not love for the people she wants to "correct". That's why she doesn't sound right – even though she has a point about being careful about what we say about dissident, heretical, leading millions of souls astray priests. BUT she is INCORRECT about not judging. I DO JUDGE a priest when I hear him say Mass for the first time to see if he is one of the progress, heretical priests so rampant now. Then I get my tail out of that church and find an orthodox Catholic priest who knows how to guide me to heaven — NOT hell. But hey, the post gave me a little smile, because unfortunatley it is true about clunker clergy and lay people. Also, when someone is so defensive, like Jennifer, it usually means they really are in the camp of liking the dissident, guitar singing, (Protestant) type Masses. She just wouldn't sound that defensive and cranky – it's a hard pill to swallow, but it's just so.