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 These antiquated and out of date models have wrecked our churches for too long!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 5, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Patrick. This is hysterical.
August 5, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Agreed. Hysterical. =) I'm passing this on!
August 5, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Thanks Amy & Jen – If only it were this simple! I would pay $4,500 if I could!
August 5, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Tooooooo funny!! I'm having a "Why didn't I think of that?" moment. Great job!
August 5, 2009 at 4:51 pm
"Protect the environment and art in Catholic worship"
ROFL! That's gold Jerry, GOLD!
August 5, 2009 at 5:12 pm
I don't think this is "hysterical". I'm a devout Catholic who treasures traditional priests, but I don't feel a need to make fun of priests who were probably misled back in seminary and are a product of their times.
It is shameful that you would use religious imagery, including a priest performing mass, to make people laugh at the expense of others. I sincerely hope that the image of the "hippie" priest is either photoshopped, or you know enough about him to tack on such a label. I knew a *very* devout, traditional and plain wonderful priest who drove a VW minibus, and looked very much like that photo.
Yes, there are a lot of "clunkers" in the Church, but at least they *try* to bring people closer to God rather than treating others with derision. It takes all kinds to reach people.
The word pharisee springs to mind.
August 5, 2009 at 5:24 pm
"The word pharisee springs to mind."
No doubt….
Just ugh. It was funny. Funny. I like funny. We just don't get enough funny these days. Thanks for the funny.
August 5, 2009 at 6:28 pm
The 60's brought in unexplored territory. The Church had to address the needs to the times by making worship relevant and addressing a host of socio-political issues. There were mistakes no doubt but there were also gains as the People of God was able to be a champion of justice and peace everywhere. She continued to facilate that encounter with the Risen Lord in spite of the folk Masses and serendipity sessions. (Just tell that priest to get a hair cut, trade in that clunker and keep off the grass – if applicable.)
August 5, 2009 at 6:30 pm
I don't think this is "hysterical".
The humorless — they will always be with you. How's the Brad Pitt Salvation Project going, Jennifer?
I don't feel a need to make fun of priests who were probably misled back in seminary and are a product of their times.
Maybe *you* don't feel it, but others do. Probably because the trope of "those poor, misled seminarians" doesn't ring true about a bunch of adults with the capacity for reason.
It is shameful that you would use religious imagery
Yeah, Patrick. Where's my profane imagery?
I sincerely hope that the image of the "hippie" priest is either photoshopped, or you know enough about him to tack on such a label.
Whoa… That's Matthew before he was laicized! If a guy can't poke fun at his former priest brother…
I knew a *very* devout, traditional and plain wonderful priest who drove a VW minibus, and looked very much like that photo.
Then you probably should call the Vatican City Salvage Yard and tell Luigi that there's been a terrible mistake! Don't strip the rims yet!
It takes all kinds to reach people.
It certainly does!
The word pharisee springs to mind.
So does the word burrito, but probably for different reasons.
Reinhold Niebuhr said that humor is the prelude to faith, and laughter the beginning of prayer. Oddly, he didn't mention sanctimony and dour-faced sullenness.
August 5, 2009 at 8:35 pm
It's a good thing the indulgence is free. Council of Trent and all.
August 5, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Jennifer does not deserve to be made fun of. She's probably right about some of the things she said.
Jennifer, where I have to strongly disagree with you is that a priest cannot be absolved of guilt for leading the faithful astray because the are a "Product of their times." When you a product of the seminary in the 70's, let's say, and you are confronted with the nonsense that took place in some seminaries then, you can either go along with it, or, when you are out and confronted with what is good and true, change. Too many priests have "gone with the flow," lost sight of what is supposed to be the center of our Catholic life, the Eucharist, and instead let their flocks see themselves or their priests as the center of our worship.
Yesterday, with the feast of St. John Mary Vianney, began the Year of the Priest. we must pray for our current and future priests through the intercession of the Cure of Ars, who once said that the road to hell is paved with the skulls of priests. Pray and sacrifice especially for those priests with whom the Lord might not now be pleased (whomever they might be–and that is not for us to judge).
Sometimes, humor is the best way to shock people out of their complacency and get them to think. I hope that someone looks at this parody and realizes that we need to pray for these men whom have dedicated themselves to the Lord. We need good strong priests and these men need our prayers and sacrifices in order to be good and strong.
August 5, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Jennifer does not deserve to be made fun of.
Thankfully, no one did. Her remarks however…
August 5, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Hilarious! Thank you!
August 5, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Is that a wedding band on Papa Benny's finger?
Tsk, tsk!!!!
:-)))
Mercy and Blessings,
Mum26
August 5, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Creative but I say a priest is a priest no matter what.
I don't care if they bash the liberal hippie all-inclusive liturgists and music directors, DREs, catechism teachers, Youth Ministers, etc. etc. But not the priests. I don't care what they do*, they're all priests according to the order of Melchizedek. And they still have been given the power to give me Jesus physically here on earth. That deserves respect.
I think a better gov't bill to mock would be the Carbon Cap Bill and start giving priests a limited amount of crap they can dish out from the pulpit.
*I do care what priests do but if a priest is validly ordained he deserves respect. that's my point.
August 6, 2009 at 12:31 am
Angelle
I would agree with you if you weren't wrong.
August 6, 2009 at 12:48 am
Jennifer,
I think you have a few good points like using that particular image of a priest as a hippie priest. An outdated haircut does not make one unorthodox, and a priest who wears the collar is doing something right.
But I strongly disagree with you about priests who are a product of their times. Truth is truth whether in season or out of season. My generation was raised by this misguided priests and liturgists in the 80's and early 90's. Because of their unfaithfulness I know far more people from my generation who grew up with the faith and have fallen away than still practice it.
By and large, my generation was never taught the faith – just fluff and feelings. How many souls have been lost because people rejected the false teachings they were fed and left the church without ever knowing the true faith?
I was a product of those times. Just a few years ago I believed every modern idea (pro-abortion, pro-homosexuality, pro-relativism, etc.) and thought I was ever so progressive for it. Somehow by the grace of God I was able to realize that I didn't know nearly as much as I thought I did and in that moment of humility my heart was opened to the truth. If I can change so can a priest who received bad formation in seminary.
Just as I by my marital vows have no excuse for unfaithfulness to my wife, a priest by his vows has no excuse for heterodoxy and disobedience.
August 6, 2009 at 2:45 am
Lovely!!!
August 6, 2009 at 4:01 am
But…aren't we ALL clunkers…?
http://www.ironiccatholic.com/2009/08/grace-for-clunkers-program-extended.html
August 6, 2009 at 6:29 am
I appreciate the people who stuck up for me. Thank you. However, I couldn't care less if I am made fun of (it kind of proves my point).
I did not mean to imply that so-called "hippie" priests are not responsible for their actions. I simply believe it is reprehensible to make fun of any priest, or any person for that matter. It is my experience that "hippie" priests AND traditional priests alike can both lead people dangerously astray. If a priest was taught incorrectly to begin with, he may have a longer journey to the truth than a priest who received a great education. Who are we to judge? What does it accomplish to make fun of priests?
Is contemporary music and all the other stuff you love to make fun of inherently wrong? I don't think so. I don't like it, but I realize that the people behind it are often just trying to praise God the best way they know how. Yes, there are some that have an agenda, but not all.
I am just sick and tired of people who are so confident in their own holiness that it becomes acceptable for them to make fun of or judge others. You don't lead other people to God that way. You deal an incredible blow to your credibility when you can see all kinds of wrong with contemporary Catholicism, but you think mocking images of our Pope and priests is okay.
Everything about this is contrary to what the Bible teaches us, and I think you should take a step back and think about it.