An Australian newspaper is running a story on a dissident Catholic Church that…yup…even gave their version of the blessed sacrament to a dog.
The piece couldn’t be more glowing about a former priest that runs a fake Catholic Church. I assume this kind of stuff goes on in lots of places but feeding the bread to the dog just jumped out at me.
FATHER Greg Reynolds wants his church of dissident Catholics to welcome all – ”every man and his dog”, one might say, risking the non-inclusive language he deplores – but even he was taken aback when that was put to the test during Mass yesterday.
A first-time visitor arrived late at the Inclusive Catholics service in South Yarra with a large and well-trained German shepherd. When the consecrated bread and wine were passed around, the visitor took some bread and fed it to his dog.
Apart from one stifled gasp, those present showed admirable presence of mind – but the dog was not offered the cup!
Father Reynolds, a Melbourne priest for 32 years, launched Inclusive Catholics earlier this year. He now ministers to up to 40 people at fortnightly services alternating between two inner-suburban Protestant churches.
AdvertisementThe congregation includes gay men, former priests, abuse victims and many women who feel disenfranchised, but it is optimistic rather than bitter.
Yesterday a woman, Irene Wilson, led the liturgy and another, Emmy Silvius, preached the homily. Two more passed the bread and wine around.
Father Reynolds – his only clerical adornment a green stole around his neck – played as small a role as he could.
Reynolds reportedly had his faculties removed shortly after preaching that it was God’s will to have women priests.
They call themselves a church of “Forward thinkers” and they all criticize the Church as an institution of oppression. They somehow consider themselves the future but everyone in the picture looked pretty old to me. And that’s not even counting in dog years.
August 6, 2012 at 9:52 pm
The church described here is very similar to a "Catholic" parish in Minneapolis. The last time we visited the relatives and attended "Mass" with them, we vowed the next time we paid them a visit, we'd find a true Catholic church to attend Mass. I wonder how many of these are functioning in the U.S.
August 6, 2012 at 10:55 pm
I was all set to leave an angry comment, but that picture took the wind out of my sails. What a sad and lonely people. I feel bad for them and the fact that, in a part however small or large, we failed them.
August 7, 2012 at 12:12 am
William, You are goofy! "I was all set to leave an angry comment.." but left a incoherent one instead. In what way have I or others failed them? Please be specific. Until this story, I hadn't heard of them. I'm so tired of that sort of meaningless statement which has no intellectual power to back it up.
I hope and pray they go quietly away and fail to lure others to their everlasting spiritual death. Maybe you know them or others like them but have failed them.
August 7, 2012 at 12:13 am
William: We did nto fail them. We may have failed God. They choose this their way of LIFE? Ever God will not renege on His gift of free will. Let us pray they begin to ask God for direction and grace. If God wanted a woman to be a priest, God would have created her as a man for the priesthood. Animals are not persons and therefore animal souls are not immortal with eternal life. Animal souls die with the animal. Animals do not have free will so are innocent of sin and depravity. God made animals to love Him as animals and not to be pressed into the life of a human being whose existence is created and composed by God as a rational immortal soul and a human body.
August 7, 2012 at 2:54 am
As dogs have not sinned as "Adam," it is a mute point for them to received the Most Holy and Blessed Sacrament. If there is sin, it is upon the human that tries to make a dog into something the dog can never be, "fallen/sinful man" in need of our Lord's Redemption.
No worse is a Buddhist Lesbian demanding reception at a funeral Mass and then complaints filed because the Priest would not bend to her will.
Personally, in that situation, I'd rather the dog, than the woman receive the Most Holy Blessed Sacrament.
August 7, 2012 at 4:40 am
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August 7, 2012 at 4:41 am
Wait…where are their pointy hats…??? They can't be an authentic dissident Catholic group without aluminum foil pointy hats to repel rational thought….can they?