Dawn Eden on Headline Bistro, with a couple of quotes from yours truly, and more importantly, Anthony Esolen whom I respect greatly.
Mary Victrix
Dawn Eden on Headline Bistro, with a couple of quotes from yours truly, and more importantly, Anthony Esolen whom I respect greatly.
Mary Victrix 
Hi FAther,
the link to Dawn Eden’s site is directing us to the google doc sign on sheet. ooops.
Whoops. Fixed now.
Father,
I think what Dawn Eden, you, and Dr. Esolen are bringing to light here is of utmost importance, and thank you for doing so. In my experience, if the topic of fathers and fatherhood is addressed at all, it is most often to censure fathers for not doing a good job. Any instruction given to fathers is most often spoken with an air of cynicism, as though each father is a case of tyrannical oppression, sexual predation, or domestic violence, just waiting to happen. Our society, including the Church, is screaming for men to be good fathers, but how is the above meant to encourage men to be fathers?
You’ve probably seen this, Father. The yearning to be on crusade in Marian chivalry seems to be growing. Best
I believe there are statistics that show that if the father is part of the spiritual upbringing of his children (taking them to Mass, praying, etc) the probability that the children will continue on with this Faith as adults increases exponentially versus when the father is passive … letting the wife take charge as he makes an occasional appearance. I wish priests could get bold and mention this statistic but they’re afraid. Sitting out in the pews are countless single mothers and married ones whose husbands are negligent in the religious department and they don’t want to insult them. Plus, they don’t want them to give up. But, like so many other things, by not sharing the truth, we allow the lie to continue. (It’s the same logic for our current huge increase in breast cancer … no one wants to tell women the obvious … the birth control pill is most likely the cause. So, the lie continues.)
I guess as those who see the truth (as much as any of us can possibly see), we must live our lives with these brave men at the helm and hope that others take notice. I think they do. I think they notice and it might make a small change with one or two families that hopefully will also make others take notice.
But, I really do pray for masculine priests to flood the churches again … masculine to me means bold, assertive, courageous, etc. The biggest shame was all the damage done by the priest scandal because now these priests who could have been the fatherly figures for so many children are rightfully terrified to befriend them … and the parents are rightfully terrified to let them.
So, like so many things, it will take lots of TIME to soften out the rough edges we’ve all helped to create. sigh.
Thanks, everyone for the responses. I agree with all of you.
John,
I think the short answer to your question is that the doctrine of the Church, contained for example in Ephesians 5, needs to be explained without apology–authority and self-sacrifice. It is not really so far away. Take, for example, a Hollywood Gwylim without the mystery of grace.
Jeff,
I am glad to see Brad Miner taking that stand on the Crusades. I read The Compleat Gentleman. It was very helpful to my own formation in chivalry, but I am pleasantly surprised that he has gone that far. That’s just me. Perhaps I am not as generous as I should be. In any case, I agree with him. Another very helpful work is Thomas Madden’s A New Concise History of the Crusades.
Jen,
Yes, please pray for priests, that they will find balance. It is so difficult for so many.