Sede vacante
02/28/2013
It's a strange feeling, isn't it? Different from when John Paul died, because the Church and the world are not preoccupied with funeral rites, obituaries, and so forth. I had felt somewhat detached from the whole thing until I read the words "I am no longer supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church." The official end was 8pm Vatican time, which was about an hour and a half ago now.
Yes.
AMDG
Posted by: janet | 03/02/2013 at 07:15 PM
This had me in tears:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/blog/resta-con-noi-pope-benedicts-final-moments-as-pope
I really haven't wanted to think much about this, because I have so much to do.
Maclin, we will be moving to Texas in April unless the visas are not approved.
Posted by: Louise on the new 'puter | 03/04/2013 at 03:11 AM
Wow. I don't know what to say about your move. It's a huge one, for sure, both the process and the result. I hope the former goes smoothly and the latter turns out wonderfully. I will be praying for y'all. I guess you will at worst be no worse off, culturally speaking, as far as the progressive/secular dominance is concerned.
Posted by: Mac | 03/04/2013 at 06:57 AM
There's certainly more Catholic culture there, although not of a type you are used to.
AMDG
Posted by: Janet | 03/04/2013 at 08:18 AM
The process is pretty stressful so far - I imagine it will be like that for quite some time. Relaxation techniques etc are in order!
Janet, my head is still reeling from the discovery that there are 1.3 million Catholics in the Houston-Galveston Archdiocese. Of course, not all of those are practicing, but here is my current situation to give you an idea of the contrast.
My current parish, which is probably the most thriving parish in the Archdiocese of Hobart (which encompasses all of Tasmania) has probably 300 - 400 practicing Catholics in it, many of whom are technically heretics.
There are only 500,000 people in Tasmania altogether and only 20% of these are baptised Catholics. Most of these are outright apostate and only 6% or so attend Mass every Sunday (that's a pretty firm stat from recent census and Church census data.
That means that only about 6000 Tasmanians are at Mass on Sunday and as I say, many of these are not really Catholic doctrinally, which is not to say they're bad people of course, but you get the idea.
I'm used to being quite conspicuous, in a sense, and almost everyone knows our Archbishop at some personal level. I can't really imagine being just lost in the crowd, nor can I imagine living in a parish which is fairly well-funded. Funded well enough at any rate to have actual youth groups. The amount of work the kids have to do to prepare for the sacraments in the US just boggles my mind - like actual regular classes all year? O my Lord! Fortunately, I won't have anyone preparing for sacraments for another couple of years, so I'll have time to get used to being in a parish in Tx first. Really, Australian parishes are like something out of the third world - minus the actual congregation :/
Posted by: Louise on the new 'puter | 03/04/2013 at 06:55 PM
I can't really imagine being just lost in the crowd
Actually, I just can't imagine being in a crowd at all :)
Posted by: Louise on the new 'puter | 03/04/2013 at 06:57 PM
minus the actual congregation :/
And minus the priests!
Although because of the former, the latter is not so bad (!!!)
:o
Posted by: Louise on the new 'puter | 03/04/2013 at 06:59 PM
" something out of the third world - minus the actual congregation "
That's pretty funny.
You can most definitely get lost in the Catholic crowd in many parts of the U.S. I would guess that some huge percentage of Houston's Catholics are Hispanic, which may make it even stranger for you. It's also a big center of the Anglican Ordinariate. The Ordinary, Msgr. Steenson, is there.
Posted by: Mac | 03/04/2013 at 08:31 PM
Unfortunately, Our Lady of Walsingham parish will be a bit too far for us to visit much, but we might be able to go there sometimes.
I'm sure you're right about the large number of Hispanics. Looks like an incentive to learn Spanish!
Posted by: Louise on the new 'puter | 03/05/2013 at 05:57 PM
So you pretty much know where you'll be living?
Posted by: Mac | 03/05/2013 at 09:56 PM
Yes. Exxon is currently situated in Greenspoint but will move next year up to it's new campus in Spring/The Woodlands. That is most likely where we'll end up. Nick wants a short commute (I'm sure you can relate!) and since it's a fair bit out of the city, I'll prefer that anyway.
Posted by: Louise on the new 'puter | 03/05/2013 at 11:20 PM
I love google maps/streetview!!
Posted by: Louise on the new 'puter | 03/05/2013 at 11:20 PM
I will have to take a look at that later.
I love streetview, too. But yet I always find that when I look at a familiar place on streetview, it doesn't look at all like itself somehow.
Posted by: Mac | 03/06/2013 at 09:32 AM
I'm sure it doesn't do complete justice to the place being photographed. And there's nothing quite like being on the ground to see what it's really like. Our local beach seems like paradise to me when I'm there but doesn't seem to look particularly special in photos.
Posted by: Louise on the new 'puter | 03/06/2013 at 05:20 PM