MH - By The Way...

Just to show you that there is some kind of synergy, some linkage to this type of thought, let's consider the case of Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg, who so many of us felt was "squishy," to say the least, in defense of Terri Schiavo. Oh, what's that, you say? "What defense?" Well, you're right. His idea was that everyone should compromise.

First there's this story from the St. Petersburg Times, courtesy of Cruxnews.com, that "The Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg paid slightly more than $100,000 to a former employee who claimed he had been harassed by Bishop Robert Lynch."

We are reminded (thanks, Ignatius Insight!) that this is the same Bishop Lynch who has defended liberal liturgists against Vatican interference. This article from Adoramus Bulletin tells the story:

Speaking of the bishop's authority to govern the liturgy in his diocese, Bishop Lynch said, "I would understand that it is my duty to find the middle between the law and proper liberation from the law which might allow for cultural or local adaptations which are not in strident disagreement with the law". The Bishop deplores "pontificalism", the "sin of symbolic and ceremonial excess", but says he does not hear of much pontificalism in his diocese. And he adds his voice to those who object to "Vatican interference."

Of course, when you're talking about "bishop's authority," you can't help but remember that Bishop Lynch used that authority to end regular exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. (Links to this story are numerous; I've used this one because it also has information that rebuts the bishop's claims.)

Here in the diocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Eucharistic Adoriation is given great credit for the increase in vocations we're seeing. And it is true that many studies suggest that the new crop of priests are more theologically conservative. Perhaps Bishop Lynch wants to curb the growth of that new, conservative priest - priests like Fr. Rob Johansen, who has done so much to fight for the life of Terri Schiavo. No thanks to the bishop.

Is all this linkage valid? Well, where there's smoke...