Rod going over to Orthodoxy...

Over at Immaculate Direction (http://immaculatedirection.blogspot.com/), Cubeland Mystic has exactly what I was going to say re: Rod's recent switch to Orthodoxy. But he says it better than I can. :) So read his if you want to know how I feel.

Update: OK, so maybe I do need to add my two cents, even though Immaculate Direction says it so well.

One of Rod's major reasons for leaving the Church (at least that he states) was the priest sax scandal. All right, true confessions here. That really hasn't had much of an effect on my faith. Sure, it is horrible to think about? Yes. But I guess I've always thought of priests as human, no better or worse than anyone else. Even though they are priests, and that puts them to a higher standard of behavior, I wasn't really surprised, in part because they're human and in part because of what I've read about the seminary culture during which these priests underwent their formantion (e.g., Michael Rose's book, Goodbye, Good Men ). It was not the 'best of times' in the seminary. That is not an excuse, but since i've read about it, I can't say I'm surprised by what's happened. Also I've seen this movement as something with which church reformers have taken like a puppy to a chew toy and just won't let go of, saying it's a sign of all this trouble in the Church and using it to bring up marriage and women priests and all that crap that does not belong . I just don't really understand how all of this could so shake your faith that you would want to leave the Church. Unless your faith just wasn't that strong or deep-rooted to begin with. Maybe Rod just wasn't really convinced that the Catholic Church has all the truth, I don't know. but I do know that Orthodoxy sure doesn't. The history of Orthodoxy is rife with political drama, and caesaropapaism (one of the major reasons for the schism, if not the major reason) is something I would have issue with. Essentially, it's who is more important? Church or State? Orthodsoxy says head of state. Rome says Pope. But this is an old argument that I'm not really educated enough on the specifics to get into here.

I am disappointed that the church scandal was such a problem from Rod that he converted. It also seems like the aesthetics of Orthodoxy appealed more to him. Well, yes, I'd like to have beautiful churches and perfect music and all that. But I think we can reform Catholic liturgy much more effectively from the inside than from saying, "I give up!" This isn't like big matters of doctrine. If you're pro-choice, or think women should be priests, then you need to go somewhere else because the Church ain't budging. But if it's stuff like music and the Mass, then we can change that. B XVI himself wants to change it. Let's see where these reforms go, especially with th enew translation due in a few years.

OK wow this was more than I thought I'd write. But it is disheartening because so much of what he writes in Crunchy Cons is based on Catholicism or the idea of Truth that is found in Catholicism. I was excited when I read his book, partially because he was Catholic. It sounded like this was something I could do. And I am still trying (I went to Trader Joe's today!), but I am a bit disheartened. Nonetheless, I will pray for Rod and his family, like he asked us to on his website.