Another Autocrat Gone; Roman Missal, Third Edition, Coming

Like I've said before, "I take no interest in politics" isn't an option. I live in a country where citizens can vote, so I've got an obligation to keep up with what's going on in the world.

Libya's Old-School Autocrat Killed

You've probably heard or read the news by now: the Libyan Colonel is dead. The Holy See Press Office released a statement that's as good or better than anything I'm likely to come up with:

"After Moammar Ghadafi's death, Libya must chart a new course based on human dignity and the rule of law, the Vatican said in a statement released Oct. 20.

"The news of the death of Colonel Moammar Ghadafi thus closes an overly long and tragic phase of the bloody fight for the overthrow of a hard and oppressive regime,' the Holy See's Press Office said in its reaction on Thursday...."
(CNA/EWTN News)

The folks who are running Libya at the moment had an official version of how the Colonel died. It doesn't match forensic evidence. On top of that, someone took a video of the Colonel arguing with his captors. After he was supposed to have been killed. Officially.

I've discussed that situation in another blog:

• "Libya's Qadhafi, Qaddafi, Kadafi, or Gaddafi, is Dead: Now What?"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (October 22, 2011)
  Particularly
  • 'Richest Man in the Cemetery'

I don't 'feel sorry' for Qadhafi, Qaddafi, Kadafi, Gaddafi, or however his name gets spelled. He put Libya through more than four decades of misery, and died with a personal fortune of $200,000,000. Probably more. Libya could do worse, in terms of leadership. But they could have had a much, much better leader.

Maybe now they will.

It's something to pray about.

What, No Rant?

I am not going to speculate about how the Colonel is spending his eternity. Matthew 7:1-5; and Luke 6:37-38, 41-42; give some excellent advice. Then there's the self-righteous chap who "spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity," giving thanks that he wasn't like 'that sinner over there.' (Luke 18:10-14)

Roman Missal, Third Edition: Coming Soon

We'll be celebrating Mass using the Roman Missal, Third Edition, pretty soon. The USCCB Committee on Divine Worship says that we'll start using the new Missal on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011.

I'm looking forward to the new Missal, although re-learning responses will take a little effort. I've been told - and believe - that this translation into my native language is more true to the original Latin than what we've been using.

On the other hand, I'm not exactly looking forward to some of the reactions I expect to run into:

• The new Missal is
  • Not sufficiently Catholic
    • It's in contemporary English
      • Not Latin
      • Without the good old-fashioned
        • Thee
        • Thy
        • Thine
  • Too Catholic
    • Without
      • 'Inclusive language'
      • Any mention of
        • Lung cancer
        • The Siberian tiger
        • Right to work legislation
        • Whatever

Some items in that list will, I trust, be too silly for even the most zealous chauvinist to complain about.

On the other hand, I remember when America had 'in the spirit of Vatican II' craziness coming from one direction. The parish church lost its altar rail during that. We've still got it, actually. When it got torn out, someone thoughtfully stored the pieces. Maybe a few decades from now - - - but I'm getting off-topic.

Then there were the folks who acted as if they - or whoever was leading their particular little band - was 'holier than the Pope.' I don't know if any of these spiritual Luddites had actually decided that God was against the Holy See, and for whatever they liked to believe. Matthew 7:1-5, and all that.

I hadn't become a Catholic when the worst of that was going down. And that's another topic.

Will I miss 'the good old days,' when I had parts of the Mass memorized? Probably. But our bishops tell us that there's a new Missal coming: and have been doing so for well over a year. I've had plenty of time to look over what's coming. Anyway, I'm a Catholic. Folks operating under the authority that my Lord gave Peter tell us that we'll celebrate Mass with a new Missal. I'm quite willing to accept direction from that kind of authority.

It's like Peter said:

"Simon Peter answered him, 'Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.' "
(John 6:68-69)

Folks have had a hard time accepting what Jesus says for a long time. For example, when he said:

" '...I am the bread of life....' "
(John 6:48)

That's nowhere near as mistily 'spiritual' as it may sound. (John 6:24-69)

And that's yet another topic.

• Committee on Divine Worship Home Page
  United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
  • Now is the Time to Prepare for the Roman Missal, Third Edition
    New Words: A Deeper Meaning, but the Same Mass

Related posts:

• Death, judgment, and priorities
  • "Having Good Judgment isn't Being Judgmental"
    (October 12, 2011)
  • "An Eternal Life I can Live With"
    (August 27, 2011)
  • "Thinking About Osama bin Laden, and What Father Lombardi Said"
    (May 2, 2011)
  • "Osama bin Laden is Dead: No Rant"
    (May 2, 2011)
  • "Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell, and Warm Fuzzies"
    (August 8, 2010)
• New Missal, nostalgia, and getting a grip
  • "The Past: A Nice Place to Visit - - -"
    (February 14, 2011)
  • "The New Roman Missal, Habits, and Togas"
    (January 13, 2011)
  • "New Missal Coming: This is Going to be Interesting"
    (November 22, 2010)
  • "A 'Traditional' Catholic? Yes and No"
    (July 31, 2010)
  • "Roman Missal, Third Edition: I've got Hopes, and Fears"
    (June 2, 2010)

Background::

• Particular judgment
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church
    • 1021-1022
    • 1051
  • Bible
    • Matthew 16:26-27
      • And see footnote 23 on Matthew 16:28
    • Luke 16:22
    • Luke 23:43
    • 2 Corinthians 5:8
    • Philippians 1:23
    • 1 Timothy 1:9-10
    • Hebrews 9:27
    • Hebrews 12:23
• Last Judgment
  • Catechism
    • 668
    • 673
    • 677
    • 1001
    • 1038-1041
  • Bible
    • The Song of Songs 8:6
    • Matthew 25:31-32, 46
    • John 5:28-29
    • John 12:49
    • 2 Corinthians 6:2
    • 2 Thessalonians 1:10
    • Titus 2:13
    (from May 20, 2011)
  • Committee on Divine Worship Home Page
    United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
    • Now is the Time to Prepare for the Roman Missal, Third Edition
      New Words: A Deeper Meaning, but the Same Mass

News and views:

• "Libyan Official: Liberation to Be Declared Sunday"
  Associated Press, via FoxNews.com (October 22, 2011)
• "Syrians Rally, Saying Assad Is Next"
  Nour Malas, The Wall Street Journal (October 22, 2011)
• "As Libya takes stock, Moammar Kadafi's hidden riches astound"
  Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times (October 21, 2011)
• "U.S. and U.N. Demand Details From Libyan Leaders on How Qaddafi Died"
  Kareem Fahim, Rick Gladstone, The New York Times (October 21, 2011)
• "Colonel Gaddafi dead: Libyan tyrant's body stored in shopping centre freezer"
  Mirror.co.uk (October 21, 2011)
• "Vatican voices hope for Libya after Ghadafi's death"
  (CNA/EWTN News)