Leah yes I can see now the different views but for me the ego viewpoint hit and took over all my thinking.
At the risk of over analyzing
Bellamarie where I am coming from when I react to some of these sonnets
As to the church - there are within the church many theologies - amazing also is the politics least talked about in secular media and least understood in parish churches owned and operated by the local Diocese.
The local Diocese are manned by priests on a political trajectory. ITheir education in church history and theology is weak so that before Vatican II got going there was a year of education to get the Cardinals up to snuff. A pyramid type of understanding of issues from the Bishop down is practiced in most parishes. The exception are those run by order priests not on a trajectory to Rome. The big issues are fought out between the members of the Curia versus the more progressive Cardinals or even the Pope.
A better picture of the variety within the church is found in the weekly
Catholic Reporter. The issue of Birth Control has been a political football. Back, just before Vatican II a Papal Birth Control Commission was established that included 4 dozen men, mostly Cardinals and Bishops plus, 4 women that morphed into 6, two included because of their commission member husbands - at the time, the early 60s, including women was an extraordinary happening - upon meeting for a couple of years a large majority within the Commission determined a married couple can decide the number of children they are to have by using the pill.
Various reasons focused on the health and welfare of the children, that love is uniquely expressed and perfected through the marital act, the dignity of life, the health and welfare of the mother, the right over body, the economic welfare of the community and the increased population to the earth. By a ratio of 4-1 approved was the latest of several drafts on marriage and family that supported the use of birth control. Of the six clergy who disagreed, four were members of the curia. One especially was particularly vocal and particularly apt at the politics between, by then Pope Paul VI and the more conservative members of the Curia as well as, the more conservative Bishops and Cardinals.
The work of the Commission was the 'Summary Document on the Morality of Birth Control' to be discussed on the floor of Vatican II along with proofs from natural law (which is explained scientifically movement and non-movement) in consideration to change the teaching - Again, lots of politicking that is well explained by Father John W. O'Malley in his book,
What Happened at Vatican II - The issue was sidestepped because the agenda was too long. Into the 2nd year Pope Paul VI decided to eliminate more of the work so that Vatican II would decide on 8 documents from a field of 16 that was down from well over 20. The cost of travel, absence from their duties at home, housing members of Vatican II in Rome became too expensive and the conclave was limited to 5 years of work.
Other issues eliminated from floor discussion that Pope Paul VI said, he did not want sex and birth in open floor discussion, included the 'Commission on Responsible Priesthood' as well as, the thorny issue of re-organizing the Curia that has operated as it was adopted directly from the Roman governing body.
Bottom line, using lots of supportive words to straddle the divide the decision was left, with the support of education each couple was to make their decision about the number of births - Since the Curia supported the historical viewpoint and the diocesan priest is within the system that includes possible promotion to a coveted position in Rome along with, an increasing drum beat added when Pope Paul VI wrote Humanae Vitae, education became the old official line of the church with the exception of those parishes included in the Alpine group led by the Archbishop of Cologne.
Finding the books and online web sites that explains the issues and what happened became increasingly difficult during the reign of Pope Benedict - only used books can be found except for O'Malley's
What Happened at Vatican II. Others no longer in print by order of Rome are:
The Lively Debate Response to Humanae Vitae by Father Wm. Shannon;
Turning Point the Inside Story of the Papal Birth Control commission by Robert McClory, board member of Call to Action; Recently these two books published touch on the subject;
Justice in the Church Gender and Participation by Benedict M. Ashley O.P.;
Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church by Bishop Geoffrey Robinson that is more about sexual abuse by priests however, touches on priests marrying and controlling birth.
I know, far more than you needed to know - to me the ankle bone is connected to the leg bone etc. And all of this comes rushing at me when I read which always presents a question.
Today's Sonnet - I see it as a question of excellence. I like that phrase -
dressing old word new Also like the line
For as the sun is daily new and old, - I really like that thought - daily new and old - nice...
