Christmas in the Pope's home Diocese of Passau, Germany
The Virgin Mary and St Joseph, both faceless, seek lodgings - an illustration from the front cover of the Diocesan newspaper.
What a contrast with MariaHilf (Mary Helper), one of the major pilgrimage shrines in the Diocese.
The retreat centre of the Diocese has been placed under the patronage of Mariahilf. It is also called Spectrum Church. The Germans trying to keep up with the Austrians and their plague of rainbow churches.
On the 8th December, they forgot the Feast of the Immaculate which the rest of the Catholic world were celebrating but rather celebrated a Festival Mass to commemorate "40 years of the spirit of Vatican II".
I am sure that Cardinal Koenig, the late Archbishop of Vienna would drink to that.
The reality is that the years since the Council have been a disaster for the Church. Never has such a particularist "spirit" so dominated the Church.
Lest we think however that the Spectrum Church has forgotten Christmas, they have organised an exhibition "Marienleben- the Life of Mary". But don't get excited. Get angry.
Here is St Joseph.
In the foreground the Annuniciation. Left, the taking down from the Cross and in the background, Pieta. Or at least that's what the artists call these pieces of metal.
Virgin Mary and Child!
So much for their version of the Christmas Crib. I will publish shortly pictures from the so-called "Crib City" of Linz, Austria. I don't know what they are celebrating but it is not Christmas.
Just down the hill from the Pilgrimage Church of Mariahilf is the once beautiful Church of St Gertraud.
The liturgical barbarians also arrived here early in 1968. However, this expensive restoration dates only from last year. Decorating Churches with smudges of paint.
Worst of all, all the servers in the Pope's home Parish of Marktl (see earlier report), like in some many parishes in Germany and beyond, are now girls. Serving used to be the great calling ground to the priesthood. What a disastrous decision to permit female servers- but not the only that has been take in the last forty years.
What a contrast with MariaHilf (Mary Helper), one of the major pilgrimage shrines in the Diocese.
The retreat centre of the Diocese has been placed under the patronage of Mariahilf. It is also called Spectrum Church. The Germans trying to keep up with the Austrians and their plague of rainbow churches.
On the 8th December, they forgot the Feast of the Immaculate which the rest of the Catholic world were celebrating but rather celebrated a Festival Mass to commemorate "40 years of the spirit of Vatican II".
I am sure that Cardinal Koenig, the late Archbishop of Vienna would drink to that.
The reality is that the years since the Council have been a disaster for the Church. Never has such a particularist "spirit" so dominated the Church.
Lest we think however that the Spectrum Church has forgotten Christmas, they have organised an exhibition "Marienleben- the Life of Mary". But don't get excited. Get angry.
Here is St Joseph.
In the foreground the Annuniciation. Left, the taking down from the Cross and in the background, Pieta. Or at least that's what the artists call these pieces of metal.
Virgin Mary and Child!
So much for their version of the Christmas Crib. I will publish shortly pictures from the so-called "Crib City" of Linz, Austria. I don't know what they are celebrating but it is not Christmas.
Just down the hill from the Pilgrimage Church of Mariahilf is the once beautiful Church of St Gertraud.
The liturgical barbarians also arrived here early in 1968. However, this expensive restoration dates only from last year. Decorating Churches with smudges of paint.
Worst of all, all the servers in the Pope's home Parish of Marktl (see earlier report), like in some many parishes in Germany and beyond, are now girls. Serving used to be the great calling ground to the priesthood. What a disastrous decision to permit female servers- but not the only that has been take in the last forty years.
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