Catholics to Episcopals: WE ARE IN A FIGHT! I'M TELLING GOD ON YOU!!!

From the American Spectator:

A tabloid exposé of a celebrity (now former) Catholic priest's cavorting with his bikini-clad consort on the sands of a Florida beach has ignited an ecumenical brouhaha between the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami and the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida.

"This truly is a serious setback for ecumenical relations and cooperation between us," observed Archbishop of Miami John Favalora about a May 28 press conference featuring the smooching priest and his new supervising prelate, Episcopal Bishop of Southeast Florida Leo Frade. "The Archdiocese of Miami has never made a public display when for doctrinal reasons Episcopal priests have joined the Catholic Church and sought ordination. In fact, to do so would violate the principles of the Catholic Church governing ecumenical relations. I regret that Bishop Frade has not afforded me or the Catholic community the same courtesy and respect."

Guess what else came up in my news feed today (from the Omaha World-Herald):

Among the three men new to the Roman Catholic priesthood in Nebraska is one with a wife, four children and several grandchildren.

Bishop William Dendinger says the Rev. Sidney Bruggeman is believed to be the first married Nebraska man to join the priesthood.

Bruggeman, 52, was ordained Friday with two other men, the first ordinations in the diocese in five years.

. . . .

He had been a minister for the Disciples of Christ Christian Church before he and his family converted to Catholicism about 15 years ago. His children are adults.

This is actually unusual - not that this story came up in my news feed today, but that it wasn't about a priest who was originally Episcopalian. I get Google news alerts every day for a bunch of Christianity-related words, including "priest." I usually see a news headline at least once a month about a married Catholic priest who was Episcopalian. Unless these conversions happen with far greater frequency than I see in the news (which I highly doubt), the Catholic Church makes no effort whatsoever to keep these things from the press out of respect for the Episcopalians.

And what does that whole respect thing mean, anyway? It's not exactly a contest. The Catholic Church calls for priestly celibacy. This guy was not only not being celibate, but was caught. The Church gave him the choice to leave them or leave her. Is anyone really surprised that this is what he chose?

Also, as far as I'm concerned, any Episcopal who converts to Catholicism is taking a serious step down. The Episcopals, out of all the major denominations of Christianity in the United States, are totally the coolest. Their priests can get married, be women, or be totally gay and it's all cool. Catholic priests, however, can only get away with getting laid if they do it with a little boy. That's not really something that's going to appeal to most people.

Matthew 7:3-5 says:

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Catholics, you guys have got a serious eye-plank happening here. WTFWJD?