Father Christiaan Kappes got married! Guess the name of the Bride!

Father Christian Kappes got married. What’s the name of the Spouse, you ask? That would be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

You can read about such things regarding Catholic priests in the rather ferocious priestly celibacy series on the sidebar of the blog, which includes these posts so far:

• The Biblical Foundation of Priestly Celibacy by Father Ignace de la Potterie, S.J. This is one of the more visited posts of the blog. Father Ignace was a good friend. A confidant. I used this in a course on priestly celibacy that I gave at the Pontifical College Josephinum. I was very pleased that so many of the seminarians were extremely well read, and were, indeed, on the cutting edge of research involving Scripture, Canon Law, Patristics, Church History, Ecumenical Relations, particularly with the Orthodox, the prudence in regard to Anglicanorum Coetibus, the for the moment the ignoring of matters regarding the permanent diaconate, etc. Some were planning on doing doctoral theses on the subject. All were 1000% in favor of strict priestly (and diaconal!) celibacy. My heart rejoiced each class. People, you have to know that we have very, very excellent priests coming up. Some of those I’m talking about were just ordained in the last couple of weeks. (Spring of 2012). Also know — Yikes! — that is is because of this very article (among some others), that Father de la Potterie was so very bitterly hated by some few, who could not provide an answer to what he said, so well did he say it.
• Continence — C.W. fanatics will not like the reference to JPII in this very short post. Oh well. The definition of continence might surprise quite a few readers. The definition of terms is important! and enthralling! I wrote these notes up for a course given to the seminarians of the Good Shephard Seminary of the Archdiocese of Sydney. The Rector at the time wanted me to innoculate the seminarians from the heresy that they would be getting in their classes at a certain Catholic institute where they were attending lectures at the time. Yikes!
• Chastity — Another brief, important article with an in your face, perhaps rather unexpected definition. Knowing the definitions introduces us also to the spiritual life, as to why chastity is a gift of grace, bringing us into friendship with the Lord.
• Celibacy — Another in your face, perhaps unexpected definition that we need to know. This and other terms are bandied about with few knowing what they are saying. Bonus: a video of the great Irish singer, John McCormack, in reference to the priest who addressed Pope JPII during, I think it was, his first trip to the U.S.A. Hah!
• Virginity — Another in your face, perhaps unespected definition that we need to know. I’ve added a rant on the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Mother of God, and also commented on topics such as consecrated virgins, rape, “spiritual virginity”, etc.
• Eunuch – Part I — This is, in my opinion super important commentary. I always get the remark from seminarians and priests that they’ve never seen anything like this before. Indeed, I haven’t seen this anywhere else. This is all about the depth of Christ’s love for His Immaculate Bride, the Church. That charity, in which we participate, is awesome indeed. You are dead wrong if you think you already know what a eunuch is. Dead. Wrong. Behold, something truly awesome about the love of God for us.
• Eunuch – Part II –  A necessary follow-up and continuation of Part I, with lots of scriptural references in both Old and New Testaments. You’ll never think of these passages in the same way. This is so important for priests to understand what they are doing as priests, especially when they offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and absolve sin and such. Priests are married to the Church by the Sacrifice they offer! Priests must know this or they will find themselves in touble. In knowing just how they are married to the Church, they will rejoice. It is just this which will bring much healing to the priesthood.
• LUST & angels — This is a refreshing anecdote from the life of Saint Jerome when he went further off into the desert to be a hermit. Instructive and bringing us right before Jesus. Totally cool.
• Repression idiocy — This is a rather severe critique of the hell of repression and doubled over concealed and especially for that reason very dangerous repression that was foisted upon seminarians for decades and is, I fear, still foisted upon them in some places. The kind of repression idiocy which I critique has been hailed as “Catholic” and “orthodox” by “conservative” Catholic seminaries and universities and colleges. It’s anything but that. If you want to risk going straight to hell, do up some of this kind of oppression. If you want to be on your way to heaven, be at ease with weakness, in all chasity, in all honesty, before Jesus, and He will show you the way to rejoicing in holy purity. It’s not about mind games. It’s about knowing the wholeness and holiness of our Lord and Savior.
• Wounded Healer idiocy — The Wounded Healer idiocy is perhaps one of the most evil dynamics there is. Ever hear of it? Know who wrote popularized it? This is the method of “nice” and “caring” psychology, but is really just a horrific projection of the “Wounded Healer.” This is a necessary read just because you will surely run across this kind of thing. Blech!
• Impure, lustful thoughts — This is very much a favorite post on HSH blog. I have very often also directed people to it. It seems it is very useful indeed.
• My experience with porn — This post generated by far the most heartfelt emails and comments on the blog. Porn is a huge problem in the USA and increasing around the world. This post speaks to that catastrophy. Yikes!
• AD CINGULUM! — This is from the series on the Vesting Prayers for priests for Holy Mass. However, I think all will be able to rejoice in what they read here, and will know more about the priesthood of Jesus among us, and what priestly celibacy is all about. Awesome!

But a tiny handful of commenters on some other sites have other things to say about Father Christiaan…

But Father! But Father! That’s not news! Tell us something salacious, lecherous even, ’cause that’s where I’m at and I like to project my idiocy onto other people to kick them, especially when they are, like, defenseless and in fear for their lives and not paying attention to me and stuff, ’cause, like, I’m a coward and just like to make myself look better than others in my own eyes in front of other people when it’s safe to do and stuff like that there. Lasciviousness is what we want. Sex, sex, sex!

Some, of course, sincerely dismiss clerical celibacy as some pious piffle and rejoice in the idea of Father Kappes dismissing clerical celibacy as well (not that he has!), and they make their idea known, thinking out loud, you know, to save his life if he really was in any danger as he tries to go on a secret honeymoon. Such lateral thinking, they reckon, could offer some clues. But they just cannot see the idiocy of thinking that a secret honeymoon is best prepared by drawing the attention of the world. Such people are invited to rejoice that their projections of themselves onto others are not the way things are, and that they can repent of such foolishness. I’m sure Father Kappes not only would not hold anything against them, but would instantly offer them absolution in confession. Isn’t it great that we have great priests? I think it is.

But Father! But Father! [-- the knuckleheads exclaim --] I don’t get the priestly marriage with no wife thing. What does religion have to do with marriage? You write too much about it in those posts and I don’t have time.

But you have time to slander others, right? Sigh. Just read the posts I’ve linked to above. I double dare you. I guess that means you have to do it. The response is predictable:

But Father! But Father! You’re not ecumenical with our Orthodox separated brethren! They get married all the time.

Sigh. Just read the articles.

Furthermore, I’m not so sure that “separated brethren” is any way to speak of the Orthodox. Are we to forget the mutual lifting of any excommunications? When there is no ex- in the communion, there is just communion, right? Sure, there are some discussions that need to take place, but, hey, that’s what Father Christiaan Kappes is getting involved in, right? I rejoice in that very, very much.