Welcome -Profile

I started this blog as an outlet for my passion for discussion on theological matters especially church history and ecumenical endeavors.I hope that many of my Internet friends will provided me with helpful and sometimes corrective comments as well.

There has been and continues to be studies conducted on the isolation of individuals tied to looking at a computer screen for several hours per day. There is a growing sense of disconnect with the outside world. To the extent that Internet viewing detracts from ones family life, community and friends I would agree. However, the Internet has offered at-least for me the ability to interact with like minded individuals who care deeply about their walk with the Lord, their own communion, it’s interaction with the Catholic church commitment to the Ecumenical movement and overcoming it’s pass failures.

I chose the term Charterhouse, because rather then the symptom of isolation that the Internet causes I hope this will cause people to reflect on Christ, their church communion and how we can work towards points of commonality and to clarify points of disagreements as well. Hopefully with that objective there can be some solitude which is the focus of a Charterhouse.

My internet sig is Quickbeam of Fangorn for at least the past 12 years, exclusively on BBS(back in the stone age) and discussion boards later. I chose that name because I have been a fan of Tolkien since high school days in the 70’s and the character seemed to fit what was going on in my personal life. As a child I witness the destruction of the interior of the church [high altar, altar rails, etc.] and wondered ‘what the heck are they doing’. Being one of the youngest of the pre-Vatican II era children I find my self defending some of the old school ways to younger folks, yet also correcting some of the young that it wasn’t all green pastures in the old days for those that opine for them.

The litugrical upheaval of the past 40 years has been in many ways a burden for me. I almost left the church for the SSPX over the translation of the latin term Pro multis. This may seem like splitting hairs for many(pun intended), but for me it was an issue of the Gospel message of salvation or of universalism. The arguements of “well in Hebrew the expression “many” means the same thing as “all” was pointless since Hebrew wasn’t the issue, it was latin transliterated from Greek.

Obedience to the church in hopes that the universal church would correct this translation took a long time and was finally realized in 06. I don’t know if the sweetness of my discomfort hearing “for all” for the 1,500 plus liturgies I had to endure, but I do take commfort in remaining with the local church even as I disagreed with her.

I am married to a wonderful wife and three children. I have what is canonically called a ‘mixed marriage’ my wife being southern baptist. Since the divisions of the reformation are alive an well within my own house is one of the compelling reasons I seek ecumenical efforts, while recognizing that such efforts will not likely bear much fruit within my life time. This does not however preclude me from making the effort.

Update: Jan. 6, 08 – In my wanderings on the net there appears to be terms such as “rad-trad”,”traditionalist” and “neo-Catholic” to discribe what type of Catholic you are in the post modern church. I would say that I am attempting to bridge a road btwn the latter two terms. That means I accept the authority of the Pope and the church to modify/change the liturgy, but that individuals have no such authority (and hence it is they not the Pope ot the council) which is why there existed and still exists such liturgical abuses. Reject those who claim that the Papacy have been vacant since Pius XII, and I reject that the Novus Ordos is invalid. I have a preference for latin in the commons of the mass, but support the venacular for the other parts of it. I’d like to see the removal of extra-ordinary ministers, receiving of the Eucharist exclusively on the tongue, altar rails to be placed back or where the new churches never had any to be installed and utilized.

I long for chant and simply a higher level of music, good sermons, and traditional devotions to be brought back into vogue.

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