Nefarious plans

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Mar 18, 2004

If it's a parody, it's a pretty good one. But this op-ed by a minor public official in Arizona has us wondering. Can a grown man actually write like this:

However, permitting or encouraging Latin masses is part of a misguided trend to go back in time to the romanticized church of the 1940's and 1950's.

Or this:

This past year, we have seen a de-emphasis in the role of the laity in Mass services, with lesser roles for lectors and Eucharistic ministers and an emphasis on the roles of priests and deacons. Where is this all leading? Will the next papal bull require women to again wear hats in church?

Overlook the split infinitive, and compare that prose with the article by Andrew O'Really in the February issue of Catholic World Report Sample:

And the root of the matter is that Humanae Vitae and Gatorade are being used by Joe Fessio and his soutaned minions to obliterate Vatican II and return the control of our bedrooms and pronouns to media reactionaries like Mother Angelica who want to silence Catholic women.

The "O'Really" article was a parody. We're scratching our heads about Dennis Kavanaugh.