46 Comments

• seanomelb | May 16, 2012, 07:18 PM EDT

  Happy to oblige.

• EamonnDublin | May 16, 2012, 07:21 AM EDT

  Good man yerself Sean - I'm sure you feel much better after that ego booster attempt on yourself! The power of positive thinking! I LOVE it! Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

• seanomelb | May 15, 2012, 08:21 PM EDT

  The above article has nothing to do with Islam and I am to far down the road Eamonn my boy! and you'll never catch-up.To put it simply for your simple mind I'm streets ahead.

• eiriamach | May 15, 2012, 08:03 AM EDT

  jfulton, you write, "modifying one's faith to conform with that which you have been taught is wrong and now are being told is ok is very difficult." Pope Benedict's "reform of the reform" has nullified teachings of Lumen Gentium with new canon law, the collegiality of bishops and 'royal priesthood' of all faithful, for example. He has abandoned 'dynamic equivalence' in translation of liturgy in favor of interlinear translation and produced a faulty (some claim heretical) and un-poetic new missal that is not prayable. The pope calls his rollback of Second Vatican Council a "hermeneutic of continuity" because conservatives like SSPX had been complaining that Vatican II produced a "rupture." It broke with NO church doctrine, but came to terms with democracy, freedom of conscience, and the need for Christian unity, all of which this pope, followed by the American bishops, has rejected in favor of pre-conciliar clericalism and triumphalism. Rollback of Vatican II will be virtually complete when the pope embraces SSPX, and he soon will do so. SSPX is not protestant. I repeat: it is the new Catholic.

• EamonnDublin | May 15, 2012, 07:27 AM EDT

  "Seanomelb" You really ARE a pest! It is irritating for me to have to repeatedly state that I did NOT say that of which you accuse me. In this instance, I have NOT, NOT, NOT said "Don't talk about the Catholic church, the Muslims are worse" I CLEARLY stated that there are ongoing, consistent attacks on the Catholic church but nobody criticises Islam. In fact, in my post of May 14th at 3.23pm, I state categorically that it is an EXCELLENT thing to discuss sexism within or without the Catholic church. I have already explained this to "AdrienRain", but you obviously just want to criticise ME, so you therefore twist my words around to suit yourself. Is there nothing that I actually SAID with which you can argue? Clearly not. (For the record, I personally do NOT agree with the school in this matter of the girl playing for the team.) Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

• seanomelb | May 14, 2012, 07:47 PM EDT

  Don't talk about the RCC the Muslims are worse, to paraphrase Eamonn. A sure sign of ones inability to discuss the central theme of the above news item.

• jfulton | May 14, 2012, 06:40 PM EDT

  "eiriamach", I would like to defend my previous statement by answering your response if you don't mind. -You'll see outside the school a large permanent sign with the words 'Roman Catholic School.' Just because you put a sign out that makes a claim doesn't make it true. They knowingly and willingly broke from Rome. -Pope Benedict XVI is expected to allow SSPX, a controversial, ultra-conservative splinter group, back into the Catholic Church. According to what I've read and been told by my bishop, they will be allowed back into the fold if they embrace the current Church. SSPX has stated that they "acknowledged significant internal resistance to such a move, which he said might lead to the group splitting apart." -The price SSPX demands for returning is dismantling the reforms of Second Vatican Council. Do you see how this story foreshadows what is to come? I do not see what foreshadowing you are alluding towards. The Second Vatican Council reforms will stand. I truly hope that SSPX and all other faiths that broke away would come back to the fold, but modifying ones faith to conform with that which you have been taught is wrong and now are being told is ok is very difficult. The best explanation I have heard was actually from a Baptist minister whom stated that each religion is a dangerous, narrow, twisting path up a very high mountain. If you spend too much time yelling at the other guy how to climb his path, you're going to fall off. My whole beef is that the title to the article should have alluded to the fact that it was SSPX or a Fundamentalist Catholic school. Most people only graze article titles and would be left with the wrong impression.

• peterson | May 14, 2012, 06:29 PM EDT

  I guess that they did not want to defeated by a girl.

• EamonnDublin | May 14, 2012, 03:23 PM EDT

  Hi "AdrienRain" - Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I can't see where I wrote that "one should not discuss sexism in Roman Catholicism because Muslims sometimes murder their female family members". As far as I can see, what I said was that instead of "ALWAYS (my caps) having a go at the Catholic church and Christianity in general", some people might turn their attention to "honour" killings, etc. "ALWAYS" is the operative word. I have no problem whatsoever with people discussing sexism within or without the Catholic church, in fact, I think it is an EXCELLENT thing that these matters should be discussed. By the same token, I also think it would be a good idea if the negative side of Islam were discussed. THAT is clearly what I wrote. I have no idea as to why any reasonable(?) person would argue against my request for balance. Unless, of course, one takes my words, changes them to suit what one would LIKE me to have said in order to contradict me, and then make an argument out of nothing. Éamonn, Dublin.

• EamonnDublin | May 14, 2012, 03:07 PM EDT

  Good Man Yourself, EiriAmach! Maybe we might start a trend? Change the board to a positive one instead of all this negativity (although, in truth, I really do believe "Seanomelb" is a bit too far down the long road to come back, and "ByTheBay"'s sole consumption would appear to be whether or not I am Irish and/or actually live in Dublin). A very strange obsession! Now, I must go because I promised Ciara we would go to the flix tonight! Take care - and thank you for your response, Éamonn, Dublin.

• adrienrain | May 14, 2012, 03:00 PM EDT

  EamonnDublin - so one should not discuss sexism in Roman Catholicism because Muslims sometimes murder their female family members? Are there any other things that should never be discussed because they don't involve Islam? Should we never discuss Timothy McVeigh's bombing of the Fed bldg in Ok City because of 9/11?

• eiriamach | May 14, 2012, 02:21 PM EDT

  Wow! Thanks, Eamonn. In truth, I've enjoyed our debates! Don't go away, OK? (Btw, I have no formal training in theology, just a strong interest in church politics and the medieval philosophy, Thomism, that still prevails in RC today.)

• EamonnDublin | May 14, 2012, 02:05 PM EDT

  "EiriAmach", You are obviously well steeped in matters theological and/or its periphery. I think I owe you an apology for hitting out at you in earlier posts (BTW, even then I admired your placid temperament). I might not agree (even nearly) with some of your views, but you most certainly are well worth listening to. Best Wishes, Éamonn, Dublin.

• eiriamach | May 14, 2012, 01:27 PM EDT

  Some posters think that the SSPX boys school is not really Catholic, so I'll repeat some of my earlier words: "Those who think Our Lady of Sorrows is not really a Catholic school should take a look at the (Yahoo) video on this issue. You'll see outside the school a large permanent sign with the words "Roman Catholic School." SSPX simply consider themselves more Catholic than the Vatican, or they consider other Catholics not really Catholic. Also, From Spiegel online: "Pope Benedict XVI is expected to allow SSPX, a controversial, ultra-conservative splinter group, back into the Catholic Church.... But Holocaust denier Richard Williamson, an SSPX bishop, opposes the agreement, which is likely to be reached before the end of May." SSPX Superior General Fellay, however, has urged his followers to support reunion; the price SSPX demands for returning is dismantling the reforms of Second Vatican Council. Do you see how this story foreshadows what is to come?

• jfulton | May 14, 2012, 11:23 AM EDT

  I dislike that they are first to point out that it's a Catholic school but you have to read further into the article to find out it's a fundamentalist offshoot that "broke away" from the Catholic church. Hence they are no longer Catholic. The media just loves to take every stab they can get at the Catholic church.

• seamus60 | May 13, 2012, 10:32 PM EDT

  Time for every other team in the league to play a girl on their side. LOL

• seanomelb | May 13, 2012, 08:01 PM EDT

  Crazy fundamental Christians they are almost as bad as crazy fundamental Jews and Arabs. Misogynist male coaches and fathers along with misogynist priests are a blight on humanity.

• EamonnDublin | May 13, 2012, 06:24 PM EDT

  "Eiriamach" - That's what I thought, but thanks for stating it clearly anyhow - you have NOTHING to say about violence within Islam. Weird!! Éamnn, Dublin.

• SeamusMartin | May 13, 2012, 03:59 PM EDT

  I've had the honor of coaching girls and boys sports from grade school thru high school for almost twenty years. In general the girls are not as strong or aggressive as the boys, but they are just as smart. Occasionally though, you find a gal, whom is able to compete on an equal level as the boys. When that happens, it's not the boys that initially complain. It is done by the fathers' or male coach of the opposing team whom are stuck in the patriarchal mindset where their misguided thinking has the woman's place in the kitchen, pregnant and barefoot. This disgraceful attitude is then parroted by their young charges. The cycle continues as a detriment to the boys, the girls and sportsmanship in general. Yet, it's their decision, unfortunately everyone down the line suffers.

• eiriamach | May 13, 2012, 03:38 PM EDT

  Not today, EamonnDublin, I have nothing to say about violence within Islam. I'm thinking about Paige Sulzbach, who will probably grow up with fewer problems than those unfortunate boys at the SSPX school. But if I were thinking about honor killings today, I would not be thinking that one balances any other! Weird!

• EamonnDublin | May 13, 2012, 01:30 PM EDT

  "Eiriamach", You accuse ME of going off topic with a red herring - and then YOU bring up one single murder in 1951, as if that balances the thousands upon thousands of "honour" related acts of violence (including murder), still ongoing today. To be fair, you do say "work back from there", but you know as well as I do just which religion is conducting "honour" murders in abundance TODAY. Hint - it's NOT Catholicism. Have you got NOTHING to say about violence within Islam? Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

• eiriamach | May 13, 2012, 12:33 PM EDT

  EamonnDublin, please look up "red herring" (an informal fallacy of logic) and "deflection." The undeniable FACT is that an RC school refused to allow its team to play a championship game for no other reason than that a girl was playing on the opposing team. When an honor killing or forced marriage in other religions is in the news, then IC discusses that topic and we try to stay on topic. It's regrettable that the image of Roman Catholicism has suffered so badly over recent years and caused many people much anguish. On-topic discussion can help some who are trying to deal with the failures of their Church. Some of the causes could be set right with comprehensive reforms, but nothing can be set right by ignoring the problem and shifting topic. BTW: for the Roman Catholic history of honor killings, you might begin with Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "Chronicle of a Death Foretold" and work back from there; it's a long history, much longer than Islam's history of honor killings.

• BrianO | May 13, 2012, 09:29 AM EDT

  Ms.Gail, spot on. Ive coached girls sports for 12 years and before that boys baseball for ten. To have a team withdraw from a final would cause a lot of trouble for that team, They have a viewpoint they feel they must abide by, it is their decision.

• EamonnDublin | May 13, 2012, 07:39 AM EDT

  Perhaps, instead of always having a go at the Catholic church and Christianity in general, some people might be better occupied if they turned their attention to "honour" killings, forced marriages of very young girls to old men, acid disfigurement of women, etc., in another religion. Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

• dickmac | May 12, 2012, 11:59 PM EDT

  This is a total discrace. It shows what they are made of.

• el rubio | May 12, 2012, 11:18 PM EDT

  There is no such thing as a 'fundamentalist Catholic.' Fundamentalist implies a strict adherence to a religious text, something not espoused in Catholicism, where both tradition and scripture are emphasized. There are 'Traditionalist' Catholics or, as is the case with this SSPX crowd, 'Separatist' Catholics, but no Fundamentalist Catholics in the same sense as there are Fundamentalist Protestants or Jews or Muslims. The writer of this article shouldn't just use the word 'fundamentalist' as a placeholder term for 'religions that we don't like.'

• surfsidetx3 | May 12, 2012, 10:55 PM EDT

  Katie Murphy or whatever your real name is, nothing you say has the ring of truth. If you were a real ex Roman Catholic you would know the Pius X society has no association with the Roman Catholic church. You give clues to your real identity. and to your illness.

• KatieMurphy | May 12, 2012, 09:37 PM EDT

  The same mentality of the Pope who in 2009 UNexcommunicated a holocaust denier, "Bishop" Williamson. At least the Argentinians threw this neo nazi out of the country and my friends tell me it was one of the defining momments that brought full gay marriage to aRgentina. BTW you can also google "Pope hides molesting priests" The maniac should be put in an asylum. Pillbo4 - I didnt knoww the pope was going after the girl scouts, or did you mean the sisters and the nuns............But its wonderful to read that in the USA the third largest religion is 10 million strong EX CATHOLICs, which includes almost all of my extended family

• seanomelb | May 12, 2012, 07:16 PM EDT

  I'm surprised they didn't send out the inquisitors to burn her at the stake.Fundamentalism(which is a euphemism for extremism) is a danger to society everywhere.

• pilib04 | May 12, 2012, 07:11 PM EDT

  Actually this fits nicely with the current Craziness vis a vis bishops going after the Girl Scouts.

• pilib04 | May 12, 2012, 07:08 PM EDT

  Really Murph46, that comment seems a little out of character for you. "They actually wanted an altarboy for their priests." I have no problem with the comment myself, just doesn't sound like Murph.

• slainte9 | May 12, 2012, 06:19 PM EDT

  BTW. Mesa Prep the school fielding the lady prep is very much part of the very unliberal Arizona charter school movement. Liberal schmucks posting here might ask themselves why the young lady athlete isn't attending a public school where she could easily be on the ladies softball teams. Heaven forbid that she might have to attend school with brown skinned children who might be here illegally. What a bunch of knuckleheads you folks are. Hilarious!

• Ms.Gail | May 12, 2012, 04:29 PM EDT

  What's the big deal here. One school decides to bow out of the championships to uphold their beliefs. Another school obeys the law and is fair with their players. It used to be that some sports weren't scheduled on Sundays or Wed evenings, now that they are, some families don't have their kids participate. People make choices, choices have consequences, people can accept the concequences of their choices or whine about it. I don't hear either school whine,I expect there is saddness on both sides.

• bonjouryall | May 12, 2012, 04:25 PM EDT

  Perhaps the AAUW will support 'desegregation' of all sports and support teams based upon merit without regard to sexual gender (or identity) at least as to public schools. Or do they just want to take money from boys and men's sports? But to blame one Catholic school as the justification for all sex-based athletics is absurd. And I haven't heard anyone explain why a boy should be excluded from a girls' team. I've heard from liberals for a long time how bad discrimination based upon race and gender is. So why not combine teams? Any takers?

• slainte9 | May 12, 2012, 04:06 PM EDT

  Lots of bigots posting here. There are plenty of opportunities for young women to play sports these. If a private school wants to opt out it's their business. Even "fundamentalist" Catholics have a right to their beliefs, even if wicked bigots don't thinks so. Wicked "liberal" bigots from New York ought to worry about cleaning up their own city's problems before criticizing what's going on in Arizona. Our reality in Arizona last week was listening to a woman teacher complain to our school's site council that the girls are out of control with the way they dress (suggestively) and not all teachers are enforcing the dress code. Most of the people posting here probably don't even have children, so butt out.

• eiriamach | May 12, 2012, 03:51 PM EDT

  It's not just about sports; it's about boys' psycho-sexual development. When men refuse to let boys share the field with girls, how can the boys develop normal relationships? Traditionalists like SSPX, Opus Dei, Society of JC the Priest ban girls from serving at the altar in Phoenix, Lincoln NE, Arlington Va, Platteville WI, etc. Catholics who ban girls and make church or school functions "boys only" share responsibility for abuse committed by priests who never mature psycho-sexually, like Opus Dei Bp Finn, who covered up Fr. Radigan's photos of little girls and paid compensation for Fr John Tulipana's serial sex abuse.

• eiriamach | May 12, 2012, 02:55 PM EDT

  Paige would have joined a girls' softball team if the school had one, but it doesn't. The school is required to allow girls to play on the boys' team if there is no girls' team for the same sport. Those who think Our Lady of Sorrows is not really a Catholic school should take a look at the video on this issue. You'll see outside the school a large permanent sign with the words "Roman Catholic School." Yeah.

• Springfield9 | May 12, 2012, 02:00 PM EDT

  They need to change their name to "Our Lady of Idiots"

• Nicomax | May 12, 2012, 01:29 PM EDT

  After watching some woeful play by current Major League players who's average salary this year is $3.4 million, she should pursue her career in baseball.

• walleyeman | May 12, 2012, 01:00 PM EDT

  Plutie Phan she didn't playin the teams regular season meetings because SHE sat in respect of their antiquated opinion. She would not sit out for the championship game nor should she. I had a daughter who was the only girl in a club select soccer Leauge back in the 70's. She held her own very well as a starter on defense.

• Bythebay | May 12, 2012, 12:46 PM EDT

  Not surprising in Arizona, the state where "authorities" can wantonly stop anyone without cause and ask for "your papers".

• PhlutiePhan | May 12, 2012, 12:09 PM EDT

  Amy Arnold is the athletic director at Mesa Prep. In addition, she is the only female football coach in the state of Arizona. What is her relationship with the girl's mother? Why did the girl not play in two previous wins against the same OLS squad? What are her statistics for the season for batting and fielding? Is she indeed the best candidate or just another case of social engineering. Our society is being torn aside with political correctness based on socialist numbers. In order for the girls to be anywhere physically competitive, they have to resort to moral choices which are antithetical to conservative groups such as this. A dangerous sect indeed which believes in stringent morality. Ratzinger is attempting to right a wrong toward a group which prctices Catholicity which goes back to Trent. The liberal gay crowd has taken over the Catholic Church. Read Malachi Martin.

• CitizenWhy | May 12, 2012, 11:50 AM EDT

  The term "separatist Catholic" should be used, not Catholic. Accuracy is required of journalists. Although I once attended a play at a Catholic college about an infanticide at an extremist separatist Catholic convent where the convent was simply identified as Catholic and no one I talked to understood that this group had been actively condemned by the Catholic church as a dangerous sect, not just a break-away group.

• hermitTalker | May 12, 2012, 11:45 AM EDT

  What was the reason for the comment-ators to bring up the scandal again? Why not focus on the Inquisition and Crusades. Also get facts, Josef Ratzinger was drafted forcibly with his contemporaries into the Hitler Youth and escaped later. Cdl Bernard Law has reached 75 and is no longer in his Basilica. Find other targets for your narrow-minded bigotry and make peace with your Daddies which is usually the reason for attacking the Church.

• pilib04 | May 12, 2012, 11:23 AM EDT

  tundish45, I assure you this headline is not Catholic bashing, it is simply the incompetence of the Blog editors. They have allowed this type of misleading headline repeatedly whether the view is left, right or center. Has nothing to do with "Catholic bashing". Now it is true that our Church has done a lot to deserve criticism. Our Church, through the bishops is a very wide target given their insensitivity and hypocrisy, and blatant sexism and racism. There are only a handful of bishops today who are not racist and sexist! Hell, our Holy Father is a former Nazi Youth! Little wonder he continues to hide Bernard Law and his cohorts in the Vatican.

• tundish45 | May 12, 2012, 10:27 AM EDT

  Irish Central's headline for this article gives credence to the claim that THE PRESS engages in Catholic Church bashing. That school is not Catholic. It is run by people who have left the Catholic Church in disagreement in the same way Lutherins and Anglicans did. While the splintering is mentioned, the headline is what catches the eye. The non Church Bashing headline could have read "Fundamentalist Christin School Forfeits..." Now don't confuse this with defending the Catholic Church on its terrible molesting/cover up record -- I am defending accuracy in reporting and hoping THE PRESS does not engage in misrepresentation.