Alas, I really need to update this! But for now:
Some of you know me and know my real name. I'm choosing to remain pseudonymous in the blog, however, to allow more freedom to write frankly about the spiritual journey -- mine as well as others -- with all its labyrinthine twists and turns, its wildness, its unpredictability, its pain, its humor, its struggles, its beauties -- without bringing the hammer of my local bishop down on the church communities and other spiritual families that have welcomed me with open arms. Not that I imagine that there are hordes of prying hierarchical eyes, or any other eyes, for that matter, reading blogs such as this! But these times, I tell ya. You just never know. I attend a Roman Catholic church with a delightful pastor, and I'm in small-church groups with some seriously kick-ass nuns. I love them, we need them, and I wouldn't want to jeopardize their jobs because of something I wrote.
So: why is this blog called Heretica Catholicae? In short: because I thought it sounded kind of cool, like a scientific name for "Catholic heretic." It's also somewhat of a play on the word "catholic" as universal, thus suggestive of "universal heretic." Let me explain. In the eyes of the church's hierarchy (and of some Catholics as well), I am a heretic because I've used artificial contraception, believe that abortion should remain legal, occasionally receive the Eucharist from a woman priest, support gay marriage -- you get the picture. Yet in the eyes of many secular or non-Catholic friends I am a heretic as well, because for a good part of my life I was acceptably agnostic and indifferent to religion, but for some strange reason chose to rejoin a seemingly misguided, oppressive, patriarchal, assbackwards institution. And, well, in many ways they are right. 'Tis what it is.
I feel compelled to suss out all this apparent contradiction and cognitive/spiritual dissonance in some fashion. Hence, this blog, where I write, confess, explore, joke, yearn, rant, question, pray, sing, point, ponder, witness, challenge, reflect and give thanks as only a heretical catholic church lady can.
Hear my prayer.
