I leave the country for a few weeks and I guess I cannot trust my
diocese and bishop to keep themselves out of the funny papers while I’m gone. The hubbub?
Fr.
Ed Fride, pastor of Christ the King parish in Ann Arbor, sponsored and started
holding concealed pistol license (CPL) classes at the parish presumably
with emphasis on answering those vexing doctrinal questions, “Who would Jesus
shoot?” and “What would Jesus carry?”
As a personal parish of Lansing Bishop Earl Boyea, Christ the King is
not confined to territorial boundaries as are most diocesan parishes. It
prides itself on being a “charismatic, contemplative, Eucharistic and Marian”
oasis within the diocese. I think Fr.
Ed was just trying to expand that "points of pride” list to include other
terms typically associated with Jesus such as “kick-ass,” take no prisoners,” and
“combative.” That’s quite a spiritual
weapons journey for Ed, a former Vietnam War Conscientious Objector…from pacifist to
pugilist.