Friary Notes

The Future of Europe?

2006-07-02T20:46:00.000-04:00

While Pope Benedict hopes and prays for a resurgence of Christianity in Europe, the naysayers instead say that the future is either a dominant Muslim population or secularism. Neither is particularly good for the fate of Catholics since either would require the denial of the truths of the faith. However, if Catholics do not wake up to the need to evangelize once again, they have no one to blame but themselves for empty churches or worse - more things like this.

When "respecting religious freedom" means "Catholics, shut up!"

2006-06-26T23:48:00.000-04:00

The Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry is exercising their freedom of speech by telling the Catholic Church to stop exercising their freedom of speech. Apparently, for certain "leading religious denominations" religious freedom means not seeking to influence public policy. This, of course seems, somewhat hypocritical as this is precisely what the "Religious Coalition" seeks to do. Might I suggest that the "Religious Coalition" learn importance of diversity and the evils of religious bigotry.

Update: The Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry has two Catholic priests among the signers of its declaration in support of "gay marriage" -

Rev. Dr. Richard Rasi - a Melkite priest
Fr. Robert E. Nee - a Roman Catholic Priest

Update 2:Rev. Dr. Richard Rasi passed away from cancer last year. May perpetual light shine upon him.

From the "she turned me into a newt" files

2006-06-21T06:29:00.000-04:00

St. Michael's University in Scotland has decided to permit Pagan/Wiccan activities at the Catholic institution.

Now pagan or wiccans as they prefer to be called, will be allowed to use campus buildings and outdoor space for festivals, providing they do not utter incantations or spells that might harm others. Nor may not raise spirits or to call up dark forces, and ritual nudity is strictly forbidden.

Well, I think that pretty much has it covered [well except for the non-ritual nudity and the fact that they are acting contrary to the message of Christianity makes it inherently harmful to others.]

I wonder where they will put the wicker man?

Soon we will make our move...

2006-06-19T21:04:00.000-04:00

The California Catholic Conference is predicting that in 20 years, 60% of California will be Catholic. Most of that increase will not be from immigration from Central and South America, but from natural increases. But the increase coming from immigration will certainly affect the way that the Catholic Church in California sees itself. I also would not be surprised to see similar forecasts for other states in the Southwestern United States.

But it also means that the Church must place all new efforts in catechesis and promoting vocations. Because if the spiritual needs of these new Catholics are not met, they will look elsewhere.

No word on whether it will offer Bingo

2006-06-19T21:01:00.000-04:00

The Ukrainian Catholic Church is condemning a plan to build a casino next to its cathedral in Kiev. The Church authorities are offended and urging that a school be built in its place.

Where's Common Ground when you need them?

2006-06-19T20:55:00.000-04:00

When members of the Women's Ordination Conference and members of Restore the Sacred meet....

You can be sure that things are going to get interesting.

Priest dies while praying

2006-06-05T09:28:00.000-04:00

Jesuit Father Claudio Rossi, vice-rector at Rome University, fell to his death in a chapel while praying with his mother. Apparently, the chapel was built over a well, into which Fr. Rossi fell.

May God have mercy upon him.

Belly Button Exposure

2006-06-05T09:15:00.000-04:00

"God knew what your navel looked like even before you were born, so there is no need to expose it in church."

So says a sign at the Catholic Church of Cinisello Balsamo.

Trying to encourage modesty in Church, much less in the rest of society, continues to be a probem. The article notes that the priest of Cinisello Balsamo can't afford to hire guards to ensure that the inappropriately dressed don't try to enter the Church. I can remember when I took a visit to Russia - they didn't need guards, they relied on the older women to act as a brute squad should someone showing a bit too much seek to enter the church.

For my part, we priests could certainly use some more homilies on the importance of modesty as well.

Another reason for priestly celibacy

2006-06-04T22:36:00.000-04:00

From Bishop Peter Hickman of the Ecumenical Catholic Church - composed mostly of former Roman Catholics -

"Marriage promotes growth," says Hickman, 50, who has fathered five children, been married three times and divorced twice. "People who've never been married have a hard time knowing themselves."

I can only hope that in his third marriage he has experienced some growth and finally knows who he is.

Back again, hopefully for a bit longer this time

2006-06-04T22:30:00.000-04:00

It has been so long since I last posted, even after I posted that I would be posting more often. The main reason for the end of posting was that I just became totally overwhelmed with my new priestly duties and a full teaching load at the university. I decided that I couldn't keep this blog up and do the podcasting over at Catholic:Under The Hood, so I decided to go with the podcast.

I also found myself getting a bit frustrated a bit with the blog. There is a lot that goes on out there that just gets on my nerves. On the one hand I want to talk about it, on the other hand I find that it can sometimes just get me angrier. I was wondering if I wasn't just making this blog into a list of personal complaints. So, having taken a very extended break, I'm going to mention things here that I probably won't talk about over at the podcast. Some of the things will still be issues that get my dander up, but I hope that is not all that will be here.

To those who are still periodically checking this blog out, thanks for hanging with me. God bless you.

Ash Wednesday through the eyes of children

2006-03-01T10:58:00.000-05:00

There is a neat article from the Marion Chronicle Tribune about an Ash Wednesday service for elementary children which involved the children bring palm leaves which they had in their homes from the previous year's Palm Sunday to turn into the ashes that would be put on their foreheads for this year's Ash Wednesday.

My favorite question -

"Do you think it will burn our heads tomorrow when they put it on us?"

Yes, indeed, may these ashes burn with a holy fire that burns away our sins.

Priest in England attacked

2006-03-01T10:53:00.000-05:00

Youths threw a brick at a Sri Lankan priest in England who was delivering Communion to the sick and called him a "Paki".

Fr. Anton Fernandopoulle does not think the attacks are racially motivated. But, I wonder whether the use of the slur "Paki" might indicate that they thought he was Muslim - even though he does wear a priest collar.

Let me add this to my list of things and people to pray for.

Pope drops a title

2006-03-01T10:46:00.000-05:00

The Holy Father no longer counts "Patriarch of the West" among his official titles.

"He is simply Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Province, Sovereign of Vatican City and Servant of the Servants of God."

Some speculate that the reason for the drop was to establish better relations with the Orthodox and to end a contrast between East and West. Others say that the drop may hurt relations with the Orthodox who might interpret the move as a claim to be Patriarch over the East and West.

Personally, I don't know how this will be picked up or whether most people will know the difference. I just wonder, "Holy Father, since you won't be using that title anymore, do mind if I pick it up?"

New podcast up!

2006-02-28T22:40:00.000-05:00

New podcasts are popping up all over at Catholic:Under the Hood where I talk about Lenten podcasts and the "A" word as well as over at Theosis.

Getting ready for Lent

2006-02-26T23:36:00.000-05:00

Well, I have not thought about what I will give up for Lent, since everything I would like to give up I kinda sorta gotta do for work, ministry, or fun. Perhaps I'll give up trying to think about something to give up....

Once again - Don't Mess With Nuns

2006-02-25T09:28:00.000-05:00

Part 1 - Nun doesn't let armed robbery stop her from evangelization. Be sure to watch the accompanying video.

Part 2 - Buddhist nuns try to promote vocations through less than appropriate means. Note to self - telling people to join the TORs or else their relatives will die is not the right way to get new members.

Happy Birthday Haleigh!

2006-02-24T21:59:00.000-05:00

I have posted a couple of times about the tragedy of Haleigh Poutre who was beaten into a coma by her adoptive mother and her boyfriend, who was nearly removed from life support by the government of Massachusettes. She turned 12 today - in a hospital - alone.

Haleigh's birth mother who left her long ago has now re-entered Haleigh's life and has voiced great anger over the hospital's refusal to allow her to visit. Why she couldn't have been this concerned when Haleigh's aunt was abusing her, I don't know. Still, better late than never.

Happy Birthday, Haleigh

On the state of Jesuit Education

2006-02-23T11:45:00.000-05:00

Rockhurst University, a Jesuit university in Kansas City, is in the process of looking for a new president. Here are their candidates according to e-mails sent out:

Richard H. Owens, Ph.D., professor of history, West Liberty State College, West Liberty, W.V.: Dr. Owens earned a B.A. in history from Manhattan College, an M.A. in U.S. history from Old Dominion University and a Ph.D. in U.S. diplomacy from the University of Maryland. Dr. Owens served as president of West Liberty State College from 2001 to 2005 and as president of Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, from 1996 to 2001.

Ronald A. Slepitza, Ph.D., vice president for student development and special counsel to the president for strategic planning, Xavier University: Dr. Slepitza earned a B.A. in psychology from St. Vincent's College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in counseling and student personnel administration from the University of Maryland. Prior to joining Xavier, Dr. Slepitza served as associate vice president for student services at Creighton University.

Rev. Thomas B. Curran, O.S.F.S. Fr. Curran is associate vice president for university relations and assistant to the president at Regis University, Denver. Fr. Curran is an ordained Roman Catholic priest and is a member of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, known as the Salesian order. He earned a B.A. in politics from DeSales University, an M.A. in theology from DeSales School of Theology, an M.A. in liberal studies, public policy and government from Georgetown University, a J.D. from the Catholic University of America and an M.B.A. from St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia. Before joining Regis, Fr. Curran served as founder and executive director of Nativity Preparatory School in Wilmington, Del.; president of Salesianum School in Wilmington; and president of Northeast Catholic High School for Boys, Philadelphia.

Not one is a Jesuit and one of the candidates doesn't appear to have any connections at all to Jesuit education. Is this another sign that the Jesuits are having trouble finding qualified members of their order to run their universities? Apparently it is -

The search garnered 60 applications. Nine were chosen as candidates, and two of them were Jesuits.

“We all knew going in that there is a limited list of Jesuits available,” said Thomas McCullough, president of the Rockhurst board of trustees.

According to the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, there often is not a Jesuit available who has the experience to lead a college.[source]

DePaul University where Academic Freedom only goes so far

2006-02-23T11:38:00.000-05:00

Recently, there has been some controversy over the establishment of a Queer Studies on the grounds that, being a university, there should be academic freedom. As the Director of the new program states,

"Institutions of higher learning, even if they are Catholic, aren't spokespeople for the Vatican," he says. "Like any university, there should be room for free inquiry."

On the other hand, a conservative group at DePaul was not permitted such freedom when it chose to host an "Affirmative Action Bakesale" to question Affirmative Action.

My question is why allow one and not the other, if your goal is the promotion of "free inquiry". On the otherhand, if your goal is something different - at least be open about what it is.

Yahoo, Muslims, Catholics and Jews

2006-02-23T11:30:00.000-05:00

Recently Yahoo! was forced to change a policy which prohibited any e-mail address that included the letters "allah". Ostensibly this was to prevent insulting Muslims, but e-mail address including Jesus or priest or Jew were allowed, even in contexts that would be offensive.

Because of news attention on the fact that even those whose last names was Callahan would be banned, Yahoo has since lifted the ban.

My advice, leave Yahoo! and use a different e-mail system.

ACLU vs Tom Monaghan

2006-02-23T11:18:00.000-05:00

There is an interesting discussion over at MSNBC about whether Tom Monaghan should/does have the right to establish a town with laws based upon Catholic moral principals such as forbidding access to pornography or contraception and still obtain federal funds.

I'm not sure about the legal issues and while Catholic schools and universities don't have to provide either on their campuses in order to receive federal funds, it is likely different with cities. On the other hand, I can't imagine anyone interested in those things chosing to live in/visit a town governed by conservative Catholics in order to obtain them.

Returning to posting

2006-02-23T11:16:00.000-05:00

My goodness, it's been a while since I last posted. Things have been really busy with teaching and the continuing work with Catholic:Under The Hood. Mea culpa. I am really going to strive to get at least one posting a day from here on out.

I'm sorry, but I don't see the connection

2006-02-13T21:22:00.000-05:00

Fox News is reporting the reactions to a cartoon drawn by Tom Toles and the cartoons of Muhammed that appeared in the Denmark papers and making these reactions essentially the same - they clearly are not.

But reactions in the last month, both to a cartoon by The Washington Post's Tom Toles and through a violent global response to 12 depictions of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad, appear to have raised the stakes for those making their paychecks on the drawing board.

Yes, raised the stakes, let's see how this works -Cartoonists in Denmark publish cartoons and

Riots erupted in at least a dozen countries and have lasted for two weeks. U.S. officials said they believed extremists, including the governments of Iran and Syria, helped fan the flames of discontent.

A Catholic Priest in Turkey was murdered, death threats have been issued against the cartoonists and for most of the people in Europe.

Tom Toles publishes a cartoon in The Washington Post and this is the response -

The Joint Chief of Staffs showed their outrage by - I can barely believe it - they wrote a letter.

Yes, a real show of equivalence.

Think you know nuns?

2006-02-12T14:24:00.000-05:00

More nun news - this time it's a video of a nun driving a monster truck.

The secrets of the Vatican interview

2006-02-11T14:03:00.000-05:00

Time magazine offers a humerous and interesting article about what it was like to cover the First Lady's visit to the Vatican last week. Perhaps the best comment was "Don't mess with the nuns" - see, even after 2000 years - some things don't change.

New podcast up!

2006-02-11T14:00:00.000-05:00

In this episode of Catholic:Under the Hood, I talk about scary movies and what it's like to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance as a priest.

Everybody run for the hills!

2006-02-06T23:50:00.000-05:00

As if it could get any worse - forecasts state that Russia is headed for a vodka shortage. I never thought I would have to go to Russia and bring my own vodka.

Let us all offer a sympathy toast or two or three or four...

"Hundreds of new species" discovered

2006-02-06T23:45:00.000-05:00

Scientists have discovered all sorts of new critters in New Guinea.

Among the new species of birds, frogs, butterflies and palms discovered in the expedition through this pristine environment, untouched by man, was the spectacular Berlepsch's six-wired bird of paradise. The scientists are the first outsiders to see it. They could only reach the remote mountainous area by helicopter, which they described it as akin to finding a "Garden of Eden". [source]

Word is that several groups of Americans are already planning hunting trips based on reports that many of the new species "taste like chicken".

Franciscanism and Islam

2006-02-04T17:07:00.000-05:00

I have been following the uprisings in the Middle East over a series of cartoons published in European newspapers that Muslims have condemned as blasphemous to Islam. Some Muslims have resorted to violence and threats of violence against many people.

I have protested against many things that were hostile to my faith on this blog site, but I would never wish any violence against those who attacked my faith.

I must admit that watching these demonstrations by some Muslims frightens me and because I am frightened I am concerned about acting in a way that is not Christian. I wonder about the Franciscan community's legacy of relating to the world of Islam. We seem to have renounced the heritage of seeking conversion exemplified by Francis of Assisi and our first martyrs for an attitude that seems to have been overly naive. But then again, perhaps it is the fear that is talking.

CAN YOU FEEL THE POWER!!!

2006-01-30T21:45:00.000-05:00

Are you on fire for the Lord? Are you ready to put the smackdown on the devil? Then you need to check out this website - ULTIMATE CHRISTIAN WRESTLING!!!!

Catholic Schools and MySpace

2006-01-30T21:34:00.000-05:00

I have blogged on the problems of MySpace in the past - mainly that some of the blogs which teenagers set up can be very dangerous.

For example:

A 16-year-old Pompano Beach girl who says she attends Cardinal Gibbons in Fort Lauderdale lists 100 Myspace friends on her Web page. Among several photos of her and friends is a prominent picture of one holding up a poster board that reads "I realy [sic] love Older Men!"

Because of these dangers, Catholic schools in Florida is seeking to take action.

As a step toward encouraging morality, combating school bullying and promoting Internet safety, South Florida Catholic schools are crafting policies to make culprits pay for their actions at home.

"There are borderline pornographic references about kids and statements that would not make someone feel comfortable coming to school," said Archdiocese of Miami Superintendent of Elementary Schools Kristen Hughes. "What's part of what used to be parent work has become principal work."

The Archdiocese of Miami, which includes Broward County, has fielded so many calls from Catholic schools during the past month, they're considering creating a penalty for degrading classmates online.

And the Diocese of Palm Beach County is working with attorneys to draft a policy against abusive postings on Web sites like Myspace. Neither organization has disclosed how it would penalize students for online misbehavior. [source]

I commend the schools for taking action, but I think that it has to be more than prohibitive - these students need to learn the right ways to use the Internet and parents need help in supervising their children's web behavior. This means learning what sites are popular with children, being able to read their children's blog, and being in a position to shut down that blog if their child posts something inappropriate.

Missed opportunity at the Holocaust Museum

2006-01-29T18:56:00.000-05:00

On January 12th, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum held a conference entitled "The Catholic Church After the Holocaust: A Reexamination." Given the opportunity to conduct a real scholarly examination of the historiography of Catholic Church actions leading up to and during WWII, the Museum demonstrated that it was more interested in agendas than in history.

The panel was headed by New York Times columnist E.J. Dionne and composed of Father John Pawlikowski and John Carroll [sic - It was in fact James Carroll] - none of whom is sympathetic to the Vatican's WWII history. There are lots of others who could have participated in this panel to give other perspectives, but that would have kept the Holocaust Memorial from being able to fulfill it's agenda of blaming Catholics.

As a historian, perhaps the most glaring offense of this panel is that none of the members of this panel is a professional historian. This is not to say that non-historians cannot voice an opinion on this issue, but it does mean that if you want to look at the history of the Vatican's relationship to the Holocaust - you need to eventually show that your conclusions survive historical examination. Carroll has no doctoral degree. Pawlikowski has a PhD in Ethics.

Yes, the Holocaust Museum had an opportunity to really add to our understanding of this time period, instead it cast doubt on its ability to objectively present the history of that most shameful history.

In case the Holocaust Museum ever seeks to truly have a historical discussion on this issue, might I suggest they contact the following -

Father Pierre Blet, SJ
Guenter Lewy - [who lives in Washington, DC]
Jose M. Sanchez
Rabbi David Dalin

These are all scholars and each has a different opinion as to the Catholic Church and the Holocaust - some are sympathetic, some are not. But each would be far better qualified to answer the question the Holocaust Museum puts forward.

New Catholic Under The Hood

2006-01-28T00:25:00.000-05:00

This week's episode of Catholic:Under The Hood is up with a look at missions, weird news and my comments about Pope Benedict's Deus Caritas Est. Take a listen to find out how to eat cucumbers in Bangladesh and what the Franciscans are up to.

New podcast is coming!

2006-01-22T22:19:00.000-05:00

The preliminary information and data for the next podcast are up! The podcast will be called THEOSIS and will be a podcast journey through the Lenten and Easter season with the Eastern Church.

I expect the first podcast will be going up on the 29th of January but I will be putting up other information before that. What this means is that you can already check much of the site out, but podcast subscriptions won't begin until the first episode goes up. In fact, I might put up a prelimary podcast before that - so stay tuned.

For the Roman Catholics out there, the Eastern Church has five pre-Lenten Sundays in preparation for Lent which is why things are beginning so early with the podcast. Again, I will be podcasting for THEOSIS pretty much every Sunday during the pre-Lenten time and then switching to daily on February 26th and then going all the way to June 11th. So, it's going to have lots of episodes.

More information about the podcast can be found at the website of THEOSIS.

New Podcast Is Up!

2006-01-21T06:52:00.000-05:00

The newest Catholic:Under The Hood is up with an interview with Fr. Thomas Loya about the Theology of the Body, a brief talk about the Franciscan Tau, and a look at the importance of the Diaconate. Take a listen!

Don't be offended, be appreciative

2006-01-20T11:19:00.000-05:00

The artists Gilbert & George are showing an exhibit of stained glass windows - with a bit of a difference as:

The panels are a bold attack on the evils of organised religion from Christianity to Islam and Judaism, with superstitious pixies and Freemasonry thrown in for good measure. [source]

Now, artists seeking to use religious images to attack Christianity is certainly nothing new - what is interesting is the artists' justification for their work. Indeed the artists insist that despite the fact that their art is intended as an attack on religion, no Christian should be offended because:

"I think Christians should think themselves lucky that artists are dealing so closely with their subject. Picasso never did a crucifixion."

Oh, now I get it. From now on, when someone spits [or worse] on a picture of Jesus or Mary, I won't get mad - I'll rejoice about how lucky I am that artists cared enough about desecrating images of importance to me. It's all so clear now.

[In case you are curious about the artwork included in this blog entry - it's Picasso's "Crucifixion"]

What did Italy know and when did they know it?

2006-01-20T11:13:00.000-05:00

A Turkish newspaper is claiming that the Italy was warned of Mehmet Ali Agca's plans to assassinate Pope John Paul II a year before the incident took place. In looking over the article, it's unclear how seriously Italy should have taken the threat - especially as over one hundred countries were warned.

He explains how they foresaw that he would attempt to assassinate the Pope and warned the countries by issuing a red bulletin as follows. "After murdering Abdi Ipekci, he escaped from the prison where he was sentenced life. We informed all the countries about his arrestment and extradition to Turkey. We printed his photo, provided them with his description and fingerprints. We explained the modus operandi of the incident as well. We noted in the red bulletin that 'he said he would kill the Pope". We reported this not only with a red bulletin but also with a general wireless circulation."

It's also not noted in the article what actions the Italian goverment took or whether Turkey informed the Vatican directly about the threat.

Little known facts about the pope

2006-01-20T11:10:00.000-05:00

The Atlantic Monthly has published a large article about the papal election. I haven't read the piece, but one of the tibits that the article mentions is:

Benedict's personal library of several thousand theology books was photographed after his election so it could be reshelved in the same order in the papal apartments. [source]

The sign of a real academic!

Only in Russia

2006-01-20T11:09:00.000-05:00

The coldest spell in Moscow in 26 years has brought out the quirkiest in the Russian character with one animal trainer feeding an elephant a bucket of vodka to warm it up only to watch the drunken beast set about wrecking the central heating system. [source]

Fifty most influential Christians in America

2006-01-20T10:53:00.000-05:00

The Church Report has published it's list of the fifty most influential Christians in the U.S. I'll leave it to you to decide how accurate you think the list is.

A couple of interesting parts, though.

Pope Benedict XVI only made it in at 44.
Fr. Theodore McCarrick made it in at 47, right behind Sen. Rick Santorum.

In case you are curious,
T.D Jakes was #1.

Arson at Franciscan

2006-01-19T12:54:00.000-05:00

Someone set the Franciscan University sign on fire with several incendiary devices. No one has claimed responsibility so we don't know if it was simply an act of vandalism or if it was directed against the University deliberately. Fortunately, the sign is pretty resistant to fire due to the wet weather and the varnish protection. Still, it's upsetting.

Update on Haleigh

2006-01-19T12:47:00.000-05:00

I blogged about Haleigh awhile back who had been beaten by her stepmother and her stepmother's husband and put into a coma. Her fate had found its way into a court where the state was seeking permission to remove the ventilator and feeding tube on the grounds that she was in a persistant vegetative state. The stepmother's husband was arguing against that on the grounds that it was important to keep Haleigh alive - likely because he didn't want to be charged with her murder. Many questioned the state's position though, because they did not allow outside experts to look at her medical reports.

The day after the court sided with the state on the removal of the ventilator, doctors are now saying that Haleigh is breathing on her own and responding to various stimuli.

Once again, the diagnosis of "persistant vegitative state" seems to be somewhat premature. Indeed the article notes that some diagnosed as being in a PVS do partially recover. Therefore, if someone is in a PVS they cannot get better, if they do get better they were not in a PVS - get the difference?

New Podcast Is Up!

2006-01-14T00:17:00.000-05:00

This week at Catholic:Under The Hood, we hear from Sr. Anne Delores of the Sisters of Saint John the Baptist about her vocation and the role of religious sisters in the Church and the World today. I also talk a little about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - plus an extra surprise.

Virginia Case revisited

2006-01-13T09:27:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I blogged about the case of Roger Kieth Coleman who was executed in Virginia in 1992. Coleman died proclaiming his innocence and the Virginia governor had ordered a new DNA test to determine whether or not an innocent man had been executed. The results of this new test have been released and once more confirm Coleman's guilt.

Many wondered whether, if Coleman had been found innocent, this would have been a major attack on the death penalty. Certainly, it would have been a major claim against capital punishment as it is currently implemented. But, the key to contemporary Catholic objections to the death penalty is not that it is unjust in its implementation - though those arguments are made - but that the death penalty is unjust in its very nature. That is, that the sanctity of human life means that capital punishment is a moral wrong in and of itself. Yes, there is the caveat that if capital punishment were the only means to protect society that, in those particular cases, capital punishment might be justified - but it is clear that, in the United States, those cases do not currently exist. In short, it matters not whether Coleman was innocent or guilty - executing him was wrong.

But it also means that the Church needs to once more look at its ministry to the victims of violent crime. In what way are we - especially as priests and ministers - helping to create an environment that promotes healing and forgiveness?

To See The Pope

2006-01-11T08:51:00.000-05:00

Here is a great story about a young boy who dreamed about meeting the pope.

Some boys want guns for Christmas, others want a dog or even a new baby brother, but what Joshua Nona wanted was to meet the pope, and on Christmas Eve his prayer came true.

The Valley Center boy and his family spent the holy night in Mass at the Vatican, by invitation of Pope Benedict XVI. It was a dream come true for the 9-year-old who, after turning 7, said he felt a calling to the priesthood. His father said Joshua would run off to seminary now if he could.

"We told him he has to wait until he finishes high school and he's dated a couple of times," Asher Nona said.

Prior to having Joshua, his father said the family didn't attend church, pray or read the Bible regularly. But the older Joshua got, he said, the more he hungered for Christian knowledge and practice.

Eventually, his father said, Joshua got his family attending church weekly at St. Stephen's Catholic Church in Valley Center. His father was reading the Bible to him twice a day and the family prayed morning, noon and night, even in public restaurants. Now, Nona says, Joshua reads and explains the Bible to him.

"It isn't something we pushed on Joshua," Nona said. "He pushed it on us."

Last year, while watching the new pope take his place at the Vatican, Joshua turned to his father and asked him to take him to the birthplace of Jesus and to visit the pope.[source]

Joshua finally was able to meet the pope and it proved a very meaningful experience both for Joshua and his father.

As Pope Benedict walked by, Joshua said he reached out and touched him yelling, "Papa I love you, Papa I love you!" He said the pope turned to him and blessed him.

Now Joshua says he wants to be a pope.

It was also a big day for Nona, who said he fled his birthplace in Iraq to escape religious persecution.

"I was crying like a little kid ... but I didn't care," he said. "This whole ordeal was incredible. It will be a memorable experience for us as long as we live."

Pretty great story and it goes to show that Pope Benedict is continuing to make the kind of impressions that Pope John Paul II did upon all people - young and old.

New Podcast Is Up!

2006-01-07T00:52:00.000-05:00

The newest podcast of Catholic:Under The Hood is up. This week's episode contains interviews with Carol Gentile, SFO - the National Minister of the US Secular Franciscans and with Sr. Amy Cavender CSC in honor of the upcoming National Vocation Awareness Week. I also spend some time talking about the icon of the Baptism of the Lord.

Who speaks for the Church?

2006-01-06T15:52:00.000-05:00

One of the main points that were made in my seminary days was the need to fight against the evils of clericalism, that as a priest it was my job to open the Church to the laity, that increasing lay involvement was the high point of Vatican II.

Well, like many theological ideas this one is full of brightness and sparkle but in the end seems to signify very little and the same clericalism that used to be rife in the parishes has simply moved to the ivory towers. If I talk down to you because I'm a priest and you are a lay person, that's wrong. But if I talk down to you because I am an academic and you are a member of the hoi polloi - that is quite acceptable.

The reason for this post is in response to a piece by Father Richard McBrien in the Tidings.

An excellent presentation of the many faults with this piece can be found on Amy Welborn's blog.

But what is especially eye catching is this section of his piece:

What has changed on the ecclesiastical and political fronts over the past decade is the broad accessibility of the Internet. With it has come a new capacity of individuals, who could never be published by reputable newspapers and magazines, to gain an audience via personal blogs and to attract the attention even of the mainstream media, which are always interested in controversy, especially of the man-bites-dog variety.

The rhetoric of these self-styled defenders of orthodoxy is so recklessly hot that it automatically gets attention. This is the new reality.

If the good Father wants to see "recklessly hot rhetoric" he should look at some of this column. But it is clear that when we hear calls for increased lay participation than what is mean is only increase participation of the laity who agree with the person making the call. In Fr. McBrien's case - Voice of the Faithful represents good laity who need to be heard. Faithful Voice represent bad laity who must be silenced. Those laity who support Fr. McBrien's views are open minded laity encouraging much needed reforms. Those laity who oppose Fr. McBrien's views are "ultra conservatives" seeking to push the Church back into the dark ages.

Indeed, it is easy to demand the Bishops listen to the laity but the laity are not some homogenous entity and they never have been. Each person has a different set of opinions and a different set of views and its a whole lot more complicated. This is why the real understanding of the sensum fideli is never represented in a movement called "We Are Church" or "Voice of the Faithful" or "Faithful Voice" because none of these groups can claim to represent the Church to any significant degree. The Church is composed of all Catholics living and dead and yet to come because the Church is Christ.

And as for Fr. McBrien's clericalism wrapped in the fog of intellectualism, it was wrong for the "Father knows best" attitude in the past and it continues to be wrong today. These blogs and podcasts and videocasts are giving the laity a new found voice to be able to speak their faith to the world and some may not like what they hear but, guess what, that's the complicated voice of the Church today and attempting to slander those you disagree with or put them on some sort of new Index won't stop those voices from being heard.

To paraphrase David Bowie -

And these bloggers that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They’re quite aware of what they’re going through

Fr. Seraphim Beshoner, TOR, PhD

Married Clergy

2006-01-05T09:37:00.000-05:00

Deacon Leonard Klein is preparing to be the first married transitional deacon ordained to the priesthood in Delaware. He is a convert from Lutheranism and had been a Lutheran minister before his conversion.

There is nothing canonically wrong with ordaining to the priesthood a man who is already married - indeed it happens all the time in Europe in the Eastern Catholic Churches. However, I think it makes it more and more difficult to prevent married men from being ordained especially in the Eastern Catholic Churches here in the United States but also in the Roman Catholic Church. I understand that this case is an exception but it seems to me to be setting up an unnecessary double standard.

I'm also not attacking the notion of clerical celibacy. I have taken that vow and I intend to keep it. All I'm saying is that if you allow a married convert to be ordained to the priesthood, why not someone who has been a member of the Church their entire life?

Got a cell phone? Franciscanize it!

2006-01-05T09:32:00.000-05:00

The Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity are offering a downloadable ring tone of their song "Peace and All Good".

The Franciscan Sisters wanted to accommodate young women’s rapidly increasing interest in downloading ring tones of songs they liked. “As consecrated women we are encouraged by our Church to make known the beauty and the truth of our lives through the marvels of technology.” says Sr. Julie Ann Sheahan, OSF, of the order's vocation team.

She notes that “Jesus, the Incarnate Word, left us an example of the importance of human communication in daily life. We hope our simple, beautiful “Called to be” ring tone may inspire young women to discover and discern their unique call from God.”

I am certainly all for anything that helps people discern their call. But I might chose a different tune like "Turn me off before Mass starts" or "Tithe, Tithe" or "Father Seraphim likes cookies". Those would be some good ring tones.

Pope Benedict continues to draw large crowds

2006-01-05T09:28:00.000-05:00

According to news reports, Pope Benedict XVI continues to attract large amounts of people - perhaps even more than did John Paul II. Nearly 3 million for the general audiences and Sunday addresses, plus another million at World Youth Day and another 200,000 at Bari last year. Pretty incredible, if you ask me.

Going to Israel? Be sure to visit the Galilee World Heritage Park

2006-01-05T08:50:00.000-05:00

A group of American Evangelicals led by Pat Robertson is looking to purchase land in Israel to turn into a Biblical theme park. The park is to be located by the Sea of Galilee. While Israeli proponents of the park hope that it will bring in more American tourists, some Israeli Jews are worried that the park will seek to convert them to Christianity.

Perhaps it could be a way for American Christians to get more into touch with the history of Christianity. Plus, think of all the great rides that you could put up - The River Jordan Plunge, The Cappadocian Challenge, Armagedden Alley. You could even sell those "I went to Galilee and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" shirts.

Important Case In Virginia?

2006-01-03T16:41:00.000-05:00

Within the next two weeks, Virginia Governor Mark R. Warner is looking to arrange DNA tests which may exonerate Roger Kieth Coleman who was executed for the death of his wife's sister. If the DNA tests do prove Coleman's innocence it will be the first time that the innocence of an executed person has been proven scientifically.

This, of course, would provide a great moral argument to those seeking the abolishment of the death penalty. But would it be enough to persuade those who currently favor capital punishment? I don't know. Certainly it is worth following.

Popemobile redux

2006-01-03T11:57:00.000-05:00

If you missed out on the opportunity to buy one of Pope Benedict's old cars awhile back, now is your chance to buy one of Pope John Paul II's old cars.

A 48-year-old car that belonged to the late John Paul II when he was bishop of Krakow in his native Poland is to go to auction in Paris next month.

The Polish-made sedan, a 1958 FSO Warszawa, was specially ordered by John Paul when he was known as Bishop Karol Jozef Wojtyla, and the registration papers are still in his name, the Christie's auction house said.

It added that the vehicle was being sold by a private collector and was expected to fetch between 5000 and 15,000 euros ($8079 and $24,238) when it goes under the hammer on February 11. [source]

Who knows perhaps you could be driving a relic of your very own!

Blessed are those who have not seen, but believe

2006-01-03T11:35:00.000-05:00

An Italian Judge has ordered a priest to prove that Jesus existed. The difficulty with this argument as a historian is attempting to prove that anyone existed in an age dominated by oral history. Certainly there are lots of early references to to Jesus in the Scriptures but those who don't want to believe that Jesus existed argue that those references can be ruled out because they can't be judged as unbiased. Josephus and Tacitus each mentioned Jesus - but those are later sources and those who don't want to believe argue that these sources are not eyewitnesses. You make the point that even the hostile references to Jesus in early Jewish history do not deny Jesus' existence but those who don't want to believe argue that these sources are also not eyewitness reports. If someone doesn't want to believe, no evidence will prove to be convincing especially in an age that believes a conspiracy is always behind every corner.

It reminds me of my undergraduate philosophy courses when studying the skeptics. Our instructor, playing devil's advocate, tried to get us to prove that anything existed and wasn't just a figment of his imagination. Fortunately, American pragmatism won out when one student said, "Look, I'm sitting in this chair. It's holding me up. It works for me." So, in the same way the evidence for Jesus' existence "works for me".

It's a new year and the need for intense prayer continues

2006-01-03T11:22:00.000-05:00

Story 1 - In New Jersey, four teenagers are arrested for stealing 27 statues of the Child Jesus and planning to set them on fire.

"They were looking for things to do," Detective Ken Kelly said. "They told us, 'We were going to have a baby Jesus burning party.' "The reason they picked (the Jesus figures) was because they looked real."

Kelly said one of the suspects told detectives, "We just wanted to see their heads burning."

Story 2 - In Chicago, vandals sprayed "KKK", "666", and "Leave" on statues of the Blessed Mother and Jesus at the Fraternite Notre Dame Monastery.

"We was crying, believe me. When you see that, you cannot ... we love so much the blessed mother. We cannot leave her like this," said Sister Mary of the Cross, one of the nuns at the monastery.

May God have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Insert your own caption!

2005-12-31T15:26:00.000-05:00

1. See the new Fontanini Pope Benedict XVI for your Nativity!

2. Honey, I shrunk the Pope!

3. The Pope on Wonkavision.

The Feast of the Circumcision

2005-12-31T10:47:00.000-05:00

On January 1st we will celebrate the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God. This day used to be known as the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ because it took place eight days after Christ's birth. Indeed devotion to the Holy Prepuce used to be very prominent in the Catholic Church as it was believed to be one of the few relics of Christ's earthly body that the Church possessed.

I'm not sure why the Catholic Church chose to change the name of this day, perhaps because the idea of circumcision cut some people the wrong way [sorry!] - perhaps to give greater attention to the Blessed Mother and her role in salvation. But I think that we are missing some important theological messages that were carried by the Feast of the Circumcision worth restating.

Christ's willingness to become circumcised, even though he did not have to, gives an important sign of the importance of obedience to God. The blood shed during the circumcision serves as an important sign of the Crucifixion where again out of obedience to the Father, the Son will give up his life. The Christmas season is full of images of cute, happy baby Jesus but this is a child who is born to suffer and die for our sake. The Feast of the Crucifixion forces us to ask whether or not we are also willing to be obedient through suffering and even obedient unto death.

In a world where some people deny the Jewishness of Jesus, the Feast of the Circumcision served as another way to re-emphisize that the salvation of the world came out of the Jewish people.

There are also some nice hymns to be sung in honor of the Circumcision:

From the hymn, "The Ancient Law Departs" :
His infant body now
Begins the cross to feel:
Those precious drops of blood that flow
For death the Victim seal.

From the hymn, O Happy Day, When First Was Poured:
O happy day, when first was poured
The blood of our redeeming Lord!
O happy day, when first began
His sufferings for sinful man!

and

Lord, circumcise our hearts, we pray,
Our fleshly natures purge away;
Thy Name, Thy likeness may they bear:
Yea, stamp Thy holy image there!

I don't know whether you could start a movement called "Bring back Circumcision" but perhaps priests might mention something about it in their homilies on the 1st of January and others might bring it up in casual conversation.

This is the time when we remember how Jesus lived a truly human life in faithfulness to the Father and that we who have found the Child Jesus in Bethlehem are called to follow his example.

New podcast up

2005-12-31T10:44:00.000-05:00

The newest Catholic:Under The Hood is up with a tour of some of the impressive artwork of Kansas City's Plaza and a look at what the Catholic Church has to do with New Year's Day.

What happens when the world goes upside down?

2005-12-25T19:43:00.000-05:00

What does it mean when one can no longer mention the name of Jesus because it is offensive, but one can curse and swear because it is daring?

What does it mean when one can no longer show a cross because it is offensive, but one can show that which is sacriligious because it is progressive?

The Sacramentality of the Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

2005-12-25T19:24:00.000-05:00

Let me preface this post by saying that it contains information which may make watching the movie - The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe less enjoyable if you have not seen the movie or read the book. So if you don't wish to have part of the plot spoiled, please read the book and/or see the movie before reading the rest of this post.

Having finally seen the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - I was struck not only by the Christian imagery, but also by some strong Catholic imagery.

The movie presents a really good theology of the Sacrament of Confession in the encounter between Edmund and Aslan after Edmund is freed from the White Witch. Edmund made poor choices and even though he had suffered for those choices, he still needed to approach Aslan [Christ] to really be brought back into the community. When his encounter with Edmund is finished, Alsan tells the other children that the events of the past were not to be brought up again. Aslan had forgiven Edmund and that is the end of the matter.

However, forgiven sin still has consequences - Edmund's actions had caused pain to many others and the White Witch tries to claim Edmund as hers by right. It is only by Aslan willing to take upon himself Edmund's punishment that truly removes any claim that evil may have upon Edmund and Edmund's willingness to atone for his past misdeads through acts of virtue that truly address those consequences.

In the same way, sin in Catholic theology creates a rupture between the sinner and God - between the sinner and the Church. To repair that rupture, the sinner comes before Christ to hear the words of the priest, "Your sins are forgiven". To know that because Christ forgives the sinner - no one will mention the past wrong again. But as the forgiven sinner knows, the past deed can continue to have effects - Christ has freed us from any claim evil may have upon us through his sacrifice but we are still called to make amends for past wrongs through repentence and conversion. This repentence and conversion is not a punishment - instead it is a grace making us more into the persons that we have been called to be just as Edmund's conversion helps make him into the person who can be called king.

As the movie demonstrates, confession is a means of healing - not a means of punishment.

New podcast up

2005-12-23T23:03:00.000-05:00

A new podcast is up over at Catholic:Under The Hood with an interview with Damien Lenshek of Project Damian and a commentary on the Icon of the Nativity. Check it out!

What would our founders think?

2005-12-21T19:27:00.000-05:00

As a member of a religious order, I am always wondering how much of what I am doing is in conformity with the life of the one who founded my community. I know that it's not just me. Indeed, whenever some members of a religious community misbehave, the quick response is "St. X would be rolling over in his grave if he knew what his community is doing." Not surprisingly, many of those quick to voice such statements are themselves members of religious communities.

If anyone looked at the way I live my life, it would be easy to say that I do not live the level of austerity that St. Francis lived - I'm writing on computer to offer one big example of what I mean. Francis had trouble with his followers having breviaries, I'm sure that he probably wouldn't have wanted them to have Thinkpads.

So, does this mean that I'm not living my Franciscan life faithfully? I certainly am not in 100% conformity to Francis but the Christian life calls me to become like Christ - not to become like Francis. Francis is holy only because he imitated Christ. In this sense, Francis repeats the words of St. John the Baptist "I must decrease so that he might increase". This is the way with any saint - their lives and examples are proclaimed so that they might direct us to Christ, and through Christ to the Father. In this sense, one statement I hear quite a bit "There was only one Francis is correct". Francis had is call from God to which he responded faithfully, but the rest of us are not called to live in the same way. If we protest because certain religious do not follow the examples of their orders founder, should we not first protest against ourselves because we do not follow faithfully the example of Christ?

This doesn't mean that I shouldn't strive to live more Franciscan each day, indeed I should - just as I should strive to live more Christian every day. This doesn't mean that I can and do behave in ways that are opposed to the charism of St. Francis - in those cases I need to be corrected and challenged. The reason why we have a charism of conversion is a recognition that we are not the way that God wants us to be - but we also know that through God's grace and the prayers of St. Francis that we can be. So, please be kind to this unreformed Franciscan and pray that this unreformed Franciscan can become kinder to others - even the Jesuits.

Signs of the Advent Apocalypse - Part 6 - Santarchy

2005-12-18T08:36:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Santarchy, a movement that apparently involves getting drunk and causing disruptive behavior while dressed up as Santa Claus - all in the name of "protesting the commercialization of Christmas". Yeah, right.

The rampage, dubbed "Santarchy," began early Saturday afternoon when the men, wearing ill-fitting Santa costumes, threw beer bottles and urinated on cars from an overpass, said Auckland Central Police spokesman Noreen Hegarty.

She said the men then rushed through a central city park, overturning garbage containers, throwing bottles at passing cars and spraying graffiti on office buildings. [source]

Perhaps we need a new group protesting the protestors.

New Podcast up

2005-12-17T13:46:00.000-05:00

I have a new podcast up at Catholic:Under The Hood. We interview Joe Campo of Grassroots Films about their work promoting John Paul II's call to evangelize through the media. We also listen to the story of St. Francis and the Christmas Creche.

St. Michael and Willy Wonka

2005-12-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

Having taken the religious name of Seraphim, I tend to get a little upset over the contemporary trend to wimpifying the Angels. Perhaps when the devil ceases to be a concern, it's not too surprising that the Angels cease to be great forces for good but instead become faint shadows of their glory, just look at the entire Seraphim Angels line of statues for example.

If Angels really looked like that, Gabriel wouldn't have told Mary to "Be not afraid" but instead "Here, have a hug". But, I have to admit that seeing the Chocolate Angels produced by Sarris Candies really got my ire going. This is the description from the box of the "origin" of Chocolate Angels -

It must have been divine intervention.

Humming an aria as soft and sweet as the confections he was creating, Michael gently stirred the sweetened vanilla cream. Delicately he dipped into the whipped white peaks, dropping dollops of whisper-light clouds onto the cool marble, and then covering them in pure milk chocolate.

Suddenly a faint fluttering caught his ear. Michael looked upward to see fresh pecans drifiting downward as if guided by unseen gossamer wings...

Agh! Apparently the war against evil has died down enough so that St. Michael can retire and make candy.

Bring back the real Angels with armor and swords beating up dragons and the bad guys. That's what I want for Christmas.

Abortion in an Orwellian world

2005-12-10T10:53:00.000-05:00

The City Council of Pittsburgh voted 5-3 to extend the "bubble of privacy" [you just have to wonder who comes up with these words] around abortion clinics to 15 feet from the clinics entrance and 8 feet from any patient who enters a 100 foot zone around the clinic.

The Council appeared to be swayed by the usual pro-abortion arguments accusing the protestors of harrasment and intimidation. An odd sort of argument considering that on December 1st, two Franciscan University students were assaulted by a group of ten teenagers angry at their presence in front of a Pittsburgh Abortion clinic. The students were beaten and threatened with a box cutter.

The tragedy of this decision grows because those who are in a position to help prevent abortion not only do not work to prevent it, they encourage it. For example, Rev. Bebb Stone of the Presbyterian Church of Mt. Washington escorts women to the abortion clinic. There have been some "Catholics" who have also done the same.

Thanks to the use of double speak those who speak for life are called "intimidators", those who take life are "couragous".

NARAL says, "Every child a wanted child". God says, I want that child. What more needs to be said?

New podcast up

2005-12-10T10:52:00.000-05:00

The latest episode of Catholic:Under The Hood is up with an interview with Fr. Michael Scanlon, TOR about the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

Twelve Days of Kitschmas

2005-12-09T08:59:00.000-05:00

Having trouble finding a gift for that special person? Take a look at some of the gift selections over at Ship of Fools. I'm really looking at the Flogging Lights for the friary.

Christianity, the Media and Evangelization

2005-12-08T09:20:00.000-05:00

I was reading an article in the Village Voice about the place of Christian themes in contemporary film and was struck by this paragraph:

But there is no explicit mention of Christianity in Anschutz's speech or Walden's materials [about the Narnia movie], reflecting another strategy among members of the Christian right that involves cloaking their goals in secular language. As Didi Herman explains, "The [Christian right's] more sophisticated elements quite consciously avoid religious rhetoric; they know it doesn't work. The language of sin, apocalypse, redemption results in them being 'loonified' by the media." For example, Mel Gibson, in discussing his latest project Apocalypto (also to be distributed by Disney), rejected rumors that his new film was an end-times narrative inspired by sacred Mayan texts, saying at a press conference that it is "not a big doomsday picture or anything like that."

Is it really necessary that in order for Christianity to get its message out that we need to "hide" the very language that is Christianity, i.e. the theme of sin and redemption? Can we preach Christianity without preaching Christ?

I have trouble understanding why the very message that has brought people to Christ for thousands of years is all of the sudden something to be avoided. People don't come to Christianity because it entertains them, nor should we be "cloaking" our message - though some may indeed find the message subversive.

This doesn't mean beating people over the head with the Bible, but it does mean not being ashamed of the very message you seek to spread.

There seems to be a fear that if a movie is advertized as "too Christian" that it will keep people away. This is the real tragedy, the belief that an authentically Christian message will be unappealing. But if you speak to a convert, they always say that they became Christian because they came to know Christ, that he came into a fallen world and redeemed it.

It's easy to be nice, what is the real challenge and the real desire is to be holy.

Newsflash! Narnia is about Jesus

2005-12-07T09:04:00.000-05:00

The Sunday Times of England offers us this groundbreaking news - "Narnia's lion is really Jesus" according to an unpublished letter by Lewis which provides "conclusive proof of the Christian message in his Narnia children’s books." [source]

I was wondering, is there anyone who denies this. Both supporters and detractors seem to agree on this point. Christian Churches here in the United States are preparing to turn out their members in full force to see the film. Those who are hostile to Christianity are warning people to stay away from its blatant Christian themes.

Apparently one person who denies the Christian themes is Lewis' stepson David Gresham. However, David's own religious wanderings make me wonder whether he ever really understood where Lewis was coming from - or whether he is worried that the strong publicization of Narnia's Christian message may keep some viewers away.

As for the Times, I wonder if it isn't also trying to fan the flames of controversy. Perhaps we will get a headline tomorrow - "Christian messiah is really Jesus" and conclusive proof of the Christian message in the letters of St. Paul.

Catholic Podcasts

2005-12-07T00:33:00.000-05:00

The new revised directory of Catholic podcasts is up at catholicpodcasts.info

I hope to continue to add to the site - information on subscribing to podcasts and perhaps some information on making your own podcasts. Right now it is intended to let people know what podcasts are out there and about news in Catholic podcasting.

Who will speak for Haleigh?

2005-12-06T19:20:00.000-05:00

I can still remember the struggle to keep Terri Schiavo alive earlier this year. One issue of special concern was the motivation of her husband in seeking her death. In Boston, there is now another hard case that is similar to Terri's but with an even darker twist.

Haleigh Poutre is an 11 year old girl in a comotose state from which doctors assert she will never recover. She is currently in the custody of the Massachusettes Department of Social Services because her aunt, who had adopted her, has committed suicide. The DDS wants to remove Haleigh's feeding tube but is being opposed by Jason Strickland. Mr. Strickland lived with Haleigh and her aunt for four years and wishes to be declared Haleigh's de-facto father.

As one of Mr. Strickland's lawyers said, "Without the intervention of this court, this child will die."

The horrible twist in this case is that the reason Haleigh is in a coma is that she was severely beaten and Mr. Strickland has been accused of this terrible crime. Moreover, if Haleigh dies, Mr. Strickland will likely face charges of murder. [source]

Do we fight for Haleigh's right to live even if it benefits the one accused of abusing her? I think we do. A lawyer for the DDS has argued that this case is about allowing Haleigh to die. But no one can know Haleigh's wishes - especially a "wish to die". Indeed it would be better to say that the state wants to be allowed to do what Mr. Strickland stands accused of and failed.

One thing stands clear - Haleigh was betrayed once by the system that was supposed to protect her and it seems likely that she will be betrayed again.

I saw that Haleigh's biological mother is still alive. However, presumably, she renounced her parental rights when Haleigh was adopted by her aunt. Who will speak for Haleigh today?

The Internet - Friend or Foe

2005-12-05T14:28:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I commented on a piece by Jonathan Last entitled God and the Internet within one of my Catholic:Under The Hood podcasts. In that capacity I have been mentioned by First Things within the context of a debate over the article and the article's conclusions regarding whether or not the Internet [particularly Internet blogging] should be seen more as something dangerous to Catholic community or something beneficial to the same. Even though my comments appeared on my podcast, I am speaking about this here as I think it will be easier for those who wish to comment and respond to do so.

Many of those mentioned in Last's article are justifiably upset with the way that Last presents them in the article. I did not address that issue in the podcast primarily because of the quick reading I made of the article. For just some of the negative responses, one can look at Amy Welborne's post and its comments.

I come at this issue both as someone fascinated with the possible applications of new Catholic media - as can be quite obvious with the fact that I blog and podcast. As a teacher I am interested in seeing how this new media can be used as a real tool for learning. I am also a Franciscan and so see the promoting of authentic human relationship as part of my religious charism.

My current thoughts:

The Internet is a tool for good and for ill. There is a lot of information available on the Internet much of it beneficial and much of it detrimental. In terms of the faith, there are indeed many good blogs, podcasts, videocasts available to present the faith in terms of sermons, apologetics, and other means which were unthinkable just a few years ago. The new media is definitely a great tool for evangelization and is being used in wondrous ways particularly by the Catholic laity.

However, the I have found that blogging can also be uncomfortable and I often wrestle with the question of whether my blogs or podcasts or whatever are more about making myself feel important [leave comments! say that you like me!] and less about promoting the glory of God. I find that there can indeed be something narcisistic about all of this. This is not to say that all [or any] blogger is acting only or primarily out of ego, just that this is a danger. I wonder whether the postings I choose for posting are designed to promote a real educated Catholicism or are more appropriate in some sort of "Catholic Weekly World News". It's easy for me to find things to complain about, it's much more difficult [though necessary] to put forward a constructive response.

As a blog reader/podcast listener - I find that there is much good out there that I certainly would not have been aware of if these media forms were not available. But I also feel the danger of "Internet Addiction" - of moving from blog to blog to blog seeking out the newest interesting post, concern that there may be something important that I might be missing.

As for the issue of community and the media - there are certainly good communities available for those involved in this new evangelization - St. Blogs for Catholic bloggers and Disciples With Microphones for Catholic podcasters, for example. Prolonged reading of a particular bloggers posts or listening to a particular podcaster can indeed give some insight into a person's character. I think also of the large number of comments on the blogsite of seminarian Matty Molnar after his tragic death as a sign of the many connections that can be made in cyberspace. But I find that there are limits - I can respond to a particular post/podcast with comments or e-mail but relationship building seeks more than that. It seeks an authentically human interaction of the human face, the human voice, the human body.

Catholic blogs/podcasts can introduce people to the faith, educate people about the faith but the source and summit of our faith is found in the celebration of the Eucharist. This is why I felt the need to ask whether or not my work was directing people toward Christ or toward myself. That is why, especially as an educator and a priest, I need to ask whether I am helping people to use the tools of the Internet wisely.

I guess the best way to put it is that I am excited about the possibilities of the Internet but I am also cautious. However, I will also say that I am happy to see the many posts and comments on other blogs about this issue - whether they specifically agree with my view or not. It means that as a faith community we recognize the importance of this question and are willing to take it seriously.

Comments?

Signs of the Advent Apocalypse - Part 5

2005-12-03T21:29:00.000-05:00

I guess with the difficulties facing Priests, it's not too surprising that Santa Claus is facing some of the same difficulties. What a terrible thing when the symbols of good are presented as symbols of evil.

Disillusioned by a growing list of rules imposed by recruiting agencies and shopping centres to guard against litigation, men who have brought smiles to the faces of thousands of young West Australians for decades are reluctantly deciding to call it quits.

They can't hand out lollies, they can't pat children on the head because of religious beliefs, they can't put children on their laps unless they get permission from parents and they can't have photographs taken with youngsters unless their hands are in full view.

So frightened have some Santas become of being sued that they are demanding extra helpers to act as witnesses just in case a complaint is made.

Santas are even being told not to go around saying `Ho, ho, ho' because they may frighten children.

One Santa told The Sunday Times he walked through a shopping centre in silence because he was worried he'd be sacked if he appeared too jolly. [source]

There is always an uneasy relationship between freedom and safety. And while the desire to protect children from predators is laudable, what about the need to be able to express genuine love without fear of a jail sentence or a lawsuit?

Signs of the Advent Apocalypse - Part 4

2005-12-03T10:57:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of members of PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment Animals] in the Phillipines urging that people adopt a vegetarian diet for Christmas.

Perhaps they were singing the Twelve Vegetarian Days of Christmas.

One the first day of Christmas, my diet permitted me one piece of crispy celery.
One the second day of Christmas, my diet permitted me two tofu burgers and one piece of crispy celery.
On the third day of Christmas, my diet permitted me three ripe bananas, two tofu burgers and one piece of crispy celery.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my diet permitted me four cups of lentils, three ripe bananas, two tofu burgers and one piece of crispy celery.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my diet permitted me five soy milks, four cups of lentils, three ripe bananas, two tofu burgers and one piece of crispy celery.

On the sixth day of Christmas, my diet permitted me six baked potatoes, five soy milks, four cups of lentils, three ripe bananas, two tofu burgers and one piece of crispy celery.
On the seventh day of Christmas, my diet permitted me seven pounds of mushrooms, six baked potates, five soy milks, four cups of lentils, three ripe bananas, two tofu burgers and one piece of crispy celery.
On the eighth day of Christmas, my diet permitted me eight bowls of rice, seven pounds of mushrooms, six baked potatoes, five soy milks, four cups of lentils, three ripe bananas, two tofu burgers and one piece of crispy celery.
On the ninth day of Christmas, my diet permitted me nine carob brownies, eight bowls of rice, seven pounds of mushrooms, six baked potatoes, five soy milks, four cups of lentils, three ripe bananas, two tofu burgers and one piece of crispy celery.

On the tenth day of Christmas, my diet permitted me ten boxes of pasta, nine carob brownlies, eight bowls of rice, seven pounds of mushrooms, six baked potatoes, five soy milks, four cups of lentils, three ripe bananas, two tofu burgers, and one piece of crispy celery.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my diet permitted me eleven heads of lettuce, ten boxes of pasta, nine carob brownies, eight bowls of rice, seven pounds of mushrooms, six baked potatoes, five soy milks, four cups of lentils, three ripe bananas, two tofu burgers, and one piece of crispy celery.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, I had a steak.

Signs of the Advent Apocalypse - Part 3

2005-12-03T10:52:00.000-05:00

Virginia Voiers thought she was taking part in a rambunctious holiday custom, but a carriage driver thought differently and called police when he saw the 70-year-old grandmother stealing the baby Jesus from the city's nativity scene. [source]

Apparently, Mrs. Voiers decided to participate in a particular town custom involving stealing the baby Jesus. Normally, the baby is returned - in this case, Mrs. Voiers - a Sunday School teacher - told her pastor what she had done. Her paster told her, "Go and sin no more" and "You didn't tell them you were a Methodist did you?"

While I normally come down on the side of putting Jesus in the manger at the beginning of Advent, this may be a good reason to hold off.

Podcast Update

2005-12-03T10:51:00.000-05:00

New podcast over at Catholic:Under The Hood with an interview with Fr. Brian Cavanaugh, TOR auther of "Sower Seeds" and more on the Krampus!

Signs of the Advent Apocalypse - Part 2

2005-12-01T21:31:00.000-05:00

Now this is a festival that might have some possibilities for the Bearded Seraph. The pictures are of a Krampus - one of the companions of Saint Nicholas.

According to Wikipedia -

Often the subject of winter poems and tales, the Companions travel with St. Nicholas or his various equivalents (Father Christmas, Santa Claus), carrying with them a rod (sometimes a stick, bundle of switches or a whip, and in modern times often a broom) and a sack. They are sometimes dressed in black rags, bearing a black face and unruly black hair. In many contemporary portrayals the companions look like dark, sinister, or rustic versions of Nicholas himself, with a similar costume but with a darker color scheme.

Some of the companions take on more monstrous forms. Krampus and Klaubauf are variously depicted as horned, shaggy, bestial, or demonic. In many depictions the Krampus looks like popular images of the Devil, complete with red skin, cloven hooves, and short horns. It is unclear whether the various companions of St. Nicholas are all expressions of a single tradition (likely Knecht Ruprecht), or a conflation of multiple traditions. Various texts, especially those outside the tradition, often treat the companions as variations on a single Knecht Ruprecht tradition.

According to tradition, the Krampus' job is to punish bad children and/or give them an "incentive" to behave before Christmas. How much better than just a simple, "You'll shoot your eye out!"

Signs of the Advent Apocalypse - Part 1

2005-12-01T14:47:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure that this is what St. Francis intended when he pushed the Advent nativity:

LIFE STYLE EXTRA (UK) - Britney Spears new son, Sean Preston, is to play the baby Jesus in his very own nativity scene this Christmas.

The pop princess, and husband Kevin Federline, have transformed his bedroom into the nativity setting in celebration of his first festive holiday.

The beautiful singer has splashed out on the lavish decorations - which include six waxwork models and several life-size toy donkeys and cattle.

The 23-year-old singer is so excited about her first Christmas as a mum she has even bought a cherrywood style manger for her baby.

A source close to the star is quoted by Britain's Daily Star newspaper as saying: "It cost an absolute fortune. But at least she didn't have to buy a baby Jesus - because Sean is playing the part." [source]

I thought about parodying this, but where to begin?

Podcast Update

2005-11-28T23:14:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that the newest Catholic:Under The Hood podcast is available offering a glimpse at the Monastery of the Holy Land and a picture of me in my Eastern liturgical vestments. Also, a plug for the From Advent to the Presentation podcast.

Je confesser!

2005-11-26T12:30:00.000-05:00

I have been tagged by Lauren over at Cnytr and so here go my deepest, darkest secrets.

I confess that the whole meme thing has me both eager to get tagged and dreading thinking of creative responses.

I confess that I am a big fan of cartoons including Aqua Teen Hunger Force, the Tick, and Mojo Jojo.

I confess that I look pretty good wearing a cowboy hat.

I confess as a child filling an entire suitcase with fresh walnuts, placing the suitcase in a closet and then forgetting about it - until my parents found it several weeks later.

I confess that my favorite scriptural passage is Psalm 127 (126) - "In vain is your earlier rising", though I do enjoy going later to bed.

I confess to being a grenade thrower. I like starting a conflict and then standing back to watch what happens.

I confess to using wit to hide insecurity.

I confess to having a semi-secret desire to partake of the strongest alcohols from around the world - I've had grappa, vodka, bourbon, slivovice, scotch and whisky. I think tasting poitin will be the most difficult.

I confess that if I wasn't allergic to tobacco, I would probably smoke a pipe.

I confess to dressing up as Grover Cleveland one Halloween.

I confess to having been a vegetarian for a couple years until I had to give it up as a Franciscan.

I confess to wanting to try out wearing a jazz spot or mutton chops.

I confess to buying books just so that they will look good in my office.

I confess to once freely chosing to wear an "I'm stupid" t-shirt to go along with my brother's "I'm with stupid" t-shirt.

I confess to enjoying all the great Funksters from Isaac Hayes to George Clinton.

I confess to having played Dungeons and Dragons in my youth. I always liked the gnomes.

Bonus: I confess that in college I once went on an ROTC weekend in the hopes of getting free camos. During the weekend I was outfitted with a M-16 will blanks and had to defend a post against a trained enemy. As I fired my weapon, the hot shells kept hitting a friend of mine in the face. All in all, I was a lousy soldier and I never did get the camos.

Extra-bonus: I confess to buying a whole box of Chick booklets and periodically hiding them under my Atheist roommate's pillow.

Now, I will continue the madness and tag Dev Thakur, Jack Bennett, and Jennifer if they haven't been tagged already.

Evangelicals, Catholic, and Natural Law

2005-11-24T20:52:00.000-05:00

Peter Augustine Lawler is on the President's Council for Bioethics - he makes some very interesting points on the relationship between Evangelicals and Catholics and common pro-life goals:

Evangelicals are—in terms of real life, in terms of family life—amazingly good. The Catholics cannot touch them. Orthodox Jews cannot touch them. The problem with evangelicals is that the evangelical book is too close to an oxymoron. Evangelicals lack intellectual life, and they really need it because they do not have any tradition. Sometimes tradition can substitute for thought, but when you do not have any thoughts or any tradition, then you are in big trouble. As a result, the evangelicals are rapidly becoming Catholics. They are looking for theology, and so they go to C. S. Lewis, and they go to G. K. Chesterton, and it is then a matter of time before they start reading Thomas Aquinas. So, the evangelicals lack intellectual life that would give them the vocabulary that would enable them to talk to their fellow citizens. Because the only remedy the evangelicals have for America is for Americans to convert, and they imply that, if it were not for the absolute truth of the Bible, the vulgar relativism of libertarian sociobiology would be true. They need to talk the language of Natural Law and say that contemporary individualism would be untrue even if there were no God. They need to develop a kind of law language that is not so revelation-dependent. Some evangelicals students have said that they cannot talk to anyone who does not take the Bible seriously. Then they are already politically defeated, because, while America is fairly religious,

I do not think most people go to church, unfortunately. This is why we suddenly have a Supreme Court that is a majority Catholic; even Kennedy is relatively conservative in a way. We have a Supreme Court that is orthodox Catholic, since the Catholics are able to translate the truth of revelation into language accessible to people who do not necessarily believe in revelation.

I think that Lawler makes some interesting points - Evangelicals need Catholics to provide the intellectual structure of the movement, Catholics need the passion of the Evangelicals to provide the energy of the movement. Not that the two should be seen as entirely separate.

Therefore, it is disappointing when Catholics don't know their intellectual heritage or believe that the ideas of people like Chesterton are no longer important. I guess Lewis would say that this is the way of the evil one - not to argue an idea because it is true, but because it is modern.

Unfortunately, this often happens in the fields of philosophy and theology - why worry about the ideas of past thinkers when we have the all new ideas of modern thinkers. Who is more impressive at cocktail parties - the expert on Foucault or the expert on Plato?

Dangerous precedents

2005-11-22T14:48:00.000-05:00

A 25 year old Florida teacher has pled guilty to having intercourse multiple times with one of that teacher's 14 year old students and yet still did not receive any jail time.

There were a couple of factors about the decision which raise serious questions of justice -

1. Did the teacher receive a lesser sentence because she was a woman and the victim was a 14 year old boy? I ask because in Wisconsin a male teacher found guilty of having intercourse with a 15 year old female student was sentenced to 11 years in prison. A male teacher found guilty of solicitating, but not engaging in sex, with a fifteen year old girl in New York was sentenced to up to 4 years in prison. I do not think that the men should receive lighter sentences, rather that the sentence for Debra Lafave seems to be far too light.

2. To what degree did the defense attorney's claim that, "to place an attractive young woman in that kind of hell hole is like putting a piece of raw meat in with the lions" affect the plea and are we going to establish now one set of penalties for "attractive people" and a second set for those who are "not so attractive"?

The Theology of Superman

2005-11-21T15:42:00.000-05:00

I was watching the trailer to the upcoming Superman Returns movie and was immediately struck by the interesting theological perspectives that are being put forward by the words of Jor-El who narrates the trailer piece.

Even though you have been raised as a human being, you're not one of them.

They can be a great people, Kal-El. They wish to be.

They only lack the light to show the way.

For this reason, above all their capacity for good, I have sent them you, my only son.

So, we have elements of Arianism, Pelagianism, Gnosticism, and New Age theology. Pretty much all the bases covered here. Though it doesn't quite have the poetry of John 1, nor does it offer the real glory of the Gospel. Superman seeks utopia through education and fails for the same reason that all Enlightenment philosophies fail - they can't deal with Original Sin. Jesus brings the kingdom of God through through a real transformation that no kryptonite can effect.

1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2: He was in the beginning with God;
3: all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
4: In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7: He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.
8: He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
9: The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.
10: He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.
11: He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
12: But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;
13: who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

New Podcast up over at Catholic:Under The Hood

2005-11-19T19:00:00.000-05:00

New episode of Catholic:Under the Hood is up looking at Fr. Dmitrius Gallitzin, the icon of the Presentation of the Virgin, and Last's article on God and the Internet in First Things.

I'm not anti-Catholic, but....

2005-11-18T14:02:00.000-05:00

George Mitrovich, president of the mis-named San Diego Ecumenical Council, worries about the possibility of another Catholic on the Supreme Court.

Of course, he is not himself anti-Catholic because anti-Catholicism is wrong. After all, he writes...

...no one wants to revisit the days when it was fashionable to bash Catholics, or when employers discriminated against Catholics, or when some Christian fundamentalists claimed the pope was the anti-Christ. Those days of mindless and disgraceful bigotry are done, and their departure is bid good riddance.

Then the other shoe falls,

But still, is five Catholics one Catholic too many?

Mitrovich then goes on to pine for the good old days when you could count on Catholics to pretty much ignore their faith and vote the way that those who think like George Mitrovich.

The Constitution says there shall be no religious test for public office. But when a nominee for the Supreme Court is poised to join four of his Catholic brethren on becoming a majority of five, at a minimum we should have a public discussion as to the wisdom of that occurrence.

Once more "I know it says A, but I want it to be B." I know that it's unconstitutional, but why let the Constitution interfere especially when the situation involves that most important of political rights - Abortion?

Seriously, Mitrovich should be ashamed of himself and if his views are typical of ecumenism in San Diego county - the Catholic Church would do well to stay as far from it. Mitrovich's views are indeed anti-Catholic and anti-Christian.

I guess I'm a Yankee

2005-11-18T13:42:00.000-05:00

According to the test "Yankee or Rebel", I'm about 50% Yankee. Which makes sense, I'm from Missouri [one of those states that couldn't decide which side they were on in the Civil War (as it is known by us Yankee types)]

The test is based on word usage and pronunciation - for example: is it soda, coke or pop? So it also provides interesting information on the geographical use of language in the US.

Dead Souls - or how to be exploited when you're poor

2005-11-17T22:30:00.000-05:00

An art exhibit in New York and Florida is now displaying bodies in various positions and showing various anatomical organs to those who wish to pay the required fee. All of the bodies have been treated with chemicals so that they won't de-compose [can't be losing our investment, can we?]

The most telling line of the article was: The cadavers were poor people and are on loan from the Dalian Medical University in China.

Ah, since they were poor, it must be okay.

[For those who aren't familiar with the allusion in the title, it refers to a 19th century novel written by Nikolai Gogol in which a greedy businessmen was seeking to by ownership of dead serfs [slaves] in order to artificially present himself as a wealthy individual. ]

St. Elizabeth of Hungary

2005-11-17T08:52:00.000-05:00

Today is the Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary one of the two patrons, along with St. Louis, of the Third Order Regular.

St. Elizabeth is known for her great charity to the poor. She was Queen of Hungary. There is a great story about her relationship with her husband. It is said that she would spend many hours in the night praying in the castle which would get very cold. Her husband, the king, would often kneel behind her in prayer with his hands covering hers so as to keep them warm.

I think that it is very interesting that the patrons of our religious order were married. I think it speaks to how the holy lives of married men and women can indeed serve as great examples for religious in their own journey into holiness.

St. Elizabeth pray for us!

Commenting on the Bishops meeting - personal sanctity

2005-11-15T14:30:00.000-05:00

I have been following the reports on the opening of the US Bishop's meeting in Washington DC and was struck by a few points in Bishop Skylstad opening address -

The priesthood in this country has suffered through a very difficult time. A handful of our brother priests have caused all priests to have to endure an avalanche of negative public attention. Perhaps never so much as during the scandals of the past four years has so much attention been focused on the priesthood, not for all of its wonder, commitment, dedication and perseverance, but for the darkness and sin which overwhelmed some.

What about the responsibilities of some of our "brother bishops" for what has happened? Isn't it this over-emphasis on presenting a "common face" among bishops what contributed to the scandal in the first place? The bishop's responsibility is for his flock, not for public relations.

What is equally reassuring is something else I find in my own experience of priests and know to be true in the experience of other bishops with their priests; something which is also supported by research. That is the high level of morale among priests. Three different and recent studies confirm that more than 90% of our priests report satisfaction with their lives as priests. What’s more, that high level of morale is confirmed by the fact that 90% of the priests interviewed for those studies say that they would make the choice of priesthood again, if they had it to do all over.

I don't know how it is in Bishop Skylstad's diocese but the reality is that a desire to become a priest is not the same as saying that there is a high morale. What it means is that we are willing to answer God's call despite the unpleasantness of the current situation, not that we are happy with the present situation.

However, I have also noticed on a couple of blog sites, even ones that I like, a disparaging of morale by proclaiming that what is needed is "personal sanctification and holiness". I think that this misses the point - All of us are called to sanctification - though I think that a call to "personal sanctification" is a bit too similar to a call for a "personal relationship with Jesus". We are all called to sanctification in Christ and with the whole world. We do not save ourselves and we are not saved alone.

I have been baptized and ordained to be prophet, priest, and teacher. These roles inherently require a relationship with others - calling them to conversion, leading them in prayer, speaking the truths of the faith. If morale is declining it isn't because of some act of self-pity, it is a concern that we are losing our ability to do that which we have been called and ordained to do.

Confessionals with glass windows to protect penitents from the priest who is supposed to represent Christ and to protect the priest from the penitent who has come seeking God's grace.

No longer are we able to minister with the use of touch, especially in our ministry with children.

Make sure that whatever ministry you do, that there are others watching just so you don't get sued.

Yes, I'm all for seeking a holy life, but I have been called to be a priest and to minister to those in need of God's grace. If I can't minister because I have become a sign of fear rather than grace, than something is definitely wrong and it is not going to be solved by telling the priest to keep a stiff upper lip in the name of "personal holiness" as if I could answer my call to the priesthood by locking myself in some desert cell. I don't get holiness by myself, I get it by ministering to God's holy people. I don't worry when some anti-Catholic makes a joke about the priesthood and pedophelia, I worry when a parishioner does.

So, the issue of priest morale isn't about making the priest happy and content in his role, the issue is whether we will be able to live that role at all.

The journey from Advent to the Presentation is underway

2005-11-14T22:52:00.000-05:00

St. Philip's Fast begins our series of scriptural and patristic meditations for our special podcast series over the Advent/Nativity season with the Eastern Church. You can check it out over at the From Advent to the Presentation website.

Gustavo Gutierrez defends John Paul II on Liberation Theology

2005-11-14T09:29:00.000-05:00

Fr Gutierrez robustly defended the late Pope John Paul II from accusations that he had in any way let down Latin America in the years when supporters of Liberation Theology in the region were appealing for more Vatican backing. “If you look at Freud while studying psychology, this doesn’t mean you’re Freudian – if you look at Marx’s analysis of society while studying social sciences, this doesn’t mean you’ve become a Marxist,” the Dominican priest told The Universe. “I think John Paul understood this. He really knew the meaning of poverty and injustice, and had a deeper understanding of liberation theology than anyone else in Italy. His encyclicals exactly pinpoint the causes of alienation and conflict injustice.” [source]

It just goes to show that you can't classify John Paul II as right or left and that I need to pay more attention to what John Paul has said in his encyclicals.

You don't hear as much about Liberation Theology any more, even in the seminary, though the movement to canonize Archbishop Romero may bring it back into the public eye. It does an important job of pointing to the particular concern that God has for the poor and the responsibility we have for working to respond to their suffering.

While we do not support the use of violence in response to this suffering, we also should strive to ensure that the political situation does not deteriorate to the point where violent change is seen as the only option.

We point to John Paul's contributions in the collapse of Communism, will we one day point to the Pope's responsibility for the end of the injustices of Capitalism as well?

Ok, this is just weird...

2005-11-13T23:21:00.000-05:00

This is a figure of the baby Jesus made entirely out of white chocolate that is to be part of the world's largest chocolate nativity scene.

Now, I agree that white chocolate was probably a better choice than dark chocolate, but what do you do when you are finished? Do you eat the baby Jesus? I have enough of a problem eating the chocolate Easter bunnies. [Though I bet these young girls are wondering the same thing.]

Super Fun Pak! - Translate this phrase!

2005-11-13T23:12:00.000-05:00

This inscription was found in an ancient Greek church almost 1,700 years old. What do you think the phrase means?

Some suggestions -

1. Please don't leave before Mass is over.

2. Tithing is still 10%.

3. St. Ignatius is a progressive and a welcoming church.

Mother Theresa, Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden

2005-11-13T23:01:00.000-05:00

Mexico City,: A private organisation is using large posters of Mother Theresa, Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden to teach the residents of Mexico City good civic manners. [source]

Apparently the poster of Mother Theresa speaks out against the evils of police corruption, the other figures offer other civic advice. Posters of George Bush and Hitler will also be used.

I don't know about you, but when I think of Mother Theresa, the first thing I think of is police corruption.

New Podcast up over at Catholic:Under The Hood

2005-11-12T12:37:00.000-05:00

The latest Catholic:Under The Hood podcast is up with my reflections on ordination.

Catholicism at Princeton

2005-11-11T11:11:00.000-05:00

There is a nice article about the growing Catholic presence at Princeton University written by George Weigel. It's somewhat ironically notes that in many ways, Princeton is becoming more Catholic than many so-called Catholic institutions.

Another manifestation of the Culture of Death

2005-11-11T09:31:00.000-05:00

CNN is reporting on a young woman who killed herself with the aid of a web site entitled "Alt.Suicide.Holiday". The young woman killed herself with the assistance of a man who goes by the name "River". Mr. "River" told CNN that, "No one in ASH [Alt.Suicide.Holiday] encourages anyone else to commit suicide. ASH is pro-choice." Pro-choice? Have we come to the point where not only are you permitted to kill yourself simply because you want to?

Not surprisingly, the language used is the same used for the pro-abortion movement. The culture of death is the culture of me, me, me. It is a culture in which loneliness is promoted in the name of individuality and succumbing to despair becomes liberation. It is a culture in which a young woman kills herself alone in a hotel room and the family learns of this as a result of a short e-mail. There is nothing noble about it at all.

Unfortunately, I don't expect things to get any better as long as the social structures of family and community are assaulted in the name of the primacy of the individual.

Why don't you just arrest me now?

2005-11-10T08:26:00.000-05:00

Louise Haggett of the Center for the Study of Religious Issues [which doesn't appear to be a very big organization as it has no web site and posts all of its reports to the website of Rent-A-Priest which was also Haggett as was the organization Celibacy is the Issue, so you can see that the author is far from unbiased in addition to being woefully unqualified, sources identify her as a "former Catholic doctrine teacher" - whatever that means] has published a book called "The Bingo Report" in which she concludes "the longer a priest remains in the priesthood, the more likely he will struggle with mandatory celibacy both biologically and psychologically, and the more likely he will act on his struggles and become deviant or criminal in his actions."

When one is governed more by agenda than by evidence, it's always helpful to paint with a broad brush and why not cast aspersions on a whole class of people while you are at it.

Do I struggle with celibacy? Of course I do. If I didn't it would mean that I wasn't truly human. We are all drawn to intimacy, especially to the intimacy of marriage. Just because I entered religious life doesn't mean that I left my sexuality at the door. Human beings are sexual and naturally seek out one another. The Catechism states:

Sexuality affects all aspects of the human person in the unity of his body and soul. It especially concerns affectivity, the capacity to love and to procreate, and in a more general way the aptitude for forming bonds of communion with others.

Everyone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity. Physical, moral, and spiritual difference and complementarity are oriented toward the goods of marriage and the flourishing of family life. The harmony of the couple and of society depends in part on the way in which the complementarity, needs, and mutual support between the sexes are lived out.

Therefore, there would indeed be something wrong with me if I didn't struggle with vows of chastity as I also struggle with vows of poverty and obedience. This doesn't mean that I act out in these struggles that violate my vows but as Fulton Sheen has reportedly said after commenting on an attractive woman, "Well, just because I'm on a diet doesn't mean I can't look at the menu."

But to say that the longer that I am a priest the more likely that I am to become an abuser or a devient is to say that remaining celibate is impossible counter the evidence of millions of priests over the past thousand years. It's becoming more and more clear that those who are promoting married priests are not really pro-marriage, they are just anti-celibacy.

Jesuit journal encouraging podcasting

2005-11-08T16:16:00.000-05:00

La Civilta Cattolica has come out in favor of the use of podcasting as a tool of evangelization.

The church should not pass up the opportunity to make liturgies and prayers available via podcast, as well as downloadable sermons by "podpreachers," said the magazine, La Civilta Cattolica, in its Nov. 5 issue.

Here's hoping that the American church pays attention to this. Most of the Catholics currently using podcasting as an evangelical tool are members of the laity as are most of those blogging. Encourage the use of the new media and you encourage the vocation of the laity at the same time. But when was the last, or anytime, that one noticed a mention of a podcast or blog in a parish bulletin?