JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER

Tomorrow Rob starts his new Bible Study over at Catholic Scripture Study. You know you've been meaning to! Here is the motivation!

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK XXVI

This post was supposed to be for last week (not that that matters much I suppose) but I didn't know HP couldn't post it for me.

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND: "Friendship only is indeed genuine when two friends, without speaking a word to each other, can never-the-less find happiness in being together." From Georg Ebner's "Homo Sum"

QUOTE II - "Pleasure became her torment, for the sweetest wine is repulsive when it has been tasted by impure lips." ibid.

IN OTHER NEWS:

This does not seem to bode well for the parish of which I may some day pastor:

You’re Justinian!

In the sixth century, Justinian accomplished the brief recovery of the empire’s old territory in the east, in Africa, and in the west. His victories, however, were hard won over the course of decades, and they came at a great cost in human life, not to mention taxation. Paradoxically, Justinian’s military successes probably contributed to the empire’s subsequent decline. The conquered lands were hardly secure, and many were lost in the years after his death. During his reign there was a great flowering of Byzantine culture, whose monuments remain in Istanbul (e.g., Hagia Sophia) and Ravenna. His reconstitution of Roman law, the so-called Justinian Code, is still the basis of civil law in some modern states. Justinian is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church.

Find out which Byzantine ruler you are at The Way of the Fathers!

H/T to Jeff.

Kevin sent this link to an article that might be worth a read.

Nothing inspirational here. I just thought this very clever.

glumbert.com - You Might Have to Watch This Twice

HABITUALLY INHABITED HABITATS

There seems to fall a habitual silence when pro-habit and anti-habit nuns meet. Each has passionate reasons for doing that which they do. Long time readers of Adam’s Ale know that I have a pension for habits and collars in a country that is increasingly symbolically and visually oriented. But non-habited nuns did not discard their striking robes without heavy reason and debate and did so hoping to bring advancement to the cause of the mission of the Church.

One nun states, “Though it never succeeded completely, the habit was intended to mute personality, erase individual difference, short-circuit vanity, keep the world at a distance. At the same time, it placed the Sister in a position of high symbolic visibility. "Nuns were always on stage,"’ was how one wise veteran of the era put it. "That was what the habit was for." By adopting contemporary clothing, women religious made a deliberate choice to move off that stage, into the audience so to speak, and toward individual responsibility. "Moving into modem dress had dramatic impact," former nun Mary Griffin recalled in her memoir Courage to Choose, "It revealed to the world in general the human being underneath the habit. But more important, it revealed the nun to herself: it was an experience in recognition.”" (The rest of the article may be found here.)

I have come to realize that my desire for nuns to be habited was just that, my desire for nuns (and religious brothers) to be habited. Does it matter what I desire? No.

In the long run it will not matter if one thinks that wearing a habit is dangerous nostalgia or not wearing them makes them invisible and non-consequential, it will be what works, what promotes the kingdom that will prevail. After all there are many organization and lay movements that meet without outward signs and their activity in the world attracts others to their gatherings. Why could it not be the same with nuns?

Yet I see the large orders of our diocese, the backbone of the burgeoning, growing ages now fading away and the young women searching for religious life not joining these once flourishing orders but choosing to leave the state in search of something they are not finding here.

In contrast to the quote above here is an excerpt from a letter a newly habited nun of our parish wrote recently. “Taking the Holy Habit has really been such an honor, although I honestly feel much too young to have it on. But to be clothed in the white of purity, virginity, baptismal and bridal gown, wearing our weapon the Rosary at my side, covered in Our Lady’s Mantle and protected by her Scapular leaves me really humbled and ecstatic at the same time. To be living witness to the world, to be a sign of hope that there is more than the temporal is a gift. I am really a reminder for myself first that there is a God who loves me intimately, who chose to create me, and is thinking me into existence at the very moment, and then for everyone else of that same reality. And finally as my response to Him is complete YES, I cover my head, to reserve myself for Him only.”

I am almost moved to tears over this statement. Coming from her I know it is authentic. But the question is which life is sustainable; which order will grow over the next 15 years, the former nun's or the latter?

Peppered throughout this post are pictures of religious men and women. They were taken early in the day at the vocations tent at the FEST. I found myself wondering if the people at the other tables were actually religious or not and as I only had about 10 minutes between tours to take pictures, I didn’t have time to inquire. There may be a lesson here. But only time will tell.

Lastly, I do not wish to disparage any of you who are out there quietly plugging away at your vocation as a religious without a habit. We as Catholics get beat up enough without turning on each other. Thank you for your vocation. Thank you for the life you bring to the Church. Thank you for taking God's call in your life seriously enough to take vows as a religious. May God bless you and your mission.

Once again, here is the new site for religous vocations in the Diocese of Cleveland.

SUNDAY VIDEO ON TAP XXVI

It's out! Greg Wilits (if you do not already know it about it) announces the latest episode of "That Catholic Show" presented here for your viewing pleasure:


He also sent along some sites that you might wish to peruse. Here is the Rosary Army, SQPN, and That Catholic Show.

IN OTHER NEWS:

KAZ from NY sent this in to share with you:

The Diocese of Cleveland E-Newsletter asks, "Did you know that The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) is the largest private professional education organization in the world?" Check it out here.

Kay sent this in from CatholiCity. Thanks Kay!

While on vacation this past month and just before the midday Angelus, Pope Benedict XVI offered some powerful reflections on war. The Holy Father said: "War, with the mourning and destruction it brings, has always been rightly considered a calamity that contrasts with God’s plan. He created everything for existence and, in particular, wants to make a family of the human race." This is why the Catholic Community is being called to join "40 Days of Prayer, Fasting and Actions for Peace." Beginning on the Feast of St. Louis of France (August 25, 2007) and ending on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (October 4, 2007), parishioners will have an opportunity to spend seven minutes a day in prayer, reflection and actions for peace.

And finally: Here is another picture from my time away last week. Don't fret, we were not roasting the cat. In fact, the cat was not even in the stove, she was sitting in front of the stove and her image was reflected in the glass. Odd enough to take a picture of I guess. Enjoy your Sunday!

CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN . . .

Greetings friends,

Here is a snapshot from my week away. It is from the top of Mount Catamount in the Adirondacks. My sister and I climbed the mountain to pick blueberries so she could make jam and a delicious pie once we got down (and took a nap).

Thank you to Habemus Papem (and E.!) for keeping the blog going in my absence (for blessedly there was not a computer nor phone reception where I was!) The conversation looks as though it was grand. Sorry I missed it.

As the saying goes, "No vacation goes unpunished." There is a lot of catching up to do today to get ready for the weekend so no further post today. Looking forward to catching up with all of you soon.

Fr. V

SIMPLY EVERYDAY

Greetings

clevelandpriest.blogspot.com readers! Yes, another guest blogger until the always-famous Fr. V. returns!

So, the FEST. For some, the FEST is the event of the year, for others not their most favorite event, and yet others who work and volunteer, well, it may feel like an Israel in Egypt enactment. However, despite the weather and the craziness this year, it was amazing to see approximately 15,000 people gather to celebrate their Catholic faith in the rain!

When one gets past the glitz and the glam, the bells and the whistles, and the give-aways that usually end-up lining Euclid Avenue after the event (that’s littering by the way), there is perhaps a deeper challenge here which applies to both the FEST lover and hater. The challenge is this: how do I share my faith with others so as to draw them into a deeper relationship with Christ?

All of us enter into the Catholic Community through Baptism, we are sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation, and our initiation reaches its pinnacle or fullness in the Eucharist. Since we have these tremendous gifts (wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord, and fortitude) we must use them, they must be shared with others for if they are not, the gifts are no longer a gift. For a gift to truly be a gift, it must be used for its intended purpose, not bottled up inside. Therefore, challenge yourself to use your God-given gifts and talents to bring others to Him, to help others know Christ, and to celebrate the Spirit living in you! You see, the FEST is just an event; the FEST is one unique day out of the year, unique just like the day before and the day after, today, and everyday to come!!! But, if we daily actualize our call to holiness, use our gifts and talents, then, we will become more deeply aware of who we truly are – the Living Body of Christ!

Live today in such a way that it draws others to Christ, not in grandiose ways but rather, in the simple tasks of every day life, like St. Therese of Lisieux, in your own simple way. The degree in which others do not see Christ in us/you is the degree in which we/you are all challenged to grow and become more like our/your Teacher and Master.

NOTE: The FEST is in its 7th year and occurred this past Sunday, Aug 5th. It is a one-day free event that is open to anyone that wishes to go. The Cleveland diocese puts it on and this year, Michael W. Smith was the performer. You can check out the FEST webpage at www.thefest.us -HP

NOTE 2: Fr. V should be back tomorrow and from my understanding, he shall be posting yet again. Thank you for all of your comments on my blogs this week, the posts have been wonderful! Thanks -HP

THIS IS BECOMING A HABIT

Have you ever walked down the street and noticed a policeman, fireman, doctor, or even a priest? You probably noticed them because of what they were wearing. What I find most disheartening is what you TYPICALLY don’t see while walking on the streets are habited nuns. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are some nuns roaming about, however, you would never know. I thought nuns, like priests, are supposed to be a visual representation to the world, show they are married to the Church, and are giving up their life to serve it. It marks their life as a living witness and shows their detachment from vanity and greed. I, along with many others, believe that nuns should wear the full habit.

A while back, at the recommendation of my parish priest, I went on a “Where Are You Going” retreat that the diocese was putting on. The retreat up was at the seminary and I felt very uncertain about going, as this would be a step in the right direction for discernment of a religious vocation. I still went, afraid as I was, and put myself into the unknown. While there, we had the chance to talk to some of the sisters, habited and non-habited. Sitting down at the table, I chatted with some non-habited nuns. They told me they were Dominicans I was excited and let them know that I would be heading off to Nashville to visit the Dominicans there. (The Nashville Dominicans are a habited order.) Once I opened my mouth they got up from the table and vanished. My reaction was one of dismay and hurt. Are you kidding me, because I mentioned the name of another order that wore habits I was unworthy of their attention?



After they vanished, I wanted to run and start questioning them. What made them not want to wear the habit? Were they ashamed? Did they think they were giving up too much of themselves? If so, I guess they didn’t realize what it meant have a religious vocation. I believe if you had this type of vocation you would take pride in the spirit of your order and what you have been called to do and want to make that known to the world. Wearing the habit is a sacrifice, to be recognized as a spouse of Christ, to be connected to tradition, to humility, and to a life centered on Christ.

I had a friend that just received the habit from The Sisters of Life. She had sent a letter and told me about receiving the habit and her experience wearing it. She said receiving the habit was one of the best moments of her life. She exclaimed how beautiful and how much deeper she was drawn into Christ’s warm embrace. AMAZING!! She said the first time she wore the habit while in the Bronx, where her order is located; she received some of the weirdest stares. At first she mentioned that it was a bit uncomfortable, she was not sure how to even move in it and of course it made daily work much different. But what I gathered from her letter was that she embraced the habitat as a new piece of her, a visual piece that gave no questions about what she was doing with her life. She didn’t need to tell people what she believed or what she did; they could see it first hand.



I am a firm believer in the fact that part of the reason younger girls are not joining religious orders is that many of the orders are not wearing a habit. If you take a look at thriving orders, they are all wearing habits, they live in community, and have taken the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. At a time when the entire world is in chaos, young adult women are finding solace in these vows and in an order that upholds a tradition. Most of the new orders springing up do not have a common chrism, they do not live in community, and they do not wear a habit. It angers me when I hear that the Church traditions are not important to these new orders. I often wonder if they feel that by organizing a new order that is more lenient and to their liking they will bring in more vocations. If that is the case, what are they giving up, what does the act of laying ones live down for Christ mean to them? It apparently means little to nothing. Not that these orders aren’t doing good things and helping people, but this is not what an order should be, it should be sacrifice and discipline. Mary, Mother of the Eucharist is a newer order that has girls knocking down their doors to enter. They are a great order that is centered on their vows, wears a habit, lives in community, and cares greatly. However, if you know anything about their history, you will find that they branched off from the Nashville Dominicans who have been around for hundreds of years. This I believe is an exception to the rule of new orders. I feel there is much work to be done with newer orders examining their place in the world and if the Church is really calling for more orders to spring up instead of valuing the orders that we have now.



I hope and pray that with the new Bishop in the Cleveland diocese, he will reaffirm the tradition that the Church upholds and put some focus on women’s religious orders. There are a vast number of girls looking to answer God’s call and would like to stay in the Cleveland diocese, yet they feel they won’t find a home. Please pray for the increase of vocations for orders that are staying close to their roots of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

SING WITH ME

Which do you prefer? The Gregorian Chant “Spiritus Domini” or Chris Tomlin’s “Holy Is The Lord.”

Liturgical music is a sore spot with some people. I’ve heard time after time that “Those kids need to stop singing their upbeat music and get back to the basics of chant and older music, which the Church was founded on.”

Our good friends at the “New Liturgical Movement” focus their material on liturgical history, theology and praxis, sacred art, architecture, and music. Their group feels strongly about sacred music. I really enjoy this blog and I think it’s worth checking out if you haven’t done so (see side bar under Blog Squad). Alas, they value chant very highly and have numerous articles on why chant should still be utilized in the Church nowadays. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for chant and possess my very own “Greatest Chant Hits” yet there is something that catches my interest about contemporary Christian music. I’ve found that contemporary Christian music is largely taking over in the circles of younger kids and young adults. They sing loud and proud and throw their hands in the air giving praise to our Lord and Savior. Groups like, Lifeteen, help foster this type of music and use contemporary music for their masses. I care greatly about both groups and feel both types of music are reverent in their own way.



However, I believe there is a fine line between the old and new. I am not one for changing just to change but rather think that either changing something to make it better it worth doing or going back to what we know works is also valuable. Back in February Pope Benedict released his Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation “Sacramentum Caritatis.” In this exhortation this Holiness speaks on the use of liturgical music, and mentions that:

“…This heritage must not be lost. Certainly as far as the liturgy is concerned, we cannot say that one song is as good as another. Generic improvisation or the introduction of musical genres, which fail to respect the meaning of the liturgy, should be avoided. As an element of the liturgy, song should be well integrated into the overall celebration (128). Finally, while respecting various styles and different and highly praiseworthy traditions, I desire, in accordance with the request advanced by the Synod Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed (130) as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy (131).”

Yet, what Lifeteen, youth groups, contemporary churches, and colleges are doing, playing contemporary music at mass, is not incorrect by any means. Are guitars, drums, and violins, distracting us from the mass? Some would say yes, this is awful, while others would say, no, it draw me closer into prayer and communion with the rest of the community. I’ve heard others argue that a mass with contemporary music is anti-liturgical in meaning and that we’re making the liturgy to creative. That we lack the reverence the mass deserves and we are not abiding by the Church’s wisdom. The liturgy is not something that serves the culture but is something that is supposed to be set apart from the culture in order to worship God, and to worship Him but in the best way possible. If the Church's wisdom is that guitar music is not right for mass, then it would seem to simply follow that we would not use guitar music in mass. Yet, since there is nothing formally stated in writing should we tolerate it? Should we continue to do this? Is sheer "being able to do it" a good indicator that we should do it? Is this worship, deemed appropriate by the general instruction?



I feel like I’m caught in a pandora’s box with these types of music. I enjoy both types, yet I also do not want to go around the Church’s teachings and do what makes me happy. Once again a tough topic for some, especially for the younger generations. Therefore, should we change with the times by adjusting our way of thinking, which is still correct but different, or should we reaffirm the older, pre-Vatican II ways of life?

Almost forgot! Today is the feast day of my favorite saint, St. Dominic. Here is a good quote by him.
"A man who governs his passions is master of his world. We must either command them or be enslaved by them. It is better to be a hammer than an anvil."

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK XXV

Well, Fr. V had a post already and all that needed to be done was to publish, however, there are some site restrictions which I cannot get by and therefore, won't be able to post what he had ready. You'll just have to wait until next Tuesday to find out what he said.

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND: "You called and cried out loud and shattered my deafness. You were radiant and resplendent, you put to flight my blindness. You were fragrant, and I drew in my breath and now pant after you. I tasted you, and I feel but hunger and thirst for you. You touched me, and I am set on fire to attain the peace which is yours." - St. Augustine of Hippo



IN OTHER NEWS: My apologies for the late post. A Dr. from the department that I work in died this past weekend so I was attending a Jewish funeral. Most interesting to say that least.

Altar Servers….Boys vs. Girls

Fr. V is on vacation and I have taken over. Today the blog…tomorrow the world!!!

For the past year I have found myself a bit of a liturgical snob of. My friends often say that I’m a bit too critical with regards to the mass; yet, the most holy sacrifice should be done properly and with reverence or it’s not worth doing at all. After attending some short classes on the liturgy provided by our friend Fr. V, I was reinvigorated with the mass and how my whole life is centered on it. Sadly, there are some priests that change the mass to their liking, which of course brings some sorrow to my heart and soul. Yet, there are certain things that I enjoy about mass” good music (which I will post about later in the week), having the Eucharistic prayer said correctly, full, conscious, active participation by the congregation, and also watching alter boys perform their duties with the utmost respect and reverence.

While watching the rainfall in beautiful Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday I sat and had a chat with a friend about alter boys. Formally, only boys and young men whom the Church hoped to recruit for priesthood were altar servers. However, things have taken a turn and now girls or young women can be alter servers. This was a source of discussion as my friend and I chatted. So I pose the question, is it appropriate for girls to be altar servers?

Depending on whom you speak with, you'll find some stanch Catholics that believe only boys should assist with the most holy sacrifice while others believe that girls can partake. On July 26, 1766, Pope Benedict XIV forbid females from serving at the altar. He stated,

“ Pope Gelasius in his ninth letter (chap. 26) to the bishops of Lucania condemned the evil practice which had been introduced of women serving the priest at the celebration of Mass. Since this abuse had spread to the Greeks, Innocent IV strictly forbade it in his letter to the bishop of Tusculum: "Women should not dare to serve at the altar; they should be altogether refused this ministry." We too have forbidden this practice in the same words in Our oft-repeated constitution Etsi Pastoralis, sect. 6, no. 21.”

However, after the Second Vatican Council, thoughts changed and girls were allowed to join in the fun. Yet, in 1970 and 1980 two documents were put out by the Vatican stating that girls should NOT be altar servers. Some argument arose from this heated debate and officials were going back to canon §230 2 which stated:

"Lay persons can fulfill the function of lector in liturgical actions by temporary designation. All lay persons can also perform the functions of commentator or cantor, or other functions, according to the norm of law."

The canon was argued in both directions and it was decided that each diocesan bishop could decide what was proper for their diocese. Yet, the tables turned again when a later document stated that a priest, if faced with a girl altar server, does not have to allow her to serve, since no one has the right to be an altar server.


After all of that, I’m not sure what to believe anymore. Being an altar server and a girl, I have to question if I was doing the proper thing in the Church’s eyes. The argument that I hear is that yes, serving properly sets up the role of the male to become a priest. However, one could possibly argue that a girl severing also is fulfilling her vocation as a possible sister/nun. Being a more conservative Catholic, I still agree with the fact that only males should serve. Although serving for a girl may aid her in her vocation to religious life, the role of a sister serves a different purpose in the Church and although her life should be centered on the Eucharist, males should only serve. Who should we ultimately follow, the Pope or the Bishop? How strictly should we adhere to canon law? Are we in today’s world becoming cafeteria Catholics? I shall let you decide.

SUNDAY VIDEO ON TAP XXV

Yes, yes, I so stole this from the Curt Jester. At least I went through the trouble of finding a different episode. These are really quite good. Enjoy this one minute video.





The Diocese of Cleveland will formally announce their new vocation websites at the FEST, but you get a sneak preview here and here.

One of the links from this new website is to the NCCB catechetical quiz page which you might enjoy.

The Diocese of Cleveland’s E-Newsletter reports that http://www.franciscans.org/ has been created by the Conventual Franciscan Friars as an open invitation to explore Franciscan life and spirituality. The invitation is open to everyone but is specifically designed for Catholic men and women looking to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church through St. Francis of Assisi and Franciscan community life and service.

Jay says that the latest Catholic Carnival is up and running!

After my last tour of the seminary at the FEST I will be taking off for about a week and unless something overwhelming happens and by some miracle I am near a computer, I will not be posting except for a post or two that HABEMUS PAPEM will post for me. HP said she may post whilst I am away however. See you guys in about a week. I'll be Bach. You can be Beethoven.

SYMBOLIC SATURDAY - HALO EVERYBODY!

Hey! Peeve Week is over! Aren’t you relieved?

When looking at a depiction of a sacred personage, you can infer quite a bit from thier halo or nimbus. A nimbus (Latin for cloud) is defined in the Catholic Dictionary as an “artistic depiction of a person’s holiness represented by a round white or gold image above the head of a saintly person. The nimbus is often called the ‘halo’”.

The most common form of this is a plain circle either colored in or no around the head of the saint being represented. There are, however, certain halos reserved for certain personages. Only a person of the Blessed Trinity would have a nimbus with three usually red or gold rays inside of it. Thus whether the depiction of the Trinity be in the form of a human, the Lamb, the Hand of Creation, or a dove, you will be able to tell it is of the Trinity from the this special halo.

God the Father has one of his own. It still contains the three rays but instead of the halo being in the shape of a circle it is triangular.

A nimbus with a great amount of decoration on it is traditionally reserved for a person of the Blessed Trinity or the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saints should have little to no decoration.

It may be desirable to depict a living person and mark them as a particularly benevolent person (or perhaps they just gave a whopping amount of money to renovate the church and you feel obligated to include them in a painting of the crucifixion on the ceiling of the nave). They would have a square or diamond shape halo. Since the square is a symbol of earthly things, it is appropriate that it be the shape of a person whose address is still of an earthly nature.

There may be a case where one wishes to depict an allegorical person. In order to help people know that the person presented is more of an idea than an actual person, an octagonal nimbus is used. So if you wanted to paint Justice and Peace sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g, you might use this halo.

When I was very young they still showed cartoons before the movie at the West End Theatre. It was almost always a Bugs Bunny cartoon. At the beginning of the cartoon Bugs Bunny’s face would appear with rays of light shining all around it. The unspoken message was “Get excited folks! It’s Bugs Bunny!” We use a similar nimbus called an aureole and it is reserved for the Trinity and the Blessed Virgin Mary. It encompasses the whole body.

Finally is the almond, or mandorla, or vesica piscis. It is created by two overlapping circles. Picture the two circles on the MasterCard logo. The center section where the two circles overlap is the shape we are trying to get at. Sometimes it has scalloped edges or surrounded by angels or seven doves. It is normally only used to depict Mary when she is pregnant with Jesus, and during the Assumption or Ascension.

Below are examples of this in the windows of the Assumption and the Ascension from Saint Clare. It is hard to see I know, but behind Mary and Jesus is this almond shape.

THE WAGES OF SIN

It seems that most people limit their understanding of the commandment “Though shall not take the name of thy Lord and God in vain” to using His name when they hit their thumb with a hammer. But it is much broader than that and the damage done by actions covered under this commandment is much more destructive than dropping the JC bomb when you see your cell phone bill.

One aspect of this sin is teaching in God’s name that which is not of God. An example of this in the news this past year tells of those who hold up signs at funerals that say, “God hates gays,” or “God hates military personnel.”

In like manner God and religion has been used to start and been blamed for so many wars throughout the centuries. Yet there has not been one war waged in the name of God. But God and religion has been used as a smoke screen for men’s greed, anger, and thirst for power. True Christianity is antithetical in most incidences of violence and hate. But if one looked back on the carnage caused in the supposed name of God it is understandable why the following 3 minute clip seems so meaningful to people.




glumbert.com - Fox News does a smear piece on The Netherlands

Religion is seen as dangerous and toxic. Yet the alternative has led the Netherlands to legalized drugs and prostitution, gay marriage, polygamy, euthanasia, abortion, and it seems, soon to legalize the offering of a suicide pill. (Is it not interesting that in much the same way that abortion proponents will speak of choice and not abortion, the man promoting suicide procedures says that it is not about ending life, it is about ending suffering.)

Trying to avoid a “toxic and dangerous” atmosphere has led them right into the depths of toxicity and danger in less than a century. That is the hazard of taking the Lord God’s name in vane. We cannot allow this sin in our own lives nor can we accept our leaders waving God’s banner to manipulate the good faith of people or putting their agenda in God’s mouth. The consequences are too high.

SNAP TO IT

One way to give an angry horse a shot in her rump is to distract her at the other end. Some people use a twitch: a short stick with rope on the end that loops around the horses lip drawing all the horse’s attention forward. At that point you could march a band across her hindquarters and she wouldn’t care.

As horrendous as the Church scandal has been and as necessary as the pain in revealing has been, it was good that it happened. Some justice has been served. Safeguards have been put in place. We have more realistic expectations of priests as men, and consequently “Church” is a much safer and holier place to be. I do not even suggest for a moment that the burning torch should be removed from our feet. But the limited and focused attention on the Church is hurting children elsewhere. People are unaware that it is a national crisis, not a Catholic one

For example, because many Protestant denominations do not have a “central nervous system” the way that the Catholic Church does, determining the amount of abuse that is prevalent there is difficult. One researcher however looked into all the claims filed by insurance companies against ministers and employees of all the denominations and found that the incident rate was in fact much higher than the whole of the Catholic Church. But what is being done? There is not even an awareness

One of the sad parts of this tale as told by “The Priest” magazine is that it is often much more difficult to stop in the denominations than it is in the Catholic Church. An example of this would be the Southern Baptists. SNAP, the organization that helps those abused by Catholic priests, recently protested at the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant group in the Unites States, the second largest collection of Christians in this country after the Catholic Church.

“The Priest” reports they demanded, “steps be taken to bring before the public eye, and sanction, Baptist ministers who have sexually abused youths.” Unfortunately for them (and children) Southern Baptists are not organized in such a fashion. It is a very much “me and God” Christianity. Conventions are not places were legislation takes place; it is a time to share ideas and resources. There is no governing body the way we understand such a thing as Catholics. There are no tools to prevent a person who has been fired from one church for misconduct with a youth from getting a job with another congregation

Further the general public can also be gleefully unaware of the terrifying degree to which children are being molested in the public school system and other programs geared toward children. “The Priest” reports on a psychiatrist saying even that “incest is becoming epidemic” in our country.

By no means leave the Church off of the radar screen. We are being purified by fire and to an injured world hopefully we can once again be seen as a safe refuge. But I say that those who focus solely, intently, and with political motivation on the Catholic Church are hurting our children. They have a twitch on the lip of the public and a band of sexual abusers are marching en mass across their rump. It’s time to get off of the agenda and focus on children wherever they are abused, not just in the Catholic Church.

YOU CAN'T BLAME A COW FOR BEING A COW

You are probably aware of the old fable about the little girl walking in a field on a cold winter day. She came across a snake that was freezing and close to death that begged her to put him inside her cloak that he might warm himself. At first she refused knowing that one does not play lightly with snakes. But the snake begged and promised that because of her great kindness toward him that he would never bite her but would in fact be her friend. The girl relented and put the snake inside her cloak. When he had warmed the girl felt a sharp pain and realized that she had been bitten. As she collapsed from the poison she asked the snake how he could do such a thing to which he replied, “What do you expect? I am a snake. That is what we do.”

This fable points toward something that happened this weekend. A parishioner leaving after mass said rather sarcastically, “Boy, you sure surprised me last week stating that the news media unfairly reported and sensationalized news from Rome.” The popular media reminds us daily that their coverage is fair, accurate, and balanced. I peruse its pages or watch the screen and then when I am bitten a say in utter shock, “How could you say that?” And the answer came to me this past week, “What do you expect. The media is a business. That is what they do.”

I find myself less and less motivated to rail against the news media for being who they are. There are those qualities we wish that they had and those that they actually do have. I keep wanting them to be a plum and all they are is a banana. In the end who is upset? Me. If I could just accept the fact that I am dealing with bananas and not plumbs, life would be a lot better. Yet still I find myself yelling at the paper, “Why don’t you get a real Catholic to explain this to you so that you might tell people what is really being proclaimed by the Catholic Church!”

The last time this happened was at Pope Benedict’s latest clarification concerning the primacy of the Church, which our local paper interpreted as Catholics saying that only Catholics are going to heaven. Their remarks were so far off the mark as to be liable. Then it occurred to me, the news media are like any other business and as such they are not necessarily out to report truth, they are out to sell papers, or garner ratings and to make money. It is not always in their best interest to give a fair, accurate, and balanced story about the Catholic Church. After all, what do we expect? They are a business. That is what they do.

That is not to say that I am excusing it. The reporting in our local paper has caused some ill will. The Saturday Opinion Page carried letters from those in the community who have their liturgical underwear all in a bunch. One was from a pastor of a Lutheran Church who I would have hoped would have read the document before commenting on it but it was apparent that he did not. He was “personally offended at Pope Benedict XVI ‘dissing’’” his ordination into the holy ministry. Another was from an “older Catholic” who takes it upon himself to speak for all of his generation when he says, “We are disappointed with the resuscitation of the Reformation-era teaching . . . The ‘fresh air’ of Vatican II has been a boon to the Catholic Church and all religions. Let us hope that it is here to stay.” Again, what is being spoken is not the result of a well-informed reader speaking to the real issues, but shared ignorance.

Perhaps the best way to look at this is to be happy that they take notice of us at all and then know that the next step is to find out the real story behind the headline.