A View From the Pew

Katie, Katie, katie....

Katie Now "Shame"-less

It seems Katie Holmes had to quit her latest project to "focus" on her pregnancy. What does that mean??? Having been pregnant twice I do not remember needing to quit my job and focus on the fact---- I swear each new thing I read about this wacky duo is more bizarre then the last. Katie is beginning to look like a real life Stepford wife--- oh-wait! she isn't even a wife yet!!!!

The only sane person involved in the whole Tom-Kat situation appears to be Katie's father Martin Holmes who is reportedly very displeased with his daughter's behavior and upon being told the "good" news scolded his daughter and told Tom Cruise "You're no good". Way to go Martin! High 5!

Finally! A life raft in the sea of insanity

I have been trying now for days to keep my head above the tsunami of news reports and op-ed pieces related to the Synod, seminary visitations, and of course the now notorious "Vatican document". There has been so many contradictory points of view and interpretations it was maddening (not to mention most were/are deceptive and biased)--- So today stumbling on to this story from the Vatican gave me something solid (and encouraging) to grab on to.

Priest shortage stems from crisis of faith, ignorance of the infinite, not celibacy, say Bishops

I particularly was buoyed up by the following----

"Asked why, given the lack of priests in some regions, the solution of priestly ordination of married men was still being put in doubt,  Cardinal Toppo told reporters that "the real problem is a crisis of faith, the lack of priests is a symptom of that crisis."

Amen to that Cardinal Toppo! Point in fact---- The seminaries and religious orders that adhere to the teachings of the Church and are openly loyal to the Pope and Magisterium are experiencing vocation crises of the joyful sort--- they are bursting at their seams--- a good example is the Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal--- both the brothers and the sisters---- This is the order Fr. Benedict Groschel founded. Then---

"Ukrainian Bishop Mudry added that, despite the fact that Eastern Catholic Churches admit married priests, this does not solve the problem because "they also have to dedicate time to their families ... and its is difficult for them to move to another area to continue their mission, if their bishop so requests."

Amen Bishop Mudry! The Bishop points out valid concerns. Married clergy present a whole new arena of concerns--- A married priest cannot devote the same amount of time and energy to his congregation that an unmarried man can---- thus the flip side of that is whether or not a married priest can devote the time and energy to his family that they need and deserve. If he cannot what impact would this have on wives and children? The point of view that married clergy will somehow magically cure the shortage of priests also overlooks the fact that even our brothers and sisters in mainstream Protestant denominations which have always allowed married clergy---have difficulty attracting enough qualified individuals to the clergy. Finally--- the celibate priesthood is a witness and sign that is desperately needed today---a sign of the Kingdom of Heaven among us. We know our hope and God's desire for us is to be espoused to Him in Heaven--- Jesus told us that there is no marriage in Heaven---  rather we are all united as one in God--- the vow of celibacy by priests and religious is the sign for us here on earth of our union with God in heaven.

---and this is one not only that I agree with but that I feel I have the right to speak out about since I myself have walked in those shoes----

Speaking on divorced people being permitted to communion, Cardinal Arinze said that the Church "shows compassion to these people who are suffering, and although they cannot partake of communion - because their position does not reflect the image of unity between Christ and the Church (bridegroom and bride) - they continue to be members of the Church."

Amen Cardinal Arinze! We live in a world where it seems reality is at the mercy of our feelings. Yes--- it was difficult for me not to be able to receive our Lord as I waited two long years for a decision from the Tribunal--- I even struggled with the reality of what a negative decision could mean to my second marriage--- you want to talk about painful! But as I struggled through those two years I learned a lot about myself and about God. The end result were some profound insights---first Jesus Christ IS truly present in the Eucharist and that there is nothing in this universe that is more important to me then Him---also that adoring and worshipping Him on the altar pleases Him tremendously and fills ones soul with grace and peace. Secondly--- When I stood at the altar with my husband and we were married in the Church before God I understood what I had never understood before--- my husband and I are one--- my life is his and his life is mine--- what God has joined no man can separate ---these were not just words and it was not based on how we felt--- it is an act of the will in obedience to God---it is truth and it is forever ----no matter what my feelings may tell me now or in the future. Thirdly--- as St Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:32 "This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church." So---our marriage is not just about me and Jeff--- it points to a much greater reality that is caught up in THE Great Mystery. Our marriage is not ours alone it belongs to God as well.

Finally---- addressing one of my biggest pet peeves----

"As to the question posed by some Synod Fathers of greater homogeneity of enculturation, Cardinal Toppo stressed that this "is essential, and is the expression of a people's faith." Cardinal Sandoval added: "what is important is that hymns, dance, color, etc., help to encourage interior life, to unite oneself with the Lord, and that the ceremony does not become merely a show for entertainment."

Amen Cardinal Toppo! While one can legitimize liturgical dance in a diocese in Africa--where dance has always been an integral part of the culture's spiritual expression--- it is bizarre and disruptive in a predominantly white upper middle-class parish in the northwest suburbs of Chicago!!!! Also liturgical music should not sound like the latest production from Andrew Lloyd Webber ----regardless of how gifted a signer the priest may be it is distracting when you end up feeling like you are at a production at the Goodman Theater. And my final gripe--- those Church bands with the drums, bass guitar and electric keyboards--- If I want to hear bad lounge music I will head to the local supper club in town--- what's next---paper umbrella's perched on the side of the chalices?????

A true prophet

"We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that wide circles of the American society or wide circles of the Christian community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-Church, of the Gospel versus the anti-Gospel. This confrontation lies within the plans of divine Providence. It is a trial which the whole Church... must take up. Cardinal Karol Wojtyla ---Oct. 9, 1976

Thirty years ago Pope John Paul II, then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, spoke those words while visiting New York City. I am sure that many people at the time were either baffled by the vague nature of the statements--- left wondering what exactly that confrontation would be or they just shrugged their shoulders and walked away convinced it was the ramblings of another religious zealot. Thirty years ago, what have since become the greatest evils of our times, were barely blips on the cultural radar screen. Back then there was still a cultural sense of innocence and propriety--- making Karol Wojtyla's comments while perhaps intriguing, rather opaque to most people--- like trying to peer into a glass darkly. It seems in general most people quickly forgot about the Cardinal from Krakow and his predictions.

Fast forward twenty years to 1996--- this prodigal child had recently returned to her Father's house--- I was voraciously devouring all I could find about the Catholic Church and I stumbled upon the then Holy Father's prophecy. Even twenty years after he spoke it I found it vague and difficult to grasp but it stuck with me--- deep in my heart--- and periodically I would ponder what it could possibly mean. Yes--- I was sure it involved the "culture of death" but how that would play out as a trial the "whole Church must take up" I didn't know.

About the same time I was frequent poster on AOL's Christian/Catholicism message boards. It seemed that homosexuality was one of the hottest topics--- it was next to impossible to avoid. I remember thinking at the time how even the most distant and mundane topics somehow always morphed into debates on the Church's teachings on human sexuality. I remember the flame wars---as I struggled to maintain my Christian charity towards homosexual "interlopers". I remember being accused by the interlopers of everything from the yawn inducing charge of homophobia to the ludicrous charge that I must be a closeted lesbian--- it was easy to dismiss those two out of hand--- I knew what was in my heart-- and it was obvious it was a last ditch effort by a desperate person to try to silence a strong--rational argument against the secular view.

The charge that was the hardest to ignore and which gave me the most  fodder for reflection was the one asking why it was that Catholics themselves and the Catholic Church were so obssessed with sex and sexual activities of others---especially non-Catholics. This one stopped me short on several occasions and I did have to seriously ask myself why this topic was so important to me--- why did I have such strong feelings when I wasn't homosexual, no one in my immediate family was homosexual and further more I really and truly did not hate homosexuals--- in fact I found it quite easy to feel compassion and love for the ones that I knew personally. For several years I tried to answer this question with a clear answer but I couldn't--- somehow deep in my heart I just knew this was a one of the most pivotal human/cultural issues we faced and that its implications for the fate of our society went far beyond the obvious.

In 2000 I began hearing about something called the "theology of the body". As I began to read and reflect on the Holy Father's writings it was if the fog began to lift. My gut feelings were slowly given form and substance as the truth about the dignity of the human person, the sacredness of human sexuality and the mystery of God as revealed by mankind made in His image and likeness as male and female were opened to me----suddenly everything I felt was set on a solid foundation ---- so this is why, as some would say, the Church is "obsessed" with sex! It isn't a lurid, pathological or vulgar obssession--- it is because human sexuality reveals the deepest truth of what it means to be human and distorting this reality harms the human person, destroys the dignity given to us by God, undermines society and blasphemes God. It was then I began to understand that somehow this battle line between the Church and the anti-Church, the Gospel and the anti-Gospel would somehow be played out in the arena of human sexuality.

And then 2002 came--- month after tortuous month it became obvious how this prophecy would be fulfilled. As John Paul said before becoming Pope --- it is by Divine Providence--- not by coincidence that this battle is being played out in the Church. Only within Christ's Church will the fullness of truth be revealed--- and preserved--- let us pray for our bishops and our Pope during this Synod

The Arrogant and the Asinine

I don't know why I do this--- "this" is checking the links on the Catholic World News Synod page--- it is a descent into the inane rantings of the arrogant and the asinine-- as well as the ignorant and heterodox---each time I come out I swear I won't go back---but I do--- once again inviting myself to a near occasion of sin---

In this category of asinine, ignorant, arrogant and heterodox try this one by Ina Hughs Talk - and walk - message of inclusion Ina says in part:

"The Catholic Church has now gone on record blaming their recent scandals on the gays. Messing with little boys, they decided, is what gay men do. Therefore, the pope is systematically sending emissaries to schools and seminaries to purge the priesthood of all gay men. If you are gay, they say, God doesn't want you. The church doesn't want you. Why?

Because you are a pedophile.

To equate "gay" and "pedophile" is loony. A pedophile is an adult who messes with children."

Ina, Ina--- my dear--- please, please---PLEASE get the facts straight. My dear woman it is secular journalists like you that continue to perpetrate the myth linking pedophilia to homosexuality by falsely claiming that the "recent scandals" are based on pedophilia--- or as you phrase it "priests messing with little boys". If you took the time to check the facts as revealed by the John Jay College Report you would know that those whom the priests were "messing around" with were not "little boys" but big boys--- most of whom (80%) were pubescent or post pubescent teenagers---- while preying on pubescent and post pubescent boys is reprehensible--- it is NOT pedophilia. So those priests were not pedophiles--- they were/are men who in most cases self identify themselves as homosexual---most of whom were also sexually active with ADULT males as well as  boys---some of whom were even engaged in long term homosexual relationships. If you did even a little more research and checked out the many bishops who have resigned over the past few years (according to my last count 19) thirteen of them resigned due to scandals involving same sex relationships with ADULT males--- like Rembert Weakland.

What is really loony Ina is that journalists like yourself need to obfuscate and misrepresent the facts in an attempt to divert attention from the truth--- the Catholic Church did not have a problem with pedophile priests--- truth be told that there are no more pedophiles in the priesthood then there are in any other vocation--- the bigger problem was with certain homosexual priests preying on older boys and young men--- and a bunch of sexually active homosexual bishops and seminary rectors trying to keep their trysts with young men inside and outside the seminary on the QT. When you are busy trying to keep your own skeletons in the closet it is much easier to ignore and accommodate the skeletons in others closets.

By questioning whether homosexual men should be admitted to the seminary the Vatican is not conducting a witch hunt---it is not even saying that homosexual men cannot be good priests---- it is simply looking at the facts placed before them over the past few years and trying to decide not only what is in the best interest of the Church but also what is in the best interest of homosexual men who are discerning their vocation in the Church. The Church is concerned that an all male environment--- being forced to live in close community with other men may be a burden that many homosexual men may have difficulty bearing--- is it fair to place them in an environment where there could be great temptation---especially if living with other homosexual men under the same roof year after year--- To keep it sweet and simple---Let me put it this way Ina--- I know many heterosexual priests who maintain their vows of celibacy but even you would have to admit that it would be "loony" to place such a priest in a house with a bunch of women--- not only sharing their living space and but also spending the vast majority of his leisure time with them as well--- not to mention being his main source of confidence and camaraderie--- do you think that would be a prudent thing to do to a heterosexual man who must live a vow of celibacy? Did you ever wonder why religious orders seperate the men from the women? Come on Ina--- all it takes is a little common sense---- ahhh--- but common sense and truth get in the way of your agenda--- don't they?