The Criterion Online Blog

Welcome to The Criterion Online Edition blog!

2011-06-15T08:36:00.001-04:00

Though now retired, this blog once served as a more informal means for our reporters, editor and webmaster to share items of interest with our readership.

There have been no new posts in years, but you are free to browse through the archives and read older posts.

The links to the right side will help you browse by year and blog post.

Enjoy!

Our Last Post

2007-05-24T11:42:00.001-04:00

This, the 159th post on this blog, will be our last. After an editorial meeting and brief discussion, the staff of the newspaper, and myself in particular, have chosen to close down this blog.

That's not to rule out a resurrection in the future -- it would certainly be a theme not foreign to Christianity -- but we simply have found that the time and sacrifice of running this blog is not worth the small amount of traffic it receives. We are and have been grateful to the number of you who faithfully checked in with us, but it was simply not enough (especially compared to the traffic at www.CriterionOnline.com) to justify continuing.

It is also true that in the past few months the number of posts has waned dramatically as I became busy with several other projects and The Criterion staff with their upcoming redesign and usual barrage of stories.

This blog was in part an attempt toward staying up with the latest trends in communications -- trends which change with a suspiciously un-rooted regularity -- and as it did not help us to make great strides in communications, we will focus our evangelical efforts elsewhere (striving to make both The Criterion and the archdiocesan website better).

So again, thank you, faithful readers, and we'll continue to see you in the print and Web versions of the largest weekly newspaper in the State of Indiana.

(This blog account will stay active for archival purposes.)

Happy Birthday, Pope Benedict!

2007-04-16T17:20:00.000-04:00

A story posted by Catholic News Service about the 80th birthday of the pontiff:

Pope, turning 80, thanks church for surrounding him with affection

Also:

Pope Benedict at 80: Blowing on the coals of faith

You know what really grinds my gears?

2007-03-07T09:46:00.000-05:00

For those of you that get the "Family Guy" reference above, shame on you for watching such a blasphemous show. For those that don't get the reference...consider this an annoyance post.

You know what really grinds my gears?

- Charities that send me a request for donations that include a nickel. Why would you send me a nickel? What in the world am I going to do with a nickel? It must cost a small fortune to throw a nickel into every envelope you send out, but it means nothing to me. DON'T SEND ME A NICKEL. Send a dollar, then we'll talk. Also, don't send me any more pennies with crosses punched into them or coins with angels on them. (I've started collecting the angel coins to see how many I can get -- my collection of about a dozen drives my wife nuts.)

- "UNRATED!" versions of movies. I mean, come on. It's bad enough that PG-13 movies will sneak every possible bit of sexuality, violence and language in that they can. But have you noticed how many of these movies make it to DVD in an "unrated" format? And in most cases you can't get any other version. I've heard that for several movies this merely means putting back in countless "F-word" usages or topless scenes or the like. As a habit, if a movie boasts that its DVD version is "UNRATED!" it usually gets "UNRENTED!" by me. (Note also that any movie that is unrated gets around that little label that usually appears on movies that explains the rating...parents have no idea what they're getting.)

- Technology driven by money. You know, I've got a cell phone from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis -- you've probably heard of the thing by now: the RAZR. Oh, it's very slim and all that, and it has a really cool program to keep track of the weather, but that's about it. The thing runs slowly and hardly lets you customize anything. Why does it run slowly? Because it is absolutely jam-packed with all sorts of features that you can activate for money. Download videos (for money)! Get online (for money)! Send pics (for money)! Get ringtones (for money)! Watch the news (for money)! And why can't anything be customized? Because they want you to see an ad every time you turn it on or off, and because all but one of the shortcut keys doesn't take you to a function you actually use but something that they want you to use (that costs, of course, money). The use of the phone is impaired by the fact that it seems designed not primarily to be a cell phone, but primarily to be a means to get you to buy other things. It's a battery-powered, flip-style, grey-colored commercial.

- Now that I think of it, acronyms are really starting to grind my gears. Want a cell phone? Get a RAZR or a KRZR or a ROKR! Even the Catholic world is not immune: our Office of Catholic Education has EXCEED and CSW and TAP and SPRED and so on. What's wrong with acronyms? Technically: nothing. Where are they forbidden in the Catechism? Technically: no where. All I'm saying is that enough is enough and that they really GMG.

- Presidential elections that start years before the polls open. That so much time is dedicated to a primary a year from happening sure does grind my gears. I have yet to hear any coherent explanation as to why I should care who is leading the polls at the moment. Each vote is important, but not so important that it takes two years to think about. I guess some people have sports, some politics. In that case, call me next spring on this one. But, but, but! Didn't you hear that Clinton and Giuliani are...hey! No! Not listening; don't care, don't care, don't care.

- You know what really grinds my gears? People that disagree with me about anything. It's just not right. It's a TON of work trying to reason with all of you.

And that, ahem, is what really grinds my gears.

Supporting the Troops (Just War Style)

2007-03-07T08:47:00.000-05:00

I was flipping around on the TV last night and came across one of the Christian channels. The talk show on at the moment was featuring an interview with Sen. John McCain, so my wife and I tuned in for a few moments.

One of the things that he and the interviewer (and the audience, apparently) were in agreement about was that neither could understand how you could call the cause of the war in Iraq unjust and still support the troops. This immediately made me wonder: is he saying that even if the war were unjust that we could not say so? Or that an unjust war is not possible given our duty to support the troops?

It must have strongly to do with the time that I was born, but I imagine that many in my generation have a different emphasis when it comes to "supporting the troops." Men and women who are willing to go to war -- to fight and to die -- for this country have a special place in my thoughts and my heart. They are, quite literally, heroes. The same goes for firefighters and all others go above and beyond to do the things that must be done in the defense of life and liberty. But for many people, the duty to support the troops goes beyond this -- it is almost a bit of divine law; a piece of the cultural code that cannot, for any reason, be broken or even seem to be broken.

It is obvious that any President is fallible, and obvious that not all wars are just. So then, if we find ourselves in an unjust war, should we not speak out against it? Can we not call real what is real? Or is our only role to support the troops and vote "the other way" next election?

To say that you honor and support our troops for the sacrifice they make is valid. To say that a war is unjust is also valid. Both can be statements of fact. I suspect that it is more the fickle, divisive, doomsday-predicting nature of pop-protesters that is more at the root of this problem -- people who, in reality, don't like the President and don't need much to ignore his orders. What McCain and others are most frustrating about (WARNING: this is just a guess -- I can't read hearts) is the individualistic tendency of Americans to all want to be little presidents and little popes -- everyone wants to decide what's right and wrong and we want everyone to know. That's why we all have blogs. Like this one. (Ignore my own hypocrisy)

What we need from more protesters is the clear restatement that a President's orders matter and should, in most every case, be followed (or at least tolerated). Sean Gallagher (a reporter for The Criterion and poster on this blog) reminds me as well that oftentimes we don't know all that goes into a President's decision until some time after the fact.

While troops must follow God first, it is the President who orders the use of force and who answers to God for it. It is a soldiers duty to follow orders unless those orders clearly and grossly violate the duty to faithful serve God and neighbor. Therefore, our troops are in Iraq doing their duty while protesters back home do there's by calling the President to reconsider his strategy.

Support the troops? Absolutely. Question the war? Sure -- but it should be done carefully, cautiously, and with every measure of intelligent, civil discourse possible.

The power of the blog and all that

2007-03-05T13:28:00.000-05:00

As you can tell by the updates on the post below ("Your own little piece of holiness"), the story regarding the "relics" of the late pope has changed -- and I thought it deserved it's own post again.

Catholic News Service has posted this new story:

ROME (CNS) -- The Rome diocesan office charged with promoting the sainthood cause of Pope John Paul II has exceeded its postage budget because of increased requests for prayer cards and relics of the late pope.

"We were getting about 50 requests a day, but overnight it grew to between 500 and 1,000 requests," a spokeswoman for the office said March 2.

"We could not have foreseen this demand," she said. "It's an avalanche."

Franciscan Brother Chris Gaffrey, who assists the office with English translations, told Catholic News Service that the vast majority of requests in late February and early March were coming via e-mail from the United States.

CNS had published a story about the cards and relics Feb. 26 and dozens of Web sites and blogs, or Web logs, ran links to the story.

The prayer cards and relics, a small piece of one of the white cassocks worn by Pope John Paul, always will be distributed free of charge, but without an increase in donations the office cannot afford to mail them, Brother Gaffrey said.
- - - - - - -
An individual prayer card, relic and copy of the cause's magazine, Totus Tuus, could be mailed to the United States for about $5, Brother Gaffrey said.

You can learn more, apparently, by logging on to www.JohnPaulIIBeatification.org, or by mailing the office at: Postulazione Giovanni Paolo II, Vicariato di Roma, Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano 6A, 00184 Rome, Italy

Your own little piece of holiness

2007-02-26T13:37:00.000-05:00

Just saw this item on the client-area (no public link) on CNS: "Rome office issues prayer cards, relics to promote sainthood for JPII"

"Wow," I thought. "Who do you have to know to get a relic of John Paul?" Well, apparently you only have to know how to send an e-mail, fax or letter. That's right: Rome is giving them away. (actually, no longer free...see "second update" below)

Now, I had to clarify to a coworker that this isn't a "bone relic" but a "cloth relic." That is, it isn't a first class relic, but a second class relic (an item worn or used by the person in question, like a Rosary or a shirt.). In this case, Rome's diocesan office promoting the Cause of Canonization of the late pope is distributing a prayer card and a piece of one of the white cassocks worn by JPII.

These are the only authorized relics currently being distributed. So, do send for your prayer card and relic and let them help you do your part in praying for the sainthood cause of John Paul the Great!

Here's the pertinent info:

The e-mail address is: Postulazione.GiovanniPaoloII@VicariatusUrbis.org

The fax number is: (39-06) 6888-6240.

The mailing address is: Postulazione Giovanni Paolo II, Vicariato di Roma, Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano 6A, 00184 Rome, Italy.

(UPDATE: Apparently since John Paul II has not been beatified yet, the term "relic" isn't entirely appropriate -- and thus the piece of cloth that the office is distributing is only for private use, not public.)

(SECOND UPDATE: Read the comment left on this post. The office in Rome responsible for sending out these cards has received a huge spike in requests, and because of postage costs can no longer send them out for free. For a donation, they will send the card and piece of cloth.)

This Lent, instead of giving something up...

2007-02-19T14:27:00.000-05:00

Not to get my rant on, but here's a homily/column/reflection topic that I'm getting rather tired of hearing:

"This Lent, instead of giving something up..."

You fill in the blank with any number of good things: "...try being a better person" or "...do something nice for someone" or some other such thing.

See, it was always my impression that you were already supposed to be doing those types of things -- especially in Lent -- in addition to fasting. It kind of falls under that fasting AND almsgiving type of thing. In the words of the old advertising campaign for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis: "Why not both?"

Lent is a time that calls us to prayer, sacrifice and acts of charity. I have no doubt that many people find giving up sweets easier than helping their neighbor, and are quite content to do just the former. So I'm fine with homilies and columns that remind us of the orientation of sacrifice: to not only recall (and join) the suffering of the Lord during his time on Earth but also to teach us discipline. And when we grow more perfect in discipline, the avenues to virtue should open up to us more readily. Sacrifice open only to loving God without loving neighbor is a choked sacrifice -- so gear me up and count me as ready to hear a homily about how we mustn't forget almsgiving in the midst of our Lenten sacrifices.

But please, don't ask me to hold the fasting in favor of acts of charities. Those two things aren't enemies -- let's hear about how they ought to work together!

The faith of young adults

2007-02-08T09:46:00.000-05:00

Whenever I see an article come across the wire on Catholic News Service about young adults and the faith, I shudder a little bit.

Young people can be notoriously hard to pin down statistically, and because of that stories that deal with sociological data can be frustrating. The religious education of youth touches upon how the future of the Church will look: whether less and less people will go to Mass, if we will have enough priests, if our faith will permeate the culture, etc. And how young adults believe regarding Catholic faith and morals effects the great debates that we have in the Church today.

Yesterday's article was about the same thing that I've seen in recent years: Youth love Jesus, spirituality, helping the poor; disagree with the Church on issues of morals and have little connection to the visible Catholic institution. Young priests are too conservative and don't connect.

It is depressing to hear the numbers when it comes to young Catholics, such as that only seven percent think the teaching on abortion is a core part of Catholic morality, or that the vast majority don't believe pre-marital sex is always wrong. It is, I think, a stinging indictment of Catholic religious education. While all the money and time and energy and thought were being spent on how to pass the faith on, young people passed the Church on and went into adulthood unprepared.

But what I take particular issue with in this article is the headline: "Sociologists see strong identity, less commitment in young Catholics." Do peruse the article and tell me, if you can, what exactly these young people are doing that gives them a "strong Catholic identity." I can't find it. Here's an excerpt quoting sociologist James A. Davidson:

Referring to the forum's theme, "Young Adult Catholics: Believing, Belonging and Serving," Davidson said, "Belonging is not a problem; they feel comfortable calling the church home. And I don't think serving is a problem. It's the believing that's the problem."

Young adult Catholics see the church as having "no credibility, no plausibility, no authority," he added. "They practice their faith by caring for other people."

A quote further down by a campus minister says that young people believe serving the poor is more important than Mass (as if the two are in contrast). So again, I posit, how exactly can people who have virtually no association with the Church, no participation in its liturgical or parochial life, and distrust any teaching that runs afoul of their own preferences be labeled as having a "strong Catholic identity"? It's more like they have the basic Christian building blocks and not much else. They could be members of any number of Christian denominations.

A companion story to this one, posted on The Criterion Online Edition for the next 30 days, gives a voice to some young people (voices that generally echo the story above). But the quote from one young lady really hit the nail on the head:

Carrie Gladstone of Shaker Heights, Ohio, who will graduate this year, said the Catholic Church is "the community I know I can always go back to for strength and encouragement."

But although being Catholic is "part of who I am," Gladstone said she sometimes finds it difficult to articulate why she is Catholic instead of being a member of another Christian denomination. "Some of the things I disagree with the church on are where they differ from other Christian sects," she said.

And that's my point from above. All the Scriptures do really boil down to loving God and neighbor, and all the Church's teachings come back to how we live those two commands and become saints in doing so. But that doesn't mean that all we need do is have a vague, spiritual love for Jesus and generally try to be nice to our neighbors and help out at food drives. If that's all Christianity is then we would have no real need for the Church, or her teachings, or her sacraments, or really, for that matter, for the witness of the Apostles and the Saints and the Scriptures. No need for doctrine, or dogma, or truth. Just love God and be a good person -- you figure out the rest. It's a ludicrously easy path: we chose our sacrifices and our pleasures. Keep God in mind and its fine.

I have no doubt that there are many catechists and teachers and priests who actively believe some form of this. But we owe more to our youth than to leave them with only the faintest threads of Christianity -- we owe them more than cutting away all of the history and the beauty and the truth that the Catholic Faith has brought to us in favor of vague platitudes. We know they want to love Jesus -- the hard part is helping them learn just what loving him looks like: a life of holiness, fidelity to Catholic teachings, a rich and active liturgical life, constant prayer, outreach in all ways to the least among us, etc.

If Davidson and the rest are right, and I think they are, our youth love Jesus and they love helping the poor. That's a fabulous start. But they're also hungry for more (as the article notes). We have a lot more to give, so lets show them the rest with passion and courage.

Photo Caption Contest

2007-01-29T14:50:00.000-05:00

With the prospect of this coming Sunday's Super Bowl XLI matchup between the Colts and the Bears, Indianapolis is working itself, even in the midst of a blast of bitterly cold air from the north, into a near dionysian frenzy about their hometown NFL team, as this photo from today's rally in downtown Indianapolis attests.

(Ok, the reference to "dionysian frenzy" was about the closest I could get to a religious connection with this photo. Maybe readers could do better than my efforts in the comment box with their own captions.)

Go Colts!!!

2007-01-29T14:14:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't already, do go check out reporter Sean Gallagher's excellent story about the Colt's chaplain: Father Peter Gallagher, one of our archdiocesan priests.

Excerpt:

The Indianapolis Colts had just completed a 38-34 heart-pounding victory on Jan. 21 that would send them to the Super Bowl on Feb. 4 in Miami.

With blue and white confetti streaming through the air, team owner Jim Irsay and head coach Tony Dungy stood on a stage on the field at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis to receive the Lamar Hunt Trophy, which is awarded each year to the winner of the American Football Conference Championship.

At that moment—arguably the greatest in the history of the Colts’ franchise since its move to Indianapolis in 1984—both men expressed thanks and praise to God.

Standing nearby, Father Peter Gallagher, the Colts’ chaplain, appreciated their words.

“I was grateful that [Irsay] said that and I thought, ‘Man, thank you,’ ” said Father Gallagher.

All of us here at The Criterion wish Father Peter the best as he travels to Miami this week -- and more importantly, we wish the best (and victory) for our Indianapolis Colts.

Go blue!

I'll have a slice of piety, please

2007-01-11T08:31:00.000-05:00

You can get the CNS news brief of this story on the CNS Web site, or the for the next 30 days you can view the full version on our Criterion site:

English cardinal calls for revival of traditional practices of piety

An excerpt:

Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor said he lamented the decrease in acts of piety such as fasting, abstinence, Stations of the Cross, praying the rosary and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament because they are a "good means of deepening our faith."

The cardinal said the acts, as well as confession, which is also in decline, were "truly part of Catholic tradition and devotion and are a nourishment to our faith, and I would encourage them," he said in a letter read at Masses Jan. 7 in the Archdiocese of Westminster.

He said there are many other ways in which Catholics "can develop those practices which are truly rooted in Catholic tradition" and bring them closer to Jesus.

"How many people pray before meals or, indeed, after them, recognizing that all we have is a gift from God?" he asked. "How many parents pray, not only for your children, but with your children as they grow up?

It is indeed sad to see these things practiced so little -- either because of our busyness or skepticism of the good they do. Good job, Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor!

An Earthquake in Poland

2007-01-08T14:57:00.000-05:00

Tremors had been felt throughout the Polish Church for months as speculation increased about the number and identity of the its clergy who had collaborated with the secret police of the country's former communist regime.

But on Jan. 7, those tremors turned into an earthquake of major proportions when Archbishop-elect of Warsaw Stanislaw Wielgus announced his resignation from that office at the start of the Mass at which he was to be installed as Poland's leading prelate.

Ever since his appointment to the office by Pope Benedict XVI had been announced in December, there had been accusations made that he had collaborated with Poland's secret police for more than two decades and subsequent calls for his resignation.

John Thavis, Catholic News Service's Rome bureau chief, has written a fine analysis piece picking apart well the mult-faceted implications of this historic turn of events in the history of the Polish Church:

..."disaster" is how it's viewed inside the Vatican, for several reasons:

-- Archbishop Wielgus became the highest-ranking church leader to admit that he agreed to spy for an East European communist regime, raising suspicions about the rest of the hierarchy in the eyes of the simple faithful. To many, the archbishop's qualifier that he "never inflicted any harm on anyone" seemed disingenuous.

-- The debacle was played out in public, crowned by the painfully embarrassing "installation" Mass Jan. 7 that turned into a resignation Mass. It was the first time anyone could remember that an archbishop was sent home on the day of his scheduled installation, an "emeritus" after only two days in office.

-- Pope Benedict was drawn directly into the controversy. A Vatican statement Dec. 21 expressed the pope's "full trust" in Archbishop Wielgus and "full awareness" of his past. But sources now say it appears the archbishop had not told the pope everything -- that he had admitted contacts with the secret police, but not that he had agreed to collaborate in a spying effort.

And now that the initial earthquake is over, the aftershocks have started. According to this AP article posted on the Web site of the Houston Chronicle, the Father Janusz Bielanski, rector of Krakow's Wawel Cathedral, arguably Poland's most historic church, has resigned from his office today after allegations had been made about his possible collaboration with secret police agents.

What will happen next? It's likely that the earth under the feet of the Polish Church will be shaking for quite some time.

Who is a Church father?

2007-01-05T14:30:00.000-05:00

Basing itself on passages from the New Testament, this online article from the 1917 edition of The Catholic Encyclopedia described a Church father as "a teacher of spiritual things, by whose means the soul of man is born again into the likeness of Christ."

It goes on to note that in the Western Church, the last of the Church fathers was St. Gregory the Great (d. 604) and in the East St. John Damascene (d. ca. 754) was the last. It goes on to note that, for some in the West, the line of the fathers extends as far as St. Bernard of Clairvaux (d. 1153).

However, it quickly dismisses such a notion saying that the limits of the period of the fathers into the high Middle Ages is "evidently too wide."

I would tend to agree. As with defining just about any category, the broader the definition becomes, the less meaning that it really has.

That having been said, if my own preferences in reading the works of those who are teacherrs of spiritual things would be a guide in determining who is a Church father, I would certainly include John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1891).

Now for general usage, that is certainly stretching the limits of the period of the fathers too far. But in my own experience, his works have certainly been a means by which my soul is born again into the likeness of Christ.

Granting that different people respond to different writers in different ways, I still would not hestitate to recommend the writings of Cardinal Newman, who may be now on the verge of being beatified, to anyone who wishes to grow both in the knowledge of the faith but also in how that knowledge is to be applied to the way the faith is lived out from day to day.

To that end, I heartily refer those interested in reading the works of Newman (both before he became Catholic in 1845 as well as those subsequent to his reception into the full communion of the Church) to the Web site, The Newman Reader, maintained by the National Institute for Newman Studies.

Cardinal Newman was a prolific writer and I believe that all of his published writings as well as biographic material about him in the public domain are all housed at this terrificly useful site. Visit it and enjoy the spiritual insights to be gained from this father (?) of the Church.

Equal, not identical

2006-12-19T12:58:00.000-05:00

A Catholic News Service piece from Dec. 18 records some of the discussion at a Dec. 15 Rome conference on "Feminism and the Catholic Church."

The event included comments from Mary Ann Glendon, a Harvard law professor and the president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences -- not a bad résumé. Overall, a good and needed reflection on the continuing need of reformation on the part of the institutional Church.

Excerpts:

Unless the Catholic Church can show the world concrete models of male-female cooperation in positions of responsibility and decision-making, the church will continue to struggle against charges that it is chauvinistic, said Mary Ann Glendon.

The Harvard law professor and president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences said church teaching that women and men are equal, but not identical, is a healthy corrective to the feminism of the late 20th century, which, she said, promoted a "unisex society."

- - - - - - -

She said changes in the right direction can be seen in parishes and dioceses where "more and more priests, inspired by recent popes and comfortable with women" are relying on their talents and working with them for the benefit of the community.

She and [Lucetta] Scaraffia [a professor at Rome's La Sapienza University] argued that in any social institution directives from the top are essential, but lasting change flows from the grass roots up.

"The problem with the church today is the lack of women in positions of responsibility at the Vatican," Scaraffia said. "This must change and I believe it will," she added, saying her argument "has nothing to do with the question of women priests."

For the next 30 days, get the whole story on our Criterion Web site.

No bias here at all

2006-12-14T07:48:00.000-05:00

When I saw this story today I couldn't help but post it to give props to my old Newman Center:

Newman Center at University of Illinois to expand

Here is an excerpt:

The new facility will address both an increasing demand for housing at Newman Hall -- a 300-bed residence hall built in 1929 that has a waiting list of nearly 200 -- and a lack of program space for outreach to the nearly 12,000 Catholic students at the University of Illinois.

- - - - - - -

At a Nov. 21 press conference announcing the planned expansion, Bishop Jenky called St. John's "the premier Newman Center in America." It is staffed by six full-time priests and three women religious, and has a full-time lay staff of 55. In addition to the residence hall, it includes St. John's Catholic Chapel as well as the Institute of Catholic Thought.

"This project has statewide impact and a national scope because of the demographics of students at the University of Illinois," said Bishop Jenky, which he called "one of the world's best-known secular universities."

The 127,000-square-foot brick structure will have two wings, one six stories tall and the other three stories tall. Resident rooms will be a combination of suites, double bedrooms and single rooms configured in the latest style of college residential living, including private baths and commons areas.

The facility also will include a 300-seat cafeteria, a Newman Club, where nonresidents as well as residents can gather for study and relaxation, a fitness center, and various meeting rooms.

It's the end of the world as we know it

2006-11-13T17:14:00.000-05:00

Not really, but this article from Catholic News Service provides a little bit of correction to those people that are always preaching the latest earth-death scenario: In scientific predictions, the only certainty is nothing is certain

Sometimes the great fun of science is knowing how small we are as human beings and how much bumbling around it takes to get to good, solid information. Think of the roller coaster ride that science has taken through the ages, all the theories that at one time were accepted by the world's scientists that ended up being at best in need of modification and at worst flat wrong. Usually they were the product of decent reasoning with a limited amount of knowledge or data. It makes religious look pretty even keel and sensible by comparison!

But, as the wise philosopher knows, its a good thing to know how little you know. We don't know the answers to many of life's scientific questions, and what we do know is subject to future revision. Still, the apple is tempting, and all too many politicians or scientists or other folks want to make absolute surety where there is none. From the article:

In an effort to remind science of the impact its predictions have on the public, the Vatican hosted a meeting on the limits and accuracy of predictability in science.

Dozens of scientists and several theologians from all over the world gathered for the Pontifical Academy of Sciences Nov. 3-6 plenary assembly to discuss how far the eye of science can see into the future and when calculations might be considered certain, probable or highly unlikely.

On the one hand, most scientists want to give as much early warning as possible about impending dangers such as earthquakes or climate changes.

On the other hand, they know the earlier the forecast, the more likely the prediction can be wrong, and being wrong makes scientists run the risk of losing the public's trust.

I've always sort of wondered why environmentalists in particular seem tempted to this sin against science. In the past few decades we've see the infamous failures of the theories of global cooling or catastrophic overpopulation (and we've also seen the ill effects of pollution and reckless consumerism), both accepted by many of the world's scientists. And now it is global warming, and the suspicious claim that not only can we tell the world's future with certainly, but that we can narrow it down to precise years.

The scientists in the story talk about the conflict between making bad predictions and living with not making predictions at all. As for me, I don't know why it isn't enough to say, for instance, "the earth is warming, and there is a decent chance that we have something to do with it and that it's going to cause us some harm. We ought to begin to practice good stewardship and care for the earth the way God intended." It's always that there has to be a disaster looming, and not just any disaster, but the possible destruction of all human life...and soon!!! Maybe its our sinfulness or (particularly Western) sloth that causes the movers and shakers and thinkers to keep insisting that the next disaster is around the corner. That kind of thinking -- and those kind of stakes -- make for bad predictions.

That's why I generally avoid those charged conversations with others about how we suddenly know all there is to know about the gay gene or global warming or why (INSERT FOOD HERE) is bad/good or the surety of embryonic stem cell research. My favorite is astronomy. It's got all the grand theories and predictions -- and yes, the changes and discoveries of bad theory -- on a time scale that prevents apocalypse now and on a level that keeps the politicians and lobbyists uninterested.

So go read the story -- it's a good balancing factor for us living at the end of the world as we know it.

Reflections from a young Catholic

2006-11-13T15:41:00.000-05:00

Hands down, my favorite religious periodical out there is First Things, which bills itself as a "journal of religion, culture and public life." It's good stuff, and every issue is packed with much "meatier" articles than you'll find in a lot of other Catholic magazines.

This past October's issue featured a very long article by Joseph Bottum titled "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano: Catholic Culture in America." The gist of the article is a trace in the decline of a Catholic culture in America and the rise of post-Vatican II in-fighting between often self-described liberals and conservatives.

His contention is that, through mysterious ways, a new Catholic culture is beginning to come together, like loose stars forming a galaxy -- and part of the core and start of that galaxy is opposition to the 1973 Supreme Court ruling on abortion. "The result," Bottum claims, "is the beginning of a new culture: a new Catholicism that, at its best, simply bypasses the stalemates of the 1970s."

While perhaps a simplistic theory, it's got many good points and insights. The whole article is well-worth reading and pondering, and is available free online. Of particular note to me, as a young Catholic, was what he said about us. He argues that there is a growing disconnect with young Catholics from older Catholics and leaders -- even bishops.

I quote quite liberally because he says it better than I could:

These were serious Catholic kids—daily communicants, pro-life marchers, soup-kitchen volunteers, members of perpetual-adoration societies. They were showing off a little for their guest, no doubt: taking stronger positions than they actually feel, arguing for the joy of arguing, the way college students do. It was revealing, however, that when one of them shyly mentioned the Tridentine Mass at the renegade chapel in Garden Grove, the others shouted her down.

Sure, they agreed, pretty Masses are better than ugly ones, and they all preferred high-churchy smells and bells to guitar services and liturgical dance: the things their parents’ generation, poor souls, fondly imagined would “engage today’s youth.” But the radical traditionalists seemed cut from the same cloth as the radical revisionists—and the students dismissed all that kind of 1970s stuff as simultaneously boring and infuriating: the self-obsession and self-glorification of the two sides that, between them, had wrecked Catholic culture in this country. We live with a million aborted babies a year, daily scandals of corruption in the Church, millions of uncatechized Catholic children, and this is what those tired old biddies are still squabbling over?

“You remember how, you know, the old hippie types used to say, ‘Never trust anyone over thirty’? Well, they were right. Only it was their own generation they were talking about,” the thin, quiet one in the back announced as we pulled up to the hotel. “You can see it clearly out here in California. That whole generation of Catholics in America, basically everybody formed before 1978, is screwed up. Left, Right, whatever....The best of them were failures, and the worst of them were monsters.”

- - - - - - -

This quick, irritated impatience seems common in the emerging Catholic culture. You find it in the parishioners of the Polish Dominicans working at Columbia University, and in the conservatives gathered around the political theorist Robert George at Princeton. For that matter, it is present among the graduate students at such places as Notre Dame and Boston College, and among the younger theology professors around the country. The public figures of the new culture—the Catholic lawyers, magazine writers, and think-tank analysts—have it in spades: an intolerance, an exasperation, with everything that preoccupied an entire generation of American Catholics.

- - - - - - -

Still, in at least one sense, these Catholics seem right to reject the battles of the recent past. The greatest work of John Paul II may prove his reintegration of Vatican II into the history of the Catholic Church: a swerve, a changing of the trajectory that both sides in the 1970s had assumed could not be altered. Far too many in those days believed the Second Vatican Council had definitively broken the Catholic Church from its past. Whether they wept or cheered, whether they were traditionalists or spirit-of-Vatican-II reformers, they acted as though the new Church were no longer in continuity with the old Church.

I find myself all too often getting pulled into these battles, taking various side, letting myself get angry and worked up...I find myself stepping back -- or yanking myself back -- into remembering my "JPII heritage." Ultimately Bottum's point about the pro-life movement gathering together a new Catholic culture that is ready to change our culture is tied up with the efforts of Pope John Paul the Great to preach an authentic vision of the Second Vatican Council and of the nature of man.

For me as a young Catholic, and for the many, many other young Catholics I know, this is what it's about: seeking through Jesus Christ the wisdom that answers the two great questions we have, that is, Who is God, and What is man? College students embark on their journey with these questions and there is a certain sickness that I feel when I think of how many get the wrong answers -- even by Catholic priests and teachers of the faith.

Pope John Paul was, for so many of us, the living icon of this answer. He was the genuine leader in whose shadow you could trace the life and teachings of the One he followed. More and more Catholic young people are growing up with the benefit of his scholarship: we are people whose whole lives have been informed by a rich, Catholic view of who we are and how we are to live. For us, the Church's answers to the hot-button questions of contraception, homosexuality, abortion, ESC research, the death penalty and female ordination are beautiful -- and more than that, they are true. To say that the teachings on those subjects in particular are true and beautiful is more than a little scandalous to many older Catholics I know -- almost as though I've crossed some invisible line that has actually called my Christianity into question.

One of the hallmarks, in my opinion, of this new, growing breed of young Catholics is not so much the rejection of the warring camps that Bottum suggests, but the simple joy with which they embrace Jesus Christ and his Church, the happiness with which they live the tenets of our faith. Those same warring camps are always trying to drag us into their battles -- trying to make us fight on their terms and fit their stereotypes and have their motivations.

But another hallmark is what Bottum mentions and what many of the saints had: the "get out of my way" attitude toward silliness and stalemate rivalries that is what Christ demands. The world is in danger, as it always is: the devil and sin stand to devour the souls of our brothers and sisters, and we must stand in their way -- we must sacrifice and battle and answer the heavenly call to action. There is no time for us to fight a battle that isn't ours and that distracts us needlessly from the task.

In the end, we're trying to be saints and to follow Jesus Christ and prophetic voices like that of Pope John Paul the Great -- we shouldn't care about all the hip buzz terms in lay ministry or whether we're for a "cultic" priesthood or if we like to be under the thumb of Rome or if we lack a pluralistic mindset or why we're too divisive or any of the other endless arguments...we're trying to live for Christ and to love what Christ loves, even those parts that make our culture hiss. And power politics and Church theories and doctrinal fighting cannot stop that.

Religion and science, etc., etc., etc.

2006-11-06T10:56:00.000-05:00

Whenever I hear of religion and science I tend to think more in terms of faith and reason, and the miraculous balance that the Catholic Church has achieved between them. It seems like media types aren't the only ones endlessly interested in prolonging a dead war between two allies...it's hard to pick who to shake your head at more: those philosophers and thinkers who, generation after generation, insist that we are in the last days of religion, or the Christians who insist that the only reasonable way to read Scripture is an utterly reasonless literal interpretation.

I was treated this morning to a few minutes of local talk radio with call ins debating how Adam and Eve's sons had children and how the story of the Tower of Babel accounts for the different races of the world. Adam and Eve, the fall of man, the drama of salvation -- these are the great themes that interest me to no end...unless the conversation falls into either an obsession with whether our first parents had belly buttons or how the mere thought of anything outside of Darwinian evolution is a threat to democracy.

Time magazine apparently has a story about the debate, titled provcoatively enough: God vs. science: Can religion stand up to the test? I was not aware that religion had anything to prove, nor that science was in the business of testing God. The link I provided is only to a summary; the real story must be paid for, thus I have not read it, but it seems like the usual back and forth, noting that those on the side of what could be called "evangelical atheism" have come into new prominence:

It is not an epithet that fits everyone wielding a test tube. But a growing proportion of the profession is experiencing what one major researcher calls "unprecedented outrage" at perceived insults to research and rationality, ranging from the alleged influence of the Christian right on Bush administration science policy, to the fanatic faith of the 9/11 terrorists, to intelligent design's ongoing claims. Some are radicalized enough to publicly pick an ancient scab -- the idea that science and religion, far from being complementary responses to the unknown, are at utter odds.

I would gladly point anyone interested to this most excellent series of articles on the question of Catholicism and evolution (which was, by the way, adapted for publication in Our Sunday Visitor).

But, as always, Pope Benedict cuts through the chatter with a much simpler, more brilliant summation than I could ever offer:

"Christianity does not posit an inevitable conflict between supernatural faith and scientific progress," he stressed, recalling how "God created human beings, endowed them with reason, and set them over all the creatures of the earth." In this way, man became "the steward of creation and God's 'helper.' ... Indeed, we could say that the work of predicting, controlling and governing nature, which science today renders more practicable than in the past, is itself a part of the Creator's plan."

"Man cannot place in science and technology so radical and unconditional a trust as to believe that scientific and technological progress can explain everything and completely fulfil all his existential and spiritual needs. Science cannot replace philosophy and revelation by giving an exhaustive answer to man's most radical questions: questions about the meaning of living and dying, about ultimate values, and about the nature of progress itself."

There seems to me something almost intrinsically dehumanizes about using "hard science" alone to determine your world view, or to demand that only those things with absolute empirical evidence be allowed into the public life of humanity. And the defense against such a mindset needs to be more than forcing philosophy into every biology textbook.

There is a living and true God who created the universe -- and to the great majority of men who have ever lived, this is common sense. And that same God endowed us with the marvelous ability to study that wide world and grow in our understanding of how it works. To me, the scientist that uses DNA and brain patterns to "prove" that religious sentiments are no more than impulses is as silly and guilty as the religious who claims that evolution isn't real because you can't see it happening in a lab.

To quote the late, great John Paul II: "Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth."

And to quote popular culture: come on, faith and reason, can't we all just get along?

(UPDATE: I saw on Amy Welborn's blog that she has a link to the whole text of Pope Benedict's comments to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences).

The devil makes a good argument...

2006-11-05T22:07:00.000-05:00

I was on Mark Shea's blog recently and saw a link to this story: "Parish cancels 'Catholic' drag queens' bingo games"

What is most interesting to me is not how the parish of the chancellor of the Archdiocese of San Francisco ended up renting its hall to the notorious "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence," or how the grassroots strength of Catholics from around the country called and wrote in on this matter until action was taken...no, the most interesting part was contrasting the sordid details of this story with the response from the "Sisters" upon their bingo event lease being cancelled. An excerpt:

The primary mission of The Sisters is involvement in and support of the local community. This includes working with and supporting many local community organizations whose ability to serve their constituency is dependent on contributions from charitable groups like the Sisters. Without the thousands of dollars raised by the consistently sold-out monthly bingo event, their services may be cut at a time when charitable giving is more critical than ever.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence believe that our commitment to giving is in alignment with the philosophy of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, which represents a cross-section of the San Francisco population. It is unfortunate and extremely disappointing that this appears not to be the case, and that our shared values cannot overcome our differences of opinion when it comes to how we serve the community.

Let's imagine that you only heard that a group gay "Catholics" holding a charitable bingo game had been kicked out of a Catholic parish, then read that group's response. It sounds pretty reasonable, pretty squeaky clean, pretty convincing almost...almost...

I find oftentimes that so much of my frustration comes with the oft-repeated human experience that the devil makes a mighty good argument...and distracts people from common sense. The common sense in this particular story comes in realizing who the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are, and how they were raising charitable funds. From the story:

The next game, featuring master of ceremonies "Peaches Christ" -- was scheduled for Thursday, All Souls Day, when Catholics typically pray for deceased loved ones.

The Sisters' motto "Go and sin some more" is indicative of their use of mockery to express opposition to Catholic moral norms. They are infamous for their offensive street theater, in which they use Catholic symbols and images to shock opponents and entertain allies. Catholics who walked in the West Coast Walk for Life in 2005 and 2006 report they were heckled and jeered with blasphemous catcalls by the group.

- - - - - - -

A Sept. 14 article by "Sister Dana Van Iquity" in the homosexual newspaper San Francisco Bay Times stated, "The long awaited return of the Castro's longest running Bingo – Revival Bingo —kicked off at Ellard Hall on Sept. 7 at 100 Diamond Street and 18th [the address of Most Holy Redeemer] in the heart of the Castro. The new home includes more space, more seating capacity, a big stage, and a brand new sound & video system (thanks to Dave the bear) with all players on one main floor instead of having to hang from the rafters at the old venue. … A gaggle of nuns -- dozens really -- opened the show, carrying candles and acting rather solemn with slow, marching steps. But when the sound system played 'Gonna Make You Sweat,' the Sisters commenced to clapping and dancing wildly down the aisles, getting everyone's energy up."

The article went on to describe sexual "punishments" meted out to participants whose cell phones ring during the game or who call a false bingo. Prizes distributed to winners, according to the article, range from "wines to porn DVDs to sex toys to toasters and more."

So the group basically stands in ridicule and intense mockery of nearly everything that the Catholic Church is, then feigns disapointment that "our shared values cannot overcome our differences of opinion." Well, there are differences of opinion and there are differences of opinion, apparently.

Go read the whole story to see it all

You know it's a slow news day when...

2006-10-31T09:15:00.000-05:00

...you see this headline come through the wire at Catholic News Service:

Retired bishop has close encounter with squirrel

There's not much more to this story that what the headline says, but still, it made me laugh to read it...and since not much else of interest was posted by CNS yesterday it made the cut on The Criterion Online Edition.

So go read it and enjoy the small Halloween treat.

Mother Theodore canonization coverage

2006-10-13T18:50:00.000-04:00

Don't worry, the staff of The Criterion has not abandoned this blog. The past month and a half has consumed my efforts as I prepared to launch our new Archdiocese of Indianapolis Web site at www.archindy.org (an endeavor that included The Criterion Online Edition).

The other staff has been working hard to get ready for a coverage blitze of the canonization of Indiana's own Blessed Mother Theodore Guerin on Oct. 15 in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.

We have a reporter in Rome on an archdiocesan pilgrimage and are sending two to the motherhouse of the Sisters of Providence near Terre Haute -- and all of the coverage is converging on our special event blog devoted to the canonization.

So, while we all hope to soon resume posting on this blog, for now, check out the Guerin blog on our Criterion site for all the latest updates.

George Weigel on bad liturgical hymns

2006-08-29T11:41:00.000-04:00

We've all probably got our favorite Mass hymns/songs, and the ones that we don't care for so much. George Weigel makes the case that there are some hymns, though, that simply have no place being sung in a Catholic church -- and some based on such silly poetry and phrasing that we should put a moratorium on their use. This was written a couple of years back, but still a fun read:

For classic Lutheran theology, hymns are a theological "source:" not up there with Scripture, of course, but ranking not-so-far below Luther's "Small Catechism." Hymns, in this tradition, are not liturgical filler. Hymns are distinct forms of confessing the Church's faith. Old school Lutherans take their hymns very seriously.

Most Catholics don't. Instead, we settle for hymns musically indistinguishable from "Les Mis" and hymns of saccharine textual sentimentality. Moreover, some hymn texts in today's Catholic "worship resources" are, to put it bluntly, heretical. Yet Catholics once knew how to write great hymns; and there are great hymns to be borrowed, with gratitude, from Anglican, Lutheran, and other Christian sources. There being a finite amount of material that can fit into a hymnal, however, the first thing to do is clean the stables of today's hymnals.

Thus, with tongue only half in cheek, I propose the Index Canticorum Prohibitorum, the "Index of Forbidden Hymns." Herewith, some examples.

Go check out the rest of what he has to say here

Historical honesty

2006-08-17T08:22:00.000-04:00

That's what Archbishop Charles Chaput wants in the current relationship between Christians and Muslims.

He wrote about this desire in this column recently printed in the Denver Catholic Register, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Denver, of which he is the leader.

Archbishop Chaput referred to a recent article in a secular newspaper in Denver where a Muslim leader was quoted as saying "it was European Christians, never Muslims, who tried to root out those who didn’t agree with them."

The archbishop then proceeded to list the instances of discrimination and sometimes outright persecution against Christians that span from the beginnings of Islam to the present.

Archbishop Chaput concluded his column with these words:

These are facts. The Muslim-Christian conflict is a very long one, rooted in deep religious differences, and Muslims have their own long list of real and perceived grievances. But especially in an era of religiously inspired terrorism and war in the Middle East, peace is not served by ignoring, subverting or rewriting history, but rather by facing it humbly as it really happened and healing its wounds.

That requires honesty and repentance from both Christians and Muslims. Comments like those reported in the recent news story I read — claiming that historically, it was European Christians, never Muslims, who tried to root out those who disagreed with them — are both false and do nothing to help.

The meaning of moderation

2006-08-03T16:55:00.000-04:00

This is what George Weigel and Cardinal Theodore McCarrick have been debating lately in a rather public forum.

Weigel, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and biographer of Pope John Paul II, launched the interchange with this column, "Truth at the fifty-yard line?," which ran in several diocesan newspapers in the United States.

Excerpt:

In a series of talks and interviews surrounding the announcement of his retirement as archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick frequently told his favorite John Paul II story: the story of the Pope walking up the center aisle of the Newark cathedral in October 1995, touching people on both sides.

This, Cardinal McCarrick suggested, was how priests and bishops ought to act --- sticking to the "middle," in order to be in touch with everyone. Or, as he told National Public Radio, "The job of a priest always forces you to the middle.… We've got to be in the middle so that we don't let those on the left or the right get lost." ...

It's not easy to know what Cardinal McCarrick means by his oft-repeated admonition to moderation...

To stand in the center of the aisle and claim to be in communion of mind and heart with people who both affirm and deny [that Jesus Christ is the Son of God] is to confess to severe intellectual confusion. Is a validly ordained priest necessary for the valid consecration of the Eucharist, or isn't he? It's hard to believe that Cardinal McCarrick would have wanted his archdiocesan vocation director to stand in the center of the aisle on that one...

Cardinal McCarrick, the recently retired archbishop of Washington, responded to Weigel's column with this letter to the editor that recently ran in the Denver Catholic Register.

The cardinal seemed offended at Weigel's column, describing it as "at the minimum, deceptive journalism." In the end, he responded to the charges against him that he felt Weigel had made in his column:

I will continue to call for moderation and civility, and to reach out and talk with everyone, regardless of what side of the aisle they are on. That doesn’t mean compromising our faith and our teachings, but it does mean that we treat each other with respect as befits the dignity of our brothers and sisters, avoid name calling and personal attacks and be careful that what we say is always true both in its expression and its implication.

In response to Cardinal McCarrick's letter, Weigel wrote one of his own, in which he attempted to explain the purpose of his original column:

My point — which seemed clear enough to the many people, from all states of life in the Church, who have thanked me for what I wrote — was that a pastoral strategy that encourages priests and bishops to stand “in the center of the aisle” may serve certain purposes, but cannot be effective when core doctrinal issues are at stake.

He also seemed to invited Cardinal McCarrick to review his original column, writing that a "fair-minded reading, or perhaps re-reading, of the column will, I hope, demonstrate" its purpose stated above.

So, what is the meaning of moderation in discussions in the Church and in the broader society? Share your views on the topic...with a moderate tone if you please.

Pray for Cardinal George

2006-07-27T08:30:00.000-04:00

According to this press release, Cardinal Francis George, the archbishop of Chicago, will undergo surgery today for what appears to be bladder cancer. Although his prognosis would seem to be good, please keep him in your prayers.

Politicians, religion and spiced up history

2006-07-24T10:58:00.000-04:00

On July 17, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) spoke on the Senate floor regarding the recently passed, then vetoed, bill that would loosen federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Amidst bringing up the usual candidates (e.g. Galileo, Columbus, etc.) to show the evils of allowing science to be checked by any kind of morality, he mentioned this tidbit:

"Pope Boniface VII banned the practice of cadaver dissection in the 1200s. This stopped the practice for over 300 years and greatly slowed the accumulation of education regarding human anatomy. Finally, in the 1500s, Michael Servetus used cadaver dissection to study blood circulation. He was tried and imprisoned by the Catholic Church."

Around the same time, another Senator (Tom Harkin) let loose with similar claims after comparing the President's veto with the actions of an ayotollah:

Sen. Harkin ... claimed that Bush is now aligned “with people like Pope Boniface VIII, who banned the practice of cadaver dissection in the 1200s. This stopped cadaver dissection for over 300 years, over 300 years.”

The problem with both statements is that there isn't a shred of truth to them. Not only did Specter get the name of the pope in question wrong, but both senators were likely fed grossly inaccurate information which was corrected by this swift Catholic News Service story:

What's a 13th-century pope got to do with stem cells? Nothing at all

In his 1845 textbook "The History of Medicine," German author Heinrich Haesar said dissection of cadavers continued without hindrance during the Middle Ages in European universities, run under the direction of church leaders.

The Catholic Encyclopedia, in its entry on anatomy, says that Guy de Chauliac, considered the father of modern surgery, encouraged the use of dissection in anatomical studies in the 14th century and insisted "on the necessity for the dissection of human bodies if any definite progress in surgery is to be made."

Since de Chauliac was the personal surgeon to three popes and encouraged dissection while a member of the papal household, "this fact alone would seem to decide definitely that there was no papal regulation, real or supposed, forbidding the practice of human dissection at this time," the encyclopedia says.

And what of Michael Servetus, supposedly imprisoned for his cadaverous crimes by the Catholic Church? He was actually executed by the Calvinists for his opposition to certain doctrinal questions relating to the nature of God.

Read the whole story

Day of Prayer for the Middle East

2006-07-20T12:37:00.000-04:00

The Vatican Press Office relates this:

"The Holy Father is following with great concern the destinies of all the peoples involved and has proclaimed this Sunday, July 23, as a special day of prayer and penance, inviting the pastors and faithful of all the particular Churches, and all believers of the world, to implore from God the precious gift of peace.

"In particular, the Supreme Pontiff hopes that prayers will be raised to the Lord for an immediate cease-fire between the sides, for humanitarian corridors to be opened in order to bring help to the suffering peoples, and for reasonable and responsible negotiations to begin to put an end to objective situations of injustice that exist in that region; as already indicated by Pope Benedict XVI at the Angelus last Sunday, July 16."

More here

Franciscan sister ministers to carjacker

2006-07-13T14:02:00.000-04:00

Not too unusual of a story. Religious men and women minister in prisons and jails all the time.

But in this case, the sister was the victim of the carjacking. And now, through her ministry, the perpetrator of the crime is renouncing his former life of violence.

Go here to read more about it.

Two states of religious freedom

2006-07-13T09:59:00.000-04:00

Catholic News Service posted two stories yesterday that will be in our archives for the next 30 days. Each takes a look at religious freedom -- one in Russia and one in England. The state of religious freedom in either country is, depending on how things turn out, heading in separate directions. The once-repressive Russia is now opening more to religious freedom, while England may be one the verge of restricting it under the guise of the homosexual movement (as is happening in other western countries.

Excerpts follow...

Freedom stable for church in Russia, say religious liberty experts

While the Catholic Church still has problems in Russia, the religious freedom situation has stabilized, said officials of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom after returning from a fact-finding trip.

- - -

"The Catholic situation in Russia is rather stable," said Tad Stahnke, commission deputy director for policy.

He described the situation as "half on, half off."

As an example, he cited a Catholic church that had been turned into a library under the Soviet government. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the new government decided to keep the building as a library but gave Catholics permission to build a new church, he said.

"I went to the construction site. The church was half finished but no one was working on it," said Stahnke.

Kathy Cosman, commission senior policy analyst on Russia, said that there are no new problems in getting visas for foreign Catholic priests and religious to work in Russia, but old problems have not been resolved.

U.K. bishops worry rules to protect gays could hurt adoption agencies

Catholic adoption agencies in Britain could be forced to close if legislators pass regulations to give gays and lesbians more rights, said the bishops of England and Wales.

Church leaders are seeking exemptions to the British government's proposed sexual orientation regulations, designed to make discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation illegal in the same way as discrimination based on race or sex.

- - -

In their submission, the bishops also expressed concern about the implications of the regulations for Catholic schools, which they said would be limited in what they could teach children about the church's moral teaching.

The regulations also would force the church's marriage preparation and guidance agencies to cater to gay couples and would not allow parishes the right to refuse the use of their halls to groups at odds with church teaching. It could also become illegal for Catholic conference and retreat centers to refuse bookings from gay and lesbian groups, and the Catholic press would be unable to refuse certain advertisements, the bishops said.

They said they have "serious misgivings" about the regulations because they make no distinction between "homophobia" and a "conviction, based on religious belief and moral conscience, that homosexual practice is wrong."

Plenary Indulgence for World Meeting of Families

2006-06-29T09:26:00.000-04:00

This from the Vatican Information Service yesterday:

VATICAN CITY, JUN 28, 2006 (VIS) - For the occasion of the Fifth World Meeting of Families, due to be held in Valencia, Spain from July 1 to 9, Benedict XVI will concede Plenary Indulgence to those faithful who participate in any of the associated celebrations and in the closing ceremony, according to a decree from the Apostolic Penitentiary made public yesterday afternoon.

- - -

"The Supreme Pontiff," the decree adds, "grants Plenary Indulgence to the faithful under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer in keeping with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, with the soul completely removed from attachment to any form of sin), if they participate in any of the solemn functions held in Valencia during the Fifth World Meeting of Families, and in the solemn closing ceremony.

"All other faithful who are unable to participate in that event, may obtain the same gift of Plenary Indulgence, under the same conditions, over the days the meeting is held and on its closing day if, united in spirit and thought with the faithful present in Valencia, they recite in the family the 'Our Father,' the 'Creed,' and other devout prayers calling on Divine Mercy to concede the above-mentioned aims."

Read the whole release

Sisters arrested for...evangelization?

2006-06-28T10:48:00.000-04:00

Yes, that is what appears to have happened to four Missionaries of Charity when they went to visit patients in a hospital in Tirupati, India--something they've been doing for decades.

But on the evening of June 25, an estimated crowd of 300 Hindus followed the sisters on their pastoral visit. Police from the area later came and took the sisters, members of the order founded by Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, to a nearby jail where they were detained for a few hours.

Actually, actions like this seem to becoming more common in India where religious tensions seem to be increasing.

They have caught the attention of Pope Benedict XVI and the new prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Indian Cardinal Ivan Dias, who have both spoken out publicly against the persecution of Christians on the subcontinent.

However, their words seem to have fallen on deaf ears in the Indian government, which reacted by essentially taking the line of the Chinese government regarding religious freedom, that Church officials shouldn't be meddling in the affairs of a sovereign state.

Read this article to learn more about the incident in Tirupati.

Excerpt:

G. Alfred, executive secretary of Andhra Pradesh Christian Federation, told the press conference that the incident was part of increasing harassment of Christians by fanatic Hindu groups.

Alfred later told UCA News that activists of Hindu Dharma Parirakshana Samithi (forum for protecting the Hindu religion) engineered the crowd at the hospital. He said some of them verbally abused the nuns and even threatened to make the nuns wear saffron clothes like Hindu religious personnel do.

The Christian federation demanded that the government probe the incident and act against those who took the nuns to the police station. It also said Christian groups "cannot be mute spectators" to such abuses and threatened to launch a statewide stir if the government failed to act.

Future priests packing lightsabers

2006-06-21T15:25:00.000-04:00

That's what you see in this video, made for a vocations camp held at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis. It features two seminarians for the Archdiocese of St. Louis who are in formation at Kenrick-Glennon. The credits show that the production work was also done by at least one of the seminarians

The Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary at Marian College in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis recently had their own vocations camp, which will be featured soon in both the print and online editions of The Criterion.

However, when yours truly went to it to do some reporting for the upcoming article, I didn't find any evidence of seminarians jousting it out with lightsabers in the hills of nearby Morgan County.

Maybe we could get more young men studying to be priests if they knew that there would be free lightsabers for each new seminarian...

A Coadjutor for St. Paul-Minneapolis?

2006-06-21T14:34:00.000-04:00

Archbishop Harry Flynn of St. Paul-Minneapolis has confirmed that he has requested the Holy See appoint coadjutor bishop to assist him in his pastoral mission in his archdiocese and who would then be slated to succeed him upon his retirement.

This confirmation came in this article recently published in The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis.

The reason for the request, according to Archbishop Flynn, was fairly simple:

“Here’s the scoop,” Archbishop Flynn said. “When a bishop is over 70 and he needs an auxiliary, Rome is not inclined to give him an auxiliary, but rather a coadjutor. I’m over 70. I’ve lost an auxiliary. We need another one. I wrote for an auxiliary. Rome said, ‘No, you have to have a coadjutor.’ So I wrote for a coadjutor.

Archbishop Flynn also offered his reflections on what he has found fulfilling and a challenge in his episcopal ministry:

“I think I enjoy most going to parishes and being with the people of God — celebrating with them the great liturgy that is ours, speaking with them afterward and simply being with them,” he said. “I come back re-created, renewed, rejuvenated and ready to take on any week.”

Less enjoyable have been the administrative duties that are a large part of a bishop’s responsibilities. “I’ve never had the inclination toward administration,” he said. “That part can be toilsome for me.”

Archbishop Flynn reflects on several other issues facing his local Church as well as the broader Church in the article. Check it out.

Black Catholics for Life

2006-06-21T12:16:00.000-04:00

Deirdre A. McQuade, the director of planning and information for the U. S. bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, wrote this column recently that appeared in the Colorado Catholic Herald, the newspaper of the Diocese of Colorado Springs.

In it, she places the debate on abortion squarely within the ongoing struggle to defend the civil rights of all people, a struggle led so admirably in the 1950s and 1960s by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Excerpt:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. never lived to see the infamous Roe v. Wade decision, but state abortion laws had already started becoming more permissive in his lifetime. His niece, Alveda King, recalls his words: “The Negro cannot win as long as he is willing to sacrifice the lives of his children for comfort and safety.”

Ms. King takes her family’s civil rights work to its logical extension, fighting for the most basic civil right, the right to life. She calls for faithfulness to the principle of nonviolence: “How can the ‘Dream’ survive if we murder the children?...Abortion is at the forefront of our destruction…By taking the lives of our young, and wounding the wombs and lives of their mothers, we are flying in the face of God.”

In her column, McQuade also makes reference to the National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life. Go here to check out their Web site.

We need your opinion!

2006-06-19T16:08:00.000-04:00

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis (www.archindy.org) is preparing to launch a newly designed, interactive website with lots of new features and information. We would like your input as to what you'd like to see on the new site.

TAKE OUR REDESIGN SURVEY

The questions are simple, and you can answer as many or as few as you want. Once you've filled out the fields, click the "Submit" button at the bottom of the page.

While we can't follow every suggestion, we will take them into consideration. We hope to launch the site this fall.

Changes in the Mass

2006-06-19T16:07:00.000-04:00

From Catholic News Service:

Bishops approve new Order of Mass with U.S. adaptations

In what Bishop Donald W. Trautman called "a truly important moment in liturgy in the United States," the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved a new English translation of the Order of Mass and adopted several U.S. adaptations during a national meeting June 15 in Los Angeles.

The new translation of the main constant parts of the Mass -- penitential rite, Gloria, creed, eucharistic prayers, eucharistic acclamations, Our Father and other prayers and responses used daily -- will likely be introduced in about a year or two if it is approved by the Vatican, said Bishop Trautman, a Scripture scholar who heads the Diocese of Erie, Pa., and is chairman of the USCCB Committee on the Liturgy.

He said he thought the bishops would wait until they have approved -- and received Vatican confirmation of -- an entire new Roman Missal in English before implementing the new Order of Mass.

READ MORE...

Bureaucracy! What is it good for?

2006-06-10T08:21:00.000-04:00

Absolutely nothing! Say it again!

(with apologies to the late Edwin Starr)

Such seems to be the basic argument of Catholic commentators of various stripes regarding bureaucracies at all levels in the Church. They claim that these staffs eventually turn away from the mission of evangelization that they were created to support and become entities that simply defend their own existence.

Writers as varied George Weigel and John Allen made such cases in their respective books God's Choice and The Rise of Benedict XVI, where both authors speculate that the current pope might make major changes to the Roman Curia in order to make the body more truly mission-oriented.

Closer to home, the U. S. bishops, who will be meeting in Los Angeles next week, may take an important step closer to a significant re-organization and reduction of the bureaucracy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, sharply reducing the number of its committees from 35 to 14. Go here to read more about the plan.

Excerpt:

One goal is to reduce the national operating budget at a time when many dioceses are feeling a financial crunch because of weak investment returns, rising insurance costs and a variety of other factors. The restructuring plan envisions a more modest, mission-driven role of the national conference in the work of the bishops.

But in this recent article from the St. Louis Review, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Archbishop Raymond Burke is seen taking a positive approach to the archdiocesan staff that serves under him. We don't see him taking out the scalpel in order to make it more focused on evangelization.

I've done some searching and haven't seen reports about staff reductions in St. Louis. Perhaps it was relatively small or was relatively faithful to its orginal purpose to begin with.

In any case, the article in question shows Archbishop Burke meeting with some 250 employees, exhorting them to consider how they are called upon to participate in the New Evangelization, how they are to show Christ each day to those whom they serve.

Excerpt:

The June 1 session at the Cardinal Rigali Center in Shrewsbury was the first of what Archbishop Burke and many members he met with — hope will be periodic meetings to discuss how the administrative staff can engage in "the new evangelization." That was a term often used by Pope John Paul II in encouraging people to live their faith with the spirit of the first disciples, Archbishop Burke said.

"This mission is not something new; it's the mission of Christ and his Church through the centuries," Archbishop Burke told the curia. "The way to accomplish the mission is also not new; it is Christ himself," the archbishop said, reinforcing his theme of allowing Christ to work through those who believe in him.

...

Archbishop Burke reminded those present that one of their functions was to serve the people in parishes.

"Our work should lighten their burdens, not increase them; our response to frustration should not increase the frustration," he said.

...

He spoke of the need for good stewardship of the archdiocese's resources in serving its people. And the archbishop spoke of the need for the curia’s members to serve "with humility and confidence."

He noted the need for them to take stock at the end of each day of what they have done. "If we are true to our calling and our work, we must ask ourselves each day, How have I brought Christ to others today?" he said.

Unusually blunt

2006-06-08T12:40:00.000-04:00

Cardinal Walter Kasper, who serves in Rome as the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has a sensitive job and tries in all things to bring Christians together -- to bridge the divides of schisms and the Reformation.

Which is why this story, "Vatican official to Anglicans: Women bishops would destroy unity," caught my eye. In it, Cardinal Kasper is quoted as saying some rather direct things to members of the Church of England.

The background to his comments is this: "His remarks came in a speech to a private meeting of the Church of England bishops in Market Bosworth, England, just four months after the bishops agreed to set up a working group to outline a process through which women might be consecrated as bishops.

Although three of the world's Anglican provinces have already agreed to consecrate women as bishops, Cardinal Kasper said decisions made by the Church of England had a "particular importance" because they gave a "strong indication of the direction in which the communion as a whole was heading." "

Such a move would effectively end any hope of the Catholic Church ever coming to recognize Anglican holy order (bishops and priests) as valid.

And what were the cardinal's direct comments? Here are a few:

"shared partaking of the one Lord's table, which we long for so earnestly, would disappear into the far and ultimately unreachable distance."

the goal of restoring full church communion "would realistically no longer exist"

this meant that the Anglican Communion would no longer occupy "a special place" among the churches of the West

The ordination of women bishops, Cardinal Kasper added, would "most certainly lower the temperature even more; in terms of the possible recognition of Anglican orders, it would lead not only to a short-lived cold, but to a serious and long-lasting chill."

Go read more of the story for yourself. This is just one of the things going on in the Anglican Communion these days that have the eyes of ecumenists watching.

Into God's hands

2006-06-06T17:07:00.000-04:00

A special exclusive from an upcoming issue of The Criterion:

Put family tragedy ‘in hands of God,’ pastor says

By John Shaughnessy

In his mind, Father Michael O’Mara can picture the two boys proudly standing in front of the altar on May 21—the two brothers preparing to receive their first Holy Communion while their parents and their extended family beamed with the joy of this special moment in the life of a Catholic.

In his mind, Father O’Mara tries to imagine the horror and the suffering that these two brothers endured less than two weeks later when they were shot and killed in their eastside Indianapolis home, along with their parents and three other family members.

The seven murders on June 1 marked the worst mass killing in Indianapolis history. And like most people who were shocked and horrified by the killings, the murders left their mark on Father O’Mara—the priest who gave the homilies at funeral Masses for family members on June 6 and 7.

As he prepared to give the homilies, the Indianapolis priest called upon his memories of the family while he tried to make sense of the deaths.

Read the rest of the story | See photos of a streetside memorial

Vatican document on the family

2006-06-06T13:50:00.000-04:00

Today's Vatican Information Service report contained the following:

"The Pontifical Council for the Family, founded 25 years ago by John Paul II with the Motu Proprio "Familia a Deo Instituta," and presided by Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, today published a document entitled: "Family and Human Procreation."

. . .

This theme is then developed over four chapters covering "procreation; why the family is the only appropriate place for it; what is meant by integral procreation within the family; and what social, juridical, political, economic and cultural aspects does service to the family entail" The fifth chapter presents the theme "from two complementary perspectives: the theological, in that the family is an image of the Trinity; and the pastoral, because the family lies at the foundation of the Church and is a place of evangelization." "

Read the rest of the news report

George Weigel on the ongoing discussion at Notre Dame

2006-06-01T16:49:00.000-04:00

A large portion of Weigel's column is taken up by excerpts from Holy Cross Father Wilson Miscamble's open letter to University of Notre Dame president Holy Cross Father John Jenkins. Yet we still have here another significant voice in the contemporary Church in the United States weighing in on the ongoing discussion about academic freedom at Notre Dame.

Go here to read the column. Go here to read the text of Father Miscamble's open letter.

Excerpt from Weigel's column:

After a campus wide debate, Father Jenkins announced that "the creative contextualization of a play like The Vagina Monologues can bring certain perspectives on important issues into a constructive and fruitful dialogue with the Catholic tradition." Therefore, Father Jenkins decreed, the V-Monologues could continue to be produced on campus.

It was difficult, bordering on impossible, not to read Father Jenkins' decision as a surrender to the most corrosive forces eating away at the vitals of Catholic higher education.

This is what the apostolate is all about

2006-06-01T14:14:00.000-04:00

It's about using the specific gifts with which God has blessed you to extend the kingdom of God in this world.

A Puerto Rican-born OB/GYN living now in the Archdiocese of Atlanta is successfully using his professional expertise to promote the use of adult stem cells gained from umbilical cord blood.

Go here to read an article in The Georgia Bulletin, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, about the man and the foundation he established to carry on this important work.

Excerpt:

TUCKER—Call it God’s natural gift to scientists of regenerative medicine. And in that context, the Babies for Life Foundation can be considered a divine instrument of distribution. This highly unique foundation collects donations of this “diamond” mine of stem cell–rich umbilical cord blood, linking new mothers, researchers and patients in need.

For the past five years Dr. Gerry Sotomayor of BFL has collected umbilical cord blood from newborns, sending it to cord blood public registries to help patients worldwide with the 65 diseases now successfully treated with umbilical cord adult stem cells—not to mention the at least 97 diseases that can be treated or cured by the various types of adult stem cells found throughout the body. The foundation, established by Sotomayor, has developed a systematic way to collect units at 10 participating Georgia hospitals from women who agree to donate cord blood at no risk to themselves or their babies, thus facilitating a newborn’s first act of charity. Reflecting the wonder of God’s handiwork, each birth provides 1.5-2.5 million cord blood stem cells. These and other adult stem cells are regenerative, unspecialized cells that are able to differentiate into various specialized cells that form tissues.

The pope in Poland

2006-05-30T09:31:00.000-04:00

Read all about Pope Benedict's recent trip to Poland with the links provided here from mini-stories put togeter by the Vatican Information Service.

SUMMARY OF BENEDICT XVI'S APOSTOLIC TRIP TO POLAND: MAY 25 - 28
- Young People: Build Your House on the Rock of Christ
- Two Million People Attend Krakow Mass
- May the Living God Never Let This Happen Again
- To Poles: Remain Faithful Custodians of Christian Deposit
- Mary, School of Faith
- Visit to John Paul II's Home Town and to Shrine of Kalwaria
- A Journey of Faith in the Footsteps of John Paul II
- Priests: Promoters of the Encounter between Man and God
- Charity and Family: the Keys to Ecumenical Collaboration
- Cultivate the Rich Heritage of Faith

So what did you think?

2006-05-19T20:39:00.000-04:00

Have you seen The Da Vinci Code? If so, feel free to share your reaction to the film in the comment box? If you chose not to see it, feel free to share your reasons for staying away.

Da Vinci Code Resources

2006-05-17T16:49:00.000-04:00

Posted at The Criterion Online Edition

The page includes a news story posted today by Catholic News Service about the premiere of the movie at the Cannes Film Festival, local stories both current and past, and a collection of links for more information.

Anniversary of Fatima and Pope's assassination attempt

2006-05-15T10:56:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday marked the 25th anniversary of the attempt on the life of Pope John Paul II (May 13, 1981). A special ceremony at the Vatican marked the occasion.

The day is also the 89th anniversary of the first appearance of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal.

The similarity between the two events is striking -- it was the famed "Third Secret of Fatima," hidden for years and known only by the popes and the last surviving child whom the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to, the eerily predicted the assassination attempt on the life of a pope (which turned out to be John Paul II). The late pope attributed the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima to narrowly saving his life on that fateful day -- claiming that she diverted the course of the bullet fired into him.

Even more interesting to note, I've found, is that the pope was at his weekly audience and about to announce the founding of the John Paul II Institute on Marriage and the Family, which has since gone on to be a driving force in spreading his "Theology of the Body" and fighting the culture of death that has gripped the West.

The same institute recently sponsored a plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family. This all comes at a time when questions of bioethics and the family are becoming the major moral dilemmas facing countries and cultures.

Archdiocesan Pilgrimage to Poland

2006-05-15T09:50:00.000-04:00

Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein is leading a pilgrimage to Poland May 12-21, and has provided the intentions for the Mass that he will celebrate each day. Catholics in the archdiocese are encourage to pray with him.

I've also posted an article (available for the next 30 days) about a Marian shrine in Poland. Pope Benedict XVI will be visiting the country later this month.

Taiwanese ambassador to the Vatican converts

2006-05-13T17:51:00.000-04:00

The percentage of Christians in the overall population of Asia is still relatively small. That is a major reason why it is looked upon by many in the Church as the last great frontier in evangelization.

Although there is in every conversion something that is unique and unrepeatable, there are also commonalities that we can learn from, especially when we are seeking to proclaim the faith in a culture as distinct as that as in China.

And so this interview with Chou Seng Tou, the ambassador of Taiwan to the Vatican, following his recent conversion to Cathoicism, might be instructive. In any case, it is interesting to hear this one man's story of his journey into the Church.

Excerpt:

What is there in the Christian faith that is missing from Chinese culture that made you convert and get baptised?

I did not adhere to any religion before. Like many Chinese I followed Confucian precepts. I can say I am a disciple of Confucius who has become Christian. I have studied Confucius quite a lot, learnt how to be a good man, morally upright, respectful of others . . . He, too, like in the Gospels, said: “Go unto others as you would have them do unto you”. On many levels, Confucianism and Christianity have many things in common. If China gave Christianity freedom, many Chinese would convert. But in Christianity there is something unique. When you pray for example, you establish a personal rapport with God, one of closeness to Jesus. In Chinese culture there is silence, meditation, but it is a rapport with oneself, not God. Through praying, saintly intercession and that of the Holy Mother, one can realise one’s wish for holiness. Man’s moral solitude comes to an end.

Archbishop Niederauer on "The Da Vinci Code"

2006-05-13T17:02:00.000-04:00

Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco is in a good position to comment on The Da Vinci Code, having earned both graduate degrees in theology and in literature. In a recent issue of The Tidings, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, he lays out the various truth claims that lie barely under the surace of Dan Brown's novel and its coming motion picture adaptation and show how they don't stand up to the facts of history. Go here for the article.

Excerpt:

DVC: "Jesus as a married man makes infinitely more sense than our standard Biblical view of Jesus as a bachelor." [Here's why] "Because Jesus was a Jew, and the social decorum during that time virtually forbid a Jewish man to be unmarried." " ... according to Jewish custom celibacy was condemned." "If Jesus was not married at least one of the Bible's Gospels would have mentioned it and offered some explanation for his unnatural state of bachelorhood

TRUTH: Jesus was unmarried, as were the prophet Jeremiah, John the Baptist, the Apostle Paul, and members of the Essene community. The words of Jesus from the Cross, entrusting his mother to the care of John the Apostle, suggest the truth of this assertion.

Brown stresses the importance of the social decorum at that time. If "social decorum" had been a high priority for Jesus, he wouldn't have healed people on the Sabbath, talked to the Samaritan woman at the well, knocked over the moneychangers' tables in the Temple, or socialized often with public sinners.

As for a Gospel explanation for Jesus' "unnatural state," here is Jesus' teaching on celibacy, from Matthew's Gospel: "Some are incapable of marriage because they are born so; some, because they were made so by others; some because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it" (Mt. 19:12).

Catholic Flash Drive

2006-05-04T13:03:00.000-04:00

This headline from the Catholic News Agency caught my attention: Austrian diocese sending USB hard drives with Church info as gifts to young people

Turns out that the Diocese of Graz, Austria, has taken to giving 18-year-olds a birthday gift with a purpose:

Since the start of 2006, the Austrian Diocese of Graz has begun sending a curious gift to all young people who celebrate their 18th birthday: a USB hard drive with information about the Catholic Church.

According to the Kath.net news agency, the portable hard drives contain information about the Diocese of Graz presented in a manner that is attractive to young people, as well as texts about the Catholic faith and a series of basic Christian prayers.

Pretty cool -- a great way to use powerful new technology in a simple, easy-to-use way, and at the same time to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

News on Chinese episcopal ordinations

2006-05-04T13:02:00.000-04:00

The Beijing-government approved Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA), which is not in communion with the Holy See, recently ordained two men to the episcopacy.

A statement issued by the Holy See in reaction to the ordinations stated that Pope Benedict XVI received the news with "profound displeasure" and that they are a "a grave wound to the unity of the Church." Go here to read the statement in its entirety.

An official of the CCPA said that the ordinations took place because more than half of the 100 Chinese dioceses do not have a bishop at present.

Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong reacted strongly to the ordinations, calling for a halt to all future CCPA episcopal ordinations that are not approved by the Holy See.

Go here to read more about the CCPA's explanation, Cardinal Zen's statement, and more analysis of the situation.

News from Rome on Blessed Mother Theodore Guerin

2006-04-28T21:49:00.000-04:00

Today, Pope Benedict XVI authorized the Congregation of the Causes of Saints to promulgate several decrees regarding the causes of several holy men and women. Included among them was a decree verifying a second miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Mother Theodore Guerin, the 19th century foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods.

Go to this page on the Web site of The Criterion Online Edition to read a Vatican Information Service bulletin regarding the decrees.

Go here to read about an artist commissioned by the Sisters of Providence to create a six-foot statue of Blessed Mother Theodore who was baptized and received into the full communion of the Church at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Terre Haute on April 15 during the Easter Vigil.

Go here to read about a press conference held in February at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods about the progress in Blessed Mother Theodore's canonization Cause.

Go here to read about the miracle that is at the root of the pope's decree.

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis' Web site has this page with more information about Blessed Mother Theodore and her canonization Cause.

Bishop D'Arcy issues "Pastoral Response"

2006-04-28T21:24:00.000-04:00

Shortly after University of Notre Dame president Holy Cross Father John L. Jenkins issued his "Closing Statement" in the months-long dialogue regarding the relationship between academic freedom and his Catholic college's religious identity, Bishop John D'Arcy of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend issued a brief response. It can be read here.

More recently, Bishop D'Arcy has issued a more lengthy "Pastoral Response" to Father Jenkins' Closing Statement. It can be found here.

Excerpt:

My pastoral concern is not only because of the decision not to ban the play, but because of the rationale that accompanied the decision. It fails to give room to the great truths of the faith. The teaching of the church on sexuality, on academic freedom, on the relationship between a man and a woman and on the human body is hardly mentioned, except to admit that the play stands apart from, and is even opposed to, Catholic teaching. The truths of faith seem not to have been brought to bear on this decision. Is this an omission that will mark the future of such decisions for this school so blessed by Our Lady and by countless scholars and students over the years? I pray that it not be so; for that would, indeed, mark it as a mistake of historic proportions. As a shepherd with responsibility to Notre Dame, I must point out to her leaders that this judgment and the way it has been explained calls for further, more informed consideration.

Holy Cross Father Wilson Miscamble, an associate professor of history at the University of Notre Dame, has joined the list of other Notre Dame faculty members who have made public responses to Father Jenkins' Closing Statement. Father Miscamble's open letter to Father Jenkins can be found here.

Excerpt:

You must know that in taking this decision you have brought most joy to those who care least about Notre Dame's Catholic mission. You have won for yourself a certain short-term popularity with some students and certain faculty but have done real damage to our beloved school and its distinct place in American higher education. By your decision you move us further along the dangerous path where we ape our secular peers and take all our signals from them. Knowing you and having conversed with you on matters relating to Notre Dame's Catholic mission in the past, I suspect that you recognize this in your own heart. Yet, you seemingly have let the possibility of some protest cause you to back off your own stated position. You were called to be courageous and you settled for being popular. This is not your best self. This is not genuine leadership.

The Vatican and Condoms

2006-04-26T13:13:00.000-04:00

The blogging world has been afire with news reports back and forth on the topic of a possible Vatican document regarding the use of condoms within a marriage for people who don't want to give AIDS to their spouse.

I haven't posted on it much because their simply isn't much to know. A document like this, based on a study now underway by theologians, would be entirely up to the pope in the end. Endless speculation and assumptions about what Humanae Vitae would say did immense damage to the Church in 1968 and beyond. Likewise, too much conjecture about a document like this and what it might mean and the direction it might point is almost entirely useless, especiall at this time.

Still, you can read a CNS story that I posted that is fairly balanced.

More feedback on Fr. Jenkins' closing statement

2006-04-19T15:29:00.000-04:00

Professor John Cavadini, chair of the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, has issued his response to closing statement Holy Cross Father John Jenkins in the school's discussion on the relationship of academic freedom to its Catholic identity.

Professor Cavadini doesn't address the issue of future performances of The Vagina Monologues but rather the broader topic of the relationship of Notre Dame to the Church upon which, in his opinion, the discussion about academic freedom and Catholic identity is based. In his letter he expresses his concern that those participating in this increasingly public dialogue are forgetting this crucial aspect of it.

Its text can be found here, on the Web site of The Observer, an independent newspaper at Notre Dame and nearby Saint Mary College.

Excerpt:

The President's statement, as a way of going forward, seems to ratify our unspoken declaration of independence from the Church, to permit it as the "default" mode of operation, and to invite the reduction of any model of the university which entails any explicit relationship to the magisterium of the Church as a "seminary" model (pace all intellectually rigorous seminary programs, including our own). This is to invite and to cultivate an intellectual tradition that is not moored to any ecclesial community or authority that could have a claim on defining that intellectual tradition. It is to invite and to cultivate an intellectual tradition in which "Catholic" is not normed by accountability to any incarnate, historical body but only to the disincarnate, a-historical church of the mind.

Fr. Jenkins' closing statement may have marked the end of his participation in this discussion. (Although one might hope that he would respond to some recent statement's by the school's faculty.) But it would seem that the discussion is going on...and on...and on.

...and on it would seem. Go here to read a letter to The Observer by Franciscan Father John Coughlin, a professor in Notre Dame's School of Law.

Excerpt:

I think we ought to be honest and acknowledge that many, and perhaps most, members of the faculty are skeptical about the validity of Catholic truth claims based upon faith. Likewise, many would be suspicious about faith claims as proper participants in public discourse. Vatican II rightly urged that the Church be open to the world. The on-going dialogue continues to bear fruit for all the participants. It must be admitted, however, that the effects of the ensuing dialogue with secular culture have not always been beneficial to the life of the Church. When secular culture rather than the Church begins to serve as the primary formator, the effects are not likely to foster the gospel life. The Catholic intellectual life here at Note Dame has not been immune from the negative effects of the dialogue as it has transpired in the Church over the course of the last four decades. ...

Given the less than ideal state of Catholic intellectual life at Notre Dame, how might the president of the University respond? To be sure, he should not retreat from the dialogue as it was intended by Vatican II. Whoever the President of the University is at this perilous yet promising time, he would be well advised to come to terms with reality, drink deeply from the living fountain of faith and act with all in his power to strengthen Catholic intellectual life. Unfortunately, nowhere in his Closing Statement does Jenkins affirm that Catholic belief is necessarily normative within the Catholic intellectual community.

More on academic freedom at Notre Dame

2006-04-15T12:59:00.000-04:00

Last week Fr. John Jenkins, the president of the Universtiy of Notre Dame, issued his closing statement in the dialogue on academic freedom that he had initiated some months earlier on the northern Indiana campus.

This general topic had been focused a bit around issue of whether or not the play The Vagina Monologues should be performed at the Catholic university.

In his closing statement, Fr. Jenkins said that future productions of the play would be allowed on the campus provided that it happen in an academic context where Catholic teaching on human sexuality could also be presented.

This decision surprised some who have followed the story because Fr. Jenkins had previously expressed misgivings about the play because of it portrays human sexuality in ways that run counter to the Church's teaching on this topic.

In the days following the issuing of Fr. Jenkins' closing statement, David Solomon, a professor of philosophy at Notre Dame, wrote this op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal.

Excerpt:

Although Father Jenkins called his announcement the "Closing Statement," the debate is unlikely to go away. More is at stake than the fairly standard, indeed humdrum, questions about "censorship" and "free speech" on campus. To some of us--and I speak as a Notre Dame professor--Father Jenkins's decision is one more step in a long process of secularization: It has already radically changed the major Protestant universities in this country; it is now proceeding apace at the Catholic ones.

Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House

2006-04-13T13:11:00.000-04:00

I went for a walk with a bird on March 22 at Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House in Indianapolis.

During a break from a Lenten day of reflection presented by Msgr. Paul Koetter, pastor of St. Monica Parish in Indianapolis, I went outside to enjoy the beautiful retreat center grounds and pray on the prayer labyrinth.

Several inches of snow covered the ground, and sunshine sparkled on the ice crystals. Birdsong served as a reminder that spring was just around the corner.

A robin who probably thought he had migrated north too soon landed on the sidewalk, which had just been shoveled, and walked a few feet ahead of me all the way around the exterior of the retreat center chapel and over to the prayer labyrinth. It was fun to watch him hop along the path on his little bird feet. He didn't seem at all concerned that I was just a few feet away from him.

Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House offers a variety of spiritual retreats on weekends and days of reflection on weekdays at 5353 E. 56th St. in Indianapolis. For more information about their retreat program schedule, call 317-545-7681 or log on to their Web site at www.archindy.org/fatima.

I hope you will make time for a spiritual retreat there sometime this year. Maybe you will even have a chance to go for a walk with a bird.

New Priests for Life blog

2006-04-13T12:50:00.000-04:00

If you like to read blogs, check out Father Frank Pavone's new pro-life blog on the Priests for Life Web site. Here's his invitation to visit the site.

I have started a blog! Please stop in at www.priestsforlife.org/blog.

I hope you also will decide to participate in an archdiocesan Helpers of God's Precious Infants Mass and rosary on the third Saturday of the month. Due to the Easter Triduum, the next Mass is scheduled on May 19 then every third Saturday throughout the year.

St. Michael the Archangel Church, 3354 W. 30th St., Indianapolis. Helpers of God's Precious Infants monthly pro-life ministry, Mass for Life by archdiocesan Office for Pro-Life Ministry, 8:30 a.m., drive to Clinic for Women (abortion clinic), 3607 W. 16th St., Indianapolis, for rosary, return to church for Benediction.

If you would like to participate in pro-life volunteer projects, call Servants of the Gospel of Life Sister Diane Carollo, director of the archdiocesan Office for Pro-Life Ministry, at 317-236-1521 or 800-382-9836, extension 1521, for information about Birthline, Project Rachel, the Gabriel Project and other ways you can help work to end the culture of death in secular society.

For more information about a variety of pro-life issues, log on to the Human Life International Web site at www.hli.org (you can also register for their e-mail newsletter) and the Priests for Life Web site at www.priestsforlife.org.

And thanks for all that you do through prayer and service to help save the lives of preborn babies.

Immigration Rally

2006-04-10T21:24:00.000-04:00

An estimated 15,000 people marched from St. Mary Church in downtown Indianapolis on April 10 to the City-County Building as part of protests around the nation to mark a "Day of Action for Immigrant Justice."

See photos of the event here. A story, especially regarding Catholic involvement in the rally, will be coming in an upcoming issue of The Criterion.

Compendium of the Catechism released

2006-04-10T10:25:00.000-04:00

The English translation of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church was released on March 31. You can purchase it through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops or at Amazon.com (for cheaper, I might add).

A much shorter version of the full Catechism, this paperback is composed of 598 questions about the faith that each have answers that average 2-4 sentences -- extremely compact, concise, clear and accurate answers about what we believe as Catholics. It really is a special gift to be able to simply explain concepts that "unpacked" could be studied for a lifetime. I'll give you an example:

53. Why was the world created?
The world was created for the glory of God who wished to show forth and communicate his goodness, truth and beauty. The ultimate end of creation is that God, in Christ, might be "all in all" (1 Corinthians 15:28) for his glory and our happiness.

The Compendium also makes use of full-color sacred art from across the history of the Church, as has a list of common prayers in the back that are in both English and Latin.

I would recommend that every Catholic household -- especially those with children -- get a copy. The Catechism was called a "gift" to the Church when it was published more than a decade ago -- and this is another such gift.

(Note: This is our 100th post on this blog, and I'm pleased that it could be about something as wonderful as this new Compendium.)

The "Gospel" of Judas

2006-04-10T10:17:00.000-04:00

Posted on Friday was this story from Catholic News Service: Found 'Gospel of Judas' paints alternate portrait of Jesus' betrayer

This is, of course, a story that has been thrown about in the secular media for several days now. Taken from the CNS story:

The document, a third-century Coptic translation of what had originally been written in Greek before 180 A.D., paints Judas in a more sympathetic light than his well-known role as Jesus' betrayer in the canonical Gospels.

In it, Jesus said Judas would "exceed all" of the other disciples, "for you will sacrifice the man that clothes me" -- a reference to Judas' impending betrayal of Jesus. It is also an allusion to gnostic belief that held the spirit in higher esteem than the body, and that, through the liberation of Jesus' body, his spirit would be freed.

The Gospel of Judas was mentioned in a book condemning heresies that was written by St. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon, France, in 180 A.D.

A news brief from the same day deals bluntly with the find:

The Gospel of Judas was unimportant to most Christians when it was written hundreds of years ago and it is unimportant today, said a Jesuit professor who has convoked a series of ecumenical studies of the historical Jesus. Jesuit Father Gerald O'Collins, a longtime professor of Christology at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University, said the text, like the gospels of Mary Magdalene and Philip, "does not merit the name 'Gospel.'"

Bishop D'Arcy on "The Vagina Monologues" at Notre Dame

2006-04-06T08:22:00.000-04:00

Bishop John M. D'Arcy is the leader of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese, in which sits the University of Notre Dame. He issued the following statement yesterday regarding Notre Dame president Holy Cross Father John Jenkins' announcement that the play The Vagina Monologues would continue to be allowed to be performed on the school's campus:

As pastor of the diocese with the sacred responsibility for the care of souls of all our people, including the young men and women at the University of Notre Dame, and with pastoral concern always for the Catholic identity of Notre Dame, as is my obligation, I am deeply saddened by the decision of Father John Jenkins, CSC, to allow the continuing sponsorship of the Vagina Monologues by Notre Dame, the School of Our Lady.

For further understanding of my position on this matter, I refer all to my statement found in the February 12, 2006 issue of Today’s Catholic, and in my statements of the previous two years. All these statements may be found on the diocesan website.

Go here to read Bishop D'Arcy's column on the play in question.

Go here to read Bishop D'Arcy's Feb. 13, 2005 statement regarding Notre Dame's "Queer Film Festival."

Go here to read Bishop D'Arcy's Feb. 14, 2004 statement regarding the performacy of The Vagina Monologues at Notre Dame.

Catholic identity and academic freedom

2006-04-05T13:16:00.000-04:00

The relationship between these two concepts have been much discussed over the past several weeks on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. The discussion began with a series of addresses on it given by Holy Cross Father John L. Jenkins, the school's president (go here to read the address given to Notre Dame's faculty).

Father Jenkins has now given his closing statement in the discussion. It is a statement in which he lays out principles on how topics that conflict with Catholic teaching will be discussed in a public forum on the campus in a way that promotes a substantive engagement of those who hold the contrary view with the Church.

In particular, Father Jenkins addressed future performances on the campus of the play The Vagina Monologues, which he characterized as promoting "portrayals of sexuality [that] stand apart from, and indeed in opposition to, Catholic teaching on human sexuality." He said that future performances would be allowed but must happen in the context of a broad discussion of human sexuality, a discussion that must include the Catholic perspective on this topic.

Excerpt:

Some of the individuals I’ve talked with are adamantly opposed to the performance or expression on campus of a work, play, book, or speech that contradicts Catholic teaching. To them, we must say, with all respect: "This is a Catholic university." We are committed to a wide-open, unconstrained search for truth, and we are convinced that Catholic teaching has nothing to fear from engaging the wider culture.

Others I talked to were appalled that we would raise any question about the content, message, or implications of a work of art, drama, or literature here on campus. To them, we have to say, with the same respect: "This is a Catholic university." It is founded upon our belief that love of God and neighbor are eternal teachings that give context and meaning to our search for truth. As I said, Catholic teaching has nothing to fear from engaging the wider culture, but we all have something to fear if the wider culture never engages Catholic teaching. That is why the Catholic tradition must not only inspire our worship and our service on campus; it should help shape the intellectual life of the university. Our goal is not to limit discussion or inquiry, but to enrich it; it is not to insulate that faith tradition from criticism, but to foster constructive engagement with critics.

(emphasis in original)

Marian image in Moline

2006-04-05T11:16:00.000-04:00

In leafing through the online editions of the newspapers of our neighboring dioceses, I could help but stop at this gem: Marian image in Moline draws crowds

Since most of my wife's family is from the Moline (Quad Cities) area, I had to stop and give it a look. I know of at least one time in the past year when there were rumors of a Marian image at an underpass, so it gave me even more reason.

I should clarify that I have no doubts that Mary appeared at Fatima and Lourdes, and that she very well may be casting her image in Moline for the edification of the faithful -- but I can't help but have a knee-jerk chuckle reaction to these stories. I probably shouldn't have such a reaction, because the people that find the images of Mary on trees or Jesus in a tortilla are among the simplest and most earnest souls in the world (people whose childlike faith and love will probably put them in heaven far ahead of me).

And sure enough, look who found the image in this story:

The first to notice such an image was Abraham Handel, the 5-year-old son of Larry and Andrea Handel, members of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in nearby Silvis.

On the night of March 17, the Handels were at the riverfront to find a piece of driftwood to adorn a box for a newly purchased pet turtle. As Larry Handel went to the river, Abraham -- who was wearing a parish sweatshirt with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe as he sat in the car -- exclaimed to his mother: "Look at that lady, she looks like the one on my shirt."

Mrs. Handel also saw the image on the bridge pillar, and told her husband.

"I said 'Mother Mary,'" recalled Mr. Handel to The Catholic Post on Tuesday. "I could see her, too."

The story also says that the spot has become a place of prayer and popularity:

A front page story and photo in the Moline Dispatch on Saturday, March 25, resulted in hundreds of onlookers that evening. Television coverage and more news stories followed, with others saying they, too, saw what appeared to be Mary in the oval glow.

Keeping your kids Catholic

2006-04-05T10:52:00.000-04:00

This article, which centers around a presentation given by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, appeared in the Catholic Explorer of the Diocese of Joliet, Ill.: Theologian urges Kankakee faithful to keep kids Catholic

Among his advice:

Describing a technique that he and his wife, Susan, have employed in their home over the years to help their children “bond with the church,” D’Ambrosio encouraged the parents gathered to regularly invite clergymen, religious sisters or “any adults who are really living their faith” into their homes for dinner. The examples of people totally devoted to the faith underscores the goodness of the Catholic Church, he said. In the meantime, witnessing the lives of these individuals and their inspirational deeds could stir the young people to pursue religious vocations in the future. He revealed that his two eldest sons are currently pondering the notion of pursuing the priesthood.

Meanwhile, he suggested that parents and others surround their children with books and movies that explore the themes of right and wrong. He cited “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” as prime examples of current films that emphasize the triumphs of good over evil. “There is so much doctrine in those movies.” Offering spiritually charged musical selections is also an established method for grabbing the interest of young people at Masses, he added.

Good advice -- though I don't have any young ones yet, it's simple things like dinner with friends and good books that really help to keep my faith alive (outside of the sacraments, of course).

India remembers Pope John Paul II

2006-04-04T11:22:00.000-04:00

This article posted at the Web site of the Union of Catholic Asian News tells of the various ways that the first anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II was observed in India. This is interesting in light of the fact that in recent years, more and more pressure has been put on Catholics and other Christians in India by some Hindu organizations.

Excerpt:

NEW DELHI (UCAN) -- The unveiling of a bronze bust of Pope John Paul II in New Delhi was among the programs organized across India April 2 to observe the pope's first death anniversary.

Federal ministers, and Church and social leaders were among 500 invited guests at a New Delhi event organized by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and Civil and Human Relations, an NGO. The function also marked 60 years of CRS, the overseas development organization of the U.S. Catholic Church, in India.

In churches across the country, Catholics remembered the late pope at Sunday Mass, while some dioceses also organized seminars and programs to mark the day, said Father Babu Joseph, spokesperson of the bishops' conference. Memorial Eucharistic services were held.

"The overwhelming secular response" to the pope's death anniversary testified to the fact that his "immense influence" was not limited to just Catholics, the Divine Word priest said.

Youth trip to Biloxi

2006-04-03T15:00:00.000-04:00

Right now more than 100 youth from around the archdiocese are participating in a weeklong spring break mission trip to Biloxi, MS, to help rebuild the area devastated by Hurricane Katrina -- and they are going with help from the funds that the archdiocese collected last year for relief efforts.

One of the chaperones on the trip -- Katie Berger -- also does freelance work for The Criterion and is sending back photos and news (and possibly video) each day that is being posted on our special blog devoted to the trip: www.archindy.org/biloxi

Be sure to check it out -- these young people are making a significant sacrifice to help people who need it.

Bishop closes parish because of sacrilege

2006-03-30T08:11:00.000-05:00

Parish closings are something not uncommon in this country -- but it is uncommon to hear of a parish being closed because of sacrilege.

But that is just what is happened in New Orleans.

The background for this story is here:

Citing "sacrilege" by demonstrators who disrupted a Mass, Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes of New Orleans has ordered the removal of the Blessed Sacrament from historic St. Augustine Church and said it will be closed "for the foreseeable future."

The order came March 27, the day after sign-waving protesters repeatedly interrupted a priest trying to celebrate Mass in the church, causing the liturgy to be terminated.

- - - - - - - -

Following the recommendations of an archdiocesan pastoral plan in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Archbishop Hughes had earlier decided to close the small parish, merging it with neighboring St. Peter Claver Parish, but to keep the church building open for one Mass each Sunday.

Under the plan, announced in February, seven parishes in the archdiocese were closed and 23 others have been put on hold until enough people return to warrant their reopening.

It is a sad sight that too often today the Mass is seen as an opportunity to protest. This story is that logic carried to its extreme: that you would protest a bishop's decision at a Mass to the point that the Mass would actually have to be stopped.

It also shows, I think, a gap in the understanding of Catholics that some would not see the difference between a protest outside the chancery and the sacrilege of Mass -- the same principle was on display in St. Louis a few months ago when some Catholics quoted in the media clearly did not understand the difference between disagreeing with a parochial decision made by a bishop and the formation of a schismatic parish outside the Catholic Church.

It's a shame that now this parish in New Orleans will no longer even be open for Mass on Sundays, but the bishop had no choice in the matter.

Immigration Reform Resources

2006-03-29T10:11:00.000-05:00

The USCCB has teamed with other organizations to produce a website that offers not only information about immigration reform in the United States but also specifically resources for parishes that have people asking about these issues.

Log on to the site at www.JusticeForImmigrants.org

Local Coverage on the Consistory

2006-03-27T14:44:00.000-05:00

The March 24 edition of The Pilot, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, published this article about Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley's arrival in Rome for the consistory at which Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to the honor of cardinal.

Excerpt:

The cardinal-designate, who admitted he is “still trying to take it [his appointment as cardinal] all in,” emphasized his desire to keep the celebrations “low-key,” in part because of all the archdiocese has been through in recent years.

“I deliberately did not organize a pilgrimage from the archdiocese,” he said. Yet, he seemed pleased that over 500 people are attending the consistory from the Boston area.

In addition, nearly 60 family members, what the cardinal-designate refers to as “the O’Malley clan,” will also attend the consistory.

“I don’t know if Rome is ready for this,” he joked.

Hundreds of Chinese to attend consistory

2006-03-23T13:34:00.000-05:00

The Web site of the Union of Catholic Asian News has posted this article about the large delegation of Chinese both from around the world and from mainland China itself that is descending on Rome for the consistory at which Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong will become the second cardinal to lead that diocese.

Excerpt:

The size of the Hong Kong delegation, now 141 persons, is six times larger than that of Cardinal Wu in 1988. About 20 Catholics went on the occasion.

Vicar General Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming of Hong Kong, who leads the Hong Kong group, told UCA News that the difference is partly because Cardinal Wu preferred a low-profile celebration and discouraged a big delegation.

Father Chan explained that Cardinal-elect Zen is "more of a high profile image," and that he accepted a proposal by the diocesan curia to organize the delegation so as to express the support of Hong Kong Catholics and to show the participation of the local Church in the universal Church event.

High profile indeed. It will be interesting to see in the coming months how the dynamics of the relationship between Cardinal-elect Zen and the Beijing government will play out. He has been an outspoken critic of it in the past.

More on the "Patriarch of the West" removal

2006-03-22T09:44:00.000-05:00

One of my recent posts commented on how the Vatican had removed one of the pope's titles -- "Patriarch of the West" -- from the official Vatican Yearbook.

After a couple of weeks of media speculation, the Holy See has offered a clarification.

Read their explanation here

Archbishop Naumann on ESC Research and Cloning

2006-03-21T14:18:00.000-05:00

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, KS recently wrote about embryonic stem-cell research and cloning in his regular column in The Leaven, the newspaper of his archdiocese.

Although the circumstances that led him to write on this topic were related to political debates in neighboring Missouri, what he wrote is relevant for Catholics everywhere.

Excerpt:

The Catholic Church opposes human cloning for the same reason it opposes in vitro fertilization. The church believes that every human being has the right to be conceived in love by a mother and father. Human beings, even if it is scientifically and technologically possible, are not meant to be manufactured in petri dishes and laboratories.

Even though couples can be well-intentioned in their efforts to conceive a child, in vitro fertilization is always a serious moral evil. One of the reasons it is such a serious evil is that the process often requires the manufacturing of several human embryos, most of which are destroyed or preserved indefinitely in frozen storage.

In the case of embryonic stem-cell research, scientists want to manufacture human embryos with the intention of never allowing any of them to proceed with normal human development. These scientists want to manufacture these tiny human beings to use their cells for their laboratory studies and experiments, which they hope may one day lead to some effective human therapy. Although, as was pointed out last week, in 25 years of animal experimentation, scientists have yet to demonstrate a successful therapy.

Read the whole column.

(Go here to listen to a podcast of Archbishop Naumann's column.)

Remembering St. Patrick's Day

2006-03-21T13:48:00.000-05:00

At least a couple of diocesan newspapers used last week's St. Patrick's Day to profile the faith of Irish Catholics living in the United States.

The Catholic Herald, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee ran in its March 16 edition this feature article about Derry Hegarty, a legendary Irish-born bar owner in the Wisconsin city.

Excerpt:

Like the pleasing lilt of his Irish brogue, Hegarty’s Catholic faith is an integral part of who he is.

“I have great faith,” said Hegarty. “My mother was a very saintly person. She always made sure we went to Mass. I feel very happy, very faithful to my rosary beads.”

Hegarty was born and raised in the Irish countryside, east of the village of Drinagh, located in County Cork. On Sundays his parents, Cornelius and Susan, would drive their family of two boys and four girls four miles to attend Mass in Drinagh.

“When we were young kids, we traveled by horse and buggy” to church, he said.

The March 17 edition of The Criterion ran this article by John Shaughnessy about the importance of the faith in the lives of Irish Catholics in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

Excerpt:

As they celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Irish Catholics will do more than savor corned beef and cabbage or raise a glass in song and cheer.

They will also draw sustenance from the stories and memories that capture the three essential elements of their lives: their faith, their family and their Irish heritage.

Here are three stories of the way that trinity of influences has touched the lives of certain Irish Catholics in the archdiocese...

A great collection of talks

2006-03-20T09:52:00.000-05:00

The website for Peter Kreeft, a a professor of philosophy at Boston College and phenomenal Catholic writer, not only has a collection of his writings but also a large collection of presentations that he has given (in free, downloadable audio files).

The sound files can be found here -- do yourself a favor and download a few and see if you don't get hooked. My favorites so far are "How to Win the Culture War" and "10 Uncommon Insights into Evil from Lord of the Rings."

Is God a tempter?

2006-03-20T09:48:00.000-05:00

Father William Saunders writes a column called "Straight Answers" that I heartily recommend that appears in the newspaper of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia.

One of his more recent offerings deals with that phrase in the Our Father: "Lead us not into temptation."

A passage:

Upon first hearing, this petition of the Our Father does sound like we are asking God not to lead us into temptation. (The Our Father is found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4.) In this sense, the petition sounds like God would purposely place us in temptation and set us up for a fall to sin. The literal translation of the Greek text is indeed, as we recite, "and lead us not into temptation."

Consequently, we must understand this petition in its context. The preceding petition asks our heavenly Father to forgive us our sins as we forgive others — a very positive petition imploring an outpouring of God's healing grace. The petition in question must also be viewed positively: it asks the Father not to lead us into temptation, but not in the sense of God putting us into temptation. St. James reminds us, "No one who is tempted is free to say, 'I am being tempted by God.' Surely God, who is beyond the grasp of evil, tempts no one" (Jas 1:13). Our Lord would never set us up for a fall to sin.

Want to know more? Read the column

"America's Cathedral"

2006-03-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

If you had to guess what "America's Cathedral" is for Catholics, what answer would you give? New York? Los Angeles? George Weigel has an answer -- and for those interested in history and architecture, cool news about the future:

St. Patrick’s is, arguably, the most famous Catholic cathedral in the United States. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is, arguably, the most beautiful. But Baltimore’s Old Cathedral, now the Basilica of the Assumption, is indisputably the most historic.

It was conceived by Archbishop John Carroll, the founder of the American hierarchy, whose diocese originally encompassed the entire United States. Archbishop Carroll wanted the first Catholic cathedral in the new republic to embody the nation’s commitment to religious freedom and turned to Benjamin Henry Latrobe, architect of the U.S. Capitol (and son of a Moravian minister), the leading architectural practitioner of the day.

- - -

Baltimore’s Old Cathedral is undergoing a massive restoration, the completion of which will be marked with appropriate ceremony in November. The dome’s skylights are back, and their restoration, combined with a brave decision to restore the original plain glass to the basilica’s windows, will let 21st-century Americans experience the luminosity that Carroll and Latrobe intended.

Get the whole article via the Denver Catholic Register

Kids helping kids

2006-03-15T15:26:00.000-05:00

That's what is happening in Missouri in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. Kids in Catholic middle schools there have been learning about the Church's teachings on social issues and in turn have spoken out to their state representatives calling for better adoption procedures in the state.

Excerpt:

KANSAS CITY - More than 500 sixth-graders from 18 Catholic schools heard two state lawmakers promise to help speed up the adoption process and a diocesan official promise to help shine light on the plight of nearly 2,000 children in Missouri waiting to be adopted.

"You guys are on the right track in moving this issue," said Rep. Kate Meiners, a Kansas City Democrat, who sat at the rally's head table with Rep. Jerry Nolte, a Gladstone Republican, and Father Robert Murphy, diocesan vicar general.

The children are participating in "That's Not Fair," a school year-long program developed by the Bishop Sullivan Center social service agency to teach middle-schoolers the basics of Catholic social teaching.

Go here for the full story.

Archbishop DiNardo addresses his flock

2006-03-11T21:22:00.000-05:00

Following the recent resignation of Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza (who had reached the canonically required age for episcopal resignation of 75), Archbishop Danield DiNardo became the leader of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. He had served as a coadjutor bishop in that southeastern Texas archdiocese for approximately two years.

This transfer of pastoral authority in the nation's newest archdiocese was covered in this article in the most recent edition of the Texas Catholic Herald, Galveston-Houston's newspaper.

Archbishop DiNardo also recently addressed the faithful of his archdiocese in this pastoral message.

Excerpt:

In this first article I write to you as Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, I want to express my thanks to all who have sent their greetings and support. I am honored to be chief shepherd here and humbled by the enormity of the task. Please keep me in mind in your private prayer as well as at Mass.

I am deeply grateful to Archbishop Fiorenza for his outstanding Episcopal ministry the past twenty-one years. He has wisely and prudently guided a diocese that grew practically twice in size during his time as Ordinary...

"Jesus Decoded"

2006-03-11T18:05:00.000-05:00

A Catholic News Service story reports that a "new Web site sponsored by the U.S. bishops' Catholic Communication Campaign has been established to provide accurate information about the life of Jesus, the origins of Christianity and Catholic teaching to counter claims made in the best-selling novel 'The Da Vinci Code' by Dan Brown."

The site, which is coming out about two months ahead of the debut of a film version of the book, can be found at: www.jesusdecoded.com.

Catholic Charities in Boston draws a line in the sand

2006-03-11T17:12:00.000-05:00

Catholic Charities in Boston has recently been at the center of a firestorm over the matter of placing children in adoptions to gay couples. While the agency has done it about a dozen times in its history, the bishops of Massachusetts have called for an end to it -- and the state has said that Catholic Charities must continue adopting to gay couples as part of keeping with anti-discrimination laws. On top of that, there have been rumblings that United Way would cease funding Catholic Charities if they did not comply with the state.

So, in reply, Catholic Charities in Boston will cease its adoption services. Archbishop Sean O'Malley had this to say:

Most Catholic Charities in the United States had their beginnings in providing adoption services for children from Catholic working class families who had lost their parents. Prior to Catholic Charities providing adoption services, the state might have placed these children in non-Catholic homes. Excercising constitutionally guaranteed religious freedom, Catholic Charities stepped forward to provide placement for orphaned children in a manner that was in accord with the faith and religious practice of the children´s parents.

Over time, Catholic Charities expanded its adoption services so as to provide placement services for children of many faiths and circumstances, always seeking to care for the children.

Sadly, we have come to a moment when Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Boston must withdraw from the work of adoptions, in order to exercise the religious freedom that was the prompting for having begun adoptions many years ago.

The archdiocese has also posted this article, which I found be of great use in explaing, quite simply, the position of the Catholic Church on this issue:

Catholic scholar explains Church’s position on adoption by same-sex couples

Canadian religious orders criticize Church

2006-03-09T08:51:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it is shocking to see a real world example of just how much disagreement there are in some parts of the world -- mostly the western world -- with what the Church rightly considered settled doctrine, such as the teaching handed down from Jesus himself that divorce and remarriage is wrong in all cases but those involving invalidity.

Catholic News Service posted a story yesterday that was one of those real world examples -- a letter on behalf of more than 200 religious orders in Canada was sent to the Canadian bishops to criticize the Church's teaching on sexual morality (what else?), the role of women, the rigidity of the bishops' teaching authority and their adherence to policies orinating from the Vatican.

Franciscan Sister Louise Stafford, a Canadian Religious Conference spokeswoman, did say that the letter was intended to be part of private dialogue and that it was leaked to the media. On that point, I at least admire her a bit -- there is quite a difference between a private dialogue with the Church and a public challenge, which this unfortunately has become.

Still, one wonders how far religious orders in Canada have strayed from the truth of the Church's teachings to challenging them on so many fronts.

Bishop Gilles Cazabon of Saint-Jerome, Quebec, president of the Assembly of Quebec Catholic Bishops, had this to say about the whole affair:

"We welcome any views they would like to express," he said. "Sometimes, though, in reading their message, I had an impression that they speak to the church ... as if they are not in the church.

"We are not antagonistic bodies. We are, together, the church. So I'm afraid what comes out of their document is that they don't come across as being very self-critical," the bishop said.

In response to the criticism that the bishops are aligned with the Vatican, Bishop Cazabon said: "When it comes to the basic doctrinal content, of course, we are all one. When it comes to more disciplinary aspects, we are one on the main things. On the other hand, we as bishops, we are members of the college of bishops, and the head of this college is the pope. So we always try to accomplish our ministry with our brother bishops and with the pope.

. . .

Bishop Cazabon said he hoped the pope's first encyclical, "Deus Caritas Est" ("God Is Love"), would help dispel the image of the church as legalistic, another criticism in the letter.

Read the whole story

Vatican analyst on Christian-Muslim relations in Europe

2006-03-06T16:59:00.000-05:00

The recent controversey regarding and violent protests related to editorial cartoons featuring images of the prophet Muhammed have highlighted significant tensions in both Christian-Muslim relations and the relationship between many Muslims and the secularized portions of Western society.

The Denver Catholic Register recently published this article in which noted Vatican analyst Sandro Magister, who recently delivered a lecture in Denver, was interviewed about these tensions:

The answer is not, as some believe, said Magister, to ban religion from the public square — as in the failure to mention Europe’s Christian roots in the European Union’s Constitution and the likeminded push for secular forms of Islam — but to integrate religion into the civil order. ...

Integration will begin, he added, by acknowledging both the Christian and Muslim roots of European civilization.

“In spite of differences and conflicts, Islam has always been part of Europe, and is one of its constitutive elements,” said Magister, noting Moorish influence in its architecture.

“Christianity and Islam are inseparable in Europe,” he said. “There are five and a half million Muslims in France, and it is projected that their number will double within 20 years. There are already more of them than there are French Catholics who go to Mass every Sunday.”

Integrating Muslims into Europe, Magister said, is absolutely essential. He proposed two steps to achieve that integration — “the self-reform of Islam and the education of minds.”

A call to disobedience from a Cardinal?

2006-03-03T15:16:00.000-05:00

This story is probably only starting, but it's certainly with interest to follow it -- after all, today's New York Times editorial bills this as a call from a Cardinal of the Catholic Church to violate a U.S. law should it be passed. That may be a bit extreme or premature, but it's what some people are saying.

Read for yourself: Cardinal says to use Lent to oppose hostility toward immigrants

Here is one of the pertinent excerpts:

In interviews with the Los Angeles Times and The Tidings, the archdiocesan newspaper, the cardinal harshly criticized a recent bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that emphasizes enforcement measures against people who are in the country illegally.

Cardinal Mahony called the House legislation, which would penalize people who aid illegal immigrants, a "blameful, vicious" bill.

"Anyone who does anything for someone here who doesn't have documents would be a felon under this bill," the cardinal told The Tidings.

"And it targets everybody, churches included. So on its face value, it means that anyone coming for Communion or baptism or to be married, I should stop and ask to see their legal papers," he said in an interview that appeared in the Feb. 17 issue of The Tidings.

"That's absurd, and we're not going to do it -- even if Congress says we have to. We're not going to be immigration officers. Our role is spiritual and pastoral, and that's going to prevail. But the foolishness of this whole out-of-control thought process is just astounding," he said.

It's always surprised me how much hostility and debate this topic brings up between Catholics. Yet with the other "hot-button" topics of the day, the discussion about immigration reform can get pushed to the back burner. If you want to know more about this, check out these links to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles:

Immigration proposals: Contentious debate looms

Cardinal Mahony Calls On Catholics To Fast For Immigration Reform This Lenten Season

Lenten message of Cardinal Roger Mahony

This link was provided as well: Justice for Immigrants Campaign

Pope drops one of his nine titles

2006-03-03T15:05:00.000-05:00

One thing that most of us in The Criterion's offices love is good Catholic trivia. A question that came up about a year ago was: What are the nine official titles of the pope? The answer was in the offical Vatican Yearbook, which describes the pope as:

-Vicar of Jesus Christ
-Bishop of Rome
-Successor of the Prince of the Apostles
-Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church
-Patriarch of the West
-Primate of Italy
-Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Province of Rome
-Sovereign of Vatican City State
-Servant of the Servants of God

According to a recent Catholic News Service story: "The last time the list of titles was changed was with Pope Paul VI's publication of the 1969 edition of the yearbook, the Annuario Pontificio. Pope Paul added the title 'servant of the servants of God' and deleted the phrase 'gloriously reigning.' "

Now, Pope Benedict XVI has made another change -- he removed one of the titles. Any guesses?

If you want to know which one, and the guesses as to why he did it, follow the link below:

Vatican removes title after pope's name

Bishop Joseph A. Adamec on "The reality of miracles"

2006-03-02T11:52:00.000-05:00

In the Archdiocese of Indianapolis there has been much attention given lately to miracles.

A second miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Mother Theodore Guerin, the 19th century foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, was recently affirmed by the voting members of the Holy See's Congregation of the Causes of Saints. It is likely that Blessed Mother Theodore will be canonized a saint in the late fall.

Bishop Joseph A. Adamec of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown in Pennsylvania recently reflected on the meaning and potential faith-giving power of miracles in this column in his diocese's newspaper, The Catholic Register.

It's an interesting reflection in which the bishop recalls miraculous stories from the Andersonville Prison in Georgia during the American Civil War, Flight 93 on 9-11, and from Lourdes, France.

Check it out.

To learn more about the canonization Cause of Blessed Mother Theodore Guerin, go here.

Ash Wednesday

2006-03-01T13:41:00.000-05:00

This Ash Wednesday we're launching a special Lenten page as a resource to Catholics.

The page, located at www.archindy.org/lent, contains links to the daily readings, a column by Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein, the Lenten regulations, suggested links and the Stations of the Cross.

As Lent progresses I will add more links to the page as I come across them.

- - - - - - -

UPDATE: You can find pictures from the Ash Wednesday Mass at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis here.

A good source on news on the Church in Asia

2006-02-28T09:22:00.000-05:00

The Web site of the Union of Catholic Asian News is a good source for Catholic news originating in Asia.

It is frequently updated with many new articles that show both the vitality of the Church in that broad and culturally diverse continent as well as the many significant challenges that the small but growing faithful there face on a daily basis.

Here are examples of some recent articles posted there:

--Official Reactions Touch Upon Role New Hong Kong Cardinal Could Play:

HONG KONG (UCAN) -- Cardinal-elect Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong says that his appointment shows Pope Benedict XVI's great concern for China, and that he will offer his advice to the Holy See on China-Vatican issues...

In Beijing Liu Jianchao, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the media Feb. 23 that the Chinese government was aware that Bishop Zen has been appointed a cardinal.

He said the Catholic Church always advocates non-interference in politics and the Chinese government believes the Catholic sector in Hong Kong will cherish and uphold stability, development and harmony in the local society...

--40,000 Pilgrims Gather To Pray At National Marian Shrine in Myanmar [Burma]:

Myanmar (UCAN) -- More than 40,000 people from all 13 dioceses in Myanmar gathered in a central town to celebrate the 104th anniversary of a shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes...

--Catholic Nun Recounts Assault On Peshawar School:

Pakistan (UCAN) -- A Catholic nun and co-workers were caught up in protests against the publication of cartoons about Prophet Mohammed in European newspapers when mobs attacked their school on Feb. 15...

South Dakota moves to ban abortion

2006-02-27T14:15:00.000-05:00

South Dakota is in the process of directly challenging the 1973 ruling Roe v. Wade -- and would be "the most sweeping ban" on abortions passed in more than 30 years.

Check out the story here: South Dakota Legislature bans nearly all abortions

The state has tried this before, in 2004, but the governor did not sign the bill for various reasons -- though it sounds optimistic that he will sign it this time. One interesting aspect of the story is how punishment will be doled out under the law for abortions:

The bill, called the Women's Health and Human Life Protection Act, specifically exempts women from any criminal conviction or penalty for obtaining an abortion. But it says that anyone who performs an abortion except to save a mother's life commits a Class 5 felony, which is punishable by a fine up to $5,000 and up to five years in prison.

The legislation says the law does not apply to medical treatment "that results in the accidental or unintentional injury or death to the unborn child."

Mother Theodore's Cause, forward again

2006-02-23T20:19:00.000-05:00

More good news on the Mother Theodore Guerin front. The foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., has had the way to her canonization cleared.

Check out this press release from the Sisters of Providence for more information and look for a story to come in The Criterion on March 3.

Also, if you want to know more about this saintly woman, go to our new archdiocesan page dedicated to her with articles going back to her beatification in 1998.

Pope names new cardinals

2006-02-22T12:19:00.000-05:00

At his general audience today, Pope Benedict XVI announced that next month 14 bishops and one priest would be elevated to the status of cardinal.

Twelve of the bishops are younger than 80, which means that they could elect a new pope. Two other bishops and the one priest were over 80 and given the red hat as an honor to them for their service to the Church.

Read the story here:

Pope names 15 new cardinals, including two from U.S.

Bishop Robert Vasa on Christ's meekness and strength

2006-02-21T14:17:00.000-05:00

The Catholic Sentinel, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Portland and the Diocese of Baker, both in Oregon, recently published a column in which Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker reflected on the multi-faceted nature of Christ's approach to issues that were controversial in both his own day and ours.

We live in an age which places a very strong emphasis on tolerance, mutuality, and acceptance. I have heard repeatedly over the years that “Jesus never judged, condemned or excluded anyone.” I wonder if Peter would agree as the words of Jesus, “Get behind me you Satan,” rang in his ears. I wonder if the Scribes and the Pharisees would agree as they rankled at being called whitened sepulchers or broods of vipers. I wonder if those who heard Jesus say, “Whoever leads one of these little ones astray, it would be better if he had a millstone tied around his neck and be cast into the sea,” nodded approval and said, “He is so tolerant and accepting.” This verse is included, virtually verbatim, in each of the three Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke.

I certainly have no qualms about the image of Jesus as kind and gentle, or with Jesus’ own description of Himself as “meek and humble of heart.” I see and appreciate the great appeal of one of the most recent devotions fostered so powerfully by our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, that of Divine Mercy. Each of these attractive and reassuring aspects of Jesus needs to be remembered. These are aspects of Jesus that we cannot afford to forget and to which we can and must cling.

At the same time we do well not to forget that the Lord is also a “God of power and might.” Jesus stood up to the guards who came to arrest him in the Garden of Gethsemane. He stood courageously before Pilate. He bore His cross with noble, unflinching determination. He is not a God of weakness. He is strong and He defends His people. This accounts for the strong language used when the “little ones” of His flock are put at risk.

Go here to read the rest of this column.

What are you giving up for Lent?

2006-02-21T13:09:00.000-05:00

How about television?

Now that would be a penance for most of us. And it would probably do most of us a lot of spiritual good. While I was in college -- not so long ago -- I didn't have access to a television my senior year. It was amazing how much I didn't miss it after a while, and amazing how much I started to get a distaste for many of my "favorite" shows. Suddenly, it was like the mask was pulled away and I realized "This show really is senselessly violent. This other show really does mock my core values. This show is simply a waste of my time."

It's not that I don't enjoy several television shows right now, but when I read the beginning of a recent CNS story I had to read the rest:

Television is like the weather. Everybody complains about it, but nobody does anything about it.

But what if the one thing that could be done about it is nothing?

You could simply turn off your TV. And keep it off.

Later, there is this interesting tidbit:

Chris Rose, an attorney who lives in Sutton, Alaska, in an essay published in the Anchorage Daily News, cited a study by Rutgers psychologist Robert Kubey which found that millions of Americans are so hooked on TV that they fit the criteria for "substance dependence" as defined by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Those symptoms include using TV as a sedative; indiscriminate viewing; feeling loss of control while viewing; feeling angry with oneself for watching too much; an inability to stop watching; and feeling miserable when kept from watching.

"It's really not too far of a stretch to liken people being 'on' TV with people being 'on' drugs," Rose concluded.

If you quit TV for Lent, you may be doing yourself and your family a favor.

If you feel like you're watching too much television, think about giving this a try during Lent and get the rest of the story here

Notre Dame students organize conference on the "new feminism"

2006-02-21T11:23:00.000-05:00

Today's Catholic, the newspaper of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, recently ran this article about the Edith Stein Project, a conference recently held at the University of Notre Dame.

The conference was named after the 20th century German philosopher who, after converting to Catholicism from Judaism, became a Carmelite nun and took the name Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. She later died at Aushwitz and was canonized by Pope John Paul II.

According to conference organizers, its purpose was to promote a "'new feminism', rooted in the Catholic understanding of feminity which was especially promoted by Pope John Paul II, that "is not an attempt to return women to 'restrictive' feminine roles or to make women more masculine, but rather [but] is a promotion of a vision of women as equal in dignity to men and complementary to men."

An interesting aspect of the conference was that it was initiated by three women students at Notre Dame:

The results of the conference, according to David Solomon, a Notre Dame philosophy professor and director of the university’s Center for Ethics and Culture, were outstanding. In remarks at the conference banquet, Solomon recounted how the three Notre Dame students approached the Center for Ethics and Culture with their idea for the conference. It was an idea the center also had been contemplating, Solomon said, so the center threw its support behind the students, as did several other Notre Dame entities, several individuals, and the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.

Archbishop Wilton Gregory on becoming a saint

2006-02-20T13:27:00.000-05:00

In this recent column in The Georgia Bulletin, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Archbishop Wilton Gregory reflected on the universal call to holiness in light of the interest he's noticed in the beatification Cause of the Servant of God Pope John Paul II:

Pope John Paul II is clearly moving quickly through the process. Although I don’t have any specific details of where the investigation is at this time, there is much interest (and I suspect tremendous support) that it proceed rapidly. We want to see this beloved man held up by the Church as a model of holiness. We would like to have the joy of having known, having seen, and for many people personally having met a real live saint in our own lifetime. I suspect, however, that we already have had that privilege—even here in North Georgia.

The challenge is for us to also realize that we are all in that race for holiness, along with even the world-famous people who capture the headlines and are the subject of the public media.

Catholic movie reviews

2006-02-17T13:38:00.000-05:00

More than a few people have asked about The Criterion's on-again-off-again relationship with printing the movie reviews from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Quite some time ago, we used to devote a whole page in the print edition to entertainment news -- but because of the small size of our paper and limited space, the page disappeared.

It re-appeared in the form of a small box on the bottom of page six (our events page) that listed the ratings -- and the reasons for them.

As our online edition flourished, we began posting the whole reviews there, and eventually phasing them out in the print edition.

Then again, as the demands for more features online increased -- and as I began to devote more time to planning for an upcoming redesign of the archdiocesan website -- the online version of the movie reviews fell by the wayside.

We have, though, continued to include a link to the USCCB's movie review webpage on the "Links" page of The Criterion Online Edition.

I suggest you put it on your favorites list and check it our regularly for updates. Meanwhile, those reviews may one day come back to either our print or online editions if we can find a way to make it feasible.

Listen to Criterion stories

2006-02-17T13:27:00.000-05:00

Today another new feature was launched on The Criterion Onlne Edition which is meant to go hand-in-hand with the beginning of our podcast.

Readers may now listen to selected Criterion stories each week -- and may either do so on their computer or download them as an mp3 to listen to on an mp3 player, such as an iPod.

Because of our small staff, it is simply not possible to record everything that appears in print, but we are able to offer a few stories each week, along with the editorial and the column of the Archbishop.

While I read the text of the editorials, the rest of the stories (including the archbishop's column) are read the the actual authors, which I think brings some variety to it.

Here is this week's selection (each is between 1 and 2 MB):

Bereavement specialist says help grieving people by listening

Growing in faith: Hundreds of archdiocesan Scouts receive religious awards

Editorial: We are called to be stewards of joy

Now he really is a bishop with a podcast

2006-02-15T14:09:00.000-05:00

An archbishop with a podcast, to be exact.

Check out the lastest venture of The Criterion Online Edition: a podcast featuring the weekly column of Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein.

As a brief aside: a podcast is special type of webpage that updates with the latest audio "episodes" of a various topic. In our case, usually each Monday our podcast will be updated with a new column read by Archbishop Buechlein.

If you're set up with iTunes or a similar podcast "aggregator" that will collect the latest audio updates on a podcast, then simply subscribe to the following link:

http://www.archindy.org/criterion/podcast.xml

In the very near future, we will be including weekly audio versions of some of the stories in our print edition.

I'll also include a link to the podcast permanently on the right-hand menu of links.

George Weigel on the pope's first encyclical

2006-02-14T12:36:00.000-05:00

The Denver Catholic Register recently ran this column by noted Catholic author George Weigel in which he comments on Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est ("God is Love").

Here is an excerpt:

The text is classic Joseph Ratzinger: a master theologian, weaving together materials from the Bible and two millennia of Christian reflection to teach the basic truths of Catholic faith. The subject matter is also classic Ratzinger. Those who bought the cartoon of “God’s Rottweiler” might have imagined a first encyclical entitled “No You Don’t.” The real Ratzinger, the real Benedict XVI, wrote something quite different: an encyclical of affirmation, an invitation to ponder more deeply and live more completely “the heart of the Christian faith” — the claim that God is love.

Two locally written articles on the pope's new encyclical also recently ran in The Criterion. Go here to read the first and here to read the second.