Faithful or Faithless, Hopeful or Hopeless: Catholic Culture Wars (cont'd)

The mothers in Alaska sued the Jesuits and their former provincial, now a university president in Seattle, for 'dumping pedophiles' there. Two priests accused of stealing over $8 million from one Delray Beach, FL parish went on trial. That was just January...

While my Bishop has no use for the Voice of the Faithful, a Catholic lay group formed in response to the sex abuse scandal and the sins of power that enabled them, it appears that the Holy Spirit might.

As Pope Benedict gathers in schismatics and kooks, he risks losing the rest of us. Right-wingnut Catholics hurl epithets at anyone protesting the Iraq war, those who are uninterested in a pet devotional practice or other, those against re-criminalizing abortion, those who reject free market idolatry, and even against those who stand rather than kneel when they worship--and let's not get started on Democrats! At least the progressives have the decency not to question the religious sensibilities of their well-meaning but terribly uncharitable opponents. Just who is placing these wounds in the Body of Christ?

Last year, our local VOTF chapter went from critical to rude to quite insulting; the Bishop moved from stern disapproval to banning their educational forum's speakers from Church property. Those in the Voice of the Faithful in Naples include some of our most educated area Catholics: they run book clubs, teach classes, subscribe to The Tablet/Commonweal/America/NCR etc., and many hold advanced degrees in theology. They enjoy discussing Church controversies. The speakers they invited last year mostly had problems with church hierarchy for holding 'heretical' (i.e. minority) views on contraception. As is usual in cases of persecution, when the bishop banned their event from meeting on church property, the organization became more militant. A prudent Bishop would have found something useful for them to do that would fulfill their calling; a wise Bishop would invite them to a meeting to air their concerns and suggest a better course of action. I love our Bishop, but he's such a 'cheesehead' sometimes...

From the Naples Daily News, letters to the editor, 29 January 2009:

Censorship and the church Editor, Daily News:

A recent Pew Research Center study found the Roman Catholic Church, as usual, ranked as one of the two leading religious denominations in the United States.

The surprise was the third-leading denomination. Shockingly, this denomination was comprised of Roman Catholics who left their church. The number of Catholics who have been alienated by the church was sufficient to exceed the next largest religious denomination.

One issue raised among local Catholics is why the “spiritual servant” of the diocese denies, without any consultation, guest speakers access to church property. In one instance, the reason for denial by the “servant leader” was, “I do not approve.” In this instance, it was not the speaker who was disapproved, but rather, it was the sponsoring organization’s honorary advisory board.

An astounding censorship incident occurred last year at St. William’s parish when a ladies group planned to meet and discuss the life and work of the nationally respected Sister Joan Chittister. They were informed that there would be no discussion of Sister Chittister on Catholic property. Censorship is a very dark symptom; it is a fear of losing control.

It is possible that, naive as it seems, imposing censorship is considered an action that might dam up the flow of alienated Catholics pouring out of the church doors? Or, more probable, is it a continuation of imposing clerical dictates at the expense of the lay parishioners?

Whatever the impetus, censorship can only exacerbate the exodus of Catholics and possibly elevate “the third denomination” to the second-highest denomination in numbers.

Peg Clark, Naples President, Voice of the Faithful of Southwest Florida

Which, naturally, prompted more screams of 'heretics' at VOTF, less attention by VOTF to their mission statement, and more arguments about peripheral issues:

(2/2/09) Letter: Choices and the church

Editor, Daily News:

Peg Clark’s letter on censorship in the Catholic Church again raises her group’s — the Voice of the Faithful — chronic beef with the teaching and governing authority of the Catholic Church. It’s sadly typical of those who persist in calling themselves Catholics while fundamentally disagreeing with church doctrine, taking a very American approach to church membership.

Because we’re so accustomed to voting for what we think best for the country while clamoring for our ever-expanding rights, we’re tempted to think the Catholic Church functions the same way.

But the church is not a democratic republic. The job of its successors to Christ’s apostles is to teach as he taught, not to take opinion polls on his teaching. They guide the church faithful in universal truth, led by the Holy Spirit, regardless of how unpopular.

The church has thrived for two millennia because, among other good reasons, it has not stuck a moist finger in the wind every time a voice of the faithful disagrees. And yes, that sometimes results in those voices going elsewhere.

St. Jerome said, “Heresy comes from a Greek word which means ‘choice,’ because every heretic chooses what seems to him preferable.”

Sister Joan Chittister, whose work Clark would have liked discussed at St. William’s parish, has spoken and written heretically for years in support of abortion and women priests — her choice, of course.

But no “spiritual servant” worth his salt has any choice when a dissenting voice would be presented as if it were speaking for the very church it dissents from.

Patricia Bucalo, Naples

Pity that her false impressions and poor understanding of church history went unanswered...

The group will be showing the documentary "Deliver us from Evil" on Feb 22nd, will host noted author Dr. Paul Lakeland on Thursday, Feb 26th, and Dr. Leon Podles will discuss his book Sacrilege on Thursday, March 19th. The film will be at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Naples; the speakers will be heard through the kindness of Vanderbilt Presbyterian, who stepped in when the priest at St. Katharine's Greek Orthodox Church was forbidden to host them.

In the meantime, a friend and former member of the VOTF board recently put together a Catholic Lay Assembly that drew representatives from all over the state, and is working with Corpus, FutureChurch, Take Back our Church, ARCC, groups formed to support the (now excommunicated) female priests, and others to call an all-American Catholic Assembly in Detroit in 2011:

http://www.americancatholiccouncil.org/faqs.html

FAQ’s about the American Catholic Council

Who is behind this gathering?
Catholics, committed to the principles of Vatican II. As lay, religious, and ordained Catholics we ground ourselves in our common baptism giving us rights and responsibilities to continue the mission of Christ on earth. We are a partnership of individuals and representatives of organizations committed to the fullness of the Catholic Church. As Vatican II Catholics we are united under a new banner, the American Catholic Council, a not for profit corporation, with pending IRS 501(c)(3) status.

All of this is terribly interesting. I can hardly wait for Lent!

VOTF Strategic Plan Presentation

The Vatican Rag revisited

I remember when this Tom Lehrer song first made the rounds in the mid-60s:



Every Catholic that I knew absolutely loved it, despite its irreverence. Perhaps the timing was what made it so popular, in that Lehrer's album coincided with the Vatican II Council.

Now that my diocese is engaged in spirited fights based upon garbage viral emails and arguing about whether or not to compel people to kneel rather than stand at eucharist, perhaps the best use I can make of this space today is to encourage a bit of humility by looking at how silly we often seem to those not of our communion.

First you get down on your knees
Fiddle with your rosaries
Bow your head with great respect
And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect

Do whatever steps you want if
You have cleared them with the Pontiff
Everybody say his own kyrie eleison
Doin' the Vatican Rag

Get in line in that processional
Step into that small confessional
There, the guy who's got religion'll
Tell you if your sin's original

If it is, try playin' it safer
Drink the wine and chew the wafer
Two, four, six, eight
Time to transubstantiate

So get down upon your knees
Fiddle with your rosaries
Bow your head with great respect
And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect

Make a cross on your abdomen
When in Rome do like a Roman
Ave Maria, gee it's good to see ya
Gettin' ecstatic an' sorta dramatic an'
Doin' the Vatican Rag

The whole world in each human life...

"Man - Small World World - Small Man"

This art film, which draws a parallel between fetal development and human history as a whole, is from Russian site illuzia.net. It's also posted as 7,000,000,000 on YouTube, where it is tied to a New Age site and art film director Michael Laitman.

Italian Missionary Fr. Moschetti writes from the Holy Land

FROM THE HOLY LAND, A MISSIONARY WRITES… (English translation by MISNA)

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES - 9/1/2009 12.06
“There is a lot of confusion and we are horrified and grieved at the outpour of reports and footage. A carnage that appears endless”, writes from Jerusalem the Comboni missionary Daniele Moschetti, reflecting on the war in the Gaza Strip. As follows is a long letter-document, a rare testimony, a grieved reflection that imposes a bitter reflection on the news of these past two weeks: “I watch the Al Jazeera TV at a friend’s house nearby and they report certain “truths-numbers-stories”. I watch the Italian TV or local Israeli news broadcasts and the “truths-numbers-stories” appear different! But where is the truth? And we Europeans and westerners take sides without really knowing…! European politicians that take sides with Israel because however “it is legitimate defence. Israel has the right to defend itself from Hamas rockets!” How many times have we heard this phrase from European and American politicians! So much hypocrisy from our own and the international politicians, and also the mass media that uses such biased and ambiguous wording. And I ask myself: “But have these people ever spent more than a week in this country without body guards or accompanied by Israeli or Palestinian diplomats? Have they ever heard the cries of pain of so many innocent people suffering in this Land called Holy?” Father Moschetti continues: “For me it was like reliving Christmas of 2007. December 27th of 2007 was the long-awaited day of general elections in Kenya. I lived in Korogocho in Kenya, among the largest slums of the capital Nairobi. The same exact day that the Israeli government decided to attack the Gaza Strip and Hamas in 2008. If you remember, in Kenya it was a war that touched me and us and for two months the tension, divisions, death and bloodshed were a daily occurrence for the Kenyan population. Korogocho was among the epicentres of this battle and cruel story. In the end the toll was of over 1,500 dead and more than 350,000 displaced in the country”. These memories of a year ago are tied to the present: “But all the Palestinians living in Israel (more than a million people with Israeli passports) and in the Occupied Territories by the Autonomy saw that Israel took advantage and continues in the years to take advantage to occupy Palestinian land careless of the Geneva convention and applies double standards in the occupied territories. The new settlements and arbitrations are undoubtedly a grave obstacle to peace. There will never be peace without mutual respect and understanding. The occupation has lasted for over 40 years and in these past years the situation has worsened, since Israel from fear of suicide-attacks in its territory built a 734km wall (7 meters high) in East Jerusalem, delimiting the entire territory of the Palestinian autonomy of the West Bank and Gaza Strip with thousands of checkpoints everywhere, small and large, where abuse, humiliation, disrespect (toward Palestinians and at times foreigners) and the show of power of very young inexperienced Israeli soldiers rule. They already lived in a nation at war and occupied for a long time! However, with all these checkpoints, thousands of soldiers throughout the country, visible weapons everywhere in Jerusalem and the entire Israeli territory. There will never be peace while building walls, using force, humiliating, killing. Opening to dialogue and especially guiding their populations toward a peaceful coexistence is the only path for a lasting peace process”.

Fr. Moschetti also helps us to understand some aspects that are unclear from far: “But also Israel is not just Olmert, Netanyau, Sharon, Tzipi Livni, Peres, Barak. Also here I refuse to believe that the voice of the Jewish population is their politicians or Jewish religious extremists that exist like in Palestine and the Islamic world. The voice of an Israeli population that is not all for the war. Other of Olmert’s nationals working in Israeli peace organisations who without hesitation say: ‘We are responsible for the desperation of a population under siege. For weeks Hamas had declared that the truce could be renewed under the condition that Israel reopened the borders to allow the entry of humanitarian aid. The government of Israel chose in full awareness to ignore Hamas and cynically chose, for electoral aims, the path of war’. Even a minority of Jewish Rabbis condemn the attack in Gaza and recognise that it is contrary to any religion. In the past days in New York there was even a protest of anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews, staged to demand an end to the massacre in Gaza. The famous Rabbi Michael Lerner, in a long letter, slammed the Israeli government for using the rockets fired by Hamas as a pretext to justify a new war after that conducted against Hezbollah two years ago. As there are other Israelis and Jews that want real peace and not only around the world. It must be noted that those who declare themselves pacifists and seek dialogue and peace with the Palestinians in this Jewish world are considered traitors. Michael Lerner also condemns the Hamas attacks, but insists in saying that war is however not an appropriate reaction, more so if unleashed by the government for political and electoral aims. An opinion that the world public opinion knows very little about”. He adds: “To date, the Israeli army claims to have successfully and totally eliminated more than 750 Hamas military targets. Though these targets are not only sites of the Hamas movement, but mosques, hospitals, clinics, schools, civilian homes, refugees camps and many others. Are they all armed? Are they all Hamas militants? Are Palestinians all terrorists? And the children? Are the children also terrorists, like the doctors, women and sick people? No... don’t tell me that this is what war is and that these things happen!” Among the many considerations in Fr. Moschetti’s letter, MISNA chose a passage that goes well beyond Gaza: “This reflection doesn’t intend to take sides, though it is difficult not to. I am and always will be on the side of the innocent, the children, women and poor who around the world, and not only in Gaza, have always been massacred by short-sighted policies, poverty or wars of interest”.

A Prayer for Gaza

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1052871.html
Wed., January 07, 2009 Tevet 11, 5769
A Jew's prayer for the children of Gaza
By Bradley Burston

If there has ever been a time for prayer, this is that time.

If there has ever been a place forsaken, Gaza is that place.

Lord who is the creator of all children, hear our prayer this accursed day. God whom we call Blessed, turn your face to these, the children of Gaza, that they may know your blessings, and your shelter, that they may know light and warmth, where there is now only blackness and smoke, and a cold which cuts and clenches the skin.

Almighty who makes exceptions, which we call miracles, make an exception of the children of Gaza. Shield them from us and from their own. Spare them. Heal them. Let them stand in safety. Deliver them from hunger and horror and fury and grief. Deliver them from us, and from their own.

Restore to them their stolen childhoods, their birthright, which is a taste of heaven.

Remind us, O Lord, of the child Ishmael, who is the father of all the children of Gaza. How the child Ishmael was without water and left for dead in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba, so robbed of all hope, that his own mother could not bear to watch his life drain away.

Be that Lord, the God of our kinsman Ishmael, who heard his cry and sent His angel to comfort his mother Hagar.

Be that Lord, who was with Ishmael that day, and all the days after. Be that God, the All-Merciful, who opened Hagar's eyes that day, and showed her the well of water, that she could give the boy Ishmael to drink, and save his life.

Allah, whose name we call Elohim, who gives life, who knows the value and the fragility of every life, send these children your angels. Save them, the children of this place, Gaza the most beautiful, and Gaza the damned.

In this day, when the trepidation and rage and mourning that is called war, seizes our hearts and patches them in scars, we call to you, the Lord whose name is Peace:

Bless these children, and keep them from harm.

Turn Your face toward them, O Lord. Show them, as if for the first time, light and kindness, and overwhelming graciousness.

Look up at them, O Lord. Let them see your face.

And, as if for the first time, grant them peace.

_____________



With thanks to Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman of Kol HaNeshama, Jerusalem.

______________

The Best Christmas Ever!

None of my gifts to my family were under the tree this year.

The best gift of Christmas Eve was that I finally got to have one of my Dad's stuffed artichokes. He'd offered me one at least four times, but I never actually got to eat one. They take forever to eat, and I had to put up with a lot of obnoxious bluster while I ate, but I never lacked for company while I enjoyed it. I was sad that all the lasagnas were given away before I got a chance to try them, but I got some breaded eggplant, so that was OK too!

For my father, there were several gifts. First, I brought my boys to the towns where he spent his summers as a child. We went to mass, prayed at graves, and bought treats at the bake sale. I passed on his email address and the reminder that he remembers his family and is happy to share. The best gift of all would be if his distant cousins send him emails about his family tree.
Everyone got a church bulletin, a business card from the restaurant in Effingham, and copies of the prayer cards from his aunts and uncles with their pictures. Second, I remembered his mother Ida, his father Frank, his brother Frankie, and his sister Millie in a mass on the Feast of the Holy Family. We need to hear the names of those we love from time to time. I always say "my grandma Santina" to my mother, especially at Christmas time.

For my mother, for once I didn't give her more jewelry. I know how cold it is in that front room, and how she and dad argue about the thermostat setting. I remember how important it is for her to have things of the right texture--silky soft--as well as functional, and found just the right oversized robe for the living room. They also argue about the classical music my dad wants to hear in the car, and I found a tape that she'll enjoy hearing with him. I also fried up for her the breaded eggplant, blanching it with salt the way her mother taught me.

I reminded my brother Dave how highly Curt and I always regarded his judgment, updating the financial details he holds for me in case of need. For Pam and her girls, I brought my Pizelle iron. I used to make about 60 of them, with 40 going to the my side of the family and 20 going to my husband's side. I usually made anise, but over the years I had also included chocolate, vanilla, and almond. I used my own recipe for several years, then Grandma Santina insisted I switch to her cousin Mayme's recipe. She'd already passed, but Theresa wrote out the card for me. The only change that I made was that I always added finely ground almonds to the batter. When Emily married into the family, her mother included pizelles in her cookie tray, so my mother told me to stop making them. This year, my nephew Michael mixed the batter and my two sons made them over the range at my sister's house. I gave Pam a copy of the recipe for herself and for Cousin Lynn. Zac's Barbara knows how to make the Pizelles, as does David Scott's Hayley, so I shouldn't have to do the teaching.

For my sister Janet and her husband David, we came to their home twice. We brought two cases of sliders and Savoia's salads for dinner one night. As a gift, I brought them homemade frozen manicotti--enough for a dinner for her, Dave, & Mike--so that Janet wouldn't have to cook at least one night since she's working too hard and worrying too much. David had time to play guitar with his godson, and I helped him with some computer work on line.

Ron and Ian are both my godsons. This year, Ian should make his first communion. I told them both the story about how St. Joseph and St. Anthony are special patrons of our family on both Grandy's side and on Papa's. Both saints are especially close to the Infant Jesus. I gave them a new small prayer book and marked the prayer to St Joseph for them.

I told Barbara stories, especially about the Christmas years that Zac spent with my boys after their father died. We talked about pizelles and pasta...and dancing.

Each of my nieces got a set of crochet hooks. Janet, Karen, and I all know how to crochet. My sisters-in-law all also have the recipes for the fillings for meat and cheese raviolis. I taught Pam's girls how to make the pasta over the summer, and hopefully they can all learn one day from me or Janet.

I taught Camden how to make the "Big Hug" cross that Stephen gave me when he made his First Communion, and Ian got the first one that we made. The beads, of Army camouflage colors, were from the crosses that I made for Fr Bob Kantor, a Navy chaplain, to take to the troops.

I'm confirmation sponsor for David Scott. He was in the family room with Hayley sitting on his knee, so I got the other knee. I gave him the Little Flower Society membership goodies this year. I explained to him about the 3rd degree relic of felt cloth, and showed him the St Therese medal 'for the pretty girl'. I asked him if Hayley was 'the pretty girl', and when he said yes, he gave the medal to her. She had her priest bless it for her at the midnight mass. I told both of them about the roses, and sent Hayley to Karen to hear more.

Michael and Kevin both received my promise to take them out here in Florida when they come. Each of them took the time to visit with me while I ate my artichoke. Since Mike is drinking age, I told him that we could go to Ft Myers Beach for music, and that Kevin could probably come if he stayed with me. I suggested to them that they take their Uncle Mike--and their dad, if he comes--to the 10,000 islands to fish from the kayaks or canoes.

I gave Karen's gifts of three prayers to Doug. With Michael now married, their lives will change. I also sent Hayley to her, and reminded Emily's girls that she can teach crochet.

I spent most of one afternoon before Christmas with Emily and her girls. They received the rolling pin with the red handles that I got from Grandma Santina, who got it from her mother Antonia Caravana. My mother's rolling pin has green handles, and I think Dad also uses the heavy one made of marble. (My green frog needs to be told that it is there, since that will mean more to him than to the girls.)

We had the best Christmas ever at Harriet's home this year, too. Steve & I found a little "Bah Hum Bug" that hid in the plant. I taught the girls how to make pasta using Harriet's machine to roll it out and cut it, and taught both girls to crochet. I made Linda caponata and pizelles like I used to make years ago, and my mother sent gifts, too. The kids had fun shopping with each other for their gifts, and I hope they will do it again next year.

This year, I enjoyed the best Christmas ever! I must remember next year NOT to shop, and NOT to put anything under the tree!

Party like it's 2003: Housing Do-Over

Our current economic fiasco started as a housing bubble. Real estate prices rose to unsustainable levels because those seeking to diversify their holdings by buying real estate were bidding against those seeking homes for their families. (Personally, I think that too much money in too few hands caused the problem, but I can only judge by what I saw here in SW Florida.) Hand-wringing and finger-pointing help dispel our anxiety, so I would expect the silly ranting and ignorant bluster to continue for some time. As we emotionally recover, though, we're in one of Naomi Klein's shock crisis enabling the greedy to make another grab--and boy, are they grabbing! We need another solution, and it must be drastic. Afloat in a sea of relativistic market values, we should have a do-over: set a standard starting value that can be used to make more prudent judgments of these toxic assets.

Too many innocent people are paying for the sins of others and I really want it stopped. In days of yore, a mortgage was a long-term relationship where originating bank serviced the note over its lifetime regardless of whether or not they assigned the payments to a third party. The bank required sufficient collateral, and approved loans based upon impartial assessments and realistic criteria of ability to repay. Buildings and land are almost always taxed, so the vast majority of our communities maintain databases for ad valorem taxes. Why not use the assessments set by the local municipalities to fairly re-set housing prices?

Set 120% of local government's assessed market value at 12/31/2003 as a national benchmark. That year was at the end of a mild recession, but before bubbles reached a fever pitch. Our currency has been devalued by about 20% in the years since if we use the Social Security Administration's cost of living adjustments, so a 120% adjustment of that figure should be close to a present "fair market" standard value. Set a standard "2009 starting price" for ALL of our nation's property, and adjust each and every mortgage to no more than that value. Let's call this number the 2003 Do-Over or TTDO.

Each and every mortgage note currently outstanding should be examined for principal balance at 12/31/08, and that balance compared to the TTDO. The principal amount due for every lien against each piece of property on the books should be reported to the appropriate authority electronically as of 12/31/08. Any liens that don't report at least a $0.00 balance will be wiped from the city or county records and the bank or holder of record loses any future claim on the property. Mandate that each and every bank write off 60% of any excess principal that they imprudently agreed to underwrite.

Then allow a three-to-six month period where any party to the note may renegotiate its terms, allowing market forces to prevail. If the two parties do not renegotiate the note, it will be paid in full years earlier than the original terms and the holder must so notify the borrower.

Capitalism thrives when buyers and sellers have equal power, so having many medium-to-small banks should be much preferred over a few large ones. Having one standard to judge the outstanding mortgages would allow us to get rid of the banks who abandoned prudence and have been insolvent everywhere but on paper.

How do we pay for this? The federal government will subsidize $20 per property tax bill to each municipality to cover the cost of generating and mailing a TTDO statement to each property owner and lien-holder of record. Reward each bank or S&L who physically holds the note with a one-time tax credit of $20 per mortgage (maybe this will encourage some banks to buy back their own loans). Other holders in due course are on their own as this is a cost of doing business in an unregulated area. The main federal government bailout during this crisis should be to freeze tax rates at current levels while mandating changing the base to the 2003 Do

The cost should be borne by the financial markets that created the problem (a tax credit of $20 per mortgage held should cover it to avoid penalizing the innocent).

Those uninvolved in imprudent acts will see no change at all to their notes and/or home equity lines. Most homes will decrease in value on paper to a firm amount that has been verified; very few innocent people would suffer any real effects. Those who speculated will be upside-down on their mortgage, but they won

Mandate a tax rate moratorium for two years. If the rates stay constant and the assessments are re-set, local revenue will decrease. The front line of the federal government response to the crisis will be to lower all property taxes and to subsidize the difference between the gross tax revenues received in by the municipalities under the lower assessment level. Rather than being a top-down solution, the bailouts will be spent at the local level to maintain essential public services and where there should be better control and auditing at work.

If property taxes decrease significantly for two years, rents can fall more quickly for vacant properties as this has a windfall effect, encouraging all landlords to either leave rents at current levels or to decrease them as they expire to retain tenants.

Void the AIG contracts against these fraudulent assets based on deceit and used to obscure the underlying values; require AIG to refund 85% of all premiums paid over the past five years on such contracts.

At least some of these ideas would work an awful lot better than most of the garbage that I've seen and heard proposed over the last three months. Would somebody please just start doing something that will ameliorate this crisis? Please?