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February 16, 2008
The visit of the Holy Father in April to the White House is indeed a significant moment for all of the world’s marginalized Catholics. One wonders what the real Papal Agenda for the trip is. Will it be more smoke and mirrors, a banal attempt to remove our gaze from the real issues that are facing the Catholic Church, and the world, or will it be meaningful?
Will he take this opportunity to publicly chastise President Bush for the murder of many innocents on both sides in the War in Iraq? Or will he just get lost in intellectual discussions of faith and reason as concerns bedroom issues? Will it be more smoke and mirrors, incense and empty ceremony, that may be good theater, but nothing else.
Many Catholics, both marginalized and none marginalized believe he denies the laity access to formal leadership within the Church, in my opinion, thereby threatening the church’s ability to meet the needs of all Christians who seek a religious connection. Indeed with shrinking size of the clergy, there are fewer priests available to share the sacraments within the Church, In Western Europe ,US, Canada, and Australia more and more Churches are closing in these countries. The heart of the Church is our parishes, and that heart is presently experiencing angina because of this Pope.
It is Ironic that yesterday (February 15, 2008) we celebrated the Chair of Peter, in which St. Peter outlines what a pope should be, a example first all for others to follow, he should be collaborative so unity can truly be achieved, and he should not Lord it over others. How far removed has the present day Papacy removed itself from this vision ?
In my opinion, if you are struggling, seeking, able to listen to the challenges of other people’s stories as part of the solution process, you are finding your way to God, and at the end of day, that is what is truly important. The clergy and that includes the Pope should be our guides of example, and not our feudal lords. Their example of Christ will either resonate with people, or not. This Pope is not resonating with any beyond the clerical culture of hypocrisy.
February 01, 2008
Ash Wednesday A Time to Reflect and Pray
We are about to begin the season of Lent and have been taught by our Catholic institution the "Church" that this is a time for personal reflection on our short comings. Holy Mother Church tells us how we have missed the mark when it comes to brining Christ into our lives. However, just as important is the reflection the Church as an institution should have about its own failings.
The basis of Catholic Social Justice is "whatever you have done for one of these least brothers of Mine, you have done for Me." This is strongly rooted in Jesus' command to his followers to love one another, as he has loved. The foundations of modern Catholic social teaching were laid by Christ and not Pope Leo XIII's 1891 encylical letter Rerum Novarum. The light went on with Pope Leo XIII, but the foundations were none the less laid by Christ.
A distinctive feature of Catholic social teaching is its concern for the poorest members of society. We have replaced this focus with that of bed room issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and stem cell research. What affects the poor in our society and Church is lack of access to housing, health care, education, employment opportunities, and status. If the poor are excluded from full and equal participation in what our society and Church defines as being valuable, important personally, and socially and religiously desirable than the institution of the Church and society has fallen short in its mission. The prophets of old call us to address this hypocrisy, call it whatever you want, reform, a culture of integrity, or staying on message, it needs to be done.
Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Trans gender people have a natural right which is inherent in the nature of ethics and not contingent on human actions or beliefs, to human rights. This means that legal rights should follow natural rights. Many of our major social contract thinkers understand and agree with this position. The Church as an institution however does not. One might say the Church is still locked in the Devine Right of Kings mentality when it comes to the issue rights for human beings. Some in the Church believe that natural rights is simple nonsense, I am reminded that this was the same position they had on Galileo.
I believe Lent is a time when Christ reminds all of us how far we have missed the mark in life. Our Church continues to promote Church Unity among Catholics while not addressing the the fracture of our whole Christian community. Our Pope, Cardinals and Bishops claim for themselves a Devine Right of Kings when it comes to the divisions of the Eastern and Western Churches, or the Reformation in the Western Church. Clearly there is no Christian unity, we cannot even pray together. Our Sunday gatherings are a visual example of how divided we have become. Division is not of Christ, it is based on our collective religious arrogance.
We have missed Christ face among the poor, we have not loved one another as he commanded. However, as with Christmas, the ressurrection of Easter gives us hope in a loving and forgiving God. Putting our faith in God, and not the dogmas of division that divide us rich from poor, or Catholic from none-Catholic. Ash Wednesday has the power to remind all of us how we have missed the mark.
