Catholics and Obamacare

July 2, 2009

Pope Benedict’s newest encyclical is due to be released July 7th. It will be a social encyclical and will reflect on the economy in light of the current crisis. Knowing the Pope as I do (well, not personally), it will no doubt be solidly Catholic and grounded in true notions of justice. One author feels that American Catholics can apply these principles through healthcare reform. To the author’s credit, she doesn’t equate the Catholic position with Obamacare as some have done. Yet, I know that reforming healthcare is not as simple as executing justice or punishing the “evildoers.” Here’s why.

Who is the evildoer? The insurance company that denies or stalls coverage or charges high rates? The business that requires its employees to cough up more money or drops coverage? The doctor who wants a six or seven figure salary? Most liberal leaning Catholics (and people) would probably answer yes to all three. And, in some senses, they’d be right. Insurance companies, businesses, and doctors sometimes behave badly and treat others badly.

But, to borrow from Michael Jackson, we should start with the “man in the mirror.” Healthcare costs are high because, like with the financial crisis, we take huge risks with our health and expect others to bail us out when it all collapses. We incur bad habits and make poor lifestyle choices and then someone has to pay for it. So, we blame others for being unjust when most Americans are committing several deadly sins that have lead to our current predicament.

So, the liberal solution, to which some Catholics have given the Church’s imprimatur without consulting anyone in authority, is to simply provide more supply without decreasing demand. It’s kind of like saying that since the price is oil is high and some people can’t afford gasoline, we’ll just buy gas for everyone. That, of course, would simply lead to shortages and rationing while not doing anything to bring down the price from too much consumption. That, folks, is what Obamacare will bring, in addition to deficits and lackluster care.

A balanced Catholic approach should work to get people taken care of better in the short term, while emphasizing personal health responsibility and accountability in the long term.


More on the All Saints Sisters

June 27, 2009

Derek, over at Haligweorc, has some interesting “inside” information about the upcoming conversion of the Anglican All Saints Sisters of the Poor. Check it out.


New USCCB Statement Clarifies, Angers

June 25, 2009

The USCCB has fortunately clarified its views on missions to the Jews. Essentially, they upheld the Great Commission, which is exactly what I would expect of a Christian body. This has angered some Jewish groups. (See the USCCB statement (.pdf) and the response of the Anti-Defamation League)

Ecumenism is important. So, is interfaith dialogue. But, and our partners must realize this, even when we hope to learn, understand, celebrate, cooperate, or find common ground, we are still guided by the call to evangelize.

It probably won’t (and shouldn’t) look like the evangelical Protestant way of doing things, but we can’t get around it (if we’re doing our jobs). We can and must do it respectfully; we can and must give the other side a chance to be authentic regarding their views; but at the end of the day, our most basic calling as baptized Christians is to tell others about Jesus.

That is a non-negotiable part of the Catholic Faith.


The Year of the Priest

June 22, 2009

john vianney

The pope has declared June 19, 2009-June 10, 2009, as the Year of the Priest, and has made St. John Vianney the universal patron of priests. In our modern society, being a priest is difficult (it has never been necessarily easy), and I think it is important to recognize those who serve us and the Church.

There are educational and prayer materials at the link I provided above, but I also want to highlight the U.S. Bishops’ Meet Our Priests Class of 2009 Page, which has a lot of information on those being ordained in 2009. There really are a lot of good things happening in our Church, and this is one of them.

Saint John Vianney, pray for us, and for our priests!


A Summer of Shrines

June 20, 2009

I’ve decided that there’s no better time to visit the area shrines than during this summer. Ever since I’ve been Catholic I’ve always been fascinated by shrines. They are, to be sure, special places. For example, one local shrine has a rock from where Mary stood at Lourdes and another was the spot of a miracle. You’d be surprised how many shrines are close to your area, some small, some large. I will be posting on my shrine experiences (3 on tap). Here is a place to find shrines. If you decide to go or have had meaningful experience already, please share in the comments box.


Big Loss Is A Big Gain

June 18, 2009

A mother-daughter team on the reality TV show Biggest Loser not only lost a bunch of weight, but also gained a deeper relationship with God and a renewed commitment to the Catholic Church. Interestingly, the show’s contestants often had discussions about religion and Kristin Steede, the daughter in the Catholic team, felt that she didn’t know enough about her faith, which helped her want to go and learn more.

I love Biggest Loser, so naturally this story appealed to me. I also think it shows how important catechesis is. Many Catholics want to know more and desire the Truth, but have been shortchanged by their education.


A blessed Corpus Christi!

June 14, 2009

This morning, in spite of overcast skies, our parish had a Eucharistic Procession for Corpus Christi. Not as elaborate or glorious as I’ve experienced in Europe…no canopy over the Sacred Host as it moved in procession, no bands, no girls in white throwing petals before us…just our priest carrying the Lord as we followed chanting as well as we could the Pange Lingua.
But what struck me as our rather motley group moved around the Church building was that we had the Host of Heaven accompanying us. I am sure that angelic trumpets were blasting a fanfare though unheard in this world, and that the fiery Seraphim were “veiling their faces to the Presence” as we passed. You see, even if our liturgies and processions are poor in human splendor, if our hearts are fixed upon Christ, we are surrounded by the Lord’s Glory.
“Magnified, sanctified, praised, and adored be Jesus Christ on the Throne of His Glory, in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, and in the hearts of all His faithful.” And say you all, Amen!


“Catholic” Book of Common Prayer Online

June 13, 2009

As a former Anglican,  I still see a lot of the good in my former tradition, most especially the dignity in liturgy as shown in the Book of Common Prayer. Fortunately, the Catholic Church, through the Anglican Use, has “Catholicized” the Book of Common Prayer. It is now the Book of Divine Worship and is mostly the BCP with more Catholic elements such as prayers to the Saints. The book is huge and costly, but you can also find it online (warning: 900 + page .pdf). It may be especially appealing to those of us who used to be Anglicans.


When Inclusivity Excludes Christianity

June 10, 2009

A mixture of iced tea and lemonade becomes an Arnold Palmer. A mixture of iced tea, tomato juice, whiskey, chocolate, olive oil, beet juice, and garlic is just a tasteless mess. The same can be true of religion. There comes a point when “inclusivity” turns into such chaos that only those who believe in inclusivity for its own sake are included and anyone holding to an authentic tradition is excluded. One Episcopal parish in New Jersey seems to be in contention for the most inclusive Christian parish in the world (that also manages to exclude most of the world’s Christians) .

Church of the Redeemer in Morristown, NJ has a whole page devoted to how their worship “excludes no-one.”  To cover every base they:

-Offer an inclusive language Eucharist with collects that end with “through Jesus, our Christ”
-Admit everyone to communion, regardless of tradition
-Allow non-Christians to be leaders in their parish
-Consecrate grape juice for those who don’t want wine
-Take one of the Sunday lessons from a secular or non-Christian source
-Omit the Nicene Creed in favor of singing “Jesus is Lord”
-The celebrant receives communion last as a sign of a lack of hierarchy
-Anyone can preach
-The Lord’s Prayer is now “Our Mother, our Father”
-They have changed the liturgical year to include a “season of creation”
-Worship is modified by a committee to make sure it aligns with parish values
-Celebration of “Liberation Holidays” such as Recovery Sunday, Celebrating Men’s Journeys Sunday, etc.
-There is no junior or senior warden (too hierarchical)
-They brag about displaying rainbow and black liberation flags prominently in their church
-They use a UCC inclusive hymnal and all hymns must be inclusive of male and female images of God

I’ll tell you that at first I wondered if this was a parody. But this church is serious! Ironically, this parish, while trying to be completely inclusive, has excluded the Catholic and even classical Christian tradition practiced by most of the world’s Christians today.


Buddhist Bishop: No Dice

June 9, 2009

It appears that Kevin Thew-Forrester the Episcopal Bishop elect of Northern Michigan is not going to get the necessary consents to become the next bishop. In the Episcopal process a majority of diocesan bishops and standing committees have to give new bishops the green light. Enough must have decided that Thew-Forrester’s Buddhist ordination, tinkering with the Prayer Book, and troubling Christology were simply too much.

What does this mean? On the surface it seems like a victory for creedal orthodoxy within the Episcopal Church. And, perhaps it is. However, Thew-Forrester has already started talking about his possible rejection and assuring everyone of his orthodoxy.

My prediction: he will affirm his orthodoxy (but not define it), stop messing with the prayer book (so much), stand for election again (with some token opposition), be elected, and this time receive consents. Of course, I don’t believe much will have changed, but I think he will be consecrated.


Surprising Joy

June 3, 2009

Joy…It was the feeling that convinced C.S. Lewis to be a Christian. He was, in fact, surprised by it one day and started the journey about which many of us are thankful. Many of us would be surprised to find joy too, I think, even though we’re already converted. The early Christians sang hymns joyfully going to their deaths. We typically sing hymns looking like we’ve just been sentenced to death (granted, with some of the stuff modern Catholics have to endure it’s no wonder).

I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot lately as a teacher. So many students associate faith with how their teachers in Catholic schools treated them and, as human beings, many teachers across all generations have been joyless, angry, and somtimes downright abusive for whatever reason. Many Catholics can laugh it off, but for others the scars are deep.

I remember talking to singer Bill Mallonee at one of his concerts about why he reverted to Catholicism after a foray into evangelicalism. He said he became evangelical because he never saw the love of Christ in the nuns who taught him. He found it in the Franciscans whom he met later in life and gave the Church of his youth a second chance. I love theological debate as much as the next guy, but the best witness to our Faith is still a joy that others want to possess. Even the great apologist C.S. Lewis found this in practice. As a teacher and a Catholic it’s something I always need to remember.


From Rolling Stone Girlfriend to Catholic Mom

June 1, 2009

Mandy Smith became famous in the 80’s for being seduced by Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman and becoming his girlfriend at the tender age of 13. The two eventually married (she was 18), but divorced a short time later. Smith has had a fairly traumatic life, including battling sickness and numerous troubled relationships. But, Mandy has been able to move on thanks to God and the Catholic Church.

Although brought up Catholic, it was never an important part of her life. She truly found her faith when she visited Medjugorje, admitting that something “clicked.” She even had a spiritual vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary while there. She attends mass twice a week, prays daily, is raising her son in the Faith, and seeks God’s guidance in all her decisions. In addition, she’s managed to forgive Wyman for the damage he did to her life.

This is an inspiring story of how God can transform the lives of those who trust in him. Some of the commenters at the Daily Mail article seem to think this is all a stunt. But, someone going from model/celebrity to practicing Catholic probably doesn’t get much sympathy from the world.


It just looks silly!

May 30, 2009

A woman bishop (or priest) seems very silly, doesn’t it?


Fr. Cutie: The Episcopal Church Welcomes You!

May 28, 2009

Fr. Alberto Cutie, a Catholic priest who was caught by the media with a woman on a beach, announced that he is joining the Episcopal Church and pursuing ordination in that community. I’m sure the folks at TEC are overjoyed: they’ve gotten a youngish, fairly famous, good looking, and charismatic Hispanic priest (When I was in TEC, getting Hispanics in the church was sort of a holy grail). However, I’m not going to use this post to criticize the Episcopal Church. Rather, I want to say caveat emptor.

Here’s a guy who broke one of his most sacred vows and two weeks later left the Church where he devoted most of his life for a community he probably knows little about; but hey, they’re like Catholicism but without the rules and their ministers can get married! Although the media seems to assume that marriage=problem solved for priests who have behaved badly, real life is not so simple. Anyone who would so readily do what Fr. Cutie has done should send up any number of red flags. Celibacy is hard for sure. But, this development goes beyond celibacy to issues of commitment and TEC may find itself a victim of Fr. Cutie down the line.

My advice: go slow and make sure the guy really wants to be an Episcopalian, not just find a place to continue his famous ministry and get married. My bet: he’ll end up being an independent pastor in a few years. Regardless, he needs our prayers.

Update: Young Fogey has some good insights on this topic:

What happened to the old WASP gentlemanly values of keeping promises and honouring commitments (duty)? The man freely took a vow and disobeyed it and his bishop. Why would another Christian bishop consider bringing him on board? Looks like nothing but the upper-middle-class religion of self-esteem and other feelings. (That and anything handy to hit Rome.)


Vatican II: We’re Stealing it Back

May 28, 2009

The Catholic Report has pointed readers to an excellent article entitled Vatican II and the Culture of Dissent, by Russell Shaw, which I read with great interest. The article examines a “culture of dissent” that followed Vatican II, led by those that were simultaneously disappointed by the council (that it did not go far enough), and yet, acted boldly in the “spirit” of the council. This “culture of dissent” is still around, although today its influence has waned (perhaps because of a combination of death, defection, and defeat…i.e. many of its proponents have died, left the Catholic Church, or seen their influence decline in the Church). The article explains that the culture of dissent began with some of the earliest reactions to the council:

The seeds of the culture of dissent were already sown in some of the earliest reactions to the council.

In four momentous sessions between 1962 and 1965, the fathers of Vatican II hammered out a consensus contained in the 103,000 Latin words of its 16 documents — four constitutions, nine decrees, and three declarations. While most people hailed the results (though often without quite knowing what they were hailing), extremists were not well-pleased. Ultra-traditionalists, led by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, prepared for diehard resistance; progressives hungered for far more change than the council had delivered.

Rev. Hans Küng, the Swiss-born theologian who was to become a veritable Prince of Dissenters, was bitterly disappointed. The religious revolution he’d hoped to lead had stalled. Despite some achievements, the council had done far less than he hoped, and now, he believed, progress was being blocked by Rome. “The renewal of the Catholic Church and ecumenical understanding with the other Christian churches… had got stuck,” he later wrote. Here was a logjam crying out to be broken.

The alleged corruption of the Church and its leaders often supplied the basis for dissent in the early postconciliar years. Charles Davis, a British theologian who quit the priesthood in 1966, declared that the Church was “a zone of untruth, pervaded by a disregard for truth.” Sociologist Rev. Andrew Greeley announced that the American bishops were “morally, intellectually, and religiously bankrupt.” Peace activist Philip Berrigan, another ex-priest, dismissed the Church as “a whore…”

But far and away the biggest building block of that culture was the “spirit of Vatican II.” It also had its start just after the council — in the United States, thanks especially to Xavier Rynne. Rynne, as everyone knows today, was the pseudonym of an American Redemptorist priest, Rev. Francis X. Murphy, used in a series of insider reports on Vatican II in the New Yorker. His articles spun the story as a titanic struggle pitting good-guy liberals against bad-guy conservatives. Immediately after the council ended, Rynne published an article pronouncing that from a “superficial point of view” — that is, from a reading of the council documents — nothing radical had been accomplished. But to think like that was to miss the point. “More important than the documents, the Council has consecrated a new spirit, destined in the course of time to remake the face of Catholicism,” Rynne/Murphy wrote.

For progressives, the beauty of the spirit of Vatican II was that it permitted them to dismiss the council’s teaching while at the same time claiming to champion the council. Thus Rev. Richard McBrien, then at Boston College and now at Notre Dame, claimed that Vatican II had validated the principle of “endless, unchecked change” in Catholic life (The Remaking of the Church, 1973). Yet Pope John XXIII, while commending openness to “new conditions and new forms of life” in his famous opening speech to the council, nevertheless insisted that the Church must “never depart from the sacred patrimony of truth received by the fathers.” No matter. Father McBrien had the spirit of Vatican II.

I find the “spirit of Vatican II” to be rather humorous and disingenuous. Did church leaders after Constantinople add a fourth person to the Trinity in the “spirit of Constantinople?” Councils certainly have tones and spirits, but these are based on the teachings and decrees of the council itself, not on ideas and practices that the council specifically refused to approve. In other words, I think that the argument that since Vatican II made changes to the Church, then it stands to reason that the council calls us to make far more radical and innovative changes, is bogus. The NFL changes and updates rules and such occasionally, but that doesn’t mean the Cleveland Browns are free to trade their footballs for hockey sticks and pucks in the spirit of legitimate change (although they might be more successful at hockey than football!).

I recommend reading the entire article, but I do want to highlight some things Shaw recommends to “repudiate the culture of dissent” and “recapture the real meaning of Vatican II”:

1. Stop complaining about the council. Not long ago I heard a conservative Catholic speaker tell a receptive audience that one of the crosses borne by Paul VI was a “runaway council.” That’s a good story, but it isn’t true. Now and then Paul VI had to rein in enthusiasts, but at no time was Vatican II in a “runaway” state, and the pope and bishops were in harmony at the end. Misstatements like this one play into the hands of those who want Vatican II interpreted in a way that serves the culture of dissent.

2. Read and study the documents of the council, probe its history, and make it the subject of research, writing, and teaching. With certain commendable exceptions, orthodox Catholics seem to have left this work to progressives — an omission that could cost future generations dearly. It is troubling that the massive, and unquestionably scholarly, five-volume History of Vatican II produced by Giuseppe Alberigo and his collaborators (published in the United States by Orbis Books, with Rev. Joseph Komonchak of Catholic University as editor) appears to be on its way to becoming the authoritative interpretation of the council. Its fundamental stance is that the real significance of Vatican II lies not in what it said but in the conciliar experience itself — presumably, as reconstructed by historians like Alberigo and his colleagues. (That is like saying the significance of Shakespeare is not in his plays but in his life, even though the life is incommunicable except through the plays.)

3. Welcome and cooperate with the emerging new leadership in the Church, including the growing number of solid bishops in the United States, and work for authentic reform and renewal according to the prescriptions of Vatican II. The “reform of the reform” is an apt description for this program to undo the damage of the last 40 years and realize the purposes of the council. Leaders have begun to appear in growing numbers to make this a realistic possibility.

In other words, we need to celebrate Vatican II for what it was, not what some people did in its name. On the album “Rattle and Hum” Bono said of the song “Helter Skelter,” “Charles Manson stole this song from the Beatles; We’re stealin’ it back.” The dissenters have stolen the council, using the name of the council to justify just about any whim, and now we’re stealin’ it back.