Per Christum Catholic Blog

Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Blessed Mother Teresa, pray for us.

Below is the Collect for her feast.

Blessings,

Papa Z

O God,
who called blessed Teresa, virgin
to respond to the love of your Son thirsting on the cross
with outstanding charity to the poorest of the poor,
grant us, we beseech you, by her intercession,
to minister to Christ in his suffering brothers.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

I wish that I could claim this one as my own!

As it is, a hat tip to WDTPRS and an unknown seminarian!

The Seminarian’s Song

To the Tune of the Major-General’s Song from The Pirates of Penzance

I am the very model of Catholic seminarian
I’ve information pastoral, canonical, and Marian,
I know the Popes of Avignon and Councils Ecumenical
From Nicaea to Vatican plus gatherings heretical.
I’m very well acquainted too with matters homiletical,
I’ll write a pretty sermon that is eloquent yet practical,
About soteriology I’m teeming with a lot o’ news…
Such as salvation history’s relation to the modern Jews.
I’m very open minded, I have Sunday lunch with Protestants,
I teach them our Church History and sing it in Gregorian Chants,
In short in matters pastoral, canonical, and Marian,
I am the very model of a Catholic seminarian.

I know my ancient languages, some Latin, Greek, and Hebrew too;
I’m smart as a Dominican, I write for The Thomist review,
I quote Thomas Aquinas and I know the Summa all by heart,
I know the arguments for God from Anselm to Rene Descartes;
I am an expert without doubt in all matters liturgical,
I’ll see the rubrics carried out in fashion demiurgical!
I can intone polyphony from every epoch, school and rank…
And sing all of the arias composed by Mister Cesare Franck.
Then I can run a bingo or a bake sale in the Parish Hall,
And sell spaghetti supper tickets at the local shopping mall:
In short, in matters pastoral, canonical, and Marian,
I am the very model of a Catholic seminarian.

In fact, when I know what is meant by “Molinist” and “Arian,”
When I can rise above the title of Popish sectarian,
When such affairs as wakes and confirmations I’m more wary at,
And when each sort of imperfection, sin, and fault I can combat;
When I have learnt the progress of von Balthasar’s theology,
Converted every member of the Church of Scientology—
In short, when I’ve a smattering of basic Catholicity—
They’ll say that I’m a cleric full of goodness and simplicity.
And though my Bishop is impressed by my enormous panurgy,
The man is rather wary at my love for Latin Liturgy,
But still in matters pastoral, canonical, and Marian,
I am the very model a Catholic seminarian.

It has been widely reported that the extremely outspoken British atheist Christopher Hitchens has been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus.

It occurs to me that the best thing the faith community can do is to pray for him — body, soul, and spirit with true concern and without malice.

Blessings,

Papa Z

I was perusing “First Thoughts” — the blog of “First Things” magazine, and one of the recent posts drew my attention to an article by the Hugo Award-nominated Sci-Fi author Michael Flynn, writing for the Catholic journal “Dappled Things“.

The article was fascinating.  I quote from the opening paragraphs . . .

It is often said that until the Scientific Revolution Islam was far ahead of the Christian West in the natural sciences. This belief is a reaction to an earlier age of Western triumphalism that overlooked the genuine achievements of the Islamic philosopher (faylasuf); but like many reactionary movements, it overcompensates and praises a golden age that never quite was. Europe was never quite the dark age of ignorance that the “enlightened” philosophers pretended.

At the beginning of the Middle Ages, Islam was clearly the most scientifically advanced civilization on Earth, and China boasted a more advanced technology. Yet by the end of the Middle Ages the Latin West was clearly ahead of both Islam and China. How did this reversal of fortune take place? Joseph Needham called this ‘the Grand Question.’ [4]

There were two reasons: China never had an Aristotle; Islam never had an Aquinas. Consequently, logic, reason, and science in those cultures were like the seed that fell on barren ground, or among the weeds. In China, science withered; in Islam, it was choked out after a promising start.

Read the entire article here.

I’d love to see some discussion.

Refrain:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day that art hallowed forever;
day wherein God from heaven,
shone on the world with his grace.

Lo! in the likeness of fire,
on them that await his appearing,
he whom the Lord foretold,
suddenly, swiftly, descends.
Refrain:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day that art hallowed forever;
day wherein God from heaven,
shone on the world with his grace.

Forth from the Father he comes
with his sevenfold mystical dowry,
pouring on human souls
infinite riches of God.
Refrain:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day that art hallowed forever;
day wherein God from heaven,
shone on the world with his grace.

Hark! in a hundred tongues
Christ’s own, his chosen Apostles,
preach to a hundred tribes
Christ and his wonderful works.
Refrain:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day that art hallowed forever;
day wherein God from heaven,
shone on the world with his grace.

Praise to the Spirit of life,
all praise to the Fount of our being,
light that dost lighten all,
life that in all dost abide.
Refrain:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day that art hallowed forever;
day wherein God from heaven,
shone on the world with his grace.

God, who art giver of all
good gifts and lover of concord,
pour thy balm on our souls,
order our ways in thy peace.
Refrain:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day that art hallowed forever;
day wherein God from heaven,
shone on the world with his grace.

God Almighty, who fillest
the heaven, the earth and the ocean,
guard us from harm without,
Refrain:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day that art hallowed forever;
day wherein God from heaven,
shone on the world with his grace.

Kindle our lips with his live bright coal
from the hands of the Seraph;
shine in our minds with thy light;
burn in our hearts with thy love.
Refrain:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day that art hallowed forever;
day wherein God from heaven,
shone on the world with his grace.

I am a frequent reader (and occasionally comment) on the excellent blog “What Does The Prayer Really Say?” by Father John Zuhlsdorf. Fr. Zuhlsdorf is a strong proponent of “Say the Black, Do the Red” with regard to proper, reverent liturgy. I thoroughly enjoy reading his thoughts and commentaries. Over the last several year or so, with the continuing disintegration of the Church of England (and the Episcopal Church, here in the United States) Fr. Zuhlsdorf has authored quite a few posts on Anglicanism, and on Pope Benedict XVI, whom he rightly calls “The Pope of Christian Unity.” The comment stream by readers of his blog has been quite active both with lively participation by both cradle Catholics and Anglican converts to Catholicism.

I am bothered, however, by the tenor of some of the comments offered by some of the cradle Catholic participants who seem to feel the need to utterly degrade the entirety of the Anglican tradition, to question the motives of converts, and seem to be happy only when a convert abases himself in the mud on the banks of the Tiber, begging for admittance.

There are those who, regardless of the Pastoral Provision established by Pope John Paul II (the Great) and Anglicanorum Coetibus promulgated by Pope Benedict XVI (the Pope of Christian Unity) wish to have nothing to do with former Anglican clergy who become Catholic priests – to the point of refusing the Eucharist from such a priest (which more than smacks of the heresy of Donatism to me!)

There are those who wish to reject the notion that the history of Anglican tradition has anything at all to offer the Catholic Church, in spite of the Vatican’s actions to the contrary (for example, the promulgation of “The Book of Divine Worship.”) There are those who make broad pronouncements about the history and spirituality of Anglicanism who make generalizations out of complete ignorance, forgetting the patrimony of Lancelot Andrewes; of King Charles the Martyr; of the Tractarians; of the beautiful translations of St. Thomas Aquinas’ Eucharistic hymns (much better, I might add, than in your typical missalette!). And do we even want to compare the prose of the Book of Common Prayer to what ICEL has given us?

There are those who do not (or will not) understand that conversion is a journey, and that not everyone moves along that journey at the same speed. It took the (soon to be beatified) Venerable Servant of God John Henry, Cardinal Newman years to make his journey. Even GK Chesterton only made his conversion formal 14 years before he died.

There are those who do not (or will not) respect the fact that there have been well-reasoned arguments put forth by Anglo-Catholics which seem to justify separation from Rome, and that even when one realizes that an argument one once thought was valid truly is not, there is real pain and real grieving.

There are those who do not (or will not) respect the fact that many converts literally “leave everything behind” to follow Christ. Homes, salaries, churches, pensions, friends, etc. all become secondary considerations when one realizes that the fullness of Truth is to be found in Rome and not Canterbury.

To coin a phrase, all we ask for is a little respect. Don’t try to debate us on nuances of English history or on causes of the English Reformation. We know all that. (Indeed, I can lecture on the subject for hours without notes!) Don’t try to tell us that our entire ministries before our conversions were utterly without grace. They weren’t. Don’t try to lecture us on Apostolicae Curae. We accept it. We’re extremely familiar with the document – and realize (as Pope Leo XIII did at the time) that certain issues are not as “cut-and-dry” as they seem. Rejoice that we have come to embrace the fullness of Truth. And allow us a measure of dignity.

In the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 15, we read of the Council of Jerusalem. The burning question: did Gentile believers first have to become Jews in order to be saved. Some said yes – the entirety of the Law of Moses was absolutely necessary for salvation. But the Apostles said no – it was enough to avoid meat offered to idols, blood, the flesh of strangled animals, and sexual impurity. It seems to me that there is a correlation here. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict have spoken in their Apostolic capacity regarding conversions from the Anglican tradition. That should be enough for everyone. Further burdens are not necessary.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

I’m probably gonna get hammered for this post!

No, this is not a review of Karl Keating’s book of the same name – though if you are interested in my thoughts on the book, check out my review for Amazon.com!

What this IS, however, is some commentary on a trend I’ve begun to notice among a certain percentage of very conservative Catholics, and that is a trend toward what can only be described as a form of Catholic fundamentalism. Now please realize while fundamentalist Catholics are very conservative, not all conservative Catholics are fundamentalists. This is a very important distinction to make. This commentary is not intended as a rant against people who prefer the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (I’ve not attended one, but plan to, at my earliest convenience) nor those who watch EWTN (my wife and I not only watch, but appeared on “The Journey Home” a few years ago) or those who prefer more traditional music (count me in!) etc. I’m not referring to your typical, orthodox, Pope John Paul II Catholic.

When viewed on the spectrum of “liberal” to “conservative” your dear commentator would most certainly fall considerably to the “right” of “center”. From a theological standpoint, I’m probably more conservative than 80% of your typical “man in the pew”; and the same would certainly be true in my academic work as well.

What I am concerned about, however, are those on the very far right – the ones who brand you as an enemy (or worse, a heretic!) because you only agree with them 95% of the time! The ones who seem to think that faith means disengaging your brain, and that all development of doctrine ceased in the Middle Ages.

Some tendencies I’ve noticed which concern me:

• Geo-centrism – the notion that the earth is fixed and immovable, and that the universe revolves around it. (Based on a total misunderstanding of the Church’s “condemnation” of Galileo!)

• The absolute rejection of any and all critical tools in the interpretation of Scripture (and history!) After all, higher criticism was invented by liberal German Protestants who wanted to destroy the Church, therefore all critical tools must be avoided at all costs! (So much for the Church Fathers!)

• A literalist view of Scripture that would frighten an Independent Baptist! No allegory allowed! No figures of speech, either! (Example: The prophets teach that Jesus would ride into Jerusalem “on an ass, and on a donkey, the foal of an ass” – therefore on Palm Sunday, Jesus rode two animals! Yes, I’ve seen this vigorously debated!)

• An unhealthy obsession with Matthean Priority. Personally, the Synoptic Problem is not my problem – and is an unresolved – and unresolvable question. But, as the (faulty) reasoning goes, theologians who accept Markan priority obviously used critical tools to arrive that this conclusion – and all critical tools must be avoided at all costs! See above!

• An insistence that only the Douay-Rheims Bible can be used (and only certain editions of that!) if one is unfortunate enough not to be able to read the Latin Vulgate (and only certain editions of that!)

• A misunderstanding of the role of the Teaching Authority of the Church, leading to bizarre claims of “infallibility” on issues upon which the Church has never claimed infallibility!

In each of these cases, the problem seems to stem from an ultra-montane view of the Church, and by the taking out of context (both textually and historically) the role of, and meaning behind, Papal pronouncements. The gift of Papal Infallibility is to preserve the Church from teaching heresy in matters of faith and morals. It does not necessarily follow, however, that every proclamation by every Pope on every issue is a matter of faith and morals!

Now, is it true that many modern theologians have gone beyond (and even against) the Magisterium of the Church? Of course it is! Sadly, such dissent is common on a number of levels. But sadly, the Church has always had dissenters, and, as Christ teaches us, the wheat and the tares will continue to grow together until the End of the Age. But the way to deal with dissent and heresy is to promote good theology and orthodox doctrine – not to insist that the thinking process be shut down entirely. The Book of Proverbs teaches us that “iron sharpens iron”. What a blessing for the Church that the iron of St. Thomas Aquinas was sharpened on the iron of St. Bonaventure! What a blessing that Franciscans are not Dominicans who in turn are not Benedictines! What a blessing that some of the finest astronomers in the world have been (and still are) Jesuits!

It seems to this commentator that the extremes of the very far right are every bit as dangerous as the extremes of the very far left; both extremes leave the Church open to ridicule from Her enemies; and that neither serve to benefit Her primary mission, which is the eternal salvation of souls.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

V. Alleluia, Christ is Risen!
R. The LORD is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

As regular readers of mine are probably aware, I am not a member of either major political party. Indeed, I am not a member of any political party at all; having made that decision when I was first ordained priest in the CEC in 1998. I took this stand (after many years of pondering a similar decision by a Catholic priest friend) because I wanted to be able to stand for or against specific issues without being accused of being part of the agenda of a political party. Even after my conversion to the Catholic Church, I have maintained my position, even though this position no doubt frustrates friends of mine on both sides of the political aisle!

I am also not in favor of the idea that all politicians whose private lives or public votes are not in accord with their professed religious faith should automatically be excommunicated. Again, this position would no doubt frustrate friends of mine on various points of the religious spectrum! This is fine by me!

To my mind, excommunication is a tool used most effectively when it is used rarely — but when it IS used, is used to good and deliberate effect. Overused (or even over-threatened) it loses any effectiveness it might have AS a tool, both to save the soul of the excommunicate, and to take a strong public stand.

Having said all this, I would like to propose a worthy candidate for public excommunication in the Catholic Church — namely, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. She has publicly and unrepentantly deliberately mis-stated the teachings of the Church on life issues; she has publicly and unrepentantly defied her own bishop, and now, for me anyhow, the last straw.

The Speaker, today, on this, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, publicly prayed to the foster-father of Our Lord, that the current version of the health-care legislation be passed. (Hat tip to American Papist!)

Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not attacking health-care reform, nor are the Catholic bishops. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, long a supporter of real heath-care reform, have also come out strongly against the current version of the health-care legislation.

But, in this case, some extremely basic concerns about the current version of the legislation are not only being addressed, they are being ignored, and those raising those concerns are being marginalized — at best.

It seems to me, that a public statement by the Bishops supporting substantive health-care reform, while making it clear that the Speaker’s action — publicly praying to St. Joseph for support for a bill which would, in many respects, make a mockery of authentic Catholic social teaching — is unacceptable; even blasphemous to the point of placing her outside the Graces of the Church would be entirely appropriate!

Papa Z.

“Remember O man that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.”

December 31, 2007

As I sit here at my computer, my aunt is on her deathbed. Due to strong medications, she may not technically be “suffering” pain, but she is, without a doubt, suffering. A few days ago, we sat her up at the edge of the bed. It took three people to do so. She is just like a baby, where her head needs to be cradled, her back propped up, her legs moved by another’s strength. She could only take tiny sips of water, as swallowing is increasingly difficult. She is a skeleton of her former self. As she awaited her next sip, her head slumped forward. When she looked up again, her eyes were watery. I asked, “Are you crying?” She nodded yes. Perhaps she saw herself in the large mirrored cabinet doors. Maybe she couldn’t believe it had come to this. I can’t really know for sure what caused the tears because she’s beyond the point where she can talk.

Last week when I saw her, and she had a bit more speaking ability, she kept repeating, “I don’t know how Lucy did it.” Lucy, her sister (and my mother), also was quite weak at the end, spending her last days also in a morphine-induced haze. I told her, “You know, I”m here, and I love you, but in a sense, you are going through this alone, because no one else can possibly understand what you’re experiencing right now.” She nodded. I hope she found some comfort in the fact that her sister had walked this road before her, and so, in a way, someone DID understand.

Several times, she has indicated that, “I’m going to die today” or “I’m going to die tomorrow.” When my sister Donna and I told her on Saturday we had to leave that day, she repeated it again. We talked with her a bit, and then she seemed to be distressed. She closed her eyes, and her brow got very furrowed, and her head seemed to vibrate a little. It seeemed as though she was trying with all her might to make herself die. It didn’t work.

Well, here we are Monday morning, and it’s New Year’s Eve. I haven’t made a call up this morning to my uncle, but my guess is she’s still here with us. It has been an inestimable privilege to walk alongside her at this time, for I believe that through suffering, one can find treasures of wisdom and insight to be mined, and, most of all, God himself is most present. We often don’t see it at the time, but afterwards, the picture becomes more clear.

Our model, our rallying point, is a wooden cross upon which the bloody, broken God-man suffered and died for “the joy set before Him.” We must look soberly to the cross of Christ without fear and see that it is only through taking up our own crosses that we reach our final hope, which is eternal life and happiness in the presence of the Triune God, all the angels and archangels, and every one of his children, the saints.