Vatican Nominations announced today

Announced today:

Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sidney, has been nominated a Member of the Congregation for Bishops. So he will have a vote on the appointment of bishops.

And Dr Edward Peters, Professor of Canon Law in the "Edmund Cardinal Szoka Chair" at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, USA has been appointed an "expert" for the forthcoming 13th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. He also blogs at In the Light of the Law.

The War on Families

Mass Resistance photo

A concerted campaign is under way to portray being pro-family, pro-marriage as "anti-gay" and pro-family, pro-marriage groups as "hate groups". Chick-fill-A has been caught in the midst of this. Today I received an email from a pro-family group with the subject header:

Chick-fil-A caves in to gay movement - disgraceful!

And the text was headlined:

Chick-fil-A caves in to homosexual pressure. Agrees not to donate to pro-family groups in exchange for permission to put restaurant in Chicago. Slap in the face to pro-family supporters.

And it went on to describe Chick-fill-A's apparent betrayal of marriage and the family.

I found this volte-face difficult to comprehend. So, following the advice in that same email, I emailed info@winshape.org, the charitable wing of Chick-fill-A asking "Is it true?"

I wrote:

That Chick-fill-A and you have caved in to pressure and renounced support of pro-family organizations to secure permission to open your restaurant in Chicago? Pro-family is not "anti-gay".

Please let me know the truth on this. Our families are being made to feel very vulnerable. If being "pro-family" is going to be equivalent to be "anti-gay" we will be living in a dangerous world.

If you have caved in to political pressure when setting up a restaurant is a perfectly legal thing and should not involve politics, then a dangerous precedent has been set. Even "gays" should be worried, for any group will be able to threaten law abiding individuals and businesses who do not happen to conform to the latest politically correct fad.

Which group of people behaved more agreeably when families flocked to your restaurants in large numbers and just a few engaged in a public display of behavior that should be kept to the private sphere, if carried out at all?

Yous sincerely

Within minutes I had a reply. They had obviously been receiving many enquiries. And here is text of the reply:

Thanks for your interest and concern.

Despite recent mischaracterizations in the media, neither Chick-fil-A nor WinShape Foundation has changed our giving strategy. We will continue to focus our efforts on programs that educate youth, strengthen families and enrich marriage, and support communities.  Chick-fil-A plans to release the information below to the media.

Chick-fil-A, Inc. – Who We Are

For many months now, Chick-fil-A’s corporate giving has been mischaracterized. And while our sincere intent has been to remain out of this political and social debate, events from Chicago this week have once again resulted in questions around our giving. For that reason, we want to provide some context and clarity around who we are, what we believe and our priorities in relation to corporate giving.

A part of our corporate commitment is to be responsible stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. Because of this commitment, Chick-fil-A’s giving heritage is focused on programs that educate youth, strengthen families and enrich marriages, and support communities. We will continue to focus our giving in those areas. Our intent is not to support political or social agendas.

As we have stated, the Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators. 

This reply satisfies me.

We can wait and see if they are playing with words - will their promotion of programs that "enrich marriage" be broadened to include any modified definition of marriage? I trust not. And I hope not.

But let us make no mistake about it: supporters of marriage according to the natural law can expect to be treated by a minority as bigots and haters. Be prepared.

The hypocrisy of dictating to a private business whom they should and shouldn't give money to, and labeling pro-marriage and pro-family groups as holding "political agendas" defies reason. Do those groups promoting "marriage equality" not hold a "political agenda"? And yet the pro-gay lobby praises Microsoft and other corporations for supporting them.

If Islam is not a rational belief system, it cannot survive.

"By their fruits you will know them." I don't approve of insulting the religious beliefs of anyone (French magazine adds fuel to fire), but I strongly disapprove of the irrational reaction to the insults. I think it is highly irresponsible for people to publish these insults because we know that it will inflame the hatred that many Moslems seem to bear towards "the West". The lives of westerners stationed or working abroad are now in further danger. Furthermore, Christians who bear no hatred towards Moslems will be at risk, too. Those who publish these insulting materials cannot be considered to be behaving in a Christian way. Jesus would not do it. But perhaps the "Christian" west should be making a much stronger stand before Moslem nations about religious freedom and tolerance in their own lands. But violence would not be our way of reacting to attacks on our religion (except in the case of legitimate self-defence.)  The Cross tells us how to react: "I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord God is my help..." (Is 50: 6-7)

I have been wondering how to formulate my thoughts on this matter and have come across the excellent blog post of A Reluctant Sinner: As Islam totters on the brink, millions of souls are turning towards the light of Christ -- Christians need not be afraid! I would recommend you read it. Islam has nothing to offer today rationalist world. Christianity - and Catholicism in particular - is the only religion that can be said to be truly reasonable. And so we will, in the end, win in the battle for ideas.

Liverpool institutes lay-led funerals

Shouldn't we get back to this kind of solemnity for funerals?

The Archbishop of Liverpool has commissioned 22 lay people to preside at funerals in the absence of a priest, the first UK diocese to do so. (Catholic News Service)

"In some of our parishes in the diocese priests are being asked to celebrate over 120 funerals each year," Archbishop Kelly wrote.

"That does not neatly work out at two or three times a week," he wrote. "Some weeks there can be six or seven."

I can see the difficulty, and as a priest I know how much stress celebrating a number of funerals a week can be. One is dealing with people at a very emotional time and situation. The fact that the Church has so many options in the liturgy adds to the stress as people ask for their favourite songs, and eulogies, and other strange things to be inserted into the liturgy. Sometimes they don't like Scripture readings that refer to judgement, etc. etc.

But to celebrate a funeral is a unique opportunity for the priestly office to be exercised in providing pastoral care for the bereaved but, more importantly to enable the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice for the repose of the souls of those who have died.

I have consulted the archdiocesan website and have counted roughly 310 priests. Now, some of these priests are retired, some will be abroad studying, etc.  The news item from CNS News quoted above states the number of priests as 170 (with a projected reduction to 100 by 2015). So I don't know what the situation with the other 140 priests is. I wonder if any of the retired clergy or others from those 140 could be called upon to celebrate funeral Masses.

I also tried to find a list of deacons but couldn't locate it on the diocesan website. Could (and should) they not be called upon in preference to lay people?

We also read:

The move was announced through a brochure, "Planning a Catholic Funeral," published recently by the archdiocese. The brochure described a funeral as the "community's main celebration and prayer for the deceased."

I have often wondered about the community aspect of a funeral. What about having a funeral Mass for more than one person? I know this would be a huge cultural shift for many people and perhaps it would be something of an innovation. But I'm not sure what the significance of emphasising the funeral as the "community's main celebration and prayer for the deceased" is about. It is the prayer of Christ and His Sacrifice offered through the ministry of the priest that is of the utmost importance, not the "community's ... celebration and prayer".

One must trust the fact that the Archbishop has consulted his Council of Priests and taken their advice, but I can't help thinking this is a retrograde step and will do little to promote vocations to the priesthood.

What I'll be doing is praying for an increase in vocations to the priesthood for Liverpool so that the beloved departed might have the funeral Mass that the Church foresees as the norm.

I realise now that I am very much behind the curve. See A Reluctant Sinner for his take on it. I am certainly in agreement with him that the main pastoral consideration at a funeral is not the mourners but the deceased. It is for him/her that the rites are being celebrated. The advantage with the more traditional (extraordinary) form of the Church's liturgy is that the participation or otherwise of those present was of no consequence to the effective celebration of the liturgy and the application to the departed of the merits of the Holy Sacrifice. And with a good choir and servers, it had/has a dignity that cannot be matched.

I celebrated the Requiem Mass for a Catholic in a beautiful medieval Anglican church in Kent. Most of the mourners were not Catholic but the local choral society got together to rehearse the chant, and added a few lovely motets, and did a beautiful job. This was probably the first time the Traditional Mass had been celebrated in this church since the reformation. All commented on the beauty of the ceremonies. (And no homily was given, at the request of the widow who was not a Catholic. And the older form anyway does not allow for a homily during the funeral Mass, only the possibility of an address before the final commendation. At first I felt put out at the request for no homily but then realised that there was nothing that needed to be said. The Liturgy spoke for itself!)

Pope in Lebanon: "Reason must overcome passion"

From NY Times

Pope Benedict arrived in Lebanon today. In his arrival speech he said:

"The successful way the Lebanese all live together surely demonstrates to the whole Middle East and to the rest of the world that, within a nation, there can exist cooperation between the various Churches, all members of the one Catholic Church in a fraternal spirit of communion with other Christians, and at the same time coexistence and respectful dialogue between Christians and their brethren of other religions. Like me, you know that this equilibrium, which is presented everywhere as an example, is extremely delicate. Sometimes it seems about to snap like a bow which is overstretched or submitted to pressures which are too often partisan, even selfish, contrary and extraneous to Lebanese harmony and gentleness. This is where real moderation and great wisdom are tested. And reason must overcome one-sided passion in order to promote the greater good of all". (News.va)

With all that his happening around the Moslem world right now, this call to reason needs to be heard. These attacks on American and other western embassies and institutions are irrational.

From BBC

Christianity, as the Pope demonstrates, is a religion that has faith in reason. I'm honestly not sure how Moslems view reason. Extremists of any persuasion, of course, abandon reason and become "fundamentalists", another "ism" the Pope said must be abandoned.

"Religious fundamentalism seeks to take power for political ends, at times using violence, over the individual conscience and over religion," the Pope said.

"All religious leaders in the Middle East [should] endeavour, by their example and their teaching, to do everything possible to uproot this threat, which indiscriminately and fatally affects believers." (BBC News)

"I have come to Lebanon as a pilgrim of peace, as a friend of God and as a friend of men. ... Looking beyond your country, I also come symbolically to all the countries of the Middle East as a pilgrim of peace, as a friend of God and as a friend of all the inhabitants of all the countries of the region, whatever their origins and beliefs..." (News.va)

Franciscan University in hot water over course on "deviant" behaviours

It was reported on Public Radio this week that the Franciscan University of Stubenville, Ohio, is to have its Social Studies program examined following protests from alumni who count themselves amongst the Franciscan Gay Alumni and Allies Facebook group.

The offending course description reads:

“Deviant behavior focuses on the sociological theories of deviant behavior, such as strain theory, differential association theory, labeling theory and phenomenological theory,” states the course description. “The behaviors that are primarily examined are murder, rape, robbery, prostitution, homosexuality, mental illness and drug use. The course focuses on structural conditions in society that potentially play a role in influencing deviant behavior.”

As one can read at the National Catholic Register:

Up until 1973, the American Psychiatric Association classified homosexuality in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as a mental disorder.

“It strikes me that the gay alumni group, as so often happens, are overreacting to the word ‘deviant,’” said Phil Sutton, a psychologist and psychotherapist in South Bend, Ind., who launched Franciscan University’s master’s degree program in counseling 23 years ago. “Whereas in psychology we talk about ‘abnormal’ or ‘dysfunctional’ behavior, sociologists talk about ‘deviant’ behavior, meaning self-defeating behavior that is outside the norm. Franciscan’s use of the word is consistent with sociology, and, in that sense, they are not wrong to use it.”

“The research shows that same-sex behavior is medically, psychologically and relationally harmful,” added Sutton. “So there is nothing in the ‘deviant’ definition that is unrealistic. There is no doubt that you can talk about those who engage in that behavior as psychologically distressed, and there is no doubt that, in a secondary sense, it’s harmful to those who participate in it.”

I couldn't help checking St Paul's list of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God:

Neither the immoral (literally "fornicators", according to a footnote), nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals (footnote: Greek has "effeminate nor sodomites." The apostle condemns, not the inherent tendencies of such, but the indulgence of them.), nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor. 6:9-10 RSVCE Ignatius Bible edition)

So St Paul groups active homosexuals in with other "deviant" kinds of behaviour. The DSM can change its classification for proper scientific reasons or for politically correct reasons. The Word of God is eternal, however. Note that St Paul continues:

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

So it's possible to change, by the grace Jesus pours out upon us at our conversion and Baptism and subsequently through the reception of the Sacraments, and openness to the Holy Spirit! Another thing the "gay" lobby considers anathema.

New bishop for Lincoln, Nebraska

Could you think of a better recommendation than that given by the Archbishop of Denver where Bishop Conley has been serving as auxiliary?

“In the four years Bishop Conley has served as auxiliary bishop of Denver, he has become well-known for his commitment to the unborn, his enthusiasm for young people, and especially for the devotion with which he celebrates the Most Holy Eucharist,” Archbishop Aquila said.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/bishop-james-conley-to-lead-diocese-of-lincoln/#ixzz26UxMrxIs

Oh, and (shhhhh!!!!!) he ordained seven men to the minor orders of porter and lector, seven men to the minor orders of exorcist and acolyte and Rev. Mr. Rhone Lillard to the diaconate at St Francis of Assisi Oratory in Lincoln, Nebraska, 7 XI 2009 for the FSSP!

Are these the qualifications for the bishops of the New Evangelization? Bishop Sample is also known for his Extraordinary Form ordinations, for his commitment to the unborn, the young and the devout manner in which he offers the Mass.