Today is Pentecost Sunday and as I read the Catechism referring to the Holy Spirit, I was struck again, by the description of the action of the Holy Spirit, in relation to the Word, and in relation to us.
An excerpt from the Catechism.
687: "No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." Now God's Spirit, who reveals God, makes known to us Christ, his Word, his living Utterance, but the Spirit does not speak of himself. The Spirit who "has spoken through the prophets" makes us hear the Father's Word, but we do not hear the Spirit himself. We know him only in the movement by which he reveals the Word to us and disposes us to welcome him in faith. The Spirit of truth who "unveils" Christ to us "will not speak on his own." Such properly divine self-effacement explains why "the world cannot receive [him], because it neither sees him nor knows him," while those who believe in Christ know the Spirit because he dwells with them.
It is also a reminder of a wonderful book, In the School of the Holy Spirit by Rev. Jacques Philippe who:
“is a member of the Community of the Beatitudes, founded in France in 1973. Ordained in 1985 and a preacher of retreats in France and abroad, he has written several books of spiritual advice which have been translated from French.” (From the back cover)
This book provides guidance on learning from the Holy Spirit, and one section that was particularly moving to me is how to practice abandonment.
In its entirety.
“5. Practice Abandonment
“Finally, we shouldn’t forget the sort of obedience that may be the most important and the most overlooked: what might be called “obedience to events.”
“This notion obviously poses a difficult theological and existential problem. “Obedience to events” does not mean falling into fatalism or passivity, nor does it mean saying that everything that happens is God’s will. God does not will evil or sin. Many things happen that God does not will. But he still permits them, in his wisdom, and they remain a stumbling block or scandal to our minds. God asks us to do all we can to eliminate evil. But despite our efforts, there is always a whole set of circumstances which we can do nothing about, which are not necessarily willed by God but nevertheless are permitted by him, and which God invites us to consent to trustingly and peacefully, even if they make us suffer and cause us problems. We are not being asked to consent to evil, but to consent to the mysterious wisdom of god who permits evil. Our consent is not a compromise with evil but the expression of our trust that God is stronger than evil. This is a form of obedience that is painful but very fruitful. It means that after we have done everything in our power, we are invited, faced with what is still imposed on our will by events, to practice an attitude of abandonment and filial trust toward our Heavenly Father, in the faith that “for those who love God, everything works together for good.” (Romans 8:28) To give an example, God did not want the treachery of Judas or Pilate’s cowardice (God cannot want sin); but he permitted them, and he wanted Jesus to give filial consent to these events. And that is what he did—“Father, not what I will, but what thou wilt.” (Mark 14:36)
“The events of life are, after all, the surest expression of God’s will, because there is no danger of our interpreting them subjectively. If God sees that we are docile to events, able to consent peacefully and lovingly to what life’s happenings “impose” on us, in a spirit of filial trust and abandonment to his will, there can be no doubt that he will multiply personal expressions of his will for us through the action of his Spirit who speaks to our hearts.
“If, however, we always rebel and tense ourselves against difficulties, that kind of defiance of god will make it difficult for the holy Spirit to guide our lives.
“What most prevents us from becoming saints is undoubtedly the difficulty we have in consenting fully to everything that happens to us, not, as we have seen, in the sense of a fatalistic passivity, but in the sense of a trusting total abandonment into the hands of our Father God.
“What often happens is that, when we are confronted with painful occurrences, we either rebel, or endure them unwillingly, or resign ourselves to them passively.
“But God invites us to a much more positive and fruitful attitude: that of St. Therese of Lisieux, who, as a child, said: “I choose it all!” We can give this the meaning: I choose everything that God wants for me. I wont’ content myself with merely enduring, but by a free act of my will; I decide to choose what I have not chosen. St. Therese used the expression: “I want everything that causes me difficulties.” Externally, it doesn’t change anything about the situation, but interiorly it changes everything. This consent, inspired by love and trust, makes us free and active instead of passive, and enables God to draw good out of everything that happens to us whether good or bad.” (pp. 32-35)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Pray, Work, Study, Pray
Reaffirming the centrality of prayer in the life of the faithful, this article from Chiesa reminds us that of all the gifts of God that we may call upon to help us in our pilgrimage in the world, it is prayer that is the most powerful, the axis mundi of the faith.
An excerpt.
“ROME, May 29, 2009 – On the visit he made to the abbey of Monte Cassino on Ascension Sunday, Benedict XVI revived the famous motto of the saint whose name he took: "Ora et labora et lege." Work and study, but first of all pray.
“And he linked this motto with the other one that the pope has repeatedly placed at the origin of all Western civilization: "quaerere Deum," to seek God.
“In the vision of Benedict XVI, praying to God is not a part, but rather the whole of man's vocation. The idea may appear daring in an age in which prayer is often trivialized, contested, put off limits. But it finds support in signs of renewed attention to this supreme act of Christian life, and that's not all.
“For example, at the same time as pope Joseph Ratzinger's visit to Monte Cassino, further to the north, in Bologna, one of the most secularized cities in Italy, the feast of the Madonna di San Luca saw a much larger crowd than in the past gather to pray. Just as a few weeks earlier, in the same city, the immense basilica of Saint Petronius was not large enough to hold the great mass of young people at a prayer vigil, who also filled the square in front of the church.
“Even further to the north, also a few days ago, in Piacenza on the banks of the Po, churchmen, theologians, philosophers and artists, believers and nonbelievers decided to discuss precisely this theme: "Prayer and experiences of God."
“The meeting, organized as a "Festival of theology," was begun on May 22 and concluded on May 24 with two "master lectures": the first by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, and the second by the most famous of the German Evangelical theologians, Jürgen Moltmann.
“The speakers included Philippe Némo and Mario Botta, PierAngelo Sequeri and Elmar Salmann, Massimo Cacciari and Guido Ceronetti.
“Cardinal Ruini's lecture is reproduced below, with editorial subtitles.
“Of particular interest are the passages in which he analyzes
the objections that today's culture raises against prayer, and, conversely, the profound meaning of prayer as a "serious matter" on which the Christian faith stands or falls.”
An excerpt.
“ROME, May 29, 2009 – On the visit he made to the abbey of Monte Cassino on Ascension Sunday, Benedict XVI revived the famous motto of the saint whose name he took: "Ora et labora et lege." Work and study, but first of all pray.
“And he linked this motto with the other one that the pope has repeatedly placed at the origin of all Western civilization: "quaerere Deum," to seek God.
“In the vision of Benedict XVI, praying to God is not a part, but rather the whole of man's vocation. The idea may appear daring in an age in which prayer is often trivialized, contested, put off limits. But it finds support in signs of renewed attention to this supreme act of Christian life, and that's not all.
“For example, at the same time as pope Joseph Ratzinger's visit to Monte Cassino, further to the north, in Bologna, one of the most secularized cities in Italy, the feast of the Madonna di San Luca saw a much larger crowd than in the past gather to pray. Just as a few weeks earlier, in the same city, the immense basilica of Saint Petronius was not large enough to hold the great mass of young people at a prayer vigil, who also filled the square in front of the church.
“Even further to the north, also a few days ago, in Piacenza on the banks of the Po, churchmen, theologians, philosophers and artists, believers and nonbelievers decided to discuss precisely this theme: "Prayer and experiences of God."
“The meeting, organized as a "Festival of theology," was begun on May 22 and concluded on May 24 with two "master lectures": the first by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, and the second by the most famous of the German Evangelical theologians, Jürgen Moltmann.
“The speakers included Philippe Némo and Mario Botta, PierAngelo Sequeri and Elmar Salmann, Massimo Cacciari and Guido Ceronetti.
“Cardinal Ruini's lecture is reproduced below, with editorial subtitles.
“Of particular interest are the passages in which he analyzes
the objections that today's culture raises against prayer, and, conversely, the profound meaning of prayer as a "serious matter" on which the Christian faith stands or falls.”
Friday, May 29, 2009
Drugs & Criminals
In this story from USA Today, reporting on studies that show 50% of men arrested had drugs in their system will, unfortunately, continue the mistaken belief that if you can stop a person from using drugs, that person will then stop being a criminal; which sadly, is the type of thinking that drives the 70% recidivism rate.
Criminals don’t generally commit crimes because they use drugs; they use drugs because illegal drugs are a ubiquitous element within the criminal world—as legal alcohol is among the non-criminal world—a common facet that lubricates all of the social interactions with an additional function of social stratification.
While criminal justice practitioners and policy makers hope to find the silver bullet that can reduce crime, there is really only one that will work over time and with large populations—built upon the realization that criminals are largely independent agents—and that is a voluntary internal transformation.
An excerpt.
“Half of the men arrested in 10 U.S. cities test positive for some type of illegal drug, a federal study found.
“Not only do the findings show "a clear link between drugs and crime," they also highlight the need to provide drug treatment, says Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, which will make the data public Thursday.
“Assessing offenders for drug and mental health problems and providing treatment is "important if you want to stop recidivism and recycling people through the system," says Kerlikowske, who supports drug courts that offer court-ordered drug treatment.
"There's an opportunity when someone is arrested to divert them to treatment if they need it," says Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance Network, a group that supports legalizing marijuana and treating drug use as a public health issue. "But people shouldn't have to get arrested to get treatment."
“In 2008 researchers interviewed and obtained urine samples from 3,924 men arrested in 10 metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, Ore., Sacramento and Washington, D.C.”
Criminals don’t generally commit crimes because they use drugs; they use drugs because illegal drugs are a ubiquitous element within the criminal world—as legal alcohol is among the non-criminal world—a common facet that lubricates all of the social interactions with an additional function of social stratification.
While criminal justice practitioners and policy makers hope to find the silver bullet that can reduce crime, there is really only one that will work over time and with large populations—built upon the realization that criminals are largely independent agents—and that is a voluntary internal transformation.
An excerpt.
“Half of the men arrested in 10 U.S. cities test positive for some type of illegal drug, a federal study found.
“Not only do the findings show "a clear link between drugs and crime," they also highlight the need to provide drug treatment, says Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, which will make the data public Thursday.
“Assessing offenders for drug and mental health problems and providing treatment is "important if you want to stop recidivism and recycling people through the system," says Kerlikowske, who supports drug courts that offer court-ordered drug treatment.
"There's an opportunity when someone is arrested to divert them to treatment if they need it," says Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance Network, a group that supports legalizing marijuana and treating drug use as a public health issue. "But people shouldn't have to get arrested to get treatment."
“In 2008 researchers interviewed and obtained urine samples from 3,924 men arrested in 10 metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, Ore., Sacramento and Washington, D.C.”
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Just Wage
Workers being paid a just wage is a major element of the social teaching and is something that all Catholics need to understand and be supportive of as it is directly connected to the respect for human dignity that underlies all of the social teaching.
This article from Inside Catholic is a good examination of it.
An excerpt.
“…The Worker Deserves His Wage
“Since we've established that the state can intervene in the economy in order to promote the common good, the next question is, what is the teaching of the Church regarding the wages of workers? First, the Church observes biblical admonitions such as Deuteronomy 24:15:
“You shall pay him [the hired man or servant] each day's wages before sundown on the day itself, since he is poor and looks forward to them. Otherwise he will cry to the Lord against you, and you will be held guilty.
“In view of this passage and others, such as James 5:4, the Church has taught that depriving a worker of his just wages, whether by withholding them or failing to pay a just wage, is gravely sinful (CCC 2434), and in fact has called it one of the four "sins that cry to heaven for vengeance." This is the case, as Leo XIII wrote, because "the laboring man is, as a rule, weak and unprotected, and because his slender means should in proportion to their scantiness be accounted sacred" (RN 20).
“Workers are due their wages as a matter of justice. The Catechism tells us that "a just wage is the legitimate fruit of work" (2434). But a just wage is not that which will merely provide sufficient food, clothing, and shelter. To live at a subsistence level is to live at the minimum condition of human dignity, and, as St. Thomas Aquinas wrote in the Summa Theologica, "No one is obliged to live unbecomingly."
“A just wage, then, should provide a worker with enough to live, and perhaps a little more, so as to enable him to live "becomingly." The Church has, therefore, always desired that the worker not remain trapped at a subsistence level, but be able to better his condition: The degree of independence the worker gains by doing so increases his dignity, which is part and parcel of living becomingly. To obtain property, then, whether in the form of real property or durable possessions, is a principal object of every worker. The worker, by living "sparingly, saves money, and, for greater security, invests his savings," and has the "hope and possibility of increasing his resources and of bettering his condition in life" (RN 5).
“Pope Pius XI, 40 years after Leo XIII, elaborated on this theme in his social encyclical Quadragesimo Anno, saying that by accumulating property, workers can emerge "from that hand-to-mouth uncertainty which is the lot of the proletarian. Thus they will not only be in a position to support life's changing fortunes, but will also have the reassuring confidence that when their lives are ended, some little provision will remain for those whom they leave behind them" (61). This principle led John Paul II to write that the accumulation of property is necessary "for the autonomy and development of the person" (CA 30).
“Apart from the worker's own dignity, though, there is another practical reason to pay the worker a decent wage, which even the most hard-nosed capitalist could embrace: By becoming more substantial citizens, people are no longer plagued by the feelings of hopelessness and dispossession that often characterize the lives of the poor. A man with property has a stake in his community; he is rooted, as it were. A man with property is more inclined to look to the future and make provision for it. It is well-known that stable neighborhoods of homeowners have far less crime and other social problems than those otherwise composed. Just wages, then, by promoting the dignity and independence of the worker, lead to greater stability and cohesion in society.”
This article from Inside Catholic is a good examination of it.
An excerpt.
“…The Worker Deserves His Wage
“Since we've established that the state can intervene in the economy in order to promote the common good, the next question is, what is the teaching of the Church regarding the wages of workers? First, the Church observes biblical admonitions such as Deuteronomy 24:15:
“You shall pay him [the hired man or servant] each day's wages before sundown on the day itself, since he is poor and looks forward to them. Otherwise he will cry to the Lord against you, and you will be held guilty.
“In view of this passage and others, such as James 5:4, the Church has taught that depriving a worker of his just wages, whether by withholding them or failing to pay a just wage, is gravely sinful (CCC 2434), and in fact has called it one of the four "sins that cry to heaven for vengeance." This is the case, as Leo XIII wrote, because "the laboring man is, as a rule, weak and unprotected, and because his slender means should in proportion to their scantiness be accounted sacred" (RN 20).
“Workers are due their wages as a matter of justice. The Catechism tells us that "a just wage is the legitimate fruit of work" (2434). But a just wage is not that which will merely provide sufficient food, clothing, and shelter. To live at a subsistence level is to live at the minimum condition of human dignity, and, as St. Thomas Aquinas wrote in the Summa Theologica, "No one is obliged to live unbecomingly."
“A just wage, then, should provide a worker with enough to live, and perhaps a little more, so as to enable him to live "becomingly." The Church has, therefore, always desired that the worker not remain trapped at a subsistence level, but be able to better his condition: The degree of independence the worker gains by doing so increases his dignity, which is part and parcel of living becomingly. To obtain property, then, whether in the form of real property or durable possessions, is a principal object of every worker. The worker, by living "sparingly, saves money, and, for greater security, invests his savings," and has the "hope and possibility of increasing his resources and of bettering his condition in life" (RN 5).
“Pope Pius XI, 40 years after Leo XIII, elaborated on this theme in his social encyclical Quadragesimo Anno, saying that by accumulating property, workers can emerge "from that hand-to-mouth uncertainty which is the lot of the proletarian. Thus they will not only be in a position to support life's changing fortunes, but will also have the reassuring confidence that when their lives are ended, some little provision will remain for those whom they leave behind them" (61). This principle led John Paul II to write that the accumulation of property is necessary "for the autonomy and development of the person" (CA 30).
“Apart from the worker's own dignity, though, there is another practical reason to pay the worker a decent wage, which even the most hard-nosed capitalist could embrace: By becoming more substantial citizens, people are no longer plagued by the feelings of hopelessness and dispossession that often characterize the lives of the poor. A man with property has a stake in his community; he is rooted, as it were. A man with property is more inclined to look to the future and make provision for it. It is well-known that stable neighborhoods of homeowners have far less crime and other social problems than those otherwise composed. Just wages, then, by promoting the dignity and independence of the worker, lead to greater stability and cohesion in society.”
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Notre Dame
The Church swirls in controversy eternally, as it should, being a sign of contradiction in the world, and even within the faithful arguments rage and, if possible, the opportunity for a great teaching moment should never be wasted.
One controversy—that over the awarding of the honorary doctorate to our president by Notre Dame, a teaching moment indeed—continues with no sign of abating and this article from Chiesa examines it.
An excerpt.
“ROME, May 26, 2009 – The degree "honoris causa" given last week to President Barack Obama by the Catholic university of Notre Dame, in South Bend, Indiana, has produced a new spasm of protests.
“But it has also offered occasions for more tranquil reflection and action.
“The most drastic in their protests have been the standard-bearers of neoconservative Catholic thought: Michael Novak, George Weigel, Deal Hudson.
“Their protest has mainly been directed against the Vatican and "L'Osservatore Romano," accused of excessive indulgence toward Obama, despite his bioethical positions contrary to the Church's doctrine.
“Deal Hudson, on the site "Insidecatholic.com," of which he is the founder, called for the head of Giovanni Maria Vian, director of the newspaper of the Holy See, and urged his readers to demand his removal by writing to the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
“On "National Review Online," George Weigel said that although "L'Osservatore Romano" does not automatically express the positions of the Holy See in every line, its statements on the matter nevertheless demonstrated the presence in the Vatican of a strong pro-Obama current, in addition to a "sorry ignorance of recent American history" and of the attack brought by the new president against the Church's teaching on life.
“Michael Novak, in a commentary in the Italian newspaper "Liberal," also accused "L'Osservatore Romano" of not understanding the American reality, with the result that "it has sided with the pro-abortion forces and against the marginalized minority of faithful practicing Catholics." It is as if the popes who defined abortion as an "intrinsic evil" had spoken in vain: "We asked Rome for bread, and 'L'Osservatore Romano' has given us stones."
“Neither Hudson, nor Weigel, nor Novak demonstrated any credence in Obama's offer of dialogue – in his speech on May 17 at the University of Notre Dame – with the defenders of unborn life. In their judgment, the new president stands firm on his pro-abortion positions. The "pro-life" forces, and they alone, are asked to compromise. Such that, in the end, what he calls dialogue "is only a request for unconditional surrender."
“There are also some bishops – among the more than seventy who before May 17 had criticized the decision of the Catholic university of Notre Dame to honor the "pro-abortion" president – who have reacted negatively to the offer of dialogue issued by Obama in his speech at the award ceremony.
“The leadership of the United States bishops' conference, however, has identified positive elements in Obama's speech, while maintaining strong reservations on some of the president's decisions.
“In an official note released on May 22, the president of the conference, Cardinal Francis E. George, archbishop of Chicago, thanked the president for the things he said about conscientious objection on the part of medical workers who are against abortion. He added that no one should be forced to subsidize abortion with their tax dollars. He asked the president to put into practice what he has promised, and confirmed that the bishops' conference looks forward to "working with the Administration and other policy makers" to reduce the number of abortions as much as possible.
“But on the same day, the secretary general of the bishops' conference, Monsignor David Malloy, again criticized the executive order with which, on March 9, Obama removed the ban on destroying embryos for research purposes: a decision in which "both science and ethics have been ignored."
One controversy—that over the awarding of the honorary doctorate to our president by Notre Dame, a teaching moment indeed—continues with no sign of abating and this article from Chiesa examines it.
An excerpt.
“ROME, May 26, 2009 – The degree "honoris causa" given last week to President Barack Obama by the Catholic university of Notre Dame, in South Bend, Indiana, has produced a new spasm of protests.
“But it has also offered occasions for more tranquil reflection and action.
“The most drastic in their protests have been the standard-bearers of neoconservative Catholic thought: Michael Novak, George Weigel, Deal Hudson.
“Their protest has mainly been directed against the Vatican and "L'Osservatore Romano," accused of excessive indulgence toward Obama, despite his bioethical positions contrary to the Church's doctrine.
“Deal Hudson, on the site "Insidecatholic.com," of which he is the founder, called for the head of Giovanni Maria Vian, director of the newspaper of the Holy See, and urged his readers to demand his removal by writing to the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
“On "National Review Online," George Weigel said that although "L'Osservatore Romano" does not automatically express the positions of the Holy See in every line, its statements on the matter nevertheless demonstrated the presence in the Vatican of a strong pro-Obama current, in addition to a "sorry ignorance of recent American history" and of the attack brought by the new president against the Church's teaching on life.
“Michael Novak, in a commentary in the Italian newspaper "Liberal," also accused "L'Osservatore Romano" of not understanding the American reality, with the result that "it has sided with the pro-abortion forces and against the marginalized minority of faithful practicing Catholics." It is as if the popes who defined abortion as an "intrinsic evil" had spoken in vain: "We asked Rome for bread, and 'L'Osservatore Romano' has given us stones."
“Neither Hudson, nor Weigel, nor Novak demonstrated any credence in Obama's offer of dialogue – in his speech on May 17 at the University of Notre Dame – with the defenders of unborn life. In their judgment, the new president stands firm on his pro-abortion positions. The "pro-life" forces, and they alone, are asked to compromise. Such that, in the end, what he calls dialogue "is only a request for unconditional surrender."
“There are also some bishops – among the more than seventy who before May 17 had criticized the decision of the Catholic university of Notre Dame to honor the "pro-abortion" president – who have reacted negatively to the offer of dialogue issued by Obama in his speech at the award ceremony.
“The leadership of the United States bishops' conference, however, has identified positive elements in Obama's speech, while maintaining strong reservations on some of the president's decisions.
“In an official note released on May 22, the president of the conference, Cardinal Francis E. George, archbishop of Chicago, thanked the president for the things he said about conscientious objection on the part of medical workers who are against abortion. He added that no one should be forced to subsidize abortion with their tax dollars. He asked the president to put into practice what he has promised, and confirmed that the bishops' conference looks forward to "working with the Administration and other policy makers" to reduce the number of abortions as much as possible.
“But on the same day, the secretary general of the bishops' conference, Monsignor David Malloy, again criticized the executive order with which, on March 9, Obama removed the ban on destroying embryos for research purposes: a decision in which "both science and ethics have been ignored."
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Memorial Day Remembered
Before it slips completely away, let us savor once more the great day that honored our military yesterday, and this wonderful reflection by a Catholic father as his son graduated from West Point on Saturday, is a profound remembrance.
An excerpt.
“The Cadet Prayer at West Point calls upon God, “Searcher of human hearts,” to help these future soldiers live above “the common level of life,” to chose “the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole truth can be won. Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice, and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy.”
“When you get to know cadets at the United States Military Academy, as I have had the privilege to do over the last four years, you are impressed by how thoroughly they take the prayer to heart, how dedicated they are to “Duty. Honor. Country.” (the academy’s motto), and how respectful they are of its blade-sharp honor code: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”
An excerpt.
“The Cadet Prayer at West Point calls upon God, “Searcher of human hearts,” to help these future soldiers live above “the common level of life,” to chose “the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole truth can be won. Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice, and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy.”
“When you get to know cadets at the United States Military Academy, as I have had the privilege to do over the last four years, you are impressed by how thoroughly they take the prayer to heart, how dedicated they are to “Duty. Honor. Country.” (the academy’s motto), and how respectful they are of its blade-sharp honor code: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Notre Dame
The reverberations from the honoring of our president—whose record on abortion is the most extreme of any US president in memory—by Notre Dame continue, and are a wonderful window into the state of the Church in America at this time in our history.
One can feel, in the impassioned voices discussing this issue on Catholic radio and tv, and see in the righteous words being written in the Catholic press, that there is a gathering of the faithful around the great ideas and truths of the Church within the strength in which their protective arms are being wrapped around her educational institutions and her protection of the unborn; and it is a protection called forth, wholly unanticipated, by the destructive pro-abortion policies of this president and his inexplicable assertion of them at a Catholic University.
Catholic Culture has collected many of the responses to the Norte Dame speech.
An excerpt.
“President Obama's appearance at the Notre Dame commencement exercises produced an enormous outpouring of journalistic coverage.
“Prior to the event, the atmosphere was so feverish that when Duncan Maxell Anderson concocted a story based on the idea that Obama had donated his speaking fee to defray lost alumni contributions, many readers failed to recognize that it was a satire.
“On the GetReligion site, Terry Mattingly continued to insist that reporters should get their facts straight. That was, alas, a losing battle.
“USA Today provided live blogging on the event, with a panel of experts (including Joseph Lawler, son of CWN editor Phil Lawler) offering their perspectives.
“When he addressed the commencement audience, Father John Jenkins, the president of Notre Dame, was in effect making his own observations on the controversy. Father Jenkins let his enthusiasm for President Obama show through clearly; it cannot be a coincidence that he used the word "hope" five times in his first five opening paragraphs.
“Father Jenkins clearly implied, in his plea for civil dialogue, that opponents of the President's speech were guilty of intolerance, while "President Obama is not someone who stops taking to those who differ with him." The Jenkins speech did not impress Ralph McInerny, longtime Notre Dame philosophy professor, who commented for The Catholic Thing. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that McInerny was impressed--negatively: “The fallacious defenses on the part of a once stellar philosopher, Father John Jenkins, continued in his introduction of the president, exhibit how corruptive of clear thinking holding high office can be. Not since the local lands were wrested from the Indians has a white father spoken with such forked tongue.”
One can feel, in the impassioned voices discussing this issue on Catholic radio and tv, and see in the righteous words being written in the Catholic press, that there is a gathering of the faithful around the great ideas and truths of the Church within the strength in which their protective arms are being wrapped around her educational institutions and her protection of the unborn; and it is a protection called forth, wholly unanticipated, by the destructive pro-abortion policies of this president and his inexplicable assertion of them at a Catholic University.
Catholic Culture has collected many of the responses to the Norte Dame speech.
An excerpt.
“President Obama's appearance at the Notre Dame commencement exercises produced an enormous outpouring of journalistic coverage.
“Prior to the event, the atmosphere was so feverish that when Duncan Maxell Anderson concocted a story based on the idea that Obama had donated his speaking fee to defray lost alumni contributions, many readers failed to recognize that it was a satire.
“On the GetReligion site, Terry Mattingly continued to insist that reporters should get their facts straight. That was, alas, a losing battle.
“USA Today provided live blogging on the event, with a panel of experts (including Joseph Lawler, son of CWN editor Phil Lawler) offering their perspectives.
“When he addressed the commencement audience, Father John Jenkins, the president of Notre Dame, was in effect making his own observations on the controversy. Father Jenkins let his enthusiasm for President Obama show through clearly; it cannot be a coincidence that he used the word "hope" five times in his first five opening paragraphs.
“Father Jenkins clearly implied, in his plea for civil dialogue, that opponents of the President's speech were guilty of intolerance, while "President Obama is not someone who stops taking to those who differ with him." The Jenkins speech did not impress Ralph McInerny, longtime Notre Dame philosophy professor, who commented for The Catholic Thing. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that McInerny was impressed--negatively: “The fallacious defenses on the part of a once stellar philosopher, Father John Jenkins, continued in his introduction of the president, exhibit how corruptive of clear thinking holding high office can be. Not since the local lands were wrested from the Indians has a white father spoken with such forked tongue.”
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Holy Father in Israel
An excellent analysis by the Wall Street Journal.
An excerpt.
“Most Israelis seem to agree that the pope's just concluded trip to Israel wasn't a raving success. Far from healing wounds, his address at the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum garnered harsh criticism for failing to adequately address the horrors memorialized there.
“I see the visit in a much more positive light.
“Jewish-Christian relations have always been of a wary sort, laced with mutual suspicions that have deep theological roots, and with painful memories of persecution and anti-Semitism. But in the past half-century, the church's attitude toward Jews has undergone a fundamental shift.
“The Nostra Aetate -- the Declaration on the Relations of the Church with Non-Christian Religions, issued by the Second Vatican Council and published in 1965 -- was the harbinger of the change in Catholic attitude toward the Jews and their faith. Later, Pope John Paul II further advanced the process of reconciliation.
“Karol Wojtyla had been a fighter in the Underground against the Nazi regime and had many close Jewish childhood friends. Deeply aware of the horrors that befell the Jews during World War II, Pope John Paul's personal sympathy for and close acquaintance with the Jewish people led to an era of fruitful dialogue and rapprochement between Jews and Catholics.
“This healing was made possible mainly because the pope, together with Jewish leaders, focused on shared values, biblical traditions and moral principles common to both faith communities.
“Pope Benedict XVI does not yet enjoy the goodwill his predecessor generated. Aspects of his past and statements he has made are arguably controversial and have generated criticism -- some valid -- from Jews.
“But this week, he arrived in Israel for the first papal visit in nine years. I was part of a delegation that greeted him in a special ceremony at the airport. Sadly, a number of Israeli political and religious leaders refused to participate.
“Had they attended, they would have heard the head of the church speak of the terrible suffering of the Jewish people during the Holocaust, their biblical rights to the land of Israel, and the deep bonds between the Christian and Jewish faiths. Had they joined him on his journey, they would have heard him lash out against Holocaust denial, condemn anti-Semitism -- past and present -- and seen him pray at the Western Wall.”
An excerpt.
“Most Israelis seem to agree that the pope's just concluded trip to Israel wasn't a raving success. Far from healing wounds, his address at the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum garnered harsh criticism for failing to adequately address the horrors memorialized there.
“I see the visit in a much more positive light.
“Jewish-Christian relations have always been of a wary sort, laced with mutual suspicions that have deep theological roots, and with painful memories of persecution and anti-Semitism. But in the past half-century, the church's attitude toward Jews has undergone a fundamental shift.
“The Nostra Aetate -- the Declaration on the Relations of the Church with Non-Christian Religions, issued by the Second Vatican Council and published in 1965 -- was the harbinger of the change in Catholic attitude toward the Jews and their faith. Later, Pope John Paul II further advanced the process of reconciliation.
“Karol Wojtyla had been a fighter in the Underground against the Nazi regime and had many close Jewish childhood friends. Deeply aware of the horrors that befell the Jews during World War II, Pope John Paul's personal sympathy for and close acquaintance with the Jewish people led to an era of fruitful dialogue and rapprochement between Jews and Catholics.
“This healing was made possible mainly because the pope, together with Jewish leaders, focused on shared values, biblical traditions and moral principles common to both faith communities.
“Pope Benedict XVI does not yet enjoy the goodwill his predecessor generated. Aspects of his past and statements he has made are arguably controversial and have generated criticism -- some valid -- from Jews.
“But this week, he arrived in Israel for the first papal visit in nine years. I was part of a delegation that greeted him in a special ceremony at the airport. Sadly, a number of Israeli political and religious leaders refused to participate.
“Had they attended, they would have heard the head of the church speak of the terrible suffering of the Jewish people during the Holocaust, their biblical rights to the land of Israel, and the deep bonds between the Christian and Jewish faiths. Had they joined him on his journey, they would have heard him lash out against Holocaust denial, condemn anti-Semitism -- past and present -- and seen him pray at the Western Wall.”
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Second Chance Act
This editorial from the New York Times suggests $100 million would be a good down payment on the reentry needs the Second Chance Act is designed to address.
If the programs funded are properly evaluated—third party evaluations using a control group—then program effectiveness can determine future funding and that would be a good thing.
If not, the existing pattern will hold, where funds are allocated somewhat randomly and the national recidivism rate continues to remain around 70%.
We wish them well and, as in all new ventures—though considering it is public money we would hope public leadership and the criminal justice practitioners advising them, gets it right at some point—but, time will tell.
An excerpt.
“Congress took an important step last year when it passed the Second Chance Act to help former inmates return to their communities. If properly financed and carried out, the act could cut recidivism, and ruinous prison costs for the states, by helping them develop programs to provide job placement, drug treatment, mental health care and other services that former prisoners need to build viable, crime-free lives.
“Congress does not have to look far for proven programs. New prison sentencing and re-entry policies are already taking hold in several states, thanks in part to work by the Council of State Governments’ prison policy arm, the Justice Center, with the support of the Pew Charitable Trust’s Center on the States.
“Their results have been especially impressive in Texas and Kansas, law-and-order states that were facing huge increases in their prison populations before they turned to the Justice Center for analyses and policy suggestions. Last month, representatives from both states testified about their experience before a House appropriations subcommittee.”
If the programs funded are properly evaluated—third party evaluations using a control group—then program effectiveness can determine future funding and that would be a good thing.
If not, the existing pattern will hold, where funds are allocated somewhat randomly and the national recidivism rate continues to remain around 70%.
We wish them well and, as in all new ventures—though considering it is public money we would hope public leadership and the criminal justice practitioners advising them, gets it right at some point—but, time will tell.
An excerpt.
“Congress took an important step last year when it passed the Second Chance Act to help former inmates return to their communities. If properly financed and carried out, the act could cut recidivism, and ruinous prison costs for the states, by helping them develop programs to provide job placement, drug treatment, mental health care and other services that former prisoners need to build viable, crime-free lives.
“Congress does not have to look far for proven programs. New prison sentencing and re-entry policies are already taking hold in several states, thanks in part to work by the Council of State Governments’ prison policy arm, the Justice Center, with the support of the Pew Charitable Trust’s Center on the States.
“Their results have been especially impressive in Texas and Kansas, law-and-order states that were facing huge increases in their prison populations before they turned to the Justice Center for analyses and policy suggestions. Last month, representatives from both states testified about their experience before a House appropriations subcommittee.”
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The Way of the Church
On May 8th, flying from Rome to Jordan, the Holy Father noted the ways the Church helps bring peace to the world, and as the spiritual world is the eternal reality underlying and informing the temporal reality, it is a powerful way.
He said:
"Certainly I intend to contribute to peace, not as an individual, but in the name of the Catholic Church, of the Holy See. We are not a political power, but rather a spiritual force, and this spiritual force is a reality that can contribute to the progress of the peace process. I see [a contribution to be made on] three levels: As believers, we are convinced that prayer is a real power. It opens the world to God. We are convinced that God listens and that He can act in history. I think that if millions of people - of believers - pray, this really is an influential power that can contribute to the advancement of peace. Secondly, we try to help in the formation of consciences. The conscience is the capacity of mankind to perceive the truth, but particular interests often block this capacity, and it is difficult to free ourselves from these interests, to open up to truth and to real values. One of the Church's duties is to help us recognise true criteria, true values, and free ourselves from particular interests. As for the third point, let us draw reason in as well: ... precisely because we are not a political institution it is perhaps easier for us, also in the light of faith, to see the true criteria, to help people understand what contributes to peace, to speak to reason, to support truly reasonable positions. This we have already done, and we want to do so now and in the future".
He said:
"Certainly I intend to contribute to peace, not as an individual, but in the name of the Catholic Church, of the Holy See. We are not a political power, but rather a spiritual force, and this spiritual force is a reality that can contribute to the progress of the peace process. I see [a contribution to be made on] three levels: As believers, we are convinced that prayer is a real power. It opens the world to God. We are convinced that God listens and that He can act in history. I think that if millions of people - of believers - pray, this really is an influential power that can contribute to the advancement of peace. Secondly, we try to help in the formation of consciences. The conscience is the capacity of mankind to perceive the truth, but particular interests often block this capacity, and it is difficult to free ourselves from these interests, to open up to truth and to real values. One of the Church's duties is to help us recognise true criteria, true values, and free ourselves from particular interests. As for the third point, let us draw reason in as well: ... precisely because we are not a political institution it is perhaps easier for us, also in the light of faith, to see the true criteria, to help people understand what contributes to peace, to speak to reason, to support truly reasonable positions. This we have already done, and we want to do so now and in the future".
Monday, May 18, 2009
A Sign of Contradiction, Part Ten
The deep aspect of the Church—called forth by Simeon during the presentation of the infant Christ in the Temple (Luke 2:34)—that so often becomes lost in the modern world, with its comfort, ease, tendency to go along to get along, and lack of easily perceived martyrs—though are not the millions of aborted babies such—yet as Pope John Paul II reminds us, the Church is surely a sign of contradiction in the world.
This is the final post (first of ten posted on May 9th) of excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A more recent and related series of reflections by Dr. John C. Rao, is available online at the Roman Forum, The War of the Words Against the Word, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Dr. Rao: “What, exactly, is the nature of this war? As various nineteenth century Catholic apologists were perhaps the first clearly to note, it is a conflict waged by those who fully accept the Way, the Truth and the Life brought into the world through the Incarnation against others who furiously reject it. That clash is rendered inevitable and permanent primarily due to the existence of the Mystical Body of Christ---the Church---as an organized, active agent of the Incarnation and its message. For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
The final excerpt from Sign of Contradiction.
“The woman of Revelation, “a great sign appeared in the heavens” (Revelation 12:1). Within the dimensions of the universe the Son of God, the eternal Word, the Lord of the ages to come is her son and she is his mother. Therefore all that goes to make up what he bequeathed—the work of salvation, the Mystical Body of Christ, the People of God, the Church—is taken care of, and always will be taken care of, by her—with the same fidelity and strength that she showed in taking care of her son: from the stable in Bethlehem, to Calvary and to the upper room on the day of Pentecost when the Church was born. Mary is present in all the vicissitudes of this Church. She is very close indeed to the wonderful mystery expressed by the proto-evangelium. She: a weak woman. “God chose the weak of this world to confound the powerful” (I Corinthians 1:27).
“Our times are marked by a great expectation. All who believe in Christ and worship the true God are seeking ways of coming closer to one another. They are seeking paths leading to unity, and their cry is: “Christ sets us free and unites us”. The Church, the People of God, senses ever more profoundly that she is being called to this unity. The Church, the People of God, is at the same time the Mystical Body of Christ. St. Paul likened the Church to the human body in order to describe more clearly its life and its unity. The human body is given its life and its unity by the mother. Mary, by the working of the Holy Spirit, gave unity to the human body of Christ. And that is why our hope today turns in a special way towards her, in these times of ours when the Mystical Body of Christ is being more fully reconstituted in unity.
“By the end of the 1975 Holy Year we had already entered the last quarter-century of the two thousand years since the birth of Christ, a new Advent for the Church and for humanity. A time of expectation and also of one crucial temptation—in a way still the same temptation that we know of from the third chapter of Genesis, though in one sense more deep-rooted than ever. A time of great trial but also of great hope. For just such a time as this we have been given the sign: Christ, “sign of contradiction” (Luke 2:34). And the woman clothed with the sun: “A great sign in the heavens” (Revelation 12:1). (pp.205-206)
This is the final post (first of ten posted on May 9th) of excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A more recent and related series of reflections by Dr. John C. Rao, is available online at the Roman Forum, The War of the Words Against the Word, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Dr. Rao: “What, exactly, is the nature of this war? As various nineteenth century Catholic apologists were perhaps the first clearly to note, it is a conflict waged by those who fully accept the Way, the Truth and the Life brought into the world through the Incarnation against others who furiously reject it. That clash is rendered inevitable and permanent primarily due to the existence of the Mystical Body of Christ---the Church---as an organized, active agent of the Incarnation and its message. For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
The final excerpt from Sign of Contradiction.
“The woman of Revelation, “a great sign appeared in the heavens” (Revelation 12:1). Within the dimensions of the universe the Son of God, the eternal Word, the Lord of the ages to come is her son and she is his mother. Therefore all that goes to make up what he bequeathed—the work of salvation, the Mystical Body of Christ, the People of God, the Church—is taken care of, and always will be taken care of, by her—with the same fidelity and strength that she showed in taking care of her son: from the stable in Bethlehem, to Calvary and to the upper room on the day of Pentecost when the Church was born. Mary is present in all the vicissitudes of this Church. She is very close indeed to the wonderful mystery expressed by the proto-evangelium. She: a weak woman. “God chose the weak of this world to confound the powerful” (I Corinthians 1:27).
“Our times are marked by a great expectation. All who believe in Christ and worship the true God are seeking ways of coming closer to one another. They are seeking paths leading to unity, and their cry is: “Christ sets us free and unites us”. The Church, the People of God, senses ever more profoundly that she is being called to this unity. The Church, the People of God, is at the same time the Mystical Body of Christ. St. Paul likened the Church to the human body in order to describe more clearly its life and its unity. The human body is given its life and its unity by the mother. Mary, by the working of the Holy Spirit, gave unity to the human body of Christ. And that is why our hope today turns in a special way towards her, in these times of ours when the Mystical Body of Christ is being more fully reconstituted in unity.
“By the end of the 1975 Holy Year we had already entered the last quarter-century of the two thousand years since the birth of Christ, a new Advent for the Church and for humanity. A time of expectation and also of one crucial temptation—in a way still the same temptation that we know of from the third chapter of Genesis, though in one sense more deep-rooted than ever. A time of great trial but also of great hope. For just such a time as this we have been given the sign: Christ, “sign of contradiction” (Luke 2:34). And the woman clothed with the sun: “A great sign in the heavens” (Revelation 12:1). (pp.205-206)
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A Sign of Contradiction, Part Nine
The deep aspect of the Church—called forth by Simeon during the presentation of the infant Christ in the Temple (Luke 2:34)—that so often becomes lost in the modern world, with its comfort, ease, tendency to go along to get along, and lack of easily perceived martyrs—though are not the millions of aborted babies such—yet as Pope John Paul II reminds us, the Church is surely a sign of contradiction in the world.
Over the next two days (first of ten posted on May 9th) I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A more recent and related series of reflections by Dr. John C. Rao, is available online at the Roman Forum, The War of the Words Against the Word, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Dr. Rao: “What, exactly, is the nature of this war? As various nineteenth century Catholic apologists were perhaps the first clearly to note, it is a conflict waged by those who fully accept the Way, the Truth and the Life brought into the world through the Incarnation against others who furiously reject it. That clash is rendered inevitable and permanent primarily due to the existence of the Mystical Body of Christ---the Church---as an organized, active agent of the Incarnation and its message. For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
In today’s excerpt from Sign of Contradiction, we can see the promise of Mary’s help even now, especially now.
“The Holy Father has proclaimed Mary Mother of the Church, and using this title has invoked her whom the Church venerates her as the most sublime model she has.
"Both holy scripture, so rich in metaphor as we have just found, and the experience of the faithful see the Mother of God as the one who in a very special way is united with the Church at the most difficult moments in her history, when the attacks on her become most threatening. And this is in full accord with the vision of the woman revealed in Genesis and Revelation. Precisely in periods when Christ, and therefore his Church, Pope, bishops, priests, religious and all the faithful become the sign which provokes the most implacable and premeditated contradiction, Mary appears particularly close to the Church, because the Church is always in a way her Christ, first the Christ-child and then the crucified and risen Christ.
“If in such periods, such times in history, there arises a particular need to entrust oneself to Mary—as the Holy Father did on 8th December 1975, the 10th anniversary of the end of the Council—that need flows directly from the integral logic of the faith, from rediscovery of the whole divine economy and from understanding of its mysteries.
“The Father in heaven demonstrated the greatest trust in mankind by giving mankind his Son (cf. John 3:16). The human creature to whom he first entrusted him was Mary, the woman of the proto-evangelium (cf. Genesis 3:15), then Mary of Nazareth and Bethlehem. And until the end of time she will remain the one to whom God entrusts the whole of his mystery of salvation." (pp. 204-205)
Over the next two days (first of ten posted on May 9th) I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A more recent and related series of reflections by Dr. John C. Rao, is available online at the Roman Forum, The War of the Words Against the Word, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Dr. Rao: “What, exactly, is the nature of this war? As various nineteenth century Catholic apologists were perhaps the first clearly to note, it is a conflict waged by those who fully accept the Way, the Truth and the Life brought into the world through the Incarnation against others who furiously reject it. That clash is rendered inevitable and permanent primarily due to the existence of the Mystical Body of Christ---the Church---as an organized, active agent of the Incarnation and its message. For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
In today’s excerpt from Sign of Contradiction, we can see the promise of Mary’s help even now, especially now.
“The Holy Father has proclaimed Mary Mother of the Church, and using this title has invoked her whom the Church venerates her as the most sublime model she has.
"Both holy scripture, so rich in metaphor as we have just found, and the experience of the faithful see the Mother of God as the one who in a very special way is united with the Church at the most difficult moments in her history, when the attacks on her become most threatening. And this is in full accord with the vision of the woman revealed in Genesis and Revelation. Precisely in periods when Christ, and therefore his Church, Pope, bishops, priests, religious and all the faithful become the sign which provokes the most implacable and premeditated contradiction, Mary appears particularly close to the Church, because the Church is always in a way her Christ, first the Christ-child and then the crucified and risen Christ.
“If in such periods, such times in history, there arises a particular need to entrust oneself to Mary—as the Holy Father did on 8th December 1975, the 10th anniversary of the end of the Council—that need flows directly from the integral logic of the faith, from rediscovery of the whole divine economy and from understanding of its mysteries.
“The Father in heaven demonstrated the greatest trust in mankind by giving mankind his Son (cf. John 3:16). The human creature to whom he first entrusted him was Mary, the woman of the proto-evangelium (cf. Genesis 3:15), then Mary of Nazareth and Bethlehem. And until the end of time she will remain the one to whom God entrusts the whole of his mystery of salvation." (pp. 204-205)
Saturday, May 16, 2009
A Sign of Contradiction, Part Eight
The deep aspect of the Church—called forth by Simeon during the presentation of the infant Christ in the Temple (Luke 2:34)—that so often becomes lost in the modern world, with its comfort, ease, tendency to go along to get along, and lack of easily perceived martyrs—though are not the millions of aborted babies such—yet as Pope John Paul II reminds us, the Church is surely a sign of contradiction in the world.
Over the next three days (first of ten posted on May 9th) I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A related series of reflections by Dr. John C. Rao, is available online at the Roman Forum, The War of the Words Against the Word, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Dr. Rao: “What, exactly, is the nature of this war? As various nineteenth century Catholic apologists were perhaps the first clearly to note, it is a conflict waged by those who fully accept the Way, the Truth and the Life brought into the world through the Incarnation against others who furiously reject it. That clash is rendered inevitable and permanent primarily due to the existence of the Mystical Body of Christ---the Church---as an organized, active agent of the Incarnation and its message. For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
Excerpt from Sign of Contradiction.
“Then came words (“When the dragon found himself hurled down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child”) which are interpreted by P. Jankowski, a well-known expert on the book of Revelation and commentator of the Tyniec bible as referring to attacks by Satan on the Church: “The attack on the Messiah having been repulsed, Satan proceeds to turn his attack against the Church”.
“But the earth came to the help of the woman”: a highly metaphorical sentence which is followed by other words suggesting a subsequent battle in the sense foreseen in the book of Genesis: “the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon had poured from its mouth. Then the dragon was enraged against the woman, and went to make war on the rest of her offspring, against those who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to the Gospel of Jesus” (Revelation 12:15-17).
“3. Signum magnum”
“The earth came to the help of the woman” is metaphorical. Perhaps these words are meant to convey that man, the human race, will instinctively resort to self-defence when evil shows itself more openly, when its destructive dimension becomes more evident. A few years after the Council the Holy Father recalled the words from Revelation which occur so often in the liturgy, especially on the feast of the Assumption: “Signum magnum apparuit in coelo”. Although the images in Revelation are metaphorical in character, these literary forms nonetheless express very simply and clearly what is a truth: the truth that there is a very close bond linking Mary, mother of the Messiah, and the Church. The “woman” in Revelation represents both Mary and the Church—as is agreed by biblical scholars, theologians and above all Christian tradition and the Church’s magisterium. That is why Vatican II, in line with this wonderful tradition, gave prominence to the truth that “the Mother of god is a figure of the Church, a type…in the order of faith, charity and perfect union with Christ. Indeed in the mystery of the Church, herself rightly called mother and virgin, the blessed Virgin Mary led the way, giving herself as a virgin and mother in a manner both eminent and special to herself” (Lumen gentium, n. 63).” (pp. 203-204)
Over the next three days (first of ten posted on May 9th) I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A related series of reflections by Dr. John C. Rao, is available online at the Roman Forum, The War of the Words Against the Word, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Dr. Rao: “What, exactly, is the nature of this war? As various nineteenth century Catholic apologists were perhaps the first clearly to note, it is a conflict waged by those who fully accept the Way, the Truth and the Life brought into the world through the Incarnation against others who furiously reject it. That clash is rendered inevitable and permanent primarily due to the existence of the Mystical Body of Christ---the Church---as an organized, active agent of the Incarnation and its message. For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
Excerpt from Sign of Contradiction.
“Then came words (“When the dragon found himself hurled down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child”) which are interpreted by P. Jankowski, a well-known expert on the book of Revelation and commentator of the Tyniec bible as referring to attacks by Satan on the Church: “The attack on the Messiah having been repulsed, Satan proceeds to turn his attack against the Church”.
“But the earth came to the help of the woman”: a highly metaphorical sentence which is followed by other words suggesting a subsequent battle in the sense foreseen in the book of Genesis: “the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon had poured from its mouth. Then the dragon was enraged against the woman, and went to make war on the rest of her offspring, against those who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to the Gospel of Jesus” (Revelation 12:15-17).
“3. Signum magnum”
“The earth came to the help of the woman” is metaphorical. Perhaps these words are meant to convey that man, the human race, will instinctively resort to self-defence when evil shows itself more openly, when its destructive dimension becomes more evident. A few years after the Council the Holy Father recalled the words from Revelation which occur so often in the liturgy, especially on the feast of the Assumption: “Signum magnum apparuit in coelo”. Although the images in Revelation are metaphorical in character, these literary forms nonetheless express very simply and clearly what is a truth: the truth that there is a very close bond linking Mary, mother of the Messiah, and the Church. The “woman” in Revelation represents both Mary and the Church—as is agreed by biblical scholars, theologians and above all Christian tradition and the Church’s magisterium. That is why Vatican II, in line with this wonderful tradition, gave prominence to the truth that “the Mother of god is a figure of the Church, a type…in the order of faith, charity and perfect union with Christ. Indeed in the mystery of the Church, herself rightly called mother and virgin, the blessed Virgin Mary led the way, giving herself as a virgin and mother in a manner both eminent and special to herself” (Lumen gentium, n. 63).” (pp. 203-204)
Friday, May 15, 2009
A Sign of Contradiction, Part Seven
The deep aspect of the Church—called forth by Simeon during the presentation of the infant Christ in the Temple (Luke 2:34)—that so often becomes lost in the modern world, with its comfort, ease, tendency to go along to get along, and lack of easily perceived martyrs—though are not the millions of aborted babies such—yet as Pope John Paul II reminds us, the Church is surely a sign of contradiction in the world.
Over the next four days (first of ten posted on May 9th) I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A related series of reflections by Dr. John C. Rao, is available online at the Roman Forum, The War of the Words Against the Word, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Dr. Rao: “What, exactly, is the nature of this war? As various nineteenth century Catholic apologists were perhaps the first clearly to note, it is a conflict waged by those who fully accept the Way, the Truth and the Life brought into the world through the Incarnation against others who furiously reject it. That clash is rendered inevitable and permanent primarily due to the existence of the Mystical Body of Christ---the Church---as an organized, active agent of the Incarnation and its message. For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
Excerpt from Sign of Contradiction.
"These words sum up the whole of tradition, the testimony of the Fathers and the living faith of the Church. Guided by chapter VIII of the Constitution on the Church let us enter the second dimension of the truth about Mary. This humble servant of the Lord, the virgin-mother of Nazareth, hidden in the mystery of her Son, seems to move in God’s plan beyond the humble bounds of her historical existence. The truth about her reaches right back to the origins of mankind, because it was then that certain words were spoken—words concerning the woman, mother of the Son who will crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15); and the teaching of Vatican II refers to those words (Lumen gentium, n. 55) Mary is part of salvation history from the beginning, and she will remain part of it until the end. Indeed, the picture of the woman in the third chapter of Genesis is to be focused again in the book of Revelation, in the context of the eschatological travail that will fall to the Church’s lot until the end of time.
“Then a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars: and being pregnant and in labour she cried aloud in the pains of childbirth. Meanwhile another sign appeared in heaven: a great dragon of the colour of fire, with seven heads, and twelve horns: and seven diadems on its heads. Its tail dragged a third of the stars from the sky and swept them down to earth. Then the dragon stopped in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so as to devour the child as soon as it was born. And she gave birth to a male child, destined to guide and pasture all nations with a staff of iron, and her son was taken straight up to God and his throne.” (Revelation 12:1-5) This is fully in line with the book of Genesis: “I will place enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed…”. And here is what we read in Revelation: “Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they could not win and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was hurled down, that old serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world was hurled down, and his angels were hurled down with him” (Revelation 12:7-10).” (pp. 202-203)
Over the next four days (first of ten posted on May 9th) I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A related series of reflections by Dr. John C. Rao, is available online at the Roman Forum, The War of the Words Against the Word, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Dr. Rao: “What, exactly, is the nature of this war? As various nineteenth century Catholic apologists were perhaps the first clearly to note, it is a conflict waged by those who fully accept the Way, the Truth and the Life brought into the world through the Incarnation against others who furiously reject it. That clash is rendered inevitable and permanent primarily due to the existence of the Mystical Body of Christ---the Church---as an organized, active agent of the Incarnation and its message. For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
Excerpt from Sign of Contradiction.
"These words sum up the whole of tradition, the testimony of the Fathers and the living faith of the Church. Guided by chapter VIII of the Constitution on the Church let us enter the second dimension of the truth about Mary. This humble servant of the Lord, the virgin-mother of Nazareth, hidden in the mystery of her Son, seems to move in God’s plan beyond the humble bounds of her historical existence. The truth about her reaches right back to the origins of mankind, because it was then that certain words were spoken—words concerning the woman, mother of the Son who will crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15); and the teaching of Vatican II refers to those words (Lumen gentium, n. 55) Mary is part of salvation history from the beginning, and she will remain part of it until the end. Indeed, the picture of the woman in the third chapter of Genesis is to be focused again in the book of Revelation, in the context of the eschatological travail that will fall to the Church’s lot until the end of time.
“Then a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars: and being pregnant and in labour she cried aloud in the pains of childbirth. Meanwhile another sign appeared in heaven: a great dragon of the colour of fire, with seven heads, and twelve horns: and seven diadems on its heads. Its tail dragged a third of the stars from the sky and swept them down to earth. Then the dragon stopped in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so as to devour the child as soon as it was born. And she gave birth to a male child, destined to guide and pasture all nations with a staff of iron, and her son was taken straight up to God and his throne.” (Revelation 12:1-5) This is fully in line with the book of Genesis: “I will place enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed…”. And here is what we read in Revelation: “Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they could not win and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was hurled down, that old serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world was hurled down, and his angels were hurled down with him” (Revelation 12:7-10).” (pp. 202-203)
Thursday, May 14, 2009
A Sign of Contradiction, Part Six
The deep aspect of the Church—called forth by Simeon during the presentation of the infant Christ in the Temple (Luke 2:34)—that so often becomes lost in the modern world, with its comfort, ease, tendency to go along to get along, and lack of easily perceived martyrs—though are not the millions of aborted babies such—yet as Pope John Paul II reminds us, the Church is surely a sign of contradiction in the world.
Over the next five days (first of ten posted on May 9th) I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A related series of articles by Dr. John C. Rao is available online at the Roman Forum, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Rao: “For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
Excerpt from Sign of Contradiction.
“This is she, Mary, daughter of Israel, “united, in descent from Adam, with all men needing salvation” (Lumen gentium, n. 53). That is the teaching of Vatican II, which later tells us: “She moved forward in her pilgrimage of faith and loyally maintained her union with her Son all the way to the cross where, in keeping with a divine plan, she stood (cf. John 19:25), suffering grievously with her only Son and in her mother’s heart associating herself with his sacrifice, lovingly consenting to the immolation of the victim to whom she had given birth; and finally the same Christ Jesus gave her as mother to the disciple, saying: “Woman, here is your son” (cf. John 19:26-27)” (Lumen gentium, n. 58).
“This is she, Mary. We know her life by heart; indeed the details to be remembered are few. A life that was almost always hidden. We know how little of what was said by the Mother of God is recorded in the Gospel. So let us, with the Church, contemplate her mystery: “Mary, a daughter of Adam, in consenting to the divine message, became the mother of Jesus; and in embracing God’s salvific will, with her whole soul and without any burden of sin, she totally consecrated herself as handmaid of the Lord to the person and the work of her Son, serving the mystery of redemption in subservience to him and together with him by the grace of Almighty God. Hence many of the Fathers of early times declare in their preaching that ‘the knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience’” (Lumen gentium, n. 56).” (pp. 201-202)
Over the next five days (first of ten posted on May 9th) I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A related series of articles by Dr. John C. Rao is available online at the Roman Forum, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Rao: “For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
Excerpt from Sign of Contradiction.
“This is she, Mary, daughter of Israel, “united, in descent from Adam, with all men needing salvation” (Lumen gentium, n. 53). That is the teaching of Vatican II, which later tells us: “She moved forward in her pilgrimage of faith and loyally maintained her union with her Son all the way to the cross where, in keeping with a divine plan, she stood (cf. John 19:25), suffering grievously with her only Son and in her mother’s heart associating herself with his sacrifice, lovingly consenting to the immolation of the victim to whom she had given birth; and finally the same Christ Jesus gave her as mother to the disciple, saying: “Woman, here is your son” (cf. John 19:26-27)” (Lumen gentium, n. 58).
“This is she, Mary. We know her life by heart; indeed the details to be remembered are few. A life that was almost always hidden. We know how little of what was said by the Mother of God is recorded in the Gospel. So let us, with the Church, contemplate her mystery: “Mary, a daughter of Adam, in consenting to the divine message, became the mother of Jesus; and in embracing God’s salvific will, with her whole soul and without any burden of sin, she totally consecrated herself as handmaid of the Lord to the person and the work of her Son, serving the mystery of redemption in subservience to him and together with him by the grace of Almighty God. Hence many of the Fathers of early times declare in their preaching that ‘the knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience’” (Lumen gentium, n. 56).” (pp. 201-202)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
A Sign of Contradiction, Part Five
The deep aspect of the Church—called forth by Simeon during the presentation of the infant Christ in the Temple (Luke 2:34)—that so often becomes lost in the modern world, with its comfort, ease, tendency to go along to get along, and lack of easily perceived martyrs—though are not the millions of aborted babies such—yet as Pope John Paul II reminds us, the Church is surely a sign of contradiction in the world.
Over the next six days (first of ten posted on May 9th) I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A related series of articles by Dr. John C. Rao is available online at the Roman Forum, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Rao: “For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
Excerpt from Sign of Contradiction.
2. The Mystery of Mary
“And so in the vast panorama of the times in which we live, in the age to which we belong, Simeon’s prophecy of Jesus Christ as a “sign of contradiction” seems to ring resoundingly true. We know that immediately after speaking these words Simeon turned to Mary, in a way linking the prophecy about the Son with the one about the Mother: “And a sword will pierce your soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare”. With the old man’s words in mind we too turn our gaze from the Son to the Mother, from Jesus to Mary. The mystery of this bond which unites her with Christ, the Christ who is “a sign of contradiction”, is truly amazing.
“In revelation, in holy scripture, Mary has as it were two dimensions. The first is that of a humble, lowly daughter of Israel (cf. Zephaniah 3:12) for whom the Lord did great things (cf. Luke 1:49). This is the Mary we know from Luke’s and John’s gospels. Mary at Nazareth (Luke 1:26-50), Mary at Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-12); (Luke 2:4-20), Mary fleeing to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-14. 19-21) and then again at Nazareth (Matthew 2:23; Luke 2:39-52). It is the Mary who asks her 12 year-old son: “Why did you do this?” (Luke 2:48). It is the Mary at Cana in Galilee who gets worried. “They have no more wine” (John 2:3), and then turns to the servants and says: “Do whatever he tells you”. Finally it is the Mary about whom somebody says to Jesus” “Your mother and your brethren are outside waiting to speak to you” (Matthew 12:47) and “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked” (Luke 11:27). And notwithstanding all that he answers: “Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?...Anyone who does the will of my Father is my brother and my sister and my mother” (Matthew 12:48-50) (p. 201)
Over the next six days (first of ten posted on May 9th) I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A related series of articles by Dr. John C. Rao is available online at the Roman Forum, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Rao: “For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
Excerpt from Sign of Contradiction.
2. The Mystery of Mary
“And so in the vast panorama of the times in which we live, in the age to which we belong, Simeon’s prophecy of Jesus Christ as a “sign of contradiction” seems to ring resoundingly true. We know that immediately after speaking these words Simeon turned to Mary, in a way linking the prophecy about the Son with the one about the Mother: “And a sword will pierce your soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare”. With the old man’s words in mind we too turn our gaze from the Son to the Mother, from Jesus to Mary. The mystery of this bond which unites her with Christ, the Christ who is “a sign of contradiction”, is truly amazing.
“In revelation, in holy scripture, Mary has as it were two dimensions. The first is that of a humble, lowly daughter of Israel (cf. Zephaniah 3:12) for whom the Lord did great things (cf. Luke 1:49). This is the Mary we know from Luke’s and John’s gospels. Mary at Nazareth (Luke 1:26-50), Mary at Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-12); (Luke 2:4-20), Mary fleeing to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-14. 19-21) and then again at Nazareth (Matthew 2:23; Luke 2:39-52). It is the Mary who asks her 12 year-old son: “Why did you do this?” (Luke 2:48). It is the Mary at Cana in Galilee who gets worried. “They have no more wine” (John 2:3), and then turns to the servants and says: “Do whatever he tells you”. Finally it is the Mary about whom somebody says to Jesus” “Your mother and your brethren are outside waiting to speak to you” (Matthew 12:47) and “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked” (Luke 11:27). And notwithstanding all that he answers: “Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?...Anyone who does the will of my Father is my brother and my sister and my mother” (Matthew 12:48-50) (p. 201)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A Sign of Contradiction, Part Four
The deep aspect of the Church—called forth by Simeon during the presentation of the infant Christ in the Temple (Luke 2:34)—that so often becomes lost in the modern world, with its comfort, ease, tendency to go along to get along, and lack of easily perceived martyrs—though are not the millions of aborted babies such—yet as Pope John Paul II reminds us, the Church is surely a sign of contradiction in the world.
Over the next seven days (first of ten posted on May 9th) I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A related series of articles by Dr. John C. Rao is available online at the Roman Forum, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Rao: “For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
Excerpt from Sign of Contradiction.
“We are living in an age in which the whole world proclaims freedom of conscience and religious freedom, and also in an age in which the battle against religion—defined as the “opium of the people”—is being fought in such a way as to avoid, as far as possible, making any new martyrs. And so the programme for today is one of face-saving persecution: persecution is declared non-existent and full religious freedom is declared assured. What is more, this programme has succeeded in giving many people the impression that it is on the side of Lazarus against the rich man, that it is therefore on the same side as Christ, whereas in fact it is above all against Christ. Can we really say: “above all”? We would so much like to be able to affirm the opposite. But unfortunately the facts demonstrate clearly that the battle against religion is being fought, and that this battle still constitutes an untouchable point of dogma in the programme. It also seems as if, for all the attainment of this “heaven upon earth”, it is most of all necessary to deprive man of the strength he draws on in Christ (cf. Romans 1:16; I Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 13:4; Philippians 4:16): this “strength” has indeed been condemned as weakness, unworthy of man. Unworthy…troublesome, rather. The man who is strong with the strength given him by the faith does not easily allow himself to be thrust into the anonymity of the collective (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:9). (pp. 200-201)
Over the next seven days (first of ten posted on May 9th) I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A related series of articles by Dr. John C. Rao is available online at the Roman Forum, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Rao: “For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
Excerpt from Sign of Contradiction.
“We are living in an age in which the whole world proclaims freedom of conscience and religious freedom, and also in an age in which the battle against religion—defined as the “opium of the people”—is being fought in such a way as to avoid, as far as possible, making any new martyrs. And so the programme for today is one of face-saving persecution: persecution is declared non-existent and full religious freedom is declared assured. What is more, this programme has succeeded in giving many people the impression that it is on the side of Lazarus against the rich man, that it is therefore on the same side as Christ, whereas in fact it is above all against Christ. Can we really say: “above all”? We would so much like to be able to affirm the opposite. But unfortunately the facts demonstrate clearly that the battle against religion is being fought, and that this battle still constitutes an untouchable point of dogma in the programme. It also seems as if, for all the attainment of this “heaven upon earth”, it is most of all necessary to deprive man of the strength he draws on in Christ (cf. Romans 1:16; I Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 13:4; Philippians 4:16): this “strength” has indeed been condemned as weakness, unworthy of man. Unworthy…troublesome, rather. The man who is strong with the strength given him by the faith does not easily allow himself to be thrust into the anonymity of the collective (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:9). (pp. 200-201)
Monday, May 11, 2009
A Sign of Contradiction, Part Three
The deep aspect of the Church—called forth by Simeon during the presentation of the infant Christ in the Temple (Luke 2:34)—that so often becomes lost in the modern world, with its comfort, ease, tendency to go along to get along, and lack of easily perceived martyrs—though are not the millions of aborted babies such—yet as Pope John Paul II reminds us, the Church is surely a sign of contradiction in the world.
Over the next eight days (first of ten posted on May 9th) I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A related series of articles by Dr. John C. Rao is available online at the Roman Forum, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Rao: “For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
Excerpt from Sign of Contradiction.
“Certainly there is in this world a powerful reserve of faith, and also a considerable margin of freedom for the Church’s mission. But often it is no more than a margin. One need only take note of the principal tendencies governing the means of social communication, one need only pay heed to what is passed over in silence and what is shouted aloud, one need only lend an ear to what encounters most opposition, to perceive that even where Christ is accepted there is at the same time opposition to the full truth of his Person, his mission and his Gospel. There is a desire to “re-shape” him, to adapt him to suit mankind in this era of progress and make him fit in with the programme of modern civilisation—which is a programme of consumerism and not of transcendental ends. There is opposition to him from those standpoints, and the truth proclaimed and recorded in his name is not tolerated (cf. Acts 4:10, 12, 18). This opposition to Christ which goes hand-in-hand with paying him lip-service—and it is to be found also among those who call themselves his disciples—is particularly symptomatic of our own times.
“Yet that is not the only form of contradiction of Christ. Alongside what can be called “indirect contradiction”—and incidentally there are many variations on it, many shades and blends—alongside that there is another form of contradiction probably arising out of the same historical basis as the first one—and therefore more or less a result of that first one. It is a form of direct opposition to Christ, an undisguised rejection of the Gospel, a flat denial of the truth about God, man and the world as proclaimed by the Gospel. This denial sometimes takes on a brutal character. We know that there are still some countries where churches of all denominations are closed, where priests are sentenced to death for having administered baptism. Perhaps in those areas of persecution there are still traces of the ancient Christian catacombs, of the circuses where witnesses to Christ were thrown to the lions. But present-day persecution, the kind typical of these last years of the 20th century, occurs in a context quite different from that of ancient times, and it therefore has a quite different significance.” (pp. 199-200)
Over the next eight days (first of ten posted on May 9th) I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
A related series of articles by Dr. John C. Rao is available online at the Roman Forum, which examines in depth the ongoing war against the Church, as noted by Rao: “For the Church is a force which has proven to be a powerful, effective, rage-provoking “sign of contradiction” to all the many opponents of Christ.” (2nd para., 1st p.)
Excerpt from Sign of Contradiction.
“Certainly there is in this world a powerful reserve of faith, and also a considerable margin of freedom for the Church’s mission. But often it is no more than a margin. One need only take note of the principal tendencies governing the means of social communication, one need only pay heed to what is passed over in silence and what is shouted aloud, one need only lend an ear to what encounters most opposition, to perceive that even where Christ is accepted there is at the same time opposition to the full truth of his Person, his mission and his Gospel. There is a desire to “re-shape” him, to adapt him to suit mankind in this era of progress and make him fit in with the programme of modern civilisation—which is a programme of consumerism and not of transcendental ends. There is opposition to him from those standpoints, and the truth proclaimed and recorded in his name is not tolerated (cf. Acts 4:10, 12, 18). This opposition to Christ which goes hand-in-hand with paying him lip-service—and it is to be found also among those who call themselves his disciples—is particularly symptomatic of our own times.
“Yet that is not the only form of contradiction of Christ. Alongside what can be called “indirect contradiction”—and incidentally there are many variations on it, many shades and blends—alongside that there is another form of contradiction probably arising out of the same historical basis as the first one—and therefore more or less a result of that first one. It is a form of direct opposition to Christ, an undisguised rejection of the Gospel, a flat denial of the truth about God, man and the world as proclaimed by the Gospel. This denial sometimes takes on a brutal character. We know that there are still some countries where churches of all denominations are closed, where priests are sentenced to death for having administered baptism. Perhaps in those areas of persecution there are still traces of the ancient Christian catacombs, of the circuses where witnesses to Christ were thrown to the lions. But present-day persecution, the kind typical of these last years of the 20th century, occurs in a context quite different from that of ancient times, and it therefore has a quite different significance.” (pp. 199-200)
Sunday, May 10, 2009
A Sign of Contradiction, Part Two
The deep aspect of the Church—called forth by Simeon during the presentation of the infant Christ in the Temple—that so often becomes lost in the modern world, with its comfort, ease, tendency to go along to get along, and lack of easily perceived martyrs—though are not the millions of aborted babies such—yet as Pope John Paul II reminds us, the Church is surely a sign of contradiction in the world.
Over the next nine days I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
“The times in which we are living provide particularly strong confirmation of the truth of what Simeon said: Jesus is both the light that shines for mankind and at the same time a sign of contradiction. If now—on the threshold of the last quarter-century before the second millennium, after the second Vatican Council, and in the face of the terrible experiences the human family has undergone and is still undergoing—Jesus Christ is once again reveling himself to men as the light of the world, has he not also become at one and the same time that sign which, more than ever, men are resolved to oppose?
“Let us think again about all that the world and present-day man are living through, all that undoubtedly causes particular distress of soul to the successor Peter, to whom the Lord entrusted the keys of the kingdom of heaven saying; “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven too; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven too” (Matthew 16:19); “You are Peter (that is, the rock)” (Matthew 16:18). This earth of ours seems smaller now, distances have shrunk (cf. Gaudium et specs, n. 5), even the moon…has been trodden by the feet of men. And because of this mutual growing-closer which we owe to the means of transport and the mass media we are better able to discern the paths followed by that opposition to Christ Jesus, his Gospel and the Church. It is difficult to collect up and put before you all the ways in which Simeon’s prophecy has come true in one form or another, but we shall try to make some of them evident.
“In men of today there undoubtedly is one form of contradiction which one may illustrate with the parable of Dives and Lazarus (cf. Luke 16:19-31). Jesus in on the side of Lazurus. His kingdom will come in this world in accordance with the programme of the beatitudes (cf. Matthew 5:3-10), and we know that the poor are the blessed ones (Luke 6:20), the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3), the meek, those who hunger and thirst for justice and those who weep. Those who take pity, too, are blessed. The great poverty of many peoples, (first and foremost the poverty of the peoples of the Third World, hunger, economic exploitation, colonialism—which is not confined to the Third World—all this is a form of opposition to Christ on the part of the powerful, irrespective of political regimes and cultural traditions. This form of contradiction of Christ often goes hand-in-hand with a partial acceptance of religion, of Christianity and the Church, an acceptance of Christ as an element present in culture, morality and even education. Dives appealed to Abraham and turned to him as Father (Luke 16:24).” (pp. 198-199)
Over the next nine days I will continue to post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul—in 1979—Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
“The times in which we are living provide particularly strong confirmation of the truth of what Simeon said: Jesus is both the light that shines for mankind and at the same time a sign of contradiction. If now—on the threshold of the last quarter-century before the second millennium, after the second Vatican Council, and in the face of the terrible experiences the human family has undergone and is still undergoing—Jesus Christ is once again reveling himself to men as the light of the world, has he not also become at one and the same time that sign which, more than ever, men are resolved to oppose?
“Let us think again about all that the world and present-day man are living through, all that undoubtedly causes particular distress of soul to the successor Peter, to whom the Lord entrusted the keys of the kingdom of heaven saying; “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven too; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven too” (Matthew 16:19); “You are Peter (that is, the rock)” (Matthew 16:18). This earth of ours seems smaller now, distances have shrunk (cf. Gaudium et specs, n. 5), even the moon…has been trodden by the feet of men. And because of this mutual growing-closer which we owe to the means of transport and the mass media we are better able to discern the paths followed by that opposition to Christ Jesus, his Gospel and the Church. It is difficult to collect up and put before you all the ways in which Simeon’s prophecy has come true in one form or another, but we shall try to make some of them evident.
“In men of today there undoubtedly is one form of contradiction which one may illustrate with the parable of Dives and Lazarus (cf. Luke 16:19-31). Jesus in on the side of Lazurus. His kingdom will come in this world in accordance with the programme of the beatitudes (cf. Matthew 5:3-10), and we know that the poor are the blessed ones (Luke 6:20), the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3), the meek, those who hunger and thirst for justice and those who weep. Those who take pity, too, are blessed. The great poverty of many peoples, (first and foremost the poverty of the peoples of the Third World, hunger, economic exploitation, colonialism—which is not confined to the Third World—all this is a form of opposition to Christ on the part of the powerful, irrespective of political regimes and cultural traditions. This form of contradiction of Christ often goes hand-in-hand with a partial acceptance of religion, of Christianity and the Church, an acceptance of Christ as an element present in culture, morality and even education. Dives appealed to Abraham and turned to him as Father (Luke 16:24).” (pp. 198-199)
Saturday, May 9, 2009
A Sign of Contradiction, Part One
The deep aspect of the Church—called forth by Simeon during the presentation of the infant Christ in the Temple—that so often becomes lost in the modern industrial and technological world, with its comfort and ease, tendency to go along to get along, and lack of easily perceived martyrs—though are not the millions of aborted babies such—yet as Pope John Paul II reminds us, the Church is surely a sign of contradiction in the world.
Over the next ten days I will post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul (1979) Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
“1. A sign of contradiction
“Now that we have reached the last meditation, let us try to pick up the thread that first attracted our attention, the guiding thread we have had in mind from the start.
“Forty days after his birth Jesus, son of Mary, was presented at the temple in Jerusalem in accordance with Old Testament law (cf. Luke 2:22-38). When Mary and Joseph entered the temple to go through the presentation rite, the old man Simeon took the child in his arms and spoke the prophetic words (cf. Luke 2:29-32) which the Church recites every evening during Compline: “A light to shine for the gentiles”, and then, turning to Mary, referred to him in the words we chose as the leit-motif of our retreat: “He is set for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, and as a sign of contradiction…” (Luke 2:34)
“Nearly two thousand years have passed but the words then spoken have lost none of their validity or relevance. It is becoming more and more evident that those words sum up most felicitously the whole truth about Jesus Christ, his mission and his Church. “A sign of contradiction”. In earlier meditations we tried to sketch some of the forms this contradiction can take while we were trying to understand what it stems from. Al of that guided us through the meditations on the great works of God and on the “mystery of man” contained in them.
“It is in Jesus Christ that both the “magnolia Dei” (Acts 2:11; cf. for example, Sirach 18:5; 2 Maccabees 3:34) and the most profound dimension of man’s mystery are most easily accessible to men’s intellects and hearts. That is why in this last meditation we want to look once again in loving faith at what occurred in the temple forty days after his birth.” (pp. 197-198)
Over the next ten days I will post excerpts from the final chapter of the first book published in English by John Paul (1979) Sign of Contradiction, which is a collection of talks then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla preached during the annual Lenten Retreat in March 1976 to his predecessor, Pope Paul VI.
“1. A sign of contradiction
“Now that we have reached the last meditation, let us try to pick up the thread that first attracted our attention, the guiding thread we have had in mind from the start.
“Forty days after his birth Jesus, son of Mary, was presented at the temple in Jerusalem in accordance with Old Testament law (cf. Luke 2:22-38). When Mary and Joseph entered the temple to go through the presentation rite, the old man Simeon took the child in his arms and spoke the prophetic words (cf. Luke 2:29-32) which the Church recites every evening during Compline: “A light to shine for the gentiles”, and then, turning to Mary, referred to him in the words we chose as the leit-motif of our retreat: “He is set for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, and as a sign of contradiction…” (Luke 2:34)
“Nearly two thousand years have passed but the words then spoken have lost none of their validity or relevance. It is becoming more and more evident that those words sum up most felicitously the whole truth about Jesus Christ, his mission and his Church. “A sign of contradiction”. In earlier meditations we tried to sketch some of the forms this contradiction can take while we were trying to understand what it stems from. Al of that guided us through the meditations on the great works of God and on the “mystery of man” contained in them.
“It is in Jesus Christ that both the “magnolia Dei” (Acts 2:11; cf. for example, Sirach 18:5; 2 Maccabees 3:34) and the most profound dimension of man’s mystery are most easily accessible to men’s intellects and hearts. That is why in this last meditation we want to look once again in loving faith at what occurred in the temple forty days after his birth.” (pp. 197-198)
Friday, May 8, 2009
College & Critical Thinking
There is a nice article in First Things about college thinking.
It is quite good and looks at critical theory.
The only quibble I would have would be in the last couple of lines from the second to last paragraph excerpted here—which I have bolded—as I have found that those who build their lives on relativism, feel that instead of living a “life without truths”, believe, though mistaken, that they have discovered the highest of truths; that all truth is relative.
The excerpt.
“After teaching for twenty years, I can report that the phrase that can unite otherwise fractious faculties is “critical thinking.” Quite often the invocation of “critical thinking” is meant simply to suggest an ancient and honorable educational goal: the creation in students of a nuanced intellectual mentality, one both warm with desire for truth and cool with careful deliberation. The dialogues of Plato encourage this combination. So does the scholastic method perfected by St. Thomas. In his Summa, the Angelic Doctor carefully chooses objections to his own position in order to bring the truth into sharper focus. His students are asked to entertain what is false. They must delay the impulse to rush to a direct and unopposed affirmation of truth—and they do so in order to sharpen and heighten their perception of what makes the correct view the true view.
“We do not, however, live in ancient Athens or medieval Paris. “Critical thinking” has a contemporary meaning that does not clear the way forward to deeper convictions. Instead, the moment of seeing falsehood has become the goal and summit of the intellectual life. One does not so much aspire to critical thinking as critical theory.
“For example, when I was a college student, critical theory meant the Marxist analysis of the Frankfurt School. Very few people believed in Marxist claims about history, economics, and politics. In fact, figures such as Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, and Herbert Marcuse were popular precisely because they were “critical Marxists” rather than the dogmatic sort. They offered little in the way of prescription, and they demurred from the grandiose claims about historical progress that makes Marx so comical today. Their contribution was entirely critical. They used a refined version of Marxist categories in order to uncover and expose the oppressive and de-humanizing dynamics of social life.
“The same could be said for the role of Freud and Nietzsche in the ecosystem of late twentieth century intellectual culture. There was something very exciting about being eighteen or nineteen and discovering that what seemed like refined cultural sensibilities were, in fact, the excrescences of primitive psychological processes. A person of profound self-discipline is “anal,” and lofty ideals of moral self-sacrifice are actually carefully crafted instruments of power and self-assertion. Or so a dash of Freud and a spoonful of Nietzsche suggested to our young minds.
“Paul Riceour once dubbed Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud the “masters of suspicion.” Their stars may have waned in recent decades (though not Nietzsche’s), but the larger role of suspicion has most definitely waxed. Some form of critical theory has become the overriding goal of almost all humanistic study these days. We do not so much read Aristotle or Aquinas or Jane Austen as take their ideas and expressions as instances of a patriarchal culture, instantiations of power-relations, rhetorically coded expressions of class-relations, and so forth. Critical thinking really means cultural studies.
“Many have pointed out the gray ideological homogeneity of what passes for critical theory. David Horowitz has amply chronicled the rigidity and intolerance of the contemporary professoriate. Others have noticed that the preening theoretical vocabularies of contemporary cultural analysts tend toward rhetoric rather than argument. Back when deconstruction was the rage, John Searle wrote a devastating analysis of the gimcrack posturing that was being passed off as profound argument.
“Yet endless theoretical elaborations of suspicion remain a growth industry all the same. “Truths are fictions whose fictionality has been forgotten”—it continues to be said in a thousand different ways. The reason, I think, is simple. Critical theory plays a significant and important role in contemporary society: it de-mystifies and de-legitimates inherited beliefs. It is not, as some critics would like to think, simply Leftist ideology. Nor is it nonsense dressed up in fancy French words. These days critical theory is an intellectual project, the main goal of which is to show that conventional ways of thinking are hopelessly naïve, if not malign and corrupt. It is a deck-clearing operation—not to prepare students for truth, but to prepare them for life without truths.
“Pope Benedict has called this mode of pedagogy a dictatorship of relativism. It is, of course, a soft tyranny. Nobody is imprisoning college students for having convictions. The dominant intellectual regime is satisfied with two basic strategies: continuous assault and a starvation diet. We take apart the belief-systems of adolescents with our multi-faceted and powerful modes of critical analysis—and we give them next to nothing substantive to believe.”
It is quite good and looks at critical theory.
The only quibble I would have would be in the last couple of lines from the second to last paragraph excerpted here—which I have bolded—as I have found that those who build their lives on relativism, feel that instead of living a “life without truths”, believe, though mistaken, that they have discovered the highest of truths; that all truth is relative.
The excerpt.
“After teaching for twenty years, I can report that the phrase that can unite otherwise fractious faculties is “critical thinking.” Quite often the invocation of “critical thinking” is meant simply to suggest an ancient and honorable educational goal: the creation in students of a nuanced intellectual mentality, one both warm with desire for truth and cool with careful deliberation. The dialogues of Plato encourage this combination. So does the scholastic method perfected by St. Thomas. In his Summa, the Angelic Doctor carefully chooses objections to his own position in order to bring the truth into sharper focus. His students are asked to entertain what is false. They must delay the impulse to rush to a direct and unopposed affirmation of truth—and they do so in order to sharpen and heighten their perception of what makes the correct view the true view.
“We do not, however, live in ancient Athens or medieval Paris. “Critical thinking” has a contemporary meaning that does not clear the way forward to deeper convictions. Instead, the moment of seeing falsehood has become the goal and summit of the intellectual life. One does not so much aspire to critical thinking as critical theory.
“For example, when I was a college student, critical theory meant the Marxist analysis of the Frankfurt School. Very few people believed in Marxist claims about history, economics, and politics. In fact, figures such as Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, and Herbert Marcuse were popular precisely because they were “critical Marxists” rather than the dogmatic sort. They offered little in the way of prescription, and they demurred from the grandiose claims about historical progress that makes Marx so comical today. Their contribution was entirely critical. They used a refined version of Marxist categories in order to uncover and expose the oppressive and de-humanizing dynamics of social life.
“The same could be said for the role of Freud and Nietzsche in the ecosystem of late twentieth century intellectual culture. There was something very exciting about being eighteen or nineteen and discovering that what seemed like refined cultural sensibilities were, in fact, the excrescences of primitive psychological processes. A person of profound self-discipline is “anal,” and lofty ideals of moral self-sacrifice are actually carefully crafted instruments of power and self-assertion. Or so a dash of Freud and a spoonful of Nietzsche suggested to our young minds.
“Paul Riceour once dubbed Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud the “masters of suspicion.” Their stars may have waned in recent decades (though not Nietzsche’s), but the larger role of suspicion has most definitely waxed. Some form of critical theory has become the overriding goal of almost all humanistic study these days. We do not so much read Aristotle or Aquinas or Jane Austen as take their ideas and expressions as instances of a patriarchal culture, instantiations of power-relations, rhetorically coded expressions of class-relations, and so forth. Critical thinking really means cultural studies.
“Many have pointed out the gray ideological homogeneity of what passes for critical theory. David Horowitz has amply chronicled the rigidity and intolerance of the contemporary professoriate. Others have noticed that the preening theoretical vocabularies of contemporary cultural analysts tend toward rhetoric rather than argument. Back when deconstruction was the rage, John Searle wrote a devastating analysis of the gimcrack posturing that was being passed off as profound argument.
“Yet endless theoretical elaborations of suspicion remain a growth industry all the same. “Truths are fictions whose fictionality has been forgotten”—it continues to be said in a thousand different ways. The reason, I think, is simple. Critical theory plays a significant and important role in contemporary society: it de-mystifies and de-legitimates inherited beliefs. It is not, as some critics would like to think, simply Leftist ideology. Nor is it nonsense dressed up in fancy French words. These days critical theory is an intellectual project, the main goal of which is to show that conventional ways of thinking are hopelessly naïve, if not malign and corrupt. It is a deck-clearing operation—not to prepare students for truth, but to prepare them for life without truths.
“Pope Benedict has called this mode of pedagogy a dictatorship of relativism. It is, of course, a soft tyranny. Nobody is imprisoning college students for having convictions. The dominant intellectual regime is satisfied with two basic strategies: continuous assault and a starvation diet. We take apart the belief-systems of adolescents with our multi-faceted and powerful modes of critical analysis—and we give them next to nothing substantive to believe.”
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Peter to Jerusalem
The Pope is spending one day of his week long visit to the Holy Land in Jerusalem, but it is the center of the visit and, throughout the history of Christianity, the center of the world.
Along with this wonderful article by Chiesa, there is a movie called the Kingdom of Heaven—get the director’s cut—based on history, that captures the tremendous passion surrounding Jerusalem during the time of the crusades and Saladin.
An excerpt from the article.
“ROME, May 6, 2009 – The Sunday before leaving for the Holy Land, in a Saint Peter's Square overflowing with faithful, Benedict XVI said in a few words what the aim of his trip will be:
"With my visit, I intend to strengthen and encourage the Christians of the Holy Land, who must face numerous difficulties on a daily basis. As successor of the apostle Peter, I will communicate to them the closeness and support of the entire body of the Church. Moreover, I will be a pilgrim of peace, in the name of the one God who is Father of all. I will bear witness to the Catholic Church's efforts on behalf of those who strive to practice dialogue and reconciliation, in order to reach a stable and lasting peace in justice and mutual respect. Finally, this trip cannot help but have significant ecumenical and interreligious importance. From this point of view, Jerusalem is the city-symbol par excellence: it is there that Christ died in order to gather together all of the scattered children of God."
“From these words – reiterated at the general audience on Wednesday, May 6 – it can be gathered that in order to promote peace and dialogue among the peoples and religions in the Holy Land, the pope is relying first of all on the Christians living there.
“A bold wager. It's not only that Christians has been reduced to a tiny minority in the region, less than 2 percent of the population, which is mainly Jewish and Arab. It must also be kept in mind that the Christians in the area have been the most skeptical in reacting to the announcement of the pope's trip. Many of them, including priests and bishops, have said that his visit is inopportune.
“It has taken a great deal of effort to smooth over this front of rejection. The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, has confirmed this in an interview: the reasons of the opponents were even explained to Benedict XVI in person.
“The main concern of the opponents was that the pope's trip – in part because of his extremely positive stance on religious dialogue with Judaism – could be to Israel's political advantage.
“Benedict XVI firmly stood his ground. For its part, Vatican diplomacy did all it could to pacify the opposition.
“This explains, for example, the benevolence that the Vatican showed toward Israel's archenemy, Iran, during and after the controversial Geneva conference on racism: a benevolence that many observers judged as disproportionate.
“It may also explain the silence of the Vatican authorities and the pope himself on the treacherous hanging of the young Iranian woman Delara Dalabi in Tehran. In cases of this kind, publicized all over the world, the Holy See almost always raises its voice in defense of the victims of human rights violations: but this time, it decided to remain silent.”
Along with this wonderful article by Chiesa, there is a movie called the Kingdom of Heaven—get the director’s cut—based on history, that captures the tremendous passion surrounding Jerusalem during the time of the crusades and Saladin.
An excerpt from the article.
“ROME, May 6, 2009 – The Sunday before leaving for the Holy Land, in a Saint Peter's Square overflowing with faithful, Benedict XVI said in a few words what the aim of his trip will be:
"With my visit, I intend to strengthen and encourage the Christians of the Holy Land, who must face numerous difficulties on a daily basis. As successor of the apostle Peter, I will communicate to them the closeness and support of the entire body of the Church. Moreover, I will be a pilgrim of peace, in the name of the one God who is Father of all. I will bear witness to the Catholic Church's efforts on behalf of those who strive to practice dialogue and reconciliation, in order to reach a stable and lasting peace in justice and mutual respect. Finally, this trip cannot help but have significant ecumenical and interreligious importance. From this point of view, Jerusalem is the city-symbol par excellence: it is there that Christ died in order to gather together all of the scattered children of God."
“From these words – reiterated at the general audience on Wednesday, May 6 – it can be gathered that in order to promote peace and dialogue among the peoples and religions in the Holy Land, the pope is relying first of all on the Christians living there.
“A bold wager. It's not only that Christians has been reduced to a tiny minority in the region, less than 2 percent of the population, which is mainly Jewish and Arab. It must also be kept in mind that the Christians in the area have been the most skeptical in reacting to the announcement of the pope's trip. Many of them, including priests and bishops, have said that his visit is inopportune.
“It has taken a great deal of effort to smooth over this front of rejection. The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, has confirmed this in an interview: the reasons of the opponents were even explained to Benedict XVI in person.
“The main concern of the opponents was that the pope's trip – in part because of his extremely positive stance on religious dialogue with Judaism – could be to Israel's political advantage.
“Benedict XVI firmly stood his ground. For its part, Vatican diplomacy did all it could to pacify the opposition.
“This explains, for example, the benevolence that the Vatican showed toward Israel's archenemy, Iran, during and after the controversial Geneva conference on racism: a benevolence that many observers judged as disproportionate.
“It may also explain the silence of the Vatican authorities and the pope himself on the treacherous hanging of the young Iranian woman Delara Dalabi in Tehran. In cases of this kind, publicized all over the world, the Holy See almost always raises its voice in defense of the victims of human rights violations: but this time, it decided to remain silent.”
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
St. Charles Borromeo
This saint performed one of the most important tasks for the Church in hundreds of years: he served as the editor of the first universal Catholic Catechism, The Roman Catechism: The Catechism of the Council of Trent; which set the foundation of the current Catechism.
It is very worthwhile to study the first Catechism to see how the essential truths of the faith remain. Though the language becomes more nuanced, the center holds.
It is also available online.
There is an excellent article about St. Borromeo in This Rock magazine.
An excerpt.
“In the bestselling interview with Vittorio Messori, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger expressed his great admiration for a 16th-century cardinal and archbishop of Milan as a model of authentic reform and renewal in the Church. The future pope declared:
“For me, Charles Borromeo is the classic expression of a real reform, that is to say, of a renewal that leads forward precisely because it teaches how to live the permanent values in a new way, bearing in mind the totality of the Christian faith and the totality of man . . . he was totally centered on Christ. (The Ratzinger Report, 38-39)
“A saint, reformer, cardinal, apologist, archbishop, and tireless pastor, St. Charles Borromeo rebuilt the Church in Milan during the 16th century and was one of the greatest figures of the Catholic Reformation. For Catholics laboring to renew the Church today in the face of a hostile culture, Borromeo stands as a champion of authentic renewal, as a gentle but determined saint, and as a powerful spokesman for the reinvigoration of the priesthood through zeal, commitment to the truth, and attracting solid, faithful seminarians. Above all, he is a reason for Catholics today to embrace the Catholic Reformation and the heroic men and women who led it.
“Powerful Connections
“Born into Italian nobility on October 2, 1538, Charles Borromeo was the son of Giberto II Borromeo and Margherita de’ Medici. Thus, through his mother, young Carlo was related to the powerful de’ Medici family that was ascendant in Renaissance Italy. This connection proved a significant one, both for Charles and for the Church.
“Entering into Church service at the age of 12, young Charles was sent away from home to study Latin and then began the long task of mastering Scholastic theology. Overcoming an early stutter, he went to Pavia in 1558 and met his uncle, Cardinal Giovanni Angelo de’ Medici, who was impressed with the young man. A few weeks later Charles’ father died at Milan. Despite his age, Charles was asked by the family to assume direction over all of its many responsibilities and interests. Incredibly, even in the midst of the ceaseless demands on his time, he finished in 1559 the double doctorate (utroque iure (doctorates in both civil and canon law).
“That same summer, the death of Pope Paul IV brought the cardinals to Rome for a conclave. Cardinal de’ Medici was elected pope in December, taking the name Pius IV. Shortly after the start of the new year, Charles was summoned to Rome, appointed administrator of the Papal States, and in short order a cardinal-deacon. This was, of course, a case of nepotism, but the pontiff was not engaging in corruption or favoritism. He had recognized Charles’ talent and wanted him in the papal court. One other appointment proved significant—Charles was named administrator of the vacant Archdiocese of Milan, and on February 8, 1560, Pius asked him to serve officially as its archbishop.”
It is very worthwhile to study the first Catechism to see how the essential truths of the faith remain. Though the language becomes more nuanced, the center holds.
It is also available online.
There is an excellent article about St. Borromeo in This Rock magazine.
An excerpt.
“In the bestselling interview with Vittorio Messori, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger expressed his great admiration for a 16th-century cardinal and archbishop of Milan as a model of authentic reform and renewal in the Church. The future pope declared:
“For me, Charles Borromeo is the classic expression of a real reform, that is to say, of a renewal that leads forward precisely because it teaches how to live the permanent values in a new way, bearing in mind the totality of the Christian faith and the totality of man . . . he was totally centered on Christ. (The Ratzinger Report, 38-39)
“A saint, reformer, cardinal, apologist, archbishop, and tireless pastor, St. Charles Borromeo rebuilt the Church in Milan during the 16th century and was one of the greatest figures of the Catholic Reformation. For Catholics laboring to renew the Church today in the face of a hostile culture, Borromeo stands as a champion of authentic renewal, as a gentle but determined saint, and as a powerful spokesman for the reinvigoration of the priesthood through zeal, commitment to the truth, and attracting solid, faithful seminarians. Above all, he is a reason for Catholics today to embrace the Catholic Reformation and the heroic men and women who led it.
“Powerful Connections
“Born into Italian nobility on October 2, 1538, Charles Borromeo was the son of Giberto II Borromeo and Margherita de’ Medici. Thus, through his mother, young Carlo was related to the powerful de’ Medici family that was ascendant in Renaissance Italy. This connection proved a significant one, both for Charles and for the Church.
“Entering into Church service at the age of 12, young Charles was sent away from home to study Latin and then began the long task of mastering Scholastic theology. Overcoming an early stutter, he went to Pavia in 1558 and met his uncle, Cardinal Giovanni Angelo de’ Medici, who was impressed with the young man. A few weeks later Charles’ father died at Milan. Despite his age, Charles was asked by the family to assume direction over all of its many responsibilities and interests. Incredibly, even in the midst of the ceaseless demands on his time, he finished in 1559 the double doctorate (utroque iure (doctorates in both civil and canon law).
“That same summer, the death of Pope Paul IV brought the cardinals to Rome for a conclave. Cardinal de’ Medici was elected pope in December, taking the name Pius IV. Shortly after the start of the new year, Charles was summoned to Rome, appointed administrator of the Papal States, and in short order a cardinal-deacon. This was, of course, a case of nepotism, but the pontiff was not engaging in corruption or favoritism. He had recognized Charles’ talent and wanted him in the papal court. One other appointment proved significant—Charles was named administrator of the vacant Archdiocese of Milan, and on February 8, 1560, Pius asked him to serve officially as its archbishop.”
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Capital Punishment
An excellent article from The Catholic Thing reminding us that the Church’s support for capital punishment is and has always been, strong; regardless of the various political reasons some—Catholics and non-Catholics—attempt to make it appear that Church teaching is in opposition to capital punishment.
An excerpt.
“Pope John Paul II often appealed for compassion and clemency towards condemned murderers, and American Catholic bishops have stated that the death penalty should not be imposed in the United States. Nevertheless, no pope has ever used his office to condemn capital punishment per se, and the bishops, whether taken singularly or collectively, have no authority under civil or canon law to urge the imposition of or attempt to block the application of the death penalty. That authority is vested solely in the civil power, and is consigned to the state by virtue of the natural law.
“Representatives of the Catholic Church are free at all times to express their personal opinions that other forms of punishment are sufficient to ensure proper order or to defend the innocent, both of which are crucial to the well being of the community at large. But the determination that the imposition of the death penalty is necessary belongs exclusively to the state. The Church recognizes this power and understands that its source is divine.
“What the Church does not confer, the Church cannot take away. Even the American bishops’ statement opposing the use of the death penalty clearly admits that “the state has the right to take the life of a person guilty of a serious crime.” The late John Cardinal O’Connor, who was personally opposed to the death penalty, stated from the pulpit in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1994, that “formal official Church teaching does not deny the right of the state to exercise the death penalty under certain, narrowly defined conditions. It is a matter of judgment.”
An excerpt.
“Pope John Paul II often appealed for compassion and clemency towards condemned murderers, and American Catholic bishops have stated that the death penalty should not be imposed in the United States. Nevertheless, no pope has ever used his office to condemn capital punishment per se, and the bishops, whether taken singularly or collectively, have no authority under civil or canon law to urge the imposition of or attempt to block the application of the death penalty. That authority is vested solely in the civil power, and is consigned to the state by virtue of the natural law.
“Representatives of the Catholic Church are free at all times to express their personal opinions that other forms of punishment are sufficient to ensure proper order or to defend the innocent, both of which are crucial to the well being of the community at large. But the determination that the imposition of the death penalty is necessary belongs exclusively to the state. The Church recognizes this power and understands that its source is divine.
“What the Church does not confer, the Church cannot take away. Even the American bishops’ statement opposing the use of the death penalty clearly admits that “the state has the right to take the life of a person guilty of a serious crime.” The late John Cardinal O’Connor, who was personally opposed to the death penalty, stated from the pulpit in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1994, that “formal official Church teaching does not deny the right of the state to exercise the death penalty under certain, narrowly defined conditions. It is a matter of judgment.”
Monday, May 4, 2009
Catholic Social Doctrine
The Church has been at the forefront of human rights issues since the very beginning, and much of the current work from the Vatican emanates from the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, whose president is Mary Ann Glendon, and Vatican Information Service noted a meeting with the Holy Father today.
An excerpt.
“VATICAN CITY, 4 MAY 2009 (VIS) - Benedict XVI today received members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the end of their fifteenth plenary meeting. The president of the academy is Mary Ann Glendon.
“Speaking English, the Pope noted how the academy, "after studying work, democracy, globalisation, solidarity and subsidiarity in relation to the social teaching of the Church, ... has chosen to return to the central question of the dignity of the human person and human rights, a point of encounter between the doctrine of the Church and contemporary society".
"The Church has always affirmed that fundamental rights, above and beyond the different ways in which they are formulated and the different degrees of importance they may have in various cultural contexts, are to be upheld and accorded universal recognition because they are inherent in the very nature of man, who is created in the image and likeness of God", said the Holy Father. For this reason "they share a common nature that binds them together and calls for universal respect". Thus the Church has always "taught that the ethical and political order that governs relationships between persons finds its origin in the very structure of man's being".
“The modern period, with its "heightened awareness of human rights as such and of their universality, ... helped shape the idea that the message of Christ - because it proclaims that God loves every man and woman and that every human being is called to love God freely - demonstrates that everyone, independently of his or her social and cultural condition, by nature deserves freedom".
“In the wake of the "vast suffering caused by two terrible world wars and the unspeakable crimes perpetrated by totalitarian ideologies" last century, "the international community acquired a new system of international law based on human rights" and, like Paul VI and John Paul II, "forcefully referred to the right to life and the right to freedom of conscience and religion as being at the centre of those rights that spring from human nature itself.”
An excerpt.
“VATICAN CITY, 4 MAY 2009 (VIS) - Benedict XVI today received members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the end of their fifteenth plenary meeting. The president of the academy is Mary Ann Glendon.
“Speaking English, the Pope noted how the academy, "after studying work, democracy, globalisation, solidarity and subsidiarity in relation to the social teaching of the Church, ... has chosen to return to the central question of the dignity of the human person and human rights, a point of encounter between the doctrine of the Church and contemporary society".
"The Church has always affirmed that fundamental rights, above and beyond the different ways in which they are formulated and the different degrees of importance they may have in various cultural contexts, are to be upheld and accorded universal recognition because they are inherent in the very nature of man, who is created in the image and likeness of God", said the Holy Father. For this reason "they share a common nature that binds them together and calls for universal respect". Thus the Church has always "taught that the ethical and political order that governs relationships between persons finds its origin in the very structure of man's being".
“The modern period, with its "heightened awareness of human rights as such and of their universality, ... helped shape the idea that the message of Christ - because it proclaims that God loves every man and woman and that every human being is called to love God freely - demonstrates that everyone, independently of his or her social and cultural condition, by nature deserves freedom".
“In the wake of the "vast suffering caused by two terrible world wars and the unspeakable crimes perpetrated by totalitarian ideologies" last century, "the international community acquired a new system of international law based on human rights" and, like Paul VI and John Paul II, "forcefully referred to the right to life and the right to freedom of conscience and religion as being at the centre of those rights that spring from human nature itself.”
Sunday, May 3, 2009
First 100 Days
L'Osservatore Romano (with translation by Whispers in the Loggia) has published a very balanced piece on the president’s first 100days.
An excerpt.
“One thousand three hundred sixty-one days separate Barack Obama from the end of his mandate. No one can know nor imagine what will happen in this time. In fact, many analysts describe the "occupation" of the president as a reactive one. Planned political strategy leaves the post -- as the case of the Bush presidency after 11 September 2001 proves -- to choices dictated by events.
“In another perspective, this 29 April marks a hundred days of the first African-American president in the White House, traditionally a much-awaited point for an initial assessment, however inevitably partial. But rivers of ink have already flowed over these weeks that, according to many commentators, they've signified a decisive turn from the past, a redefinition of the very image of the United States in the world.
“It might be that this capacity to communicate is one of the great traits of the president, recalling that of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Like the architect of the New Deal, Obama utilizes the modern media -- radio then, internet today -- to spread the message of hope which the nation needs. The great crisis of 1929 can't be compared to the current one. And still the imprint seems the same. So too the ability of shifting the attention of public opinion in a pragmatic and functional way.
“In these months Obama has seen his popularity grow only by having opened the doors to changes: he proposed direct negotiations with Iran to resolve the question of Tehran's nuclear program and invited Russia to new discussions for the reduction of its strategic arsenals. Above all, he's proposed a different role for the United States on the American continent, beginning to imagine new relations with Cuba. But in other and more concrete international scenarios, continuity in respect to the past is anything but compromised. Like in Iraq, where the administration is applying the exit strategy begun by Bush, and in Afghanistan. Here -- Obama declared -- is found the new front of the fight against terrorism. New only to a point, as it was in Afghanistan where the first US military intervention after September 11 took place. And not everything as a wish for discontinuity can be seen by the retention of Robert Gates at the helm of the Pentagon.”
An excerpt.
“One thousand three hundred sixty-one days separate Barack Obama from the end of his mandate. No one can know nor imagine what will happen in this time. In fact, many analysts describe the "occupation" of the president as a reactive one. Planned political strategy leaves the post -- as the case of the Bush presidency after 11 September 2001 proves -- to choices dictated by events.
“In another perspective, this 29 April marks a hundred days of the first African-American president in the White House, traditionally a much-awaited point for an initial assessment, however inevitably partial. But rivers of ink have already flowed over these weeks that, according to many commentators, they've signified a decisive turn from the past, a redefinition of the very image of the United States in the world.
“It might be that this capacity to communicate is one of the great traits of the president, recalling that of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Like the architect of the New Deal, Obama utilizes the modern media -- radio then, internet today -- to spread the message of hope which the nation needs. The great crisis of 1929 can't be compared to the current one. And still the imprint seems the same. So too the ability of shifting the attention of public opinion in a pragmatic and functional way.
“In these months Obama has seen his popularity grow only by having opened the doors to changes: he proposed direct negotiations with Iran to resolve the question of Tehran's nuclear program and invited Russia to new discussions for the reduction of its strategic arsenals. Above all, he's proposed a different role for the United States on the American continent, beginning to imagine new relations with Cuba. But in other and more concrete international scenarios, continuity in respect to the past is anything but compromised. Like in Iraq, where the administration is applying the exit strategy begun by Bush, and in Afghanistan. Here -- Obama declared -- is found the new front of the fight against terrorism. New only to a point, as it was in Afghanistan where the first US military intervention after September 11 took place. And not everything as a wish for discontinuity can be seen by the retention of Robert Gates at the helm of the Pentagon.”
Saturday, May 2, 2009
A Sign of Contradiction
It has been clear, during the turmoil occasioned by the selection of the president to speak at Notre Dame, that the Church in the United States remains deeply divided between those who feel life in the Church is to, primarily, be one of communion with the world, and those who believe life in the Church is, primarily, to be a sign of contradiction in the world—and I would be counted among the latter—though with great appreciation of the difficulty to always and in each instance embrace that.
While the operating ethos for those whose work is to be in communion with the world can be seen in this commentary from a Catholic magazine, Peter calls us to embrace the difficulty of being a sign of contradiction in the world, “When Christians are truly the leaven, light and salt of the earth, they too become the object of persecution, as was Jesus; like him they are "a sign of contradiction."
In relation to the mission of the Catholic University, he spoke—rather clearly I thought—when he visited the United States last year and addressed Catholic educators.
Excerpts.
“The dynamic between personal encounter, knowledge and Christian witness is integral to the diakonia of truth which the Church exercises in the midst of humanity. God’s revelation offers every generation the opportunity to discover the ultimate truth about its own life and the goal of history. This task is never easy; it involves the entire Christian community and motivates each generation of Christian educators to ensure that the power of God’s truth permeates every dimension of the institutions they serve. In this way, Christ’s Good News is set to work, guiding both teacher and student towards the objective truth which, in transcending the particular and the subjective, points to the universal and absolute that enables us to proclaim with confidence the hope which does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5). Set against personal struggles, moral confusion and fragmentation of knowledge, the noble goals of scholarship and education, founded on the unity of truth and in service of the person and the community, become an especially powerful instrument of hope….
“This same dynamic of communal identity – to whom do I belong? – vivifies the ethos of our Catholic institutions. A university or school’s Catholic identity is not simply a question of the number of Catholic students. It is a question of conviction – do we really believe that only in the mystery of the Word made flesh does the mystery of man truly become clear (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22)? Are we ready to commit our entire self – intellect and will, mind and heart – to God? Do we accept the truth Christ reveals? Is the faith tangible in our universities and schools? Is it given fervent expression liturgically, sacramentally, through prayer, acts of charity, a concern for justice, and respect for God’s creation? Only in this way do we really bear witness to the meaning of who we are and what we uphold…
“Teachers and administrators, whether in universities or schools, have the duty and privilege to ensure that students receive instruction in Catholic doctrine and practice. This requires that public witness to the way of Christ, as found in the Gospel and upheld by the Church's Magisterium, shapes all aspects of an institution’s life, both inside and outside the classroom. Divergence from this vision weakens Catholic identity and, far from advancing freedom, inevitably leads to confusion, whether moral, intellectual or spiritual.”
While the operating ethos for those whose work is to be in communion with the world can be seen in this commentary from a Catholic magazine, Peter calls us to embrace the difficulty of being a sign of contradiction in the world, “When Christians are truly the leaven, light and salt of the earth, they too become the object of persecution, as was Jesus; like him they are "a sign of contradiction."
In relation to the mission of the Catholic University, he spoke—rather clearly I thought—when he visited the United States last year and addressed Catholic educators.
Excerpts.
“The dynamic between personal encounter, knowledge and Christian witness is integral to the diakonia of truth which the Church exercises in the midst of humanity. God’s revelation offers every generation the opportunity to discover the ultimate truth about its own life and the goal of history. This task is never easy; it involves the entire Christian community and motivates each generation of Christian educators to ensure that the power of God’s truth permeates every dimension of the institutions they serve. In this way, Christ’s Good News is set to work, guiding both teacher and student towards the objective truth which, in transcending the particular and the subjective, points to the universal and absolute that enables us to proclaim with confidence the hope which does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5). Set against personal struggles, moral confusion and fragmentation of knowledge, the noble goals of scholarship and education, founded on the unity of truth and in service of the person and the community, become an especially powerful instrument of hope….
“This same dynamic of communal identity – to whom do I belong? – vivifies the ethos of our Catholic institutions. A university or school’s Catholic identity is not simply a question of the number of Catholic students. It is a question of conviction – do we really believe that only in the mystery of the Word made flesh does the mystery of man truly become clear (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22)? Are we ready to commit our entire self – intellect and will, mind and heart – to God? Do we accept the truth Christ reveals? Is the faith tangible in our universities and schools? Is it given fervent expression liturgically, sacramentally, through prayer, acts of charity, a concern for justice, and respect for God’s creation? Only in this way do we really bear witness to the meaning of who we are and what we uphold…
“Teachers and administrators, whether in universities or schools, have the duty and privilege to ensure that students receive instruction in Catholic doctrine and practice. This requires that public witness to the way of Christ, as found in the Gospel and upheld by the Church's Magisterium, shapes all aspects of an institution’s life, both inside and outside the classroom. Divergence from this vision weakens Catholic identity and, far from advancing freedom, inevitably leads to confusion, whether moral, intellectual or spiritual.”
Friday, May 1, 2009
Unions & Social Teaching
Though the way in which this is coming about is not the preferred method of bringing workers into more control over their labor, by obtaining some ownership control over the company they work for through bankruptcy—as noted by this article in the Wall Street Journal—the principle of labor as part of ownership is a long standing one in Catholic social teaching and may eventually become a good outcome that comes from a bad process.
An excerpt.
"The Administration is hoping the judge will do little more than rubber stamp the restructuring deal it has worked out among the Treasury, the United Auto Workers and the Italian car maker, Fiat. It could play out that way, if Judge Gonzalez determines that $2 billion is the highest and best value that can be obtained for Chrysler's assets.
"But that is now the legal test that the Administration's plan must satisfy, not the political standard of whether the creditors "worked constructively" in a spirit of "shared sacrifice" that Mr. Obama set out yesterday. And let's hope Judge Gonzalez ignores Michigan Representative John Dingell, who yesterday called the investors "vultures" and warned darkly that they "will now be dealt with accordingly in court." Someone should tell Mr. Dingell that the debt-holders aren't on trial in a bankruptcy proceeding.
"It's especially rich for Mr. Obama to blast the creditors for seeking "an unjustified taxpayer-funded bailout" while offering the UAW a 55% majority stake in Chrysler. He also praised the large banks that hold most of the Chrysler debt and supported the government plan. But of course J.P. Morgan and the other big banks are also recipients of billions of dollars in taxpayer cash and have a strong interest in playing nice with their creditor, Uncle Sam Obama.
"The Chrysler creditors at least represent teachers, pensioners and retirees, among others. The Administration is advancing its own social and political agenda through its ever-deeper entanglement with Chrysler and General Motors. That explains why the government is giving 55% of the new Chrysler to the UAW's retiree-benefit trust, a junior creditor, while those ahead of the trust in line get a mere 30 cents on the dollar."
An excerpt.
"The Administration is hoping the judge will do little more than rubber stamp the restructuring deal it has worked out among the Treasury, the United Auto Workers and the Italian car maker, Fiat. It could play out that way, if Judge Gonzalez determines that $2 billion is the highest and best value that can be obtained for Chrysler's assets.
"But that is now the legal test that the Administration's plan must satisfy, not the political standard of whether the creditors "worked constructively" in a spirit of "shared sacrifice" that Mr. Obama set out yesterday. And let's hope Judge Gonzalez ignores Michigan Representative John Dingell, who yesterday called the investors "vultures" and warned darkly that they "will now be dealt with accordingly in court." Someone should tell Mr. Dingell that the debt-holders aren't on trial in a bankruptcy proceeding.
"It's especially rich for Mr. Obama to blast the creditors for seeking "an unjustified taxpayer-funded bailout" while offering the UAW a 55% majority stake in Chrysler. He also praised the large banks that hold most of the Chrysler debt and supported the government plan. But of course J.P. Morgan and the other big banks are also recipients of billions of dollars in taxpayer cash and have a strong interest in playing nice with their creditor, Uncle Sam Obama.
"The Chrysler creditors at least represent teachers, pensioners and retirees, among others. The Administration is advancing its own social and political agenda through its ever-deeper entanglement with Chrysler and General Motors. That explains why the government is giving 55% of the new Chrysler to the UAW's retiree-benefit trust, a junior creditor, while those ahead of the trust in line get a mere 30 cents on the dollar."
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