Posted on by Dr. John A. Dick · 2 Comments

USCCB Memory Problems : How Could They Forget Cardinal Cushing


When the Massachusetts legislature voted in 1966 to end the last all-out ban on contraceptives in the United States, it was with the approval and assistance of the Boston Archdiocese

On February 15, 1963, Boston’s Cardinal Richard James Cushing (1895–1970) was the guest on “Conversation Piece,” an afternoon talk show on local radio station WEEI….Cushing addressed public concerns about the role of the Catholic Church in politics.

As President Kennedy himself had done, Cushing offered the assurance that Catholics did not believe religious viewpoints should control political decision making in the democratic arena.

The leader of 1.8 million Catholics in the Boston Archdiocese, Cushing told the radio audience that he had no desire to impose the Church’s moral judgments, by using his considerable influence over Massachusetts legislation, on people of other faiths.

— This memory refresher comes from Seth Meehan a Ph.D. student in history at Boston College. His article titled “From Patriotism to Pluralism: How Catholics Initiated the Repeal of Birth Control Restrictions in Massachusetts,” apeared in the Catholic Historical Review in July 2010. His article earned Meehan the Peter Guilday Prize from the American Catholic Historical Association

20120213-161033.jpg

Posted on by Dr. John A. Dick

Bishop-Speak: Same-Sex Marriage and Sexual Exploitation


The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on February 7th that a 2008 California referendum banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The appeals court, upholding an earlier district court decision, ruled that the voter-approved ban, known as Proposition 8, violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law. For now, same-sex couples who desire to marry in California may still not be able to do so, since the decision is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, joins the bishops of California in denouncing the February 7th decision: “Today’s court ruling is a grave injustice, ignoring the reality that marriage is the union of one man and one woman,” Dolan said.

Meanwhile, the new Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Washington, D.C., has endorsed the legislative campaign now underway to legalize same sex marriage in Maryland. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, wrote on the Washington Post website that gay marriage opponents should not be so certain the Bible is on their side. According to her the Bible is silent on the subject of same-gender monogamous relationships; but clearly condemns exploitative sexual activity that is the antithesis of loving, committed relationships.

I would like to hear ALL bishops speaking out about “exploitative sexual activity that is the antithesis of loving, committed relationships.”

The President of the USCCB has every right to express his position about same-sex marriage. Increasingly, however, American Catholics don’t agree with him.

According to the latest report from the Pew Research Center, American Catholic supporters for same-sex marriage now outnumber opponents (52% vs. 37%). In 2010, U.S. Catholics were more evenly divided on the issue, with 46% favoring same-sex marriage and 42% expressing opposition. A majority of white Catholics (57%) now express support for same-sex marriage, while Hispanic Catholics continue to be closely divided (42% favor same-sex marriage, 42% are opposed).

AND thinking about “exploitative sexual activity that is the antithesis of loving, committed relationships,” Soon-to-be Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s predecessor in New York, retired Cardinal Edward Egan has taken back his earlier apology for clerical sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of New York.

In March 2002, Cardinal Egan, then Archbishop of New York, issued a pastoral letter to be read at all week end liturgies. In it, he offered an apology about the church’s handling of sex-abuse cases in New York and in Bridgeport, Conn., where he was previously bishop.

Back then…..Egan wrote: “It is clear that today we have a much better understanding of this problem….If in hindsight we also discover that mistakes may have been made as regards prompt removal of priests and assistance to victims, I am deeply sorry.”

Now, 10 years later and in retirement, Cardinal Egan has taken back his apology.

In the February 2012 issue of Connecticut Magazine, Egan says: “I never should have said that….I don’t think we did anything wrong.”

Wouldn’t it be fun to put Cardinal Edward, Bishop Mariann, and Cardinal DesignateTimothy in a locked room for a week: a special episcopal retreat.

20120212-125350.jpg

Posted on by Dr. John A. Dick · 4 Comments

Clarity, Consience and Catholic Confusion


(My Final Observations About Games Some Bishops Play)

Clarity from the White House:

Health Reform, Preventive Services, and Religious Institutions

Cecilia Muñoz
February 01, 2012

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most health insurance plans will cover women’s preventive services, including contraception, without charging a co-pay or deductible beginning in August, 2012. This new law will save money for millions of Americans. But more importantly, it will ensure Americans nationwide get the high-quality care they need to stay healthy. Under this policy, women who want contraception will have access to it through their insurance without paying a co-pay or deductible. But no one will be forced to buy or use contraception.

On January 20th, Secretary Sebelius announced that certain religious organizations including churches would be exempt from paying their insurers to cover contraception.

Other religious organizations, including those that employ people of different faiths, can qualify for a one-year transition period as they prepare to comply with the new law.

In recent days, there has been some confusion about how this policy affects religious institutions. We want to make sure you have the facts:

Churches are exempt from the new rules: Churches and other houses of worship will be exempt from the requirement to offer insurance that covers contraception.

No individual health care provider will be forced to prescribe contraception: The President and this Administration have previously and continue to express strong support for existing conscience protections. For example, no Catholic doctor is forced to write a prescription for contraception.

No individual will be forced to buy or use contraception: This rule only applies to what insurance companies cover. Under this policy, women who want contraception will have access to it through their insurance without paying a co-pay or deductible. But no one will be forced to buy or use contraception.

Drugs that cause abortion are not covered by this policy: Drugs like RU486 are not covered by this policy, and nothing about this policy changes the President’s firm commitment to maintaining strict limitations on Federal funding for abortions. No Federal tax dollars are used for elective abortions.

Over half of Americans already live in the 28 States that require insurance companies cover contraception: Several of these States like North Carolina, New York, and California have identical religious employer exemptions. Some States like Colorado, Georgia and Wisconsin have no exemption at all.

Contraception is used by most women: According to a study by the Guttmacher Institute, most women, including 98 percent of Catholic women, have used contraception.

Contraception coverage reduces costs: While the monthly cost of contraception for women ranges from $30 to $50, insurers and experts agree that savings more than offset the cost. The National Business Group on Health estimated that it would cost employers 15 to 17 percent more not to provide contraceptive coverage than to provide such coverage, after accounting for both the direct medical costs of potentially unintended and unhealthy pregnancy and indirect costs such as employee absence and reduced productivity.

The Obama Administration is committed to both respecting religious beliefs and increasing access to important preventive services. And as we move forward, our strong partnerships with religious organizations will continue. The Administration has provided substantial resources to Catholic organizations over the past three years, in addition to numerous non-financial partnerships to promote healthy communities and serve the common good. This work includes partnerships with Catholic social service agencies on local responsible fatherhood programs and international anti-hunger/food assistance programs. We look forward to continuing this important work.

(Cecilia Muñoz is the Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council) Emphasis in the above is mine. JWG

Conscience and Conscience Formation:

“If the U.S. bishops and the conservative Catholic and Christian media are going to appeal to “conscience,” then they better allow for the well-informed consciences of Catholics and non-Catholics who work at Catholic institutions to make their own decisions.

“No one is forcing Catholics to use contraception. It is merely stating that they should have access to contraception. Many Catholic theologians have argued that it is a fair and just decision that respects the ability of Catholic and other women to follow their own consciences and make decisions as responsible adults about their own health care and that of their families.

“And they also must respect the well-informed consciences of professors at academic universities whose job is the pursuit of knowledge and truth, and for some, the pursuit of justice as well. This includes Catholic theologians who are trying to give advice on improving the church. Since the bishops and others have introduced this into the public arena, they need to respect the consciences and expertise of those voices without the threat of job loss or excommunication.”

(Keith Soko is associate professor of moral theology at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa)

Catholic Confusion:

Now go back and re-read what Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan and about 100 other bishops said and wrote a few days ago…….

20120203-092906.jpg

Posted on by Dr. John A. Dick · 3 Comments

ANOTHER VOICE INDEED : RELIGIOUS LEADERS PRAISE OBAMA


As reported by Aanda Terkel in the Huffington Post, President Obama’s pro-choice birth control decision has drawn enthusiatic praise from Amercan other-than-USCCB religious leaders.

On Monday, 30 January, religious leaders from the Jewish, Unitarian, Baptist and other faiths addressed a letter to Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. All are members of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, which includes more than 40 denominations.

They did not condemn but thanked President Obama: “We believe that all women deserve access to affordable birth control, regardless of their employer, and we hope that, in the future, HHS will expand the same preventive coverage to women across the board.”

The letter continued…..”As clergy, we are committed to upholding the important goals of reproductive justice and health, empowering women and men to make decisions about whether and when to have and bear children within their own moral and religious tradition, and assuring them the means and ability to raise their children in a safe and healthy environment. Access to reproductive health services recognizes a moral value embraced across the religious spectrum. We thank you for your decision supporting the fundamental value of reproductive health to women and families.”

Rev. Matthew Westfox said the letter was intended to thank the Obama administration for its decision, and to provide an alternative religious voice, since so much attention had been put on opposition to the rule by some Roman Catholic leaders.

“What a lot of the press has been reporting is that all religious groups are opposed to this — which is just categorically untrue,” Westfox said.

Westfox continued…..”We really wanted to make clear that on behalf of ourselves and thousands of people of faith and clergy and religious organizations across the country, that we stood in support of this decision. We think it’s really important to know that many people of faith are supportive of this and have been supportive of access to birth control and individual people being able to access their conscience in support of health care.”

As pointed out here a few days ago, the loudest voice opposing the Obama administration’s decision has been the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

20120201-173615.jpg

Posted on by Dr. John A. Dick · 7 Comments

American Catholics : To Hell Wih You!


Having failed to convince American Catholics to follow their hard-line ban on contraception, American Catholic bishops are ignoring the consciences of those who work for them by seeking to impose their extremist beliefs on all women, Catholic or otherwise.

The current issue of course is the January 20th announcement by the Obama administration’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, that religious organizations could delay but not opt out of a requirement that all health plans cover contraception and sterilization in health-insurance coverage.

Catholic bishops across the United States have begun not just a spirited but a fierce anti-Obama administration campaign.

New York’s next cardinal, Archbishop Timothy Dolan feels “terribly let down, disappointed and disturbed.” In Phoenix, on January 25th, Bishop Thomas Olmsted declared: “We cannot — we will not — comply with this unjust law.”

Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh, in a column titled “To hell with you,” wrote that the Obama administration is saying: “To hell with your religious beliefs. To hell with your religious liberty. To hell with your freedom of conscience. We’ll give you a year, they are saying, and then you have to knuckle under.”

Bishop Daniel R. Jenky of Peoria, Ill., enlisted the aid of St. Michael the Archangel in fighting “this unprecedented governmental assault upon the moral convictions of our faith.” In a January 24th letter to Catholics in Peoria, Bishop Jenky has mandated that the prayer of St. Michael be recited “for the freedom of the Catholic Church in America” during Sunday Masses at every parish, school, hospital, Newman center, and religious house in the diocese. Older Catholics will remember that that prayer ends: “Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil” and “cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.”

What’s happening here?

Who’s view of reality is more “real”?

Who’s understanding of “conscience” is more authentic.

Where do we go from here?

With all due respect to bishops Dolan, Olmsted, Zubik, and Jenky, I find the vision of my old moral theologian hero, Bernhard Häring, much more real and certainly much more hope-giving:

“Despite a certain trend towards conservatism in parts of the church and society, I am convinced that we have moved into a new era that will be determined by people who live by their own conscience and are particularly qualified to act as discerning members of community and society…the era in which almost everyone was content to be born and to live as a member of a certain church or ‘organized religion’ is over. The people who will shape the future of believers of all religions are those who have the courage to make their own choice, whatever pain may be involved, and to do so with personal responsibility.”

20120128-111510.jpg

Posted on by Dr. John A. Dick · 2 Comments

The U S Catholic Church : The KODAK Syndrome


Once the largest company in the world, the legendary Eastman Kodak is on its death bed. The fatal illness is what I shall call the Kodak Syndrome: a series of stategic leadership blunders and an institutional inability to understand contemporary trends and needs.

The Kodak Syndrome, sorry to say, infects as well the contemporary American Catholic Church.

I thought about the Kodak Syndrome last week, reading about Archbishop Charles Chaput’s announcement that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will be closing schools in record numbers during the coming year.

As NCR and other observers have reported, from Philadelphia to Newark, N.J., New York to Boston, Cleveland to Chicago to Detroit and beyond, the church of the immigrants is going the same route as the old industrial America of our parents and grandparents. The once huge parish plants — churches, schools and parish halls — like the great steel mills and manufacturing plants of old, are being abandoned, sold or demolished. The old American Catholic institution is being dismantled. (Something very similar of course is happening in Western Europe.)

According to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, the Catholic Church in the United States has lost 1,359 parishes during the past 10 years, or 7.1 percent of the national total. While nearly one-in-three Americans (31%) were raised in the Catholic faith, today fewer than one-in-four (24%) describe themselves as Catholic.

Archbishop Timothy-soon-to-be-Cardinal Dolan, explains it this way:

“I’m developing a theory that one of our major challenges today is that American Catholic leadership is being strangled by trying to maintain the behemoth of the institutional Catholicism that we inherited from the 1940s and ’50s.”

The hierarchy is being stanged? No way. It’s the Kodak Syndrome.

I grew up in Detroit. The Archdiocese of Detroit has closed three dozen schools and fired a third of its diocesan employees during the last decade. It now projects that as many as 40 parishes will be closed in the coming decade. When I looked at photos of an abandoned and crumbling Detroit church, recently, it reminded me of my parents’ old Kodak Brownie camera: for years it witnessed births, baptisms, first communions, graduations, weddings, and deaths and burials. Their camera now sits unused gathering dust on a bookcase shelf. Once so important a part of my family life.

Tim is a congenial fellow but I cannot resonate with Archbishop Dolan. I do resonate with the words of Franciscan Father David Couturier (just appointed Director of Patoral Planning for the Archdiocese of Boston): “We have before us a generation of young adults and young Catholics who are negotiating life and faith in a wholly different way.”

We don’t need more demolition crews. Our bishops need more smart phones.

– John Greenleaf

20120120-175112.jpg

Posted on by Dr. John A. Dick · 1 Comment

The Pope’s War: Pope Benedict’s Crusade


Matthew Fox, former Roman Catholic and now Episcopalian, has written more than thirty books. An early and impressive proponent of Creation Spirituality, he first caught my attention when he completed his doctorate, summa cum laude, at the Institut Catholique de Paris.

Fox’s most recent book, THE POPE’S WAR: WHY RATZINGER’S SECRET CRUSADE HAS IMPERILED THE CHURCH AND HOW IT CAN BE SAVED, is a powerfully incisive critique of Pope Benedict XVI’s reform strategy to shift the Catholic Church back to the nineteenth century.

As Matthew Fox outlines it, the current Ratzingerian reform relies on three powerful and secretive pillar organizations: Opus Dei, the Legionaires of Christ, and Communion and Liberation. No surprises here; but as Fox tells it, it becomes all the more unsettling. Power. Absolute power. And corruption. So very far from the humble man of God from Nazareth.

The most moving and upsetting part of Fox’s book is its “martyrology” of the great “inquisitor’s” enemies. The inquisitor of course: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Fox lists 91 men and women whose careers were either derailed or dead-ended because, in the judgment of Joseph Ratzinger’s Inquisition, they said the wrong thing. Martyrs indeed, like the venerable German theologian, Bernhard Häring, who was the first theologian to be attacked by Ratzinger.

Häring, presented a dialogic approach to Catholic moral theology in Free and Faithful in Christ and The Law of Christ. Morality, he said, follows the pattern of faith i.e. a dialogue. It rests not on obedience to the church but on the freedom of a person’s conscience that acknowledges listening to God as the basis of value. “God speaks in many ways to awaken, deepen and strengthen faith, hope, love and the spirit of adoration. We are believers to the extent that, in all of reality and in all events that touch us, we perceive a gift and a call from God.”

Häring, who experiencd a Nazi inquisition, said his inquisition under Cardinal Ratzinger’s CDF was far more scary.

Put it on your spiritual reading list: The Pope’s War by Matthew Fox

20120115-171859.jpg

Posted on by Dr. John A. Dick · 2 Comments

Cardinal George Apologizes and Vatican Ambassadors Support Romney


Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George has apologized for remarks comparing an annual gay rights parade to a Ku Klux Klan rally.

In a Chicago Tribune interview, George said he is “truly sorry for the hurt my remarks have caused.” George said he has gay and lesbian family members, and his remarks “evidently wounded a good number of people. I am sorry for the hurt.”

The cardinal’s initial remarks just before Christmas were prompted by plans by gay pride leaders to route a parade at a time that would have interfered with services at a church. He said it resembled anti-Catholic marches once staged by the Klan. The time of the parade was changed. Gay rights groups condemned his comments.

An official of The Civil Rights Agenda, which called for George’s resignation because of his remarks, said Friday that he is pleased by the cardinal’s apology. Anthony Martinez, executive director for the gay rights group, said George has set a good example of leadership by admitting he was wrong….

 

And a story just starting that could have significant implications for November 2012 Elections……

Five former ambassadors to the Vatican endorsed Mitt Romney on Saturday, 7 January,  choosing a Mormon over two Roman Catholic rivals in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. In a statement showcased by Mr. Romney’s campaign, the ambassadors said they “are united in our wholehearted support for the candidacy of Mitt Romney for the Presidency of the United States because of his commitment to and support of the values that we feel are critical in a national leader.”

Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are both Catholics and often talk about their religion and values on the campaign trail.

The endorsements could also help blunt any under-the-radar attacks by religious conservatives who oppose Mr. Romney because of his religion. Last year, some evangelical leaders called Mormonism a cult.

In the statement, the ambassadors cited what they said was Mr. Romney’s commitment to “traditional values” and said that because of his “outstanding record in defense of marriage and the family, we are confident that he understands the importance of strong families as pillars of a vibrant economy and a flourishing polity.”

 

 

 

According to the statement, the ambassadors are:

Thomas Patrick Melady (U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See 1989-1993)
Raymond L. Flynn (U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See 1993-1997)
James Nicholson (U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See 2001-2005)
Francis Rooney (U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See 2005-2008)
Mary Ann Glendon (U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See 2008-2009)

For obvious reasons, the current ambassador Miguel Diaz did not sign the statement. 🙂

 

 

Posted on by Dr. John A. Dick · 2 Comments

The UNKNOWN KNOWNS: Another Voice in 2012


Throughout 2012….

I will constructively address the contemporary church problem of the  UNKNOWN KNOWNS.

In 2011 ANOTHER VOICE had just over eleven thousand visits….I appreciate your comments!

John W. Greenleaf

He was never my hero; but former US secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld did make a statement that I will use as my editorial launch pad for 2012: “There are known knowns…there are known unknowns…there are also unknown unknowns.”

I would add that in our contemporary Catholic Church there are also “unknown knowns.”

The big problem in our contemporary church is that we have an increasingly large majority of laypeople, ordained ministers, and theologians who really do know what it means to be a believer today. And we have an ever angrier, more self-defensive, and more arrogant church leadership that glories in its ignorance of just about everything that the rest of the church has discovered and takes for granted.

Two examples:

(1)    USCCB and Elizabeth Johnson

(2)    Cardinal George and Gay Pride

+++++++

First Elizabeth Johnson’s book:

Our US bishops demonstrated their difficulty with UNKNOWN KNOWNS when they condemned and still condemn the wonderfully reflective book by Elizabeth Johnson Quest for the Living God. Her book is positive, rooted in our tradition, inspirational and refreshingly contemporary. Too bad it is an “unknown” for our bishops. Here are three Quest for the Living God  citations:

          First off, a person can no longer be a Christian out of social convention or inherited custom.  To be a Christian now requires a personal decision, the kind of decision that brings about a change of heart and sustains long-term commitment.  Not cultural Christianity but a diaspora church, scattered among unbelievers and believers of various stripes, becomes the setting for this free act of faith.  Furthermore, when a person does come to engage belief in a personal way society makes this difficult to do…. When, nevertheless persons do make a free act of faith, the factors characteristic of the modern world impart a distinctive stamp to their spiritual experience.  This is not surprising, since the path to God always winds through the historical circumstances of peoples’ times and places. Inhabiting a secular, pluralistic culture, breathing its atmosphere and conducting their daily lives according to its pragmatic tenets, Christians today have absorbed the concrete pattern of modernity into their very soul. – p. 29

           Mystical and practical, Christian life then becomes a passion for God that encompasses the suffering, the passion, of others, committing people to resistance against injustice for the living in hope of universal justice even for the dead.  – p. 67

          A simple thought experiment may bring home the depth of this biblical revelation about the nature of God. Is there a single text where in vigorous “thus says the Lord” fashion people are counseled to oppress the poor, to rob from the widow, to put on a big show of sacrifice at the expense of doing justice? Is there a text where God delights in seeing people — or any creatures — in agony? Suffering happens; indeed some texts interpret war and exile as divine punishment for the sin of the people as a whole, sin that includes precisely the acts of oppressing the poor. But even here, God’s anger lasts for a moment, divine mercy for ten thousand years. Taken from start to finish, as a whole, the Bible reveals God as compassionate lover of justice, on the side of the oppressed to the point where “those who oppress the poor insult their Maker” (Prov 14:31). – p. 76

+++++++

Now Cardinal George:

And then we have  UNKNOWN KNOWNS and Chicago’s Cardinal George who, four days before Christmas, revealed himself not only as ignorant but a self-righteous and dangerously silly bigot. NCR in a 2 January editorial clearly sketches Cardinal George’s problem with the unknown knowns:

          Whether Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George went into a Dec. 21 television interview intending to compare the gay community with the Ku Klux Klan or impulsively gave voice to something that popped into his mind at the moment, it is clear that he welcomed any opportunity to pick a fight.

          His incendiary comment, spur of the moment or not, betrays a larger context that, in the cardinal’s universe, is no secret. And that context is that anti-Catholic hordes — gays, materialists, certainly The New York Times, politicians who won’t hew their views and strategies to the Catholic line, and other societal forces — lurk around every corner and are largely responsible for all the church’s troubles…..

           But a cardinal who assesses a conflict between the time and route of a Gay Pride Parade and a Catholic Mass with the line, “You don’t    want the gay liberation movement to morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism,” diminishes any standing the church might still have in the public arena. The important issues get buried beneath the understandable outrage such comments invite. His words were not only embarrassingly imprudent, they are nonsensical as historical comparison.

          The facts also defy the cardinal’s assertion that he was backing up a pastor. Fr. Thomas Srenn did express concern that the parade route would go past the church this year at a time when the parish would be celebrating Mass. But his tone, in a statement posted on Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish website, was far more conciliatory. He noted the parish has a 125-year history in the East Lakeview neighborhood, is proud of the area’s diversity and considers the Pride Parade “one of the hallmarks that make Lakeview unique and we in no way wish to diminish its place in the community.” As a matter of fact, he met with parade organizers and the time of the parade, which doesn’t occur until June, has already been changed.

……….apologies to all who first of all accidentally received an unedited version. — J W Greenleaf