I ran across another article written by a woman who recently converted to the Church. An interesting expression of her experience of the humanity of the Church in the real world.
By the way, I noticed that Elizabeth Scalia over at The Anchoress (see link at lower right under Blogroll) has commented on the article on The Saints Will Save Us.
My youngest sister sent me today an article from the Washington Post about the future of the Catholic Church in America and Europe. The author makes some interesting points. I am not sure I agree with all of them, but the piece on humility, and the part on how we have acculturated our children out to the faith has my attention.
Interesting she sent this today as we had a missionary priest from India in the parish preaching about the wave of vocations they have experienced in that country and the difficulty his diocese has in funding seminary education.
The Church is alive and well in various parts of the world.
I would welcome your comments on this.
To read the Washington Post article log on to this link.
It is so refreshing to read about the Church’s mission and efforts throughout the world. We in the United States tend to limit our awareness of Church to our immediate parish or diocese, with only a certain superficial acknowledgment of the Church Universal.
The Vatican’s website for it’s missionary work is www.fides.org When you have a few minutes, log on and you will find a wealth of information about the Church’s work in many places of the world.
It has a wonderful photo archive too, spanning decades.
Our Holy Father, I understand, wants more information to be shared about the Church’s missionary activity, more information about the Church in places other than North America or Europe. This webservice does a fine job doing just that.
Apparently, more and more information is now available about the Church in countries such as China. Let us keep ourselves aware of the Church’s needs, its character, its expression in foreign lands, and let us always keep in prayer our Catholic brothers and sisters in those lands.
The local area is once again faced with headline news of a priest arrested for allegedly having child pornography on his computer. (The accused man is not from the Winona diocese.)
The pain that this evokes in all of us is difficult to describe. The confusion it creates in the body of the faithful is significant. Already today, someone has approached me with the question, “Why, Deacon Bob, do they do this? I don’t understand.”
I have no real answer but to say, “It is so difficult to understand.”
Some will attribute this kind of behavior to the over-sexualization of our culture. Some to celibacy. Some to psychological illness. Some to earlier trauma and the inability to tolerate and moderate uncomfortable affects. Some to power structures gone awry. Some to criminality. Some to secrecy and lack of transparency.
Perhaps it is all of that, or none of it. What I do know is that it exists and cannot be denied or minimized.
I am firmly convinced that it surfaces in the context of inner emptiness and a paucity of outer connections, healthy relationships and accountability. Because of this, I find myself whenever possible trying to convince others of the imperative nature of healthy communities within the church….. we clerics cannot minister in isolation….. we need be accountable for each other…… we need to be genuinely concerned for ourselves and our brother deacons, priests and bishops….. and we have to always be thinking and directing ourselves toward the common good of the flock of Christ.
Let us pray for forgiveness and wisdom.
A reader left an informative comment on the last post to which I would direct your attention.
A couple of additional sources of information are: www.ucanews.com and www.fides.org
I can find none of the ordaining bishops listed in the article on www.asianews.it as being bishops recognized by the Catholic Church on www.catholic-hierarchy.org
That would seem to call question to the veracity of the report that Fr. Anthony Xu Jiwei’s episcopal ordination was recognized by the Holy See.
Sorry for all this confusion!
Interestingly, the episcopal ordination of Anthony Xu Jiwei is not reported on the listing of events in the Church published by www.catholic-hierarchy.org which is very up-to-date on episcopal ordinations, deaths, etc. The Diocese of Taizh0u is listed as the Diocese of Taichow, and the See is noted to be vacant.
I will try to sort this out for us.
I was reading today about the Diocese of Taizhou, China. For 48 years, it was without a bishop. Erected in 1926, it has had only one legitimate bishop: Bishop Hou Hou-shan who was ordained to the episcopacy by Pope Pius XI in October, 1926. Bishop Hou died in 1962 and the diocese has been without a bishop until last Saturday, July 10, when Fr. Anthony Xu Jiwei was ordained bishop. Bishop Xu is recognized by the Communist government and by the Pope, and thus he not only is the legitimate bishop of the diocese, but also able to carry out his ministry without having to go underground.
The Diocese of Taizhou has six thousand Catholics, five priests and nine nuns. It has twenty-five parishes, five chapels and places of worship.
Within a few years of its erection as a diocese, Taizhou had twenty-one priests. By 1957, it had 6600 faithful, but because of government persecutions, all the churches were closed and the priests were arrested. In 1984, the government reopened some of the churches but the diocese had no bishop. Two priests tried to organize the faithful until 1999, when the now Bishop Xu became apostolic administrator.
Bishop Xu was ordained by four other legitimate Chinese bishops.
Despite all this persecution, the faithful remained. Think about it: two priests were all that were left among the clergy and they kept the faith alive in the hearts of the faithful, who retained their faith despite circumstances. Two priests only and no bishop.
We have so much for which to be thankful in this country.
God bless the people of the Diocese of Taizhou.
Today is the memorial of the 120,000 Chinese men, women and children along with many foreign missionaries that died for the faith in that country from the 17th century until the early 20th century. Pope John Paul II canonized them ten years ago today.
We in the West often forget the hardships endured by our Catholic brothers and sisters in China. There is a huge underground Catholic Church, faithful to the See of Peter, alive and active in China today. They are very much persecuted and risk death and imprisonment even today if they publicly proclaim their faith. One of my parishioners has fairly frequent contact with this community in her travels to China for other reasons, and has seen personally what this is all about.
Let us pray for them today, and ask the intercession of the 120,000 martyrs in their behalf.
I am sure my neighboring diocese, La Crosse, Wisconsin, is rejoicing today. A new bishop has been announced this morning for them by the Holy Father: Bishop William P. Callahan, O.
Last month, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate from Georgetown University along with the United States Council of Catholic Bishops released a wonderful overview of the permanent diaconate in the United States.
Did you know…..
Twenty-one dioceses have more than 200 deacons.
Eighty-one percent of all deacons are in active ministry.
There are 17,047 permanent deacons in the US today.
Ninety-two percent of deacons are married.
The diocese with the lowest ratio of Catholics to deacons is the Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska (0ne deacon for every 519 Catholics).
The diocese with the highest ratio of Catholics to deacons is the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (one deacon for every 16,001 Catholics).
Eighty-five percent of deacons serve in the diocese in which they are incardinated.
Ninety-one percent of all deacons are over 50 years of age, with 62% over the age of 60 years.
Deacons are slightly more ethnically diverse than priests.
Sixty-one percent of active deacons have a bachelor degree or higher.
Only nine deacons last year were laicized (relieved of their clerical obligations/status).
Only 18% are compensated for their ministry.
These statistics seem to debunk some myths about permanent deacons. They are remarkably stable in their dioceses, despite the impression some have that they move from diocese to diocese. They are highly educated for the most part, with many having graduate degrees in various fields in addition to or instead of theology. They remain faithful to their diaconal vocation. Most of us, despite our advancing years, are active in ministry. We do almost all of it free of charge!
I think history will look back on these years and ask, “Why didn’t we fully utilized the talents and charisms of the diaconate? These men are remarkably dedicated. Most only need to be asked to serve, and they show up.
To parishes that may be struggling with certain aspects of parish life, or to dioceses that have unmet needs, I think we need to turn loose the deacons, especially in the areas of social justice and the corporal works of mercy.
We have a lot to offer.
If you are a priest who is discouraged by the crisis in the Church regarding the abuse children and the Church’s response to this inexcusable crime, take a look at what Archbishop John R. Quinn, retired bishop of San Francisco said at the National Federation of Priests Councils in Houston, Texas on April 13.
www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=12258
I think married deacons are in a prophetic position in regard to all of this. We potentially can act as agents of healing here, and understanding. On one hand, we are clergy and we have direct experience with our brothers in Holy Orders that the laity simply do not have. We have the ability to have compassion for them. But almost all of us are also fathers to children. We deeply understand that our children come first. Within the ranks of clergy, we are better situated than others in most situations to have instinctual, raw compassion for child victims and a natural sense to protect. We can advocate for all children from a vantage point that out celebate brothers cannot.
Compassion for priests and bishops is sorely needed. Compassion for our children is obligatory, primal, and cannot be compromised under any circumstances. Those who are complicit in exposing our children to sexual trauma deserve our forgiveness but our children deserve justice.
Today is the 83rd birthday of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict.
Ad multos annos!
May God strengthen the Bishop of Rome in his ministry as Shepherd of the Universal Church.
There are many in the various media outlets who are describing the Church as being in the crisis of the century. They are suggesting that the credibility of the papacy is on the line, and the Church is being split in two between the “orthodox” and the “liberals”. They predict a mass exodus from the pews.
I don’t think those who issue these dire predictions know Church history very well.
There are anecdotal reports of individuals saying they will never confess their sins to a priest again because they no longer believe priests are holier than them. In all honesty, I have known that priests are no holier than the laity for years. For God’s sake, I have found no one holier than my own mother (a convert to Catholicism) or my grandmother who was not baptized until she was in her 70s and remained a United Methodist after coming from the United Bretheran congregation.
Why is it that the Church survives? Because despite the sinfulness of its members, the Church possesses the Truth, and adherence to the Truth gives us freedom. Our very human nature gravitates to this Truth and freedom. Its pull is inexorable.
Christ was all about setting us free from our slavery to sin, and restoring us to our original dignity as sons and daughters of God. Where Christ is present, there is freedom. We obtain that freedom when we are obedient to the truth, not to ourselves. Those who seek the truth only in themselves find themselves enslaved to themselves and never find lasting happiness.
Despite the Church’s present turmoil due to sin and sickness, participation in ecclesial life brings happiness, freedom, and meaning. The wrenchingly painful reality of sexual abuse in the Church must be addressed. The suffering must be supported, and justice rendered. But the Church is more than the pedophiles in the ranks of clergy. The Church is the People of God coming together as God’s family around our Lord Jesus. The Church is a communion of saints in heaven. The Church is the flock of Christ, and yes, the flock includes a few Judases. The Church is an organized society of faith as willed by our Lord. The Church is the Body of Christ, broken and given for all. The Church continues Christ’s saving work on earth, and identifies with those suffering the agony of their own crucifixion. The Church is always the Church of the Resurrection.
I have found in the Catholic Church the truth which has set me free. Once I met Jesus, I dare not turn my back on him.
I want to include in today’s posting section 7 of the Pope’s letter to the Church of Ireland in which he addressed priests and religious who are or have been perpetrators of abuse.
“You betrayed the trust that was placed in you by innocent young people and their parents, and you must answer for it before Almighty God and before properly constituted tribunals. You have forfeited the esteem of the people of Ireland and brought shame and dishonour upon you confreres. Those of you who are priests violated the sanctity of the sacrament of Holy Orders in which Christ makes himself present in us and in our actions. Together with the immense harm done to victims, great damage has been done to the Church and to the public perception of the priesthood and religious life.
“I urge you to examine your conscience, take responsibility for the sins you have committed, and humbly express your sorrow. Sincere repentance opens the door to God’s forgiveness and the grace of true amendment. By offering prayers and penances for those you have wronged, you should seek to atone personally for your actions. Christ’s redeeming sacrifice has the power to forgive even the gravest of sins, and to bring forth good from even the most terrible evil. At the same time, God’s justice summons us to give an account of our actions and to conceal nothing. Openly acknowledging your guilt, submit yourselves the demands of justice, but do not despair of God’s mercy.”
Amen, I say.
The Holy Father today release a pastoral letter to the people of God in Ireland. His words in this letter can well be applied to all countries where the sexual abuse by clergy and religious has occurred. I want to share with you just one section of this letter, the most poignant and heart felt expression of sorrow I have heard from the Pope on this tragedy.
“To the victims of abuse and their families: You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry. I know that nothing can undo the wrong you have endured. Your trust has been betrayed and your dignity has been violated. Many of you found that, when you were couragious enough to speak of what happened to you, no one would listen. Those of you who were abused in residential institutions must have felt that there was no escape from your sufferings. It is understandable that you find it hard to forgive or be reconciled with the Church. In her name, I openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel. At the same time, I ask you not to lose hope. It is in the communion of the Church that we encounter the person of Jesus Christ, who was himself a victim of injustice and sin. Like you, he still bears the wounds of his own unjust suffering. He understands the depths of your pain and its enduring effect on your lives and your relationships, including your relationship with the Church. I know some of you find it difficult event to enter the doors of a church after all that has occurred. Yet Christ’s own wounds, transformed by his redemptive suffering, are the very means by which the power of evil is broken and we are reborn to life and hope. I believe deeply in the healing power of his self-sacrificing love – even in the darkest and most hopeless situations – to bring liberation and the promise of a new beginning.
“Speaking to you as a pastor concerned for the good of all God’s children, I humbly ask you to consider what I have said. I pray that, by drawing nearer to Christ and by participating in the life of the Church – a Church purified by penance and renewed in pastoral charity – you will come to rediscover Christ’s infinite love for each of you. I am confident that in this way you will be able to find reconciliation, deep inner healing and peace.”
There are other sections this letter address to parents, priests, and others — all worth your time to read.
Log on to www.vatican.va click on “English” and then click on the link to the Pastoral Letter to Ireland. The button is prominently displayed on the upper center of the page.
If you are news aware at all you know that the Congress is nearing some decision on the health care reform bill before it. I would like to share with you an excerpt from a statement of the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago.
“The Catholic Bishops of the United States have long and consistently advocated for the reform of the American health care system…. throughout the discussion on health care over the last year, the bishops have advocated a bipartisan approach to solving our national health care needs. They have urged that all who are sick, injured or in need receive necessary and appropriate medical assistance, and that no one be deliberately killed through an expansion of federal funding of abortion itself or of insurance plans that cover abortion…… What do the bishops finds so deeply disturbing about the Senate bill? The points at issue can be summarized briefly. The status quo in federal abortion policy, as reflected in the Hyde Amendment, excludes abortion from all health insurance plans receiving federal subsidies. In the Senate bill, there is the provision that only one of the proposed multi-state plans will not cover elective abortions – all other plans (including other multi-state plans) can do so, and receive federal tax credits. This means that individuals or families in complex medical circumstances will likely be forced to choose and contribute to an insurance plan that funds abortions in order to meet their particular health needs….. Additionally, no provision in the Senate bill incorporates the longstanding and widely supported protection for conscience regarding abortion as found in the Hyde/Weldon amendment. Moreover, neither the House nor Senate bill contains meaningful conscience protection outside the abortion context…. The bishops…. judge that the flaws are so fundamental that they vitiate the good that the bill intends to promote. Assurances that the moral objections to the legislation can be met only after the bill is passed seem a little like asking us, in Midwestern parlance, to buy a pig in a poke…… Two basic principles, therefore, continue to shape the concerns of the Catholic bishops: health care means taking care of the health needs of all, across the human life span; and the expansion of health care should not involve the expansion of abortion funding and of forcing everyone to pay for abortions.”
I agree with the bishops.
For the entire statement, log on to: www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2010/10-043.shtml
The Holy Father had an interesting comment during last Wednesday’s general audience. He spoke of St. Bonaventure and the Franciscans, but then tied into that the reality of the continuity of the Church throughout the centuries. I have translated the pertinent comments from the Italian original below.
“…perhaps it is useful to say that even today there exist visions of the Church that suggest that the whole history of the Church in the second millenium is in a state of permanent decline; others see the decline immediately after the New Testament. In reality,’Opera Christi non deficiunt, sed proficiunt’, the works of Christ do not retreat, but progress…. Even today this affirmation is important: ‘Opera Christi non deficiunt, sed proficiunt,’ ‘it moves forward’….. And while it repeats itself, this idea of decline in the Church, there is another idea, a ’spiritualistic utopia’ that also repeats itself — in fact, after the Second Vatican Council some were convinced that all would be new, that there would be another Church, that the pre-Vatican II Church would end and we would have another Church, totally ‘other’. A utopia of anarchism! Thanks be to God that the wise helmsmen of the ship of Peter, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II, on one hand defended the innovations of the Council and on the other hand, at the same time, defended the oneness and continuity of the Church, always the Church of sinners and always the place of grace.”
The Holy Father is stating what should be obvious to us all: we are one Church, one faith, one in hope, and one in love. The Second Vatican Council didn’t create a new Church; it renewed an existing Church, a Church which continues and is formed by over two centuries of saints, sinners, and the working of the Holy Spirit.
Those of us who glory in the Mass as we have know it for the past 45 years are as Catholic as those of us who glory in the Tridentine extraordinary form of the Mass recently re-authorized by the Holy Father. We are one with our Eastern Catholic brothers and sisters of the Byzantine rite, the Chaldean rite, the Maronite rite, and others. We are one. We cannot separate one from the other. We all would do well, I think, to enter into the other’s experience from time to time.
What do you think?
Congratulations to all the priests, deacons and faithful of the diocese of Ogdensburg, New York. The Holy Father today announced that Msgr. Terry LaValley, a priest of the diocese, is the new bishop-elect. He will be ordained April 30th and installed as the fourteenth bishop of the northernmost diocese in the State of New York.
To my friend, Deacon Mark Bennett of St. Peter’s parish in Plattsburgh, and to a former classmate Fr. Joe Morgan, I extend my congratulations, as I know you have been waiting for quite some time for a new shepherd.
I spent a little time in the Ogdensburgh diocese a couple of years ago when my sister and her family lived in Plattsburgh. Since then I have kept track - a little bit - of what is going on there.
May bishop-elect LaValley be everything you have been praying for — for so many months!
The Holy Father announced today, in a very formal gathering of cardinals at the Vatican, that six individuals will be canonized on October 17, 2010. Among them is Blessed Andre’ Bessette from Canada.
Those of us from Holy Cross Parish in Dakota will remember well our former pastor, Fr. Frisch, often mentioning Blessed Andre.
Alfred Bessette was born in Saint-Gregoire d’Iberville, Quebec, a town about 30 miles from Montreal. His father was a carpenter and his mother educated the children. When Alfred was nine years old, his father was killed in a lumbering accident and his mother died a few years later of tuberculosis. He was sent to live with his sister and husband. Alfred was poor in health and had difficulty doing manual labor. He exhibited early in life an intense spirituality,praying before a crucifix and speaking of the faith with his friends. He imposed penances on himself, drawing the concern of his family members because of his poor health. He left Canada when he was 20 years old, working in the United States, and returned to Canada in 1867.
Alfred joined the Congregation of Holy Cross in Montreal in 1872 and took the name Brother Andre. He was given the task of porter at Notre Dame College in Cote-des-Neiges, Quebec. He was porter for forty years. He had a special devotion to St. Joseph. Many people claimed to have been cured of diseases through the prayers of Brother Andre. His reputation grew and he was known as the miracle worker of Mount-Royal.
Andre Bessette died in 1937, at the age of 91. A million people filed by his coffin and his remains lie in the oratory to St. Joseph that he had arranged to be built. His body is in a tomb below the main chapel, and his heart is preserved in a reliquary in the oratory.