Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog

The Right Man for the Job? The Nomination of Samuel Alito | Valerie Schmalz | October 31, 2005

The Right Man for the Job? The Nomination of Samuel Alito | Valerie Schmalz | October 31, 2005
       
The stakes are high.
       
For if the U.S. Senate confirms federal appeals court Judge Samuel Alito as a Supreme Court justice, the dominant judicial philosophy of the nation’s highest court would probably shift.

Continue reading...

Encountering Christ in the Gospel | Excerpts from Cardinal Christoph Schonborn's "My Jesus"

November Book Reviews in HPR

Now available: Six new book reviews from the latest issue of Homiletic & Pastoral Review,

Meditations on the Catholic Priesthood, by Charles P. Conner
Young And Catholic: The Face of Tomorrow’s Church, by Tim Drake
Deception: Catholic Education In America, by Steve Kellmeyer
(This title is now being marketed as Designed to Fail: Catholic Education in America)
Aelred of Rievaulx: Pursuing Perfect Happiness, by John R. Sommerfeldt
The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics Without God, by George Weigel
How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, by Dr. Thomas Woods, Jr.

Why Archbishop Levada?

People have been asking that question since Archbishop Levada was announced as Joseph Ratzinger's successor as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It may seem disrespectful to ask such a question, but remember that Benedict XVI had the whole world's bishops to choose from.  Why did he pick the Archbishop of San Francisco as opposed to, say, the Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna?

We could speculate on why any particular bishop wasn't chosen--including Cardinal Schoenborn.  But that doesn't explain why Archbishop Levada was chosen. Here are some media items that may help answer the question.

1. The AP has a story here: http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/34418.html.

2.  Vatican radio has an audio file of an interview with Archbishop Levada here: http://www.vaticanradio-us.org/105live/audio/10_31_hear1.ram.

3.  A transcript of the interview can be found here: http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?id=54168.

George Weigel on "A Pope of Quiet Surprises"

The November 7th edition of Newsweek has a piece by George Weigel about Benedict XVI and how the new pontiff "has proved to be more complex and charismatic than many expected." Weigel writes:

Interpreting the coming papacy accurately is going to require a determined effort to get beyond the "liberal/conservative" taxonomy of all issues Catholic. The Vatican is at work on a document concerning candidates for the priesthood who wrestle with homoerotic temptations and passions; should Benedict approve a policy requiring that such candidates have demonstrated a capacity to live chastely, the conventional impulse will be to interpret him as a persecutor of homosexuals. The truth, however, will be more complicated: at heart and in practice, Benedict is a reformer who wants all candidates to demonstrate the ability, with God's grace, of living the challenge of celibate chastity. Chastity, Benedict will likely remind the church, is a virtue for everyone—gay or straight, clergy or laity.

Unfortunately, I doubt that many in the MSM here in America will get past the "liberal/conservative" taxonomy anytime soon. Fortunately, many people who are looking for truth and authentic spiritual depth are seeing it in B16. This isn't that surprising to people familiar with his writings of the past decades. But, of course, the readership of those writings was rather small prior to this past April. Thankfully, the readership has grown vastly, exposing hearts, minds, and souls to the thought of a man who is a vibrant disciple and vicar of Jesus Christ.

Robert George on Judge Samuel Alito: "He is a true constitionalist judge..."

Constitutional scholar (and Catholic), Princeton Professor Robert George calls the nomination of federal appeals court Judge Samuel Alito "exciting":

"He is a true constitionalist judge, a practitioner and not just a preacher, but a practioner of the idea of judicial restraint--the idea that judges should defer to legislatures where the constition has not autorized judicial intervention in the legislative process.

"That’s exciting because a lot of Supreme Court nominees, including most Republican nominees, have not been faithful to that principle in case after case after case and Alito’s record has been one of fidelity to that principle."

Watch for an upcoming IgnatiusInsight.com story on the nomination of what would be the fifth Catholic on the Supreme Court. In the meantime, check out this newly posted IgnatiusInsight.com interview with Robert George: "What To Look for in Nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court?"

Five Out of Nine

"Five out of our nine!" is what your high school civics teacher used to shout, sticking out the five fingers on his right hand and waiving it through the air. His point: it takes five out of nine Supreme Court justices to decide a matter one way or another.

If the newly nominated Judge Samuel Alito is confirmed, the U.S. Supreme Court will have “five out of nine” justices who are Catholics—Alito, Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy, and Roberts.  What does that say about the state of things?

Well, in one sense it says something we all already know.  Socially and politically, Catholics have “arrived.” It isn’t simply, as it was in John Kennedy’s day, that a Catholic could get elected President of the United States.  Catholics can actually be in the majority at the highest levels of what is perhaps America’s most powerful branch of government.

But what kind of Catholicism do the Catholics on the Supreme Court exemplify? We can’t be sure.  And that’s part of the problem.

By that I don’t mean that a Catholic justice’s position on any or most cases likely to come before the court should be predictable.  Not at all.  We can suppose that on a number of issues two or more well-informed and well-formed Catholic justices might differently interpret and apply the Constitution.  In theory, the Supreme Court decides cases, not issues.  And cases often involve fact patterns about which reasonable and thoroughly Catholic judges may differ in judging the law's relevance to them.

Nevertheless, we should be able also to suppose that on the major issues—issues touching literally on matters of life and death or on the nature of marriage—a Catholic justice’s position should be fairly easy to guess, at least when it comes to his general principles.

SCOTUS veteran Catholics Scalia, Thomas, and Kennedy have made their judicial philosophies clear enough.  Those of Scalia and Thomas, if not mandated by a Catholic worldview, are at least generally in sync with it, although some Natural Law folks will quibble with this or that element of Scalia and Thomas’ approaches.  Reagan nominee Justice Kennedy’s decisions are all over the map—often contrary to Catholic teaching, to be sure, but even contrary to sound constitutionalism.  Of course, it’s too soon to say where the newly confirmed Chief Justice Roberts will come down.  And no one knows about Alito, should he be confirmed.

The point is, we should all know where anyone identifying himself with the Catholic Church stands on basic issues. There is no judicial philosophy worthy of a Catholic jurist that would allow any reasonable person a moment’s hesitation regarding where, as a justice on the Supreme Court, a Catholic jurist would generally stand on the Constitution and such matters as, say, the right to life for unborn children or the nature of marriage. 

If clarity would make it harder for Catholics to be confirmed as Supreme Court justices, by even supposedly Catholic senators, that’s a pity. But better to be rejected for being a genuine Catholic than to be confirmed as an ersatz one.  Blessed is he who is persecuted for righteousness' sake.

How many justices does it take to render a decision of the Supreme Court?  Five out of nine, as your high school civics teacher insisted. But, how many Catholics does it take? And what kind of decision will they render?  Right now, no one but God knows.

Protect Our Daughters: Support Proposition 73 | Valerie Schmalz

Protect Our Daughters: Support Proposition 73 | Valerie Schmalz | October 30, 2005 
      
Harlon Reeves didn’t learn his 13-year-old daughter had received two coerced abortions–or that she had been repeatedly raped by her mother’s live-in boyfriend–until Texas child protective services notified him.
      
This is a situation that is not confined to Texas - as a series of call-in radio interviews in California this fall show, parents whose daughters are coerced into abortions are apalled, saddened and helpless.       

In the Reeves family case in Texas, the abortion clinic had contacted the state with its suspicions after performing the second abortion on the developmentally delayed young girl, who was brought to the clinic by her molester. Continue reading...

November HPR online

The latest issue of Homiletic & Pastoral Review is now online... or rather, the table of contents, Fr. Baker's editorial, and two articles:

Your Christ is Too Small, by Roy Abraham Varghese.  An excerpt:

We note here that the fundamental flaw in modern New Testament studies and the numerous “searches” for the “historical Jesus”—from Reimarus to the Jesus Seminar—may be described as the “fish out of water” syndrome. There are two ways to study a fish: either as it swims around in its natural habitat or when it is taken out of the water and set on a dry surface. Both ways of studying it will yield radically different results. In the first instance, the fish is alive and acting in its natural mode. In the second, it struggles to survive, then dies and finally rots. The contention here is that the search for the historical Jesus—especially as practiced in the last two hundred years—belongs to the second category where the subject of study is a fish out of water. A historically legitimate study of the New Testament is possible only if it is carried out within the context of the community that gave it birth—and it is in this context that we should consider the Jesus of history.

Also available: The Da Vinci Code: Conspiracy or Communion?, by Stephen F. Brett.  An excerpt:

Some are inclined to dismiss the furor about The Da Vinci Code, claiming that it’s merely fiction. Sadly, it’s so much more than fiction: it’s blasphemy, heresy and crudity powerfully packaged for maximum sales and maximum injury to the Catholic Church . It’s not merely theology produced by P.T. Barnum; it’s thuggery masquerading as theology.

I'll be posting the November book reviews soon... happy reading!

Jeff Grace
Managing Editor, HPR

IgnatiusInsight.com: "God’s Little Trojan Horse on Crutches": Raymond Arroyo on Mother Angelica

"God’s Little Trojan Horse on Crutches": Raymond Arroyo on Mother Angelica | An Interview with Valerie Schmalz | October 28, 2005 
       
"When she launched into cable, she was 58 years old with diabetes,a bloated heart, a twisted spine and two lame legs and $200 in the bank. The woman had everything going against her…Surely God moved in some incredible way through this life."
         
Raymond Arroyo is best known as host of "The World Over" on EWTN. His new biography on the founder and driving force of Eternal World Television Network, Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles, hit the New York Times best-seller list the first week it was out, and sits there still.
       
Arroyo calls Mother Angelica "God’s little Trojan horse on crutches." He attributes the success of his biography of her to God’s grace and to the remarkable story of the feisty former Rita Rizzo of Canton, Ohio. Mother Angelica is the story of the founder of the largest religious broadcasting network in the world, of a women who in 2000 gave away all control to a lay board rather than leave it open to the takeover attempt she believed was brewing among some in the USCCB.
       
That brawl was just one found the fascinating story of EWTN and Mother   Angelica. Arroyo’s book is a page-turner–an unauthorized biography that left full control in Arroyo’s hands but written with the full cooperation of Mother Angelica. It is clear he deeply respects and loves the outspoken 82-year-old cloistered nun who is now nearly silenced by a stroke and cerebral hemorrhage.
       
As Arroyo recounts, "One evening, before shooting her live show, she gave me but one instruction, which has haunted me to this day: ‘Make sure you present the real me. There is nothing worse than a book that sugarcoats the truth and ducks the humanity of the person. I wish you forty days in Purgatory if you do that!’"
       
Arroyo himself has been on a roller coaster. His family’s home was flooded in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina and his wife gave birth to their third child within a few days of the book’s launch. He says he is not sure where the family will land permanently. Prior to the hurricane, he had commuted weekly from New Orleans to Birmingham, Alabama. Read interview.

Sen. Brownback Praises Miers Withdrawal from Supreme Court Nomination

Senator Brownback was one of the very first to criticize the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. In a recent interview with IgnatiusInsight.com he did not flatly reject advising President Bush to withdraw Miers' name and said the Senate Judiciary Committee would take seriously its obligation to apply "due diligence". Today, after her withdrawal from the process, Brownback issued this statement:

“Today Harriet Miers withdrew her name from consideration for the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

“This was a difficult and courageous move for Ms. Miers and the president to make, but I think it was the right move.  I appreciate the difficulty of this decision and I have a great deal of respect for their willingness to do so.

“The White House and the Senate faced an impasse on the release of documents.  My colleagues and I in the Senate needed information about what Ms. Miers worked on at the White House.  Understandably, the White House did not want to compromise executive privilege by providing this information.

“Looking ahead, it's time we have a discussion with America about which way the Supreme Court goes.  I am hopeful the president puts forward a well-qualified, conservative jurist with a clear legal philosophy, just like he talked about during the campaign.”

Lookng forward to the next nominee--Brownback said he was looking for a strict constructionist with a well-developed judicial philosophy. Catholic constitutional scholars Robert George, Bernard Dobranski and James Hitchcock, interviewed by IgnatiusInsight all said that a clear philosophy of how to apply the Constitution to modern day legal tussles was much more important than personal faith--which was one of the issues at the heart of the objections to Miers.

The sustained and strategized attack on Christmas

That's the topic of a NRO interview with Fox News Channel host John Gibson in his new book, The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought. Gibson states:

I think there is a general war on Christians underway in our country. You hear it in political discussions all the time when a Democrat or a liberal will decry the power of those "right wing evangelical Christians," and you hear it in the arguments about Intelligent Design, abortion, prayer in school, the Ten Commandments on courthouse walls, and frankly, a bunch of other ordinary discussions.

So in The War on Christmas I expose how that casual, accepted anti-Christian bias shows up once a year around Christmas when people in positions of petty power, such as school administrators, or municipal-hall managers, will suddenly pop up saying things like "We can't have that Christmas tree in here because it's too Christian." I had a long discussion with a city human-resources manager who said precisely that. What I find shocking is that people like that man do not hear the sound of their voices. Substitute any other religion for the word "Christian" and these very people would be up in arms with the cry of prejudice and bias, but if the bias is directed at Christians, it is perfectly acceptable.

Also, if you look at the newspapers over the last five years you find these stories popping up every Christmas season, with almost exactly the same arguments made, and almost exactly the same result each time: disaster.

Read entire interview...

Designed Beauty and Evolutionary Theory | Thomas Dubay, S.M.

Designed Beauty and Evolutionary Theory | Thomas Dubay, S.M.
       
Beauty and design are indeed the language of God. At this point in our study we need no longer multiply examples of the stunning splendors with which we are surrounded on every side, and most especially in the living kingdoms. Two reflections are now in order.

Continue reading...

Will the Vatican Forbid Ordination of Lesbians Trapped in Men's Bodies?

So asks Mark Brumley, (who would be blogging this item except that TypePad has been a frustrating and miserable mess and he's unable to post at the moment.) Mark writes:

Apparently, someone at the Daily Nebraskan thinks so.  In an interesting and otherwise largely positive article on the Diocese of Lincoln's success in fostering priestly vocations, Daily Nebraskan writer Mike Fritz described the upcoming Vatican document on homosexuality in seminaries.

"The Vatican also is soon expected to release a document that will exclude gays and lesbians – even those who remain celibate – from entering the priesthood, which could result in further national shortages," Fritz writes.

Hmmm. Since only men can be priests and only women can be lesbians, it is difficult to understand what, exactly,  Mr. Fritz supposes the Vatican document will say. How will it exclude any lesbians who are not already excluded by virtue of the male-only priesthood?  Unless, of course, Mr. Fritz supposes men can be lesbians.

The Blessed Mother vs. Wonder Woman

Fr. Shane Tharp of Catholic Ragemonkey takes on the issue of  "Why the Blessed Virgin Mary Is Better Than Wonder Woman or My Mom Can Beat Up Your Feminist Icon" and produces some humorous—and insightful—comments.

Roy Schoeman speaking at Gonzaga U. tonight; other upcoming IP author appearances

• Roy H. Schoeman, author of Salvation Is From the Jews, will be giving a talk at Gonzaga University (Spokane, WA) tonight (Wed., October 26th). Details can be found here. Other appearances and talks by Roy can be found on his website, www.salvationisfromthejews.com.

• Thomas J. Nash, author of Worthy         Is The Lamb: The Biblical Roots of the Mass, will be a featured speaker at the Diocese of Harrisburg's (Pennsylvania) Catechetical Conference, held Saturday, November 5th at the Cardinal Keeler Center in Harrisburg. Information can be obtained through the diocesan website, or by calling Ronda Shultz at 717-657-4804, ext. 223.

• I will be giving three talks in Seattle, WA, this coming weekend at events hosted by Trinity Formation Resources. On Friday, October 28th, from 7:00-9:30 p.m., Dr. Tom Curran and I will be talking about the "Rapture," the Left Behind books, and a Catholic perspective about the "end times." Those talks will be at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, Parish Hall (2303 54th Ave. E, Fife, 98424. Exit #137 off of I-5, then one block East on 54th St.)

On Saturday, October 29th, from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., Tom and I will be giving talks about The Da Vinci Code at St. Brendan Catholic Church, Parish Hall (10100 NE 192nd St., Bothell, 98011; for directions, please call 425-483-9400). All of the talks are free of charge.  

Unofficial translation of Synod's propositions are being made available...

... by ZENIT. Propositions 1-4 can be read here; 5-10 can be read here. All are worth reading, of course, but Proposition #6 caught my attention:

Proposition 6: Eucharistic Adoration

The Synod of Bishops -- recognizing the manifold fruits of Eucharistic Adoration in the life of the People of God, in a large part of the world -- forcefully encourages that this form of prayer -- so often recommended by the venerable Servant of God John Paul II -- be maintained and promoted, according to the traditions, both in the Latin Church as well as in the Oriental Churches. It recognizes that this practice springs from Eucharistic action that, in itself, is the greatest act of adoration of the Church, which enables the faithful to participate fully, consciously, actively and fruitfully in the sacrifice of Christ, according to the desire of the Second Vatican Council, and refers to the same. Thus conceived, Eucharistic adoration keeps the faithful in their Christian love and service to others, and promotes greater personal sanctity as well as that of the Christian communities. In this connection, the renewal of Eucharistic adoration, also among young people, is manifested today as a promising characteristic of many communities. For this reason, in order to foster visits to the Blessed Sacrament, care must always be taken, insofar as possible, that churches in which the Blessed Sacrament is present stay open.

May pastoral programs help communities and movements to know the appropriate place of Eucharistic adoration in order to cultivate the attitude of wonder before the great gift of the real presence of Christ. In this connection, Eucharistic adoration is encouraged also in the course of preparation for First Communion.

To promote adoration, it is appropriate to recognize especially institutes of consecrated life and associations of the faithful dedicated especially to it in different ways, and to help them so that Eucharistic devotion will be more biblical, liturgical and missionary.

Dialogue Is Never Enough | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. | October 25, 2005

Dialogue Is Never Enough | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. | October 25, 2005

Publisher of "The San Diego Reader" fights abortion, supports Proposition 73

The LATimes recently ran a feature about James E. Holman, the publisher of "irreverent and wildly successful weekly, the San Diego Reader," and his strong support of Proposition 73:

This year, the strict Catholic from Coronado is tapping his sizable fortune to advance a November ballot measure that would make it harder for girls to terminate pregnancies in California. Proposition 73 would require doctors to notify a minor's parents at least 48 hours before performing an abortion. Teenagers facing a medical emergency, or obtaining permission from a judge, would be exempt.

Records show that Holman, 59, is by far the leading contributor to the cause, providing more than $1.1 million of the nearly $1.8 million reported by backers so far. His contributions have included loans, cash and nonmonetary donations, with much of the money used to pay for the gathering of signatures needed to qualify the measure for a vote.

So what motivates Holman?

A father of seven, Holman has been described in some accounts as a recluse and ultraconservative ideologue. Friends say that portrait is off the mark.

Rather, they say, the lean, graying-at-the-temples publisher is a cerebral man who tilts libertarian but is defined mostly by his deep religious beliefs. He attends Mass daily and counts priests among his close friends. He once took an extended leave from his newspaper to work with a missionary group on Los Angeles' skid row.

Despite his substantial wealth, Holman takes the bus to work, eats sack lunches and lives modestly — an anti-consumerist lifestyle his friends attribute to his faith. In addition to the Reader, he publishes four lay Catholic papers — in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tijuana — that routinely skewer bishops and others who stray from the official teachings of the church in Rome. The papers also reflect the Catholic doctrine that homosexual acts are sinful.

Quick musings on recent news about The Coded Craziness

Quick musings on recent news about The Coded Craziness

• Dan Brown says he approves of the movie version of his mega-selling novel. The Broadcaster reports that Brown said the following at the New Hampshire Humanities Council's 16th annual dinner this month:

"The novelist is always the adaptation's most skeptical audience, but I've got to tell you, I think this movie will blow people away," Brown told a soldout crowd of 800 at the event, an audience that included his wife and parents. "The script has emerged as powerful and thought-provoking, and the cast is world-class. I truly believe moviegoers will come out of the theater feeling like they've just watched the novel."

I suppose that helps answer The Big Question of how closely the producers and director Ron Howard would stick to the novel. I do wonder, though, how similar the two could be if the movie really is "powerful and thought-provoking." The novel was provoking, yes, but "thought-provoking"? Yikes.

• Other powerful and thought-provoking tidbits from Mr. Brown, whose keynote address was titled “Symbols, Secrets, Science & Scripture: Beyond The Da Vinci Code” (pictures here!):

"I was not born with the luxury of absolute certainty or absolute faith. I have a lot of questions. I've written a novel in which fictional characters ask some of those questions and offer possible answers."

Addressing the controversy the book has sparked, Brown said: "Readers are smart people, capable of deciding for themselves how much of this novel makes sense to them and how much they want to believe. And as for whether or not we're all getting a little too worked up over this book, a very wise British priest was quoted recently that 'Christian theology has survived the writings of Galileo and the writings of Darwin. Surely it will survive the writings of some novelist from New Hampshire.'"

As other interviews and Brown's website indicates, this is typical Brown-speak, which manages to be both boring and snitty at the same time. Has anyone really ever doubted that Christianity and orthodox Christian theology will "survive" the Coded Craziness? Naw. But some of us have been worried about the minds and souls of many readers, who apparently think Brown is a marvelous mixture of Buddha, Harrison Ford, and Tom Clancy.

• Lawyers are getting set for the big fight over whether or not Brown plagiarized from Holy Blood, Holy Grail (more details in this earlier post):

    The London office of Washington DC's Arnold & Porter and London firm Orchard Solicitors are preparing to do battle over Dan Brown's bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code. Orchard partner Paul Sutton is acting for two authors, Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, who claim that Brown copied substantial material from their 1982 book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail. That book, like Brown's, deals with the history surrounding the mythology of the quest for the Holy Grail. ...

    The case kicks off this week with a preliminary hearing on liability before the main trial, which is scheduled for February 2006. The outcome of the case could affect the release of the blockbuster movie of Brown's novel, which will star Tom Hanks and which is due for release next May.

No word yet if the lawyers will argue that Holy Blood, Holy Grail is "powerful and thought-provoking."

• Finally, Palm Beach Post Religion columnist Steve Gushee has penned a silly and insulting piece titled, "Church misses chance to grow with 'Da Vinci'," in which he chides "the Church" and her leaders for failing to ask tough questions about Jesus and his humanity:   

The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown, Doubleday, 2003, $24.95)is an exciting page-turner that explores the possibility that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had a child. It reworks the fable of the Holy Grail, draws the reader into medieval intrigue and raises questions about the humanity of Jesus that millions of people have asked without satisfaction.

    Wise, unthreatened church groups would encourage people to see the movie and then join a discussion group searching for the real Jesus.

    The church also has a compelling story to tell about Jesus that is chock full of mystery, sacrifice, dedication and love. That page-turner, however, is too often lost in theological mumbo jumbo, institutional resistance to new ideas and fear of being honest about the humanity of Jesus.

    Jesus almost certainly was single and not a biological father, but he just as certainly could have been married and a father. If he was truly human, as the church insists, he unquestionably had a healthy sexuality and feelings he simply had to consider and, like the rest of us, manage.

    Church leaders purged all of that very human struggle from the New Testament record. It remains taboo for discussion in proper church circles.

Gushee's comments do reveal a couple of clear truths: he has obviously never studied the Bible, early Church history, the early ecumenical Councils, or the countless works of Catholic (and Orthodox and Protestant, for that matter) theology written by great theologians that explore  the mystery of the Incarnation in ways that would surely melt most religious columnist's brains. Secondly, he makes the very common mistake of equating "humanity" solely with "sexuality" and "feelings." I'll stick with the real Jesus, thanks very much, who was much larger and dynamic than Gushee seems able to comprehend.