Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog

Three years into Benedict's pontificate, The Boston Globe...

... decides to take a closer look and discovers that the Holy Father is "more complex" than some people originally thought:

When the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, considered theologically conservative, became Pope Benedict XVI, some liberal critics expected a virtual return to the Middle Ages for the Catholic Church.

What does that tell us about Pope Benedict XVI? Exactly nothing. What does it tell us about "liberal critics"? Absolutely everything. But, of course, this is a complex topic, filled with mystery, shot through with enigmatic ambiguity, drenched in puzzling paradoxes, curiously packaged in non-coordinated colors, and described in seemingly contradictory sound bites. That, at least, is my simple take on it.

Pornography, electronic media and priestly formation

Pornography, Electronic Media and Priestly Formation | Sister Marysia Weber, R.S.M., D.O. | Homiletic & Pastoral Review

Pornography and electronic media have had a profound impact on American society, which includes the lives of priests and seminarians in the American Church. As a psychiatrist working with a team of physicians and therapists in a medical practice in Michigan, I see the effects of pornography and electronic media in ruined lives and shattered vocations. Statistics regarding the numbers of priests who suffer untoward effects from pornography use or inordinate media viewing are unavailable. However, gleaning information from the available statistics regarding Internet pornography use in the general population and reviewing information from interviews with priests and seminarians about their use of pornography and electronic media substantiates the conclusion that the use of Internet pornography and the inordinate use of electronic media are common among priests and religious and are important issues that the Church needs to address.

In this article, I will describe the distinction between pornography and cybersex, provide statistics regarding the use of Internet pornography, establish a connection between addictive behavior and pornography, consider contributing factors to the sky-rocketing prevalence of Internet pornography use, and offer insights into the effects of inordinate use of electronic media. Finally, I will offer suggestions for educating seminarians and priests about healthy leisure as a formative tool.             

Read the entire article...

Father Samir Khalil Samir, S.J., provides some excellent analysis...

...of the reaction to the baptism, by Pope Benedict XVI, of Magdi Allam. Fr. Samir is a Jesuit and a scholar of Islam who teaches at Université Saint-Joseph in Beirut. His comments are published in Asia News, in an article titled "Magdi Christian Allam, a contested conversion" (March 27th). He writes:

The fact that Benedict XVI accepted to personally celebrate the baptism of Magdi Allam is surprising. It must also be said that he did so without ostentation, giving the same importance to all 7 baptised, and not giving precedence to the Muslim convert. This emphasis on the Islamic convert is the work of the press, overly used to attributing political meanings.

But Benedict XVI wanted to underline that everyone, Muslim, Atheist, Christians who have abandoned the faith, are all called to the faith.  He wanted to affirm the universality of the Christian calling, not because we Christians are the largest group, but to underline that every human being is called by Jesus. Everyone has the right to know Christ. No-one is excluded.

Of course, the presence of a Muslim among the catechumens is a sign for the Islamic world.  It is the most recalcitrant group to recognise this step. The pope, without violence or acridity seems to be saying: You too are called to discover Christ and to enter into the Church, if you so desire.

<snip>

The final aspect is that of reciprocity in the duty to evangelise. The pope and many Vatican documents underline that we Christians have the duty to announce the Gospel to everyone, and that everyone is free to accept it or refuse it.

How can we maintain the personal obligation to announce the Gospel while respecting the freedom of the other? The Church resolves this apparent contradiction by clearly stating that no one can be forced to convert. As early as the 8th century Arab Christian intellectuals wrote treatise underlining that not only is violence forbidden in calling someone to the faith, but that moral and spiritual pressure is also forbidden. And they were only too familiar with the financial, moral and physical pressures that they were subjected too in order to keep their faith!

Freedom to evangelise (tabshîr), and freedom to islamify (da’wa) must be guaranteed. Christianity, for me, is the most beautiful and perfect religion, and Islam, despite its many beautiful traits, is not the fulfilment of the divine project for man, it is not the appeal to humanism. At the same time I admit that the Muslim is convinced of the contrary and it is his right, rather his duty to be so! This is true reciprocal respect: each person follows his conscience and increasingly tries to enlighten the other.

The pope does not hide his certainty that Muslims still need one more step to reach the perfection of truth. But despite this he neither attacks nor slanders Muslims. And when a Muslim says to me “it is a shame you are not Muslim!” I understand that he holds me in deep respect. And my feelings towards him are the same.

This reciprocal respect is fundamental in order to build a peaceful coexistence between religions, but also with the atheist and secularist: a society in which each person is convinced of the truth of his position, but in which he is also convinced of the others right to live this certainty and live it with me.

Definitely worth the read.

The Church Betrayed? The bishops need to investigate CRS

The Church Betrayed? | Germain Grisez | April 2008 | Catholic World Report

Why does Catholic Relief Services forbid putting its logo on the “educational” materials it provides about HIV and condoms? It is time for the US bishops to investigate their charitable agency.

The Church would be well served if everyone doing works of mercy in her name were as clearheaded and holy as St. Vincent de Paul. The Missionaries of Charity live up to that ideal in trying to help people actually or potentially afflicted with AIDS. But some working in that field seem to misunderstand charitable apostolate and perhaps betray the Church even as they act in her name.       

Divine revelation is not mere information to satisfy human curiosity. God is love. In revealing, he invites people to form a close relationship with himself. Not only his words but his amazing deeds show his love, and call people to respond and enter into ongoing communion. When Jesus announces the kingdom, he both manifests compassion and verifies his message by signs, such as curing the sick and feeding the hungry. But he does not cure all the sick or feed all the hungry, though he could. He loves us so much that he wants more for us than good health and full bellies. He lays down his life to save us from sin and death—and bring us into God’s everlasting, heavenly kingdom.

The Church never acts on her own in carrying on Jesus’ mission. Jesus is always with her when she preaches and teaches, administers the sacraments, and does charitable works. Thus, she fulfills his command to spread the Gospel and makes him really present, manifesting his love to each of his brothers and sisters in every nation until the end of time. When Catholic charitable agencies properly feed the hungry or provide health care, those who receive help meet Jesus, learn how much he offers, and are given a new opportunity—perhaps a unique one—to respond to his love and share in his kingdom.In 1943, the bishops of the United States established Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to help suffering people overseas, regardless of their race, creed, or nationality. Acting faithfully as the Church’s agent, CRS served Jesus well for many years, during which its charitable works helped many suffering people experience his love, and surely helped him lead some of them all the way home.

Read the entire article...

What does the Church and Pope Benedict XVI mean to you?

NPR wants to know the answer, if you've the time and interest to give it.

L'Osservatore Romano: Muslims now outnumber Catholics

From The Washington Post:

Islam has surpassed Roman Catholicism as the world's largest religion, the Vatican newspaper said Sunday.

"For the first time in history, we are no longer at the top: Muslims have overtaken us," Monsignor Vittorio Formenti said in an interview with the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. Formenti compiles the Vatican's yearbook.

He said that Catholics accounted for 17.4 percent of the world population _ a stable percentage _ while Muslims were at 19.2 percent.

"It is true that while Muslim families, as is well known, continue to make a lot of children, Christian ones on the contrary tend to have fewer and fewer," the monsignor said.

Formenti said that the data refer to 2006. The figures on Muslims were put together by Muslim countries and then provided to the United Nations, he said, adding that the Vatican could only vouch for its own data.

When considering all Christians and not just Catholics, Christians make up 33 percent of the world population, Formenti said.

And, from The Guardian:

Formenti said the information on Muslim numbers had been released by the United Nations, while the Vatican's data on Catholics was based on questionnaires sent out to dioceses worldwide.

"Latin America remains the stronghold for Catholicism, while the American continent as a whole has 49.8% of the world's total," he said.

Formenti said that the number of Catholic priests was on the rebound, particularly in Asia, "where there are few Catholics, but they are driven by great spirit". He described Africa as a "grand resource" for the church, while Europe and North America were struggling. The number of nuns was undergoing a "drastic reduction".

As for the enrolment of seminarians, Guadalajara in Mexico had the largest number, with two seminaries "packed full".

France, the Netherlands and Belgium were bottom of the league, while Italy was seeing a "small, very small reprise".

• Priestly Vocations in America: Recent Trends | Jeff Ziegler | A detailed examination of vocations in the U.S.

I'm agreeing (gulp!) with The New York Times (gasp!) about Benedict's visit

Or, more precisely, with what the Gray Lady says about the unhelpful way the Pope's visit will be covered by some in the media. Peter Steinfels, in a piece titled, "Pope Is Coming, as Is Clichéd Coverage in the Media" (Mar 29th), makes some excellent observations:

What is surprising about every papal visit, at least after 1965, when Paul VI addressed the United Nations, is what so many people find surprising. Each time they are surprised, for example, that the pope hasn’t abandoned the notion that all human lives, even in their earliest, embryonic phases, deserve protection and that therefore abortion is wrong.

They are similarly surprised that many American Roman Catholics honor the pope yet disagree with papal positions, whether about using contraception, restricting legal access to abortion, ordaining married men or women to the priesthood, or recognizing same-sex relationships.

This kind of disagreement may signal, as some argue, a severe crisis in church authority. Or it may be more of a norm throughout Catholic history than is widely realized. But whatever it is, it is not new.

Quite right. And:

Of course, part of the problem in getting a fix on Benedict is simply the feebleness of accepted categories for understanding any serious religious leaders — and hence the impulse to deal with them as celebrities or politicians. Of all the words he speaks during his trip here, the ones that will probably go least examined are no doubt the ones he treasures most, the words of the Mass.

Or, as I wrote a couple of days ago: "Let's put it bluntly: for large swaths of the population, if you aren't an actor, musician, athlete, entertainer, or celebrity, you really aren't that important or memorable." I dare say, that pertains to large swaths of the media. Perhaps we get the media we deserve. Or we simply accept what the media has to serve. Whatever the case, there are, I fear, going to be far too many stories that will "report" about the media's reaction to media-created stereotypes soaked up by people who trust the media for 99.9% of their information. Such stories will miss the importance of what the Pope says and does—and why he will say it and do it:

But the pope is not just another spiritual guide or priest. He has enormous institutional powers and responsibilities. To what extent does Benedict conceive of his papacy as a work of prayer and teaching? To what extent does he conceive of it as a renewal of structures and institutions? How does he see those aspects interacting?

His trip to the United States will presumably provide some clues. But they will be missed if it is greeted and framed with all the ready-made reflexes.

Well said. Mollie Hemingway of GetReligion.org comments on the same piece.

There are, as you might know, several Catholic blogs that will covering the Pope's visit in great detail, as well as the media coverage of the visit. Here are some that I'll be following:

• "Benedict in America", moderated by Christopher Blosser
• "Pope2008", moderated by Tim Drake of National Catholic Register
• "The American Papist," operated by Thomas Peters
• "USCCB's Papal Visit Blog"

And, of course, this blog will offer witty banter, deep insights, revelatory observations, and otherwise indispensable fodder for thought about the Holy Father's visit. But you probably suspected as much already.

You don't have to be an expert on Martin Luther to guess...

... that this isn't what he had in mind back in the 1520s (ht: Sheryl):

The Lutheran Feminist/Womanist/Mujerista Movement exists to celebrate the feminine persona of God/dess and dimensions of the sacred as expressed in faith, worship, learning, mutual care, and acts of justice.

<snip>

Re-imaging God is very Lutheran – Luther re-imaged God from the traditional angry God (Jesus) with a sword in one hand and a lily in the other while seated above people being sent to hell.  Via scripture and reason and trust, Luther re-imaged a loving God of grace and forgiveness.

Luther, it should be pointed out, once said, "By God's grace, I know Satan very well. If Satan can turn God's Word upside down and pervert the Scriptures, what will he do with my words -- or the words of others?" A great question for the experts, no doubt.

Rumored: Benedict XVI takes Catholicism seriously

Just in, from Daniel Gibson:

Reining in liberal forces

On the other hand, Benedict's American contacts are almost all like-minded conservatives, which may give him a somewhat slanted view of American church life. As John Paul's doctrinal czar, Ratzinger was instrumental in the campaign to rein in liberal and moderate forces in the American church. He disciplined theologians and prelates, promoted like-minded bishops to prominent posts and quashed debates over issues such as the role of women or birth control.

The tipping point -- in the Vatican's favor -- may have been a 1989 showdown in Rome between Vatican officials and American church leaders. During that summit, Ratzinger was John Paul's chief spokesman, and he told the bishops in no uncertain terms that they are "guardians of an authoritarian tradition" and must be firm and not overly tolerant: "Pastoral activity consists in placing man at the point of decision, confronting him with the authority of truth."

The article is titled, "Americans with preconceived notions about Pope Benedict may be in for surprise during U.S. visit." Fittingly, perhaps, it relies on the preconceived, not-so-helpful, and quite American descriptives of "conservative", "liberal", and "moderate." Maybe it's just me, but it seems that if you really want to do away with preconceived notions, you might want to get away from terms that lend themselves easily to misleading preconceptions. And, to be fair, Gibson does give it a shot:

Now that he is visiting as pope, Ratzinger likely will soften his tone. The pastor-in-chief will follow the model of John Paul, exhorting the flock to a greater fidelity to Rome but reminding them -- as gently as possible -- of their failings.

In addition, there may be more focus on Benedict's support for environmental protection, his "liberal" (by American standards) stands on social welfare and immigration and his continued opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Sirico expects the pope will address abortion and other human-life issues, the sanctity of marriage, prosperity and globalization, as well as academic freedom in his talk at The Catholic University of America.

"I think he is going to basically call people to look at the (Catholic) identity of the institutions," Aquinas' Marko said.

But then regresses:

Overall, Benedict is far more likely to please conservatives than he is liberals. He surely will do little to advance the reform-minded agenda of Catholics who want the church to consider changes in doctrine, tradition or governance. Instead, the pope will want to remind Catholics that remaining a counter-cultural force is the best way to push America toward a more just society and to unite fractious followers under the banner of a common, and somewhat retro, Catholic identity.

"He's calling us back to the basic message of Christianity," Marko said. "That's his genius."

Just so we're clear: "conservative" = orthodox Catholicism, while "liberal" = something else. The good news, in all of this, is that the Pope remains thoroughly Catholic.

Did Jesus rise from the dead? Hey, let's "hope" so!

Some guy once wrote—and I quote:

Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.

And the Catholic Church, following the lead of St. Paul and the other Apostles, declares:

Given all these testimonies, Christ's Resurrection cannot be interpreted as something outside the physical order, and it is impossible not to acknowledge it as an historical fact. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 643)

Well, hey, what do they know? Not as much as Barbara Nixon—at least if you believe Nixon—who is pastor of United Methodist Church in Junction City, Oregon, and author of this, um, hopeful column in today's edition of The Register-Guard. A friend read it and sent me the following examination, using one of my favorite exegetical methods: perturbed commonsensical sarcasm. His comments in plain type; Nixon's in italics:

Did you read the "guest column" on the religion page in today's R-G?

Easter Sunday, with its church celebrations, family dinners, egg hunts, bunnies and baskets, has passed. As a pastor, I am well aware that people who celebrate the holiday enjoy it many different ways. More importantly, they celebrate many different perspectives on the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Some Christians see this quite literally as the culminating miracle from God, following Jesus’ great sacrifice to put things right between God and humanity. At the other end of the spectrum are those who understand it as a grand metaphor for the rebirth that can happen in anyone — this, also a miracle from God. Between the totally literal and the highly metaphorical lie all the variations of belief about what happened and what is believed about it.

Darn those Gospels!  They're so cryptic! Why don't they just tell us what the resurrection means? And even St. Paul doesn't shed any light on this event!

Christians do not speak in one voice about the Resurrection.

But more particularly so if you're a "Christian" who is a Methodist pastor.

Personally, my understanding of the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection rises from the story itself.

Aha! Very clever of her.  Without her personal understanding, we'd be bereft.

Jesus was clearly an extraordinary teacher and healer.

Some, who are not Methodists, even call Him "Son of God."  Which doesn't seem to take away anything from His teaching and healing.

His words and actions attracted people who were oppressed, disabled, discouraged, outcast and demonized. Life was hard. Times were tough. He did what he could to fill hungry bellies and heal broken bodies.

Yeah, and too bad He couldn't do more. But He not only helped the "demonized", He actually

cast out demons, and even brought the dead back to life.

He preached about “the kingdom of God.” He brought encouragement and hope.

Preach it, pastor! He also forgave sins, and said that those who believe in Him, even if they die, shall live forever.  Oh, sorry; that's probably not appropriate to bring up about Easter.

Now, the people who followed Jesus, I imagine, were a bit like me.

True.  They weren't 100% Christians until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  That's when they began to preach about Jesus.  I bet she going to do the same, one of these days.

When I am hopeful, I begin to picture the future as I would like it to be. So for many, “the kingdom of God” meant that Jesus would overthrow the Roman government and reign as a prince of peace, ending their oppression. They considered him to be a revolutionary.

Others had no idea what to expect but they pinned all their hopes for a better life on him. He had many followers who simply knew that things just had to get better with him around!

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; she's hot on the Gospel message now!  Things go better with Jesus!

So when Jesus was arrested and executed by Rome, I can appreciate how horrified they must have been. Not only were they grieved and frightened, but they had truly lost all hope. It was hope that died on the cross.

I thought it was Jesus Who died on the cross.  But I'm not Methodist, so perhaps there's a difference with those people.

I can imagine this because of difficult moments in my own life when my hopes — my visions for the future — have been dashed by the unexpected. The deaths of my husband and my sister in a short season not only grieved me, it left me with full responsibility for my aging parents and my young adult children.

She too has been crucified.

I felt paralyzed with hopelessness. And it is in that place where I didn’t have a clue how to move forward, that God surprised me — not with what I had pictured for my life, not with an easy road by any means, but with a journey that has been beautiful in ways I never imagined.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him, can have a beautiful journey."

So, if the death of Jesus was the death of hope (literally, metaphorically or something in between), then the resurrection of Jesus is God’s promise of unimaginable possibilities in the midst of our lives, no matter what.

I think it's wise that she allows for many options here. The early Church was kind of backwards in not doing the same.  They probably would have attracted more members more quickly, if they had only told people that they didn't really know for sure what the death of Christ meant, but nevertheless, if you're willing to suffer martyrdom for His sake, your life will be full of unimaginable possibilities....as long as you're still alive, that is.

Barbara Nixon is pastor of United Methodist Church in Junction City, a congregation of followers of Jesus who respect and uphold all spiritual paths that lead to living in the love of God.

Well, at least there is truth in advertising here.  She doesn't claim to be pastor of a real Christian church.  You can't hold this congregation down to those limiting and antiquated "I am the way, and the truth and the life" words of Christ, Who was so busy attracting people to believe in hope.

For more about why the "grand metaphor for the rebirth" doesn't hold up to intelligent scrutiny, check out the DVD, "Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead?" Those who would like to learn much less about the Resurrection can go here.

• Benedict reflects on the "certainty and joy of Christ's resurrection" | March 26, 2008