Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog

Joseph Pearce to discuss "The Quest for Shakespeare" on July 1st...

...as a guest on "Kresta in the Afternoon", from 5:00-6:00 p.m. (EST). Al Kresta's program, on the Ave Maria Radio network, can be heard on the internet.

Here is some info about Pearce's new book:

The Quest for Shakespeare: The Bard of Avon and the Church of Rome  

Highly regarded and best-selling literary writer and teacher, Joseph Pearce presents a stimulating and vivid biography of the world's most revered writer that is sure to be controversial. Unabashedly provocative, with scholarship, insight and keen observation, Pearce strives to separate historical fact from fiction about the beloved Bard.

Shakespeare is not only one of the greatest figures in human history, he is also one of the most controversial and one of the most elusive. He is famous and yet almost unknown. Who was he? What were his beliefs? Can we really understand his plays and his poetry if we don't know the man who wrote them?

These are some of the questions that are asked and answered in this gripping and engaging study of the world's greatest ever poet. The Quest for Shakespeare claims that books about the Bard have got him totally wrong. They misread the man and misread the work. The true Shakespeare has eluded the grasp of the critics. Dealing with the facts of Shakespeare's life and times, Pearce's quest leads to the inescapable conclusion that Shakespeare was a believing Catholic living in very anti-Catholic times.

Many of his friends and family were persecuted, and even executed, for their Catholic faith. And yet he seems to have avoided any notable persecution himself. How did he do this? How did he respond to the persecution of his friends and family? What did he say about the dreadful and intolerant times in which he found himself? The Quest for Shakespeare answers these questions in ways that will enlighten and astonish those who love Shakespeare's work, and that will shock and outrage many of his critics. This book is full of surprises for beginner and expert alike.

• Read more praise for The Quest for Shakespeare
• Visit the book's website
• Will the Real Shakespeare Please Stand Up? | The opening chapter of The Quest for Shakespeare
• Read an interview with Joseph Pearce about Shakespeare and the Ignatius Critical Editions series

What does Benedict XVI believe about evolution and ID?

David Delaney of the Cosmos-Liturgy-Sex blog has written a lengthy and thoughtful review of Creation and Evolution: A Conference with Pope Benedict XVI in Castel Gandolfo (Ignatius, 2008). He writes:

I recently read the English translation of the book covering B16’s 2006 Schülerkreis (a yearly meeting he has with his former students) published by Ignatius Press under the title, Creation and Evolution.  That is probably why Carl Olson’s post on the book interested me. What caught my eye in particular was Carl’s reference to a Reuter’s article/post on the topic. The Reuter’s author, Tom Heneghan, recently did a Reuter’s blog post on the English translation in which he makes reference to an earlier article of his based upon the release of the German edition of the book.

Heneghan says that anyone who wants to know where the Catholic Church stands on the issue of creation and evolution, should read this book. His claim is that B16 proclaims in the book, the classic Catholic teaching on the topic called, Theistic evolution. He doesn’t explain this term but does link to a wikipedia entry on the topic which I guess we must assume is his definition. Wikipedia indicates that this term refers to those who believe there is no necessary conflict between Christian faith in creation and the theory of evolution. However, the term itself, and Heneghan’s use of it, seem to imply that the biological theory of evolution is accepted by B16 on some level.

Read the entire post.

Yawn. Speak for yerself.

A June 24th opinion piece in The Age bears the title, "Catholicism should lower the drawbridge", and the subhead, "Some changes to church doctrines would make it more appealing."

That should read: "Some changes to church doctrines would make it more appealing to me."

Any guesses what changes should be made according the author, Barney Zwartz, who is religion editor of the newspaper?

1. More reverent Masses with increased number of Latin hymns.
2. Improved catechesis that stresses objective truth over subjective responses.
3. Better homilies and an emphasis on vocations and improvements in seminaries.
4. Priestettes, condoms, and more power for anti-Vatican laity.

Hey, how'd you know it was #4? Yep:

They want to curb papal power and the Curia — the Vatican bureaucracy that is virtually all male, all clerical and unaccountable to the wider church — and to re-examine certain doctrines, peripheral accretions over time, that could be readily changed. These include allowing married priests, contraception and greater involvement by laymen and women.

Ah yes, greater involvement by laymen and women. Like a certain typical parish I attended a couple years ago that featured some 12 to 15 women up front along with one man, the priest. He was allowed to say a few things here and there, but it was obvious who running the show—and it was a show, complete with fourth-rate music and fifth-rate banners draped on the wannabe-Costco walls. At times the only way I knew I wasn't at a Protestant service was because Protestant music is never that bad. Ugh.

One more nugget of knowledge from Zwartz:

Despite all this, there is a strong similarity (not coincidental) between Christian and democratic values, such as equality, freedom, conscience and human dignity. Politically, these values are protected by the constitution, universal suffrage and an array of checks and balances. Why shouldn't the church operate the same way? Why not let laypeople vote for the Pope? They did for the first 1000 years. And it took centuries for today's authoritarian structure to emerge out of a variety of local systems.

That's right, the Acts of the Apostles doesn't even exist. Don't bother reading, say, chapter 15. Or what the early Christians actually said. After all, none of that is as appealing as creating one's own Catholicism For Me, shouting the motto: "Our kingdom for condoms!" 

• The Role of the Laity: An Examination of Vatican II and Christifideles Laici | Carl E. Olson

These numbers are not good. Or surprising.

From a column by Terry Mattingly titled "Sex, sin, and surveys" (notice to the clever mimicry of a certain television show that I have never watched):

Right now, the gay-marriage issue is making headlines. But for millions of traditional believers in Christianity, Judaism, Islam and many other faiths, this issue is linked to a question rooted in religious doctrine, not modern politics. In a spring LifeWay survey, researchers asked: "Do you believe homosexual behavior is a sin?"

The results showed a culture torn in half, with 48 percent of American adults saying that homosexual acts are sinful and 45 percent disagreeing. Considering the margin for error, this is a virtual tie.

The numbers were radically different in different pews, with only 39 percent of Roman Catholics believing that homosexual acts are sinful, as opposed to 61 percent of Protestants and 79 percent of those who identified as evangelical, "born again" or fundamentalist Christians.

A similar pattern emerged from a hot-button question in the latest results reported from the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Researchers in this massive effort asked participants which of the following statements "comes closer to your own views -- even if neither is exactly right. 1 -- Homosexuality is a way of life that should be accepted by society, OR 2 -- Homosexuality is a way of life that should be discouraged by society."

The question was not stated in strictly political or religious terms. However, with that powerful, more official word "discouraged" in the question, 50 percent of the adults surveyed said that "homosexuality" in general, as opposed to homosexual behavior, should be accepted by society.

Once again, there were sharp differences in various religious groups, with 79 percent of American Jews, 58 percent of Catholics and 56 percent of mainline Protestants calling for acceptance of homosexuality. Meanwhile, only 39 percent of the members of historically black churches, 27 percent of Muslims and 26 percent of the evangelical Protestants affirmed the public acceptance of homosexuality.

Read the entire column.

Here is the June 4, 2008, LifeWay survey mentioned by Mattingly.

And here is the Pew Forum link.

C'mon, buddy—make up your mind

I see that a new Amazon.com review of The Da Vinci Hoax has been posted:

        0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:       

        Nothing but 300 Pages of Garbage, March 30, 2008

By	Movie Buff  - See all my reviews

This book is nothing but 300 pages of two angry Christians ranting about how upset they are Dan Brown wrote a book about Jesus. Anyone who shows interest in Brown's opinion or agrees with him is portrayed as fool hearty and idiotic and those that agree with them are level headed respectable people. The Da Vinci Code is not meant to ruin Christianity and was not a way for Dan Brown to fight the Christian faith but you would never get that impression by reading this piece of lethargic whining. I could probably write a book on the problems with THIS book!

Not to be nit-picky at all, but the "reviewer" seems to be of two minds. First he claims that Sandra Miesel and I are "two angry Christians ranting..." According to the dictionary (not that I needed to look it up, but just for the sake of objectivity), ranting is commonly defined thusly:

v.   intr. To speak or write in an angry or violent manner; rave.
v.   tr. To utter or express with violence or extravagance: a dictator who ranted his vitriol onto a captive audience.
n. Violent or extravagant speech or writing.

Whereas "lethargic" is defined in a way that leads observant people to conclude it means something close to the opposite of ranting:

leth-ar-gic
–adjective
1. of, pertaining to, or affected with lethargy; drowsy; sluggish.
2. producing lethargy.
—Synonyms 1. lazy, indolent, torpid.

leth·ar·gy    
–noun, plural -gies.
1.    the quality or state of being drowsy and dull, listless and unenergetic, or indifferent and lazy; apathetic or sluggish inactivity.
2.    Pathology. an abnormal state or disorder characterized by overpowering drowsiness or sleep.

Which means, if "Movie Buff" is correct, that Sandra and I have a curious—perhaps supernatural?—ability to express ourselves in a violent and extravagant manner while also whining in a drowsy, listless, and apathetic fashion. Really, now, should people who don't know the meaning of basic words be writing book reviews? Or am I just behind the times?

The Monsignor and the Don

The Monsignor and the Don | An Interview with Fr. Milton Walsh, author of Second Friends: C.S. Lewis and Ronald Knox in Conversation | Carl E. Olson | June 30, 2008

Fr. Milton Walsh is a priest of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. He wrote his dissertation on Ronald Knox and is the author of Ronald Knox As Apologist: Wit, Laughter, and the Popish Creed, an enlightening tour of the writings and thought of one of the most elegant and witty apologists of the past century. His new book, Second Friends: C.S. Lewis and Ronald Knox in Conversation, combines his knowledge of Knox with his many years of reading and researching the works and life of another English author and apologist, C.S. Lewis.

Ignatius Insight: How did the idea for this book come about? What did you set out to accomplish in having Knox and Lewis converse, as it were?

Fr. Milton Walsh: Back in 1982, I was sent to Rome to complete doctoral studies. My Archbishop believed I had an ability to write clearly, and   he wanted me to devote myself to some aspect of apologetics. (Need I say that this was hardly a fashionable topic at the time?) I had been reading Chesterton, Newman, Knox and Lewis since my high school days, and my original idea was to produce a comparison of Knox and Lewis. However, I was under a time constraint, so my director suggested I limit my research to Ronald Knox. While in Rome I was privileged to meet Walter Hooper, Lewis's literary secretary. We had some enjoyable conversations about our two heroes, and the idea of writing about C. S. Lewis and Ronald Knox never left me. I even considered the idea of writing an imaginary dialogue between them, based on their writings. Upon reflection, I felt that this approach would seem artificial—and besides, their own expressions are far superior to anything I could imagine them saying.

Read the entire interview...

Monsignor Guido Marini responds to questions and criticisms...

...regarding some of the recent changes Pope Benedict XVI has made regarding liturgical practices. From Sandro Magister of Chiesa:

"The pope does not put on Prada, but Christ": this is the abrupt conclusion of an article in "L'Osservatore Romano" two days ago, aimed at defending the decisions of Benedict XVI in his liturgical and other attire. Curiously, the article was written by a man with almost the very same name as the famous fashion house, Juan Manuel de Prada.

But there is more in the same edition of "L'Osservatore Romano." There is an interview with the master of pontifical liturgical celebrations, Monsignor Guido Marini, who – taking his cue from a new configuration of the pallium worn by the pope – response to the recurring objections against some of Benedict XVI's recent decisions in liturgical matters:

– the motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum," which liberalized the ancient rite of the Mass;

– the placement of the cross at the center of the altar, in papal celebrations;

– the Mass celebrated in the Sistine Chapel, on the ancient altar facing the fresco of the Last Judgment (see photo);

– the return to the use of the crosier in the form of a cross;

– the placement of communion on the tongues of the faithful, kneeling.

On the motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum," Marini says that he does not know whether Benedict XVI himself will celebrate in public a Mass according to the ancient rite. And he continues:

«As for the motu proprio cited, considering this with serene attention and without ideological views, together with the letter presenting it addressed by the pope to the bishops of the whole world, a precise, twofold intention emerges. First of all, there is the intention of making it easier to reach "a reconciliation in the bosom of the Church"; and in this sense, as has been said, the motu proprio is a beautiful act of love for the unity of the Church. In the second place – and this fact must not be forgotten – its aim is that of fostering a mutual enrichment between the two forms of the Roman rite: in such a way, for example, that in the celebration according to the missal of Paul VI (the ordinary form of the Roman rite) "will be able to demonstrate, more powerfully than has been the case hitherto, the sacrality which attracts many people to the former usage.»

Read the entire piece, which includes references to Cardinal Ratzinger's The Spirit of the Liturgy.

More excerpts from that book and others by Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI can be read on Ignatius Insight.

The Year of St. Paul

As you likely know, this coming Saturday, the Vigil of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, marks the start of the Year of Saint Paul. A year ago Pope Benedict XVI stated:

"This 'Pauline Year' will take place in a special way in Rome, where for 2,000 years under the papal altar of this basilica, lies the tomb that according to experts and undisputed tradition has conserved the remains of the apostle Paul."

The Pontiff said: "In the papal basilica and Benedictine abbey attached to it, there can take place a series of liturgical, cultural and ecumenical events, as well as various pastoral and social initiatives, all of them inspired by Pauline spirituality.

"Special attention can also be given to pilgrims who from various places will want to go to the tomb of the Apostle in a penitential way in order to find spiritual benefits.

"Meetings for study will be promoted and there will be special publications on Pauline texts, to promote the immense richness of the teaching contained in them, true patrimony of humanity redeemed by Christ.

"Also, in every part of the world, similar initiatives will be organized in dioceses, sanctuaries and places of prayer by religious institutions, institutions of study and assistance, which carry the name of St. Paul or which have been inspired by him and his teaching."

Benedict XVI explained that this year must have an important "ecumenical dimension."

"The Apostle of the Gentiles, who dedicated himself to the spreading of the good news to all peoples, spent himself for the unity and harmony of all Christians," the Pope said.

"May he guide us and protect us in this bimillenary celebration," he added, "helping us to advance in the humble and sincere search for the full unity of all the members of the mystical body of Christ."

Here is the website of the Papal Basilica, St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls. 

The Most Reverend Michael A. Saltarelli, the wonderful bishop of Wilmington, Delaware, has written an excellent pastoral letter about the Pauline year. He offers six themes to consider during the year, as well as ten ways to celebrate the the Year of Saint Paul. I highly recommend it.

Our Sunday Visitor newspaper, for which I write a weekly Scripture column, has a special "Year of St. Paul" section on its website.

Finally, in addition to the writings of St. Paul, other recommended reading includes Pope Benedict's audiences on the Apostle to the Gentiles, available on the Vatican website:

• Paul of Tarsus (Oct. 25, 2006)
• St. Paul's new outlook (Nov. 8, 2006)
• St. Paul and the Spirit (Nov. 15, 2006)
• St. Paul and the Church (Nov. 22, 2006)

I would be remiss, of course, if I didn't mention that those audiences, along with many others, are available in a handsome hardcover book from Ignatius Press, Jesus, the Apostles, and the Early Church. More information and excerpts from that book can be found here. (The next book of Benedict's audiences, Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine, will be available later this year from Ignatius Press.)

I'll be posting more about the Pauline Year in the coming weeks and months. Here are some Pauline related resources from Ignatius Press:

• Footprints of God | Paul: Contending For the Faith, by Steve Ray (DVD)
• Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Romans
• Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Galatians and Ephesians
• Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Corinthians
• Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon
• Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Thessalonians, Timothy, and Titus
• Praying with Saint Paul: Daily Reflections on the Letters of the Apostle Paul by Peter Cameron
• Paul Struggles with His Congregation by Hans Urs von Balthasar
• The Apostle Paul and the Earliest Churches (DVD)
• The Story of Paul the Apostle (DVD)

From pro-choice atheist to pro-life Catholic

Jennifer Fulwiler of the "Et Tu?" blog has written an article for America magazine (ht: Amy Welborn) about her journey from atheism to Catholicism, focusing on how her understanding of abortion and what it means to be pro-life changed during that time:

Back in my pro-choice days, I read that in certain ancient societies it was common for parents to abandon unwanted newborns, leaving them to die of exposure. I found these stories to be as perplexing as they were horrifying. How could this happen? I could never understand how entire cultures could buy into something so obviously terrible, how something that modern society understands to be an unthinkable evil could be widely accepted among large groups of people.

Because of my deep distress at hearing of such crimes against humanity, I found it irritating when pro-lifers would refer to abortion as “killing babies.” Obviously, nobody was in favor of killing babies, and to imply that those of us who were pro-choice would advocate as much was an insult to the babies throughout history who actually were killed by their “insane” societies. We were not in favor of killing anything. We simply felt that a woman had a right to stop the growth process of a fetus if she faced a crisis pregnancy. It was unfortunate, but that was the sacrifice that had to be made to prevent women from becoming victims of unwanted pregnancies.

At that time I was an atheist and had little exposure to religious social circles. As I began to search for God and open my mind to Christianity, however, I could not help but be exposed to pro-life thought more often, and I was put on the defensive about my views. One night I was discussing the topic with my husband, who was re-examining his own pro-choice stance. He made a passing remark that startled me into reconsidering this issue: “It just occurred to me that being pro-life is being pro-other-people’s-life,” he quipped. “Everyone is pro-their-own-life.”

Definitely read the entire piece.

Although Fulwiler was raised in an atheist setting, her story is similar in many ways to that of Lorraine Murray, author of Confession of an Ex-Feminist, especially in how the so-called "sexual revolution" turned out to be a nightmare in many different ways. Murray writes, in the introduction to her book:

Now, if you are fortunate enough to have led a sunny life with myriad memories of joyful picnics and sweet meanderings along the seashore, writing your life story might be a happy endeavor to undertake. For me, though, the project has meant reliving bitter moments, such as a childhood crippled by my father's gambling addiction, and my thoroughly wild years in college, when I lived in an apartment complex aptly nicknamed "Sin City".
 
Some readers, I fear, may be scandalized by this book, when they realize how many years I went my merry way as a sinner, dabbling in sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and launching my own personal war against God. Other readers may glimpse themselves in these pages and think, "Oh, dear, I have been through that, just as she has! This all sounds familiar, and I thought I was the only one!"
 
The belief that I was the only one plagued me for years. There were times when I suspected that other people had gone to college to write term papers, study for exams, graduate, and get married, all the while obeying social conventions, saying their prayers, and paying their bills.
 
Then there was me. It is true that I went to college to get a series of degrees, but I did so by partying like a fiend and touting the virtues of nihilism. The T-shirt for my life would have echoed the words of Dostoyevsky: "If God is dead, then anything is possible." Of course, college days often are connected with rebellion, but my style of rebellion lasted over twenty years, and as a philosophy teacher, I was able to tempt others to join me.
 
I hope this book finds its way into the hands of others who were, or are, as nihilistic as I was, so they will know they are not alone and may realize that, no matter how deep the hole they have dug, there is always an escape route.

• From Catholicism to Radical Feminism and Back | An Interview with Lorraine V. Murray, author of Confessions of an Ex-Feminist

George Neumayr on "Religiosity Without Religion"

The editor of Catholic World Report isn't taken with Sen. Obama's glib, condescending approach to religion:

Henceforth, the Democrats would maintain the same old secularism, but shoehorn it into religious packaging. Now they have an ideal candidate in Barack Obama. Unlike John Kerry, whose respect for religion extended to calling defrocked Haitian strongman Aristide "Father," Obama has perfected this con job.

It is often on display in his oh-so-thoughtful, post-partisan musings about the "connection between religion and politics." Sort through all the sophistries and quasi-religious uplift, however, and the only connection that emerges is strategic: How can Democrats use the language of religion to win, then solidify the gains of secularism? Religion in public life, under Obama's thinking, exists not to purify the party's extreme secularism but to advance it.

Examining anew the "connection between religion and politics" means adjusting one's PR, not philosophical positions. All it comes down to is: an annoyingly large number of people practice religion in America and therefore the Dems have no choice but to posture accordingly. But the content of religion is certainly not true; there is no need to re-think the party's moral philosophy, though Obama does hope Democrats will talk a little bit more nicely to pro-lifers in the future, which leaves the Doug Kmiecs breathless with gratitude.

Indeed, Obama is very proud of his commitment to "people of faith," who enjoy a slot on his campaign web page in the "people section" two down from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community.

He certainly values their votes, but their faith is pretty tiresome, unless it happens to fortify progressive politics.

Read the entire column at The American Spectator site.

Archbishop Burke named by Benedict to head Apostolic Signatura

This has been rumored for a few days now. From the International Herald Tribune:

Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, a church law expert known for his tough stance that politicians who support abortion rights be denied Holy Communion, was named Friday to head the Vatican's supreme court.

Pope Benedict XVI's appointment of the American prelate was part of a small shuffle; the previous head of the court, Italian Cardinal Agostino Vallini, was named as the pontiff's assistant for the diocese of Rome.

Vallini replaces Cardinal Camillo Ruini, a powerful figure in the Italian church over the past 17 years, as the pope's vicar for Rome. Ruini is retiring.

Burke, who will move to Rome, will head the Apostolic Signatura — as the supreme court is called.

The court resolves jurisdictional disputes among various Vatican tribunals and hears procedural appeals from the Rota, which reviews marriage annulments.

Dr. Ed Peters has some remarks on the appointment on "In the Light of the Law" blog.

Whispers in the Loggia notes that Archbishop Burke is the first European non-European to head the Apostolic Signatura:

The first non-European named to head the historic tribunal, which dates from the 15th century, the archbishop's appointment to the prestigious post -- which, in keeping with tradition, will see Burke receive the cardinal's red hat at the next consistory -- is recognition of the top-shelf canonist's legal chops, but also serves to reflect the dominance of Signatura's docket by cases from the English-speaking world. On the more practical side, the return to the Vatican's top tribunal of the first US cleric to hold a senior post within its ranks -- the second consecutive instance of an archbishop of the onetime "Rome of the West" being called out of town to a cardinalatial post -- removes the American bishop most affiliated with the so-called "Communion Wars" from the domestic fray in advance of another presidential election season.

And, as you would expect, the Saint Louis Catholic blog has a lot of information.

Schall: "On The Risk of Listening"

On The Risk of Listening | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. | June 26, 2008 | Ignatius Insight

"The 'best hypothesis' which, to be accepted, requires that man and his reason 'give up their position of dominance and take the risk of humbly listening.'" — Joseph Ratzinger [1]

"To be precise, the universe is not infinite. It is very big, but not infinite, because it has an age: about 14 billion years, according to the most recent findings. If it has an age, it must also have a spatial limit. The universe was born in a certain moment, and it has been in continual expansion ever since." — José Gabriel Funes, S. J. [2]

I.

"We live in a transparent universe," the Director of the Vatican Observatory remarked. "We can see the light: the light from the most distant galaxies, for example, has reached us after 11 or 12 billion years. We must remember that light travels at 300.000 kilometers per second. And it is this very limit which confirms that the universe we can observe today is not infinite." The universe is "transparent" to our eyes and thus to our minds. It is not infinite. The speed of light is a constant. If some scientist suddenly discovers that the speed of light is really, say, 150.000 kilometers per second, that means the universe is half the size we thought it was. On second thought, it is much less than that, for if a diameter is half of another, the circumference of the first circle is much less than half of the second. In any case, the 300.000 seems safe for now.

Funes thinks that the so-called Big Bang theory is "the best explanation we have had so far of the origin of the Universe, from the scientific point of view." He adds the usually scientific caution: "At some time, we cannot know whether in the near or distant future the Big Band theory may be superseded by some more complete and comprehensive explanation of the origin of the universe. At the moment it is the best one, it is reasonable, and it is not in contradiction to our faith." Presumably, Funes is aware of scientific theories that may be in contradiction, as a completely materialistic philosophy surely is. If that contradictoriness seems to be the case, a scientist who had the faith would suspect that there is something wrong with the theory as science. He would seek to find out why. In that sense, it would be precisely because faith was present that a clearer understanding of science or philosophy comes about.

Funes suggests that there might well be other worlds and life on them. "Astronomers hold that the universe is formed of 100 billion galaxies, each composed of 100 billion stars. Many of these, or almost all of them, could have planets. How can we exclude that life may have developed in other places?" One presumes, of course, that above cited "100 billion" figures are, shall we say, "rounded-off," results of theory not of actual counting.

Read the entire essay....

In defense of J.I. Packer

Ruth Gledhill is The Times Religion correspondent. She is also, um, rude. And shallow. Witness:

Theologian Jim Packer, 81, who had his Anglican licence removed and is now a priest with the Anglican Network in Canada, under Gregory Venables' jurisdiction, has called on the Archbishop of Canterbury to resign. He was speaking at Holy Trinity, Eastbourne and Dave Walker has more details at his Church Times blog. My contention, voiced here at Gafcon, is that the views of a preacher unlikely to be recognised by Cantuar and who according to David Virtue does not deign to use mobile, computer or any of the new technologies actually do not matter very much. But Virtue in the press room here at Gafcon tells me he is still important.

If the comment about Packer's lack of techie credentials is serious, it is simply stupid. If it is humor, it is failed humor. Really, this is the sort of smack you would think fourteen-year-old kids would exchange in the schoolyard. Or in the chat room. Or wherever it is that young teens meet these days.

And here is why the remark is doubly stupid: since Gledhill is Queen of the Mobile Phone, Princess of the PC, and Arch-Maven of New Technologies, she could have done the obvious: stepped up to her computer, put her smirk on pause, jumped on the internet, and in 6.256 seconds learned that Packer is, in fact, one of the most important and influential Evangelical theologians of the past fifty years. He was rightly recognized as such by TIME magazine just three years ago.

And here's the thing: I'm not a Packer fan. Not even close. When I was an Evangelical, I read very little by him (I've never read his most famous book, Knowing God); as a Catholic, I've found his remarks about Catholicism to often be way off the mark, even embarrassingly naive (I'm thinking specifically of his essay, "Crosscurrents among Evangelicals," Evangelicals & Catholics Together: Toward a Common Mission, eds. Charles Colson and Richard John Neuhaus [Dallas: Word Publishing, 1995], pp. 147–174). But whatever I think of Packer's theological beliefs, I never judged them based on whether or not he owns a Blackberry or has updated from Tiger to Leopard on his Mac. (Of course, if he doesn't use a Mac, he must be, like, soooo uncool. Right, Ruth?)

Tongues and Knees

Both are in the news this week, both in the context of liturgical issues. Of course, the real issues involve reverence, worship, tradition, and much more. From Catholic News Agency:

Vatican City, Jun 25, 2008 / 04:51 pm (CNA).- In interview published in the Wednesday edition of L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict’s new Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, Monsignor Guido Marini, says he believes that people receiving Communion kneeling and on the tongue will become common practice at the Vatican.

Msgr. Marini’s comments were made during an interview with Gianluca Biccini on some of Pope Benedict XVI’s recent liturgical decisions and their meaning.

Biccini noted in the exchange that Pope Benedict distributed Holy Communion to people who knelt and received the host on their tongues during his visit to Brindisi (Southern Italy) last week. 

When he was asked if this would become a common practice at the Vatican, Marini responded, "I believe so." 

"In this regard it is necessary not to forget the fact that the distribution of Communion on the hand remains, up to now, from the juridical standpoint, an exception (indult) to the universal law, conceded by the Holy See to those bishops' conferences who requested it,” the liturgical master of ceremonies reminded. 

Some additional information from Catholic News Service:

Generally at papal Masses, those receiving Communion from the pope stand and the majority choose to receive on the tongue.

But starting with a May 22 Mass outside the Basilica of St. John Lateran, two ushers placed a kneeler in front of the altar and the chosen communicants all knelt and received on the tongue.

At a June 15 Mass in the southern Italian port city of Brindisi, the pope again distributed Communion to the faithful on the tongue while they were kneeling.

In the Vatican newspaper interview, Msgr. Marini was asked if this practice was destined to become the norm in all papal celebrations, and he replied, "I really think so."

Fr. Z (Zuhlsdorf) offers some commentary.

At the risk of redundancy (or, risking redundancy), if you are curious about the Holy Father's thinking about such matters, one of the best sources is his own book (written while Cardinal), The Spirit of the Liturgy. Find out more on the "Spirit of the Liturgy" website.

Who Is "The Universe" And Why Does It Care What I Think?

Who Is "The Universe" And Why Does It Care What I Think? | Mary Beth Bonacci | Ignatius Insight

"The Secret" is about a lot more than just positive thinking.

So Oprah knows "The Secret."

Of course, nothing remains a secret for long once it's been discussed on Oprah, what with her 80 jillion daily viewers and all. And so it is with The Secret, a million-selling movie and book about The Universe and its "law of attraction" that will grant us whatever our hearts desire, provided we think positive thoughts and believe that they will come to pass. The Universe hears our thoughts and delivers. According to the movie, "It works every time, with every person."

The Secret is very, very popular. Oprah helped make it so, having devoted several shows to discussing its various manifestations. I saw one of those shows recently. The discussion was about relationships and The Secret Apparently The Universe is a matchmaker. If we just imagine the perfect mate and focus our thoughts on him or her, we'll soon be planning a wedding. It works every time, for every person.

Except when it doesn't.

Read the entire column...

Coming soon: "Pope Benedict In America"

Available in July from Ignatius Press:

Pope Benedict In America: The Full Texts of Papal Talks Given During His Apostolic Visit to the United States

Introduction by James V. Schall, S.J.

During his six-day apostolic visit to Washington and New York, Pope Benedict addressed millions of people—in person or via the media. He gave some fifteen major addresses, ranging from his remarks to the President of the United States to his address to ecumenical leaders at St. Joseph Parish in New York, from his speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations to his message to the Jewish community celebrating the feast of Passover. In all of his addresses, Benedict spoke as the Vicar of Christ with the message of divine truth and love, of genuine faith and a well-founded, Christ-centered hope.

This book contains all of Benedict’s major addresses in a handy slim deluxe hardcover edition perfect for studying and reflecting on the Pope’s profound and insightful words on a variety of important spiritual, moral, and social issues.

Readers will readily see the truth of Jesuit Father James Schall’s statement from his introduction to this volume: “Benedict XVI is an amazingly learned man . . . There is no one else in any public office in the world that has … his breadth of knowledge and scholarship. Though he speaks the learned German academic tongue with the best of them, his writings are strikingly straightforward and clear . . . One sensed that the media understood this somehow, that this man was on top of every subject and operated at a depth few could match. The papacy does have the duty of teaching, and Benedict does teach. He also thinks and ponders. What is characteristic of him is that he not only speaks authoritatively when he must, but that he mostly offers what he says on the grounds of common sense and reason. He goes directly to the minds and hearts of his readers or listeners.”

Click here to pre-order today.

Related articles by Fr. James V. Schall, S.J., can be found on his Ignatius Insight author page.

Benedict XVI on Maximus the Confessor

From the Vatican Information Service about yesterday's general audience:

VATICAN CITY, 25 JUN 2008 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which was held in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 14,000 people, the Pope dedicated his remarks to St. Maximus the Confessor, a monk who was born in the sixth century.

The Holy Father highlighted how this saint "is another great Father of the Eastern Church", upon whom "Christian Tradition has conferred the title of 'Confessor' for the dauntless courage with which he bore witness (confessed), also through suffering, to the integrity of his faith in Jesus Christ, true God and true man, Saviour of the world".

The Confessor was born in Palestine around the year 580, said Benedict XVI. "From Jerusalem, Maximus moved to Constantinople then, because of the barbarian invasions, he took refuge in Africa where he distinguished himself for his great courage in the defence of orthodoxy. ... He did not accept the attenuation of Christ's humanity".

The Pope then explained how St. Maximus came to Rome and "took an active role in the 649 Lateran Council which had been called by Pope Martin I to defend the two natures of Christ against an imperial edict which - 'pro bono pacis' - prohibited discussion on the matter". Nonetheless, Maximus remained steadfast in his view that "it is impossible to affirm that Christ has just one nature". For this reason he and two of his followers "were subjected to a terrible trial". Accused of heresy, the saint was condemned "to have his tongue and his right hand cut off, the two organs through which, in speech and writing, Maximus had combated the erroneous doctrine of the one nature of Christ. Finally the saintly monk was exiled to Colchis on the Black Sea where, exhausted by his sufferings, he died at the age of 82 on 13 August 662".

"St. Maximus' thought was never limited to theology and speculation, ... because his focus was always the real situation of the world, and its salvation. ... To man, created in His image and likeness, God has entrusted the mission of unifying the cosmos".

"The life and thought of Maximus were strongly illuminated by an immense courage in testifying to the integral truth of Christ, without reduction or compromise", said the Pope. Thus it is clear "how we must live in order to fulfil our vocation. We must live united to God in order to remain united to one another and the universe".

The Holy Father continued: "The universal 'yes' of Christ also shows us the correct arrangement of all other values, ... such as tolerance, freedom and dialogue. Tolerance that does not know how to distinguish between good and evil would become chaotic and self-destructive. In the same way, freedom that does not respect the freedom of others and does not find a shared measure for our respective freedoms would become anarchy and destroy authority. Dialogue that does not know what to dialogue about becomes mere empty chatter". In this context, the Pope pointed out that such values "remain true values only if they have a point of reference that unites them and gives them genuine authenticity. This point of reference is the synthesis between God and the cosmos, it is the figure of Christ in Whom we learn the truth about ourselves, and thus we also learn how to position all other values because we discover their true significance".

"And so", he concluded, "Christ shows us that the cosmos must become liturgy, glory of God, and that adoration is the beginning of the true transformation, the true renewal, of the world".

Speaking of Maximus, back in 1941, a book titled Kosmische Liturgie: Höhe und Krise des griechischen Weltbildes bei Maximus Confessor (Cosmic Liturgy: Apex and crisis of the Greek conception of the universe in Maximus Confessor). It was written by Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar, who that same year published his translation of Maximus's two hundred Chapters on Knowledge. A second, substantially revised edition of von Balthasar's book was published in 1961. In 2003 it was translated into English by Brian E. Daley, S.J., and printed by Ignatius Press, titled Cosmic Liturgy: The Universe According to Maximus the Confessor. The book was praised by the Eastern Orthodox (formerly Lutheran) scholar Jaroslav Pelikan, who said of it: "The spirituality of Maximus is pithily summarized in what is probably the most profound scholarly book ever written about Maximus, Cosmic Liturgy, by Hans Urs von Balthasar."

Should the Communion fast be extended?

Dr. Ed Peters thinks it should be and outlines his argument on the "In Light of the Law" blog:

I have just published a short article proposing that the Communion fast (1983 CIC 919) be calculated from the start of Mass (instead of from the reception of Communion) and that the fast be extended to three hours (instead of the current one hour). See Edward Peters, "The Communion Fast: a Reconsideration", Antiphon 11 (2007) 234-244. Briefly, my reasons are:

1. A one hour "fast" is physically insufficient to bring the human body into a fasting state, meaning that the spiritual benefits long associated with corporal preparation for Communion are lost.

2. Making reception of Communion relevant to calculating the fast leads to distracting cogitations about the liturgy itself (e.g., worrying about whether the length of the homily or sung responses or angling to the end of the Communion line might allow one to complete the fast in time).

Read the entire post.

Benedict: The Eucharist is a mystery, not a meal among friends

CatholicEducation.org has the full English text of the Holy Father's homily (not yet available on the Vatican website), given via satellite this past Sunday at the closing Mass of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress. This passage stands out to me:

The Eucharist is not a meal among friends. It is a mystery of covenant. "The prayers and the rites of the Eucharistic sacrifice make the whole history of salvation revive ceaselessly before the eyes of our soul, in the course of the liturgical cycle, and make us penetrate ever more its significance" (Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, [Edith Stein], Wege zur inneren Stille Aschaffenburg, 1987, p. 67). We are called to enter into this mystery of covenant by conforming our life increasingly every day to the gift received in the Eucharist. It has a sacred character, as Vatican Council II reminds: "Every liturgical celebration, because it is an action of Christ the priest and of His Body which is the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others; no other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by the same title and to the same degree " (Sacrosanctum Concilium, No. 7). In a certain way, it is a "heavenly liturgy," anticipation of the banquet in the eternal Kingdom, proclaiming the death and resurrection of Christ, until he comes (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:26).

Ratzinger has written much about the contrast between understanding the Eucharist as a fellowship meal (which he denies is a legitimate understanding) and as a covenant. Two of his works that discuss it at some length are The Feast of Faith ("Form and Content in The Eucharistic Celebration," pp 33-60) and God Is Near Us: The Eucharist, the Heart of Life. Here are a couple of passages from the latter book:

And now the first question: Jesus did not, it is said [by the afore-mentioned liturgists], call for any kind of cult or liturgy, but just an everyday meal of fellowship, when he said, "Do this!" Plausible though this objection may seem, as soon as we listen more carefully to Holy Scripture and refuse to be satisfied with superficialities, it becomes clear to us that it is untrue. For Jesus did not command his disciples to repeat the Last Supper as such and as a whole; this would in any case not have been possible, as it was a Passover meal. (p 58)

And a bit later:

Yet even the second line of inquiry to which we referred--supposing that the Eucharist was built upon the daily fellowship meals Jesus held with his disciples--is unconvincing, since we know that in the first place the Eucharist was celebrated every Sunday; so that it was in fact something apart from ordinary everyday life and thus apart from everyday table fellowship. It was the Resurrection that offered the the actual starting point for the Christian shaping of the legacy of Jesus. (pp 60-1)

And here is a beautiful passage from Sacramentum Caritatis, the post-synodal apostolic exhortation penned by Pope Benedict XVI:

11. Jesus thus brings his own radical novum to the ancient Hebrew sacrificial meal. For us Christians, that meal no longer need be repeated. As the Church Fathers rightly say, figura transit in veritatem: the foreshadowing has given way to the truth itself. The ancient rite has been brought to fulfilment and definitively surpassed by the loving gift of the incarnate Son of God. The food of truth, Christ sacrificed for our sake, dat figuris terminum. (20) By his command to "do this in remembrance of me" (Lk 22:19; 1 Cor 11:25), he asks us to respond to his gift and to make it sacramentally present. In these words the Lord expresses, as it were, his expectation that the Church, born of his sacrifice, will receive this gift, developing under the guidance of the Holy Spirit the liturgical form of the sacrament. The remembrance of his perfect gift consists not in the mere repetition of the Last Supper, but in the Eucharist itself, that is, in the radical newness of Christian worship. In this way, Jesus left us the task of entering into his "hour." "The Eucharist draws us into Jesus' act of self-oblation. More than just statically receiving the incarnate Logos, we enter into the very dynamic of his self-giving." (21) Jesus "draws us into himself." (22) The substantial conversion of bread and wine into his body and blood introduces within creation the principle of a radical change, a sort of "nuclear fission," to use an image familiar to us today, which penetrates to the heart of all being, a change meant to set off a process which transforms reality, a process leading ultimately to the transfiguration of the entire world, to the point where God will be all in all (cf. 1 Cor 15:28).

Links to several articles and book excerpts about the liturgy and the Eucharist can be found on the "Spirit of the Liturgy" website.

The Introduction to "The Gift of Infallibility"

Introduction to The Gift of Infallibility | Rev. James T. O'Connor

The gift of infallibility; given by the Lord to His Church and to St. Peter and his successors as chief teachers and pastors of the Church, has, along with many other truths, become a matter of renewed theological discussion and contention since the close of the Second Vatican Council in 1965. The doctrine of infallibility, which holds that the Church and the Pope are, in specific and determined circumstances, not able to make a mistake when teaching matters of faith and morals that must be held by all the faithful, has itself been declared to be—insofar as the Pope is concerned—a matter of faith   that has been divinely revealed. This definition of faith was proclaimed at the first Council of the Vatican (1869-1870) during the pontificate of Blessed Pius IX (1846-1878).

Much has been written about the development of the doctrine of infallibility and about the meaning of chapter four of the Dogmatic Constitution Pastor Aeternus, in which the bishops at Vatican I solemnly taught the infallibility of the Pope. Central to all the discussions on the meaning of papal infallibility as Vatican I defined it has been the official presentation, the July 11, 1870, relatio, made by Bishop Vincent Ferrer Gasser to the general congregation of bishops of Vatican I.

Read the entire introduction...