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The Pastoral Mandate, Politicians and Religious Liberty

The Pastoral Mandate, Politicians and Religious Liberty | Joe Tremblay | Homiletic & Pastoral Review

Is this threat to religious liberty a political problem, or is it a pastoral problem?

On January 19th, 2011, EWTN’s The World Over with Raymond Arroyo aired an interview with New York’s Archbishop Timothy Dolan. To his credit, Raymond Arroyo represented the concerns of many Catholics by asking the Archbishop about his pastoral position on discipline as it pertained to New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo. As most viewers know, Cuomo had long been an unapologetic advocate of abortion rights. In June of 2011, however, he took his public dissent from Catholic teaching to yet another level. The governor signed a bill making same-sex marriage legal in the state of New York. Cuomo, mind you, is a highly visible public figure who calls himself a “Catholic” and one who attends Mass from time to time. Accordingly, Raymond Arroyo asked where the governor of New York stood in relation to the Church to which he professed allegiance. Archbishop Dolan answered by saying that the talks between him and Cuomo are on-going, maintaining: “Our job is to invite people in and try to patiently change hearts—and not be throwing people out” (New York Daily News June 17th 2011).  I think it is fair to say that many U.S. bishops, especially in several of the archdioceses in the United States, concur with Archbishop Dolan on this form of dialogue.

Religious Liberty
The next day, January 20th, the Catholic News Agency reported that “the Department of Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the administration would not expand a religious exemption for employers who object to its ‘preventative services’ mandate.” In other words, the Obama administration made it known that they would mandate that, against their will, Catholic agencies must provide abortifacients, contraception, sterilization, etc., in their health care coverage. In fact, these Catholic agencies have until August of 2013 to comply with the federal health care mandate. Archbishop Dolan did not mince words when he told the press what he thought of it. He said: “In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences.” In fact, a day earlier the Holy Father weighed in with these sobering words: “No one who looks at these issues realistically can ignore the genuine difficulties which the Church encounters at the present moment.” Indeed, Pope Benedict’s “Dictatorship of Relativism” is on the march in America.

Asking Important Questions
The question then becomes: Is this threat to religious liberty a political problem, or is it a pastoral problem?

Continue reading at www.HPRweb.com.

A Scripture Primer for a Skeptical Age

A Scripture Primer for a Skeptical Age | Thomas P. Harmon | Catholic World Report

John Bergsma’s new introduction to the Bible is concise and accessible, with a humorous touch.

There is a lovely early American hymn entitled “Fulfillment” that begins,

See how the Scriptures are fulfilling,
Poor sinners are returning home;
The time that prophets were foretelling,
With signs and wonders now is come.
The gospel trumpets now are blowing
From sea to sea, from land to land;

Much of the exuberance of the early Christians stemmed from the extraordinary realization that the Scriptures had been fulfilled within their lifetimes and in their sight (one is tempted to say, right under their noses).  Their exuberance is present in Peter’s speech to the crowds on Pentecost, when he points out Christ’s fulfillment of the promises given to David with a chain of references to the Prophet Joel and the Psalms (Acts 2:14-36); it’s also present in Paul’s speech in the Synagogue in Antioch, where Paul shows that Christ is the fulfillment of God’s dealings with Israel from Moses to David (Acts 13:13-41). Christ’s words in Matthew 13:17 nicely capture the bewilderment of the early Christians that so many of their fellows remained unmoved: “Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it; and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” 

The message that Christ fulfilled the Scriptures was the bedrock of the early Christian mission to the Jews and the source of much of their energy. That exuberance has continued to be vital force in the Church ever since. But the message that Christ fulfilled the Scriptures has been obscured in recent years. The modern methods of interpreting the Bible, often subsumed under the heading of “the historical-critical method,” have given us many good things. We know more about biblical times, the languages of the Bible, the natural and architectural environment of the Bible, etc., than we ever have before.  At the same time, those discoveries have been bought at a price. The historical-critical method proceeds by breaking up the Bible into its constituent parts, examining texts and parts of texts for their source, form, and context. The underlying assumption of most historical-critical scholarship is that, not only can we not rely on the divine inspiration of Scripture to provide unity to the Bible, but even the individual books and parts of individual books are the result of random, subrational processes. We cannot, therefore, find unity in the books of the Bible even on the human level. The result is that, when the unity of the Bible is denied, so also is its intelligibility. It is no wonder so many contemporary people find Christianity unbelievable when a large percentage of those who spend their lives studying the Bible think that it is unintelligible.

Continue reading on the CWR site.

File under: Oh, now you tell us!

The New York Times reviews the new book, Leonardo and The Last Supper, authored by Ross King, and alerts the world to this little news flash:

Mr. King deftly situates the painting in a historical context — against political events in Italy at the time, religious attitudes of the day and contemporaneous developments in art — and also places it in the context of Leonardo’s career, deconstructing the ways the painter broke with tradition and stamped a familiar and much depicted subject with his distinctive vision.

There isn’t much that’s substantially new in the book — Mr. King appears to draw heavily on the work of Mr. Clark and other Leonardo experts, like Martin Kemp, as well as on Leonardo’s writings — but he does a fluent and insightful job of weaving together all his research.

On several much-debated issues, Mr. King does not hesitate to serve up his opinions. He asserts that the girlish-looking figure sitting on Jesus’ right is John — not Mary Magdalene, as a character in Dan Brown’s best seller "The Da Vinci Code" famously argued. John, Mr. King contends, was traditionally portrayed as “a youthful and slightly feminine figure among his mostly bewhiskered and older companions.”

He says that one of Leonardo’s sketches played with “the idea of placing John asleep on Christ’s breast” — the way he was often traditionally depicted at the Last Supper — but that Leonardo ended up having John lean toward Peter instead in order to isolate Jesus spatially in the composition.

When the Times reviewed Brown's mega-selling novel almost ten years ago, however, it somehow overlooked the, uh, significant liberties taken in the pulpy volume with art history—not to mention Scripture, Church history, theology, and much more—describing it as a "riddle-filled, code-breaking, exhilaratingly brainy thriller" and a "gleefully erudite suspense novel". Sure, the novel rushes breathlessly to "the brink of overkill", but no need to question anything in it, as "in the end Mr. Brown gracefully lays to rest all the questions he has raised." (in fact, the ending of the novel is the clunker to outclunk all clunkers). What Mr. King says is correct; in fact, there isn't an actual act historian worth his weight in pigments and paint brushes who would thinks otherwise. As Sandra Miesel and I wrote in The Da Vinci Hoax:

The grouping of John, Judas, and Peter is purposeful. The group [of three] at Christ’s right, John, Judas, and Peter", Steinberg points out, "clusters the three who are destined for roles in the Passion." Judas betrays Jesus, Peter denies Jesus, and John–"the disciple whom Jesus loved" (Jn 13:23;19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20)–was the only apostle to stand at Jesus’ cross (Jn 19:26-7). Steinberg states that there are also "significant pairs" in the painting, including Peter and John, and Jesus and John. Peter and John are often companions (cf. Lk 22:8), and personify "the active and contemplative life" and are "shown putting their heads together". Hearing the prophecy of impending betrayal, Peter lunges forward, his hot temper and desire to defend his Master evident. John is the quiet, reflective contemplative who internalizes the distressing news, his hands folded in a prayerful manner appropriate to the coming death of Jesus. These two true apostles frame Judas, the traitor, who personifies greed and disloyalty. Although Jesus and John are depicted as being apart from each other, their mirrored images indicate that they are "soulmates . . . matched in outline, in (original) hue of garment and tilt of head."

Viewing a reproduction of the painting, Sophie sees "flowing red hair, delicate folded hands, and the hint of a bosom" (243). The figure is undoubtedly effeminate, as Leonardo depicted the youthful John in the early-sixteenth-century Florentine style. This approach can be seen in other paintings of the period, including Leonardo’s own Saint John the Baptist (c. 1413-16), which depicts a young man who is quite effeminate in appearance and also has flowing hair and delicate hands. As for the "hint of bosom", it can only be found in the feverish imagination of those subscribing to Brown’s theory–Leonardo’s painting reveals no "hint" at all, unless viewers are willing to see what Brown suggests they see, despite lack of visual evidence.

There is no suggestion, in Leonardo’s sketches or writings, that the figure is Mary Magdalene. There is, however, evidence that is the apostle John. In a sketch for the painting, Leonardo depicts John "leaning over, face down; Christ resting one arm on John’s back as he turns toward Judas . . ."

The point is this: almost a decade after Brown's novel came out, The Da Vinci Code is cemented as a cultural landmark, to the degree that countless stories about art and religion now make reference to it, as if one must bow low before the silly piece of literary trash before entering the halls of history. One might say it is a situation of the tail wagging the dog, but it's even worse, because the tail doesn't even exist. Still, on the bright side, it's nice that the Times finally got around to curtailing its original enthusiasm about The Da Vinci Code, even if years too late and far too indirectly.

The Pope, the Blind Man, and the New Evangelization

by Fr. James V. Schall, S.J.

“The interpretation [of St. Augustine] that Bartimaeus was a man who had fallen from a condition of ‘great prosperity’ causes us to think. It invites us to reflect on the fact that our lives contain precious riches that we can lose, and I am not speaking of material riches here.”

— Pope Benedict XVI, Homily, October 28, 2012.

The homilies of the Pope Benedict XVI are always distinguished by the many levels at which he addresses us. This pope is a teacher; he is a scholar. He always tells us the context of what he is talking about. He speaks on the matter at hand, usually the text in the Mass he is celebrating. For the Mass at the end of the Synod, which is the Mass of the Thirtieth Sunday of the year, the text of the Gospel concerns one Bartimaeus, a blind man whom Christ encounters outside of Jericho.

In the structure of Mark’s Gospel, Benedict tells us, this curing of Bartimaeus’ blindness occurs at an important point. “The whole of Mark’s Gospel is a journey of faith, which develops gradually under Jesus tutelage.” In one sentence, we are given the whole scope of this particular Gospel. The first “actors” on this journey are the apostles themselves. Evidently, they are being taught something that they may not be aware of. The journey or pilgrimage is to the Holy City. Jesus is now going there. He knows what is in store for Him. He is with some disciples and many people.

These people will be the ones who later “recognize” Him as the Messiah as He rides into the Holy City when He arrives there. Bartimaeus is begging by the side of the road. He is blind. The healing of Bartimaeus is the “last miraculous healing before Jesus enters His passion.” Here Benedict tells us it is not an “accident” that the man is blind. “We know from other texts that the state of blindness has great significance in the Gospels. It represents man who needs God’s light, the light of faith, if he is to know reality truly and to walk the path of life.” God is light. Darkness is to lack light, not to know, to disbelieve. That is a remarkable sentence. If we are to know “reality,” if we are to know what is, we need, in addition to our minds (but not apart from them), faith, trust in the Word, in the Light. It looks like the man who does not have faith does not know reality. We will remain blind without the light of faith, even if we see.

Irish Priestly Vocations in Worrying Decline

Irish Priestly Vocations in Worrying Decline | Michael Kelly | Catholic World Report

Number of priests projected to shrink by 75 percent in the next 30 years.

For a week last June, the International Eucharistic Congress, held in Dublin, was a beacon of light and vibrancy that Irish Catholicism has been sadly lacking in recent years. Almost two decades of clerical abuse scandals, bishops resigning for failing to protect children, and an often-hostile media reveling in the Church’s misfortune have taken their toll.

The Eucharistic Congress afforded Irish Catholics the opportunity to come together and celebrate their common faith. Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin said “the extraordinary interest that was shown for the workshops and catecheses of the Congress tells us just how much thirst there is in our Catholic community to deepen the understanding of our faith.”

The Dublin Eucharistic Congress provided a striking counterbalance to a creeping narrative that sees Irish Catholicism in terminal decline.

Irish Catholics have shown a resilience in the face of aggressive secularism and Church failings that has surprised many.

“More than one-third of Irish Catholics attend Mass every week,” says David Quinn, director of the Iona Institute, a pro-religion think-tank. “Of course, we’d like it to be higher, but that is a large base to build on.”

However, at the same time, a recent survey found that 75 percent of Irish Catholics say the Church’s teaching on human sexuality has no relevance to them. This, Quinn believes, points to the need for the Church to work harder to get its message across. “Priests need support so that they can preach what the Church teaches,” he believes.

But priests in Ireland are becoming few and far between. And as hundreds of priests die or retire in coming years, who will take their place? Who will be there to quench the thirst that Archbishop Martin speaks of or celebrate the Eucharist?

Continue reading at www.CatholicWorldReport.com.

Religious Freedom: A View From Across the Pond

Religious Freedom: A View From Across the Pond | Joanna Bogle | Catholic World Report

Vatican II’s Declaration on Religious Freedom is just as timely today as it was fifty years ago.

Religious freedom is the issue of the hour: in America, in Europe, in what we (used to?) think of as “the West”. But what is particularly interesting is that this comes just as we are marking the 50^th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council – the Council in which the Church explored the whole question of religious freedom and gave the world a valuable document which established the Church’s approach to this subject for the new millennium.

The Declaration on Religious Freedom, Dignitatis Humanae, emphasised that “all men are bound to seek the truth, especially in what concerns God and His Church, and to embrace the truth they come to know, and to hold fast to it.” This duty is fundamental. Religious belief cannot be imposed by government edict, or by coercion using the authority of the State. “The truth cannot impose itself except by virtue of its own truth, as it makes its entrance into the mind at once quietly and with power.”

When this was all being debated at the Vatican Council, and in the years immediately following, attention focused essentially on the internal tensions within the Church on the subject. But now the fullness of the importance and value of Dignitatis Humanae is coming into its own, and in circumstances that would have been unimaginable to many of the Bishops gathered in Rome in the 1960s.

Critics of Dignitatis Humanae, and in particular those who support the line taken by the late Archbishop Lefevbre and his followers, claim that it dishonours God because it is necessary to insist the Church must be enshrined in the fabric of the State.

The reality of things, however, has proved the prophetic and powerful value of the Declaration on Religious Freedom: its true importance is perhaps only now emerging, as we see what it achieved in the 1970s and 80s, and what it means for us today, and tomorrow.

From Communism to Contemporary Crisis

For this writer, based in London, issues of freedom and human rights have taken a new turn in recent years. At one time, religious freedom was an issue that chiefly concerned people living in Eastern Europe or the old USSR – what we used to call the “Communist bloc”. We all knew the history: from 1917 onwards, Christians suffered under atheist regimes centred on a Marxist creed, and here were numbers of martyrs – bishops, priests, poets, academics, campaigners for workers’ rights, and ordinary faithful Christians who simply wanted to live out their faith and pass it on to their children. A Christian in the West could help only by prayer, expressions of solidarity, efforts with various underground support networks, and so on.

Continue reading on the CWR site.

New: "To Save a Thousand Souls: A Guide for Discerning a Vocation to Diocesan Priesthood"

Now available through Ignatius Press:

To Save a Thousand Souls: A Guide for Discerning a Vocation to Diocesan Priesthood

by Rev. Brett Brannen

To Save a Thousand Souls: A Guide for Discerning a Vocation to Diocesan Priesthood is the definitive guide for men considering the priesthood. Using powerful and entertaining stories, the book explains in down-to-earth language how to carefully discover God's call.

To Save a Thousand Souls has been bulk-ordered by over 100 U.S. dioceses, and has become the standard "catechism for discernment" throughout the country. It has been re-printed in Europe and Asia and translated into Spanish.

Readers are enthusiastic in their praise for To Save a Thousand Souls, saying it is easy to read and answers almost all their questions about discerning their vocation. Many young men who have read the book have gone on to enter seminary.

"Fr. Brannen's book is tremendous-inspirational, imminently practical, and amazingly comprehensive. It is a clearly written "how to" manual filled with solid advice for men discerning the priesthood. A marvelous work of immense value."
- Fr. Len Plazewski, Past President of the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors

"This is an outstanding book, specifically for diocesan priests and those concerned with their work and spirituality. A really needed book in this Year for Priests."
- Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.

"This is the best book-length treatment of discerning a priestly vocation I've seen. In particular, Fr. Brannen's treatment of celibacy is balanced and comprehensive. The book portrays the priesthood honestly and attractively, clearly expressing that faithfully living an authentic priestly vocation is an exhilarating, fulfilling, and joyful life."
- Most Rev. William E. Lori, Archdiocese of Baltimore

"I compliment Fr. Brannen for this breakthrough work. I enjoyed the book's conversational style and anecdotal stories, and I am especially impressed by the chapter on celibacy and chastity, which achieves remarkable clarity on difficult issues of discernment. It is a clear, helpful, and down-to-earth book which will prove exceptionally useful for men looking for answers about the priesthood, as well as those assisting them in discernment."
- Most Rev. John J. Myers, Archdiocese of Newark, NJ

"During my many years of work with diocesan seminarians and priests I have not come across anything that would be as helpful as this thorough handbook. It is an amazing labor of love for the Church. I commend Fr. Brannen for his prayerful insights as he gently explains the discernment process with love and humor."
- Fr. John Horn, S.J., Rector of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, St. Louis

"A treasure chest for bishops, vocation directors and those discerning a vocation to diocesan priesthood."
- J. Kevin Boland; Bishop Emeritus of Savannah, GA

"Fr. Brett Brannen is the perfect priest to write this book. His wisdom, knowledge, and obvious passion for priestly formation shine through on every page."
- Fr. Luke Ballman, Past Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, GA

"This book is anointed. It's both inspiring and informative, and will be a tremendous help for men who are hesitant about priesthood and need practical advice. I know I will order copies for every man in my diocese who is discerning."
- Fr. Tim McKeown, Vice-Rector of the North American College, Rome

" This book is a real Godsend. There is simply nothing else like it in print. It will certainly be one of the most useful tools at a Vocation Director's disposal when encouraging young men to consider the priesthood. It is clear, convincing, and candid. The many stories throughout the book are inspiring and very much to the point. Not only do I wish that I had this available when I was a Vocation Director, I wish that it had been available to me as a young man considering a vocation to the priesthood. It would have answered so many of my questions. All those involved in priestly vocation work owe Fr. Brannen a debt of gratitude."
- Msgr. Steven P. Rohlfs, Rector, Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg, MD

"An unparalleled resource that covers everything men need to know when praying about their vocation. It will be required reading for my men."
- Msgr. Rob Panke, President of the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors

"To Save a Thousand Souls is a feast of information. Its detailed exposition is the most complete I have ever seen. It will help many men to come to a clear knowledge of priesthood and seminary. Fr. Brannen's hard work is evident in the text; it is a labor of love."
- Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., Director of Theological Formation, Institute for Priestly Formation

Preaching to the Whole Person: Classical Wisdom for the New Evangelization

Preaching to the Whole Person: Classical Wisdom for the New Evangelization | Fr. Michael Dominic O'Connor, OP | Homiletic & Pastoral Review

St. Augustine was convinced the pagan rhetorical tradition had great insights to offer Christian preachers about the art of good preaching.

“Given the importance of the word of God, the quality of homilies needs to be improved.” 1  Pope Benedict XVI wrote these words in his 2007 Apostolic Exhortation, Sacramentum Caritatis.  The Holy Father then repeated this admonition in his 2010 Apostolic Exhortation, Verbum Domini, adding: “The art of good preaching…is an art that needs to be cultivated.” 2  This need is all the more pressing as the Church embraces the call and challenge of the New Evangelization.  A renewed effort on the part of preachers—to improve the quality of homilies, and to cultivate the art of good preaching—must be central to the work of the New Evangelization.  The question is: How is this to be done?  How can the art of good preaching be learned and cultivated?  This is an age-old question, and there are some age-old answers to this question which, I believe, can serve preachers very well in meeting the challenges of evangelization in our day.

St. Augustine is the Church’s foremost teacher in the classical art of Christian preaching, and it is to him that we will turn in order to learn something of the classical wisdom on preaching effectively.  This master rhetorician, and former teacher of oratory, was convinced that the pagan rhetorical tradition, which was so important to the ancient cultures of Greece and Rome, had great insights to offer Christian preachers about the art of good preaching. 3  We shall explore Augustine’s appropriation of this classical wisdom—first, in his own theory of preaching, and then, in his actual practice—with the hope of discovering that the perennial wisdom contained in Augustine’s theory and practice of preaching can provide a firm foundation for the work of the New Evangelization.

Augustine’s Theory of Preaching
Augustine wrote a treatise on Christian oratory called: De doctrina christiana (On Christian Doctrine), applying what he had learned as a rhetorician to the task of preaching Christian doctrine. 4 His objectives in writing this work were simple: first, to teach bishops (preachers) how to attain an understanding of the meaning of scripture (Books 1-3); and second, to teach them how to communicate what they have learned (Book 4). 5  His theory of preaching is laid out very clearly in the fourth book of this treatise.

Continue reading at www.HPRweb.com.

The Road of Gathering, Exodus, and Salvation.

A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for Sunday, October 28, 2012 | Carl E. Olson

Readings:
• Jer 31:7-9
• Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
• Heb 5:1-6
• Mk 10:46-52

“In the beginning,” states Lumen Gentium, the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, “God made human nature one and decreed that all His children, scattered as they were, would finally be gathered together as one” (par. 13). God’s plan of salvation involves being liberated from sin and death. It also involves being liberated from that place to this place, of being moved from one state in life to a radically new one. 

The prophet Jeremiah, writing during the Assyrian exile, which began around 740 B.C., pointed toward a time when the faithful return to the Promised Land and the Temple. “Behold, I will bring them back from the land of the north,” the Lord declared through the suffering prophet, “I will gather them from the ends of the world, with the blind and the lame in their midst…” This is one of many Old Testament passages describing such a gathering. Today’s Psalm expresses the hopeful expectation of exodus from exile, “when the Lord brought back the captives of Zion.”

Israel’s history was deeply shaped by captivity, exile and exodus. The Exodus from Egypt was a formative event for the Jewish people. Most first-century Jews believed that the Messiah, the “anointed one,” would gather together the scattered people of God. Those who heard Jesus announcing the Kingdom of God heard the promise of a renewed Davidic kingdom marked by political and cultural autonomy.

But, as Lumen Gentium explains, the focus of the Messiah’s regathering was not national boundaries and political power. “It was for this purpose that God sent His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, that he might be teacher, king and priest of all, the head of the new and universal people of the sons of God” (par. 13). Jesus, the heir of David, would conquer sin and death. Jesus, the high priest, would sacrifice himself for the sake of the world. The entire world was in exile in the realm of sin, and the Messiah—who was also a new Moses—would lead the people of God in an exodus from the darkness of spiritual slavery into the light of salvation.

Jesus, in announcing the Kingdom of God, notes Fr. Robert Barron in The Priority of Christ (Brazos Press, 2007), “was not calling attention to general, timeless spiritual truths, nor was he urging people to make a decision for God; he was telling his listeners that Yahweh was actively gathering the people of Israel and, indirectly, all people into a new salvific order, and he was insisting that his hearers conform themselves to the new state of affairs.” The son of David was gathering the lost, the wounded, the lame, and the blind, and he continues to gather them into the Church, which is “God's reaction to the chaos provoked by sin” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 761).

The encounter between Jesus and the blind man, heard in today’s Gospel, is a microcosm of this gathering. It took place on the cusp of the Passover, as Jesus made his way with the crowds going to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover—the feast marking the Exodus. The blind man, Bartimaeus, knew the identity of the Jesus and twice called upon him, “Son of David, have pity on me.” How did he know Jesus was the Messiah? How did a blind mind see the truth so clearly? How could a beggar possess such rich knowledge? And, conversely, how did so many people with sight remain blind? Why did the wealthy and the powerful so often reject the riches of Christ?

Jesus simply said, “Call him.” His disciples then called Bartimaeus, and he threw off his cloak—which represented his old life (cf. Rom. 13:12; Eph 4:22)—and came to Jesus. “Master,” he said, “I want to see.” Jesus healed him and told him to “go your way.” And Bartimaeus followed the Messiah on his way to Jerusalem, the Cross, and the Resurrection, the road of gathering, exodus, and salvation.

 (This “Opening the Word” column originally appeared in the October 25, 2009, edition of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)

As empathy dies and narcissism thrives, will culture survive?

I know it's shocking and unexpected, but the evidence—both data-driven and anecdotal—indicates that people increasingly care less about others and more about themselves.

In fact, in a survey that has so far tested 14,000 volunteers, Sara Konrath and her team at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research has found that college students' self-reported empathy levels (as measured by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, a standardized questionnaire containing such items as "I often have tender, concerned feelings for people less fortunate than me" and "I try to look at everybody's side of a disagreement before I make a decision") have been in steady decline over the past three decades—since the inauguration of the scale, in fact, back in 1979. A particularly pronounced slump has been observed over the past 10 years. "College kids today are about 40 percent lower in empathy than their counterparts of 20 or 30 years ago," Konrath reports.

More worrisome still, according to Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, is that, during this same period, students' self-reported narcissism levels have shot through the roof. "Many people see the current group of college students, sometimes called 'Generation Me,' " Konrath continues, "as one of the most self-centered, narcissistic, competitive, confident, and individualistic in recent history."

That is from Kevin Dutton's article, "Psychopathy's Double Edge" (ht: C.F.), published in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Dutton writes, "Precisely why this downturn in social values has come about is not entirely clear. A complex concatenation of environment, role models, and education is, as usual, under suspicion." He then goes on to point to new studies of the brain, neural pathways, and such. Interesting. And I'm quite sympathetic to the argument that new technologies, the drop in literacy levels, and social upheaval are major factors in the demise of empathy and the steady growth of "self-centered, narcissistic, competitive, confident, and individualistic" attitudes and behaviors.

But, in the end, it won't suffice.

Continue reading on the CWR blog.

Constantine’s Gift to Christianity

Constantine’s Gift to Christianity | Benjamin Wiker | Catholic World Report

On the anniversary of Constantine’s conversion, we should consider why the West seems to be converting back to paganism.

On October 28, 312, Emperor Constantine met Emperor Maxentius in battle just outside the city of Rome at the Milvian Bridge, spanning the Tiber. This battle—occurring exactly 1,700 years ago—is one of the most important events in the history of Christendom, since it was through Constantine’s victory that Christendom began. It is a battle well worth reflecting upon.

As is well known, the previous day Constantine experienced a vision of a cross of light in the sky, with the words “By this sign you shall conquer” (in Greek, not Latin, by the way). That night, so we are told, Constantine had a dream wherein he was told to paint the cross on the shields of his soldiers.

He did. And so it happened, as the vision said.

The next day, October 28, 312, Constantine defeated Maxentius. Interestingly enough, Maxentius could have stayed within the walls of Rome. He was plentifully stocked to endure a siege. Inexplicably, he decided to go out and engage Constantine. His troops were defeated, and Maxentius himself drowned in the Tiber trying to escape.

Such was the beginning of Constantine’s embrace of Christianity, and such was the beginning of the transformation of the Roman Empire from paganism to Christianity.

It is, again, a well-known story, and unfortunately, as with other well-known stories, it is not well-known enough, or at least, not thought about deeply enough.

There are, for example, those who take Constantine’s conversion as the beginning of the end of real Christianity. Christianity, they argue, is the Christianity of the early Church, the Church before it became favored and hence entangled with the empire, the pure Church, the Church before Constantine, the Church of the martyrs.

The problem with this romantic vision of the pure early Church is that it wasn’t shared by the early Church. We owe it to them to take things, first of all, from their point of view.

Continue reading at www.CathoilcWorldReport.com.

For some journalists, the only good and interesting nun....

... is a former and now dissenting nun:

For Diane Dougherty, it is a way to live up to her calling and to challenge the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. It is a hierarchy that Dougherty maintains is sexist. Though not recognized by the Vatican, the Coweta County resident and longtime former nun will be ordained next week and will become the first female Catholic priest in Georgia. (www.TheCitizen.com)

An Atlanta woman, a former nun, is seeking to change the Roman Catholic Church, realizing that what she will get her excommunicated from the Church. On Saturday Diane Dougherty is going to be ordained as a priest, not in the Catholic Church, but in an organization called The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests. It is an international organization that the Church condemns. (NBC33TV.com)

A former nun is taking a big leap of faith, preparing to become the first female Catholic priest in Georgia. “I've had a calling and I've known since I've been in the seventh grade,” Diane Dougherty told Channel 2’s Sophia Choi. She'll be ordained this Sunday at Atlanta’s First Metropolitan Community Church by the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests. No Catholic church will have her, as it goes against the religion. Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory said ordaining women “brings division and fractures unity in the church.” (WSBtv.com)

A metro Atlanta woman is set to be ordained as Georgia's first female Catholic priest on Saturday. However, the Roman Catholic Church says she will be excommunicated because the church doesn't recognize women priests or the ordination service that she will participate in. Diane Dougherty says that as a former nun and parochial school teacher, she is very familiar with the rules of the Roman Catholic Church. The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests will ordain her. Dougherty said that she knows she is about to make both history and enemies. (www.MyFOXAtlanta.com)

And so forth and so on. Of course, the Washington Post published Dougherty's story, which is all victimhood and grievances, with at least five references to the heinious evil of "clericalism". I put it in scare quotes because her definition of clericalism is a bit self-serving. And, at times, quite vague. For instance:

What I felt, but did not have words to describe, was the growing politic of clericalism creeping throughout the South by the strategic appointment of bishops and priests.

Oh. This statement sheds a bit more light on the matter:

Continue reading at www.CatholicWorldReport.com.

New: "Married Priests? 30 Crucial Questions About Celibacy"

Now available from Ignatius Press:

Married Priests? 30 Crucial Questions About Celibacy

Edited by Dom Arturo Cattaneo

• Also available as an Electronic Book Download

Why do Catholic priests not marry? How can celibacy possibly be so important to the Church, if Jesus did not even require it of his apostles? Cannot such an obligation cause sexual deviance, emotional troubles and even cases of pedophilia? These are three among the numerous possible questions that many people ask themselves, often without finding convincing answers.

In recent years the arguments in favor of openness to married priests seem to be multiplying. Some object that celibacy is not a dogma but only a discipline that originated in the Middle Ages; that it is contrary to nature and hence harmful for a man's psycho-physical equilibrium and the maturation of the human personality. And then, if priests could marry, there would be an increase in vocations.

In this book, seventeen various experts make contributions, responding to these and other burning objections, allowing the reader to discover the value that celibacy has today in the lives of thousands of priests and seminarians.

Among the key topics this book discusses are: History of Priestly Celibacy, What Theology Says on the Celibacy, Emotions and Sexuality, Discerning and Fostering a Vocation, Celibacy in the Life of a Priest, Celibacy and Inculturation, Papal teachings on Celibacy from Pius XI to Benedict XVI.

"I hope that this book will find the widest possible readership, thus contributing to an ever greater appreciation of priestly celibacy as a precious gift of the Spirit of Christ to his Church and received by young men who-like Saint Paul and so many saints-allow themselves to be "won over by Christ".
From the Preface, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy

Nine new book reviews ...

... courtesy of Homiletic & Pastoral Review:

THE MEANING OF SEX. By Jay Budziszewski (Reviewed by Fr. James Schall, S.J.).

THE SECRET LIFE OF JOHN PAUL II. By Lino Zani with Marilu Simoneschi. (Reviewed by Peter A. Huff).

DOCTRINAL SERMONS ON THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.  By Kenneth Baker, S.J. (Reviewed by Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian).

THE MODERN AGE. By Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. (Reviewed by David C. Paternostro, S.J.).

WOMEN DEACONS: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. By Gary Macy, William T. Ditewig, and Phyllis Zagano. (Reviewed by Matthew Chicoine).

THE INNER LIFE OF PRIESTS.  By Gerard J. McGlone, S.J., and Len Sperry. (Reviewed by Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J.).

The Sacrifice and Solace of Sacerdotal Service: Three New Books on Priesthood (Reviewed by Fr. David Vincent Meconi, S.J.), including:

• THE CHARISM OF PRIESTLY CELIBACY: BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL, AND PASTORAL REFLECTIONS. Edited by John Cavadini.

• WHY PRIESTS ARE HAPPY: A STUDY OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH OF PRIESTS.  By Fr. Stephen J. Rossetti.

• CALLED BY NAME: TWELVE GUIDELINE MEDITATIONS FOR DIOCESAN PRIESTS.  By Fr. Michael E. Giesler

Read all of the reviews at www.HPRweb.com.

20% off books and films for the Feast of All Saints' Day

20% off books and films on Saints' Lives in honor of All Saints Day | Offer ends Tuesday October 30th, 2012 at 12:00 midnight EST. These prices are available online only through Ignatius.com

Next Thursday, November 1st is All Saints Day. Ignatius Press is celebrating this day with 20% off books and films on the lives of  St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Paul, St. Francis and many more. Their courageous stories of selfless dedication to God are an inspiration to all! Choose from any of the books or films listed below to help yourself grow in love and devotion, all at 20% off!

Loopers, Life, and Love

Loopers, Life, and Love | Carl E. Olson | Catholic World Report

The movie “Looper” has time traveling and assassins, but also philosophical and moral depth.

Two weekends ago, I went to the movie theater for the fourth time this year, which means I've already doubled my in-the-cineplex movie intake over last year. I certainly like movies, but have, in recent years, spent more time following various television series, which have the advantage of being able to unfold (or unravel, in some sad cases) over the course of several years. That said, certain premises capture my attention, and the set-up for "Looper" is one of those: a time travel flick with a dose or two of philosophical musing and inference mixed in among the obligatory explosions, killing, tussles, chases, and special effects.

(Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead! Repeat: Major Spoilers Ahead!)

First, the downside: "Looper", the third film by talented writer and director Rian Craig Johnson, is quite violent and occasionally vulgar, and sometimes in a way that is simply gratuitous. This is unfortunate, as the gore and language (and one scene with nudity) sometimes detract and distract from a movie that is propulsive, gripping, and, as it builds to a gripping conclusion, quite poignant. It succeeds as both an "action flick" and a morality play of sorts, even if the latter only emerges through a series of intermittent, but hardly random, instances of reflective dialogue borne along by exceptional cinematic storytelling. "Looper" has its share of carnage, but it is rarely crude; in fact, I think it can be plausibly argued that the intense violence is intended to inform and set in relief the deeper moral form of the film.

Of course, I'm also the same moviegoer who thought (and still thinks) that "Kill Bill, Part Two" is a (gasp!) pro-life movie, whether or not Quentin Tarantino intended such a thing. So, take it with a grain of salt. Or with an entire salt lick, if you wish. Still, I am quite happy to present my argument for "Looper" as a morality play with some worthwhile things to say—or, better, reveal in cinematic fashion—about free will, authentic love, the power of motherhood (and fatherhood, for that matter), and the nature of evil.

Continue reading at www.CatholicWorldReport.com.

40% off Terese Dutscheck's "Employee Pick of the Week"

40% off Terese Dutscheck's Pick of the Week*

One of my favorite books published by Ignatius Press is Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Monsignor Leo Maasburg. 

Msgr. Maasburg traveled with Mother for many years and witnessed so many of Mother’s personal habits.  Mother’s sense of humor, her love of all God’s people, and willingness to do whatever she was called to do, are presented in a way that is so enjoyable to read.  Mother’s spiritual life and commitment to God and her work are expressed so honestly and openly for all of us to grasp, appreciate, and imitate.  Mother’s humility and total trust in God are revealed over and over again throughout her life.

Reading this book renewed, for me, a total surrender to God of myself, so God may use me in His vineyard, as He wills. I highly recommend this book for readers that already have a devotion to Mother Teresa as well as those who are waiting to meet her. Mother Teresa of Calcutta is also available as an e-book and audio download.

 
Terese joined Ignatius Press in 2009 as an account manager in the Retail Sales Office and enjoys representing Ignatius Press and the vast number of products available. 

She has been a religious education teacher in her parish for many years, and is a voracious reader of good Catholic books. Before coming to Ignatius Press, Terese worked in the food service industry.  Terese and her husband Dan live in central Wisconsin, enjoying their five children, their grandchildren, and the great outdoors.

*Employee Pick of the Week program features savings of 40% off a book, movie, or compact disc personally chosen and recommended by an Ignatius Press employee.  Each week, an Ignatius Press employee will select a favorite book, movie, or other Ignatius Press product and write a few sentences about why he or she thinks customers will enjoy the particular selection. A short bio of the selecting employee will also be included, giving customers a chance to learn a bit more about the people who are Ignatius Press.

G. K. Chesterton, a model for joyful evangelization

From a recent Catholic News Agency piece about Dale Ahlquist's new book, The Complete Thinker: The Marvelous Mind of G.K. Chesterton:

The author of a new book on G.K. Chesterton says the 20th-century author and Catholic convert is a model for joyful evangelization who can help unify the fractured modern worldview.

“Chesterton is the model evangelist,” American Chesterton Society President Dale Ahlquist told CNA Oct. 18. He had a way to connect with “virtually any kind of audience.”

“He never lets his charity contradict his truth. He always puts them together,” Ahlquist said.

“That’s one of the great weaknesses of our world: you have some people who care only about truth and doctrine, others who care only about charity and pity, and they don’t let the two combine with each other. Chesterton always combines the two.”

Ahlquist’s new book, “The Complete Thinker: The Marvelous Mind of G.K. Chesterton,” was released this October (Ignatius Press, $17.95).

Chesterton lived from 1874 to 1936. Under the influence of his wife Frances, he became a devout Anglican Christian. He converted to Catholicism in 1922.

He wrote literary essays, novels, poetry, plays, philosophical works and Christian apologetics. His short stories include the Father Brown mystery series. He enjoys a reputation as a witty writer with a love of finding truth in apparent paradox. He influenced the thinking of many converts and writers.

“He wrote about everything,” Ahlquist said. “He has this amazing, wide reach.”

Ahlquist said his new book is intended to help get the reader “inside of Chesterton’s head.” He aims to help people “think in a consistent way” across disciplines and modes of life.

“The modern world, Chesterton points out, has become one wild divorce court where everything has been separated from everything else,” he explained.

“We have separated the arts from the sciences and the humanities from the sciences. We have separated religion from politics and religion from economics. We expect all these things to operate in their own watertight compartments, and yet we don’t see how anything fits together anymore.”

Read the entire piece. Also see the recent CWR interview with Ahlquist: "G. K. Chesterton, the Complete Thinker". Also see, on Ignatius Insight:

G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) Author Page | Ignatius Insight

• Articles By and About G. K. Chesterton
• Ignatius Press Books about G. K. Chesterton
• Books by G. K. Chesterton

The Beginning of the End of the Abortion Industry?

The Beginning of the End of the Abortion Industry? | Tim Drake | Catholic World Report

Over the past five years, growing numbers of US abortion workers have left the industry.

For former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson, the turning point came when she was asked to assist with an ultrasound-guided abortion.

“Abortions are typically performed blind,” explained Johnson, who served as health director for Planned Parenthood in College Station, Texas. “The doctor takes the suction instrument and probes until he thinks he’s gotten everything.”

On this particular day in the fall of 2009, “the visiting physician wanted to use an ultrasound as a teaching tool to show us what an abortion looked like,” recalled Johnson. “I was excited about the prospect of learning something new. My job, during the procedure, was to hold the ultrasound probe on the patient’s abdomen.”

What Johnson saw on-screen would forever change her life.

“I saw a 13-week-old child struggle and fight for its life during the procedure,” said Johnson. “It was shocking for me because the most common question we were asked in the counseling room was, ‘Will my baby feel this?’”

“Planned Parenthood had come up with a scripted answer that we were to give women,” said Johnson.

“Our answer: No, the fetus has no sensory development until 28 weeks,” said Johnson. “I wholeheartedly believed that.”

So Johnson was stunned when she saw the child on the ultrasound screen trying to get away from the intrusive instruments bent on its destruction.

“I went back to my office, and for the first time during my eight years at Planned Parenthood, I wondered if this was where I wanted to be for the rest of my life,” said Johnson. “I sat down and prayed for the first time in many years. All I knew was that I couldn’t do this anymore.”

Abby Johnson

On October 6, 2009, one week and two days after participating in the abortion, Johnson left Planned Parenthood and approached those gathered outside the business who were in the midst of a 40 Days for Life campaign—volunteers devoted to a prayerful, peaceful presence outside abortion businesses.

“I broke down and told them, ‘I know what I’ve been doing is wrong, and I want out,’” said Johnson.

Damascus Road

Johnson isn’t the first to have experienced a Saul-to-Paul-like moment leading to a departure from the abortion industry. In the decades since abortion’s legalization, abortionists and abortion workers such as Dr. Bernard Nathanson, Carol Everett, Anthony Levatino, and others were convicted by what they were doing and experienced profound conversions. Some went on to publicly share their testimony, such as Nathanson did in his 2001 book The Hand of God: A Journey from Death to Life by the Abortion Doctor Who Changed His Mind.

Johnson’s story is eerily similar to that of the late Joan Appleton’s 1989 departure as head nurse of the Commonwealth Women’s Clinic in Washington, DC.  Appleton, too, had witnessed an ultrasound-guided abortion.     

Continue reading at www.CatholicWorldReport.com.

Theologians’ academic respectability

Theologians’ academic respectability | Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J. | Homiletic & Pastoral Review | Editorial

The teaching authority of the Church is the only guarantee the theologian has for both his academic respectability, and his intellectual freedom.

Over the years, we have printed many articles on the proper relationship that should exist in the Catholic Church, between the Magisterium and the theologians. The problem has been, and is, a perpetual one because the Apostles, and their successors (bishops), have been commissioned by Jesus Christ to proclaim the Gospel to all nations. An important function of the theologian is to analyze the Gospel, question it, probe it, with a view towards understanding it more adequately, and so being able to proclaim it more effectively in each age of human history.

Recently I read a little book on this thorny question by the English thinker, writer and lecturer, Mr. Christopher Derrick. The book is entitled: Church Authority and Intellectual Freedom (Ignatius Press, P.O. Box 18990, San Francisco, CA 94118).  It is a collection of four talks that he gave at Marquette University in Milwaukee in 1980.

The book is remarkable for a number of reasons. Derrick approaches his subject matter in what seems to me to be a typical English fashion. He lays great stress on the healthy skepticism of the scholar, who requires painstaking investigation of his subject matter, established methodology, and careful verification of all hypotheses and categorical statements. The theologian, according to Derrick, if he is to have academic respectability, and so deserve what is known as intellectual freedom in the university, must abide by the usual norms of scholarship, at least as they apply to his discipline. ...

Continue reading at www.HPRweb.com.