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On November: All Souls and the "Permanent Things"

On November: All Souls and the "Permanent Things" | Fr. James V. Schall, S. J. | Ignatius Insight

I.

A seminary in Ireland, now closed, was dedicated to the training of priests for foreign missions, for strange places such as California. It was called "All Hallows", that is, All Saints, November 1. Oxford University in England has a college called "All Souls," November 2. Taken together, all saints and all souls are designed to cover all of the final combinations of the human race except all the still living, who are waiting to join one or the other of the previous categories. Come to think of it, all "all saints" all have souls. What are left are all lost souls who, presumably, have already also made their final choices about how they are permanently to be.

Most of my relatives are buried in the Catholic Cemetery just at the edge of Pocahontas, a small county seat in rural northwest Iowa. My mother's grandparents, my grandparents on both sides of my family, my mother herself, and, I believe, all but one of her thirteen brothers and sisters are buried in this neat cemetery. Two of my father's brothers are also there; his other brother is a few miles east in the cemetery in Clare. Two of my father's four sisters are buried there, as well as numerous cousins and their families, though many are scattered in later years. My own father is buried in the cemetery in Santa Clara, and my brother in the cemetery in Spokane.

On the Second of November, many families, especially in small towns, decorate the graves with flowers, have Masses or prayers said for their deceased relatives, and in general remember them. In modern cities, I think, we are in danger of losing contact with the dead in our families and in our culture. Families move. Cremation changes things. There are so many of us. We do not have to be superstitious, of course. We believe in the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the body. Our contact with cemeteries is designed to recall our very mortality, but also to remind us of what we hold about death and its place in our lives.

As we get older, we find that many more of our immediate family are dead than alive. We find friends gone. Such is our lot. To wish it otherwise, while not a totally unhealthy exercise, needs to be understood clearly. It is given unto every man once to die, thence the judgment, as it says in the Book of Maccabees. Death has become a hospital, not a home, thing. The dead body is a source of parts, to be somehow passed on to others. We think almost exclusively of the living, not of the dead.

We celebrate lives at funerals. We do not worry about souls and their fates. The elderly are a problem, even a social and political problem, not sources of wisdom. Cemeteries are often desired for the land they take up. Laws exist about how long cemeteries are to be kept intact. We still notice that many Latino and Asian families somehow take care of their own elderly at home, whereas with others this care is often passed on to various institutions and specialists. This may not be all bad, but we should reflect on it.

Read the entire essay...

Trick or treat? "Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol' isn't just a good book..."

"... it's a great book."

That's a good one. Ha ha. Ha. Punch line?

In this book, Brown raises some questions that make us a little uncomfortable.

Um. Now I'm getting a little uncomfortable. Smile, please. C'mon.

 Do we ever know those around us as they really are? Are they putting on an act just for us?

Like people who appear to be sane and reasonable, but insist Dan Brown has written (gulp) a "great book"?

Robert Langdon from "The Da Vinci Code" is back in this book, still reading the codes. He then draws on his expertise in ancient codes and symbols so that sometimes he is able to understand what others have seen for years and never deciphered.

Except, of course, when he spends minutes and hours trying to figure out codes that readers have cracked in the time it takes to pick up the remote control and switch from Big Brother #2,482,209 to Desperate Housewives.

This book took me back to eighth grade ...

At least. Perhaps further.

... where my love of mathematics prompted me to join the math club, where we tried to solve various types of codes. Once you became a good code breaker, the messages were easy to read. It all depended on logic, observation and sometimes just luck. Dan has this in the book, but at the genius level and codes that have been around for thousands of years - codes within codes - secrets within secrets. WOW!

Yes, and don't forget tacos within tacos within a corn husk within a crepe within a pizza within a pancake....

 If half the people who read this book start making travel plans to visit D.C. in the next two years and carry them out, D.C. certainly won't need a stimulus package.

Dan Brown writes great books and pours money into the coffers of the capitol! But what about a tax cut? No? Yeah, I thought so: there are limits to his stupendous powers.

You won't want to put the book down even when it is over.

Well, you don't know me very well, do you? But for those who simply can't put it down, consider stapling it to your forehead, as part memento, part conversation starter.

Jim Soos has the best job in the world for any book lover. He owns Book & More on the courthouse square in historic downtown Moultrie.

Oh, I get it now: he's trying to sell books. Phew! Thank goodness. For a while there I thought he was serious. But he was simply trying to make a living. Trick or treat, smell my feet, giving me something good to read!

Fr. Lombardi gives clarification on the Anglican provision ...

... regarding questions and rumors about whether celibacy will be the norm for the future clergy of the Provision:

The drafts prepared by the working group, and submitted for study and approval through the usual process followed by the Congregation, have all included the following statement, currently Article VI of the Constitution:

§1 Those who ministered as Anglican deacons, priests, or bishops, and who fulfill the requisites established by canon law and are not impeded by irregularities or other impediments may be accepted by the Ordinary as candidates for Holy Orders in the Catholic Church. In the case of married ministers, the norms established in the Encyclical Letter of Pope Paul VI Sacerdotalis coelibatus, n. 42 and in the Statement "In June" are to be observed. Unmarried ministers must submit to the norm of clerical celibacy of CIC can. 277, §1.

§2. The Ordinary, in full observance of the discipline of celibate clergy in the Latin Church, as a rule (pro regula) will admit only celibate men to the order of presbyter. He may also petition the Roman Pontiff, as a derogation from can. 277, §1, for the admission of married men to the order of presbyter on a case by case basis, according to objective criteria approved by the Holy See.

Read the entire statement on ZENIT.

Now that we've heard from the mad scientist...

... who exhibits no love or understanding for theology, let's now turn to a brilliant theologian who shows a reasoned respect and authentic admiration for science:

The International Year of Astronomy is meant not least to recapture for people throughout our world the extraordinary wonder and amazement which characterized the great age of discovery in the sixteenth century. I think, for example, of the exultation felt by the scientists of the Roman College who just a few steps from here carried out the observations and calculations which led to the worldwide adoption of the Gregorian calendar. Our own age, poised at the edge of perhaps even greater and more far-ranging scientific discoveries, would benefit from that same sense of awe and the desire to attain a truly humanistic synthesis of knowledge which inspired the fathers of modern science. Who can deny that responsibility for the future of humanity, and indeed respect for nature and the world around us, demand -- today as much as ever -- the careful observation, critical judgement, patience and discipline which are essential to the modern scientific method? At the same time, the great scientists of the age of discovery remind us also that true knowledge is always directed to wisdom, and, rather than restricting the eyes of the mind, it invites us to lift our gaze to the higher realm of the spirit.

Knowledge, in a word, must be understood and pursued in all its liberating breadth. It can certainly be reduced to calculation and experiment, yet if it aspires to be wisdom, capable of directing man in the light of his first beginnings and his final ends, it must be committed to the pursuit of that ultimate truth which, while ever beyond our complete grasp, is nonetheless the key to our authentic happiness and freedom (cf. Jn 8:32), the measure of our true humanity, and the criterion for a just relationship with the physical world and with our brothers and sisters in the great human family.

Read Pope Benedict XVI's entire address to the Astronomy Congress, given yesterday in Vatican City.

For further reading: Creation and Evolution: A Conference with Pope Benedict XVI, edited by Fr. Stephan Horn

Did the Vatican condemn Halloween?

The short answer: No. The American Thinker provides a longer answer, summarized in this way: "A quote from a priest in Spain reported in an Italian newspaper read by an Englishman who then reported it as fact that the Vatican condemns Halloween."

Oh my, I do love the cool, calm, and rational thinking...

... of a scientist. Especially a brilliant, cool, calm, and rational scientist such as Richard Dawkins. Frankly, he intimidates me. He frightens me with his knowledge, his razor-sharp logic, his brilliant inductions, and his devastating use of facts and figures. For example:

Catholics think I have a special animus against them, whereas I'm an equal opportunity offender. I think Catholicism is stupid and dangerous; I think all religion is stupid and dangerous. I was raised Catholic so I know more about that...

Oops, sorry; that was Bill Maher, an unfunny "comedian" who apparently makes a living blathering like a monkey on crack (no offense to drug-addicted monkeys intended). Okay, here is the cool and cerebral Dr. Dawkins:

What major institution most deserves the title of greatest force for evil in the world? In a field of stiff competition, the Roman Catholic Church is surely up there among the leaders.

Ooh, that was cool! Let's give brilliant a try:

The Anglican church does not cleave to the dotty idea that a priest, by blessing bread and wine, can transform it literally into a cannibal feast; nor to the nastier idea that possession of testicles is an essential qualification to perform the rite. It does not send its missionaries out to tell deliberate lies to AIDS-weakened Africans, about the alleged ineffectiveness of condoms in protecting against HIV. Whether one agrees with him or not, there is a saintly quality in the Archbishop of Canterbury, a benignity of countenance, a well-meaning sincerity. How does Pope Ratzinger measure up? The comparison is almost embarrassing.

Devastating! Let me catch my breath! [Gasp, gasp] Okay, how about calm?

For some, the motive will be homophobic bigotry, and a consequent dislike of the efforts of decent church leaders such as the Archbishop of Canterbury to accept those whose sexual orientation happens to deviate from majority taste. Never mind that they will be joining an institution where buggering altar boys pervades the culture.

Turning to the motives of the poachers, here we find cause for real encouragement. The Roman Catholic Church is fast running out of priests. In Ireland in 2007, 160 Catholic priests died, while only nine new recruits were ordained. To say the least, those figures don't point towards sustainability. No wonder that disgusting institution, the Roman Catholic Church, is dragging its flowing skirts in the dirt and touting for business like a common pimp: "Give me your homophobes, misogynists and pederasts. Send me your bigots yearning to be free of the shackles of humanity."

Whew! I hope someone is taping this for posterity. And now let's hear it for rational!

Archbishop Rowan Williams is too nice for his own good. Instead of meekly sharing that ignominious platform with the poachers, he should have issued a counter-challenge: "Send us your women, yearning to be priests, who could make a strong case for being the better-qualified fifty percent of humanity; send us your decent priests, sick of trying to defend the indefensible; send them all, in exchange for our woman-haters and gay-bashers." Sounds like a good trade to me.

Mercy! The man is a wit wrapped in a genius outfit, swaddled in sassy, deep-fried in searing sarcasm, and smothered in spicy polemics. Throw in a 20 oz. lemonade and a Charles Darwin action figure and you have a super-duper Man of Science value meal that kids ages 6 to 12 can enjoy—well, at least until they throw up and grow up.

Here's the thing: I know quite a bit about basketball and tennis. I know nothing about cricket and water polo. Likewise, Dawkins apparently knows quite a bit about biology and other physical sciences. But he's clueless about theology, philosophy, and the Catholic Church. What's more, he doesn't seem interested at all in really understanding it, even for the purpose of attacking it more effectively:

Ignatius Insight: Dawkins' field of expertise is biology. How would you rate him as, first, a philosopher, and, secondly, as an apologist for atheism?

Fr. Thomas Crean: I do not think he is very interested in philosophy. He refers occasionally to Daniel Dennett, but that is about all. He seems to take materialism as self-evident, but he doesn't make any serious effort to explain thought or free will. He refers at one point to St. Thomas's "five ways", but his discussion of them is extremely cursory, with major misunderstandings. There is no mention of Plato or Aristotle in his book. His impatience with "religion"is such that he is not really disposed to weigh carefully any arguments in its favor, which is obviously the very reverse of a philosophical frame of mind.

As an apologist for atheism he has some useful qualities, such as passion, a tone of conviction, a desire to make converts, ready invective and an apparent concern for the psychological (I almost said "spiritual") welfare of those whom he is trying to convert. On the other hand his stridency must surely reduce his influence with some people, and his lapses of logic with others.

Ignatius Insight: Throughout God Is No Delusion you point out numerous errors of logic and fact in Dawkins' work. In your opinion, what are some of the most egregious of those errors? Based on his book, what sort of research did Dawkins put into studying Christian history, theology, and philosophy?

Fr. Thomas Crean: I think one of his worst faults is the tendency to reason in a circle. For example, to explain why religion is so widespread even though in his opinion it is irrational, he says that it is evolutionarily useful. Why? Because it helps survival if, in general, one tends to adhere to the philosophy if life that one has once adopted. But the question at issue is precisely why so many people adopt theism as their philosophy of life, rather than atheism. So his explanation amounts to saying that theism is so widespread because so many people adopt it.

I suspect that he did very little research into Christian sources before writing his book. He quotes occasionally from the 1911 Catholic Encyclopedia, which is of course available on the Internet. Sometimes his misunderstandings of it are quite funny, as when he quotes a passage in the entry on "Purgatory" called "proofs of Purgatory", where the author has referred to the immemorial Christian custom of praying for the dead. Professor Dawkins seriously supposes that the author intended this as a 'proof' that would convince an atheist such as himself!

What is perhaps more surprising is that he has not done more research using anti-Christian sources. I should have expected that there would have been more about the Crusades, for example, or the Inquisition. But in fact he doesn't seem to be very interested in history, any more than in philosophy.

Read the entire interview with Fr. Crean, O.P., author of God Is No Delusion: A Refutation of Richard Dawkins.

Dawkins seems to have the same obsessive desire for attention and Catholic-bashing as does Maher and John Spong. Here is what I suggest they might consider doing for their next publicity stunt: they should stage a mock "same sex" marriage with Dawkins as the groom and Maher and Spong as the brides. Charles Schumer and Arlen Specter should "officiate"; Shumer can dress up like Charles Darwin and Specter can dress up like a former Republican senator. Elton John can sing "It Ain't Gonna Be Easy." The wedding should be held right outside the doors of a major mosque, preferably in Saudi Arabia or another Muslim country. The event can be televised live on MSNBC and the Science Channel.

Hey, it's just an idea. And I'm not saying it's rational or even brilliant. But it is more interesting than anything Dawkins and Co. are saying.

The Crimes of Mao

A number of years ago I was talking to a college student and the topic of Hitler came up. I mentioned, as an aside, that in considering the horrific evils committed at Hitler's behest, it is amazing to think there were at least two other genocidal dictators with even more blood on their hands during the 20th century.

She looked at me blankly and said, "Really? Who?"

Turns out she had never heard of Joseph Stalin or Mao Zedong. I didn't bother to ask if she knew anything at all about communism, the Soviet Union, or "the Great Leap Forward," the latter part of Mao's murderous reign of China. George J. Marlin, in a recent column on The Catholic Thing, provides some basic, chilling numbers:

Mao enthusiastically adopted Lenin’s most violent terrorist techniques because he was a vile bloodthirsty thug. From 1920 to 1976 Mao murdered more people than Hitler and Stalin combined – 70-million Chinese. The “Great Famine” (1958-1961) in which 40-million perished was a direct result of Mao’s farm collectivization policies. To eliminate tens of millions of imagined enemies he ordered the “Great Leap Forward” (1958) and the “Cultural Revolution” (1966-1968) which he privately referred to as the “Great Purge.”

Mao attempted to control every form of social intercourse. Merely having a dinner party, use of humor or sarcasm could be – and were – deemed criminal activities that warranted the death penalty. And he was proud of these policies: Mao told his fellow gangsters at the 1958 party conference that they should welcome, not fear, party policies that cause people to die.

Mao ruthlessly suppressed centuries-old Catholic missions. His persecution of Catholics began long before he took over the government in 1949. In the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, Mao’s Red armies roamed through Chinese provinces torturing and murdering scores of priests and nuns. In 1947, for instance, eighteen Cistercian monks at Yang Kia Ping were jailed and their monastery was looted. All died from endless interrogations, beatings, and brainwashing.

As you likely know, it was recently reported that the Interim White House Communications Director, a member of President Obama's communications team, gave a speech praising Mao to a group of high school kids. Stunning? Absolutely. But I don't think Anita Dunn is, by any stretch of the fevered imagination, a supporter of mass genocide. Rather, I think she, like the college kid I spoke to years ago, completely oblivious to the real legacy of Mao (which is disturbing in its own right, considering Dunn's age and position). I think Edward Feser is correct in his analysis:

And it may be that Dunn’s mind has simply been so thoroughly rotted out by the surrounding liberal individualist culture and its endless celebration of “doing your own thing,” “being yourself,” “standing out from the crowd,” “thinking differently,” etc. etc. ad nauseam that as she prepared her speech, the first thing she thought of when she came across the Mao story she recounts is not “But this guy killed 65 million people!” but rather “Wow, he really believed in himself – this would make an inspiring anecdote for the kiddies!”

The sad fact is that over the decades—especially in the 1960s, but also beyond—there have even been Catholics who have tried to defend Mao or at least ignored the truth about his murderous ways, a fact documented in The Red Book of Chinese Martyrs. That book is an important addition to the growing body of work exposing the evils of Mao, his minions, and communism. Gerolamo Fazzini, in the Introduction to the book, writes:

The Red Book of Chinese Martyrs, which was printed in the original Italian edition within a few weeks of the thirtieth anniversary of Mao's death (September 9, 1976), intends to be (also) a denunciation of Maoism and its crimes. Although the aging and nostalgic fans of the "Great Helmsman" (who are willing to allow him a thirty percent margin of error) may still be putting up a pathetic resistance, a critical reappraisal of Mao and of his epoch has been underway for some time now in the West. (This is not yet the case in China: the present leadership has preferred thus far to sideline the unwieldy figure and to avoid coming to terms with history.) After decades of ideologically skewed propaganda, a "demythologization of Mao", of his ideology and of his methods, is finally taking place.

A decisive contribution along these lines was made recently by the monumental biography by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday entitled, Mao: The Unknown Story (2005). If we consider the simple data contained in this and other works (for example, Jasper Becker's exhaustively documented Hungry Ghosts: Mao's Secret Famine [1996]), it is no exaggeration to state that Mao Zedong, the "Red Sun", is directly or indirectly responsible for crimes which—in terms of cruelty, intensity and duration—are equal to or even worse than those of Stalin or of Hitler himself. Does this sound like a joke? Far from it. Chen Yizi, a former Party leader who escaped abroad, declares that he saw an internal Communist Party document that put the death toll from "non-natural causes" at eighty million, most of these deaths occurring during the "Great Leap Forward" (1958-1961).

While The Red Book of Chinese Martyrs—and this bears repeating—is in no way inspired by political concerns, one cannot help but notice while reading it what a moral, political, and economic tragedy the long season of Maoism proved to be. For example, Father Joseph Li observes,

The Cultural Revolution had thrown the country into complete and utter chaos. No one worked any more. Young and old, without distinction, spent all their time either in "mass meetings" or in "warfare sessions". People were dragged by force onto platforms where they endured barrage after barrage of accusations and abuse by the crowd. It didn't matter that the charges were contradictory and baseless: they had to stand up there anyway, motionless, while every detail of their private lives was put on display and made known to all. Among the many who were unable to endure the violence of this moral lynching, some later developed symptoms of mental imbalance, while others committed suicide. It is not far from the truth to say that in those years the whole country had turned into a colossal insane asylum. . . . The Cultural Revolution spread such a climate of mistrust and suspicion that it threatened to suffocate completely the modicum of natural goodness inherent in every human being.

Read the entire introduction.

Related IgnatiusInsight.com Book Excerpts, Articles, and Interview:

• On Writing A History of Christianity in China | Preface to Christians In China: A.D. 600 to 2000 | Fr. Jean-Pierre Charbonnier
• China, Catholicism, and Buddhism: An Ignatius Insight Podcast | Anthony E. Clark and Carl E. Olson
• The Church in China: Complexity and Community | Anthony E. Clark, Ph.D.
• China's Catholics of Guizhou: Three Days with Three Bishops | Anthony E. Clark, Ph.D.
• China's Struggling Catholics: A Second Report on the Church in Beijing | Anthony E. Clark, Ph.D.
• China's Thriving Catholics: A Report From Beijing's South Cathedral | Anthony E. Clark, Ph.D.
• Two Chinese Churches? Or One? | Anthony E. Clark, Ph.D.

Home run!

No, this has nothing to do with the World Series (as interesting as last night's game was), but a very fine column by Patrick J. Deenan titled, "Benedict the Radical," posted on the WaPost blog, "On Faith." Deenan, who teaches government studies at Georgetown and is Founding Director of "The Tocqueville Forum on the Roots of American Democrac, first dismantles David Gibson's ridiculously myopic column, "Is Pope Benedict a Closet Liberal?" (Oct. 23, 2009; see my post about Gibson's column), and then writes:

If one reads Benedict/Ratzinger's writings as a whole, one sees that he has consistently argued that Christianity is entering a period in which it will, as a whole, need to strengthen itself by shrinking to a core of the faithful. His is not an electoral strategy, but a gambit to preserve Western civilization. In the book Without Roots, then Cardinal Ratzinger (in a conversation with Italian Prime Minster Marcello Pera) articulated his view that the future of Christianity (and specifically, the Church) will lie in "creative minorities." He wrote there that he viewed such "creative minorities" (comparing them explicitly to the monastic communities of the Middle ages) as a "yeast [Matthew 13:33] - a persuasive force that acts beyond the more closed sphere until it reaches everybody.... The minorities renew the vitality of this great community at the same time as they draw on its hidden life force, which forever generates new life" (122-3).

What's important to note about Benedict XVI's "radicalism" is that it does not rest upon success in the political sphere; his vision for the Church fundamentally eschews much of what actually is shared in common between contemporary "liberals" and "conservatives." In the American context, "liberals" and "conservatives" alike are too much and too often in the throes of the modern orthodoxies, particularly a near-fanatic embrace of science and technology, devotion to "progress," "choice," and "growth," and a fealty to "the Market." Both are essentially earth-oriented, power-hungry and materialist.

We make a grave mistake if we interpret and understand the actions and activities of Pope Benedict XVI through the narrowly political lens that we all tend to wear in these times. He's engaged in a project far greater, and with world-historical significance. He is a radical traditionalist, and in a most untraditional age, such devotions call for radical creativity. Just don't call him "liberal" or "conservative"; both labels are too narrow for his capacious ambitions. He is endeavoring to save Christendom - from those outside it who would wish its demise - but even more, from those within, regardless of their political label.

Deenan makes several excellent points, three of which I highlight here for anyone who is really serious about understanding the thought and actions of Ratzinger/Benedict:

1. Read his works and engage with his actual thinking. It sounds rather obvious. But ask yourself this question: Following the announcement last week about the personal ordinariate, how many pundits and reporters, in making their assessments of Benedict XVI's approach to ecumenism, actually quoted from any of Ratzinger/Benedict's writings about ecumenism? (By the way, here is an excellent and just posted piece by a former Anglican priest, now Catholic, about the personal ordinariate.)

2. Politics are not the source and summit of the Catholic Faith. Even if you think (as, say, Alec Baldwin does) that politics are the most important thing in the world, don't foist that mentality onto the Pope. It isn't fair, and it leads to a Gibsonian perspective.

3. Get over, past, and beyond vacuous political labeling. Terms such as "liberal" and "conservative" have limited value in certain situations, when there is a basic understanding of their meaning. They don't bring anything helpful to the table in talking about Catholic doctrine or the thought of the Pope.

Deenan mentions Without Roots: The West, Relativism, Christianity, Islam. I would also suggest reading, for starters, Truth and Tolerance: Christian Belief and World Religions, Values In A Time of Upheaval, Europe: Today and Tomorrow, Church, Ecumenism and Politics: New Endeavors in Ecclesiology, and God and the World, as well as Pope Benedict XVI: The Conscience of Our Age (A Theological Portrait) by Fr. D. Vincent Twomey, S.V.D. There are numerous other good choices.

Finally, Deenan's remarks echo to a large degree what Peter Seewald (who has interviewed Ratzinger many times) wrote in the Preface to Benedict XVI: An Intimate Portrait:

The man from Bavaria--contrary to all the projections dumped onto his shoulders--is a revolutionary of the Christian type. Seeking out what was lost and saving it is the constant element in his life. An inconvenient man who can seize on the spirit of the times, who warns people against the aberrations of modern life. Anyone who really wants change, he cries out, needs a change in his consciousness and his personal behavior--anything else is insufficient. Now, as Benedict XVI, the most powerful German at the beginning of the new millennium may offer a new opportunity for Europe and, especially, for his homeland. And Peter's successor has given his own people an exciting motto for this: "We are not working to defend a position of power", he says. "In truth we are working so that the streets of the world may be open for Christ." That would mean, then, something like a "Benedictinizing" of the Catholic Church, a healthy revitalization of mercy, of the origin of the mystery.

This is an approach based, not on activism or considerations of feasibility, but on faith. And the pontifex in Rome could find himself helped not only by a reawakened longing for meaning and a new consciousness that truth is indispensable, but also by a new generation of young Christians, whose desire is to live out their faith in all its vitality and fullness once more, piously and without inhibitions. "The Church is certainly not old and immobile", declared the new pope enthusiastically; "no--she is young." And it was also untrue, he said, that youth is merely "materialistic and egotistic: young people want an end to be put to injustice. They want inequality to be overcome and for everyone to be given his share of the good things of the world. They want the oppressed to be given their freedom. They want greatness. They desire goodness. And that is why the young ... are once again wide open for Christ."

And then he added, just like a rebel of earlier times. "Anyone who has come to Christ seeking what is comfortable has indeed come to the wrong address." And, quite certainly, anyone who seeks that with Pope Benedict, too.

Read the rest.

• Biography of Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI
• NEW books by or about Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI
• All books by or about Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI
• Excerpts from books by Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI
• Articles about Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI

Archbishop Dolan on "America's other national pastime": anti-Catholicism

From the blog of Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York:

The following article was submitted in a slightly shorter form to the New York Times as an op-ed article. The Times declined to publish it. I thought you might be interested in reading it.

FOUL BALL!
By Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan
Archbishop of New York
 
October is the month we relish the highpoint of our national pastime, especially when one of our own New York teams is in the World Series!
 
Sadly, America has another national pastime, this one not pleasant at all: anti-catholicism.
         
It is not hyperbole to call prejudice against the Catholic Church a national pastime. Scholars such as Arthur Schlesinger Sr. referred to it as “the deepest bias in the history of the American people,” while John Higham described it as “the most luxuriant, tenacious tradition of paranoiac agitation in American history.” “The anti-semitism of the left,” is how Paul Viereck reads it, and Professor Philip Jenkins sub-titles his book on the topic “the last acceptable prejudice.”
         
If you want recent evidence of this unfairness against the Catholic Church, look no further than a few of these following examples of occurrences over the last couple weeks:

Read the entire post. HT: Our Sunday Visitor's "Daily Take" blog.

Oh, great!

On the cusp of the biggest game of the year for the Oregon Ducks (against USC, on Halloween night), Sports Illustrated runs a feature piece on the team. Does this qualify for an SI jinx? Or does that only apply to covers? I don't think I'm going to sleep well until Saturday night...

Former Catholic Quote of the Week

Brad Lidge is apparently a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, who are playing the New York Yankees in the 2009 World Series. He is also a cradle Catholic who "continues to cultivate a personalized Christianity" and is now seeking to "develop a personal connection to divinity." And, of course, he knows what is wrong with the Catholic Church:

The pitcher's Christianity defies common classification and is subject to constant revision.

"If I had to define myself now I would be nondenominational with a heavy appreciation for and leaning theologically toward Catholicism," Lidge said. "But there are some things in Catholicism that I don't subscribe to."

That perspective hardened when Lidge and his wife, Lindsay, visited the Vatican.

"If you've seen the Sistine Chapel and you see the amount of wealth amassed there . . . if they decide there is a time when they really want to use that for God and Jesus' cause, they could spread that," Lidge said.

"They could sell all those things, auction them off and probably feed half that world's starving population. There is that much wealth stored in the Sistine Chapel. For it just to be sitting there I think is a crime. It just doesn't make sense anymore. People have given well-deserved gifts to the church, but Jesus said, 'Store for yourself not treasures on earth but treasures in heaven.' These are treasures on earth. That's not what we're supposed to be doing."

Raised in a Catholic household near Denver, Lidge attended Mass every Sunday and served as an altar boy. But religion hardly defined his younger days.

Just as commonsense, historical literacy, and grasp of facts (three strikes!) don't appear to define him today when it comes to this topic. Don't misunderstand me; I'm not saying Lidge is a bad guy, stupid, or even anti-Catholic. But this sort of thinking is quite common and very popular, as evidenced by the attention given to "comedian" Sarah Silverman and her video, "Sell the Vatican, Feed the World." The American Papist  (Thomas Peters) made many good points in response to Silverman, which I'll borrow from in making three points about Lidge's remarks:

• Commonsense: As Peters notes: "The assets of the Vatican (St. Peter's Basilica, etc.) don't have a fair market value. Who is going to buy the Vatican? The best use of the Vatican is to continue to provide a place of worship to the millions of people who are members of the Church, who are in turn the economic engine behind the Vatican's ability to feed the poor. Pure and simple."

• Historical (and theological) Literacy:  The point about worship is an important one; great cathedrals, churches, and works of art were created over the course of many centuries to be essential parts, obviously, of the Church's worship of God. Surely Lidge believes that worshipping God is a central part of what it means to be a Christian. These churches don't belong to a particular pope or bishop, but to the Church, which Catholics believe was founded and is ruled by Jesus Christ. In a very real sense, the Sistine Chapel and everything else belongs to Christ. This is all the more meaningful when considering that the Eucharist—the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ—is kept in churches and cathedrals. Sure, the Eucharist could be kept in a closet or a gymnasium, but is that any way to show respect and love for Christ? Or to encourage authentic devotion and reverent worship?

Basic Facts: No other Christian group, movement, or church operates as many charitable organizations, orphanages, schools, hospitals, hospices, and shelters as does the Catholic Church. Could the Church do more? Of course. And do it more efficiently? Sure. But, then, so could everyone else. That's just the way it goes when it comes to the reality of human efforts.

Christians such as Lidge should appreciate that the Bible they read wouldn't exist if the many manuscripts of Sacred Scripture had not been preserved and copied by Catholics down through the ages. Such preservation and copying required time, effort, facilities, man power, and money—not to mention the motivating belief that the Bible is the Word of God and should be preserved and protected and copied. Guess who ponied up those things? Yep, that's right: the Catholic Church. It doesn't mean the Church is above criticism, but it does mean the criticism should informed.

Finally, let's flip this around: Lidge is a thoughtful, well-educated, and talented man. Why, then, is he wasting his time playing a game when he could be a missionary in the jungles of Africa? Or a preacher in the slums of a Third World city? For that talent just to be sitting there on a baseball field, I think is a crime. It just doesn't make sense anymore.

Separation of Church and ... Home Depot?

From the Associated Press:

A former cashier for The Home Depot who has been wearing a "One nation under God" button on his work apron for more than a year has been fired, he says because of the religious reference. The company claims that expressing such personal beliefs is simply not allowed.

"I've worn it for well over a year and I support my country and God," Trevor Keezor said Tuesday. "I was just doing what I think every American should do, just love my country."

The American flag button Keezer wore in the Florida store since March 2008 says "One nation under God, indivisible."

That phrase, of course, is directly from the Bible, from the Epistle to the Children in the Care of the Public School System (ch. 6, v. 66), in an ancient hymn referred to by many Scripture scholars as "The Pledge of Allegiance." Considering the overtly sectarian and stridently fundamentalist origins of the phrase, it is understandable that Home Depot, which is owned and operated by the U.S. government (oh, wait, it isn't, nevermind), would take swift and rational action:

Earlier this month, he began bringing a Bible to read during his lunch break at the store in the rural town of Okeechobee, about 140 miles north of Miami. That's when he says The Home Depot management told him he would have to remove the button.

Keezer refused, and he was fired on Oct. 23, he said.

"It feels kind of like a punishment, like I was punished for just loving my country," Keezer said.

Keezer is obviously unaware that the phrase, "One nation under God, indivisible," is not in the original pledge, which was created by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist pastor and Christian Socialist (the man covered his bases!), but was artificially inserted into the original text by the community of disciples known as the Congress of the United States and ratified by their then-leader, President Dwight Eisenhower. There is no doubt, surely, that the scholars, scribes, lawyers, and managers of Home Depot—whose academic track record and lengthy resume of articles in peer-reviewed journals is the toast of the home improvement store industry—are aware of this historical problem. They wish, it can be fairly adduced, to act swiftly to head off any impression of either endorsing a young phrase theory or tacitly approving of the founding of the First Church of Home Depot God Zealots, which surely was the intention of the Bible-thumbing Keezer. So:

A Home Depot spokesman said Keezer was fired because he violated the company's dress code.

"This associate chose to wear a button that expressed his religious beliefs. The issue is not whether or not we agree with the message on the button," Craig Fishel said. "That's not our place to say, which is exactly why we have a blanket policy, which is long-standing and well-communicated to our associates, that only company-provided pins and badges can be worn on our aprons."

Fishel said Keezer was offered a company-approved pin that said, "United We Stand," but he declined.

The issue, you see, is that it is not Home Depot's place to say what they agree or disagree with, except when telling Keezer he should agree to wear this ("United We Stand") and not wear that ("Under God..."). Problems emerge, however. First, Keezer is most likely a product of the U.S. educational system, and was thus trained by government-employed agents (aka, teachers) to utter the modern (and textually suspect) Pledge with the phrase, "One nation under God, indivisible."

Secondly, there is much debate among philologists specializing in the study of the mid-20th century (A.D. 1940-1960) American religious culture as to whether or not there is a significant difference in religious and cultural origins between the two phrases: "One nation under God, indivisible" and "United We Stand." The former was ratified by Pres. Dwight Eisenhower, who had served with distinction as a general during World War II. His service in that war is noteworthy as the phrase, "United We Stand," was introduced into popular parlance and usage in the summer of 1942, a few months after the U.S. had entered the war. This was supported by both the National Publishers Association (now the Magazine Publishers of America) and the U.S. Treasury Department, in what some now called the "Patriotism Conspiracy." So, oddly enough, Home Depot is unhappy with one government-approved phrase and wishes the employee to substitute another government-endorse phrase. The difference, of course, lies in one loaded and potentially-offensive word: "God." Which brings us to the final point.

Home Depot faces the challenge of explaining why one employee, Mr. Keezer, cannot bear a pin stating, "One nation under God, indivisible," while many employees, on any given work day, can be seen holding, handling, and even proffering to customers (!), pieces of paper which state, "In God We Trust"—pieces of paper created and issued by the same faith community (aka, the U.S. Government) that ratified the phrase, "One nation under God, indivisible" and actively supported and propagated the phrase, "United We Stand"!

But seriously, folks (and, yes, some of the above was written tongue-in-cheek), how ridiculous is this? Yet, as ridiculous as it is—and as many of these silly cases as we now see—it's a reminder of how substantially things have changed since the middle of last century. (Put this way: can anyone imagine this happening in the 1950s? 1960s? 1970s even?) We are constantly assured by the neo-autocrats, technocrats, bureaucrats, lawyers, judges, thought police, sensitivity experts, multicultural gurus, diversity specialists, university profs, Oprahs, talking "news" heads, and numerous others of how we need more equality, more sensitivity, more tolerance, more openness, more freedom, more understanding, and more awareness, but we increasingly are subjected to more inequality, more insensitivity, more intolerance, more closemindedness, more restrictions, more administered freedom (ht: James Kalb), more stupidity, more confusion, more muddlemindedness, more bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo, and more inane, illogical expertise.

At the heart, this is not a political issue (however much politics are involved), but a matter of first things, the permanent things: Upon what basis is our society and culture built? What are the metaphysical roots and foundation of our community and country? I would suggest (quite unoriginally) that while many people try to wrestle with these important questions, they aren't questions that see the light of day in the public square. We live increasingly in a culture that assumes, in nearly every scenario and situation, that equality and freedom are the greatest goods while refusing to ask, "What is equality? What is freedom? What are they based upon? What are they oriented toward? Who decides what is equal? What is free?" And so forth.

"For believers, the world derives neither from blind chance nor from strict necessity, but from God's plan. This is what gives rise to the duty of believers to unite their efforts with those of all men and women of good will, with the followers of other religions and with non-believers, so that this world of ours may effectively correspond to the divine plan: living as a family under the Creator's watchful eye. A particular manifestation of charity and a guiding criterion for fraternal cooperation between believers and non-believers is undoubtedly the principle of subsidiarity, an expression of inalienable human freedom. Subsidiarity is first and foremost a form of assistance to the human person via the autonomy of intermediate bodies. Such assistance is offered when individuals or groups are unable to accomplish something on their own, and it is always designed to achieve their emancipation, because it fosters freedom and participation through assumption of responsibility. Subsidiarity respects personal dignity by recognizing in the person a subject who is always capable of giving something to others. By considering reciprocity as the heart of what it is to be a human being, subsidiarity is the most effective antidote against any form of all-encompassing welfare state. It is able to take account both of the manifold articulation of plans — and therefore of the plurality of subjects — as well as the coordination of those plans. Hence the principle of subsidiarity is particularly well-suited to managing globalization and directing it towards authentic human development. In order not to produce a dangerous universal power of a tyrannical nature, the governance of globalization must be marked by subsidiarity, articulated into several layers and involving different levels that can work together. Globalization certainly requires authority, insofar as it poses the problem of a global common good that needs to be pursued. This authority, however, must be organized in a subsidiary and stratified way, if it is not to infringe upon freedom and if it is to yield effective results in practice." — Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate (par. 57)

Ever wonder why there are so many heretical, dissenting nuns...

... who wouldn't get caught dead in a habit but are willing to escort babies to their death, bash the teaching authority of the Church, and publicly advocate for priestettes? If so, then Donna Steichen's book, Ungodly Rage: The Hidden Face of Catholic Feminism (Ignatius Press, 1991) is for you. It is an impressively detailed history and well-researched study of the topic. And it is now available again as an e-book. A large excerpt from the final chapter, "From the Catacombs," can be read on the Renew America site.

Here are some words of praise for the book:

"Donna Steichen leaves no doubt that the 'Catholic' feminists, mostly nuns, who control much of what is presented to the laity as official episcopal teaching, now actually practice, in Cardinal Ratzinger's words, 'another religion'—goddess religion, witchcraft. Her documentation of what the Bishops' salaried feminists are up to, with the Bishops' knowledge, is so massive and firsthand that I am forced to accept the truth of her expose. Shocking though her indictment is, Steichen's tone throughout is calm, non-pejorative, genuinely Catholic. A ground-breaking achievement." — Anne Roche Muggeridge, Author, The Desolate City

"Donna Steichen's penetrating account, based on hours of personal interviews and attendance at feminist gatherings, sounds a necessary alarm. It should be read attentively by all who are concerned about or responsible for the religious welfare of others." — Helen Hull Hitchcock, Women for Faith and Family

"Steichen's zealous research has produced this incisive critique indispensable for all Catholics confronted or puzzled by this destructive movement."  — Ronda Chervin, Consultant to U. S. Bishops Pastoral on Women's Concerns

Also see:

Cardinal Cañizares: The "most urgent issue" is that "the sense of the liturgy..."

"... be truly recovered." Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera is Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, and some of his recent remarks made in an interview with the newspaper Catalunya Cristiana have been translated into English by the folks at New Liturgical Movement. They suggest that the "reform of the reform" is alive and well, even while the process is slow and arduous:

What have been the most pressing issues that you have had to attend to?

Urgent business there is every morning, referring to excesses and errors which are being committed in the liturgy, but above all, the most urgent issue that is pressing all over the world, is that the sense of the liturgy be truly recovered. This is not about changing rubrics or introducing new things, but what it is about, is simply that the liturgy be lived and that it be in the center of the life of the Church. The Church cannot be without the liturgy, because the Church is there for the liturgy, that is, for praise, for thanksgiving, to offer the sacrifice to the Lord, for worship ... This is fundamental, and without this there is no Church. Indeed, without this there is no humanity. It is therefore an extremely urgent and pressing task.

How can the sense of the liturgy be recovered?

At present we work in a very quiet manner on an entire range of issues having to do with educative projects. This is the prime necessity there is: a good and genuine liturgical formation. The subject of liturgical formation is critical because there really is no sufficient education [at the moment]. People believe that the liturgy is a matter of forms and external realities, and what we really need is to restore a sense of worship, i.e. the sense of God as God. This sense of God can only be recovered with the  liturgy. Therefore the Pope has the greatest interest in emphasizing the priority of the liturgy in the life of the Church. When one lives the spirit of the liturgy, one enters into the spirit of worship, one enters into the acknowledgment of God, one enters into communion with Him, and this is what transforms man and turns him into a new man. The liturgy always looks towards God, not the community; it is not the community that makes the liturgy, but it is God who makes it. It is He who comes to meet us and offers us to participate in his life, his mercy and his forgiveness ... When one truly lives the liturgy and God is truly at the centre of it, everything changes.

Read the entire piece on the New Liturgical Movement site.

Related IgnatiusInsight.com Articles and Excerpts:

• The Spirit of the Liturgy website
• The Altar and the Direction of Liturgical Prayer | Excerpt from The Spirit of the Liturgy | Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
• Music and Liturgy | Excerpt from The Spirit of the Liturgy | Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
• How Should We Worship? | Preface to The Organic Development of the Liturgy by Alcuin Reid, O.S.B. | by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
• Foreword to U.M. Lang's Turning Towards the Lord: Orientation in Liturgical Prayer | Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
• The Reform of the Liturgy and the Position of the Celebrant at the Altar | Uwe Michael Lang | From Turning Towards the Lord: Orientation in Liturgical Prayer (2nd edition)
• Reform or Return? An Interview with Rev. Thomas M. Kocik, author of The Reform of the Reform?
• The Mass of Vatican II | Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J.
• Learning the Liturgy From the Saints | An Interview with Fr. Thomas Crean, O.P., author of The Mass and the Saints
• Walking To Heaven Backward | Interview with Father Jonathan Robinson of the Oratory
• Does Christianity Need A Liturgy? | Martin Mosebach | From The Heresy of Formlessness: The Roman Liturgy and Its Enemy
• Rite and Liturgy | Denis Crouan, STD
• The Liturgy Lived: The Divinization of Man | Jean Corbon, OP
• The Latin Mass: Old Rites and New Rites in Today's World | Anthony E. Clark, Ph.D.
• Worshipping at the Feet of the Lord: Pope Benedict XVI and the Liturgy | Anthony E. Clark, Ph.D.
• Reflections On Saying Mass (And Saying It Correctly) | Fr. James V. Schall, S. J.
• Liturgy, Catechesis, and Conversion | Barbara Morgan

Fr. Robert Barron on the vampire, "Twilight" craze

Fr. Robert Barron of Word on Fire has some good insights on how hugely popular vampire stories and movies such as "Twilight",  seek, unsuccessfully, to provide a "bloodless substitute" to the Catholic understanding of spiritual truth and eternal life:



One caveat: I, for one, remain a bit puzzled about the nature of Anne Rice's beliefs, especially since she has not, as far as I know, renounced her open support of "gay marriage" and the supposedly implicit goodness of homosexual relations, as well as her vocal support of women's ordination. And then (on a different level) there was her bizarre claim that the Democratic Party was not only the true "pro-life party," but that it offered the best way to eliminate abortion. It doesn't follow, of course, that her novels about Jesus aren't worth reading; folks such as Peter Kreeft have praised them highly (I've not read them). But, based on her public statements, I have to conclude that Anne Rice's path to the truth is still a work very much in progress.

• "The Catholic Aesthetic in Bram Stoker’s 'Dracula'" (June 11, 2009)

Benedict XVI reflects on the 12th-century theological renaissance

From Vatican Information Service:

LATIN THEOLOGY FLOURISHED IN THE 12TH CENTURY

VATICAN CITY, 28 OCT 2009 (VIS) - During this Wednesday's General Audience celebrated in St. Peter's Square the Pope spoke about a series of events that, during the twelfth century, created a renaissance in Latin theology.

 "During this time," he explained, "a relative peace reigned in Western Europe, which ensured society's economic development, consolidated political structures, and favored vibrant cultural activity thanks also to contact with the East. The benefits of the vast movement known as the Gregorian Reform were felt in the Church, which led to "a greater evangelical purity in the Church, above all in the clergy" and an expansion of religious life. As fruits of this development, figures such as St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure would appear in the thirteen century.

 Benedict XVI affirmed that in this context two different models of theology arose: that of "monastic theology" and that of "scholastic theology". Regarding the first, the monks "were devoted to the Sacred Scriptures and one of their main activities consisted in lectio divina, that is, a meditative reading of the Bible". It was precisely the 2008 Synod of Bishops on "the Word of God in the Life and the Mission of the Church" that recalled the importance of this aspect.

 "As monastic theology is listening to the Word of God", he said, "it is necessary to purify one's heart to welcome it and, above all, one must be full of fervor to encounter the Lord. Theology therefore becomes meditation, prayer, a song of praise, and the impetus for sincere conversion".

 The Holy Father emphasized that "it is important to reserve a certain time each day for meditation on the Bible so that the Word of God will be the lamp that illuminates our daily path on earth".

 Continuously referring to the method of "scholastic theology", the Pope pointed out that "it is not easy for modern mentality to understand. The quaestio, which consisted of a theme for discussion," was essential to its process.

 "The organization of the quaestiones led to the compilation of evermore extensive syntheses, the so-called summae that were vast dogmatic-theological treatises. Scholastic theology sought to present the unity and harmony of Christian Revelation with a method, called precisely 'scholastic', that grants faith in human reason".

 Benedict XVI concluded by emphasizing that "faith and reason, in reciprocal dialogue, tremble with joy when they are both animated by the search for intimate union with God. ... Truth is sought with humility, welcomed with wonder and gratitude: in a word, knowledge only grows if one loves the truth".

The young Fr. Joseph Ratzinger's Habilitationsschrift, written in the mid 1950s, was on the theology of St. Bonaventure; it is available (through Ignatius Press) in English as The Theology of History in Bonaventure.

Related Ignatius Insight Book Excerpts and Essays:

• Are Truth, Faith, and Tolerance Compatible? | Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
• Why Do We Need Faith? | Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
• What in Fact Is Theology? | Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)
• Benedict on Aquinas: "Faith Implies Reason" | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J.
• What is the Proper Object of Theology? The Pope at the Gregorian | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J.
• Reading the Apostle, the Doctor, and the Pope | An interview with Dr. Matthew Levering
• Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church | Various Authors

Veritas Vincit: The Pope in Prague

Veritas Vincit: The Pope in Prague | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. | Ignatius Insight | October 28, 2009

"The Presidential flag flying over Prague Castle proclaims the motto 'Pravda Vítezí'–[Veritas Vincit] the Truth wins" -- Benedict XVI, Arrival at Prague Airport, September 26, 2009.

"Europe is more than a continent. It is a home! And freedom finds its deepest meaning in a spiritual homeland. With full respect for the distinction between the political realm and that of religion...I wish to underline the irreplaceable role of Christianity for the formation of the conscience of each generation and the promotion of a basic ethical consensus that serves every person who calls this continent, 'home...' I acknowledge the voice of those who today across this country and continent, seek to apply their faith respectfully yet decisively in the public arena, in the expectation that social norms and policies be informed by the desire to live by the truth that sets every man and woman free." -- Benedict XVI, Address to Diplomatic Corps, Prague Castle, September 26, 2009.

"Man needs to be liberated from material oppression, but more profoundly, he must be saved from the evils that afflict the spirit." -- Benedict XVI, Brno, Moravia, September 27, 2009.

I.

Gradually, Benedict XVI is covering the world in his visits—Germany, France, Angola, Australia, Brazil, Spain, Turkey, Israel, Poland, United States, Cameroons and Austria. Prague is not so far from Munich and Regensburg in Germany. It is often called the heart of Europe, the second city of the old Holy Roman Empire. Prague is a beautiful city, somehow one that has escaped the wars of modern times. At his arrival at the Prague airport, the Pope mentioned "the significant part played by the Czech lands in Europe's intellectual, cultural and religious history, sometimes as a battleground, more often as a bridge."

The Pope often was reminded of the experience of the Czech people under communist rule. He listed their saints—Cyril, Methodius, Wenceslaus, Adalbert, John Nepomuk, Agnes of Bohemia, and Ludmila. He acknowledged Gregor Mendel the Augustinian monk from Moravia "whose pioneering research laid the foundations of modern genetics." He cites Kafka. He quotes Václav Havel: "Dictatorship is based on falsehood, and if falsehood is overcome, if no one lies any longer and if the truth comes to light, there is also freedom." Benedict rarely talks of freedom without first and last talking of truth.

Read the entire essay...

As papal critics let off steam...

... the Pope picks up steam.

Is Cardinal George Pell headed to a key Vatican post?

From The Australian:

CATHOLIC circles in Rome and Australia are abuzz with speculation that Pope Benedict XVI will shortly appoint Australia's Cardinal George Pell to a prestigious job in the top echelons of the Roman Curia.

Cardinal Pell's experience as Archbishop of Sydney and Melbourne, and his service on a range of Vatican organisations, is seen as an ideal background to take on a senior Vatican job.

Cardinal Pell, who was ordained in 1966, served as a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith when Cardinal Ratzinger was in charge.

He is also a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and president of the Vox Clara Committee, which advises the Vatican on English translations of liturgical texts used at Mass.

One possible senior job becoming vacant in Rome is the powerful position of Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, which helps advise the Pope on the appointment of new bishops across the world.

Its Prefect, Cardinal Battista Re, who has held the job since 2000, reached the retirement age of 75 this year.

Two weeks ago Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Raymond Burke, prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, and Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, to be members of the Congregation for Bishops.

Here is a 2005 Ignatius Insight interview with Cardinal Pell:

And a 2005 interview with Tess Livingstone, author of George Pell: Defender of the Faith Down Under (Ignatius Press, 2005):

Mark Brumley discusses apologetics and "Handbook of Catholic Apologetics"

Ignatius Press CEO (and associate publisher of IgnatiusInsight.com) Mark Brumley talks about The Handbook of Catholic Apologetics, written by Peter Kreeft and Fr. Ronald Tacelli, S.J., on "Catholic Radio 2.0." The segment begins at the 30-minute mark and runs for thirty minutes:

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Here is more information about the book: Handbook Of Catholic Apologetics: Reasoned Answers to Questions of Faith

by Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli

Unbelievers, doubters and skeptics continue to attack the truths of Christianity. Handbook of Catholic Apologetics is the only book that categorizes and summarizes all the major arguments in support of the main Christian beliefs, including key distinctively Catholic doctrines. Also included is a Protestant-friendly treatment of Catholic-Protestant issues. The Catholic answers to Protestant questions show how Catholicism is the fullness of the Christian faith.

An expanded, Catholic edition of the popular book Handbook of Christian Apologetics, Handbook of Catholic Apologetics is full of the wisdom and wit, clarity and insight of philosophers Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli. This is an informative and valuable guidebook for anyone looking for answers to questions of faith and reason. Whether you are asking the questions yourself or want to respond to others who are, here is the resource you have been waiting for. 

• faith and reason
• the existence of God
• God's nature
• creation and evolution
• providence and free will
• miracles
• problem of evil
• Bible's historical reliability
• divinity of Christ
• Christ's resurrection
• life after death
• heaven, hell, purgatory
• salvation
• Christianity and other religions
• objective truth
• Sacramentalism
• The Eucharist and the Real Presence of Jesus
• Mary's role in the Christian order
• he authority of the Church
• Communion of saints
• Faith and works
• Catholicism as Complete Christianity