A Deo et Rege

Marymount Manhattan College has become the fourth American academic institution for higher education to be stripped of its official Catholic status since John Paul the Great issued Ex Corde Ecclesiae in 1990. It didn’t seem to be a problem for the college, which agreed with the decision since it hadn’t been Catholic in practice for years. As secular society moves further away from Catholic theology and practice, more schools will have to make some hard (or for some perhaps easy) decisions.

Source Cardinal Newman Society

The month of May is a time typically devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. One tradition associated with this month is taking a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine. I’ve personally had great experiences visiting Catholic shrines and would highly recommend doing it, especially for people who are trying to discern God’s will in some area of their lives.

In this spirit, I’ll be visiting the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC on May 1. I’m going for a job interview this weekend and figured it would also be a great time to visit our national shrine. As always I’ll post photos and commentary when I return. I’m very excited and ask your prayers. I’ll bring up the intentions of all those who read this blog too.

For those interested in visiting a Marian shrine as a part of your May devotions, you may want to visit the following resource: Marian Shrines in the USA.

Image of Mary from St. Charles Borromeo Church Image Gallery

Buchanan is blunt, controversial, and perceptive. These comments are no exception. Not only do I think he’s right on, but he’s incredibly funny. Contextually, he’s responding to the ravings of Andrew Sullivan. Here are the relevant parts from the April 19th episode of Scarborough Country:

SCARBOROUGH:
This is what [Andrew Sullivan] wrote recently in his blog: “Christians who are
saddened by the ascent of extremism and fundamentalism within their
faith communities have options other than passivity.  They have the
blogosphere.  Cardinal Ratzinger cannot silence us.”

Pat,
again, we have heard the charge, again and again, from moderates and
even from some conservatives, that he was the cardinal responsible for
silencing those that disagreed with Pope John Paul II. 

BUCHANAN:
Look, Joe, when you say disagreed, Cardinal Ratzinger is responsible
for maintaining the truth of doctrine and dogma by which men reach
eternal life. 

Andrew Sullivan is an open
homosexual.  He has been living in that relationship, and he wonders
why the church doesn‘t change its doctrine and dogma to accommodate
him.  It cannot.  That is the truth Christ taught.  Now, what Cardinal
Ratzinger is today is the vicar of Christ on earth.  Now, Christ wasn‘t
terribly popular to the world he came into.  He was crucified by that
world.

And today‘s world, especially this
hedonistic society we live in, materialistic, it wants the church to
accommodate to it.  And the Holy Father‘s job is not to do that.  It is
to speak truth to secular power.  And that is what he is doing.  That
is what he has done.  There could not have been a better choice.  Folks
who disagree with doctrine and dogma of the Roman Catholic Church,
there‘s lots of empty pews over in the Episcopal Church.  They can head
over there. 

(LAUGHTER)

BUCHANAN:  But this man speaks the truth. 

SCARBOROUGH:  All right. 

BUCHANAN:  Now, listen, the flock has got a good German shepherd, Joe. 

(LAUGHTER)

In keeping with some recent comments on my blog, I wanted to address some recent Anglican tradition-Catholic ecumenical developments. Kendall Harmon has posted about a possibility of an Anglican Church Being in Communion with Rome. This is an interesting development. Of course, this is not the Anglican Communion (which includes the Episcopal Church), but a "continuing" group of Anglicans who left the official Anglican structure.

It’s hard to tell if this effort will get any traction, but it could bear some fruit since the things that have killed offical Anglican-Catholic relations like women’s ordination, gay bishops, and the lack of theological cohesion won’t be a problem with this group. On the other hand, the issue of Anglican orders, married bishops, and liturgy will still have to be worked out. Nonetheless, it’s still interesting news.

My fiancee is on her way back to Australia. Damn. It really sucks to have to see the person you love for short time blocks and then have to say goodbye. Immigration has received our petition and now we just play the waiting game. I’ve learned enough patience!!

So, related to the above, you’ll probably see more blog entries and quicker responses to comments. I’ll have more time to say the least.

In other news, this Sunday I’m going to Washington DC to talk about getting a job teaching religion at a Catholic middle school. Please keep me in your prayers about this. If I get offered the job, moving to Washington would be a huge step, but teaching the Catholic Faith is what I’ve always wanted to do.

Many speculated that the papacy of John XXIII would be transitional and they are saying the same about a Benedict XVI papacy. They were wrong then and I think they’re wrong now. I think our new Pope will have a highly influencial papacy. Although I would never tell the holy father what to do, I do nonetheless have a few things that I would like to see accomplished (and that I think need taking care of):

1. Continue the work of better relations with the Orthodox
2. Abolish or seriously reform the ICEL and speed up the new translation of the English liturgy
3. Crack down on and renew the religious orders, whose membership is often heretical and grey
4. Increase the number of priestly vocations
5. Reform Catholic higher education in the USA and other parts of the West, requiring theology to be taught by Catholics loyal to the Church

God bless Benedict XVI! I know that God will use him in many ways.

Habemus Papam! Congratulations to and many prayers for Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger in his election as Pope Benedict XVI! This is a momentous and wonderful day. I was personally rooting for Ratzinger since I believe he’s well equipped to clean up the mess that is American Catholicism. The Holy Spirit led the Cardinals to choose him and I have no doubt God will leave a positive mark on his Church through the papacy of Benedict XVI. Here are a few lines of "Long Live the Pope" (courtesy of Charles)

Long live the Pope!
His praises sound
Again and yet again:
His rule is over space and time:
His throne the heart of men:
All hail! The Shepherd King of Rome,
The theme of loving song:
Let all the earth his glory sing
And heav’n the strain prolong.

The conclave to choose the new Pope begins tomorrow. Please pray for the work of the Holy Spirit as he leads the cardinals to choose the newest vicar of Christ and successor to St. Peter.

On Saturday, Carmel and I had the pleasure of doing pre-Cana , the Catholic marriage preparation program, together. I wasn’t sure what to expect since I’m a new Catholic, but as with most things, I was not only pleasantly surprised, but incredibly blown away. First, it was great to see so many young and mostly Catholic couples in one place. Second, the Diocese really took care of us, providing Panera coffee and bread products the whole day. This certainly made us feel at home. The main blessings, however, came from the actual programs themselves.

There were five talks, all but one of them done by successfully married couples. They included such topics as communications, decision making, family of origin, and the sacramentality of marriage. The family of origin talk, I regarded as perhaps the most useful since in many ways we do bring our family traits and habits (for better or for worse) with us to the marriage. What could seem like trivial issues to outsiders can be big in the context of our original family. My second favorite was the talk on the sacred side to marriage, especially the emphasis on praying and attending mass together. The speakers truly emphasized that God has to be an equal partner in the marriage as well as the pre-eminence of the Domestic Church.

Each talk was woven throughout with the Faith and teachings of the Church, which was extremely important to Carmel and me. I was happy that every presenter taught according to the Church, even presenting potentially unpopular positions with boldness and charity. Sadly, this may be the first time many of these engaged couples have ever heard of the Catholic positions on artificial birth control and the purposes of sexual activity. The presenters offered free books for all engaged couples. These included not only traditional wedding books, but also Humanae Vitae and NFP resources.

The day ended with a service of the blessing of engagement. It was a wonderful day and I felt that we grew as a couple and our faith grew as a couple. I often wondered how this material was impacting others at the gathering. I can’t speak for them, but it sure impacted us in a big way.

Afterwards, we ate dinner at Buca Di Beppo, a lovely Italian restaurant. It was a perfect way to cap a wonderful day.

Image from Wedding Clipart Page

Photo by Jonathan Bennett

I remember back in 1996 when I was having coffee while a freshman at Ohio University and I heard some great songs coming over the loud speaker. I asked the girl at the counter who the band was and she told it was the Vigilantes of Love a group led by Bill Mallonee.

Last night, Carmel and I watched Bill play at Scottie McBeans in Columbus, Ohio. It was a great show. He played some of the older VOL classics like "Resplendent" and "Skin" and some of the newer ones too. Of the newer ones, I especially liked "Apple of My Eye," "The Kidz on Drugz (or Life)" and "I Will Never Be Normal (After This)."

Bill is a Christian, and I found out last night, a Catholic who returned home to the Church after some years away. Some of his newer lyrics had made me wonder about the Catholic connection and the candles to the Sacred Heart, St. Michael, and the Blessed Virgin Mary with prayers in Spanish and English beside the Cd’s he was selling had really, really made me wonder. We sat next to two Catholic priests in training too, which was really cool since they were both around my age.

It was an amazing night and I was glad to have seen him live again and to have bought a couple of his new Cd’s. As an example of how wonderful Bill is, when Carmel told him we were engaged, he gave her his newest CD as a wedding present to us and signed it!! If you get the chance, check out Bill and/or VOL. They are awesome!

My fiancee is coming to America tonight and I’m so excited!! If you are regular readers of this blog, you’ll know that we are involved in the ultimate in long distance relationship, lol. If unfamiliar, click on the "immigration" category to get an idea of what is happening. We’re going to have a blast, as always. So far, we only have a few things planned, but they will be fun. We’re going to go bike riding (spring weather is nearly here), to the Zoo, skating, visiting the Our Lady of Consolation Shrine, and more. I can’t wait for her to see Ohio outside of the dead of winter, which is what she’s only seen in the past.

Today is going to be a busy day, though. I’m going to go to the YMCA and get in that one last workout. I need to go to the bank and then off to pick her up at the airport. Beforehand I want to visit two bookstores, one Catholic, the other general. I honestly want a John Paul II holy card and know that this store had them in the past. I also am looking for a book on learning Italian. My fiancee and her family are Italio-Australians. Plus, hearing the Italian at the Vatican made me want to learn more. With Spanish and Latin under my belt, I’m sure learning Italian will be easy and also will hopelessly confuse me when writing Latin or speaking Spanish!

Please pray for safe travel for her (and us as we pick her up).

I have no doubt that John Paul II will have just as big an impact in death as he did in life. I think one aspect of that will be a renewed interest in Catholicism. I know that a lot of people, Christian and non-Christian, are going to be very curious about not only the man, but also his Faith. As Catholics, we must be prepared to tell others, especially if asked, why we are Catholic and defend our Faith if needed (with charity in all cases, of course).

Although I have no national statistics, I can attest that my website has been receiving double the normal hits. And, all of the pages related to conversion, have doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled in hits the last few days! People seem to be interested in learning more about Catholicism or coming back to it. As Catholics, we must lovingly encourage and help those seek. We must work with the Spirit of God in what may be a huge, golden opportunity.

Here are some religious voices from across the spectrum on the death of our beloved John Paul II. For the whole quote and/or source, click on the link.

From His All Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I (Orthodox):

He did not hesitate before pains and sacrifices in order to bring the
message of the Gospel to the entire world and to contribute to the
establishment of peace.  History will also recount his crucial
contribution to the fall of atheistic communism.  There are not many
such brave men of vision, as the departed Pope…For this reason, his death is a loss not only to his Church, but to all
of Christianity as well, and to the international community in general,
who desires peace and justice.

From the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America:

We participate in the sorrow of the Roman Catholic Church during this
difficult time of the departure of Pope John Paul II, and we join the
world in offering prayers knowing that he is now in the world of
eternal rest. The Pope, who began his papacy in October 1978,
has guided the Roman Catholic Church through transforming years,
remaining firm on traditional values while offering love, compassion,
and forgiveness. He touched many people with his gentle manner and his
openness to people of other religions.

From Rev. Billy Graham, Protestant minister:

I have a very strange feeling of loss. I almost feel as though one
of my family members has gone…I loved him very much, and had the
opportunity of discussing so many things with him, and we wrote each
other several times during the years.

From Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism

Catholics worldwide have lost a monumental leader and the Jewish
community has lost a treasured friend..John Paul II made it a
special priority of his papacy to continue the process of
reconciliation between the church and the Jewish people.

From Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon:

In the name of the Israeli government and the State of Israel, I would
like to express my sorrow and condolences on the death of Pope John
Paul II, and join in the mourning of the millions of Christians and
believers in the State of Israel and among the greater Christian world…I had the honor to meet with the Pope in 1999, while serving as Foreign
Minister when I went to invite the Pope, in the name of the Israeli
government, to millennium celebrations. In my meeting with him I felt
the affection, the warm relationship and sympathy the Pope felt towards
the Jewish people and towards the State of Israel. (hat tip for this quote: CANN)

From Pervez Musharraf, leader of Pakistan:

Pope John Paul II had rendered incredible services for peace. The Pope had brought people closer belonging to different faiths

From Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority:

We have lost a very important religious figure who
dedicated his life to peace and justice for all

From Dr. Rhonda Franz, president of National Right to Life:

Pope
John Paul II was an unfaltering voice for the unborn, the disabled and the
elderly and was a strong defender of the right to life…His stalwart opposition to the evils of abortion,
infanticide and euthanasia was grounded in compassion and love and he will
be deeply missed.

From Rev. Lou Sheldon, Protestant and president of the Traditional Values Coalition:

Pope John Paul was a man of peace; always
concerned when there was physical conflict and violence. So much so
that he even visited and blessed the man that attempted to murder him
at one time. He was also a man of righteousness, never wavering in his belief that
the Holy Scriptures were to be obeyed in matters of morals and human
sexuality. He spoke out clearly that homosexuality was not a gift from
God, but could be healed through the Gospel. He will go down in history as one of the world’s greatest leaders. His character and vision for freedom will be sorely missed. I join with millions of Christians around the world in mourning his
passing, yet we also rejoice in what his life and vision meant to all
of us. (hat tip on this quote: Serenity Through Hope blog)

The USCCB has put up a novena of prayer for the repose of the soul of John Paul II on its website. It also includes a prayer for the election of a new Pope. Please join me and others in prayer.

Pray the Novena (NB: PDF file)

Hat tip: Catholic Light