tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765020854657663942024-03-05T15:46:11.741-06:00The Progressive Catholic VoiceAn independent and grassroots forum for reflection, dialogue, and the
exchange of ideas within the Catholic community of Minnesota and beyondPCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.comBlogger623125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-52691516793895861382021-12-31T08:00:00.070-06:002023-04-30T00:29:45.874-05:00Thank You!It is with a spirit of deep gratitude for the support and contributions of many of you reading this, that I announce the closure of <i>The Progressive Catholic Voice</i> blogsite.<br>
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The <i>PCV</i> <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2007/10/st-francis-of-assisi-dancer-rebel.html>began</a> on October 4, 2007 as a grassroots initiative dedicated to reflection, dialogue, and the exchange of ideas aimed at facilitating renewal and reform within the Catholic community of Minnesota and beyond.<br>
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As progressive Catholics, those who launched and have maintained and supported the <i>PCV</i> over the past 14 years are drawn to participate in, and contribute to, the Church’s capacity to grow, change, and evolve in ways that ever increasingly reveal God’s transforming love in our midst. This calling and our voice will go on in other ways as many of us continue to develop and unify the progressive Catholic voice of the local church. Why? Because those involved in this work believe that their voices are an intrinsic and essential part of our Catholic tradition. Along with the moderate and conservative voices within the Church, the progressive voice needs also to be heard in the discussions and deliberations that are part of any living faith community. As Cardinal <a href=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_Newman>John Henry Newman</a> (1801-90) once noted: the laity has to be consulted in matters of doctrine, especially when teachings concern their lives so intimately.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkXNf7J7qMQ-ZeEVsIl2qoeMJBx0cTlyReAVHZBwoPiM_kj1GaGLj0AEldeBF06eHBA_KlX8hT4OB88NATaiUWfhyphenhyphenOycLJ3mQyp0ZaWO_borh4LRGUUszFgn9BHWcY9sgCNVwjx3fNTcq/s1600/francis5.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 152px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkXNf7J7qMQ-ZeEVsIl2qoeMJBx0cTlyReAVHZBwoPiM_kj1GaGLj0AEldeBF06eHBA_KlX8hT4OB88NATaiUWfhyphenhyphenOycLJ3mQyp0ZaWO_borh4LRGUUszFgn9BHWcY9sgCNVwjx3fNTcq/s320/francis5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707354371951922066" border="0" /></a>From <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2007/10/welcome.html>day one</a>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Progressive Catholic Voice</span> had <a href=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi>Francis of Assisi</a> as its patron saint. In his time, our brother Francis heard and responded to God’s call to “repair my Church.” It’s a call that resounds today in a Catholic Church which, at its worst, is corroded and weakened by clericalism, hypocrisy, intellectual dishonesty, a profound lack of imagination, and a monarchical mind set and structure totally contrary to Jesus’ egalitarian model of community. Yet as distressing as this is, there are many Catholics who are unwavering in their commitment to embody a healthy, life-giving, intellectually-honest, and authentically Gospel-based model of church – especially in terms of organizational structure, decision-making, and Vatican II’s call for “full, conscious, and active participation by all the baptized.”<br>
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For the past 14 years, the PCV has served as a safe forum for this embodiment. There are many other such places in the church, and here in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis both the <a href=https://www.cccr-cob.org/>Catholic Coalition for Church Reform</a> (CCCR) and the <a href=https://www.cccr-cob.org/who-are-we----cob.html>Council of the Baptized</a> (CoB) are two of them. Be assured that the progressive Catholic voice continues to resound in these and other organizations and communities.<br>
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I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank those who served with me on the PCV’s founding editorial team: <a href=https://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2008/03/why-i-stay.html>Mary Beckfeld</a>, Steve Boyle, Susan Kramp, <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/search/label/David%20McCaffrey>David McCaffrey</a>, <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/search/label/Brian%20McNeill>Brian McNeill</a>, <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2007/10/growing-up-catholic.html>Mary Lynn Murphy</a>, Rick Notch, Theresa O’Brien, and <a href=https://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/search/label/Paula%20Ruddy>Paula Ruddy</a>.<br>
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Thanks also to <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/search/label/Bill%20Hunt>Bill Hunt</a>, <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/search/label/Paula%20Ruddy>Paula Ruddy</a>, and <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/search/label/Bill%20Moseley>Bill Moseley</a>, who have contributed many of the PCV’s most important and popular posts over the years.<br>
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Peace,<br>
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<a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/search/label/Michael%20J.%20Bayly><b>Michael J. Bayly</b></a><br>
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Editor, <i>The Progressive Catholic Voice</i><br>
2007-2021</span><br>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-47602455501706770812021-09-20T16:00:00.003-05:002021-09-27T23:05:49.505-05:00Latest News from CCCR<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwEoCoaXvZy6A0O7WMsiMs-6keE70XHKdc8e5UuWGVAIQXFbhxMEcTE6lKE4w43CreJG22ts7oAn0d5h6q_31fxA_YapEX2gdigtAPRw4nfNtKudXJ8RGdOSKyyE6ucqrVcbiQL68p09o/s303/CCCRLogo-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" width="200" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwEoCoaXvZy6A0O7WMsiMs-6keE70XHKdc8e5UuWGVAIQXFbhxMEcTE6lKE4w43CreJG22ts7oAn0d5h6q_31fxA_YapEX2gdigtAPRw4nfNtKudXJ8RGdOSKyyE6ucqrVcbiQL68p09o/s200/CCCRLogo-2.jpg"/></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">F</span>riends,<br>
<br>
Synodality is a progressive Vatican II idea and our Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is giving the laity the unique opportunity to have discussions on what is important to us regarding the future of our Church.<br>
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Three areas have been targeted for small group discussions in six weekly sessions at your parishes:<br>
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1) Forming parishes that are in the service of evangelization.<br>
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2) Forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’ love and respond to his call.<br>
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3) Forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young.<br>
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Even though these areas will be given the most attention, you may want to bring up other concerns that can lead to change that are not under the authority of the archdiocese but may be the impetus to get the attention of Pope Francis and the Vatican. This year the <a href=https://www.cccr-cob.org/>Catholic Church for Church Reform</a> (CCCR) has focused on communion for all and women’s ordination and you may want them to be your focus as well. Your input is welcome and will be heard if you make your ideas clear. It is important to be succinct in wording your concerns and suggestions (20 words or less) when you summit them.<br>
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Keep the Synod and all who participate in the process in your prayers. We can have confidence that the Holy Spirit will stir things up and shake the Church into renewal.<br>
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<div style="text-align: right;">– <a href=https://www.cccr-cob.org/>CCCR</a> Board</div><br>
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>NOTE:</b> There is one regular monthly effort of CCCR that can assist you in staying informed and involved in matters affecting Catholics in the Archdioceset of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. If interested, CCCR invites you to join the <a href=https://www.cccr-cob.org/lay-network.html>CCCR Lay Network</a> – a growing community of Vatican II Catholics. The Lay Network came into being to facilitate communication and dialogue within this community and the archdiocese. Once you have registered, you will begin to receive the Lay Network Update, a monthly email newsletter containing brief and topical information for your consideration on matters of importance in our Church (the above "Latest News" was excerpted from the September Lay Network Update). You will also be informed about what CCCR is doing, thinking about and working on. In addition, CCCR, will keep you informed about special events that we have information about and events that CCCR is planning, sponsoring and/or collaborating on with others. Recieving the Lay Network Update monthly is a step toward connecting us within our parishes and deaneries to be better able to serve as a strong voice in matters of concern in our archdiocese. To join the Lay Network, complete the brief registration form that can be found <a href=https://www.cccr-cob.org/register-for-lay-network.html>here</a>.<br>
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<b>See also the previous posts:</b><br>
• <a href=https://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2015/07/our-next-archbishop-what-would-you-ask.html>Our Next Archbishop: What Would You Ask a Candidate If You Knew Your Voice Would Be Heard?</a><br>
• <a href=https://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2015/06/cccr-responds-to-resignation-of.html>CCCR Responds to the Resignation of Archbishop Nienstedt</a><br>
• <a href=https://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2015/05/local-catholics-discuss-need-for.html>Local Catholics Discuss the Need for a "Healthy Christian Theology of Sexuality"</a><br>
• <a href=https://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2015/05/twin-cities-catholics-respond-to-pope.html>Twin Cities Catholics Respond to Pope Francis' Invitation and Speak Out on Sexual Issues</a><br>
• <a href=https://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2014/08/lay-coalition-nominate-s-seven-clergy.html>Lay Coalition Nominates Seven Clergy to Be New Twin Cities Archbishop</a><br>
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2013/05/save-date.html>Save the Date: Synod of the Baptized, September 28, 2013</a><br>
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2013/07/countdown-to-synod-2013.html>Countdown to Synod 2013 – Part 1: When, Where, Why, What!</a><br>
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2013/08/countdown-to-synod-2013.html>Countdown to Synod 2013 – Part 2: Sister Gail Worcelo</a><br>
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2013/08/countdown-to-synod-2013_27.html>Countdown to Synod 2013 – Part 3: Evolutionary Spirituality</a><br>
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2013/09/countdown-to-synod-2013.html>Countdown to Synod 2013 – Part 4: Media Coverage of Synod 2013 and CCCR</a><br>
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2013/09/countdown-to-synod-2013_19.html>Countdown to Synod 2013 – Part 5: Synod 2013 Break-Out Sessions</a><br>
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2013/09/countdown-to-synod-2013_25.html>Countdown to Synod 2013 – Part 6: The "New Story" at the Heart of Evolutionary Spirituality</a><br>
• <a href=https://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-pre-synod-get-together.html>A Pre-Synod Get-Together</a><br>
• <a href=https://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2013/11/actions-to-take-to-be-church-we-want-to.html>Actions to Take to Be the Church We Want to See</a></span><br>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-61015569854723147922021-08-22T08:00:00.002-05:002021-09-20T17:18:48.417-05:00A Simple Yet Profound Way to Care<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-0vpV6Oah5TV8urIwwlDvw-5u57U3uN90fIrBIPKMhLPLlA9pychvy8xHyJNDJ-pB3F2xVqZaj3GiYOwI3pDGKQ3dWP9OnED6-0bqZ5kY7fqybmBwh-V_3tTkQvW2dmDNPPx_c0ivpS4/s720/FB_IMG_1629698156483.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-0vpV6Oah5TV8urIwwlDvw-5u57U3uN90fIrBIPKMhLPLlA9pychvy8xHyJNDJ-pB3F2xVqZaj3GiYOwI3pDGKQ3dWP9OnED6-0bqZ5kY7fqybmBwh-V_3tTkQvW2dmDNPPx_c0ivpS4/s400/FB_IMG_1629698156483.jpg"/></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Related Off-site Links:</b><br />
<a href=https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/08/18/1028740057/in-a-message-to-americans-pope-francis-says-getting-vaccinated-is-an-act-of-love>Pope Francis Says Getting Vaccinated Is “An Act Of Love”</a> – The Associated Press via <i>NPR News</i> (August 18, 2021).<br>
<br>
<b>UPDATES:</b><br>
<a href=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pope-urges-covid-inoculations-says-vaccines-are-humanitys-friends-2021-09-15/>Pope Uges COVID Inoculations, Says Vaccines Are Humanity's Friends<a> – Philip Pullella (Reuters, September 15, 2021).<br>
<a href=https://apnews.com/article/health-religion-coronavirus-pandemic-pope-francis-raymond-burke-b2f2b16321f0275e7b57fbadbd5cfaec>Pope Questions Vaccine Skeptics, Including Cardinals</a> – Nicole Winfield (AP News, September 15, 2021).</span><br>
</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-52817686820857074692021-07-28T19:30:00.000-05:002021-07-28T19:49:20.772-05:00A Real Shepherd’s Good Shepherd (or De-Romanizing Catholic Leadership)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>By Bill Moseley</b><br />
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<i><b>Note:</b> The following reflection was delivered before the start of mass at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church on Sunday, July 18, 2021.</i><br />
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<center><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b><i>My old shepherd friend Sadio relaxing at his home in 2014</i></b></span></center><br>
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<b>First Reading</b> – Jeremiah 23:1-6<br />
<b>Responsorial Psalm</b> – Psalm 23<br />
<b>Second Reading</b> – Ephesians 2:13-18<br />
<b>Gospel</b> – Mark 6: 30-34<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">G</span>ood morning! My name is Bill Moseley
and it is my pleasure to reflect with you on today’s readings which are all
about shepherds and sheep. We learn about bad shepherds in the first reading,
good shepherds in the psalm and the 2nd reading, and an exhausted shepherd in
the gospel text. Shepherds and sheep are an oft used biblical metaphor
employed to describe the relationship between the people of God and their
religious leaders. This all seems pretty clear. But what if it is not? What if
we have fundamentally misunderstood the shepherding metaphor.<br />
<br />
Stories and metaphors, as any good teacher knows, are what people and students
remember, so it makes sense that this is what was passed on through oral
tradition, and eventually written down, in our religious texts. Many biblical
metaphors are rooted in agricultural livelihoods, which is understandable as
most people were farmers, herders and fisherfolk at the time the bible was
composed. However, the challenge for contemporary people interpreting the
bible is that many of us are not agriculturalists. As such, we may
misunderstand the original intent of an agricultural metaphor, or be presented
with a misguided interpretation.<br />
<br />
Herewith a quick example of such misdirection or misinterpretation from my
teaching There is a famous essay published in 1968 entitled “the Tragedy of
the Commons” by an economist named Garrett Harden. This essay may or may not
be familiar to you, but rest assured that anyone who works in the realm of
environmental management knows it it and, luckily for my purposes today, it
deals with sheep and pastures. Harden starts this essay with a parable of a
common pasture in a small rural community. Here individual community members
graze as many of their sheep as possible in order to maximize their own
personal gain. In the process, however, the pasture degrades, and everyone
losses as there is less and less pasture for the sheep. For Harden, the common
pasture is the problem. If we want to solve the degradation issue, then we
must subdivide and privatize different portions of the pasture. With your
privately held plot, according to Harden, you will carefully manage your
portion of the pasture, and only put on a few sheep so it does not degrade.<br />
<br />
I find several aspects of this telling of the story problematic, but let me
note just two here. First, Harden fundamentally misunderstands the idea of a
commons, which have existed in rural communities all over the world for
millenia, be they pastures, forests or fisheries. These commonly held natural
resources are often tightly controlled and managed by a set of rules developed
by the community for the community. It is not a free-for-all as Harden
suggests, but carefully managed individual use so that everyone benefits.
Second, Harden’s title for this story, the “Tragedy of the Commons,” is
leading and frames the answer: the commons are the problem and therefore must
be privatized. What if he had entitled the essay “The Tragedy of the
Privately-Held Sheep?” This might lead us down an entirely different train of
thought. <br />
<br />
Now let us return to shepherds and sheep. How were you taught to interpret
this metaphor? As a young person, I learned that the shepherd was to protect
guileless sheep from danger and that their power may be used wisely or
unwisely. In other words, the shepherd holds all of the ‘agency’ and the
sheep, in this instance, blindly follow the directions of the shepherd.<br />
<br />
But what would real shepherds, people who actually herd livestock for a
living, think of the way we (a mostly urban people) interpret the good
shepherd metaphor? I am not a farmer and I did not grow up in a rural area.
What little understanding I have of shepherding comes from my time as a Peace
Corps volunteer in the West African country of Mali in the 1980s. As a Peace
Corps volunteer, I had a number of friends from the Fulani ethnic group, a
group of farmer-herders that are spread all across the drylands of West
Africa. I did go out shepherding cows with these friends on a number of
occasions and I can share at least three insights from those experiences.<br />
<br />
First, shepherding was not a high status occupation, but rather an arduous,
often uncomfortable and low status job. Within Fulani families, it was not the
male head of household who typically herded the cattle, but younger men in the
family who would spend days in the bush with the cows, eating poor food and
being devoured by mosquitoes in the evening. I spent one night in the bush
with my male friends and their cattle, soaked by rain, strafed by insects, and
kept awake all night by boisterous cattle. I was ready to go home to my
village house the next day, which felt like the Ritz Carleton after my time at
the cattle post.<br />
<br />
Second, livestock (cattle, sheep, goats) are a form of wealth in many areas of
the world and wealthy individuals have often hired herders to tend their
livestock. This proletarianization of the herding workforce means that the
status of this group is even more lowly. While this is not always the case,
many peasant farmers at least control their own land, their means of
production, whereas the majority of herders do not own the cattle they are
tending. Herders are put there to ensure the wellbeing of the herd, but it is
pretty clear that they do not own the herd.<br />
<br />
Third, it is problematic to think that herders tell or direct their livestock
what to do. The herd has a mind of its own and will often do what it wants. If
there is good pasture, or water ahead, the herd will surge in that direction.
Sometimes this is of no consequence, but sometimes the water might be
contaminated or the tantalizing pasture ahead might actually be the field of a
neighboring farmer, creating the possibility for conflict. It takes all the
skills of a good herder to steer the herd clear of such hazards, something
which is rarely recognized when done well and decried mightily when done
poorly (as we hear in the first reading when God declares “Woe to the
shepherds who let the flock of my pasture stray and scatter”). The herder is
there to facilitate and keep the herd moving in the right direction. While it
may not be cognizant of this, the herd, in this instance, really has more
power than the herder.<br />
<br />
I want to argue that these three observations shed a different light on, and
give new meaning to, the shepherding metaphor. What might this say for those
leaders seeking to derive meaning from this passage for today? While exhorting
someone to govern wisely is always good advice, what is more clear here is
that leadership informed by the good shepherd model means understanding at
least three points.<br />
<br />
First, leadership cum shepherding is hard, tiring work (the gospel reading was
clear on this) and you take it on as a form of service to society, not for
status. Second, people are the wealth of any society and our collective
well-being may be facilitated by the work of good shepherds. Such shepherds
understand that they do not own such wealth, but are there as stewards,
stewards who may be removed if they are not performing their duties. And
third, good shepherds facilitate, they do not dictate, They understand that
the job is about encouraging the community to move in a smart direction but
that, ultimately, this is a collective decision. Of course, the shepherd may
also encourage the herd to move in the wrong direction or not stand in the way
of a bad decision. This may be expedient in the short term, but ultimately it
will create much bigger problems down the road, both for the errant shepherd
and the herd.<br />
<br />
So how do we apply this more grounded, good shepherd model to leadership
today?<br />
<br />
The scriptural authors recognized that herds can make bad decisions. Put
yourself in a room with people voicing the same perspective and there is a
tendency among many to want to go along. Sometimes that may be a wise
decision, but sometimes that could be a poor decision. As such, in order to
insure the common good, and longevity of society, we need two things to
happen. First, we need thoughtful citizens who will raise different points of
view. Second, we need leaders, cum good shepherds, who will facilitate a
collective decision making process wherein all voices are heard so that the
best decisions are made. The leader who feels self-important, entitled to the
wealth of a society, and/or inclined to suppress critical thinking and dictate
decisions, will fail in the long run.<br />
<br />
Given the above, I suggest that we need an educated herd with critical
thinking skills. We must have robust investments in public education for the
good of society. We also need more shepherd-like leaders, real shepherds who
are down-to-earth facilitators. The crozier, or the pastoral staff, symbolizes
the role of a catholic bishop as a Good Shepherd. But many other trappings of
a bishop’s garb, such as his ring, miter and fine robes suggest wealth and
power. If we look at church history, the reality is that the lowly shepherd
cum facilitator, along with the communal living preached by Jesus, was largely
gobbled up by the Roman Empire whose norms live on in the Roman Catholic
Church. It’s time we jettisoned the hierarchical and patriarchal model of
leadership that Jesus found to be so problematic and returned to the idea of
shepherds and shepherdesses toiling amidst the holy flock. Pope Francis has
made encouraging nods in this direction by, for example, washing the feet of
Muslim migrants or declining to be driven in chauffeured limousines. In
contrast, recent pronouncements by the US Council of Catholic Bishops on
President Biden and communion strike me as haughty, misguided and
uncharitable. We need more of the former and less of the latter. Amen.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i
><b>Acknowledgements:</b> My thanks to the Word Team and my spouse for their
thoughtful feedback on earlier iterations of this reflection. I may be
contacted at moseley@macalester.edu.</i
><br />
</div>
PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-73652516026302104482021-02-17T08:01:00.002-06:002021-02-17T21:09:19.304-06:00Pope Francis on Lenten Fasting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsM2vUL6I12y1RYgP6as2XsqOPqE3h3nDi7ekIWSZVUB3T_tcLDnYijWpB425W_i7G7iyCB0TVoWhktfnoLnaFyqWLB0Lnk6er1i0hjcIvFzv4JtNiKkU7HRHk-iWo6joE6xVi5cdKHM8f/s599/Lent-2021.PNG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="541" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsM2vUL6I12y1RYgP6as2XsqOPqE3h3nDi7ekIWSZVUB3T_tcLDnYijWpB425W_i7G7iyCB0TVoWhktfnoLnaFyqWLB0Lnk6er1i0hjcIvFzv4JtNiKkU7HRHk-iWo6joE6xVi5cdKHM8f/s400/Lent-2021.PNG"/></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>See also the previous post:</b><br />
• <a href=https://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2013/02/quote-of-day_13.html>Quote of the Day – February 13, 2013 </a><br>
<br>
<b>And at <i>Wild Reed</i>, see:</b><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-time-to-fast-and-feast.html>Lent: A Time to Fast <i>and</i> Feast</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/02/a-lenten-resolution.html>A Lenten Resolution</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2008/02/lenten-journey-2008.html>“Here I Am!” – The Lenten Response</a><br />
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2019/03/let-today-be-day.html>Let Today Be the Day</a><br>
• <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2018/02/blessing-dust.html>Blessing the Dust</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2009/02/ash-wednesday-reflections.html>Ash Wednesday Reflections</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-turn-lenten-meditation-by-lionel.html>“The Turn”: A Lenten Meditation by Lionel Basney</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2017/03/lent-summons-to-live-anew.html>Lent: A Summons to Live Anew</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2016/02/lent-season-set-apart.html>Lent: A Season Set Apart</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2010/02/now-is-acceptable-time.html>Now Is the Acceptable Time</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2011/03/lent-with-henri.html>Lent with Henri</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2011/03/waking-dagobert.html>Waking Dagobert</a><br></span><br>
</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-50690979199956682862021-02-07T08:00:00.002-06:002021-02-07T11:13:01.845-06:00New Beginnings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>By Bill Moseley</b><br />
<br />
<i><b>Note:</b> The following reflection was delivered during the virtual service of St Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, Minneapolis, MN, January 24, 2021.</i><br />
<br />
<b>First Reading:</b> Jonah 3: 1-5, 10<br />
<b>Responsorial Psalm:</b> Psalm 25<br />
<b>Second Reading:</b> 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31<br />
<b>Gospel:</b> Mark 1: 14-20<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">G</span>ood morning everyone. My name is Bill Moseley and it is my privilege to reflect with you on today’s readings, a reflection I have entitled ‘New Beginnings.’<br>
<br>
Two and a half weeks ago an angry mob, egged on by a deranged president, stormed our nation’scapital, intent on disrupting 230 years of multiparty elections and peaceful transitions of power. As I watched the scene unfold from my office computer screen, I could not focus on my work. That article I had been writing, that class I had been preparing, just didn’t seem to matter as I witnessed this unimaginable – yet perhaps not entirely unexpected – scene. Indeed, as Paul writes in today’s reading from 1st Corinthians, “the world in its present form [was] passing away.” That day Americans experienced the end of something. Perhaps it was an end to a belief in so-called American exceptionalism, or the dawning recognition that our society could easily slip into chaos. While our supposedly strong institutions held that day, it was clear that they might not have held had our luck gone the other way. Attempted coups d’états, insurrections, police brutality, racial violence and tribalism are not the stuff of far off, distant places, but we arethe epicenter of such problems, we are the unruly edges of the world.<br>
<br>
In the passages that precede today’s gospel reading from Mark, Jesus’s spiritual mentor John the Baptist has been arrested, and Jesus had spent 40 trying days in the wilderness. The area where Jesus retreats to after John’s arrest, to the western shores of the Sea of Galilee, had been hit hard by the extractive practices of the Roman Empire. Farmers were losing their lands and becoming sharecroppers who were barely able to survive. People living in communities on the shores of the Sea of Galilee were losing their rights to fishing. This was a somber and deeply unjust situation, and a very inauspicious time for a new beginning.<br>
<br>
To paraphrase the late Fred Rogers, in all endings there are new beginnings. But Lord, how do we move forward and make a new beginning at this particular moment? We cannot put things back together as they were before. Former president Trump, for all his evil acts, has laid bare the racist underpinnings of our country and the vulnerability of our system to demagogues and ignorant mobs. But the problems seem so deep and so intractable. I can live with differences of opinion. But how do you engage with the other side if they have an entirely different set of facts?A distant cousin of mine insists that undocumented immigrants regularly benefit from the largessof the government when I know this not to be true. Old high school friends of the right leaning variety rage at me on Facebook about the fraudulent election when we know it was fair, inclusiveand the most secure in our history. The memories of the words of a racist relative continue to echo in my head, words my parents quietly told me to ignore and forget as a young child.<br>
<br>
Part of me just wants to cut them all off. I am different I insist. I have never held these beliefs. I am not responsible. I am like Jonah, a timid, hapless and temperamental prophet. I just want to run away, but the whale spits me up and I must go to Nineveh to work for the common good. These are my people, the white tribe of America. I really hate such labels, such groupings, but I cannot deny that I have benefited from the privilege of the color of my skin, my gender, my sexual orientation and my nationality. And therefore I am part of the problem and I have a responsibility to make it right. And making it right, while so seemingly impossible, will only happen if lots of us engage in the long slow work of healing the rift and building a multiracial, socially just and democratic society.<br>
<br>
Last August, in his speech at the Democratic National Convention, former President Obama said “[O]ur Constitution… wasn’t a perfect document. It allowed for the inhumanity of slavery and failed to guarantee women — and even men who didn’t own property — the right to participate in the political process. But embedded in this document was a North Star that would guide futuregenerations; a system of representative government — a democracy — through which we could better realize our highest ideals. Through civil war and bitter struggles, we improved this Constitution to include the voices of those who’d once been left out. And gradually, we made this country more just, more equal, and more free.”<br>
<br>
That day, as Jesus walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he set about recruiting his disciples. Against the backdrop of the demise of John the Baptist and the brutal exploitation of the Roman Empire, something new was beginning, a new way of thinking about the world, a new way of building community, a new way of interacting and caring for one another. And it started with one man, an illiterate Jewish carpenter, taking one step at a time along that beach, humbly calling people to join his nascent community. Against all odds, over the next 2000 years this new way of thinking would grow to become a major world religion. While a lot of harm has been perpetrated in the name of the church, the threads of social justice teaching that date back to Jesus have been forces for good in the world.<br>
<br>
Despite my despair and consternation over our predicament and the deep divisions in this country, I am oddly optimistic. I do feel like we turned a page last Wednesday. Our new president, like us, is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. He was not the preferred candidate for many on the political left. He has made mistakes in his life and he has experienced great personal tragedy. And while he does not wear his faith on his shirt sleeve, or march across the Washington Mall to pose with a bible in hand, I have been struck that he is a person steeped in the social justice teachings of the church. He’s an unlikely person to bring about reconciliationand help us more forward. He’s an old white man who really should be retired and at home with his grandchildren, but he might just be the right person. He’s someone who empathizes with others, had the wisdom to partner with a female vice president of color, and has the experience toknow how to make the machinery of government work for the common good.<br>
<br>
And while leaders are important, and bad ones can do great damage, we the people are the ones who will make the difference in our own small, but myriad ways. That parallel universe, that fiction of a stolen election, alternate facts and racist ideology will not disappear if its believers are marginalized and cut off from mainstream society. We need to find a way to make our fractured society whole, approaching everyone with compassion. Of course those who committed crimes must be held accountable, but most did not in any direct way. So we must respectfully and lovingly engage across the divide.<br>
<br>
As such, I will talk to that cousin the next time I see him, connecting with him as a human being and respectfully disagreeing when needed. I will not unfriend my right wing high school friends of yesteryear on social media, but do the hard work of sharing the facts I know to be true. I will confront racism and colonialism wherever I see it, be it from the mouths of relatives or in the scholarship in my discipline. And, in my own occupation as a college professor, I will continue to engage in the long, slow hard work of developing critical thinking skills among my students, skills that are the backbone of this democracy. Yes, I am but one person, but there are hundreds in this congregation, thousands in this community, millions in this country, and billions in this world. Together, slowly walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, calling people to join in the quest for a just world, we can make a difference.<br>
<br>
In her poem to the country last Wednesday, National youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman beautifully said:<br>
<br>
The new dawn blooms as we free it.<br>
For there is always light. <br>
If only we’re brave enough to see it.<br>
If only we’re brave enough to be it.<br>
<br>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFA35k6eQqNRmIySETDw6uFFWjJfUdH0a_tsiAM0fPxQPCR_6Ikj6ICfDCpW5meuwrBz1zMYdDhHT0gPsAWTgtO-LVK9F70cxcl9FmSn23vds2469yUAVSKy6Qv1Mq2dgHR7_-OZxxnBBK/s1600/geometricdesign-2b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFA35k6eQqNRmIySETDw6uFFWjJfUdH0a_tsiAM0fPxQPCR_6Ikj6ICfDCpW5meuwrBz1zMYdDhHT0gPsAWTgtO-LVK9F70cxcl9FmSn23vds2469yUAVSKy6Qv1Mq2dgHR7_-OZxxnBBK/s200/geometricdesign-2b.jpg" width="100" height="200" data-original-width="84" data-original-height="168" /></a></div><i><b>Note:</b> Thanks to the Cabrini Word Team for helping me think through the issues in this text. Any mistakes or errors are my own.</i><br />
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<i>The author may be contacted at moseley@macalester.edu or may be found on twitter at https://twitter.com/WilliamGMoseley</i><br />
</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-32336514483380760162020-12-25T08:00:00.001-06:002021-02-07T10:40:08.306-06:00Christmas 2020: A Time of Loss and Grief, Gratitude and Hope<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWsu9iCnEjRAXA1UMIM8g-g_c-mAuEoP2bn92Su-SHhzM7lky0hwdAW5xej87qSM-kLlhMrdXL-L4RBrpgslIA2NUhTlyeyjQjGht0GNpVwbUcOHyJogqliA1GO0_VIGu1JlR7ZuBiZS3/s2048/20201215_171352.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWsu9iCnEjRAXA1UMIM8g-g_c-mAuEoP2bn92Su-SHhzM7lky0hwdAW5xej87qSM-kLlhMrdXL-L4RBrpgslIA2NUhTlyeyjQjGht0GNpVwbUcOHyJogqliA1GO0_VIGu1JlR7ZuBiZS3/s400/20201215_171352.jpg"/></a></div>
<b>By Michael J. Bayly</b><br>
<br>
At Christmastide in years past I’ve shared at my blog <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/><i>The Wild Reed</i></a> extensive posts of “reflections and celebrations” – compilations of words and images that celebrate all that the Winter Solstice/Christmas season signifies at the deepest level of the human experience.<br>
<br>
This year, however, as 2020 ebbs, I’m very much aware of the upheaval and stress, the grief and loss of the past twelve months. We’re all familiar with the litany of challenges we’ve faced: a devastating global <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/08/quote-of-day.html>pandemic</a> and the “social distancing” from family and friends it’s required; economic woes for many; a <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/06/emma-jordan-simpson-there-will-be-no.html>historic uprising for racial justice</a> in response to police brutality that <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/05/i-cant-breathe-murder-of-george-floyd.html>targets people of color</a>; the rising tide of <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/05/new-and-very-dangerous-extreme-right.html>right-wing extremism</a> and <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/07/fascism-is-upon-us.html>fascism</a>, and a stressful <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/11/progressive-perspectives-on-2020-us.html>election</a> here in the U.S.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXO31OR-s5ilFGEAbTvvJ7balJsdl3XjOPKydiRN9OlxlC1bn4hnL-XdPBccC-N2nKhMj2Fa3jRUycP2__AWD_ALciGSX9Zvym9fql59oa13hS6qcNf5h9-51lZ1K7Dz-FDEpDu3FeP33v/s1594/20201213_235034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" data-original-height="1594" data-original-width="1176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXO31OR-s5ilFGEAbTvvJ7balJsdl3XjOPKydiRN9OlxlC1bn4hnL-XdPBccC-N2nKhMj2Fa3jRUycP2__AWD_ALciGSX9Zvym9fql59oa13hS6qcNf5h9-51lZ1K7Dz-FDEpDu3FeP33v/s200/20201213_235034.jpg"/></a></div>Many of us have also endured personal tragedies – some related to the pandemic, others not. In my <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2017/12/chaplaincy-ministry-of-welcome.html>work</a> as a <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/05/from-palliativespiritual-care-shelf.html>palliative care chaplain</a>, I’m there for and with COVID (and non-COVID) patients and their families as they confront illness and death. And in the quiet of my own heart, I continue to live with the <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/10/moments-of-wonder.html>loss</a> of my friend <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2018/06/time-by-river.html>Mahad</a>.<br>
<br>
I must admit that the culminating force of all these things has left me feeling <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/11/this-thanksgiving.html>exhausted</a>. I can cultivate and maintain the energy to do my chaplaincy work, but that’s really about it.<br>
<br>
I realize that this exhaustion won’t last forever, and I’m definitely aware that I am choosing on a daily basis to remain both grateful and hopeful.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqXMsQc2bK1gGUCyOkDkL7DDN1gLGnoFVBMa487tF-FYTlIeiHaWKvfqTQbXVsZGtQeBjtTScwLw9BRRmX3GcVAKf1fjUsjEjfOSFPRTfSjdAiDpZPm14jmfo9MG7Urnoil7m5uEsd3ZL/s1932/20201210_163014.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1932" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqXMsQc2bK1gGUCyOkDkL7DDN1gLGnoFVBMa487tF-FYTlIeiHaWKvfqTQbXVsZGtQeBjtTScwLw9BRRmX3GcVAKf1fjUsjEjfOSFPRTfSjdAiDpZPm14jmfo9MG7Urnoil7m5uEsd3ZL/s320/20201210_163014.jpg"/></a></div><br>
I am grateful for the <a href=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/tapestry/why-is-the-world-so-beautiful-an-indigenous-botanist-on-the-spirit-of-life-in-everything-1.5817787>beauty of creation</a>, for the many life-giving relationships in my life, for the meaningful work I engage in, for <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/11/bye-bye.html>Trump’s defeat</a>, and for the <a href=https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/12/15/us-vaccinations-ramp-up-as-2nd-covid-19-shot-nears/>coronavirus vaccines</a> that are being developed and distributed. And I’m hopeful that the shift in consciousness that I believe the <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2014/08/michael-morwood-on-divine-presence.html>Divine Presence</a> within and beyond all things is calling humanity to embody, is indeed happening.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqAhRFdj2k-VWVjyPzaJLBCSUOl_l0S18kJHsygSY6wdQGGroce5LaB9HShfo7oS36JVCbB1e5hlOUZVWNUXD3-MbsY4SGud44xy-ss_r3MRWgiwk2RJtDKVyyu5wtpkxt7HmFqDk8it8/s1243/20210121_012051b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" data-original-height="1243" data-original-width="962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqAhRFdj2k-VWVjyPzaJLBCSUOl_l0S18kJHsygSY6wdQGGroce5LaB9HShfo7oS36JVCbB1e5hlOUZVWNUXD3-MbsY4SGud44xy-ss_r3MRWgiwk2RJtDKVyyu5wtpkxt7HmFqDk8it8/s200/20210121_012051b.jpg"/></a></div>You know, for quite some time now I’ve felt that humanity is on the cusp of a major paradigm shift in consciousness. Accordingly, I’ve been praying that each one of us may find the courage to respond, in the context of our own lives, to what I trust is the Divine’s call to move forward into a new way of being in relationship with one another and with the planet. I see this movement, this shift in consciousness, as an intentional decision on our part, individually and collectively, to move away from allowing greed, fear, violence, and mindless consumption to dictate our attitudes and actions, and to instead open ourselves to letting justice, compassion, trust, and sustainability inspire and guide us. Though it can often be hard to trust that such a shift is indeed underway, I trust and hope that it is – for both myself and the world.<br>
<br>
That all being said, I also recognize that I must honor where I’m at and how I’m feeling here and now.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMV3NlK4sMKEbJGxsRmAB53WwX5E6OCxqYTg1F-uVyL_4C_Evzj_M7rv_kRx1RWne0OChcolhbYHAry5q-3GUOVYaD5J1dtG0hPPsaPWp6LV-EZIDlFi3lti5S3z66R1wzkwqlgACOolG/s2048/20201221_103132b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMV3NlK4sMKEbJGxsRmAB53WwX5E6OCxqYTg1F-uVyL_4C_Evzj_M7rv_kRx1RWne0OChcolhbYHAry5q-3GUOVYaD5J1dtG0hPPsaPWp6LV-EZIDlFi3lti5S3z66R1wzkwqlgACOolG/s200/20201221_103132b.jpg"/></a></div>So this year, unlike others, I'm not going to exhaust myself further by pushing myself to spend time and energy on a lengthy Solstice/Christmas post.<br>
<br>
Rather, I simply share a few photographs I took on the <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2018/12/brigit-anna-mcneill-on-meaning-of-winter.html>winter solstice</a> (December 21) when I visited the <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2017/09/prayer-of-week.html>Prayer Tree</a> to pray for Mahad. These images are accompanied by some beautiful and timely words by <a href=https://www.brigitannamcneill.org/>Brigit Anna McNeill</a>. May these images and words bring insight, rest, and replenishment to each and every soul visiting this page.<br>
<br>
<center>______________________</center>
<br>
<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span>e gentle with that tender heart of yours.<br>
<br>
It may be holding a year’s worth of grief inside it.<br>
<br>
Be caring with all those parts of you that feel life’s tender moments, childhood pains and unmet emotions.<br>
<br>
Take yourself out into the gathering light and breathe a bright ember into the very centre of you, into your heart’s red soft middle, holding yourself in love and warmth.<br>
<br>
Wake your heart slowly, allowing it all to be felt, allowing yourself to create space in which to rest and to breathe.<br>
<br>
Let the coming light light up your bones and remind you of the gold that is held deep within you.</blockquote><br>
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– <a href=https://www.brigitannamcneill.org/>Brigit Anna McNeill</a></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Related Off-site Links:</b><br>
<a href=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/25/christmas-america-jesus-covid-william-barber>This Isn't a Very Joyful Christmas. But in Mourning There Is Strength</a> – Rev. William J. Barber, II (<i>The Guardian</i>, December 25, 2020).<br>
<a href=https://jacobinmag.com/2020/12/christmas-story-eugene-debs-nina-turner>This Christmas, Let’s Rekindle Our Hope for a Better World</a> – Rev. John Rogers (<i>Jacobin</i>, December 25, 2020).<br>
<a href=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/christmas-for-mystics_b_2288340>Christmas for Mystics</a> – Marianne Williamson (<i>The Huffington Post</i>, December 14, 2012).<br>
<a href=https://www.truthdig.com/articles/what-christmas-means/>What Christmas Means</a> – Chris Hedges (<i>TruthDig</i>, December 24, 2017).<br>
<a href=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/tapestry/why-is-the-world-so-beautiful-an-indigenous-botanist-on-the-spirit-of-life-in-everything-1.5817787>Why Is the World So Beautiful? An Indigenous Botanist on the Spirit of Life in Everything</a> – <i>Tapestry</i> (November 27, 2020).<br>
<a href=https://mindfulchristianitytoday.com/2020/07/the-sacred-space-of-silence/>The Sacred Space of Silence</a> – Paul Bane (<i>Mindful Christianity Today</i>, July 7, 2020).<br>
<br>
<b>And at <i>The Wild Reed</i>, see:</b><br />
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-joy-of-christmas.html>The Joy of Christmas (2019)</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2018/12/christmas-2018-reflections-and.html>Christmas 2018 – Reflections and Celebrations</a><br>
• <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2017/12/christmas-2017-reflections-and.html>Christmas 2017 – Reflections and Celebrations</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2016/12/christmas-2016-reflections-and.html>Christmas 2016 – Reflections and Celebrations</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2015/12/christmas-2015-reflections-and.html>Christmas 2015 – Reflections and Celebrations</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2014/12/christmas-2014-thoughts-and-celebrations.html>Christmas 2014 – Reflections and Celebrations</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmastide-approaches.html>Christmastide Approaches (2013)</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2015/12/celebrating-coming-of-sun-and-son.html>Celebrating the Coming of the Sun and the Son</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-christmas-tree-as-icon-inviting-us.html>The Christmas Tree as Icon, Inviting Us to Contemplate the “One Holy Circle” of Both Dark and Light</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2012/11/something-to-cherish.html>Something to Cherish (2012)</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-in-australia.html>Christmas in Australia (2010)</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2010/12/john-dear-on-celebrating-birth-of.html>John Dear on Celebrating the Birth of the Nonviolent Jesus</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2010/12/john-dear-on-celebrating-birth-of.html>A Bush Christmas (2009)</a><br>
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2007/12/clarity-and-hope.html>Clarity and Hope: A Christmas Reflection (2007)</a><br>
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<b>Images:</b> Michael J. Bayly.</span><br />
</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-30053943760266652322020-08-25T07:00:00.000-05:002020-08-25T07:00:05.158-05:00The Road Not Taken: Rediscovering Jesus’ Humanity and the Communal Life as Church<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>By Bill Moseley</b><br />
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<i><b>Note:</b> The following reflection was delivered before the start of mass at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church on Sunday, August 23, 2020.</i><br />
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First Reading – Isaiah 22:19-23<br />
Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 138<br />
Second Reading – Romans 11:33-36<br />
Gospel – Matthew 16:13-20<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">G</span>ood morning everyone. My name is Bill Moseley and it is my privilege to reflect with you on today’s readings. <br />
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One of my favorite poems is “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. It starts as follows:<br />
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<blockquote>Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,<br />
And sorry I could not travel both<br />
And be one traveler, long I stood<br />
And looked down one as far as I could<br />
To where it bent in the undergrowth;</blockquote><br />
Many of us encounter different choices in life, and we may wonder about the road not taken. Sometimes these choices are clear, you have a decision to make, and at other times political forces and structures guide us in a way that make us less conscious of our decisions.<br />
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Dogma is an example of one such force that guides our thinking. According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, dogma is defined as “a doctrine […] concerning faith formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a church.” I would suggest that today’s Gospel reading is one of the building blocks that has been used to establish church dogma. It purports to answer two important questions. First, what is the nature of Jesus, is he God or a human prophet? And second, how will the legacy of Jesus be carried on after his passing? I want to interrogate both of these two questions and ponder some other interpretations than the established ones. You might call this a heretic’s view. But maybe it’s just another view, a view of a fork in the road we did not take long ago.<br />
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In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 16, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Humanity is?” They answer, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or another of the prophets.” Jesus asks: “But you, who do you that I am?” Simon answers, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus then replies, “Blessed are you Simon, son of John!”… “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but God, my Father and Mother, in heaven. I tell you, you are the Rock, and upon this Rock I will build my church.”<br />
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Biblical scholars debate different aspects of this gospel text, but they largely agree that some parts were added at a later date, namely the question “who do people say that I am” as well as Jesus’ praise for Simon’s response and even the famous line “you are the Rock and upon this rock I will build my Church.” After you subtract the later additions, what remains are these different takes on the character of Jesus. <br />
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What does this text say about the nature of Jesus? Does it matter that a question was added at a later date? It might because the way you ask a question frames the information before us. There is a famous Peter Seller’s line in a Pink Panther film in which, upon seeing a man and a dog, he asks “does your dog bite?” The man answers no, so Peter Sellers reaches out to pet the dog and he is promptly bitten. Sellers then says “I thought you said your dog does not bite” and the man responds “that’s not my dog.” Many questions are loaded with assumptions.<br />
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I think it is significant that the question, “who do you say that I am,” was added later. This question sets up a dichotomy or a binary, Jesus is either human or divine, full stop. Furthermore, we are led to believe from Jesus’ appraisal of Simon’s response (also added later to the text), that divine is the right answer. But maybe this was never the question asked? Maybe this was a decidedly 4th century question reflecting a 4th century way of thinking about the world (the 4th century being the time when the Council of Nicaea codified the nature of Jesus). We know from contemporary queer theorists, and LGBTQ activists, that much of the world doesn’t fit into neat binaries. Sometimes things manifest on a continuum, simultaneously co-exist, or even just defy categorization. <br />
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Perhaps it’s my Vatican II sensibilities, but it makes sense to me that Jesus was simultaneously human and divine, as I believe the divine runs through all living things. Jesus’ task, as I understand it, was to show us how to let that divine more fully emerge in our daily lives, by being kind to others and ourselves, and by recognizing the common humanity and divinity in all of us, be they friend or foe. This was the path he charted for us to build heaven on earth, or the ‘way’ to contentment. Perhaps we are tempted to label Jesus as only divine, but I think that actually minimizes the true miracle of the transcendence he achieved. Rather than demonize or shun our humanity, we must embrace it.<br />
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As some of you may know, I recently lost my father to cancer just a month ago. He wasn’t a young man, but he was a very youthful 81, and I was taken aback by how quickly he declined at the end. While I have buried grandparents, aunts and uncles, the death of someone very close to you, be it sibling, spouse or parent, is equally devastating and deeply grounding. To help him bath one week, and then to touch his dead body in another was one of the realest things I have ever experienced. To see his ashes literally poured into the soil made vividly visceral the Ash Wednesday refrain, from dust you come and to dust we shall refrain. His death, perhaps the most human of human actions, made me feel oddly more connected to the world. I think the challenge of modern society is that we are so removed from aspects of our humanness (birth, illness, death) that we rarely connect to deeper energies. <br />
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The other common interpretation of this gospel reading is that it is a rationale for the institution known as the church and for papal succession. “You are the Rock and upon this Rock I will build my Church.” As noted previously, this phrasing was also a later addition. Interestingly, Matthew is the only Gospel that uses the term church or ekklesia in Greek. <br />
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The way one lived was clearly very central to Jesus’ message. His was not a cerebral, abstract message as a different approach to living was part of his project. We were to care for one another, to love our neighbors as ourselves, to share our wealth. Living in community was not uncommon for early Christian collectives and it worked, as I have heard fellow parishioner Harrison Nelson argue, because it enabled poor and marginalized communities to live a better life. The Christian message is a guide to better living more than anything else, a roadmap for building heaven on earth.<br />
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But Christians were also persecuted within the Roman Empire and they suffered greatly during the first centuries following Jesus’ death. This changed when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. This shift was important because it not only ended the persecution, but because it fundamentally changed the lived, communal aspect of Christianity. Instead of small communes led by elders who acted more as facilitators than rulers, we see the emergence of a Church organization patterned on the hierarchical and patriarchal structure of the Roman Empire with a male leader at the top. <br />
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I cannot blame our forbearers for the decisions they made. Persecution and death were no fun and I am sure they were thrilled when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Debates about the nature of Jesus ended after Emperor Constantine called the Council of Nicaea and the Roman Catholic Church became the strongest political force in Europe, outlasting the Roman Empire. That original way of Christian living, in a commune patterned on the life of Jesus with his disciples, would also become a distant, strange and alien form of social organization, marginalized to convents, monasteries, and kibbutzs. Just like the debate about Jesus’ humanity, this debate about how to live together and how to organize the faithful was seemingly shut down in the 4th century. As such, today’s gospel reading, with all its additions, shows us how they tried to close the door on future debate.<br />
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We currently live in a very unsettled time when institutions and authority are being questioned, and when sexism, racism and homophobia are increasingly recognized as systemic problems. The contemporary Catholic Church, an institution built by humans, is not immune from these important social debates. <br />
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But it is discouraging. I have been waiting since Vatican II for major church reform and it just never seems to come. I remember having a college professor in the 1980s, in a course on Catholicism, tell me that change was just around the corner. But the Church remains as hierarchical as ever, single men are in charge, and the younger ranks of the priesthood appear to be stacked with unimaginative, ecclesiastical conservatives. Part of me just wants to move on, to give up, to leave the church.<br />
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But, as much as some may have wanted to have buried it, the door was never completely closed on alternative ways of organizing the church. Jesus was a rabble-rouser who had his own issues with abuses of power within the Jewish community, turning over tables at the temple and showing his very human anger. Today’s Old Testament Reading from Isiah also speaks to the need for institutional change. As President Obama shared in a speech a few nights ago: they win if we stay home, “those who benefit from keeping things the way they are -- they are counting on your cynicism.” “We can't let that happen. Do not let them take away your power.”<br />
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Jesus, fully human and divine, had sound ideas for better living. We need to rediscover that road not taken and keep working to make it a reality, no matter the obstacles in our path. We are the Church, we have the power to make change. Thank you.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFA35k6eQqNRmIySETDw6uFFWjJfUdH0a_tsiAM0fPxQPCR_6Ikj6ICfDCpW5meuwrBz1zMYdDhHT0gPsAWTgtO-LVK9F70cxcl9FmSn23vds2469yUAVSKy6Qv1Mq2dgHR7_-OZxxnBBK/s1600/geometricdesign-2b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFA35k6eQqNRmIySETDw6uFFWjJfUdH0a_tsiAM0fPxQPCR_6Ikj6ICfDCpW5meuwrBz1zMYdDhHT0gPsAWTgtO-LVK9F70cxcl9FmSn23vds2469yUAVSKy6Qv1Mq2dgHR7_-OZxxnBBK/s200/geometricdesign-2b.jpg" width="100" height="200" data-original-width="84" data-original-height="168" /></a></div><i><b>Note:</b> Thanks to the Cabrini Word Team for helping me think through the issues in this text. Any mistakes or errors are my own.</i><br />
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<i>The author may be contacted at moseley@macalester.edu or may be found on twitter at https://twitter.com/WilliamGMoseley</i><br />
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</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-28686329975854203452020-08-16T12:07:00.000-05:002020-08-16T14:19:27.377-05:00We Need to Talk About David Hass<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>By Jamie Manson</b><br />
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<i><b>NOTE:</b> This article was <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/grace-margins/we-need-talk-about-david-haas">first published</a> June 30, 2020 by the <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/">National Catholic Reporter</a>.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3ELY0hgTD_wxqOoqKW8_6vel5KCgj_mRhd1j_VPw6Da4kq9VCkTHmjsui1J83qQ0oVyWaZiEeioZOk2dCuDGi3XSPIfzWumQzY52K8Wlg8WCRFYmxqkIFUe7VwD1JjrTmWVQA6kvSpii/s1600/Hass.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3ELY0hgTD_wxqOoqKW8_6vel5KCgj_mRhd1j_VPw6Da4kq9VCkTHmjsui1J83qQ0oVyWaZiEeioZOk2dCuDGi3XSPIfzWumQzY52K8Wlg8WCRFYmxqkIFUe7VwD1JjrTmWVQA6kvSpii/s200/Hass.png" width="200" height="168" data-original-width="456" data-original-height="383" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span> first heard about sexual abuse allegations against composer David Hass [<b>right</b>] from a Facebook friend in a post last week. "I haven't heard much talk about this among progressive Catholics," she wrote. "Maybe our hearts are too broken."<br />
<br />
Since the story first came to light, three of Haas' victims have come forward, telling <a href=https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/three-women-who-accuse-david-haas-sexual-misconduct-speak-ncr><i>NCR</i>'s Soli Salgado</a> about the ways they were groomed, forcibly kissed and relentlessly pursued by the composer of well-known post-Vatican II hymns. <br />
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The news stunned the progressive Catholic world, whose liturgical soundtrack is filled with Haas' songs. His lyrics, so imbued with calls for love, justice and inclusion, earned him a place in the canon of luminaries of the Catholic reform movement. <br />
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Not surprisingly, the kneejerk reaction has been to "cancel" Haas: remove his music from hymnals and stop playing his compositions at worship services. While those actions may be justifiable, my hope is that we don't just rush to eradicate him and quickly move past yet another sad and ugly episode of "fallen Catholic hero." We must also take the opportunity to have a crucial conversation about what his alleged abuse reveals.<br />
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Since Pope Francis started to get serious about clergy sexual abuse about two years ago, many well-intentioned theologians, commentators and even some church leaders (including the pope himself) have pointed to clericalism as the root of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. But the Haas story demonstrates that there is something even more systemic and more destructive at work in the patterns of abuse in the church.<br />
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The Haas revelations are reminiscent of reports in February of this year that <a href=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Vanier>Jean Vanier</a>, the venerated founder of the <a href=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Arche>L'Arche</a> community, had his own sordid history of abusing adult women. In <a href=https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/grace-margins/no-jean-vanier-not-all-us>my response to that story</a>, I wrote:<br />
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<blockquote>In nearly every case of sexual abuse we have heard about in the church over the years — whether the situation is priests abusing children, or bishops raping nuns, or ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick sexually coercing seminarians, or … Vanier sexually assaulting adult women — there is one common denominator: the patriarchal belief that a special class of spiritual men are entitled to use women, children and other vulnerable men for their sexual gratification.</blockquote><br />
Though Vanier's patterns of abuse were more cultic and ritualistic than what Haas' victims <a href=https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/three-women-who-accuse-david-haas-sexual-misconduct-speak-ncr>have described</a> so far, they were both members of that elite class of spiritual men, and, therefore, benefitted from the Catholic patriarchal mindset. The fact that neither of them was ordained shows the church's problem with sexual abuse is not rooted in clericalism, it's rooted in a theology of male superiority.<br />
<br />
The Catholic Church teaches a theology of "gender complementarity," which means that though men and women are equal in dignity, they have complementary roles in the church and the family. In this scheme, God designed men to lead and take initiative, and God created women to receive and serve. The doctrine is the basis for the church's hierarchical theology, which essentially teaches that it is part of God's plan that women and children should be completely under the control of men.<br />
<br />
When religious power is totally in the hands of men, it creates a culture of devaluation and distrust of women. Men support one another and cover for one another, and they treat women as disposable and their stories unworthy of belief. Rather than listen to abused women, men silence them or blame them for leading men into temptation.<br />
<br />
This is why, even though the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis knew of at least one serious claim of sexual assault against David Hass from 1987, they still allowed Haas to create a music camp for teenagers. <br />
<br />
This is also why right now, the women who are coming forward to tell their stories of sexual misconduct by Haas are being questioned or distrusted on <a href=https://www.facebook.com/mythicrainwithjeannecotter/posts/2640364292949382?__tn__=K-R>social media</a>, or simply ignored by leaders, colleagues and fans who just don't want to deal with it. <br />
<br />
Part of the doubt cast on Haas' victims is rooted in our theological tradition that trains us to not believe women. But complementarity feeds another source of doubt about women victims, namely the Catholic penchant for male hero worship. <br />
<br />
Haas seemed particularly adept at cultivating a sense of stature. As <i>NCR</i> reported, he gave his Music Ministry Alive program "the aura of prestige" and groomed students to desire his attention. One victim told <i>NCR</i> that her classmates hoped he would look at them when he sang his famous hymn "You Are Mine."<br />
<br />
All of our lives, Catholics have been fed the notion only men are worthy to be priests because God only wants men to be leaders. Regardless of how progressive some Catholics try to be, time and again, we find ourselves falling into and feeding the belief that men are singular and exceptional. Haas, it seems, not only knew this, he exploited it.<br />
<br />
If there is any benefit to the revelations about Haas and Vanier, perhaps it will open up a conversation about the abuse of adult women by men in spiritual power. Though some church leaders, including Pope Francis, regularly denounce violence against women, the reality is that a theology of gender complementarity entrenches and sanctifies gender inequality — and gender inequality is the root of all violence against women worldwide.<br />
<br />
The stories of Vanier and Haas show us that "clericalism" cannot be the rallying cry for what needs to change for our church to stop sexual abuse and its cover up. What needs to change is the institutional church's consecration and elevation of male power. The hierarchy can create as many training programs, policies and procedures as they like, but until they address male dominance as the underlying cause of sexual abuse, the crisis will never be resolved.<br />
<br />
<i>Jamie L. Manson is an award-winning columnist at the National Catholic Reporter. Follow her on Twitter: <a href=https://twitter.com/jamielmanson>@jamielmanson</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Note:</b> NCR can send you an email alert every time Jamie Manson's Grace on the Margins is posted to NCRonline.org. <a href=https://www.ncronline.org/free-newsletters?_ga=2.137170224.1042759178.1597598357-968720486.1597598356>Sign up here</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>See also the previous posts:</b><br />
• <a href=https://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2014/11/complementarity-of-sexes-trap.html>Complementarity of the Sexes: A Trap</a><br />
• <a href=https://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2014/12/pope-francis-woman-problem.html>Pope Francis' Woman Problem</a><br />
<br />
<b>Image:</b> David Haas performing at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, February 2017. (Edited screenshot from YouTube/RECongress)</span></div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-49531341383348561862020-05-22T21:00:00.000-05:002020-06-30T00:35:00.464-05:00Quote of the Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02wV4kykhDx5YujoPEvKhMZMtkUtkVaTCD1X4_3HWEGl7DtaeVnVBcxy2zDbDTDw6jLDzVmTTuSuXbjhXTrBu9P-IZ2K9JMm5_oO46FpiOW9KUD8oKzHCpyIk0E5RLSB0Gla2YV7JXb8/s1600/JamesMartinSJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02wV4kykhDx5YujoPEvKhMZMtkUtkVaTCD1X4_3HWEGl7DtaeVnVBcxy2zDbDTDw6jLDzVmTTuSuXbjhXTrBu9P-IZ2K9JMm5_oO46FpiOW9KUD8oKzHCpyIk0E5RLSB0Gla2YV7JXb8/s200/JamesMartinSJ.jpg" width="172" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span>he President said today that he will “override the governors” and force states to allow churches to open. Churches should not be opened (or closed) by order of a president, but because it is safe to do so. To open churches before it is safe would needlessly put more lives at risk. And that would be the opposite of pro-life. Governors and religious leaders should follow the advice of public health experts and epidemiologists to help prevent the spread of infection and preserve life. Everyone wants to go back to church, including me, but not at the risk of increased infection and death, especially among the most vulnerable.<br />
<br />
Churches are indeed essential for Christians, and the desire to worship together is a holy desire. But holy though your desire may be, it's not just about you and your desire. It's about protecting the other person, especially if you are, like many people, asymptomatic. Wearing masks, maintaining social distance and even not gathering in churches protects the other person.<br />
<br />
There have already been confirmed cases in Texas and Minnesota where Catholic churches have opened and the priests were found to have been unknowingly infected. Coming into contact with their parishioners, and exposing them to infection, may end up causing deaths, especially among the most vulnerable – the elderly, who often make up the majority of churchgoers.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure why this is so hard to understand. If you have the measles and a doctor says, “Don't go to church because you might infect a woman who is pregnant, ” you don't rail at your doctor for “impinging on your freedom.” You listen to the doctor, make the sacrifice, and stay home, as a way of protecting the other person.<br />
<br />
All these preventive actions are ways of caring of the other person – that is, ways of loving.</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><strong><em>– <a href=https://harperone.com/jamesmartin/>James Martin, SJ</a></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href=https://www.facebook.com/FrJamesMartin/posts/10157021976736496>via Facebook</a><br />
May 22, 2020</span></div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Related Off-site Links:</b><br />
<a href=https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-church-groups-divided-on-gov-walz-s-orders/570676942/>Minnesota Church Groups Divided on Govenor Tim Walz's Orders</a> – Jean Hopfensperger (<i>Star Tribune</i> May 22, 2020).<br />
<a href=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/05/20/minnesotas-catholic-bishops-say-theyll-defy-walz-limits-on-church-attendance>Minnesota's Catholic Bishops Say They'll Defy Walz's Limits on Church Attendance</a> – <i>MPR News</i> (May 20, 2020).<br />
<a href=https://www.startribune.com/brooks-not-attending-church-won-t-kill-anyone-but-rushing-to-reopen-might/570680062/>Not Attending Church Won't Kill Anyone, But Rushing to Reopen Might</a> – Jennifer Brooks (<i>Star Tribune</i>, May 22, 2020).<br />
<a href=https://www.democracynow.org/2020/5/21/headlines/pro_trump_doctors_to_promote_reopening_states_despite_cdc_warnings>Pro-Trump Doctors to Promote Reopening States Despite CDC Warnings</a> – <i>Democracy Now!</i> (May 22, 2020).<br />
<a href=https://www.christiancentury.org/article/editorpublisher/churches-obsessed-their-right-reopen-are-missing-point>Churches Obsessed With Their Right to Reopen Are Missing the Point</a> – Peter W. Marty (<i>The Christian Century</i>, May 18, 2020).</span></div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-12347962267066878482020-03-21T10:01:00.000-05:002020-08-16T12:08:33.398-05:00Hope and Beauty in the Midst of the Global Coronavirus Pandemic<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeMDNNy7EL-7J4RDq9VofeSGovchcjS1NOA52neEfwzTsWX8EJuVOlmiw3F7oQpCE6FYYvGjAWfGT0DhvtNs3ZROHwSLA5sNIcy1FIFUbtHWcUSHWbWeuWzPfd-61jpTIE8SSm0Tm_nE0/s1600/hyacinth-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeMDNNy7EL-7J4RDq9VofeSGovchcjS1NOA52neEfwzTsWX8EJuVOlmiw3F7oQpCE6FYYvGjAWfGT0DhvtNs3ZROHwSLA5sNIcy1FIFUbtHWcUSHWbWeuWzPfd-61jpTIE8SSm0Tm_nE0/s1600/hyacinth-2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<i><b>NOTE:</b> The following was <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/03/hope-and-beauty-in-midst-of-global.html>first published</a> at The Wild Reed on March 14, 2020.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
I went shopping today with my friend Deandre and saw for the first time what I'd only heard about or seen pictures of on social media: large areas of empty shelving in grocery stores and signage from store owners announcing to customers limitations of quantity of certain goods – namely toilet paper and hand sanitizer. <br />
<br />
It was all very surreal.<br />
<br />
And I couldn't help but think of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Lessing">Doris Lessing</a>'s novel, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Memoirs_of_a_Survivor"><i>The Memoirs of a Survivor</i></a>, about a woman's experience of a society crumbling as the result of an unspecified disaster, referred to as “The Crisis.” <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8MP0ORU9BKa3eSSkogtRBCXzn01iNxVCe9Q3YcNn2alk1BoDSc0zLUjf1gbziSXeaTBkfIaGV4nqMcWjtR-9_wEJEJplmcJto_8VWVmd1-sAMJCuL3k3UqmrTq2h_iEaDJSNfOjNo7Ov/s1600/MOAS-24b.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="819" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8MP0ORU9BKa3eSSkogtRBCXzn01iNxVCe9Q3YcNn2alk1BoDSc0zLUjf1gbziSXeaTBkfIaGV4nqMcWjtR-9_wEJEJplmcJto_8VWVmd1-sAMJCuL3k3UqmrTq2h_iEaDJSNfOjNo7Ov/s200/MOAS-24b.PNG" width="200" /></a></div>In film director <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Gladwell">David Gladwell</a>'s 1981 adaptation of Lessing's novel (<a href="http://history.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=3172">described</a> by critic Albert Johnson as “a cinema journey full of discovery”), the main (and nameless) character/narrator is luminously portrayed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Christie">Julie Christie</a>. (For my reflections on this film, <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2011/11/as-last-walls-dissolve-everything-is.html">click here</a>.)<br />
<br />
Of course, the event that is causing growing unease and panic around the world is not, as in Lessing's novel, "unspecified." No, for us in 2020 the event is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_coronavirus_pandemic">coronavirus pandemic</a>, one which, globally, is <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/this-coronavirus-is-unlike-anything-in-our-lifetime-and-we-have-to-stop-comparing-it-to-the-flu">unprecedented</a>, and which here in the U.S. is about to get much worse because of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/13/coronavirus-donald-trump-presidency-sick-joke">incompetence of the Trump administration</a> and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/15/america-public-health-system-coronavirus-trump">lack of any real public health system</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5lgtkCCEhOUldlaU8-aWtqrO7QKutUr8tv4ibm262hJKvmyb5BwIdE8GrMMe1WO9vZht51yyes9MPRb-Ygf0QQWQfIIDm-vKqMbaQR7Ah3u9wLdDfyHmBBfZskPEjLk_4QoLpxyF0SGj/s1600/89505301_215642186301543_4995654277918621696_n-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="592" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5lgtkCCEhOUldlaU8-aWtqrO7QKutUr8tv4ibm262hJKvmyb5BwIdE8GrMMe1WO9vZht51yyes9MPRb-Ygf0QQWQfIIDm-vKqMbaQR7Ah3u9wLdDfyHmBBfZskPEjLk_4QoLpxyF0SGj/s400/89505301_215642186301543_4995654277918621696_n-2.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTq27FoNoLfV1SlTdtSKEmxOBlMDHMM-8B7vC5NhiUB5-nZR9JNPoz6YzAxaVF_qEOeC_RZ6zREzfKpIKJ0260RwPGRDIaf_YEJqtqz6dWIikC5Nmw-JaAsco6AKAvgTg_cUL-bjB9lIam/s1600/20200314_155051b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1445" data-original-width="1551" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTq27FoNoLfV1SlTdtSKEmxOBlMDHMM-8B7vC5NhiUB5-nZR9JNPoz6YzAxaVF_qEOeC_RZ6zREzfKpIKJ0260RwPGRDIaf_YEJqtqz6dWIikC5Nmw-JaAsco6AKAvgTg_cUL-bjB9lIam/s320/20200314_155051b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfhfCp93SsPr5KRi7-TQIfPsMTYsipUX3D4nQgeE7R5qY2TBLyDPX460eO3dThBzXwdSMPF5c-_60gqDDywL5qvpmdrhfamK6d1MFHanV9lZCjpR4e06N7VW757XWTwinpDM-Ybz-mcCY/s1600/20200314_154746b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1178" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfhfCp93SsPr5KRi7-TQIfPsMTYsipUX3D4nQgeE7R5qY2TBLyDPX460eO3dThBzXwdSMPF5c-_60gqDDywL5qvpmdrhfamK6d1MFHanV9lZCjpR4e06N7VW757XWTwinpDM-Ybz-mcCY/s400/20200314_154746b.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihRWi278QC24I0hDg3CDhTe7HkWlYqIrmZlNF9iy8MxEyc1B6fXQlAuZ_1a6Q42pWbJmZ8iTkKbLG5-fUS3eem5ZepnYU0oox53MMbzIwXo0lMMGpdD1K5kJ1TuUJfA6x-99QJHmezhhL/s1600/20200314_143316b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihRWi278QC24I0hDg3CDhTe7HkWlYqIrmZlNF9iy8MxEyc1B6fXQlAuZ_1a6Q42pWbJmZ8iTkKbLG5-fUS3eem5ZepnYU0oox53MMbzIwXo0lMMGpdD1K5kJ1TuUJfA6x-99QJHmezhhL/s400/20200314_143316b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5zo944-dCJ_H5Fm32uFrbYmI9wa6Ya5qBjoyO5h9_Sg7T2DIBsrzkgI_cWVgqSPitnSE-SVc9g_FB70ifxBUPb7ApjwQ62cpFNiI8StaaYVmkVfCDIuBsESR3UDo6bcaEdpqr2VZ3pNl/s1600/20200315_171356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="1600" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5zo944-dCJ_H5Fm32uFrbYmI9wa6Ya5qBjoyO5h9_Sg7T2DIBsrzkgI_cWVgqSPitnSE-SVc9g_FB70ifxBUPb7ApjwQ62cpFNiI8StaaYVmkVfCDIuBsESR3UDo6bcaEdpqr2VZ3pNl/s320/20200315_171356.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<br />
Doris Lessing's <i>The Memoirs of a Survivor</i> is generally considered a dystopian novel, a story of end times. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhyv7btR8ZbwwLciWJFbKTElWc5ZZlsyoDjMOx89Dc-0lGOgjy7cNpMGCxphTqAkGt-xFMuo4_8owJUR6s3QvcVLi9sWuFrGfQf3KhObPo5BVN1bJt-MXO0LOYpCR83HNsq88u6LRi8_4/s1600/MOAS-5.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="858" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhyv7btR8ZbwwLciWJFbKTElWc5ZZlsyoDjMOx89Dc-0lGOgjy7cNpMGCxphTqAkGt-xFMuo4_8owJUR6s3QvcVLi9sWuFrGfQf3KhObPo5BVN1bJt-MXO0LOYpCR83HNsq88u6LRi8_4/s200/MOAS-5.PNG" width="200" /></a></div>Yet it can also be read as an allegorical tale of new beginnings. This is most resolutely symbolized in the salvific appearance of the mythic “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_egg">Cosmic Egg</a>” toward the end of both the novel and its film adaptation.<br />
<br />
Writes Sharon R. Wilson about the significance of this symbol:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>In Lessing’s revisioned creation myth, the Cosmic Egg requires human co-construction: the narrator mirrors her creator. Without the narrator’s journey through the wall and without her work to clean and order the chaos – work that matches that of the painter and gardener – presumably this egg could not open. As well as being a witness to the death and rebirth of the world, Lessing’s unnamed narrator is an active participant in its recreation.</blockquote><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88ieODlxJnwGsCoOubeEXFBINX9WkvgM-APWcaYgJSOlZglu9EIbpxKhbYqKR4zC9er-G3SO7sOJLZAOUE26TSK8AkU850hcVMmyzyI9kZlaES3zOKeVvpSjEmrP06HcoeylA1J0Vyxey/s1600/MOAS-17.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="871" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88ieODlxJnwGsCoOubeEXFBINX9WkvgM-APWcaYgJSOlZglu9EIbpxKhbYqKR4zC9er-G3SO7sOJLZAOUE26TSK8AkU850hcVMmyzyI9kZlaES3zOKeVvpSjEmrP06HcoeylA1J0Vyxey/s200/MOAS-17.PNG" width="200" /></a></div>I find this analysis of Lessing's novel, one that <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2011/11/as-last-walls-dissolve-everything-is.html">reflects the mystic path</a>, to be both beautiful and hopeful.<br />
<br />
And in recent days I've come across a number of writings by people who, in responding to the crisis of the coronavirus pandemic, also offer beauty and hope.<br />
<br />
Some of these writings are by people I know – friends and/or colleagues. Others are by well-known thinkers and authors. All reflect the beauty and wisdom of the heart, the seedbed of hope.<br />
<br />
<center>__________________________</center><br />
<br />
<blockquote>[<span style="font-size: x-large;">N</span>]othing feels stable. One month ago rumors rumbled, this week everything is shutting down. Within these last few days it has felt as if we were dropped into the plot of a sci-fi movie, where the viewer can see more broadly the entire scope of the problem and knows it is going to be bad. On screen characters are only beginning to sense the severity and react in fear. I hear the word, “surreal” quite a lot these days.<br />
<br />
This morning I walked out of a bakery and into the familiar sound of honking just above my head. I looked up to see two geese preparing to land on a nearby pond. As I hopped into my car and headed down the highway, I was immediately gifted by a spectacular sunrise. It evolved from velvet purple, to azure blue to a popping bright yellow. As quickly as it arrived, it morphed to a calming lavender and ducked behind a bank of clouds.<br />
<br />
When it seems as if nothing is the same, that everything is changing, as if there is no solid ground beneath you, take a deeper look. The birds are coming back to their summer homes, the lake ice is melting, the sun continues to rise and set in a predicable rhythm of grace. Regular life is still happening. Look beyond your (very normal) fear into the depths of your own heart. There you find stability. In that place, find peace. See grace.<br />
<br />
And out of THAT heart space of stability, peace and grace . . . live.<br />
<br />
Over this season you will find more posts than is normal for <a href="https://andreatatley.com/">this space</a>. I invite you to come, check in and breath. Take good care of yourself and those whom you love. And, be kind to each other.</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– Andrea Wichhart-Tatley</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">“<a href="https://andreatatley.com/2020/03/13/within/">Within</a>”<br />
<i>AndreaTatley.com</i><br />
March 13, 2020</span></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>f we imagine we live on some isolated little island, we are living in a fool's paradise. What happens over there affects me here.<br />
<br />
My own well-being depends on whether I let you fall to the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, telling myself that your life is none of my responsibility. If I let you be sick and without medical treatment, I myself will end up paying a price – as I will if I let you go without education, without food, without a job.<br />
<br />
The butterfly beats its wings on the other side of the globe and the weather on my side of the planet feels the effects.<br />
<br />
A global pandemic shows us that we are all connected to each other, all related, all kin, all in it together. And that we will not have lives worth living on this planet until we begin to recognize our interconnectedness.</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– <a href="http://bilgrimage.blogspot.com/">William D. Lindsey</a></i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">via Facebook<br />
March 14, 2020</span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLZtkf6zrmGpmJa3iNytG8XYU2YUW5ueKjwxXP6rz-WvJmWY40RlmWKgeGUDAFdhDH6Tq4DwwTnD4HscNBdjHxkz42EaUDzbneHSKU1F7BoKlXJ6Z7S-rjWOmzBob_bZEnzk3fJXW5WDi/s1600/PandemicReflection-2b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="827" data-original-width="594" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLZtkf6zrmGpmJa3iNytG8XYU2YUW5ueKjwxXP6rz-WvJmWY40RlmWKgeGUDAFdhDH6Tq4DwwTnD4HscNBdjHxkz42EaUDzbneHSKU1F7BoKlXJ6Z7S-rjWOmzBob_bZEnzk3fJXW5WDi/s640/PandemicReflection-2b.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br />
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<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>f we view ourselves as besieged victims who need to go into hiding, then we will cultivate fear and hoarding. If we view ourselves as a community working hard to protect the most vulnerable among us, then we will cultivate courage and helping. Mindset matters.</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– <a href=http://fallingoffthehorse.blogspot.com/>Len Niehoff</a></i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">via Facebook<br />
March 13, 2020</span></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span> was thinking this morning about how rapidly things can change. A week ago, I bought a new mattress at Macy’s. The sales person stood to shake my hand at the end of the transaction and I said, “Ah, no. We are supposed to be training ourselves not to shake hands now that the coronavirus has arrived in the U.S.” At that time, there had been five confirmed cases. We sort of laughed as we awkwardly attempted the elbow bump and he said, “Well, you are my first elbow bump of these new times.”<br />
<br />
I left the furniture store and went to Trader Joe’s, where I leisurely shopped, overhearing the few other folks also shopping casually discussing things like what to purchase for dinner or what cheese to serve to guests gathering later that night. It was calm, the shelves were well stocked. I even bought a few hyacinth bulbs. And I probably touched my face 14 times without giving it another thought. It almost seems inconceivable that that was only a week ago in light of how much has changed in our world since then. That salesman might not even have a job this weekend as the stock market tanks, businesses voluntarily close for a few weeks in an attempt to “flatten the curve,” and people’s priorities shift from purchasing furniture to stockpiling toilet paper and disinfecting wipes.<br />
<br />
By week’s end, my Facebook feed was full of photos of completely empty shelves at Trader Joe’s as the urge to hoard food and essentials became harder and harder to resist as the numbers of confirmed cases rose exponentially and the inevitability of self imposed isolation came into sharper and sharper focus.<br />
<br />
As I was preparing the bedroom for the delivery of the new mattress later this afternoon, I was actually thinking how risky it feels to have strangers come into my “clean space” and what I would do if they arrive coughing and appearing unwell. I was pondering all this, and marveling at how long 24 hours can feel in a time of such uncertainty, when I flipped on the light in the dining room and discovered my hyacinth bulbs had bloomed. It sort of felt like the Universe was challenging my conclusion that everything that changed so quickly this week was in the negative column. <br />
<br />
Alright Universe, you win. Sometimes rapidly changing things can surprise us with amazingly beautiful results. I hope you are surprised by beauty sometime this weekend as well.</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– Amy Gabriel</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">via Facebook<br />
March 14, 2020</span></div><br />
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<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>s the world has slowed down in almost every experience of what the marvelous <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/sister-jenna">Sister Jenna</a> calls “<a href="https://www.blogtalkradio.com/americameditating/2018/12/24/the-global-pause-with-sister-jenna-deborah-greene-founder-liveamoment">a global pause</a>,” I’m having my most precious experience: a couple of days with my daughter India. . . . The coronavirus is reminding all of us to savor what we have, to go deep at a moment when we’re not as free to go wide. The French philosopher <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaise_Pascal">Blaise Pascal</a> said that “Every problem in the world stems from [humanity’s] inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”<br />
<br />
We are being forced to be quieter than usual, and hopefully even in our sadness we will discover deeper wisdom. God knows there’s a lot of it to discover, about ourselves, about our country, and about our world.<br />
<br />
What are we doing with our lives? Not how long will they be, but how meaningful will they be?<br />
<br />
And who that we love can we love a little better, a little deeper? <br />
<br />
These are the questions which emerge in the quiet, that remind me of this line from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainer_Maria_Rilke">Rilke</a>: “Let me not squander the hour of my pain.”</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianne_Williamson">Marianne Williamson</a></i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">via Facebook<br />
March 13, 2020</span></div><br />
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<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>talians are beating the social isolation imposed by the country's coronavirus lockdown by taking to their windows and singing in unison, with videos of the phenomenon racking up thousands of views online.<br />
<br />
Since Monday, a series of decrees from the Italian government have drastically limited citizens' movements, with vast swathes of the economy shut down and people instructed to leave the house only when strictly necessary.<br />
<br />
All cultural events have also been suspended, prompting some celebrities to start organising online performances and museums to put virtual tours online.<br />
<br />
Another attempt to boost morale has now come in the form of impromptu music at people's windows. One recording in the Tuscan city of Siena has been viewed over 600,000 times on Twitter.<br />
<br />
. . . Another social media initiative has seen Italians put up signs outside their homes saying "andra tutto bene" or "everything will be OK". The slogan is accompanied by a picture of a rainbow – often drawn by children at home as school is cancelled.<br />
<br />
Italy has been struck by the worst European outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic, with more than 17,000 cases and 1,266 deaths.</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– AFP News Agency</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">March 13, 2020</span></div><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8r357UgH7hU" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<br />
<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">V</span>ideo of quarantined Italians singing to each other across deserted streets from their windows, balconies and doorways during the coronavirus lockdown is as beautiful as it is haunting.<br />
<br />
David Allegranti, a writer for <i>Il Foglio</i> newspaper, shared footage of residents’ stirring rendition of a local folk song in the northern city of Siena on Twitter Thursday night.<br />
<br />
“This video is touching,” Rome-based Allegranti told <i>HuffPost</i> via email on Friday. “The first time I saw it I started to cry.”<br />
<br />
Allegranti said a friend sent him the footage, although it wasn’t clear who actually took the video that has now spread across social media. Twitter users were equally moved by what appeared to be an impromptu communal singsong.<br />
<br />
. . . There were reportedly similar scenes of neighbors spontaneously singing together in Wuhan, China, in the initial days of the outbreak there.</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– Lee Moran</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Excerpted from “<a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-singing-italy-siena-lockdown_n_5e6b7f37c5b6747ef11b5f28">Quarantined Italians Sing Together<br />
Across Empty Streets In Hauntingly Beautiful Video</a>”<br />
<i>The Huffington Post</i><br />
March 13, 2020</span></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span>urviving this crisis will take a shift in mindset, and that’s tougher than we think – especially when we’re afraid.<br />
<br />
Fear and anxiety can drive us to become very self-focused. This global pandemic is a real case of “getting sick together” or “staying well together.”<br />
<br />
Our choices affect everyone around us. There is no such thing as “individual risk” or “individual wellness.”<br />
<br />
This is the ultimate reminder that we are inextricably connected to each other. Turning away from collective action right now – as tempting as it is – will only generate more pain.<br />
<br />
Owning and embracing our global interconnectedness (from a safe distance) and thinking about others as we make choices is, ironically, our only path to safety for ourselves and the people we love.<br />
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We can all get really shitty really fast when we’re afraid. I get it. I’m using deep breaths along with my personal mantra: ” Try to be scared without being scary.” Feel free to borrow both – they can help.<br />
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It’s also really normal for everyone to be on our nerves: The people who aren’t following the rules, the 10-second hand washers, etc. I get that too. TRUST ME.<br />
<br />
But, like it or not, we just can’t give up on people. We’re all we have.<br />
<br />
Stay awkward, brave, and kind. Love each other. Spread calm.</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bren%C3%A9_Brown">Brené Brown</a></i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/brenebrown/posts/3287297644618655">via Facebook</a><br />
March 13, 2020</span></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tvS59vW3ykA0V615VjXgEgvP1kFwYOxI2WqMdwluMGpe5nU9_BIQJyAV-YydLp8HKWd4DnDegw-Vn-ATU-pmoxhyphenhyphenMz9r-WnrDjeA1MoqxAGGE9naXS9FxH-8VwnrfmRbxgdMroEFK1J7/s1600/PandemicAnimals-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tvS59vW3ykA0V615VjXgEgvP1kFwYOxI2WqMdwluMGpe5nU9_BIQJyAV-YydLp8HKWd4DnDegw-Vn-ATU-pmoxhyphenhyphenMz9r-WnrDjeA1MoqxAGGE9naXS9FxH-8VwnrfmRbxgdMroEFK1J7/s640/PandemicAnimals-2.png" width="376" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– <a href="https://www.rlmartstudio.com/about/about-the-artist/">Ricardo Levins Morales</a></i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">“<a href="https://www.rlmartstudio.com/product/what-to-do-in-a-pandemic/">What to Do in a Pandemic</a>”<br />
March 2020</span></div><br />
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<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">F</span>or the vast majority of people nationwide and worldwide, this virus <b>is not about you</b>. This is one of those times in life, in history, when your actions are about something bigger. They are about someone else. They are about something greater, a greater good that you may not ever witness. A person you will save who you will never meet.<br />
<br />
You may be healthy, and your kids may be healthy. Your parents may be healthy. Everyone around you seems fine. And all the things you planned and the 2020 spring you thought you were going to have has been completely undone. You have to work from home. Your conference is cancelled. Your semester is over. Your work is cancelled. It all seems fast, and out-of-proportion and disorienting. You look at each action and think – <i>but it would be okay if I did that. It’s not so big. We worked so hard. They would be so disappointed.</i><br />
<br />
Your losses are real. Your disappointments are real. Your hardships are real. I don’t mean to make light or to minimize the difficulty ahead for you, your family or community.<br />
<br />
But this isn’t like other illnesses and we don’t get to act like it is. It’s more contagious, it’s more fatal – and most importantly, even if it can be managed. It can’t be managed at a massive scale – anywhere. We need this thing to move slowly enough for our collective national and worldwide medical systems to hold the very ill so that <i>all of the very ill</i> can get taken care of.<br />
<br />
Because at this time of severe virus there are also all of the other things that require care. There is still cancer, there are still heart attacks, there are still car accidents, there are still complicated births. And we need our medical systems to be able to hold us. And we need to be responsible because <b>our medical systems are made up of people</b> and these amazing healthcare workers <b>are a precious and limited resource</b>. They will rise to this occasion. They will work to help you heal. They will work to save your mother or father or sister or baby. But in order for that to happen we have very important work to do. <b><i>ALL OF US</i></b>.<br />
<br />
So what is our work? Yes, you need to wash your hands and stay home if you are sick. But the biggest work you can do is expand your heart and your mind to see yourself and see your family as part of a much bigger community that can have a massive – <b>hugely massive</b> – impact on the lives of other people.<br />
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I remember the feeling of helplessness after 9/11 and after Hurricane Sandy. I remember how much people wanted to help. I remember how much generosity of spirit there was about wanting to give, wanting to be helpful, wanting to save lives. And many of you have had experiences since then – whether it was a mass shooting, or the wildfires, or floods. There have been times you have looked on and wondered how you could help. And now we ALL have that chance.<br />
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You can help by canceling anything that requires a group gathering. You can help by not using the medical system unless it is urgent. You can help by staying home if you are sick. You can help by cooking or shopping or doing errands for a friend who needs to stay home. You can help by watching someone’s kid if they need to cover for someone else at work. You can help by ordering take-out from your local restaurants. Eat the food yourself or find someone who needs it. You can help by offering to help bring someone’s college student home or house out-of-town students if you have extra rooms. You can help by asking yourself, “What can I and my family do to help?” “What can we offer?” You can help by seeing yourself as part of something bigger than yourself.<br />
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When the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_13">Apollo 13</a> oxygen tank failed and the lunar module was in danger of not returning to earth, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Kranz">Gene Kranz</a>, the lead flight director overheard people saying that this could be the worst disaster NASA had ever experienced – to which he is rumored to have responded, “With all due respect, I believe this is going to be our finest hour.”<br />
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Imagine if we could make our response to this crisis <i>our finest hour</i>. Imagine if a year or two from now we looked back on this and told the stories of how we came together as a team in our community, in our state, in our nation and across the world.<br />
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Your contribution to the finest hour may seem small, invisible, inconsequential – but every small act of ‘not doing’ what you were going to do, and ‘doing’ an act of kindness or support will add up exponentially. These acts can and will save lives. The Apollo 13 crew made it their finest hour by letting go of the word “I” and embracing the word “we.” And that’s the task required of us. It can only be <b>our finest hour</b> if we work together. You are all on the team. And we need all of you to shine in whatever way you can.</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– Gretchen Schmelzer</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">“<a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-singing-italy-siena-lockdown_n_5e6b7f37c5b6747ef11b5f28">This Can Be Our Finest Hour – But We Need All of You</a>”<br />
<i>GretchenSchmelzer.com</i><br />
March 10, 2020</span></div><br />
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<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">C</span>onversations will not be cancelled.<br />
Relationships will not be cancelled.<br />
Love will not be cancelled.<br />
Songs will not be cancelled.<br />
Self-care will not be cancelled.<br />
Hope will not be cancelled.<br />
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May we lean into the good things that remain.</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– <a href="https://relevantmagazine.com/culture/jaime-tworkowski-shares-how-to-write-love-on-her-arms-impacted-his-personal-battle-with-mental-health/">Jamie Tworkowski</a></i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">via Facebook<br />
March 13, 2020</span></div><br />
<br />
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<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>nd the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently. And the people healed.<br />
<br />
And in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.<br />
<br />
And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– Kitty O'Meara</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">via Facebook<br />
March 16, 2020</span></div><br />
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<br />
<b>UPDATES . . .</b><br />
<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>t is shocking to think how much the world has changed in such a brief time. Each of us has had our lives and communities disrupted. Of course, I am here in this with you. I feel that I’m in no position to tell you how to feel or how to think, but there are a few things that come to mind I will share. <br />
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A few days ago I was encouraged by the Franciscans and by the leadership team here at the <a href="https://cac.org/about-cac/missionvision/">Center for Action and Contemplation</a> to self-quarantine, so I’ve been in my little hermitage now for three or four days. I’ve had years of practice, literally, how to do what we are calling “social distancing.” I have a nice, large yard behind me where there are four huge, beautiful cottonwood trees, and so I walk my dog Opie every few hours.<br />
<br />
Right now I’m trying to take in psychologically, spiritually, and personally, what is God trying to say? When I use that phrase, I’m not saying that God causes suffering to teach us good things. But God does use everything, and if God wanted us to experience global solidarity, I can’t think of a better way. We all have access to this suffering, and it bypasses race, gender, religion, and nation. <br />
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We are in the midst of a highly teachable moment. There’s no doubt that this period will be referred to for the rest of our lifetimes. We have a chance to go deep, and to go broad. Globally, we’re in this together. Depth is being forced on us by great suffering, which as I like to say, always leads to great love. <br />
<br />
But for God to reach us, we have to allow suffering to wound us. Now is no time for an academic solidarity with the world. Real solidarity needs to be felt and suffered. That’s the real meaning of the word “suffer” – to allow someone else’s pain to influence us in a real way. We need to move beyond our own personal feelings and take in the whole. This, I must say, is one of the gifts of television: we can turn it on and see how people in countries other than our own are hurting. What is going to happen to those living in isolated places or for those who don’t have health care? Imagine the fragility of the most marginalized, of people in prisons, the homeless, or even the people performing necessary services, such as ambulance drivers, nurses, and doctors, risking their lives to keep society together? Our feelings of urgency and devastation are not exaggeration: they are responding to the real human situation. We’re not pushing the panic button; we are the panic button. And we have to allow these feelings, and invite God’s presence to hold and sustain us in a time of collective prayer and lament. <br />
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I hope this experience will force our attention outwards to the suffering of the most vulnerable. Love always means going beyond yourself to otherness. It takes two. There has to be the lover and the beloved. We must be stretched to an encounter with otherness, and only then do we know it’s love. This is what we call the subject-subject relationship. Love alone overcomes fear and is the true foundation that lasts (1 Corinthians 13:13).</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– Richard Rohr, OFM</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">“<a href="https://cac.org/love-alone-overcomes-fear-2020-03-19/">Love Alone Overcomes Fear</a>”<br />
Center for Action and Contemplation<br />
March 19, 2020</span></div><br />
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<blockquote>[<span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span>]his will change us. It must. All plagues change society and culture, reversing some trends while accelerating others, shifting consciousness far and wide, with consequences we won’t discover for years or decades. The one thing we know about epidemics is that at some point they will end. The one thing we don’t know is who we will be then.<br />
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I know that I was a different man at the end of the plague of AIDS than I was at the beginning, just as so many gay men and many others were. You come face-to-face with mortality and the randomness of fate, and you are changed. You have a choice: to submit to fear and go under, or to live with the virus and do what you can. And the living with it, while fighting it, is what changes you over time; it requires more than a little nerve and more than a little steel. Plague living dispenses with the unnecessary, lays bare whom you can trust and whom you can’t, and also reveals what matters.<br />
<br />
. . . Plagues destroy so much – but through the devastation, they can also rebuild and renew.</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– Andrew Sullivan</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">“<a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/03/andrew-sullivan-how-to-survive-the-coronavirus-pandemic.html">How to Survive a Plague</a>”<br />
<i>New York Magazine</i><br />
March 20, 2020</span></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>What is this thing that has happened to us? It’s a virus, yes. In and of itself it holds no moral brief. But it is definitely more than a virus. Some believe it’s God’s way of bringing us to our senses. Others that it’s a Chinese conspiracy to take over the world.<br />
<br />
Whatever it is, coronavirus has made the mighty kneel and brought the world to a halt like nothing else could. Our minds are still racing back and forth, longing for a return to “normality,” trying to stitch our future to our past and refusing to acknowledge the rupture. But the rupture exists. And in the midst of this terrible despair, it offers us a chance to rethink the doomsday machine we have built for ourselves. Nothing could be worse than a return to normality.<br />
<br />
Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next.<br />
<br />
We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us. Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>– Arundhati Roy</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">“<a href="https://dnyuz.com/2020/04/04/arundhati-roy-the-pandemic-is-a-portal/">This Pandemic Is a Portal</a>”<br />
<i>Dnyuz</i><br />
April 4, 2020</span></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>See also the previous <i>Wild Reed</i> posts:</b><br />
• <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/03/prayer-in-time-of-pandemic.html">A Prayer in Times of a Pandemic</a><br />
• <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/03/an-infectious-disease-specialist-weighs.html">An Infectious Disease Specialist Weighs-in on Covid-19</a><br />
• <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2020/01/a-prayer-for-present-moment.html">A Prayer for the Present Moment</a><br />
• <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2017/01/move-us-loving-god.html">Move Us, Loving God</a><br />
• <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2016/07/you-o-comforter-are-ever-near.html">You, O Comforter, Are Ever Near</a><br />
• <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2012/05/the-end-of-world-as-we-know-it.html">The End of the World as We Know It . . . . . . the Beginning As We Live It</a><br />
• <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2011/11/as-last-walls-dissolve-everything-is.html">As the Last Walls Dissolve . . . Everything is Possible</a><br />
<br />
<b>Related Off-site Links:</b><br />
<a href="https://davidrweiss.com/2020/03/12/the-shape-of-love-in-a-time-of-contagion/">The Shape of Love in a Time of Contagion</a> – David R. Weiss (<i>Full Frontal Theology</i>, March 12, 2020).<br />
<a href="https://www.allinanews.com/2020/03/allina-health-psychologist-offers-tips-to-calm-covid-19-anxiety/">Psychologist Offers Tips to Calm COVID-19 Anxiety</a> – <i>KARE 11 News</i> via Allina Health (March 11, 2020).<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfyLzICjTEA">Managing Stress During Coronavirus Outbreak</a> – Shai Plonski (via <i>YouTube</i>, March 13, 2020).<br />
<a href="https://www.papermag.com/lizzo-covid-meditation-1-2645483358.html">Lizzo Leads a Mass Meditation Amidst Growing Coronavirus Concerns</a> – Sandra Song (<i>Paper Magazine</i>, March 13, 2020).<br />
<a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2020/03/09/li-edelkoort-coronavirus-reset/">Coronavirus Offers a “Blank Page for a New Beginning” Says Li Edelkoort</a> – Courtney Mares (<i>De Zeen</i>, March 9, 2020).<br />
<a href="https://jacobinmag.com/2020/03/green-new-deal-coronavirus-stimulus?fbclid=IwAR1mL261iI5yggvK5no-HVshv6HLTVnShwT3rAsSbyxn3V5GydqNmjWIQWc">We Can Waste Another Crisis, or We Can Transform the Economy</a> – Kate Aronoff, Alyssa Battistoni, Daniel Aldana Cohen, and Thea Riofrancos (<i>Jacobin</i>, March 13, 2020).<br />
<a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/03/15/late-stage-capitalism-primed-us-for-this-pandemic/">Late-stage Capitalism Primed Us for This Pandemic</a> – Bob Hennelly (<i>Salon</i>, March 15, 2020).<br />
<a href="https://jacobinmag.com/2020/3/bernie-sanders-joe-biden-coronavirus-measures">Bernie Sanders Can Lead the Fight Against Coronavirus. Joe Biden Can’t</a> – Branko Marcetic and Meagan Day (<i>Jacobin</i>, March 13, 2020).<br />
<a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/people-fighting-coronavirus-mutual-aid-efforts-help-each-other">People Are Fighting the Coronavirus With Mutual Aid Efforts to Help Each Other</a> – Lucy Diavolo (<i>Teen Vogue</i>, March 16, 2020).<br />
<a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/health-happiness/2020/03/10/coronavirus-covid19-community/">Facing COVID-19 With Community Instead of Fear</a> – Lornet Turnbull (<i>Yes! Magazine</i>, March 10, 2020).<br />
<a href="https://jembendell.com/2020/03/18/a-pandemic-of-love-deeply-adapting-to-corona/">A Pandemic of Love: Deeply Adapting to Corona</a> – Jem Bendell (<i>JemBendell.com</i>, March 18, 2020).<br />
<a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2020/03/18/coronavirus-wake-up-call/">Why Coronavirus Is Humanity’s Wake-Up Call</a> – David Korten (<i>Yes! Magazine</i>, March 18, 2020).<br />
<br />
<b>BREAKING:</b> <a href="https://davidrweiss.com/2020/03/16/breaking-god-tests-positive/">God Tests Positive</a> – David R. Weiss (<i>Full Frontal Theology</i>, March 16, 2020).<br />
<br />
<b>First and last image:</b> Amy Gabriel.<br />
<b>Image 2:</b> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Christie">Julie Christie</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memoirs_of_a_Survivor_(film)"><i>Memoirs of a Survivor</i></a> (1981).<br />
<b>Image 3:</b> Deandre Dwyer.<br />
<b>Images 4-6:</b> Michael J. Bayly.<br />
<b>Images 7-8:</b> Screen caps from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memoirs_of_a_Survivor_(film)"><i>Memoirs of a Survivor</i></a>.</span><br />
</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-83117625853073426952019-06-15T13:01:00.000-05:002019-06-16T21:46:38.030-05:00John Gehring on Why Catholics Should Participate in LGBTQ Pride Parades<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kcGTuVI_7vN5u2tBsx0nULAzLMnpa3LMXUs0UKcoGwvc9RZzVqeQN8HO4T2JpIvKWVc5RO0fhXuwmsDrH2T2lM2iJcfNQnuhRUWY-LoY_NCpszaDgyRRUFwCdv4GbL7xdnvtzic21xk3/s1600/TwinCitiesPride07-1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="556" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kcGTuVI_7vN5u2tBsx0nULAzLMnpa3LMXUs0UKcoGwvc9RZzVqeQN8HO4T2JpIvKWVc5RO0fhXuwmsDrH2T2lM2iJcfNQnuhRUWY-LoY_NCpszaDgyRRUFwCdv4GbL7xdnvtzic21xk3/s400/TwinCitiesPride07-1b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/><i>The Wild Reed</i></a>'s 2019 Queer Appreciation series continues with the <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2019/06/john-gehring-on-why-catholics-should.html>sharing</a> of author John Gehring's recent <i>Washington Post</i> op-ed, “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/06/06/case-why-catholics-should-march-lgbt-pride-parades/">The Case for Why Catholics Should March in LGBT Pride Parades</a>.” (To start at the beginning of this series, <a href=https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2019/05/quote-of-day_31.html>click here</a>.)<br />
<br />
As you'll see, Gehring penned this op-ed in response to Roman Catholic bishop Thomas Tobin's recent statement that given the church hierarchy's teaching on homosexuality (i.e., the “disordered” nature of same-sex attraction and the “sinfulness” of any physical expression of such attraction) and its <a href="https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2011/04/responding-to-bishop-tobins-remarks-on.html">opposition to marriage equality</a>, “faithful” Catholics should not support or attend LGBTTQ Pride events, events which Tobin says, “are especially harmful to children.”<br />
<br />
Following is author John Gehring's thoughtful response to Bishop Tobin.<br />
<br />
<center>_________________________</center><br />
<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">F</span>ifty years after patrons at Manhattan’s Stonewall Inn refused to be silent and sparked a civil rights movement for gay Americans, Pride events are a familiar tradition in many states. Parades, teach-ins and panel discussions throughout June affirm the dignity of people who have been historically marginalized and continue to face discrimination.<br />
<br />
While religious leaders take part in LGBT Pride Month celebrations, a Catholic bishop’s tweet last week <a href=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/bishop-faces-backlash-after-tweet-about-pride-month/2019/06/02/75c0aac8-8554-11e9-9d73-e2ba6bbf1b9b_story.html>provoked contentious social media debates</a> about whether faithful Catholics should attend such events, given the church’s opposition to same-sex marriage and teachings about homosexuality.<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ “Pride Month” events held in June. They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals. They are especially harmful for children.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />
– Bishop Thomas Tobin (@ThomasJTobin1) June 1, 2019</span></div></blockquote><br />
<br />
As a Catholic who loves both my church and my gay friends and family, I’m sickened by this expression of hypocrisy, homophobia and fear-mongering. At a time when the Catholic Church is struggling to reclaim moral credibility after systematically covering up decades of child abuse, the idea that a Catholic leader would declare Pride events “especially harmful for children” reveals a stunning lack of self-awareness.<br />
<br />
This is also a particularly tone-deaf and false assertion, given that Bishop Thomas Tobin served as an auxiliary bishop in Pittsburgh in the 1990s, one of several Pennsylvania dioceses included in a devastating grand jury report that found that more than 300 priests were credibly accused of sexually abusing more than 1,000 children over several decades. In an interview last summer, the bishop <a href=https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20180821/providence-bishop-thomas-j-tobin-says-abuse-was-outside-his-responsibility>said</a> that monitoring clergy abuse was outside his scope of responsibility at the time.<br />
<br />
Tobin would have been smart to stick with his plans to quit Twitter last summer, when he <a href=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/07/26/bishop-leaves-twitter-calling-the-platform-an-occasion-for-sin/?utm_term=.b18a65e6118c>described</a> the platform as an “obstacle” to his spiritual life and an “occasion of sin for me and others.”<br />
<br />
Catholics who attend Pride events are reclaiming their humanity and honoring the basic dignity of those they love in response to a history and culture where gay, lesbian and transgender people have often been discarded by their religiously conservative families and rejected by churches. Those who consider themselves “pro-life” Christians can’t ignore the reality that sexual minorities are disproportionately at risk for self-harm and targeted for violence.<br />
<br />
The <a href=https://transequality.org/>National Center for Transgender Equality</a> and the <a href=https://www.thetaskforce.org/>National LGBTQ Task Force</a> interviewed more than 6,000 transgender and gender nonconforming people from every state and found that 41 percent reported suicide attempts (compared with 1.6 percent of the general population). High percentages reported bullying in school, harassment on the job, and physical and sexual assault. At least 26 transgender people were <a href=https://www.hrc.org/resources/violence-against-the-transgender-community-in-2018>killed</a> in the United States last year, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Eighty-two percent of these victims were women of color, and most were younger than 35.<br />
<br />
Last Saturday in Dallas, the body of <a href=https://www.advocate.com/crime/2019/6/03/trans-woman-chynal-lindsey-murdered-dallas>Chynal Lindsey</a>, a black transgender woman, was found by police, at least the <a href=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/dallas-trans-transgender-woman-killed-chynal-lindsey-police-black-serial-killer-fbi-a8942971.html>fourth black transgender woman killed in that city alone in the past three years</a>.<br />
<br />
Any Catholic bishop who doesn’t understand that context, and uses his digital pulpit in ways that wound instead of heal, contributes to a culture where stereotypes are reinforced, discrimination is blessed and extremists feel emboldened to violence.<br />
<br />
Catholics who rallied to Tobin’s defense claim he is simply expressing church doctrine. This is a deficient argument that, at best, reveals a limited, mechanical understanding of church teachings and, at worst, distorts it in ways that do real harm.<br />
<br />
In his apostolic exhortation, “<a href=https://w2.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia_en.pdf>The Joy of Love</a>,” Pope Francis urges Catholics not to view church doctrine as merely “stones to throw at people’s lives.” This attitude, the pope wrote, reveals “the closed heart of one used to hiding behind the church’s teachings.” While the Catholic Church opposes same-sex marriage and any sexual relations outside of a marriage between a man and a woman, the catechism of the Catholic Church also states that gay people “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity,” and that “every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” When a bishop describes a Pride event as dangerous for children, those words threaten to demonize and stigmatize LGBTQ people, a form of unjust discrimination that the catechism forbids.<br />
<br />
The good news is that while Tobin received a lot of attention, his views reflect only a vocal minority of church leaders. A developing pastoral theology – modeled by Francis when he meets with transgender individuals and same-sex couples – has encouraged more priests and bishops to build bridges with LGBTQ communities. This requires humility and listening rather than finger wagging.<br />
<br />
Cardinal Joseph Tobin, of Newark, two years ago welcomed a pilgrimage of LGBTQ Catholics to the city’s cathedral. “I am Joseph, your brother,” the cardinal told the group. In a 2016 interview with America magazine, a Jesuit publication, San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy described language in the church’s catechism that calls homosexual relations “intrinsically disordered” as “very destructive language that I think we should not use pastorally.”<br />
<br />
Catholics from parishes in cities such as Chicago, New York and San Francisco have taken part in Pride rallies over the years. But even in more conservative and rural places, there are Catholics who demonstrate solidarity. Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Ky., sent a <a href=https://www.newwaysministry.org/2017/06/30/bishop-stowe-applauds-interfaith-pride-celebration-parish-and-celebrity-also-mark-pride/>letter</a> to the city’s first Pride Interfaith Service in 2017 that applauded the celebration as “a commendable outreach to people in the community who too often have suffered discrimination from people of faith.”<br />
<br />
In the Christian tradition, pride is considered to be one of the “seven deadly sins.” Any follower of Christ should be wary of extreme self-indulgence and excessive individualism. So how can a Christian reconcile that with the libertarian atmosphere at some Pride parades?<br />
<br />
Similar to the way that expressions of Black Pride in the 1960s were in response to the oppressive injustice of white supremacy, LGBTQ Pride events were created as safe spaces for people who have reason to wonder whether their bodily integrity will be respected when they walk down the street in some communities.<br />
<br />
As a straight white male, I don’t experience that reality. By judging an expression of liberation and joy at a Pride event that some might consider flamboyant and excessive, I would be castigating from a place of comfort and privilege. In my deficit of empathy, I would not go to the margins, where Jesus spent his time. Being vigilant against the human temptation to be prideful is not the same for me as it is for a black transgender woman who fears being beaten up if she turns the wrong corner or who can be legally fired from her job in more than two dozen states because of her sexuality or gender identity.<br />
<br />
Before Catholic leaders stand in judgment of Pride events, they might try a more Christian response and be willing to walk in the discomfort of another’s experience.<br />
<br />
<i><b>John Gehring</b> is Catholic program director at <a href="https://www.faithinpubliclife.org/">Faith in Public Life</a>, and author of <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-francis-effect-a-radical/9781538107515-item.html">The Francis Effect: A Radical Pope’s Challenge to the American Catholic Church</a>.</i></blockquote><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrF7X-haEKTR_YpI4NxJG4huh7Gk4viILMjm68N_32lHFuj8txrwe5XPX9uwRSX9cRe4BWkWTZ50JHE1rOvhlN8YSFltslvQRyGmhpthIt77QoWzJRwLywBOxfOqtRpyMAB8CurKNc3y_g/s1600/GayPride2012+086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrF7X-haEKTR_YpI4NxJG4huh7Gk4viILMjm68N_32lHFuj8txrwe5XPX9uwRSX9cRe4BWkWTZ50JHE1rOvhlN8YSFltslvQRyGmhpthIt77QoWzJRwLywBOxfOqtRpyMAB8CurKNc3y_g/s400/GayPride2012+086.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>See also the previous <i>Wild Reed</i> posts:</b><br />
• <a href="https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2016/07/gay-pride-catholic-perspective.html">Gay Pride: A Catholic Perspective</a><br />
• <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-catholic-presence-at-gay-pride.html">A Catholic Presence at Gay Pride – 2013</a> | <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2012/07/catholic-presence-at-gay-pride.html">2012</a> | <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2011/06/catholic-presence-at-gay-pride.html">2011</a> | <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2010/06/catholic-presence-at-gay-pride.html">2010</a> | <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2009/06/catholic-presence-at-pride.html">2009</a> | <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2008/06/catholic-presence-at-gay-pride.html">2008</a> | <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2007/06/inclusive-catholics-celebrate-gay-pride.html">2007</a><br />
• <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2011/05/catholic-attitudes-on-gay-and-lesbian.html">Catholic Attitudes on Gay and Lesbian Issues: An Overview</a><br />
• <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2014/08/catholics-make-their-voices-heard-on.html">Catholics Make Their Voices Heard on LGBTQ Issues</a><br />
• <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2010/06/wonderfully-made.html">LGBTQ Catholics Celebrate Being “Wonderfully Made”</a><br />
• <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2014/06/same-sex-desires-immanent-and-essential.html">Same-Sex Desires: “Immanent and Essential Traits Transcending Time and Culture”</a><br />
• <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2015/04/remembering-and-reclaiming-wise.html">Remembering and Reclaiming a Wise, Spacious, and Holy Understanding of Homosexuality</a><br />
• <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2007/03/trusting-gods-generous-invitation.html">Trusting God's Generous Invitation</a><br />
• <a href="https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2017/08/worldwide-gay-pride-2017.html">Worldwide Gay Pride – 2017</a> | <a href="https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2016/07/worldwide-gay-pride-2016.html">2016</a> | <a href="http://www.thewildreed.blogspot.com/2013/08/worldwide-gay-pride-2013.html">2013</a> | <a href="http://www.thewildreed.blogspot.com/2012/08/worldwide-gay-pride-2012.html">2012</a> | <a href="http://www.thewildreed.blogspot.com/2011/06/worldwide-gay-pride-2011.html">2011</a> | <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2010/06/worldwide-gay-pride-2010.html">2010</a> | <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2009/06/worldwide-gay-pride-2009.html">2009</a> | <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2008/06/worldwide-gay-pride-2008.html">2008</a> | <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2007/06/worldwide-gay-pride.html">2007</a><br />
• <a href="https://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2011/04/responding-to-bishop-tobins-remarks-on.html">Responding to Bishop Tobin's Remarks on Marriage Equality</a><br />
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2014/05/on-first-anniversary-of-marriage.html>On the First Anniversary of Marriage Equality in Minnesota, a Celebratory Look Back at the Important Role Played by Catholics</a><br />
• <a href=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2009/03/bells-and-smells-kind-of-guy.html>The Journal of James Curtis</a><br />
<br />
<b>Related Off-site Links:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/catholic-composer-song-lgbti-pride-month/">Catholic Composer Pens Inclusive, Pro-LGBTI Song for Pride Month</a> – Stefania Sarrubba (<i>Gay Star News</i>, June 8, 2019).<br />
<a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2019/06/11/listen-lgbt-person-response-vaticans-gender-theory-document">Listen to the LGBT Person: A Response to the Vatican’s Gender Theory Document</a> – James Martin, SJ (<i>America</i>, June 11, 2019).<br />
<a href="https://www.vox.com/first-person/2019/6/12/18661864/transgender-vatican-catholic-pope">Five Trans Catholics on the Vatican's Rejection of Their Gender Identity</a> – Eloise Blondiau (<i>Vox</i>, June 12, 2019).<br />
<br />
<b>Image 1:</b> <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2011/07/sad-news.html">David McCaffrey</a> (Twin Cities Pride, <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2007/06/inclusive-catholics-celebrate-gay-pride.html">2007</a>).<br />
<b>Image 2:</b> Michael Bayly (Twin Cities Pride, <a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2012/07/catholic-presence-at-gay-pride.html">2012</a>).</span><br />
<br />
</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-71718862046448728562018-08-16T09:00:00.000-05:002018-08-16T09:47:33.707-05:00Rethinking Shepherds and Sheep<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>By Bill Moseley</b><br />
<br />
<i><b>Note:</b> The following reflection was delivered before the start of mass at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church on the weekend of July 21-22, 2018.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGcD9j9R0dqDYtqaBzydMdXV1MkVzb4R2o-Ccj0F2uuWyNzLE2adgF79BUjSGE6rR8d7dMPRpLLrGfzyDzgvu73op-6wjR62MU-XzXiwzDPkXI46FxqLm15vHV4GwDFrYVTq-Fn7yjqZx/s1600/geometricdesign-2b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728756897668776994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGcD9j9R0dqDYtqaBzydMdXV1MkVzb4R2o-Ccj0F2uuWyNzLE2adgF79BUjSGE6rR8d7dMPRpLLrGfzyDzgvu73op-6wjR62MU-XzXiwzDPkXI46FxqLm15vHV4GwDFrYVTq-Fn7yjqZx/s200/geometricdesign-2b.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 168px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 84px;" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">P</span>eople of God, my name is Bill Moseley and it’s my privilege to reflect with you on today’s readings. <br />
<br />
Today’s lessons from Jeremiah and Mark, as well as Psalm 23, are on the Good Shepherd with some passing inferences to sheep. When I met with the Word Team last week to discuss these texts, I learned that the faith formation students in our 5th to 8th grades were critical of this image as a metaphor for our relationship with God. I don’t blame them. Who wants to be compared to dumb sheep that get bossed around by a know-it-all shepherd that supposedly has our best interests in mind? More importantly, hats off to our young people for being critical thinkers and not passively accepting these ideas. That said, what I would like to do today is offer an alternative perspective on sheep and shepherds which might allow us to approach these readings differently. <br />
<br />
So, first off, what about these dumb sheep? Are they really so dim witted? When I was younger, I enjoyed a comic strip by Gary Larson entitled the “Far Side.” One of the recurring themes in this strip was the inversion of humans and animals in the intellectual hierarchy, with the idea that animals might actually be much smarter than people thought them to be. Most farmers would concur that sheep really do need to be herded. But, as per Gary Larson, what if the sheep are just channeling their mental energy somewhere else than the everyday practicalities of life? They may look like mindless fluffy eating machines in a pasture, but what if they are really spending their time solving physics equations and can’t be bothered to think about where they are going?<br />
<br />
As a quintessential absent-minded professor, I must confess that I have some sympathy for sheep. You may or may not know that I can be pretty spacey. I can get lost in thought and literally become oblivious to where I am and what I am doing. My wife claims that I fortunately found the one and only profession where such a talent is prized: academia. But such a tendency can put a strain on one’s marriage. While there are literally hundreds of family stories in our household about me doing spacey things, I will just share one particularly egregious vignette to illustrate the problem. In the mid-1990s, my wife, Julia, and I were living in Harare, Zimbabwe where we both worked for the international NGO Save the Children (UK) on a large hunger mapping project. We lived in a small, rented cottage behind the main house on a larger piece of property. The property was fenced and gated, which meant that you always had to open a gate before going up a very long drive to our cottage. One day, we were coming home from work and I happened to be driving. As we approached the entrance to our place, Julia got out to unlock and open the gate so that I could drive through. Now, on that particular day, I must have been thinking about something – trying to solve some sort of problem in my head. As such, and very unfortunately, after driving through the entrance I didn’t stop for Julia to get back in the car, but just kept on driving to the back of the property where our cottage was located. I pulled up to the cottage and I looked over to the passenger seat and I was thinking where did Jules go? I literally had absolutely no idea where she went. I got out of the car and started walking back down the driveway when I saw Jules trudging up the hill. I said, very honestly, where were you, where did you go?<br />
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Julia, fortunately, has stuck with me. And that’s a good thing. Not just because she keeps me on track with the practical aspects of life, but because she also nudges me in the right direction on so many other fronts. To wit, we recently met a young Ugandan man at Cabrini named James. James had introduced himself to the congregation at the end of the service. After mass we said hello, chatted during coffee hour, and then offered to drive him home. As we got in the car, Julia discretely said to me: why don’t we invite James home for lunch, isn’t that what someone in Africa would do? And to this, I am ashamed to say, I hesitated. I was probably thinking that I had some “really important” thing to do that afternoon. But we did invite James over for lunch and we had a wonderful conversation, learning that James was here for a month as a medical student at the U and that he had come to Minnesota via connections with an orphanage we serendipitously already knew about in Uganda called the Blue House. My point here is that Julia nudged me in the right direction in this particular moment as she has at many other times in our relationship. <br />
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Most people don’t like to be compared to sheep because the implication is that we are simple minded followers. But what if the sheep metaphor is just a way of acknowledging our human potential for waywardness? Whether we are pensive, distracted, or worried, we can wander off course and we need good shepherds in our lives to nudge us back in the right direction.<br />
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Just as we are re-imagining the meaning of the sheep metaphor, I would also like to examine our conception of the good shepherd. What I want to argue is that we come to our understanding of the good shepherd via our own cultural understandings of this idea. <br />
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What is the stereotypical American understanding of the qualities of a good shepherd or herder? The US, as we know, is a majority urban/suburban nation. Increasingly there are very few Americans who have first-hand experience with animal husbandry and farming. As a kid who grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, I probably was first introduced to the idea of the good shepherd in faith formation. I also encountered shepherds and herders in children’s story books. My take-away was that shepherds were above all protectors, they guard the flock from bad things like wolves. In American folklore we also have the iconic cowboy whom, by the way, we often forget is a herder. In fact, cowboys have been so abstracted from their herding context that we tend to focus on their protector role above all us. They almost always carry guns. They are rugged individuals who know best, are only accountable to God, and they protect us from danger. These are the American ideas we often bring to the good shepherd metaphor in today’s readings. We need a good shepherd to protect us from bad things out there, the good shepherd is only accountable to God, and we are lost without such a protector.<br />
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My experiences in West Africa with herders shed a different light and interpretation on this metaphor. As you may now, my wife Julia and I met in the Peace Corps in the 1980s in Mali. I served in a small, rural farming community of 200 people in southern Mali. This farming village of Bambara people also had, at its outskirts, 3-4 hamlets of herders composed of another ethnic group called the Fulani. My social life outside of work largely consisted of hanging out in the evenings with young male village friends drinking tea and chatting. There was a Fulani herder man name Sadio who used to come and join us some evenings. Despite the fact that some of the farmers teased Sadio for always smelling like milk and cows, I gradually developed a friendship with him. <br />
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As I began to learn the Fulani language, I spent more time with Sadio and his family. I learned to milk cows by hand and even spent a couple of nights in the bush with the herders and the cows. Herding was not an easy life. During the rainy season, the young men would take the cows far away from the village so the animals wouldn’t get into people’s farm fields. The herders didn’t eat very well, consuming mostly milk and some grains. The mosquitos were rapacious in the evening and the social isolation was challenging for these young men in a society where human relations meant everything. These herders tended to the cows like their children, carefully removing ticks from them in the evenings so they would not catch diseases. Above all, however, I learned that the herders’ main job was not to protect the cows from predators because there are almost no big predators left in this part of West Africa. No, their main job was to keep the cows out of farm fields. This task could become very challenging in the fall when the rains stopped, grass cover declined, and the crops were still in the field before the harvest. Hungry cows that see green in a distant field can be extremely determined to get there and eat as much greenery as possible. Allowing cows to wander astray could lead to serious altercations with the farmers in the area - and a potential for conflict that could sometimes escalate to violence. <br />
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In sum, the West African view of a herder or shepherd is quite different than the American one. Here the cultural reading of the metaphor is not that of the great protector. Rather, it’s a humble, hardworking person who tends to the health of his or her animals and adroitly steers them away from trouble, even if the instincts of the herd are to satisfy their hunger by feasting on a farm field – an event which would undoubtedly lead to conflict. <br />
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I want to conclude by suggesting that we can potentially use these different understandings of shepherds and sheep to sift through today’s readings. After reading and re-readings today’s passage from Mark, I was struck by how Jesus led by example. He mostly taught/led/shepherded by the way he lived his life rather than didactically telling people what to do. In Mark, we see how his active compassion for the masses and the marginalized was a lesson to others. Jesus’ ideas about how to live differently were revolutionary for his time. His thoughts on living in community, loving thy neighbor as thyself, & welcoming the outcast constituted a new “way.” Jesus, to the chagrin of some of his followers, was no gun toting, ruggedly individualistic cowboy with righteousness on his side, riding in to save the day. Rather he, like the lowly West African herder, was trying to lovingly shepherd people along this path to longer term peace and happiness. <br />
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Lastly, what to make of the penultimate sentence where Mark writes that the people who came to see Jesus “were like sheep without a shepherd”? Yes, we can read this as simple-minded people who were lost. But we can also read this as people who were mature enough to recognize that they needed a little help getting back on track or staying on track. Furthermore, these people didn’t just flock to anyone. They had choices. There were plenty of other prophets around at the time exuding strength, who were quick to lay the blame at the feet of others, or who promised material wealth. No, they came to see Jesus and I am guessing they did so because they recognized in him a different kind of wisdom. Indeed, these lessons about thoughtful sheep and the good shepherd are helpful guidance for the long but important task of making heaven on earth.<br />
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<i>The author may be contacted at moseley@macalester.edu or may be found on twitter at https://twitter.com/WilliamGMoseley</i><br />
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</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-66853913782397232422018-03-05T19:00:00.000-06:002018-03-05T19:00:35.523-06:00Lessons in Power, Humility & Collective Learning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>By Bill Moseley</b><br />
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<i><b>Note:</b> The following reflection was delivered before the start of mass at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church on the weekend of January 20-21, 2018.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGcD9j9R0dqDYtqaBzydMdXV1MkVzb4R2o-Ccj0F2uuWyNzLE2adgF79BUjSGE6rR8d7dMPRpLLrGfzyDzgvu73op-6wjR62MU-XzXiwzDPkXI46FxqLm15vHV4GwDFrYVTq-Fn7yjqZx/s1600/geometricdesign-2b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728756897668776994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGcD9j9R0dqDYtqaBzydMdXV1MkVzb4R2o-Ccj0F2uuWyNzLE2adgF79BUjSGE6rR8d7dMPRpLLrGfzyDzgvu73op-6wjR62MU-XzXiwzDPkXI46FxqLm15vHV4GwDFrYVTq-Fn7yjqZx/s200/geometricdesign-2b.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 168px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 84px;" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">P</span>eople of God, my name is Bill Moseley and it’s my privilege to reflect with you on today’s readings. <br />
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I would like to start with a brief story that was shared by the New York Times columnist David Brooks when he gave a talk at the Aspen Ideas Festival this summer. In that talk, Brooks tells a story about President Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln was fighting the Civil War, one of his early general-in-chiefs was General George McClellan. President Lincoln sought to see McClellan because he wanted him to fight a little harder, so Lincoln invited McClellan to the White House. But McClellan wouldn’t come, so Lincoln went to McClellan’s house. Lincoln arrives at McClellan’s house and the butler indicated that McClellan was out. Lincoln said that this was okay, he would wait. I little while later, McClellan came in the back door and went up the stairs. Lincoln waited for another 45 mins and the butler came down and said I’m sorry but General McClellan’s is too tired to see you. So this is the president of the United States sitting in the living room. He is with his assistant John Hay who says this is an outrage, he is insulting you. And Lincoln says it’s okay, I will sit here all day if I can get him to fight harder. Now Brooks’ point in telling this story is that it illustrates a man who is at peace, patient and persistent. Lincoln, the president and arguably most powerful man in his country, had no problem putting aside his ego for a higher cause, in this case unifying his country and putting an end to the horrendous practice of slavery.<br />
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What I am going to suggest today is that our readings have a lot to say about power, and more specifically, the insights and knowledge that is generated when power is inverted and humility is practiced. For that matter, I would argue that a significant portion of the gospel readings are actually radical and unconventional lessons for those who hold power and privilege. This seems more important than ever given the current #metoo movement, aimed at exposing abuses of power, and the temperament of some of our current leaders who lack sufficient peace to practice a Lincolnesque or gospel story approach to power.<br />
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In today’s Gospel reading from Mark, we learn about Jesus’ early ministry, a time when Jesus is assembling his disciples. More specifically, Jesus is walking along the sea of Galilea and he encounters several fishermen. In each case, he calls to them, midstream in their work, to stop what they are doing and follow him. And, remarkably, they do. They stop casting or mending their nets and follow him. <br />
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My initial instinct when reflecting on this Gospel reading was to focus on the disciples. How did they process this call and respond so quickly? But this is not where I am going with my reflection today, because I was drawn back to Jesus and his simple act of walking along the shore and recruiting followers. There is a certain humility involved in having to recruit one’s own followers. In my mind at least, great teachers don’t have to actively recruit because their reputations precede them - and followers or students just go to them. In fact, this is what happened in last week’s Gospel reading from John. In this instance, two disciples of John the Baptist approach Jesus and ask where he is staying. These disciples took the initiative and wanted to be with Jesus. <br />
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But while last week’s story featured a regal and wise Jesus – to whom followers flocked, the Jesus in today’s readings is much more humble, a guy who chooses to pound the pavement in order to attract followers and develop a community. This version of Jesus is also fairly consistent with many of the other stories passed down to us in the gospels. <br />
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From day one, Jesus’ very existence seems to be an exercise in humility. For starters, the gospel stories are about an almighty and all powerful God who decides to lurk among us in human form. If you were impressed by Lincoln’s ability to patiently wait in General McClellan’s living room, then what about God stepping down from her heavenly thrown to be among us, and with us, in our often crazy world. From there forward, Jesus’ life and comments - as shared in the gospel stories - are often unconventional lessons in how to practice leadership. In fact, Jesus often frustrates his followers by not exercising authority in the traditional way or fawning before conventional power. <br />
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While we traditionally think of Jesus as transcendent, all knowing and wise, I want you to imagine for a moment that perhaps Jesus, the teacher or rabbi, was a co-learner with his disciples. In other words, maybe his disciples were less followers or students in the traditional sense, and more members of an active learning community facilitated by Jesus. As such, perhaps divine insight or the divine itself is co-produced and among us – rather than an external force. <br />
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This idea is a hard thing to wrap one’s head around, the notion we are part and parcel of the divine. In today’s Old Testament reading from Jonah, we learn how Jonah wrestles with this in his own comical way. Jonah, after spending three days in a whale or giant fish, gets burped up on a beach after he agrees with God to go to the city of Ninevah. Jonah, the reluctant prophet, is to tell the people of Nineveh to repent or they and their city will be destroyed. Amazingly, the people listen to Jonah, change their ways and God does not destroy the city. But, ironically, Jonah is disappointed that God does not destroy the city because he thinks it makes him look bad because he foretold the end of the city and then it did not happen. Jonah can’t get his head around the fact that he was part of the divine process – people listened to him and they changed. Jonah can’t get beyond this me-centric idea that he is an autonomous actor that exists outside of the divine, rather than an active participant in the process. <br />
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So how does inverting power, practicing humility and co-producing the divine potentially play out in our own lives? Let me share a brief story with a couple of caveats. First, this is not to suggest that I have it figured out, but to imply that even very flawed people like myself can engage in such a process. Second, I realize that I am blessed with extreme privilege given my race, gender, economic status and education. As such, I likely can pursue ways of inverting power differently than those with less privilege.<br />
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My story dates from the time when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, West Africa in the mid-1980s. I was stationed as an agricultural volunteer for two years in a small community of 200 people. I was the first volunteer to live in the community and they welcomed me with open arms. I suspect, however, that they also had a lot of ideas about me and how I would pursue development. I was white, from the United States, the richest country on the planet at that time, and presumed to possess a lot of relevant technical knowledge. Some aspects of my life were perplexing to my village, including my desire to live with a local family, eat local food , wear local clothing, and learn the local language (all of which were part of the Peace Corps approach and philosophy at that time). But other aspects of my life were completely consistent with their expectations for an American, including some of my possessions, such as a short wave radio and a motorcycle given to us for work. Early in my Peace Corps tenure I used the motorcycle a fair bit to get around. The young men in my village really liked the fact that I had this motorcycle. It was relatively small by American standards, but actually quite large, flashy (painted red) and substantial compared to the local mopeds. I believe they liked the bike because it conformed to set of expectations for young males or machismo. <br />
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Early on in my tenure as a volunteer, an unfortunate incident occurred which even further endeared me to my young, male, village friends. One lazy Saturday afternoon, I was in my courtyard doing periodic maintenance on my motorcycle (I think I was cleaning the carburetor). After completing this task, I wanted to merely start the engine to see how it sounded – not to drive anywhere. Well, for reasons that I have never been quite able to figure out, the motorcycle immediately began to rev at full speed, and engaged, with me on top of it. I then proceeded to literally race, at a terrifyingly high speed, in the wheelie position, straight through the middle of town. The miracle is that I didn’t injure myself or anyone else, somehow managed to hit the kill switch, and the motorcycle decelerated, and turned off three quarters of the way though my small village. I then got off the bike and walked back to my house, trembling after what had just happened. Back at my house all of my young male friends were clapping and cheering. I was one cool cucumber for that fleeting moment. In their minds, I was like the Sylvester Stallone’s character Rambo and I had come to live in their village.<br />
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The problem was that the motorcycle represented power and wealth – and it put distance between myself and members of the community, especially older people and women of all ages. So after a few months, I made the decision to park the motorcycle. I would use it once every few months to go to the capital city some three hours away, but the rest of the time I would walk or ride a bicycle. Of course, this was deeply disappointing to my young male friends. If I had this symbol of power and wealth, why not flaunt it? However, over time, this decision yielded tremendous results, especially when combined with my insistence that I was a facilitator rather than a development expert who had all of the answers. I just became Mambi (which was my local name). I was the American guy who lived in the community, spoke the local language, hung out in the evenings drinking tea with his village friends, and who liked to talk to old people and work on gardening projects. I proactively decided to let go of the trappings of power and it enabled me to do better work by learning from my village friends. This led to tremendous personal growth and to shared development efforts rather than imposed ones. <br />
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Let me end with a couple of thoughts. First, while there is a lot in the Christian tradition about justice for the poor, marginalized and disenfranchised, Jesus had just as much to say about the exercise of power. In fact, Jesus’ life is a lesson in how to lead differently by building a community of learners and leaders, rather than exercising top down control.<br />
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Second, places like Cabrini can and do model different approaches to power when they engage in learning and spiritual growth as a shared exercise. When we hear someone on this podium share a reflection, this person often imparts the thoughts of an army of people behind them. Our liturgist feeds us relevant background information, we hash out our ideas with the Word Team, we talk it over with our spouses, and they critique our rough drafts. While I am the messenger when I share reflections, and take full responsibility for any poor word choice or potentially offensive comments, anything of value that I have to offer almost always comes from this community that helps me shape a reflection.<br />
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Lastly, let us just imagine that Jesus operated in a similar fashion. Perhaps his pearls of wisdom, handed down to us as his parables and stories, were the result of a collective and shared process of co-learning with his disciples. This makes his stories our stories. These are stories which offer insights born of unconventional leadership, the inversion of power, humility, and the embrace of the wisdom of everyone. Indeed, we are all people of God. Thank you.<br />
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<i>The author may be contacted at moseley@macalester.edu or may be found on twitter at https://twitter.com/WilliamGMoseley</i><br />
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</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-49572279826134220862017-10-11T21:50:00.000-05:002020-08-16T14:20:31.422-05:00Archbishop Bernard Hebda Has Embraced Minnesota – and His Flock<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypKkp-FaKWrnFPZ9RtIm6bVAEJlfhbH4N8H2EQ8D6QxMzOV9FKCC56RnvV5ssT6Y5z3mnTRtcjbQ1wxCWGqZOOtSnokmMXrMAHNQ5oQoB5NZaVMY_s78ESiGKDYY4hyphenhypheng0WmXVSqt8NaoH/s1600/HebdaAtFair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="525" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypKkp-FaKWrnFPZ9RtIm6bVAEJlfhbH4N8H2EQ8D6QxMzOV9FKCC56RnvV5ssT6Y5z3mnTRtcjbQ1wxCWGqZOOtSnokmMXrMAHNQ5oQoB5NZaVMY_s78ESiGKDYY4hyphenhypheng0WmXVSqt8NaoH/s400/HebdaAtFair.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">– Brian Peterson,<i> Star Tribune</i></span></div></div><b>By Jean Hopfensperger</b><br />
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<i><b>NOTE:</b> The following is excerpted from Jean Hopfensperger's October 11, 2017 Star Tribune article/interview. To read By Hopfensperger interview with Archbishop Hebda in its entirety, <a href="http://www.startribune.com/archbishop-bernard-hebda-has-embraced-minnesota-and-his-flock/450292173/">click here</a>.</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>rchbishop Bernard Hebda did not see it coming. The day the Vatican announced he would become the Twin Cities’ new archbishop, he stood before a hastily prepared news conference inside the Cathedral of St. Paul and quipped that if he’d been warned, “I would have brought a better suit and made sure I had a haircut.”<br />
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His sartorial selection was the least of his worries on that day last year. The gregarious Hebda, sent to Minnesota months earlier for what was to be a temporary assignment, was suddenly in charge of an archdiocese reeling from a priest sex abuse scandal, bankruptcy, criminal charges filed by Ramsey County, and distrust in the pews. The previous archbishop, John Nienstedt, had resigned under controversy.<br />
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More than a year later, the ship has reached calmer waters. The Pittsburgh-born prelate has gained a reputation for spiritual and intellectual depth, thanks in part to degrees from Harvard University and Columbia Law School as well as working 13 years at the Vatican. Although he was being groomed to be archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, when he landed here, Hebda is now planted firmly in his 800,000-member Twin Cities archdiocese. He has embraced Minnesota living, including the Minnesota State Fair, Basilica Block Party, Red Bull Crashed Ice race and countless parish festivals. This interview has been condensed from a longer discussion with the archbishop.<br />
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[. . .] <b><i>Have you met Pope Francis?</i></b><br />
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I’ve only met him a handful of times. I had the chance to meet him when he came to the United States [in 2015]. I had introduced myself as the coadjutor in Newark and as the [temporary] administrator in St. Paul and Minneapolis. He said, “I know. I did that to you!” That was a great laugh. I think it’s amazing with all his responsibilities, he has a sense of what’s going on.<br />
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And when I was sent to Newark, I just happened to be in Rome with a pilgrimage group [and met him]. I said “Do you have any advice?” He said “Talk talk talk. Listen listen listen.” It was great advice in Newark and great advice here as well. When we were doing those listening sessions, that’s what I had in mind.<br />
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<b><i>You landed here as the St. Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocese was making national headlines for a sex abuse scandal. What were the toughest decisions you made?</i></b><br />
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Some of those major decisions were when we were entering into the settlement agreement with Ramsey County. (The county had filed criminal charges against the archdiocese for failure to protect children — a first in the nation.) Trying to discern what was the right path. I think part of it was being willing to recognize that we had hurt people in the past and being willing to say that, which I think made some people nervous. Certainly some lawyers. But at the same time it seemed the right thing to do. And as we were in discussions with the Ramsey County attorney’s office, that was important for them that we would do that.<br />
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<b><i>When lawyers revealed that more than 400 clergy sex abuse claims had been filed over the three years ending in May 2016, you looked a bit shell shocked. How did that affect your faith?</i></b><br />
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It didn’t really shake it at all. It did give me a strong conviction that the task here is not only to prevent abuse but also to sustain our priests in a way that they’re able to lead healthy lives.<br />
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<b><i>Have you met any survivors of clergy sex abuse? What did you learn from them?</i></b><br />
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The first thing I’ve learned is that no two survivors are the same, that you can’t lump people into one category. Especially with those that I’ve been working with recently, it’s learning from them how the past abuse continues to have an impact on their lives — whether it be in their marriages, whether it be in their relationship to God. And then in a positive way, to know there are many [survivors] who are really committed to helping the church not only do better but also to reach out to others in a way that’s helpful.<br />
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<b><i>So there’s a group of survivors you meet with regularly?</i></b><br />
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There’s a little group, and I’ve met with them. Other people on my staff meet with them more frequently. Some of it is just individuals, as well, who just want to come talk to the bishop. Often they have suggestions for what we need to do moving forward in a positive way.<br />
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<b><i>What is the best and hardest part about being an archbishop?</i></b><br />
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The difficult part is when you’re asked to lead a church that you don’t really know that well. It obviously takes time to get to know not only the people but also the history, and what’s distinct about it. And to see how the limited gifts God has given me were intended to help the church. I had the experience when I was sent to Gaylord, a rural diocese, and then when I was sent to Newark, a very urban diocese. In each of those cases you’re kind of plucked out of your comfort zone and then asked to lead.<br />
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The good part is you have the opportunity to see how it is that the Lord uses your gifts, how the Lord guides his church even in difficult times. One of the things that I’ve seen is that in spite of the great needs that we have, we also have people who are really very well prepared to begin to address them.<br />
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[. . .] <b><i>The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in January 2015. What are your priorities for an archdiocese on more stable financial footing?</i></b><br />
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During the listening sessions [held last year with area Catholics] we heard about the need for transparency and we’ve already been trying to address those things. People were concerned that we need to do more evangelization. So the question of Catholic schools is pressing. One idea we’ve talked about here is a diocesan synod. It would be a way to get broader input on our priorities. It’s a huge undertaking. That would be one of the first things we want to do, and would set the stage moving forward.<br />
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<b><i>Is there anything else you’d like to say?</i></b><br />
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Just that I’m really happy to be here. Granted this isn’t all about my happiness. But I really felt very welcomed here, even by those people that disagree with some of the things that the church might teach. Even in some of those difficult conversations with survivors of abuse, I always get the sense that people are interested in really entering into dialogue. For me, that’s great.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>See also the previous posts:</b><br />
• <a href="http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2017/01/a-message-from-archbishop-hebda.html">A Message from Archbishop Hebda Regarding President Trump's Executive Order on Immigration Ban</a><br />
• <a href="http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2016/03/bernard-hebda-named-archbishop-of-twin.html">Bernard Hebda Named Archbishop of Twin Cities Archdiocese</a><br />
• <a href="http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2015/10/twin-cities-catholics-get-rare-chance.html">Twin Cities Catholics Get Rare Chance to Make Archbishop Recommendations to Vatican</a><br />
• <a href="http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2015/09/cccr-representatives-meet-with.html">CCCR Representatives Meet with Archbishop Hebda</a></span></div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-25272004533959195142017-08-28T20:00:00.000-05:002017-09-10T12:27:46.017-05:00Who Are We In This Charlottesville Moment?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<b>By Bill Moseley</b><br />
<br />
<i><b>Note:</b> The following reflection was delivered before the start of mass at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church on the weekend of August 26-27, 2017.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGcD9j9R0dqDYtqaBzydMdXV1MkVzb4R2o-Ccj0F2uuWyNzLE2adgF79BUjSGE6rR8d7dMPRpLLrGfzyDzgvu73op-6wjR62MU-XzXiwzDPkXI46FxqLm15vHV4GwDFrYVTq-Fn7yjqZx/s1600/geometricdesign-2b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728756897668776994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGcD9j9R0dqDYtqaBzydMdXV1MkVzb4R2o-Ccj0F2uuWyNzLE2adgF79BUjSGE6rR8d7dMPRpLLrGfzyDzgvu73op-6wjR62MU-XzXiwzDPkXI46FxqLm15vHV4GwDFrYVTq-Fn7yjqZx/s200/geometricdesign-2b.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 168px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 84px;" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">P</span>eople of God, my name is Bill Moseley and it’s my privilege to reflect with you on today’s readings. I have always been enamored with the human side of Jesus. I know theologians have long debated the exact nature of his divinity, and some scholars and church officials over the centuries have sought to minimize or erase his human side. I prefer to think of him as someone fully human that achieved great insights. <br />
<br />
In today’s Gospel reading from Mathew, Jesus asks his disciples, “who do people say that I am?”and then more directly “who do you say that I am?” What is going on here? To be clear, most Jesus seminar scholars believe these are not the words of Jesus, but the construction of Matthew, written some 80-90 years after Christ’s death. As such, what these words likely reflect are the conditions of a budding institution in this period and the struggles of a community to portray Jesus. They may also, I would argue, give us some insight into the human side of Christ, a person whose very human questions may be particularly relevant to us today.<br />
<br />
I can imagine at least three possibilities for ways to think about Jesus’ questions. First, is this a moment of self-doubt for Jesus? Is he wondering what have I gotten myself into, where is this going, who am I, and what am I to do? Or, second, is he concerned about what others think about him? That is, is he essentially asking what are the popular kids saying about me? Or, lastly, does he already know the answer to these questions and is he simply querying his disciples’ understanding?<br />
<br />
I’m skeptical of the second and third possibilities. I believe that Jesus was sufficiently grounded that he would not have been too concerned about what others were saying about him. The third option, that Jesus knew the answer and was simply probing the disciples, seems to be the favored explanation by several scholars I read in preparation for today’s reflection. But this explanation annoys me. In large part because what follows is Peter’s response: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Here Peter purportedly gets it right with his mentor, effectively becoming the class brown noser (and can’t you just imagine the other disciples rolling their eyes while this happened). Jesus then goes on to say that Peter “is the Rock, and upon this rock I will build my church.” He is promised the keys to the reign of heaven, and furthermore, considerable power: “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” It’s this text that often has been used to justify the church hierarchy, as well as the authority to determine who is welcomed and not welcomed into the divine. This foundation for institutional power makes me uneasy and I also question whether Jesus, a fierce critic of the religious authorities of his day, would have ever spelled out so clearly a vision for institution building. <br />
<br />
I like the first explanation, that Jesus is asking these questions in a moment of self-doubt. For me, this is a particularly human moment. Here we have the most grounded of people, a man with powerful spiritual insights, essentially asking his friends, who am I? Where is this all going?<br />
<br />
Who am I, who are we? What are we to do in this particular moment? I have been thinking a lot about these questions recently, especially in the wake of the events two weeks ago in Charlottesville, VA. At that time, neo-Nazis and white supremacists marched. They carried guns, burning torches and shouted slurs of hate. Then one in this group got in his car and drove into a crowd of counter-protesters, wounding dozens and killing a young woman. Our president then vacillated, alternating condemning and excusing what happened.<br />
<br />
The first part of what happened is not that unusual. As a kid in Chicago in 1977, I remember neo-Nazis marching in the suburb of Skokie, Illinois, a predominantly Jewish community. While the community sought to bar the march, the Supreme Court upheld the neo-Nazis right to free speech and allowed the march to go forward. No, the expression of hate is not new. But the unabashed violence which ensued in such a public space in Charlottesville, and the way our president reacted, is different. Our president equivocated in condemning those who perpetuated the violence that day, violence committed in the name of hate.<br />
<br />
<i>Who am I? Who are we? What are we to do in this particular moment?</i> Part of me wants to focus on the failings of the president and, like the Matthew community, focus on institution building. We need strong institutions that endure over time so that less than perfect individual leaders do not drive our collective train off the rails. I get why the Matthew community wanted to build a church. I understand why we need government institutions that transcend individual propensities.<br />
<br />
But I am not sure if this is where Jesus would have focused his energies. To be clear, Jesus was not shy about calling out the failings of those in power. This is also a theme that runs through the Old Testament. In fact, in today’s reading from Isiah, we hear about Shebna, the manager of the palace, who is prone to excess, and is therefore removed in favor of Eliakim. But, as we learn time and time again in the New Testament, Jesus’ focus was more often on the community, on teaching people how to live together, how to love, how to forgive one another, and always welcoming the outcasts into the fold.<br />
<br />
Like the human Jesus, it is natural to ask at a difficult juncture who we are and what we are to do. I believe Jesus would have held the perpetrators of violence accountable for their actions, and then encouraged us to love, forgive and welcome the alienated and those troubled by hate. Of course, loving and forgiving those afflicted by hate is no easy task, especially when they commit acts of violence. But love and forgiveness can come from unexpected places. The father of Heather Heyer, the woman killed in Charlottesville, VA, said that “people on all sides need to learn to forgive each other.” He then said, “I include myself in forgiving the guy who did this . . . I just think about what the Lord said on the cross, ‘Forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.' I hope that there comes a positive change in people’s hearts, in their thinking, in their understanding of their neighbor.”<br />
<br />
I don’t know, if put in a similar situation, I could be as forgiving as Heather’s Dad. I am, frankly, challenged to understand and forgive white supremacists and racists. It helps me to start with empathy, to imagine myself in the shoes of such a person. This is not to condone their thoughts and actions, but simply to try to understand how one could get to this place.<br />
<br />
If I’m honest, I must admit that my maternal grandmother was a racist. She was a hard scrabble woman who grew up in western Pennsylvania and was the first person in her family to get a college degree when she became a registered nurse. Unfortunately, my grandmother also would occasionally make racist comments, which thankfully, my parents would challenge. My parents would also take me aside after the fact and explain that her comments were wrong and inappropriate. I loved my grandmother unconditionally, yet I also knew that she had this inappropriate, racist side. But what if my parents had not challenged her, what it they reinforced what my grandmother had said? This helps me begin to imagine that I could just have easily been raised a racist. As the character Mrs. Pell in the film <i>Mississippi Burning</i> said: “Hatred isn’t something you’re born with, it’s taught. At seven years of age, you get told it enough times, you begin to believe it. You believe the hatred, you live it, you marry it.” This allows me to begin to understand & empathize with those afflicted by hate. This is not to excuse any violent actions, but I can imagine myself being in their shoes, full of rage. Seething with hate and resentment is not healthy for oneself or the community. In this case, I would need help. I would eventually be grateful for those who reached out to me from other side. <br />
<br />
President Obama has said that “while we are taught to hate, we can learn to love.” For example, “Life after Hate” is a non-profit in Chicago, founded by a former skinhead, which works with former neo-Nazis to help them shed their hateful ideology. This group shows people love and compassion, exposes them to the people they once hated in productive and constructive ways, and helps them build self-confidence. Groups like this are showing us a different way forward. <br />
<br />
In conclusion, we are a Christian community. We are all human. We are all imperfect. While we need to hold each other accountable for our actions, we also need to empathize, forgive, and help people to learn to love, even in trying times like these. While we should expect appropriate behavior from our leaders, we must also acknowledge that they may be a symptom of deeper problems in our community. Jesus calls on us to welcome and forgive the estranged and the lost. It is in this healing of uniquely human problems that lurks the divine – the essence of Christ. <br />
<br />
Thank you.<br />
<br />
<i>I may be contacted at moseley@macalester.edu or may be found on twitter at https://twitter.com/WilliamGMoseley. I am grateful for the input I received from the Cabrini Word Team, and the valuable feedback from my spouse, on my thinking in this reflection.</i><br />
<br />
</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-85027260537843454992017-02-02T10:01:00.000-06:002017-08-28T19:54:06.893-05:00A Prayer for Refugees<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIDtgnRgbMVbi7ZX5DyqmtTzPwprgoasSCLwxJ34TMYksfQbUobdmqKBrhf9DIkxqpUmS3qO3A-dRkSu9rFeLT6SArSlvWIG2tg6eWWYGcMBcVUIq1AVE4od7pIEp__pjuDdla-ML5p0_/s1600/PrayerForRefugees.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIDtgnRgbMVbi7ZX5DyqmtTzPwprgoasSCLwxJ34TMYksfQbUobdmqKBrhf9DIkxqpUmS3qO3A-dRkSu9rFeLT6SArSlvWIG2tg6eWWYGcMBcVUIq1AVE4od7pIEp__pjuDdla-ML5p0_/s1600/PrayerForRefugees.png" /></a></div><br />
</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-27449411679130453332017-01-30T22:01:00.000-06:002017-01-31T23:13:22.871-06:00A Message from Archbishop Hebda Regarding President Trump's Executive Order on Immigration Ban<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: white; font-size: xx-small;">.</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FArchdioceseSPM%2Fvideos%2F1635169323176815%2F&show_text=0&width=425" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="425"></iframe><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Related Off-site Links:</b><br />
<a href=http://thecatholicspirit.com/news/local-news/archbishop-hebda-joins-minnesota-faith-leaders-opposing-trumps-immigration-ban/>Archbishop Hebda Joins Minnesota Faith Leaders in Opposing Trump’s Immigration Ban</a> – Matthew Davis (<i>The Catholic Spirit</i>, January 30, 2017). <br />
<a href=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/us/politics/trump-syrian-refugees.html>Trump Bars Refugees and Citizens of 7 Muslim Countries</a> – Michael D. Shear and Helene Cooper (<i>The New York Times</i>, January 27, 2017). <br />
<a href=http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=18213>Trump's Immigration Ban Ban Excludes Countries with Direct Links to Terrorism and Where Trump Has Commercial Holdings</a> – <i>The Real News</i>, January 27, 2017).<br />
<a href=https://theintercept.com/2017/01/29/trumps-muslim-ban-triggers-chaos-heartbreak-and-resistance/>Trump's Muslim Ban Triggers Chaos, Heartbreak, and Resistance</a> – Ryan Devereaux, Murtaza Hussain and Alice Speri (<i>The Intercept</i>, January 29, 2017).<br />
<a href=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/28/us/refugees-detained-at-us-airports-prompting-legal-challenges-to-trumps-immigration-order.html>Judge Blocks Trump Order on Refugees Amid Chaos and Outcry Worldwide</a> Michael D. Shear, Nicholas Kulish and Alan Feuer (<i>The New York Times</i>, January 28, 2017).<br />
<a href=https://theintercept.com/2017/01/28/protesters-demand-release-refugees-jfk-trumps-muslim-ban-sows-chaos/>Judge Halts Deportations After Protesters Swarm Airports Over Trump’s Order Barring Muslims</a> – Robert Mackey (<i>The Intercept</i>, January 28, 2017).<br />
<a href=http://www.vox.com/2017/1/28/14425354/donald-trump-cruelty>Donald Trump, the Refugee Ban, and the Triumph of Cruelty</a> – Dylan Matthews (<i>Vox</i>, January 28, 2017).<br />
<a href=http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/01/30/sally_yates_the_acting_head_of_the_justice_department_has_been_fired_for.html>Donald Trump Fires Acting Attorney General Hours After She Refuses to Defend His Immigration Ban</a> – Leon Neyfakh (<i>Slate</i>, January 30, 2017).<br />
<a href=http://www.npr.org/2017/01/27/511997346/trump-refugee-ban-clashes-with-faith-based-groups-religious-missions>Trump Refugee Ban Clashes With Faith-Based Groups' Religious Missions</a> – Tom Gjelton (<i>NPR News</i>, January 27, 2017).<br />
<a href=http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/10/13/pope-francis-you-cant-defend-christianity-by-being-against-refugees-and-other-religions/>Pope Francis: You Can’t Defend Christianity by Being “Against Refugees and Other Religions”</a> – Catholic News Service via Catholic Herald (October 13, 2016).<br />
<a href=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/steelmagnificat/2017/01/usccb-speaks-trumps-immigration-orders/>USCCB Speaks Out Against Trump’s Immigration Orders</a> – Mary Pezzulo (<i>Patheos</i>, January 25, 2017).<br />
<a href=http://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/01/30/responding-trumps-ban-top-catholic-bishops-pledge-solidarity-muslim>Responding to Trump's Ban, Top Catholic Bishops Pledge Solidarity with Muslim Refugees</a> – Michael O'Loughlin (<i>America</i>, January 30, 2017).<br />
<a href=https://millennialjournal.com/2017/01/29/bishop-mcelroy-trumps-executive-order-is-rooted-in-xenophobia-and-religious-prejudice/>Bishop McElroy: Trump’s Executive Order is Rooted in Xenophobia and Religious Prejudice</a> – <i>Millennial</i> (January 29, 2017)<br />
<a href=http://time.com/4652942/chicago-archbishop-donald-trump-immigration-ban/>Chicago's Archbishop Calls President Trump's Immigration Order a “Dark Moment in U.S. History”</a> – Madeline Farber (<i>Time</i>, January 29, 2017).<br />
<a href=https://www.dignityusa.org/article/lgbt-catholics-stand-immigrants-refugees-visitors-banned-countries>LGBT Catholics Stand with Immigrants, Refugees, Visitors from Banned Countries</a> — DignityUSA (January 30, 2017).<br />
<a href=http://www.startribune.com/more-protests-due-in-twin-cities-against-trump-immigration-order/412165823/>Twin Cities Clergy Join Protest Against Trump Immigration Ban</a> — Jean Hopfensperger (<i>Star Tribune</i>, January 30, 2017).<br />
<a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2017/01/a-message-from-archbishop-hebda.html>A Message from Archbishop Hebda Regarding President Trump's Executive Order on Immigration Ban</a> — <i>The Progressive Catholic Voice</i> (January 30, 2017).<br />
<a href="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2017/01/on-holocaust-remembrance-day-james.html">On Holocaust Remembrance Day, James Martin Labels as "Appalling" President Trump's Plan to Demonize Immigrants</a> — <i>The Wild Reed</i> (January 27, 2017).<br />
<a href=http://www.americamedia.org/politics-society/2017/01/30/550-attend-mass-outside-white-house-solidarity-refugees>550 Attend Mass Outside White House in Solidarity with Refugees</a> – Teresa Donnellan (<i>America</i>, January 30, 2017).<br />
<a href=http://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/01/30/how-catholic-mood-about-trump-administration-shifted-just-week>How the Catholic Mood About the Trump Administration Shifted in Just a Week</a> – Michael O'Loughlin (<i>America</i>, January 30, 2017).</span><br />
<br />
</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-37670654915313526302017-01-28T20:00:00.000-06:002020-08-16T14:21:44.140-05:00100 Years Ago, Americans Talked About Catholics the Way They Talk About Muslims Today<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: white; font-size: xx-small;">.</span><br />
<center><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">An example of how xenophobia has appeared<br />
time and time again throughout US history.</span></i></b></center><br />
<b>By German Lopez</b><br />
<br />
<i><b>NOTE:</b> This article was <a href=http://www.vox.com/2017/1/18/14312104/islamophobia-catholics>first published</a> January 18, 2017 by <a href=http://www.vox.com/>Vox</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3rOdNc57Dp61DvbiZCyAhiszt7N9YKI_NdbJEmNTXlcs93VgaJlYq-QtGprID3HGWj3Xoac_KV9ZvNRIlCu286DZ7ljCOljGgNwC-w7iB9FsuIEplpWTnuB0nD2Cwq2LkN0_XY5GNuy_/s1600/Rosary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3rOdNc57Dp61DvbiZCyAhiszt7N9YKI_NdbJEmNTXlcs93VgaJlYq-QtGprID3HGWj3Xoac_KV9ZvNRIlCu286DZ7ljCOljGgNwC-w7iB9FsuIEplpWTnuB0nD2Cwq2LkN0_XY5GNuy_/s200/Rosary.jpg" width="200" height="161" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>bout a century ago, millions of Americans feared that members of a religious group was amassing an arsenal of weapons for a secret, pre-planned takeover of the United States.<br />
<br />
The feared religious group wasn’t Muslims. It was, as <i>Los Angeles Times</i> reporter Matt Pearce wrote in a <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-catholic-scare-20151209-story.html">great piece</a> in 2015, Catholics:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>Hatred had become big business in southwestern Missouri, and its name was the Menace, a weekly anti-Catholic newspaper whose headlines screamed to readers around the nation about predatory priests, women enslaved in convents and a dangerous Roman Catholic plot to take over America. . . .<br />
<br />
America’s deep and widespread skepticism of Catholics is a faint memory in today’s post-Sept. 11 world. But as some conservative politicians call for limits on Muslim immigration and raise questions about whether Muslims are more loyal to Islamic law than American law, the story of Aurora’s long-ago newspaper is a reminder of a long history of American religious intolerance.<br />
<br />
Today, there are calls for federal surveillance of mosques in the name of preventing terrorist attacks; a century ago, it was state laws that allowed the warrantless search of convents and churches in search of supposedly trapped women and purported secret Catholic weapons caches.</blockquote><br />
<br />
This may seem absurd today, but there was a real fear among Protestant Americans back then that Catholics were planning to take over the country. As Pearce reported, the fears led to serious violence: Lynch mobs killed Catholic Italians, arsonists burned down Catholic churches, and there were <a href="http://www.vox.com/2015/1/12/7474897/immigration-america-maps#list-item-28">anti-Catholic riots</a>. It was a similar sentiment to the kind of Islamophobia today that’s led many Americans to call for <a href="http://www.vox.com/2015/12/1/9822452/muslim-islamophobia-trump">shutting down mosques</a>, <a href="http://www.vox.com/2015/11/27/9801410/muslim-registry-donald-trump">forcing Muslims to register in a national database</a>, and even <a href="http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2015/09/trump-still-leads-iowa-clinton-in-good-shape.html#more">banning Islam</a>.<br />
<br />
The point of the comparison is not to say that the US faces the same problems today as it did a century ago, or that the discrimination toward Catholics back then and Muslims today is exactly the same. But when looking back at the history of the US, it’s easy to see a pattern of consistent xenophobia and fears of outsiders.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Xenophobia is a staple of American history</b><br />
<br />
In response to terrorist attacks across the globe, much of the conversation has focused on refugees and immigration. This conversation has been tinged by xenophobia toward Muslims, with President-elect Donald Trump <a href="http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2015/12/7/9868702/donald-trump-islamophobia-republicans">once calling</a> for a ban on Muslims entering the US.<br />
<br />
But this sort of rhetoric is not new to the US. As the Pew Research Center <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/19/u-s-public-seldom-has-welcomed-refugees-into-country/">found</a>, Americans have generally opposed taking in refugees even as they went through abhorrent, well-known crises. (Dara Lind <a href="http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2015/11/19/9760060/refugees-history-holocaust">reported for <i>Vox</i></a> that America even rejected some Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIn_1QnCKqfyUoCemJTfiahrcc4r9XUM9LR-Fkw-jUc69un_tbZpF0dTQkLYqAKcsADQQThfy89dTOokrRXs7DO8JHuzud9KPFxcU40LuYYrNHpD4MjYmWX-0bCdGSaR2VFBJ6vcTw4d5/s1600/American+opinion+on+refugees.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIn_1QnCKqfyUoCemJTfiahrcc4r9XUM9LR-Fkw-jUc69un_tbZpF0dTQkLYqAKcsADQQThfy89dTOokrRXs7DO8JHuzud9KPFxcU40LuYYrNHpD4MjYmWX-0bCdGSaR2VFBJ6vcTw4d5/s400/American+opinion+on+refugees.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Xenophobia has fueled other policies too. In the late 19th century, the US <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/chinese-exclusion-act">passed</a> the Chinese Exclusion Act to stop the flow of Chinese laborers into the US. During World War II, the US <a href="http://www.vox.com/2015/11/24/9787144/internment-japanese-data">put</a> Japanese Americans in internment camps after the country declared war on Japan. Throughout the <a href="http://www.vox.com/cards/war-on-drugs-marijuana-cocaine-heroin-meth">war on drugs</a>, lawmakers have regularly tapped into <a href="http://www.vox.com/cards/war-on-drugs-marijuana-cocaine-heroin-meth/drug-war-roots">xenophobic sentiments</a> to prohibit certain drugs — such as when San Francisco <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=qMIDrggs8TsC&pg=PA236&lpg=PA236&dq=war+on+drugs+xenophobia+opium+china+san+francisco&source=bl&ots=tgakPTupDb&sig=5Bw7JgDqQa9Fckg8nHSCtvm5OUQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=w4cAVKijFYOQgwTL3YHICg#v=onepage&q=war%20on%20drugs%20xenophobia%20opium%20china%20san%20francisco&f=false">banned</a> opium smoking that was perceived as popular among Chinese immigrants, and when prohibitionists <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/30/opinion/high-time-federal-marijuana-ban-is-rooted-in-myth.html">built up</a> opposition to <a href="http://www.vox.com/cards/marijuana-legalization">marijuana</a> by fear-mongering about its use among Mexican immigrants.<br />
<br />
Throughout all of these periods and policies, the public and lawmakers cited genuine policy interests: national security, keeping American laborers competitive in the job market, and preventing drug abuse. But underlying such policy stances were obvious signs that Americans were simply scared of foreigners who weren’t like them.<br />
<br />
By and large, we tend to recognize the underlying xenophobia today, and that the policies it produced were wrong, bigoted, and self-destructive.<br />
<br />
As <a href="http://www.vox.com/2015/12/1/9822452/muslim-islamophobia-trump">Islamophobia</a> rears its ugly head in the US again, it’s worth thinking about how we now look back on those moments of American history — and whether we’re making the same mistakes again.<br />
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</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-79791147761238505762017-01-25T20:30:00.000-06:002017-01-25T20:30:05.564-06:00Building Bridges as an Exercise of Hope<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>By Bill Moseley</b><br />
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<i><b>Note:</b> The following reflection was delivered before the start of mass at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church on the weekend of January 21-22, 2017.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGcD9j9R0dqDYtqaBzydMdXV1MkVzb4R2o-Ccj0F2uuWyNzLE2adgF79BUjSGE6rR8d7dMPRpLLrGfzyDzgvu73op-6wjR62MU-XzXiwzDPkXI46FxqLm15vHV4GwDFrYVTq-Fn7yjqZx/s1600/geometricdesign-2b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGcD9j9R0dqDYtqaBzydMdXV1MkVzb4R2o-Ccj0F2uuWyNzLE2adgF79BUjSGE6rR8d7dMPRpLLrGfzyDzgvu73op-6wjR62MU-XzXiwzDPkXI46FxqLm15vHV4GwDFrYVTq-Fn7yjqZx/s200/geometricdesign-2b.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728756897668776994" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 168px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 84px;"></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">P</span>eople of God, my name is Bill Moseley and it’s my privilege to reflect with you on today’s readings. <br />
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Most Americans pride themselves on a constitution and set of laws that facilitate the peaceful transition of power from one administration to the next every four to eight years. That said, these changes are never easy, and some would argue that this particular shift, given the political divisions in our country, has been more challenging than others. These past few hours, days, weeks and months have been an emotionally fraught time for many of us. In monitoring my own feelings, talking with family and friends, interacting with colleagues and students at the college where I teach, and watching the reactions of others on the news, I have witnessed the entire panoply of human emotions: from depression and despair, to anger and protest, to joy and jubilation.<br />
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My family and I happened to be visiting my parents in Milwaukee the week after the election this past November. My father had poured his heart into the campaign. For someone approaching 80, I marveled at the hours and miles he logged walking the streets of his city to canvas and knock on doors. He was now deeply depressed, more depressed, frankly, than I had ever seen him before. When he and I stayed up late that first night chatting, he shared with me that he had a plan to move to Canada. While many of us have said we might move to Canada in jest, my father had actually worked out the details of such a move. He had identified a small town over the border from Niagara Falls, explored the real estate market, and calmly explained that they would only be a few hours from where my brother lives in Northeastern Ohio. Now, thank God for my mother, who had the fortitude to tell him that he’s nuts and they’re not moving anywhere. To be clear, I think my Dad had a right to be depressed. He had worked far harder than I to get out the vote, only to see his efforts come to naught. <br />
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Many of my students and co-workers were also deeply depressed after the election. I recall taking a photo of my female colleagues in their pant suits the day of election. There was a sense of anticipation and optimism in the air. The next day could not have been more different. Some students were crying and others were genuinely scared. In some cases this depression and fear would eventually turn to anger and then calls for political organizing. On Thursday and Friday of this week I found myself in the heart of a teach-in on my campus, and yesterday I marveled at the tens of thousands of people who gathered for women’s marches in DC and Saint Paul, including my wife and many of you.<br />
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I have also read in the papers, and heard on the news, the joy and jubilation of those who supported this election result. While there is a dark element to our new president’s constituency (a group motivated by racism, misogyny and xenophobia), let us not forget that there are also folks who have been left out of the new knowledge economy, who have seen their livelihoods unravel as manufacturing jobs have left the country, and who have felt looked down upon by urban elites. For them, they are elated because they feel like their voices have finally been heard.<br />
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Not unlike our contemporary political climate, today’s readings are also filled with darkness, division and hope.<br />
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In our first reading from Isiah, we hear about areas near the Sea of Galilee (Zebulun and Naphtali), a land that was “humbled and in gloom, darkness and anguish,” yet a land that will also experience a light that will bring them joy and rejoicing.<br />
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In our second reading from Corinthians, we learn about divisions and quarreling in the early Christian community. These tensions are clearly troubling to Paul. The source of these divisions has to do with people lining up behind different leaders in an emerging Christian tradition. Paul confronts these divisions with two arguments. First, he suggests that his role, and those of other preachers, is both minor and in service to the same, larger Christian message. As such, their work and message must not become a source of division. Second, he argues that we are all one. We might imagine critical and consequential differences among ourselves that are worth fighting and dying for, but these divisions are illusory and we must recognize that we are all connected. We are all <i>one</i> in our common humanity.<br />
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Lastly, in our gospel reading from Matthew, we learn about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry which, frankly, is not a very happy story. Jesus’ spiritual mentor, John the Baptist, has been arrested and, we know, murdered. God did not intervene to save Jesus’ beloved John. This had to have been a very difficult moment. How do we have faith, how do we believe that there is good in the world, when bad seemingly triumphs over good? It is at this point, I imagine, that Jesus could have made the decision to move – metaphorically - to Canada. He might have been deeply depressed and it would have been quite normal to just want to escape.<br />
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Alternatively, Jesus could have fomented violence. These were, after all, challenging economic times for everyday working people. The area where Jesus retreats to after John’s arrest, to the western shores of the Sea of Galilee (the same lands mentioned in today’s old testament reading) were hit hard by the extractive practices of the Roman Empire. Farmers were losing their lands and becoming sharecroppers who were barely able to survive. People living in communities on the shores of the Sea of Galilee were losing their rights to fishing. It is here that Jesus started his ministry and recruited his early followers. These lands were ripe for an insurrection and Jesus could have chosen to channel peoples’ economic anxieties with a message of hate and violence.2<br />
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What ensues, instead, is something remarkable. Rather than retreating from the world, or being fueled by anger over the murder of John the Baptist, Jesus appears to have had an epiphany that God does not intervene from on high, but that he works through us. And so he begins his ministry as an itinerant preacher, spreading the good news and curing people of diseases. Furthermore, his philosophy and message is completely counter-intuitive for his time. As we willlearn next week in the Sermon on the Mount, and in Sundays thereafter, he has a message of hope for the poor and the downtrodden. His message is also not solely reserved for those in good standing with his group. He understands that he needs to cross social boundaries, to cross party lines, in order to build his vision for the future.<br />
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I’ve been thinking a lot about these readings and how Jesus started his ministry this past week. I’ve also been asking myself what a person of faith should do in this particular moment of our nation’s history. Clearly, after taking some time to reflect, we need to move forward. Working peacefully for what we believe in is important. For me, this means fighting for political change and not accepting the normalization of racism, misogyny, homophobia and xenophobia.<br />
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But if Jesus could acknowledge the common humanity of tax collectors, prostitutes and lepers (the untouchables within his community at that time), then we can also engage outside of our own political and cultural comfort zones. Jesus was roundly condemned for consorting with the outcasts of his era, and many today may scoff at efforts to reach across deeply entrenched political divides. But as the Apostle Paul suggests, we likely imagine our differences to be greater than they really are. Despite the invocations of some political leaders, I believe there is much common ground and shared concern over issues like inequality, under-employment and trade. While there may be disagreement about the best way to address these issues, we can’t have a thoughtful, provocative and transformative dialogue about them if we don’t recognize our common humanity and engage.<br />
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My favorite example of this approach is the marriage equality movement in Minnesota. This movement started with the basic premise that change is not just about partisan politics, but about getting to know the other side. Once you acknowledge family members, neighbors and friends in same sex relationships, once you recognize their common humanity, hopes, aspirations and concerns, then it is much more difficult to see them as an abstract ‘other’ and to demonize their perspective.<br />
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Like a shroud torn asunder, the current political rifts in our social fabric may seem insurmountable. And while clearly there are some who stand to profit from such cleavages in the short term, and they will do everything in their power to deepen them, we all stand to lose if these differences are left to fester. While Jesus was not afraid to speak truth to power, and to hold those in power to account, he was also a social bridge builder. He was willing to sit down with anyone regardless of their past. It is never easy to build bridges, to understand the hopes and fears of our enemies, to see the divine in all of us, but it’s the only way forward. As Paul Wellstone said, “we all do better when we all do better.”<br />
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<i>The author may be contacted at moseley@macalester.edu or may be found on twitter at <a href=https://twitter.com/WilliamGMoseley>https://twitter.com/WilliamGMoseley</a></i> <br />
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</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-63606525378097342972016-09-07T13:30:00.000-05:002016-09-07T13:50:08.448-05:00It Is Time to Revisit Church’s Stance on Contraception<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>By Celia Wexler</b><br />
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<i><b>NOTE:</b> This op-ed was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/celia-wexler/it-is-time-to-revisit-chu_b_11879144.html">first published</a> September 6 by <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/">The Huffington Post</a>.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGcD9j9R0dqDYtqaBzydMdXV1MkVzb4R2o-Ccj0F2uuWyNzLE2adgF79BUjSGE6rR8d7dMPRpLLrGfzyDzgvu73op-6wjR62MU-XzXiwzDPkXI46FxqLm15vHV4GwDFrYVTq-Fn7yjqZx/s1600/geometricdesign-2b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGcD9j9R0dqDYtqaBzydMdXV1MkVzb4R2o-Ccj0F2uuWyNzLE2adgF79BUjSGE6rR8d7dMPRpLLrGfzyDzgvu73op-6wjR62MU-XzXiwzDPkXI46FxqLm15vHV4GwDFrYVTq-Fn7yjqZx/s200/geometricdesign-2b.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728756897668776994" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 168px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 84px;"></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>n the immortal words of John Oliver, “How is this still a thing?”<br />
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The “this”, in this case, is the Catholic church’s official stance on contraception. Since most American Catholic women clearly have decided that the institutional church was out of touch when it deemed artificial birth control, “intrinsically wrong,” many of us believed that battle largely was won, if only by attrition. (Even by conservative estimates, it appears that about <a href=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/the-claim-that-98-percent-of-catholic-women-use-contraception-a-media-foul/2012/02/16/gIQAkPeqIR_blog.html>seven out of ten Catholic women</a> in the U.S. have used artificial birth control.)<br />
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But, of course, that’s not true. Contraception, which could do so much good, continues to be a religious minefield. In Africa and Latin America, millions of Catholics follow the church on this issue.<br />
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Catholic hospitals and women religious, who should be at the forefront helping the disadvantaged plan their families, are stymied by the wrongheadedness of a long-dead pope.<br />
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The church has long had concerns about the morality of contraception, but so did the rest of society. In 1916, birth-control advocate Margaret Sanger was jailed for her advocacy. It took Congress <a href=http://family.findlaw.com/reproductive-rights/birth-control-and-the-law-basics.html>until 1971</a> to actually repeal provisions of the federal law imposing restrictions on contraception. Courts invalidated many state laws.<br />
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As women pushed for equality and autonomy, scientists were developing a birth control pill that would place the decision solely in women’s hands. The problem was, the church was not progressing along the same timeline, although there was reason to hope for change.<br />
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In 1930, Pope Pius XII had <a href=https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/humanae-vitae-45-personal-story>strongly condemned</a> artificial birth control, when there was worry about a declining birthrate after the deaths of so many young men in World War I. But by the 1950s, the church had relaxed that ban to permit natural family planning, which allows couples to schedule intercourse when the woman is not fertile.<br />
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In 1962, Pope John XXIII convened a commission to examine the ethical implications of birth control, a commission which was expanded and continued under Pope Paul VI. The commission, which included Catholic married couples and physicians, reportedly voted overwhelmingly to lift the Vatican’s blanket ban on artificial birth control, and to permit married couples to <a href=https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/time-resurrect-original-birth-control-document>prudently plan</a> their families.<br />
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But that hope was dashed in 1968, when Paul VI, writing in his encyclical, <i>Humanae Vitae</i>, once more declared artificial contraception “intrinsically wrong.”<br />
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A re-thinking of the church’s official position is long overdue. The progressive Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research, recently issued a <a href=http://www.wijngaardsinstitute.com/statement-ethics-using-contraceptives/>lengthy and detailed rebuttal</a> to <i>Humanae Vitae</i>, which has done so much harm in the fifty years since it was issued — harm not only to women, but to the church itself. To date, the statement has been signed by more than 80 scholars, ethicists and scientists.<br />
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Effective birth control gives women control over their own bodies, helps lift families out of the poverty caused by too many children, and shows careful stewardship of our over-taxed planet.<br />
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In this time of Zika, contraception may be the most effective way to prevent tens of thousands of infants from being born with serious, debilitating birth defects. As long as AIDS continues to threaten African women, including married women, and their offspring, condoms are vital.<br />
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Contraception may also limit the collateral damage of rape and sexual assault in countries where women have few defenses against predators.<br />
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The institutional church itself has suffered from this papal decision. Twenty-five years after Humanae Vitae was released, the late Jesuit moral theologian Richard A. McCormick <a href=http://americamagazine.org/issue/100/humanae-vitae-25-years-later>regretted its aftermath</a> — a cleric’s position on birth control became a “litmus test” for priests who aspired to be bishops; it discouraged theological discourse on sexual ethics, and it caused many Catholics to no longer rely on the church for moral guidance.<br />
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The scholars’ recent statement notes that a quarter of the world’s health-care facilities and schools are run by Catholic institutions, making a reversal of the church’s position very urgent.<br />
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The scholars contend that if the church permits natural family planning, which is a way to prevent conception, it should realize that other forms of birth control are equivalent.<br />
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They ask that the institutional church make clear that all birth control methods that do not induce abortions are approved for use by Catholic healthcare providers. (Birth control methods that do induce abortions should be evaluated on a case by case basis, applying ethical principles such as whether their use would be the “lesser evil.”)<br />
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They also urge that Catholic theologians whose opposition to Humanae Vitae caused them to be censured have their reputations restored.<br />
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A half a century is a long time for a mistake to go uncorrected. If Pope Francis really wants to leave behind a reform legacy, this would be a good place to start.<br />
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<i>Celia Wexler is a free-lance journalist and author living in Alexandria, Virginia. Her book, <a href=https://www.amazon.com/Catholic-Women-Confront-Their-Church/dp/1442254130/><i>Catholic Women Confront Their Church: Stories of Hurt and Hope</i></a>, will be published September 30. Follow her on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/byelines">www.twitter.com/byelines</a>.</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>See also the previous posts:</b><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2015/02/dear-pope-francis-saving-world-requires.html>Dear Pope Francis: Saving the World Requires Contraception</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2012/02/we-are-98-percent.html>We Are the 98 Percent</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2012/02/contraceptions-con-men.html>Contraception's Con Men</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2011/12/out-of-step-with-flock-bishops-far.html>Out of Step With the Flock: Bishops Far Behind on Birth Control Issues</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2009/12/churchs-view-of-sex-root-of-its.html>Church's View of Sex the Root of Its Troubles</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2010/08/overpopulation-and-catholic-church-cant.html>Overpopulation and the Catholic Church: Can't We Become Part of the Solution?</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2012/02/quote-of-day.html>Quote of the Day — February 12, 2012</a></span></div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-12675777284029503832016-08-17T15:33:00.000-05:002016-08-17T15:33:06.347-05:00Jeremiah and the Messy World of Compromise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>By Bill Moseley</b><br />
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<i><b>Note:</b> The following reflection was delivered before the start of mass at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church on the weekend of August 13-14, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGcD9j9R0dqDYtqaBzydMdXV1MkVzb4R2o-Ccj0F2uuWyNzLE2adgF79BUjSGE6rR8d7dMPRpLLrGfzyDzgvu73op-6wjR62MU-XzXiwzDPkXI46FxqLm15vHV4GwDFrYVTq-Fn7yjqZx/s1600/geometricdesign-2b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGcD9j9R0dqDYtqaBzydMdXV1MkVzb4R2o-Ccj0F2uuWyNzLE2adgF79BUjSGE6rR8d7dMPRpLLrGfzyDzgvu73op-6wjR62MU-XzXiwzDPkXI46FxqLm15vHV4GwDFrYVTq-Fn7yjqZx/s200/geometricdesign-2b.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728756897668776994" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 168px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 84px;"></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">P</span>eople of God, my name is Bill Moseley and it’s my privilege to reflect with you on today’s readings. <br />
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In today’s gospel reading from Luke we hear Jesus’ passionate, even frustrated, side when he declares to his companions “I have come to cast fire upon the earth. How I wish it were already blazing.” He then goes on to say that “From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three.” <br />
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I have mixed feelings about this passage. On the one hand, my younger self would have appreciated the strident tone and the anger imbued in this reading. Oh how I loved to rage against the machine, to rail against the injustice. Some 30 plus years ago I remember coming home from college, Karl Marx and Andre Gunder Frank in hand, and deliberately picking a dinner time fight with my parents. They, in their cozy middle class home, in their cozy middle class suburb, and their cozy middle class jobs, were capitalists I declared. They were a part of the problem. Their roles in US corporate society, their wasteful suburban consumption habits, their bourgeois thinking, their tacit acceptance of US imperialism, were anathema to me, a young, budding socialist. I roared, my father roared back about my disrespectful attitude, and my mother tried to keep the peace. (By the way, if you’re sensing self-righteous hypocrisy here, that would be accurate as my parents were bankrolling my college education]).<br />
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My fervor and strident anti-imperialism would stay with me well into the Peace Corps. I was decidedly anti big development and pro self-reliance. My sacred texts on this subject were Paulo Freire’s <i>Pedagogy of the Oppressed</i> and EF Schumacher’s <i>Small is Beautiful</i>. In Mali where I was stationed, we were cautioned about the “<i>cadeau</i> mentality.” <i>Cadeau</i> meant gift or present in French, and the <i>cadeau</i> mentality referred to a handout culture that could develop in places with year upon year of foreign assistance. I was determined to avoid fostering such a handout culture, to make sure that my actions as a development worker did not breed dependency, or a taste for Western thinking and consumption habits. I was so zealous in my pursuit of this goal that, as a board member of a small fund for volunteer projects, I voted against all proposals providing funds for items I thought the community could cover. Furthermore, in my everyday life, I refused to give money to strangers who routinely asked me for help – believing that my small act of charity might lead to a life of dependency. In sum, in my zealous pursuit of ideological purity I had become a complete jerk. I was, in retrospect, embarrassingly sanctimonious and astoundingly unaware of my own privilege. Worse yet, in my reach for ideological purity, in my fervor to combat imperialism and dependency, I had strayed into the territory of right wing narratives regarding welfare dependency. <br />
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Now don’t get me wrong, there is a place for enthusiasm, passion, frustration and even anger in social change movements, I see it every day amongst my college students and their fervor for causes like Black Lives Matter, divestment of college endowments from the fossil fuel industry, or justice in Palestine. It is this energy, passion and sense of injustice that fueled our former pastor, Mike Tegeder, to fight the archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and it likely propels many in the Catholic Coalition for Church Reform and the Council of the Baptized to battle the hierarchy for a more open church and desperately needed reforms. I continue to see it in myself as my passion, frustration and even anger sometimes propel me to do some of my best writing late into the night.<br />
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But these passionate quests for justice and truth can also morph into something darker and more dangerous. The stories of ideological movements gone wrong are too numerous to tell: the Spanish inquisition, the ‘reign of terror’ in the midst the French Revolution, the supporters of Haiti’s Jean-Bertrand Aristide necklacing opposition activists, or Islamic fundamentalists destroying ancient religious texts which do not meet their strict standards of ideological purity or killing innocent civilians in the name of advancing a religious state. This is why I have mixed feelings about today’s gospel reading, because I know from my own life, and from my knowledge of others’, that we need that energy to persevere and fight the good fight, but sometimes we also go off the rails in our certainty and passion.<br />
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I used to think of Jeremiah, the protagonist in our first reading today, as a purist and an ideologue, someone who suffered because of his unflinching and uncompromising commitment to his beliefs. In today’s reading we learn that Jeremiah has been cast into a muddy cistern or pit, and a likely long, slow, and painful death, for refusing to stop talking in a way that is “demoralizing the soldiers and the rest of the people left in the city.” Jeremiah is the kind of person we seem to increasingly celebrate in some American political circles where compromise is a dirty word. He is, for some Modern day Christians who are persecuted for their faith, looked to as an inspiration because he did not relinquish his beliefs and persevered. <br />
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It is not that the standard presentation of Jeremiah is wrong, but the reality is more nuanced. In this instance, the back story is important. Zedekiah, the King of Judea has been persuaded by the Palestinian nobility to revolt against his master, the King of Babylonia. The King of Babylonia responds by laying siege to Jerusalem. From the start, Jeremiah has advised against this move because he sees it as a suicidal rebellion and continues throughout the siege to urge surrender. Not surprisingly, the Palestinian nobility see Jeremiah as a traitor and hence successfully convince Zedekiah to throw him into a muddy cistern to die. The illuminating detail for me is that Jeremiah is a pragmatic realist in this instance, not an idealist. He is against the rebellion because the Babylonians will crush them and it is a suicidal mission for his people. <br />
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While we celebrate the tenacity and idealism of our heroes, we sometimes ignore the compromises they have made. There is a scene in the 2014 movie <i>Selma</i> on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr that highlights such a compromise. In this scene, Dr. King is leading a second of three marches for voting rights from Selma, Alabama. As the marchers cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the protesters meet state police officers. Instead of confronting them, the marchers kneel, pray, and retreat. That day would become known as Turnaround Tuesday and King was deeply criticized by his supporters for this compromise. King, it turns out, had agreed in last-minute negotiations with President Lyndon Johnson to retreat. But I also think he understood that the potential loss of human life in this instance was too great. He was patient and they would return another day to march <br />
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Similarly, in the 2012 George Lucas film entitled <i>Lincoln</i>, we learn about the compromises President Abraham Lincoln made in the closing days of the Civil War to pass the 13th amendment banning slavery before the readmission of the southern States. This was critical because Lincoln knew the wartime measure known as the Emancipation Proclamation could easily be undone if it was not reflected in the text of the Constitution. In order to pass the amendment, Lincoln embarked on a vote-gathering effort that stopped just short of bribery. When moral appeals failed, patronage positions were offered to garner the requisite votes in Congress. In contrast to previous narrations of a heroically steadfast Lincoln, this film revealed the nitty gritty politics involved in legal reform and improving the human condition.<br />
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Now don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that the ends justify the means. This, after all, is the trap that has sometimes led pure idealism down the dark path, to terrible situations like the McCarthy era witch hunts use of torture by the US military after 9/11. So how do we know when to step back and compromise or when to stick to our ideals?<br />
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I think the answer lies in our recognition and respect for human dignity and in the notion that God dwells in all of us. While we may cling to certain ideals in our faith or other moral codes, do we sometimes come to hold these principles in such high regard that we are blinded to the dignity of our fellow human beings? As I illustrated at the start of this reflection, I certainly have been guilty of this. In <i>Amoris Laetitia</i>, Pope Francis argues that the role of the church is “less to judge than to accompany and discern God’s grace with people in their complex and complicated lives.”<br />
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Today’s gospel reading shows us one facet of Jesus, a passionate side which wishes to set the world on fire. We need that passion and energy as a spark for social change. We ought to be angry when a young black man is pulled over and needlessly shot while complying with an officer’s orders. But we also need to harness that energy, to respect the basic dignity in all of us, and to recognize that the betterment of the human condition sometimes involves compromise because the real world is messy and complicated. Another facet of Jesus is that he constantly coached his disciples to love their enemies. In his hour of deepest humiliation, Jesus tells Simon Peter not to strike back at the servant of the high priest. While Jesus could have set the world ablaze, he did not because he loved humanity too much. Making heaven on earth is a slow and messy process. We are a part of that process and we are moving in the right direction, it’s not always linear, and we sometimes go backward, but that’s okay. Yes, Jeremiah was prophetic bullfrog, but he also loved the world. <br />
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<i>The author may be contacted at moseley@macalester.edu or may be found on twitter at https://twitter.com/WilliamGMoseley</i> <br />
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</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-38633302197260870692016-07-03T13:30:00.000-05:002016-07-03T13:40:45.184-05:00"Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>By Rubén Rosario</b><br />
<br />
<i><b>Note:</b> This commentary was <a href="http://www.twincities.com/2016/07/03/ruben-rosario-well-done-good-and-faithful-servant/">first published</a> July 3, 2016 by the <a href="http://www.twincities.com/">Pioneer Press</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqMISAoo0UZeCrEPF5wg_PuCf1hqReMYfdGDdiM4B2z_-AD4Qs2UYBEvBuiKt0iw6yYWzM58pdq76JNsaS4twmesGD43g_xaW5g9mWG53Hio05o6IV1aFZmUMzMeevZytgnqAmEyqt88S/s1600/MikeTegederMass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqMISAoo0UZeCrEPF5wg_PuCf1hqReMYfdGDdiM4B2z_-AD4Qs2UYBEvBuiKt0iw6yYWzM58pdq76JNsaS4twmesGD43g_xaW5g9mWG53Hio05o6IV1aFZmUMzMeevZytgnqAmEyqt88S/s200/MikeTegederMass.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span> invited him to meet face-to-face over coffee at some point. He preferred green tea. Then, in a recent chat over the phone, Mike Tegeder apologized.<br />
<br />
“I am feeling really tired right now,” he told me. “Let’s make it another time.” We agreed on a raincheck.<br />
<br />
On June 24, several days after the call, the 67-year-old Minneapolis native and longtime Catholic priest and church pastor learned from his oncologist that further chemotherapy and immunotherapy infusion treatments to curb his aggressive cancer would be fruitless. Tegeder decided then to discontinue treatment and live his final days in hospice care at the home of a relative.<br />
<br />
The name Tegeder may be familiar to the state’s 1.2 million Catholics, as well as others. He was the priest — the only priest — who publicly, like me, called for Archbishop John Nienstedt’s resignation, well before it happened, for his mishandling of the clergy sexual-abuse scandal and Nienstedt’s expensive but unsuccessful lobbying effort to support a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex civil marriages.<br />
<br />
Tegeder said openly what a handful of priests and others in the church who called me in recent years also felt but who implored me not to identify them for fear of retribution.<br />
<br />
“The greatest threats to marriage are the economy, joblessness, alcoholism, drug abuse — there are a lot of threats to marriage, but it has very little to do with homosexuals having a committed relationship,” Tegeder told City Pages five years ago. “I know committed same-sex people who are doing God’s work.”<br />
<br />
Progressive and reform-minded members in the one, holy and apostolic church praised Tegeder’s stance on gay rights and allowing women to be ordained as priests. Traditionalists derided him as a blasphemous heretic who should be censored, silenced, punished, excommunicated or defrocked.<br />
<br />
But the outspokenness and the controversy he generated did not fully capture this man of God. It unfairly overshadowed his compassionate, pastoral nature, according to those who know him well. He’s been labeled by the news media and others as a hippie priest, maverick priest, rebel priest, gadfly priest. The tags, people who know him say, are unfair and belittle his convictions and call to the priesthood 38 years ago.<br />
<br />
Tegeder, pastor of both St. Frances Cabrini and the Church of Gichitwaa Kateri in Minneapolis, preferred to be called, if anything, “authentic.” Love one another was his general mission statement.<br />
<br />
“If I had to sum it up, I would tell you what I have told many people, even before he was sick,” said Mary Lou Sweet, a friend and longtime administrator at Cabrini. “Oftentimes, when Mike is around, I would feel that this is what it must have been like to be in the presence of Jesus.<br />
<br />
“He was as close as you can get to someone not having an ego,” Sweet added. “He was constant kindness. He always looked for the positive side of people. My favorite thing was that he smiled with his eyes. But if he recognized an injustice or a wrongdoing, he had no problem bringing them to light.”<br />
<br />
“Over and over (in preaching, in his actions, prayers, etc.) he has communicated a loving, compassionate, merciful God . . . who would have us act the same way,” Chris Kosowski, Cabrini’s liturgist, noted in an email.<br />
<br />
Sweet said that Tegeder spent more time at the predominantly American Indian Kateri parish, where he comforted and provided spiritual counseling to perhaps the most traumatized and disenfranchised group of parishioners in the state. He presided over numerous funerals of many young people whose lives were snuffed by violence, suicide and drug overdoses.<br />
<br />
“Mike is a practical person,” said Larry Martin, a longtime Kateri church staffer and member. “He loves to drive a bus as well as the hearse that our community uses to take people back to reservations for burial,” said Martin, who is a tribal member of the Lac Court Oreilles Ojibwe reservation in northern Wisconsin. “He is also proud of his plumbing skills — last year I went with him on a trip to Bluefields, Nicaragua, where he really enjoyed fixing plumbing problems at a small orphanage.”<br />
<br />
No question, Tegeder ruffled church hierarchical feathers, both here and at the Vatican. He rarely wore the collar. He grew his silver hair to shoulder length. He brazenly, but respectfully, asked Nienstedt to resign to his face at a meeting of South Minneapolis parish priests two years ago.<br />
<br />
Tegeder’s CaringBridge page has been viewed thousands of times and flooded with hundreds of well-wishers in recent days.<br />
<br />
A poignant entry, among many, is the account of a woman who reached out to Tegeder on behalf of a non-churchgoing Native American family whose matriarch passed away suddenly.<br />
<br />
“You welcomed these young folks who were so devastated by the death of their mom and gave them a space to have the wake, the meal, to drum and to sing, and to send their mom to Ishpeming,” the woman wrote. “Again, I want to thank you for your gracious welcome and care. Thank you for the love and care you have shared so lovingly with so many through the years of your ministry.”<br />
<br />
I wrap this up with one of Tegeder’s last words to his congregations after his cancer diagnosis this year:<br />
<br />
“Over the years, during the time that needed us to raise our voices of concerns over the direction of our beloved Archdiocese, I would get letters, emails, phone calls and public rebukes telling me to join the Lutherans or Episcopalians. I respect these traditions but I am a Catholic with the full understanding of that word which seeks inclusivity while appreciating diversity.<br />
<br />
“. . . Let us never forget,” he added, “that we gather around the Risen One in spirit who reaches out to all in love.”<br />
<br />
Amen. Father Mike, the green tea’s my treat after my ticket gets punched, and I am fortunate to wind up where you are going in the afterlife.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Rubén Rosario</b> can be reached at 651-228-5454 or rrosario@pioneerpress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/nycrican.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>See also the previous <i>PCV</i> posts:</b><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2010/10/one-courageous-parish-priest.html>One Courageous Parish Priest</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2010/10/pastor-mike-tegeder-challenges.html>Pastor Mike Tegeder Challenges Archbishop Nienstedt's "Bullying Behavior"</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2010/10/local-catholic-priest-speaks-out-on-mn.html>Local Catholic Priest Speaks Out on the MN Bishops' Anti-Gay DVD Controversy</a><br />
• <a href=https://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2016/03/even-tougher-battle-ahead-for-maverick.html>Even Tougher Battle Ahead for Maverick Priest the Rev. Mike Tegeder</a><br />
<br />
<b>For the writings of Mike Tegeder at the <i>PCV</i>, see:</b><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2013/09/trust-your-shepherds.html>"Trust Your Shepherds"</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2013/09/what-is-lesson.html>What is the Lesson?</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2013/08/are-you-serious.html>Are You Serious?</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-archdiocese-and-fathers-conlin-and.html>The Archdiocese and Fathers Conlin and Schüller</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2012/11/quote-of-day.html>Quote of the Day – November 8, 2012</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2011/12/quote-of-day.html>Quote of the Day – December 18, 2011</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-like-mcdonalds-too-but-dioceses-are.html>"I Like McDonald's, Too; But Dioceses Are Not Franchises"</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2009/01/archdiocesan-pension-pitfalls.html>Archdiocesan Pension Pitfalls</a></span><br />
</div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-55974675589936906292016-04-24T10:01:00.000-05:002016-04-24T10:01:05.016-05:00What Is With the U.S. Bishops and Religious Liberty?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>By Paula Ruddy</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGcD9j9R0dqDYtqaBzydMdXV1MkVzb4R2o-Ccj0F2uuWyNzLE2adgF79BUjSGE6rR8d7dMPRpLLrGfzyDzgvu73op-6wjR62MU-XzXiwzDPkXI46FxqLm15vHV4GwDFrYVTq-Fn7yjqZx/s1600/geometricdesign-2b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGcD9j9R0dqDYtqaBzydMdXV1MkVzb4R2o-Ccj0F2uuWyNzLE2adgF79BUjSGE6rR8d7dMPRpLLrGfzyDzgvu73op-6wjR62MU-XzXiwzDPkXI46FxqLm15vHV4GwDFrYVTq-Fn7yjqZx/s200/geometricdesign-2b.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728756897668776994" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 168px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 84px;" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>re the bishops worried about religious liberty or about women using contraceptives? Being honest about this is tremendously important. The bishops’ moral authority is at stake as well as Catholic respect as citizens for the U.S. legal system. A nation’s legal system is only as strong as the people’s respect for it. We cannot afford the U.S. bishops’ tearing down the rule of law.<br />
<br />
The case of Catholic non-profits before the Supreme Court illustrates the problem. Catholic bishops teach that the use of contraceptives is morally wrong. The U.S government leaves the decision about personal morality to individuals. It wants insurance companies who provide health care insurance through employers to make it free and easy to get contraceptives for those women employees who want them because reproduction is a factor in women’s health care.<br />
<br />
Churches are exempt and don’t have to cover contraception for their employees. But Catholic non-profits – hospitals, social welfare agencies, and nursing homes – employ lots of women, Catholic and not Catholic, and they want to be exempt from offering coverage too. The government offered an accommodation. Their employees would still get coverage but the religious non-profits would not have to pay, arrange for, or implement. All they would have to do is notify the government or the insurer of opt-out. <br />
<br />
The U.S. bishops have opposed the government all the way to the Supreme Court. The Court has to decide whether the free exercise of religion of the Catholics who run the non-profits is “substantially burdened” by the government’s requirement to notify them in accepting the accommodation. <br />
<br />
Although the insurance coverage doesn’t require any woman to use contraceptives, it does make it free and easy for them to use them if they want. I think that is the point of the U.S. bishops’ opposition. They do not want to make it free and easy for women, Catholic or not, to use contraceptives. So it isn’t about the government forcing Catholics to do something against their religion, it is about preventing women from the free and easy use of contraceptives.<br />
<br />
If the bishops valued liberty, they would honor the free consciences of women on the issue of their family planning. Instead they are interested in coercive prevention and getting the U.S. government to do the job. Positioning themselves as victims of religious intolerance is not honest. The dishonesty of it it destroys the moral authority of the bishops in the eyes of Catholics and all our fellow citizens. The Catholic bishops should pull the plug on the religious liberty campaign immediately.<br />
<br />
But why do the bishops care so much about contraceptives that they are willing to do so much harm to prevent women from using them? I think they are dismayed by the sexual freedoms the U.S. government has recognized in the last 50 years and they are worried about the Catholic family. From the use of contraception in the 1960’s to gay marriage in 2015, one after another laws controlling sexual practices, reproduction, and marriage have been overturned in the U.S. The bishops may believe that people’s attitudes toward family is affected by the use of contraceptives. They may believe it is harder for Catholic families to raise their children within the boundaries of Catholic sexual morality in the sexually permissive contemporary culture. <br />
<br />
If the Catholic family is the bishops’ concern, instead of tearing down respect for the U.S. legal system, they should ask three hard questions:<br />
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<blockquote>• How can we strengthen the Catholic family to internalize moral standards so they do not need the coercion of law? Legality is not a sufficient standard for morality.<br />
<br />
• How shall we re-think our moral teaching on sexual practice so that it makes sense to Catholic families to live by? This is not accommodation to secularism. It is about being responsible.<br />
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• How do we partner with our fellow citizens, religious and secular, to build a mainstream culture of responsibility and healthy family living? This would require Catholic bishops to learn from the rest of society how to relate productively with people who think differently from them.</blockquote><br />
There is no time to lose in stopping the religious liberty campaign and asking the right questions.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Related Off-site Link:</b><br />
<a href=http://ncronline.org/news/politics/nondiscrimination-laws-merit-church-support>Nondiscrimination Laws Merit Church Support</a> – Todd A. Salzman and Michael G. Lawler (<i>National Catholic Reporter</i>, April 19, 2016).<br />
<br />
<b>See also the previous <i>PCV</i> posts:</b><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2015/05/what-is-this-furor-about-religious.html>What is This Furor About Religious Liberty?</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2015/06/fortnight-of-freedom-hypocrisy-of-us.html>Fortnight of Freedom: Hypocrisy of the U.S. Bishops</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2012/02/your-fist-my-nose.html>Your Fist – My Nose</a><br />
• <a href=http://theprogressivecatholicvoice.blogspot.com/2012/06/quote-of-day.html>Quote of the Day – June 4, 2012</a></span></div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-6680243086646108122016-04-16T23:55:00.000-05:002016-04-17T14:17:10.025-05:00The Historic Vatican Peace Conference<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>By John Dear</b><br />
<br />
<i><b>Note:</b> This article was <a href=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-dear/the-historic-vatican-peac_b_9698290.html>first published</a> April 15, 2016 by <a href=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/religion/>HuffPost Religion</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span>his week, an historic gathering of 80 leading Catholic peace leaders from 20 different nations met at the Vatican to call for an end to the so-called just war theory and for a recommitment to the nonviolence of Jesus. <br />
<br />
There has literally never been a gathering like this before in the history of the Vatican. It was sponsored by the Pontifical Office of Justice and Peace and Pax Christi International, the official global Catholic peace movement. Cardinal Turkson, head of the Pontifical Office and the leader behind Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, opened the conference by reading a long letter from Pope Francis to the participants. Cardinal Turkson participated in the conference, and approved the closing statement, which was then presented to the Pope.<br />
<br />
For the first time, the Catholic Church is discussing abandoning the just war theory and officially returning to Jesus’ way of nonviolence to resolve conflict. The just war theory has been advocated for over 1700 years to justified many wars and killings. Every one of us who participated in the conference left Rome feeling hopeful that Pope Francis will help lead the Catholic church and the world to a new breakthrough toward peace and nonviolence. <br />
<br />
Here below is the official statement from the conference, submitted to Pope Francis on April 13, 2016.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">________________________________</div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>n Appeal to the Catholic Church to Re-Commit to the Centrality of Gospel Nonviolence<br />
<br />
As Christians committed to a more just and peaceful world we are called to take a clear stand for creative and active nonviolence and against all forms of violence. With this conviction, and in recognition of the Jubilee Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis, people from many countries gathered at the Nonviolence and Just Peace Conference sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and Pax Christi International on April 11-13, 2016 in Rome.<br />
<br />
Our assembly, people of God from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania included lay people, theologians, members of religious congregations, priests, and bishops. Many of us live in communities experiencing violence and oppression. All of us are practitioners of justice and peace. We are grateful for the message to our conference from Pope Francis: “your thoughts on revitalizing the tools of nonviolence, and of active nonviolence in particular, will be a needed and positive contribution.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Looking at our world today</b><br />
<br />
We live in a time of tremendous suffering, widespread trauma and fear linked to militarization, economic injustice, climate change, and a myriad of other specific forms of violence. In this context of normalized and systemic violence, those of us who stand in the Christian tradition are called to recognize the centrality of active nonviolence to the vision and message of Jesus; to the life and practice of the Catholic Church; and to our long-term vocation of healing and reconciling both people and the planet.<br />
<br />
We rejoice in the rich concrete experiences of people engaged in work for peace around the world, many of whose stories we heard during this conference. Participants shared their experiences of courageous negotiations with armed actors in Uganda and Colombia; working to protect the Article 9, the peace clause in the Japanese Constitution; accompaniment in Palestine; and countrywide peace education in the Philippines. They illuminate the creativity and power of nonviolent practices in many different situations of potential or actual violent conflict. Recent academic research, in fact, has confirmed that nonviolent resistance strategies are twice as effective as violent ones.<br />
<br />
The time has come for our Church to be a living witness and to invest far greater human and financial resources in promoting a spirituality and practice of active nonviolence and in forming and training our Catholic communities in effective nonviolent practices. In all of this, Jesus is our inspiration and model.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Jesus and nonviolence</b><br />
<br />
In his own times, rife with structural violence, Jesus proclaimed a new, nonviolent order rooted in the unconditional love of God. Jesus called his disciples to love their enemies (Matthew 5: 44), which includes respecting the image of God in all persons; to offer no violent resistance to one who does evil (Matthew 5: 39); to become peacemakers; to forgive and repent; and to be abundantly merciful (Matthew 5-7). Jesus embodied nonviolence by actively resisting systemic dehumanization, as when he defied the Sabbath laws to heal the man with the withered hand (Mark 3: 1-6); when he confronted the powerful at the Temple and purified it (John 2: 13-22); when he peacefully but determinedly challenged the men accusing a woman of adultery (John 8: 1-11); when on the night before he died he asked Peter to put down his sword (Matthew 26: 52).<br />
Neither passive nor weak, Jesus’ nonviolence was the power of love in action. In vision and deed, he is the revelation and embodiment of the Nonviolent God, a truth especially illuminated in the Cross and Resurrection. He calls us to develop the virtue of nonviolent peacemaking.<br />
<br />
Clearly, the Word of God, the witness of Jesus, should never be used to justify violence, injustice or war. We confess that the people of God have betrayed this central message of the Gospel many times, participating in wars, persecution, oppression, exploitation, and discrimination.<br />
<br />
We believe that there is no “just war.” Too often the “just war theory” has been used to endorse rather than prevent or limit war. Suggesting that a “just war” is possible also undermines the moral imperative to develop tools and capacities for nonviolent transformation of conflict.<br />
<br />
We need a new framework that is consistent with Gospel nonviolence. A different path is clearly unfolding in recent Catholic social teaching. Pope John XXIII wrote that war is not a suitable way to restore rights; Pope Paul VI linked peace and development, and told the UN “no more war”; Pope John Paul II said that “war belongs to the tragic past, to history”; Pope Benedict XVI said that “loving the enemy is the nucleus of the Christian revolution”; and Pope Francis said “the true strength of the Christian is the power of truth and love, which leads to the renunciation of all violence. Faith and violence are incompatible.” He has also urged the “abolition of war.”<br />
<br />
We propose that the Catholic Church develop and consider shifting to a Just Peace approach based on Gospel nonviolence. A Just Peace approach offers a vision and an ethic to build peace as well as to prevent, defuse, and to heal the damage of violent conflict. This ethic includes a commitment to human dignity and thriving relationships, with specific criteria, virtues, and practices to guide our actions. We recognize that peace requires justice and justice requires peacemaking.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Living Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace</b><br />
<br />
In that spirit we commit ourselves to furthering Catholic understanding and practice of active nonviolence on the road to just peace. As would-be disciples of Jesus, challenged and inspired by stories of hope and courage in these days, we call on the Church we love to:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>• continue developing Catholic social teaching on nonviolence. In particular, we call on Pope Francis to share with the world an encyclical on nonviolence and Just Peace;<br />
<br />
• integrate Gospel nonviolence explicitly into the life, including the sacramental life, and work of the Church through dioceses, parishes, agencies, schools, universities, seminaries, religious orders, voluntary associations, and others;<br />
<br />
• promote nonviolent practices and strategies (e.g., nonviolent resistance, restorative justice, trauma healing, unarmed civilian protection, conflict transformation, and peacebuilding strategies);<br />
<br />
• initiate a global conversation on nonviolence within the Church, with people of other faiths, and with the larger world to respond to the monumental crises of our time with the vision and strategies of nonviolence and Just Peace;<br />
<br />
• no longer use or teach “just war theory”; continue advocating for the abolition of war and nuclear weapons;<br />
<br />
• lift up the prophetic voice of the church to challenge unjust world powers and to support and defend those nonviolent activists whose work for peace and justice put their lives at risk.</blockquote><br />
In every age, the Holy Spirit graces the Church with the wisdom to respond to the challenges of its time. In response to what is a global epidemic of violence, which Pope Francis has labeled a “world war in installments,” we are being called to invoke, pray over, teach and take decisive action. With our communities and organizations, we look forward to continue collaborating with the Holy See and the global Church to advance Gospel nonviolence.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldL1k2je551oKXu0lgauBe1xm2JlHMG17IMr_JVi8KvIUQe5F51H5_1urJcsnPi3NDjrGos7cOHHJmAqx7Dx9hJGQZP5Ip6QrbPRBvquzSpXhq64wo9yS8DepvbCh-Ecdcg66IgytFoxx/s1600/JohnDear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldL1k2je551oKXu0lgauBe1xm2JlHMG17IMr_JVi8KvIUQe5F51H5_1urJcsnPi3NDjrGos7cOHHJmAqx7Dx9hJGQZP5Ip6QrbPRBvquzSpXhq64wo9yS8DepvbCh-Ecdcg66IgytFoxx/s200/JohnDear.jpg" /></a></div><i><b>John Dear</b> is an internationally known voice for peace and nonviolence. A priest, peacemaker, organizer, lecturer, and retreat leader, he is the author/editor of 30 books, including his autobiography, “A Persistent Peace.” In 2008, John was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and in 2015 by Sen. Barbara Mikulski. He has two masters degrees in theology from the Graduate Theological Union in California. John's website is <a href=http://www.fatherjohndear.org/>www.fatherjohndear.org</a></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Related Off-site Link:</b><br />
<a href=http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/landmark-vatican-conference-rejects-just-war-theory-asks-encyclical-nonviolence>Landmark Vatican Conference Rejects Just War Theory, Asks for Encyclical on Nonviolence</a> – Joshua J. McElwee (<i>National Catholic Reporter</i>, April 14, 2016).</span></div>PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.com1