Catholicism from a Jewish viewpoint

Having another perspective is always helpful. Excerpts of an article written by non-Catholic Sam
Miller – a prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman: “Why
would newspapers carry on a vendetta on one of the most important institutions
that we have today in the United States, namely the Catholic Church?

Do
you know – the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students everyday at the
cost to that Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to
the American taxpayer of 18 billion dollars. The graduates go on to graduate
studies at the rate of 92%.

The Church has 230 colleges and universities in
the U.S. with an enrollment of 700,000 students.

The Catholic Church has a
non-profit hospital system of 637 hospitals, which account for hospital treatment
of 1 out of every 5 people – not just Catholics – in the United States
today.

But the press is vindictive and trying to totally denigrate in every way
the Catholic Church in this country. They have blamed the disease of pedophilia
on the Catholic Church, which is as irresponsible as blaming adultery on the
institution of marriage.

Let me give you some figures that Catholics should
know and remember. For example, 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed
admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner; 38% acknowledged other
inappropriate sexual contact in a study by the United Methodist Church,
41.8% of clergy women reported unwanted sexual behavior; 17% of laywomen have
been sexually harassed.

Meanwhile, 1.7% of the Catholic clergy has been found
guilty of pedophilia. 10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of
pedophilia. This is not a Catholic problem.

A study of American priests showed
that most are happy in the priesthood and find it even better than they had
expected, and that most, if given the choice, would choose to be priests again
in face of all this obnoxious PR the church has been receiving.

The Catholic
Church is bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. The agony that Catholics have
felt and suffered is not necessarily the fault of the Church. You have been
hurt by a small number of wayward priests that have probably been totally
weeded out by now.

Walk with your shoulders high and you head higher. Be a
proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in the United
States. Then remember what Jeremiah said: ‘Stand by the roads, and look and ask
for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for
your souls’. Be proud to speak up for your faith with pride and reverence
and learn what your Church does for all other religions. Be proud that you’re a
Catholic.”  

The Secular Franciscan Order: A pope’s recommendation to join

Pope Leo XIII.jpgPope Leo XIII begins Humanum Genus (the 1884 encyclical
on Freemasonry) by acknowledging the divided heart of humanity since the Fall
man and woman: there are “separated into two diverse and opposite parts, of
which the one steadfastly contends for truth and virtue, the other of those
things which are contrary to virtue and to truth. The one is the kingdom of God
on earth, namely, the true Church of Jesus Christ; and those who desire from
their heart to be united with it, so as to gain salvation, must of necessity
serve God and His only-begotten Son with their whole mind and with an entire
will. The other is the kingdom of Satan, in whose possession and control are
all whosoever follow the fatal example of their leader and of our first
parents, those who refuse to obey the divine and eternal law, and who have many
aims of their own in contempt of God, and many aims also against God.”


One his
recommendations was to advocate the faithful’s vital membership in the Third
Order of St Francis, today called the Secular Franciscan Order. Himself a Third
Order Franciscan, Pope Leo’s recommendation didn’t fall on deaf ears because
diocesan seminarians, priests and bishops joined the Third Order and millions
of the laity followed suit. Here is what Pope Leo XIII said:


St Francis detail.jpg

Wherefore, not
without cause do We use this occasion to state again what We have stated
elsewhere, namely, that the Third Order of St. Francis, whose discipline We a
little while ago prudently mitigated,* should be studiously promoted and
sustained; for the whole object of this Order, as constituted by its founder,
is to invite men to an imitation of Jesus Christ, to a love of the Church, and
to the observance of all Christian virtues; and therefore it ought to be of
great influence in suppressing the contagion of wicked societies. Let,
therefore, this holy sodality be strengthened by a daily increase. Amongst the
many benefits to be expected from it will be the great benefit of drawing the
minds of men to liberty, fraternity, and equality of right; not such as the
Freemasons absurdly imagine, but such as Jesus Christ obtained for the human
race and St. Francis aspired to: the liberty, We mean, of sons of God, through
which we may be free from slavery to Satan or to our passions, both of them
most wicked masters; the fraternity whose origin is in God, the common Creator
and Father of all; the equality which, founded on justice and charity, does not
take away all distinctions among men, but, out of the varieties of life, of duties,
and of pursuits, forms that union and that harmony which naturally tend to the benefit
and dignity of society. (34)


*The text here refers to the encyclical letter Auspicato
Concessum (Sept. 17, 1882), in which Pope Leo XIII had recently glorified St.
Francis of Assisi on the occasion of the seventh centenary of his birch. In
this encyclical, the Pope had presented the Third Order of St. Francis as a
Christian answer to the social problems of the times. The constitution Misericors
Dei Filius (June 23, 1883) expressly recalled that the neglect in which
Christian virtues are held is the main cause of the evils that threaten
societies. In confirming the rule of the Third Order and adapting it to the
needs of modern times, Pope Leo XIII had intended to bring back the largest
possible number of souls to the practice of these virtues.

Perhaps there ought
to be a new appraisal of the vocation to the Secular Franciscans with the encouragement to join!

Seeking Christ’s face and body, a foreign concept to many Catholics

The authority of sacred Scripture should be authoritative enough, but in case Scripture fails your logic, the Church also says that Truth is identified and lived through and with sacred Tradition and the Magisterium. More clearly: the believing Catholic holds that Truth is revealed in three inter-related pillars: sacred Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium. One can’t have one of the pillars without the others. To do so would mean that you are Protestant.

Concerning many in the Church (catechist, laity and ordained) is the lack of understanding of who Jesus is, and His place in our lives today. Many Catholics are functional agnostics; they have no concept of who Jesus is, why He is important, and what he has to do with the Church. No surprise to me since I contend that many of the ordained can’t adequately explain matters of Christology or Sotierology (the study of Chist and the study of salvation respectively) as is evidence in their praying the Mass, preaching, their practice of the sacraments in their own lives, and their teaching in other venues. I would also contend that many of the ecclesial problems we face today are the direct result of not really knowing who Jesus is, and how to conform ourselves to His Way. The Pslams, as one example, tell us to seek the face of the Lord (the Christian would understand this to mean, seek the face of Christ). As one consequence of not knowing Jesus is the denial that we are already saved –that salvation has already happened, that the hundredfold promised by the Lord is already fulfilled. Do you know that you are saved? Do act as though you are saved or are still persisting in your sinful ways?

In the recent English edition of the L’Osservatore Romano (7 April 2010), Lucetta Scardaffia’s article “The Shroud and secularization” makes a few good points to think about when asking the questions about who Jesus is and what we face today:

“It seems incredible, but many young people do not even know that Jesus existed historically: in various countries, including Italy, today the history of Christianity no longer forms part of the school curriculum, and this leads to an ignorance that is also the result of tendencies geared to make Christianity a religion like others, with no specificity, hence leading to considering Christ as a mythical being, almost as if he were a Greek, Roman or Orienal divinity.

In international milieus — even in organizations such as the United Nations– propaganda for a mistaken concept of multiculturalism has been spreading for decades: this is proposed as a panacea for every conflict, providing that all religions be considered absolutely equal, in other words that each waives all claim to truth.

Remembering that Christianity is born from the existence in history of a man, Jesus, who said he was the Son of God, is an obstacle to the seemingly irenic fabrication because it highlights the difference of Christianity in comparison with other religions. A God who becomes incarnate to save human beings, in fact is an absolute unicum [absolutely unique], difficult to standardize.

…

The history of the birth of the individual is also interwoven with the history of the theological and sacramental significance of the Body of Christ –with the history of the sacrifice of the altar, for which the Body becomes a monstrance.

Knowing Christ not according to flesh alone, but in spirit

This is the day which the Lord has made, let us exult and rejoice in it. Let us exult in the hope it brings, that we may see and rejoice in its light. Abraham exults that he might see the day of Christ and by this token he saw and rejoiced.

You too, if you keep watch daily at the doors of wisdom, steadfast at its threshold, if you stay awake through the night with Magdalen at the entrance of his tomb, if I am not mistaken you will experience with Mary how true are the words we read of the Wisdom which is Christ:

She is easily seen by those who love her and she is found by those who seek her. She anticipates those who desire her and shows herself to them first. He who, as soon as it is light keeps watch for her will not have to toil, for he will find her seated at his doors. (Wis. 6:13ff)

So did Christ, Wisdom himself, promise in the words: I love those who love me, and they who from early morning keep watch for me will find me. (Prov. 8:17) Mary found Jesus in the flesh. For this she was keeping watch. Over his tomb she had come to mount guard while it was still dark.

You, who no longer ought to know Jesus according to the flesh but according to the spirit, will be able to find him spiritually if you seek him with a like desire, if he finds you likewise vigilant in prayer.

Guerric of Igny
Liturgical Sermons
Third sermon for Easter

Blessed Peter Gonsalez

Almighty God, you bestowed the singular help of
Blessed Peter on those in peril from the sea. By the help of his prayers may
the light of your grace shine forth in all the storms of this life and enable
us to find the harbor of everlasting salvation.


Dominican friar and priest Blessed Peter was Spanish being born at the end of the 12th century. Ordained as a secular priest, Peter asked for the habit of the Friars Preachers and was known for his humility, prayer and service to his neighbor. Sailors call upon Blessed Peter as “Saint Elmo” and is invoked by travelers on difficult seas, especially missionaries traveling by such.

Blessed Margaret of Castello

Bl Margaret Castello.jpgCompassionate God, you gave your divine light to
Blessed Margaret who was blind from birth, that with the eye of her heart she
might contemplate you alone. Be the light of our eyes that we may turn from
what is evil and reach the home of never-ending light.



One of the great draws to Blessed Margaret is that holiness is not only found in those perceived to be “perfect” people. Quite the opposite. In Margaret, a lay Dominican sister, we a woman who gave her life to the Lord through the Dominican charism being particularly devoted to prayer and charitable work despite the fact that she was not like other people. God had blessed her in other ways. Blessed Margaret was born blind, lame, deformed and was a hunchback midget. She was abandoned by her parents after not getting their way with God. Blessed Margaret is incorrupt.

Among the things Blessed Margaret is vigilant against is poverty, destitution, and forms of injustice shown toward those living with physical handicaps. She is supportive of those people rejected by religious orders because of physical handicaps and works in favor of Pro-Life issues.

Vatican gives guidelines on sex abuse allegations

The Holy See has put in one spot on their webpage the numerous documents concerning the abuse of minors, and the Church’s response. Check it out. The documentation given here is crucial in understanding how the Church thinks and acts pastorally in view of sexual abuse of minors.

Of note is the “Guide to Understanding Basic CDF Procedures concerning Sexual Abuse Allegations.” The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has listed for the average reader the basic nuts and bolts of how an allegation is handled today.

Conventual Franciscans meet in Chapter, prayers please

You may be wondering why I am asking you to send up some prayers for the Conventual Franciscans. This week two east coast Conventual Franciscan provinces are meeting in a provincial chapter to discuss matters pertaining to their life as Franciscans. A chapter meets every four years. This week the two provinces on the east coast of the USA are deciding by vote the merger of their provinces, no insignificant matter. May the Holy Spirit guide and protect the discussions!

The Conventual Franciscans arrived in the USA in the 19th century to work with the German and then Polish immigrant peoples You can read more their history here The Conventual Franciscans History.pdf. Fast forwarding through particular histories, about four years ago, the then Minister Provincial Father Canice Connors introduced the idea of merging the two east coast provinces, Immaculate Conception and Saint Anthony of Padua, into one; each province has about 100 men in each so we’re not talking about hugh numbers of men coming together like, for example, what the Jesuits are doing at the moment (they’re moving 10 provinces into 5). This merger will change the face of Conventual Franciscan life in the friaries and in the many dioceses where the friars serve in the East, especially in some New York and Connecticut dioceses.
You can also follow developments of the world-wide Conventual Franciscan movement on their website.
The witness of of the Franciscans is necessary for us today and we ought to sustain them by prayer and fraternal relations in their deliberations, today and in the days/years to come. As Pope Benedict mentioned in his Regina Caeli address of April 5, we need to be heralds to the world of God the Father’s great plan for the restoration of man: of God’s love for man and woman, our resurrection with Christ in glory. In baptism all Christian people are called to announce and to live the divine love; the charism passed down to us from Saint Francis through the Conventuals ought to do the same.

St Francis at table detail.jpg

Let me end but calling to mind Holy Father Saint Francis’ words to the Friars at the end of his Rule of life which I think may be appropriate for all of us to consider in for our prayer for the Conventuals (and for ourselves):
O most beloved brothers and sons forever blessed, hear me, hear the voice of your Father:
Great things we have promised;
greater have been promised us.
Let us observe the former;
let us aspire to the latter.
Pleasure is short;
punishment, everlasting.
Suffering is slight;
glory, infinite.
Many are called;
few are chosen.
Retribution for all.
Brethren, while we have time, let us do good.
May the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, Saint Joseph, Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, Saints Anthony of Padua and Maximilian Mary Kolbe, pray for a favorable outcome of this week’s chapter.

Yousif Habash as new bishop for Syrian Catholics elected

Habash.jpgThe Holy Father consented to the election of Chor-bishop Yousif (Joseph) Habash, pastor of the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Los Angeles) as 2nd bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance (Newark) by the Patriarch and bishops of the Syrian Catholic Church.

Habash succeeds Bishop Joseph Younan (and read here) who was elected Patriarch of the Syrians in January 2009.

Bishop-elect Habash was born in Iraq in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1975. He’s served the US eparchy since 2001.
A 2004 census notes the Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance having 13,000 faithful.