A "CHILLING EFFECT" AT "AMERICA" MAGAZINE
IN ST. PETERSBURG, ALMOST ANYTHING GOES (LITURGICALLY)
HE SAYS I'M MORE POWERFUL THAN THE POPE
Dear Friend of Catholic Answers:
A few days ago I received a copy of one of my favorite cycling magazines. It had some interesting bloopers. I know about magazine bloopers: Over the years I have intruded several into "This Rock."
One of the bloopers in the cycling magazine even has a religious angle. In an article about a bike trip through Ethiopia, the writer says:
"Our circular tour included a side-trip to the ancient city of Axum, where monoliths known as steles still stand sentinel, even as the fortunes of the town itself have declined over the succeeding 3,000 years since the Queen of Sheba ruled. This area is where the legendary Covenant of the Ark is reputedly kept."
How's that? The "Covenant of the Ark"? Should that be translated as the "Agreement of the Ship"? Or did the writer mean the "Ark of the Covenant"?
Another article begins with a mathematical blooper:
"Glacier National Park has 350 grizzly bears. It receives slightly fewer than two million visitors per year. At those odds, most people never see a bear--a statistic that didn't particularly bother me."
Well, it bothered me because it is a fake "statistic." I suppose the writer thought to himself, "350 divided by 2,000,000 is an awfully small number, meaning there is almost no chance to see a bear in Glacier National Park." Yes, it is a small number, but it has nothing to do with one's odds of seeing a bear. Bears are not distributed according to human visitations.
The third blooper is purely typographical and occurs later in the article about Glacier National Park. The writer reports on a meal that he and his two cycling companions had:
"Pooling our resources, Vera, Dave, and I found that we had a couple of packets of ramen noodles and some bread, cheese, and humus that could be converted into a weird hobo soup."
I dare say it would be a weird soup if it included humus (Webster's: "a brown or black complex variable material resulting from partial decomposition of plant or animal matter and forming the organic portion of soil").
I suppose the writer meant "hummus," a thick spread made from mashed chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic, but I suppose "humus" makes for a more interesting, if not more palatable, meal.
THE FR. REESE FLAP
You already have heard about Fr. Thomas Reese's ouster as editor of "America," the Jesuit magazine. A contributor to that publication, Stephen Pope, was not pleased with the Vatican's order that Reese find other employment. Pope, who teaches at Boston College and who wrote for "America" an article criticizing Church teaching on gay marriage, was quoted as saying about the dismissal:
"If this is true, it's going to make Catholic theologians who want to ask critical questions not want to publish in Catholic journals. It can have a chilling effect."
Quite true. The move can--and surely will--have a chilling effect. I hope it does. In this context "chilling effect" roughly translates as "promotes truth in advertising."
Those holding themselves out as Catholics should write as Catholics. They should not feel free to undermine Catholic teachings in Catholic publications. They should not be able to leave readers with the idea that opinions contrary to the faith are compatible with the faith.
SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE
Let's say that the vehicle code says that the speed limit on your local freeway is 65 mph. You would prefer to drive 115 mph. If you are pulled over for driving 90 mph--halfway between the posted limit and your preference--will you tell the judge that it is his "duty to find the middle between the law and proper liberation from the law" and to let you go without a fine? Good luck if you try!
But this is the kind of argument made by Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg. Referring to a bishop's authority over the liturgy in his diocese, Lynch said, "I would understand that it is my duty to find the middle between the law and proper liberation from the law which might allow for cultural or local adaptations which are not in strident disagreement with the law."
I take this to mean that he thinks it is okay for him to allow or encourage liturgical irregularities so long as they do not rise to the level of "strident disagreement" with liturgical norms.
What is "strident disagreement"? Is it distinguished somehow from disagreement that is undertaken quietly? If a priest permits a woman to do the Gospel reading or if he makes up his own Eucharistic prayers, but if this is done without much fuss, does the divergence from liturgical norms not rise to the level of stridency?
I wonder how gross an infraction must be before Bishop Lynch would issue a cease and desist order. I hope I am not being churlish in suspecting that he would come down hard on certain "infractions": on a priest who wanted to reinstitute altar rails, or who celebrated the present rite in Latin, or who refused to use altar girls.
I'd bet that all those things are in "strident disagreement," if not with liturgical norms, then at least with the liturgical philosophy of the St. Petersburg diocese.
INDIRECT COMMUNIQUE
In last week's E-Letter I noted that "Pope Benedict is getting it from both extremes." As an example of attacks from the Traditionalist end of the spectrum I cited John Vennari, editor of "Catholic Family News," who complained that it was "sacrilege" for the Pope to give Communion in the hand to concelebrating cardinals.
My comments prompted an e-mail from one of Vennari's friends, Bob Sungenis, who runs a one-man apologetics ministry called Catholic Apologetics International. For some reason Sungenis never complains to me directly. He complains to a third party about me and then sends me a copy of that e-mail.
Writing to an Australian inquirer, Sungenis said:
"To me Keating reeks of hypocrisy. He is an opportunist, and a sly one at that. If Keating had taken to heart even half the material Vennari has written in 'Catholic Family News' on the desperate state of the Church (a state of which I know Keating is well aware but refuses to address) then we would get the Catholic populace in America putting pressure on the bishops to change.
"But as long as Keating keeps kissing-up to the Vatican and USCCB bureaucrats; keeps pretending to his Catholic Answers audience that everything is okay; and keeps bashing Traditionalists who point out the problems, then nothing will be done."
Gosh, I didn't know I was so influential!
If I were to take to heart what Vennari has said and issued marching orders, Catholics in America would heed my call and would put pressure on the bishops to fix things. It is only my reluctance to make waves that has allowed problems in the Church to continue. All along I have had the power to make everything right. All I need do is to speak in accord with Vennari's opinions. Until I do so, though, "nothing will be done."
This is an awesome responsibility. Everything depends on me. I am more powerful than "the Vatican and USCCB bureaucrats." I am more powerful than the Pope.
This is just too heady! I think I need to lie down for a while ...
p.s., If you want a more realistic assessment of the state of the Church, and if you want to have an instructive and entertaining week at sea and on the seashore, consider signing up for this year's Catholic Answers apologetics cruise.
The dates are November 6-13. The place is the Mexican Riviera, including Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. The speakers are Michael Medved, Teresa Tomeo, Jerry Usher, Fr. Frank Pavone, Jimmy Akin and Karl Keating.
For more information visit:
www.catholicanswerscruise.com
p.p.s., If you have a comment about anything appearing in this E-Letter, please do not hit your Reply button. Instead, go to Catholic Answers' new discussion forums at
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