Pope John Paul II destroyed forever the “progressive” myth that the Catechism was intended only for bishops and catechists—not for us lowly laymen. During his July 23 general audience in St. Peter’s Square, he told a group of Croatians that “the Catechism of the Catholic Church presents an organic and systematic exposition of the fundamental content of Catholic faith and morals, in the light of the living Tradition of the Church and Vatican Council II; it contributes notably to a deeper and more systematic knowledge of the faith. . . . Therefore, it is necessary for this instrument to serve as a point of reference for the teaching of religion in parish communities. In addition, it is desirable for each family to have a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, because it is a sure guide in religious education and in life according to the faith.”
Actor Martin Sheen was known as a hellraiser when a young man. But it pains him, he says, to see his son leading the same kind of life. The son of a Hispanic father and an Irish mother, Sheen had a solid Catholic upbringing. Despite his early wildness, he has remained married to his wife, Janet, since 1961. Even before trying to deal with son Charlie’s drug problems, Sheen had intervened in the lives of his children. Charlie and his three siblings—Emilio Estevez and Rene Estevez, also actors, and Ramon Sheen, a dancer—feel both gratitude and resentment toward father.
Both Emilio and Charlie were furious when, in the mid-Eighties, their father stepped in after they had made their girlfriends pregnant and refused to take responsibility.
“Abortion was suggested,” says Sheen. “I don’t believe in abortion, and neither does my wife.”
Sheen looked after the children and their mothers himself, including buying houses for them and setting up trust funds. Despite heated arguments with his sons, Sheen held his ground. “It all worked out,” he says. “They are great kids, and the boys love them, just as I was sure they would when they had had the chance to mature a bit.”
Sheen is remorseful that he was so caught up in his own wild lifestyle while his children were growing up. He particularly regrets his failure to teach them the values and faith of Catholicism. “I never lost my faith,” he says. “I was married in church, and I baptized my children. But, like all modern Catholics, I felt for a time that I had outgrown the Church. Now it is a bone of contention in my soul that I did not share my faith with my kids, as my parents did with me. It was a source of grace when I needed it. I have been greatly nurtured and inspired by my faith.”
Catechesis comes in all forms, and, as the Medieval Church was well aware, images are among the most powerful and persuasive teaching devices. That’s why one of our volunteers was dismayed to see this illustration in her parish bulletin last month.
To be fair, such things can slip past a busy pastor, who depends on the bulletin publisher for such illustrations and accompanying commentary. But let’s look at what’s being taught here: Notice the woman in priestly robes—she is the only figure wearing anything like a chasuble. Behind her, seemingly pushing her, is a dark shape—but one cannot tell if it is meant to be a black man, a hooded demonic figure, or the Black Nun of Antonia Fraser’s mystery novel. Bringing up the rear is the aging, white male—the actual priest, perhaps? All three figures are postured reverently before a table (not an altar: a table) that holds what looks like a punch bowl and a platter of sliced bread.
What lessons are being taught here? Without stretching the point, one might detect an argument for women’s ordination, the decline in ministerial priesthood and its ultimate obsolescence, the Eucharist as meal rather than sacrifice (it is both), and the irrelevance of the rubrics (with respect to valid matter).
This is not a bad parish: It has Perpetual Adoration, Co-Workers of Mother Teresa, and a notice from the Catholic League elsewhere in the bulletin. But the drawing illustrates how subtle and often unnoticed are the efforts to undermine Catholic belief—and how diligent pastors and lay people ought to be in uncovering them.
The Usual Suspects are at it again. Dave Hunt (prolific anti-Catholic writer), John MacArthur pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California), and Joe Jordan (Word of Life director and long-time evangelist in Argentina) are giving a conference you won’t want to miss: “Sharing the Good News with Roman Catholics.” A promotional brochure notes that “nearly one billion Catholics in the world today have never heard the biblical plan of salvation. . . . The conference will be a historic event, bringing together numerous ministries dedicated to helping Catholics turn from the teachings and traditions of men to the Word of God for salvation. Attending will be former Catholics who now have assurance of eternal life through Christ our Savior. . . . We will encourage, train, and equip you for this exciting and most rewarding opportunity. . . . Seating capacity is limited to 2,500.” And so on.
All Catholic priests are invited to a Colloquy on New Biblical Developments to be held on November 8 in New York. Among the panelists: Dr. William Farmer, professor emeritus of the New Testament, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas; Fr. Lawrence Broadt, C.S.P., professor of Sacred Scripture, St. Paul’s College, Washington, D.C.; Dr. John Kloppenborg, professor of Scripture, St. Michael’s College, Toronto; Msgr. Armando J. Levoratti, member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission; Dr. David Dungan, professor of the New Testament, University of Tennessee; and Msgr. Michael J. Wrenn, translator of books that form the basis of the “new developments.” The colloquy is free, and lunch will be provided. To reserve a place, write to Msgr. Wrenn at 348 East 55th Street, New York, New York 10022.
The new ABC/Disney series Nothing Sacred was mentioned here last month. It appeared from promotional materials that the show would trivialize the Catholic faith and scandalize almost everyone. Now the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights has actually viewed the first episode, and, according to them, it is even worse than expected. As a result, the League renewed its call for a boycott of the Walt Disney Company and Disney-owned subsidiaries such as Buena Vista, Miramax, and ABC.
“They’re belittling what is sacred,” said Bernadette Brady, vice president of the 350,000-member group, comparing Nothing Sacred with the 1995 Miramax movie Priest. Brady said the pilot episode portrays the priesthood negatively—the priest, played by Kevin Anderson, rails from the pulpit that he will not listen to any more sexual sins in the confessional (while he is himself lusting for an ex-girlfriend) and exclaims in anger: “Go fax yourself!” The show also contains factual errors about Catholicism. ABC cited a positive review in the Jesuit magazine America that says the series shows the human side of priests and nuns.
Other Catholics have reacted differently. The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, for example, have divested themselves of about $300,000 in Disney stock. “We are pleased to stand with many devout Christian brothers and sisters throughout the United States who have likewise chosen to sever all ties with an organization whose actions we find to be morally reprehensible as well as antithetical to the values they formerly professed,” said Fr. Edward J. Weisenburger, vicar general of the Archdiocese.
Specifically, they are protesting Priest, a movie that, said Fr. Weisenburger, “portrayed Catholic clergy as morally destitute and emotionally troubled due to Church teachings,” and the company’s promotion of “fantasy weddings” at a Disney World wedding pavilion. Such fantasy weddings, he said, parody the Christian understanding of marriage.
The Southern Baptist Convention, the Assemblies of God, and the American Family Association are among groups that have called for a boycott of Disney. The Disney Corporation recently appointed Fr. Leo O’Donovan, President of Georgetown University in Washington, to its board.
A Scottish baby was the first to benefit from a Catholic program there to aid women considering abortion. Fr. Noel Barry, spokesman for Thomas Cardinal Winning, leader of the Church in Scotland, explains the program: “What the cardinal said was, if you are thinking of having an abortion and if you’ve got problems, come and discuss it with us . . . Whatever we can do to help we will do and if that help entails a financial.aspect we will not exclude that.” More than forty women have asked for help since the program was instituted in March. The BBC reported that the first baby was born prematurely to a 15-year-old student and that the Church provided money as well as baby clothes and supplies.
There is a new Web site just for inactive Catholics. Hosted by Redemptorist priest Fr. William McKee, it isn’t much to look at or read, but he promises to listen to anyone who has left the Church for any reason. The URL is www.jcn1.com/william. Fr. McKee is the author of How to Reach Out to Inactive Catholics.
An American scientist says the Shroud of Turin is much older than recent carbon dating tests indicate and is not a painting or other manufactured work. Prof. Alan Adler, who was attending a news conference announcing new conservation measures for the shroud, said the cloth is older than the fourteenth-century date assigned by a research team. The cloth, venerated by some as the burial shroud of Jesus Christ, bears an image of a crucified man.
“The marks on the shroud are of exuded blood, belonging to a man who was tortured and crucified,” Adler said. “It cannot be from the fourteenth century, but is much older and far more consistent with what we know of the crucifixion of Christ.”
The accuracy of the carbon-dating tests have been disputed by many scientific experts, especially in light of the shroud’s having survived major fires. The cloth has been kept rolled on a wooden rod in a silver case, but scientists recommend that it be kept unrolled in a receptacle containing an inert gas to prevent further discoloring and deterioration. Until recently, the shroud was kept in the Turin cathedral, which was devastated by fire on April 12. After it was rescued through the heroic efforts of firemen, the cloth was moved to a secret location.
A survey of 750 active Catholic teenagers, commissioned by the U.S. bishops showed that only one percent of them expect to pursue a religious vocation and that 87 percent had never seriously considered the possibility. Only 18 percent of the teens reported that they were encouraged by a priest or nun to consider a religious vocation.
Bishop Paul S. Loverde of Ogdensburg, New York, reminded his brother bishops at their spring meeting that most of them were likely invited to consider the priesthood by a priest in their lives. He concluded that priests and nuns have forgotten how influential they can be.
True enough, but one must also take into account the abysmal catechesis of the past several decades, the disarray of many religious orders, and the disedifying example of dissenting priests and religious. When young people are taught why a religious or priestly vocation is precious—and given a means of living it faithfully—they will respond in greater numbers.
In Kansas there are four dioceses, Kansas City, Salina, Dodge City, and Wichita. Of the 36 men entering seminary in the state, 28 came from Wichita. Why the great disparity? Gary Morella thinks he has the answer:
“I just got back from a vacation in Kansas, where my family helped Aunt and Uncle celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. They live in the Wichita Diocese, where the bishop is Eugene Gerber and where the churches appear orthodox, with tabernacles in the center of the altars, perpetual Eucharistic adoration, confession before daily Masses, Marian devotions, and frequent Benediction.
The Masses I attended were reverent, with bells rung to announce the preparation for the Consecration. Where I was there was no evidence of the Modernist architecture that plagues other dioceses. The chairs on which the priest and servers sit are moved to the side of the sanctuary, so one gets an unimpeded view of the altar and tabernacle. Large statues of saints were in the churches, as were sets of large votive candles. Crucifixes were prominent. Many people genuflected when receiving Holy Communion. My old Catholic grade school and high school are flourishing, with increased enrollment. My hometown, Pittsburg, is a community of 18,000—relatively large for Kansas. It’s poor, but my parish contains 2,000 families that give about $26,000 weekly to the collection—without being asked. In Pittsburg and surrounding towns the churches are packed for Sunday Mass, and there’s a good representation at daily Mass.”
In Lithuania the faith has burgeoned following the demise of communism. Yet the demand for materials outstrips the supply—and Catholic books and pamphlets must compete with lavishly-funded Evangelical products. Moreover, materialism and New Age notions are making inroads in this once-Catholic country.
A group of Lithuanian Catholics is striving to compensate for this imbalance. The Lithuanian Christian Publishing Foundation plans to publish works of Catholic apologetics, from G. K. Chesterton to Peter Kreeft, in Lithuanian. For more information or to make a donation, write to Vilius Lapas, Project Coordinator in the U.S.A., 5565 North Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana 48625.