WHY BOTHER?

You may wonder why, since I am no longer an insider in the Roman Catholic Church, I continue to pay attention and be bothered by the church's policies and actions. In the nearly 60 years that I spent in the RCC, there was much that I loved about the church. I'm grateful for my 16 years of RC schooling, where, for the most part, I was well taught. I grew up in a seriously dysfunctional home, alcoholic father, depressed mother. I won't bore you with the details, but my RC school was my safe place, my place of refuge and peace away from the sometimes nightmarish atmosphere in my home. The nuns were, with only one exception that I can think of, good and intelligent women. Under their nurturing, my sense of self-worth and moral core were planted, cared for, and grew. Of course, we were taught a bit of nonsense, too, but on the whole my RCC schooling was a strong, positive force in my life, and I will always be grateful for those years.

The church was a force for good in other ways, such as in my years at Loyola University, I learned the evils of racism. All I knew growing up was racism. Racist attitudes were a given, not questioned, until I encountered the teachings of the Jesuits. The voices for peace in the church were instrumental in turning me against the Vietnam War. I could go on.

The first seeds of discontent with the RCC were sown when I had three babies in four years, and I had to face the fact that I must break the church's birth control rule or, very likely, end up in a mental institution, because I had what I now believe was postpartum depression after my third child, which went untreated, because the illness was not yet named at the time. The decision to use birth control was difficult. Looking back, common sense tells me that the choice should have been easy, but it was not.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I stayed with the RCC through good times and bad, more good than bad, until the sex abuse scandal broke in our diocese. The sexual abuse of children was horrific enough, but that the powers covered up the abuse and moved the priests from one parish to another to continue the abuse for years was the final straw for me, and I took my leave about 14 years ago.

But for the sake of the good that I received from the RCC, I still care about the church, and I want the institution to be better than it is. Just as I call the powers in my own church, the Episcopal Church, to account, I continue to call the powers of the RCC to account because of the many years I made my home there.

I was thrilled when Katharine Jefforts-Schori was elected Presiding Bishop, but I did not hesitate to call her to account when she asked LGTB members of the Episcopal Church to remain in "a crucified place" and when she waited far too long to speak out publicly against the draconian laws proposed in Nigeria against LGTB persons.

In the beginning of his essay, Richard Sipe writes the following words and quotes the words of Thomas Keating:

I am pursuing this discussion in the spirit of contemplative transformation espoused by Fr. Thomas Keating who challenges us to confront the biases that keep us from facing truth when we fail to ask penetrating questions: “Are you so enamored with your religion that you have a naïve loyalty that cannot see the real faults that are present in a particular faith community? Do you sweep under the rug embarrassing situations and bow to the security or esteem needs of the community?”

I end my post with the words.

THIS IS MY STORY

 

HANS KUNG ON CLERICAL CELIBACY

From Ruth Gledhill in the Times Online:

A leading Roman Catholic theologian has linked clerical sex abuse with priestly celibacy, blaming the Church’s “uptight” views on sex for child abuse scandals in Germany, Ireland and the US.

Father Hans Kung, President of the Global Ethic Foundation and professor emeritus at the University of Tübingen in Germany, said that the Church’s attitude was also revealed in its opposition to birth control.

The German church rejected any suggestion that abuse was linked to celibacy, homosexuality or church teaching.
....

Robert Zollitsch, Archbishop of Freiburg and head of the German bishops’ conference, branded clerical abuse “outrageous” and begged forgiveness from the victims but denied any link between abuse and celibacy.

Writing in The Tablet, Father Kung, who in 1979 was stripped of his licence to teach Catholic theology after he rejected the doctrine of Papal infallibility, welcomed the apology but described the denials of any link between abuse, celibacy and other teaching as “erroneous”.

He said that it was the case that abuse was found also in families, schools and other churches. But he asked: “Why is it so prevalent in the Catholic Church under celibate leadership?” He said that celibacy was not the only cause of the misconduct but described it as “the most important and structurally the most decisive” expression of the Church’s uptight attitude to sex. (My emphasis)

Fr Kung's article in The Tablet appears to be available by subscription only, but the article on the German church's resistance to the state's intervention on the abuse is free.

In the comments to my recent post titled Gay Roman Catholic Bishops, I caught flack for saying that mandatory celibacy, in my opinion, contributes to the abusive behavior by priests in the Roman Catholic Church. I don't know what priestly formation is like now in RC seminaries, but for many years, young boys began seminary training at age 13. In some cases, abuse occurred in seminaries. My contemporaries, and those several years younger, were taught in RC seminaries that women were occasions of sin. Imagine! Half the human race was an occasion of sin! Well, perhaps not old ladies.

Rather than having one determining cause, I suspect that, in most cases, more than one cause led priests into abusive behavior. Men who had been abused as children and men predisposed to child abuse very likely made their way into seminaries and through the ordination process, but I believe that mandatory celibacy and the warped attitudes toward sexuality and toward women within the culture of Roman Catholic clergy, especially the hierarchy, had an effect.

Whether celibacy is imposed as a condition of service upon a Roman Catholic man who believes he is called to serve God as a priest, or whether celibacy is imposed upon an LGTB person in another denomination who feels a call to serve God as clergy as a condition for being permitted to serve, mandatory celibacy is just plain wrong.

Understand that I do not in mean to suggest that genuine calls to live celibate lives do not exist. From the early church on, we see examples of saints who lived holy, celibate lives. But the call to celibacy is between God and an individual and is not to be ordered from outside.

I did not come to my opinion lightly. I come with 60 years experience of life in the Roman Catholic Church. I'm not saying that I am right and that those who disagree with me are wrong, however, that the distinguished theologian, Fr Hans Kung, is of a similar opinion, heartens me and makes me think that my reasoning is not entirely off the wall.

H/T to MadPriest at OCICBW for the link to Ruth's article.

THE SHREDDER

A young engineer was leaving the office at 3.45 p.m. when he found the acting CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Listen," said the acting CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important document, and my secretary is not here. Can you make this thing work?"

"Certainly," said the young engineer. He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.

"Excellent, excellent!" said the acting CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine, "I just need one copy."

Lesson: Never, ever, assume that your boss knows what he's doing.


Thanks to Paul (A.)

BISHOP-ELECT MORRIS THOMPSON RECEIVES CONSENTS

From Lisa at My Manner of Life, comes the news that the bishop-elect of my diocese, Morris Thompson, received the necessary consents to be consecrated 11th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana.

Also, Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce received consents to be consecrated bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Los Angeles and the Rev. W. Andrew Waldo received consents to be consecrated 8th bishop of the Diocese of Upper South Carolina on Dec. 12.

Good news all around

"...A WARM CHRISTIAN WELCOME TO THE EVIL DOERS...."

The following quote is from a satire at the The Daily Mash, which is almost too close to the "Love the sinner; hate the sin" mindset of certain Christians to be funny, but the piece hits the target.

CHURCH of England vicars will bless gay couples as long as they are allowed to quote Bible passages about them being abominations who must be put to death.

As the House of Lords voted to allow same-sex church ceremonies, vicars said they would extend a 'warm Christian welcome to the evil doers and their perverted bedtime acrobatics'.

Rev Denys Hatton, vicar of St Gary's in Folkham, said: "I am more than happy to perform a gay blessing as long as I am allowed to pick the reading. And since you ask, I would kick things off with a spot of Corinthians, where St Paul makes it abundantly clear that homosexuals are 'unrighteous'.

"Then I'd crank it up with a quote from Romans where St Paul describes them as 'degrading', 'depraved' and 'indecent'."

Read the rest at the Mash.

Thanks to Lapin for the link.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

To those who can dream there is no such place as faraway. ANON

"The history of all times, and of today especially, teaches that ... women will be forgotten if they forget to think about themselves." LOUISE OTTO

Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly. LANGSTON HUGHES

"A free race cannot be born of slave mothers." MARGARET SANGER

"It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else." ERMA BOMBECK

"So much has been said and sung of beautiful young girls, why don't somebody wake up to the beauty of old women?" HARRIET BEECHER STOWE


Prayer from The Sisters of Mercy.

Let us go forth then, O Living and Loving God,

Let us go forth in the power of Your Presence deep in our hearts, and the power of your presence overflowing in our communities,

Let us go forth confirmed and strengthened in our vision

Let us go forth named in Hope and Love, and sustained in these challenging times.

Let us go forth as valiant women of justice and peace. Amen.


Thanks to Doug for the images.

Quotes from Altius Directory. The history of International Women's Day may be found here.

Note: The Sisters of Mercy were my high school teachers. My teacher in my senior year, Sr. Mary Regius, inspired me by her teaching and encouragement to do good work, especially in writing. Since I started my blog, I've used her lessons more than I ever have before in my life.

HOUMAS HOUSE GROUNDS - PART 2

Poseidon in the pool.

Perhaps the statue above represents nobody and is simply an anonymous figure.

The pagoda. And a Japanese bridge?

Another fountain.

Is it just me? The number of statues, structures, pools, etc. (and I did not photograph all!) begins to seem too much. The individual pieces that contribute to the landscaping and building plan are all tasteful. No expense is spared to beautify the grounds, but perhaps more plants and fewer structures would have been the better way to go.

HOUMAS HOUSE GROUNDS - PART 1

Beautiful flower beds. I love the ornamental cabbages.

Neither Grandpère nor I can think of the name of the small, low-growing flowers pictured in the flower bed. (Update: I now know that the flowers are pansies.)

The flowers in the foreground of the photo are nearly black. Again, we've had them in flower beds, but we can't think of the name.

A Houmas House version of Old Faithful?

I did not photograph the attractive formal gardens with low hedges and maze-like paths through the hedges.

LESTER & CHARLIE: Last of the Last Straws

Thanks to bondwooley in the comments for the link to the video about Americans running away to Canada or other places to escape the government if...if...if.... No! It couldn't happen here!

Check out the The Lester & Charlie show, where you can find other satirical videos. You won't be sorry you visited their website.

FEAST OF FELICITY, PERPETUA, AND COMPANIONS

 

Saints Perpetua and Felicity
By Brother Robert Lentz, OFM. © 1996
Courtesy of www.trinitystores.com


Felicity and Perpetua lived in Carthage in North Africa in the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries and were martyred, along with several of their companions, for refusing to deny their Christian faith.

El Padre at Padre Mickey's Dance Party has a lovely post about the two saintly women, which includes the icon pictured above, along with another beautiful icon.

The faithful witness of the martyrs, of people like Perpetua and the others, have made it possible for us to hear the Good News, have made it possible for us to learn of salvation, have made it possible for us to have eternal life. May we all share the bravery and faithfulness of Perpetua, Felicitas, Revocatus, Secundulus, Saturninus, Saturas, and all the martyrs.

Kittkatt at Jesus in Love, using the same wonderful icon, posted another beautiful account of the the lives of the saints.

Perpetua was a 22-year-old noblewoman and a nursing mother. Felicity, her slave, gave birth to a daughter while they were in prison. Although she was married, Perpetua does not mention having a husband in the narrative.

There were arrested for their Christian faith, imprisoned together, and held onto each other in the amphitheater at Carthage shortly before their execution on March 7, 203.

I recommend the two commemorations highly.

PRAYER

O God the King of saints, you strengthened your servants Perpetua and Felicitas and their companions to make a good confession, staunchly resisting, for the cause of Christ, the claims of human affection, and encouraging one another in their time of trial: Grant that we who cherish their blessed memory may share their pure and steadfast faith, and win with them the palm of victory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

"...THAT HOPEY-CHANGEY THING...." SARAH PALIN

If you can't or won't make it to church today, or even if you go to church, you could do a lot worse, a whole lot worse, indeed, than to read Rmj's post at Adventus for the 3rd Sunday of Lent.

HOUMAS HOUSE, DARROW, LA

 

Grandpère and I attended the awards luncheon for the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. In a later post, I'll tell you about the people who won the awards. We did not. Above is Houmas House on the East Bank of the Mississippi River, where the ceremony was held. We headed up Bayou Lafourche, then over to cross the river on the Sunshine Bridge, and - miracle of miracles! - we arrived early and had time to tour the grounds.

 

Grandpère standing next to a large oak tree. Does he see a spaceship or a vision in the sky? Something up there seems to have captured his attention. He looks good in his suit, doesn't he?

 

Today the weather was mild and sunshiny, a lovely day for an outing and for walking the beautiful grounds at Houmas House. Usually, I don't like photos of myself, but this one I like. Of course, I'm wearing my old, out-of-style blazer, but so what? I'm old and out of style myself.

 

Spanish Moss in the oaks.

 

Do you know what is shown in the picture above?

Since I have more good pictures of the grounds, I'll probably do another post.

OUR JAPANESE MAGNOLIA

 

At one time, the blooms on the Japanese magnolia in our front yard covered the entire tree. I don't know what happened over the years to cause the blooms to be sparser, but the flowers that DO bloom are still lovely.

 

YOUNG BUTLER CHILDREN

 

Above is one of my favorite pictures of my children when they were young. My daughter loves the picture, too. Although you can't see what the kids look like, I think its a wonderful piece of photography. My neighbor, Kathy Silverberg, took the picture. Kathy worked for the local newspaper, The Daily Comet, and the picture appeared on the front page. We'd had rain for days and days and days, and the children hadn't been outside to play in a long time. Like many children and parents, we were restless. The children couldn't work off their energy, and, as a result, were into more mischief than usual. We'd all had enough. Kathy photographed the wistful scene of the kids looking sadly out the window at the never-ending rain.

In those days, if you went to the newspaper office, they'd let you look through their glossy black and white pictures and take any that pertained to you or your family. I framed the picture, and it hangs upstairs in my house.