Monday, February 29, 2016

Seven quick thoughts on the most recent papal presser. by Edward Peters, JD, JCD, Ref. Sig. Ap.

 VOCAL.  This article explains difficult things of late.  Dr. Ed Peters is a brilliant Canon lawyer.  Here is a short bio. 
 
Dr. Peters has held the Edmund Cdl. Szoka Chair at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit since 2005. He earned a J. D. from the Univ. of Missouri at Columbia (1982) and a J. C. D. from the Catholic Univ. of America (1991). In 2010, he was appointed a Referendary of the Apostolic Signatura by Pope Benedict XVI. For more information on Dr. Peters, see CanonLaw.Info.


           "Frankly, I don’t know how he does it. When I fly to Europe I have to sleep all the way over.  Not Pope Francis. Anyway, may I offer some comments on some topics mentioned in the latest mid-air papal presser?

  1. Pope Paul VI, as I understand it, did approve of religious women threatened by rape using contraceptives. It is obvious, though, that such measures were taken in self-defense against criminal acts and, more importantly, would have occurred outside the context of conjugal relations. Avoiding pregnancy under outlaw circumstances is not only ‘not an absolute evil’, it’s not an evil act at all. I hope that mentioning this unusual episode in a press chat will not contribute unduly to the world’s misunderstanding of the limitations of Paul VI’s position in this case and of the episode’s non-applicability to firm Church teaching on contraception within marriage.

2. An individual becomes “Christian” by, and only by, (valid) baptism. Donald Trump was apparently baptized Presbyterian, which faith community has valid baptism. Donald Trump is, therefore, as a matter of canon law (c. 204), Christian. Trump might be a good Christian or a bad one—I cannot say, and neither can anyone else. Trump might do and say things consistent with Christian values or in contradiction to them, but his status as baptized, and therefore as Christian, is beyond dispute.

3. There is no legitimate “principle” by which a “lesser of two evils” may ever be licitly engaged in. It is fundamental moral theology that even a small evil action may never be licitly engaged in—no matter how much good might seem to result therefrom and no matter how much evil might seem to be avoided thereby. There are, to be sure, principles by which a good or neutral action that has two effects, one good and one evil, might be licitly engaged in under certain circumstances despite the evil effects; and there are principles by which “lesser evils” may be tolerated (not chosen). But parsing these matters accurately and responsibly requires more time than can be devoted to them in a press conference.

4. Abortion (assuming we are talking about doing an action intended to kill a human being prior to birth, and not just suffering ‘abortion’, i.e., miscarriage) is, Francis observed, always evil. Abortion is not, however, “evil” because it is a “crime”. Not all criminal acts are by nature evil and not all evil acts are crimes. Other factors must be considered lest moral principles and legal principles become confused.

5. The Vatican City State, a sovereign nation, has the right to build, and has chosen to surround itself with, a giant wall. Evidently, building or using a national wall is not a non-Christian act nor a stance contrary to Gospel values. The pope’s criticism of building walls on part of a national border is probably better understood as prudential in nature, not principled.

6. It is important (though some might say it is too late) to distinguish between a Catholic’s stance toward “same-sex unions” and that toward “same-sex marriage”. These are not equivalent terms. Legal recognition of “same-sex unions” might be a good idea, a tolerable idea, or a bad idea, but, per se, “same-sex unions” are things over which reasonable minds (including Catholic minds) may differ; in contrast, Catholics may never approve or support “same-sex marriage”, this, upon pain of contradicting infallible Church teaching, if not of committing heresy.

7. The pope said nothing suggesting confusion about “celibacy” and “continence” (c. 277), although the Crux reporter seems to regard the former as another word for the latter. Anyway, I do not know whether there is such a thing as a (priest) who does not have the “friendship of a woman”, but I would not think the “friendship of a woman” is necessary to make a man ‘complete’."

 Feb. 18, 2016

Sunday, February 28, 2016

“…cry out…”

“We’ve had enough of exhortations to be silent! Cry out with a hundred thousand tongues. I see that the world is rotten because of silence.”
– St. Catherine of Siena 

             A Saint of the Passion

 ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA IN FILAGREE FRAME








Saturday, January 30, 2016

From Archbishop Sample's Last Diocese - Michigan Bishop Inaugurates Program to have Chant at all Parishes.

This story was suggested by a VOCAL reader.

Catholic World News

January 29, 2016

Bishop John Doerfler of Marquette, Michigan, has issued directions for all parishes in the diocese to institute programs that will lead to the congregation chanting the Ordinary parts of the Mass.
Following up on the work of his predecessor in Marquette, then-Bishop Alexander Sample (who is now Archbishop of Portland, Oregon), Bishop Doerfler has called for the action to carry out the vision of Vatican II, which encouraged the use of Gregorian chant and congregational involvement in the singing.

In a pastoral letter released in 2013, Bishop Sample had also called attention to the Council's directives on liturgical music, as well as similar directives from post-conciliar Pontiffs and from the US episcopal conference. "Given all of this strong teaching from the Popes, the Second Vatican Council, and the US bishops, how is it that this ideal concerning Gregorian chant has not been realized?" he asked. Bishop Doerfler said that he was taking action to realize his predecessor's ideal.
Therefore, the bishop said, all parishes in the Marquette diocese will be expected to teach chant to the faithful, and introduce the regular chanting of the Ordinary parts of the Mass. These steps, Bishop Doerfler said, "can be taken by the smallest parishes in the diocese." He ordered that all parishes have chant programs in place by the end of the year 2020.

Bishop Doerfler also announced that the diocese would prepare its own hymnal, and only music from that hymnal will be approved for use at Mass in the diocese. He said that a diocesan director of sacred music will be appointed, to help parishes instruct the faithful and prepare for the new programs.

Friday, January 29, 2016

The Archdiocese Now Serving Only Fair Trade Coffee.

Years agos, before Archbishop Sample's arrival, the second floor of the Pastoral Center had a coffee cart filled with air-pots of Starbucks coffee. (Starbucks is across the street as is Whole Foods).  There were different flavors of syrup for the coffee as well as Lindor candies wrapped in colorful paper.  Extra-sized cookies were also available.  

This was observed twice and months apart.  Others noticed the same thing so it seemed to be the norm. 

Having "Fair-trade" coffee that is more expensive, probably, shows more of a mentality of wealth and doesn't seem to put  "collection plate money" to good use.  In fact, bringing a thermos of coffee from home is more "Catholic" than using Fair trade coffee and might be more appropriate to put on the front page.   But this might be just a matter of opinion. 

Here are some links on the subject.

http://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_problem_with_fair_trade_coffee

https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/pros-and-cons-fair-trade-coffee

 http://www.explainthatstuff.com/fairtrade.html


                                   Archdiocese Serving Fair Trade Coffee


Employees at the Archdiocese of Portland pastoral center stop for a coffee break.

The Archdiocese of Portland will serve only fair trade coffee at the Pastoral Center in Northeast Portland. The move is meant to help the archdiocese live consistently with Catholic social teaching, since fair trade coffee benefits the poor and vulnerable instead of large corporations.

“Fair trade coffee supports farmers in developing countries who are socially and economically marginalized,” says Matt Cato director of the archdiocese’s Office of Life, Justice and Peace. “Fair trade guarantees that small-scale coffee bean farmers in Third-World countries achieve a fair price for their beans.”

Cato says fair trade promotes the dignity of workers by ensuring fair wages and by helping vulnerable producers maintain their livelihoods when traditional economic structures shut them out.

“Fair trade is Catholic,” Cato says. “Fair trade coffee costs a little but more, but it is the right thing to do.”