Faith by democracy?

From a letter to the Cincinnati Catholic Telegraph:

It is important for us to keep in mind that Catholic morality is not determined by voting majorities. The commission was not a legislative body; it was an advisory one. If the method for determining Catholic morality should be democratic rule, then we should go a step further than the Papal Commission: We should put such decisions before all baptized Catholics (practicing or not) to be decided.

Some people advocate a version of this in their misinterpretation of the sensus fidei or “appreciation of the faith” as mentioned in the chapter on the laity in Vatican II’s Lumen Gentium (35). However, we do not want a church that puts morality up to popular vote or opinion polls. The crowds cheered Jesus at His entry into Jerusalem, and they condemned Him later that week, calling for His crucifixion. The crowd is fickle; the Holy Spirit is not.

H/T to Rich Leonardi.

"Pontiff Calls for Complete Fidelity to Magisterium"

What a shock!  That was the ZENIT headline:  "Pontiff Calls for Complete Fidelity to Magisterium".

Benedict XVI is urging prelates to call Catholics to complete fidelity to the magisterium, presenting Church teaching as a message of hope rather than a series of prohibitions. [...] "If the Church's teaching is compromised, even slightly, in one such area, then it becomes hard to defend the fullness of Catholic doctrine in an integral manner," the Holy Father said.

"Pastors of the Church, therefore, must continually call the faithful to complete fidelity to the Church's magisterium," he said, "while at the same time upholding and defending the Church's right to live freely in society according to her beliefs. [...] All too often the Church's doctrine is perceived as a series of prohibitions and retrograde positions, whereas the reality, as we know, is that it is creative and life-giving, and it is directed towards the fullest possible realization of the great potential for good and for happiness that God has implanted within every one of us."

Jesus, Paul, and James on works

A woman posting on the Coming Home Network Forums writes:

i have an ongoing problem in that i am engaged to a man who believes in once saved, always saved and all we have to do is believe in Christ as our Lord and Savior....while i do that, i also believe that it matters what we do on this earth.

So does Jesus Christ:

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?  Every one who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like:  he is like a man building a house, who dug deep, and laid the foundation upon rock; and when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it had been well built.  But he who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great." (Luke 6:46-49)

"My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." (Luke 8:21)

"I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead.  Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God." (Rev. 3:1-2)

"I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth." (Rev. 3:15-16)

So does St. Paul:

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you. (Phil 4:9)

So does St. James:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. (James 1:22-24)

Support a Catholic Speaker!

This is from Matthew Warner's blog, Fallible Blogma:

I thought it would be really cool if we could do a joint promotion effort of a lot of the great Catholic speakers out there and the many Catholic blogs.  Introducing…Support a Catholic Speaker Month.

The goal is to create a rising Catholic tide on the internet that lifts all boats (websites, speakers, and all those who participate).  This giant, sudden influx of catholic material and interlinking between Catholic websites should get some attention and raise awareness about all of these great Catholic speakers while also promoting the many wonderful Catholic blogs out there that perhaps you haven’t heard of yet either.

The primary goal of our Favorite Catholic Speakers Poll of 2009 was not to find out who is better than somebody else.  It was to raise awareness about the many Catholic Speakers out there and to support them.  They are all sharing the same, one Truth.  And as talented and effective as the top favorites are at doing what they do, we need many more like them if we’re going to reach everyone.

That’s precisely the motivation for Support a Catholic Speaker Month.

How it works:

1. If you have a blog or website, just request a speaker from the list below by emailing me here: speaker [@] fallibleblogma [DOT] com.  Please include your requested speaker and your blog/website (you don’t have to have a fancy, popular blog – just a desire to help the Catholic community).
2. Next, simply write a short (at least a few paragraphs) post about your speaker. Link back to this page on FallibleBlogma.com and link to the speaker’s own website. Let me know when it’s up and I will link to your post from this post so people can find it on your blog and read it!
3. The tidal wave of Catholic links and posts then flood the web raising awareness and promoting hundreds of Catholic speakers and blogs in the month of October.

To see the list of speakers, go to Matthew's post.

Faith and Works: What did Jesus say?

This is what I heard on the lips of Jesus Christ this morning at Mass:  "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it." (Luke 8:21)  Sounds like faith and works to me...

Meditation on GDC 56c: "Profession of faith"

Abandonment of self to Jesus Christ arouses in believers a desire to know him more profoundly and to identify with him. Catechesis initiates them in knowledge of faith and apprenticeship in the Christian life, thereby promoting a spiritual journey which brings about a "progressive change in outlook and morals". This is achieved in sacrifices and in challenges, as well as in the joys which God gives in abundance. The disciple of Jesus Christ is then ready to make an explicit, living and fruitful profession of faith.

Upon reading these words (especially "apprenticeship"), the following reflection came to me.

The Catholic Church teaches that to be a Christian is more than just to know about Jesus Christ; it's even more than knowing Jesus Christ. It is, in fact, to cooperate with him, to be configured to him, to share in his life and death, and ultimately to participate in the divine life of the Trinity. It is to live for Christ, not for yourself; it is, as the GDC states, "to identify with him." In the words of St. Paul: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20)

We're living 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. There's no vacation, no off-time. Living is a full-time job. Being a Christian means living Christ every minute of every day. It's an occupation: you don't occupy it, it — that is, he — occupies you! If being a Christian is a job, where do you acquire your job skills? Back in Jesus' day, there weren't carpentry schools: if you wanted to learn a trade, you apprenticed under someone. As far as the faith goes, that hasn't changed for us today: you can go to all the schools you want, amass all the degrees you can, but if you haven't apprenticed under the Master Himself, you're not a Christian. Christianity — I mean genuine Catholic Christianity — is not an encounter with a book, but rather, as Pope Benedict wrote in Deus Caritas Est, it is "the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction."

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ means sitting at his feet (like Martha's sister Mary) and learning from him. The word disciple comes from the Latin verb discere which means "to learn; to hear, get to know, become acquainted with; to acquire knowledge of / skill in." A disciple gets to know Jesus and acquires skill in being like him. This is apprenticeship!

When you are ready to call yourself a disciple of Jesus Christ, when you are ready to accept the Catholic faith, the GDC says you are "ready to make an explicit, living and fruitful profession of faith." Being a disciple is a full-time job. There are no "amateur" disciples, only professional ones. Being a Catholic is more than a "way of life," it is a profession. It's about what you believe: we accept the revelation which God has made to known through His Church. And it's about what you do: the "obedience of faith" (Rom. 1:5) we owe to God demands that we conform ourselves to Jesus Christ. No wonder the Church teaches that we are all called to share in the redemptive mission of our Savior: if we're living like Jesus, what else can we do than save souls? If we're as Christ-like as can be, we're all co-mediators and co-redeemers who are living and carrying out the mission of our Lord. (Don't get me wrong: Jesus is the Redeemer and the Mediator, but if we are co-operating with him, we are sharing in his redemptive and mediative works.)

God is hiring. There are openings in His family. The benefits are phenomenal... and eternal.

Resources on Being and Becoming Catholic

If you are interested in books or "tracts" on becoming Catholic, I would suggest you first read Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth. You can read it online at Catholic Answers or you can order a copy. It is a very good introduction to the Catholic Church.

If you are curious what Catholics believe, I would suggest the Compendium to the Catechism. You can read it online or buy a copy. (It's probably better to buy than try reading online, but that's just my opinion.)

Finally, this brief web page describes How to Become a Catholic.

Religion and the United States

I found this through NewAdvent's blog roundup. Bishop John Carroll (the first Catholic Bishop of the United States) said this about George Washington (the first president of the United States):

The last act of his supreme magistracy was to inculcate in most impressive language on his countrymen… his deliberate and solemn advice; to bear incessantly in their minds that nations and individuals are under the moral government of an infinitely wise and just Providence; that the foundations of their happiness are morality and religion; and their union among themselves their rock of safety… May these United States flourish in pure and undefiled religion, in morality, peace, union, liberty, and the enjoyment of their excellent Constitution, as long as respect, honor, and veneration shall gather around the name of Washington; that is, whilst there still shall be any surviving record of human events!

[H/T: McNamara's Blog]

Lecture Notes from "The Splendor of Catholicism"

I just got back from the second day of the lecture series by Dr. Ted Sri. I'm making my notes freely available. You can download them here. His lectures were "Praying the Rosary Like Never Before", "A Biblical Walk Through the Mass", "Marriage and the Eucharist", "The Eucharist in Scripture", and "Entering Christ's Passion".

Morning Prayer was beautiful. The Mass was also beautiful. The chanting was wonderful, thanks to the cantor Geoff (who is studying liturgy at Mundelein) and his schola, and the rest of the music for Mass was wonderfully sung by the rest of the choir. The organist played wonderfully as well.

The homily on St. Francis de Sales and the universal vocation to holiness — 20 minutes at least, and that's the longest homily I've ever heard at a daily Mass — was exquisite. Fr. Timothy, God bless you!

Last but certainly not least, the church had some particularly interesting and moving decorations in the sanctuary. Two "icons" (I'm not quite sure what to call them), one of the Victory of the Lamb (sitting on a book with seven seals, all of which are opened), the other the Pelican feeding its young with its own flesh and blood. These are of course two ancient symbols for Christ. There was also a crucifix (as opposed to an empty cross or a "resurrectrix") suspended above the altar. There were three lights in the ceiling shining on it, such that on the back wall of the sanctuary, there appeared three shadows of crucifixes (evocative of Calvary). And the center shadow had, at its base, the tabernacle! And to top it all off, above the sanctuary were the pipes of the organ, and the center pipes were not standing straight up but sticking out horizontally, looking like trumpets... trumpets of the angelic host proclaiming the victory of Christ over death and sin.

God moved me today. It shall not be forgotten.

Keeping the Catholic Faith

What, or who, do these people think they are fighting? A Jesuit priest, Fr. Roger Haight, had a book of his (from 1999) censured by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) four years ago, in December of 2004. In his theological work Jesus: Symbol of God, Fr. Haight put forth several ideas about who Jesus Christ is, what the Trinity is, and whether Jesus Christ is the unique savior of the world; these ideas attempt to redefine Christology in a way that the CDF considers unreconcilable with the Catholic faith. You can read about it in their notification on his book.

The seven primary points which the CDF says Fr. Haight calls into question are 1) the theological method, 2) the pre-existence of the Word, 3) the divinity of Jesus, 4) the Holy Trinity, 5) the salvific value of the death of Jesus, 6) the unicity and universality of the salvific mediation of Jesus and of the Church, and 7) the Resurrection of Jesus. These are weighty issues! They are central to the whole teaching of the Church!

The "these people" I refer to in my link to the National Catholic Reporter (a source every Catholic should utterly avoid, excluding John Allen's column which is its sole Catholic perspective) are the people who claim in their comments that "Rome" is afraid of losing its power by having this priest question "Rome's" doctrines. It is as if just before Vatican II, "Rome" got together and defined Jesus' divinity, the Trinity, etc., and Vatican II was meant to free Catholics from such stuffy ways of thinking (as if God favored any one religion, one person says).

These people are evidently not aware that these doctrines were hashed out in the early centuries of the Church. And it was not "Rome" (as these people imagine it to be) that made these definitions, it was a Council of Bishops. One person actually attempts to contrast "the teachings of the Second Vatican Council" with the doctrines being questioned by Fr. Haight, saying that Vatican II's teachings "could actually be considered as definitive because of our Bishops meeting in a sacred Council". Where does he come up with this stuff? What of the sacred Council of Nicea? What of Ephesus? Does he know where the Catholic faith comes from? It comes to us from the Apostles, and through the Magisterium of the Church. It is defined and clarified through sacred Councils.

What did Vatican II say about Jesus' divinity, the truth of the Holy Trinity, the pre-existence of the Word, etc.? Long story short, they reaffirmed the Church's tradition teaching and theology. It wasn't concerned with challenging or changing any of these things; it's not in the Church's power to do so! Read Lumen Gentium 14-17 and see what the Church teaches about Christ as the Savior of the world. Read Lumen Gentium 22 and see what the Church teaches about the Pope as the supreme pastor of the Church.

How do people choose to remain this ignorant?! It appalls me.

Humor: You were a believer, yes, but...

Via Brian Saint-Paul at Inside Catholic:

Catholic Q&A with teenagers

As I hope you've all figured out by now, I lead a Bible study for young adults (20s and 30s) at a nearby parish. Two of the members of the study are the leaders of a Bible study at that same parish for teenagers. I've been invited to their next meeting:

Hey Jeff, hope you're doing well. Next Thursday night, we are going to have a question and answer session with the teen bible study and Nicole and I thought it might be a good idea to invite you since you always have some great facts to share. Some of their questions are in regards to:

Evolution
Reconciliation (Won't God forgive our sins if we ask)
Eucharist (Is it really Jesus or not)
Why Priests can't marry
History of the Church and corruption

and other various things about the Catholic church.

I plan on brushing up on my Catechism, and bringing along my Bible, Catechism, Compendium of the Catechism, and even Pope Benedict's recent book The Fathers. Maybe a few other resources as well. The topics listed are answerable from a Scriptural, historical, and Catechism-al approach: Scripture supports it, the history of the Church has verified and confirmed it, and the Catechism teaches it. (As for evolution, which is not mentioned in the Catechism at all, I'll take a different approach, pointing out that while Genesis 1-11 is a "certain type of history", there are some particular things we must believe from it -- e.g., the special creation of man and woman -- and certain things which are not required to be believed -- e.g., whether the "day" was a 24-hour day.)

But I'm interested in knowing how you'd approach these topics. Remember, my audience is teenagers. I'm 27 now, probably at least 10 years removed from them. (You there, reading my blog in an un-assuming manner... I'm asking you!)

God is Big! Real Big!

A 2004 book by an Australian priest who denies that Jesus is God recently made the news. In chapter 5, "Jesus the Avatar", of God is Big! Real Big! -- and yes, that is the actual title -- Fr. Peter Dresser insists that Jesus is not God and never considered himself to be God.

Fr. Z tackles the story as well.

This is the same place that had been (and possibly still is) baptizing invalidly, "in the name of the Creator, the Liberator, and the Sanctifier".

You can read the whole book online... but... why? Adding to my prayer intentions.

Update: The problem with ressourcement ("returning to the sources") is you must be careful which sources it is you are returning to! Are they orthodox or heterodox? As canonist Edward Peters puts it: "The more modernistic the liberal clerical cohort in Australia tries to become, the older are the heresies that they promote."

Update 2: Fr. Dresser has taken the book offline, and put the following message on his blog:

I can understand why the article in “The Australian” (October 29) has appalled so many people. It has caused scandal and anger, concern and anguish and has hurt me personally. It saddens me that such hysteria has erupted and I feel obliged as a Catholic priest to quell the tempest as best I can.

At the outset I want to reaffirm my belief in the Divinity of Jesus, the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection of Jesus. This affirmation is entirely unsolicited and comes from the heart of a person who has cherished his Catholic religion from childhood and has no reason to repudiate or disparage its core tenets.

The comments in the newspaper were taken from a manuscript I compiled prayerfully and reflectively over many years. In that document I attempted to go beyond doctrine and dogma and to discover God’s magnificence and friendship in the world of science and evolution and in the immensity of the universe. It was not an arrogant attempt to spurn or scorn my Catholic theology. It was more an attempt to personalise and retheologise my Catholic faith and so allow my religion to provide greater nourishment for me in my spiritual journey. It was also my intention to emphasise the human nature of Jesus and Mary. It was a very worthwhile and meaningful experience for me and for others with whom I shared it.

The manuscript is not easy to read and so I can readily appreciate that many people have found its content confusing and indeed even “heretical”. Unfortunately people have not appreciated that my explorative theology is not a credal statement. I also employed a jargon in the process which has made the document even more confusing for so many. My sole intention was to make our beautiful Catholic religion and its beliefs more meaningful in our contemporary world. I am distressed that I have caused pain and anguish instead.

With hindsight it would probably have been wise not to have allowed random access to the manuscript. I requested that the web site which hosted this document be closed down and this has happened. At this stage there is very little else I can do except to apologise to anyone who has been scandalised by what was meant to have been a prayerful, refreshing and invigorating document.

As sincere as he may be, his belief in the Divinity of Jesus, the Virgin Birth, and the Resurrection of Jesus are beliefs in names of dogmas with radically altered substance.

News: New dicastery for Catholic bloggers formed

CNS is reporting a development in the Roman Curia from late last night:

Pope forms Congregation for Internet Evangelization

By Fred Yulent
Catholic News Service

ROME (CNS) -- Verifying rumors that Francis Cardinal Arinze was due to be replaced as the Prefect for the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Pope Benedict XVI named Arinze the head of a new dicastery late Monday night.

In an audience held at 10:30 PM (EDT), the Pope presented a signed Apostolic Constitution, motu proprio, which defined the congregation and laid down its rules and responsibilities. Arinze graciously accepted his new appointment, effective immediately.

The Cardinal has a web site, containing a podcast and regular video updates, through which he has been representing the Church's stance on liturgical matters. It is believed the Pope selected him to be the Prefect of the new congregation because of his familiarity with the medium and his strong internet presence.

The Apostolic Constitution Technologium saeculum ("The Age of Technology") addresses the growing need for "liturgical and biblical catechesis at the click of a button" and recognizes the efforts of hundreds of Catholic bloggers, many of whom are priests and religious, in providing "the genuine Catholic faith to millions of internet-savvy people of varying religions".

Although the Constitution did not name names, the Pope did speak of two priests in particular: Fr. John Zuhlsdorf and Fr. Tim Finigan.

Among the duties of the Congregatio pro Evangelizatione Interretiali is the painstaking process of registering the Catholics who present catechetical material on their blogs; this registration will allow the orthodox Catholic bloggers to present an authentic seal of approval from the dicastery, similar to the nihil obstat and imprimatur of printed works.

Faith: Pope Paul VI on the Nicene Creed

Wow. Add this Apostolic Letter of Pope Paul VI -- Solemni Hac Liturgia -- to the list of documents from the era around Vatican II that people have just plum overlooked! (Another document on that list is Pope Bl. John XXIII's Veterum Sapientia, about the importance of the Latin language in the Church and the education thereof.)

It is an aggiornamento (bringing up-to-date) of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed... in a good way. His Holiness expounds on the elements of the Creed, reinforcing the Catholic faith in a time of "disquiet which agitates certain modern quarters with regard to the faith", "in which so many certainties are being disputed". Without being "strictly speaking a dogmatic definition", it is a bold re-affirmation of so many elements of the Catholic faith.

This document should be required reading in every RCIA session around the world!

The Pope speaks of the Trinity and its Persons, Mary the Mother of God (specifically her perpetual virginity, Immaculate Conception, Assumption, and universal Motherhood), original sin, being reborn in the Holy Spirit, baptism, the Church of Jesus Christ founded on Peter and its four marks, the Word (in Scripture, Tradition, and Authority), the single Shepherd of the Church, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass being the sacramental presentation of the Sacrifice of Calvary, the transubtantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the temporal concern of the Church, purgatory, the communion of saints, and the Resurrection.

Blessed be God Thrice Holy. Amen.