LETTERS
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Contents © 2002
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
LETTERS
MARCH 2002
PUERILE ACCUSATIONS
In a letter (January 2002 Mission) signed by Marina Privitelli, the writer accuses anyone who is homosexual , or who favors a homosexual conduct, a gay clergy, or a married clergy, as being Protestant -- i.e. totally ungodly, in her estimation. Gratuitous insults, ill-founded accusations such as these against another religious denomination only serve to widen the breach between us and "THEM." Patently false, puerile accusations, such as Privitelli's, demonstrate an appalling lack of knowledge of what local Protestant churches preach and profess, as well as what they have achieved in evangelization and in preaching the Word!
Not a few of the Protestant churches with their pastors and clergy and members have gone on public record as opposing and denouncing as ungodly the very lifestyle which Privitelli accuses them of in the context of being Protestant. Indeed, some of them have threatened to, or have actually withdrawn from their national bodies over the issue of a homosexual clergy.
Next time, madam, verify your facts before you put your un-Christ-like pen to paper! You paint with too wide a brush. Peter, our first pope, was married, and so were many, many of the clergy in the patristic era; the clergy (apart from their bishops), today, in the Uniate churches, the Greek Catholic, the Greek Orthodox, and the Russian Church, are married. Does this make them Protestant, too?
As Catholics we must pray in earnest and reflect on the theme, ut unum sint, so often advocated in papal letters, but so seldom reflected in our own prayer life.
Edward Petko
Sherman Oaks
THANKS, ROAMIN' CATHOLIC
I would like to express my gratitude for the excellent article, "Roamin' Catholic." Our family is in the process of relocating to the Hollywood area and found your article very informative. We are very concerned about what parish would best meet the needs of our growing family. It is very important that the parish reflect the universality and orthodoxy of our Roman Catholic tradition. Your article gave me the incentive to find out more information about St. Ambrose parish in West Hollywood. It seems that the parish could be an excellent source of spiritual nurturing for me, my wife and our five children. It sounds very inclusive and open to diversity. Thank you and God bless you.
Frank Natale
San Francisco
IT SAYS IT ALL
For the past few years, I have been fortunate to carry on a correspondence with a man from Ghana who is Muslim. In a small way, I have been able to expose this man to Christianity by my actions. My friend has said he would be a Christian if it weren't for being born a Muslim.
For a religion to have such a grip on a person where they cannot change religions says it all about the Muslim faith and its peaceful nature.
Craig Galik
Duquesne, PA
LIGHT A CANDLE
Priests rarely talk about abortion from the pulpit, and never about birth control. It's a complaint we've heard often. But a few months ago I wrote a priest I thought was sincere. I urged him to talk about it. I couldn't help but get specific -- say why it's wrong, talk about Natural Family Planning, explain abortifacient birth control, from the pulpit.
It wasn't until last Sunday that I asked him about it. He thanked me and said, yes he had, "especially at the Spanish Masses, because they get lot of misinformation."
So, don't curse the darkness. Try to light a candle. Sometimes it works.
Joe O'Brien
INFORMATIVE, BUT SAD
Thank you for your excellent, authentic Catholic publication so different from the yellow rags, leftist propaganda of most diocesan papers which are ideal to line bird cages with. Let nature take its course, and the larger the birds, the better.
I found the article about Phyllis Sweeney's return to the Catholic Church ["I Always Felt That Wall," February 2002 Mission] quite interesting and informative, but sad. It pains me greatly that far too many parishes appear to be distant and cold to newcomers. Yes, Catholics can learn a great deal from Protestants when it comes to making people feel welcome in church. It breaks our hearts to see Catholics running out of the church before the last hymn is sung and out of the parking lot within a minute or two.
Phyllis Sweeney's sad experience in a parish where only one person greeted her and her children is sad indeed! Yet, there are parishes where some Catholics do take time to make others feel welcome. Our family and the parishioners of Saint Anne's Byzantine Catholic Church in San Luis Obispo make an effort to greet any newcomers and visitors and invite everyone to refreshments after Divine Liturgy on Sundays. How blessed indeed are we at Saint Anne's to have a wonderful pastor who not only preaches inspiring sermons, but who truly cares for his flock. If you are a Catholic who has never been to Divine Liturgy in an Eastern Catholic church, you are indeed missing a great deal. The incense, the reverence, the singing, the sense of mystery is a foretaste of heaven. If you ever come through the Central Coast on a Sunday, join us for 10 a.m. Divine Liturgy at St. Anne's Byzantine Catholic Church. It is a fact that we are a warm, friendly congregation. It explains in part why in five or six years the number of parishioners has doubled.
It is less than Christian if you see someone new in your parish and you don' t make an effort to welcome that newcomer.
Constantine N. Santos
Atascadero