LETTERS
2001 LETTERS
December
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ROAMIN' CATHOLIC
Contents © 2001
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
LETTERS
JANUARY 2001
CORRECTION:
My name is Father Chris Heath. I am the "other" Fr. Chris in the diocese of Orange, the "first" one being Father Christopher Smith, the diocesan vicar for education [see "Theology in Wonderland," by Charles A. Coulombe, December 2000, Mission]. We have on occasion been mistaken for each other because of our names. But no one should mistake our roles in the diocese, and I would appreciate it if you would print a correction in your next paper.
Fr. Chris Heath
San Clemente
Editor's note: In our article, "Theology in Wonderland," in our December issue we said that Father Chris Heath was the director of the Orange diocese's Institute for Pastoral Ministry. We were incorrect in our designation and apologize for the confusion.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE DECEITFUL OPEN SECRET
You did a real service to Catholic readers in carrying a condensation of Father Paul J. Shaughnessy, S.J.'s article from Catholic World Report [see "Act Manfully, Lord Bishops"]. Please keep after this crucial problem. Open attention alone will prompt a solution to the deceitful open secret that most other religious bodies in the United States have addressed publicly. For personal reasons, I ask you not to publish my email letter with my name and address. I am enmeshed in a struggle with religious superiors over this issue.
Anonymous
received by e-mail
BACK TO THE FLAT EARTH
I was sad to see the extremely dated article, "Act Manfully, Lord Bishops," in your December issue. We are living in a progressive time when this kind of homophobic thinking now belongs with the flat earth and evolution-never-happened cosmos. I don't know of any modern psychiatrist who now thinks that being a gay clergyman is a mental disorder.
Other denominations (Episcopalian, Reform Judaism, and Unitarian) now welcome gay clergy and their same-sex partners. Gay marriages are now common. Vermont is the first U.S. state to legalize civil ceremonies.
I hope that gay Catholic priests know that they will be welcomed in the liberal and progressive Christian communities.
Dr. Alan Albert Snow, Th.D.
Balboa Island
THE PEACE CONFERENCE BROUGHT ME TO JESUS
I've always supported your newspaper, but was shocked to read your article on the Medjugorje Peace Conference [see "Hysterical Hallucinations?" by James Andrew, December, 2000 Mission]. In 1991, my mother brought me to the peace conference in Irvine. I had been away from the Church for ten years and was severely hooked on crack cocaine. I went there after a three-day crack binge, in a hopeless condition. The singer, Michael O'Brien, who was there, wrote a letter to me when my mother went up to him to get an autograph. This note spoke to my soul. A nun prayed over me. I had a spiritual experience at this conference and started to attend Mass, pray the rosary daily, and bring people back to the Catholic Church. Two were recently confirmed.
Today I am free of crack cocaine and am very active in the Twelve Step recovery helping other drug-addicts and alcoholics. I wasn't healed instantly. After I returned to the Catholic Church, a priest recommended me to the Twelve Step program. I've been sober over three years and have never had it so good. Today I own my own insurance company. I owe my healing to the Virgin Mary because I believe the Medjugorje Peace Conference brought me back to the Catholic Church and, most importantly, to Jesus.
Steve C.
Fullerton
I LIKED YOUR ARTICLE, BUT...
I liked your article on Medjugorje; it was very informative [see "Hysterical Hallucinations?" by James Andrew, December, 2000 Mission]. At the same time, I wonder why a person of such obvious talent as James Andrew does not make better use of criteria that can be objectively investigated and come to a valid conclusion without resorting to petty gossip to juice up his article. There are criteria to investigate miracles and visions. You can come to your own personal conclusions, while respecting the investigations of others. Bad popes do not make a bad Church. Human weaknesses do not invalidate visions. God does not have to use saints to accomplish His will. Perhaps if there had not been any prophecies, Medjugorje should have received approval, but there can be no approval until all prophecies have been fulfilled. But that does not it itself invalidate truth.
Dr. Tom Pantolillo
San Diego
QUESTIONABLE LISTINGS
Over the past several months, I've noticed that the Los Angeles Mission, a sister publication of San Diego News Notes, The Faith, and La Cruz, has run calendar listings outside the "usual" realm of recognized orthodox Catholic seminars and conferences. In addition to advertisements for EWTN-sponsored youth conferences featuring non-Catholic speakers and musicians, and calendar listings supporting activities at non-Catholic locations, the December issue included suggestions for the Anonymous 4 at an Episcopal Church and at El Camino College (on the Catholic feast day of the Immaculate Conception, no less). Most questionable is the listing for the event, "Megan McKenna Story Telling," to be held December 17,18,19 at Holy Family Parish in South Pasadena. That Holy Family would provide a venue for McKenna is one question; that your paper would announce such an event is another. McKenna has been a speaker at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress repeatedly. Last year, one of her talks at the congress was entitled, "Wisdom's Beloved Child: Jesus the Prophet." In 1998 McKenna spoke at the Call to Action gathering. You might reconsider what image the Mission is projecting -- mixing advertisements for Steubenville, Ignatius Press, EWTN, with recognized heterodox speakers.
Teri
received by e-mail
Editor's note: We do not list events or speakers in our calendar that we know to be unorthodox. If such a person or event should slip our vigilance, we appreciate any correction from our readers. I see nothing wrong with running an advertisement for the Anonymous 4, an accomplished group of singers who perform Catholic medieval and polyphonic music. Attendance at such a concert on a holy day is not out of keeping with the solemnity of the day. That they perform in an Episcopalian church or a secular college campus, is immaterial.
DO NOT DIVIDE ON AESTHETICS
I respect what work you do. However, I don't think putting a "worst" category in your local church survey will fulfill your mission of not hiding "what is negative." Aesthetics is not an absolute. What draws one to God is very personal and individual. I dislike very modern spiritual music; yet, the young people are moved by it. I was in Taize this year and saw a very reverent worship. Yet, I also saw reverent worship at other venues, which had music and aesthetics I was not attracted by.
Someday, I would hope that Catholic communications media would sponsor a dialogue with the various spectrums of catholic thought. There is much common ground; and it would be beneficial to unite, not divide. An overemphasis on corporate Catholicism tends to distort the message of Jesus Christ.
Thomas M. Whaling
Lake Forest