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Contents © 2000
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
LETTERS
MAY 2000
OUT OF CONTEXT
Kudos to James McCoy for allowing Kevin Smith to defend his movie Dogma in your paper [see "Man Behind the 'Buddy Christ'" May 2000 Mission]. However, I suggest that McCoy learn some Scripture the next time he attempts to interview non-Catholics. Smith is an "Old Catholic;" Old Catholics left the Church in schism after Vatican I over the doctrine of the infallibility of the pope. Like most non-Catholics, Smith assumes that Catholics don't know their Scripture. He quotes verses out of context to prove his point against the Church.
For example, Smith quotes Matthew 13:55-56 and Mark 6:3. The first reads: "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brethren James and Joseph (Mark: Joses) and Simon and Judas? 56. And are not all his sisters with us?" Smith tells us that Mary was not a virgin after the birth of Jesus. Of course, the Fifth General Council (553) gives Mary the title of honor, "perpetual virgin" as does the Lateran Synod of 649 and Pope Paul IV in 1555. All Catholics must believe in the perpetual virginity of Mary as a matter of faith. Unlike most non-Catholics, the Church uses all the Scripture in defining her doctrine.
What degree of relationship to Jesus did those mentioned in Matthew and Mark have? Well Simon was the "son of John," (John 1:42) and was from the city "of Bethsaida," (John 1:44). James is also mentioned as the brother of Jesus in Galatians 1:9, yet from the Passion narrative Jose (Joseph) and James are the sons of Clopas (Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25); and Judas is the son of James (Luke 6:16). In addition we note that the fact that the dying Redeemer entrusted His Mother to the protection of the disciple John (John 19:26) presupposes that Mary had no other children but Jesus. At any event, it is difficult to understand how the doctrine of the perpetual Virginity of Mary could have grown up early in the second century if her four acknowledged sons were prominent Christians with one being the bishop of Jerusalem.
George Noonan,
Sylmar
MOVE OVER, ENQUIRER
I have suspected a biased presentation in your reporting. This misrepresentation of facts to your perverted agenda causes one to DEMAND that you stop sending me your disservice to the clergy and laity in the form of detraction and slander. Your rag belongs on the check-out shelves along with all the other sensationalist journalism one finds in supermarkets. Stop sending me your insensitive gossip sheet because you do not abide by your claim "to report truthfully about the Catholic Church in Southern California ... not to hide what is negative."
May God have mercy on you for undermining the Church with your mole-like tactics to "not hide what is negative" -- as if the secular press has not done enough damage.
Reverend Ralph Monteiro, OSA
Hoopa
Editor's note: The above letter was written in response to a news item, published in the March 2000 Mission, summarizing a Los Angeles Times story on the aftermath of the scandals surrounding Bishop Ziemann. It is not the Mission, nor even the secular press, who, in reporting scandals, do damage to the Church -- it is the perpetrators of the scandals, themselves, who do the damage. Such damage to the Church will continue as long as the hierarchy does not attend to the derelict clergy in their midst. Until then, the Church's reputation will suffer -- as do now the victims of clerical abuse and dishonesty.
GIVE THEM A SHOVE
We finally have a bishop who has courage enough to say "no." Bishop Paul Loverde of Arlington, Virginia, listened to his laity, investigated and found their concerns to be worthwhile.
At least he did not tell his people not to commit the sin of "rash judgment." How could Archbishop Levada say that to the people of Santa Rosa? After what they have been through with Ziemann, whose grandfather was the great Joe Scott, one of the real Catholics in Los Angeles.
The sooner the Church is cleansed of the Ziemanns, Clarks, Hubbards, Weaklands, etc., the better. Perhaps then the Catholic Church in the United States will survive.
To run down the list of speakers at Mahony's Religious Education Congress is a total disgrace. These people are intent on destroying the faith of millions, and have succeeded all too well.
I could fill pages with these people who dissent form all Church rules and teachings. Let them go! In fact, give them a push, and stop apologizing for all the centuries.
William C. Osborn,
Long Beach
HYPOCRITES!
You're not Christians -- you are HATEMONGERS, same ilk as Falwell and Pat Robertson. Why accept that portion of Medicare, medical, Social Security, schools and other services, paid by gay people? Hypocrites!
anonymous