More on Women Priests

Pope Benedict, quoted in the book-interview with Peter Seewald, Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times, states unequivocally that the Catholic Church cannot ordain women. 

Specifically, the pope said, "The church has 'no authority' to ordain women. The point is not that we are saying we don't want to, but that we can't...we are not a regime based on arbitrary rule. We cannot do what we want." 

He is, of course, only reaffirming what the Church has taught from the beginning, that Jesus, when He instituted the priesthood, restricted ordination to men, making this in essence "divine law", unchangeable by the Church.

Coincidentally, yesterday a friend sent me a link to a video interview with Linda Poindexter, a Maryland woman who was an Episcopal priest but subsequently converted to Catholicism. I throught her comments worth repeating here...

As many of the disciples said of Jesus' teachings, ""This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"

God's peace...

Video: Pope Benedict's Consecration of Sagrada Familia

Just in case you missed it last month, here's a video that encapsulates Pope Benedict's visit to the Basilica of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona which he consecrated on November 7. Not only can you hear the highlights of the pope's homily, but you will also enjoy some wonderful views of the "new" basilica. I hope you enjoy it...

Gaudi, Sagrada Familia, Sainthood & More

If you've been following this blog for the past few weeks, you'll know that Diane and I spent some time in Barcelona last month. We both agree that the highlight of our stay was our visit to the newly designated Basilica of Sagrada Familia (Holy Family). Its consecration as a Catholic church and basilica by Pope Benedict XVI occurred while we were in Barcelona, and we were privileged to have seen the Holy Father as he passed by us in the Popemobile en route to the church. We actually didn't visit Sagrada Familia until the following week after we had returned from a week-long cruise in the western Mediterranean. We would happily have joined Pope Benedict at the consecration on November 7, but I think our invitations got lost in the mail.

Sagrada Familia from Montjuic (Note large cranes.)

Over the years I've visited and worshiped in a lot of churches and cathedrals, but this basilica is far and away the most remarkable. The exterior is so unique, so different from any other church, that one can spend hours just looking at it from every possible angle, trying to absorb all that the architect, Antoni Gaudi, has presented to the world. Gaudi actually began working on the project in 1883 and completely revised the original architect's designs. His many successors have been diligent in bringing Gaudi's vision to reality. As it stands now, the church has been under construction for a mere 128 years and will likely remain so for another decade or two. If I am fortunate, I may live long enough to see its completion and perhaps make another visit. But Diane and I both consider ourselves blessed to have had the opportunity to experience it at least once.

Sagrada Familia: The Passion Facade

As remarkable as its exterior is, the interior can only be described as breathtaking. Indeed, that's exactly what happened to me when I first entered and tried to take it all in. I literally had my breath taken away. It was similar to the experience of first entering St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, except there I had expected to be astounded by both size and beauty. Entering Sagrada Familia, however, was different because what I encountered was so completely unexpected. The basilica is shockingly beautiful. It possesses the familiarity of a large church or cathedral with all the standard features: nave, transepts, apse, etc... But everything is so completely different from anything I had ever seen before.

Central Vault with the four evangelists

The work of Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926), Barcelona's most famous architect, is scattered throughout the city and elsewhere and is typified by its seeming liquidity, its gravity defying designs that sometimes appear almost alive. Before my visit to Barcelona I didn't expect to like his work, but it took only a moment for Gaudi to change my mind. Diane and I especially enjoyed our visit to La Pedrera (sometimes known as Casa Milà), a building designed by Gaudi and completed in 1912. 

Facade of La Pedrera from the street

Interestingly, in most of the guidebooks and other publications I read before and during our visit, there was remarkably little about Gaudi the man. Almost everything centered on his work. In particular I could find no answer to the one question that intrigued me: Why did he devote almost all of the last 30 years of his life to Sagrada Familia? After all, he was a very successful and high-priced architect. Why would he drop almost everything else to focus on this one project? I had read that he even poured all of his personal wealth into the project and for 30 years led an ascetic life, even taking up residence in the church as it was under construction.Was this just a personal obsession, a professional fixation on a major project?

And then, in one guidebook, I read about the cause of it all. After he had been working on Sagrada Familia for a decade, Gaudi, it seems, underwent a conversion in his 40s. Subsequently, from 1906 until his accidental death in 1926, he lived an almost monk-like existence in which he abstained from meat and alcohol, went to daily confession and Mass, and developed a deep prayer life. Sagrada Familia became, in his words, his "expiatory temple" and God became his client. Indeed, he became known as "God's acrhitect."

I also just discovered that Gaudi has been under consideration for beatification and ultimately for sainthood. I didn't realize his cause has progressed to this point. Indeed, I actually didn't realize he even had a cause, but apparently it was initiated over ten years ago. It's all very interesting. You can read more here (from 2000) and here (from 2010).

I've included a few more photos of both Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera below. I took these and the above photos during our visit to Barcelona.

Sagrada Familia: 4 of the towers (cranes digitally removed)

Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia: the Nativity Facade

Sagrada Familia: Interior

Sagrada Familia: Above Sanctuary

Sagrada Familia: the Nave

Sagrada Familia facade detail: Marriage of Mary and Jospeph

La Pedrera: Rooftop Sculptures

La Pedrera: Atrium

La Pedrera: Interior rooftop in atrium well

Blessings...

Immaculate Conception: History of the Doctrine

A lot of people -- and not just Protestants, but many Catholics as well -- seem not to understand the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception and its history. Because it was pronounced and defined only in the 19th century by Pope Pius IX (1854), many believe it had no previous history and simply sprang to life from the mind of this pope. In truth it had a long history dating back to the earliest days of the Church.

The following video, by Dr. Mark Miravalle, Professor of Theology and Mariology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, provides some excellent insight into the development of this doctrine of the Catholic Church.

Our family, by the way, has an especially close connection to the Immaculate Conception which is celbrated tomorrow, December 8. My lovely wife, Diane, and our younger son, Brendan, share this wonderful day as their birthday.

Mary Immaculate, pray for us.

Christmas Book List

While the lovely Diane and several of her friends play mahjong in the living room, I have subjected myself to a self-imposed exile in the den. Trapped here, as I am for at least four hours, I decided to use the time productively and straighten up the bookshelves that stretch half-way around the room.

I have an irritating habit of not returning books to their proper place (assuming they even have one) when I have finished with them. After a few months of this, all is in disarray and I am eventually forced to arrange the books once again so I can find them when the need arises. Adding to the challenge this presents is the ongoing acquisition of new books and the lack of shelf space to accommodate them. I'm actually running out of floor space in the den as little piles of books multiply and grow ever higher. I could, of course, buy a few more bookcases, but this suggestion was vetoed by my loving wife who oddly prefers to live in a home rather than a library. I am left with only one alternative: give away some of my books. Yes, it will be a little painful, but if I donate them to our parish library I will still be able to access them if necessary.

And so, as I make my way through the shelves, deciding each book's fate, I've come across many of the books that I found especially enjoyable. With Christmas only weeks away I thought I'd share a few of these titles with you. I offer them for your own reading pleasure, although you might want to consider some as gifts for those people in your life who might enjoy them. Or you might prefer to pass the list along to those who will be buying gifts for you. Just make sure you have enough  shelf space.

Fire of Mercy: Heart of the Word, Volume One (1996) and Volume Two (2003) by Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press.

These two volumes of meditations cover only the first 18 chapters of the Gospel of Matthew, and I await the publication of the third and final volume. Although either or both volumes would make a wonderful gift for anyone, I recommend them especially for homilists, particularly now that we have just begun Year A (Matthew's year) of the three-year liturgical cycle.

I'm not certain if Volume One is still in print, but I'm sure you can obtain a copy from on one of the comprehensive used book websites like abebooks.com or alibris.com.





Christianity for Modern Pagans: Pascal's Pensées, by Peter Kreeft, Ignatius Press, (1993).

Many of us read Pascal's Pensées years ago because we had to. For example, I can recall wading through this seemingly unending collection of thoughts when it was assigned during my junior year of high school. Although I found parts of the book interesting, I really don't believe I was mature enough, intellectually or spiritually, to appreciate much of what Pascal had to say. As a result, I never picked it up again.

Then I came across this book by Peter Kreeft and was motivated to once again dive into Pascal. What a blessing! Kreeft's selections from Pensées are particularly well-suited to our time and his commentary is truly enlightening.




The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde, by Joseph Pearce, Ignatius Press (2004).

Reading Oscar Wilde is, for me, always a pleasure. He was a true literary genius and one of the great wits of modern times. He is also one of the most misunderstood and maligned of  men.

Joseph Pearce, whose biographies of Roy Campbell and G. K. Chesterton I have also enjoyed, has given us a clear and honest a depiction of the man and his work. As he writes in his preface, his goal is to show the reader the "Real Oscar" and to "strip away...the masks that others have placed on him since his death."

This is a wonderful book for anyone who has enjoyed Wilde or has any interest whatsoever in English literature.



The End of the Modern World, by Romano Guardini, Intercollegiate Studies Institute (1998).

Fr. Guardini, one of great theologians of the 20th century, wrote this book sixty years ago and presents us with a view of the future (our present) that is remarkably true to life.

If any book gets you thinking about our civilization and its future, this book will. You might not like, or agree with, all of Fr. Guardini's conclusions, but no intelligent person can just casually dismiss them. And I think that as Christians we can all agree that the his prescription for the ills of our world is exactly what is needed.



 

Deep Conversion, Deep Prayer. Thomas Dubay, S.M., Ignatius Press (2006).

This is a marvelous little book by one of the great spiritual directors, Fr. Thomas Dubay. Fr. Dubay, who died in September 2010, wrote many books during his productive life, but this is my favorite.

Written not for saints, but for all of us who want to become saints, this book is not just about deepening one's prayer life; rather, it's about true conversion, about developing a deeper and closer relationship with God. It's about becoming holy.

I recommend it for anyone and everyone.




The Possessed, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Penguin Classics.

I know what you're thinking: a Russian novel at Christmas? You've got to be kidding! Look, you don't have to read it. It's just a suggestion.

I include it because The Possessed (also called, The Devils) is perhaps the best rarely read Russian novel. I also include it because it seems so relevant to our own times, although it was written almost 150 years ago. The book is about atheists and radicals and small-town celebrities and the confusion and disruption that follow in their wake. It's largely a political novel, although for Dostoevsky politics was never "just politics". It could be either good or evil, and when it was evil it could be very evil indeed.

It's a wonderful read, and reading it will not only impress your friends but provide you with a bon mot or two for all those Christmas parties you'll be attending.

For something a little lighter, but no less interesting and rewarding, read some Jane Austen. I've been an unrepentant Janeite since I was first introduced to her and her work by Father Bernard McMahon during my senior year at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, NY. And for nearly fifty years I have been reading her novels again and again, and never tiring of them. For me every one of Austen's finely crafted novels is a delight, although my personal favorite remains Pride and Prejudice with Mansfield Park a close second.

If you're a fan of good science fiction (and there's a lot of bad science fiction out there), you should treat yourself to the work of the best writer of the genre, Gene Wolfe. I have read many of his books and among my favorites are: An Evil Guest, a supernatural thriller; Pirate Freedom, about a priest transported back in time to the age of piracy; Latro in the Mist, the story of a uniquely disabled mercenary fighting in the Greco-Persian Wars of the 5th century B.C.; and lastly, for the ambitious, I recommend Wolfe's masterful four-volume epic, The Book of the New Sun. All four volumes are available in a two-volume paperback edition: Shadow & Claw: Volumes 1 & 2 and  Sword & Citadel: Volumes 3 & 4.

That's enough, at least until next year. If you have any suggestions for reading this Christmas, pass them along via the "comments" section of this post.

Happy reading.

Homily: 2nd Sunday of Advent

Readings: Is 11:1-10; Ps 72; Rom 14:4-9; Mt 3:1-12

"Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths."

My dad used to read the Gospels to us on Saturday morning, and I remember him reading this passage from Matthew about John the Baptist, and liking the sound of that phrase, “…make straight his paths.” When I asked who John the Baptist was, Dad told me he was a saint and also Jesus’ cousin. I thought that was pretty neat, being God's cousin. But I was especially intrigued by his name, and suggested that instead of Dana McCarthy from now on the family should call me Dana the Smart…Hey, I was only six. My older brother modified this slightly and began calling me Dana the Dope.

About a week later, my dad, my brother and I were riding our bikes in a town park when we came upon a surveying team. When we stopped to watch them. I asked my dad what they were doing. He said they were making a new path through the park, making sure it was straight and level.

At about that time the supervisor, who apparently knew my father, came over and said hello. A moment later he turned at me and said, “Hi there.” My reply? “You’re John the Baptist, aren’t you?”

Well, it seemed logical to me. And so was added another snippet of family lore.

"Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths."

Although John the Baptist wasn’t a surveyor, he was something far greater, a prophet who proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. This is the message and the meaning of Advent: Preparing for the coming of Jesus.

The question is: How and what are we to prepare? Quite simply, we are called on to prepare ourselves through conversion.

A few moments ago, during today’s opening prayer, Father King, praying for all of us gathered here today, asked God to “Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy.” This is how we make straight the Lord’s path – by removing the obstacles that we, in our sinfulness, place in His way.

The trouble is, when we pray these words, do we truly mean them? Or are we like the Christian that C. S. Lewis described as praying faintly – for otherwise God might actually hear him.

“Remove the things that hinder us…”

For most of us, these things, these obstacles, represent the habits of a lifetime, and are very much a part of our nature. To remove them can be painful. It’s almost unnatural. It’s not natural to be selfless when our human nature is basically selfish. It’s not natural to love God and our neighbor when love of self keeps getting in the way. It’s not natural to step out of our busy lives, if only for a moment each day, and listen to God’s voice as He calls on us to conversion.

For this is what Advent is: a call to conversion, a call to change. And this morning, from across the centuries, John the Baptist gives us some down-to-earth advice on how to respond to God’s call.

Make straight His paths. John tells us to fill in the valleys, all those dark nooks and crannies of our lives that we foolishly try to seal off from God. These are the dark corners that we don’t want disturbed, even though we know they prevent God from entering into our innermost being. We all have some darkness in our lives because we’re all sinners. And only light dispels darkness, the light of God’s love.

John tells us to level mountains, mountains of pride, bigotry, anger that we build up because we think so much of ourselves and so little of others. To profess that we love God while remaining indifferent to the plight of others is a contradiction. And so, our journey through Advent demands humility, because it’s impossible to have a personal relationship with God when our egos are in competition with Him.

To see the new we have to be willing to shed the old. To see the possible, we have to stop believing the impossible.  What in your life needs conversion? What obstacles have you placed in God’s path? What in your life is preventing Him from coming close?

“Remove the things that hinder us…”

All of this making room for God in our hearts can be a time-consuming and demanding business. It forces us to change so much in our lives. It demands that we actually accept God’s rule in our lives.

You know those signs you see every once in a while along the highway? “Jesus saves!” Well, they’re right. Jesus does save, because you and I can’t save ourselves. But for Jesus to save us, he needs our cooperation, for He’s a benign ruler. He doesn’t force Himself on us. He doesn‘t demand. He doesn’t even ask. He simply invites, and waits for you to accept His invitation.

And God is patient. He’ll wait as long as it takes, up until the moment we take our last breath. But He calls us to persevere, not to put it off. As Paul tells us in today’s 2nd reading, “…by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” God’s patience is for our benefit: He wants no one to perish. And so, for us who live in time, every day is an opportunity to respond, a gift of God’s mercy.

Advent is the story of eons of God’s own eternal persistent waiting. It’s the story of His plan to let us search for Him until finally we simply allow Him to find us. And then we can respond with our own “Yes.” Of course, saying ‘Yes’ to conversion is means more than just giving our word. It means living God’s Word, accepting and sharing God’s love in our lives.

Have you ever considered that for many of the people you know and encounter, you may be the only manifestation of the Gospel they ever experience? We must, like God Himself, act out of love. It was love that created the universe and keeps creation in existence. And it’s love that reaches out to move our hearts as well, to bring us to salvation. He reaches out to us through Jesus Christ, the great sign of the Father’s love, the manifestation of His will to save.

“Not by appearance shall he judge,” says Isaiah in today’s 1st reading, “nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.” This is the saving power of Christ, God’s love incarnate. The day of salvation has already dawned in Christ. He will baptize in the Holy Spirit, John tells us. And this Spirit, once given in Christ, is the constant renewal of the Father’s love.

When we invite Jesus into our lives, when we make room for Him in our hearts, we become like John the Baptist. Our lives become an announcement, telling everyone, through acts of kindness, honesty and faithfulness, that Christ is among us.

As we await Jesus’ return and the age to come, let’s not forget that a day will come in each of our lives when we will meet Jesus face to face. Our life is a continual advent for that moment, so let’s not delay preparing for our own personal coming of the Lord.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Archaeology Seems to Confirm Early Christian Presence in Egypt

Archaeologists conducting excavations at Fag el-Gamous in Egypt have made some interesting discoveries that conflict with what many "experts" have long believed. The archaeologists have uncovered some 1,700 graves dating back to the time of Christ and earlier. Christian artifacts found in the graves, plus a rather sudden change in orientation in which the deceased were buried with their heads facing the east indicate a strong Christian presence in Egypt around the end of the 1st century, several hundred years earlier than most scholars previously thought.

According to C. Wilfred Griggs, the Brigham Young University archaeologist who has directed the dig for the past 30 years, the artifacts uncovered include crosses, fish and other figurines that would appear to be early examples of Christian iconography. If his conclusions are correct, and it appears they probably are, the history of the spread of early Christianity will have to be rewritten. Details on the archaeologists' work are located here: BYU Diggers Rewriting History in Egypt.

Archaeologists uncovering a mummy in a grave at Fag el-Gamous

This is one more example of archaeological evidence seeming to confirm what Tradition has told us all along. St. Mark, for example, is said to have died in the first century in Alexandria, while Tradition says St. Matthias died in Ethiopia. Their presence would indicate Christian evangelization taking place in northeast Africa just decades after Christ's death and resurrection. And we also have the event described in Acts 8:26-39 in which Philip baptizes the eunuch, an important official in the court of the Ethiopian queen. It's no accident that the Holy Spirit sent Philip to evangelize him just as the eunuch was passing through Gaza and about to enter Egypt. Reread this wonderful passage. Can't you just picture this newly baptized Ethiopian preaching the Good News as he traveled through Egypt on his way home in the south?

Of course, many scholars prefer to disregard early Church Tradition and even its supporting Scriptural references, preferring instead to assume that anything written in those early days of the Church was at best a gross exaggeration. How sad that they leave their faith, or what's left of it, behind when they enter Holy Scripture or experience the Church's long-held Tradition.

Will the Pope Be the Catylyst for Spain's Conversion?

After writing today's earlier post on secularism is Spain, I came across a video showing the remarkable enthusiasm of the Spanish people who greeted Pope Benedict XVI during his visit in November. As I mentioned in a post early last month, Diane and I were privileged to have seen the Holy Father as he made his way across Barcelona in the Popemobile en route to Sagrada Familia. We saw the pope only for a moment and were nowhere near his destination, so I really can't comment on the size of the crowds at the basilica. As you can see in the video, though, some Spaniards have obviously kept the faith and gave Pope Benedict a truly warm welcome during his visit.

Perhaps our pope will be the catalyst for the re-conversion of Spain. He will be back again in August to celebrate World Youth Day in Madrid and what better people to begin the evangelization of Europe than its young people. Pray for its success.

Secularism and the Church in Spain

Having just returned from a trip during which we spent about a week in Barcelona, I couldn't help but notice the obvious secularism of the people. I believe it's safe to say that Spain, sadly, is no longer a "Catholic" country. On Sunday morning, for example, we attended the 9 a.m. Mass in the Barcelona Cathedral, joined by only a scattering of worshipers. Although I can't be certain, it seemed as if the majority of this small congregation were foreign visitors like us. The 11 a.m. Mass, which included a full choir, was only slightly better attended. Indeed, by noon the square in front of the cathedral was packed with people who came only to listen to the music of a live orchestra and take part in the Sardana dance that celebrates Catalan culture, unity and pride.

Hundreds gather outside the cathedral on Sunday...but there are few disciples in the pews and no Zacchaeus in the tree looking for Jesus

I recently read that although 94% of Spaniards are Catholic, Mass attendance has dropped from 44% in 1980 to only 19% in 2008. Considering the rate at which this change has taken place, I expect it is even lower today. The most recent figure I've seen for Spain is 13%. (For details on worldwide Mass attendance, click here to access the tables published by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate -- CARA -- at Georgetown University.) Spain, of course, isn't the only European nation to have largely abandoned the Faith. 2008 attendance among German Catholics was at 22%, among the French only 12%, and in the Netherlands a minuscule 7% of Catholics attended Mass weekly.

I don't think I'm going out on a limb to assert that Catholics who have stopped attending Mass are, in effect, no longer Catholic. Without the grace of the sacraments, without the opening up of the Word of God, without the guidance of Church teaching on moral and other matters, without the support of a loving community of faith...in essence, without the Church, one drifts ever more deeply into a life where God too is absent, into a state where the urgings of the Spirit are no longer recognized.

During our recent visit, I saw lots of evidence of a Catholic past, but very little of a Catholic present. Most people with whom I spoke seemed to view the Church as something that once mattered to their ancestors, and perhaps even to their parents or grandparents, but certainly did not matter to them. One young man who worked at our hotel said he was an atheist, but still considered himself a Catholic. As it turns out, he cannot let go of his Catholic heritage which forms such an integral part of his cultural identity. Completely uncatechized, he knows absolutely nothing about the Catholic Church except what he encounters in the secular media. God and Faith and Church, then, play virtually no active role in his life which seemed to be focused solely on worldly success and pleasure. I told him I'd pray for him. He looked surprised, but then said, Thanks." Perhaps a sign of hope? Maybe he'll be urged by the Spirit to attend the World Youth Day scheduled for August 15-21 in Madrid. I pray he will respond.

This young desk clerk in Barcelona is really not that far removed from many American Catholics who, for a variety of reasons, have drifted away from the Church but still call themselves Catholic. They might not be declared atheists, but they live lives of virtual atheism in which God is largely forgotten. Believe it or not, we can even find these folks among regular weekly Mass attendees. Not long ago a man approached me after Mass and said, "Nice sermon. I don't usually like coming here to Mass." Half-jokingly I asked him, "Well, then, why do you come?" He just pointed to his wife and said, "She makes me."

All of this came to mind when I read a story about a group of Spanish activists whose planned disruption of a speech by Madrid's archbishop, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, forced the cancellation of the event. The cardinal had been invited to speak at the Autonomous University of Madrid on December 1. His subject? “The God who Is Unknown to 21st Century Spaniards.” It seems that, for some Spaniards, the "unknown God" will remain that way, at least for a while.

It's remarkable how left-wing activists no longer even pretend to believe in freedom of speech or other traditional, liberal concepts. Now they simply attack anyone whose beliefs differ from their own, particularly those who speak of God and His plan for humanity. The Catholic Church, then, has become their most frequent and hated target. Read more here: Activists Force Spanish Cardinal to Cancel Lecture.

Spanish Youth Praying & Singing at Montserrat Monastery

Keep the Spanish people and the Church in Spain in your prayers. Many young Spaniards, dissatisfied with the emptiness of the world's attractions, are turning to the Church and rediscovering the Faith of their ancestors. And so, pray too for the success of World Youth Day 2011.

Pax et bonum...

Support for Sharia Law

There seems to be a widely held belief in the West that only a small minority of Muslims support Islamist terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda or the Taliban, that most Muslims do not want to live under the harsh reality of Sharia Law, and that Muslims are generally respectful of other religions. And yet, when one looks for evidence to support these beliefs, there is little to be found. Perhaps the opinion makers who believe these things speak only with Muslims who not only live in the West but have drunk the Kool-Aid of Western culture. Or maybe they just listen to front organizations like the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) who love to tell us what we want to hear. As I stated above, there's little evidence to support these beliefs which are contradicted by the facts.

For example, a series of polls in which Pakistani Muslims were asked about their religious and political beliefs indicated that a solid majority support the idea of "strict Sharia Law" being the law of the land in Pakistan. (See one poll result here: Reuters Cites IRI Pakistani Poll.) There's also widespread majority support among the general population in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other Muslim nations for the strict application of blasphemy laws that call for the death of anyone who violates them. In Pakistan the blasphemy law is actually quite vague and has been frequently misapplied and even used by some to accuse others with whom they might have a dispute. Here's the core of the law as stated in the Pakistani penal code:

Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine." 

Lots of room for misapplication in those words, and many Christians and others have suffered as a result, And yet a vast majority of Pakistanis support the strict application of this law.

Obviously, if a Pakistani Catholic were asked to state the Church's teaching as it relates to Muhammad, and he replied honestly, he would be guilty of blasphemy and risk the death penalty. Indeed, such a law would pretty much preclude any serious religious dialogue between Christians and Muslims, at least inside Pakistan where the law is enforced. Is it any wonder that Christians tend to keep a rather low profile in Muslim nations?

Another element of Sharia Law widely supported in Muslim nations is the prohibition against "apostasy" in which anyone who converts from Islam to another religion must be put to death. In other words, if you convert, you die.

The following video (in German, but translated with subtitles into English) addresses the plight of Egyptian apostates who converted from Islam to Christianity. The Gohary and Hegazy families are living in terror under the constant threat of being killed. Jussuf al Badri, the Egyptian Islamic jurist depicted in the video states that under Sharia “God has commanded us to kill those who leave Islam.” Such is the fragile and tragic plight of apostates in Muslim countries who daily face the threat of vigilantism and death.

Sharia is designed to govern all aspects of life, from relations between the sexes to business ethics. In some nations, aspects of Sharia have become part of modern legal codes and are enforced by national judicial systems, while others are a matter of personal conscience. Entirely secular law is not an option under a classical interpretation of Islam. David Powers, Professor of Islamic Law at Cornell, stated, 'In Islam, there is no separation between the secular and the sacred. The law is suffused with religion.'

The increasing support for Sharia Law among the general population in Muslim countries often puts the people at odds with their political leadership. For example, in Pakistan and Egypt, while those in power have created a division between secular and Sharia courts, the people overwhelmingly favor the idea of Sharia Law as the sole judicial system. In this, then, the people are more in tune with the teachings of Islam then are their leaders. Terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, by strongly supporting the imposition of Sharia Law, have cleverly exploited this disconnect between the people and their current political leadership in some Muslim countries. And although most Muslims reject al-Qaeda and the Taliban and their terrorism, support for them and their policies is growing. The situation doesn't bode well for the future.

News from Baghdad. The Christian churches of Baghdad have called on Iraqi Christians to participate in a day of fasting on December 9 to commemorate those Christians who were killed when al-Qaeda terrorists stormed Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral on October 31. Women, children, and two priests were among the 46 Christians murdered in the attack. Over 70 others were wounded. More information here: IRAQ Churches Plan Day of Fasting. I think it would be a good thing for all of us to join our Iraqi bothers and sisters in the day of fasting and prayer.

Atheists and Billboards

Have you seen the billboard put up by a group calling itself American Atheists? It's located in North Bergen, NJ right outside the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel. For those of you unfamiliar with the area, the tunnel is one of the key access routes into Manhattan. The billboard, which depicts the Bethlehem Nativity scene in silhouette, complete with Mary, Joseph, the Babe in the manger, a donkey, and the three magi, all illuminated by a bright star in the heavens. Across the top of the billboard are the words, "You KNOW it's a Myth / This Season, Celebrate REASON!" (See below.)

Atheists' Billboard in New Jersey

If the comments I heard this morning at the soup kitchen are typical, a lot of Christians seem to be very upset about this billboard, considering it a sacrilegious affront to their faith. Personally, I don't find it very offensive at all, and certainly not sacrilegious. Indeed, it's pretty much what one would expect an atheist to say about Christmas. In truth, the billboard is actually far less offensive than much of the anti-Christian pornography that passes for art these days. And, too, it's important to realize that the American Atheists -- God bless them --  have every right to buy space on a billboard in New Jersey or anywhere else in the USA where freedom of speech is protected by the Constitution.

Actually, I'm far more inclined to pay attention to what atheists have to say, than to the words of many others. At least atheists believe in something, even if that something is nothing. Speaking with a true atheist about God and faith and transcendence is actually far more interesting and productive than speaking with an agnostic or even a lukewarm Christian who really doesn't know what he believes and seemingly doesn't care. And don't forget what Jesus said about those lukewarm Christians: "I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth" [Rev 3:15-16]. I'm with Jesus: Give me a cold atheist over a lukewarm believer any day of the week. Believe me, they're a lot closer to God than many others.

It's also important to understand the purpose of the billboard. Sure, it's designed to upset people, maybe even shock a few. But as a representative of the American Atheists stated, this billboard and its message are not really aimed at Christians; rather they're aimed at atheists who hypocritically celebrate Christmas despite their non-belief. I suspect this is true even though it's a rather absurd concern on their part. Many (most?) people today, even many who claim to be Christians, don't actually celebrate Christmas -- i.e., the birth of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ -- but celebrate instead some ill-defined "holiday season" as a time of gift-giving and parties and family reunions. As one parishioner told me a few years ago, "Christmas? It's for the children." Like him, I really don't think those atheists who take part in these holiday festivities give even a moment's thought to Jesus Christ.

I'm also more likely to give atheists a pass since most really don't understand the close relationship between faith and reason and have probably never read Aquinas. And few, if any, atheists are very familiar with Scripture, so they have at most a vague concept of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments and the truth of Scripture. If one comes to Scripture from somewhere other than faith, I expect it does seem like a myth. Of course this is why so many of today's Scriptural scholars are at best agnostics.

And finally, I really believe the billboard might turn out to be a plus for Christianity. I don't know about you, but when I'm driving in heavy traffic and happen to notice a billboard, I can rarely look at it long enough to read its message, but rather form a quick gestalt-like perception of what it's all about. With this particular billboard all I would probably see is a rather nice Nativity scene causing me to utter a quick prayer: "Thank you, Father, for giving us Your Son. Your love is unsurpassed."

Pray for our atheist brothers and sisters. Once they hear the Good News, many of them will lead others to Jesus Christ.

Update on the Fate of Asia Bibi

Yesterday I mentioned Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian woman and mother of five who has been sentenced to death for blasphemy. In truth, she's really been sentenced to death simply for being a Christian.

Deacon Keith Fournier of Catholic Online has written an update on her situation and offers some insightful commentary on the plight of Christians in Pakistan. It's an article you should definitely read. Here's the link: Free Asia Bibi!

And as I mentioned briefly in yesterday's post, Pope Benedict XVI has issued a plea to the Pakistani government to release this innocent woman. Below is a video of the Holy Father's statement:

Keep Asia Bibi in your prayers; and pray too for all those who are persecuted today because they live and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Another Anglican Parish Requests Full Communion

Late last month 90% of the members of St. John the Evangelist Anglican Parish in Calgary, Alberta, Canada voted to "accept, unreservedly and with humility and gratitude, the invitation of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church through the provisions of Anglicanorum Coetibus in a corporate manner."

According to news reports, the parish is the first in Canada to take advantage of the newly announced procedure for Anglican communities to return to the Catholic Church. As the pastor, Fr. Lee Kenyon, stated recently, “This isn’t the Pope...poaching Anglicans. It’s the Pope actually responding to persistent requests from Anglicans for many, many years for full communion. But a communion which is united but not absorbed.”

The pastor said that the decision was not sudden and had been under consideration for some time. He also indicated that the decision was not simply a reaction to the Anglican Church's ordination of women and the acceptance of same-sex marriages. Fr. Kenyon recognized that these issues certainly create tension and lead to division, and may be the proximate cause for people to leave the Anglican Church, but, he stated, "they can never be the reason for people then entering into the Catholic Church. This move into the Catholic Church must be underscored by a personal sense of conversion. If it’s not about positively embracing something and celebrating something which is new and unique, then there’d be no point.” Fr. Kenyon, who is married with two children, will likely be ordained as a Catholic priest in keeping with the Vatican guidelines.

One of St. John's parishioners, Vera Reid, sated that the decision was a natural one. “This parish has been an Anglo-Catholic church for many, many years, and basically the Anglican Church of Canada does not hold the same feeling as the parish does.”

One future complication relates to the parish property and building. The parish claims that St. John's is unique in that, unlike other Anglican parishes, the diocese does not own the property. According to Richard Harding, the rector’s warden at St. John, “The title was placed in the name of the elected lay wardens of the parish. It is parish property. The diocese may not be aware of that.” It would seem this issue will probably not be settled soon.

And so we welcome the clergy and people of St. John the Evangelist Parish. We're happy you came home.

More on Our Cruise: One Day in Rome

After our stop at Livorno and our brief excursion to Siena, our cruise ship, the Norwegian Jade, continued south along the Italian coast and arrived at Civitavecchia early Wednesday morning. Diane and I had arranged for seats on a bus that would take us to Rome, drop us off in the city, and pick us up later in the day for the return trip to the ship.

The Italian tall ship, Amerigo Vespucci, in Civitavecchia

There were, however, two problems. First, the bus' schedule would not get us to Rome in time to attend the Pope's Wednesday audience. But we had expected this, and had resigned ourselves to missing it. The other problem was rather minor, although an irritant nonetheless. The folks in charge would not tell us where in Rome we would be dropped off until we actually boarded the bus. Being a bit of a compulsive planner, this bothered me no end.

The twin "Santa Maria" churches of Piazza del Popolo

As it turned out, the bus would take us to Piazza del Popolo, a reasonably central location and a little over a mile walking distance from the Vatican. And so, when we arrived Diane and I strolled to the Tiber, crossed one of the bridges and made our way first toward Borgo Pio, the pedestrian street right outside the Vatican walls. Along the way we encountered a thunderstorm and quickly ducked into a local cafe where we waited out the storm with a cappuccino (for Diane) and an espresso (for me). After finally arriving at Borgo Pio, we found the pleasant restaurant we have enjoyed on previous trips and had a nice, relaxing lunch together. We then stopped by a small shop we have also patronized in the past to buy our granddaughter a First Holy Communion gift. While there I asked about albs and was shown a very nice, extremely light-weight alb at a great price -- perfect for our Florida weather. Of course I bought it and added another item to our ever expanding luggage.

A priest giving and a priest receiving advice on Borgo Pio

Diane and I then made our way to St. Peter's Basilica, successfully negotiated the checkpoints and spent perhaps and hour in that magnificent church. Sadly, this was all we had time for. Later, as we strolled along the Via della Conciliazione, the rain began again, this time in ernest. And so we grabbed a cab and headed back to our gathering spot in front of the church of Santa Maria del Popolo.

Michelangelo's Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica

Because of the cab ride we had a little more time than planned, so we stopped by a sidewalk cafe on the piazza (Once again the rain had stopped.) and treated ourselves to a delayed dessert of pastry and coffee. We strolled along one of Rome's great shopping streets, the Via del Corso, and then visited the "twin" churches at the south side of the piazza: Santa Maria di Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli. Finally we  made our way to the north end of the piazza so we could spend some time in one of my favoirte Roman churches, Santa Maria del Popolo. It is a marvelous little church -- little by Roman standards -- with a facade by Bernini and providing a home to a number of spectacular works of art. These include paintings by Pinturicchio and Annibale Carracci, as well as two of Caravaggio's brilliant works: the Conversion of St Paul and the Crucifixion of St Peter. One other piece of art, an unusual, macabre momento mori sort of piece also attracts a lot of attention from visitors. (I've included a photo below.) But in addition to all the art, it's just a neat church. On our last visit Diane and I attended daily Mass there on a few occasions.

A "momento mori" in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo

By this time the young lady from the bus was gathering her flock outside the church and we were forced to leave the Eternal City after a far less than eternal visit.

Shoppers on Via del Corso

Bridge crossing the Tiber

Interior of St. Peter's Basilica

Sanctuary of church of San Carlo del Corso, along the Via del Corso

Diane in St. Peter's Square

A Swiss Guard keeping the Vatican safe from unwanted intruders