Defending the Faith

I want to applaud Megan Bailey Gerdes for the letter she wrote to the Kentucky Courier-Journal.

I want to thank you for continuing to print ignorant anti-Catholic letters in The Courier-Journal. It was letters and attitudes like these that set me on the road to conversion to the Catholic faith. Why? For starters, attacks on Catholicism come from many different directions, and are almost always contradictory. The contrasting descriptions of allegedly outrageous Catholic doctrines and practices forced me to seek the straight story in an obvious place: the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Bible and the writings of the early (pre-Nicaea) church fathers.

To my surprise and indignation, I found that just about everything I thought I "knew" about Catholicism was wrong, distorted or incomplete. I also noticed that the most incorrigible disseminators of false information about Catholicism are so-called "recovering Catholics." I'll leave it to the psychiatrists to explain that one.

Meanwhile, I'd like to encourage the more open-minded of your readers not to rely on Dan Brown, Loraine Boettner and the Associated Press for factual information on the Catholic Christian faith. Go to the original source.

MEGAN BAILEY GERDES

Diversity to be Anything but Catholic

At my lovely institution of higher education, which just happens to be one of the few Catholic colleges in the U.S. which is Catholic in more than name only, a debate is brewing over "diversity". The diversity which some students desire would mean diluting or dissolving the Catholic identity of the school and changing it into a college "in the Catholic tradition" or worse, in the "Dominican tradition".

After arguing that Providence College should offer classes in other religion, Jackie Kramer, a writer for the college newspaper, The Cowl, wrote this in a recent article:

It is a big deal. Another girl in the class noted that she was not Catholic and she has had to drop two theology classes. She ascribes this to the fact that, because the core curriculum requires two theology classes, she had to take classes in Catholicism. She mentioned that she thought the professors gave the impression that the students should believe these teachings, otherwise they would go to hell. She withdrew from both classes and this action will stay on her transcript permanently.

Care to know my thoughts on this issue? Of course you do. If you didn't you wouldn't be reading this blog. If you don't want to learn about Catholicism, don't attend a Catholic school. I can't imagine attending a Protestant or Jewish college and complaining that Catholicism wasn't taught. Providence College doesn't hide the fact that it is a Catholic institution. The habited friars and sisters, the crucifixes in every classroom, the large chapel and several smaller chapels on campus, where the Eucharist is reserved, right down to meat not being served in the cafeteria during Lent, Providence College is a Catholic place.

Not all the theology classes at PC are based in Catholic theology. There is a class on World Religions, Basic Judaism, Hebrew Scripture, and Old Testament Prophets. Yes, there is a Catholic slant to most of these courses, but it's a Catholic school! There is supposed to be a Catholic slant.

This week another article appeared in the Cowl. This time a rebuttal from Andrew Sparks. Here is part of what he wrote:

One consideration that needs to be taken into account is the fact that both of those colleges [Boston College and Holy Cross] are Jesuit institutions; since the Jesuits are a primarily a teaching order, it seems appropriate that they should have wider spectrum of courses. Contrast this with our own beloved Dominicans, who are a preaching order, formed to fight heresy and spread the Catholic faith. Indeed we have dozens of Dominican friars on campus that daily devote themselves to living and preaching the Catholic faith, such a school attracts a certain kind of faculty and fosters a distinctly Catholic identity. In fact, this identity is apparent all across campus, as the main gate reads "Providence College" and "Dominican Fathers" quite clearly. Also, the campus tour, led by a Friar Club member, makes it a point to go past the newly renovated St Catherine of Siena building, housing the theology and philosophy departments; and even takes a detour inside of a practically brand new campus chapel, which is situated right across from the new center of Catholic and Dominican Studies. Buyer beware: This is a Catholic school.

Moreover, if the school was forced to cater to every single faith and denomination present on campus, we would be forced to stop serving alcohol at McPhail's, lest we offend the Muslims and fundamentalist Christians on campus. Also, going without meat on Fridays would pale in comparison if Raymond Cafeteria catered to the Muslim population by refusing to serve lunch every day during the month of Ramadan. We could go to the other extreme, however, and not offer any religiously based customs. This would mean removing the crucifixes from classroom walls (a spineless act performed at Boston College), providing condoms at the stores on campus, and prohibiting any in-class prayer often offered by our Dominican professors. If such an unfortunate series of events were to occur, the Catholic majority on campus would be denied their right to a Catholic education. Such measures have been carried out in other schools to avoid agitating sensibilities of students of other faiths. However, the religious minorities on campus expressed deep offense that those schools would presuppose their having any problems with a Catholic school's expression of its heritage.

Read both articles in their entirety here: Kramer and Sparks

I leave you with this warning, if you don't want Catholic theology, don't attend a Catholic school. However, if you want Catholic theology, be careful where you go. Not all colleges that claim to be Catholic really are.

More Italian Anti-Catholicism

In a declaration released yesterday afternoon on TG1 (the television news of RAI, the Italian State broadcaster), Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. affirmed that "the irreverent comments directed at the Pope and the Church during the May Day concert were clearly an act of irresponsibility. It is right to say so, and the trade union representatives were right to disassociate themselves" from those comments.

Fr. Lombardi was referring to remarks made by one of the presenters of the concert, which is traditionally held on May 1 every year in the center of Rome. The presenter, Diego Rivera, said, among other things, that "the Pope does not believe in evolutionism," because "the Church has never evolved."

Yesterday's edition of the Vatican daily newspaper, the "Osservatore Romano," described the comments by saying "it is a contemptible and terroristic act to throw stones, this time even against the Pope, while feeling protected by cries of approval from an easily excitable crowd."
Speaking on TG1, the Holy See Press Office Director made it clear that, as both Giorgio Napolitano, president of the Italian Republic, and Cardinal Secretary of State Tarciso Bertone S.D.B. had pointed out, "it would be as well for all of us to seek to diffuse tensions and to re-create conditions for serene dialogue in our society. In this way, it is right that what was an evident act of foolishness should not become a tragedy and an opportunity to re-ignite huge conflicts."
VIS

Catholic World News expands on the official release here.

One of the most unfortunate things to note is that this concert was held in front of the Basilica of St. John, Lateran. That means that this disrespect toward the Pope was committed in front of his own Cathedral.

Put Easter Back in Easter

H/T to Brian who unfortunate enough to work in this town. Whereas, I'm few minutes across the border.

From the Catholic League:

William Rearick, Schools Superintendent of the Tiverton Public Schools in Rhode Island, has banned the Easter Bunny from appearing at a fundraising event tomorrow at the Tiverton Middle School. He has also banned the word “Easter” from all school events. He told the Providence Journal that during the last year and a half, he has become “more aware of folks who don’t have a Christian background.” Taking the place of the Easter Bunny will be Peter Rabbit; children will be able to get their picture taken with him.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented on this today:

“I am astonished that Schools Superintendent Rearick only recently discovered Jews and Muslims. But better late than never. However, it was not a Jew or a Muslim who complained about the Easter Bunny—it was an ex-Catholic, Michael Burk; he is vice chairman of the school committee. No matter, I have news for Superintendent Rearick: he has not resolved the problem.

“It is unconscionable that in this day and age Superintendent Rearick would choose to honor a thief. As every schoolchild knows, Peter Rabbit stole from Mr. McGregor’s garden. To now hold him up as a role model to impressionable youngsters sends the wrong signal. At the very least, grief counselors should be dispatched to tomorrow’s event.

“There is also a more serious matter going on. The event smacks of sexism: Peter Rabbit had three sisters—Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail—and there is no historical record of them ever having committed a crime. So why were they passed over? Looks like the glass ceiling is still in place.

“We urge everyone to register their outrage by contacting Superintendent Rearick at wrearick@tivertonschools.org. Tell him to bring the Easter Bunny back as only ex-Catholics are likely to be offended.”

MTV Lithuania Fined Over Popetown

As was reported here previously, the Lithuanian bishops filed a complaint in the Lithuanian court over a BBC created television show called Popetown. Yesterday, they won their case.

From Yahoo News:
The head of Lithuania's music television channel MTV has been fined by the country's media watchdog for broadcasting the "Popetown" series, an official said Thursday.
"The Radio and Television Commission voted unanimously to impose the maximum fine of 3,000 litas (868.8 euros) on Marius Veselis," a spokesman for the commission, Audrius Matonis, told AFP.
"We warned MTV that the series may be seen as controversial in our society before they started broadcasting it, but MTV Lietuva decided to show it anyway," Matonis added.
"Popetown" is described on the Internet as a series that "takes you into the side-splittingly surreal world of the Vatican as the long suffering and good-hearted Father Nicholas struggles to walk the narrow path of righteousness, surrounded by money-grabbing cardinals and a pogo-stick-riding infantile pope."
Matonis said the Radio and Television Commission had taken its decision based on the conclusions of Lithuania's journalists' ethics inspector, who has decided that "Popetown" incites hatred against the Church and could have a negative influence on younger viewers.
The commission did not discuss whether the series should be banned from the air, he added.
MTV spokeswoman Ema Segal said in a statement that the channel will appeal the commission's decision, just as it has appealed the decision of the ethics inspector.

Neither Segal nor Veselis understand why Catholics or anyone else could possibly be offended by the program and said:

"This is just an artistic satire and nothing more. We neither attempted to mock religion nor God himself," Segal said.
Veselis said in a statement last month that the reaction to "Popetown" had unmasked Lithuania as a "sort of half-medieval, half-communist, sick culture".
Source

Of course, MTV Lithuania plans to appeal the decision.