Pope Francis's Visit

Pope Francis’s Visit

          The historic visit of Pope Francis to the United States just ended.  For me, as a teacher in a Catholic school, it was very exciting.  We did all sorts of preparations, and being in a Catholic school in California, the canonization of Father Junipero Serra was particularly special.  In general, it was a time of celebration for American Catholics.

          But, of course, there were those who saw the pope’s visit as a political opportunity.  Facebook was saturated with memes showing the pope and including some quote undermining the Church, which of course the holy father never said.  Sadly, these things are “shared” ad nauseum, even after they have been debunked.  On the other side, some people criticized everything the man did, as if he were a politician rather than a shepherd of souls.

          I’ll admit that I would have liked to see a more explicit condemnation of abortion in his address to Congress, especially when the funding of Planned Parenthood is such a hot topic.  But the pope’s pro-life credentials are unquestioned; who am I to critique his judgment on what needed to be said?

          His speech to the United Nations was extremely powerful, and beautiful.  Throughout his visit, the holy father stressed the importance of religious liberty, and raised issues that challenged politicians on both the right and the left.

          What I would really recommend is reading the interview he gave as he flew back to Rome.  This gave his impression of the visit, and I think provided a clear window into his heart.  Especially for Catholics with any concerns about the holy father’s visit, this interview will leave you impressed and hopeful.

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/full-transcript-of-pope-francis-inflight-interview-from-philadelphia-to-rom/

Miracles and the Saints

Miracles and the Saints

Image from http://www.wjhirten.com/saints-john-xxiii-and-john-paul-ii.html

As I considered this post, I thought, “What can I say about the canonization of our two newest Saints?”  Certainly, I could speak about the men themselves forever, but what could I really add to the discussion that hasn’t already been said?

Then, a couple of things happened.  First, I checked my email on Yahoo.  As always, headlines of breaking “news” scrolled past on the home page before I logged in to my In-box.  It occurred to me that by staying up to date on world affairs through Yahoo, I had recently learned that a man caught a really big fish, another man was really happy to become a grandpa, and some family cut their cable and has decided to start streaming their television from the Internet.

In the midst of these current events, I had also been asked a question by one of my students: “Why don’t miracles happen anymore like they used to in the Bible?”

Then I realized what I could write about.  To become a canonized Saint, besides living a life of heroic virtue, two verified miracles attributed to the Saint after his or her death are needed.  Without question, the heroic virtue of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII are the important elements of their lives, upon which their great achievements, as well as their miracles depend.  It is not the miracles that put them in Heaven to be used by God, but their openness to His Grace, manifested in a life of holiness.

However, since we generally can not know for certain whether a person is in Heaven, the miracles are seen as confirmation.  The Church, of course, investigates every alleged miracle thoroughly, and will only acknowledge those that can have no natural explanation.  Without question, there are many miracles the Church will not officially declare due to another possible explanation, however remote the likelihood of it.

Shortly after his death, a French religious community prayed for Pope John Paul II’s intercession on behalf of one of their sisters, who was dying from Parkinson’s Disease, the same ailment the late pope had died from.  The 47 year-old sister woke up completely healed.

More recently, a woman in Costa Rica had been told by her doctors, after suffering a brain aneurism, that she had only days to live.  She prayed for John Paul’s intercession and was miraculously cured.

If you frequented Catholic news sites or radio stations, you may have heard these stories, but most people to this day never have.  Pope Francis dispensed with the requirement for Pope John, who was canonized with only one approved miracle.

My point, however, is that even with the canonizations upcoming, here are three bona fide miracles that have gone essentially totally unreported by the secular press.  And these are not alone.  Miracles, healings the sort of which we read about in the Bible, occur all the time.  A study of Catholic history (from a decent source) reveals innumerable and incredible miracles that have happened from the time of Jesus to our present day.

So why do I have students asking me why miracles never happen anymore?  You would think, for example, that if a man’s foot was crushed and scheduled for amputation, and if his wife, the day before the scheduled operation, put a holy card of a Saint in the cast and prayed for healing; and if the doctors found the leg in perfect health and did not need to remove it; that would be news.  I would expect it to be on every news show, and headlining every news Web site.

But no, an event like that is completely ignored, to make room, perhaps, for a story about a family who has decided to give up cable television.

Our Faith should not need signs and miracles to sustain it, but God gives us these great gifts, presumably, for a reason.  They are a great display of His great power, and in many ways, the continuation of Jesus’s life and ministry.  They also confound atheists and contradict the current materialistic dominant world view.

We wouldn’t want miracles to become the center of our Faith, or turn the humble servants of God into televangelists, but they are a part of our Christian reality.  We should share them with our children, and our atheist friends.  And we should thank God for using them to raise heroes of the Faith to the altar, so that we can have sure role models and intercessors as we strive to follow Jesus more closely.

Saints John XXIII and John Paul II, pray for us!

A Tribute to John Paul II

Papal Nuncio at the Walk for Life

Papal Nuncio at the Walk for Life

Link - Navigating 'Francispoloza'

Link – Navigating ‘Francispoloza’

Since his election, many people have been trying to paint Pope Francis in different ways.  Often, they try to paint him in their own image.  Liberal media outlets have taken numerous comments out of context to try and convince people that the teachings of the Church are about to radically change.  However, to most people paying attention, I think the pope has made clear that is not about to happen.  (People of Faith knew that all along.)

Pope Francis has demonstrated a genuine humility, a deeply pastoral heart, and an authentic love for Christ and His Church.  As Catholics, we may be on the receiving end of many questions about this shepherd of ours, who has so captivated the world and also so confused it.  The link below gives an interesting perspective on how to respond to such questions.

http://catholicexchange.com/responding-francispoloza

Popes John XXIII and John Paul II to be Canonized

Popes John XXIII and John Paul II

to be Canonized

 

It has just been announced that Popes John Paul II and John XXIII will be canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014.  Read the story here.  Below is a beautiful tribute that those of us in the JPII Generation will appreciate.

 

Reflections on the Pope's Interview

Reflections on the Pope’s Interview

 

 Image from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EKqEdadrA7YLRl4izCUeAJtI5f2TA5y-qfk3o-fqBpyTa1a-vRNYrYaYJpdzOTik_VDAXPIdWj26qbII3zF3HF1gHBWIpkQ36DAbmzcngpgKzw7GGB7iQh3F_MDL9xYKcCRrntVRJgc/s1600/popefrancis.jpg

There has been quite a firestorm following the interview Pope Francis gave last week.  Initially, the mainstream media, intentionally or not, misrepresented the comments of the pope, suggesting that he was urging Catholics to stop focusing on issues like abortion, homosexual “marriage” and contraception.  Most Catholics by now should have recognized the truth, that the pope is not moving the Church away from her teachings on these issues, especially since the day after the interview Pope Francis made his strongest comments against abortion since his election.

Still, some Catholics have been concerned about the tone the holy father has set and the direction they think he may be taking the Church.  Now it’s true that there is no charism guaranteeing the pope will say everything perfectly eloquently or that every decision he makes will be the best.  However, this is a holy and learned man, who happens to be our chief shepherd, so I do think it’s important that we reflect on what the pope did say.

The issue, I think, is context.  Pope John Paul II coined the phrase “The Culture of Death.”  It was imperative that the Church respond forcefully, consistently and often to the great evils of the day.  It still is.  But perhaps Pope Francis is concerned that the culture has begun defining the terms of our message.

The pope is clearly concerned about the right to life and has spoken as archbishop against homosexual “marriage.”  He made it clear in his interview that he has no intention of moving the Church away from her teachings on these issues.

However, he spoke of the primary necessity of showing the Person of Jesus Christ to the world.  This, he said, is the essential of evangelization.  He called to mind the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and how their encounter with Christ caused their hearts to burn within them.  In this age of the New Evangelization, when many people think Christianity is merely noise that can be dismissed, though the consistent witness against the evils of our time is essential (the pope is not calling on any of us to slow our pro-life work), it is easily ignored.

An encounter with Jesus Christ, however, can not be ignored.  I believe the pope is calling on all of us to remember that our witness begins and ends with Him.  We can not witness to the issues of life and marriage apart from that context.  And the Church needs to offer the world her Lord.  Then hearts will be opened to all else besides.

This is my take on the pope’s interview.  Agree with it or not, I would pray that we all listen to Pope Francis as a father, and at least take his message to prayer, so that we can be truly effective sons and daughters of the Church, and servants of our Lord.

Pope Francis on Abortion

Pope Francis on Abortion

“Every unborn child, though unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of the Lord, who even before his birth, and then as soon as he was born, experienced the rejection of the world”

“Our response to this mentality [the 'throwaway culture' that abortion promotes] is a ‘yes’ to life, decisive and without hesitation. ‘The first right of the human person is his life. He has other goods and some are precious, but this one is fundamental –- the condition for all the others’”



“On the one hand we see progress in the field of medicine, thanks to the work of scientists who passionately and unreservedly dedicate themselves to the search for new cures. On the other hand, however, we also encounter the risk that doctors lose sight of their identity in the service of life.”



“While new rights are attributed to or indeed almost presumed by the individual, life is not always protected as the primary value and the primordial right of every human being. The ultimate aim of medicine remains the defense and promotion of life.”

What is Papal Infallibility?

What is Papal Infallibility?

Note: I have tried to faithfully present Catholic teaching on this issue.  If something sounds suspect, please look it up in an authoritative Catholic source, and please let me know of my mistake if I have made one.

          One of the most misunderstood doctrines in the Church, among Catholics and non-Catholics alike, is that of papal infallibility.  Some people mistake infallibility for impeccability, meaning that they think Catholics believe the pope is perfect, without sin (we do not).  Some people think Catholics look to the pope to make every decision for them and that we believe that everything he says comes directly from God, with the weight of Scripture (we do not).  Archbishop Fulton Sheen told the story of a person who claimed that Catholics believe the pope is inflammable (which I suppose we do, but it has nothing to do with this doctrine).

          So it seems rather important, if we are going to clear up misunderstandings among non-Catholics, and if we are going to understand our Faith ourselves, that we be clear on what the Church does and does not teach regarding papal infallibility.

          First, we have to recognize the importance of governance and authority in the Church.  With all the wonderful things our Protestant brethren have, one thing they lack is unity of doctrine.  There are thousands of Protestant denominations precisely because there is no authority that can define doctrine; there is only the Scripture, which experience shows us can lend itself to various interpretations, without a teaching Church.

          There is also, among Protestants, no visible principle of unity on the Earth, making impossible Jesus’s prayer at the Last Supper “that they all be one” (Jn. 17:11).  There’s a wealth of Scripture that demonstrates the establishment of a hierarchical, authoritative Church, united with Peter, but the point of this article is not a defense of the doctrine of Papal Infallibility, but rather its explanation.

          The first thing to be understood is that papal infallibility is a negative charism, not a positive one.  What that means is that it prevents the pope from teaching error (in certain circumstances – more on that later); it does not ensure that he will always teach things completely or in the most effective possible way.  This is a crucial distinction.  We see over the centuries a deepening understanding of the Mysteries of Christ, but nowhere can we find a direct contradiction in the 2,000-year teaching of the Church.

          There are usually three popes (of the 266) that opponents like to cite to disprove papal infallibility, but none of them do so when the charism is properly understood.  The most common is the case of Pope Honorius, who failed to effectively condemn the Monothelitist heresy in the seventh century.

          Remember, though, that papal infallibility is like a fence that keeps the pope from venturing into error, it is not a springboard that propels him to heights of wisdom.  It does not guarantee that the pope will do something that it seems he ought to do; it guarantees that he will not do something, namely promulgate error.

          The next thing to understand is when the charism is effective.  The pope is only infallible when he teaches the whole Church, ex cathedra, on matters of faith and morals.  Therefore, he is never infallible when discussing business, sports, or politics (unless they directly pertain to faith and morals).  He is never infallible in personal correspondence or personal reflections.  (This is probably why Pope John Paul II wanted his personal notes and journals destroyed upon his death.  He knew they could potentially contain error, yet many Catholics would probably not understand that.  Pope Honorius’s questionable statements were in private letters, also not protected by infallibility.)  The pope must be officially teaching the whole Church regarding faith or morals. 

          Why is this so important?  Do we not need to know what is true, what to believe?  Jesus gave Peter and his successors the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, and this special charism, so we would have a sure answer to the disputes that would arise over the centuries over the meaning of Scripture and Tradition.

          With the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the election of Pope Francis, there have been other (silly) questions: Are two men infallible at the same time?  Who will Catholics trust?

          Papal infallibility is a charism tied to the office of the papacy, not to a man.  Therefore, it has nothing to do with Pope Emeritus Benedict anymore.

          One other area must be spoken about: disciplinary matters about which the pope is not infallible.  The pope does govern the Church (Christ, of course, is the Head; the pope is His vicar on Earth).  Jesus told Peter, “What you bind on Earth will be bound in Heaven” (Mt. 16:18). 

          There are disciplinary laws which we are bound in obedience to follow, though they not be matters of faith and morals, have nothing to do with infallibility, and may potentially be changed.

          An example is the celibate clergy in the Roman rite.  This is a discipline of the Church.  It is not a dogma, and certainly is not an issue that has anything to do with infallibility.  As a disciplinary matter, it could potentially be changed.  However, because it is currently in force, the clergy have made a promise to obey it.  Therefore, it would be sinful for them to disobey without permission.

          It is very much like a parent with a child.  If a child willfully refuses to make his bed, for example, after being instructed to do so by a parent, he sins; not because an unmade bed is objectively evil, not because making one’s bed is a universal or infallible law, but because he has willfully disobeyed a legitimate authority.

          Catholics occasionally try to see if a pronouncement is infallible as a way of finding a loophole.  Regardless of infallibility, there is no loophole.  Obedience is one of the highest virtues.  This means obedience to Christ, and by extension, to His Church.

          It should be noted that I am speaking here of the disciplines and laws of the Church.  If an individual priest, or even the pope, told an individual to do something that was objectively sinful, there would be no obligation to obey – in fact, there would be an obligation to disobey.

Pope Francis's Pentecost Homily

Pope Francis’s Pentecost Homily

Image from lifesitenews.com

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we contemplate and re-live in the liturgy the outpouring of the Holy Spirit sent by the risen Christ upon his Church; an event of grace which filled the Upper Room in Jerusalem and then spread throughout the world.

But what happened on that day, so distant from us and yet so close as to touch the very depths of our hearts? Luke gives us the answer in the passage of the Acts of the Apostles which we have heard (2:1-11). The evangelist brings us back to Jerusalem, to the Upper Room where the apostles were gathered. The first element which draws our attention is the sound which suddenly came from heaven “like the rush of a violent wind”, and filled the house; then the “tongues as of fire” which divided and came to rest on each of the apostles. Sound and tongues of fire: these are clear, concrete signs which touch the apostles not only from without but also within: deep in their minds and hearts. As a result, “all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit”, who unleashed his irresistible power with amazing consequences: they all “began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability”. A completely unexpected scene opens up before our eyes: a great crowd gathers, astonished because each one heard the apostles speaking in his own language. They all experience something new, something which had never happened before: “We hear them, each of us, speaking our own language”. And what is it that they are they speaking about? “God’s deeds of power”.

In the light of this passage from Acts, I would like to reflect on three words linked to the working of the Holy Spirit: newness, harmony and mission.

1. Newness always makes us a bit fearful, because we feel more secure if we have everything under control, if we are the ones who build, programme and plan our lives in accordance with our own ideas, our own comfort, our own preferences. This is also the case when it comes to God. Often we follow him, we accept him, but only up to a certain point. It is hard to abandon ourselves to him with complete trust, allowing the Holy Spirit to be the soul and guide of our lives in our every decision. We fear that God may force us to strike out on new paths and leave behind our all too narrow, closed and selfish horizons in order to become open to his own. Yet throughout the history of salvation, whenever God reveals himself, he brings newness and change, and demands our complete trust: Noah, mocked by all, builds an ark and is saved; Abram leaves his land with only a promise in hand; Moses stands up to the might of Pharaoh and leads his people to freedom; the apostles, huddled fearfully in the Upper Room, go forth with courage to proclaim the Gospel. This is not a question of novelty for novelty’s sake, the search for something new to relieve our boredom, as is so often the case in our own day. The newness which God brings into our life is something that actually brings fulfilment, that gives true joy, true serenity, because God loves us and desires only our good. Let us ask ourselves: Are we open to “God’s surprises”? Or are we closed and fearful before the newness of the Holy Spirit? Do we have the courage to strike out along the new paths which God’s newness sets before us, or do we resist, barricaded in transient structures which have lost their capacity for openness to what is new?

2. A second thought: the Holy Spirit would appear to create disorder in the Church, since he brings the diversity of charisms and gifts; yet all this, by his working, is a great source of wealth, for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of unity, which does not mean uniformity, but which leads everything back to harmony. In the Church, it is the Holy Spirit who creates harmony. One of Fathers of the Church has an expression which I love: the Holy Spirit himself is harmony – “Ipse harmonia est”. Only the Spirit can awaken diversity, plurality and multiplicity, while at the same time building unity. Here too, when we are the ones who try to create diversity and close ourselves up in what makes us different and other, we bring division. When we are the ones who want to build unity in accordance with our human plans, we end up creating uniformity, standardization. But if instead we let ourselve be guided by the Spirit, richness, variety and diversity never become a source of conflict, because he impels us to experience variety within the communion of the Church. Journeying together in the Church, under the guidance of her pastors who possess a special charism and ministry, is a sign of the working of the Holy Spirit. Having a sense of the Church is something fundamental for every Christian, every community and every movement. It is the Church which brings Christ to me, and me to Christ; parallel journeys are dangerous! When we venture beyond (proagon) the Church’s teaching and community, and do not remain in them, we are not one with the God of Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Jn 9). So let us ask ourselves: Am I open to the harmony of the Holy Spirit, overcoming every form of exclusivity? Do I let myself be guided by him, living in the Church and with the Church?

3. A final point. The older theologians used to say that the soul is a kind of sailboat, the Holy Spirit is the wind which fills its sails and drives it forward, and the gusts of wind are the gifts of the Spirit. Lacking his impulse and his grace, we do not go forward. The Holy Spirit draws us into the mystery of the living God and saves us from the threat of a Church which is gnostic and self-referential, closed in on herself; he impels us to open the doors and go forth to proclaim and bear witness to the good news of the Gospel, to communicate the joy of faith, the encounter with Christ. The Holy Spirit is the soul of mission. The events that took place in Jerusalem almost two thousand years ago are not something far removed from us; they are events which affect us and become a lived experience in each of us. The Pentecost of the Upper Room in Jerusalem is the beginning, a beginning which endures. The Holy Spirit is the supreme gift of the risen Christ to his apostles, yet he wants that gift to reach everyone. As we heard in the Gospel, Jesus says: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to remain with you forever” (Jn 14:16). It is the Paraclete Spirit, the “Comforter”, who grants us the courage to take to the streets of the world, bringing the Gospel! The Holy Spirit makes us look to the horizon and drive us to the very outskirts of existence in order to proclaim life in Jesus Christ. Let us ask ourselves: do we tend to stay closed in on ourselves, on our group, or do we let the Holy Spirit open us to mission?

Today’s liturgy is a great prayer which the Church, in union with Jesus, raises up to the Father, asking him to renew the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. May each of us, and every group and movement, in the harmony of the Church, cry out to the Father and implore this gift. Today too, as at her origins, the Church, in union with Mary, cries out:“Veni, Sancte Spiritus! Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love!” Amen.