The Catholic Register - Readers Speak Out

Written by Catholic Register Readers,

No compromise

The “Call to Service” feature articles in your April 27 issue concerning the great challenges confronting religious orders were valuable because the vitality of these orders affects the church’s spiritual health.

Pope Benedict has observed that secularized culture has penetrated the minds and hearts of many consecrated persons. In the epilogue of The Religious Orders in England (vol. III), Dom David Knowles, the distinguished historian and Benedictine monk, warned prophetically: “When…a religious order ceases to direct its sons (or daughters) to the abandonment of all that is not God, and ceases to show them the rigours of the narrow way that leads to the imitation of Christ in His love, it sinks to the level of a purely human institution, and whatever its works may be, they are the works of time and not of eternity.

If religious orders embrace a comfortable, middle-class and relativistic lifestyle, they will die. Only by radical self-renunciation and uncompromising fidelity to the truth revealed in Scripture and tradition can those in religious orders genuinely serve God and not themselves.

Graeme A. Barry
Saint John, N.B.

Loves Latin Mass

Regarding the April 13 article, “Latin Mass bearing fruit, says cardinal,” I have heard it said that sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward. Having been born after Vatican II, I had never heard of the Latin Mass until only recently when our beloved Pope began to encourage more people to attend it.

Having inquired as to its whereabouts, I decided to attend the Tridentine Mass for my first time. Though somewhat skeptical at first, I was actually blown away by its awesome beauty. My initial reaction was: “Why have the local bishops been hiding it for so long?”

To me it is like a totally different Mass. The priest seems more dedicated, taking great care in what he is saying and doing. This is especially true during the consecration as well as when he alone distributes Holy Communion, ensuring that exceptional care is taken to properly honour and protect the host.

Another thing I noticed was the air of reverent silence that permeates the church. One immediately senses being in the midst of a prayerful community. The music seemed to come in at the appropriate time and sounded compatible with what was happening. It heightened my awareness of the mystery.

This was also my first contact with the rich and reverent rhythm of real sacred music. Along with the scent of holy incense one could almost visualize the peoples’ prayers at times rising in a cloud of worship to God.

Thanks to the Holy Father for the Latin Mass which I now attend regularly. In doing so I am becoming more and more familiar with the Latin language and its profound classical beauty. My one wish is that the Latin Mass be said in every church and in every diocese so that all Catholics can experience the same epiphany of awesome beauty and holiness that I experience each Sunday at the Latin Mass.

Mark Nelson
Toronto, Ont.

Book was slanted

In reference to the May 18 review by Afua Cooper on John Perry’s book Catholics and Slavery, I would like to make the following comments.

It is bad enough dealing with the anti-Catholic slant of the daily secular press. When the culprit is a Catholic publication such as yours it is a real shame. This seems to be happening on a regular basis. Our guard is down when we are attacked by the enemy within.

What has The Catholic Register done to check the veracity of this book? The fact that John Perry is a Jesuit means nothing. We also have “Catholics for Choice” and many other disillusioned Catholic groups. Surely something like this can do no good. What about the sin of detraction?

No mention is made of Pope Eugene IV’s papal bull Sicut Dudum of 1435, or Pope Paul III’s papal bull Sublimus Deus of 1537, or Pope Gregory XVI’s papal bull in Supremo of 1839, amongst others, all dealing with the church’s opposition to slavery.

Ashley D’Souza
Mississauga, Ont.

Poorly taught

I have just read the May 11 article “Living an ecumenical relationship” and I am distressed to note once again that there is no concept of the one true church, instituted by Christ, i.e., our church. To read that this young Catholic woman, who is a resident Student Campus Minister at the University of Toronto’s Newman Centre, does not realize that ours is the church instituted by Christ tells us much about the lack of understanding of the most basic teachings of our faith — a lack that is all too common in our young people.

We cannot blame Peggy Li for this, but where was her faith formed and who taught her throughout her formative years? She believes that to bring up her future children attending two churches and then allowing those children “to make an informed decision in choosing one denomination” is the right way. Someone should tell her that our church is not a denomination; it is not just one of many. It is the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic church, with the fullness of the faith, with a leadership that dates back to Christ Himself.

Claudine Goller
Scarborough, Ont.

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