The Catholic Register - Readers Speak Out

Written by Catholic Register Readers,

Stop excluding women

It is more than disappointing to read, yet again, the Vatican’s constant refrain “that the ordination of women priests, and especially women bishops, makes the goal of Anglican-Roman Catholic full, visible union much more difficult to envisage” (Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, “Lambeth postpones decision on hot topics,” Aug. 17-24). Of all the world’s problems, the ordination of women is the least of our worries.

Such pronouncements resemble those of a gated community patrolling the boundaries of its own privilege. Local priests and even bishops do not express the same defensive position, at least in private. Furthermore, the models provided by female Anglican ministers and bishops suggest that women are not only the intellectual and spiritual equal of men, but may even prove to be superior in some instances, being more compassionate and sensitive especially to women’s issues.

Certainly, the shortage of priests in the Catholic Church today, at least in Canada, places the entire institution at risk. Since the male priests cannot keep up with their responsibilities, they already rely more and more on women, especially in hospital chaplaincy and schools. Without the privilege of administering the sacraments, this feminine ministry will remain second class. In our technological world of equal opportunity, especially in education, there is no longer any theological justification for the exclusion and oppression of women. Actually, there never was.

K. Janet Ritch
Toronto School of Theology
University of Toronto

Common sense prevails

Dorothy Cummings’ question, “What is Mass anyway?” in her Aug. 17-24 column. “ Do the red, say the black, take the time

,” summarizes the present crisis in the liturgy, at least among indigenous middle-class and university educated North Americans who have been going to Mass since the early ’70s. Whereas earlier generation would have supplied the answer (albeit by rote) from the Baltimore catechism that “The Mass is the unbloody sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ,” debate regarding the sacramental theology of the Eucharist, the vitality of the assembly in regard to the celebration and the role of the priest as either “presider” or as “personae Christi” therein, has been the definitive norm within the vanguard of liturgical facilitators, animators and co-ordinators.

The evolution of the Eucharist from a sacrifice to a means of promoting awareness of “social justice” issues (such as the undue militarism of Israeli policy towards Palestinian aspirations of self-determination) seems to have had no effect on the majority of working-class Catholics one meets in a place like Toronto (this “proletariat” being almost exclusively foreign born) who adhere to a “pre-Vatican II” view of victim, oblation and real presence. Could it be that the daily lives of the working poor ensure the mysterium fidei of the eternal covenant despite misguided attempts by experts at ongoing reform that only set up the abomination of desolation?

Perhaps a faith started by a carpenter and spread by fishermen has its ultimate insurance for survival in the simple common sense of ordinary workers.

Michael Chard
Toronto, Ont.

Too many rules

In his Aug. 3-10 column, “The joy of conversion,” John Bentley Mays shares his personal story about his unexpected conversion to Catholicism on his visit at Lourdes. He tells of how he was moved by the Spirit “to ask a priest for Communion that very day.” The priest was moved to hear his Confession and gave him Communion, and then directed Mays to go home and take instruction and be welcomed into the church.

When Mays arrived home, some local doctrinal police of the church proceeded to inform him that he “had broken half a dozen church rules by taking Communion at Lourdes.” It is evident from his story that his experience at Lourdes was a real opportunity to celebrate the call of the Spirit, so it is disappointing to hear Mays say that “I knew that what I had done must have seemed arrogant and impulsive” and that he would never advise anyone to follow his example.

As Catholics, we need to celebrate the movement of the Spirit and respond creatively to this call. Too often that opportunity is missed when we become restricted by church rules and canons. Jesus spoke out strongly in His day against the way the Pharisees and scribes set up legalistic rules that blocked the path to God. I meet many young people today who have not been part of the church and are moved in their hearts to respond to the call of the Spirit, but they find it difficult to navigate the rules and legalisms of the Catholic Church.

We need to rediscover how the disciples initially followed Jesus because He welcomed them as they are, and He did not have a whole set of restrictive rules. It may be helpful here to remember Jesus’ saying in Matthew 9:13, “Go and find out what is meant by the Scripture that says: ‘it is compassion that I want, not sacrifices.’ I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts.”

David Walsh
Toronto, Ont.

Ambushed by Love

John Bentley Mays narrates his full acceptance of the Catholic faith at Lourdes (“The joy of conversion,” Aug. 3-10). It is uncertain when he was “properly” received into the church. His account of the experience requires some discernment.

Consider the ministry of the priest at Lourdes. Mays approaches him and asks to become a Catholic. The priest “correctly” advises him to go home and take instructions. Mays persists. The priest acknowledges that if intention is sincere, he could take Holy Communion that very day. (Sounds like Jesus’ words on the cross: “This very day, you will be with me…”). The priest hears his confession. Mays went off to do as the priest suggested.

Consider further the reaction in Toronto. Mays charitably does not identify whom he met: a priest, a deacon, a pastoral worker, a secretary, the housekeeper. He presents himself for membership in a parish community. He is immediately told that he has broken half a dozen rules (maybe like carrying his mat on the Sabbath), and that he must refrain from Communion. He obeys.

Mays asks himself if what he had done in Lourdes was arrogant and impulsive. What is impulsive about seeking out a priest to become a Catholic, persisting, confessing one’s sins, following pastoral advice? What is arrogant in seeking membership back home, finding the requirements “reasonable,” refraining from Communion?

Is it possible that the priest in Lourdes, accustomed to greeting pilgrims who are touched by God’s grace, perceived that “the Creator was dealing directly with the creature and the creature directly with his Creator and Lord?” (See Spiritual Exercises, no. 15).

Is it possible that the person in Toronto, being preoccupied with the rules, failed to discern the presence of God’s grace working in the soul of His child? Jesus told a parable involving an elder son who failed to perceive his father’s joy when his younger brother returned after his conversion.

Mays’ testimony of his full acceptance of the Catholic faith is as edifying as the stories of John Henry Newman, Edith Stein, Paul Claudel and many other men and women who through the ages were “ambushed by love” and gave their “allegiance to their divine captor at once!”

Fr. Douglas Daniel
Sherbrooke, Que.

Ask ordinary Catholics

Instead of talking about consequences of the misuse of contraception in society in general why not ask the millions of committed Catholic couples who use artificial birth control to space births and have no problem with it.

The Catholic Church hailed sex as a necessary evil until Vatican II in its theology books. Even when procreation took place it was still connected to venial sin.

Thank God for the doctrine on the primacy of conscience. That old view of sex caused great harm to Catholics who became neurotic and it caused unhappy marriages. The church, which is the people of God, has rejected the nonsense that every act of contraception is immoral.

Kim Albertini
Toronto, Ont.

Fell into trap

Letter writers Jack Murphy and Daniel Poirier of Meteghan Centre, N.S., write (“Treat women as equals,” Aug. 3-10) in regards to female ordinations: “It is time that the church accepted women on a fully equal basis.”

Have they fallen into the common trap of confusing equality with sameness? Mother Mary certainly did not

Ricardo Di Cecca
Burlington, Ont.

Enriching our church

I read with interest in your Aug. 3-10 letters the views of those who wrote in to affirm their commitment to either form of the Catholic Mass — the Novus Ordo vs. the Tridentine Mass — sometimes against the backdrop of what they feel is “wrong” with the other type.

It is important to remember that Pope Benedict XVI has given Roman Catholics a liturgical choice. Rather than see the comeback of the Tridentine liturgy as something that will eventually become normative once again in the Latin Church, the fact remains that the West has always had its share of different rites and liturgical traditions.

The Vatican has also approved the return of the Mozarabic Mass and Divine Office for Spain (which can only be properly performed with the priest facing the altar). There is the Ambrosian Rite of Milan to which Pope Paul VI himself belonged (he was a “Milanese Catholic” and not a “Roman Catholic”). The Celtic and Gallican Rites are other older examples. Religious orders such as the Cistercians, Dominicans and Benedictines have their own historic usages and rites. There are Orthodox Churches today, such as the Antiochian, that include Western rites within their liturgical practice, as well as the Eastern, and the Russian Church has approved two variants of the Byzantine-Slavonic Rite, each of which comes with its own unique way of making the Sign of the Cross, among other things.

The return of the Tridentine Rite alongside that of the Novus Ordo should, then, enrich our Catholic vision of the church which has always been liturgically diverse and never monolithic.

Alexander Roman
Toronto, Ont.

He is with us

I was deeply moved by John Bentley Mays’ account of his conversion, which took place in Lourdes (“The joy of conversion,” Aug. 3-10). We need to hear stories like this to remind us that God can not only open and change hearts, but He can do it to any one of us, at any time and in any place.

We don’t have to go to Lourdes to experience the joy that Mays felt, as we can have this joy and sense of belonging at every Sunday Eucharist in our own parishes, where Christ is truly present, not only in the sacrament of the Eucharist, but in every person who surrounds us in the pews.

Clare Dashney
Oakville, Ont.

Don’t support Amnesty

I believe that it is important for Catholics to be aware that Amnesty International has issued a policy that supports abortion in certain circumstances, such as when the “continuing pregnancy poses a risk to their (women’s) life or a grave risk to their health.” As we know “grave risk” to the health of a woman could be interpreted broadly, in effect, legitimizing recourse to abortion.

Given that this policy contravenes the teaching of the church about the sanctity of life at all stages, including life of the fetus in the womb, I would encourage Catholics to withdraw their support from Amnesty International. For instance, several Catholic schools have Amnesty International student clubs. These schools should consider not supporting Amnesty International and redirect their support to human rights organizations whose policies do not contravene and offend a fundamental teaching of the church.

The first “human right” is the right to life itself and Amnesty International contradicts its mission by supporting abortion.

Donald Bidd
Montreal, Que.

Flexibility needed

Regarding Fr. H.B. Gardner’s views on St. Basil’s Church (“Sale is no surprise,” June 22), it is not the legal question, nor is it the question of timing that comes to my mind here, but the concepts of flexibility and fraternity. The city is always making adjustments for the benefit of the existing terrain.

In my view the city, St. Michael’s College or the developer had every chance to accommodate or facilitate. It is not unreasonable to do the right thing and make provision for parish parking. The fact that there were no objections in 2005 may be that parishioners were asleep at the switch.

Virginia Edman
Toronto, Ont.

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