The Catholic Register - Readers Speak Out

Written by Catholic Register Readers,

Would-be humanism

At least 40 million abortions are performed each year around the globe. As a proud Canadian, I am thankful I live in a country where health care is both accessible and reliable. Sadly, however, many still deny how the mystery of science is often unveiled by light of faith.

In his preface to Encountering the Other, Jean Vanier quotes Patriarch Atenogoras of Constantinople who said, “I just want to welcome and to share.” The nobility of these human capacities — to welcome and to share — lie in the selflessness required to proffer them to one another. Welcoming the gift of life or sharing that gift with others is intrinsic to human order.

My hope and prayer is that no human beings entitle themselves to the decisions reserved exclusively for the Creator who makes all things possible. I am still a proud Canadian, only I am more aware today that a great country can also be populated by a citizenry that is not always so.

Marc Giampietri
Catholic secondary school teacher
Sarnia, Ont.

Pray for schismatics

We must all pray that the Society of St. Pius X will be guided by the Holy Spirit to accept the magisterium of Mother Church as defined by the apostolic succession. In 1870, the church, assembled in the First Vatican Council and presided ever by Pope Pius IX (i.e.. Pio Nono, of blessed memory), adopted the doctrines of papal infallibility, which states unequivocally that the Holy Father cannot err when he speaks “ex cathedra” on matters of faith and morals.

Personal conscience cannot be used as an excuse to defy the magisterium of Mother Church. That is the heretical doctrine of “private judgment.” The word “Catholic” means “universal,” and that precludes a place for schism, scandal and calumny against church authorities.

Joseph Kenneth Malone
Charlottetown, P.E.I.

What did Jesus do?

In response to the recent letters regarding Fr. Jim Profit’s Mass on a Guelph farm, I would like to journey with you to the Upper Room and the first Eucharist.

After supper, Jesus stood up before His disciples, took the cup poured wine, took a piece of bread left over from the meal. He blessed the bread and wine, prayed to His Father and gave them to eat.

He was in ordinary clothes, no stole.

Jesus tried to instil love and simplicity into them and us.

We don’t get it, do we?

M. Estelle Malleck, S.S.N.D.
Waterdown, Ont.

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.

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