Catholic Sensibility

The National Catholic Register has pulled its controversial interview with Fr Benedict Groeschel from its web page. This story seems to be slower in gaining blogotraction than a western bishop’s DUI arrest. But if the NCReg has been shamed (or scared) by the fallout, consider that their editorial process gave the piece a clean bill before it was posted. That can mean one of two things:

• The editor didn’t see anything wrong with the viewpoints expressed by Fr Groeschel.
• The editor didn’t care about the viewpoints expressed.

That last one might include the possibility that the editor was asleep at the wheel. If I had an interview subject who embarrassed herself or himself I would talk it over with my editor, if I were a writer. Or with my writer, if I were the editor. I’m surprised that an outlet with such an ideological leaning would allow someone so favorably viewed by its readers to appear in such a bad light.

Someone at dotCommonweal described Fr Groeschel’s thoughts as “unspeakably evil.” That strains perspective I think. What sex predators have done to the innocent is “unspeakably evil.” Ignorant opinions about these acts are gravely misinformed, but I think they fall short of being “unspeakably evil.” Unless a person were totally hard-hearted to victims, and resolutely unwilling to entertain the notion that brother priests and bishops have committed grave sins in abusing and covering up. I don’t see that here.

What do you make of NCReg’s behavior, especially any of you who enjoy and support that publication?

Note: The NCReg has updated the link to the interview.

Note the heavy citations of Matthew’s Gospel in today’s section. This should give a balance to all those Luke passages I pulled out on Tuesday. The kingdom of God is a concept rich in imagery, and also full of consequences for someone willing to align with it as a citizen and disciple. The bulleted format is my edit; the text is left intact:

8. As an evangelizer, Christ first of all proclaims a kingdom, the kingdom of God; and this is so important that, by comparison, everything else becomes “the rest,” which is “given in addition.”[Cf. Mt 6:33] Only the kingdom therefore is absolute and it makes everything else relative. The Lord will delight in describing in many ways …

• the happiness of belonging to this kingdom (a paradoxical happiness which is made up of things that the world rejects),[Cf. Mt 5:3-12]
• the demands of the kingdom and its Magna Charta,[Cf. Mt 5-7]
• the heralds of the kingdom,[Cf. Mt 10]
• its mysteries,[Cf. Mt 13]
• its children,[Cf. Mt 18]
• the vigilance and fidelity demanded of whoever awaits its definitive coming.[Cf. Mt 24-25]

Pondering each of those qualities is worth considerable time.

My comment is that an evangelical Catholic does well to consider herself or himself as a citizen of God’s reign, and to carefully note the ways in which this Way differs from the way of the world. In being conscious of that, we are prepared to offer explanation to others as to why we live in a different civic reality from the rest of the world.

Have you ever thought of the Sermon on the Mount as a Magna Carta of Christianity? I haven’t. How does that fit? Or not fit, in your view?

Your comments?

An example of when not to send a pajama journalist to do a liturgist’s job: Patheos’ Daily Catholic Readings.

Where does this go wrong? The archaic English translation–not even an attribution to the translation, though I’m guessing at a glance it’s Douay-Rheims. Leaving the verse numbers in a text that has been clearly just cut-and-paste into the post. No reference on the liturgical day: Saint Monica or the Monday of the 21st week in Ordinary Time? No refrain of the psalm–just the verses set prose-style. It’s probably an American effort–the Patheos people probably don’t even realize that other English-speaking countries and even religious orders may operate on a different liturgical calendar when it gets down to the level of memorials, and the occasional feast.

A lot of bloggers just link the daily readings in the sidebar and let someone else do the dirty work.

Another approach, though one that would take considerably more work, would be to assemble a team of people to do daily reflections on the readings. A little bit of Scripture commentary, a little bit of linking between the passages, a few homily suggestions. You’ll probably never see that on Catholic Sensibility–I just don’t have time for a daily effort like that. But it sure would beat the steady drumbeat of Catholic forays into blogopolitics.

When I read Fr Groeschel’s comment about ordained sex predators:

And I’m inclined to think, on their first offense, they should not go to jail because their intention was not committing a crime.

… I was thinking of other missed opportunities of mercy. Women ordained to the Catholic priesthood for the first time: maybe they shouldn’t be excommunicated.

Today, a nod to other ministries: deacon, installed, and others:

§ 36 § A variety of ministries serve the assembly at the liturgy. First among the ministers is the deacon.(GIRM 94) Some faithful have been installed in the ministries of lector or acolyte. Others serve as readers, altar servers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, cantors, musicians, and sacristans.(SC 26, 28-29) As members of the Church, each person forms an essential and distinct part of the assembly that is gathered by God in an “organic and hierarchical” way.(GIRM 294; Cf. GIRM 5) Each minister, ordained or lay, is called upon to fulfill his or her role and only that role in the celebration of the liturgy.(SC 28)

§ 37 § By its design and its furnishings, the church reflects this diversity of roles. The one who presides, those who proclaim God’s word, the ministers of music, those who assist at the altar, and members of the congregation all play an integral part in the public prayer of the Church. The design of the church should reflect the unity of the entire assembly and at the same time insure that each person is able to exercise his or her ministry in a space that fully accommodates the ritual action called for by that ministry. Careful attention to the placement of the individuals and groups who comprise the liturgical assembly can manifest and enhance their relationship with one another and with the entire body.

One design factor that has gained some traction in the past generation or two is to permit lay ministers to emerge from the assembly, rather than sit in “ministerial seats” like the clergy. Even assigned seats within pews can suggest a minimalization of the role of the lay person at Mass in favor of a quasi-priestly function. Which lectors, communion ministers, servers, and others do not exemplify. At least in theory.

Altar servers are one last piece of resistance in many parishes. When I returned to one of my old parishes, I noticed that six chairs were arranged behind the presider’s chair. It used to be that altar servers sat against the wall at the edge of the raised platform near the ambo about twenty feet away from the priest. They had been moved very close. I don’t think that arrangement reflected a good relationship, as many young people attend Mass with their families, and this is a good value to enforce as far as possible: that the Domestic Church be recognized and honored in the Sunday assembly.

One example is enought. Anyone think of others?

All texts from Built of Living Stones are copyright © 2000, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.