A quote from Arnaud Boutheon, “We are not here to worship and adore buildings. We need to read all these events with the light of faith.” [1]
Arnaud Boutheon said this in reference to the fire that burned the Gothic church in Nantes, France, [2] mentioned in a blog post dated 20 July 2020.
[1] https://religionnews.com/2020/07/28/for-french-catholics-arson-at-nantes-cathedral-shows-their-religion-is-under-attack/, last sentence of the article.
[2] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-nantes-fire/fire-destroys-organ-shatters-stained-glass-at-nantes-cathedral-in-france-idUSKBN24J07K
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Eighth Sunday After Pentacost Gospel Reading - Parable Of The Dishonest Steward
The Gospel reading for the Latin Mass this eighth Sunday after the Pentecost is Luke 16: 1-9. [1] Many articles published online do not address verse 9 with specificity. This blog entry is an amateur's attempt to understand it.
Below are two versions of verse 9 from Luke 16, from Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition [2] and from New International Version [3]:
Douay-Rheims ("DRA"):
New International Version ("NIV"):
The operative words here are "everlasting" and "eternal" in DRA and NIV, respectively, in describing the dwellings. From a quick read, Jesus seemed to refer to the dwellings of those who could be bought with money.
When Jesus said, "they may receive you into everlasting dwellings[,]" [Emphasis added], did Jesus have both groups in mind for these "everlasting" dwellings, those who try to buy favors with money, or reduction of debt as in the parable, derived from fraud, and those who accept them? In this greedy and selfish world, it would appear unlikely that those who were bought with money would remember to return the favor, regardless of how the source of funds were derived. To them money is money, honestly-earned, fraudulently-obtained or laundered. To them people are only useful when they have money and are self-sufficient, but are conveniently forgotten about when they are desperate and in need.
It is necessary to decide which group is the more virtuous? Or are they both wicked?
When Jesus mentioned "eternal" or "everlasting" dwelling, what did He have in mind? Where are these places?
Only Heaven and Hell are eternal.
Is it possible that Jesus was a tiny bit sarcastic in this parable? Or was there no sarcasm at all? In the absence of sarcasm, it could mean that those who had been bought with money were already destined to move into their eternal dwelling. That would be Hell. And it would from Hell that they might "receive" or would "welcome" those who tried to buy favors with ill-gotten gains. So both groups could end up in Hell.
Why not Heaven? Perhaps these two verses, Luke 16:12-13, can shed some light [4]:
Verse 12 ends with "who will give you that is your own?" What one already owns is Heaven. Christ taught and showed everyone the path to Heaven. He suffered and died to get everyone there but many are deaf to what Christ said and blind to what He did, and end up going the wrong way.
Verse 13 seems to say that one can choose either the path to Heaven or to Hell. There is no gray area, no middle road, no compromise.
[1] http://www.windsorlatinmass.org/pulpit/p08pul.pdf
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+16%3A9&version=DRA
[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+16%3A9&version=NIV
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+16%3A12-13&version=DRA
Below are two versions of verse 9 from Luke 16, from Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition [2] and from New International Version [3]:
Douay-Rheims ("DRA"):
And I say to you: Make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity; that when you shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting dwellings.
New International Version ("NIV"):
I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The operative words here are "everlasting" and "eternal" in DRA and NIV, respectively, in describing the dwellings. From a quick read, Jesus seemed to refer to the dwellings of those who could be bought with money.
When Jesus said, "they may receive you into everlasting dwellings[,]" [Emphasis added], did Jesus have both groups in mind for these "everlasting" dwellings, those who try to buy favors with money, or reduction of debt as in the parable, derived from fraud, and those who accept them? In this greedy and selfish world, it would appear unlikely that those who were bought with money would remember to return the favor, regardless of how the source of funds were derived. To them money is money, honestly-earned, fraudulently-obtained or laundered. To them people are only useful when they have money and are self-sufficient, but are conveniently forgotten about when they are desperate and in need.
It is necessary to decide which group is the more virtuous? Or are they both wicked?
When Jesus mentioned "eternal" or "everlasting" dwelling, what did He have in mind? Where are these places?
Only Heaven and Hell are eternal.
Is it possible that Jesus was a tiny bit sarcastic in this parable? Or was there no sarcasm at all? In the absence of sarcasm, it could mean that those who had been bought with money were already destined to move into their eternal dwelling. That would be Hell. And it would from Hell that they might "receive" or would "welcome" those who tried to buy favors with ill-gotten gains. So both groups could end up in Hell.
Why not Heaven? Perhaps these two verses, Luke 16:12-13, can shed some light [4]:
12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's; who will give you that which is your own?
13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Verse 12 ends with "who will give you that is your own?" What one already owns is Heaven. Christ taught and showed everyone the path to Heaven. He suffered and died to get everyone there but many are deaf to what Christ said and blind to what He did, and end up going the wrong way.
Verse 13 seems to say that one can choose either the path to Heaven or to Hell. There is no gray area, no middle road, no compromise.
[1] http://www.windsorlatinmass.org/pulpit/p08pul.pdf
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+16%3A9&version=DRA
[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+16%3A9&version=NIV
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+16%3A12-13&version=DRA
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Remote Confessions
"[A]s the pandemic continues, and social prohibitions grow stricter, some Catholics are wondering why they can’t confess their sins virtually - over the phone, via text, or on Skype[,]" quoted from an article published by the Catholic News Agency ("CNA") on March 18, 2020. [1]
In italics below are quoted from the same CNA article as above:
“Digital communications can and do assist people in deepening their faith, especially through catechesis and formation,” he said. “We see wonderful examples of the internet as a tool for evangelization. We can appreciate this all the more in the present crisis, with dioceses and parishes encouraging and supporting their people through online ministries.”
Bradley told CNA that innovative approaches to ministry have to be grounded in the Church’s teaching. Underpinning canon law, he said, is the essential theology of the sacraments, often rooted in a necessary person-to-person encounter.
“The nature of confession, like all the sacraments, involves a personal and ecclesial encounter with Jesus Christ, who is the Word made Flesh. A virtual reality can never replace the reality of the incarnation. We can deepen our faith through watching a livestream of Mass, but we all know: it’s not the same as being physically present.”
“Some laws regarding the sacraments are flexible, for instance the norm of hearing confessions in a church or oratory. Others are not, for instance that absolution requires a validly ordained priest,” he said.
Those are the opinions of one Fr. James Bradley, assistant professor of canon law at The Catholic University of America. He spoke only as a professor, not in the person of Christ. Therefore, his opinions are just that and nothing more.
In contrast, Fr. Giorgio Giovanelli, also speaking for himself, took a different stance, one which makes logical sense.
Father Giorgio Giovanelli, a professor of canon law at Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University, told Catholic News Service this week that he believes confession could take place over the phone, if Pope Francis would extend his permission.
“Some would object that the priest must be present. OK. That’s the kind of thing people would say in the 1980s, but the development of technology has allowed us to have other kinds of presence,” the priest told Catholic News Service.
“Am I less present by telephone? Virtual presence is real. Who could say that the celebrative dimension of the sacrament in these very particular, narrowly defined situations is lacking?” he asked.
Fr. Bradley continued to say:
“There are also practical issues that relate to the nature of the sacrament of confession. A telephone call or online meeting raises serious concerns about privacy, anonymity, and safeguarding,”
What Fr. Bradley so cleverly omitted was that churches are always ready and happy to accept donations online, without underscoring the importance of humility that priests ought to exercise in collecting donations, which is akin to begging for alms. He also artfully omitted to mention that privacy and anonymity can also be at risk when one enters financial information (such as credit or debit card numbers) online to donate to churches.
But one ought to forgive Fr. Bradley. He is after all a lawyer whose job is to advocate for one side, not to express objective and balanced viewpoints.
Fr. Thomas Weinandy, OFM Cap, a member of the Vatican’s International Theological Commission, told CNA that “physical presence is absolutely for the validity of the enactment of the sacrament.”
“The reason I say that is because the sacrament is the action of Christ performed by the minister, and for that action to take place, the priest and the penitent must be in communion with one another, in a physical manner.”
“Even in the Old Testament, Moses had to be in front of the burning bush to know he was in the presence of God,” Weinandy said.
One would assume that someone who works for the Vatican would know this parable in the New Testament, quoted in part below without references [2]:
If Jesus can heal the centurion's dying servant's illness without being next to him, why can a priest who is acting in the person of Christ (In persona Christi) not heal a penitent spiritually who is not physically present?
In the 17th century, the Church declared that confession by letter would be invalid. More recently, in 2011, papal spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ, responded to the proposition that sacramental confession might one day take place by iPhone app.
In the 17th century, Vatican II was not yet in existence. If Fr. Lombardi revered the practices of the Catholic Church in the 17th century, why was he part of the Vatican that allowed Catholic parishioners to receive, without kneeling, Holy Communion in their hands, risking part(s) of it being left on the hand, for every minute morsel and particle (whether or not visible to the naked eye) of the Holy Communion contains the entirety of Christ's body and blood for "Christ is 'truly, really, and substantially contained' in Holy Communion." [3]
"It is essential to understand well that the sacrament of penance requires necessarily the rapport of personal dialogue between penitent and confessor and absolution by the present confessor,” Lombardi said at the time.
Does "the rapport of personal dialogue between penitent and confessor" vanish when both the penitent and the confessor are not sharing a physical space? Does the absolution of sins by the confessor become a matter of words without effect when done remotely even though the penitent’s remorse is genuine?
Weinandy said that all sacraments involve a physical dimension. In marriage, that dimension is expressed in the sexual union of husband and wife. In other sacraments, it is expressed in the rites and rituals themselves, he said.
Is it all about expressions of "rites and rituals themselves" per Fr. Weinandy? It is precisely because emphases are put on "rites and rituals" that seem to make them mechanical rather than heartfelt.
This is what Jesus taught [4]:
While in-person confessions are preferable to other means, it ought to be made flexible at this time due to the pandemic in order not to place the confessor or the penitent in any kind of health risk.
[1] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/confession-by-phone-skype-or-emoji-could-it-happen-during-coronavirus-pandemic-93488
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+7%3A1-10&version=ESV
[3] http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/norms-for-holy-communion-under-both-kinds/index.cfm, Part I, paragraph 8, quoted without references.
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:5-6&version=NIV, quoted without references.
In italics below are quoted from the same CNA article as above:
“Digital communications can and do assist people in deepening their faith, especially through catechesis and formation,” he said. “We see wonderful examples of the internet as a tool for evangelization. We can appreciate this all the more in the present crisis, with dioceses and parishes encouraging and supporting their people through online ministries.”
Bradley told CNA that innovative approaches to ministry have to be grounded in the Church’s teaching. Underpinning canon law, he said, is the essential theology of the sacraments, often rooted in a necessary person-to-person encounter.
“The nature of confession, like all the sacraments, involves a personal and ecclesial encounter with Jesus Christ, who is the Word made Flesh. A virtual reality can never replace the reality of the incarnation. We can deepen our faith through watching a livestream of Mass, but we all know: it’s not the same as being physically present.”
“Some laws regarding the sacraments are flexible, for instance the norm of hearing confessions in a church or oratory. Others are not, for instance that absolution requires a validly ordained priest,” he said.
Those are the opinions of one Fr. James Bradley, assistant professor of canon law at The Catholic University of America. He spoke only as a professor, not in the person of Christ. Therefore, his opinions are just that and nothing more.
In contrast, Fr. Giorgio Giovanelli, also speaking for himself, took a different stance, one which makes logical sense.
Father Giorgio Giovanelli, a professor of canon law at Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University, told Catholic News Service this week that he believes confession could take place over the phone, if Pope Francis would extend his permission.
“Some would object that the priest must be present. OK. That’s the kind of thing people would say in the 1980s, but the development of technology has allowed us to have other kinds of presence,” the priest told Catholic News Service.
“Am I less present by telephone? Virtual presence is real. Who could say that the celebrative dimension of the sacrament in these very particular, narrowly defined situations is lacking?” he asked.
Fr. Bradley continued to say:
“There are also practical issues that relate to the nature of the sacrament of confession. A telephone call or online meeting raises serious concerns about privacy, anonymity, and safeguarding,”
What Fr. Bradley so cleverly omitted was that churches are always ready and happy to accept donations online, without underscoring the importance of humility that priests ought to exercise in collecting donations, which is akin to begging for alms. He also artfully omitted to mention that privacy and anonymity can also be at risk when one enters financial information (such as credit or debit card numbers) online to donate to churches.
But one ought to forgive Fr. Bradley. He is after all a lawyer whose job is to advocate for one side, not to express objective and balanced viewpoints.
Fr. Thomas Weinandy, OFM Cap, a member of the Vatican’s International Theological Commission, told CNA that “physical presence is absolutely for the validity of the enactment of the sacrament.”
“The reason I say that is because the sacrament is the action of Christ performed by the minister, and for that action to take place, the priest and the penitent must be in communion with one another, in a physical manner.”
“Even in the Old Testament, Moses had to be in front of the burning bush to know he was in the presence of God,” Weinandy said.
One would assume that someone who works for the Vatican would know this parable in the New Testament, quoted in part below without references [2]:
Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.
If Jesus can heal the centurion's dying servant's illness without being next to him, why can a priest who is acting in the person of Christ (In persona Christi) not heal a penitent spiritually who is not physically present?
In the 17th century, the Church declared that confession by letter would be invalid. More recently, in 2011, papal spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ, responded to the proposition that sacramental confession might one day take place by iPhone app.
In the 17th century, Vatican II was not yet in existence. If Fr. Lombardi revered the practices of the Catholic Church in the 17th century, why was he part of the Vatican that allowed Catholic parishioners to receive, without kneeling, Holy Communion in their hands, risking part(s) of it being left on the hand, for every minute morsel and particle (whether or not visible to the naked eye) of the Holy Communion contains the entirety of Christ's body and blood for "Christ is 'truly, really, and substantially contained' in Holy Communion." [3]
"It is essential to understand well that the sacrament of penance requires necessarily the rapport of personal dialogue between penitent and confessor and absolution by the present confessor,” Lombardi said at the time.
Does "the rapport of personal dialogue between penitent and confessor" vanish when both the penitent and the confessor are not sharing a physical space? Does the absolution of sins by the confessor become a matter of words without effect when done remotely even though the penitent’s remorse is genuine?
Weinandy said that all sacraments involve a physical dimension. In marriage, that dimension is expressed in the sexual union of husband and wife. In other sacraments, it is expressed in the rites and rituals themselves, he said.
Is it all about expressions of "rites and rituals themselves" per Fr. Weinandy? It is precisely because emphases are put on "rites and rituals" that seem to make them mechanical rather than heartfelt.
This is what Jesus taught [4]:
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
While in-person confessions are preferable to other means, it ought to be made flexible at this time due to the pandemic in order not to place the confessor or the penitent in any kind of health risk.
[1] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/confession-by-phone-skype-or-emoji-could-it-happen-during-coronavirus-pandemic-93488
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+7%3A1-10&version=ESV
[3] http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/norms-for-holy-communion-under-both-kinds/index.cfm, Part I, paragraph 8, quoted without references.
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:5-6&version=NIV, quoted without references.
Monday, July 20, 2020
A Bright Spot In One "Cradle Of Civilization"
"A cradle of civilization is a location where civilization is understood to have emerged. Current thinking is that there was no single "cradle", but several civilizations that developed independently, with the Fertile Crescent (Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia), Ancient India, and Ancient China understood to be the earliest." [Emphasis original.] [1]
The bright spot today is the new Egypt. An article published by Agenzia Fides reported "what Sheikh Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, current Gran Mufti of Egypt, said during his speech on a television program conducted by the journalist Hamdi Rizk. The Egyptian Grand Mufti, in his speech, indicated Egypt as the Country with a Muslim majority where more public resources are used in the construction of Christian places of worship..." in an article entitled Grand Mufti Shawki Allam: "There is no objection to building churches with Muslim money. [2]
This is in contrast to other countries that are burning or tearing down Catholic churches mentioned in two previous blog posts dated 7/18 and 7/20.
Quoted below is from the same article cited above [3]:
Even the Holy Family fled to Egypt to escape Herod [4]:
But Egypt is not apolitical, just like every other country on the planet. Aljezeera reported that "Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia have been backing Haftar's eastern-based forces in the conflict [in Libya], while Turkey supports the [UN-recognised Government of National Accord] GNA" in an article entitled Egypt's parliament approves troop deployment to Libya. [5]
Libya is a mess because "[o]n 17 March 2011 the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1973, with a 10–0 vote and five abstentions including Russia, China, India, Brazil and Germany.... In the weeks that followed, American forces were in the forefront of NATO operations against Libya. More than 8,000 American personnel in warships and aircraft were deployed in the area. At least 3,000 targets were struck in 14,202 strike sorties, 716 of them in Tripoli and 492 in Brega. The American air offensive included flights of B-2 Stealth bombers, each bomber armed with sixteen 2000-pound bombs, flying out of and returning to their base in Missouri in the continental United States. The support provided by the NATO air forces contributed to the ultimate success of the revolution." [6]
Are the Libyan people any better off today after NATO's invasion than when Muammar Gaddafi was in charge? "If ever a nation can be said to be cursed by its own natural resources..., it is Libya. Despite having the largest oil reserves in Africa, and the tenth largest in the world, around a third of the population live in poverty." [7] Where is NATO now having left a third of Libya's people in poverty after bombing their country?
If Libya can become more like Egypt rather than Turkey and the war-happy NATO countries, then perhaps the world will become a bit more civilized.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_of_civilization#:~:text=A%20cradle%20of%20civilization%20is,understood%20to%20be%20the%20earliest., quoted without references and hyperlinks.
[2] http://www.fides.org/en/news/68386-AFRICA_EGYPT_Grand_Mufti_Shawki_Allam_There_is_no_objection_to_building_churches_with_Muslim_money
[3] Ibid.
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+2%3A13-23&version=DRA, quoted without references.
[5] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/egypt-legislators-vote-deploying-troops-libya-200720141515828.html
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libya, quoted without references and hyperlinks.
[7] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/libya-poverty-corruption-a8451826.html
The bright spot today is the new Egypt. An article published by Agenzia Fides reported "what Sheikh Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, current Gran Mufti of Egypt, said during his speech on a television program conducted by the journalist Hamdi Rizk. The Egyptian Grand Mufti, in his speech, indicated Egypt as the Country with a Muslim majority where more public resources are used in the construction of Christian places of worship..." in an article entitled Grand Mufti Shawki Allam: "There is no objection to building churches with Muslim money. [2]
This is in contrast to other countries that are burning or tearing down Catholic churches mentioned in two previous blog posts dated 7/18 and 7/20.
Quoted below is from the same article cited above [3]:
The Egyptian Grand Mufti also intervened on the reconversion of the ancient Hagia Sofia Basilica in Istanbul ordered by Turkish authorities. In this regard, Sheikh Shawki Allam said it was illegal to convert a church into a mosque, declaring that in the history of Egypt no Christian place of worship has been transformed into a Muslim place of worship.
...
In June, as reported by Fides (see Fides, 10/6/2020), the Egyptian "House of Fatwa" had gone so far as to define the same Ottoman conquest of Constantinople as an "occupation", marking as an unfortunate event the transformation of the Basilica of Haghia Sophia into a mosque.
Even the Holy Family fled to Egypt to escape Herod [4]:
... behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him.
Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod:
That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son.
But Egypt is not apolitical, just like every other country on the planet. Aljezeera reported that "Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia have been backing Haftar's eastern-based forces in the conflict [in Libya], while Turkey supports the [UN-recognised Government of National Accord] GNA" in an article entitled Egypt's parliament approves troop deployment to Libya. [5]
Libya is a mess because "[o]n 17 March 2011 the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1973, with a 10–0 vote and five abstentions including Russia, China, India, Brazil and Germany.... In the weeks that followed, American forces were in the forefront of NATO operations against Libya. More than 8,000 American personnel in warships and aircraft were deployed in the area. At least 3,000 targets were struck in 14,202 strike sorties, 716 of them in Tripoli and 492 in Brega. The American air offensive included flights of B-2 Stealth bombers, each bomber armed with sixteen 2000-pound bombs, flying out of and returning to their base in Missouri in the continental United States. The support provided by the NATO air forces contributed to the ultimate success of the revolution." [6]
Are the Libyan people any better off today after NATO's invasion than when Muammar Gaddafi was in charge? "If ever a nation can be said to be cursed by its own natural resources..., it is Libya. Despite having the largest oil reserves in Africa, and the tenth largest in the world, around a third of the population live in poverty." [7] Where is NATO now having left a third of Libya's people in poverty after bombing their country?
If Libya can become more like Egypt rather than Turkey and the war-happy NATO countries, then perhaps the world will become a bit more civilized.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_of_civilization#:~:text=A%20cradle%20of%20civilization%20is,understood%20to%20be%20the%20earliest., quoted without references and hyperlinks.
[2] http://www.fides.org/en/news/68386-AFRICA_EGYPT_Grand_Mufti_Shawki_Allam_There_is_no_objection_to_building_churches_with_Muslim_money
[3] Ibid.
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+2%3A13-23&version=DRA, quoted without references.
[5] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/egypt-legislators-vote-deploying-troops-libya-200720141515828.html
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libya, quoted without references and hyperlinks.
[7] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/libya-poverty-corruption-a8451826.html
Fire Destroys Another Cathedral In France - UPDATED 27 July 2020
As if it was not enough for a fire to ravage the Notre-Dame in Paris on 15 April 2019 [1], on 18 July 2020, "[a] fire in the 15th century cathedral in the western French city of Nantes blew out stained glass windows and destroyed the grand organ on Saturday." [2]
Even as Catholic churches and statues are being desecrated in many countries around the world, those who believe in God know that neither damaged buildings, statues, crosses, paintings nor stained glass windows can diminish their faith in God, their love for God and God's love for them which is the only thing that matters in this life and the hereafter.
Everything, even plastic [3], is made from the earth's natural resources. In the end every object, every living creature returns to its place of origin:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_de_Paris_fire
[2] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-nantes-fire/fire-destroys-organ-shatters-stained-glass-at-nantes-cathedral-in-france-idUSKBN24J07K
[3] https://www.bpf.co.uk/plastipedia/how-is-plastic-made.aspx
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+3&version=DRA, line 20.
[5] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%203:18-20&version=KJ21, line 19.
UPDATE 27 July 2020:
A Rwandan refugee who was a volunteer at the 15th-century Nantes cathedral in France confessed to setting the fire. His lawyer did not reveal his motive. See https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-nantes-fire-cathedral/refugee-who-volunteered-at-french-cathedral-confesses-to-setting-blaze-lawyer-says-idUSKCN24R06Y
Even as Catholic churches and statues are being desecrated in many countries around the world, those who believe in God know that neither damaged buildings, statues, crosses, paintings nor stained glass windows can diminish their faith in God, their love for God and God's love for them which is the only thing that matters in this life and the hereafter.
Everything, even plastic [3], is made from the earth's natural resources. In the end every object, every living creature returns to its place of origin:
And all things go to one place: of earth they were made, and into earth they return together. [4]
"... for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." [5]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_de_Paris_fire
[2] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-nantes-fire/fire-destroys-organ-shatters-stained-glass-at-nantes-cathedral-in-france-idUSKBN24J07K
[3] https://www.bpf.co.uk/plastipedia/how-is-plastic-made.aspx
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+3&version=DRA, line 20.
[5] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%203:18-20&version=KJ21, line 19.
UPDATE 27 July 2020:
A Rwandan refugee who was a volunteer at the 15th-century Nantes cathedral in France confessed to setting the fire. His lawyer did not reveal his motive. See https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-nantes-fire-cathedral/refugee-who-volunteered-at-french-cathedral-confesses-to-setting-blaze-lawyer-says-idUSKCN24R06Y
Saturday, July 18, 2020
What Is Happening In The United States, Desecrating Things Catholic? UPDATED 7-22-2020
1. Burning of a mission church and toppling Junipero Serra statues in California:
On July 13, 2020, Religion News Service published an article on a "[f]ire that destroyed roof of the San Gabriel Mission" in San Gabriel, California. Quoted below is from the article [1]:
2. Decapitation of the head of a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Tennessee:
On July 15, 2020, Catholic News Service published an article entitled Statue of Virgin Mary beheaded at Tennessee parish. Quoted below is from the article [2]:
3. Decapitation of the head of a statue of Jesus Christ in Florida:
On July 15, 2020, 7 News Miami published an article entitled Statue of Jesus Christ decapitated, knocked off pedestal outside SW Miami-Dade church. Quoted below is from the article [3]:
In China, the state removes statues and crosses from churches. Catholic News Agency reported as follows [4]:
Here is a You Tube video of the removal of statues from Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Shrine in Shanxi, China, in 2018. [5] Before the removal here is a You Tube video of the shrine in 2017. [6]
[1] https://religionnews.com/2020/07/13/fire-that-destroyed-roof-of-the-san-gabriel-mission-remains-under-investigation/
[2] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/statue-of-virgin-mary-beheaded-at-tennessee-catholic-parish-74407
[3] https://wsvn.com/news/local/statue-of-jesus-christ-decapitated-knocked-off-pedestal-outside-sw-miami-dade-church/
[4] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/chinese-government-resumes-removal-of-crosses-from-church-buildings-47792
[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CccCL_QVJw
[6] https://youtu.be/JGc75wwoces?t=407
UPDATE 7-22-2020:
Catholic News Agency reported damages that took place at Catholic churches across the United States in a July 20, 2020, article entitled Attacks on Catholic statues continue over weekend. Link to the article: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/weekend-sees-more-attacks-on-catholic-church-statues-across-us-26486
On July 13, 2020, Religion News Service published an article on a "[f]ire that destroyed roof of the San Gabriel Mission" in San Gabriel, California. Quoted below is from the article [1]:
The fire occurred amid public scrutiny of [Junipero] Serra, an 18th-century Franciscan priest, who was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015. While credited with spreading the Catholic faith on the West Coast, Serra is viewed by many as the agent of an imperial conquest that enslaved Native Americans.
Protesters have toppled [Junipero] Serra statues in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento.
...
Yve Chavez, a professor at UC Santa Cruz, feared the fire could have damaged artwork that needs to be further studied. She said according to other scholars, there were murals created by Native people within the church that had been painted over at some point in history. "More research needs to be done to investigate that element," she said.
This particular church at the San Gabriel Mission was one of a few built out of stone instead of adobe, said Chavez, whose research focuses on Indigenous art of Southern California and the missions. The architecture was not meant to withstand an earthquake-prone environment and, as a result, had been damaged over the years, she said, noting the roof that burned was not original to the structure.
"What we see now post-fire and even before the fire is not reflective of what Native people would have experienced way back in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when the Franciscans had control over the missions," Chavez said. "It is an old building, but it has certainly gone through various phases of restoration."
Even so, as a descendant of Tongva, Chavez expressed concerned about the fate of the church structure.
She said these buildings are unique to California.
"It's the Native people who did the work. They were the ones who found the materials. They would have had to quarry the stone to build the stone walls. ... It's really the product of Indigenous labor and their ability to adapt to new construction techniques," she said.
"As a Native person whose ancestors lived and worked and died at this mission, I was upset to think that something my ancestors built would no longer be there for us to recognize," Chavez added.
2. Decapitation of the head of a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Tennessee:
On July 15, 2020, Catholic News Service published an article entitled Statue of Virgin Mary beheaded at Tennessee parish. Quoted below is from the article [2]:
The decapitation of the Blessed Mother statue at St. Stephen occurred on the same weekend as several other high-profile acts of vandalism at Catholic churches across the country, including the desecration of statues of the Virgin Mary. In Boston, a statue of Mary was set on fire, and in Brooklyn, a statue was tagged with the word “IDOL” in black spray paint.
3. Decapitation of the head of a statue of Jesus Christ in Florida:
On July 15, 2020, 7 News Miami published an article entitled Statue of Jesus Christ decapitated, knocked off pedestal outside SW Miami-Dade church. Quoted below is from the article [3]:
A statue of Jesus Christ was found beheaded and knocked off its pedestal outside of a Southwest Miami-Dade church, and the Archdiocese of Miami believes the incident was not an accident.
The statue was found decapitated and moved from its pedestal outside Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Wednesday morning.
...
The Archdiocese of Miami released a statement that reads, “The Archdiocese of Miami expects the police to investigate this desecration of the Jesus Christ statue as a hate crime. This crime reflects the increasing attacks on the Catholic church across the country.”
In China, the state removes statues and crosses from churches. Catholic News Agency reported as follows [4]:
As the Chinese government makes progress containing the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities have resumed action to remove crosses from buildings and crackdown on religious practice.
Here is a You Tube video of the removal of statues from Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Shrine in Shanxi, China, in 2018. [5] Before the removal here is a You Tube video of the shrine in 2017. [6]
[1] https://religionnews.com/2020/07/13/fire-that-destroyed-roof-of-the-san-gabriel-mission-remains-under-investigation/
[2] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/statue-of-virgin-mary-beheaded-at-tennessee-catholic-parish-74407
[3] https://wsvn.com/news/local/statue-of-jesus-christ-decapitated-knocked-off-pedestal-outside-sw-miami-dade-church/
[4] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/chinese-government-resumes-removal-of-crosses-from-church-buildings-47792
[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CccCL_QVJw
[6] https://youtu.be/JGc75wwoces?t=407
UPDATE 7-22-2020:
Catholic News Agency reported damages that took place at Catholic churches across the United States in a July 20, 2020, article entitled Attacks on Catholic statues continue over weekend. Link to the article: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/weekend-sees-more-attacks-on-catholic-church-statues-across-us-26486
A Song For A Dreamer
Once Upon A Dream is a song from the musical Jekyll & Hyde. It is on You Tube, uploaded by anmaeli with lyrics copied below, sung by Jekyll (Anthony Warlow) [1]:
Had the Son of God dreamed a dream, would the first three verses of the lyrics apply?
For this dreamer, the last two verses fits him perfectly. Standing alone and in silence he watches from a distance the glimmer of hope that ends the song fade with his dream with each passing day.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulj5o8aoOHw&list=PLjXQ_rLk0ogaVqkK_mrtp1VYs51qk0oUN&index=34&t=0s
Once upon a dream
I conceived a perfect plan
That would change the face of man
Once upon a dream
For it was my dream
To create a perfect world
From this cold, imperfect world
Once upon a dream
And I was unafraid;
The dream was so enticing!
But now I see it fade
And I am here alone...
Once upon a dream
All I had to do was try
Too late now to wonder why;
It can never be
Could I begin again?
Once upon a dream?
Had the Son of God dreamed a dream, would the first three verses of the lyrics apply?
For this dreamer, the last two verses fits him perfectly. Standing alone and in silence he watches from a distance the glimmer of hope that ends the song fade with his dream with each passing day.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulj5o8aoOHw&list=PLjXQ_rLk0ogaVqkK_mrtp1VYs51qk0oUN&index=34&t=0s
Friday, July 17, 2020
Flooding In China, In Palermo, Italy, And The On-going Spreading Of Locusts -- UPDATED -- To Include Floods In South Asia
First COVID-19 hit China, then Italy. Now comes flooding in China, near the Yangtze River [1], and in the capital of Sicily, Palermo, Italy [2]. Then there is the on-going breeding and spreading of locusts in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia [3], Iran, Pakistan, India and other countries [4], [5]. The illustration below is from FAO Locust's Twitter account [6]:
(enlarged below)
Global News on 17 July 2020 published an article entitled At least 221 dead across South Asia as heavy monsoon rains bring floods, landslides. [7]
[1] https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-07-17/chinas-wuhan-declares-red-alert-as-floods-disrupt-supply-chains
[2] https://news.yahoo.com/heaviest-rainfall-since-least-1790-184512909.html
[3] https://www.arabnews.com/node/1629941/saudi-arabia
[4] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/swarm-of-locusts-threaten-livelihood-of-millions-in-african-asian-and-middle-eastern-countries/vi-BB16SJwY
[5] https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/un-body-warns-of-another-invasion-of-locusts-in-july/story-ejXzmlkPdDEqcSAArjcfoN.html
[6] https://twitter.com/faolocust
[7] https://globalnews.ca/news/7187798/south-asia-monsoon-flooding/
(enlarged below)
UPDATED 7-20-2020:
Global News on 17 July 2020 published an article entitled At least 221 dead across South Asia as heavy monsoon rains bring floods, landslides. [7]
[1] https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-07-17/chinas-wuhan-declares-red-alert-as-floods-disrupt-supply-chains
[2] https://news.yahoo.com/heaviest-rainfall-since-least-1790-184512909.html
[3] https://www.arabnews.com/node/1629941/saudi-arabia
[4] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/swarm-of-locusts-threaten-livelihood-of-millions-in-african-asian-and-middle-eastern-countries/vi-BB16SJwY
[5] https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/un-body-warns-of-another-invasion-of-locusts-in-july/story-ejXzmlkPdDEqcSAArjcfoN.html
[6] https://twitter.com/faolocust
[7] https://globalnews.ca/news/7187798/south-asia-monsoon-flooding/
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Abortion Court Cases In The United States
Religion Clause blog summarized four court cases in a post entitled Abortion Rights Proponents Win In 4 Cases. [1]
Rather than passing anti-abortion laws that will be challenged in the United States courts, perhaps it is time to change the narrative. Both pro-life and pro-abortion camps focus on the fetus. Without unwanted pregnancies, the abortion issue will disappear. Since contraception is not permitted by the Catholic Church, why not emphasize Abstention instead?
The Catholic Church does not want contraception or abstention because it wants people to procreate so that future generations can be guaranteed in order to keep the Church well-funded to support the clergy, its activities such as maintenance of church buildings and payment of salaries on the one hand; on the other, living celibate and chaste lives is required of members of the Catholic clergy who hardly talk about the virtue of chastity and the benefit of abstention to avoid unwanted pregnancies, nor do the pro-life activists.
Perhaps a lot of funding goes toward the pro-life groups but not enough to support the raising of children of unwanted pregnancies. It always seems to be about the people whose pockets the money goes into rather than into the solutions that could reduce the number of abortions.
There are many prayers dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary but many who say these prayers seem to be blind and deaf to the word "Virgin" and to reject the concept of virginity from which the practice of abstention is born.
[1] https://religionclause.blogspot.com/2020/07/abortion-rights-proponents-win-in-4.html
Rather than passing anti-abortion laws that will be challenged in the United States courts, perhaps it is time to change the narrative. Both pro-life and pro-abortion camps focus on the fetus. Without unwanted pregnancies, the abortion issue will disappear. Since contraception is not permitted by the Catholic Church, why not emphasize Abstention instead?
The Catholic Church does not want contraception or abstention because it wants people to procreate so that future generations can be guaranteed in order to keep the Church well-funded to support the clergy, its activities such as maintenance of church buildings and payment of salaries on the one hand; on the other, living celibate and chaste lives is required of members of the Catholic clergy who hardly talk about the virtue of chastity and the benefit of abstention to avoid unwanted pregnancies, nor do the pro-life activists.
Perhaps a lot of funding goes toward the pro-life groups but not enough to support the raising of children of unwanted pregnancies. It always seems to be about the people whose pockets the money goes into rather than into the solutions that could reduce the number of abortions.
There are many prayers dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary but many who say these prayers seem to be blind and deaf to the word "Virgin" and to reject the concept of virginity from which the practice of abstention is born.
[1] https://religionclause.blogspot.com/2020/07/abortion-rights-proponents-win-in-4.html
Saturday, July 11, 2020
Hagia Sophia In Istanbul, Turkey, From Cathedral To Mosque To Museum And To Mosque Again
Catholic News Agency reported as follows [1]:
At least the mosaics will remain untouched for now.
It is surprising that the Turkish president wanted to turn Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque even though the nearby Blue Mosque is quite large, having the following specifications [2]:
The Blue Mosque is only a short walk from the Hagia Sophia. The directions below are quoted in part from Google maps [3]:
[1] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/hagia-sophia-declared-a-mosque-hours-after-court-ruling-92875
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque
[3] From Google Maps
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has signed a decree converting Hagia Sophia, the former cathedral of Holy Wisdom in Istanbul, into a mosque.
The presidential decree was signed within hours of a court ruling Friday, which declared unlawful an 80-year old government decree which converted the building from a mosque into a museum.
Ayasofya Mosque, as it is known in Turkish, will now fall under the supervision of the government’s religious directorate.
...
When the museum reopens for worship as a mosque, it is believed that the mosaics will have to be covered during Muslim prayers, as well as the seraph figures located in the high basilica dome.
At least the mosaics will remain untouched for now.
It is surprising that the Turkish president wanted to turn Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque even though the nearby Blue Mosque is quite large, having the following specifications [2]:
Capacity 10,000
Length 73 m (240 ft)
Width 65 m (213 ft)
The Blue Mosque is only a short walk from the Hagia Sophia. The directions below are quoted in part from Google maps [3]:
4 min (300 m)
via Atmeydanı Cd.
Mostly flat
The Blue Mosque
Sultan Ahmet, Atmeydanı Cd. No:7, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey
Head northwest toward Atmeydanı Cd.
7 m
Turn right onto Atmeydanı Cd.
240 m
Turn right onto Ayasofya Meydanı
60 m
Hagia Sophia
Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya Meydanı No:1, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey
[1] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/hagia-sophia-declared-a-mosque-hours-after-court-ruling-92875
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque
[3] From Google Maps
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