Punditry

Milan – Milan’s leading obstetric hospital was replacing its crucifixes with images of the Virgin Mary to avoid offending a growing number of Muslim patients, reports said Wednesday. "Our wards have become multiethnic. We want to respect all religions and avoid any form of discrimination. That is why we have decided to replace the crucifix with the image of the Madonna, which is also appreciated by Muslim women," daily La Repubblica quoted Mangiagalli’s medical director, Basilio Tiso, as saying Wednesday.

Some 7,000 women give birth at the Mangiagalli each year. Of these, about 30 per cent are foreign immigrants, many of whom are not Catholic.

The head of Milan’s Viale Jenner Islamic centre, Abdelhamid Shaari, welcomed the move, saying Mary was a figure that was also revered by Muslims.

"This is certainly a sign of respect for our religion that we greatly appreciate. But a white wall would have been even better. Italy is a secular state and children are angels in any religion," Shaari told La Repubblica.

The representation of the cross on which Jesus died has become the subject of a heated debate in Italy in recent years as Muslim groups and non-Christians seek its removal from the walls of public buildings.

Although church and state are officially separated in Italy, a 1923 regulation issued during Benito Mussolini’s Fascist rule and never repealed states that a symbol of the crucifix should hang in every classroom and courtroom in the country.

Officials at the Mangiagalli hospital plan to replace all crucifixes within the next few months. However, patients will still be able to have a crucifix hanging in their room if they ask for one.

What about Protestants who are uncomfortable with statues of Mary or about atheists who dislike any religious symbolism. Just part of a growing trend to cater specifically to Muslims. From foot washing stations in airports the trend is to worry only about Muslim sensibilities. You know how sensitive Muslims are to things like alcohol and blind guide dogs in Taxi cabs and now Crucifixes. Funny though those same sensitivities don’t apply to suicide bombings and beheadings.

Though this is also part of a trend of people being offended. Survival of the sensitive is the new Darwinism I guess. For example people saying they will never go to Starbucks again because of an coffee cup with a quote by some atheist. I have never been into a Starbucks in my life, but this seems to me to be an over reaction. Do people really think they can live their lives without encountering contrary opinions and beliefs? There is a difference between mocking others beliefs and simply encountering them.

With the Pope’s impending trip to Brazil the media is trying to frame the trip with the usual hooks. Either it is framed around the loss of Catholics in Brazil (even though the trend has stabilized) or it is all about liberation theology. Larry Rohter of New York Times News Service decided that liberation theology was his hook in as story titled Benedict to confront liberation theology. First off the idea that Pope Benedict is using this Apostolic visitation to confront liberation theology is rather silly in the first place. Liberation theology is a dying movement, not a growing theological fire needing specific confrontation by the Pope during his visit.

Now Cardinal Ratzinger is Pope Benedict XVI, and when he arrives here on Wednesday for his first pastoral visit to Latin America he may be surprised at what he finds. Liberation theology, which he once called "a fundamental threat to the faith of the church," persists as an active, even defiant force in Latin America, home to nearly half the world’s 1 billion Roman Catholics.

The current population of Brazil is around 188,078,261 and a reported Catholic population around 139.24 million . How that becomes nearly half of the world’s over 1 billion Catholics is math hard for me to understand even as a public school graduate. Good thing the MSM has editors to prevent these problems.

In the past, adherents stood firm as death squads made scores of martyrs to the movement, ranging from Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero of El Salvador, killed in 1980 while celebrating Mass, to Dorothy Mae Stang, an American-born nun shot to death in the Brazilian Amazon in February 2005. Compared to that, the pressures of the Vatican are nothing to fear, they maintain.

Okay the population error was no big deal, but Archbishop Romero as a Liberation Theology adherent? His appointment as Archbishop was not exactly met with joy by Liberation Theologians and other radical priests. I have never heard that he was a direct advocate of Liberation Theology and surely if he had been the investigation for his canonization would have stalled if he was. I am not exactly sure what murdered nun Dorothy Mae Stang connection was to Liberation Theology was either. She was a rain forest activist and someone who helped the poor. Maybe in the case of the Archbishop and this nun if you help the poor in South America then you are automatically involved in Liberation Theology. I guess it was a miracle that Blessed Mother Teresa and the myriads before her were able to help the poor without Liberation Theology.

" Despite everything, we continue to endure in a kind of subterranean way," said Luiz Antonio Rodrigues dos Santos, a 55-year-old teacher active in the movement for nearly 30 years. "Let Rome and the critics say what they want; we simply persevere in our work with the poor and the oppressed."

Funny I thought love of neighbor was taught long before the Marxist influence Liberation Theology ever came about. Helping the poor and the oppressed doesn’t require one to buy flaky theology to do so.

With four priests present, readings from the Bible alternated with more worldly concerns: criticisms of government proposals to reduce pensions and workers’ rights under the Brazilian labor code. The service ended with the Lord’s Prayer and then a hymn.

"In the land of mankind, conceived of as a pyramid, there are few at the top, and many at the bottom," the congregation sang. "In the land of mankind, those at the top crush those at the bottom. Oh, people of the poor, people subjected to domination, what are you doing just standing there? The world of mankind has to be changed, so arise people, don’t stand still."

Wow what an uplifting hymn. Yes if only Marxist concepts were followed an we gave power to the government to help the poor. Just ignore history and practice then we can have an inverted pyramid. Funny thing about inverted pyramids is that in reality they always fall over when you place them top down.

At the behest of conservatives, the Vatican has imposed sanctions on the liberation theologians Gustavo Gutierrez of Peru, Leonardo Boff of Brazil and, most recently, Jon Sobrino of El Salvador, a Jesuit born in Spain. But when the Vatican admonished Sobrino in March, Pedro Casaldaliga of Brazil, one of the bishops most committed to liberation theology, wrote an open letter calling on the church to reaffirm its "real commitment to the service of God’s poor" and "the link between faith and politics."

It is not surprise that Jon Sobrino Christology which is quite deficient was condemned, though they never mention that it was specifically his Christology that was condemned not Liberation Theology specifically. Though they are connected. Often Liberation Theologians have created an earthly Gospel and evil is confined to bad social, political, or economic structures. The picture of Jesus becomes less the Son of God who died for our sins but instead a radical revolutionary who came to give us new social structures to help the poor.

That is exactly the dumbest part of the media when they address Liberation Theology is that they always relate it as the Vatican cracking down on theologians helping the poor. Not the fact that the critique of it is not its desired end, but the bad theology used to support an Marxist solution to this end. How many of these journalist ever read the document by Cardinal Ratzinger for the CDF Instruction on Certain Aspects of "Theology of Liberation"? Few if any judging by the news stories.

Now what I am favor of is Libation Theology. Something along the line of Theology on Tap or just reading or speaking on theology along with a good beer. I think Libation Theology could become quite a popular movement and of course we could quote Benjamin Franklin "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." Of course scripturally we would have a solid basic for Libation theology all through the Old Testament and of course Jesus’ first miracle would be a good example or St. Paul’s advice for Timothy stomach ailment.

Updated: un-Muted Mumblings has found the preferred cereal of Liberation Theologians.

An Israeli university has announced the discovery of the grave and tomb of Herod the Great, the Roman empire’s “king of the Jews”, in ancient Judea.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a brief statement the discovery was made at Herodium, where Herod’s hilltop fortress palace once stood, some 12 kilometres from the holy city where he had rebuilt and expanded the Jewish Temple.

The university said it would give further details at a news conference later today.

The Gospel of Matthew says Herod ordered the ‘Massacre of the Innocents’, the killing of all young male children in Jesus’s birthplace of Bethlehem, out of fear he would lose his throne to a new “king of the Jews”, whose birth had been related to him by the Magi.

According to Matthew, Joseph and Mary fled with baby Jesus to Egypt to escape the slaughter.

The Roman Senate appointed Herod “king of the Jews” in approximately 40 BC.

According to the ancient Jewish historian Falavius Josephus, Herod died in 4 BC.

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper says on its website that Herod’s tomb was discovered by Hebrew University professor Ehud Netzer, who has conducted archaeological digs at Herodium since 1972.

Mike Aqualina posts on the story in part:

It will be interesting to see if, in a few years, Herod’s decorations can make the grand tour, as did those of Caiphas and Pilate last year. I wonder if he ever dreamed he could spend 2011 in Cleveland.

I think Herod’s the Great bones would be sort of an anti-relic. Though if they do go on tour here in the States I guess these would be relics appropriate for Rudy Giulianii, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry and the rest of the Culture of Death Catholics. Though in comparison to them Herod was quite an amateur with his slaughter of the innocents. Considering the number of innocents killed in abortion clinics each day COD enables makes Herod efforts miniscule.

First there was the Nighline debate which featured atheists one one side and included Kirk Cameron on the other.

Now Christopher Hitchens debates Rev. Al Sharpton.

Now if Hitchens and Sharpton were debating which is the greatest jerk it would be one thing, but these debate slates are not exactly the cream of the crop of apologetics.

Governor McGreevy announces he is now an "Episcopalian American", though some consider it redundant from his announcement two years ago that ‘I am a gay American.‘

So good luck to him as he enters an Episcopalian seminary. He really will really stick out there, you know being a Governor.

Carl Olson opines:

As strange as it might sound, I’m thankful that McGreevey is being honest enough about what he believes and how he wants to live to recognize that he could no longer be Catholic. Obviously, it would be far better if he were to reconcile with the Church. But, since that apparently isn’t going to happen anytime soon, it’s best that he not pretend to be a devout, obedient Catholic while holding views that clearly contradict Church teaching. Now, if only some other politicians would be equally honest and consistent..

Roman Catholic priest Ed Panlilio, wearing a bullet proof vest, gestures beside his campaign poster in the outskirts of Pampanga province, north of Manila May 1, 2007.

First off shouldn’t he be wearing a bullet proof vestment?

The priest – Father Ed Panlilio – said that he will temporarily leave the priesthood but he will remain a man of God.

Panlilio said he already filed a leave of absence before a local archbishop and he is waiting for a reply.

Panlilio has been part of the clergy for 26 years and headed the Pampanga Social Action Center for the past 20 years.

He was also the founder of a non-government organization and became part of the rescue operations during the eruption of Mt Pinatubo in June 1991.

The priest will be facing Incumbent Governor Mark Lapid and Board Member Lilia Pineda, both of whom have announced their respective plans to run for governor.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines did not express immediately opposition to the possibility of Panlilio becoming a politician.

"Yung kanyang pagkapari will remain. Kaya lang yung kanyang function as a priest ang (mawawala)," Bishop Pedro Quitorio, CBCP spokesman said.

Something is pretty odd here since normally you can expect the Philippines Bishop’s conference not to ignore Canon law in a situation like this. You are a priest forever, unless you take a temporary leave of absence to run for governor.

It certainly does seem that his own bishop is supporting him in his run.

“I don’t have any doubt about his fidelity to his vocation,” the 70-year-old bishop told the Inquirer.

And then there was this scary sentence in an opinion piece in the Manila Times.

You know very well our image of priestly heroes. They are imposing, they are larger than life, they are Che Guevaras in flowing robes.

Not exactly a sentence I would ever construct. Though I doubt very much that Fr. Panlilio fulfills this image. A Che Guevaras in flowing robes would just have more places to hide machine guns.

The BBC is broadcasting a so called "gay mass" from (what a surprise) San Francisco’s Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church.

However, Father Donal Godfrey, the U.S. Jesuit priest celebrating the Mass, said he was delighted the BBC was "exploring how gay people fit into the perspective of the Christian narrative".

"Being gay is not special," he said. "It’s simply another gift from God who created us as rainbow people."

Adultery isn’t bad it is just another gift for the rainbow people. Rainbow people sounds like a really bad PBS cartoon from the seventies, something that Marlo Thomas would have narrated.

Fr. Meriwether the pastor of the Church was previously put on leave after many complaints to the Archdiocese for this parish allowing the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence holding bingo games with sex toy prizes in the parish hall. When the hub bub quitted down he returned and of course it is now business as usual.

Please pray for Archbishop George Niederauer that he will put a stop to this scandal there permanently and not just when there is public attention.

Please also send charitable emails to Archbishop George Niederauer protesting this travesty.

One positive thing about the article is that they actualy got something right about Chruch teaching.

The Roman Catholic Church holds that sex belongs in the context of heterosexual marriage and that gay sex is "objectively disordered".

However, it also teaches that homosexual orientation is not in itself sinful and that gays and lesbians must be treated with respect and be free from unjust discrimination.

Update: From LifeSite

SAN FRANCISCO, April 27, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Archdiocese of San Francisco is refuting the Evening Standard’s claim that a service to be broadcast worldwide this Sunday by the BBC from a San Francisco parish is a "gay Mass".

With the headline, "BBC to broadcast gay mass from San Francisco" the Evening Standard reported today that the event, recorded last October 22, was presided over by Jesuit Fr. Donal Godfrey with preaching from one of Britain’s leading homosexual theologians, James Allison. The Standard reported that the "Mass" will feature prayers and readings tailored for the gay community.

Maurice Healy, Communications Director for the Archdiocese, however, was adamant that what will be broadcast is neither a Mass nor endorsed by the Archdiocese. Healy told LifeSiteNews.com, "The event was not, repeat not a ‘gay mass’ it was a prayer service organized by Jesuit father Donal Godfrey."

Healy said, "I’m told that he organized it. It was not an archdiocesan function and the archdiocese was not aware of the BBC broadcast."

So will the event be stopped and prevented from being televised? No answer there.

When asked about the participation of the parish in the Gay Pride parade, Healy responded, "Their participation could be seen as a way of outreaching. They don’t have the archdiocese’ approval but Catholics are independent minded people."

When asked directly if Holy Redeemer is the gay parish in San Francisco, Healy said, "These are complex issues." He continued, "We don’t make differentiations between gay parishes and other parishes. We don’t take a census about ethnicity, or homosexual orientation."

The Diocesan Bishop has specific authority in regulating televised Masses and I would certainly guess the same would be true for televised prayer services. It should be pretty easy for a Bishop to figure out that any prayer service the BBC is willing to televise is certainly one that shouldn’t be televised or probably held in the first place.

AMDG has more of the Archbishop Burke/Sheryl Crow coverage including video links. Once again the mainstream press manages to downgrade the view of the Catholic Church to just the opinion of one person. The MSM loves to have it both ways sometimes for something they don’t like they accuse a bishop of being a ventriloquist’s dummy for the Vatican and other times they make a Church teaching personal opinion.

Canonist Ed Peters also weighs in

What astounds me is that the directors of a fund-raiser for a venerable institution for children could have been so clueless as to invite Sheryl Crow, a notorious abortion advocate to headline their event; worse, the directors were so willful as to reject what were obviously many private entreaties by their chairman Abp. Burke to drop the mad idea before it all blew up in their face.

So now, it’s blown. How sad. All the sadder for having been so easily avoidable.

But you know, I’ve seen this happen before: Catholic movers and shakers, flush with their own funds or with easy access to others’, too often measure success in philanthropic undertakings in terms of media splash, dollars donated, and the number of glitteratti chatting around banquet tables, while they completely forget the fundamental religious, and even the human, values that make their efforts worthwhile in the first place. This time, even the clear words of a very thoughtful archbishop could not pierce the commotion which the organizers of this event confused for progress.

As does Carl Olson.

What?! A Catholic archbishop is upset that a Catholic institution is giving implicit (if not explicit) support to an abortion supporter—who does Archbishop Burke think he is? A Mexican archbishop? Why, it makes complete sense to have someone who supports abortion comes to a Catholic children’s hospital and sing her little ditties (which have become increasingly tired and tendencious since her excellent debut album). Perhaps Sheryl can even croon and crow the song that refers to abortion as a woman’s way to "take care of her own body."

Anyhow, kudos to Archbishop Burke for taking a stand. He will likely be portrayed in the MSM as an ignorant, backwards, over-reacting hyper-traditionalist. I prefer to think of him for what he is: A Catholic bishop standing up for Catholic moral teaching, no matter how out of tune it sounds to those who are tone deaf when it comes to truth.

Via Creative Minority Report is this YouTube version of the Archbishop’s remarks.

My own comments were in this post.

ST. LOUIS: St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke denounced a Catholic charity Wednesday for scheduling singer Sheryl Crow to perform at a benefit concert because of the singer’s support for abortion rights.

Burke submitted his resignation as chairman of the board for the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation, saying the decision to let Crow sing on Saturday left him no other choice.

"It’s very painful for me," Burke said during a news conference Wednesday. "But I have to answer to God for the responsibility I have as archbishop.

"A Catholic institution featuring a performer who promotes moral evil gives the impression that the church is somehow inconsistent in its teaching," Burke said.

Burke said it was a "scandal" to let Crow sing at the event and amounted to an act that could lead others to evil. He cited Crow’s support for stem cell research and "procured abortion."

…Burke said he became aware of Crow’s participation in the cancer benefit in February and asked other board members to cancel her appearance.

"They didn’t accept my concerns," Burke said.

…Crow appeared in television ads throughout Missouri last year asking voters to approve an initiative that enshrined the right to conduct stem cell research in the state constitution.

Of course the event organizer said ‘"We do not apply an ideological litmus test" in choosing performers.’ I’m surprised he didn’t say "we are doing it for the children." It seems in many Catholic Charity fund raiser it is the prospect of the amount of money a specific celebrity can raise and not the amount of scandal their appearance causes. If only Catholic Charities would raise money for the moral cancer that seems to have infected many of their organizations across the county.

Though you do have to wonder if their is linkage between this and Crow’s call last week for the use of one sheet of toilet paper for the cause of climate change. I suggest we save the earth and the liturgy in one act. Lets start using one sheet from Gather hymnals instead.

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