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Thursday, June 10, 2004
Democracy in Iraq?
Majority rule, but no separation of Church and State...
From Outside View
Christians Begin Exodus From Iraq - Insight on the News - World:
"The long-predicted exodus of Christians from Iraq has begun.
Facing a June 30 deadline for transfer of power, a temporary constitution that reads, in Article 7, that Islam is the 'Official Religion of the State,' and the most recent humiliation for the community -- the failure to receive even one position on the Executive Council and only one ministry post, the Ministry of Emigration -- the Christians of Iraq are voting with their feet.
'On a recent night the church had to spend more time on filling out baptismal forms needed for leaving the country than they did on the [worship] service,' says Amir, a deacon at a local church who does not want his full name published. 'We have been flooded with parishioners desperate to leave the country, and as they cannot get an exit permit without a baptismal certificate from the church we have been swamped with requests. ... In recent days nearly 400 families as far as we can tell have filled out baptismal forms to leave the country. Our community is being decimated.' "
From Outside View
Christians Begin Exodus From Iraq - Insight on the News - World:
"The long-predicted exodus of Christians from Iraq has begun.
Facing a June 30 deadline for transfer of power, a temporary constitution that reads, in Article 7, that Islam is the 'Official Religion of the State,' and the most recent humiliation for the community -- the failure to receive even one position on the Executive Council and only one ministry post, the Ministry of Emigration -- the Christians of Iraq are voting with their feet.
'On a recent night the church had to spend more time on filling out baptismal forms needed for leaving the country than they did on the [worship] service,' says Amir, a deacon at a local church who does not want his full name published. 'We have been flooded with parishioners desperate to leave the country, and as they cannot get an exit permit without a baptismal certificate from the church we have been swamped with requests. ... In recent days nearly 400 families as far as we can tell have filled out baptismal forms to leave the country. Our community is being decimated.' "
The Inquisition
Vatican report due out next week...
From Catholic World News : Vatican to release study on Inquisition:
"The Vatican will soon publish a study on the Inquisition, containing the proceedings of an international conference held in Rome in 1998.
The Vatican has scheduled a press conference for June 15, at which three cardinals will speak about the new study. Cardinal Roger Etchegary was involved because the original conference on the Inquisition, held in October 1998, was organized by the committee to prepare for the Jubilee Year 2000, which he chaired. Cardinal Georges Cottier, the theological of the pontifical household, presided over the conference. And Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the Vatican archivist, has custody over the records that remain from the work of the Inquisition. "
From Catholic World News : Vatican to release study on Inquisition:
"The Vatican will soon publish a study on the Inquisition, containing the proceedings of an international conference held in Rome in 1998.
The Vatican has scheduled a press conference for June 15, at which three cardinals will speak about the new study. Cardinal Roger Etchegary was involved because the original conference on the Inquisition, held in October 1998, was organized by the committee to prepare for the Jubilee Year 2000, which he chaired. Cardinal Georges Cottier, the theological of the pontifical household, presided over the conference. And Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the Vatican archivist, has custody over the records that remain from the work of the Inquisition. "
Fact, Fiction, and The Da Vinci Code by Darrell L. Bock
HUMAN EVENTS ONLINE :: Fact, Fiction, and The Da Vinci Code by Darrell L. Bock:
"Underscoring this impression to be more than a novel, the author claims his work is thoroughly researched and has characters of high credibility pour forth the novel's ideas. In fact, Dan Brown has said on his web site that he wanted these issues discussed because the theories he sets forth have been espoused for some time.
Many writers have obliged him on the matter of discussion and have challenged his claims. These include my Breaking the Da Vinci Code as well as books by Amy Wellborn (De-Coding Da Vinci), Richard Abanes (The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code), James Garlow with Peter Jones (Cracking Da Vinci's Code), and Carl Olson with Sandra Miesel (The Da Vinci Hoax). "
"Underscoring this impression to be more than a novel, the author claims his work is thoroughly researched and has characters of high credibility pour forth the novel's ideas. In fact, Dan Brown has said on his web site that he wanted these issues discussed because the theories he sets forth have been espoused for some time.
Many writers have obliged him on the matter of discussion and have challenged his claims. These include my Breaking the Da Vinci Code as well as books by Amy Wellborn (De-Coding Da Vinci), Richard Abanes (The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code), James Garlow with Peter Jones (Cracking Da Vinci's Code), and Carl Olson with Sandra Miesel (The Da Vinci Hoax). "
Wednesday, June 9, 2004
Russ Shaw Tells it Like it Is...
From An Open Letter to the American Bishops:
Some of you may recall that I was press secretary of your bishops’ conference from the late 1960s to the late 1980s. Those also were difficult times, and one reason was that the bishops of those days made things worse by usually refusing to admit the fact. Most of them were likable, decent men, yet they were overly fond of a form of euphoric rhetoric that I eventually came to think of as “happy talk.”
Faced with theologians who challenged Church doctrine, defecting priests, ferocious feminist nuns, growing religious illiteracy, and countless other troubles, many of those bishops chose to see such things as the growing pains of renewal. On the whole, they insisted, we were on the right track; everything would turn out for the best. Pope John XXIII’s words about “prophets of doom” profoundly shaped their thinking, mostly for the worse.
Looking back, I can’t help wondering whether the bishops of that era took the same resolutely upbeat view of priestly sex abuse. In any event, we now know that prophets of doom are sometimes right. And although the abuse scandal has pretty much driven euphoria from your own repertoire, something just as bad may be taking its place. I mean the suggestion that you may soon be able to put this nasty episode behind you and return to business as usual. If that’s the conventional wisdom in Denver, the crisis of American Catholicism will become even worse, even more destructive, than it already is. Business as usual isn’t the answer.
Some of you may recall that I was press secretary of your bishops’ conference from the late 1960s to the late 1980s. Those also were difficult times, and one reason was that the bishops of those days made things worse by usually refusing to admit the fact. Most of them were likable, decent men, yet they were overly fond of a form of euphoric rhetoric that I eventually came to think of as “happy talk.”
Faced with theologians who challenged Church doctrine, defecting priests, ferocious feminist nuns, growing religious illiteracy, and countless other troubles, many of those bishops chose to see such things as the growing pains of renewal. On the whole, they insisted, we were on the right track; everything would turn out for the best. Pope John XXIII’s words about “prophets of doom” profoundly shaped their thinking, mostly for the worse.
Looking back, I can’t help wondering whether the bishops of that era took the same resolutely upbeat view of priestly sex abuse. In any event, we now know that prophets of doom are sometimes right. And although the abuse scandal has pretty much driven euphoria from your own repertoire, something just as bad may be taking its place. I mean the suggestion that you may soon be able to put this nasty episode behind you and return to business as usual. If that’s the conventional wisdom in Denver, the crisis of American Catholicism will become even worse, even more destructive, than it already is. Business as usual isn’t the answer.
Tuesday, June 8, 2004
Pope Supports Tough Stance on Anti-life Politicians
From Rocky Mountain News: Religion:
"Archbishop Charles Chaput said Monday that Pope John Paul II and Vatican officials are 'positive and very supportive' of how the archdiocese is approaching the controversy over faith, Communion and politics.
Chaput returned late Sunday from his visit to Rome, in which he shared issues affecting the Denver archdiocese. His comments were via e-mail, while en route to a weeklong retreat in Estes Park with archdiocesan priests."
"Archbishop Charles Chaput said Monday that Pope John Paul II and Vatican officials are 'positive and very supportive' of how the archdiocese is approaching the controversy over faith, Communion and politics.
Chaput returned late Sunday from his visit to Rome, in which he shared issues affecting the Denver archdiocese. His comments were via e-mail, while en route to a weeklong retreat in Estes Park with archdiocesan priests."
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