Showing posts with label Holy See. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holy See. Show all posts

Friday, May 1, 2015

Climate Change, Science, and the Vatican

The 'Vatican science academy' is in the news again: this time because they've said we should use our brains. The topic was climate change, which tends to stir up sound and fury more than rational discourse.

Meanwhile, one scientist implied a link between our "carbon dioxide crisis" and a lot of dead critters, some 201,000,000 years back. More to the point, I think, the team he was on has added a few more pieces to the puzzle of what caused the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event.
  1. The 'Vatican Science Academy:' Climate Change Matters
  2. "Carbon Dioxide Crisis?"

Individuals and the Common Good


Under the Code of Ur-Nammu, the fine for perjury was 15 shekels of silver. A Tyrian shekel weighed four Athenian Drachmas, but that was a couple thousand years after Ur-Nammu's time.

Ur-Nammu, Shulgi, or someone else, wrote up the Code of Ur-Nammu, both of them died about 4,000 years ago, and that's another topic.

Money — Tyrian shekels, Delphic staters, U.S. dollars, whatever — has been important for a very long time. The same goes for remembering what money can and can't do.
"The covetous man is never satisfied with money, and the lover of wealth reaps no fruit from it; so this too is vanity."
(Ecclesiastes 5:9)
Being rich or poor is okay. Having money isn't a problem: loving the stuff is. (1 Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2544, 2546)

So is misusing wealth.

Each of us is a unique individual: someone, not something. We're made in the image of God, rational creatures with equal dignity. But we're not all alike: and aren't supposed to be. These differences include age, physical abilities, and wealth. (Catechism 357, 1934-1938)

We can use our differences as opportunities for generosity, kindness, and sharing of goods. Or we can decide to misuse them. (Catechism, 1937-1938)

Respect for the individual person is necessary for the common good. So are rules and customs which allow individual freedom and provide the food, clothing, shelter, and care each of us needs. All that requires peace. (Catechism, 1905-1912)

The principles we should live by haven't changed, and won't: Love God, love neighbors, see everybody as a neighbor. (October 26, 2014; April 18, 2012)

The ideas are simple. Living as if they matter — isn't.
"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried."
(G. K. Chesterton, in "What's Wrong with the World," Part I, Chapter V, via www.gutenberg.org)

1. The 'Vatican Science Academy:' Climate Change Matters



(From Reuters, via BBC News, used w/o permission.)
("The conference said there was an 'unthinking infatuation' with GDP"
(BBC News))
"Vatican presses politicians on climate change"
Roger Harrabin, BBC News (April 28, 2015)

"The Vatican Science Academy has challenged politicians to end their 'infatuation' with a form of economic growth that is ruining the Earth.

"The academy said that nations were measuring their wealth by GDP (Gross Domestic Product), taking no account of the harm caused by business practises.

"It urged countries to act as stewards of God's creation.

"The statements are likely to influence the Pope's coming Encyclical on climate change...."
Hats off to Roger Harrabin and BBC News, for leading with "the Vatican Science Academy has challenged:" not "the Vatican has...."

I've talked about the 'Vatican science academy' before. (October 2, 2011)

The outfit's name in my language is The Pontifical Academy of Sciences. (www.casinapioiv.va)

They focus on: fundamental science; science and technology of global problems; science for the problems of the developing world; scientific policy; bioethics; and epistemology, a branch of philosophy that examines the nature of knowledge.

Their goals go a bit beyond 'pure' science:
  • Promoting the progress of the mathematical, physical and natural sciences, and the study of related epistemological questions and issues
  • Recognizing excellence in science
  • Stimulating an interdisciplinary approach to scientific knowledge
  • Encouraging international interaction
  • Furthering participation in the benefits of science and technology by the greatest number of people and peoples
  • Promoting education and the public's understanding of science
  • Ensuring that science works to advance of the human and moral dimension of man
  • Achieving a role for science which involves the promotion of justice, development, solidarity, peace, and the resolution of conflict
  • Fostering interaction between faith and reason and encouraging dialogue between science and spiritual, cultural, philosophical and religious values
  • Providing authoritative advice on scientific and technological matters
  • Cooperating with the members of other Academies in a friendly spirit to promote such objectives
    (Pontifical Academy of Sciences)
I don't have a problem with that, but I'm an American: so finding practical applications for knowledge is part of my cultural heritage.

As for Mr. Harrabin's assertion that "the statements are likely to influence the Pope's coming Encyclical on climate change" — I'd be surprised and disappointed if they didn't.

I figure that the Pope isn't stupid, and cares enough about the encyclical to pay attention to informed opinions.

Stewardship and the United Nations



(From BBC News, used w/o permission.)
("Bishop Sorondo says Christians are obliged to be stewards of the Earth"
(BBC News))
"...The Church is hoping to make an impact in a year of key UN meetings on Sustainable Development Goals, development finance and climate.

"The Encyclical is expected to describe action to cut emissions as 'a moral and religious imperative, highlighting the intrinsic connection between respect for the environment and respect for people - especially the poor, children, and future generations'.

"The Pope is hoping to build agreement among all religions on the moral obligation to protect the environment.

"Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, who heads the Academy, said the Encyclical would not be the highest level of proclamation from the Pope, which is reserved for issues of Faith.

"But he said it was important for all the world's 1.2 billion Catholics to take it seriously. If any Catholic wanted to ignore it they would need 'very good reasons - based not on personal or political opinion, but on science'...."
(Roger Harrabin, BBC News)
Monsignor Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo has been Chancellor of The Pontifical Academy of Sciences since October 1998. What he's quoted as saying is pretty much what the Church has been saying.

One of our jobs is having "dominion" of this world's resources. (Genesis 1:27)

That's "dominion," not ownership.

Our position is sort of like a steward or shop foreman: complete with authority and responsibilities. Making reasoned use of the world's resources is part of our job. So is making sure that future generations have what they'll need. (Catechism, 339, 952, 2402-2405, 2456)

This world is God's gift to humanity — for all of us. Private property, personal ownership of part of the world, is okay: provided the owner acquired and uses it ethically. (Catechism, 2402-2405)

The right to private property isn't absolute, though:
"Political authority has the right and duty to regulate the legitimate exercise of the right to ownership for the sake of the common good.189"
(Catechism, 2406)
Political authority isn't absolute either: or shouldn't be. (April 26, 2015; March 12, 2012)

The United Nations meetings mentioned in the article are probably the United Nations Summit to adopt the post-2015 development agenda in New York City, running from September 25 to 27 this year.

I figure some folks will assume that whatever the Summit comes up with is a bad idea because it comes from the U.N. — or a good idea for the same reason.

Me? I think the United Nations is the closest thing to a competent international authority that we've got at the moment. We'll have to make do with what we've got.

Earth, Humans, and Using our Brains



(From ESA, via NASA, used w/o permission.)
(Earth, seen from the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft. (November 12, 2009))
"...Our problems have been exacerbated by the current economic obsession that measures human progress solely in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, a practice that could be justified only if natural capital were of infinite size...."
("Climate Change and the Common Good," The Pontifical Academy of Sciences (April 29, 2015))
I gather that The Pontifical Academy of Sciences thinks there's more to life than a nation's GDP. I agree — particularly if, as they assume, national leaders decide that boosting this year's GDP is more important than ensuring that future generations will have the resources they need.

I also agree that "natural capital" isn't infinite. There's only so much Earth to go around.

However, I do not think that we've reached — or surpassed — Earth's 'carrying capacity' for humanity.

We would be in trouble, if we hadn't learned anything in the last 2,000,000 years.

Right now, we're more than a thousand times over Earth's 'carrying capacity' for humans: assuming that we use no technology at all. Maybe that's a silly scenario. But so, I think, is pretending that we've survived this long during one of Earth's ice ages by not using our brains. (February 21, 2014; October 31, 2011)

Science and technology, studying this universe and using what we learn, is part of being human. It's what we do. Ethics apply, just like every other human activity, but science and tech are tools: not transgressions. (Catechism, 2293-2295)

Hunger and poverty are very real issues: not because we can't grow enough food for everyone. The problem is getting everyone up to speed with efficient, clean, agricultural tech — and replacing corrupt officials. (August 9, 2013)

Going back to 'the good old days' certainly isn't the answer. Not unless someone figures out how to keep London from being buried in manure. (July 9, 2011)

More:

2. "Carbon Dioxide Crisis?"


I'm not sure why stuff written by professors and old-school journalists is generally marinated in prepositional phrases, and that's yet another topic.

On the 'up' side, Victor Leshyk's illustration for this item is very cool. My opinion.
"Oxygen-depleted toxic oceans had key role in mass extinction over 200 million years ago"
University of Southampton, Phys.org (April 1, 2015)

"Changes in the biochemical balance of the ocean were a crucial factor in the end-Triassic mass extinction, during which half of all plant, animal and marine life on Earth perished, according to new research involving the University of Southampton.

"The study, published in the upcoming edition of Geology, reveals that a condition called 'marine photic zone euxinia' took place in the Panathalassic Ocean- the larger of the two oceans surrounding the supercontinent of Pangaea.

"Photic zone euxinia occurs when the sun-lit surface waters of the ocean become devoid of oxygen and are poisoned by hydrogen sulphide - a by-product of microorganisms that live without oxygen that is extremely toxic to most other lifeforms.

"The international team of researchers studied fossilised organic molecules extracted from sedimentary rocks that originally accumulated on the bottom of the north-eastern Panthalassic Ocean, but are now exposed on the Queen Charlotte Islands, off the coast of British Columbia, Canada...."
The article is a University of Southampton press release, giving one team's opinion about what caused the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event.

It ends with a reference to current political wrangling:
"...Professor Whiteside comments: 'The release of CO2 was probably at least as rapid as that caused by the burning of fossil fuels today, although the initial concentrations were much higher in the Triassic. The consequences of rapidly rising CO2 in ancient times inform us of the possible consequences of our own carbon dioxide crisis.' "
(University of Southampton, Phys.org)
I don't know if we really do have a "carbon dioxide crisis." Rising levels of carbon dioxide, yes. Crisis: far from certain. Professor Whiteside's observation that CO2 was higher to begin with in the Triassic may or may not make it into mainstream news coverage, and that's yet again another topic.

"Climate change," measurable changes in Earth's climate, is real. It's been going on for 4,540,000,000, years, give or take 50,000,000: ever since Earth formed.

A little over 300 years back, Nicolas Steno, a Danish scientist and Catholic bishop, questioned accepted knowledge of the natural world: becoming a founder of today's stratigraphy and geology.

We've learned quite a bit since then: but the last I checked, scientists still aren't sure how oceanic chemistry and currents, Earth's orbital variations, changes in solar output, and other factors, affect our climate.

Looking Back, Remembering Who We Are



(From Blakey, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
(Earth in the Late Triassic, about 220,000,000 years ago.)

Something was going horribly wrong with at least parts of Earth's ocean some 201,000,000 years ago. Scientists are still trying to learn what was happening, and how widespread each problem was.
"...The team found molecules derived from photosynthesising brown-pigmented green sulphur bacteria - microorganisms that only exist under severely anoxic conditions - proving severe oxygen depletion and hydrogen sulphide poisoning of the upper ocean at the end of Triassic, 201 million years ago...."
(University of Southampton, Phys.org)
The Southampton researchers also tracked changes in organic matter's nitrogen around that time. Something was going very wrong with marine nutrient cycles when oxygen levels dropped.

Scientists had known something like this had happened in shallow waters. This is the first time it's been found in the late-Triassic open ocean.

Scientists have several theories about what happened at the end of the Triassic. One is that gradual climate change finally triggering one of Earth's major extinction events. Or maybe it was an asteroid or comet impact.

Whatever caused it, the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event was one of the big ones. (April 24, 2015)

My guess is that scientists who think the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) was involved are on the right track. (May 23, 2014)

About 201,000,000 years back, what's now eastern North America, western Africa, and South America, were connected. Then Earth's continent started splitting apart. The CAMP was, for a time, a lake of magma — the result volcanic eruptions coming in four pulses over about 600,000 years.

It's a bit hard to imagine that volcanic activity on that scale wouldn't have an effect on critters: but it's a puzzle that scientists are still working on.

Whatever happened, it was abrupt. Over a span of only some 10,000 years — a moment of geologic time — just before Pangaea started breaking apart — about half of Earth's species died off.

On the other hand, about half the species didn't become extinct. All that (comparatively) sudden death left many ecological niches open, giving dinosaurs a chance to flourish.

Mosquitoes and scorpions survived the end-Triassic mass extinction, and every climatic speed bump since. (June 13, 2014; November 29, 2013)

So, I think, will we: as long as we remember that we're human, and use our brains.

More of my take on:
Posted by No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Synod 14: What I Expect, and What I Don't


(From John Hart Studios, used w/o permission.)

This post is not about global warming, the coming ice age, or manure burying London. Don't laugh: in 1894 the Times of London ran a warning that London would be under nine feet of manure by 1944. (July 9, 2011)

Wikipedia has a list of fizzled apocalypses, from 634 BC to 2013 AD; and that's another topic. Topics. (February 25, 2014; November 29, 2013)

Synod 14, an extraordinary assembly of the Synod of Bishops, is in progress. It's running from the 5th to the 19th of this month.

In this post, I'll be looking at what I expect from Synod 14; what I don't expect; and why I'm not upset that Synod 14 probably won't address the annual collision of Mother's Day and fishing season in Minnesota.

Walleyes, Mother's Day, and 15 Minutes of Fame


I gather that a Cardinal got his 15 minutes of fame from a sound bite about feelings. What he said may have been taken out of context.

In any case: he's one cardinal, from one country, attending a meeting of an outfit that's catholic, καθολικός, universal.

Sometimes individual nations get special attention, like when the pope thanked Jordanian authorities and people for helping refugees from Syria and Iraq. He also urged "...the international community not to leave Jordan, who is so welcoming and so courageous, alone in the task of meeting the humanitarian emergency...." (May 24, 2014)

So, why doesn't the Church 'do something' about the problem? For one thing, the Pope can't force anyone to be nice. For another: we're already there, and have been for some time, with organizations like Caritas Jordan.

Getting back to the synod, and how we get things done — the Catholic Church is hierarchical and authoritarian: which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Besides, the Pope isn't the boss. He's just a vicar, with limited authority, standing in while my Lord is away, and I've been over this before. (February 19, 2009)

The Church has principles that apply to everyone, but we're not forced into one cultural mold. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1204-1206, 1686, 1935, 2524)

That irks folks who seem convinced that everybody should behave exactly the way 'decent' people did in the 'good old days:' as they remember them. And that's yet another topic.
Minnesota's 'Mother's Day Crisis'
Mother's Day is May 10 next year. As usual, it's the same day that Minnesota's walleye, sauger, northern pike, stream trout in lakes, smallmouth bass, and assorted other subdivisions of fishing season open.

Some wives and mothers are avid anglers, others see no problem with not having their husbands underfoot that day: but some probably resent the coincidence.

Neither my wife or I fish, so it's not an issue in our household. But I can imagine a married couple being torn between the fishing season opener and Mother's Day each year.

I have a bit more trouble imagining someone being upset because of the Catholic Church's silence on Minnesota's 'Mother's Day crisis.'

I'll be surprised, though, if someone doesn't get attention by being upset over the Church's refusal to rewrite at least part of the Decalogue.

The points of contention will probably include same-sex marriage and the 'right' of partners to cheat on their spouse. Oddly enough, the 'right' of someone to marry a goldfish may not receive quite so much attention.

If you're bracing yourself for a screed against 'those sinners over there,' relax: I'm Catholic. I'm not allowed to hate anybody. It's against the rules.

The Rules: Simple, not Easy


The rules are very simple. We're supposed to love God, and love our neighbor. (Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31)

We're also supposed to see everybody as our neighbor. No exceptions. (Matthew 5:43-44; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 10:25-30; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1825)

As I've said before, love isn't approval.

Sometimes the 'friends don't let friends drive drunk' principle applies, and love demands disapproval. Even if the drunk friend really wants to drive. (June 28, 2011; April 26, 2011)

I think part of the explanation for the Vatican's office library having about 85 kilometers of shelving is that for two millennia now, folks have been trying to weasel out of those simple rules. And that's yet again another topic. (June 3, 2012)

"Mixed Marriages:" It's Not what You May Think


Marriage is very important for Catholics who understand our faith. (Catechism, 1601-1658)

It's a sacrament and a vocation. (Catechism, 1601, 1603)

That reminds me — you may read about Synod 14's position on "mixed marriages." It's not what you may think. We're not supposed to be shocked and horrified when the daughter of a 'nice' family wants to marry an Irishman; or the family's son has his eye on a Pinay.

In this context, a "mixed marriage" is a "marriage between a Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic." (Catechism, 1633)

My wife and I had a "mixed marriage" until I became a Catholic. We still have a "mixed marriage" in the ethnic sense: she's German/Dutch, and I'm Norwegian/Irish/Scots-Irish.

Not very many generations back, one of my foremothers said, "he doesn't have family: he's Irish." The daughter of a decent family married the Irishman anyway. (July 6, 2014)

What Not to Expect



(From News.va, used w/o permission.)

I'm quite confident that some folks will be upset about what Synod 14 finally decides.

Those who think Ephesians 5:22 defines wives as household servants may denounce the synod for being too liberal. Others, who want the Church to redefine marriage as 'whatever I like,' will get opportunities to say that the synod is too conservative.

I've run into some 'Catholic' families where the husband goes to work, ignores the kids, and takes his wife for granted; while his wife stays home, watching soap operas: but it's not how we're supposed to live.

Proverbs 31:10-31 defines "a worthy wife," and she bears little resemblance to the fluffy 1950s stereotype:
"She picks out a field to purchase; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard."
(Proverbs 31:16)
The Catholic Church can't rewrite the Decalogue, or anything else in the deposit of faith. I've talked about the Bible, Sacred Scripture; Tradition; and the Magisterium; before. (October 2, 2008)
"The apostles entrusted the 'Sacred deposit' of the faith (the depositum fidei),45 contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, to the whole of the Church....

" 'The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ.'47 This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome.

" 'Yet this Magisterium is not superior to the Word of God, but is its servant. It teaches only what has been handed on to it....' "
(Catechism, 84-86) [Emphasis mine]

Same Mission, New Techniques


Synod 14 is not, I am quite sure, discussing whether to replace the deposit of faith with whatever is fashionable in lower Manhattan, Botswana, or anywhere else. We don't operate that way.

Our standing orders, as outlined in Matthew 28:19-20, haven't changed in two millennia.

What changes is how we present the "Sacred deposit" of the faith. Techniques that worked in first-century Rome were a thousand years out of date by the time my Viking ancestors stopped pillaging my Celtic ancestors.

And what worked in 11th century Europe is a thousand years out of date today. The Catholic Church is old, ancient. But we are not futilely trying to drag humanity back to an imaginary 'good old days.'

We're doing what we've been doing for two millennia: showing, to the best of our abilities, that loving God, loving our neighbor, and seeing everyone as our neighbor, is a good idea.

As the centuries rolled by, some of us did well: others, not so much. We're still cleaning up messes left by the likes of Karl der GroĂźe. I trust that Charlemagne meant well: and that's — another topic. (May 18, 2014)

Part of Synod 14's job, as far as I can tell, is deciding how we can best share the truth with folks in the 21st century:
"...The challenge for this synod is to try to bring back to today's world, which in some way resembles that of the early days of the Church, the attractiveness of the Christian message about marriage and the family, highlighting the joy which they give...."
("Synod14 - First General Congregation: 'Relatio ante disceptationem' of the General Rapporteur, Card. Péter Erdő," (October 6, 2014)[Original text: Italian. This is an unofficial translation])
I put links to background documents and articles from the Vatican Information Service and Vatican Radio at the end of this post, along with excerpts from some of the articles: and a longer excerpt from that unofficial translation.

More of my posts, mostly about:
Excerpt from an unofficial translation from the First General Congregation (October 6, 2014):
"...Conclusion

"If we look at the origins of Christianity, we see how it has managed — despite rejection and cultural diversity — to be accepted and welcomed for the depth and intrinsic force of its message. Indeed, Christian revelation has manifested the dignity of the person, not to mention love, sexuality and the family.

"The challenge for this synod is to try to bring back to today's world, which in some way resembles that of the early days of the Church, the attractiveness of the Christian message about marriage and the family, highlighting the joy which they give, but, at the same time, respond, in a true and charitable way (cf. Eph 4:15), to the many problems which have a special impact on the family today and emphasizing that true moral freedom does not consists in doing what one feels or living only by one's feelings but is realized only in acquiring the true good.

"In a real way, we are called upon, above all, to put ourselves alongside our sisters and our brothers in the spirit of the Good Samaritan (cf. Lk 10: 25-37): being attentive to their lives and being especially close to those who have been 'wounded' by life and expect a word of hope, which we know only Christ can give us (cf. Jn 6:68).

"The world needs Christ. The world needs us too, because we belong to Christ."
("Synod14 - First General Congregation: 'Relatio ante disceptationem' of the General Rapporteur, Card. Péter Erdő," (October 6, 2014)[Original text: Italian. This is an unofficial translation][Links added.])
Background:
In the news:
Excerpts from the news:
"Synod concludes first phase of debate on family life"
Vatican Radio, via News. va (October 10, 2014)

"...Supporting children of separated families, reaching out to the widowed and lonely, and accompanying couples searching for reconciliation and healing in their lives. Those are some of the practical questions being discussed in the Synod Hall by participants who’ve come from all corners of the globe to share their perspectives on the problems facing family life today. Central to these debates are the very real experiences of men and women serving as experts and auditors. People like Jocelyne Khoueiry, a former leader of a female Christian militia group during Lebanon’s civil war and founder of an organisation for lay women in her country.

" 'We fought in the past,' she said, 'to protect our sovereignty and our country but now we're fighting to rebuild our culture and our identity, based on the values and principles that we have always dreamed of.'

"Those values include the central role of the family as the foundation of society. But how can the Church also reach out to men and women whose marriages have broken down? How can it help children of separated families, learning to deal with new parental figures in their lives? For the first time today I also heard how the Church needs to be more attentive to those who are widowed, a condition that will effect one member of every couple at some point in their lives.

"Another hot button issue that emerged from the questionnaires ahead of this Synod was family planning and the very high numbers of Catholics who ignore the Church's ban on artificial methods of contraception. Alice and Jeffrey Heinzen urged couples to look again at the advantages of natural methods of fertility regulation, which they say can now prove up to 99% effective, if they are properly understood and practised...."
"Synod: the Church, a place for families in crisis"
Vatican Radio, via News.va (October 9, 2014)

"What can the Church do to accompany families in difficult pastoral situations such as the separated, divorced or divorced and remarried, single parents, teen mothers, children from broken homes? What is the Churches pastoral outreach concerning unions of persons of the same sex? These were the topics of discussion in the 8th General Congregation of the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on 'The pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelization'.

"The Wednesday afternoon session was led by the President Delegate on duty, Card. Raymundo Damasceno Assis, Archbishop of Aparecida (Brazil). He warned against a shortsighted legalistic approach stating that the Church wants to fathom the depths of these difficult situations in order to welcome all of those involved so that it may be a paternal home where there is a place for everyone with his or her life's difficulties.

"The discussion was introduced by the testimony of auditors Stephen and Sandra Conway, from South Africa. They are regional Retrouvailles leaders for Africa, an organization that helps marriages in crisis.

"They told participants that 'financial difficulties, infidelity and family of origin issues are common problems'. However they also pointed to a predominant 'singles married lifestyle' which begins innocently but over time drives a wedge between the couple....

"...The couple also spoke of requests from same sex unions or couples to take part in their counselling course.

"Testimonies from married couples have introduced each session of debate at the Synod. To date a common factor running through these presentations but which has received little or no media coverage is children. Passing on the faith to children, the effects of family breakdown on children, children from mixed marriages, abandoned children, the inability to have children...."
Posted by 2 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Friday, June 22, 2012

Annus Fidei/Year of Faith: New From the Vatican, Online

Updated (June 22, 2012)
Also noted by Sr. Ann Flanagan: the Vatican's Year of Faith Facebook page:
A tip of the hat to Sr Anne Flanagan, on Google+, for the heads-up on the Annus Fidei, or Year of Faith, feature on the Vatican's .va domain.
I've added a link to the English version of Year of Faith 2012-2013 (Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization) to this blog's sidebar, under Links to the Vatican, USCCB.

Somewhat-related posts:
Posted by No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Friday, June 8, 2012

The Pope; Vatileaks; Seven Gifts; and Looking Beyond the End of Time

Everybody has a vocation, a "calling or destiny we have in this life and hereafter." (Catechism, Glossary) Mine is being a married man, part of the laity. Besides being husbands, fathers, wives, mothers, and children, the laity are:
"...in the Church and in the world, their own assignment in the mission of the whole People of God.' 387 Finally, 'from both groups [hierarchy and laity] there exist Christian faithful who are consecrated to God in their own special manner and serve the salvific mission of the Church through the profession of the evangelical counsels.'388..."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 873)
Maybe that sounds highfalutin. I've been around long enough to know that fancy-sounding titles and important positions generally include work. Lots of work.

The New Evanglization and Me

One of the 'new' jobs for the laity is the 'new evangelization.' (April 12, 2012) It's not, really, all that new: just the latest wrinkle in the millennia-spanning "call for laypeople to publicly witness to their faith." (www.catholicvoicesusa.org)

I live too far away from America's major metropolitan areas to join the formal parts of this country's new evangelization. But that doesn't let me off the hook. Thanks to Information Age technology, I can share what I'm learning about my faith, and why it matters. Which is where this blog comes in. And my weekly 'my take on the news' post.

A Long, Hard Path: Surrounded by Beauty and Wonder

This week's news includes opportunities for me to get distressed, distracted, and dismayed. I could indulge in hand wringing: maybe even make it seem very 'spiritual.'

On the whole, though, I don't see the percentage in doing that. Particularly since I realize that if I lift my eyes from the path and look around: I'm surrounded by vistas of wonder. And the best is still ahead. (June 3, 2012)

Here's my take on this week's news:
  1. World Meeting of Families, 2015
  2. Vatileaks - The Butler Did It
  3. Called to Great Things

1. World Meeting of Families, 2015

CNA (Catholic News Agency) ran an article that's mostly about the next scheduled World Meeting of Families and Benedict XVI's plans for that get-together.

Since Philadelphia and Catholics are involved, Americans who follow the news are likely to remember a the recurring story of the pedophile priests. I might as well get that out of the way first:
"...The Philadelphia archdiocese faces continuing fallout from sex abuse scandals and has been forced to close dozens of Catholic schools because of a lack of financial resources...."
(CNA)
I've posted about what some priests did during the last half-century:
Moving on.

The Pope's Choice, Plans, and Hope

"Pope to attend World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia"
Kevin J. Jones, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (June 6, 2012)

"Pope Benedict XVI personally chose Philadelphia as the site for the next World Meeting of Families and, health permitting, will attend the 2015 event, Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput said.

"...He said he hoped to be there, but he reminded me he's 85 years old and he'd be 88 at that time, and God willing he will be with us,' Archbishop Chaput said. 'He's a man who trusts God's providence, and I do too.'

"The World Meeting of Families, sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Family, takes place every three years. It brings together hundreds of thousands of people to pray, celebrate and study marriage and family life. Archbishop Chaput and Pope Benedict attended the 2012 event in Milan...."
(CNA)
I hope that Benedict XVI will be with us for the 2012 World Meeting of Families. But if he's not, I'm about as sure as I can be that the authority held by the 265th successor to Peter will have been passed along - and that the Pope will be there.

"Hope" hasn't been fashionable for much of my lifetime. That's understandable, given the silly optimism about the "inevitability of progress" that came before.

I was cautiously hopeful before I became a Catholic. I'd noticed that, although there were setbacks on a scale of years, decades, and sometimes centuries: from millennium to millennium, on average, people learned more effective ways to:
  • Grow and distribute food
  • Deal with injuries and disease
  • Cooperate
After my conversion, I learned a bit more about why this has been happening, and that's another topic.

I've posted about hope, progress, and getting a grip, before:

Milan, Attendance, and Statistics

"...Archbishop Chaput attended the final Mass with a military family from South Carolina who represented the United States.

" 'Surprisingly, the six of them and myself were invited to lunch, and not only to lunch, but to the same table as the Pope,' he said.

"The archbishop said a 'large number of people' usually attend the World Meeting of Families, and typically the Pope visits for the final days of the event. The closing Mass for the 2012 gathering in Milan was attended by 1 million people...."
(CNA)
Even by American standards, a get-together with 1,000,000 attendees is pretty big. But I suppose someone could draw attention that only about 1/1,000 of the world's living Catholics attended that Mass: and express either anguish or triumph, depending on personal outlook.

I think it's a fairly good turnout for this sort of an event. More topics.

The Pope's view of the Milan World Meeting of Families:

2. Vatileaks - The Butler Did It

"Cardinal Bertone speaks of 'ferocious' Vatileaks attack on Pope"
David Kerr, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (June 6, 2012)

"The Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, believes the continued leaking of confidential papal information to the media is 'ferocious, biting and organized.'

" 'Attacks have always existed, in all times' he told Italian television station RAI on June 4.

" 'This time, however, it seems that the attacks are more targeted, sometimes also ferocious, biting and organized.'...
I remember the trailing edge of McCarthyism. I grew up in an area where radio preachers were almost as enthusiastic about the communist menace as they were about the latest End Times Bible prophecy. With my background, someone expressing the idea that 'it's a plot' tends to make me dubious.

Still, the Vatican's Secretary of State has almost certainly been paying more attention to Vatileaks than I have: and has sources of information that I don't.Maybe there actually is an organized media attack on the Catholic Church. It's quite possible.

It's also possible that the Vatican's Secretary of State has slipped a cog, and will shortly be claiming that the Pope's being controlled by radio waves from outer space. Possible: but not likely. At all. My opinion.

Not Organized: Just Like-Minded?

I think it's possible for what appears to be an organized media campaign to happen, without being organized. my take on news, bias, and unconsidered assumptions, posted yesterday:
Basically, when a relatively small number of people who share very nearly the same assumptions and biases get the same information at about the same time: I'm not surprised that they all tend to report it pretty much the same way.

Vatileaks may be one of those unintended consequences of old-school assumptions colliding with Information Age technology. Sort of like the 'flash crash' of 2010. Or, not. Here's a pretty good analysis of what went wrong:

No, Really: The Butler Did It

"...This is the first time Cardinal Bertone has commented publicly on the so-called 'Vatileaks' scandal that has rumbled on since January 2012.

"So far, the only person charged by Vatican police as part of the ongoing investigation is the Pope's butler, Paolo Gabriele. The Secretary of State's statement that the leaks are "organized" seems to suggest that he believes Gabriele was not acting alone....

"...The latest batch of leaked papal documents appeared in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica over the June 2-3 weekend. They included a confidential letter written by the American Cardinal Raymond Burke to Pope Benedict in January 2012...."
(CNA)
What interests me more than business-as-usual in news media is Cardinal Raymond Burke's letter, and related correspondence.

Correspondence, Clarification, and Getting a Grip

It's not that I enjoy reading other people's mail: this is an opportunity to see how the Catholic Church works.
"...In his correspondence, Cardinal Burke expressed surprise and dismay after receiving an invitation to an event that seemed to be celebrating the Vatican's approval for the liturgies used by the new movement, the Neocatechumenatal Way.

"He explained to the Pope that he did 'not recall having heard a consultation regarding a particular liturgy for this ecclesial movement' and that 'such liturgical innovations' do not seem 'coherent with the liturgical magisterium of the pope.'

"After reading the letter, Pope Benedict attached a handwritten note agreeing with Cardinal Burke's sentiments with the instruction that they should be passed onto the Congregation for Divine Worship.

"After the cardinal's letter was sent it emerged that the Vatican's approval only applied to non-liturgical prayers within the Neocatechumenatal Way's catechesis and not to the Mass or other liturgies of the Church."
(CNA)
I'm not shocked and horrified that a Cardinal wrote the Pope, expressing concern over the Vatican's apparent approval of an offbeat liturgy. Given screwball antics done 'in the spirit of Vatican II' in this country: I'd be concerned if a Cardinal didn't ask Rome what was going on.

This isn't 'dissension,' or 'chaos.' This is how a two-millennia-old outfit works: asking questions and getting answers. Or, in this case, a clarification.

By the way, I'm also not shocked and horrified that the Pope didn't rant about Satanic heretics who would go to Hell because they had new ideas. I've been over this before, too:

3. Called to Great Things

"Pope to Youth: God Calls You to Great Things Today"
ZENIT.org (June 4, 2012)
"Explains Holy Spirit's Gifts to Those to Be Confirmed"

"During his trip to Milan for the 7th World Meeting of Families, Benedict XVI reminded youth that God is calling them each day to something great. He exhorted them to have high ideals and to strive to be saints, saying sanctity is for everyone, also for the young.

"The Pope said this Saturday in an address to young people who are about to receive the sacrament of confirmation, or have recently been confirmed.

"His address centered on a brief explanation of each of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit....
ZENIT has what Benedict XVI said, full text, English, online:
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:
  • Wisdom
  • Understanding
  • Counsel
  • Fortitude
  • Knowledge
  • Piety
  • Fear of the Lord
    (Catechism, 1830-1832)

Spiritual Mountain Climbing

"...'The Spirit's gifts are wondrous realities that allow you to form yourselves as Christians, to live the Gospel and to be active members of the community,' he told them.

"The Holy Father compared the whole of the Christian life to a journey, saying it is 'like climbing a path that leads up a mountain - and so it is not always easy, but climbing a mountain is something beautiful - together with Jesus; with these precious gifts your friendship with him will become still more real and intimate.'

"The Pontiff encouraged the youth to take advantage of Sunday Mass and the sacrament of confession, as well as daily prayer. Regarding confession, he said it is 'a meeting with Jesus who forgives our sins and helps us to do the good; receiving this gift, beginning again, is a great gift in life, knowing that I am free, that I can start over, that all is forgiven.'..."
I like that image of climbing a path up a mountain. I've seen mountains: the ones separating my part of North America from the west coast. Being partway up a mountain is "something beautiful," even when using a car instead of walking.

Forgiveness and Decisions

I also like " '...knowing that I am free, that I can start over, that all is forgiven.'..." In the 60 years since my birth, I've had to start over: fairly often. Happily, Catholics aren't expected to be perfect people. We're 'just' expected to work toward that goal. (Catechism, 309-314, 519-521, 1693, 1698)

I believe in "one baptism for the forgiveness of sin." But I also accept the idea that, even though I was baptized, I'm not likely "to escape every wound of sin." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 977-980)

Happily, there is no offense that the Church cannot forgive. (Catechism, 976-983) I can chose to turn away from from the Church, reject God: but that would be my decision, not an action by God or the Church. (Catechism, 1993) Telling God to leave me alone would also be an abysmally daft move.

"In Days to Come - - - "

'Climbing a mountain' is hardly a new way to look at moving toward God:
"2 In days to come, The mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it;

"3 many peoples shall come and say: 'Come, let us climb the LORD'S mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.' For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

"He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again."
(Isaiah 2:2-4)
It's been a long climb, since the days of Isaiah. Today, we're more than two dozen centuries closer to "in days to come:" but my guess is that we still have a lot more climbing ahead.

God willing, I'll spend the rest of my life climbing: and enjoying the view. Then it's particular judgment for me: and others will keep climbing toward a city with "no more death or mourning, wailing or pain."1

More, about Abraham, mountains, and an eternal covenant:
Related posts:
1 You've probably run into this before:
"I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people 4 and God himself will always be with them (as their God).

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, (for) the old order has passed away.' "
(Revelation 21:3-4)
I'm pretty sure that the "unfamiliar and extravagant symbolism" in The Apocalypse, or Revelation to John will make sense: when we get together after the Last Judgment. (Catechism, 1038-1041) Until then, I'm quite willing to let God handle the details.

I'm also pretty sure that the end of time and the new universe is coming "soon" - from God's point of view. Judging from the awesome scale of this creation, my guess is that God's "soon" could be a long, long way off by human standards.

I've posted about God, the universe, and size, before: More:
  • The Hope of the New Heaven and the New Earth
    (Catechism, 1042-1050)
Posted by No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Vatileaks: Organized? Maybe, Maybe Not

I did it again: part-way through writing tomorrow morning's post, I realized that I'd gone off on a tangent. A long one.

I'd started with what the Vatican Secretary of State had to say about Vatileaks. I see his point, but think what looks like organization may be a combination of bias, unquestioned assumptions, and deadlines.

Conspiracy, Culture, and Fu Manchu

I think it is possible that media coverage of Vatileaks is, literally, organized: with some person or persons deciding what will be said, and when. Possible: and somewhat more probable than 'radio waves from outer space.'

I think it's at least as likely that the appearance of an organized attack is just that: appearance.

Please bear with me: what's next relates to the Cardinal and Vatileaks; although I'm starting with something that's more familiar to me: American news media.

I've discussed 'media bias' in America before. (November 4, 2011, April 1, 2010)

I don't think that American editors are:
  • Minions of some evil mastermind
  • Involved in a collective conspiracy
    • To subvert the conscience of America
Either notion could be the start of a story: maybe something along the lines of "The Mask of Fu Manchu" (1932). But that doesn't make them likely scenarios.

It's possible for a group of people to act as if they're 'organized,' when they believe they're working independently - and in fact are not part of a consciously-organized unit.

Values, Assumptions, and Deadlines

America's editors are part of a relatively small subculture: one with internally-consistent values and assumptions. I think that they have become isolated from the rest of society, and are drifting away from the world the rest of us call home. (September 2, 2011; Another War-on-Terror Blog (December 22, 2008, October 21, 2008))

I've discussed information gatekeepers, the folks in a society who can decide what the others see and hear, before. (November 15, 2010) Also what passes for 'academic freedom' in American colleges and universities. (April 6, 2012, August 3, 2009)

Back in the 'good old days,' if the editors of The New York Times didn't think something was suitable for publication - the odds were that the rest of America's newspapers wouldn't cover the story, either. No conspiracy: just a mix of time zones; deadline pressure; and assumptions.

Network television news gave American a new way to get news. But the three - or four, counting PBS - networks were still run by the 'better sort' in the New York City and Los Angeles area.

The format was different, but it was the same little circle of 'intelligent' folks showing the rest of us their version of the world.

Old-School Editors in the Information Age

My guess is that the senior editorial staff in America's, and Europe's, news media are about my age. It generally takes years, decades, of work experience and dedication to earn an editor's desk. Like me, they remember anti-war demonstrations, the first Earth Day, and love beads.

I've gotten the impression that some folks who earned those editor's desks didn't get the memo: it isn't 1965 any more.

What 'Everybody Knows'

My hat's off to media executives who acknowledge Information Age technology, and are adapting to it. I'm a little less impressed with their apparent reluctance to reevaluate their assumptions.

On the other hand, I lived in a country where I constantly met other folks who didn't share my assumptions and opinions. That gave me opportunities to think about what I believe, and test my assumptions.

Not everybody has those opportunities. What if:
  • I'd bought into assumptions and values that were new and exciting
    • 40 years ago
  • Everybody I'd known since I graduated assumed that
    • America is the source of the world's problems
    • The Catholic Church kills people by saying that
      • Having sex with random strangers is a bad idea
      • Letting babies live is a good idea
Particularly with the demands of a fulfilling career, checking anti-American and anti-Catholic assumptions might seem like a waste of time. After all, the 'intelligent' folks around me have the same assumptions. It's easy to believe that what 'everybody knows' is true. (Another War-on-Terror Blog (March 25, 2008))

Homogeneous, Somewhat; Organized, Not Necessarily

When folks who share a set of values and assumptions get pretty much the same information at roughly the same time: I'm not surprised that they all tend to report in in a fairly consistent manner.

I think it's arguable that the apparent organization behind Vatileaks attacks can be explained by today's rapid communication, and news media's willingness to use new technology. Leaders of Europe's news media may be cooperating in an attack on the Church. But this may just be Europe's analog to America's traditional anti-Catholicism, made more efficient by contemporary technology.

Not-entirely-unrelated posts:
Posted by 2 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Like it? Pin it, Plus it, - - -

Pinterest: My Stuff, and More

Visit Brian H.'s profile on Pinterest.

Advertisement

Unique, innovative candles


Visit us online:
Spiral Light Candle  • Find a Retailer
• Spiral Light Candle Store

Popular Posts

Label Cloud

1277 abortion ADD ADHD-Inattentive Adoration Chapel Advent Afghanistan Africa America Amoris Laetitia angels animals annulment Annunciation anti-catholicism Antichrist apocalyptic ideas apparitions archaeology architecture Arianism art Asperger syndrome assumptions asteroid astronomy Australia authority balance and moderation baptism being Catholic beliefs bias Bible Bible and Catechism bioethics biology blogs brain Brazil business Canada capital punishment Caritas in Veritate Catechism Catholic Church Catholic counter-culture Catholicism change happens charisms charity Chile China Christianity Christmas citizenship climate change climatology cloning comets common good common sense Communion community compassion confirmation conscience conversion Corpus Christi cosmology creation credibility crime crucifix Crucifixion Cuba culture dance dark night of the soul death depression designer babies despair detachment devotion discipline disease diversity divination Divine Mercy divorce Docetism domestic church dualism duty Easter economics education elections emotions England entertainment environmental issues Epiphany Establishment Clause ethics ethnicity Eucharist eugenics Europe evangelizing evolution exobiology exoplanets exorcism extremophiles faith faith and works family Father's Day Faust Faustus fear of the Lord fiction Final Judgment First Amendment forgiveness Fortnight For Freedom free will freedom fun genetics genocide geoengineering geology getting a grip global Gnosticism God God's will good judgment government gratitude great commission guest post guilt Haiti Halloween happiness hate health Heaven Hell HHS hierarchy history holidays Holy Family Holy See Holy Spirit holy water home schooling hope humility humor hypocrisy idolatry image of God images Immaculate Conception immigrants in the news Incarnation Independence Day India information technology Internet Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Japan Jesus John Paul II joy just war justice Kansas Kenya Knights of Columbus knowledge Korea language Last Judgment last things law learning Lent Lenten Chaplet life issues love magi magic Magisterium Manichaeism marriage martyrs Mary Mass materialism media medicine meditation Memorial Day mercy meteor meteorology Mexico Minnesota miracles Missouri moderation modesty Monophysitism Mother Teresa of Calcutta Mother's Day movies music Muslims myth natural law neighbor Nestorianism New Year's Eve New Zealand news Nietzsche obedience Oceania organization original sin paleontology parish Parousia penance penitence Pentecost Philippines physical disability physics pilgrimage politics Pope Pope in Germany 2011 population growth positive law poverty prayer predestination presumption pride priests prophets prostitution Providence Purgatory purpose quantum entanglement quotes reason redemption reflections relics religion religious freedom repentance Resurrection robots Roman Missal Third Edition rosaries rules sacramentals Sacraments Saints salvation schools science secondary causes SETI sex shrines sin slavery social justice solar planets soul South Sudan space aliens space exploration Spain spirituality stem cell research stereotypes stewardship stories storm Sudan suicide Sunday obligation superstition symbols technology temptation terraforming the establishment the human condition tolerance Tradition traffic Transfiguration Transubstantiation travel Trinity trust truth uncertainty United Kingdom universal destination of goods vacation Vatican Vatican II veneration vengeance Veterans Day videos virtue vlog vocations voting war warp drive theory wealth weather wisdom within reason work worship writing

Marian Apparition: Champion, Wisconsin

Background:Posts in this blog: In the news:

What's That Doing in a Nice Catholic Blog?

From time to time, a service that I use will display links to - odd - services and retailers.

I block a few of the more obvious dubious advertisers.

For example: psychic anything, numerology, mediums, and related practices are on the no-no list for Catholics. It has to do with the Church's stand on divination. I try to block those ads.

Sometime regrettable advertisements get through, anyway.

Bottom line? What that service displays reflects the local culture's norms, - not Catholic teaching.