Content to be 'Out of Step'

I think tolerance is a good idea.

I also think that "tolerance" doesn't mean making criticism of a government's policies a crime. At least, it shouldn't.

This puts me at odds with folks who are trying to save America from my kind. From their point of view, people like me are dangerous.

I'm a practicing Catholic.

As a Catholic, I must:

• Support religious freedom
  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109)
  • For everybody
    (Catechism, 2106)
• Take an active part in public life
  (Catechism, 1915)
• Contribute to the good of society
  • In a spirit of
    • Truth
    • Justice
    • Solidarity
    • Freedom
  (Catechism, 2239)
• Submit to legitimate authorities
  • Refuse obedience to civil authorities
    • When their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience
    (Catechism, 2242)
  (Catechism, 2239)

If that's not what you've heard, I'm not surprised.

Assumptions About 'Those People'

If you've been watching American media during the last few decades, you've probably noticed that that serious Catholics and Protestants are often shown as:

• Simpletons
  • Backwards
  • Mentally simple
  • Haters of science
• Hypocrites
• Self-righteous
• Old-fashioned

From the establishment¹ point of view, Catholics like me are worse than most.

The stereotype Catholic is plagued by:

• Neurotic guilt
• Aversion or hatred of sexuality
• Being in a sexist institution
• Being stuck in the past
  • With too many rules
• Being authoritarian
• Having clergy who were
  • Sexually repressed
  • Homosexuals
  • Pedophiles

Oddly enough, the Catholic Church is reviled because it's presumably run by and for homosexuals - and because it supposedly doesn't support homosexuals. Oh, well.

I pulled that list of media stereotypes from a post by Charles Pope, the pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian in Washington, D.C. He's concerned about how Christians, particularly Catholics, are being portrayed. I think he's got a point.

Stereotypes, Action Movies, and Public Policy

A stereotype is "a conventional or formulaic conception or image." (Princeton's WordNet)

Stereotypes have their place. For example, action movies with stereotyped characters can devote more time to explosions and gunfire. Folks watching "The Terminator" don't expect the complexities of "Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola." I don't anyway.

I have no problem with stereotypes in movies. I like light entertainment to be just that: light. When I want trenchant characterization, I'll re-read Macbeth or Othello. And that's another topic or two.

When stereotypes are mistaken for reality: that's when I get concerned.

Five Stages of Religious Persecution

"Some thoughts on the five stages of religious persecution."
Monsignor Charles Pope, Archdiocese of Washington (November 11, 2012)

"It is rare that a respected segment of American life would become vilified and hated overnight. The usual transformation from respect to vilification goes in stages which grow in intensity. And hereby the Church, once a respected aspect of American life, along with the Protestant denominations has become increasingly marginalized and hated by many. It may help us to review these stages of persecution since it would seem that things are going to get more difficult for the Church in the years ahead. Generally there are distinguished five basic stages of persecution...."

I recommend reading that post. It's of particular interest to Catholics, but I think this is a situation where 'my end of the boat isn't sinking' isn't a sensible attitude: if it ever is.

Monsignor Charles Pope's stages are:

1. Stereotyping the targeted group
2. Vilifying the targeted group for alleged crimes or misconduct
3. Marginalizing the targeted group’s role in society
4. Criminalizing the targeted group or its works
5. Persecuting the targeted group outright

I mentioned stereotyping earlier.

As Monsignor Charles Pope wrote, "not everyone engages in this stereotyping to the same degree." The problem is that "the general climate of this sort of stereotyping sets the foundation for the next stage."

Welcome to the Fourth Stage

Skipping ahead to the fourth stage, criminalizing the targeted group, here's a selection of recent headlines. I'm particularly concerned with what's happening in my native land, but there's trouble all over:

• "White House petitioned to label Catholic Church
  a 'hate group' "
  Michelle Bauman, CNA/EWTN News (January 4, 2013)
• "Iranian pastor's Christmas arrest worries religious liberty advocates"
  Michelle Bauman, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (January 2, 2013)
• " 'Holiday tree' dispute wins governor annual Scrooge award"
  CNA/EWTN News (December 21, 2012)
• "France's new monitoring policy deemed religious liberty threat"
  CNA/EWTN News (December 14, 2012)
• "Same-sex 'marriage' law forces D.C. Catholic Charities to close adoption program"
  CNA (Catholic News Agency) (February 17, 2010)

Maybe I shouldn't complain. Things could be worse:

• "Catholic churches set ablaze in Austria and France"
  CNA (Catholic News Agency) (January 4, 2012)
• "Man with sledgehammer attacks two La. Catholic churches"
  Carl Bunderson, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (December 18, 2012)
• "Bishops call attack on Nigerian parish 'barbarous' "
  CNA/EWTN News (October 29, 2012)

Concerned, But Hopeful

I remember when an entrenched American establishment was collapsing. I've been over this before:

"...America is Okay - - -

"I like some aspects of today's America: the comparative prosperity many of us enjoy; immigrants continuing to bring new ideas and enthusiasm; and a degree of freedom.

"I particularly like being free to express opinions, even if the folks in charge don't approve.

"- - - And We Can Do Better

"This is far from Western civilization's, and America's, most tranquil era. If I was satisfied with the status quo, I'd probably be upset.

"Some of the reforms 'those crazy kids' like me worked for didn't turn out as advertised. I think we can do better.

"I also remember the 'good old days' when the establishment was a great deal paler, and nearly all male. I really don't want to go back to the 'good old days.' My memory's too good...."
(December 14, 2012)

"...Back in the '60s, 'the establishment' was mostly white, almost all male, and either WASP or trying to be sufficiently WASPish. I suppose there's a sort of sadly futile and misplaced valor in actions like blocking the door of Foster Auditorium: but folks who wanted to keep non-WASPs in their place were wrong, and were losing.

"Before that, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) chief counsel had said: 'After all, the KKK is an old American institution.'¹ Instead of looking into the Ku Klux Klan's actions, HUAC went commie-hunting in the Federal Writers Project.

"Like I said, I don't miss the 'good old days.' At all...."
(February 12, 2012)

I am very concerned about the hostility toward faith that I see in America's cultural leadership. But I think we have a very good chance of recovering the right to act as if God matters.

Until then:

"...I'm content to be 'out of step' with whatever philosophies are popular today. I think it's more important to be in step with my Lord. That's why I became a Catholic. I'm content to be part of the Church that's rooted in eternity, under the authority my Lord gave Peter,³ marching through time toward a city that hasn't been built yet...."
(April 1, 2012)

More:

• "Some thoughts on the five stages of religious persecution."
  Monsignor Charles Pope, Archdiocese of Washington (November 11, 2012)

Related posts, getting a grip about:

• Hope
  
  • "Battling Sin, Living in Hope"
    (July 25, 2012)
  • "Cain, Abel, and Ketchup"
    (July 18, 2012)
    Particularly
    • Human Nature: Wounded, not Totally Corrupted
    • Hope
  • "Hope, Joy, and 'More Despondent Than Thou?' "
    (January 8, 2012)
    Particularly
    • Oh Woe, All Ye Faithful?
    • Hope isn't Irresponsibility
  • "Hope, Joy, and Working for a Better World"
    (September 13, 2011)
  • "We Won: Quite a While Ago"
    (January 13, 2011)
• The Catholic Church
  • "Ignorance, Attitudes, and the Catholic Church"
    (September 2, 2012)
    Particularly
    • Clueless About Catholicism: An Old Tradition
  • "Supporting Freedom, and Other Subversive Activity"
    (June 22, 2012)
    Particularly
    • Religious Freedom and 'My End of the Boat'
  • "Catholics aren't Calvinists"
    (May 7, 2012)
    Particularly
    • What Everybody Knows, That Just Ain't So
  • " 'Nazi Pope,' Urban Legends, Academic Standards, and the News"
    (April 17, 2012)
  • " 'The Jesus-Eating Cult of Rick Santorum' and
    'America - Love It or Leave It' "
    (February 29, 2012)
• Tolerance
  • "Freedom for 'People of Any Faith or No Faith At All' "
    (November 9, 2012)
  • "9/11, Religion, and Assumptions"
    (September 11, 2012)
  • "Diversity in Unity: Two Millennia and Counting"
    (April 18, 2012)
  • "Separation of Church and State, Assumptions, and Fear"
    (September 2, 2011)
    Particularly
    • Freedom of Religion: For Everybody
  • "Religious Freedom, Niemöller, and Muslims in America"
    (April 7, 2011)
    Particularly
    • Why the Rights of Muslims Matter to This Catholic
• Stereotypes
  • " '...A Time to Stand Up' "
    (June 27, 2012)
    Particularly
    • Acres of Screed?
  • "Singing Nuns, Catholic Ghoulgirls, Stereotypes, and Me"
    (January 15, 2012)
  • "Faust and Friars - Cursing God? - For the Pope?!"
    (December 5, 2011)
    Particularly
    • Profligate Papists, Long-Winded Actors, and Action Movies"
    • We're Not English: Now
    • New Century, Old Assumptions
  • "The Threat of People Who Aren't Just Like Us?"
    (July 23, 2011)
    Particularly
    • "The Threat of the West"
  • "From 'Former Altar Boy' to 'And a Catholic Priest' "
    (March 31, 2011)

---

¹ America's 'establishment,' folks whose wealth, influence, or political power give them some degree of control over a society, aren't the pale men of my youth. Today's lot look different, have different preferences, and use different slogans: but they display the same unwillingness to endure views other than their own:

• "Coney Island School, 'Offensive' Song, and 'Foreigners' "
  (June 10, 2012)
• "What's With 'the Establishment' in this Blog?"
  (September 15, 2011)

"...A Time to Stand Up"

I've posted this before:

• Religious freedom is vital
  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109)
  • For everybody
    (Catechism, 2106)

Religious Freedom and the Catholic Church

Here's what Catholic leaders in America said recently:

"DC religious freedom event stresses role of liberty in America"
Michelle Bauman, CNA/EWTN News (June 25, 2012)

"...Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington, D.C. observed that 'the history of the United States is the story of the struggle for religious freedom.'...

"...The bishops have voiced concerns over growing threats to religious liberty both at home and overseas. Chief among these threats is a federal mandate that will require employers to offer health insurance plans that cover contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, even if doing so violates their consciences...."

I'm concerned, too. I take my faith seriously. It's not something I do for an hour on Sunday. My faith includes acting as if God matters: seven days a week.

I also believe that all human beings are people, and that murder is wrong: even when it's legal. (Catechism, 2259-2262, 2268-2270)

People Protesting: This is Good

An open letter of protest, published earlier this year, was signed by a few hundred Catholic leaders (priests, religious, and laypeople). There's a list of their names at the end of this post.¹ I linked to a copy of the letter in April:

• "Support access to health care?
  Protect conscience rights."
  Open letter, "Catholic Organizations Respond to HHS 'Preventive Services' Mandate"
  (from www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/Full_List_Webpage_CURRENT.pdf (April 20, 2012))

I see that sort of informed, calm, protest as a good idea. Maybe it's a bit late coming: but I'm happy to see Catholic leaders supporting sound ethics.

Maybe, after the November election, we'll have more politicos with ethical standards. Stranger things have happened.

Religious Freedom: It's Important

"...Bishops from every diocese in the U.S. have joined individuals and organizations from a wide variety of religious backgrounds in protesting the mandate for infringing on the religious freedom of those who object to it....

"...'The greatest gift that humanity has received is the Son of God, Jesus Christ,' he [Cardinal Wuerl] explained, and it is in Church - the 'living witness' - that we embrace Christ today....
(Michelle Bauman, CNA/EWTN News )

What the Cardinal said is explicitly Christian: understandably, since he's a Cardinal, addressing about a thousand fellow-Catholics.

I also think it's prudent to remember that we're not the only folks who have noticed that something's gone horribly wrong in America:

• "Muslim, Christian, Jewish leaders sign joint letter against HHS mandate"
  Catholic News Service (June 25, 2012)

A Time for Both

"...'There's a time to be on one's knees,' he [Cardinal Wuerl] said, observing that his remarks would be followed by Benediction and all would kneel to acknowledge the 'presence of our Lord.'

"However, he added, there is 'also a time to stand up.'

" 'Today, we are reminded as we look back over our history and we look at our freedoms, that there are some things worth standing for,' the cardinal said. 'And religious liberty is one of them.' "
(Michelle Bauman, CNA/EWTN News )

I think now is a good time to stand up.

Acres of Screed?

The November election coming up. I'm not looking forward to what probably will be several months of emotion-drenched articles and posts: the gist of which is 'I'm right, and anyone who disagrees is icky.'

Aside from being unpleasant to read, that sort of screed is unlikely to convince folks who are not as emotionally whipped up. It's more likely, I think, to confirm negative stereotypes being flung by opposing views.

Speak Out: And Make Sense

Folks who prefer life to death have facts on our side. But we need to use our brains, and sort out facts from 'I heard some guy say he heard' assertions, rumors, and outright fantasies.

I try to be careful about checking my facts, posted about this before, and put links under "Credibility," below.

Related posts:

• Religious Freedom
  • "Decisions: Ethical, and Political"
    (June 26, 2012)
    Particularly
    • God, Love, and Weaseling
    • Freedom Means Freedom: For Everybody
    • "I was Only Following Orders?"
  • "Freedom to Act Like God Matters"
    (June 23, 2012)
  • "John Fisher, Thomas More, and the Big Picture"
    (June 22, 2012)
  • "Supporting Freedom, and Other Subversive Activity"
    (June 22, 2012)
    Particularly
    • "The Faith Community" - But Whose?
    • Knights of Columbus Partisan? Yes and No
    • School Bus Firebombed? Ignore it, They're Catholic
  • "Decide: Life, or Death"
    (June 21, 2012)
• Credibility
  • "Father Beheads Daughter, Singer Killed: Opine, But Check Your Facts!"
    (June 19, 2012)
  • " 'A Consistent Ethic of Life,' Reality Checks About Religion, and a New Widget"
    (April 27, 2012)
    Particularly
    • Death Penalty, a Consistent Ethic of Life, and Connecticut
      • Mistakes, Executions, and the Super Bowl
      • Justice, Real and Imagined
    • Fundamentalist? Conservative? No, I'm Catholic
    • "To Proclaim Christ to the World"
    • What Folks Know, That Just Ain't So
      • Ignorance and Adequate Reporting
      • "Unnamed 'Church Leaders' "
      • "Vast Oversimplification"
  • "Catholics, Credulity, and Credibility"
    (February 12, 2012)
  • "Lie and Hype for a Good Cause?!"
    (November 28, 2011)
  • "Cultural Chaos, Divisiveness, and CNN"
    (April 1, 2010)

---

¹ list of people signing on with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, in opposition to the American government's violation of religious liberty. (As of January 26, 2012)

Jason Adkins
Executive Director
Minnesota Catholic Conference

Karl P. Adler, MD
Archbishop's Delegate for Health Care
Archdiocese of New York

Louis J. Agnese, Jr, PhD
President
University of the Incarnate Word

Robert B. Aguirre
President
Catholic Association
of Latino Leaders

Rev. Philip A. Altavilla, VG
National President
Slovak Catholic Federation

Aaron K. Alton
President/CEO
SMP Health Care System

Carl A. Anderson
Supreme Knight
Knights of Columbus

Tony Aretz, PhD
President
College of Mount St. Joseph

Debbie Armstrong
Principal
St. Jude School

Rick Arnold
State Deputy
Knights of Columbus

Kay & Lonnie Arrington
Section Representatives
Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem

Mercedes Arzu Wilson
President/Founder
Family of the Americas Foundation

Jodi Atkinson
President/CEO
St. Andrews Health Center

Rev. Thomas Au
Superintendent
St. John the Baptist School

Howard Avril
Principal
St. Helen School

Sr. Marjorie Ann Baez, DC
Chairman of the Board, Visiatrix
Daughters of Charity Health System

Andy Bagnall
President/CEO
St. Nicholas Hospital

Msgr. Liam Barr
Superintendent
St. Joseph School

Sr. Ann Bartko, OSC
Abbess
Poor Clares

Shelly Bauer
Principal
New Ulm Area Catholic Schools

Rev. William Beauchamp,
CSC
President
University of Portland

Rev. Michael Becker
Rector
St. John Vianney College Seminary

Shawn Bender, FCCP
Co-Director
Holy Family Center for Life

Larry Bernhardt
Executive Director
Catholic Charities North Dakota

John Bertini
Chairman of Board of Directors
St. Joseph Medical Center

Rev. James W. Bessert
Diocesan Chaplain
Knights of Columbus

F. DeKarlos Blackmon, OblSB
Supreme Knight/CEO
Knights of Peter Claver

Bill Blanke, MD
Family Physician and NFP Medical Consultant
Integrity Family Physicians

Steven E. Bogus
Executive Director
Catholic Charities of Louisville, Inc.

Sr. Linda Marie Bolinski, SSCM
General Superior
Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius

Kol Bonna
President
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

Rev. Kenneth Borowiak
Superintendent
St. Michael School

Br. Francis Boylan, CSC
Executive Director
Holy Cross Children's Services

William Brazier
Executive Director
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul - Detroit Council

Steve Bresnahan
Executive Director
Catholic Charities - Diocese of St. Cloud

Rev. Gary Brethour
Superintendent
St. Patrick School

Joe Brettnacher
Principal
Central Catholic Junior-Senior High School

Sr. Helen Jean Brinkman, FSE
Local Superior
Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist

Rev. Thomas Brouillette
Superintendent
St. Cecilia Junior and High School, St. Michael School

Lee Boyles
Adminstrator
Oakes Community Hospital

Sr. Joanna Buckley, ISSM
Provincial Superior
Secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary

Sr. Therese Buckley, ISSM
Principal
John Ireland Catholic School

Mother Mary of the Angels Bunty, SR
Superior
Sisters of Reparation of the Sacred Wounds of Jesus

Timothy N. Burchill
President/CEO
Ave Maria Village

Rev. Msgr. Paul J.E. Burkard
Pastor
Our Lady of Victory Shrine

Very Rev. John Byrnes, JCL
Trustee
Bishop Carroll Catholic High School

Davide M. Carbone, FACHE
CEO
St. Mary’s Medical Center

Mother M. Jennifer Carroll
Superior General
Daughters of Mary of the Immaculate Conception

William Carroll, PhD
President
Benedictine University

Christiane Chagnon
International Regent
Daughters of Isabella

Tom Chapman
Executive Director
Iowa Catholic Conference

Sr. Donna Marie Chartraw, OSB
Prioress
Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel

Arturo Chavez, PhD
President/CEO
Mexican American Catholic College

Rev. Michael Christensen
Superintendent
St. Peter School

Craig Christianson
President/CEO
Sheyenne Care Center

Joe Cieply
National Director Men's Section Support
Local Coordinator of Apostolate - Ohio Valley Region Regnum Christi

Roxie Cieply
Women's Section Leader
Regnum Christi

Dr. Paul Cieslak
President
Portland Guild of Catholic Medical Association

Richard Clements
President
Serra Club

Joan Coffman
President/CEO
St. Joseph’s Hospital

Ray Cole
Grand Knight
Knights of Columbus Council 4842

Rev. Gerald D. Coleman, SS
Vice President, Corporate Ethics
Daughters of Charity Health System

Teresa S. Collett
Professor of Law, University of St. Thomas School of Law
Director, Prolife Center at the University of St. Thomas (MN)

Sr. Therese Collison, SSND
Principal
John Ireland Catholic School

Tom Conklin
Executive Director
Catholic Family Services - Saginaw

Michael D. Connelly
President/CEO
Catholic Health Partners

Joe Connolly
President
Saint Albert Catholic School

Rev. Brian Connor
Superintendent
North American Martyrs School

Lisa Cook, FCCP
Co-Director
Holy Family Center for Life

Dr. Michael Coury
President
Pope John Paul II High School

Mother M. Regina Pacis Coury, FSGM
Provincial Superior
Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George

Sr. Mary Christine Cremin
Superior
Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma - Knoxville Community

Robert E. Crotty, Esq
President
The Guild of Catholic Lawyers of the Archdiocese of New York

William J. Cox
President/CEO
Alliance of Catholic Health Care

Rev. Mark T. Cregan, CSC
President
Stonehill College

Christopher Dadlez
President/CEO
Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center

John Damiani, DO
President
Christus Medicus Foundation

Bruce Davidson
President/CEO
Rosewood on Broadway

Barbara Q. Decker
President
Mercy College of Health Sciences

Dr. Jerry Deegan
President
Dowling Catholic High School

Faye Deich
Interim President/CEO
Sacred Heart Hospital

Rev. Patrick D. Delahanty
Executive Director
Catholic Conference of Kentucky

Gordon C. DeMarais
Founder & Executive Director
Saint Paul's Outreach

Rev. Douglas Dietrich
Superintendent
St. Mary School

Rev. Domenico DiRaimondo, MSPS
Provincial Superior
Missionaries of the Holy Spirit

Mariann Doeling, RN
Administrator
Carrington Health Center

Sr. Jacquelyn Doepker, OSF
Community Minister
Sisters of Saint Francis

Kathleen Donnellan
Chief Executive Officer
Catholic Charities of Southwestern Ohio

Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, SV
Superior General
Sisters of Life

Sr. Dianne Doughty, OSC
Abbess
Franciscan Poor Clare Nuns

Donald Drake
Lieutenant, Northern Lieutenancy
Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem

David Dries, MD
Assistant Medical Director, Professor of Surgery & Anesthesiology
HealthPartners Medical Group

Rev. Peter J. Drilling, ThD
President/Rector
Christ the King Seminary

Abbot Gregory Duerr, OSB
Abbot
Benedictine Monks

Sr. Karin Dufault, SP
Provincial Superior
Sisters of Providence

Rev. Thomas Dunavan
Superintendent
St. Andrew School

Sr. Diana Lynn Eckel, OSF
Congregational Minister
Sisters of St. Francis of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes

Pauline Economon, RN, MSN
Executive Director
FirstChoice Clinic

Sue Ek
Executive Director
Billings Ovulation Method Association - USA

James F. Ennis
Executive Director
National Catholic Rural Life
Conference

Robert Erickson
President/CEO
St. Francis Health Center

Marianne Evans Mount,
PhD
President
Catholic Distance University

Amy Falk
Executive Director
Caritas Clinics, Inc.

Dr. Angela Farmer
Director
St. Mary School System
Diocese of Owensboro

Nancy Farnham
CEO
Maryhill Manor

Lawrence M. Fehrenbach
President
Catholic Kolping Society Cincinnati

Pietro Ferrari
Executive Director
Catholic Charities

Dr. Joseph Finley, Jr.
Principal
St. Mark School

Ambassador Raymond Flynn
Former Mayor of Boston

Thomas Flynn, PhD
President
Alvernia University

Scott Foss
Administrator
Benedictine Living Center of Garrison

Matthew Fox
President/CEO
Alexian Village of Tennessee

Sr. Donna Franklin, DC
Diocesan Director
Catholic Charities

Jon Frantsvog
Administrator/CEO
St. Benedict’s Health Center & Benedict Court

Rev. Al Fritsch, SJ
Director
Earth Healing Inc.

Tim Fuetsch
Principal
Our Lady of the Snows School

Rose Fuller
Executive Director
Northwest Family Services

Karen Gabbert
Administrator
St. Gerard’s Community Nursing Home

Br. James Gaffney
President
Lewis University

Michael Galligan-Stierle, PhD
President /CEO
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities

Mary Gangelhoff
Principal
St. Mary Elementary School

Sr. Marcella Marie Garus,
CSSF
President
Villa Maria College

John Garvey, JD
President
The Catholic University
of America

Robert Genelin
Grand Knight
Knights of Columbus Council 1509

Michael Gerard
Principal
St. Thomas Catholic School

Sheila Gilbert
President
National Council of the U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon
Learned Hand Professor of Law
Harvard University

Larry Glugosh
Supreme President
Slovak Catholic Sokol

Christopher Godfrey, JD
President
Life Athletes, Inc.

Sheila Gomez
Executive Director
Catholic Charities - Palm Beach

Rev. Christopher Goodwin
Superintendent
St. John Nepomucene

Sr. Andrea Marie Graham, OP
Superior
Oak Ridge Dominican Community

John Grahm
President/CEO
St. Mary’s of Michigan

Sr. Maria Fidelis Gray, OP
Principal
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School

Sr. Kathy Green, RSM
President
Sisters of Mercy

Eric A. Gregory
President
St. Thomas More Society of the Diocese of Richmond

Rev. Loras Grell
Superintendent
Sacred Heart School

Steve Grinnell
CEO
Lourdes Hospital

Ken Groya
Director
Catholic Cemeteries

Dr. Ray Gruby
President
Bismarck Catholic Physicians Guild

John M. Haas, PhD, STL
President
National Catholic Bioethics Center

Lee Hall
President
Legatus, Lexington Chapter

Sr. Maureen Hall
Community Director
Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Kansas

Ken Hackett
President
Catholic Relief Services

Rose Anne Hallgren
President
Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women

Tony C. Hanson
Administrator/CEO
Prince of Peace Care Center

Sr. Kristine Harpenau, OSB
Prioress
Sisters of St. Benedict

Jack Harris
Faithful Navigator
Knights of Columbus Assembly 612

Rev. Matthew Hartley
Administrator
St. Peter Catholic Parish

Stephen Hasenohrl
Grand Knight
Knights of Columbus Council 1489

Steven Hauer
Grand Knight
Knights of Columbus Council 1841

Kenneth Heinen
Grand Knight
Knights of Columbus Council 13529

Robert C. Helmer, JD, PhD
President
Lourdes University

David A. Helmstetter
State Deputy
Ohio Knights of Columbus

The Very Rev. Larry J. Hemmelgarn, CPPS
Provincial Director
Missionaries of the Precious Blood

Jan R. Hemstad, MD
President
Catholic Medical Association

Sr. Charlene Herinckx, SSMO
Superior General
Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon

Cheryl A. Hettman, PhD, RN
President
National Association of Catholic Nurses

Keith E. Heuser, FACHE, CNHA, FACHCA
Administrator
Mercy Hospital of Valley City

Rev. Richard Hockman, CSC
Local Superior
The United States Province of Priests and Brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross

Christine Hoehn
Director Newman Ministry
University of Southern Indiana

J.R. Hoffman, MD
Family Physician and NFP Medical Consultant
Jasper Family Physicians

Barb Honeycutt
Superintendent
Rapid City Catholic School System

Rev. Larry Hostetter
President
Brescia University

Richard Houck
President
Catholic Defense League

Andrew Houvouras
Principal
St. Clare School

Br. John Howard, CFA
Community Director
Community of Alexian Brothers

David Huber
President
Catholic Order of Foresters

John J. Hurley
President
Canisius College

Paul B. Hurley, Jr., PhD
President
Trocaire College

William D. Huston
President
St. Catharine College

Robert Issai
President/CEO
Daughters of Charity Health System

Mary Pat Jahner
Director
St. Gianna’s Maternity Home

Evan W. James
Student Officer
University of Minnesota Medical School - Catholic Medical Association Student Group

Tammy A. Jangula
Administrator
Manor St. Joseph

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Singing Nuns, Catholic Ghoulgirls, Stereotypes, and Me

Movies often use stereotypes. I don't have a problem with that. "Stereotype" means:

• Noun
  • A conventional or formulaic conception or image
• Verb
  • Treat or classify according to a mental stereotype

Movies, the sort I'm thinking of, are entertainment. They've got maybe an hour and a half to two hours to set up characters, a setting, and enough of a plot to keep the audience interested.

It's possible to do deep, insightful, characterization and trenchant probing of humanity's core in a movie: but I think most folks would rather see a few song-and-dance numbers, a helicopter chase, or whatever is in vogue today.

Using stereotypes like 'spunky girl reporter' or 'crusading environmentalist' can save a lot of time and get the story to the exciting bits. Like I said, I don't have a problem with that.

Problems can start when folks forget that stereotypes are "conventional or formulaic conceptions:" a sort of mental shorthand that boils a complex reality down to something short, simple, and sometimes not much like the original.

A Typical Catholic?!

Here's a short list of Catholics in the movies, from the 'good old days:'

• Irish cop
• Musical
  • Nun
    
  • Priest
• Missionary in China
• English Chancellor
• Angsty artist

Granted, the 'angsty artist' movie focused more on the "artist" part than the "Catholic" aspects of Michelangelo's job as a sort of interior decorator.

These days, Catholicism in the movies seems more likely to show up in something like "Catholic Ghoulgirls" or "Tales from the Catholic Church of Elvis!" On the other hand, "The Passion of the Christ" was produced in the 21st century. Unlike so many 'Biblical' movies, that one got it right. And that's another topic.

Where was I? Catholic ghoulgirls, an angsty artist, and a singing nun. Right.

Some of the world's 1,100,000,000 or so living Catholics probably fit some of the stereotypes for Catholics. It would be odd if a few didn't. But we're not all ignorant louts, talented nuns, or dedicated reformers.

My Irish ancestry lets me be sort of close to one of America's stereotypes for 'being Catholic.' But I'm also half Norwegian, and was raised across the river from Fargo, North Dakota. I've got a decent singing voice, but I wouldn't make a good 'Irish Catholic' of the Father O'Malley variety.

And that's okay. I figure that God makes each of us a bit different for a reason: and I've posted about 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, 14-17, 28; 14:9, 23 before. (June 1, 2011)

Slightly-related posts:

• "The Threat of People Who Aren't Just Like Us?"
  (July 23, 2011)
• "Horses, Gothic Cathedrals, and a Faith That Matters"
  (July 9, 2011)
• "Speaking in Tongues and Getting a Grip"
  (June 1, 2011)
• "Tartans, Scotland, the Pope, and a Universal Church"
  (September 12, 2010)
• "Unity, Diversity, and Being Catholic"
  (August 26, 2010)

Faust and Friars - Cursing God? - For the Pope?!

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New post about Marlowe's
"The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" each Monday

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Marlowe's 'Faustus:' Why Bother?

Another Monday, another 'Marlowe's Faustus' post: which may seem like an odd topic for a blog called "A Catholic Citizen in America."

This blog is supposed to be about being a Catholic in America.

So why am I posting about what some Englishman wrote, long before this country existed?

For starters, I wanted to get reacquainted with Marlowe's adaptation of the Faust legend. It's one of those 'culturally significant' things.

"The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" helped bring the German story to the English-speaking world, where it became part of our culture. For example, I think some Mad scientists in the movies are a 20th-century take on Faust, and I've been over that before.

The Catholic Connection

Ever since Henry VIII decided to be a mini-pope, the English speaking world has 'known' things about the Church that are colorful, sensational, and wrong. Marlowe put a fair number of those beliefs in his "...Faustus."

It's the 'Catholic connection' that I'm mostly concerned with: particularly since I think American culture inherited quite a lot of England's store of misinformation.

Marlowe's England isn't 21st-century America, but there's a fairly straight path leading from Elizabethan England to the country I live in. I'll get back to that.

Faustus, Friars, and All That

Last week, I looked at:

• How Marlowe got Faustus and Mephistopheles to Rome
• Gluttonous friars in Marlowe's imagined city

Fictional Settings, Real Names

Rome was, and is, real enough. Marlowe's version isn't.

That's not a criticism. Marlowe's "...Faustus" is fiction. His Rome was essentially a fictional setting: a backdrop for his characters. Authors, playwrights, and directors routinely set their stories in real places: like Ironside's San Francisco, or New York Undercover.

I think it's a good idea to remember that their settings are fictional versions of real places: a combination of real and imagined elements.

Profligate Papists, Long-Winded Actors, and Action Movies

Marlowe gives his Elizabethan audience an earful about the extravagant lifestyle of those profligate papists. Which I take about as seriously as WWII-era depictions of Germans and Japanese in American movies. And that's almost another topic.

Long-winded actors seem to have been popular in Elizabethan theaters: like Hamlet's "To be, or not to be,--that is the question...."

About 200 words later, he says "...Be all my sins remember'd," and gets back to the business of driving Ophelia insane while racking up an impressive body count.

Tighten up the dialog, drop the soliloquies, add a few explosions, and you've got an action movie. And that's another topic.

The point is that Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" is downright wordy:

"...FAUSTUS. Well, I'm content to compass then some sport,
And by their folly make us merriment...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Pranking the Pope

I'm skipping past quite a bit of that sort of thing, to where Faustus plays a practical joke on the (fictional) Pope:

"...POPE. My lord, here is a dainty dish was sent me from the Bishop of Milan.

"FAUSTUS. I thank you, sir.
[Snatches the dish.]

"POPE. How now! who's that which snatched the meat from me? will no man look?—My lord, this dish was sent me from the Cardinal of Florence....."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Sour Saints?

Individual Catholics may act as if 'thou shalt not smile' is part of the Decalogue, but that's not what the Church teaches. I've posted about 'sour saints' before.

Interior conversion, penance, repentance, and learning to control my desires, are all important. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1430, 1431, 1434, 2015)

So is joy and humor. (Catechism, 1676)

I think the action in this part of Marlowe's play is, essentially, funny. But I also think Moe Howard and the other Stooges are funny.

"The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" and The Three Stooges

Some of Stooges' films weren't theologically sound, but I'm not likely to do a detailed critique of of them. Seriously, who would see "Bedlam in Paradise" as anything more than 16 minutes of The Three Stooges?

I see slapstick elements in Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus." But the play doesn't read like a comic romp. I get the impression that "...Faustus" is entertainment that folks could take serously.

Back to Marlowe's Rome, a peeved pontiff, and far-fetched friars.

Mephistopheles, Faustus, and Cursing Friars

Under the impression that he's dealing with ghosts, the Pope has some friars come in.

Think 'Elizabethan Ghostbusters.'

"...MEPHIST. Nay, I know not: we shall be cursed with bell, book, and candle.

"FAUSTUS. How! bell, book, and candle,—candle, book, and bell,—
Forward and backward, to curse Faustus to hell!
Anon you shall hear a hog grunt, a calf bleat, and an ass bray,
Because it is Saint Peter's holiday.

"Re-enter all the FRIARS to sing the Dirge.

"FIRST FRIAR.
Come, brethren, let's about our business with good devotion.

"They sing.

"CURSED BE HE THAT STOLE AWAY HIS HOLINESS' MEAT FROM THE TABLE! maledicat Dominus!

"CURSED BE HE THAT STRUCK HIS HOLINESS A BLOW ON THE FACE! maledicat Dominus!

"CURSED BE HE THAT TOOK FRIAR SANDELO A BLOW ON THE PATE! maledicat Dominus!

"CURSED BE HE THAT DISTURBETH OUR HOLY DIRGE! maledicat Dominus!

"CURSED BE HE THAT TOOK AWAY HIS HOLINESS' WINE! maledicat Dominus? ['?' sic] Et omnes Sancti! Amen!..."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

There's quite a bit going on here.

Elizabethan Theology?

Marlowe's audience knows that Doctor John Faustus is a living human being. They should realize that, anyway: yet more topics.

Mephistopheles is up to his old tricks, encouraging Faustus to think of himself as being a creature like the demon: "...we shall be cursed with bell, book, and candle...."

What's disturbing in this part of Marlowe's play is the "dirge," cursing Faustus and Mephistopheles. It's aimed partly at a person who is alive, and whose eternal destination isn't yet determined. As such, it's inappropriate: putting it mildly.

On the other hand, Marlowe's fictional Pope is under the impression that he's dealing with a "ghost." Which might, maybe, be approximately correct, in the case of Mephistopheles.

That's not the main problem, though.

Having a chorus of friars singing, "maledicat Dominus," and "et omnes Sancti" is - far-fetched, at best.

Marlowe, Latin, and Cursing God

I'm no Latin scholar, but I think "maledicat Dominus" translates as "curse the Lord." In the context of Marlowe's play, that's something Faustus might say.

But those friars, acting on the Pope's behest?

Here's what Marlowe has them say:

"...maledicat Dominus? ['?' sic] Et omnes Sancti! Amen!..."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Translated:

"...curse the Lord ... And all the saints! Amen!..."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

That's wrong. On at least two levels.

• We won't spend eternity with God if we don't love him
  (Catechism, 1033)
  • Cursing the Lord isn't expressing love
• A willing suspension of disbelief has limits

Sadly, I think a fair number of folks here think that saying "curse the Lord ... And all the saints! Amen!" is the sort of thing done by the 'Satanic' Catholic Church.¹. A friend of mine insisted that the moon and sun revolve around Earth, because it says so in the Bible. That chapter's footone 3 discusses probabilities. I've discussed science, faith, and getting a grip, before. Fairly often.²

"Curse God and Die?!"

Some Americans believe every word in the Bible is literally true. Like Joshua 10:12-13.²

Sure, "curse God and die" is in the Bible. (Job 2:9) But Job said it was a bad idea. (Job 2:10) I think it is, too.

Cursing God on stage, as a line in a play, is one thing. In real life? I've got my particular judgment to think of. Death will have closed the books on my decisions, and I'll spend eternity in Heaven: or Hell. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1021-1022)

What my final destination is depends on whether I've accepted or rejected "the divine grace manifested in Christ." (Catechism, 1021) All things considered, cursing the Lord is a very bad idea.

Excommunications, Exorcisms, and Getting a Grip

As for the notion that the Pope would formally send someone to Hell - for a comparatively minor offense? That probably played well in post-Henry VIII England. It sounds like what some Americans believe about the Catholic Church, too.

The fact is, excommunication is as far as the Church goes with punishment. (Catechism, 1463)

Since Marlowe's make-believe Pope thought he was dealing with a "ghost," that "curse the Lord" "dirge" could be seen as an exorcism. Problem is, that's not how exorcisms work.

Not even close. (Catechism, 1237; 1673; Glossary, E; Also see Catechism, 517; 550) I've been over this before.³

We're Not English: Now

Here's where I get back to the idea that Marlowe's England isn't 21st-century America, and why I'm posting about "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" anyway.

America and England have a long history:

• The United States of America started as a set of English colonies
• The default language here is English
• American culture was heavily influenced by English culture
  • No surprise, since the colonists were English
  • We're less 'English' now
    • But our roots show

America isn't the WASP nest it was several generations back, and that's another topic. The cultural baggage brought over by English colonists, and others, includes a fairly well-defined attitude toward 'those Catholics:'


(From Thomas Nast Portfolio, Ohio State University, used without permission.)

New Century, Old Assumptions

Granted, we're living in the 2000s. Thomas Nast spent most of his life in the 1800s. Jonathan Edwards wrote his famous "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" in 1741.

Quite a bit has changed since "Sinners ... Angry God" helped set the spiritual tone over here. But I think American culture retains residue from beliefs and assumptions of earlier centuries.

Tolerance, Beliefs, and Fulton Sheen

On the whole, America has treated Catholics rather well. It's illegal to kill us. Which didn't keep Father James Coyle alive, back in the 'good old days,' and that's almost another topic. Topics.

Despite a cultural and legal history of comparative tolerance, I think there are rich veins of anti-Catholicism running under much of America's cultural landscape.

Thanks to this country's Protestant roots, and fallout from post-Reformation European politics, I think Fulton Sheen's observation is still true:

"There are not a hundred people in America who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions of people who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church - which is, of course, quite a different thing."
(Bishop Fulton Sheen, Foreword to Radio Replies Vol. 1, (1938) page ix, via Wikiquote)

Fire, Brimstone, and Getting a Grip

It's been quite a while since I last heard about a 'fire and brimstone' preacher. I think that's a hopeful sign. Emotionally rousing as something like 'Brimstone Bill and his First Hallelujah Revival Touring Show' might be: I don't think scaring people silly is a good idea.

'Scaring' isn't the problem. It's 'scaring people silly' that I don't think is prudent. Fear, by itself, can be a good thing:

"The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
(Proverbs 9:10)

When an emotion like fear gets too strong, though, folks have trouble thinking straight:

• "Emotions, the Frontal Cortex, The War on Terror, Anarchists, and the Illuminati"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (December 23, 2008)

Then there's the sort of malignant virtue that makes it hard to emulate the tax collector in Luke 18:10-14.

I try to have a calm, reasoned acknowledgement of my sins - without:

• Trying to
  • Divert attention to 'that sinner over there'
  • Convince myself that sin
    • Isn't real
    • Doesn't matter
    • Can't be wrong, since it feels so right
  • Whatever
• Panicking

That's no great virtue on my part. What the Church teaches about judging others - but not being stupid - is fairly clear:

"¹ Therefore, you are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment. ² For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things. ... There is no partiality with God. " (Romans 2:1-11)

---

"You hypocrite, ³ remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."
(Matthew 7:5)

---

"although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1861)

The Faust Legend: 'Based on Real Events'

Stories about Faust first hit the press in 1587. Christopher Marlowe finished his "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" a little over ten years later, and the story's been resurfacing at intervals ever since.

That was about 150 years after Gutenberg (re)invented movable type: which poured oil on the troubled fires of European politics. Movable type made from clay had been invented in 1041, in China.⁴ But someone had invented bureaucracy in China long before that, which is another topic.⁵

And I'm not going to get distracted by comparing the Internet and the Gutenberg press.

Where was I? German legend. Faust. Right.

Like I said, the first printed retelling of Faust's story was a Faust chapbook, produced in 1587. It's been retold quite a few times since then, including:

• Dr. Faust at Boxberg Castle
  (Germany, Bernhard Baader)
• Dr. Faust's Hell-Master
  (Germany, Joh. Aug. Ernst Köhler)
• Dr. Faust in Erfurt
  (Germany, J. G. Th. Grässe)
• Dr. Faust and Melanchton in Wittenberg
  (Germany, J. G. Th. Grässe)
• Dr. Faust in Anhalt
  (Germany, Ludwig Bechstein)
• A Scholar Assigns Himself to the Devil
  (Denmark)
• Selected musical works based on the Faust legend
  (from "Faust Legends," D. L. Ashliman, University of Pittsburgh)

John Faustus and all the other Fausts trace back, more or less, to a real person: Johann Georg Faust.⁶ Looks like stories 'based on real events' didn't start with television shockers.

Other posts in this series:

• Christopher Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus"
  • On the "Featured Topics" page

Somewhat-related posts:

• Assumptions; and judgment, good and odd
  • "Having Good Judgment isn't Being Judgmental"
    (October 12, 2011)
  • "Wealth, Poverty, Stereotypes, and Snidely Whiplash"
    (March 8, 2011)
  • " 'Vengeance is Mine, I will Repay, Says the Lord' - Works for Me"
    (September 11, 2010)
  • "Anger, Hate, Love, Prayer and Trashing a Maywood, California, Catholic School"
    (May 26, 2010)
  • "Haiti: Voodoo, Pat Robertson, and the Catholic Church"
    (January 16, 2010)
• Assumptions, the Catholic Church, and getting a grip
  • "Politics, Headlines, Bachmann, and 'Those Catholics' "
    (July 17, 2011)
    Particularly
    • 'Oh, the Satanic Horror of Those People Over There'
  • "Following Worlock, Following Jesus: Some Choice"
    (December 1, 2010)
  • " 'Going My Way,' and Why Anti-Catholicism is a Good Sign"
    (November 18, 2010)
    Particularly
    • Generic Niceness in the Movies, Catholic Values, and America's Elite
    • "Decide Today Whom You will Serve"
  • "You Think You've Got Troubles? Remember Dietrich Bonhoeffer"
    (May 17, 2009)
  • "Pelosi and the Pope, Emotion and Beliefs"
    (February 19, 2009)

Background:

• Judging the spiritual state of others is a bad idea
  (Matthew 7:1-5; and Luke 6:37-38, 41-42)
• It's okay to judge acts
  • Not persons
    • That's God's jurisdiction
  (Catechism, 1861)
• Excommunication is "the most severe ecclesiastical penalty"
  • It's a serious penalty
  • But not necessarily permanent
    • Authority for absolution is limited to
      • A bishop
      The Pope
      • A priest authorized by a bishop or the Pope
  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1463)
• Miscellaneous reality checks
  • Exorcisms
    (Cathechism, 1673)
  • Last things
    • Heaven
      (Catechism, 1023-1029)
    • Hell
      (Catechism, 1033-1037)
      • And
        • Predestination
        • God
        • Decisions
        (Catechism, 1037)
    • The Last Judgment
      (Catechism, 1038-1041)
  • "The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptised"
    International Theological Commission (May 19, 2007)
  • Brimstone
    • Job 18:15, Psalms 11:6, Ezekiel 38:22, Daniel 3:46
      • And footnote 8 for Revelation 14
    • "General Audience"
      Pope John Paul II (January 28, 2004)

"...Faustus" excerpts in these posts taken from:

• "The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus"
  
  From The Quarto of 1604, Christoper Marlowe, Edited by The Rev. Alexander Dyce (1604) Project Gutenberg™ EBook #779 Produced by Gary R. Young, and David Widger, (Release Date: November 3, 2009), via Project Gutenberg™ (www.gutenberg.org)

---

¹ As I've said before, folks can have odd ideas about what's real:

• "Haiti: Voodoo, Pat Robertson, and the Catholic Church"
  (January 16, 2010)
• " 'Catholics and Muslims along with the fake Jews all are Satanic Cults' - Who Knew?"
  (April 2, 2009)
• "Catholic Beliefs and Practices: Don't Believe Everything You Read"
  (September 16, 2008)

² My faith doesn't require me to ignore facts and stop thinking, as I said at the start of this link list of posts about the Catholic Church and studying God's creation:

• "Science, Religion, and being Catholic "

I take the Bible very seriously. But it's not a computer repair manual, or a science textbook:

• "Mephistopheles, Cosmology, and Doctor Faustus"
  (November 7, 2011)
• "Ancient Style and Today's Discussions at the 'Vatican Science Academy' "
  (October 2, 2011)
• "Ancient Style and Today's Discussions at the 'Vatican Science Academy' "
  (October 2, 2011)
• "When to Call Tech Support, When to Read the Bible"
  (January 14, 2011)
• "It's Faith and Reason"
  (June 19, 2010)
• "Home Schooling, Religious and Moral Instruction, and American Culture"
  (March 6, 2010)

³ I have nothing against movies as entertainment. But "The Exorcist" and "Scream Blacula Scream" aren't particularly good ways to study exorcism:

• "Faith, Reason, and Exorcisms "
  (May 17, 2011)

⁴ There's a pretty good introduction to Johannes Gutenberg's printing press, book printing, and movable type at:

• "Johannes Gutenberg and the Printing Press"
  Inventors, About.com

⁵ Bureaucracies are okay: the Catholic Church uses a 'bureaucratic' system to stay organized.

Bureaucracies are quite efficient at dealing with tasks. Provided that:

• The tasks don't
  • Change
  • Require innovative thought
• The bureaucracy's environment doesn't change

Like I said, I think bureaucracies are okay. Provided that they're used by an authority that can change the rules, whether the bureaucrats like it or not.

My understanding is that China and civilizations growing around the east end of the Mediterranean Sea weren't all that far apart, technologically, until about 2,000 years back. Then China developed a bureaucracy. There's an interesting discussion about bureaucracies and China online:

• "The Beginnings of Bureaucracy in China"
  H. G. Creel, Vol. 23, No. 2, The Journal of Asian Studies (February 1964) via JSTOR

⁶ Johann Georg Faust / Johannus Faustus was a real Renaissance man. Literally:

• "Johann Georg Faust"
  Wikiepdia

The article has enough cited references to be plausible.