Touchez pas a notre prêtre!

Those who are familiar with the anti-racism movement in France will recognize this title as a variation of the famous slogan "Don't touch my buddy." And this might well be the slogan of a parish in the Pyrenees who banded together in support of their priest and his woman-friend. This lovely story comes to us courtesy of Daniel Velez at Agence France Presse and I have translated it into English. Photo: Fr. Léon Laclau (r) with Fr. Benat Oyhénart who has come to replace him for Mass on April 29, 2007.

"Marga has helped me be a good priest," Father Léon Laclau said defensively on the steps of St. Martin d'Asson church (Atlantic Pyrenees), vindicated and surrounded by hundreds of faithful who had ostensibly come to stage a "Mass strike" on Sunday to protest his dismissal for notorious cohabitation.

About 400 parishioners were grouped on the lawn in front of their church, refusing to attend the Mass being celebrated by the superior of the Bétharram order, a co-signatory with the bishop of Bayonne of the sanction inflicted on Fr. Laclau on Tuesday.

The priest's situation has been known and largely accepted for more than 20 years in this little town of 1,600 inhabitants 30 km. east of Lourdes. The common life of the priest and Marga -- a widowed mother of three grown children -- "didn't bother anyone here," asserts Yves, 59, stressing that "they are well integrated into the social life of the community."

While only about ten people attended Mass, the faithful who remained outside added to the testimonies of support for the sanctioned priest. "Give us back our priest. What has he done except to bring us back to God?" asked one large sign. At the end of Mass, those leaving were met with a disapproving silence.

The decision taken about Father Laclau "has been met with almost unanimous incomprehension and revolt by the residents of this parish," reads a petition signed by the protesters of all ages who have come to show their support, and sometimes their anger.

The diocese has taken "the necessary steps" concerning this priest "whose public and stated behavior does not match his own commitments," Pierre Molières, the bishop of Bayonne, noted when announcing the priest's fall from grace. "The bishop of Bayonne, shut in his ivory tower, has never come here," one of the faithful responded indignantly.

Jean-Claude, 65, who is close to the priest, asserted that "Léon has received messages of support from all over France, from priests who have had to leave, and from women who are living in hiding."

"It's a disgrace. Everyone trusted him. The Church needs to evolve," Aline, a 45 year-old postal employee, opined. "We should not stop with this protest. It must reach national proportions to get some movement," she added.

Pierre Poydessus, a former priest who was "booted out" by the bishop of Bayonne in 1982 because of his marital ties, came to support Father Léon, convinced that "the status of priests must be reviewed. They have a right to worthy, human love."

Father Laclau, serious but smiling, went from group to group. He fully champions the "road" he has taken with his companion. "I am very humbled," he asserts.

He has refused the assignment his order has proposed in the Ivory Coast. "Far from distancing me from my work as a priest, Marga has supported and encouraged me by her enthusiasm, by her vision of the world and the Church, and by her faith," he wrote in a message distributed to the faithful of Asson.

How would he live from now on? "I will stay in this region to which I am attached," Fr. Léon answered, recalling that Marga works as a nurse in Pontac. Without any professional training, he will look for work to compensate for his loss of revenue -- 400 euros a month from the diocese and 15 euros for each Mass he celebrated.

Fr. Léon , we congratulate you for your courage and wish you and Marga a future filled with love and happiness.

Priest for Hire

Through Web site, married priests continue ministry despite objections from Catholic Church

By Stephanie Morris
Star-Banner (Ocala, FL)


There's certainly not a shortage of items or services available for rent these days. You can rent a Hummer if you want. You can rent someone to escort you to the office Christmas party. You can even rent a Prada handbag if you can't afford buy your own.

But did you know you could rent, dare we say, an ordained Catholic priest at www.rentapriest.com?

You can.
Thanks to Louise Haggett, who founded the non-profit Celibacy Is the Issue Ministries in 1992 after her devout mother passed away in an assisted living facility without a priest to read her last rites.

Haggett, of Brunswick, Maine, said her family assumed that because 80 to 90 percent of the residents there were Catholic, the center would have a Sunday mass and a priest available to perform the sacraments. But as it turned out, because of a shortage of priests in the area, there was no Sunday mass, and there was no priest around to minister to the community.

"I didn't want other seniors who had been devout Catholics all of their lives to go without seeing a priest," said Haggett.

That prompted her to start researching the shortage of priests and the issue of celibacy in the church.

She found that all over the country there were meetings of married priests who no longer pastored parishes but still had a desire to minister.

Haggett saw this as her opportunity to minister.

A year after her mother's death, she created the Celibacy Is the Issue Ministry that offers Rentapriest.com, a free online directory of priests who are available for sacramental ministry - weddings, funerals and baptisms - for a fee.

Almost all of the priests who are listed with Rentapriest.com are married, and for that reason, no longer pastor. But according to Haggett, under Cannon Law they have every right to administer the sacraments.

"Cannon 290 says once a priest, always a priest. Cannon 843 says a priest cannot refuse ministry to someone who asks. Cannon 1750 says the salvation of souls is always the supreme law of the church," explained Haggett. "This is what motivates the work of these priests."

But according to Father Patrick Sheedy of Blessed Trinity Catholic Church in Ocala, the Catholic church, as a body, does not endorse or accept the practices of priests who function outside of the body.

"It's a gimmick," Sheedy said. "To practice, they have to be approved by a bishop. They have no status within the church. They're not covered by anybody."

Like any other licensed minister, clergy who are listed with Rentapriest.com must adhere to state laws regarding marriage ceremonies. Rentapriest ceremonies are recognized by the state, but may not be recognized by the Catholic church.

Haggett said that in some instances, priests who have retired and gotten married, or who have left the priesthood to get married, have been blacklisted by their bishops, but she said there are some bishops who are extremely supportive of her ministry.

"I didn't want to do anything that went against the church. I guess that's why after 15 years they haven't come after us," she said.

According to Haggett, people typically contact Rentapriest.com when they want to be married somewhere outside of the church, like the beach, or when they have not been affiliated with a parish for some time, but would like a priest to preside over a ceremony.

The Rev. John O'Callaghan of On Top of the World is a married priest who lists his services with Rentapriest.com. He said he has performed 37 weddings in the Fort Meyers area through Rentapriest.com, but in spite of advertising efforts, he hasn't performed any since he moved to Ocala in September.

"Many young Catholics are alienated from the church," he said. "But they want a Catholic service because their roots are in the Catholic church."

Priests from Rentapriest.com set their own rates for officiating ceremonies, O'Callaghan charges $350 to officiate a wedding. O'Callaghan said that offering his services through Rentapriest.com is a way to keep his toe in ministry.

"If it weren't for Rentapriest, I'd be hungering for ministry," said the Rev. Pat Wenrick of Tampa. He married Paul and Johanna Chovlin of St. Petersburg in an outdoor ceremony last year.

"If anything, I feel more comfortable with a priest who is married," said Johanna. "They can understand more what I'm going through as a married person much better than a priest who's never been with a woman."

Haggett's organization believes that being married does not make a priest less effective in his ministry.

"We've helped about 75,000 people in the last 10 years," she said. "In these priests, I see the holiness of Jesus."

A Father in Every Sense

The Pastoral Provision at work again! I just love the photo of Fr. Bergman and his daughter. Why can't such a loving relationship be the norm rather than the exception in our Church?

By Jody Roselle
The Times-Tribune
04/21/2007


Deacon Eric Bergman will become one of the rarest of Roman Catholic priests today — a married one.

The former rector of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church will be ordained for the second time at St. Clare’s Roman Catholic Church today, nearly 10 years after his ordination in the Church of England.

After he takes his vows, he will be the first married priest in the history of the Diocese of Scranton, joining the 100 or so other married Roman Catholic priests in the United States.

“I’m very eager,” Deacon Bergman said. “This was a leap of faith. Two years ago, we had no idea what would be the end result.

“When I renounced my orders, I said ‘If it works out, it works out, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.’ ”

Conversion for Deacon Bergman has been about spreading his feelings of unity and the welcoming atmosphere of the Catholic Church. “The church is pro-unity and the church does everything she can to welcome all her brothers,” he said.

Deacon Bergman, 36, and his wife Kristina, 29, grew up as an Episcopalians in Bethlehem. He attended James Madison University followed by Yale University, where he received his master’s degree in divinity. The couple met at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and were married there in 1996. They have four children: Clara, 5, Eric, 3, Julia, 2, and Joan, 5 months.

Qualities that Mrs. Bergman sees in her husband also makes him a good priest, she said.

“He’s very caring, very thoughtful and he likes to take care of people and he wants to spread the Gospel and the truth of the Gospel and he doesn’t waver, just like the Roman Church doesn’t waver,” she said. “And he’s very dedicated. If he says something, it’s true. That goes for being a priest, and a husband and father.”

With many memories, friends and milestones wrapped up in their faith, leaving the Anglican Communion was not a rushed decision.

“We had been talking for a very long time about where the Episcopal Church was going and what we were going to do,” Mrs. Bergman said. “We thought, Eric and I thought, that one day we’d be united with the Catholic Church.”

The ordination of women, ordination of an openly gay bishop in 2003 and the increasingly liberal stance on birth control and abortion have led to great divisions within Anglicanism over the years. The Bergmans’ strong pro-life beliefs played a major role in their decision.

“The Catholic Church is pro-life, pro-responsibility and pro-unity,” Deacon Bergman said.

“The Roman Church hasn’t changed with the culture,” said Mrs. Bergman. “That appealed to us.”

The road has been difficult and uncertain for the once and future Father Bergman and his wife.

Renouncing his vows in late 2004, meant the loss of his salary. The Bergmans also had to move out of the Good Shepherd rectory, where they had been living, and rent a home.

“That was the scary part — not knowing how we were going to be provided for,” said Mrs. Bergman. “Fortunately, the children were young enough so they knew we moved but they didn’t ask a lot of questions.”

At least 60 parishioners left Good Shepherd and Anglicanism, following the Bergmans to the Catholic Church.

Ray Hays, 55, of Scranton was one of that flock. He said he was raised Episcopalian because his mother brought her faith with her to the United States from England.

“I never really felt comfortable in the Episcopal Church,” he said. Like the Bergmans, Mr. Hays found his beliefs at odds with the church, though he wouldn’t elaborate on specific complaints.

“I think things over the years built up,” he said.

Deacon Bergman became simply Mr. Eric Bergman again, but continued serving as a spiritual leader for the former Anglicans as they moved through catechism classes taught by the Rev. Charles Connor, pastor of St. Peter’s Cathedral, to confirmation by the Most Rev. Joseph F. Martino, bishop of Scranton, on Oct. 31, 2005.

In March, Mr. Bergman was ordained a deacon in the Catholic Church.

Through a diocesan spokesman, Bishop Martino declined to comment for this article.

The St. Thomas More Society, of which Deacon Bergman has been serving as executive director, was formed about the same time as the confirmations by Bishop Martino for those who left the Episcopal Church with the Bergmans.

The society is an Anglican Use group. Anglican Use refers to the liturgy used by the group and is similar to the services at Episcopal churches, approved by both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. An Anglican Use Mass is celebrated every Sunday at 1 p.m. at St. Clare Church. The society also pays Deacon Bergman’s salary, an arrangement that is planned to continue for the foreseeable future.

There are at least five Anglican Use groups in the United States and one in England, according to the Anglican Use Society.

The Bergmans and the society members hope that after his ordination, Deacon Bergman will eventually be given his own Anglican Use parish.

While she doesn’t see many things changing between their lives as Episcopalians and as Catholics, Mrs. Bergman is ready for more questions.

“When he was an Episcopal priest, people were always asking, ‘Oh my gosh, what’s that woman doing with that priest?’ ” Mrs. Bergman chuckled, referring to the Roman collar her husband has worn first as a member of the Anglican clergy and now as a member of the Roman Catholic clergy.

“I’ve known Eric for a long time and I’ve known him to be a good Christian and friend for many years,” Mr. Hays said. “I can say the Catholic Church is gaining a very faithful priest.”

Web Resource: Atrio

For Spanish speakers who read this blog, I just found a Web place where the theologically progressive folks are hanging out and talking about a variety of church issues including celibacy. It is called Atrio and the URL is http://www.atrio.org/ for those who want to check it out. It's been around a while but I just found out about it because they've started to post Spanish translations of Sr. Joan Chittister's articles. The collaborators on the site are some of the best (i.e. most open) minds in our church. Definitely worth a look.

Preti che "abbandonano", preti che "ritornano"

Some new research out today in an article "Preti che 'abbandonano', preti che 'ritornano'" ("Priests who leave; priests who return") by Gian Paolo Salvini, SJ in the Jesuit publication La Civiltá Cattolica (2007 II 148-155, quaderno 3764). The full article itself is not available online but Agence France Presse has released a good summary of the contents in French.

Salvini says the Vatican puts the number of priests who have left the priesthood to get married at fewer than 57,000. This is considerably lower than the 80,000 to 100,000 figure usually cited by married priests' associations. He says that while there are no precise statistics, the Vatican estimates that 69,063 men left the priesthood between 1964 and 2004 and that 11,213 returned between 1970 and 2004. Reasons for leaving were varied and included crises of faith, conflicts with superiors and/or church doctrine as well as other factors in addition to marriage so, while the priests may subsequently have married, it was not always their primary reason for leaving the priesthood.

Since 1967, 438 married priests have asked to be reinstated and 220 have been. A further 114 requests are in process, according to the article. In order to be reinstated, the priest must no longer be married sacramentally, e.g. his wife has died, he was never married in the Church in the first place, or the religious marriage was annulled. He must also be free of any civil obligations towards his wife or children.

Or he could be Eastern rite, ex-Lutheran, or ex-Anglican....

Italy: Married priest and wife denied communion at Easter Mass

The full version of this story April 10, 2007 story out of Rome province (ADN Kronos agency) in Italian follows. The summary is that Fr. Jorge Wilches publicly denied communion to Giuseppe Serrone, a married priest and former pastor of Chia, and his wife Albana Ruci at the Easter liturgy. They were in line to receive the Eucharist and each was told: "I cannot give you communion for reasons that you know." The article says that this was embarassing to the other faithful. Fr. Serrone later confronted Fr. Wilches in the sacristy and said that he had been unjustly denied communion as he had received dispensation from the Pope and had properly married his wife in the Catholic Church. Fr. Wilches replied that he would have had to verify this.

Fr. Serrone is a writer and a theologian who is involved in the Associazione Sacerdoti Lavoratori Sposati, the Italian married worker priests' association. His own Web site is here: http://giuseppeserrone.altervista.org/.

Padre Jorge Wilches, cappellano del Monastero Benedettino di "Santa Scolastica" a Civitella San Paolo in provincia di Roma, ieri durante la Messa celebrata per le suore e gli ospiti, al momento della Comunione ha negato i sacramenti a don Giuseppe Serrone, sacerdote sposato, ex parroco di Chia e alla moglie Albana Ruci.

La coppia era stata invitata per pregare, da una suora del monastero.

Giuseppe e Albana si erano messi in fila con gli altri fedeli per partecipare al rito eucaristico. Ma prima Albana e poi don Giuseppe si sono visti negare, in pubblico, tra l'imbarazzo generale dei fedeli, la possibilità di ricevere l'Eucarestia.

Padre Jorge ha detto prima alla signora e poi al sacerdote sposato, interropendo per due volte il rito, mentre appoggiava la sua mano sulla loro spalla: "Non posso comunicarti per i motivi che tu conosci".

Al termine della celebrazione don Giuseppe si è recato in sagrestia e ha chiesto spiegazioni al prete celebrante sul perché del divieto di ricevere i sacramenti. Ma il cappellano non ha saputo rispondere. "Ci hai ingiustmante negato il diritto di ricevere un sacramento - ha detto l'ex sacerdote - noi siamo regolarmente sposati dal punto di vista religioso. Con la dispensa del Papa dagli obblighi del celibato e con il matrimonio registrato nei libri parrocchiali".

"Ho bisogno di verificare - la replica - ha avuto questa disposizione".

Swiss Church criticized by leaders of traditionally Catholic party on celibacy

Apr. 9, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The leaders of a traditionally Catholic political party in Switzerland have voiced public opposition to Church teachings.

In an April 1 interview with the newspaper NZZ am Sontag, Christoph Darbellay, the president of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), rejected Church teaching on the priesthood. "Priestly celibacy and the male-only priesthood have no biblical basis," he claimed.

The PDC has no official ties to the Catholic Church, but has traditionally commanded the allegiance of Swiss Catholics. A week earlier, in the same newspaper, a former PDC president and current Senator, Carlo Schmid, had aired his own opposition to Church teachings on priestly celibacy, the male-only priesthood, and the Church’s refusal to allow divorced people to remarry. Speaking on the state of the Catholic Church in Switzerland, Schmid predicted, “It will make itself irrelevant in the period of one generation, simply because there will be no more priests.”

At the same time, in an interview for a Protestant newspaper, former PDC parliamentarian and scientist Jacques Neirynck stated that were it not for the rule on celibacy, he would have become a religious. On the question of the priestly celibacy and the male-only priesthood, Neirynck said, “We are battling against discrimination in every area of life. We must not tolerate this conduct.”

PDC vice president Dominique Buman distanced herself from the comments by her colleagues. “I do not feel capable of judging them," she said. "They are their personal positions." But she insisted: "When they speak about the Church, they do not do so in the name of the Party."

The spokesman for the Swiss bishops' conference, Walter Muller, told the press: “We have decided to not comment on the interviews given by these three people. We are discussing them in private with the PDC, not in public.” According to Muller, the CES are also pursuing relations with other political parties.

In 2004, the PDC debated removing the word “Christian” from its name. According to Buman, “In the end, we retained the word because it refers to moral values that even non-Christians can support.” The PDC states that its founding principles were inspired by a “Christian conception of the person and of society, without ties to a specific confession.”

Colombia: Celibacy -- who cares? But don't neglect child support!

El Tiempo newspaper has been running a clerical telenovela out of the Barranquilla archdiocese. This "all in the family" story would have remained out of the media and ecclesial spotlights had the "father" honored his child support payments in the first place.

The whole sorry mess started when Fr. Mario Solano, then pastor of San Rafael church, performed the marriage between Lorena Escorcia and a "friend" of his, then a law student. When the marriage soured and the couple separated, Fr. Solano got involved with Ms. Escorcia in what was later charmingly described by the auxilliary bishop of Atlántico, Msgr. Luis Antonio Nova Rocha, as "un acto de locura transitoria" ("an act of transitory craziness" -- supposedly qualitatively different from a serious and deliberate violation of chastity vows).

Out of this "acto de locura transitoria", a boy was born who is now 7 years old. Fr. Solano baptized the child but refused to recognize him or support him. So the mother went to her ex-husband -- now a lawyer -- who turned to the Church tribunal to force Fr. Solano to pay child support as required by Colombian law.

And, because this is an "all in the family" telenovela, Fr. Solano is now making his monthly payments, the Church authorities have "forgiven" him because he is not "living in sin" with the mother, and mother and son continue to attend Mass at Jesus of Nazareth in Soledad where Fr. Solano is currently the pastor.

Moral: In Colombia, if you play, you better pay...up!

• Sacerdotes con hijos merecen una segunda oportunidad, afirmó monseñor Luis Augusto Castro, El Tiempo, 4/12/2007


• Iglesia Católica respalda a sacerdote que tiene un hijo en el Atlántico, El Tiempo, 4/11/2007


• Obispo apoya a sacerdote pese a ser padre de niño de siete años, El Tiempo, 4/11/2007

At Easter Sunday Mass, Only Half the Easter Story

Here comes Easter. Here, too, comes another opportunity for the U.S. bishops to disprove the accusation, long raging in the public square, that the Church fathers suppressed the truth of women's leadership in the early Church and do so to this day. Once again, that opportunity will be missed.

Indeed, the Church hierarchy makes no effort whatsoever to spread the news of the archaeological evidence of women's ministerial roles in the early and evolving church, roles that pose a direct challenge to the Scripturally and theologically bankrupt ban on women's ordination as priests and deacons.

Today, archaeologist and Catholic theologian Dorothy Irvin travels the globe uncovering and publicizing such evidence. It includes frescos and mosaics that show Christian women being vested, ordained and celebrating Eucharist in the early church, as well as tomb inscriptions attesting to those roles. It is not the Catholic Church hierarchy that sponsors tours to these sites but a progressive reform organization called FutureChurch. One such tour, led by FutureChurch director Sister Christine Schenk and joined briefly by NPR's Sylvia Poggioli, just returned from Rome.

The U.S. bishops' collection of Scripture passages that are read at Mass, based on the standard Vatican lectionary, further obscure women's roles in the early church. Those roles, again, challenge the ordination ban. As revealed by women scholars, Catholics never hear at a Sunday Mass the list of women leaders recognized by Paul in his letter to the Romans (16: 1-16). Most notably, those women include "our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the Church in Cenchreae," and "Junia...prominent among the apostles." Junia, in fact, morphed into Junias, a man, until the research of Catholic theologian Bernadette Brooten--Brandeis University professor of Christian Studies and 1998 recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius" award--restored Junia to her rightful gender. That discovery was made official with the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible in 1989. Still, only Catholics who make it to Saturday Mass--and only every other year--will hear about Junia, who stands as a direct contradiction to the Church's contention that there were only male apostles. And Catholics never hear about Phoebe at any Mass at all.

And then there's Easter. There is no question but that Mary Magdalene was the first witness to Jesus' empty tomb. There, Jesus personally charged her with delivering the Gospel message of his Resurrection to his brothers, a call to ministry if ever there was one, which is as close as Jesus ever gets to anything resembling "ordination." Yet, at Easter Sunday mass, no U.S. Catholic will hear about that intimate encounter between Jesus and Mary Magdalene (John 20: 11-18), where Magdalene sits weeping until Jesus appears. What they will hear about are two male apostles racing to the empty tomb, with the reading ending abruptly where the Magadene passage begins.

But how's this for irony: Even if the Gospel passage where Jesus charges Magdalene with delivering the Word were designated for Easter Sunday mass, no Roman Catholic woman would be allowed to read it or preach a homily about it--again, because women cannot be ordained.

In defending their claim to an "unbroken" tradition of male priests, the Church fathers also neatly erase more recent women, like Ludmila Javorova. In 1970, the late Bishop Felix Davidek ordained Javorova a Catholic priest in the underground church in Communist-occupied Czechoslovakia. She served as a priest and vicar-general of a branch of the underground Czech church for twenty years, until communism fell. Then, the Vatican repudiated her ordination and banned her ministry. In the late 1990s, Hartford Seminary theology professor Sister Miriam Therese Winter visited Javorova in Brno and wrote an authorized biography about her (which won a Catholic Press Association award), while the Women's Ordination Conference brought Javorova to the U.S. for a private tour.

By denigrating efforts to spotlight the truth about women's place in the early Church as well as threatening to excommunicate--or actually excommunicating--anyone who dares to challenge the indefensible ban on women's ordination, the Church fathers continue to obfuscate, manipulate, and deny that truth. Catholic women, however, are promoting, publicizing, and in their support for the Roman Catholic women priests' ordination movement, embracing that truth. They know, even if the Church fathers do not, that the integrity, indeed the very survival of the future Church, depend on it.

The Spirit at Your Back The Spirit at Your Back by Daniel O’Rourke

Reviewed by Rich Hasselbach

Reading Dan O’Rourke’s first book, The Spirit at Your Back, brings to mind the words of Elizabeth Barrett Browning in her poem Aurora Leigh,

… Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries…

From the simple things of life, like drinking a cup of coffee or caring for his grandchildren, to the seemingly intractable problems of war and prejudice, O’Rourke finds wisdom, and meaning, and hope.

This collection of short essays, originally published as newspaper columns in the Dunkirk, New York, Observer, is eminently readable. Dan writes with the wit of an Irishman in love with language and passionate about sharing his deepest convictions with his readers. Throughout the book there is one overarching theme – “love takes action.” It is this insight, woven subtly into almost every chapter, which gives this book its power.

Like a good teller of parables, O’Rourke finds his material in the stuff of everyday living – often drawing profound and challenging insights out of the simplest of life’s experiences. Meditating on going to a garage sale, we are reminded of the poignant human stories behind some of the stuff that clutters those American rituals: of the children who once played with now-discarded toys; of lives and loves long forgotten, but preserved as browning pictures in ancient frames offered for sale. Ultimately we are reminded of the fragility and impermanence of human life itself: all things pass, and here we have no lasting city. But this is not the whole story – from the impermanence of life, Dan reflects on those things of enduring beauty that point beyond themselves to that “beauty ever ancient, ever new,” and so invites us to value the valuable, while seeking the eternal.

O’Rourke challenges the reader to live in the present, and to honor the Mystery, the Spirit in which “we live and move and have our being.” The author manages to touch the heart and soul as well as the mind, but the book does much more than merely touch – it inspires, it encourages, and it lures us to ACT. This is no “head trip,” it is a gently prophetic call to live life in the Spirit through loving, compassionate, and prudent engagement in family, community and national life.

The Spirit at Your Back is not a religious book in the narrow sense of that term. Dan breaks beyond the boundaries of narrow institutionalism, and of a god who is too small to embrace the world with all its splendid diversity. Yet in another sense, it is profoundly religious. The author reminds us, in one chapter, that the etymological root of the word religion is the Latin verb religare (from which we also get the English word “ligament.”) Religare means to reconnect. Genuine religion unites, it connects; it makes us one and helps us “atone.”

Forgiveness and atonement are also themes that run through the book. O’Rourke recognizes forgiveness as one of the great human skills needed in successful marriages; he challenges us, in our civic and international relationships, to accept the other with understanding; to embrace differences with prodigious love; to forgive our enemies, and (what is even more difficult), forgive ourselves.

The Spirit at Your Back is also an invitation into the mystery of prayer, and into Mystery itself. Whether reflecting on the current state of American politics; the disastrous war consuming precious lives in Iraq; a friend’s death; or the meaning of Christmas or Thanksgiving, O’Rourke approaches his topic with sensitivity and prayerful reverence. And he urges us, his reader, to go and do likewise. In this sense, he stands in a great tradition – with Meister Eckhart, and with Dag Hammarskjöld.

Prayer connects us to Mystery beyond all words — the Mystery “from which all words recoil.” Dan reminds us that, according to John of the Cross, ”Silence is God’s first language.” Throughout the book, O’Rourke challenges us to find and nurture that silence within us, and so to make space for God’s indwelling presence to grow more and more brilliant. But prayer is not for prayer’s sake – in every great religious tradition, prayer and meditation lead to enlightenment, to a sense of being one, not many; to the knowledge that the other, even the enemy other, is our brother and sister. And so prayer leads to compassionate action.

Some may not agree with O’Rourke’s take on things political. He can be harsh in his criticism of the Bush Administration and its national stewardship. He points out failures, not only in the administration’s pursuit and management of the war in Iraq, but also in its care for the environment, and for the policies it fosters that affect the most vulnerable in our society. Whether or not you are in agreement with him politically, O’Rourke’s soulful critique of current issues and events deserves a respectful hearing.

The title of this work is adapted from the Irish Blessing: “… may the wind be always at your back.” The author explains in his opening paragraphs that: “the title is a bold assertion in faith that the Mystery we call God is ever with us, around and behind us in all of life….” Spirit and Grace fill the pages of this book, which encourages us not only to be more enlightened people, but to be more thoughtfully engaged in life, more gentle with others and with ourselves, more compassionate and more kind. Dan O’Rourke eloquently invites us to live consciously, knowing that our earth is crammed with heaven, and the Spirit is, indeed, at our backs.

Those interested in reading a copy of the book should contact the author directly at orourke@netsync.net

THE CATHOLIC CHALLENGE©, parts I , II and III

By Louise Haggett, 1996, 1999, 2002 and 2007 All rights reserved.*

“...the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
* No part of this paper may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright owner and without credit to authorship.


In the spring of 1996, I was profoundly inspired to find the origin of Judaism’s “tenet” religion, with Orthodox, Conservative and Reform sections. I wondered whether or not a tenet religion like Judaism might be a solution to what seemed a deadlock between Roman Catholic liberals and an orthodox hierarchy. My good friend Anita Lewis Damiano had loaned me her copy of “The Second Jewish Book of Why” (Kolatch) so I decided to begin there. I randomly opened the book and there before my eyes on page 47, it said, “…Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch who believed in harmonizing Judaism with the ways of the world and in maintaining a working relationship with all elements of the Jewish community...” wrote a book in 1836 entitled, “The Nineteen Letters about Judaism by Ben Uziel.” It was not an easy find, but a trip to the Boston Public Library yielded not only the original book but a providential 1995 translated version by Rabbi Joseph Elias. It seemingly was just waiting for a Roman Catholic to pick it up. The following paper is a result of my studying “Nineteen Letters” from a Catholic’s perspective. Rabbi Hirsch was suggesting that Jews ask themselves “What does it mean to be a Jew?” It made me ask myself, “What Does It Mean To Be Catholic?” LH

In 1836, when some of the teachings in Judaism were being questioned by a new generation of reformers, looking to change their religion to conform to the times, a young rabbi named Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) wrote a book called Nineteen Letters about Judaism by Ben Uziel1. A fictitious dialogue between a philosopher and a youthful intellect, Nineteen Letters challenged opponents to examine their identity and religious belief. The concept proposed was so divergent, yet so simple, that Rabbi Hirsch used a pen name for fear of embarrassment. The book became a landmark in transforming Judaism into the religion it is today, one that simply embraces all religious philosophies from ultra-conservative to ultra-liberal. Rabbi Hirsch, still considered to be the supreme head of German neo-Orthodoxy2 agreed that reform was needed. However, he submitted that it was the Jew who needed reformation, not the Jewish religion; that perhaps the failure had been in the emphasis of its teachings. He also believed that Jews with varying philosophies could maintain a working relationship.

The contents of The Nineteen Letters helped me understand that the dilemma in today’s Catholic reform movement in the 1990s may be similar to that of 19th century Judaism. These contents may also provide an outline for personal and/or group studies:

The First letter “Complaint” presented the main arguments that were raised against traditional Judaism by the reformers. The basic complaint: Judaism just was not up to par with the times (1836); religious practice and observance of the Torah (The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament) interfered with the lifestyle of the new generation.

In the Second letter, Rabbi Hirsch, suggested that before trying to judge Judaism, a study of its history and teachings must be done “from the only authentic source, the Torah.”

Letter Three “God and World” taught that in order “to understand Judaism and the Jewish people in their historical role, we must first learn about God and His creation of the world, the role of man (humankind) in the world, and the course of human history in general,” and how it is all inter-related according to God's plans. It explains how everything and everyone in life is very different, created to be different, but to harmonize with one another. Rabbi Hirsch said, “In this way everything contributes according to its strength, however much or little, to the existence of the whole; and if it destroys a fellow creature, it robs itself of what it needs for its own

existence…None exists by itself and for itself; there is a constant striving of each creature with, through and for others, on behalf of the whole, and of the whole on behalf of the creature… The Harmonizer of Opposites is His Name,” said Hirsch.

Letter Four dealt entirely with “Man" (human species), and how we differ from the rest of nature because we are the only beings who have the freedom to do God’s will--or to disobey--the only ones who can take advantage of the world God has provided us. We will be judged by God and God alone, according to how well we have used, and provided for, God's world.

The Fifth letter entitled, “Education”, covered good and bad deeds, sin and punishment, and the education that takes place from our life experiences. We relive, in this chapter, the stories of Adam, Cain and the great Flood with reminders of how important our loyalty to God is.

Letters Six through Nine reviewed the history of the Jewish people, and the significance of the Torah in their lives throughout the ages.

Letter Ten began the discernment process, examining the Torah with emphasis on The Ten Commandments, and its application in the Code of Jewish Law. The process continued in Letters Eleven through Fifteen with a more practical examination of The Commandments, grouping them into three basic concepts:

JUSTICE means consideration for every being as a creation of God, for all possessions as having a purpose before God, and for the natural order as being ordained by God; and, therefore, compliance with the claims that they make on us.

LOVE means acceptance of all beings as children of God and as our brethren, and promotion of their welfare and of their fulfillment of their God-given mission—all this without their having any claim on us, but purely because it is the Will of God, the fulfillment of a Divine command.

EDUCATION of oneself and others to such a way of life means taking these truths to heart as one’s moving principles, giving expression to them for himself and for others, and—if through life’s vicissitudes [changes] he has lost sight of them—struggling to re-instill them in his heart.

The Sixteenth letter stressed that the bond among people needs to be spiritual rather than political; that it is possible to lead a normal civilized life and still be loyal servants of God.

Letter Seventeen admitted that there was certainly a need for “reform,” for improvement. Fault, however, was placed on the “system”--a system that perhaps had spent too much time teaching the law when it should have concentrated on the Spirit of the law. Rabbi Hirsch suggested that, “Instead of dwelling on the present sad picture, let us rather sketch some outlines for bringing about what we see as authentic reform, as well as means to attain it.”

In the Eighteenth letter, Rabbi Hirsch spoke of two generations confronting each other; one which had “inherited Judaism practiced by men from habit, a revered but lifeless mummy which it is afraid to bring back to life; and the other, though in part burning with noble enthusiasm for the welfare of the Jews, regarded Judaism as bereft of any life and spirit, a relic of an era long past and buried... threatening to sever its last life-nerve.” Hirsch’s message: “Judaism must be studied and understood out of itself and be elevated, all by itself, to a science of wise living.”

Rabbi Hirsch stressed that Jews must not be concerned about each other’s school of thought. It was necessary to go back to the truth...the Torah. He asked the questions, “What does it mean that I am a Jew?” and “What is Judaism?” He further asked, “Should we just look at its (Judaism) dusty exterior and, solely because of that, cast away as worthless the precious possession for which our ancestors sacrificed life, property, and liberty and all of life’s joys?”

He said in the Nineteenth letter, “By all means, let the scales swing. The more freely they land, and the more reliably they will assess truth and life in the end, the more violently they must swing at this time. But, once the scales have come to rest, the spirit of Yisrael will stand revealed in its full brilliance, comprehending itself, its teachings and its destiny, pervading all of Yisrael’s members and engendering the fullest life in this spirit.”

Reconstructing Judaism
What many people, including some Jews, don’t know is that it wasn’t until the late 1800s (a short time ago in comparison to how far Judaism goes back in history) that the religion took the form that it has today--a community expressed through three major religious groups--Orthodox, Conservative and Reform.

The Orthodox tenet maintains a strict code in the letter of the Jewish Law. Conservative Judaism, while it recognizes the authority of Jewish law and tradition as Divine, believes in and observes differing interpretations. Reform Judaism puts more stress on the prophetic teachings and less on the ritual observances of Judaism. Faith in God forms the basis for Judaism and the three basic groups (now with various other options) still have one umbrella.

While biblical law is taught and observed, it only serves as a standard for religious practices and community conduct in the non-Orthodox clusters. Local custom usually prevails. (Soferim 14:18) Several recordings attest to the fact that Rabbis “do not impose a hardship on the community that the majority cannot endure.” For instance, while homosexuality may be in violation of Jewish law, it is argued that homosexuals like everyone else are made in the likeness of God. Some synagogues, therefore, have been established by and for homosexuals3. Likewise, divorced individuals, marriages of mixed faiths, couples practicing birth control and others who may have difficult life choices are encouraged to continue practicing their faith and are not turned away from full community worship. The basis for the argument, “When Moses went up to heaven, he refrained from food for forty days and forty nights. And when the angels came to visit Abraham, they partook of his meals, each one submitting to the custom of the place.”4 (Talmud: Baba Metzia 86b)

While the Orthodox will not recognize women as rabbis (there is even separate seating for men and women in some synagogues), women rabbis are more common now in some of the Conservative and Reform synagogues4.

Catholicism
The history of Roman Catholicism is one of schism (separation) with many Protestant offshoots. Today, however, is perhaps the first time in history when Catholics seeking change refuse to call themselves anything but Roman Catholic—refuse to go elsewhere like Henry VII, Martin Luther and others did. Perhaps for the first time in history, Catholicism, like Judaism, has a new meaning beyond religion; maybe we too, have become a culture. A Jew is a Jew forever. It is a way of life, not a religion. Is it possible that Catholics have also reached that pinnacle?

Finding Catholicism’s “authentic source” may be more challenging than we think. While Catholics agree that Jesus is center to our culture, there is reluctance by some to use the Bible’s New Testament as our “authentic source” because the Christian Church was formed before the New Testament was written. The Ten Commandments, which Christians also observe, are found in the Old Testament—The Jewish Bible. If research the early history of the Catholic Church, we will find evidence married Popes, Bishops and Priests, divorced remarried Catholics accepted as full members of worshipping communities; also women priests according to Vatican archives. If we follow Jewish culture during Jesus’ life we would have to wonder if Jesus might have been married. Almost every Jewish historical account indicates that no Jewish male was still single at 33, especially if he preached in the temple. There is now evidence that he and Mary Magdalene may have been.

Judaism and Catholicism
Since the early Christians were Jewish, it is no surprise that our religions are alike in many ways. For instance, the Catechism is Catholicism’s answer to the Jewish Talmud. They have The Jewish Book of Law; ours is called The Code of Canon Law. We have Confirmation; they have Bat/Bas Mitzvahs, both acknowledging the age of spiritual reasoning. The Torah, central to Jewish worship, is kept in a curtained "ark" in synagogues; in the Catholic Churches, a Tabernacle holds the Communion Host, believed by Catholics to be the body of Christ, and both are isolated from the public when not in use. Vestments are also an important part of each religion's rituals. At one time, we each had dietary laws. We each have a Sabbath, though on different days. Even our hierarchy wear a Catholic version of the "Yarmulke" (reserved for High Priests in the Scriptures)3. The calendar of high holydays is also similar. While we combine Christmas and New Year to follow the traditional calendar, it is a copy of the Jewish Yom Kipper and Hannukah. In the spring, we have Holy Week and the Resurrection, they celebrate Passover around the lunar corner. The list goes on.

If we apply the same percentage of American Jews of varying philosophies to American Catholics, we would be looking at approximately 26% liberal/reform, 40% traditional/conservative and 20% orthodox (remaining 14% split among different degrees in between).

Some of our differences
Apart from our hierarchical structure which contrasts Judaism’s Home Rule, we believe that Jesus was the Messiah, not just another prophet as Jews do. There are also major differences between Catholicism and Judaism in the process used to arrive at practical laws for worship and conduct.

Great emphasis in Judaism is placed on the Torah which contains the Ten Commandments. The Talmud, written version of the Oral Law, is an interpretation of the Torah. The Code of Jewish Law contains practical applications of The Talmud. Catholic lineage, on the other hand, is not so clearly defined.

Our original catechism, called the Didache, was, written in the first century.6 It too, was an interpretation of the Old Testament because the New Testament had not yet been written. Through the centuries, The Didache evolved to our current Catechism first issue 1918, one year after the first publication of The Code of Canon Law.. The newest 1995 version was also a combination of Scriptures, non-infallible Catholic teachings and Canon Law.

The Existential Question
It would seem that we need to find our identity, our truth, before we can determine our destiny. We too need to ask ourselves, “What does it mean to be Catholic?” We too need to examine God’s role in our existence and our relationship to one another, according to God's plan. Perhaps the failure, as was suggested about Judaism in 1836, has been in the Catholic Church’s teachings. Maybe the concentration of Catholic teaching has been too much about the letter of the law, as demonstrated in the above diagram, rather than the spirit of the law. We too need to search our heritage with new eyes and clear minds in order to discern our future.

While “Nineteen Letters” was written for Jews, the philosophy of God’s concept for civilization is universal. Hirsch’s book, therefore, may be an appropriate study guide for anyone interested in pursuing spiritual self-examination, either in group work or individually.

The more recent writings including those of female theologians may provide a new perspective that may not have been available 160 years ago because there were no female theologians in those days. (All Scripture and church history throughout the ages may have been authored by men, because women were not allowed to be educated, to have a voice or a written word--to even pray. Interpretations of Scripture have, therefore, been conceived by male biblical scholars. All practical laws deriving from same would have been studied, interpreted, written and controlled by men.)

We must preserve the beauty that exists about our religion and its people. Should we therefore make it our duty to make the distinction between what is of God and what is not?

Conclusion
In “Nineteen Letters,” Rabbi Hirsch said that God is the “Harmonizer of Opposites.” He did not say that God is the “Segregator” of opposites. I’m not sure if Hirsch’s intention was to segment “like minds” the way they are in the various Jewish tenets, though it did pave the way for women rabbis.

Catholics need to determine whether Catholicism is a religion or whether it’s a way of life as it is with Jews as well as Moslems.

The many similarities I found 11 years ago between Christianity and Judaism left me with even deeper questions.

A. So Why Christianity? If our religions
are so similar, was God’s concept
fulfilled?
B. Why are Catholics today on the same
threshold of reform that Jews were 170
years ago?

In the Nineteenth letter, Rabbi Hirsch wrote, “given these insights, one would ordinarily begin scholarly investigation and then apply to life those conclusions that had proven true…however, the events of the time demand a different course.” He added, “Will I be able to write the truth with all the clarity needed to convince the minds, and all the forcefulness required to capture the hearts?”

My Personal Journey
At the time of my curiosity about Judaism, I was at odds with what had been ingrained in me about my religion. Even though I was trying to do my part in reforming the Church through Celibacy Is the Issue --CITI, the notion of standing on church steps with picket signs or petitions was for me, irreverent, even though I knew that what was going on inside the building was unjust. I had been a “pay, pray and obey” Catholic all my life.

I could not walk away from the Church either, like the 50 million other U.S. Catholics who have. There are too many things about my religion that I love.

In my discernment, I realized that rather than being taught how to develop our own relationship with our sibling Jesus, institutional rules and regulations were applied to prevent that relationship. I prayed over what affirmative action I should take while still remaining the practicing Roman Catholic that I am. This led a personal “Weaning Process” similar to what teenagers experience as they become adults. Simply put, at birth we are given a body, a mind and a soul; and in our formative years, we are conditioned to take responsibility for our own destiny as adults. We learn to eat the right foods if we want to remain healthy and to educate ourselves if we want to be successful in life.

That natural evolution did not take place, however, regarding our Roman Catholic soul. While we were also taught spiritual and moral values during our early years, the “weaning” process of our conscience was not fulfilled by the institution. We have never been given, nor have we felt free to take, control of our own moral decisions and remain Catholic. Today, the Sacraments—Holy Communion in particular—are still treated by the institution as “rewards” rather than “sustenance” which is what they are.

Through prayerful discernment, I did the “weaning” myself. I recognized that I’m in charge of my own body, my own mind and my own soul…and that I don’t have to change denominations to take control of the latter. I can remain who I am—a Roman Catholic.

I have become a liberated or “spiritual” Catholic even though I’m still traditional/conservative in my philosophy.

Recognizing that Jesus lives within each of us and not just inside some church building or on a mountain where some people think He will show up one of these days, is freeing.

I am left with questions, however. For instance, since we seem to be in the shadow of Judaism, is it possible that it is meant for Catholicism to have three tenets as well? Would there be a coming together of the minds and souls if we had an Orthodox Catholic Church, a Conservative Catholic Church (we might want to call it traditional) and a Liberal (or Reform) Catholic Church. There would then be room for all philosophies. How many Catholics would return?

What do you think?

Louise Haggett, All rights reserved, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2007, citiministries@aol.com

No part of this paper may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright owner and without credit to authorship.

Thanks to Feldheim Publishers for permission to use the contents of “The Nineteen Letters”, newly translated with comprehensive commentary by Joseph Elias.Jerusalem, Israel and Nanuet, NY1995, (Available at Jewish book stores or through CITI--$24.95+$2.50s/h)

Additional Bibliography

2. Judaism: Between Yesterday & Tomorrow by Hans Kung. Crossroad Publishing Company, 1992.
3. The Second Jewish Book of Why, by Alfred J. Kolatch, Jonathan David Publishers, Inc., Middle Village
NY, 1995, page 151, 289, 290, 295
4. The Jewish Book of Why by Alfred J. Kolatch, Jonathan David Publishers, Inc., Middle Village NY, 1985, page 121.
5. Religion in America: The Demographics of Belief and Affiliation by Dean R. Hoge, Ch. l. Religion and the Clinical Practice of Psychology, edited by Edward Shafranke, Washington D.C. American Psychological Association, 1996.
6. Catholicism by Richard P. McBrien, Winston Press, Minneapolis, 1981, page 802
7. The Jewish Encyclopedia, Funk & Wagnalls, NY
8. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., Chicago
9. The World Book Encyclopedia, Field Enterprises Education Corporation, Chicago

Connecting the Dots on Clergy Sexual Abuse

FREEPORT, Maine, March 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Roman Catholic clergy sexual abuse is a complex issue, many believing that it is no different than sexual abuse among the general population.

Scientific research among priests and victims indicate sexual abuse by clergy perpetrators differs from among the general population in areas of age of victims, age of perpetrators, duration of abuse and type of abuse. The conclusion presented is that mandatory celibacy which effects "Intense Loneliness" among priests can manifest itself in sexual abuse.

The following scenario is presented in the book The Bingo Report: Mandatory celibacy and clergy sexual abuse:

1. Mandatory celibacy -- the Catholic hierarchy's ultimate control strategy over priests, leading to ...

2. Intense loneliness -- a severe reaction by the majority of priests, which may lead to ...

3. Clergy sexual abuse -- priest perpetrators feeding their intimacy needs through victims.

Bingo's findings about "intense loneliness" were clearly by accident. "'Loneliness' was not a question in the priests' survey, according to author Louise Haggett, but resulted in write-ins by 59.3% of priest respondents as "additional factors that contribute to priests breaking their vows." A surprising 50% of Victim respondents admitted to "emotional and biological needs" as a reason for the abuse.

It, therefore, makes sense to conclude that much of the abuse might have been prevented if the "intense loneliness" variable was not presentamong priests; and that it might not have been present except for obligatory celibacy. While some believe that "power and control" is a cause, it is seen by Haggett as the strategy used and not the cause.

"Intense Loneliness" is a pathological phenomenon that can lead to low self-esteem, substance abuse, crime, suicide and sexual abuse. Until 1994, the American Psychiatric Association's manual, Diagnostic and StatisticalManual of Mental Disorders-DSM listed Intense Loneliness as a "Differential Diagnosis" for Pedophilia. (Intense loneliness discussed here differs from a grieving survivor of a spousal relationship where mortality or divorce takes place, not considered psychiatric disorder.)

Not all priests are lonely and not all priests are sexual perpetrators. However, only 2% are known to have the charism (gift) of celibacy (Sipe,1990) and over 30,000 have left clerical ministry in the last 30 years --90% to marry. More information and a bibliography are available at http://members.aol.com/lhaggett or csri99@aol.com. The Bingo Report is also available at amazon.com.

Barroso -- where tradition mocks clerical celibacy

This story filed by Álvaro Blanco from Portugal for EFE is fascinating. In the Barroso region of northern Portugal there is a tradition among the Catholic clergy that alleges that Fray Bartolomé de los Mártires, then archbishop of Braga, obtained a concession at the Council of Trent in 1563 allowing them to have wives to compensate for the harsh climate of the area ("nine months of winter, three months of hell").

This tradition is defended by a popular and controversial local pastor, Antonio Lourenço Fontes, a local historian,José Baptista, and Orlando Alves, the lieutenant mayor of Montealegre, the regional capital, who affirms that it is customary for priests in the area to have a marital life and that the faithful accept this as normal and necessary to maintain a clerical presence in the region. In the article he cites the cases of his uncle and of Fontes. One of the great Portuguese writers, Aquilinio Ribeiro, was born of such a relationship in 1885. Baptista also cites the case of the late Amadeo Santa Mariña -- a priest who had eight children with his Spanish mistress.

According to the article, Joaquim Gonçalves,the bishop of the Diocese of Vila Real, denies any knowledge of priests living in family situations. He says that Fontes is bold in his allegations but refuses to call them heresies as it would require him to remove Fontes from his parishes.

The article concludes with a traditional regional saying: "Canta bien el ruiseñor/ suelta al aire un 'asobío' (silbido)/ que también los hijos del cura, llaman al padre señor tío" ("The nightingale sings beautifully/ he sends a whistle to the air/ and so the sons of the priest/ call the father "Uncle, sir")

If you can read Spanish, the article can be found at http://latino.msn.com/noticias/articles/ArticlePage.aspx?cp-documentid=4385394

Priests in Spain support optional celibacy

The Spanish Catholic magazine 21rs has just published a study of 751 Spanish priests conducted by university professor Luis Fernando Vílchez Martín. This is a very detailed study which is worth a look if you speak Spanish. When asked what their major problem was, few priests complained about poverty. However, 37.2% identified solitude as a major problem and a further 19.8% identified affection as an issue. 7.2% were troubled by not being allowed to have children. Sexuality was considered a problem by 6.5% of respondents.

When asked about celibacy, 52.7% said it should be optional. Also -- and surprisingly because these priests mainly described themselves as center-right politically -- 41.3% favored admitting women to the priesthood. This is obviously not a majority but more than one might have expected from a traditional Latin country with a conservative priesthood.

This survey contains a wealth of information about the state of the Spanish priesthood, most of which is irrelevant to this blog, but those who are interested in Church human resource issues and read Spanish should go here: http://21rs.es/index.php?to=contenido&id=193

Hungary's military bishop resigns for love

Well, we haven't covered Eastern Europe lately so here is this gem from Reuters 3/23/2007:

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's Catholic military bishop has resigned because he wants to marry a woman he met in the church's renewal movement, media reported Friday.

Brigadier General Tamas Szabo, 50, has been preaching to Catholic soldiers, border guards and their families since 2001.

The Roman Catholic Church insists priests remain celibate and has ruled out letting them marry.

The Hungarian Catholic Church said on its Web site that Pope Benedict had accepted Szabo's resignation.

Szabo told national news agency MTI: "I do not want to talk about my private life, I don't think that is a public matter."

We always knew "renewal" was good for the Church...

Priest urges Catholics to stand up for change

Maine Press Herald
Saturday, March 24, 2007

By KELLEY BOUCHARD, Staff Writer

Roman Catholics should push for a stronger role in the church and seek greater accountability from the clergy, a noted theologian told an audience of 80 people in Portland Friday evening.

The Rev. Donald Cozzens, a Catholic priest, professor and author, said the denial and secrecy that pervaded the church's reaction to the priest sexual abuse scandal exposed its feudal structure, in which priests are viewed as lords of the manor and church members are expected to be docile serfs.

Cozzens said the church must abandon its feudal roots to survive and grow beyond the priest scandal and other challenges facing parishes around the world.

"These are not easy times for the church and these are not easy times for people who love the church," Cozzens said. "This is the laity's moment and we need good leadership."

Cozzens spoke at St. Pius X Church hall at the invitation of Maine Catholics Together, a fledgling organization of several groups, including Pax Christi and Voice of the Faithful, that are seeking church reform. It was Cozzens' first visit to Maine, which has 193,228 Catholics, according to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.

"He presents an honest, reasonable appraisal of the church with a laity that has a secondary role. He encourages us to move away from the mindset of pray, pay and obey," said John Wirtz, a member of Maine Catholics Today who lives in Scarborough and attends St. Patrick's Church in Portland.

Cozzens is writer-in-residence and professor of religious studies at John Carroll University, a Jesuit school in Cleveland, Ohio. He has written several books on issues facing today's church and its shrinking priesthood, including "The Changing Face of the Priesthood: A Reflection on the Priest's Crisis of Soul" and "Sacred Silence: Denial and the Crisis in the Church."

In his latest book, "Freeing Celibacy," Cozzens, who is celibate, proposes making celibacy optional rather than mandatory. He said such a change in church doctrine would recognize that the call to celibacy is a gift and not one that can be demanded from God or expected of every man who wants to be a priest.

"I think we would have a lot more men in the priesthood if celibacy were optional," he said. "I think we would have a healthier and stronger priesthood."

Cozzens said today's younger Catholics aren't interested in institutions, so they're more likely to demonstrate their faith by volunteering at a soup kitchen than attending Mass. Since the 1960s, he said, the number of Catholics who attend Mass every week has dropped from 70 percent to less than 30 percent.

He said many Catholics suffer from a crisis of belief rather than a crisis of faith. They no longer have confidence in official directives or decisions of the institution, but they hold true to Christ's teachings.

He said lay members should have the courage to examine the church to forge a deeper faith and a stronger relationship with God. The church's structure, he said, should further its mission and reflect the fact that all Catholics are disciples of Christ, whether they are ordained or not.

Cozzens' talk drew different reactions from the audience.

"There's a lot of truth in what he said, but my experience with the church has been very positive," said Lori Arsenault, a Gorham resident who is a member of the Sacred Heart and St. Dominic Parish in Portland.

Brian Trask is a Chelsea resident who is Catholic and no longer attends church.

"I'm interested in the subject and interested in the role of celibacy in the church," Trask said. "I think the institution of the church is collapsing."

Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:
kbouchard@pressherald.com

A son of a priest argues family case for church reform

Vows of celibacy weren't always required; for 1,700 years, priests often got married

Zachary Slobig
Sunday, March 25, 2007

Sometimes my dad celebrated Mass in our kitchen.

I grew up thinking this was completely normal. The seven of us sat at our scarred wooden table in Washington, D.C., while he walked us through the entire Catholic liturgical service. Sometimes I wondered what Mass looked like in my friends' kitchens. Was their Eucharist made from wheat or white? How did their fathers sound when they sang the Beatitudes in Latin? Did the other congregants giggle during that moment of silence after the Nicene Creed? Certainly, we could not have been the only kids on the block who spent an occasional Sunday morning in our underwear passing around a chalice filled with the blood of Christ.

Some Sundays other families joined us for "church." My father would don his 20-year-old stole, a strip of fabric 4 inches wide and 80 inches long, reserved for ordained priests and bishops. With the defiance and subterfuge of the early Christians, he would lead his congregation to our damp basement. On a carpet patterned with Chinese checkers, hopscotch, and tic-tac-toe, he expounded on the Holy Trinity while my mother strummed her rosewood guitar and softly sang folk renditions of church favorites.

Like that musty basement, my Catholicism is subterranean. I am certainly no church historian. In fact, you might find it odd for me to argue for an end to priestly celibacy when I haven't been to church in quite some time. Still, I have a stake. I am a reformed, if not lapsed, Catholic arguing for Catholic reform. I am a son arguing for his father, a prodigal son appealing to a prudish church.

That chalice, the same one my father held aloft above his altar so many years ago, that stole, the subversive memento of his calling -- these objects were part of the radical, celibacy-questioning church of my youth. Few acknowledge the remarkable fluidity with which the church has treated the vow of chastity. Here I stand aligned with a grand tradition within Catholicism, as old as the church itself.

The years of my father's priesthood, the mid-1960s, marked a burst of church reform with the Second Vatican Council. The winds of progressive change swept through the pews, anointing "the people" as the church. Now you will hear Mass in your native tongues! Now priests will no longer celebrate the liturgy with their backs to the congregation! Now the Virgin Mary will be referred to as "the Blessed Mother of the church!" An invigorating time for a young rabble-rousing priest, but one untouched third-rail reform would send my dad packing.

My mother was a young social worker in a Chicago settlement house when she met brash and outspoken Father Frank. The archdiocese suspected he was a communist sympathizer. He hadn't waited for the decrees of the Second Vatican Council to face the congregation and engage them in Spanish. His parishioners referred to him affectionately as "Padre Poncho." He broke up knife fights between battling gangs, marched with Martin Luther King, and once slept on Cesar Chavez's couch.

He had taken two vows long before he met my mother: chastity and poverty. She likes to joke that he only kept one. For a decade as a parish priest, before he became so enamored of my mother, he was enamored of liberation theology. The gravity of those two bodies -- the church and my mother -- pushed and pulled. Finally, he went to Archbishop John Patrick Cody of Chicago and announced his departure. My dad didn't kneel, and he certainly didn't kiss the crusty conservative's ring. "If they changed the rules, I'd still be wearing a collar," he insisted ever after.

As it turns out, the church's absolute celibacy dogma is relatively recent, a mere half-millennium old in the grand span of Catholic history. So why has the church maintained this curious anachronism that disallows priests from marriage and a family? Ask St. Paul. "The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided," he wrote in celebration of celibacy. And St. Augustine warned, "Nothing is so powerful in drawing the spirit of a man downward as the caresses of a woman."

On the other hand, St. Peter, the first pope, that revered rock upon which the church was built, was a husband. Close Bible readers know this because St. Mark's gospel makes elliptical reference to the apostle's mother-in-law.

For 1,700 years, priests often married. The 43rd decree of the Council of Elvira in the fourth century, for instance, stated that any priest who slept with his wife the night before celebrating mass would lose his job. By the sixth century, the vow of celibacy had actually loosened further, with satisfaction of the flesh by married priests calling for a penalty of temporary excommunication for just one year. Pope Pelagius II instituted a policy in 580 of allowing priests to marry as long as they did not transfer property to wives or children. Not until the Council of Trent in 1563, however, did the Vatican gavel fall resoundingly in favor of absolute celibacy.

Let me add that I find myself heartened by these unsung chapters of church history, knowing that the clerical and the domestic once overlapped, that back in the day other kids had dads who did say mass and not just in their kitchens either. It seems I am not a freak. Not with those scores of ancestral cousins whose dads were Fathers.

The Catholic Church's current view of celibacy has created a labor shortage. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, not known for being cheeky, the dearth of Catholic priests is expected to persist, "resulting in a very favorable job outlook continuing through the year 2012."

As in any demanding job, improved working conditions would ease the recruiting effort. So to Pope Benedict XVI, I say this: Loose the Catholic Church from its chastity belt and let the seminaries swell. If St. Peter could be both priest and husband, why not today's padres? Why not my own father, even now?

"Once a priest, always a priest," my dad used to say. Two of his younger siblings in his raucous Irish Catholic family would later take holy vows as well. My uncle John is a parish priest in a rapidly aging community in Phoenix. My aunt Joan, a vocal death penalty critic in the order of the Sisters of Providence in Terre Haute, Ind., is the administrator of two parishes without a single priest.

True to form, my father continues to adhere to his vow of poverty. These days my parents have taken up residence in the rectory housing of a Silesian parish in Quito, Ecuador. They have come full circle, returning to the spartan milieu of their courtship. There, in the hills 10,000 feet above sea level, they work with the disenfranchised street kids.

One Ash Wednesday, my dad sat at the family's kitchen table, the seven of us huddled in observance, while he carefully burned palm fronds in a ceramic bowl. One by one, he bent and folded them, bringing a match to their frayed ends. Smoke wafted to our yellowed ceiling. Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. He closed his eyes, doing his magical priestly work on those dried palm leaves, transforming the black ash into the substance that would mark his familial flock as Catholic. Suddenly, the bowl shattered into a dozen pieces. Looking down in horror at the shards and the smoldering leaves strewn about and my father stubbing out small fires with his thumb, I began to consider the possibility that most kids didn't have a church in their kitchen. I gasped. Was it a sign? Had we transgressed? If He was angry on Ash Wednesday, what smitings might be in store for Easter?

Dioceses around the world have recently introduced a "prayer for the priestly vocations" into the Sunday Mass. Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles called in desperation for a "Special Year of Prayer" in 2006 to mitigate the manpower shortfall. "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers," Mahony pleaded, quoting St. Matthew.

Why leave the future of the institution to the anemic power of prayer when the answer may be as simple as lifting the proscription on priests as patriarchs? The church may have taken away my father's vestments, but in his mind, no Cardinal could legitimately strip him of his priestliness. They would have to drain his blood.

Zachary Slobig is a student at UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism who had a fantastic in-house tutor for his high school Latin homework. Contact us at insight@sfchronicle.com.

Milingo says the Pope has it Wrong

Press Release
From Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo and the
Married Priests Now! Catholic Prelature

From his vacation home in Korea, Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, of the Married Priests Now! Catholic Prelature, has called his vicar general, Archbishop Peter Brennan, in New York to speak about the Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis which was published today by Pope Benedict at the Vatican.

Archbishop Milingo said that "the pope has it wrong in (paragraph 24 of) his exhortation when he recommends the requirement of celibacy to his priests . He is still in denial about the harm enforced celibacy has done and is doing to the priesthood. Priests must be free to choose celibacy and it should be a personal charism, not something required of all."

Milingo continued in lively discussion:

"The so called different practice mentioned by the pope, the married priesthood, of the Eastern Church was at one time the norm of the whole church for twelve centuries. Remember there have always been married priests in the Roman Catholic church. First among the Twelve who were called by Christ himself there were married men. Then married men were among the popes and bishops of the early church. Thirty nine popes were married and often their sons became priests, bishops and popes also. Marriage was expected of the priests by the people in the East even as it is today in South America and Africa. It is sad that now the Eastern Church only chooses single men as their bishops. Celibacy is not a free choice, it has become a job requirement in the Roman Communion. You are either celibate or you do not become a priest -- there is no choice. Celibacy does not have a nuptial meaning as the pope says. Marriage has a nuptial meaning, not celibacy. Identification with Christ the Bridegroom is a very troublesome metaphor and image because Christ is a man in his human nature and so is the male priest. Is this a homosexual relationship? The pope certainly swings the door wide open to make it an acceptable possibility. Is the Holy Father promoting homosexuality to preserve celibacy for priests? This needs to be corrected."

"Benedict's reaffirmation of celibacy is the death-knell of the priesthood causing churches to be closed and sold for profit to pay the damages of enforced celibacy. Life long celibacy is unrealistic and unnecessary. It is far better if the priest is married and can identify with the people he serves and model a good marriage for his parishioners. Christ did not ask this exclusive devotion to celibacy of his apostles and the church should not ask it either. Enforced celibacy is a horrible mistake. Priests like every other human male should have the normal sexual outlet of a good marriage. Benedict and his Cardinals are in pathological denial of the truth. We have seen that many priests have never matured in their sexual life or experience and most do not practice celibacy in joy but as a lonesome obligation. Only those in denial think it is an immense blessing. Celibacy is an albatross that has caused immense harm to priests, and to children, and it has bankrupted many dioceses. It is time to end this charade. Let priests marry and have healthy and wholesome sexual and spiritual lives serving the People of God."

Contact:

Most Reverend Peter Paul Brennan
Married Priests Now! Catholic Prelature
DDamdg@aol.com
151 Regent Place
West Hempstead, NY 11552
Telephone 516 485 0616

Good Question: Why Are Catholic Priests Celibate?

Please note - the Fr. Cozzens intervied for this piece is NOT the well known scholar Donald Cozzens who writes about the clerical culture, and the damaging effects of mandatory celibacy, but ANDREW Cozzens - no relative, to my knowledge.

Ben Tracy
Reporting
(WCCO) Pope Benedict XVI released a 131 page “Apostolic Exhortation” Tuesday reaffirming church teaching on abortion, gay marriage, and divorce. He also said that Catholic priests will remain unmarried.

"Priestly celibacy lived with maturity, joy, and dedication is an immense blessing for the Church and society itself,” wrote the Pope.

"Celibacy is a great good,” said Father Andrew Cozzens who teaches at the St. Paul Seminary.

Cozzens said celibacy has always been practiced by some priests, but it has been a requirement in the Western or Roman Catholic Church since the 4th Century. However, the Eastern Catholic Church, in places like Eastern Europe and Asia, does permit some priests to marry and has for centuries.

The western church requires priests to practice celibacy, meaning to remain unmarried. They are also required to be chaste or abstain from sexual relations.

“The foundation of priestly celibacy is completely found in Jesus Christ,” said Cozzens. “Christ was celibate."

That doesn’t mean it’s easy, especially in today’s society.

"Every vocation has struggles,” said Cozzens. "My experience of it is it’s a free, joyful reality. It’s sets me free to love in a new way.”

The idea is that a priest becomes married to the church and treats the members of his parish as his family. Cozzens says he would not be as good of a priest if he were married.

"It would change my relationship with God,” he said.

So why do married clergy work for other Christian faiths?

"That's a very good question,” said Cozzens. "For us (Catholics), the man who stands at the alter represents Christ. Jesus was not married."

Neither were most of his Apostles. In fact, Paul believed marriage was necessary simply because of temptation.

In 1 Corinthians, Chapter 7 he wrote: "It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband." He goes on to say: "Those who marry will face many troubles in this life."

"Celibacy is not a kind-of anti-marriage or even anti-sexuality,” said Cozzens. "A sacrifice is only a sacrifice if you're giving up a good. To say that celibacy is a value or a treasure is actually to affirm marriage."

However, critics say the celibacy requirement has contributed to the abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church and is the reason for the shortage of priests. Cozzens says abuse is not a matter of celibacy.

"It’s the result of sin and you're going to find that whether priests are married or celibate. And is the value of celibacy great enough to hold on to even if we have less priests?” he asked. “The church is clearly saying yes."

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

A Dangerous Closet

A psychologist argues that the Catholic Church's message to gay priests - that homosexuality should be a shameful secret - contributed to the sexual abuse scandal.

By MARY GAIL FRAWLEY-O'DEA | March 11, 2007 -

The Catholic Church’s position on homosexuality eventually might take its place among the other aspects of Catholic sexual theology generally discounted by the laity and many priests. Nonetheless, the hypocrisy of a church condemning homosexuality while depending on a significantly gay priesthood to run it and to administer its sacraments is, among several other factors, directly implicated in the sexual abuse scandal. The unspoken known that the priesthood is more homosexual than the wider culture is countered by an edict to priests not to speak openly about their sexual orientation but rather to preach about the evil of enacted homosexuality. Mixed messages, sexual secrets, and denied realities abound in a clerical Wonderland in which the institutional church appears to play the Queen of Hearts. Secrecy about and coverup of the sexual abuse of minors becomes an almost inevitable component of such a crazy and crazy-making realm.

Contemporary researchers suggest that between 28 percent and 56 percent of the American priesthood is homosexual. Most psychologically healthy gay men are attracted to the priesthood for the same reasons that it attracts mature heterosexual men. They love God, desire to pursue a life of deepened spirituality, and are committed to living out gospel values within a community of faith. It is probable that gay men always have been attracted to the priesthood in numbers disproportionate to their presence in the wider society. Until very recently, and in some cases still, Catholic boys who recognized their homosexuality faced the scorn of family, friends, and church. Taught that acting on his sexual love and strivings is intrinsically evil and mortally sinful, the Catholic gay man faces painful conflicts between his identity and his attachment relationships. Entering the priesthood was a move that, until quite recently, evoked family pride, with the seminarian or priest being held in great esteem by his community.

It is also logical to hypothesize that homosexual men would be attracted to the all-male environment of the priesthood. Further, when boys entered the seminary as young teens, the explosion of pubescent sexual strivings had only one direction in which to travel. Surrounded by men and boys in an environment that rendered women dangerous, except for idealized mothers and the Virgin Mary, an adolescent seminarian was left with few choices. He pretty much could lust after his mother or he could lust after those around him, many of them gay men. And so we encounter the paradox of an organization teaching that homosexuality is disordered and then constructing an environment that maximally elicits homosexual yearnings.

Many gay men growing up in what has been until recently a pervasively homophobic society have lived in closets in which they sometimes deny who they are even to themselves. The antihomosexual theology of the Catholic Church, conveyed in homosocial seminary environments likely to stimulate forbidden and derided sexual desires, often constructed for the young gay priest a particularly suffocating closet. Here, the self-hatred plaguing many gay men could be magnified for gay priests, some of whom tried to cope by strenuously denying their sexual orientation, even turning hatred outward toward other gay men. Denial and dissociation on this scale encourages the denial of other sexual secrets like the sexual abuse of children.

Nothing psychologically sound or, I suspect, spiritually enriching can emanate from such hypocrisy. Surely, the pope, cardinal, bishop, or priest who cannot look in the mirror and acknowledge his reflection as a homosexual man will have difficulty looking into the face of a sexually abusive brother and naming what he sees. Rather, he is likely to close his eyes to true evil, because his own humanity has been mislabeled as inclining toward evil. He may also blame or ignore the victims of sex abuse, unconsciously turning away from his own victimization by his Church and the wider society. Closets, then, are built within closets and lies pile up until it is hard to find the truth, much less speak the truth.

Mary Gail Frawley-O’Dea is a clinical psychologist specializing in sexual abuse recovery in Charlotte, North Carolina. Send comments to magazine@globe.com. Excerpted by permission from Perversion of Power: Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church by Mary Gail Frawley-O’Dea. Copyright 2007 Vanderbilt University Press.

Novas realidades no mundo da Igreja/New realities in the world of the Church

Those viewers who understand Portuguese really should check out this video from Portugal that talks about the priest shortage and celibacy in that country. It includes interviews with a man who left the Church to get married and a married Anglican priest who rejoined the Catholic Church as a married priest, among others. It really covers the story from every angle in what appears, from my limited understanding of Portuguese, to be a fair and balanced way. Here is an (approximate) English translation of the promotional blurb on TVI's Web site:

By vocation, they promised eternal love to God and swore fidelity to the Catholic Church, but sometimes nature gets the upper hand and, even though they try to resist temptation, they end up falling into sin. Some priests live double lives, but others -- and the number is growing -- ask dispensation from celibacy in order to get married. In Portugal, along with the crisis of lack of candidates [for the priesthood] which has been responsible for the closing of various parishes from the north to the south of the country, there are those priests who abandoned their roles along the way. Although the Church does not confirm the number due to lack of national data, it has been estimated that at least 500 priests have left the priesthood. "In the Name of the Father", an extensive news segment by Rita Sousa Tavares, includes testimony of priests who found another vocation -- that of father of the family.

Honoring the call to ministry and marriage

By Ellie Hidalgo
Tidings Online
March 2, 2007


The first married Roman Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will be ordained this May, the culmination of a pilgrimage of faith that --- in the couple's words --- has been full of adventure and welcome surprises

A special papal provision will enable William Lowe, a former Episcopalian priest, to be ordained as a Catholic priest, several months after he and his wife Linda celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary. Cardinal Roger Mahony will preside at the May 6 ordination to be held at the couple's parish, Blessed Junípero Serra Church in Camarillo.

Bill was ordained to the transitional diaconate Feb. 10 by Santa Barbara Region Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry. The Lowes have served, and will continue to serve, at Padre Serra in a variety of ministries --- not unlike their work in the Episcopal Church.

'Surprised by the joy'

Having served as an Episcopalian priest for 27 years at Parish of the Messiah in Newton, Mass. (near Boston), Bill Lowe was known as the "Burying Parson in New England" because of his special call to bereavement ministry and to accompanying family members through the death of a loved one.

The Lowes also raised a son and two daughters, and Linda worked more than two decades as an administrator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In addition, to active lay service in the parish, Linda also served as president of an ecumenical group of women that gathered monthly.

After Bill retired in 2001, the two started doing something they never had time to do before --- visiting the Catholic churches of several friends and colleague pastors.

"We were amazed at the vigor and life in those parishes. We were surprised by the joy," said Bill, 68. The Catholic churches were full, he added, with as many men participating as women and scores of children.

The Lowes also were inspired by Catholic outreach to low-income communities, which had long been one of their priority concerns. "We always had a strong feeling that Catholicism was the church for the poor," said Bill. "It was the church that cared the most for the poor --- Jesus' people."

Simultaneously, he and Linda started talking about becoming Catholic.

"We didn't leave the Episcopal Church because we were angry or upset," he stressed. "We were drawn to Catholicism for positive reasons. But we are deeply grateful for everything we had in the Episcopal Church."

The two were received as Catholics in Massachusetts. Then Bill discovered he missed being fully engaged in the work of ministry and pastoral counseling; he believed he could still be of service to his new Catholic Church.

He also knew that a special papal provision had provided for several dozen married and former Episcopalian priests to become Catholic priests. He started talking with some of them and looking into the possibility.

Linda, 66, said she raised numerous questions and possible concerns during her husband's discernment process about whether or not to seek the Catholic priesthood. However, bottom-line she told him: "If you really want to do this, I'm with you."

"Linda's support and encouragement has been wonderful," added Bill. "It's meant so much to me in my ministry."

Moving west

Around this time the Lowes, who are originally from Southern California, decided to move back to the Golden State to care for Linda's aging parents. The cross-country move nearly four years ago drew them closer to their son Christopher, 39, who is married with five children and lives in Whittier, and their daughter Hilary, 36, who is married and lives in Santa Barbara. Their daughter Jennifer, 34, lives in Chicago.

Once they settled into Camarillo, Padre Serra Church welcomed them with open arms, said Bill, and the two became actively engaged in parish life.

Linda co-chairs the parish's outreach commission, including its justice ministries and charitable activities. Last year she participated in the intensive Just Faith educational program. She and several others also have started the Ventura County Interfaith Community which has brought together Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Mormon, Muslim, Hindu and Baha'i faithful to engage in dialogue and conversation about one another's faith traditions.

Bill has continued his work in bereavement ministry and is being sought out for pastoral and marital counseling. He also enjoys working with parish youth.

"I did not like retirement," said Bill. "I'm very happy to be back at work. I come home whistling and singing."

He used to think that small churches were advantageous in that a priest could get to know everyone personally. He has since seen the advantage of large Catholic churches --- Padre Serra is made up of 2,800 families --- in which a multitude of ministries, events and community outreach become possible.

"It's amazing how many hundreds of people we've gotten to know," he marveled. "Big churches don't have to be impersonal. Ours isn't; it's a very generous parish. People get involved in a lot of things."

On their days off, the Lowes enjoy visiting their children and grandchildren. The two are avid daily walkers and enjoy hiking. Both like to make music playing their recorders, and Linda plays tennis weekly. They also have a small condominium on Catalina Island for occasional get-away weekends.

"We are as youthful as we ever were, except that we take more naps," quipped Bill.

A 'profound religious conviction'

As they began to settle into their new neighborhood and lay parish ministry, Bill again looked into the process, known as the Pastoral Provision, by which former Episcopalian ministers can be ordained in the Catholic Church. He received the necessary recommendations from his pastor, Father Jarlath Dolan, Bishop Thomas Curry and Cardinal Mahony and was accepted as a candidate.

Given the growing dissension threatening to split apart the Anglican/Episcopalian communion over issues like women's ordination and the election of openly gay bishops, Bishop Curry said he wanted to ascertain that Bill's call to the priesthood was rooted in a profound religious conviction.

"He really did convert to Catholicism with his wife completely for reasons of religious conversion," said Bishop Curry. "He was joining something, not leaving something. That was very positive."

The next step was two years of guided theological, spiritual and pastoral preparation for ministry in the Catholic Church. Vincentian Father Kevin McCracken of St. John's Seminary in Camarillo served as his mentor.

Bill said he also has counted on the five married deacons at his parish for ongoing support. "The hospitality and graciousness have been exceptional," he said.

Even so, the process to ordination has been long-winding, and the Lowes were initiated into "slow-speed" Catholicism. At one point Bill questioned whether he might be too old to be pursuing a second chance at ministry. But a deacon friend insisted he persevere. He also stayed in contact with other married, former-Episcopalian, now Catholic priests, including Father Gregory Elder in the Diocese of San Bernardino.

As the process towards ordination inched along, Linda worried about possible negative responses by different groups of people - her children, former Episcopalian parishioners, older family members, deacons, priests and former Catholic priests who became laicized and married.

However, time and again they have been treated with warmth, generosity and support, she observed. "All the reasons I could imagine for different groups of people to be feeling negative about it, have just evaporated," said Linda. "That realization is what makes me know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that this is God's will."

'Excitement at the parish'

Last October, Bill and four other men from the Dioceses of Charleston, Denver, Scranton and Newark passed their oral certification examinations at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Orange, New Jersey. This exam marked the final milestone for Bill to receive approval to be ordained as a transitional deacon and then as a priest.

On Feb. 10, Bill was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Curry in the presence of his pastor and several hundred parishioners.

"The whole news of his ordination to the diaconate and to the priesthood has created a sense of excitement here at the parish," said Father Dolan. "It's a parish that's open to new ideas."

At the ordination ceremony, Bishop Curry said to the Lowes: "We come to celebrate the gifts of faith, experience, ministry, reflection and courage you bring to all of us."

Catholics and Episcopalians "treasure and love the same Jesus," said Bishop Curry. "But can you also share with us, you who come to our tradition with new eyes, what you treasure in this tradition and again call us to appreciate what maybe we tend to take for granted and do not always appreciate?"

After ordination to the priesthood, Bill will be assigned to the parish as pastoral assistant, performing the full range of sacramental ministry as is needed, including consecrating the Eucharist during Mass.

"In a sense it feels very normal being ordained. It's exactly what we were doing before," said Bill. "What is unusual for us is all the attention. We're really very shy about that. We're surprised and kind of amazed at all the attention we're getting, but we recognize a responsibility in doing this."

The Lowes are sought-after speakers on the local Catholic circuit. They have shared their journey and answered questions before groups of clergy, deacons, seniors, youth, and directors of religious education.

"People want to know who we are, what our journey has been. They want to know about our family," said Linda. As the wife of a priest, "I'm not really different from any other active lay person," she said. She believes in the ministry of presence and being part of the "worshipping core" of the parish. "I feel very strongly about lay ministry and its importance," she added.

Bill said he and Linda are looking forward to the future with hope and gladness, adding, "We're both pretty keen on new adventures and continuing the pilgrimage."