Catholic Sensibility

Some inspiring and enjoyable music for Ascension on the great Australian program, For the God Who Sings. There's a nice helping of Palestrina and Bach, plus a really nice piece by the Scot James MacMillan sung by the cathedral choir of St Mary's Edinburgh. Y'all knew I was a radio announcer for an NPR affiliate in my former life, right? My favorite summer I was doing three classical overnights midweek and caring for jazz programming on weekend evenings at the AM and FM stations in Rochester, New York. Eventually, they went to automated programming for overnights--it was even cheaper than paying us part-timers. Ah well. It was time to graduate anyway.

Check out this NCR piece on the experience of doing mission work in Kentucky. Amy also posted the link today, but as of early tonight, she hasn't opened the doors for her commentariat, so I'll chime in here. First, I think the general Republican approach is "Take the Fish," not "Teach to Fish," otherwise why would so many American businesses gleefully bail from their responsibilities for overseeing their workers' hard-earned pensions while elevating their sometimes criminal CEO's to celebrity status? The Republicans as a whole have offered nothing to anybody but their donors. The Dems are not much better, for the record. Both establishments cater to the American sense of entitlement. Maybe it dates back to the colonial period or some Manifest Destiny thing. If it goes back to the 60's, it must be the 1760's, that's for dang sure. Second, I think that entitlement is a dangerous sensibility to cultivate in anyone, and not just the poor. I remember when my dad's side of the family descended on his uncle's home after the move to the nursing home and the funeral. They were seething that an estate worth half-a-mil was mostly heading to charity. My father stuck to the plan, agreeing with them that family should come first, but that the old guy had a right to determine if he was going to use his money to stick it to the rest of the family. When my dad passed away ten years ago, I stayed clear of the tussles over his guitar, golf clubs, and other possessions. My brother has often said I should have had the guitar. I told him I remember how dad sang and played and I don't need to get sucked into an undignified turf war. I remember working with the poor in rural central Iowa. We turned people down for assistance. Visiting their homes to hear cable tv running in the background ... I didn't always feel too bad about saving our parish tithe for someone else. On the other hand, people on food assistance will sometimes buy microwave pizza and such ... not because they're too lazy to bake bread or toss a fresh salad. Some people just don't know any better. Others can't afford an oven or refrigerator. But many of them do have the talent, means, and opportunity to emerge from poverty. As is true in Kentucky, and even Republican gated communities, they have a hard time emerging from the pickle jar of drugs and alcohol. Amy's playing her comments close to the vest. No doubt her commentariat will cluck poetic about the values of pseudo-libertarianism, bootstraps, the immorality of the poor, and all that. It makes me think the best thing this country could do is pull out of southwest Asia tonight and put all three-hundred million of us in some tough-love twelve-step therapy. Even the illegal immigrants. That'd teach us how to fish.

We'll see how it goes Sunday. Just after the people finish follow-along with reading II, they can check the tune for the sequence in the OCP missal, VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS. For one Mass, anyway. I think I'd adapt something for the verses on Taize's "Veni Sancte Spiritus" -- just because the publisher didn't put it in doesn't mean I can't. I do like the tune VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS. The choir went along like good sports. They had a setting of Psalm 104 in 5/4 time, so maybe it was a bit of contrast. I only do music for two Masses this weekend, and the kids probably won't sing the sequence. School's out and we've decided to roll the dice without practice this week. We did a violin and piano arrangement of REGINA COELI last week. Sometimes people comment after Mass and identify or note a specific tune. But this time, only a few generic "That's nice" comments. Our second violinist is a college student home for the summer. Nice young lady. The first person I've ever met from Ave Maria University. She was telling us that only two of the 400-some undergraduates are non-Catholics.

Gaudium et Spes 61 addresses the basic human values of intellect, will, conscience, and community--aspects which the Church insists must be the basis for the formation of new generations: Today it is more difficult to form a synthesis of the various disciplines of knowledge and the arts than it was formerly. For while the mass and the diversity of cultural factors are increasing, there is a decrease in each (person's) faculty of perceiving and unifying these things, so that the image of "universal (person)" is being lost sight of more and more. Nevertheless it remains each (person's) duty to retain an understanding of the whole human person in which the values of intellect, will, conscience and (community) are preeminent. These values are all rooted in God the Creator and have been wonderfully restored and elevated in Christ. The family is, as it were, the primary mother and nurse of this education. There, the children, in an atmosphere of love, more easily learn the correct order of things, while proper forms of human culture impress themselves in an almost unconscious manner upon the mind of the developing adolescent. The recognition of the expansion of leisure and the purpose to which it should be put: Opportunities for the same education are to be found also in the societies of today, due especially to the increased circulation of books and to the new means of cultural and social communication which can foster a universal culture. With the more or less generalized reduction of working hours, the leisure time of most (workers) has increased. May this leisure be used properly to relax, to fortify the health of soul and body through spontaneous study and activity, through tourism which refines ... character and enriches (people) with understanding of others, through sports activity which helps to preserve equilibrium of spirit even in the community, and to establish fraternal relations among (those) of all conditions, nations and races. Let Christians cooperate so that the cultural manifestations and collective activity characteristic of our time may be imbued with a human and a Christian spirit. And it's more about keeping one's leisure life full. Note that leisure is designed not only for the mind and body, but also for the soul. All these leisure activities however are not able to bring (a person) to a full cultural development unless there is at the same time a profound inquiry into the meaning of culture and science for the human person. Comments?

Scientists may have uncovered why the icy moon's hot spot is at the south pole. We've known that small irregularly shaped moons align their long axis toward the large planet. To visualize, a city-sized moon shaped like a potato would point it's long end toward the planet. With lighter liquid water on one end of the moon, it would flip over (gradually, of course) and the heavier portion of the moon (rock) would align toward Saturn, leaving the water at one of the poles.

The no-kneeling fuss in Orange County, California has made its predictable rounds in the blogosphere. A few otherwise loyal and obedient Catholics are somewhat dreaming of being Californians just so they can defy one or two bishops there. (Is it a coincidence these guys each have a frequently misspelled name?) My regular readers will know that not only do a have a thing for proper spelling (it being a sign of education, and in the case of people's names, a sign of attentive respect) but I also have little patience for misplaced authoritarianism (be it from a bureaucracy Roman, dicoesan, conservative, liberal, or otherwise). I've been known to do more than dream of diobedience in my day. One sensible Catholic comments at NLM: I prefer to kneel at this point, but I must admit that I don't understand why we stand in between the "Amen" and the "Agnus Dei". The above surely cannot be the reason, because Jesus didn't go away after the consecration was over and then come back after the Agnus Dei... So, is there a reasoning behind why we stand up and then kneel again? Is it arbitrary? It's a great question. Let me suggest that kneeling at Mass might just be more about the relationship between lay people and their clergy than it is about the reverence of human beings for God. Naturally, the chasuble-blind* in the curia have demonstrated their intent on underscoring the differences between the ordained and the non-ordained at every turn. No wonder that a literal reading of the GIRM generates a sniff in the CDWDS if it thwarts that agenda. Here's another thought ... Our parish men's group reflected on Matthew 25 this morning, and here are verses 31-40, which you all know: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Here's my question to add to Jane's: Jesus couldn't have been more explicit in Matthew 25 unless he wanted to inspire John 6, yet how often does the stated concern for reverence (except during the Lord's Prayer and the Lamb of God) extend to the Lord's explicit hellfire-and-damnation-consequences for those who are unwilling or unable to recognize the call to serve the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the ill, and the convict? Again, I think the alteration of kneeling patterns is a silly thing. At worst, not only is it impolite, but it gives people, bishops, liberals, conservatives, and rebels alike a ready excuse for not confronting the harder issues of love, service, and charity. Heck, if the churchy folks are descending into disrespect so easily, I feel badly for the hungry, the thirsty, and the needy: how far down the list are they? When asked by the person what would happen if Jesus, flesh, blood, and bone appeared in person on an altar in church. I wasn't kidding when I said some religious people wouldn't recognize him at all, and would insist he get down from there. We don't need the Lord to appear to us in the flesh. That time is past and gone. We have John 6 to remind us about the Eucharist. We have Matthew 25 to remind us about caritas et amor. The theoretical what-if-Jesus-were-there-in-front-of-you is just a diversion. But maybe you have another thought. *"The difference between the clergy and lay people is getting blurry. We need to remind people that dressing differently at Mass and leading the people in prayer isn't enough to cut through all the confusion."

"I'm with the church. I'm just not with hate," said Father Martin Kurylowicz. This guy professed celibacy, but he's still out on his duff. Turns out that his revelation of being homosexual dates back nine years, but his suspension is due to being incommunicado with the bishop. I wonder why his sexual orientation was even brought up in the news report.

Also, I think some would question why he would surface his sexual orientation at all. I can see how other Catholics would benefit from the example, particularly if he reinforces his celibate lifestyle. Otherwise, we have a Church made up of closeted homosexuals, or those who are out of the closet and who confront the issue of sexual activity directly.

It seems a no-brainer to me, but maybe non-straight folks or anti-knowledge people have something else to say. Go for it.

Check out the new heterodoxmobile for the Flowerday homestead. Just imagine a nice liturgical white for Easter instead of ordinary green, and you're there. My first four-door car ever, and only the third I've ever owned. The Great Car Shopping Adventure concluded today. Lots of money, but I'm glad it's done. Let me say it again: I'm glad it's done. My wife was not pleased with the hard sell on all the extras: shades of Branson a few summers ago. But she was shocked we got to drive it home.

At Saturn, today from the Cassini web page, a color comparison between the solar system's 2nd largest moon and its largest ring system.

It's required. It only comes up once a year. Most pew people don't know the tunes. How would you handle it? All the verses or just some? Is it okay to have the cantor or choir sing it alone? Would you put in a refrain for people to sing? Would you use the Taize Veni Sancte Spiritus or what's in your missalette or hymnal? Have you ever used Alstott's adaptation that fits the tune ODE TO JOY? Would you have the people recite it? Would you have the lector recite it? How is your parish doing it, and what would be your fiat, were you sitting in the big chair?

This should be a popular thread. Ever been in a parish where you were asked to wear red on Pentecost? Have you complied or demurred? Would you float the idea yourself? What do you think my take on wearing red might be?

They're not looking for green-skinned slave girls, but attempting to probe for atmospheric structure on the big planet. Stuff of science officers, not captains. Personally, I preferred Susan Oliver as a blonde, and the green skin isn't really a turn-on. But then again, I never had to deal with direct exposure to Rigellian pheromones.

The LA Times notices the Orange County brouhaha over kneeling. I think Amy and most of her commentariat miss the mark on it.

Liturgical "progressives" are all for diversity, except when it comes to a pet issue or two - like this one. And we're all pretty tired of it, and we all see through it.

And yet I'm not convinced this is a liturgical progressive issue. I've criticized Seattle's decision in print in my monthly column here, but I haven't been asked to tender my LPMP* card. I did get an unfavorable letter from Seattle's liturgy office suggesting I was a traitor. But the last time I checked, kneeling isn't part of the conservative/progressive manifesto.

This "no kneeling" story is, in the end, not about kneeling. It's about about a broader base of complaints that this group has and about the bishop and pastor's stance toward this particular group and its complaints, and whatever fears and potential problems those complaints give rise to in the clerics' hearts. It's about power, and in a sense, it's even about those "thinking," "well-informed" Catholics that we've been hankering for since the end of Vatican II. What happens when the "thinking" "well-informed" Catholics can give back as much as you can when it comes to quoting liturgical experts, past and present, and are arguing against your views? Not exactly what we expected, is it? Actually, I would expect it. And as I've said before, I welcome it. But it's more about making oneself heard loud and long. Uncovering "thinking" Catholics is only the first step. The final goal is encouraging "being" Catholics: people who are unafraid to put their lives and their faith on the line, even when it seems inconvenient. In my parish, the group that wanted 24-hour adoration had to do more than ask for it politely. They wanted to visit parish groups to promote it. Fine. I had access to the parish database and I gave them a list of committee chairs. Did they make the visits? I have no idea. But each hour finds a handful of folks in church praying. A few people want to build it into perpetual adoration. That works for me if they can make it happen; maybe we'll be able to work an adoration chapel into the new building plans. It is just insane, in a way. The whole "stand from the Lord's Prayer to the end of Communion" thing is lame, artificial and manipulative. It is anything but organic and just has a feel of puppetry about it. Much like the pre-pouring of chalices and the dismissal of glass. It's the letter of the law, but it does indeed have a feel of puppetry. My suggestion would be to have everybody just take one big step back from the liturgy wars and go on a nice long retreat. *Liturgical Progressive Military Police

The pope is hopeful of mixed marriages among Christians of different denominations. Zenit has last week's full address from the Holy Father.

The evangelicals have discovered confession. Caveat emptor, fundies. A member confesses an extra-marital affair, but refuses to end it. The pastor adheres to the Lord's prescription for confronting sin in the Gospel of Matthew and takes it to others. When he wanted to send a mailing to all parishioners about it, the fur began to fly, legally speaking. The DMN covered it:

Confront the person one to one, then with several others, then "tell it to the church." At every step, the person is asked to stop the offending behavior.

In this case, the man refused the private interventions and said he was quitting the church, church officials said. But Watermark's bylaws say a member "may not resign from membership in an attempt to avoid such care and correction."

"You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." I didn't know that was in Matthew. tv coverage here.

A music director from the other side of the line declines to give a three-pronged reassurance to a new pastor. So he loses his job. “I’ve done nothing illegal, nothing immoral,” said Nadeau, who takes the national stage soon as musical director for the closing ceremonies in July of the Gay Games in Chicago. “I’ve kept my private life separate from my work at the church.” Yet can one keep various compartments of one's life separate from each other? I asked our organist to cover for me for this past weekend's two evening Masses. (Usually we split them.) Saturday, we were invited to a friend's place for a home Mass, home blessing, and a cookout. (Rubbed shoulders with the KCK archdiocese's VG, by the way.) Wouldn't you know that the cantor hired for that Mass didn't show up. (Our organist, who does the cantor scheduling, was scrambling to hire folks to fill in spots while many regular parishioners were off to holiday fun.) Yesterday was my daughter's birthday, so I was far away from church after our afternoon concert. (I shudder to think of what might've happened at the Mass I missed yesterday.) I've never managed to keep my family life separate from my ministry or work. One always intrudes on the other. Some people have the delusion that their private lives are private. I could tell you stories, especially from my days as a single person.

Nadeau, 36, came to Kansas City eight years ago to lead the Heartland Men’s Chorus. He needed a second job to supplement his income, so he applied for the music director job at St. Agnes Church, a parish next door to Bishop Miege High School. He said he told the pastor, the Rev. Donald Cullen, that he led the Heartland Men’s Chorus, saying he shouldn’t be hired if that posed a problem. He was hired.

A group of parishioners complained then, but Cullen rebuffed them. When a new pastor was appointed, the protesters reemerged. Nadeau was given three conditions for keeping his job: He would have to end his affiliation with the Heartland Men’s Chorus, promise to refrain from sex, and state that homosexuality is a disorder. I can think of some clergy who would have a tough time with such a confession. Most parishioners obviously did: “It was a two-hour line to say goodbye to him,” said parishioner Bill Vogt. “I think he knows that the overwhelming majority of the parish love him and support him.” Does this affair leave you with questions and concerns?

When I comment on other blogs, especially in matters liturgical, I've found that many, many more writers line up against my viewpoints. It has been my previous practice to look upon that as a challenge and present the progressive view quite tenaciously. As of the new year, I had resolved, however, to focus my internet writing more on my own blog, and limit my posting elsewhere to once per thread. In other words, state my opinion, then get out to let others participate. I believe I may have transgressed about a half-dozen times in the past five months. But I didn't realize the "old me" had been missed. In this thread at NLM, my colleague and frequent ideological adversary, Shawn Tribe said: You talk about dialogue but for the past number of months you've exhibited a very bad habit on here of "hit and run" criticism. You throw out criticism and then when someone challenges you or engages you in debate on what you've said, you seem to all but disappear. Where is the dialogue in this? We used to have discussions and debates in the early days, and I'd be glad to have them again. As enjoyable as comboxes may be, I do not think that constructive dialogue can take place in them. The limits and disadvantages of relying on the posted word alone have been well-covered elsewhere. Additionally, most conservative web sites (even by self-avowed middle grounders like Amy) attract a substantial number of conspiracy theorists, detractors, and the like, so as to make a focused discussion nearly impossible. This would be my solution: What if a NLM contributor (perhaps you, Shawn) and I were to exchange a series of e-mails on a specific topic. It would be focused enough to permit a paragraph-for paragraph discussion that would be easily followed by interested readers. You and I could joint-edit it, then post on this blog as well as my own. If any progressive liturgist reading this happened to think she or he could do a better job than I, or in addition to me, feel free to jump in. Interested? And I repeat the offer to any of my readers who feel they need more of a voice. Neil accepted an earlier invitation to blog. Liam knows he has an open invitation to do so at any time. A few years back, a liturgical publisher suggested a point-counterpoint presentation on disputed points in Catholic liturgy. I made a few inquiries, but no takers. Maybe the time for this idea is closer to realization, especially considering the emerging comfort with podcast and other internet technologies. I think it would be exciting to have a one-on-one discussion presented, then open it up afterward for comments. The authors would have the time to make thoughtful points. An editing process could clean up the straw men and other side tracks. And instead of one side putting words into the mouth of the other, each person would have to deal with the best of the arguments their adversaries could fling their way. So, what do you say?

I saw this clip at open book earlier today, but didn't get around to reading it till just now. Amy linked to another guy, Fr Guy, who opined: I ask what the point is of having a national conference which helps to clarify and implement directives from Rome when the member bishops feel free to ignore it whenever the (sic) darn well please? When I first saw the headline this morning, I thought, finally: somebody asking the right question. I still think it's the right question, but the wrong angle. So let me rephrase: What's the point of having the bishops meet, discuss, and give input on translations when the whole matter's already been decided in Rome already? I'm serious. We have a priest who believes that the purpose of a national conference is to jump when Rome says, "Frog." Wouldn't it be better in this ecclesiological angle to just have every parish pastor on the line directly to Rome? Send out directives. Let the pastors implement. Cut out two layers of bureaucracy. Easy, right? There's no wondering why bishops are having their identity crisis. The loyalists want them to be message boys, so you can probably extrapolate what the progressives would want to see. Maybe someone with more ecclesiological elasticity can explain this one to me. Bishops, who are you, 'cause I really wanna know (to paraphrase Roger Daltrey).

In baseball, this was true four days ago. Thanks to the Oakland A's losing three games since then, the number of MLB teams with winning records dropped to nineteen (out of thirty). But earlier this week, only ten teams had more losses than wins--the last two teams in five of baseball's six divisions. I'd be surprised if the percentage was ever lower in baseball history. Of course it seems as if the Royals have more than half those losses. Last night's debacle was ... quite ordinary this season. But it would be an interesting version of fandom hell: when your team is so bad, everybody else has a winning record. It's almost happening this year.

One of my readers asked for a comment on Rock's post on a Kansas City's Nun's Story. I knew we had other breaking local news, too, so let me commit a possible faux pas by combining this link with another for my newest parish priest colleague, and a few thoughts on religious life and vocations. And bishops, too. The Catholic Key gives you more of the full story of the invitation of these women Benedictines. But for the life of me, I can't imagine why this would register on the NCR's radar at all, much less be cause for leaping from mansioned windows. Like Rock, I think the local Church benefits from the presence and the apostolate of religious orders, especially contemplative ones. There are a lot of things a body new to church administration could learn from the leadership traditions of St Benedict (for one example). There, we can read that the abbot is advised to "adjust and adapt himself to everyone -- to one gentleness of speech, to another by reproofs, and to still another by entreaties, to each one according to his bent and understanding -- that he not only suffer no loss in his flock, but may rejoice in the increase of a worthy fold." A fair bit afield from the SCGS* ecclesiology championed by some Catholics these days. That said, I don't think it's totally accurate to attribute the phrase "predictable hatchet-piece" to the NCR's recent reporting on Bishop Finn. If imbalanced, it was not by editorial design. I agree with Rock and many others that my bishop is a genuinely holy and sincere and idealistic man. But where one man speaking for a diocese might come off well in theory or ecclesiology, in practice it makes things seem a bit tilted to have several folks criticizing the bishop and nobody speaking in favor of him. Since I doubt the NCR is regular breakfast reading in the bishop's kitchen, it probably doesn't matter much. Lots of people have said favorable things about him. For all the brouhaha about whining and wining and all, I think he's an improvement in many ways from his predecessor--and my regular readers should recall I've put the specifics of that in print. Our parish is getting one of the new priests. I'm looking forward to working with Father Steven Rogers, who is nicely profiled in this week's diocesan paper. Conversion stories have long been a fascination and a personal taste of mine. I have a rather unusual one myself. And at the risk of lurching head-first into touchy-feely-dom, I think it's extremely valuable for Christians to be able to recall and tell their own stories of coming to the faith. Kids need to hear parents tell it. Friends need to hear it. If one can peel oneself away from the Catechism long enough, it's even appropriate for RCIA or other faith-sharing circles. There's something deliciously Benedictine about Rogers' story from about a decade ago:

During the summer of 1995, the furniture company was about to be sold, and Deacon Rogers said his job security was up in the air. He told a friend, Susan Dinges, that he was going to take a week's vacation away from everything at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Dinges, who also wasn't Catholic, had another idea, he recalled.

"She said, 'I want you to go to Conception Abbey. It's quiet up there and remote. You can read and rest,'" he said.

Deacon Rogers said he booked himself for a week-long spiritual retreat where he met one of the Benedictine monks, Father Hugh Tasch.

"We talked about anything and everything I wanted to talk about - art, architecture, the Renaissance," Deacon Rogers said.

Never once did Father Hugh try to "convert" him. But he did tell Deacon Rogers that the future priest was a Renaissance man filled with a wide array of talent and drive. "You will be a leader," the monk told the young man, "but first you have to get focused and organized."

"He left it at that, and bid me farewell," Deacon Rogers said.

God adjusts and adapts to our unique individual circumstances. As Catholics, we offer the Creator not one cookie-cutter result, but a dizzying set of variations on a single theme. The Church is far wider, more incomparably vast than any single Catholic would or could identify. The challenge for many of us is finding that focus. Hopefully it's not an aspect that leads us to measure others by our own standards. Or that it's not an adventure in religious narcissism: the me-and-God indulgence all too common in our American culture. The longer I'm a Catholic, the more exposure I have to new people, new stories. It's well worth taking some time to tell and listen to these stories. * Small Church, Getting Smaller

Just to keep it in perspective, we're just starting Gaudium et Spes section 3 of chapter 2 of part II of the document. Remaining in the overall chapter which treats the "Proper Development of Culture", this next section, "Some More Urgent Duties of Christians in Regard to Culture," will take up the next three posts in this series. Now that we've reestablished our bearings, let's dive in: It is now possible to free most of humanity from the misery of ignorance. Therefore the duty most consonant with our times, especially for Christians, is that of working diligently for fundamental decisions to be taken in economic and political affairs, both on the national and international level which will everywhere recognize and satisfy the right of all to a human and social culture in conformity with the dignity of the human person without any discrimination of race, sex, nation, religion or social condition. Therefore it is necessary to provide all with a sufficient quantity of cultural benefits, especially of those which constitute the so-called fundamental culture lest very many be prevented from cooperating in the promotion of the common good in a truly human manner because of illiteracy and a lack of responsible activity. As we've seen before in GS, Christian activity in the world, especially in the establishment of justice, charity, peace, and good relations among groups of peoples, is not an "extra." Working to better the life of human beings is part of the inspiration for the Christian life, and very much a part of the Gospel call. A person's giftedness is intended for the good of all, not for self-importance: We must strive to provide for those (persons) who are gifted the possibility of pursuing higher studies; and in such a way that, as far as possible, they may occupy in society those duties, offices and services which are in harmony with their natural aptitude and the competence they have acquired.(11. John XXIII, encyclical letter Pacem in Terris: AAS 55 (1963), p. 260.) Thus each (person) and the social groups of every people will be able to attain the full development of their culture in conformity with their qualities and traditions. Everything must be done to make everyone conscious of the right to culture and the duty (one) has of developing (one)self culturally and of helping others. Sometimes there exist conditions of life and of work which impede the cultural striving of (people) and destroy in them the eagerness for culture. This is especially true of farmers and workers. It is necessary to provide for them those working conditions which will not impede their human culture but rather favor it. Women now work in almost all spheres. It is fitting that they are able to assume their proper role in accordance with their own nature. It will belong to all to acknowledge and favor the proper and necessary participation of women in the cultural life. Comments?

Our pastor asked the kids at the last school Mass today if they could remember (last year's associate pastor) Fr Shawn's three rules for summer vacation. Some did. 1. Go to church. 2. Read books. 3. Have fun. Good advice for any age, any time of the year. We've been on summer vacation for two hours now. It's still going well. Hope yours does, too.

All's quiet on the Mercury front. The latest Venus probe has settled into a final orbit. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has begun to dip into the Martian atmosphere to slow itself, and refine its orbit. Meanwhile, in my Orbiter simulation, I've managed to orbit the planet Jupiter, and after a close fly-by of the moon Ganymede, managed to get into a low orbit. That's Ganymede over on the left, there. Rest assured that Ganymedans will come to church warmly and demurely dressed, as surface temperatures range from -170 to -300 degrees F.

I realize this isn't as sexy as women's clothing, but this is also an open thread, ready for commentary.

Okay, friends, chew on this one awhile: Man blaming woman for how he feels when she dresses. (Or something like that.) The culture of victimhood is proclaimed by many conservatives in identifying the problems of some folks today. I think the digging in the dirt around the issue of dress in church has exposed the contemporary imitation of Genesis 3:12, "It's not my fault; she made me do it." Despite what your daddy told you, men are indeed capable of controlling their emotions, responses, and their eyes. A man encounters a distraction in church. Recognize it. Set it aside. Return to where you were. Repeat as necessary. Is sinful behavior subjective? Is that what JPII Catholics are suggesting, that a person's response to sexual stimulus can be blamed on the object? Tsk tsk.

Gaudium et Spes continues a discussion of the relationship between culture and the Gospel. First the importance of perceiving the needs of particular cultures, and two reasons are given: the effectiveness of kerygma, but also the enrichment of the church's leitourgia: There are many ties between the message of salvation and human culture. For God, revealing Himself to His people to the extent of a full manifestation of Himself in His Incarnate Son, has spoken according to the culture proper to each epoch. Likewise the Church, living in various circumstances in the course of time, has used the discoveries of different cultures so that in her preaching she might spread and explain the message of Christ to all nations, that she might examine it and more deeply understand it, that she might give it better expression in liturgical celebration and in the varied life of the community of the faithful. The Church's interface with human cultures is essentially a pragmatic one: But at the same time, the Church, sent to all peoples of every time and place, is not bound exclusively and indissolubly to any race or nation, any particular way of life or any customary way of life recent or ancient. Faithful to her own tradition and at the same time conscious of her universal mission, she can enter into communion with the various civilizations, to their enrichment and the enrichment of the Church herself. Note the mention again of liturgy at the end: The Gospel of Christ constantly renews the life and culture of fallen (humanity), it combats and removes the errors and evils resulting from the permanent allurement of sin. It never ceases to purify and elevate the morality of peoples. By riches coming from above, it makes fruitful, as it were from within, the spiritual qualities and traditions of every people and of every age. It strengthens, perfects and restores (6. Cf. Eph. 1:10.) them in Christ. Thus the Church, in the very fulfillment of her own function, (cf. the words of Pius XI to Father M. D. Roland-Gosselin "It is necessary never to lose sight of the fact that the objective of the Church is to evangelize, not to civilize. If it civilizes, it is for the sake of evangelization." (Semaines sociales de France, Versailles, 1936, pp. 461-462).) ) stimulates and advances human and civic culture; by her action, also by her liturgy, she leads them toward interior liberty. My eyes can't help but perk up at the mention of liturgy in any of the conciliar documents. Here's a somewhat surprising insight: liturgy as an agent for interior liberty.

Dress in church did what Gaudium et Spes couldn't do: put this blog past 100,000 page views. Thanks for viewing, commenting, and the like. Keep coming back.

Y'all feel free to continue commentary on the Armchair Liturgist thread below. I did promise I'd post my responses, so here goes. Dress Code always come up in church circles, especially ministry ones. When I train lectors and Eucharistic ministers, I suggest they will want to dress about one step more formally than the usual population at the Mass. For our morning liturgies, that probably means jackets and/or ties for men, suits or blazers or dresses for women. I also impress upon people the need for transparency when they serve at liturgy: nothing that anyone would consider a distraction from the point. Sometimes I'll comment on specific clothing they or I might be wearing during the training session. As for a general approach with parishioners, my last Iowa pastor arranged dress-up days. Our school does this also for a few major feasts. My approach would be to begin "dress-up Sundays" and move quietly to a greater frequency. I think there's a fine line crossed in suggesting women who dress provocatively are to blame for tempting men. The problem of "looking" can be solved by turning one's gaze away. Then it becomes the problem of the other person. There is jamming equipment for cell phones: I've read about it a bit. I'd be in favor of installing such a device. Have to think about that when we renovate. Gum. Ick. For all the people who seem to be chewing it, I find more under pews and chairs. Carpet acoustics have done a lot to encourage talking. When your church is vast and echoey, people tend to talk less--a good reason for eschewing carpet. If people talk too much in churches, there are two reasonable long-range solutions: - Give the talkers a substantial gathering space or courtyard to chatter because that kind of thing going on after Mass in good. - Give the pray-ers a Blessed Sacrament chapel for reflection.

What about the practice of placing the Book of the Gospels in a prominent place in a church? Pope John Paul II asked that Roman parishes do this during the Jubilee celebrations six years ago. I ask because it's come up in Zenit's Q&A liturgy forum. Take the plunge. Make your own policy, post it here, then check out what the expert said.

Gaudium et Spes 57 deals with section 2 (Some Principles for the Proper Development of Culture) of chapter 2 of part II (if you can follow that at home). First, setting one's sights on heaven is seen as a motivating factor, not one for withdrawal from the world: Christians, on pilgrimage toward the heavenly city, should seek and think of these things which are above (Cf. Col. 3:2) This duty in no way decreases, rather it increases, the importance of their obligation to work with all ... in the building of a more human world. Indeed, the mystery of the Christian faith furnishes them with an excellent stimulant and aid to fulfill this duty more courageously and especially to uncover the full meaning of this activity, one which gives to human culture its eminent place in the integral (human) vocation. A twofold notion in the next paragraph: beings stewards of creation, and being caretakers of one's brothers and sisters: When (humankind) develops the earth by the work of (their) hands or with the aid of technology, in order that it might bear fruit and become a dwelling worthy of the whole human family and when (they) consciously take part in the life of social groups, (they carry) out the design of God manifested at the beginning of time, that (they) should subdue the earth, perfect creation and develop (themselves). (Cf. Gen. 1:28) At the same time (they obey) the commandment of Christ that (they) place (themselves) at the service of (others). Outside of the sacred sphere, there are human endeavors which contribute to the "elevation" of humanity on their own merits (namely the qualities of truth, goodness, and beauty): Furthermore, when (humankind) gives ... to the various disciplines of philosophy, history and of mathematical and natural science, and when (they) cultivate the arts, (they) can do very much to elevate the human family to a more sublime understanding of truth, goodness, and beauty, and to the formation of considered opinions which have universal value. Thus (hu)mankind may be more clearly enlightened by that marvelous Wisdom which was with God from all eternity, composing all things with him, rejoicing in the earth, delighting in the (children of earth).( Cf. Prov. 8:30-31.) These values do indeed lead people to the spiritual: In this way, the human spirit, being less subjected to material things, can be more easily drawn to the worship and contemplation of the Creator. Moreover, by the impulse of grace, (they are) disposed to acknowledge the Word of God, Who before He became flesh in order to save all and to sum up all in Himself was already "in the world" as "the true light which enlightens every man" (John 1:9-10).(Cf. St. Irenaeus, Adversus haereses. III, 11, 8 (ed. Sagnard p. 200; cf. ibid., 16, 6: pp. 290-292; 21, 10-22: pp. 370-372; 22 3: p. 378; etc.)) Yet, the bishops provide an appropriate caution, namely that the material realm is not the ultimate expression of creation, that there is more than what meets the eye in nature, and that scientific advances are not cause for divorcing human dependence on God: Indeed today's progress in science and technology can foster a certain exclusive emphasis on observable data, and an agnosticism about everything else. For the methods of investigation which these sciences use can be wrongly considered as the supreme rule of seeking the whole truth. By virtue of their methods these sciences cannot penetrate to the intimate notion of things. Indeed the danger is present that (people), confiding too much in the discoveries of today, may think that (they are) sufficient unto (themselves) and no longer seek the higher things. And a caution against those who would more or less reject cultural progress outright: Those unfortunate results, however, do not necessarily follow from the culture of today, nor should they lead us into the temptation of not acknowledging its positive values. And a helpful five-point listing of modern values: Among these values are included: - scientific study and fidelity toward truth in scientific inquiries, - the necessity of working together with others in technical groups, - a sense of international solidarity, - a clearer awareness of the responsibility of experts to aid and even to protect (people), - the desire to make the conditions of life more favorable for all, especially for those who are poor in culture or who are deprived of the opportunity to exercise responsibility. Section 57 concludes with the candid admission that these human values often lay the groundwork for the acceptance of Christ. All of these provide some preparation for the acceptance of the message of the Gospel a preparation which can be animated by divine charity through Him Who has come to save the world. Comments?

My intent with this occasional feature is to provide readers with a constructive way to express their preferred liturgical policy on some matters. Sometimes I offer my own opinion, but more frequently, I've presented actual problems as they are brought to me and/or the staff of parishes, or sometimes interesting issues I've read about online or heard about from other parishes. I'd like to see these threads get the heaviest comments, as it gives you, the underrepresented pewfolk, a chance to weigh in on policy: how your parish does it and/or how you would do it if you were the boss. Frequent guest John Heavrin supplies the issue of the day, one which centers around the important matter of etiquette in Church and how to develop a better sense of it. (H)ow does, or should, a parish handle the ever-increasing problem of a) immodest dress in church, especially during warm weather b) cell phones, gum chewing, etc. in church, and c) showing disrespect for the Blessed Sacrament and the church in general by talking and "visiting" throughout the church before and after Mass. This a huge and growing problem, and I suspect pastors and staffs are basically afraid (if they care in the first place) to correct their parishioners. I'll post my answers tomorrow.

Zenit gives the full text of Pope Benedict's May 7th ordination homily mentioned here before in connection with the problem of careerism in the priesthood. It is through (Jesus) that one must enter the service of shepherd. Jesus highlights very clearly this basic condition by saying: "He who ... climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber" (John 10:1). This word "climbs" -- anabainei in Greek -- conjures up the image of someone climbing over a fence to get somewhere out of bounds to him. "To climb" -- here too we can also see the image of careerism, the attempt to "get ahead," to gain a position through the Church: to make use of and not to serve. It is the image of a man who wants to make himself important, to become a person of note through the priesthood; the image of someone who has as his aim his own exaltation and not the humble service of Jesus Christ. But the only legitimate ascent toward the shepherd's ministry is the Cross. This is the true way to rise; this is the true door. It is not the desire to become "someone" for oneself, but rather to exist for others, for Christ, and thus through him and with him to be there for the people he seeks, whom he wants to lead on the path of life. On a side note, I was struck by the varied Scriptural references in the pope's homily. Note also he doesn't shy away from modern Scripture scholarship, in using word study to bring home a point.

Not being terribly familiar with the world of legality, I'm wondering about reader comment about this story. Bishop Matano wants to protect parishioners. From his letter to Vermont Catholics: In such litigious times, it would be a gross act of mismanagement if I did not do everything possible to protect our parishes and the interests of the faithful from unbridled, unjust and terribly unreasonable assault. CNS sums it up: (T)he titles to all parishes, once in the name of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington Inc., are now in the name of the parishes with the bishop as trustee. "We are doing this to preserve parish assets as parish assets," said Father John McDermott, chancellor. "The bishop and the diocese have a guardian role for the assets and must assure that they are used for the intentions which were the very source of their establishment."

Just to demonstrate sensible Catholics aren't one-trick-ponies on the hobby side of life, let me give you a preview of what you'll be seeing on your vending machine fodder this year. The Nevada Quarter is already a favorite of my daughter. They're the third, fourth, and fifth horses to appear in the 50 State Quarter Program (after Delaware and Kentucky). I really like the sagebrush frame for the design. Texas had rope and Alabama had contrasting pine and magnolia branches: a classy touch. Nebraska is in circulation now. Those are the first oxen to appear on the quarter. Geology is always a nice feature for coins, and every one of this year's quarters features some of it. Chimney Rock is a cool place, but this design just doesn't do anything for me. In a month or so, Colorado quarters will start trickling into pocket change. This might be the least impressive of this year's designs. From afar, the backside of this state's quarter will look like a bunch of wrinkles. Granted, it's tough to depict something as magnificent as a mountain on something not much bigger than a dime. That leaves us with the first two of November 1889's four states. I recall from my history books that when the two Dakotas were to be admitted as states, it was not known which would be "first." The North won the race. Their design has the second appearance of bison. Do you remember which other state has featured this animal? This might be the first appearance of an animal eating on a US coin. If you can think of another, let me know. Ol' Mt Rushmore graces South Dakota. For the second time in the series, George Washington appears on both sides of the quarter. Do you remember which other state featured him? Wheat borders this design. Remember which historic US coin also had wheat? And we have the Chinese Ring-Necked Pheasant rounding off the design. How many other birds have been on the State Quarters? Which of these designs wins the award in your judgment?

- Don't forget celebrations of the Liturgy of the Hours.

In these conditions, it is no cause of wonder that (humankind), who senses (a) responsibility for the progress of culture, nourishes a high hope but also looks with anxiety upon many contradictory things which (it) must resolve: This short section of Gaudium et Spes concludes with these five significant challenges. Are they more or less relevant for the world of the early 21st century? What is to be done to prevent the increased exchanges between cultures, which should lead to a true and fruitful dialogue between groups and nations, from disturbing the life of communities, from destroying the wisdom received from ancestors, or from placing in danger the character proper to each people? More true today, especially where Western culture has strongarmed itself into a position of prominence in non-Western societies. How is the dynamism and expansion of a new culture to be fostered without losing a living fidelity to the heritage of tradition. This question is of particular urgency when a culture which arises from the enormous progress of science and technology must be harmonized with a culture nourished by classical studies according to various traditions. Still significant today, though I think fewer people at large are concerned with being nourished by classical studies. How can we quickly and progressively harmonize the proliferation of particular branches of study with the necessity of forming a synthesis of them, and of preserving among men the faculties of contemplation and observation which lead to wisdom? Probably even more of a concern, especially in that in many disciplines, it is impossible to keep current on all relevant developments in the field. I'd like to think that among the sciences, there's more of an openness to cross-fertilization amongst partners who formerly had no interface. What can be done to make all (people) partakers of cultural values in the world, when the human culture of those who are more competent is constantly becoming more refined and more complex? Maybe. What appears to be more competence and more complexity may not necessarily be of lasting value. Finally how is the autonomy which culture claims for itself to be recognized as legitimate without generating a notion of humanism which is merely terrestrial, and even contrary to religion itself. Yes, this too is still with us. In the midst of these conflicting requirements, human culture must evolve today in such a way that it can both develop the whole human person and aid man in those duties to whose fulfillment all are called, especially Christians ... united in one human family. On these issues of culture, I find it hard to swallow the conventional wisdom that Gaudium et Spes has somehow been eclipsed by Dei Verbum, regardless of the personal tastes of bishops. These cultural issues remain with us, and GS carries the torch for the issues of the Church-culture interface. The notion that Vatican II's reflection on divine revelation alone tells us what we need to know seems naive to me. What about for you?

Hello to all the traffic heading here from Rock's place. If you're new, you might especially want to read over Neil's contributions. They're worth returning for. Nobody's consulted me, but unlike some folks, I'm not going to whine about ecclesiastical misfortune. I'll just go ahead and offer my opinions anyway. In the thread below, someone does ask what bishops can do to get out of their mire. I do believe Catholic conversation can and should be about offering productive solutions rather than just criticism. For the bishops, I might suggest the Twelve Steps would be a start. And I'm more than half-serious about that. Aside from that, I can make these suggestions for the boys in red trim: 1. Pick your battles. (not original, but excellent advice) 2. Start easy and work your way up to hard. 3. Make direct and personal amends to every abuse victim (mindful of the 9th step), whether it was your fault or not. Some bishops have done this, and while it can be painful, remember that a healing process is not about the bishop, nor exclusively about the victims, but about the Church as a whole. A bishop who spends more time with donors than victims is making his priorities all too clear, even if people aren't counting up the hours. 4. I think it's a good idea for a bishop to get around. The guys who sold their epicopal residences and lived in parishes or nursing homes were on the right track. I've never been to daily Mass at a cathedral. Do bishops take their turn in the schedule? Why couldn't the bishop take a turn presiding at daily, Sunday, and Holy Day Masses in parishes? If people see their bishop in ordinary circumstances and see him operating as a simple priest where liturgy is concerned, I know that would make an impression. 5. Along the lines of number 2, bishops need to find an easy project that unites the flock that would be simple to achieve. This has been my main criticism of my bishop and especially his advisers: all his public moves have been controversial ones. Even when he did something positive, like instituting a Eucharistic procession in Kansas City last year, he managed to alienate the St Joseph, Missouri folks, who have had such a procession for years and were asked to cancel theirs and send their people seventy miles down the river to KC. If nothing else, a bishop wants to mix it up occasionally so people don't go running for the liquor cabinet or antacid bottle when caller id or a return address tells you he's in touch. Eventually, bishops will make hard choices that will alienate a portion of the flock. The point is not to avoid these, but to pepper the ministry of a bishop with opportunities for unity. At the very least, sow doubt in the minds of the eternal bishop-detractors. If you pressed me, I could probably think of more. I think we talked about this last year when we looked at Christus Dominus. But maybe you have your own ideas.

Rock takes a poke at the latest internet liturgy rumor. After I waste my time with posting at Amy's about it, then I learn it came from Catholic World News. (Heck, if you want Amy's link, click the sidebar; if you want CWM, go google or something.) Two things, then I'm out of here for the night: 1. CWN doesn't have the greatest track record on getting leaks or breaking stories right. I think we'd all be interested how Phil Lawler's crew got their hands on this piece of mail; it's not as though they scan correspondence going in and out of the Vatican. W maybe, but ... 2. Some bishops know they'll have a holy furor on their hands if they try to bully through substantial changes in the people's Mass parts. Because progressives have taken over the churches? Hardly. Most Catholics have settled into a confortable auto-pilot at liturgy, especially the clergy. While bishops can afford to have an mc pointing to the right line on the right page for them at confirmation and chrism Mass and the like, your average parish Father Joe does not. He counts on being able to sail through parts of the Mass (like doing the Confiteor and the Gloria when he needs to get his bearings ... and remember if the Sacramentary is still marked for last Sunday) so he can get to the parts that really worry him: the homily. Amy's commentariat is concerned I'm going off angry or I'm plotting a rebellion against the GLB's and GLG's and GLP's who will faithfully (and gleefully) implement the new Ordo Missae. Why would I do that? It's one thing to discuss the relatively stratospheric topics of translation versus transliteration for presidential prayers. Most Catholics couldn't care less about the specific words the priest says. We know the Eucharistic Prayer is long. We know our kids' attention spans are short. We know that the bishops and some clergy have drastically mismanaged the moral and material resources of the Church. If at first you fail at managing sex predators, then try something easy like changing everybody's words at Mass. The bishops had a lot of credibility in the late 60's. They had guts to do serious work at a serious council. People were optimistic about the Church. For the most part, we were willing to buy into the program, at least initially, because we trusted our leaders. Today, that trust has been squandered. Poor liturgy implementation contributed to that. But the new liturgy wasn't bungled everywhere. People became a bit polarized over their bishops in the 80's. But we had a lot of good discussions on peace and economics. Today, bishops, even the innocent ones, are showing signs they don't get it. Lots of lay people who are quite a-ideological (unlike the blogosphere) are still ticked off. They're not going to pick up a missalette for responses they've had memorized for thirty years just because a priest says so. And priests who've been saying Mass for decades aren't going to suddenly consult the Missal for every new phrase Bruce Harbert throws at them. When it all comes out in the wash, I suspect Pope Benedict knows on what side the stole is more than an ex-papabile fresh off his '04-'05 PR tour. Honestly, folks. You've always known I think Liturgiam Authenticam has problems. If some of y'all see fit to criticize the English version of Roman Missal I (Vatican-approved just like the document in question) I don't see how you can debunk any reasonable criticism of LA, just 'cause you disagree with me. The bottom line is that we need better texts in the liturgy. Neither of the last two ideological incarnations of ICEL have been able to get it done in the past twenty-five years. Harbertism is proving nearly as unpopular as the efforts of his predecessors. Maybe it's time for real artists with the English language to replace a few Latin I students on ICEL.

Let's have a double-shot of Gaudium et Spes today, shall we? We complain a good bit about secular humanism. The bishops seem to forward the notion that a Christian humanism has a place in our efforts: From day to day, in every group or nation, there is an increase in the number of men and women who are conscious that they themselves are the authors and the artisans of the culture of their community. Throughout the whole world there is a mounting increase in the sense of autonomy as well as of responsibility. This is of paramount importance for the spiritual and moral maturity of the human race. This becomes more clear if we consider the unification of the world and the duty which is imposed upon us, that we build a better world based upon truth and justice. Thus we are witnesses of the birth of a new humanism, one in which (human beings are) defined first of all by this responsibility to (their sisters and) brothers and to history. A few comments: - I think the optimism of the statement, "I can make a difference," has faded somewhat from the West. If anything extremist martyrs seem to have a stronger sense that by suicide terrorism, they can make a bigger difference. When evil coopts one of your best philosophies, you have a problem. - The GS bishops can hardly be considered reckless: they insist on the balance of personal expression and individualism with a sense of a greater responsibility to the human family. - As much as I would like to say that a post-WWII sense of "truth and justice" has taken root in the world, I have to confess my cynicism on the point, not because I don't wish it were true, but because I don't think we've achieved any significant advances. And the advances that have been made in some areas, seem to be dwarfed at times by a worldwide culture of inhumanity. But maybe you're more optimistic about it? If so, comment, by all means.

In a heading, Gaudium et Spes 54 describes "The Circumstances of Culture in the World Today," starting with: The circumstances of the life of modern (humankind) have been so profoundly changed in their social and cultural aspects, that we can speak of a new age of human history.(1. Cf. Introductory statement of this constitution, n. 4 ff.) New ways are open, therefore, for the perfection and the further extension of culture. Ways of "perfection" and "extension" are not necessarily Christian, but keep in mind that culture, in order to achieve lasting and authentic (See? I can use the word!) progress, must integrate the principles of the Gospel. These ways have been prepared by the enormous growth of natural, human and social sciences, by technical progress, and advances in developing and organizing means whereby (people) can communicate with one another. Hence the culture of today possesses particular characteristics: sciences which are called exact greatly develop critical judgment; the more recent psychological studies more profoundly explain human activity; historical studies make it much easier to see things in their mutable and evolutionary aspects, customs and usages are becoming more and more uniform; industrialization, urbanization, and other causes which promote community living create a mass-culture from which are born new ways of thinking, acting and making use of leisure. The increase of commerce between the various nations and human groups opens more widely to all the treasures of different civilizations and thus little by little, there develops a more universal form of human culture, which better promotes and expresses the unity of the human race to the degree that it preserves the particular aspects of the different civilizations. The bishops, through GS, communicate a hopefulness about the non-sacred sciences that can be applied to the improvement of human life. Doubtless there would be somewhat more detractors today. How would you see the proper balance for the Catholic Church and the world of 2006? Is there still stuff off the barque to get excited about? Or are we better off circling the wagons?

What do you think: worthy of a 6th Sunday of Easter homily topic, or not? At our parish both pastor and vicar general treated it. The latter preached last night to speak of it as an opportunity for adults to solidify their understanding of faith. The former suggested that for the people who come to church, it's just another blip on the pop culture screen. Our faith was not battered by Jesus Christ Superstar or by The Last Temptation of Christ. For believers, it's just a story. So ... preachers will largely have a captive audience for whom the movie/book/phenomenon is not a real issue. Maybe. How did your parish preach on it? How would you do it yourself?

JPL's stout rovers continue their scientific study of Mars on opposite sides of the planet.

The Catholic Culture web site has posted its own summation of Kansas City's Bishop Finn. I suppose conservative Catholics online need somewhere else to go to get the NCR story, but without the troublesome bits that send them to the liquor cabinet or the antacid shelf. Concerning Finn's mission, Dr Jeffrey Mirus states: The great complaint, of course, is that these changes were made without consultation, and made by a man with an “agenda”. Again and again in news reports, the mantra of non-consultation is chanted loud and long. I think the more serious charge is that changes were made without competence. Mirus's own nine-point plan is a bit more tainted than his readers might suspect. Concerning: "Dismissed the lay chancellor and replaced him with a priest" and "Dismissed the female religious who served as vice chancellor and replaced her with a layman with a track record in Catholic apologetics." What Mirus doesn't tell you is that these people were invited back to their jobs just a few weeks after they were pink-slipped. In one instance, the bishop went begging to dismissal number two not once, but three times. Regarding consultation, it's more for the benefit of the person making decisions, especially if the person is new to the job. Bishop Finn continues to impress me as a sincere, humble, and generally nice person. But let's face it: he stumbled in his first steps in reorganizing the chancery. I know that few of us have an entire year to get up to speed on a new job, shadowing our predecessor and learning the lay of the land. Twice in my own career, I've had surprise hires on about two weeks' notice. Despite Mirus' protests to the contrary, it is indeed necessary to go slowly. What is true for a liturgist--an admittedly sensitive position in most parishes--is equally true for a bishop. You need to have knowledge and information on who and what is going to make your job easier. Jean Beste, former diocesan vice-chancellor, was complaining less about not "being consulted" than by the clear lack of a grasp her new superior(s) had about the job she did:

Although Finn told NCR that he had planned to hire a full-time human resources person, Beste remembers the few weeks after Finn’s succession as confusing. She believes that it was not until she began to turn over tasks to the new administration that they realized the scope of her work.

“I had planning, I had personnel. I had priests’ retirement. I had pastoral administrators. I had parish-based ministries. I did a lot of stuff and they were beginning to realize all this stuff that no one was picking up,” she said.

Moreover, it was the peak time for new hirings and contract renewals for diocesan offices, parishes and schools. In mid-June, Finn asked Beste to stay through mid-July. Beste said she couldn’t because she had planned a home visit in July and couldn’t change airline reservations.

Shortly after, Beste recalls, “Brad Offutt came in and said, ‘I heard you told the bishop you weren’t able to stay a month longer. If I asked you, would you be able to do that?’ ” Beste again said no. He asked if after vacation she would work two days a week for three months, and Beste said she couldn’t answer him right then. A day or so later, Offutt returned with another request: If I asked the bishop, would you stay another year? She said she answered: “ ‘No, Brad, I could not work here another year.’ That was out completely.”

She told NCR, “You know, if they are asking me to stay one more month or to come back for a year, do they plan well?

“No,” she answered. “I figured, it was their loss.”

My sense is that Catholics--lay and ordained--who work for the Church in significant roles have a certain expertise that assists pastors and bishops. Just like lay people who work in the secular sphere, we have certain competencies on which our bosses rely. That's why employees are hired: to do the work superiors can't do or don't want to do. The disadvantage for the narcissistic boss is that employees know the job, the business, and the day-to-day stuff much better than management. When the new bishop realizes, "Oops; who do we have on child abuse prevention?" and the new chancellor sure as heck isn't going to take that piece, then yes: there will be a bit of an unprofessional scramble. Mirus concludes: There is more to come in the diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. It is too soon to tell how successful Bishop Finn’s approach will be. If he succeeds in reshaping his diocese without losing a substantial number of the Catholics within it, this will upset all the conventional wisdom—the wisdom by which nearly every diocese and the Church as a whole has been governed for almost 50 years. It will become clear that quick, public, and decisive action constitutes effective leadership. It will force other bishops to question whether the only possibility is a slow war of attrition, often so slow that the objectives are forgotten. Like Archbishop Vlazny, Mirus doesn't get it. Conservative Catholics have been the poster boys and girls for leaving the Church these past few decades. It's been conservatives, not liberals, who have pulled their children from parish schools and RE and homeschooled. It's been Latin Mass folks who have either gone into schism or sought out extra-parish communities in which to worship. Few liberal KC Catholics will pull out of religion because of Bishop Finn. They will yank their subscriptions to the diocesan newspaper, but pastors will still need to pay for the required number of subscriptions to prop up the budget. When Finn pulled McBrien, they gained 30 subscribers and lost a hundred. They might cut their donations to the diocesan budget. The thirty-for-a-hundred trend would be a tough pill to swallow on that front. There is a certain physics of sociology that even bishops cannot contravene. People are watching Bishop Finn closely. Some are rooting for his success; others awaiting his failure. Eventually, both groups will shrink, and as they should: the diocesan expression of Christ's Body is not dependent on the job performance of the shepherd. Bishop Finn is right for emphasizing the call to holiness. I think I mentioned earlier this week that was one of his two main points in his confirmation homily at our parish. The critics and the fan clubs have no appeal to me. But the call to holiness in my personal cooperation with God's grace, in my guidance of my family, in my apostolate as a liturgist and church musician: these are of far graver concern to me. I can't say the previous bishop did much to assist on those fronts. Sometimes all one can ask is that the new bishop doesn't obfuscate on them. But I think an authentically holy bishop would be able to inspire holiness in lay people across the board. If Bishop Finn manages to move in that direction, and as I'm sure his administrative lessons will be learned, he might turn out okay in the end.