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ZENIT
The World Seen From Rome
Daily dispatch - November 29, 2008
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LETTERS TO THE EDITORS
Truly Liberated Women
More to Feminine Genius
Questioning the Polls
Thanks, Father Cantalamessa
Father Rosica a Good Choice
Deeper and Deeper in Faith
Prayer Advice Right On
What to Do With Moral Bankruptcy
Generous Need Not Apply
Forming Priests for Mass
Dying to Self in Marriage
Hospitals' Witness Needed
Eager to Defend Pius
A response to: Awaiting the Age of Mary
We will truly be in the Age of the Woman when women acknowledge that the truly liberated woman is she that does the will of God. When one does the will of man in opposition to the will of God, one then is truly enslaved.
God bless!
Garry Legault
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A response to: Awaiting the Age of Mary
To limit the feminine genius to fertility is being very narrow. Women with children are fertile in many ways in the church and society. Women who choose to be infertile for the Kingdom of God likewise bear fruit. There are women who can't have children. Many of them adopt. Some women choose not to have children, for reasons laudable and some not. A friend of mine is a carrier of a deadly gene. She has lost three children already at a tender age. She chooses not to continue this. The article seems to imply that women who don't have children or limit their children all have abortion. That is not so.
Patricia L. Marks
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A response to: Poll: Catholics Want Immigration Reform
Polling 1,000 Catholics does not make a majority by any means. I know more Catholics who do not support illegals in the ways suggested in this piece. Thomas Aquinas' saying holds true: There is no charity in allowing injustice.
These people have unjustly broken our laws by not applying for citizenship like others from their countries have done. As Citizens of the US, none of us can break the laws of the land and get by w/it. Illegals have nations of their own from which they should demand these "rights" and not simply take them from another nation because they can get by w/it. Why don't these same people who protest against our just laws, take to the streets in their own nations against their unjust laws. We are simply pushing the problem further down the road for answers by not properly responding to the root cause. Breaking the laws of the US simply because it seems OK to do w/o repercussions, is never an option. Citizens of the US could not do so nor should a non-citizen do so. Please tell me where is the justice in that. And where is the justice for those who have awaited their entry into the US as prescribed and done all that was necessary to become legal citizens of the US.
I repeat: "There is NO charity in allowing injustice." for anyone. And everyone knows it. That's why so many US citizens are opposed including Catholics. It is not from a lack of charity but a resounding lack of justice for all.
Carole Winder
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A response to: Father Cantalamessa Evaluates Weekly Meditations
Dear Zenit,
I want to sincerely thank Fr Cantalamessa for many years of holy service to God's people, not only to the 'Popes household' but to thousands of others around the world. His generosity, insight and holy love have been a continual inspiration to us and I ask God's abundant blessings on him. I'm sure I am one voice in thousands when I say I'm very much looking forward to reading his commentaries on the gospels over and over again when his forthcoming book is published.
Thank you dear Father Cantalamessa and thank you Zenit. God bless you all.
Yours faithfully
Mary Harrison (UK)
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A response to: Father Rosica Launches Weekly Column
Having Fr. Rosica do a weekly column on Scripture--I assume taking over Fr. Cantalmessa's column--is an excellent choice!! Thank you.
Sr. Dorcee Clarey
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A response to: Eucharist vs. the Word
I can't believe how much this helped me and taught me. Recently I was flummoxed in my classroom, as we wondered about words, language, and relationships with sacred texts...the classroom is about literature not theology, but I sure wish I had read this before those moments of fumbling.
How endless the Catholic faith is...half my life over and I will never get to the bottom of it.
Jeff Johnson
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A response to: Don't Let Wi-Fi Leave Your Prayer Life Dry
Dear Father Lombardi,
How very true this article is! Thank you for writing it.
I teach high school students in the 10th grade in a religious education class, preparing them to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Based on pre-class questionnaires, I am certain that few of my 16 students have much of a faith life, let alone a prayer life. However, they do have their electronic media available! I would like to discuss this article with my class in January, if you would permit me.
For myself, I found this article having important information. I attend Mass every day, pray the Rosary every day and pray Morning & Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. I try to keep my prayer times set, or at least close to the same times per day. I usually "go away" to my office in the house for Evening Prayer. (My wife & I pray Morning Prayer together.) I "go away" to get away from electronic media. Yes, I understand exactly what you are saying.
Thanks again!
Stephen E. Berry
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What to Do With Moral Bankruptcy
A response to: Setting SalariesDear Editor,
The Social Doctrine of the Church makes this insightful statement that applies to the free market system: "One of the fundamental tasks of those actively involved in international economic matters is to achieve for mankind an integral development in solidarity" (No. 373).
The key word solidarity should mean that every citizen ought to share in the responsibility in the fair distribution of a nation's wealth. Fr. John Flynn is correct in pointing out that the recent extravagant executive salaries on Wall St., at a time when the government has approved a huge corporate bailout package, are an indicator of the total disconnect with the harsh difficulties being experienced by those who have lost their jobs, their houses and are facing an uncertain future. It's not the way a nation's citizenry tries to meet the important requirements in developing solidarity and in building the common good.
However, the problem goes much deeper. The moral question that should and has not been asked during this world financial crisis is, why did the central watchdogs, the regulating agencies like Moodys, Standard and Poor's and Fitch Ratings give triple A ratings, this is the top evaluation possible, to all the packaged asset-backed commercial paper, sub-prime mortgages and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs)? These so called structured investments were in fact neither properly nor honestly rated because they've turned out to be worthless. What this entails is that some institutional financial advisors, with the help of professional regulators, were able to invent an investment scheme that amounted to financial alchemy. What's too good to be true should not be believed, but greed all too often gets in the way of the truth.
As a result, the financial wizards managed, with their make-believe assessments, to fool just about all the experts by defrauding many individuals and institutions of billions of real dollars. How could this happen? It's simple; we neglected to practice at least three commandments: One, Seven and Eight. Of course we need to fix this financial collapse, but the more pressing question is, can we fix our moral bankruptcy? People can surely solve the first issue, but only by humbling ourselves and turning to God can we address the second and more serious ethical question.
Thank you,
Lou Iacobelli
HMWN Catholic Radio
Canada
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A response to: Setting Salaries
Do we have an understanding of what these high salaries for top executive levels have on the individual, on corporations, and on society in general? There seem to be signs that tell us that by using higher salaries and bigger bonuses to attract individuals to these executive positions we are encouraging a culture of materialism and of greed that then permeates into the whole system and begins to produce very negative results and that the system will attract to these positions individuals who are materialistic and greedy and who do not care about the people who they are supposed to be serving.
Is this a naive view, or is there a chance that our society could produce capable individuals to serve at those levels who are looking for something else, who will see themselves as stewards, as ministers in service of the people and will find satisfaction from that?
Jorge Rodriguez
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A response to: Cardinal: Liturgical Error Often Due to Ignorance
Cardinal Arinze mentions that some liturgical abuses during the Holy Mass occur due to lack of understanding of the character of liturgy.
This leads to very sad conclusions, since -- given the abuses are an effect of the celebrating priest's ignorance -- it shows that preparation of some priests is by far insufficient for one of their most important tasks.
We read that "Some [...] don't know, for example, that words and gestures have roots in the tradition of the Church. Thus, they think themselves more original or more creative changing them."
Such state of matters should be deeply concerning for all Catholics, thus it seems very important that we pray for (and seek other ways of aiding them) good formation of those who undertake the priestly vocation, so that they can avoid any mistakes themselves and teach the faithful an appropriate attitude to liturgy.
Bartosz Jerzy Kaczkowski
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A response to: Marriage Leads to Heaven
I think it is very telling that the Church chose to honor the Martins based in their wedding anniversary. During my marriage preparation in the Catholic church, we learned that a proper, holy marriage requires 'dying to self' each day. On the day I was married to my wonderful husband, I was blessed to feel a physical change take place - it was beautiful. In essence, the old me had died, and the new me, this man's wife, was ready to take on the challenges of married love. Praise the Lord!
Louis and Marie-Zélie Guérin Martin, pray for us!
Tara Szymanski
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A response to: Bishop Admits Ethical Lapse in Catholic Hospitals
I am puzzled as to how a hospital can have a "misunderstanding" in regards to abortions and sterilization procedures. Is it not rather black and white? I hope there are some administrators being heavily questioned and corrected in this matter. In the area of "reproduction rights" there should be no question as to what is right and wrong, what is acceptable and unacceptable. Catholic hospitals have been leaders in this area for centuries and the world needs these beacons of light to shine just as brightly in the centuries to come.
Nicole Merritt
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A response to: Reflecting the Truth of Pope Pacelli
I so well remember the saintly Pope Pius XII from my teen-age years in The Netherlands. He was greatly admired by everone. It saddens me that there are some people who slander this saintly man. I will defend him whenever and however I can. It is especially grievous that there Jews who trying to block Pius XII from being raised to Sainthood. How many Jews owe their lives to the ascetic late Holy Father Pius XII?
Peter Stornebrink
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