Holy Thursday Used to Slam Courageous Priests

Pope Benedict used Holy Thursday to denounce the Pfarrer Initiative, which is a group of about 300 priests in Austria openly support the inclusion of female and married priests.  I posted a short entry about this group last year, though they have been around since 2006.  The group has put out a "Call to Disobedience," which encourages parishes to let women preach and for a lay person to celebrate Eucharist when no priest is available.  They are opposed to any parish closing because of the priest shortage.  The Austrian bishops have not imposed any penalty on these priests as of yet and in January their bishops met with Vatican officials to discuss the group.


Benedict chided the group for encouraging change in the church through disobedience and for putting their own preferences and ideas before that of Christ.  Especially on this last point, Benedict is completely wrong.  These priests are risking their own livelihoods to proclaim a message that they feel has been delivered to them by the Spirit--and for that they should be commended.  Disobedience in the church is tricky business, but so is closing church doors for lack of priests.  Real change in church and society only comes about from sacrifice and being a pain in the neck.  On this Triduum weekend, I thank these Austrian priests for their courage and perseverance in asking the bishops to respect the call to the priesthood received by women and married persons.


Happy Easter!!!


A Faithful Catholic

Listecki Turns Agasint Labor... and Shows he is a Republican

Archbishop Jerome Listecki talked politics recently with the news people of Channel 6 in Milwaukee  Last year, after Walker introduced his plan to get rid of collective bargaining for public unions, Listecki issued a letter about the need to protect unions.  Now he is backpedaling.  Word on the street is that he got a lot of flack from conservative and wealthy Catholics regarding his letter last year.  In this recent interview, he admires Walker for doing what he thinks is right, though time will tell.  That's simply throwing  union workers under the bus.  He admits that a recall is valid for a politician if they do something morally detrimental.  Obviously, trouncing on workers' rights does not count.  Now if you are talking about Democrats such as Obama and Nancy Pelosi - he has multiple attacks and critiques. In fact, some their actions cannot stand.

He denies being a Republican or Democrat... he's a Catholic.  But in his interview he attacks the ideas of Democrats and respects ideas of Republicans that clearly defy Catholic teaching, but... "time will tell."  To try and and save face, he goes on at length about his worker background in Chicago.  While that may be true, that was a long time ago.  He is no longer blue collar - he's a land speculator. 

Archbishop Listecki,  We need to support working families so that they will be less inclined to be tempted by the sin of abortion, which you view as the greatest evil of the day.  Living in the Milwaukee area, it might be nice to add racism as a sin from time to time.  Racism in a major issue for Milwaukee that even the Cardinal of New York mentions it from time to time. 

Tomorrow's reading from James has him telling his readers:

"Are not the rich oppressing you?
And do they themselves not haul you off to court?
Is it not they who blaspheme the noble name that was invoked over you?"

Now James does not say the Church should abandon the rich.  But woe to the rich.  Archbishop, do not forget to save some harsh words for them and perhaps your own portfolio.

A Faithful Catholic

Wisconsin Bishops Issue Immigration Letter

Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki and his fellow Wisconsin bishops issued a pastoral letter on immigration December 12th, "Traveling Together in Hope."  December 12 is of course the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron of the Americas.  The central message of the document is a verse from Matthew 25: "Welcome the stranger."

The letter does not call for amnesty, but asserts that the number of visas for immigrants needs to be increased and a path for citizenship created for many of our neighbors to the south.  The documents even mentions the possibility of restitution, but does not name any particular circumstances.

The reasons listed for illegal immigration include the insatiable desire on the part of Americans for cheap goods and services as well as the domestic and foreign policies of the United States of America.  I would assume that the latter includes free trade agreements and subsidies to American corporations that create an inequality of competition in many parts of South America.

This is a fantastic document that also appropriate for this time of year because according to the Gospel of Matthew, the Holy Family emigrated to Egypt in search of a better life.  Thank God the Egyptians did not deport them.

Have a great Advent and a blessed Christmas season.

A Faithful Catholic

Local Franciscan Priest Concelebrates with Woman Priest

Fr. Jerry Zawada, who is part of the local province of Franciscan Friars concelebrated mass with a woman priest November 19th at the School of Americas protest.  Zawada concelebrated with Janice Sevre-Duzynska, who coincidentally, was the woman whose ordination Fr. Roy Bourgeois witnessed.  On November 29, Zawada met with his Provincial Minister to discuss the matter.  At this time, no action is being taken by his order.  No action has been taken YET by the Vatican. 

Zawada is firm in his belief that the ordination of women is a justice issue in the Catholic Church and is prepared to receive whatever punishment may be handed down.  Nevertheless, he will not recant his action and will not willingly leave the Church that he loves. 

Zawada is a long time peace activist who has gone to jail on a number of occasions.  Thank you Fr. Jerry for your courageous witness.  You are a true priest - a mediator of God's will to God's people.

A Faithful Catholic

Fr. Roy Bourgeois Arrested at Vatican

Fr. Roy Bourgeois, of School of the America fame, was arrested at the Vatican when he tried to deliver a petition to the Vatican with a number of women priests, who were dressed in their liturgical garments.  The groups was attempting to deliver a petition supporting Fr. Roy and women priests, which was signed by 15,000 Catholics.

Perhaps Arab Spring will make its way to the Vatican.  As the linked article points out, the group was told that protesters are not allowed in the Vatican.  When the group dropped their signs, they were told that women wearing vestments was a protest, therefore, only Fr. Roy could proceed, since he was a "real" priest.  After Fr. Roy stated that the women were legitimately ordained priests and need to accompany him, the police arrested Fr. Roy, a woman priest, and the translator.  It is unclear if they will actually be tried.

Many thanks to Fr. Roy and the many brave women priests.  This public stance against the Vatican is wonderful.

A Faithful Catholic

Altar Girls are Confusing... to Bishops

The Vatican's newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, printed an article in early August in which they praised the use of altar girls: "The exclusion of girls from all of this, for the sole reason of their being female, has always weighed heavily and represented a deep inequality within Catholic education."  They paper also refers to altar serving as an important and informative experience.  As the Catholic News article points out, the L'Osservatore article was printed the same week that Pope Benedict thanked 53,000 altar services, 60% of whom were girls, for their important service to the Church.  

Now fast forward two weeks.  The Cathedral for the Diocese of Phoenix is now barring altar girls from serving at that parish.  This will not affect the other parishes in the diocese and it was made clear that this was the decision of the rector of the Cathedral.  Nevertheless, I cannot believe that a decision like this is made at the Cathedral without the bishop's approval.  The rector states that he wants to have only boys in an effort to attract vocations to the priesthood, but there is not proof that this practice has ever led to more vocations.  In addition, this action is very strange when one considers that the Pope just thanked tens of thousands of girl altar servers for their service.  The rector stated that girls could be sacristans, but that is a slap in the face.  To the rector, all girls are good for is ironing and washing clothes.  Perhaps the bishop and rector in Phoenix should pay attention to the Pope and L'Osservatore Romano.

A Faithful Catholic

Weakland and Sklba called to Bankruptcy Court

Retired Archbishop Rembert Weakland and Bishop Richard Sklba will be called to give testimony in court, under oath, regarding the sexual abuse cover up for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy case. Although the judge has said the statements will be sealed, these statements have a way of eventually being made public. In any case, I am glad that there will be some type of official record of the sexual abuse cover up in Milwaukee.

In one sense, this is a strange turn of events. It is speculated that Milwaukee and other dioceses have filed bankruptcy to avoid having bishops give depositions. Milwaukee filed for bankruptcy on the eve of Sklba's deposition in a sexual abuse case. If the primary purpose of the Milwaukee bankruptcy filing was to avoid Sklba's day in court, the plan failed. Weakland and Sklba will be called to answer questions in mid-October.

A Faithful Catholic