Dansmettieduiwels pokes with power

Dansmettieduiwels pokes with power

Moira de Swardt
02/22/2012 11:44:38

Moira de Swardt: While the Roman Catholic Church insists on a celibate male priesthood they are going to continue drawing criticism regarding sexual abuses.

Dansmettieduiwels is a work based on the theme of the stereotypical Roman Catholic priest as a child sexual predator, “An unholy Mass … Have mercy on us”. It is an old and hackneyed premise and I expected that I would not like the work. I was wrong. I liked it very much indeed and wish I had the time to see it again. There is much that is rich in metaphor which I must have missed first time round. It is a very clever and complex dance creation.

Using sacred music by Johann Sebastian Bach, much of it from his Mass in B minor, the work began not with the glorious Baroque strains, but with a song relating to materialism with a prayer to God for a Mercedes Benz from somewhere. Thinking back on that it was a poor start to the fine work which would have been better off beginning with the visuals and the Bach. The projected words were a mix of Bible verses and the Eucharistic Liturgy – the words used to celebrate Holy Communion, particularly the words of the Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy).

There were very rich visuals projected onto a screen behind the dancers, initially of the contemporary church with the current Pope, then a variety of images from art by theme, and it was fun to pick out the themes which included Adam and Eve, Baptism, cherubs and heavenly beings and the Stations of the Cross. At one point there was also footage of the Northern Cape sub-economic housing developments. Design was by Marquen Carstens. This footage screamed at how mundane and out of place it was amidst the glories of the music, art and riches of the current church. This sense of alienation is important in the context of the work and occurred in various little places.

Byron Klassen danced the role of Cupid/Eros, setting the scene for sexual lust, with Grant van Ster as the Priest. Every so often a new character appeared, first the Father (Christopher Samuels), then the Mother (Illse Samuels), then the Boy (Faroll Coetzee). The Boy looked very young and I certainly hope he is above the age of consent, for the work has an age restriction (no under 16s) and is fairly graphic in places. This is the group from the “Garage” dance group which I gather is an ad hoc dance group based in the Northern Cape.

Anyone who is familiar with the Roman Catholic Mass, either from a musical point of view, or from a liturgical point of view, would have had no trouble marrying up the music to the action and to the sentiment, even if that sentiment were an ironical take on the issue. During the graphic scene between the Priest and the Boy, the Sanctus played. Black humour, but amusing indeed.

Vestments were plain for the most part, but when dressed for the Eucharist made use of red, the colour of martyrs. The vestments occurred in two places, once on stage and once in the accompanying visuals, and in both places the music was jubilant in tone. This contrast jarred, and in the first instance I assumed that it was liturgical ignorance, but at the second instance I realised that it was me who had been unable initially to piece the inconsistency together to come up with the study in contrasts which makes up the alienation in the midst of the familiar.

The work is clever and, despite the triteness and tiredness of the topic, I was able to feel a great deal of empathy for the characters. Abuse is always a heinous sin against the victim, the community, society at large and against God Himself. There is no adequate punishment nor reparation. “Lord have mercy.”

Dansmettieduiwels is choreographed by Alfred Hinkel for Garage. The performance I attended took place at the Market Theatre on 21 February at 19:30.

The Dance Umbrella, presented by the Dance Forum, is Dancing All Over Johannesburg until  4 March 2012.

Moira de Swardt
Freelance Journalist
moirads@wol.co.za
011 482 7320
082 553 2457
 

Funeral service for Wisbech Town stalwart Malcolm Devitt to take place at …

Malcolm Devitt.

Story by: TOM JACKSON, Editorial Content Manager
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
12:34 PM

HUNDREDS of people are expected to gather at Wisbech Town FC on Sunday when it hosts the funeral service for one of its most capped players.

Malcolm Devitt died on February 12, two weeks before his 75th birthday, after falling from a ladder in Cyprus.

He made 385 appearances for the Fenmen after signing from Bradford City in 1963 and finished his career at the club.

His widow Josephine – from her home in Cyprus – has organised the funeral service to take place at Wisbech Town FC’s clubhouse on Sunday starting at 9.15am.

Their son Andrew said: “Myself and Mark (Robson, Malcolm’s grandson) were looking for a venue to hold the service and Wisbech Town said we could use the facilities at the football ground.

“He was popular in Wisbech and was very well liked by the supporters club.

“We have got people coming from Bradford, due to his links with Bradford City, and some friends from Thailand. If there are too many people to fit inside the clubhouse we can hopefully use a PA system.”

The service will be a traditional Latin Catholic mass led by Fr Heyne, of Germany.

Andrew said: “Mum wanted a traditional Latin Catholic mass but there are not too many priests who hold them. Fr Heyne still does it and comes over once a month for mass in Ely – and he is being flown in for the service.”

The service will be followed by interment at Wisbech Cemetery with a wake at the supporters club in the afternoon.

Spencer Larham, Wisbech Town FC’s website editor who lives at the ground, said the club has not had to get permission to hold the service.

“We haven’t had to do anything other than organise the room,” he said.

Malcolm leaves widow Josephine, son Andrew, daughter Teresa and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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• Internment is imprisonment without trial. I think you mean interment. While we are at it, Malcolm Devitt made 385 appearances for Wisbech. Caps are awarded when you play for your country.

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PICK OF THE DAY

Rolling over Beethoven Conductor Kurt Masur has his work cut out for him at his Boston Symphony Orchestra gig. In addition to presiding over the BSO, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and international soloists, the maestro uses his baton for Missa Solemnis, Beethoven’s challenging Catholic Mass setting. Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. (through Feb. 25). $20-$120, $20 under 40 (first-come-first-served basis, one pair per performance). Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston. 617-266-1200. www.bso.org

TODAY

Artistic calendar The title of this group show was inspired by the collection of folkloric tales “The Arabian Nights.’’ “The Calendar’s Tales: Fantasy, Figuration, and Representation’’ is a multimedia exhibit by contemporary artists who invent mythological beings, fantastic creatures, allegorical figures, fictional characters, and personal avatars. Presented by Boston University School of Visual Arts. Pictured: Joyce Pensato’s “Silver Batman.’’ Today from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (through March 31). Free. 808 Gallery, 808 Commonwealth Ave., Boston. 617-353-3371. www.bu.edu/cfa/visual

They’re back After they broke up in the late ’80s, two band members earned doctorates, one started a drug and alcohol rehab program, and one focused on family music. The Del Fuegos reunite for a 12-city tour starting in their hometown of Boston. Original members Dan Zanes, Warren Zanes, Tom Lloyd, and Woody Giessmann will play from their catalog and then some. 8 p.m. $25. 18+. Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston. 800-745-3000. www.livenation.com

Their portfolios The Boston University Creative Writing Program shows off its own at the Creative Writing Faculty Reading. Some of the profs sharing their new poetry, plays, and fiction are Robert Pinsky, former US poet laureate; Dan Chiasson, a poetry editor for The New Yorker; and novelist Sigrid Nunez (“Sempre Susan’’). 7 p.m. Free. Boston University Photonics Center Auditorium, 8 Saint Mary’s St., Boston. 617-353-2510. www.bu.edu/writing

TOMORROW

Sharon’s sharing Small gestures kick up large emotions in the hands of singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten. On her latest record, “Tramp,’’ Van Etten shares stories of self-examination. Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. $15, $17 day of show. 18+. Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston. 617-876-4275. www.worldmusic.org

August in February The Huntington Theatre Company production of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’’ opens March 9, but the cast gets a jump on the August Wilson play at tomorrow’s Reading of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.’’ In the powerful drama, four blues musicians gather in a rundown 1920s Chicago studio waiting for the legendary blues singer, Ma Rainey. Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. Free (RSVP is recommended at www.huntingtontheatre.org/raineyreading). Hibernian Hall, 184 Dudley St., Roxbury. 617-266-0800. www.huntingtontheatre.org

Techie Turkle MIT professor Sherry Turkle is an expert on mobile technology, social networking, and sociable robotics. Silence your phone and listen to her at Alone Together: Intimacy and Solitude in the Digital Age, part of Mount Auburn Hospital Auxiliary’s Thursday Morning Talks. Feb. 23 at 11 a.m. (reception at 10:15 a.m.). $20. Holy Trinity Armenian Church, 145 Brattle St., Cambridge (Sparks Street entrance). 617-492-3500. www.mountauburnhospital.org

Try BostonGlobe.com today and get two weeks FREE.

Christians Observe Ash Wednesday; Cerritos-Artesia Catholic Mass Schedule

Christians throughout the Southland will observe Ash Wednesday today, beginning the 40-day season of Lent, when the faithful prepare for Easter by doing penance for sins and seeking spiritual renewal through prayer, self-denial and good works.

Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes of the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance.

A minister or priest marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes in the shape of a cross, which the worshipper traditionally retains until washing it off after sundown.

In the Roman Catholic church, Ash Wednesday is observed by fasting, abstinence from meat and repentance. Other Christian denominations make fasting optional, with the main focus being on repentance.

In the Los Angeles region, Archbishop Jose Gomez will celebrate Ash Wednesday Mass at 12:10 p.m. in English and 7 p.m. in Spanish at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, where Mass will be also celebrated in English at 6:15 a.m., 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 3 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.

In the Cerritos-Artesia area, Catholics can attend Ash Wednesday Mass at Holy Family Catholic Church in Artesia at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. (Spanish) in the Parish Hall. Ashes will be distributed after every Mass.

In his Lenten message, Gomez wrote that “Lent reminds us that we need to always be growing in virtue and holiness so we have the strength we need to continue along our pilgrim way.”

“That is why we being every Lent by reliving Jesus’ own journey into the desert,” Gomez wrote.

- City News Service and MarieSam Sanchez contributed to this report.

GOP candidates to debate in Arizona Wednesday

with just five hours to go before a debate dry spell of 27 days comes to an end with a
high stakes
showdown in the desert of
arizona
. much has changed since the fearsome four last met in florida. gingrich into the gutter.
romney
on the rocks and
santorum
with a big surge. and tonight could be the shoot-out in the last chance saloon. the last time the candidates will share a stage before primaries in
arizona
and make or break
michigan
. indeed, it’s the last face-off before super tuesday. by the way, it’s also ash wednesday and national margarita day. so there’s a slim chance that front-runner and devout catholic
rick santorum
will show up drunk in the spirit and who could blame the former senator for celebrating with a little tequila? a quinnipiac national poll out this
morning shows

santorum
leading
romney
by 9 points with republican voters. and while our new nbc/mayor rift poll shows
romney
with a commanding lead in
arizona
, it’s a statistical tie up in
michigan
, one of
romney
‘s many home states and one he is desperate to win. but the question is, can
rick santorum
stay on message tonight in the or will he get hot under the sweater vest and start reprising some of his favorite speeches like the one that surfaced recently where he said that
satan
is not just temperaturing individuals but he’s at war with the
united states
.

the father of lies has his sights on what you would think the father of lies
satan
would have his sights on, a good, decent, influential powerful country, the
united states
of in irk.

santorum
defended himself from charges against
donald trump
that he is so out there and that means something come interesting trump. as
santorum
said last night, it just means that he’s authentic.

the reason i think we’re doing well in this campaign is because we are being available to the american public, no teleprompters, no written speeches, the opportunity to see what’s in here. what’s up here. and what’s burning down here.

goodness. we don’t know what’s burning down there. perhaps rick should seek urgent
medical assistance
. as for
mitt romney
, you do get the sense with
arizona
confidently in pocket, he’s just really sad to have to take time-out from his beloved
michigan
. the white powder or the white sugar,
powdered sugar
, that’s the word,
powdered sugar
on top of the punch key reminded me of what’s going on outside, how beautiful it is.
michigan
looks so beautiful when the snow comes with a fresh
powdered sugar
all over everything.

i love this state. it seems right here. the trees are the right height. i like seeing — i like seeing the lakes. i love the lakes.

oh, beautiful for spacious skies, but no burning sensation. that’s good to hear. let’s bring in our panel now. with us from washington, msnbc
political analyst
and former dnc
communications director

karen
finny, columnist for the hill and ken vogel, chief investigative reporter for politico. with us from nashville,
judson
phillips co-founder of the
tea party
nation. .
karen
,
rick santorum
is talking about
satan
,
neonatal care
and the
fire down below
.
mitt romney
is talking about finding his wife in kindergarten and his love of trees. i know i was off for two days but what on earth is going on? have they lost their minds? this this is what happens when you go away. my god, it’s like we’re in the
1950s
when people were criticizing
elvis presley
for those wiggling hips. i mean, it’s crazy. clearly tonight it should be a very interesting conversation where
rick santorum
will as you said in the introtry to talk about the economy although i think he’s going to have a lot to answer for. he seems to think he’s got those answers so it will be interesting to see what he actually says.

it will be an interesting defense of beal za bub. ken, given how well
santorum
is now doing in the polls, does this not prove that a return to
1980s
disco and the culture issues is working well for him?

it’s certainly working well in the republican base but highlights the diver jens of priorities between the republican base voters and the
general election
voters and you know, americans more broadly who polls
show time
and again care about the economy and jobs. yet, in the republican base in a
republican primary
, there is room for these social issues and that’s what
rick santorum
is strongest on and what
mitt romney
is weakest on. it makes sense
rick santorum
, even as he talks about focusing on the economy continues to be pulled to the right and continues to train his focus on these social issues.

we’re watching
rick santorum
live in
arizona
at this very moment.
judson
, if i can come to you. you’ve been following the
political discourse
over recent days. i have to ask, what does the
tea party
think of invoking
satan
, pushing transvaginal probes in virginia, and
mitt romney
claiming to be severely conservative?

well, is this segment three days? seriously.

do you have as much time as you like,
judson
. go right ahead.

well, the thing about the
tea party
, the
tea party
‘s not monolithic. the transvaginal probes that people are talking about, that’s not registering with anybody. at least nobody i’ve talked to. the stuff that we’ve heard, the clips that
rick santorum
has talked about
satan
and the like, for a lot of folks in the
tea party
, this is pretty consistent with what they hear in church every sunday from their priest or preacher. so it’s not terribly shocking to them.
santorum
is a practicing catholic. what he said i’m not catholic but i understand it’s pretty consistent with mainstream catholic theology. nobody on my side of the table is tearily shocked by what he is saying.

he i think some might take issue with you.
karen
might like to.

i think the issue of transvaginal probes is certainly registering with the women voters shall we say?

who after all, make up the majority of the population in the
united states
.

that’s right.

that’s right. and voters. but a couple of other things that you know, there was a group today of prominent christian leaders from a number of different denomination who’s actually put out a statement obviously as you mentioned, it is the beginning of the season of lent and basically they said cut it out. we should not be using faith as a weapon, a political weapon. and i this i they’re right.
santorum
is largely gotten a major pass on one of the things that he said which was that is obama’s agenda is not based on the bible. it wasn’t just his theology that he went after. but you know, i would think for
tea party
members as well as moderate republicans and independent voters, there is such a thing as the
separation of church and state
. i think he’s gotten a pass on that. there are a lot of folks interested to hear more about what did he really mean by that. at the same time, i think
romney
has really clear little missed an opportunity to try to find his way into a conversation with independent voters because he’s been so damaged, if you will, with the far right and some of those social issues. again, those are voter who are less comfortable with some of this religious talk.

we should report that
bob mcdonald
has now, pardon the pun, reversed his view and withdrawn the idea of mandatorilitory transvaginal probing of women who are pregnant hog are seeking a termination and so on. but
newt gingrich
and his wife callista were asked this morning about the start of lent, of course, today is ash wednesday. take a listen to this,
karen
.

what are you giving up for lent? have you decided?

i am going to give up desserts, all desserts.

all right.

and just quickly.

i challenge you to ask what she’s giving up.

what are you giving up.

i’m giving up my opinion.

i’m assuming
karen
, she’s joking. it does seem a bit like women’s opinions have no place in the current republican environment.

apparently not. apparently women are just supposed to be quiet and sit in the back. we’re not allowed to show up at hearings about issues that affect us. we’re not allowed to have opinions. we’re just.

in can the fa, i suspect
darrell issa
would be disgusted you’re on this panel.

i’m sure he will be. you’ll just have to shut me up.

okay. ken,
mitt romney
‘s comeback strategy. first, don’t repeat anything that you only say at the
yacht club
. but what else? i mean, how does he take on
santorum
‘s burning and passion and wherever that burning is, how does he do it, ken?

i don’t think he takes it on by focusing on those social issues although we have heard him speak a little bit more about his religion recently which is potential will i a useful thing for him. however, he think we’re going to see him and have already seen him and his allies in the super pac that supports him take on
santorum
by highlighting his support for raising the debt ceiling, for ear marks. these are things, maybe they’re not shocked to hear
santorum
talk about religious issues,
satan
, hear talk about transvaginal probes. but that’s not where they want to see the focus. they want to see the focus on fiscal issues. ironically,
mitt romney
is kind of the enemy of the
tea party
. many tea partiers. that’s where he is strongest and that’s where he can come at
santorum
and really make some headway. i think we’ll hear that tonight in this debate as we have for the last several days.

judson
, very, very quickly, your feelings about how newt is going to do tonight. he’s your man.

i think he’s going do really well because he’s in the perfect position.
romney
has got to the take
santorum
out in this debate.
santorum
has got to defend himself. newt can do what he does best which is wait for the right moment, swoop in with his great point that leaves everybody on the stage nodding like bobbleheads and then go onto the next point.

and spread poison everywhere.

judson
,
karen
, ken, thank you very much for joining us.

Evangelist Franklin Graham questions Christianity of Obama and Romney

Franklin Graham, the son of prominent evangelist Billy Graham, questioned the Christianity of both President Obama and presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Tuesday.

Asked in an interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” if he believed Mr. Obama was a Christian, Graham said he would “have to assume” he is because “he has said he’s a Christian,” but then added that he cannot answer the question himself.

“You’ll have to ask President Obama,” Graham said, when asked directly what he believes about Mr. Obama’s faith.

“You can ask me ‘Do I believe you’re a Christian?’ I think the best thing for a person is to ask you directly, so I think people have to ask Barack Obama. He’s come out saying that he’s a Christian, so I think the question is ‘What is a Christian?’” Graham said.

Graham was also asked about the former Massachusetts governor, who is in tight race with Rick Santorum, a conservative Catholic, in next week’s Republican primary in Michigan.

“Most Christians would not recognize Mormonism as part of the Christian faith,” Graham said, declining to say outright that he does not count Romney, a Mormon, as a Christian.

“I’m just saying most Christians would not recognize Mormonism,” Graham said. “Of course, they believe in Jesus Christ, but they have a lot of other things they believe in too that we don’t accept theologically. But he would be a good president if he [won] the nomination.”

Graham suggested Mr. Obama is not as Christian as he could be, or as Christian as other presidential candidates on the trail.

“But the question is: What is a Christian? And a Christian is a person that believes Jesus Christ is God’s son who died on a cross for our sins who God raised to life. And that if we put our faith and trust in him, then God will forgive us of our sins. Now, that’s the definition of a Christian. I was 22 years old when I asked Christ to come into my heart. You cannot be born a Christian; you can only be converted. And that is by putting your faith and trust in Christ,” Graham said.

He said that, in a conversation he’d had with Mr. Obama a number of years ago, the president told him he’d started to go to church while working on the south side of Chicago because leaders in the community told him it was a necessity.

“So therefore, by your definition, he’s not a Christian,” prompted MSNBC’s Willie Geist.

“Again. You’d have to ask him. I cannot answer that question for anybody. All I know is that I’m a sinner and that God has forgiven me of my sins. Because I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ. That’s all I know,” Graham said.

Graham had a different response when asked if Santorum was a Christian.

“Do you believe that Rick Santorum is a Christian?” asked Geist.

“I think so,” said Graham.

“How do you know? If the standard is only the person knows what’s within him, when you apply it to the president why is it different for Rick Santorum?” asked Geist.

Graham said he believes Santorum is “a man of faith” because of the “stand he takes” on moral issues.

“Well, because his values are so clear on moral issues. No question about it,” Graham said. “And I just appreciate the moral stand that he takes on these things. So I believe that he is. He comes from a Catholic faith; I’m Protestant so there are a lot of differences between what he believes and what I believe. But yet I think he is, no question, I believe he’s a man of faith.”

John Heilemann, a journalist and guest on the show, accused Graham of applying an “incredible double standard” to Mr. Obama and Santorum on the question of religion, given that previously he’d said that one can’t know the depth of another’s religious faith.

“No. I asked President Obama how he came to faith in Christ. And he said ‘I don’t go to church,’” Graham said. He said Santorum had been more persuasive on the question when he had a similar conversation with him about faith.

“You have to look at a person does with his life. Anyone can say that he’s a Christian, but you look at how they live,” Graham said.

Graham also said he thinks Gingrich is a Christian.

“I think Newt is a Christian,” he said. “At least he told me he is.”

Catholic Church leader rejects claim UK Christians are persecuted

Christians are not persecuted in this country and should not claim that they are, the leader of the Catholic church in England and Wales has said. “I personally don’t feel in the least bit persecuted. I don’t think Christians should use that word,” he said.

Lady Warsi denounced “militant secularism” in a speech last week in the Vatican but, speaking to the Guardian, the Rt Rev Vincent Nichols, the archbishop of Westminster, skirted deftly round the term. He said instead that “what might have started out as an acknowledgement of a variety of religious and philosophical positions has produced a seeming determination to tear the legal and therefore cultural life of the country away from its Christian roots.”

After a fortnight which has seen the emergence of a “Christianist” backlash – most recently in evidence with an internet petition against gay marriage spearheaded by Lord Carey, the former archbishop of Canterbury – Nichols seems to be supporting the movement from a careful distance.

Catholics will be encouraged to sign the petition against gay marriage as individuals, but the church as a whole will not be part of Carey’s campaign even though it opposes a change in the law.

But the Catholic church is, he said, considering an appeal against some aspects of the judgment which prohibits Catholic adoption agencies from discriminating against gay potential parents.

“It was, I think, an act of intolerance to eliminate a very small number of these adoption agencies on a matter of principle, or on a single issue. In a plural society, people and groups like the Catholic church should be able to make a contribution.”

The reasoned tone seems a deliberate attempt to take the high ground in the national debate. The statements of the English Catholic bishops in favour of civil partnership (as an alternative to gay marriage) contrasts very noticeably with the grumbling anathemata issuing from the Scottish and Irish churches on the subject.

When asked how to interpret the notorious Vatican description of homosexuality as “a tendency towards an objective moral evil”, Nichols gave me a carefully prepared talk on the roots of Catholic philosophy. “This is a philosophical construct,” he said

It is all part of a careful balancing act between the demands of Catholic theology, and of conservative factions in the Vatican, and the reality of the English Roman Catholic Church, where several of the most prominent lay figures are either gay themselves, divorced, or married to divorced people.

The emergence of the Catholic church into the mainstream of national life has been accompanied by a change in character: the old working class Irish-based Catholicism has almost vanished, to be replaced by a much less traditional English middle class which largely rejects the Church’s teachings on birth control and homosexuality, while still treasuring it for its spiritual value.

In most countries, the Conservative wing of the Catholic church is more or less homophobic, but in England the Catholic Herald, which would be their paper, has been edited by an openly gay and partnered man (who died this month) and does not attack the bishops on that front.

He talked about the curious paradox that Catholic social teaching is gaining in influence and authority at the same time as Catholic sexual ethics seem discredited even among the faithful. Yet they are both, he said, derived from the same kind of reasoning and are an attempt to read out objective general truths about what is good for human beings, and then point our conduct towards them.

So, for example, the Catholic teaching about sex is based on the idea that it leads to babies, and this must be its highest good. The trouble is that when Catholic priests explain the purposes of sexuality they sound too often like a Martian at a football match.

Phrases like “abstract moral evil”, he said, are not aimed at any individual. “One talks about objective moral evil, you might say today, that’s racism. No matter what’s intended or understood, that, objectively, is wrong. In a similar way, you can say, in every sphere of life there is objective moral evil. But that does not imply subjective moral guilt. That does not imply guilt on an individual.”

Catholicism: Journey around the World and Deep into the Faith

PRESS RELEASE
St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, 127 S. Briggs St. (one-half mile north of I80), Joliet will offer a four week Lenten video and discussion series entitled, Catholicism: Journey around the World and Deep into the Faith at 6:30 pm on March 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2012 in the parish church.

This video series, created by Chicago’s Fr. Robert Barron, presents basic Catholic teaching while using powerful visual images of places and artwork from around the world associated with Catholic Tradition. The four topics of the ten-part series to be covered include: God Become Man, the Teachings of Jesus, the Mystery of the Liturgy and the Eucharist, and the Last Things.

These events invite Lenten prayer and discussion and are open at no cost to all who wish to deepen their understanding of the Catholic Faith. For more information, phone 815-722-7653.
815-722-7653

Newsflash: Santorum Out of Touch With Catholic Theology

Does it make it better or worse that Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum — who seems to want to impose his own religious view on the rest of us (or at least on women) — is actually is out of touch with some central Catholic doctrines? I am not talking about his seemingly complete inability to honor Jesus’ radical idea that we love our enemies or spend at least as much time thinking about our own sins as condemning others. From where I sit these simple, undoubtedly traditional, and enormously difficult Christian values don’t enter into his thinking very much, if at all.

No, I’m talking about his recent attack on the values of environmentalism. After saying that President Obama was operating with a “phony, non-biblical theology,” he explained what he meant by claiming that the Obama administration followed a “radical” theology in which “man” was meant to serve nature. The true, the biblical view, Santorum tells us, is that “the earth is here to serve man.”

The big, glaring problem with these assertions for a self-proclaimed highly religious person is that for at least three decades countless religious leaders, theologians and ordinary people of faith have been talking, and acting, as serious environmentalists. (For details, and references to what follows, see my book A Greener Faith: Religious Environmentalism and our Planet’s Future.)

To begin with, religious environmentalists reject Santorum’s (culturally male?) assumption that either we have to rule the earth or it has to rule us. Instead of thinking that in any relationship one party or the other has to be in charge, on top, or more important, religious environmentalists have talked of “partnership,” “cooperation,” “recognition,” “reciprocity,” “interdependence” and even “love.” They have stressed that whatever is done to nature will ultimately rebound onto humans; and integrated issues of class and race into a concept of “eco-justice” which seeks, in the words of the World Council of Churches, to join a society of peace and justice with a human respect for and support of the “integrity of creation.”

Let’s be clear: the advent of religious environmentalism is not simply the province of the “usual suspects” of often politically progressive liberal Protestants, Reform Jews or Engaged Buddhists. Generally conservative Evangelical Christians in the U.S. have some vibrant and active environmental groups and environmentalism is now, as the saying goes, as Catholic as the Pope.

Consider how John Paul II virtually began his Papacy by naming St. Francis as the patron saint of those would seek to protect the environment; and soon after challenged the validity of an unquestioned faith in technology as something that increased the “threat of pollution of the natural environment.” In this caution the Pope was not simply recognizing the negative impacts of pollution on people. He was also warning against a human alienation from nature, and asserting that God wanted people to be “guardians” as well as “masters” of the earth. That is why, he argued, our relations with nature are not simply a matter of human convenience, but are subject to moral laws — just as our relations with other people. Morally our current treatment of the earth suffers from a “lack of respect” — not just reckless and imprudent exploitation: “Respect for life and for the dignity of the human person extends also to the rest of creation, which is called to join man in praising God.”

Finally, in a statement which seems to border on a mix of deep ecology or paganism – -remarkable for the leader of a religion which for centuries had violently persecuted indigenous spiritual traditions — John Paul offered the hope that “If nature is not violated and humiliated, it returns to being the sister of humanity.”

Comparable statements, with a variety of emphases and language, can be found in “Renewing the Earth,” a U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops statement from 1991. Not content to simply rest with well-intentioned proclamations, the Council created resource kits for local parishes with names like “God’s creation and our responsibility” and “Renewing the Face of the Earth,” and included of material to enable theology to become part of the daily life of a local church: source material for sermons, precise and accessible summaries of the church’s teachings, suggestions for prayer and worship, opportunities for environmental action, and examples of such action taken by other parishes. The kits, mailed three times to each of the nineteen thousand U.S. parishes, strongly emphasize that, as the Pope had stated clearly, justice for humans and justice for nature are intertwined.

Thus Santorum’s virtual ignoring of environmental issues — check his website for statements of environmental concern and if you find even one, let me know — may be correct or incorrect, depending on your point of view. But it is not orthodox Catholicism — at least not the morally, politically and spiritually serious Catholicism of 2012, one that has been reshaped by the reality of a global environmental crisis. It is as if Santorum might support kings over democracy because the Church did so in 1750 — failing to notice that the Church had changed its thinking about the role of common people in political life.

If the devil, as it is said, can quote scripture to his own purpose, so can political candidates. Is it that hard to see what those purposes are? And which social forces (corporations) and destructive cultural forms (consumerism) are really the Master such candidates serve?

Will presidential candidates wear ashes at Wednesday debate?

Editor’s note: Tune in Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET for the last presidential debate before Super Tuesday, the CNN/Arizona Republican Party Debate hosted by John King. Follow it on Twitter at #CNNDebate and on Facebook at CNN Politics. For real-time coverage of the Arizona and Michigan primaries, go to CNNPolitics.com or to CNN apps or the CNN mobile site.

By Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor

Washington (CNN) – “You’ve got something on your forehead.”

Every year on Ash Wednesday it’s how the awkward conversation begins.  A well meaning co-worker points out a black smudge on someone’s forehead, not knowing it’s supposed to be there.

The smudge is the imposition of ashes, often on the forehead in the shape of a cross.  Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lenten season, when Christians take time to prepare for Easter through a time of fasting and prayer.  The  imposition of ashes nears a holy obligation for many Catholics, although technically it is not.

As two prominent Catholic presidential candidates take to the debate stage for the CNN Republican Presidential Debate in Mesa, Arizona, lots of people are asking will they or won’t they wear ashes?

In the race for the Republican nomination for the White House, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have made no secret of their Catholic faith.

Santorum was born into a Catholic family and served as an altar boy.  A Santorum aide told CNN that Santorum attended Mass Wednesday morning in Mesa, Arizona.  He was spotted by CNN’s Kevin Bohn after Mass at his hotel with ash on his forehead.

Gingrich converted later in life as an adult to Catholicism. The former House Speaker told CNN’s Shawna Shepherd on Wednesday that he would not be going to Mass on Ash Wednesday. Though he said he’s been in the past, Gingrich noted that Ash Wednesday is “not a holy day of obligation,” referring to days on which Catholics are required to attend Mass.

Gingrich did say he was giving up dessert for Lent, while his wife Callista Gingrich joked that she was giving up “her opinion.”

As the presidential hopefuls get ready to take the stage under the lights and pancake makeup on Wednesday night, what’s a Catholic candidate to do?

CNN’s Belief Blog – all the faith angles to the day’s top stories

“There is no regulation or even a suggestion regarding how long the ashes remain,” according to Monsignor Rick Hilgartner, the executive director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat of Divine Worship.  Hilgartner helps the Catholic church in the United States oversee liturgical matters.

“Sometimes they just don’t ‘stick’ for long, so if someone receives them in the morning they might simply brush off through normal routines later in the day,” he said.

The ashes come from palm fronds, or the stems and leaves, used to celebrate Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week when Christians remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey and being greeted like a king, with the crowd waving palm fronds and laying their coats on the ground. During Holy Week Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Easter Sunday marks the end of Holy Week and the end of any Lenten fasts.

In the Catholic tradition parishioners keep the palm fronds in their house all year, until the start of the Lenten season. The church then collects the fronds and burns them to create the ash.

Receiving ashes is a symbolic gesture, said Hilgartner.  He notes in different countries the ashes are distributed in different ways.  In Italy, for example, ashes are sprinkled over the top of the head.  Last year on Ash Wednesday, Pope Benedict XVI received his ashes sprinkled on the top of his head.

“Whatever the method, the symbolic gesture is just that…There is no discussion about what might be ‘valid’ or ‘licit,’” he said.

The ashes are a physical reminder of mortality and a call to live a better life. In the Catholic tradition when they are applied a priest can say, “Remember man, from dust you came and from dust you shall return” or “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

Suppose a Catholic who happened to be running for president needed makeup for a televised debate, Hilgarten says there would be nothing wrong, “if out of necessity the ashes were removed in order to prepare makeup for a public appearance.”

“It’s not like a tattoo. They could get them and by the time they’re doing their debate they could be gone,” Monsignor Crosby Kern said. Kern is the pastor at the Saint Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, Louisiana.

“Catholics are not required to get ashes,” Kern said. Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation in the Catholic liturgical calender, as Christmas, Easter, and several other days are.

While the New Orleans Police department may be busy on Mardi Gras night clearing Bourbon Street of tourists, Kern said come Ash Wednesday morning the faithful show up en mass to get their ashes.

“We’re full at the cathedral. We have three masses and they’ll all be full,” he said.

While it may not be an obligation, it is an important tradition for millions of Catholics.

In Washington, politicians often are seen with ashes. Most notably in recent years, Vice President Joe Biden has been seen on past Ash Wednesdays with the ash on his forehead.

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama released a statement on Ash Wednesday.

“Today, Michelle and I honor Ash Wednesday with Christians around the country and across the world,” the statement said. “This is at once a solemn and joyous occasion, an opportunity to remember both the depths of sacrifice and the height of redemption. We join millions in entering the Lenten Season with truly thankful hearts, mindful of our faith and our obligations to one another.”

With Gingrich choosing not to get ashes and Santorum receiving them, the question remains whether Santorum will make an effort to keep them for their time in the national spotlight.

–CNN’s Shawna Shepherd, Dana Bash, and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report.