Loyola University New Orleans Receives Board of Regents Funding for Catholic …
According to a Loyola University New Orleans’ press release, the Louisiana Board of Regents recently announced that it is contributing $400,000 to support the University’s scholarly activities and programming in the study of Catholicism. That funding matches a private donation of $1.3 million to endow The Rev. Stephen Duffy Chair in Catholic Studies at Loyola University.
“The Duffy chair will not only strengthen the intellectual infrastructure of Loyola, it will distinguish Louisiana as a center for scholarship and innovative public programs that promote dialogue across religious and cultural borders,” said Loyola President Fr. Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Ph.D. “This investment in Catholic studies will benefit the community and the state for years to come.”
The chair is named for the late religious studies professor, the Rev. Stephen Duffy, Ph.D., who died March 2007. Duffy taught at Notre Dame Seminary for more than 20 years before serving on the faculty at Loyola from 1971 to 2007. He received Loyola’s highest honor for faculty as the Dux Academicus Award winner in 1999.
Years before he passed away, Duffy included Loyola in his estate plans in order to establish an endowed chair for Catholic studies. “It was important to Fr. Duffy that his gift would ensure that study of Catholic theology would continue to take place at a high level at Loyola,” said Robert Gross, Loyola’s director of planned giving.
The chair is currently held by Jesuit and nationally known scholar, the Rev. Edward Vacek, S.J., Ph.D., and is the first endowed chair in the humanities field at Loyola. In addition to teaching theology courses, Vacek also holds free, public lectures on religion and Catholicism. Loyola’s focus on religions and Catholic studies aims to prepare students to be informed, ethically-minded and socially conscious citizens.
“The College of Humanities and Natural Sciences is honored by this deserved recognition from the Louisiana Board of Regents. Fr. Duffy was very important to our college. His dedication to teaching and the study of Catholic theology were transformative for our students,” said Maria Calzada, Ph.D., dean of the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences. “We are extremely happy that Fr. Vacek will continue his legacy.”
Catholic Education Daily is an online publication of The Cardinal Newman Society. Click here for email updates and free online membership with The Cardinal Newman Society.
Board of Regents funding boosts Loyola’s commitment to Catholic studies
Further distinguishing Loyola University New Orleans as an important center for the study of Catholicism, the Louisiana Board of Regents announced this week it is contributing $400,000 to support the university’s scholarly activities and programming in that field. The funding will match a private donation of $1.3 million to endow The Rev. Stephen Duffy Chair in Catholic Studies at Loyola University, the South’s largest Catholic, Jesuit higher education institution.
“The Duffy chair will not only strengthen the intellectual infrastructure of Loyola, it will distinguish Louisiana as a center for scholarship and innovative public programs that promote dialogue across religious and cultural borders,” said Loyola President the Rev. Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Ph.D. “This investment in Catholic studies will benefit the community and the state for years to come.”
The chair is named for the late religious studies professor, the Rev. Stephen Duffy, Ph.D., who died March 2007. Duffy taught at Notre Dame Seminary for more than 20 years before serving on the faculty at Loyola from 1971 to 2007. He received Loyola’s highest honor for faculty as the Dux Academicus Award winner in 1999.
Years before he passed away, Duffy included Loyola in his estate plans in order to establish an endowed chair for Catholic studies. “It was important to Fr. Duffy that his gift would ensure that study of Catholic theology would continue to take place at a high level at Loyola,” said Robert Gross, Loyola’s director of planned giving.
The chair is currently held by Jesuit and nationally known scholar, the Rev. Edward Vacek, S.J., Ph.D., and is the first endowed chair in the humanities field at Loyola. In addition to teaching theology courses, Vacek also holds free, public lectures on religion and Catholicism. Loyola’s focus on religions and Catholic studies aims to prepare students to be informed, ethically-minded and socially conscious citizens.
“The College of Humanities and Natural Sciences is honored by this deserved recognition from the Louisiana Board of Regents. Fr. Duffy was very important to our college. His dedication to teaching and the study of Catholic theology were transformative for our students,” said Maria Calzada, Ph.D., dean of the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences. “We are extremely happy that Fr. Vacek will continue his legacy.”
For media interviews, please contact the Office of Public Affairs.
Pope Francis, women and ‘chauvinism with skirts’
In the six weeks since Pope Francis’ election, those who have followed him in the media have been treated to a series of tantalizing headlines about his promising views on women.
The wave of excitement began during Holy Week, when Francis washed the feet of two women (and 10 men) and followed this tradition-breaking act a week later with a sermon that stressed the “special role” of women in the church.
And earlier this week, the Francis-induced spiritual high continued to soar with the rumor that Francis would be handing women a record number of positions in the Holy See.
But there has been sobering news, too. Last week, we learned that the new pope will move forward with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s mandate on Leadership Conference of Women Religious. As many will remember, last year, the doctrinal congregation accused LCWR of “a prevalence of certain radical feminist themes” and doing little to further the hierarchy’s teachings against contraception, marriage equality and abortion.
So where does Francis really stand on women? Last week’s publication of the English translation of On Heaven and Earth offers some illuminating clues. Originally published in 2010, On Heaven and Earth is essentially a series of conversations between then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio and Argentine Rabbi Abraham Skorka on issues both contemporary (like globalization and same-sex marriage) and eternal (like the devil and death).
Support NCR’s Webathon.
Donate now.
Each topic is given its own chapter. Chapter 13 is titled simply, “On Women.”
Since Francis’ comments on women in this chapter run just shy of 400 words, I have included the full text below in block quotes. (In the interest of space and focus, I am not including Rabbi Skorka’s ideas.) Although I have broken up his statement to offer commentary on specific ideas, Francis’ words are presented in the same order in which they appear in the book.
In Catholicism, for example, many women lead the liturgy of the word, but do not exercise the priesthood, because in Christianity the High Priest is Jesus, a male. In the theologically grounded tradition the priesthood passes through man.
Women can’t be priests, Francis argues, because their anatomies do not match that of Jesus. In this quote and throughout his comments on women, Francis echoes an ancient idea that was thoroughly developed and articulated by Pope John Paul II in his 1988 apostolic letter* “On the Dignity and Vocation of Women” (Mulieris Dignitatem).
John Paul II believed that while women were of equal worth and dignity to men, the differences in the physical makeup of male and female bodies were reflections of the different roles, purposes, strengths and weaknesses God intended for us. Men and women were designed to complement each other, which is why their genders must dictate their distinct roles in both church and society. Ultimately, to paraphrase Sigmund Freud, John Paul II believed anatomy is destiny. And Francis seems to agree.
The woman has another function in Christianity, reflected in the figure of Mary. It is the figure that embraces society, the figure that contains it, the mother of the community. The woman has the gift of maternity, of tenderness; if all these riches are not integrated, a religious community not only transforms into a chauvinist society, but also into one that is austere, hard and hardly sacred. The fact that a woman cannot exercise the priesthood does not make her less than the male.
Here Francis is evoking John Paul II’s notion of the “feminine genius,” which argues that women have a natural, unique capacity to offer tenderness and nurture to the community. This is the reason Francis, in his highly touted post-Holy Week sermon, spoke about women’s “special role” in the church. But special is not equal, which is why women cannot be priests.
It seems outside the imaginations of Francis and John Paul II that a male could offer nurture or tenderness or women could bring strength and leadership to the church. Our anatomies decide the nature of the gifts we can and cannot provide to the community.
Moreover, in our understanding, the Virgin Mary is greater than the apostles. According to a monk from the second century, there are three feminine dimensions among Christians: Mary as Mother of the Lord, the Church and the Soul. The feminine presence in the Church has not been emphasized much, because the temptation of chauvinism has not allowed for the place that belongs to the women of the community to be made very visible.
For a second and third time, Francis invokes Mary, the mother of Jesus, who according to Catholic doctrine remained a virgin until her death. Again we see the influence of John Paul II, who believed there are two dimensions to a woman’s vocation: physical and spiritual motherhood and virginity for the sake of the kingdom.
It is somewhat telling that Francis reaches back to the ideas of a second-century monk to explain the three feminine dimensions of Christianity rather than lifting up the rich images of the sacred feminine that have emerged in Catholic scholarship and spirituality in more recent centuries. He does recognize that chauvinistic tendencies have obscured women’s rightful place in the church. Of course, women’s rightful place in the church seems limited to some variation of mother or perpetual virgin.
Catholics, when we speak of the Church, we do so in feminine terms. Christ is betrothed to the Church, a woman. The place where it receives the most attacks, where it receives the most punches, is always the most important. The enemy of human nature — Satan — hits hardest where there is more salvation, more transmission of life, and the woman — as an existential place — has proven to be the most attacked in history. She has been the object of use, of profit, of slavery, and was relegated to the background; but in the Scriptures we have cases of heroic women that have transmitted to us what God thinks about them, like Ruth, Judith …
Here, Francis seems to be exploring the deeper meanings behind the traditional practice of symbolically identifying the church as a woman. Women and the church have endured similar experiences of power and victimhood throughout history, Francis argues: Both are great givers of life, and both have been violated and misused.
I wonder if Francis understands the negative effects the limits placed on women’s roles in the church have had on the dignity of women both inside and outside the walls of the church? Although the magisterium insists women have a “special role,” the sad truth is that they still have no decision-making authority in the institutional church and no power to lead the community in sacramental celebrations. Women didn’t even have a voice in the creation of notion of “feminine genius” that John Paul II and his two successors have promulgated.
Women may be valued for their maternal instincts, but ultimately it is the male hierarchy who defines and controls their role in the church. Like his predecessors, Francis doesn’t seem to understand how the strict limits the hierarchy has placed on women’s power inside the church has helped reinforce the powerlessness that women suffer in society.
What I would like to add is that feminism, as a unique philosophy, does not do any favors to those that it claims to represent, for it puts women on the level of a vindictive battle, and a woman is much more than that. The feminist campaign of the ’20s achieved what they wanted and it is over, but a constant feminist philosophy does not give women the dignity that they deserve. As a caricature, I would say that it runs the risk of becoming chauvinism with skirts.
Francis, like John Paul II and countless critics of feminism from the past century, employs the same old misrepresentation of feminism as a belligerent imitation of male domination. (“Chauvinism” is the translation of Francis’ word machismo.) Apparently Francis believes feminists should have been satisfied when they achieved the right to vote in the 1920s. (Is he aware of the irony that women, by virtue of their anatomies, still have yet to achieve any approximation of voting rights in the Roman Catholic church?)
In a world where women account for 70 percent of the global poor, half of all pregnant women lack adequate prenatal care, and two-thirds of the world’s illiterate population is made up of women, Pope Francis wants to insist that any further fight for equal treatment under the law and equal standing in society should be understood as women trying — like vindictive macho men in female drag — to insist on their superiority over men.
If feminism is such a failure, what will, at long last, defeat all of the injustices that ail women in our world? Given all he has said in this interview, I’m sure Pope Francis would agree with John Paul II, who wrote, “the true genius of women,” that innate, unending female drive toward care-giving and mothering, will “overcome all discrimination, violence and exploitation.”
And, after all, who are chauvinists in skirts to challenge the opinions of men in long, flowing robes?
*An earlier version of this column misidentified the type of document.
[Jamie L. Manson received her Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School, where she studied Catholic theology and sexual ethics. Her NCR columns have won numerous awards, most recently second prize for Commentary of the Year from Religion Newswriters (RNA).]
Editor’s note: We can send you an email alert every time Jamie Manson’s column, “Grace on the Margins,” is posted to NCRonline.org. Go to this page and follow directions: Email alert sign-up.
Eden Foods and the Impossibility of Compartmentalizing the Catholic Faith
It was G.K. Chesterton who noted that “The Catholic Church is the only thing which saves a man from the degrading slavery of being a child of his age.” I would argue that the main reason why this is true is because Catholicism isn’t a faith that can be compartmentalized.
Prattle on about separation of church and state all you want, but if you believe you personally can achieve separation of mind and heart, while being faithful to the Two Greatest Commandments,and all that stems from them, then you are sadly deceived.
Catholics believe that faith and reason are compatible, you see. And the Catholic Church, that world society of souls I am thankful to belong to, knows, and teaches, an integral and solidary humanism. You know, the kind that exists as if people really mattered.
Speaking for myself, I’m one of those wacky converts to Catholicism who had enough of tying myelf into knots trying to pretend I was a Christian, when I was really just a self-important, pharisaical, know-nothing with an untrained conscience and a proclivity to put Christ as far away from the center of my life as possible.
But enough about me.
What led me to thinking about this problem of compartmentalizing the faith is the interview responses of Micheal Potter, founder of Eden Foods, when he was questioned by Irin Carmon, who writes at Salon. A good look at the interviews with Mr. Potter can be found at the Standing With Eden Foods website. Take a look at this snippet,
It’s the reporter we know from before (ed. she recently wrote about the Gosnell trial), Irin Carmon, this time gleeful that her earlier interview with Michael Potter of Eden Foods sparked a “legal analysis” from ThinkProgress that expresses doubt over the Eden Foods lawsuit – not that such an analysis from such a source should surprise anyone.
Another blogger, this one from Slate, not to be troubled to do her own reporting, basically spouts the same narrative Carmon is trying to push. But I’d like to look more closely at that narrative expounded in Carmon’s piece.
Carmon claims, citing “allegations, made by two sources associated with the company” that Potter’s objection to birth control and artificial contraception isn’t based on his Catholic faith, but instead on his opposition to macrobiotics found in the drugs.
Carmon tries to corner Potter – who honestly seems flustered in the interview, but in light of all of the liberal fury coming down around him, who can blame him? – into admitting that this isn’t about his religious belief at all, but rather about other objections: constitutional, philosophical, scientific/medicinal objections.
Now what strikes me in this is that Carmon embraces the idea of the “religious exemption” to the HHS Mandate in order to try to find a stick to beat Potter and Eden Foods with. Anyone reading her piece must be struck by the irony: as if she’d be okay with Potter having a religious reason for seeking exemption from the mandate, but how dare he reason from secular sources like constitutional principles and political philosophy — as if, in any other situation, she wouldn’t be saying the exact opposite, telling Potter he shouldn’t be allowed to hide behind religious belief to get away from a secular law, not unless he could provide non-religious reasons for why that law is objectionable. The whole role reversal here is striking and a bit hysterical.
But here’s the real point: Potter’s expression of his objections do seem a bit flustered and even confused, I allow — again, who can blame him? But at the root of Carmon’s problem with Potter is a misunderstanding of the way Catholicism embraces faith and reason, revelation and science, as complementary, indeed intertwined forces, all part of the same “real.”
In other words, that Carmon smells a rat in the whiff of scientific reasoning in a discussion she thinks needs to be all about “faith” and “unseen things” (and she might add “fairies” and “leprechauns”) — this just shows Carmon’s preconceived prejudicial views toward religious reasoning. It shows that she has made the presumption that religiously reasoned things must be reasoned apart from facts and science and nature and, well, the real world as she knows it: not only just apart from, but (I’m willing to bet, in her conception) perhaps opposed to that world.
Now to anyone who knows Catholic theology, this is hogwash.
Read the whole piece to understand why that idea is “hogwash.” Because faithful Catholics, and wannabe faithful Catholics like myself, can’t be pigeon-holed as “right-wing puritans,” or “right-wing fundies” any more than Mother Teresa, or Pope Francis, could be. Nor can Catholics be labeled as left-wing radicals, liberals, communists, etc.
Granted, when looking at a world that is cleaved along these political lines, by tribes and factions thinking only of themselves and their own self-interest, it’s understandable that you might assume everyone else thinks and acts this same way. But that is the opposite of the integral and solidary humanism that the Catholic Church teaches.
I’ll be honest and say I have no idea if the founder of Eden Foods is making day to day decisions that are informed by a Catholic worldview like the one set forth in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. But as the author of the article I’ve linked to makes clear, the Catholic view is a holistic view, and not one that myopically adheres to simplistic left/right political worldviews. Therefore it would not surprise me that anyone serious about their faith would act in a manner wherein their beliefs informed their decision making process. How could it not?
For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.
If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Which helps explain why spending only .89% of my time practicing my faith, and 99.11% not practicing it, is an impossibility.
Sound Off, 4/17/13
I don’t know what’s wrong with that Detroit. But why do they have so many council people and why does each council person people working for them? And now they’re gonna reduce this to one. You mean to tell me when they are council member they don’t do their own work, they have somebody else do it? That is insane. I wonder if they see this going down to the sewer.
Hazel Park
I have a news flash for all the liberal Democrats, if you don’t like Catholic theology and Catholic rules, don’t be a Catholic. What our archbishop said is true. If you are going against what Catholicism stands for, don’t take communion. Don’t be a Catholic. Stay out of the church. Go be another religion. One of those crazy made up religions where you do what you want and it’s okay. Don’t pick on the Archbishop. He simply standing up for what true Catholics stand for.
Royal Oak
My comment is to thank and applaud the letter that was written in the April 10 edition of Open Forum. I want to applaud Trish Guarino for writing such an excellent letter about the Second Amendment being outdated. Everybody in this country should have to read her letter.
Rochester Hills
The state of Michigan has got to be crazy if they won’t let McLaren build a hospital in Independence Township. First of all, look at the jobs it will create. But most important is location. The state says that in Oakland County, you’re within 30 minutes of a hospital. But guess what, if you’re having a heart attack, that could be the difference between life and death. If you’re in northern Oakland County, the closest hospital is in Pontiac or Grand Blanc. So if you put a hospital in Independence Township, that would cut that time in half. And by the way, that 30 minutes doesn’t include the time it takes for the ambulance to get to your home.
Davisburg
Same-sex marriage talk at Catholic church Saturday
Same-sex marriage will be the topic of one of three free presentations on Friday and Saturday, by Dr. Kenneth Howell.
Howell’s presentations, a joint effort of the three Catholic parishes in Peru, will be at St. Joseph Church, 1925 Fifth St.
A Presbyterian minister who converted to Catholicism, Howell gained notoriety several years ago when, as a University of Illinois faculty member, he was released for teaching Catholic doctrine in a course on Catholicism. He later was reinstated.
As a professor of religion at U of I he has taught classes on the history, theology and philosophy of Catholicism.
“The issue of same-sex marriage has deeply divided America,” Howell said. “The Catholic Church offers a long-held and well-reasoned understanding of marriage.”
“With the state of Illinois currently considering legalizing same-sex marriage Dr. Howell’s topics are extremely timely,” said the Rev. William Gardner, pastor of St. Valentine and St. Mary parishes.
“Right now that’s a hot issue people want to know about,” said the Rev.
Humanity and God in the Catholic Church – Casper Star-Tribune – Casper Star
The election of Pope Francis I was significant because the Catholic Church is the world’s third largest human organization. With a membership of 1.1 billion, the church’s size is exceeded only by the countries of China (1.3 billion) and India (1.2 billion). Taken together, more than half of the world’s 7 billion people are either Chinese, Indian or Catholic.
More importantly, the Church of Rome has been the central, constant feature in the growth of Western Civilization since its founding nearly two millennia ago. During that time, it has played a number of different roles, its power has waxed and waned, and it has been endorsed and criticized. But it has always been there. Much of the character of today’s “Western World,” or in economic terms the “First World,” has been shaped in line with or in opposition to Catholicism.
Given this stature, we should analyze what the papal election reveals about the church’s concept of God before our memory of the media blitz fades away.
The pope was chosen in the traditional manner. All the church’s cardinals gathered, went into a secret conclave in the Sistine Chapel and voted. As in past elections, the choice was not made on a single ballot, but took several.
This conclave was fairly short, just two days; others have taken longer. Perhaps this was helped by the days of meetings beforehand, much like a business convention, where the cardinals got to know one another and shared their views of the state of the Catholic Church in both formal and informal sessions. According to media reports, they discussed the challenges facing the church, its present successes and accomplishments, and its future needs.
The cardinals’ votes and meetings show the human procedures the church undertakes to identify a new leader. God does not put in an appearance and publicly announce his choice. Nor does an Old-Testament-style prophet step forward to convey God’s word. God’s will, to use religious language, is instead sought by the cardinals through prayer, confession and shared worship.
Catholics certainly believe the pope is chosen by God, but the process reveals that the choice is mediated through and conveyed by human beings. It is not a revelation, but a group decision made by a majority (not a unanimity) of several dozen men. The face of God in this process is a human face.
This approach fits traditional Catholic theology nicely. The church understands its role as mediating between God and Christian believers. Its hierarchical organization places cardinals closest to God, and so they are best positioned to listen for and follow divine promptings. In a pope’s election, God reveals his will through them.
The human character of the pope was emphasized in Pope Benedict as well. In his decision to step down, Benedict showed he understood that his increasing frailness of both body and mind was beginning to hamper his ability to lead the church. He could no longer function as the “Vicar of Jesus Christ.”
In the past, it was believed that God would make this choice and that the pope would die at a moment of God’s choosing. But with the advent of modern medicine, it has become clear that this is no longer the case. Diseases that would quickly result in death just two decades ago can now be easily overcome and life extended for years.
But with long life often comes increasing mental and physical weakness, as is well known by people with elderly parents. A pope, like all human beings, experiences the diminution of old age, interfering with and ultimately preventing the fulfillment of his papal role, and even the ability to look after himself. Pope Benedict’s decision to step down was a recognition of this.
So the Catholic Church reveals God through its human members; he is mediated through humanity. Catholics may believe that God is unchanging and unchangeable, but human beings are not. Our increasing knowledge of humans’ physical, mental and social character, as well as the increasing role of technology in our lives, alters the way humans relate to the divine and to each other. In the end, it brings about changes even in the Catholic Church.
Pursuit of faith
I recently was baptized, received my first Communion and was confirmed into the Catholic Church. The majority of my friends were not sitting in the pews; instead they were singing from the choir loft. The music they provided was beautiful, emotion-evoking and enchanting. Throughout high school, we sang a mix of religious and secular music, but I always felt that the religious pieces were more empowering and provided more satisfaction. Religious music played a great deal in my decision to pursue and understand a faith, my faith.
As a freshman seeking extracurricular activities, I knew a choir was something I definitely had to be a part of, and the Liturgical Choir was a perfect match for me. Days after trying out, I received an email informing me that I had been accepted and that rehearsal was later that week; it was an awesome feeling. The friends I made in the choir were very friendly and very enthusiastic about the work they did each week. Every minute spent with the Liturgical Choir was a minute I spent closer to understanding my faith.
When I had decided that Catholicism was the faith that I had been searching for, I wasted no time and was ready to commit myself. When I found out the Rite For Christian Initiation for Adults class conflicts every Sunday with the 10 a.m. Mass that the Liturgical Choir sings at, I was torn; do I pursue the music I love or the faith I love? Thankfully, I did not have to choose one over the other; through the collaboration of Dr. Andrew McShane, my choir director, and the Dillons, who ran the RCIA and Confirmation classes, I was thrown into a hectic schedule where I would attend rehearsals, extra classes and extra Masses each week. I was willing to do whatever was necessary. Through this hectic schedule I was able to meet my current godfather, Scott Boyle, who was the greatest teacher, supporter and friend I could have ever met. He patiently answered every question I had concerning Catholicism and was with me every step of the way.
This passing Easter Break was the most important weekend in all of my life. It was a period of spiritual and moral transformation. I needed Catholicism because it gave me something to believe in and hope for. It completed me.
Thanks to the University of Notre Dame Liturgical Choir for being such a great family. Thanks to Dr. Andrew McShane and Mary Catherine Levri for being the greatest directors. Thanks to John and Silvia Dillon for running such great programs. Thanks to Scott Boyle for being the best godfather anyone can ask for. Saint Ambrose, pray for me.
Contact Wei Lin at
wlin4@nd.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Ask The Expert
On February 28, Pope Benedict XVI became the first Pope in nearly 600 years to resign from the position citing declining health as the reasoning behind the move. Following his resignation, Pope Francis of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected by the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13 in what was the shortest papal conclave in the history of the Catholic Church.
The selection of Pope Francis has historical significance as he is the first Pope to be selected from a country outside of Europe as well as the first Jesuit Pope. The following is an interview with Quinnipiac University’s professor of sociology Grace Yukich. Professor Yukich is a sociologist of religion who has studied Catholicism specifically.
Q: How significant is the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI to the Roman Catholic Church and its followers?
A: I think it’s pretty significant. His resignation seemed to shock the world and certainly shocked most Catholics. I think one of the things that really surprised people about it is now they are going to have to completely rethink the whole idea of whether a Pope is always a Pope because now you have a situation where there are two living Popes. We don’t really know what that is going to look like and if there is going to be any conflicts in the halls of power.
Q: Do you believe Pope Benedict’s health is the only reason for his resignation, or does the story go deeper?
A: I know there has been some speculation about whether there are some scandals that might have led to him stepping down. I don’t know if that’s the case or not but I think it’s possible but it’s doubtful that that’s what made him step down. I think he has been very taxed by those situations and all those scandals just wore him out whereas other recent Popes haven’t had to deal with those issues on such a large scale.
Q: Has Pope Francis differentiated himself at all from the traditional view of a Pope?
A: He is certainly different from Pope Benedict although I feel like he has more in common with Pope John Paul II in that John Paul was more of a pastor than Benedict who was more of a theologian. Certainly the thing that really sets him apart is that he is the first Pope in 1200 years that is not from Europe. If you look at where most Catholics live today and where Catholicism is growing the most, it is in Latin America, Africa and Asia. There are fewer Catholics in Europe and the United States then there used to be. So I think that was an intentional choice on the part of the Cardinals and I think it was a good choice to be honest.
Q: How will having a Pope outside of Europe affect Catholicism around the world?
A: I think it could really affect Catholicism in Latin America because one of the things that has been happening over the last 30 years across Latin America is people have been converting to Evangelical Protestantism and so the Catholic Church has been losing a lot of its members to these other Christian traditions. Having a Pope from Latin American could put a hold on that because there may be some people who just feel so proud that the Church has picked someone from their part of the world and as a result, feel affirmed as Catholics.
More importantly, I think this reaffirms for all Catholics around the world that the Church is a universal church. It is not just a church for Europeans, it’s not just a church for Americans, it’s a church for the world and this decision helps to affirm that.
Q: What are some areas of the Church Pope Francis will chose to focus on first?
A: We have already seen Pope Francis distinguishing himself as really having a focus on the poor which could have a really important impact on the Church. So if he really sticks to that and really tries to get Catholics to focus more on the teachings of Jesus and how you are supposed to treat the poor, then that could potentially transform the Church but I don’t know if he will continue his focus on that or not.
Q: Pope Francis has been vocal with his stance against gay marriage. How, if at all, will this affect the social viewpoints of Catholics around the world?
A: When it comes to issues on gender and sexuality certainly his is orthodox regarding those issues. I think there are going to be some people who are really happy about that and some people that will be upset about that. In the United States I think his stances will be relatively unpopular. According to a recent Gallup poll, 87 percent of Catholics said that birth control is completely morally acceptable and he is taking a different stance. If Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul didn’t convince them that birth control is wrong then I don’t think Francis will either. In fact, it might make them more irritated with the Church.
It is the same thing with gay marriage. At least in the United States over half of Catholics say that they support gay marriage or civil unions for same sex couples. I don’t think this Pope is going to change their minds about this especially with things moving in that direction so strongly. People in other parts of the world aren’t as supportive of these issues as Americans are so they may see Pope Francis stance on these issues as wonderful and be really happy about it.
Q: How do you believe Pope Francis would define a successful term as Pope?
A: From his point of view, I think that a successful term as Pope was one where he was a pastor to people. He seems like he really does care about people, and if he is able to properly convey that to people then he will see that as a successful papacy. I also think that he recognizes how important it is to address the sex abuse scandal and I certainly think that if he is able to do that then he will view that as being successful. The other thing I would say is that Pope Francis is really concerned with the poor, and whether that be trying to make a different through state policy or simplifying the Vatican itself, but if he is able to do one of those two things then that would be a success for him.
Catholicism growing in Ghana
finally on this easter sunday, while the
roman catholic church
struggles in some parts of the world, including here in the
united states
, the church in africa is being embraced like never before. nbc’s stephanie gosk recently traveled to
ghana
where the church plays an increasingly central role in people’s lives.
reporter:
far from the fresco and guilt the altars of rome, one of the few places in the world where the
catholic church
is growing — the
west coast
of africa. a
catholic mass
in
ghana
looks familiar in some ways, distinctly different in others. this mass runs 2 1/2 hours. and still the pews fill up with spillover forced outside. the occurrence at this church is repeated across
west africa
. congregations are big, and getting even bigger and the faces are very young. in the build-up to the conclave,
ghana
‘s 64-year-old
cardinal peter turkson
got a lot of attention as a possible pope, especially for those pulling for him back home.
we never thought a half-black man would be president. so i think he can be the pope.
reporter:
there’s bound to be some disappointment now that the cardinals have chosen. but enthusiasm for the faith is unwavering.
he encourage me to believe in god and that help me to believe in my faith.
reporter:
god really is everywhere in
ghana
. there’s the
book shop
called god’s time is best. the god never fails cement company. if your pipes burst, try true god plumbers. the church often steps up in
ghana
where the government struggles. in
cape coast
,
cardinal turkson
‘s former archdiocese, 60% to 70% of all
medical care
and education are provided by the
catholic church
.
mercy hospital
specializing in women’s
health care
was the cardinal’s idea.
it is about the contribution the church makes.
reporter:
those contributions are one reason the church will continue to grow, even without a
black pope
, the face of catholicism is changing. stephanie gosk, nbc news,
cape coast
,
ghana
.
Recent Posts
- Local Catholic priest marks 50 years since being ordained – Bryan
- Daily Readings for Thursday, May 23, 2013
- Director of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry – St. Thomas and St. Elizabeth …
- Catholic Priests Don’t Like Mass Changes, Survey Shows
- Catholic priests in Philippines bring Mass to shopping malls to meet the people
Categories
- a catholic prayer
- belief of catholics
- bible and catholic
- bible of the catholic church
- catechism of catholic
- catechism of catholic church
- catechism of the catholic
- catechism of the catholic church
- catholic beliefs
- catholic bible study
- catholic books
- catholic christmas cards
- catholic church
- catholic church bible
- catholic church catechism
- catholic church history
- catholic church online
- catholic doctrine
- catholic faith
- catholic first communion
- catholic guide
- catholic hymns
- catholic information
- catholic mass
- catholic missal
- catholic news
- catholic prayer book
- catholic prayers
- catholic source
- catholic sources
- catholic theology
- catholic topics
- catholics and the bible
- confirmation gifts
- doctrine catholic
- holy cards
- holy spirit catholic
- liturgical calendar
- prayers for children
- prayers for the catholic church
- resources catholic
- roman catholic doctrine
- roman catholic faith
- roman catholic teaching
- roman missal
- spiritual catholic
- st charles borromeo
- st francis de sales
- st john the evangelist
- st rose of lima
- sunday homilies
- the catechism of the catholic church
- the catholic catechism
- the catholic prayer
- the catholic saints
- the roman catholic faith