May 2012 - OE - lists.wedgeblade.net

5/03/12, Spong: The Vatican vs. the Nuns
by Ellie Stock 03 May '12

03 May '12

HOMEPAGE MY PROFILE ESSAY ARCHIVE MESSAGE BOARDS CALENDAR The Vatican vs. the Nuns Perhaps it takes a political campaign to reveal the fault lines in both our nation and in institutional religion. At least that is what appears to be happening in current American politics. The political season has a way of loosening latent fears, exciting the extremists and bringing silliness to the political arena. We have watched that process for long, long months now. There have been moments when it was the theater of the absurd. Now a news story comes out of the Vatican announcing that, as a result of issues raised in this campaign, an American archbishop, J. Peter Sartain of Seattle has been appointed by the Vatican to deal with “serious doctrinal problems” that have appeared among American Catholic nuns. When the Catholic bishops criticized the Obama health care law’s requirement that contraceptives must be made available to female employees of Catholic institutions, President Obama immediately worked out a compromise. Churches had already been exempted and now it was agreed that contraceptives will be provided free of charge to those female employees of Catholic institutions by the health care companies themselves, so that the Church’s moral teaching on this issue was not compromised. It seemed a reasonable solution and was widely applauded. The largest body of Catholic nuns called “The Leadership Conference of Women Religious,” many of whom work in hospitals and health care facilities, agreed to the compromise immediately. The bishops, however, a few days later did not agree, thus pitting the sisters in a public dispute against the bishops, who are in the Catholic system proclaimed to be the church’s only “authentic teachers.” Dissent in an autocratic system strikes at the root of authority and threatens the imposed conformity. It now appears that the “independence” of these sisters had to be countered and the sisters brought into line, that is into conformity with the teaching of the bishops. So now a “visitation” has been ordered by the Vatican and, once again an all-male hierarchy in the name of a God named Father, has directed that women be disciplined and forced to conform to the patriarchal ordained leadership of the church if they want to remain in religious orders. Since no women can be ordained, there is no way that women in this church will ever be empowered to do anything, no court to which they can appeal this abuse of authority and the world gets to see how empty the idea still promulgated by this church really is: namely that treating women as second class citizens does not mean that women are regarded as “inferior” only that they are “different.” In this church all power flows through the hierarchy of the ordained and since no woman is in that flow chart, women are inevitably and finally powerless. “Separate but equal” was once nothing more than propagandistic perfume sprinkled over the stench of segregated America, now it is to be propagandistic perfume sprinkled over the stench of a patriarchal, sexist church. “Separate but equal” is always separate, but it is never equal! There were, of course, other issues. It was said that the nuns have also challenged the church’s teaching on homosexuality, a male-only priesthood and promoted a “radical feminist agenda incompatible with the Catholic faith.” Roman Catholic nuns have always been more open than the priests and the bishops, at least since the time of Pope John XXIII. With the death of this broad spiritual leader conformity to yesterday became the rule of this church. Hans Kung, probably the best read theologian of the 20th century, was removed from his position as a Catholic theologian at Tubingen because his mind could not be twisted into the medieval concepts required by his church. This action was carried out by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who at that time under Pope John Paul II held the office that in another time gave us the Inquisition. Matthew Fox, one of the most popular retreat and meditation leaders and an environmental activist, was then silenced by the same Cardinal Ratzinger. Professor Charles Curran, one of America’s best known ethicists, was removed from his tenured professorship at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., also by the same Cardinal Ratzinger. Father Leonardo Boff, the best known Latin American liberation theologian, was forced to renounce his ordination in order to continue his work for justice among the poor of Latin America by the same Cardinal Ratzinger. Next we learn that the Vatican, now headed by Cardinal Ratzinger under his new name Pope Benedict XVI, has ordered the removal of a book from all Catholic schools and universities written by a popular female theologian at Fordham University, Sister Elizabeth A. Johnson. Now the nuns are to be investigated. Conformity trumps truth in every direction. By entering into the American political process so blatantly and by forcing the issue of contraceptives into that debate so centrally, the Catholic bishops have blurred the lines between church and state rather considerably. In the candidacy of former Senator Rick Santorum, a very traditional Roman Catholic lay person, he not only stated his opposition to contraception, but he also dismissed President John Kennedy’s understanding of the separation of church and state, saying that it made him “want to throw up.” That candidacy gave us a clear vision of how the Catholic bishops will try to manipulate the American political process. The scene was not pretty. Without any fanfare, the nation now awakens to the fact that two thirds, that is, six of the nine sitting justices on the Supreme Court today are Roman Catholics and that three of them, Justices Scalia, Thomas and Alito, identify themselves with the most hard line conservative wing of that church. Suddenly, the American dream of “Freedom of Religion” looks shakier that it has ever looked before. This ecclesiastical attack against health care for women, against contraception, against the nuns and against their leading theologians, presents us with a picture not of strength, but of a desperate power play, designed to recover influence that this religious system has so clearly lost. When abortion was the defining issue in church-state relationships, the polls continued to show that a majority of Roman Catholic lay people wanted abortion to be a legal option, a safe option, while being at the same time as much as possible, a rare option. Every study reveals that the availability of contraception cuts down the abortion rate dramatically. The Roman Church, however, also wants contraception to be curtailed. Once again, polls reveal that up to 98% of Catholic women in America avail themselves of contraception during some part of their lives. These women are clearly not following the teachings of the bishops. So the bishops have now decided on a plan to use the health care bill of the government of the United States to force its own members to do what their church is not capable of forcing them to do. Is this not a strange twist on the relationship between church and state? Next, they want to use male hierarchical power to silence any dissent within the largest body of nuns in America. If the lay people of this church are not buying what this church is selling and now if the nuns are not buying what this church is selling, perhaps the bishops might ask themselves whether they have truth on their side. No, truth is not determined by majority vote, but truth can be distorted by those who think they possess it just as quickly and just as surely as it can be by those who find its tenets no longer self-evidently true. During his unsuccessful run for the Republican presidential nomination, Senator Santorum also complained that 60% of those who enter a college or a university with a strong religious faith had that faith challenged, disturbed or destroyed by what the senator described as “liberal secular professors.” It did not seem to occur to the senator that maybe these students’ “strong faith” was based on concepts that are either dated, immature or simply wrong. Is knowledge in the future in our universities to be bent so as not to offend the naïve faith of some religious believers? Are we ready to put the Catholic Church in charge of discerning all truth? Was this Church not wrong about Galileo, about Darwin, about Hans Kung? Are they not wrong about women, about birth control, about celibacy, about homosexuality, about mental illness and about left-handedness? Has not the papacy itself owned slaves in its history? Have we not had enough inquisitions, crusades and religious wars to make us loath to return to the Middle Ages? Do we wish to cancel the Enlightenment in order to preserve the faith of the Catholic Church as it is interpreted by this Pope, rooted as he obviously is in a world that no longer exists? Where was this passion for truth and for the exercise of moral leadership when priests were abusing children and the hierarchy was covering it up? Why is Cardinal Bernard Law, the prelate guiltier than any other of covering up that scandal, in a senior Vatican position where he will never have to be called to testify under oath for his criminal behavior? The last thing I want to see is divisive, religious hostility present in our American body politic, nor do I want to see this nation get to a place where we decide that a person is not fit to serve in any public office because of his or her religion. If the Catholic bishops, however, keep trying to impose their agenda on this nation, that is what they will bring about. This nation will be a poorer nation if devout Catholics are excluded from public service. That would remove people like Speaker John Boehner, Senator John Kerry, Vice-President Joe Biden, Chief Justice John Roberts and a long list of other high ranking officials of both parties. We are not at this point yet, but if the Catholic bishops, spurred on by the Vatican, continue to walk the path on which they now seem to be embarking, they will inherit the wind and reap the whirlwind. Those vital nuns are now on the battle line facing this out-of-touch male hierarchy. I predict, however, that the nuns will ultimately prevail. The Vatican has never understood either feminine wiles or the fact that truth cannot be finally trampled in the service of institutional power. ~John Shelby Spong Read the essay online here. John Shelby Spong Lectureship 2012: James Carroll at St. Peter's on May 17 Noted author, historian and journalist, James Carroll, will speak at St. Peter’s Morristown on Thursday May 17 at 7:30pm in the evening. Mr. Carroll, is the Scholar-in-Residence at Suffolk University, holder of the 2011 Alonzo L. McDonald Family Chair at Emory University, and a columnist for the Boston Globe. He is author of ten novels and six works of non-fiction, including “Jerusalem, Jerusalem: How the Ancient City Ignited Our Modern World” (2011). Born in Chicago in 1943, Carroll attended Georgetown University before entering the seminary to train for the Catholic priesthood. He received BA and MA degrees from St. Paul’s College, the Paulist Fathers’ seminary in Washington, and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1969. Carroll served as Catholic Chaplain at Boston University from 1969 to 1974, then left the priesthood to become a writer. Carroll's works include the National Book Award winning "An American Requiem"; the New York Times bestselling "Constantine's Sword", now an acclaimed documentary; "House of War", which won the first PEN-Galbraith Award; and "Practicing Catholic". His most recent book is "Jerusalem, Jerusalem: How the Ancient City Ignited Our Modern World", which was named a 2011 Best Book by Publishers Weekly. Mr. Carroll lectures widely, both in the United States and abroad. Tickets are $25.00 and can be purchased in advance or at the door. Click here for tickets and registration. Question & Answer Kessy, via the Internet, writes: Question: This has been a most unusual day for me. I picked up Vincent Bugliosi’s new book, Divinity of Doubt, at the library. I agree with Bugliosi, whom I do not know. I defined myself before reading this book as a spiritual atheist, but now I think the term agnostic is more suitable. Until today, I always felt I had to know, but in reality I do not see how that is possible. I do not know if there is a God or there is not a God. I am much more comfortable with uncertainty than the certainty expressed in the Christian religion and creeds. I have been reading a book on Spiritual Literacy by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat that gathers spiritual expressions from many different literary sources. It is quite refreshing. I do not need to know. I am at peace. I experience joy on the things I learn that resonate with my own spirit. Answer: Dear Kessy, Thanks for your letter. I think it is fair to say for all of us that there is no God who is exactly like the one we define and claim to know through any particular religious system. The question for me is whether the fragment of the holy that I believe I experience is in touch with some reality beyond my own imagination. The problem with all religion in its organized forms is that it believes, I think, that it knows who God is and, before long, it is making incredible claims in the name of this God such as “my religion is the true religion;” “my church is the true church;” “my Bible is the inerrant Word of God,” or “my pope is infallible.” The Jewish tradition tried to confront this tendency that is found in all religious systems by saying that Jewish worshippers must never speak the holy name of God out loud for fear that they might begin to think they actually understood God. The Jews also placed in their list of Ten Commandments, one that forbade anyone from trying to build an image of God. That commandment seems to me to prohibit the making of images of God out of human words which we do when we act as if the scriptures, the creeds and the various doctrines of the church can actually capture the truth of God in these human vessels. Scriptures, creeds and doctrines can at best point beyond the limits of human words to a reality those words could never contain, but that we are certain is real. The Christian life is really about a journey into the mystery of God. The trouble with most churches and I fear with most clergy is that they think they have already arrived, so no further journey is necessary. John’s gospel has Jesus tell his disciples that the Holy Spirit will lead them into all truth. The presumption of that text is that no one now possesses all truth. My advice to you is that you find a community, whether in a church or not, that will allow you to walk beyond the boundaries of religion into an exploration of the ultimate mystery of life that we call God and then enjoy the journey. ~John Shelby Spong Announcements Read what Bishop Spong has to say about A Joyful Path Progressive Christian Spiritual Curriculum for Young Hearts and Minds: "The great need in the Christian church is for a Sunday school curriculum for children that does not equate faith with having a pre-modern mind. The Center for Progressive Christianity has produced just that. Teachers can now teach children in Sunday school without crossing their fingers. I endorse it wholeheartedly." Subscribers, please remember that your subscription is automatically renewed. You can unsubscribe at any time. Simply login to access your profile page and cancel your account. Login to be able to comment directly on the website. Join in the discussion! Interested in staying informed of the latest updates to ProgressiveChristianity.org? Click here to sign up for our free monthly e-Bulletin, which has articles, reviews, books, events, and more. Look for Bishop Spong on Facebook and LIKE the Facebook page for ProgressiveChristianity.org! You can also follow Bishop Spong on Twitter. Thank you for taking this journey with us! Any questions or concerns, please contact us at support(a)johnshelbyspong.com or 503-236-3545. forward to a friend Copyright © 2012 ProgressiveChristianity.org, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have a membership at our website. Our mailing address is: ProgressiveChristianity.org 4916 Pt Fosdick Dr, NW #148 Gig Harbor, WA 98335 Add us to your address book

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Re: [Oe List ...] The Roman Catholic Church, the Old Catholic movement, and o...
by LAURELCG＠aol.com 03 May '12

03 May '12

Why do the signs on the buildings here and in Porterville (only 2 I've observed, perhaps part of the 100, but that seems a little unlikely) say "Anglican?" In a message dated 5/3/2012 10:26:26 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, tel(a)telphoto.com writes: This is really quite inaccurate. As Bud T. has also pointed out. The "schism" of the Episcopal Church was highly overrated. Quite a small group (like 4 Bishops and part of the membership of fewer than 100 churches) left and formed their own thing which is not recognized by anyone. The Episcopal Church itself seems to be doing just fine, including attracting not only those supportive of LGBT people and women, but also a fair number of disenchanted ex-Catholics, particularly from Latin America. Tracy E. Longacre from Hilfied Friary, Dorset +44 (7519) 636546 just another child of God Blog: _http://tlongacre.wordpress.com_ (http://tlongacre.wordpress.com/) Run Blog: _http://revruns.blogspot.com_ (http://revruns.blogspot.com/) Photos: _http://www.flickr.com/photos/tlongacre/_ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tlongacre/) ———-O0ooo— ———–(——)— ————)–-/—- ————(_/- —-ooo0O—- —-(——)—- —–\-–(– ——\_)- = _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net

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Re: [Oe List ...] The Roman Catholic Church, the Old Catholic movement, and o...
by LAURELCG＠aol.com 03 May '12

03 May '12

In most local communities in California, there's no longer an Episcopal congregation. They're "Anglican" in order to keep the sexual orientation of their clergy hetero. Blessings, Jann In a message dated 5/3/2012 7:31:03 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, tel(a)telphoto.com writes: Hmm, they sound like the Episcopal Church. Why did they decide to create a new organization? Tracy E. Longacre from Hilfied Friary, Dorset +44 (7519) 636546

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FW: Interesting article - follow up to Matthew Fox
by Herman Greene 03 May '12

03 May '12

This weekend we hosted Matthew Fox at our church in Chapel Hill, NC. The article below is about the Pope's crackdown on Caritas Internationalis. I believe this group funded some of ICA's work in Europe and Egypt. Herman _____ From: Kathy Murray [mailto:kmurray49@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 5:23 PM To: Richard Edens; Herman Greene; Bill Murray Subject: Interesting article - follow up to Matthew Fox This is what Matthew Fox was talking about - a follow up to the Pope's chastising the nuns for focusing on the poor and not paying enough attention to abortion and homosexuality. The screws go deeper. Note the the person who wrote this decree is a member of Opus Dei. Thought you might be interested. Vatican imposes new controls on charity federation by <http://ncronline.org/users/john-l-allen-jr> John L Allen Jr [1] on May. 02, 2012 * <http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today> NCR Today [2] ROME -- After moving last year to block the re-election of the first laywoman to head Caritas Internationalis, the Rome-based confederation of Catholic charitable agencies around the world, over an alleged "lack of coordination" with papal aides, the Vatican today imposed sweeping new rules that effectively tightens its control over Caritas' finances and global operations. Among other points, the rules require the top officials of Caritas to make promises of loyalty before a Vatican official, including "Christian obedience" to church leaders. Aside from its direct importance for Catholic charities, today's Vatican move is also interesting for the recently decreed overhaul of the Leadership Conference for Women Religious in the United States, the country's main umbrella group for superiors of women's orders. Like LCWR, Caritas Internationalis is a juridical person under church law recognized by the Vatican. The new rules are thus a further indication that the Vatican is in earnest about tightening its grip over groups that enjoy official status and, in some sense, represent the church. The rules came in the form of a "General Decree," released today in the name of Italian Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican's Secretary of State. Composed of nine articles, the rules specify that: * The Vatican office which oversees Caritas is the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, and it has the power to approve in advance "any text with doctrinal or moral content or orientations," which may also be submitted to the review of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. * Cor Unum will appoint an ecclesiastical assistant to Caritas, whose role will be to "promote its Catholic identity." * Cor Unum must approve any cooperative agreements between Caritas and non-governmental organizations, except in cases of dire humanitarian emergencies. (In the past, Caritas had been criticized for entering into agreements with NGOs whose approach to issues such as population control differs from that of the Catholic church.) * Caritas officials are required to report any contact with foreign governments or diplomatic missions to the Secretariat of State. (Also in the past, Caritas has been criticized for conducting a sort of "parallel diplomacy" alongside the Vatican's official diplomatic apparatus.) * Cor Unum, in consultation with the Secretariat of State, must approve various sectors of Caritas' financial operations, such as wages, contracts and the review of budgets. * Top officials of Caritas Internationalis must pronounce loyalty oaths before the president of Cor Unum, who is currently Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea. The officials are required to vow "always to conserve communion with the Catholic church, both in word and in mode of acting," to preserve and transmit "faithfully the deposit of faith, rejecting any doctrine contrary to it," and to "observe Christian obedience to what the Sacred Pastors declare as authentic doctors and teachers of the faith, or stabilize as leaders of the church." The decree was accompanied by a commentary written by Msgr. Osvaldo Neves de Almeida, an Argentine priest of Opus Dei who serves as an official in the Secretariat of State. Neves argued that the new rules come out of a series of meetings with Caritas Internationalis and Vatican officials, and that much of the content is already in place. Neves wrote that the new rules are "of significant assistance to the institution, worthy of the human and spiritual quality and professionalism of its officers," and that they will enhance "the distinctive identity of Caritas Internationalis, which is both its strength and the source of its particular efficacy." In January 2011 the Vatican denied approval for the then-secretary-general of Caritas, Zimbabwe-born laywoman Lesley-Anne Knight, to stand for a second term, a move seen as pushing Caritas to become more evangelical as well as more firmly committed to church teaching. Knight's successor at Caritas, French secretary general Michel Roy, welcomed the new rules. "Our immense gratitude to Pope Benedict for granting these new Statutes and Rules and the staff of the Holy See who have worked with us through this long process," he said. "The new Statutes and Rules clarifies that Caritas Internationalis is an organisation both at the service of the confederation members and of the Holy See." Kathy Murray, LCSW 919-684-9795 (Work) 919-423-6776 (Cell)

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Book: "Abundance: the future is better than you think", by Diamandis & Kotler
by slottaglobalnews＠earthlink.net 02 May '12

02 May '12

Dear Colleague Dialogue, (These comments are from OliveAnn Slotta in Denver.) I just came across a new book called Abundance:The future is better than you think. As our ICA community is in the midst of celebrating a 50 year center-point, my curiosity to read some new futurist writing was peaked. The further I get into this book, the more relevant to our kairotic moment its data seems.

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Micro/Macro: Measuring things in the Universe
by Ellie Stock 01 May '12

01 May '12

Pretty cool animation. Just slide the bar AT THE BOTTOM to the left or right......... Be sure to go BOTH ways on the sliding scale. This is truly amazing. http://htwins.net/scale2/scale2.swf?bordercolor=white

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Re: [Oe List ...] FW: Mowanjum stories-from Julie Miesen
by the telfords 01 May '12

01 May '12

Hi Lynda, Greetings from Frankfurt. We have not more info than you do as we only read about it whilst away from any worries and having fun. We meet up with my brother and his wife on Wed in Progue and then travel to Budapest where we board the Danube Romantic Cruise for 8 days. Will return to Australia on May 27th . Love Elaine and John On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 4:12 AM, Lynda Cock <llc860(a)triad.rr.com> wrote: > ** > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Lynda Cock [mailto:llc860@triad.rr.com] > *Sent:* Sunday, April 22, 2012 10:10 PM > *To:* 'oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net' > *Subject:* FW: Mowanjum stories-from Julie Miesen > > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Julie & John Miesen [mailto:miesenjj@optusnet.com.au] > *Sent:* Sunday, April 22, 2012 8:27 PM > *To:* Lynda Cock > *Subject:* RE: Mowanjum stories > > Dear Lynda, > > I don't think I have John's email address, but you are welcome to put it > on the OE list serve. > Having spent most of my first 2 years in the Order at Mowanjum, it was the > place where I learned most and learned to love the people. > > These day, it will probably go unnoticed by the Australian public as the > "turn to the right" has descended on us again. > > Much love > > Julie > > > > > *-------Original Message-------* > > *From:* Lynda Cock <llc860(a)triad.rr.com> > *Date:* 23/04/2012 3:58:58 AM > *To:* 'Julie & John Miesen' <miesenjj(a)optusnet.com.au>; 'frank bremner'<fjbremner(a)hotmail.com> > *Subject:* RE: Mowanjum stories > > John and Julie, Thank you so much for sharing this very tragic news of > the deep trouble in the Mowanjun community. I couldn't tell to whom this > article was sent, but John didn't receive it which made me wonder if it > went out to the OE list serve. Of course the OE list was down yesterday > for maintenance so there may have been some loss. Should I send it on to > the OE list serve? > > Certainly we will keep this in our care. Thank you for keeping us in the > loop. > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Julie & John Miesen [mailto:miesenjj@optusnet.com.au] > *Sent:* Sunday, April 22, 2012 2:13 AM > *To:* undisclosed-recipients(a)mail06.syd.optusnet.com.au > *Subject:* Mowanjum stories > > Dear Order Ecumenical and ICA Australia colleagues, > > You will remember Mowanjum, the first community the Ecumenical Institute > worked in at the end of the 1960s and early 1970. > > We loved many of the people there, and have recently learned that it is in > deep trouble. The attached articles were written for the Canberra Times and > Sydney Morning Herald newspapers, and they are for your information and > prayers. > > Go well, > Julie Miesen > > > > > *-------Original Message-------* > > *From:* frank bremner <fjbremner(a)hotmail.com> > *Date:* 19/04/2012 7:01:59 PM > *To:* John and Julie Miesen <miesenjj(a)optusnet.com.au> > *Subject:* Mowanjum stories > > G'day Julie > > Attached are the online versions of the same article, by Russell Skelton. > I think they're pretty much idenhtical, and cover the same material as in > The Age today. I know The Age and The SMH are both Fairfax papers, while > The Canberra Times is independent. I suspect Skelton circulated the > article widely. > > I'll print these off, check with The Age newspapeer (I always get it on > Thursdays for The Green Guide), then check The Australian today. > > Cheers (hardly the right word) > > Frank > > > [image: FREE Animations for your email - by IncrediMail! Click Here!]<http://www.incredimail.com/?id=619267&did=10500&ppd=2727,201107241502,9,1,6…> > > _______________________________________________ > OE mailing list > OE(a)wedgeblade.net > http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/oe_wedgeblade.net > >

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