Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Cycle A
Our Lady of Grace
June 29, 2008
Libation and Keys: Symbols of Paul and Peter
June 29 – The Pallium
Today, our Archbishop, Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, is in Rome. He and some others from around the world who were appointed Archbishops since last June 29th are in Rome for a special ceremony.
Every year on this day – on the Feast Day of Saint Peter and Saint Paul – the Pope confers a simple vestment on newly appointed Archbishops.
The vestment is called the pallium and it is a circular band of lamb’s wool worn around the neck and over the shoulders, on top of the vestments for Mass.
The pallium is a symbol of an Archbishop’s unity with the Pope as the successor of Saint Peter. It also symbolizes the role of leadership that an Archbishop has with the bishops, not archbishops, of neighboring dioceses.
We Catholics and practically all Christians see Peter and Paul as the first two great leaders of Christianity.
Peter, you’ll recall, is the one designated by Jesus as first among the apostles and, in effect, the first pope. Paul is the great missionary who early on brought the faith to so many different lands.
Each of these saints, Peter and Paul, has a special message for all of us today, messages that are clearly presented in today’s readings and each of them is captured in a concrete image.
Paul: Libation
For Paul, the image is the word “libation.”
In today’s second reading, Paul begins with these words: “I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation…” For us, the word “libation” means any kind of beverage, such as a coke, lemonade, iced tea, or a coffee.
But for Paul, in this passage, “libation” means a glass of wine sacrificed to the gods. The pagan, non-Christian custom was to pour a glass of wine on the earth as part of a ritual.
They saw this as a sacrifice, as a way of giving yourself and dedicating your life to the gods. Paul uses this pagan, non-Christian idea to express what he is thinking here.
Paul has suffered a great deal and is anticipating that he will be put to death for his faith in Jesus. In fact, both Paul and Peter were martyred for their faith in Rome around the year 64.
Spiritually, Paul was looking upon this as a “libation.” He is making a sacrifice of himself to God, to Jesus, not pouring out wine, but willing to pour out his own blood for the sake of his faith.
And with this expectation, Paul remains positive and hopeful. He uses sports imagery and says, “I have competed well and finished the race, and from now on, the crown of righteousness awaits me.”
So, for his sacrifice, his “libation,” Paul expects not a gold medal or a trophy, but resurrected life with Jesus Christ.
And here is Paul’s message to us. We also face hardships in our lives: the break-up of a relationship, being misunderstood by others, the death of a loved one, the sickness that comes with chemotherapy, and on it goes. We also have sufferings.
Paul’s example calls us to make a spiritual sacrifice, a spiritual libation to God of this suffering. And he calls us to do this with the hope of resurrection and the inner peace that the Lord Jesus offers.
Peter: Keys
That takes us to Saint Peter and the image that he leaves with us is the “keys.”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives Peter “the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” The “keys” are a symbol of responsibility. Jesus is asking him to take care of his body, the Church.
And specifically, the keys speak of the responsibility Peter will have to open doors for others. Jesus reveals that he is “the way” to the Father and “the way” to eternal life.
And while Jesus has unlocked these doors for us, now he wants Peter to continue this work and that is what the “keys” are all about. This unlocking means opening up for us the mystery of who God is and how we are to relate to God – all revealed by Jesus.
This is also where Jesus’ statement about “binding and loosing” comes in. “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
The word “religion” comes from the Latin word “religare” which means “to bind.” The idea is that Peter and his successors, the Pope and the bishops, are to “bind” us to God by opening up the mysteries of God to us and making possible our relationship with God.
And they are to loosen us from those ideas or beliefs or ways of life that do not bind and lead us to God. This is the meaning of the “keys” Jesus gives to Peter.
This image calls us to celebrate, maybe especially today, June 29th, our oneness in faith with the Catholic Church throughout the world. It calls us also to form our faith and our conscience with the guidance of our community of faith and its leaders.
Conclusion
I conclude with one final point.
Peter, in today’s Gospel, professes his faith in Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Paul, in our second reading, humbly and proudly states: “The Lord stood by me and gave me strength.”
With a faith like Peter’s we have the possibility of knowing Jesus as God’s Son. And with a faith like Paul’s, we have the security of God’s overture to us in our daily lives.
The rest is up to us!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Weekly THIS AND THAT for June 29, 2008: Media Management to Protect Your Family: A Plan for All Christians
This and That:
Media Management to Protect Your Family: A Plan for All Christians
Catholic and other Christian families are beginning to realize there is more to life than what the secular media promises, says a Catholic talk show host. I recently read a review of a book Teresa Tomeo has just published entitled: “Noise: How Our Media-saturated Culture Dominates Lives and Dismantles Families.” In the interview Tomeo discusses her book and how families of faith can guard against the effects of the ever-encroaching secular media. It was very provocative. Excerpts follow and will be of interest to Catholic and all Christian parents who are concerned about their children’s viewing of television.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
Q: In your book, you discuss how the media is the most dominant force in American culture today. What do you think are the most damaging effects it has had on us morally and spiritually?
Tomeo: I think the biggest issue is with the overall desensitization of the Catholic culture and belief system. As one Catholic author said on my show recently, the culture has been forming our faith and not the other way around. Birth control, abortion, cohabitation, pre-marital sex, have all become the "norm" in society and most of the messages come from the entertainment media and the news media, which embrace and promote all of the above. That combined with very poor catechesis over the past 40-50 years along with the sexual revolution has led to disaster. The good news is the Church has – and always has had – the answers in her teachings. And there are some real positive efforts such as a huge explosion in Catholic media that are making a big difference. Many Catholics are coming home and realizing that the culture has been selling them a bill of goods and there is something more to life.
Q: What would your response be to someone who said you were overstating the case -- that the media, including Internet, video games, etc. -- is only harmless entertainment?
Tomeo: I would say they are in denial. Many people who make such statements don’t want to take a close look at their own bad media habits such as too much time on the Internet or cell phone or too much time in front of the TV. I also hear this a lot from families as I travel across the United States speaking about this topic – families, namely parents – who don’t want to take the time to stop and see what their children are up to. It takes a lot of time and effort to become a media savvy family, but we all must do our part. To give you an example of just what a media-obsessed culture we are, just nine days after the Pope left the United States the extremely violent video game “Grand Theft Auto Four; Liberty City” went on sale around the world. People were lined up for hours waiting to grab their copy. Now we find out the game has broken sales records – actually beaten the all-time entertainment record in sales. Six million people purchased the game in its first week on the store shelves. The Pope mentioned the culture several times in his U.S. visit and in his address to bishops. He went so far as to say that we can’t talk about protecting our children if we are not willing to take a look at the big picture, including easy access to pornography and media products that promote violence. I would point to Madison Avenue and ask them why it exists if the media doesn’t have an impact? Or how about the Super Bowl where companies spend millions and millions on 30- and 60-second commercials to reach a prime audience? And then I would point them directly to the thousands of studies done by secular universities as well as professional organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Psychological Association, and the American Medical Association, just to name a few, all of whom have been studying media influence for years.
Q: How are children affected by large doses of the media compared to adults?
Tomeo: The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement nine years ago saying, “No TV for children under the age of two.” They also recommend only two hours a day for young children. That’s how concerned the AAP is about the impact media exposure has on children. The medical experts say young children have a hard time separating what they see on TV from reality and it is also important, they explain, for their attention spans – not to be viewing a lot of fast-paced imagery that today’s TV/mass media are loaded with.
Q: Your book makes a number of suggestions as to how parents can protect their children – and themselves – from the negative influences of media. What are some of these?
Tomeo: Number 1 on the list is to keep the TV and the computer in a central area of the home where the usage can be closely monitored. Leaving kids alone in their rooms with access to the Internet and to TV is a recipe for disaster. Parents should also set guidelines and stick to them and make sure that meal times are media free – no TV, no iPods or cell phones allowed. Families should also take advantage of the many tools that are available, such as Internet filters and TV ratings, as well as helpful media activist groups such as the well-known Parents TV Council. Their Web site is a wealth of information for any parent or concerned citizen who wants to make a difference in their homes and the culture. I would also recommend reading Pope Benedict’s World Communications Day statements along with Pope John Paul II’s message from World Communications Day 2004. There is a wealth of information and guidance to be found in these documents and, of course, in all the Catholic teachings on social communications.
Q: As a former broadcast journalist, you discuss the bias found in mainstream media. As average readers/listeners, how can we protect ourselves from the bias in important news stories, for example, when preparing to vote?
Tomeo: We need to consider the source. Research shows that at least 50% of those working in today's secular media are atheist or agnostic and only about 12% go to some type of church service. The majority of them also admit to supporting legalized abortion, as well as other actions that go directly against Church teaching. While the media are supposed to be objective and balanced, that often is not the case. The media tend to preach instead of report by telling us in the way they cover stories that we need to believe a certain way – and that way is not the way of the Church. So again, consider the source of the news story and then check everything against the Catechism and Scripture. Make sure you know what the Church actually teaches instead of what the media say it teaches. Read the U.S. bishops’ recent document on “Faithful Citizenship.” Also turn to Catholic sources for issues that concern Catholics and voting. There are a number of good Catholic Web sites available.
Q: Many people feel powerless when it comes to being able to effect change in what is broadcast. Are there ways that one person can make a difference?
Tomeo: Absolutely. Joining media activist groups is a great way to make a difference. Parents TV Council has over a million members now and not only informs its members on what’s happening with the media, but also is active with petition drives, awareness campaigns, and congressional efforts to raise media awareness and protect children and families. Writing letters or sending e-mails to stations, as well as writing letters to the editor are also very effective. The competition keeps getting stronger for all media outlets. They need every viewer, listener, and newspaper reader. That’s why every voice counts. And just like voting, one person can indeed make a difference.
Media Management to Protect Your Family: A Plan for All Christians
Catholic and other Christian families are beginning to realize there is more to life than what the secular media promises, says a Catholic talk show host. I recently read a review of a book Teresa Tomeo has just published entitled: “Noise: How Our Media-saturated Culture Dominates Lives and Dismantles Families.” In the interview Tomeo discusses her book and how families of faith can guard against the effects of the ever-encroaching secular media. It was very provocative. Excerpts follow and will be of interest to Catholic and all Christian parents who are concerned about their children’s viewing of television.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
Q: In your book, you discuss how the media is the most dominant force in American culture today. What do you think are the most damaging effects it has had on us morally and spiritually?
Tomeo: I think the biggest issue is with the overall desensitization of the Catholic culture and belief system. As one Catholic author said on my show recently, the culture has been forming our faith and not the other way around. Birth control, abortion, cohabitation, pre-marital sex, have all become the "norm" in society and most of the messages come from the entertainment media and the news media, which embrace and promote all of the above. That combined with very poor catechesis over the past 40-50 years along with the sexual revolution has led to disaster. The good news is the Church has – and always has had – the answers in her teachings. And there are some real positive efforts such as a huge explosion in Catholic media that are making a big difference. Many Catholics are coming home and realizing that the culture has been selling them a bill of goods and there is something more to life.
Q: What would your response be to someone who said you were overstating the case -- that the media, including Internet, video games, etc. -- is only harmless entertainment?
Tomeo: I would say they are in denial. Many people who make such statements don’t want to take a close look at their own bad media habits such as too much time on the Internet or cell phone or too much time in front of the TV. I also hear this a lot from families as I travel across the United States speaking about this topic – families, namely parents – who don’t want to take the time to stop and see what their children are up to. It takes a lot of time and effort to become a media savvy family, but we all must do our part. To give you an example of just what a media-obsessed culture we are, just nine days after the Pope left the United States the extremely violent video game “Grand Theft Auto Four; Liberty City” went on sale around the world. People were lined up for hours waiting to grab their copy. Now we find out the game has broken sales records – actually beaten the all-time entertainment record in sales. Six million people purchased the game in its first week on the store shelves. The Pope mentioned the culture several times in his U.S. visit and in his address to bishops. He went so far as to say that we can’t talk about protecting our children if we are not willing to take a look at the big picture, including easy access to pornography and media products that promote violence. I would point to Madison Avenue and ask them why it exists if the media doesn’t have an impact? Or how about the Super Bowl where companies spend millions and millions on 30- and 60-second commercials to reach a prime audience? And then I would point them directly to the thousands of studies done by secular universities as well as professional organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Psychological Association, and the American Medical Association, just to name a few, all of whom have been studying media influence for years.
Q: How are children affected by large doses of the media compared to adults?
Tomeo: The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement nine years ago saying, “No TV for children under the age of two.” They also recommend only two hours a day for young children. That’s how concerned the AAP is about the impact media exposure has on children. The medical experts say young children have a hard time separating what they see on TV from reality and it is also important, they explain, for their attention spans – not to be viewing a lot of fast-paced imagery that today’s TV/mass media are loaded with.
Q: Your book makes a number of suggestions as to how parents can protect their children – and themselves – from the negative influences of media. What are some of these?
Tomeo: Number 1 on the list is to keep the TV and the computer in a central area of the home where the usage can be closely monitored. Leaving kids alone in their rooms with access to the Internet and to TV is a recipe for disaster. Parents should also set guidelines and stick to them and make sure that meal times are media free – no TV, no iPods or cell phones allowed. Families should also take advantage of the many tools that are available, such as Internet filters and TV ratings, as well as helpful media activist groups such as the well-known Parents TV Council. Their Web site is a wealth of information for any parent or concerned citizen who wants to make a difference in their homes and the culture. I would also recommend reading Pope Benedict’s World Communications Day statements along with Pope John Paul II’s message from World Communications Day 2004. There is a wealth of information and guidance to be found in these documents and, of course, in all the Catholic teachings on social communications.
Q: As a former broadcast journalist, you discuss the bias found in mainstream media. As average readers/listeners, how can we protect ourselves from the bias in important news stories, for example, when preparing to vote?
Tomeo: We need to consider the source. Research shows that at least 50% of those working in today's secular media are atheist or agnostic and only about 12% go to some type of church service. The majority of them also admit to supporting legalized abortion, as well as other actions that go directly against Church teaching. While the media are supposed to be objective and balanced, that often is not the case. The media tend to preach instead of report by telling us in the way they cover stories that we need to believe a certain way – and that way is not the way of the Church. So again, consider the source of the news story and then check everything against the Catechism and Scripture. Make sure you know what the Church actually teaches instead of what the media say it teaches. Read the U.S. bishops’ recent document on “Faithful Citizenship.” Also turn to Catholic sources for issues that concern Catholics and voting. There are a number of good Catholic Web sites available.
Q: Many people feel powerless when it comes to being able to effect change in what is broadcast. Are there ways that one person can make a difference?
Tomeo: Absolutely. Joining media activist groups is a great way to make a difference. Parents TV Council has over a million members now and not only informs its members on what’s happening with the media, but also is active with petition drives, awareness campaigns, and congressional efforts to raise media awareness and protect children and families. Writing letters or sending e-mails to stations, as well as writing letters to the editor are also very effective. The competition keeps getting stronger for all media outlets. They need every viewer, listener, and newspaper reader. That’s why every voice counts. And just like voting, one person can indeed make a difference.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Weekly HOMILY for June 22, 2008: Deacon Preaching Sunday
Fr. Nicholas did not preach this weekend. It was Deacon Preaching Weekend. He will return next week.
Weekly THIS AND THAT for June 22, 2008: D.C. Prelate States That Communion Issue Is up to Local Bishops
This and That:
D.C. Prelate States That Communion Issue Is Up to Local Bishops
There has been much controversy around as to what pro-abortion politicians may or may not receive communion. The archbishop of Washington, D.C., has said that the decision rests solely on the shoulders of the local bishop. The following are excerpts from “My Catholic Standard,” a newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington, wherein Archbishop Donald Wuerl said he "thought it would be helpful once again to highlight a number of issues" regarding pro-abortion politicians and the Eucharist.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
The issue brought national attention recently after several pro-abortion politicians received Communion during Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States. Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York, released a statement April 28 saying former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani should not have received the Eucharist during the Pope's visit. In his column, Archbishop Wuerl clearly stated the Church’s position on abortion, citing one of his previous articles: “Abortion and support for abortion are wrong. No informed Catholic can claim that either action is free of moral implications.” He said that he has taught throughout his priestly and episcopal ministry, with persistence and insistence, that abortion is an intrinsic evil.
He referred to a document from the U.S. bishops, and a subsequent statement from then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. “The bishops concluded that the responsibility to assess this situation within a bishop’s own diocese and the proper application of canon law clearly rests with the individual bishop,” Archbishop Wuerl noted. “Bishops may arrive at different conclusions based on their local situations. “In 2004, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, wrote a letter affirming the conformity of the bishops’ position with that of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.”
Archbishop Wuerl noted that a “critical role of the bishops is to teach, to try to persuade and convince others of the truth of the Church’s teaching and the implications of that teaching in their lives, and to encourage Catholics to live out their faith.” He added: “A decision regarding the refusal of Holy Communion to an individual is one that should be made only after clear efforts to persuade and convince the person that their actions are wrong and bear moral consequences. Presumably this is done in the home diocese where the bishops and priests, the pastors of souls, engage the members of their flock in this type of discussion. “In the case of public figures who serve in Washington as representatives of other parts of the nation, this dialogue and any decisions would take place within their home diocese.”
Archbishop Wuerl said he does not support the idea that “the Archdiocese of Washington or episcopal conferences have some particular role that supersedes the authority of an individual bishop in his particular Church.” He affirmed that in the Archdiocese of Washington, “the teaching on the evil of abortion will continue to be an important part of our ministry as will the effort to convince and persuade others to accept that teaching. Just as Catholic voters are not asked to leave aside the most deeply held moral convictions of our faith when they enter a voting booth,” the archbishop stated, “so Catholic elected officials are not asked to deposit the moral and ethical convictions of the Church at the door of Congress or at the State Assembly where they serve.
D.C. Prelate States That Communion Issue Is Up to Local Bishops
There has been much controversy around as to what pro-abortion politicians may or may not receive communion. The archbishop of Washington, D.C., has said that the decision rests solely on the shoulders of the local bishop. The following are excerpts from “My Catholic Standard,” a newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington, wherein Archbishop Donald Wuerl said he "thought it would be helpful once again to highlight a number of issues" regarding pro-abortion politicians and the Eucharist.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
The issue brought national attention recently after several pro-abortion politicians received Communion during Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States. Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York, released a statement April 28 saying former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani should not have received the Eucharist during the Pope's visit. In his column, Archbishop Wuerl clearly stated the Church’s position on abortion, citing one of his previous articles: “Abortion and support for abortion are wrong. No informed Catholic can claim that either action is free of moral implications.” He said that he has taught throughout his priestly and episcopal ministry, with persistence and insistence, that abortion is an intrinsic evil.
He referred to a document from the U.S. bishops, and a subsequent statement from then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. “The bishops concluded that the responsibility to assess this situation within a bishop’s own diocese and the proper application of canon law clearly rests with the individual bishop,” Archbishop Wuerl noted. “Bishops may arrive at different conclusions based on their local situations. “In 2004, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, wrote a letter affirming the conformity of the bishops’ position with that of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.”
Archbishop Wuerl noted that a “critical role of the bishops is to teach, to try to persuade and convince others of the truth of the Church’s teaching and the implications of that teaching in their lives, and to encourage Catholics to live out their faith.” He added: “A decision regarding the refusal of Holy Communion to an individual is one that should be made only after clear efforts to persuade and convince the person that their actions are wrong and bear moral consequences. Presumably this is done in the home diocese where the bishops and priests, the pastors of souls, engage the members of their flock in this type of discussion. “In the case of public figures who serve in Washington as representatives of other parts of the nation, this dialogue and any decisions would take place within their home diocese.”
Archbishop Wuerl said he does not support the idea that “the Archdiocese of Washington or episcopal conferences have some particular role that supersedes the authority of an individual bishop in his particular Church.” He affirmed that in the Archdiocese of Washington, “the teaching on the evil of abortion will continue to be an important part of our ministry as will the effort to convince and persuade others to accept that teaching. Just as Catholic voters are not asked to leave aside the most deeply held moral convictions of our faith when they enter a voting booth,” the archbishop stated, “so Catholic elected officials are not asked to deposit the moral and ethical convictions of the Church at the door of Congress or at the State Assembly where they serve.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Weekly THIS AND THAT for June 15, 2008: Hospital Ethics Strike Home
This and That
Hospital Ethics Strike Home
Dear Friends,
I recently had an experience of a family member back home who is very ill being treated poorly at the Catholic hospital where she is a patient. It just so happens that a friend of mine is also a doctor on staff at the hospital. In my need to “do something” I wrote to him asking if he thought it might help to remedy the situation by sending a letter to the Director of the Hospital, whom I also know, as a way of correcting the abuses I thought had been inflicted on our family. He wrote back the following letter. I am sure you will find it interesting because it falls back – not on the hospital to do something – but on you and me.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
Dear Nicholas,
I am going to apologize before I even start because I can go on and on about this subject. First of all, let me stress – our Catholic hospital is NOT alone in their thinking or actions. Unfortunately medical care, ethics, and compassion have been on a steady decline for sometime.
There are many reasons for this, some being, lawyers, insurance companies, money and the increased complexity of patient care. But the reason goes far deeper than the medical profession because the problem, I believe, lies in the society of today.
We live in a world that appears to have lost its moral moorings, in an age where ethics have become obsolete. Think back 20 years and tell me how many workplaces had mandatory seminars on sexual harassment; how many schools had seminars on how “not to touch” our children; and how many teachers were told not to discipline. Today medical ethics, business ethics, environmental ethics, and legal ethics are not only serious endeavors, but they are required curricular studies in respected professional schools across the land. Ethics has been spoken of as a “growth industry.”
Why? Because we as a society have allowed morality and ethics to be superseded by science, deleted by psychology, and dismissed as emotive by philosophy. This has driven society into rewriting the rules, so that utility has replaced duty, self-expression has unseated authority, and being good has become feeling good. To many, life has become a pinball game, whose rules, though they are few, are all instrumental, and not meaningful in themselves, except as a means to the player’s enjoyment. It’s as if we are adrift in uncharted seas and have tossed away the compass.
Not so long ago the Times Literary Supplement referred to a society that has never made a movie of Leonardo DaVinci, but has produced three about Joey Buttafuoco – famous only for having had a teenage love, Amy Fisher, who shot his wife! What kind of example is this for our children?
What kind of example are we giving our children when the most important thing is getting into an Ivy League school, their GPA, their success in sports and being the best in everything? What kind of example is it for our children when we scream at the umpire from the sidelines because we disagree with a call, when we skip church because we are tired, lazy, there’s a good game on TV, or we have to take our kids to soccer? What kind of a society are we when sports are more important than religion? What kind of society are we when the next deadline or dragging our children to ANOTHER after-school activity is more important than sitting down to a family dinner?
We are so focused on power, fame, money and instant gratification that we seem to have little regard for human life. This has led to such a breakdown in the human family and in human interactions in general. Just look at communication – some of the advances are great, but our children think communication is more about machines than human interaction. How are they ever to learn compassion, caring, and mercy when they are hidden behind emails, text messages and cell phones? Just think of the lives that are destroyed by emails written with anonymously because the person is too “small” to own up to their own words. Years ago these words would have gone unsaid but now we have given them a platform. To think that we now have to teach our children about cyber-bullying and sexual predators online! It’s easier to teach them about dangers that are seen than unseen.
I read a book once, and the author skips my kind at the moment, but he/she gave a helpful illustration on how we should live life. He/She said we are like a fleet of ships sailing in formation to a particular destination. Now if the fleet is going to arrive safely without mishap, three things are necessary. First, the individual ships must be seaworthy. Their insides must be in good working order so they can keep afloat, steer well, and have the motive power to make the journey. Second, they must be aware of the other boats so they don’t bump into one another and so cause harm to themselves and others. Third, they must have some idea about where they are heading – why they are afloat in the first place. It will be of no use if, after a good journey, they end up in Calcutta when they were supposed to get to New York!
The first of these we could describe as individual morality – virtues, vices, and character building, which we don’t hear much about from our modern ethical philosophies. We have got to keep ourselves shipshape for the journey. The second we could call social ethics – how to get along with one another and help, rather than hinder, others on the journey. The third issue is – why are we here at all and where are we supposed to be going? Many modern philosophers avoid this last issue, as they have no answer to it. And yet, this is the most important question of all. For morality to be of any use there must be some point to it all. We have got to know our destination!
Of course we know that Christianity provides the answers to these three basic questions. It gives clear guidance as to how to keep ourselves in good working order. It gives very clear instructions on how we should relate to one another and why. More than that, and most importantly, it gives us a clear purpose for making the journey in the first place, a purpose that reaches well beyond the confines of this brief earthly existence. In addition, it tells us how to get aboard the fleet and how to deal with calamities along the way. In this journey, no shipwreck need be final.
Finally, it gives the motive power to see the journey through to the end, an end which is only a greater beginning.
This is a very complex issue, Nicholas, and I do not believe one that will be fixed by a letter to anyone. I would save your words. The hospital Director knows very well what she’s up against – it is just difficult to solve when it is not a hospital we need to change, but a society.
You are right that the hospital is a Catholic Hospital just as Our Lady of Grace is a Catholic Church and we both know from experience that there are people that belong to both that live very unchristian lives.
Sorry for the “Soap box,”
Arthur
Hospital Ethics Strike Home
Dear Friends,
I recently had an experience of a family member back home who is very ill being treated poorly at the Catholic hospital where she is a patient. It just so happens that a friend of mine is also a doctor on staff at the hospital. In my need to “do something” I wrote to him asking if he thought it might help to remedy the situation by sending a letter to the Director of the Hospital, whom I also know, as a way of correcting the abuses I thought had been inflicted on our family. He wrote back the following letter. I am sure you will find it interesting because it falls back – not on the hospital to do something – but on you and me.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
Dear Nicholas,
I am going to apologize before I even start because I can go on and on about this subject. First of all, let me stress – our Catholic hospital is NOT alone in their thinking or actions. Unfortunately medical care, ethics, and compassion have been on a steady decline for sometime.
There are many reasons for this, some being, lawyers, insurance companies, money and the increased complexity of patient care. But the reason goes far deeper than the medical profession because the problem, I believe, lies in the society of today.
We live in a world that appears to have lost its moral moorings, in an age where ethics have become obsolete. Think back 20 years and tell me how many workplaces had mandatory seminars on sexual harassment; how many schools had seminars on how “not to touch” our children; and how many teachers were told not to discipline. Today medical ethics, business ethics, environmental ethics, and legal ethics are not only serious endeavors, but they are required curricular studies in respected professional schools across the land. Ethics has been spoken of as a “growth industry.”
Why? Because we as a society have allowed morality and ethics to be superseded by science, deleted by psychology, and dismissed as emotive by philosophy. This has driven society into rewriting the rules, so that utility has replaced duty, self-expression has unseated authority, and being good has become feeling good. To many, life has become a pinball game, whose rules, though they are few, are all instrumental, and not meaningful in themselves, except as a means to the player’s enjoyment. It’s as if we are adrift in uncharted seas and have tossed away the compass.
Not so long ago the Times Literary Supplement referred to a society that has never made a movie of Leonardo DaVinci, but has produced three about Joey Buttafuoco – famous only for having had a teenage love, Amy Fisher, who shot his wife! What kind of example is this for our children?
What kind of example are we giving our children when the most important thing is getting into an Ivy League school, their GPA, their success in sports and being the best in everything? What kind of example is it for our children when we scream at the umpire from the sidelines because we disagree with a call, when we skip church because we are tired, lazy, there’s a good game on TV, or we have to take our kids to soccer? What kind of a society are we when sports are more important than religion? What kind of society are we when the next deadline or dragging our children to ANOTHER after-school activity is more important than sitting down to a family dinner?
We are so focused on power, fame, money and instant gratification that we seem to have little regard for human life. This has led to such a breakdown in the human family and in human interactions in general. Just look at communication – some of the advances are great, but our children think communication is more about machines than human interaction. How are they ever to learn compassion, caring, and mercy when they are hidden behind emails, text messages and cell phones? Just think of the lives that are destroyed by emails written with anonymously because the person is too “small” to own up to their own words. Years ago these words would have gone unsaid but now we have given them a platform. To think that we now have to teach our children about cyber-bullying and sexual predators online! It’s easier to teach them about dangers that are seen than unseen.
I read a book once, and the author skips my kind at the moment, but he/she gave a helpful illustration on how we should live life. He/She said we are like a fleet of ships sailing in formation to a particular destination. Now if the fleet is going to arrive safely without mishap, three things are necessary. First, the individual ships must be seaworthy. Their insides must be in good working order so they can keep afloat, steer well, and have the motive power to make the journey. Second, they must be aware of the other boats so they don’t bump into one another and so cause harm to themselves and others. Third, they must have some idea about where they are heading – why they are afloat in the first place. It will be of no use if, after a good journey, they end up in Calcutta when they were supposed to get to New York!
The first of these we could describe as individual morality – virtues, vices, and character building, which we don’t hear much about from our modern ethical philosophies. We have got to keep ourselves shipshape for the journey. The second we could call social ethics – how to get along with one another and help, rather than hinder, others on the journey. The third issue is – why are we here at all and where are we supposed to be going? Many modern philosophers avoid this last issue, as they have no answer to it. And yet, this is the most important question of all. For morality to be of any use there must be some point to it all. We have got to know our destination!
Of course we know that Christianity provides the answers to these three basic questions. It gives clear guidance as to how to keep ourselves in good working order. It gives very clear instructions on how we should relate to one another and why. More than that, and most importantly, it gives us a clear purpose for making the journey in the first place, a purpose that reaches well beyond the confines of this brief earthly existence. In addition, it tells us how to get aboard the fleet and how to deal with calamities along the way. In this journey, no shipwreck need be final.
Finally, it gives the motive power to see the journey through to the end, an end which is only a greater beginning.
This is a very complex issue, Nicholas, and I do not believe one that will be fixed by a letter to anyone. I would save your words. The hospital Director knows very well what she’s up against – it is just difficult to solve when it is not a hospital we need to change, but a society.
You are right that the hospital is a Catholic Hospital just as Our Lady of Grace is a Catholic Church and we both know from experience that there are people that belong to both that live very unchristian lives.
Sorry for the “Soap box,”
Arthur
Weekly HOMILY for June 15, 2008: Absolutes in a Relativistic Age
11th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A
Our Lady of Grace
June 15, 2008
Absolutes in a Relativistic Age
(Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Relativism
Since he became Pope three years ago, Pope Benedict has frequently talked about Relativism.
He sees a strong tendency in our world – especially in the Western world – to hold nothing as absolute certainty. He would say that people have come to believe that one set of beliefs, opinions or mores are as good as another.
On one occasion, Pope Benedict said this. “We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one’s own ego and one’s own desires.”
I think that the Holy Father is really onto something here.
The dictionary defines relativism as “the viewpoint that what is true or false or good or bad (wave arm above head) depends only on the person or the circumstances.”
Now, it is true that all religions and all persons of good will share aspects of the Truth. But, not everything depends on what I think or what I feel, with little or no reference to any basis or norm beyond myself (Wave arm.)
Our Catholic Tradition holds that there are some absolutes, some things that are certain and definite apart from what I think or feel.
This evening/morning, I want to highlight some of these absolutes for they appear right in our scripture readings.
Absolutes
To begin with, we believe that GOD IS LOVE and that God loves humanity. In our second reading, Saint Paul says, “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
The idea is here that God has this unconditional and irrevocable love for us and for all human beings.
And this is an absolute – no matter what I think, do, or say.
Another absolute: we Catholics and all baptized Christians for that matter believe that JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD.
In our second reading, Saint Paul says, “We were reconciled to God through the death of his Son.”
The divine presence, the Almighty God, has emerged in our world in the person of Jesus of Nazareth and forged a oneness, a bond, a union at the level of common humanity between God and us.
This is also an absolute – no matter what I think, do, or say.
Next, we believe that we need to actively live out of this new bonding with Christ at the level of our humanity in relationship with God. We call this relationship GOD’S COVENANT with us.
In the first reading, the Lord God says, “If you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession.” This means that we need to carefully form our conscience – our inner compass for knowing right from wrong, good from evil – and then walk with this compass as our guide.
We form this inner compass, our conscience, using two primary sources: (1) Sacred Scripture, the inspired Word of God, and (2) The Church which tries to apply this Word down 2,000 years of history.
Forming our conscience in this way and living this covenant relationship with God is also an absolute – no matter what I think, do, or say.
And the last absolute that I see here today is that we are to LIVE WITH A SENSE OF MISSION.
Notice that in the Gospel Jesus chooses the Apostles and then sends them out on mission to “cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and drive out demons.”
Scripture scholars tell us that we are to interpret this mission on both a physical and spiritual level. So, “curing the sick” means caring for those who are physically ill and also providing inner strength to those feeling weak by the burdens of life.
“Driving our demons” means helping others who are caught in a physical addiction and also raising awareness of the spiritual demons that can possess us, like materialism and sexual permissiveness.
Living with this sense of mission is also an absolute. By now you know the routine, “No matter what I think, do, or say.”
Conclusion
There are other absolutes, but the ones I’ve mentioned are the ones I see expressed in today’s readings.
And it’s important to remember that they are opposed to a mindset of radical relativism where what I think, do or say becomes the only thing that counts.
I like to think of (demonstrate 1- 4 with fingers) (1) God’s Love, (2) Jesus as God’s Son, (3) God’s Covenant with us, and (4) Our Mission, not as not restraints holding me back or hurdles to jump through, but instead as certainties that free me to live a life of direction, to live with purpose and to espouse realities that help me achieve a deeper life in Christ Jesus.
Our Lady of Grace
June 15, 2008
Absolutes in a Relativistic Age
(Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Relativism
Since he became Pope three years ago, Pope Benedict has frequently talked about Relativism.
He sees a strong tendency in our world – especially in the Western world – to hold nothing as absolute certainty. He would say that people have come to believe that one set of beliefs, opinions or mores are as good as another.
On one occasion, Pope Benedict said this. “We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one’s own ego and one’s own desires.”
I think that the Holy Father is really onto something here.
The dictionary defines relativism as “the viewpoint that what is true or false or good or bad (wave arm above head) depends only on the person or the circumstances.”
Now, it is true that all religions and all persons of good will share aspects of the Truth. But, not everything depends on what I think or what I feel, with little or no reference to any basis or norm beyond myself (Wave arm.)
Our Catholic Tradition holds that there are some absolutes, some things that are certain and definite apart from what I think or feel.
This evening/morning, I want to highlight some of these absolutes for they appear right in our scripture readings.
Absolutes
To begin with, we believe that GOD IS LOVE and that God loves humanity. In our second reading, Saint Paul says, “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
The idea is here that God has this unconditional and irrevocable love for us and for all human beings.
And this is an absolute – no matter what I think, do, or say.
Another absolute: we Catholics and all baptized Christians for that matter believe that JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD.
In our second reading, Saint Paul says, “We were reconciled to God through the death of his Son.”
The divine presence, the Almighty God, has emerged in our world in the person of Jesus of Nazareth and forged a oneness, a bond, a union at the level of common humanity between God and us.
This is also an absolute – no matter what I think, do, or say.
Next, we believe that we need to actively live out of this new bonding with Christ at the level of our humanity in relationship with God. We call this relationship GOD’S COVENANT with us.
In the first reading, the Lord God says, “If you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession.” This means that we need to carefully form our conscience – our inner compass for knowing right from wrong, good from evil – and then walk with this compass as our guide.
We form this inner compass, our conscience, using two primary sources: (1) Sacred Scripture, the inspired Word of God, and (2) The Church which tries to apply this Word down 2,000 years of history.
Forming our conscience in this way and living this covenant relationship with God is also an absolute – no matter what I think, do, or say.
And the last absolute that I see here today is that we are to LIVE WITH A SENSE OF MISSION.
Notice that in the Gospel Jesus chooses the Apostles and then sends them out on mission to “cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and drive out demons.”
Scripture scholars tell us that we are to interpret this mission on both a physical and spiritual level. So, “curing the sick” means caring for those who are physically ill and also providing inner strength to those feeling weak by the burdens of life.
“Driving our demons” means helping others who are caught in a physical addiction and also raising awareness of the spiritual demons that can possess us, like materialism and sexual permissiveness.
Living with this sense of mission is also an absolute. By now you know the routine, “No matter what I think, do, or say.”
Conclusion
There are other absolutes, but the ones I’ve mentioned are the ones I see expressed in today’s readings.
And it’s important to remember that they are opposed to a mindset of radical relativism where what I think, do or say becomes the only thing that counts.
I like to think of (demonstrate 1- 4 with fingers) (1) God’s Love, (2) Jesus as God’s Son, (3) God’s Covenant with us, and (4) Our Mission, not as not restraints holding me back or hurdles to jump through, but instead as certainties that free me to live a life of direction, to live with purpose and to espouse realities that help me achieve a deeper life in Christ Jesus.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Weekly HOMILY for June 8. 2008: Judging Is Bad for at Least Two People
10th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A
Our Lady of Grace
June 8, 2008
Judging Is Bad for at Least Two People
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
The Elements of Judging
Thornton Wilder was one of our finest American playwrights.
Wilder won Pulitzer Prizes for his plays, The Bridge of San Luis Rey and Our Town. As a playwright he tends to present human beings as flawed, but lovable.
On a poster advertising one of Wilder’s plays was a quote from him saying that, “To pass judgment on another person is to stand apart from the human condition.”
Wilder goes on to say that, “Passing judgment involves the assumption that the presence of evil in the world is exceptional.” For him, to pass judgment from the outside is – in his own words – “To assert one’s own immunity.”
Just think about these ideas for a moment: Passing judgment on another person is: (1) “To stand apart from the human condition,” as in “You’ve got a problem, an imperfection, or flaw, not me.” (2) “To assume that the presence of evil is exceptional, rather than the common denominator in us all” and (3) “To assert one’s own immunity as in, ‘Who me?’”
Elements of Not Judging
Now, with these three key insights of Thornton Wilder, let us take a look at today’s Gospel.
Jesus is aware of several important facts about Matthew:
➢ He knows that he is a tax collector
➢ He knows that Matthew may be dishonest like some other tax collectors of the day
➢ He knows that Matthew is viewed as a traitor to his Country because he is working for the occupying power, the Roman Army
➢ He knows that Matthew is probably not attending synagogue regularly and that he probably is not an observant Jew
Jesus knows all these facts yet he does not in the least, judge Matthew.
Quite the contrary is true. Instead of judging, Jesus accepts and sees possibilities in Matthew. And then, he even goes to Matthew’s home for dinner and some of Matthew’s friends are there.
The friends at his home are described as “tax collectors and sinners” – although we are not told what sins they have committed.
Again, take note Jesus does not judge, and again he simply accepts them as they are and sees possibilities in them.
The Effects of Judging
The Pharisees, who are the religious leaders of the day, are puzzled by this acceptance of sinful folks and ask Jesus’ disciples: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
The Pharisees of course are judging Matthew and his friends. They are standing apart from them.
They see evil in them, but not a speck of evil in themselves whom they judge as good and okay. They in effect are asserting their own immunity from evil and sin.
How tragic and misguided! The truth is that sin has touched each of us. No one is excluded.
Now here’s an important insight: To the extent we recognize this truth and to the extent we seek a higher path, to that extent we are truly human and growing. Another insight: When we judge others, we dehumanize them and in the end we end up dehumanizing ourselves.
We make others less than human by labeling and stereotyping and freezing them in a mold. We make ourselves less than human by pretending that we are not part of the human condition.
A Real Issue for Us
This judging is an issue for all persons and certainly for us as persons of faith.
For example, we judge persons who have had an abortion or vote pro-choice. We judge today’s immigrants.
We judge families whose youth have gotten into some sort of trouble. We judge persons who are divorced and in another marriage.
Some in our Catholic Church use what I think is an unnecessary and judgmental label, “Cafeteria Catholics.” They use that to speak of Catholics who do not accept all that the Church teaches.
We could cite other examples, but what is important to remember, however, is that Jesus refrains from this type of judging and stereotyping.
He knew the facts but saw the possibilities in people.
➢ The truth is that sin touches all of us
➢ The truth is that all of us are human and imperfect
➢ The truth is that all of us are “Cafeteria Christians” to some degree because none of us lives the Lord’s way fully
So why bother using terms like “Cafeteria Catholics”? Instead we should strive to follow the Lord and stick to what we believe is right and good without judging others and pretending that they are less and we are better.
Conclusion
Jesus’ example is truly a challenge for each of us.
He gives us a peaceful, sensitive, and non-judgmental way to live and to relate. He gives us possibilities for growing in our relationships with one another and with him.
Our Lady of Grace
June 8, 2008
Judging Is Bad for at Least Two People
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
The Elements of Judging
Thornton Wilder was one of our finest American playwrights.
Wilder won Pulitzer Prizes for his plays, The Bridge of San Luis Rey and Our Town. As a playwright he tends to present human beings as flawed, but lovable.
On a poster advertising one of Wilder’s plays was a quote from him saying that, “To pass judgment on another person is to stand apart from the human condition.”
Wilder goes on to say that, “Passing judgment involves the assumption that the presence of evil in the world is exceptional.” For him, to pass judgment from the outside is – in his own words – “To assert one’s own immunity.”
Just think about these ideas for a moment: Passing judgment on another person is: (1) “To stand apart from the human condition,” as in “You’ve got a problem, an imperfection, or flaw, not me.” (2) “To assume that the presence of evil is exceptional, rather than the common denominator in us all” and (3) “To assert one’s own immunity as in, ‘Who me?’”
Elements of Not Judging
Now, with these three key insights of Thornton Wilder, let us take a look at today’s Gospel.
Jesus is aware of several important facts about Matthew:
➢ He knows that he is a tax collector
➢ He knows that Matthew may be dishonest like some other tax collectors of the day
➢ He knows that Matthew is viewed as a traitor to his Country because he is working for the occupying power, the Roman Army
➢ He knows that Matthew is probably not attending synagogue regularly and that he probably is not an observant Jew
Jesus knows all these facts yet he does not in the least, judge Matthew.
Quite the contrary is true. Instead of judging, Jesus accepts and sees possibilities in Matthew. And then, he even goes to Matthew’s home for dinner and some of Matthew’s friends are there.
The friends at his home are described as “tax collectors and sinners” – although we are not told what sins they have committed.
Again, take note Jesus does not judge, and again he simply accepts them as they are and sees possibilities in them.
The Effects of Judging
The Pharisees, who are the religious leaders of the day, are puzzled by this acceptance of sinful folks and ask Jesus’ disciples: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
The Pharisees of course are judging Matthew and his friends. They are standing apart from them.
They see evil in them, but not a speck of evil in themselves whom they judge as good and okay. They in effect are asserting their own immunity from evil and sin.
How tragic and misguided! The truth is that sin has touched each of us. No one is excluded.
Now here’s an important insight: To the extent we recognize this truth and to the extent we seek a higher path, to that extent we are truly human and growing. Another insight: When we judge others, we dehumanize them and in the end we end up dehumanizing ourselves.
We make others less than human by labeling and stereotyping and freezing them in a mold. We make ourselves less than human by pretending that we are not part of the human condition.
A Real Issue for Us
This judging is an issue for all persons and certainly for us as persons of faith.
For example, we judge persons who have had an abortion or vote pro-choice. We judge today’s immigrants.
We judge families whose youth have gotten into some sort of trouble. We judge persons who are divorced and in another marriage.
Some in our Catholic Church use what I think is an unnecessary and judgmental label, “Cafeteria Catholics.” They use that to speak of Catholics who do not accept all that the Church teaches.
We could cite other examples, but what is important to remember, however, is that Jesus refrains from this type of judging and stereotyping.
He knew the facts but saw the possibilities in people.
➢ The truth is that sin touches all of us
➢ The truth is that all of us are human and imperfect
➢ The truth is that all of us are “Cafeteria Christians” to some degree because none of us lives the Lord’s way fully
So why bother using terms like “Cafeteria Catholics”? Instead we should strive to follow the Lord and stick to what we believe is right and good without judging others and pretending that they are less and we are better.
Conclusion
Jesus’ example is truly a challenge for each of us.
He gives us a peaceful, sensitive, and non-judgmental way to live and to relate. He gives us possibilities for growing in our relationships with one another and with him.
Weekly THIS AND THAT for June 8, 2008: Drastic Consequences of the Breakdown of the Family
This and That:
Drastic Consequences of the Breakdown of the Family
The disintegration of family life is costing taxpayers a bundle. A report released in April put the cost at an annual $112 billion, just in the United States alone. “The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing: First-Ever Estimates for the Nation and All 50 States,” was released by four policy and research groups – Institute for American Values, Georgia Family Council, Institute for Marriage and Public Policy and Families Northwest. “This study documents for the first time that divorce and unwed childbearing – besides being bad for children – are also costing taxpayers a ton of money,” said David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values, in a press release accompanying the report.
Marriage is more than a moral or social institution, the study itself observes. It is an economic institution, and, when it breaks down the costs for local, state, and federal government, they are very high. The report points to a yearly $112 billion price tag – or over $1 trillion in the past decade – which the authors say is a minimum estimate. The Federal Government carries the largest burden, $70.1 billion, followed by $33.3 billion for states, and $8.5 billion at the local level.
These costs arise from a variety of sources: increased taxpayer expenditures for anti-poverty programs; criminal justice and education programs; and lower levels of taxes paid by individuals who, as adults, earn less because of reduced opportunities as a result of having been more likely to grow up in poverty. The study argues that government support for marriage and the family would be sound economic policy. Just reducing the divorce rate by a small amount could save billions of dollars a year. Some states are waking up to this and the report cites the example of Texas, which recently appropriated $15 million over two years for marriage education and other programs. The study reports that if this brings about even a less than a 1% decrease in family breakdowns, it will be cost-effective for Texas taxpayers.
Dramatic Changes
The study provides an overview of the huge changes in family life over the last few decades.
➢ Between 1970 and 2005, the proportion of children living with two married parents dropped from 85% to 68%.
➢ More than a third of all U.S. children are now born outside of wedlock, including 25% of non-Hispanic white babies, 46% of Hispanic babies, and 69% of African American babies.
➢ In 2004, almost 1.5 million babies were born to unmarried mothers.
➢ There has been a small decline in divorce after 1980, however this seems to have been offset by increases in unwed childbearing, so the percentage of children living with one parent increased steadily between 1970 and 1998, with only a small drop after 1998.
➢ The report admits that a crucial issue is to verify to what extent there is a causal relationship between family fragmentation and the economic costs to government.
➢ The authors go on to lay out the evidence from a variety of sources to prove their case. There is ample documentation, they observe, that divorce contributes to child poverty.
➢ Analysis suggests that almost all of the increase in poverty observed among divorced mothers is caused by the divorce, the report says, citing a recent study.
➢ The effects on children of divorce, or being brought up by single parents, are also well researched. The study cites academic research where it is established how being in this situation leads to higher crime rates and problems of delinquency.
European Woes
Europe is also suffering great changes in family life, as a recent study published by the news agency Fides, a Vatican missionary agency, pointed out. In a dossier titled “The Crisis of the Family in Europe,” the agency put together information from a number of studies and organizations.
Europe’s population will soon start to decline and is already aging rapidly, Fides warned. Every 25 seconds there is an abortion in the 27 member countries of the European Union, the report said, while at the same time 3 schools a day are closed due to a scarcity of children. Both men and women are postponing marriage, and in 2005, just under 1.9 million babies were born out of wedlock. In some countries around half of all births are either due to single mothers or cohabitating couples. The number of divorces continues to increase, with millions of children
being affected.
In the midst of these trends, Fides also pointed out that out of the 27% of gross national product that Europe spends on social welfare, only a very small part goes to support families, which apparently are not considered a priority. In fact, the report states, “European institutions and legislation regard the family as a historical legacy, rather than an institution which can belong to the future.” Therefore, it continued, governments are not actively supporting the family based on a stable marriage between and a man and a woman and are instead encouraging various forms of cohabitation. There are also moves to allow adoption of children to singles, instead of married couples, as well as allowing adoption for de facto and same-sex couples.
Fundamental Reality
Benedict XVI, well aware of the dire situation of the family, has often spoken out asking public authorities to support marriage. Respect for the family based on marriage is “imperative” the Pope said January 10th when addressing local government representatives from Rome and the surrounding region of Lazio. “Unfortunately, we see every day how insistent and threatening are the attacks on marriage and the misunderstandings of this fundamental human and social reality,” the Pope commented. “Thus, it is especially necessary that public administrations do not support these negative trends but, on the contrary, offer families convinced and concrete support, in the certainty that they are thereby acting for the common good," he concluded.
Recently the Pope commented that many families are crying out for help from civil authorities. Benedict XVI made his remarks on the family during an audience held for representatives from the Forum of Family Associations and the European Federation of Catholic Family Associations, who were in Rome for a conference. “Accordingly, there is an increasingly urgent need for a common commitment to support families by every means available, from the social and economic point of view, as well as the juridical and spiritual,” the Pontiff said. The Holy Father singled out for praise the initiative to mobilize people in support of family-friendly fiscal policy. An initiative sorely needed in many countries around the world.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
Drastic Consequences of the Breakdown of the Family
The disintegration of family life is costing taxpayers a bundle. A report released in April put the cost at an annual $112 billion, just in the United States alone. “The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing: First-Ever Estimates for the Nation and All 50 States,” was released by four policy and research groups – Institute for American Values, Georgia Family Council, Institute for Marriage and Public Policy and Families Northwest. “This study documents for the first time that divorce and unwed childbearing – besides being bad for children – are also costing taxpayers a ton of money,” said David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values, in a press release accompanying the report.
Marriage is more than a moral or social institution, the study itself observes. It is an economic institution, and, when it breaks down the costs for local, state, and federal government, they are very high. The report points to a yearly $112 billion price tag – or over $1 trillion in the past decade – which the authors say is a minimum estimate. The Federal Government carries the largest burden, $70.1 billion, followed by $33.3 billion for states, and $8.5 billion at the local level.
These costs arise from a variety of sources: increased taxpayer expenditures for anti-poverty programs; criminal justice and education programs; and lower levels of taxes paid by individuals who, as adults, earn less because of reduced opportunities as a result of having been more likely to grow up in poverty. The study argues that government support for marriage and the family would be sound economic policy. Just reducing the divorce rate by a small amount could save billions of dollars a year. Some states are waking up to this and the report cites the example of Texas, which recently appropriated $15 million over two years for marriage education and other programs. The study reports that if this brings about even a less than a 1% decrease in family breakdowns, it will be cost-effective for Texas taxpayers.
Dramatic Changes
The study provides an overview of the huge changes in family life over the last few decades.
➢ Between 1970 and 2005, the proportion of children living with two married parents dropped from 85% to 68%.
➢ More than a third of all U.S. children are now born outside of wedlock, including 25% of non-Hispanic white babies, 46% of Hispanic babies, and 69% of African American babies.
➢ In 2004, almost 1.5 million babies were born to unmarried mothers.
➢ There has been a small decline in divorce after 1980, however this seems to have been offset by increases in unwed childbearing, so the percentage of children living with one parent increased steadily between 1970 and 1998, with only a small drop after 1998.
➢ The report admits that a crucial issue is to verify to what extent there is a causal relationship between family fragmentation and the economic costs to government.
➢ The authors go on to lay out the evidence from a variety of sources to prove their case. There is ample documentation, they observe, that divorce contributes to child poverty.
➢ Analysis suggests that almost all of the increase in poverty observed among divorced mothers is caused by the divorce, the report says, citing a recent study.
➢ The effects on children of divorce, or being brought up by single parents, are also well researched. The study cites academic research where it is established how being in this situation leads to higher crime rates and problems of delinquency.
European Woes
Europe is also suffering great changes in family life, as a recent study published by the news agency Fides, a Vatican missionary agency, pointed out. In a dossier titled “The Crisis of the Family in Europe,” the agency put together information from a number of studies and organizations.
Europe’s population will soon start to decline and is already aging rapidly, Fides warned. Every 25 seconds there is an abortion in the 27 member countries of the European Union, the report said, while at the same time 3 schools a day are closed due to a scarcity of children. Both men and women are postponing marriage, and in 2005, just under 1.9 million babies were born out of wedlock. In some countries around half of all births are either due to single mothers or cohabitating couples. The number of divorces continues to increase, with millions of children
being affected.
In the midst of these trends, Fides also pointed out that out of the 27% of gross national product that Europe spends on social welfare, only a very small part goes to support families, which apparently are not considered a priority. In fact, the report states, “European institutions and legislation regard the family as a historical legacy, rather than an institution which can belong to the future.” Therefore, it continued, governments are not actively supporting the family based on a stable marriage between and a man and a woman and are instead encouraging various forms of cohabitation. There are also moves to allow adoption of children to singles, instead of married couples, as well as allowing adoption for de facto and same-sex couples.
Fundamental Reality
Benedict XVI, well aware of the dire situation of the family, has often spoken out asking public authorities to support marriage. Respect for the family based on marriage is “imperative” the Pope said January 10th when addressing local government representatives from Rome and the surrounding region of Lazio. “Unfortunately, we see every day how insistent and threatening are the attacks on marriage and the misunderstandings of this fundamental human and social reality,” the Pope commented. “Thus, it is especially necessary that public administrations do not support these negative trends but, on the contrary, offer families convinced and concrete support, in the certainty that they are thereby acting for the common good," he concluded.
Recently the Pope commented that many families are crying out for help from civil authorities. Benedict XVI made his remarks on the family during an audience held for representatives from the Forum of Family Associations and the European Federation of Catholic Family Associations, who were in Rome for a conference. “Accordingly, there is an increasingly urgent need for a common commitment to support families by every means available, from the social and economic point of view, as well as the juridical and spiritual,” the Pontiff said. The Holy Father singled out for praise the initiative to mobilize people in support of family-friendly fiscal policy. An initiative sorely needed in many countries around the world.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
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