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Contributions to Reader's Forum should be limited to 250 words.
Letters must be signed and must include the writer's address and
phone number for verification purposes. All letters are subject
to editing.
Mail your letter to:
The Catholic Voice
2121 Harrison St., Suite 100
Oakland, CA 94612
FAX: (510) 893-4734
Email letters to:
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A great Catholic
During the memorials, funeral, and burial of Senator Ted Kennedy, my thoughts
went out to the advocates for the needy who lobbied for passage of many
of the bills he authored and carried through Congress to help those who
are suffering. Our letters and calls were guided by the legislative analysts
at Network, the National Catholic Social Justice Lobby. All the bills
we advocated for were based in the social teachings of our Church.
The petitions read by Senator Kennedy’s grandchildren, nieces, and
nephews at his funeral Mass called for quality healthcare to become a
right, not a privilege, for race and gender politics to die away, for
newcomers to become accepted no matter their color or place of birth,
and for our nation to stand united against hate, violence, and war.
I know that the senator’s words will resound with us as we go on
without him: “the work begins anew, the hope arises anew, and the
dream lives on.”
For years I just took his Catholicity for granted, but in thinking about
his legislation recently, I realized that I needed to acknowledge what
a truly great Catholic he was. The presence of two cardinals of our Church
at the farewell rituals made me proud. People of faith owe Ted Kennedy
a deep debt of gratitude.
Gwen Watson
Lafayette
Too much adulation
Once again the Church hierarchy has shown its penchant to favor the rich
and the powerful. We were treated to the Church bestowing its blessing
upon the late Senator Ted Kennedy beginning with the private Mass at his
home and an elegant funeral Mass with the blessings of the archbishop
of Boston. It has also been reported that Kennedy had a personal exchange
of correspondence with the pope during his final days.
I appreciate the sanctity of the gift of forgiveness but what almost amounts
to public adoration of someone who publicly flaunted some of the most
precious and critical beliefs of his Church is too much.
Clifford R. Wiesner
Concord
No politics in churches
In the Aug. 10 Reader’s Forum, Robert Burke first told us that he was
a “conservative.” He then went on to tell us that he opposed Notre
Dame’s award of an honorary degree to President Obama, saying
that he would have also opposed an honorary degree to Hitler if a Catholic
university had wanted to do so years ago. The letter was more political
than spiritual.
In this light, will “conservative” family-values organizations
endorse or oppose universal health care? And will prominent Catholic
leaders come forward to endorse the concept? Or will the political
values of individuals or religious organizations be the dominant
factor?
It’s as if one’s political values trump one’s spiritual
values or as if one’s spiritual values are used to endorse one’s
political values.
As an extreme, I heard a guy on a radio talk show saying that “liberals”
could not really be true Christians.
Is there some way we can get the politics out of our churches?
George Fulmore
Concord
A failure in logic
I would like to comment on the article by Ed Hopfner on Natural Family
Planning (Commentary, July 6). I believe natural family planning can be
very helpful for those couples who want to conceive a child. As for preventing
conception, I fail to see the difference between abstaining from sex during
fertile days and using some form of artificial birth control.
If a couple purposely participates in sex only during non-fertile days,
then they are doing so strictly for the pleasure of the act and not for
procreation. The Church does not consider this a sin. But if some form
of contraception is used, then it is considered a sin even though both
acts are done strictly for pleasure and not for procreation. Where is
the Church’s logic in this?
In an already overpopulated world that is no longer able to sustain itself,
think of the many unplanned pregnancies that could be avoided and the
many unwanted children what would not be born if the Church admitted to
this logic and allowed artificial means of birth control.
Think also of the many good Catholic couples who would be relieved of
the guilt they carry because they use some form of artificial birth control
in spite of the Church’s teachings.
If the Church truly wants to promote good stewardship of this world, then
she should encourage all means of birth control, particularly in countries
that are already overpopulated.
Chuck Schneider
Pleasanton
Musical exclusions
I recently received an e-mail from Rudy de Vos, the new music director
for the cathedral, asking me to join the new choir he is forming. I was
a member of the cathedral’s dedication choir and the choir for the
installation of Bishop Cordileone.
What troubled me was that de Vos wrote that he was “looking forward
to develop a music program of excellence, befitting of and suitable to
a cathedral. Repertoire that will be focused on will include Gregorian
chant, Renaissance polyphony and other staples of the choral repertory
(i.e. music by Byrd, Tallis, Attwood, Stanford, Parry, Howells, Duruflé,
Colin Mawby, Joel Martinson, Leo Nestor etc.) and no music by Haugen and
Haas.”
I was under the impression that the Church belonged to the people and
not to an elite few. If we the people of the Oakland Diocese are a diverse
group and we are to celebrate our diversity in our spiritual world, why
would we not include people like Haugen, Haas, Manibusan, Sullivan-Whitaker
and others who write very spiritual music for the people and have roots
in our diocese?
The Church wants us to celebrate as a unified Church and as a family of
God’s people. But it seems that the leaders of the Oakland Diocese
want its people to return to the days of pre-Vatican II and let the leaders worship
for the people and for the people to worship in the closet. It is not
surprising that so many Catholics are not at the forefront claiming they
are Catholics.
Sebastian Romeo
Via email
Cathedral music
I was so pleased to read the Voice article (Aug. 10) about the new music
director at the Cathedral of Christ the Light.
I have been watching in The Voice for a Mass schedule that would be updated
each week and that would tell us at which Masses the organ will be played.
I am also interested in any organ recitals that may be scheduled. I have
several non-Catholic friends who are interested in attending such events
also.
Joan Thisius
Concord
(Editor’s note: Currently, the organ is played during the noon Mass
on Tuesdays and the 10 a.m. Mass on Sundays.)
Not always murder
As with a lot of people, Lillian Silver (Forum, Aug. 10) misinterprets
the Commandment which from its original Hebrew actually translates as
“Thou shalt not murder.” We wish churches still used that
translation to be clearer and to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
God, the Bible, and the pope are all opposed to murder, but they all condone
killing in some circumstances such as in a Just War, as retribution for
some crimes, in self-defense or, in the case of animals, for food.
For example, it was murder that the Nazis did to Jews and much of what
doctors are doing when they carry out most abortions. But it was not murder
when Allied soldiers killed the Nazis and Japanese in World War II, or
when Timothy McVeigh and other mass murderers are tried, convicted and
executed, or when we eat dead fish on Fridays.
Please do better at making these distinctions throughout the diocese and
in Rome.
Pete & Sherie Laurence
Clayton
Adding to the confusion
In response to Mike Mc Dermott’s comments (Forum, Aug. 10) regarding
EWTN, I do not think that the everyday Catholic is confused or uninformed
about basic Catholic teaching. I find the teachers/spiritual leaders confusing.
Having been raised and educated as a Catholic in the 40s and 50s, I find
a vast area of conflicting teachings between then and now. EWTN leads
in this confusion. Programs such as Life On The Rock, Father John Corapi,
and The Journey Home seem to be outdated and whatever message these programs
are attempting to send is very, very confusing to say the least.
The very rare Roman Rite Mass by the Fraternity of Saint Peter shows the
beauty of our Church. The EWTN daily Mass, well, that’s another
story.
The Catholic Voice does not need fine tuning as Mr. McDermott states.
I find The Voice to be overly fair to all opinions. Maybe Catholic communications
need fine tuning.
J. Eric Salmon
Antioch
Violation of Fifth Commandment
With regard to the publication of letters in The Voice from people who
dissent with Catholic teaching, Mike McDermott indicated (Forum, Aug.
10) that “The Voice should continue publishing these dissenting
viewpoints. Such letters offer a ‘teachable moment,’ an opportunity
for The Voice to provide a brief statement citing correct Catholic teaching
and references so no one is confused.”
If it were truly the case that a Church teaching authority’s corrections
were placed within the immediate vicinity of such letters, Mr. McDermott’s
wonderful idea about teaching and correction would be fulfilled. But I
have not seen this happen. Instead, these letters are simply published
in clear violation of the 5th Commandment as described in paragraphs
2284-2287 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Jesus warns us: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe
in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened
round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea... Temptations
to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come!”
It is absolutely tragic that there are so many people calling themselves
Catholic who support the greatest evil in history, abortion, and take
their dissent so far as to cause scandal. I pray they undergo a conversion
of heart, and that The Voice not become a tool for those who would divide
the Church and cause further scandal.
James Neiman
Union City
Father Jayson deserved more
The Contra Costa Times and the Oakland City Council had fitting tributes
to Father Jayson Landeza, a noteworthy man. He was justifiably recognized
for his good continuous service for various public agencies
in addition to having his own parish. His fine example of a
“priest in action” is refreshing to note.
However, what a disappointment The Voice was. It could only do a
mere tidbit on page 13.
Eugene O. Schulting
Walnut Creek
Voice gives scandal
Several letters recently dealt with the issue of whether letters expressing
positions contrary to the Church’s teaching should be published
in The Voice. Thomas Templeton (Forum, July 6) said no. Mike McDermott
(Forum, Aug. 10) said yes, and noted that it can be a teachable moment.
Unfortunately, the Voice does not use dissenting letters as a teachable
moment. Under Bishop Begin, the editor or the bishop himself wrote a reply
to dissenting letters, teaching the truth as bishops are required to do.
So, if The Voice is not going to take advantage of the teachable moment
and publish an immediate rebuttal, then dissenting letters should not
be published.
The excuse that we should be aware of what the dissenting positions are
is a red herring. The secular media are bombarding us with that all the
time; we don’t need to waste our precious time and space on it.
The only reason to publish dissenting letters is to immediately —
on the same page — present the truth.
When this is not done, The Voice gives scandal to the many people who
think that because it’s in The Voice it represents Church teaching.
Robert C. Berlo
Livermore
Stop handshake of peace
I attend Saint John’s in San Lorenzo and, at times, Transfiguration
in Castro Valley. Recently I noticed that some people refused to share
“peace be with you” with a hand shake. I wonder whether with
the recent pandemic of swine flu as well as other contagious diseases
and people coughing/sneezing into their hands, we should dispense with
hand shaking and just acknowledge the people around us.
Jose Perry
Via email
Landmark encyclical
The Holy Father’s new encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate”
is like a many-faceted diamond. I get a kick out of hearing reactions
to it, each one looking at one or a few facets that reflect their favorite
world view and missing the jewel. The CNS writers in the Aug. 10 Voice
are a good example.
They pick out sections on pro-life, the moral failures of financiers,
lack of government oversight, world political authority, help to the poor,
universal rights, the world of affluence, profit-making, labor unions
— AFL/CIO, voice of workers, common good, global governance, or
immigration as if these segments are the essence of the encyclical.
All of the above issues are, indeed, addressed by the pope, but not one
writer adequately explained Benedict’s concept of gift-giving and
gift-exchange in the economic process that permeates and underlies every
section — a new way of thinking that combines limits on the market
and governments with Chesterton’s distributist concept of business,
cooperatives, credit unions, micro-finance and other alternative economic
models on a global scale.
Nor did one writer address the landmark section where the pope questions
technology — the prevalent ideology driving economics today in the
areas of business, politics, science, media and, especially, bioethics
— technology that separates man from the truth about himself.
The greed that created the current global crisis came from men’s
hearts; this is where change has to begin. The Holy Father’s message
is the expert truth of the Catholic principles of charity, solidarity,
subsidiarity and reciprocity — principles that integrally promote
the good of every man.
The Church has never embraced either socialism or capitalism in her continuous
string of economic and social encyclicals; both systems were born in the
Enlightenment, which was the great denial of Church authority and the
deification of man.
We can be proud that the pope has laid out an ideal for the world —
it is now up to the Church, all people of good will, and governments to
make it work in a spirit of charity based on the truth of Revelation and
truly human development.
Jack Hockel
Walnut Creek
The opinions expressed in letters to Reader's Forum
are the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of The
Catholic Voice or the Oakland Diocese.
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