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Oakland, CA 94612
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CORRECTION
The list of regional meetings on the new Confirmation guidelines for the
Oakland Diocese contained an error. The correct list of dates/locations
is:
Sept. 7: Holy Spirit, Fremont
Sept. 8: Good Shepherd, Pittsburg
Sept. 9: St. John Vianney, Walnut Creek
Sept. 10: Christ the Light Parish Hall
All the sessions begin at 10:30 a.m.
A crucial moment
I would like to expand on the letter of Eartha Newsong (Forum, June 21)
calling for U.S. bishops to “remove their magnifying glasses”
regarding investigating women religious on ethics committees and to speak
out on crucial issues such as the immorality of aspects of modern warfare.
The bishops need to speak out again on the total immorality of nuclear
weapons, as they did so effectively in their 1984 pastoral letter, “Challenge
of Peace.” This document was subsequently taken in translation to
the peace committees of the Soviet Union by the Northern California Catholic
Peace Mission (of which my husband Cass and I were privileged to be a
part) and which, we believe, helped set up a climate for change.
We are again at a crucial point in history. Our president and the Russian
president have agreed to the New Start treaty which calls for more big
cuts in our nuclear arsenals, but 40 senators have recently indicated
their refusal to confirm the treaty unless incredible amounts of money
are spent to “update” the arsenal.
This latter development is ironically also at odds with the recent international
conference aimed at continuing the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty which
in Article VI calls on all nuclear-armed nations to eliminate nuclear
weapons in a timely manner.
Our Lord has said “Blessed are the peacemakers” and “those
who hunger and thirst for justice…” This doesn’t mean
wishful thinking, but, rather, meaningful activity on the part of believers
to study issues and work for real change and, ideally, moral guidance
from our bishops.
For more information on the nuclear issue, see Physicians for Social Responsibility
at www.sfbaypsr.org
or TriValley Cares at www.trivalleycares.org
Marlene Candell
Berkeley
Would Jesus excommunicate?
Regarding the situation of the gravely ill woman who was 11 weeks pregnant,
would the bishops have let her and her baby die or let her have a deadly
stroke that would have left a broken-hearted husband and family? What
would our compassionate Jesus do in this case?
I dislike intensely the word “excommunicate,” which was what
was done to Sister Margaret McBride for her role in the ethics committee
decision (in the case above) to save the mother’s life. Who invented
this horrible act of excommunication?
Jesus invited people in; he never kicked them out, not matter what they
did. How dare the bishops kick Sister Margaret out of the Church she gave
her life to? In Baptism she was made a child of God. He does not dismiss
his beloved children. She made vows to serve Him all her life. She is
still a member of God’s family. Get rid of that ugly word “excommunicate.”
I love my Church and my God, but I also grieve for my Church.
Nancy Powers
San Leandro
Stop pillorying women
Thank you, Marilyn Homitz, for your enlightening and thought-provoking
letter (Forum, June 21). Not only has Sister Margaret McBride been pilloried,
so have numerous women’s religious orders who are getting “visitations”
from the Vatican.
Women of religious orders have been the backbone of American Catholicism
—just look at their operation of hospitals and schools. Catholics
of my generation (I’m 67) are deeply indebted to these caring, giving
and sacrificing women.
The misogynistic leadership of the Church tramples on the rights of women.
But the “good old boys’ club” rarely metes out punishment
to pedophile priests, their cardinals and bishops, for their transgressions.
Cardinal Bernard Law got a nice job in Rome and Cardinal Roger Mahony
is still the top man in Los Angeles.
Does the Church have any sense of decency and fair play in its treatment
of women, be they religious or laity?
Jack Reardon
Concord
Communion with dignity
As an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion I really appreciated Bishop
Cordileone’s commentary (Voice, June 7) on Christ’s sacrifice
made present and on how we should receive Communion.
All too often when I am ministering to the community people come up and
look around at other parishioners or the decorations; any number of things
catch their attention.
The ones who really need to hear some catechesis on this subject from
the priests, as Bishop Cordileone so graciously did in his article, are
those people who are just Sunday Catholics. They come and sit there in
the pews, thinking about anything else besides being present at the Mass
or why they are there in the first place. Some just come to get their
bulletin to prove they have been to church on Sunday.
If they came to the table of the Lord with the grace and dignity our Lord
so richly deserves for the suffering he did on our behalf, the Mass would
take on new meaning. It might possibly even stay with these lost souls
for the remainder of the week so that when they do come again to receive
Our Lord Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, they may leave
with more than they ever dreamed possible.
Fran Ferlazzo
Pleasanton
Stamp honors Mother Teresa
The 100th anniversary of the birth of Mother Teresa is Aug. 26. The U.S.
Postal Service will issue a 44-cent commemorative stamp to honor this
great Christian humanitarian. Some objected to this honor, but they were
overridden.
The stamp will be available Sept. 6 in the post offices. Consider
buying a good supply of the Mother Teresa stamps for your use. All of
us use stamps, and commemorative stamps make our mail look more inviting.
This will also act as a recognition of her contribution to our world.
The stamp can also be ordered from the U.S. Postal Service by calling
toll free, 1-800-782-6724, and ordering item number 465140. The stamps
come 20 on a pane. There is a service charge of $1 no matter how panes
are ordered.
Brother John Samaha, SM
Cupertino
Don’t leave women out
June 13 was the 11th Sunday in ordinary time. The presider read the Gospel
from Luke 7:36-8:8; however he skipped the “optional passage”
at the end. Below is what was not read from the ambo:
“Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching
and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him
were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and
infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.”
The focus of the homily was the importance of gratitude. I appreciate
the value of preserving an attitude of gratitude as a means to navigate
life with humility and grace.
However, omitting this passage was a missed opportunity. I would like
to suggest that perhaps Jesus was grateful that these holy women bankrolled
his three years of public ministry, that they were a source of a balancing
feminine influence, while the men were bickering about who Jesus loved
most.
No doubt these women were not only buying the food, but cooking it as
well, because every day was not a loaves and fishes event. Who did cook
the last supper? Peter? Doubtful.
It took every ounce of self-control I had not to jump up and yell, “Wait,
you didn’t finish the reading!”
Are the ordained discouraged from highlighting the women’s contribution
to Jesus’ entourage? I am beginning to understand why the all-male
hierarchy is so frightened of us, especially now that we can read and
write. The power of Sophia has bestowed the courage to voice the truth
of our convictions. They have much to fear, as there is no wrath like
a woman scorned, and enough is enough.
Kate Dougherty
Concord
Macabre practice
It seems to me that carrying about St. John Vianney’s heart in a
gold reliquary (Voice, July 5) is about as macabre as you can get. It
also seems to me that this is one very good example of why many would
not want to associate with people who behave like this.
Susan Schneider
Oakland
Letters to the editor provide a forum for readers to
engage in an open exchange of opinions and concerns in a climate of respect
and civil discourse. The opinions expressed are those of the writers,
and not necessarily of the Catholic Voice or the Diocese of Oakland. While
a full spectrum of opinions will sometimes include those which dissent
from Church teaching or contradict the natural moral law, it is hoped
that this forum will help our readers to understand better others’
thinking on critical issues facing the Church at this time.
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