Why Do I Care Who Is Pope?

It has certainly been an interesting few weeks since the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. Social Networking Sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc have given a pulpit to everyone who has something to say on the matter. I have listened to interviews in the media with Roman Catholic Clergy, everyday members of the faithful, and everyone else who has been offered the opportunity. I've seen various comic strips regarding the news; some amusing, some in poor taste. I've seen Facebook Groups, photoshop-ed profile pictures, and Late Night T.V. Sketches. I even saw an image of the Pope in that classic pose on the balcony  with his arms raised greeting the crowds; except it’s not his face...it's' Beyonce...and underneath was the words "all the single Pontiffs, put your hands up."

It seems that everyone...without exception...has something to say about the matter. One individual with whom I spoke this week proudly stated; "I could care less that he resigned", and then followed up with a 20 minute explanation as to why he felt that way. Everyone has something to say about it...so why?

More than that, why is it that the people who theoretically don't care have the most to say?

Well first of all there is always a certain amount of conversation about anything that is so secretive; Conclaves, tradition, ritual, and all that goes with it, fascinates some people, and fuels the fire of disgust for others. That alone is going to get everyone talking.

Second of all, it is an objectively historical event that the Roman Pontiff has resigned from his position. Regardless of your thoughts on who he is, what he stands for…whether you are Catholic or not, Roman or otherwise…whether you are even a Christian or not…his resignation is objectively, historically, significant.

Now why do I care? I am a part of a Church that does not function under the jurisdiction of the Papacy. Well I care about this for a few reasons.

The Pope fills a number of roles, among which; he’s a Pastor, a Priest, a theologian, a political leader – all roles that are held by countless others, in countless other places. With a following of 1.2 Billion people, it’s only natural that he catches a large amount of global attention. Given that anyone, who shares in any of those roles, must be people who are driven by a deep passion; it’s only natural that folks who share in them in their own communities are going to have a lot to say.

He’s a Pastor…the Pastor of a Parish with 1.2 Billion Parishioners. While the understanding of the Papacy in the Roman Catholic understanding is certainly far more complex than that, this is a description that any Pastor can relate to. A Pastor has a moral responsibility to the souls entrusted to his care. In light of that, anyone who shares in the same role in their own community is going to have strong feelings about him. Some hold him as a source of wisdom, grace, and the voice of God’s Will. Some believe that he has failed in his responsibilities towards his flock. Some believe that because he is so intertwined in a system far bigger and older then he, it is impossible to make an accurate assessment. Regardless…he is a Pastor of 1.2 Billion people.

  

He’s a Priest. I think that anytime that someone says “you’re not Roman Catholic, why do you care?” they are forgetting that which makes us Catholic; the Sacraments. The reason Independent Catholicism exists is because we believe that we are all united in these 7 gifts of Christ to His Church. We believe that “all are welcome” regardless of marital history, sexual orientation, personal history, etc. Do we not also then believe that all are welcome, regardless of Papal affiliation? We are proud to say that the Sacraments we celebrate are the same as those of the Roman Church given our share in Apostolic Succession. That means all 7 Sacraments are the same…that means we share in a common Priesthood. The Pope is a Priest, and as a Bishop he shares in the fullness of that Priesthood. Although we are different we are all still Catholic, and the unity that does exist is far deeper than anything we can see with our eyes. It’s transcendental, ontological, and undeniable.

He’s a Theologian. To accurately number how many people across the world consider themselves the same is likely impossible to determine. I know that I am only one of a great many who has earned (and is continuing to earn) degrees in this field of Academic Study. Given the size of Independent Catholicism compared to Roman Catholicism, you can naturally imagine that there are a great many more Roman Catholics who are publishing work in this field; work that is being utilized for study across the whole world. I may disagree with statements he has made about homosexuality, or contraception…but what about things the Papacy says about Christology, Mariology, or other areas of Systematic Theology? I would be a poor student if I dismissed all of his work because of my disagreement with some of his conclusions.

He’s a political leader: the head of the Vatican City State. I would think that anyone who is an educated, active member of the world wide community…anyone who takes an active role in advocacy for any issue in politics…would take interest in his resignation. Who the Pope is affects the face of so many things in the world, and what he says steers so many conversations; even (perhaps most especially) when it comes to topics that we stand on the opposite side of the line about.  

So what is the lesson to be learned from all of what has unfolded these recent weeks? There has been a whirlwind of speculation about why he has stepped down. He said it was due to his health, some have said it’s due to an impending scandal that is blowing in the wind behind closed doors. Regardless of why he has chosen to retire, the bottom line is he has done it before the situation (whatever it may be) gets any worse. I would dare to say that it is neither a victory nor a loss, regardless of what side of history you stand on.

For Roman Catholics who give him their limitless fidelity and obedience this event is not a “loss”; it’s the progression of things. He has led the Church through 8 years of history, and now it is time for someone else to pick up where he left off, and lead the Church through whatever is to come next…and similarly, when his successor’s time in the Chair of Peter is over it will happen again, just as it has happened 265 times already.

For Catholics who express their faith outside of the Roman Hierarchy, this event is not a “victory”, because the Pope is not an enemy. Rather it is a time of change, and no doubt the next Pontiff will offer the world Theological work, and Pastoral example that we will find of value, and some with which we will take issue. Such is the nature of Academia and shepherding.

For some folks the next Pope is already is despised, and he hasn’t even been elected yet. Some people will always take satisfaction in criticizing Popes, Presidents, and other leaders. For some folks anything short of the Pope saying, “the Church has been wrong for centuries” will not be enough; and for still some others even that would yield the criticism that it took too long for such an admission.

May God truly be with the Roman Catholic Church, as her members watch another conclave unfold. May God be with the Cardinals of the Church as they select their next Shepherd. May God be with Benedict XVI, as he spends the rest of his days in prayer and study. May God be with each and every one of us, as we all strive towards the same goal of building up God’s Kingdom on Earth, so that together we may rejoice in Heaven – where there will be no Roman Catholics or Independent Catholics, where there will be no scandal or speculation – there will be only God, His truth, and the fullness of Redemption. 

Grace, The New Year, and The Theotokos

“I just love New Years”, the teller said to me at the bank the other day, “a chance for everything from the last year to get wiped away, and we start completely fresh.”

“I doubt that explanation will help with bill collectors”, I reminded her.

Don’t think that I am cynical about the start of a New Year because I certainly am anything but that! I think that New Years is the perfect (and obvious) time to evaluate where we've been, where we’re going, and how we are going to get there. That doesn't mean however that just because of where we fall in the calendar, the mistakes of the past disappears- if that were the case we would lose our victories too, and I certainly wouldn't want that to happen!

The New Year provides a time to evaluate, and to begin those steps towards achieving the goals we set for ourselves. The year that has passed (and for that matter all the ones that passed before it), all contribute to who we are today. So a midst all the wishes for “health, happiness, and blessings” in the New Year, how does it all become a reality? How do we ensure that all the New Years wishes don’t amount to mere holiday fluff? How do we take the years that have passed, and somehow bring along the good, and transform those things that we want to change? John the Evangelist tells us in the prologue to his Gospel (an excerpt of which we heard on Christmas Morning at Mass); "From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace, because while the law came through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (Jn 1:16-17).

Grace is the answer.

January 1^st is, in the Church across the world, the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God. This title of Mary is one of the earliest Marian dogmas. At the Council of Ephesus, the term “Theotokos” was adopted to describe Mary, a Greek word meaning, “the God-bearer”.

When the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary at the Annunciation, she greeted Mary as being “full of grace”. It was then through Mary’s “yes”, that God was able to become one like us, and the Incarnation is the means through which we have been saved. Her motherhood is a moment of grace therefore for all of us! We all share the dignity of being sons and daughters of God through this sacred mystery, and as dwelling places of the Holy Spirit we too are “God bearers” in our world today.  We are all, on the day of our Baptism, "full of grace".  

Grace is the answer.

Grace is what we need!

According to the Catechism; “Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to His call to become children of God, adoptive sons [and daughters] partakers of the divine nature, and heirs to the kingdom.” The Catechism goes on to explain that “the Grace of Christ is the gift of His own life, infused by the Holy Spirit into our souls.” That grace transforms our lives, and as members of the Baptized, the Sacramental life of the Church allows us to grow in that grace as we move along in our lives. They are there at the various stations of life where we pause and “recharge” to take the next step along the journey. 

In a way New Years is one of those stations of life! We stop and examine things.  It is this gift that will take our past and transform it into fuel for our future. It is the gift of Grace that will make our present, into a life lived not solely for ourselves, but rather for Him who has given it to us in the first place! May Mary, our mother, be ever with us over the course of this New Year. May her life be for us a lesson on “living with grace”: and may that grace be alive and pure in our lives to make 2013 all that it possibly can be!

May you all enjoy a New Year that is full of grace!

No Room In The Inn

I thought I would share my thoughts about Christmas by posting the Homily I delivered on Christmas Morning at Church...Merry Christmas Everyone!!


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Throughout my life Christmas has always been a very special time of the year for me, largely because this Season brings back some of the happiest memories of my life. Those memories come not as much from my early childhood, but more from my teenage years.

When I was a teen I was very actively involved in my Church Youth Group. One of the biggest tasks that came along with membership in this group was the arduous task of decorating the Church for Christmas. Now you have to understand, the pastor of my home Parish growing up, Father Bert Richman, didn't believe that a few Trees, and a Manger was sufficient to celebrate the Season. In fact, our Church was known in the area as “The LaSalette of the East”. Every building was outlined in lights, every bush, tree, and handrail was illuminated. The inside of the Church was another story all together.

It was however while stapling Christmas Lights to the roof of the Church that I really began to come to understand God’s call in my heart to serve Him as a Priest.

You see at school I wasn't terribly popular; I wasn't good at sports, I struggled with academics, I was “average” looking at best, and I was super involved at Church. My best friend growing up however was the exact opposite. He was good at every sport, he got straight A’s in every class, every girl in school was in love with him (and I suspect some of the boys too), he was that kid who everything he touched seemed to turn to gold. What we held in common however was the youth group, and it was while kneeling in the snow stapling down those lights on the roof year after year, that we became the very best of friends. As a result of this, my understanding of the Church growing up, was that there were no outsiders, everyone was “a cool kid”, everyone had a place…and I wanted to provide that experience for every other kid out there who was just like me.

How appropriate that this incident happened while we were decorating for and celebrating the Solemnity of Christmas, because that’s what Christmas is all about. Jesus Christ- the eternal God, the Creator of the Universe – took human flesh, and came to live among us as a man. He left the glory of Heaven, and the King and Creator subjected Himself to His own creation; the parents that He had to obey, the animals that would now be a source of food, transportation, and clothing…indeed even the very sky beneath which He was born – were all the products of His creating word- yet now as a baby, He could not even speak. In fact so much was He now at the mercy of the world, that He was pushed into a dark, cold, stable upon His coming…because that creation of His told Him there was no room for Him in the Inn.

For Christ this was the beginning of a lifetime of being told there was no room for Him. When He grew older, this Son of God Himself would find there was no room for Him in the Organized Religion of His time. This King of Kings would find there was no room for Him in Politics either. As He went about His mission on Earth preaching, He would be driven out of well more than one place, because there was no room for His words of love, forgiveness, and peace.

When the Angels told the Shepherds the glorious news of Christmas, they said; “I bring you news of great joy, and it shall be for all the people.” … ALL the people...You see, you and I are the pieces of this manger for which there are no statues. Look at our beautiful Manger Scene; there are Shepherds; who were women and men who lived as nomads, and were the poorest of the poor. There are Kings, who came from the East, robed in resplendent garb, riding camels, with servants to tend to their needs, and bearing expensive gifts. There was a poor couple, who would provide for this child through manual labor, and whose love had been the topic of gossip and ridicule, because the society in which they lived did not understand their relationship. There may have been no room for Jesus in the Inn, but in His Stable it would seem there was room for every walk of life. He Himself came to be an Inn; a place of lodging, rest, and nourishment, for every weary traveler on the road;

for everyone who the world rejects and doesn't understand,

for the poor who have the hearts of nomads,

for the rich who want for nothing yet can’t find happiness,

for the family who labors only to make ends meet,

for you and I when we fit in any one of those categories on any given day…

There is room for anyone in the Stable…more than that, there is a place for everyone in the Stable.

I know that the people of our Parish believe very strongly in the values of that Stable. I know it because you welcome every single person who walks through that door with open arms. I know it because I know how you value our belief that “All Are Welcome”- gay or straight, rich or poor, happy or sad, married, divorced, single, or confused; All Are Welcome.

I know that you believe so strongly in the values of that Stable because on Sunday night I had the powerful and humbling experience of driving a pickup truck, with its entire bed chock full of the presents that you so generously gave to change the life of a family right here in Rhode Island. You provided for those children so much more then packages to open on Christmas morning; you gave them a place in the Stable. For the first time in their lives, when the kids are talking about what they got for Christmas they won’t feel left out of the conversation. For the first time in their lives, when they watch a television show or a movie about Christmas they won’t roll their eyes and think that it’s a bunch of nonsense, because they have been able to experience it for themselves. Thanks to you, Christmas has room for them this year.

You have sent Christmas Cards to the imprisoned.

You have given food to the hungry.

You have given clothes to the poor.

You have done everything in your power, to ensure that no one find themselves pushed out, and you do it – we do it – because we know that what’s in the Inn doesn't matter, but rather it’s what’s in the Stable that counts. May each and every one of us find our place in the Manger; weather you gaze in prayerful awe like Mary and Joseph, or kneel and feel as though you have nothing to offer like the shepherd…weather you stand with confidence and pride like a King, or look upon this scene with confusion like one of the animals... Let us gather around this newborn Christ Child, and take your place, that has been prepared for you…and may we join with the Angels in singing their song;

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, to those with whom His favor rests.”

We Need A Little Christmas

My Homily from this morning, the Fourth Sunday of Advent...

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In 1956, a new Broadway Show called Mame took the stage. It was set in New York City, and told the story of an eccentric woman named Mame Dennis. Mame was extremely wealthy and lived a fabulous metropolitan lifestyle in the Big Apple, until it is interrupted by the arrival of Patrick, her orphaned nephew. The show takes place across the span of the Great Depression, and World War II. When Mame looses all of her fortune in the Stock Market Crash of 1929, she decides that she, Patrick, and her two household servants need a little Christmas Cheer, and in the 1966 production of the show, Angela Lansbury performed the song “We Need a Little Christmas” for the very first time.

The song speaks of all the charming nuances that make Christmas so endearing- the holly, the trees, the stockings, the fruitcake, and the candles in the window. Toward the middle of the song we find the verse;

“For I've grown a little leaner,
Grown a little colder,
Grown a little sadder,
Grown a little older
We need a little Christmas now.”

I don’t know about all of you, but I can sure relate to that song as I stand here today.
I think we all need a little Christmas.


As winter draws deeper and deeper, the temperature drops further and further, and the days get shorter and shorter…We look at our day to day lives around us, and we find the stress and headaches of challenges we wish we could defeat. Aggravation, bills, car payments, and the list goes on…and we grow a little colder…

We put on the news and all we can find is reminder after reminder of the horrifying tragedy that befell the town of Newton Connecticut last Friday…we hear about house fires, break ins, and local violence …and we grow a little sadder…

We look at the year that has passed us by, we look at the goals we set for ourselves in January. We look at the experiences of the last 12 months –both the good and the bad – and we realize that we have grown a little older…

We need a little Christmas.

We need a little Christmas because the joy and the love that comes on Christmas morning conquers all of these things. The Birth of Jesus brings hope to the world, because it’s the birth of our Salvation; a salvation for which the people of Israel had waited for centuries.

In this morning’s Gospel we heard the story of the Visitation. Mary- now carrying the Christ Child in her womb- travels several days out from Nazareth, to what Scripture calls the hill country, which is the city of Hebron. According to tradition, this ancient town rested over the remains of the founders of faith; Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and King David were all buried in this region. As all the pieces of history come together in this momentous visit, Elizabeth knows that Mary is the mother of God, “Blessed are you among woman, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Who am I that the mother of my Lord should visit me?” Centuries of Prophecy are on the cusp of coming to fulfillment.

Elizabeth had been raised in the Jewish Faith, and knew the Prophesies of their ancestors all too well. She knew of the Messiah that had been promised since Eden. The wife of a temple Priest, her faith was at the very core of her life. She was an older woman, thought by her community to be barren, a state in life that was shrouded in shame. With each passing day this woman grew a little older, grew a little sadder, grew a little colder.

Now here were all those answers, right there at her door. Here was the climax, the completion of her lifelong Advent, and the woman who was to bear it was her own cousin, Mary.  It says that the unborn John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth’s womb for joy! It’s a moment when all those are “in the know” are united in a moment of joy beyond all telling.

They needed a little Christmas…they needed it right this very minute! Having waited for centuries as a nation, and all their lives as people, the time for waiting and preparing was over. The prophecies were about to be fulfilled, and every single one of them knew it. Now here we stand…we stand with Elizabeth and Mary in that doorway, and like Elizabeth the child within us jumps for joy…the child that in fact is us, the us from before life got colder, sadder, and older.

The anticipation and joy is everywhere...you can feel it in the air. One may think while in the mall that it's something entirely commercial, but that's not true...because deep down inside, no matter what is at the fore front of people's mind, no matter what we call the tree at City Hall, and no matter how many things have been bought, wrapped, or returned; The entirety of creation is on the brink of something marvelous...something so marvelous it will disturb the peace of heaven itself on a silent Bethlehem night.

So indeed, as the song says, let’s haul out the holly, put up the tree, and fill up the stockings – not because any of those things make Christmas, but because we are celebrating; celebrating that the wait is finally over! May that child within each and every one of us leap for joy – because prophecy is about to become fulfillment…

Is Work Prayer, Or Is Prayer Work?

Tomorrow the Church across the world celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints, a day where we are reminded of the reality of the Communion of Saints, and those who have stood as examples of heroes of faith to the Church for centuries; a number that is continually growing with each passing day.  This Solemnity commemorates not only those Saints after whom Churches are named, and Statues are erected; but also those countless women and men of every age, who as members of the baptized lived their lives working toward that goal of the Kingdom, and who made that Kingdom come alive on Earth. As members of the Baptized, we are members of that Communion, and Jesus calls us all to Sainthood.

The title of this blog was inspired by a memory from my days in the Seminary. A few of us had ventured out into the night on All Saints Day to continue our own festivities, and we began to talk about the Solemnity at hand, and the Priesthood…and how it had some particular implications for those in Holy Orders. We were pompous…we were immature in so many ways…and we thought that we could solve all the problems of the world, and of the Church, that very night before last call. We were right about one thing though; this Solemnity of All Saints calls us Priests to task.

As members of the Baptized we are all called to Sainthood, and that is without a doubt, a heavy call for anyone. As Priests however we are held to a particular duty as we strive to answer the call of Christ to Sainthood in our own lives. On the day of our Ordination, the Bishop handed us the Chalice and Paten, and said the words;

“Accept from the holy people of God, the gifts to be offered to Him. Know what you are doing, and imitate the mystery you celebrate; model your life on the mystery of the Lord’s Cross.”

With these words we find the most difficult charge issued to every Priest. It’s a call that we hold in common; Roman, Independent, “Old”, National – whatever kind of Catholic you identify yourself as…we are all charged to model our lives on the mystery of the Cross. If the people we Shepherd are striving to be Saints, then surely we must make that strive with all the more determination, because there is a lot at stake! Aren't we called to be not only Saints, but Martyrs?

The Sacrifice of the Cross that is made present on the Altar every time we celebrate Mass must be the absolute center of our Spiritual Journey.  If we are modeling our lives after the mystery of the Lord’s Cross, then we cannot help but look at the role of the Cross in the life of Christ Himself. In the current Liturgical Cycle we have been reading on Sundays from the Gospel of Mark. As we know from Biblical Criticism, the Markan account includes the “Messianic Secret”; Jesus’ command to those who would proclaim Him as the Messiah to be quiet about this revelation. Jesus didn't want to be known by His miracles, or His parables, but rather by His Passion. He wasn't a magician or a gifted storyteller, He was the Messiah. The Cross was not only how He defined Himself, but it was also the means by which He wanted the rest of the world to identify Him.

Are we as dedicated to the mystery of the Lord’s Cross. The challenge is particularly poignant to those of us who live our Priesthood in the Independent Catholic experience.  We go to a secular job everyday to support ourselves. We pay bills. We have romantic relationships. The challenge to constantly model our lives on the mystery of the Lord’s Cross is even more difficult, and at the same time, even easier to neglect.

Where is our prayer? I remember when I was in the Seminary we had Adoration everyday in the Chapel, and the students were encouraged to make use of that time for private prayer. On well more than one occasion, I would take a book from Class to read during that prayer time. When I looked around the Chapel, I always noticed, I was not the only one…We were Seminarians, studying Theology!! Wasn't doing our homework a form of prayer? Was it really though? Or were we trying to kill two birds with one stone…

In the beginning days of Seminary that was acceptable. There were lots of responsibilities, stressors, and commitments that had to met. Now however, we are Priests. Now, in many ways it is even easier to think, “my work is my prayer”…now however, is also when that is no longer an excuse. You see the stress of Seminary is never going to go away. Life is always going to be filled with commitments, requirements, and deadlines; and all those things are always going to be in addition to Ministry. We cannot however effectively kill those multiple birds with one stone.

Prayer requires its own time, and its own attention.  It requires a vigilance that is arguably nearly impossible in the life of working clergy. How often do we turn our morning commute to work into an opportunity to pray? It’s a wonderful practice to be sure, but the moment we park the car, and walk into the office our attention shifts to the matters at hand; the files on the desk, the calls to return, the deadlines to be met.  Perhaps in the challenge of this very distraction we can begin our dedication to our vigilance.

Regardless of what we do for work, it is our employment that makes our life of ministry possible. Without income, we can’t live…and what kind of ministry can a dead person run? This is where we can accurately say that “our work is our prayer”. John of the Cross, in the very first Chapter of his work, “the Dark Night of the Soul”, speaks of that moment when a mother releases her child to walk on their own. The child no longer feeds at her breast, and no longer is carried around by her loving embrace. She lets them go; and that child takes those first few steps walking independently. Our relationship with God experiences something similar and with childlike joy the soul pursues all those comforting, and “warm” experiences of prayer, devotion, and pious practice. This stage of Spiritual development is only in Chapter One; it’s the very beginning of the journey towards what he calls the Dark Night, where we find that union with the Cross…Here the child is tempted to forget about the mother with those first few steps. Here the child is tempted to chase the excitement of the world around them, and fall while reaching for all it has to offer. Here the child may fall. When the door to our office opens at 9:00am for a days work, we become that child taking those steps from the arms of our mother. Here we run the risk of doing all the same things as that child. Here we make work our prayer, and remember constantly the ultimate purpose of our employment; so that we can be in Ministry.

But that prayer is not enough. That prayer is not what is going to lead us to union with Christ on the Cross. From 9-5 our work is prayer, but from 5-9 prayer is work. It takes work to set that time to spend growing in our relationship with God. It takes effort to schedule that time that we are going to dedicate to furthering that relationship with the mystery of the Cross. All relationships take work. They take work, faith, and honesty. Why would this relationship be any different?

How do we have a relationship with a mystery?

Perhaps one of the best verbal expressions of that mystery of the Lord’s Cross were the words spoken by Jesus Himself; “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?”  In this outcry from the Cross, Jesus expresses an abandonment and desolation that puts Him in complete solidarity with sinful humanity. His sacrifice on the Cross destroys the power of sin (which is itself separation from God), and experienced the very depth of that void of separation. It comes then as no surprise that at the core of a journey to find union with Jesus, we find that union in the Dark Night that John describes…in a feeling of abandonment.

The life of growing in that intimate relationship with Jesus Christ is not one that is full of warm and fuzzies to be certain.  It’s scary. It’s work. It’s near impossible for you and I in this life…and it in fact IS impossible, if we hope to reach it only by “offering up” the struggles of our day, and saying a Hail Mary before bed.  The charge given to us on the day of our Ordination makes this journey non-negotiable. We are charged to model our life after “the Mystery of the Lord’s Cross” – the Cross by which Jesus defined Himself, and we must do the same. We are charged to seek union with the Cross, and ultimately, union with the very depths of that Dark Night.

As we celebrate All Saints Day tomorrow, may we recommit ourselves to that task of our Ordination Day.  As we shepherd communities that are striving to be Saints, may we do so by laying down our own lives as martyrs; martyrs who are eager to embrace the Cross of Christ. Like the Saints and Martyrs who have gone before us, may we find eternal joy and fulfillment in the abandonment of the here and now. 

For You, and For All

I started writing this blog last week, and decided to just let it go. Tonight however, I feel that I just can’t let it go, and that in fact I have an obligation, as a Priest, to speak up and say something.

 In the last two weeks a few things have happened in the news.
- The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Newark told the faithful that they should not receive communion if they do not agree with the Roman Catholic “teaching about marriage” (being between a man and a woman).
- The Roman Catholic Bishop in San Francisco expressed his thoughts on gays receiving Communion, and then gave a hypocritical homily about “building up the kingdom of God”...while the Episcopal Bishop of the same Diocese was essentially dis-invited to the event due to his opposing opinion.
- The Pope reportedly thinks that gays are “underdeveloped”- a statement that I will not even begin to remotely comment on.

 Today however, I was pushed over the edge, when I read about how a Bishop in Minneapolis responded to a letter from a woman whose son is gay. The Archbishop said;

 “Those who do not [believe the teaching of the Church on this matter] cannot consider themselves to be Catholic and ought not to participate in the sacramental life of the Church.

Indeed, some may find this a hard saying but many of Jesus’ teachings were likewise received as such. I urge you to reconsider the position that you expressed in your letter. Your eternal salvation may well depend upon a conversation of heart on this topic.” 

 A new day has dawned in the Religion vs LGBT debate, particularly the Roman Catholic Church vs LGBT debate. This is no longer a matter of the Church defending her view of marriage, now it is going so far as to say; that a mother who supports her gay son may not find salvation, just for being gay you shouldn't receive communion, and if you vote in favor of gay marriage you shouldn't participate in the Sacramental life of the Church.

 What the hell is going on??

 When I still practiced my Catholic faith in the Roman expression, I took solace in the fact that the Church only felt that gay “actions” were morally wrong (not just being gay). That was acceptable for many people, I think; after all, the Church feels the same way about heterosexual sex outside of marriage. “They just don’t like sex in general” I always thought, but given my background I understood the gist of these teachings. Sex has a value that is under appreciated in society, and it is an expression of intimacy that is being abused by acts that take place outside of love and commitment. I could accept that.

 For a long time I had no issue with the Roman Catholic Church’s stance on gay marriage. I told customers at the bar many times, whenever the discussion came up in fact; gays don’t want to march down the isle of a Cathedral and get married, they want the legal right to do it in a courtroom, what’s wrong with that. The Church defended their religious views, and the nation could battle over the politics…done deal.

 Now however this has been elevated to a new level. Now this activism that is sparking up in the Roman Church says something that should concern all people who identify as any kind of Catholic; gay or straight, Roman or Independent, democrat or republican.

 It affects everyone, gay and straight, because now it has been said that your participation in the Sacramental life of the Church (and indeed Salvation itself) is dependent upon your opinion of this issue. You don’t even have to be gay anymore; now you can just care about someone who is gay, or support someone who is gay, or vote for a candidate who supports gay marriage. To that mother, who the Archbishop said should worry about her eternal salvation if she continued to support her gay son; I would say just the opposite. There is a special place in heaven for parents of gay children, who are dealing with a revelation about their kids that they don’t understand. They are worried about their kids, and all they know about homosexuality is what the media has fed them, and what they hear from the pulpit. A parent who puts all that aside and wants to stand by their children is admirable, blessed, and should be applauded; especially considering 24% of kids (at least in Rhode Island), who “come out” at home find themselves homeless. Whose salvation is at risk there? Who is going to take the responsibility for that statistic?

 The Church is no longer standing by her teaching; they are instead turning into bigots. This is no longer about standing up for doctrine, it’s about giving themselves to fear; fear of something they don’t understand, something they don’t want to understand. Am I saying that if you don’t agree with same sex marriage you are a bigot? No, not at all. What I am saying is that these statements no longer are supportive of “the human dignity of the homosexual person”, that the Roman Church purports herself to protect – and when you defile the human dignity of another, based on a specific characteristic, you are in fact a bigot.

 It doesn't build, my (or anyone else’s) human dignity, to sit and listen to someone say that people can’t go to communion (even if they themselves are straight and happily married), if they hold a private opinion about legislation pertaining to my rights. It doesn't build human dignity to know that a woman is told she shouldn't receive communion if she supports her gay son.

 Why do I care? I’m not a Roman Catholic, so I shouldn't be effected…but I am still a Catholic. I am still, like it or not, united to that Church through the Eucharist; the Sacrament that has become a prize to be won, instead of a gift that has been given.

 I care because as a Priest and as someone who works in the Human Services/Social Work field, I have given my life to the building up of human dignity…and these statements are a direct attack on that dignity.

 I care because I think of the gay Priests out there, who serve under the Roman expression of our faith…and I feel for them. I feel for the ones who are gay, and faithful to their promises, and by virtue of all of these statements are only beaten into the ground. As I have said before, if this weren't a matter of bigotry…if the Church was truly simply defending their position on marriage…if the Church was true to their own teaching, then a gay Roman Catholic Priest who is true to his promise of celibacy should be able to be totally “out” as a homosexual.

I care because there are Roman Priests, who don’t care; who would rather live double lives then stand up for one side or the other.

 I care because it is about The Eucharist.

 The Eucharist is more than a welcoming hug, a sign of acceptance. The Eucharist is what unites us, and what makes us all Catholic - not our stance on homosexuality...to say otherwise is an offense to the Eucharist. The sacrifice of the Mass is the Sacrifice of the Cross; it’s Jesus Christ, giving His body for our Salvation. On the cross He handed His body over to sinful human kind and it was destroyed in a violent death; in the Eucharist He hands it over to sinful human kind so that we can become one with Him…so that we can be fed by Him…so that He can be with us at every moment of everyday, and grow in a personal and intimate relationship with Him. Saint Therese of Lisieux once said, when talking about the Eucharist; “It is not to remain in a golden ciborium that He comes down each day from Heaven, but rather to find another Heaven, the Heaven of our soul in which He takes delight.”

 Who is anyone of us, priest, Pope, or otherwise, to rob Jesus Christ of His delight?

 Someone asked me this week, “so your Church is like a Catholic Church?” No – it is a Catholic church, and I am not ashamed of it – but we are not a Roman Catholic Church – and I am not ashamed of that either! We are Independent Catholics…we are Old Catholics, and we make no excuses about it; and I give thanks to God daily that I have found a place where the Eucharist is what it is supposed to be…what it was given to us to be…and not where it is simply treated like an “I voted” sticker we receive when leaving the polls. Wherever you go to Mass, whoever you are, and whoever you love; take comfort in knowing that the primary concern of Jesus Christ, is you; you and your relationship with Him…because that's the only reason He came to us in the first place.

What Does My Faith Mean?

I had an interesting experience this week. I got to chatting with an African American woman who was inquiring about the Parish. She had a million questions about the Church, and what we stand for, and what makes “Old Catholics” different from “Roman Catholics”. She began asking specifically, about the “gay thing”. So I explained our philosophy of openness and acceptance to divorced people, LGBTQ people, etc.

She stopped me as I was talking and said;

 “I’m not Catholic, but I was raised Christian. To me this sounds like if I looked at the Klu Klux Klan, and said ‘hmm they don’t want me, maybe I’ll go and join the ‘Old’ Klu Klux Klan.’”

 At first I was completely horrified by her comparison. How could she possibly think that being Catholic and openly gay, was comparable to being African American, and in the Klu Klux Klan? She went on to ask; why not just become something completely different? She couldn’t understand how a form of Catholicism that accepted gays and lesbians could possibly exist, since adversity to that community is so much at the core of what it means to be a Catholic…as she understood Catholicism to be.

 My heart broke. How did we come to this point? How did we manage to find our way to a place where society thinks that in order to be Catholic, we have to have certain negative feelings? In all fairness, I don’t think that her summation of the situation is accurate. I don’t think that the Roman Catholic Church hates anyone, but I do obviously think that the translation of some teachings needs to be evaluated.

 Regardless, we have to ask ourselves, how did we get to this point? How did we get to a point where our Religion is defined (by the external observer at least), by what we hate, and not how we love? When did being a Catholic – or anything else for that matter – become defined not by what we believe, but by what we don’t believe?

To me, being a Catholic means that I believe in the Seven Sacraments, and at their core, the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It means I believe in One God, who is Three Persons. I believe that my God came to Earth in the form of a man; that the Word was made flesh. I believe that He was crucified, died, was buried, and three days later rose triumphantly from the dead. I believe that the Resurrection has made it possible for me to achieve life with Him after death, and that one day He will come again so that I too can share fully in the Resurrection.

 Being a Catholic means that I believe that Mary, my Mother, is in Heaven praying for me every day, and guiding me closer to the heart of Her Divine Son. I believe that through the Sacraments I am united with the Communion of Saints; and I am united with my sisters and brothers who gather together as a family of faith, to share in the Eucharist. I believe that the Community of the Church is here to strengthen me, to support me, and to grow with me as I go through my life’s journey.

 That’s what it means to me to be a Catholic.

This weekend the First Reading opens with the words, “woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture.” These are powerful words to be sure! Our Faith is not meant to divide, to hurt, or to hate…our Faith is meant to love, to strengthen, and to build hope.

Part of the horror of organizations like the Westboro Baptist Church is that they are a “Religion” that is built on hate. If asked what they believe they tell you how their tenants are about all the people who they believe that God “doesn’t like”. They gather not to share the love of Christ, but instead on sidewalks, with protest signs, that blame homosexuals for everything that is wrong with the world. They gather to share in their common hatred, not their common love.

That’s not the Church that I grew up in. At least that’s not the experience of faith that I had in my heart when I was a kid discovering the faith. I had a Parish Priest who was an engaging, dynamic, and happy man. His life was completely and totally defined by joy; joy in his Priesthood, joy in his Church (even though he didn’t always agree with everything), and joy in the love of God that he experienced so wonderfully in the Sacraments.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says;

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. 


 Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.” -Matthew 7:15-20 

I would never dare to say that Roman Catholicism (or any other form of Religion) is a “rotten tree” as a whole; however we cannot help but look at this fruit. Whether it’s what the Church “technically” teaches or not; here you have a good and faithful Christian woman, who believes that in order to be Catholic you must be adverse to individuals who identify as LGBT. That’s a problem…that’s a rotten fruit.

Let’s be honest with ourselves, this general atmosphere of distaste for homosexuality, is not something that only this one individual woman has misunderstood. There is a general attitude in society, even within certain Churches, that is extremely negative toward the LGBT community. As I have said elsewhere in this blog, if there weren’t such an attitude, then there would be no scandal whatsoever in a celibate, Roman Catholic Priest, being openly gay…check the fruit. The chasm between being Gay and being Catholic is a battle on both sides. I have often wondered is it more difficult to be Catholic, and "come out" as Gay...or to be Gay, and "come out" as Catholic? 


What is the call then to us, who live our daily lives according to whatever faith tradition we identify with? What is the lesson to be learned? I think it’s simple really: We are called to live what we believe, not what we don’t believe. 


Living a life that is focused on what we believe will make us people of conviction, love, and acceptance. Living life that is focused on assaulting that which we do not believe, will make us people of anger, bitterness, and resentment. Look at the world that we live in; it’s all violence, hatred, anger, pain, and suffering every time we turn on the news. Shouldn't we live a faith that is defined by values of hope and joy? There’s an old Church tune called, “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love”…that’s certainly how I want the world to recognize that I’m a Christian; by my capacity to love, not my capacity to hate.