March 31, 2007

A Miracle For PJP2

Pope John Paul the Great, whose quarter century in the Chair of St. Peter restored respect for the papacy and reinvigorated Catholicism throughout the world, falls into a very special category. He is one of those individuals whose holiness in life led the people to proclaim him a saint well before the Church would, or could, act. Indeed, in an earlier day the sense of the faithful on the matter would have been sufficient. St. Thomas Becket comes to mind, whose status as a saint in the eyes of the faithful led to Rome's proclamation of his sainthood a mere three years after his death, is a classic example of this earlier practice.

The modern process of recognizing an individual as a saint (not making a saint -- God does that through grace) is much more laborious and cumbersome. Even then, there is the possibility of waiving deadlines in cases of merit, which has been done with the late pontiff. And that leads us to this story.

For months she was known as the "mystery nun," an unidentified member of a religious order who told a Catholic Church investigator that she was miraculously cured of advanced Parkinson's disease after she and other nuns prayed to the late Pope John Paul II.

Her testimony -- describing the kind of medically inexplicable recovery that could help advance the pontiff toward sainthood -- was published anonymously on an Italian Catholic Web site. It bore the signature "A French Sister." Church officials, proceeding with a confidential inquiry into the claims, refused to name her.

On Friday morning, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, an unassuming 46-year-old who works in a Paris maternity clinic, stepped before a bank of microphones on French national television and, in a voice choked with emotion, declared that she was the nun.

She described going to bed one night barely able to write or walk and waking up at 4:30 a.m. fully cured. "All I can say is that I was ill and now I'm healed," said Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, smiling widely. "Now the church will decide if it's a miracle."

Church officials said Sister Marie Simon-Pierre's recovery from the advanced stages of a disease with no known cure could be instrumental in the canonization process, which can sometimes take centuries to complete but has been fast-tracked for John Paul.

In Rome on Monday, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre will take part in ceremonies commemorating the second anniversary of John Paul's death and the completion of the first phase of efforts to declare the pontiff "blessed," an intermediate step toward sainthood. This step, known as beatification, requires confirmation of one miracle brought about by the posthumous intercession of the candidate.

Now let me clarify some misconceptions that some of you may have -- misconceptions that abound in this sloppy opening in the New York Times.

If the story Sister Marie Simon-Pierre told Friday is true, then Pope John Paul II exercised miraculous powers from beyond the grave. A proven physical miracle is an important qualification on the road to sainthood.

Actually, no -- no one argues that John Paul the Great exercised any miraculous powers. The miraculous powers were those of God. Rather, Catholic teaching holds that just as we on earth can pray for and intercede on behalf of our fellow man, so can the saints in heaven (all the faithful departed before the throne in heaven, not just the select few recognized by the Church). God, in His infinite wisdom and sovereign will, decides when and if He performs a miracle in response to prayer. Indeed, this dear nun says it exactly right only a few paragraphs after that sloppy writing by the Times' Elaine Sciolino.

“I have been cured,” she told journalists gathered for a news conference in Aix-en-Provence. “My healing was the work of God through the intercession of Pope John Paul II.”

Now I will praise Ms. Sciolino for including this bit of information in her article.

Pope Benedict has given mixed signals on his approach to sainthood.

In addition to putting the late pope’s canonization on a fast track, he fueled speculation that sainthood was imminent when he expressed hope last May during a trip to Poland, John Paul’s homeland, that the process would conclude “in the near future.”

As a cardinal, however, Pope Benedict said several times that he was not in favor of naming an excessive number of saints. He was believed to have been aligned with conservatives who looked askance on Pope John PaulÂ’s record canonization of saints during his 26-year papacy.

Here we have a conflict between different pontiff's over the canonization of (granting formal recognition of) saints. The current Pope is on record, prior to his elevation to the papacy, as wanting to proceed more slowly in granting this recognition -- perhaps, one would surmise, to preserve the special nature of the formal title of "saint". John Paul the Great, on the other hand, seemed to hold to a different position, one which was intent upon recognizing the depth and breadth of holiness that exists among the Christian faithful in this world, hence his eagerness to advance the process of recognizing men and women from around the globe for their holiness of life in order to provide the Church with many more examples of sanctity in many different nations and cultures. But in the end, each of these men was coming from the same place -- the recognition that the saints are exemplars to us all of ways to live the Christian life in fidelity with the Gospel, heroes of the faith to be emulated. And if Benedict wishes to reserve the title to a select few so that it retains its special nature, while John Paul the Great sought to demonstrate the real possibility of each of us attaining that accolade through a close and faithful walk with Christ in our daily lives, there can be no dispute that each was motivated by a desire to have the lives of the saints serve as signposts on the path to Heaven.

And on a personal note, I wait with hopeful expectation for the day when the Church canonizes these five martyrs, one of whom (Sister Kathleen McGuire) I knew when she ministered at the Newman Center in Carbondale, Illinois -- for they are undeniable proof that saints are ordinary people who do the extraordinary by faithfully following their Christian vocation wherever it may lead them.

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Posted by: Greg at 06:00 AM | Comments (203) | Add Comment
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March 23, 2007

Islamist Students Murder Christian Teacher

Saudis shred Bibles and destroy non-Islamic religious items that travelers attempt to bring in to the country with hardly a peep of protest from the world.

Will there be an outcry over this murder over alleged desecration of a Koran – and which appears to be merely maintain good order and discipline in the classroom. Or will they continue to demand special treatment for their sacred objects that they deny to those of any other faith?

Secondary school pupils in north-eastern Nigeria have killed a teacher after apparently accusing her of desecrating the Koran, police say.

The teacher, a Christian, was attacked after supervising an exam in Gombe city. It is not clear what she had done to anger the students.

The authorities, concerned that communal unrest could break out, have ordered all the city's schools to shut.

Similar accusations sparked riots in neighbouring Bauchi State last year.

At least 15,000 people have been killed in religious, communal or political violence since the country returned to civilian rule in 1999.

Frankly, there is no justification for what was done here – even if the teacher had dropped trou and defecated on the Koran, killing her would have been an inappropriate response. Where is the outrage and contrition from the Muslim community over this horrific act?

Posted by: Greg at 12:10 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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March 22, 2007

Islam Triumphs Over Human Rights In Germany

If you are Muslim, you can beat and abuse your wife in Germany because the Koran sanctions it.

A German judge has stirred a storm of protest here by citing the Koran in turning down a German Muslim womanÂ’s request for a fast-track divorce on the ground that her husband beat her.

In a remarkable ruling that underlines the tension between Muslim customs and European laws, the judge, Christa Datz-Winter, said that the couple came from a Moroccan cultural milieu, in which she said it was common for husbands to beat their wives. The Koran, she wrote, sanctions such physical abuse.

In other words, German law now holds that Muslim men may treat their women in a barbaric fashion that degrades and violates their fundamental human dignity -- because their culture and religion are fundamentally barbaric and sanction that barbarism.

Shocking -- and a sign that we in the West must insist that the Muslim minority in our midst conform to Western legal norms and respect the fundamental human rights of all individuals if they are to be permitted to remain among us.

This is a War of Civilizations -- and we cannot let fuzzy-minded politicians and judges surrender Western Civilization to those who would take us backwards to a dark and savage place.

UPDATE: While Ruth, in her much appreciated update on the case, assures us below that wife-beating is not permitted in Islam, I think this article should be taken as casting some doubt on her assertion on the matter. After all, why would the new translation be controversial if the verse in question DID NOT condone wife-beating?

Posted by: Greg at 10:58 PM | Comments (20) | Add Comment
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Freedom Triumphs Over Islam In France

Charlie-Hebdo will not be punished for publishing the Danish Muhammad cartoons.

A French court cleared a satirical weekly newspaper Thursday in a case brought by Muslims who were angered by its publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

The newspaper Charlie-Hebdo and its director, Philippe Val, were accused of "publicly abusing a group of people because of their religion." Val had risked a six-month prison sentence and a fine of up to $29,250.

The court ruled that Charlie-Hebdo showed no intention of insulting the Muslim community with the caricatures, several of which appeared first in a Danish paper and sparked angry protests across the Muslim world and in Europe.

The case drew massive attention from politicians and the media in France, which has western Europe's largest Muslim population — 5 million people — and a deep commitment to secularism and free speech.

Val said the ruling was a victory for believers in freedom of expression, and for secular French Muslims.

"This debate was necessary," he said.

Frankly, this victory for free speech should have come even if the editors had intended to publicly abuse and insult Muslims -- after all, no one has a right not to be offended, and a free people cannot be forced to conform their speech to the practices and beliefs of a particular faith without having their fundamental human rights violated.

Posted by: Greg at 10:50 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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March 21, 2007

Episcopal Bishops Choose Schism Over Orthodoxy

In rejecting efforts by the larger Anglican community to preserve orthodoxy Christian teaching and minister to those who have fidelity for it, the Episcopal Church is likely to be expelled from worldwide Anglicanism.

Responding to an ultimatum from the leaders of the worldwide Anglican Communion, bishops of the Episcopal Church have rejected a key demand to create a parallel leadership structure to serve the conservative minority of Episcopalians who oppose their churchÂ’s liberal stand on homosexuality.

The bishops, meeting at a retreat center outside of Houston, said they were aware that their decision could lead to the exclusion of the Episcopal Church from the Anglican Communion, an international confederation of churches tied to the Church of England.

The bishops have a “deep longing” to remain part of the Communion, they said, but they are unwilling to compromise the Episcopal Church’s autonomy and its commitment to full equality for all people, including gay men and lesbians.

Given their willingness to compromise teh Gospel instead, it is time for folks to recognize the reality that the ECUSA is a post-Christian denomination.

Posted by: Greg at 10:10 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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March 13, 2007

How Far Does Religious Accommodation Go?

This situation raises an interesting question.

How would you feel if a cashier made you swipe your own groceries because of his/her religious beliefs?

If you haev an opinion on the matter, feel free to call me at (612) 673-4308.

I'm a reporter who covers Target for the Star Tribune and the other day, I got a call from someone who said that an employee at the Target store downtown refused to run his bacon through a scanning machine. He was mighty upset, arguing that the cashier had "no right to work as a cashier at Target" if she wasn't prepared to swipe his groceries.

But he was a little vague on the details, so I decided to check it out myself. At the Target store on E. Lake Street, a cashier wearing a hijab looked uncomfortable when I showed up at the cash register with a frozen pepperoni pizza. She immediately called for help, and another employee rang up the pizza and placed it in the basket.

I asked her if it was because she was Muslim, and she nodded her head. "I can't even touch it," she said.

The E. Lake store has only has a few aisles of food. How do Muslim workers adapt in Super Targets where there are full-fledged grocery sections? And is anyone other than this caller bothered by this? Are there some Muslim workers at Target who feel they have to suppress their beliefs to avoid conflicts?

Interesting -- what do you think?


Posted by: Greg at 06:18 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Stark An Atheist? Who Cares?

There are plenty of much more significant reasons to oppose Congressman Pete Stark (D-CA).

The mysterious "non-theist" member of Congress was revealed today to be hot-blooded , 75-year-old Pete Stark of California . It's not the boldest announcement in the world. Stark is consistently ranked among the most liberal members on the Hill, and hails from a decidedly leftist district, so I doubt it'll cost him many votes. Though I guess you do have to admire the guy's moxie to wait until advancing years to announce his doubt about an afterlife.

I wonder -- will Barry Lynn and the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State crowd come out and condemn Stark for talking about his (non-)r religious beliefs? Or is it only Christians of the Bible-believing variety who that organization (for years a hotbed of anti-Catholicism) want to shut up?

Posted by: Greg at 05:12 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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March 03, 2007

NY Times -- Jesus Tomb Show "Stacked To Support One Hypothesis"

When even the New York Times, a paper not known for its support of those who believe that the Bible means what it says and says what it means, indicates that the upcoming "Tomb of Jesus" documentary is based upon sloppy science, history, and logic, you know that the show has to be really weak.

The documentary, which carries the seal of approval from its executive producer James Cameron (“Titanic”), has already caused some ado, however, with bold assertions that clash with conventional Christian doctrine. Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had a son, Judah, according to the filmmakers. And all three were laid to rest in a family tomb that is now buried deep beneath a Jerusalem apartment complex.

And, of course, the filmmakers’ claim that they identified the burial remains of Jesus of Nazareth — including traces of DNA — suggests that he was not bodily resurrected, after all.

Maybe, or maybe not. The archaeological arguments are plausible but not persuasive: this is a breakthrough that relies more on “what if” than “here’s how.” And even an amateur can see that the ifs are stacked to support one hypothesis. But it is a fashionable one. Early Christian Gospels suggesting that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus and a respected apostle in her own right, not a fallen woman, are the foundation of Gnostic studies by scholars like Elaine Pagels — as well as of the plot of the Dan Brown best seller “The Da Vinci Code.”

The filmmakers get around reasonable doubt with the twin pillars of cable documentaries: hokey costume drama re-enactments and state-of-the-art robotic cameras that see around corners and down dark holes. And to add a fillip of legitimacy, the Discovery Channel will follow the film with a panel discussion led by Ted Koppel.

The review here goes on to point out weakness after weakness, flaw after flaw, in the show's premise. That isn't to say that the paper endorses the resurrection or the divinity of Jesus, but rather that it recognizes the shoddy piece of work that is being foisted upon viewers.

My students have been hearing about this story in recent weeks, and quickly picked up the flaw in its argument when I offered this analogy. If I were to find a cluster of graves in Mexico City marked with the names Juan, Jose, Pedro, Miguel, and Maria, would that alone be sufficient evidence to indicate that the graves are those of a particular family? Their response was "Of course not -- those are real common names and so it could be a whole bunch of different families. You need more evidence."

And so it is with this documentary -- we likely have a family with a number of very common names, buried in a particular era. And yes, one of the men was named Jesus. The evidence does not, in and of itself, prove that he was THAT Jesus -- and the rest of the case then falls under the weight of a single unsupported assumption that constitutes th foundation of the argument.

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Posted by: Greg at 02:34 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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