Dawn Eden: Avoiding the Errors of 'Sexualism'

Dawn Eden, who is now beginning her doctorate in Moral Theology, has released a column at Headline Bistro which continues the discussion on Christopher West's interpretation and presentation of Pope John Paul II's, "Theology of the Body".  This follows her master's thesis which is now hosted for free download at Catholic News Agency in it's third revision, which adds further clarification.

Go read:

- Avoiding the Errors of 'Sexualism': Wojtyla's Words Offer Wisdom for Christopher West

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Mother Teresa born 100 years ago today...

Most of the world, even many among those who are not Catholic or even Christian, recognize the heroic virtue of Mother Teresa.  While there are people out there who are not happy unless they are unhappy, the focus today should be on the life of this great woman, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.  She was born on August 26, 2010.

Not everything is out yet, but here are some articles popping out this morning.  I do offer an update on the disappointing Empire State Building's decision not to illuminate in her colors tonight.

• The world celebrates Mother Teresa (NC Register)
• Pope Benedict, Mother Mary Prema remember Mother Teresa for anniversary (CNA)
• Non-Catholic India Goes Big on Mother Teresa Centenary (NC Register)
• ‘Do ordinary things with extraordinary love’ (NC Register) 
• Mother Teresa at 100 (NC Register - exclusive interview with postulator)
• Mother Teresa vs. the Empire State Building (WSJ)
• Catholic League notice for rally at 6:00pm tonight in front of Empire State Building

And, EWTN has some programming coming up...

A Day With Mother Teresa



Fri. August 27 at 3 AM & 6:30 PM ET


These talks by Mother Teresa were given in Chicago, IL in 1981, at a conference sponsored by Institute on Religious Life. In a question and answer forum questions ranging from the details of her order to her opinions on the state of the Church

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Archbishop Vigneron to Lead Pro-Life Vigil on Sept 11

(click and use "view-zoom" to enlarge)

The Helpers of God's Precious Infants of Michigan is holding their 3rd prayer vigil of the year.  From Mary B.

Dear ProLife Friends:


The next "Helpers" Prayer Vigil for Life will be led by Archbishop Vigneron on Saturday, September 11 at St. Michael Church in Livonia [Mass begins at 7:30am]

He will lead us in prayer outside of a nearby abortion mill, after which we will return to St. Michael's for Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Refreshments will be provided following benediction. Please see the attached flyer.

Please help in spreading the word to your clergy, parish, family, and friends - please invite them to this most important Prayer Vigil.

Thank you, and may God bless and reward you! Don't miss this grace-filled opportunity to pray for the end of abortion with our Archbishop! Hope to see you there!

See photostories from past vigils, including one with Archbishop Vigneron from last year.

• HGPI vigil with Archbishop Vigneron at St. Joan of Arc
• HGPI vigil with Bishop Daniel Flores at Shrine of the Little Flower (Fall 2008)
• HGPI vigil with Bishop John M. Quinn (Spring 2008)
• HGPI vigil with Bishop Schoenherr (Summer 2006)

Thousands of women choose to have their babies after speaking with "Helper's" sidewalk counselors who guide them to crisis pregnancy centers and offer other forms of assistance.  It is amazing to hear the stories told by these counselors of how people come back to show them the baby that was spared the horrors of abortion.

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On EWTN tonight - St. John Bosco - the movie

[This is a repeat post from the past. I am reposting it here, with some addition info at the bottom because EWTN will air the first part of a movie on Saint John Bosco which is among my favorites... catch it if you can. I'm sure it is probably broken up into two parts].

Edit: Part 2 is airing tonite, so I would recommend watching it another time when you can see the first part. Do read my review below.

I can't remember when I last sat down to watch a movie. Normally, my day consists of work (job), prayer, managing my house, assisting my elderly mother, and endless "Grotto projects" including this blog. Ideally, I like to read before going to bed, but I needed a change in routine and borrowed a movie on the life of Don Bosco from the Grotto Giftshop (yes, they loan out movies - just ask).

This movie was outstanding. It was in Italian (with English subtitles, or dubbed English) and actor Flavio Insinna did an outstanding job. I had no idea the movie was over 3 hours long. I just remember getting up once at the intermission and diving right back into it.

It is an incredible story - the life of Don Bosco, who founded the Salesians. His profound charity is worth examining for our daily life. If you want to see how to deal with adversity, watch this movie because he had plenty of challenges in just trying to provide a home for homeless and deliquent boys. Some of those challenges were coming from the government while others from the local Church.

The movie also introduces us to important characters in the history of the oratory founded by Saint John Bosco and the Salesians, among whom is Saint Dominic Savio (pictured at right). Many other young men were inspired to pursue holiness in daily life and his oratory yielded many priests, religious, and secular order vocations. The heroic level to which the boys lived their lives through the inspiration and teachings of Don Bosco leaves us with much to contemplate and learn from. The importance of holy obedience is visible, but charity is at the forefront. I found myself thinking how interiorly, I was reacting like the boys in certain situations - wanting to confront the offenders, only to find myself humbled by the lessons this saint taught.

I highly recommend watching the movie tonight, and/or buying or renting this movie.
I have also read the Forty Dreams of Saint John Bosco. This is a fantasic read. I am currently reading the kindle version of the Life of Saint Dominic Savio by Don Bosco. These books, and the movie can be purchased by following the links in the carousel widget below.

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Two Tornadoes Confirmed in Macomb County...

It has been confirmed that the thing I was photographing the other day was not just a funnel cloud, but a dying twister. 

The twister already passed the area it is said to have hit (15 & Groesbeck/16 & Garfield).  The sirens were screaming from that direction shortly before (definitely would be within earshot of sirens from that part of Clinton Twp).  When I was taking this pic, I felt an intense wind burst coming from behind me.  It was wierd because all the action was in front of me, and I was shooting at an angle that was perpendicular to movement.  I kept turning around to make sure there were no other formations coming from this cell on any side.  It was clear on 3 sides of me and above me, with some blue showing through.

Notice how dark it was in the photo above taken at 7:57 pm. 

At 8:01, the skies lightened as the cell passed (the large tree in the photo below is seen partially in the right of the pic above).  After taking this photo, I got into my car and headed to the north end of the lot to shoot southeast. 

The next pic below was taken at 8:05, now facing southeast.  Behind me, the sun was already visible through a mist, and another 5 minutes later, was out completely.

Here is a great slideshow by local ABC affiliate, WXYZ-TV. One of my pics of the tornado dissipating was used when it was probably over St. Clair Shores between 10-11 mile, or perhaps it had gone out over the water at that point.  Some of the photos of damage are bizarre.  There's one of a trampoline up against the house - like at the 2nd floor level.  There's another shot of a hot tub that was shoved off a porch.  Now that's force if it was filled with water, and given it's low center of gravity.  Many large trees were toppled.

If you want to see video, watch this.  If you are short on time, slide over to the 3 minute mark and you will see filmed exactly what I was witnessing in the parking lot, from a further distance, and from a different angle. 

EDIT:  Here's great footage of it coming and then taking out the yard of these folks.  Watch where the small canopy they were under landed. 

I'm told that my photos were used on Fox 2 news in a broadcast.  I had sent the pics to both the ABC and Fox affiliates.  The latter I had used the form on their website.  I suggested the pics may be used by the Weather Service investigating since the camera was fixed and rotation could be seen between the shots.  I'm sure they found enough evidence on the ground, by the looks of it.  Often times, straightline winds will have enough force to do the same kind of heavy damage.  There are various signs they use to discern whether it was straightline winds or a tornado, such as the direction the trees  had fallen.  They can be all in one direction close to each other, but a block or two away, they might be laying in a different direction.  Or, actual twists can be seen in the wood of a tree stump, versus straight splinters.

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Video: Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J. with Abp Raymond L Burke

Thanks to EWTN's new YouTube channel, here is that excellent interview with Archbishop Raymond L Burke. It's the full show, so save it for when you have time. In it, he talks about his job as Prefect for the Signatura, and he goes indepth on Fr. John A. Hardon's cause.

Further Reading/Listening:

• Patrick Coffin interviews Archbishop Burke on.... "obedience"
• New website for Fr. John Hardon's cause

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Apparent funnel cloud caught on camera...

The rotation is seen in a photo sequence I captured (8:05 - 8:08pm) from the parking lot of St. Edmund's parish in Warren. 

Edit August 21, 2010: The Weather Service confirmed that there were two tornados - one of them in the area of 15 & Groesbeck in Clinton Twp, which is where I thought the sirens were coming from at about the time that the wind kicked up.  I recall that what spooked me, was that the skies were clear behind me, yet that is the direction the wind was coming from.  This formation I shot, was that of a dying tornado - the one which crossed that intersection.

Published : Thursday, 19 Aug 2010, 9:02 PM EDT



myFOXDetroit.com Staff Reports


SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - Metro Detroiters are cleaning up after another round of severe summer storms. Oakland and Northern Macomb counties took the brunt of the blow.


The National Weather Service confirms a tornado touched down at 15 Mile Road and Groesbeck in Clinton Township and another touched down in Shelby Township.

That which I captured is not among the most spectacular of photographs of yesterday's supercell, which left a trail of damage, mostly in Macomb County.  But the sequence does reveal rotation in the clouds.  Read more below...

The sun was shining as I went into a local Kroger, with no sign of storms coming.  15 minutes later, while at the back of the store, I received a text from a weather service telling me that a tornado warning was up for my county.   I dismissed it thinking someone punched in a wrong county code.  Then, I went into checkout, took one look out the window which faced the north, and realized, it was no error.  It was still sunny where I was at, but looking at the outer cloud bands, I could see rotation.  The lightening was intense.

As I drove home, I tossed my cold groceries in, then grabbed my camera and tripod.  I went to a parking lot with a better view thinking, "this is really stupid - that lightening is all hitting the ground".  I literally said my "act of contrition" as I stood in the parking lot of St. Edmund's and shot away.  I was trying to capture lightening and instead snagged a funnel cloud. 

I began shooting north where I saw the lightening.  I had an unusual side view (most storms come from the southwest here, not the northwest traveling southeast)  I normally see the back side of a storm at best when it is south of me.  This was the first time I watched it move from north on a southeast path.  The X is about where I was standing, and you can see the storm cell path.

The sirens were going off northeast of my location where I saw this all. The wind just kicked up out of nowhere and things got spooky.  I looked up, around and behind me and it was still clear, so all of that wind was coming from what I was watching north of me.  As I watched the storm cell shift rapidly to the southeast, I got in my car and drove to the other side of the lot so I could shoot east/southeast.  That is when I spotted the apparent funnel and saw the rotation in the surrounding clouds. 

Rotation in clouds seen in photosequence

If you go to my smugmug page for this storm, single-click each photo first to load it.  After you have done that, you will be able to toggle between the photographs to see the rotation in the clouds.  Try pictures 2-3 first.  Then, rotation is visible in the last 4 photos after it had dissipated (it's best after you have the pics loaded to toggle back and forth between the 5th and 8th photos). These were shot some 15-30 seconds apart.  In all cases, look at the full picture where you can see the outer bands going in one direction at the top, and those where the apparent funnel was traveling going in another direction.

From start to finish, the photo sequence lasted from about 8:05 through 8:08pm.  A friend who lives in St. Clair Shores, which is where I thought it was over when I first spotted it, said it sounded like a freight train.  She lost power for a while.  Looking at the radar map, here is the path circled, and where I was standing. 

There are some really awesome pics by other in this collection at local WXYZ-TV.  Click "photo" above the picture and use the slideshow feature.  Also view the videos. 

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6:00am daily Mass dropped at Ss Cyril & Methodius

NOTE: This post is being updated with additional parishes offering early morning Masses, so check back.

Cardinal Arinze preaching from the pulpit at Ss Cyril & Methodius

at the 2010 Lenten Symposium

Oh my... what a blow to many people, and I'm sure a decision Fr. Ben  Kosnac made with a heavy heart.

Over at nearby Ss. Cyril & Methodius in Sterling Heights, many - including Grotto parishioners who live or work on that end of town - took advantage of the working-class, daily Mass that was offered at 6:00am for many years. I would estimate that no less than 40 were at this Mass daily, and on one First Friday, there were over 100. 

During this time, Fr. Ben has always had an associate priest, and some senior priests in residence who were able to cover the many weekday Masses the parish had (the 9:00am and Noon daily Masses were even more crowded than the 6:00am Mass by 2-3 times).  These are often temporary assignments for associate priests and it's time for Fr. Libor to move on.  I'm sure Fr. Ben did everything he could to find a way to keep the popular, early morning Mass, but at this time, it just is not meant to be. 

We will discuss alternative solutions. But, first from the bulletin:

Assumption Grotto has a 7:30am Mass which is a High Mass in the Extraordinary Form.  It ends around 8:10am, give or take 5 minutes. Some days there is a homilette, some days not.   For many working class people, especially those who work in the suburbs, this comes too late.  Some of us have been petitioning Fr. Perrone to shift to 7:00am, but thus far, it is not working - LOL.  For me, even a 7:15am start time would help greatly.

As it is now, I must depart immediately after receiving Communion to make it to work by 8:30am. When winter arrives, it may become prohibitive altogether at 7:30am. It may not make any difference, but do let Fr. Perrone know if an earlier start would make the difference for you.  Perhaps he will have mercy on us.
Grotto is home to a large secular Carmelite community and many try to make it to daily Mass.  There is also a secular Franciscan community and many apostolates which highly recommend daily Mass. 

Assumption Grotto also has a 7:00pm Mass.  While I take these in when I cannot make a morning Mass it has one major drawback for me.  Each night that I go to Mass is a night when nothing else can be done.  There is only time to go to work, have dinner, go to Mass, come home and pretty much get ready for bed.  No time for laundry, no time to do bills, or any of the ordinary things that working lay people must tend to during the week. Don't get me wrong.... I'm very, very grateful for that evening Mass which we have mainly because we still have an associate.  It's technically feasible, but not practical for many working lay people.

St. Anne's in Warren has had a 6:15am Mass.  I believe this is still the case, even though it is not listed on their Mass schedule online. The pastor, Fr. Bondy, did this early morning Mass when he was pastor of St. Clement's in Centerline in addition to his later morning Mass.  He continued that when being transferred to St. Anne's, doing two daily Masses.  He liked to see working people come to Mass. 

Over a year ago, Fr. Bondy got an associate pastor, Fr. Koshy, who is from India (he also ministers to a local ethnic community).  The two rotate between the 6:15am Mass and the 8:00am Mass.  I have assisted at the early-bird Mass in the past.  It is a reverently celebrated, straightforward, ordinary form Mass which lasts about 25 minutes, complete with a 3 minute homilette. Father Bondy once told me that he would like nothing more than to move that early morning Mass from the small side chapel, out in to the main Church should it grow.  Currently, there are between 10-15 who assist at that Mass.  The chapel probably holds about 20 comfortably.  If he saw a consistent increase, he would probably take it into the main Church. 

Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak has a 6:30am Mass.  I have never assisted at daily Mass at Shrine, so I don't know how long this normally runs.  For those who have, is it more like 45-60 minutes or more like 25-35 minute range?

These have come to me and I will continue to edit others in as I get them:

Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth:  Mass is celebrated in the Day Chapel at 6:30 AM and 8:00 AM Monday through Friday and at 7:15 AM on Saturday. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed from 7:00 AM until 8:00 AM Monday through Friday


St. Hugo of the Hills in Bloomfield Hills:  6:10 AM Mass Monday through Friday in the stone chapel that lasts about 20-25 minutes. A half-hour of Eucharistic Adoration begins after Mass, and concludes at 7:00 AM

St. Michael's in Livonia: 6:30am & 8:30 am with Eucharistic Adoration in between.

Other area parishes with early morning Masses? Or, evening Masses?

Please chime in the combox or drop me an email at TeDeumBlog (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll list them.  Assumption Grotto has parishioners scattered throughout the diocese since it is mainly a commuter parish.  Don't hesitate to name parishes that are at the outer bounds for those who live out there.  I'm sure there are a great number of Ss Cyril & Methodius parishioners that will want to know of early Masses, as well.  They won't even have an evening Mass to take advantage of.  I would expect to see some rise in attendance at Grotto for those able to make one of the two Masses.

Be grateful for what we have!

I really think we need to thank those pastors who consider the working class people in arranging their daily Mass schedules.  If you have such a schedule, in Detroit, or elsewhere in the US, don't forget to thank the priest.  Some of these guys make great sacrifices to make it possible for people to have an early morning Mass, such as doing two per day.  They are then responsible for funerals, or as is the case on many Friday's - weddings.  Show your appreciation.

I've been of the opinion for some time now that parishes ought to work together in such a way that one will offer their daily Mass earlier in the day, while another one nearby will offer one a little later, and yet another will hold daily Mass in the evening.  I think any archdiocese which encourages this, will find an increase in daily Mass attendance.


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Archbishop Raymond L. Burke to discuss cause of Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ on EWTN tonight

Archbishop Raymond L. Burke at Assumption Grotto

on December 30, 2006

Got this message from Fr. Robert McDermott who was recently in Detroit discussing Fr. Hardon's cause.  Fr. McDermott is the postulator:

18 August 2010

Dear Friends,

This evening, Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J., host of EWTN Live will interview His Excellency, The Most Rev. Raymond L. Burke, on the Cause of the Servant of God, Father John A. Hardon, S.J. The show airs on the EWTN channel at 8:00 P.M. ET. Please be sure to watch if you can.

Thank you and may God bless you.

Fr. Robert McDermott

Archbishop Burke?  Yeah - that Archbishop Burke!

From EWTN's website, here are the broadcast times in case you miss this evening's shows:

EWTN Live with Fr. Mitch Pacwa
LIVE - Wednesday 8 PM ET
Encore – Thursday 1 AM ET & 9 AM ET, Sunday 4 AM ET

It also looks like after a few days or so, you might be able to watch the full segment online.  Here is the EWTN Live page for further info.

Fr. Hardon is remembered well by many parishioners of Assumption Grotto where he spent his final years.

Further Reading:

• Saint John Hardon? 

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August 15, 2010 Pictures .... more soon

Photo by Grotto parishioner, Jeff Williams

August 15, 2010

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have read my entry that I was not well this weekend and could not remain at Grotto.  I'm better than I was, but still far from 100%.  I will be returning to work tomorrow.  I had a case of dehydration with electrolyte imbalance. 

I was able to get some pics of the 9:30am Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form (1962 missal) before I had to leave. But, I just have not had the energy to process them, and still don't.  I'll be posting them soon.

I would like to direct you, however, to a great set of photos taken by another fellow parishioner, Jeff Williams, who was at the evening Mass. I had informed him earlier that I was planning on singing with the choir this year.   Jeff, already a talented photographer, used a special lens that really makes many of these photos that much more beautiful (I need to get me one of those!).  The evening Mass was in the Ordinary Form (new Mass).  It was concelebrated, with Fr. Perrone as the main celebrant. 

Be sure to click through all the pages of Jeff's pics from the August 15, 2010, 7:00pm Mass at his flickr page.

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Come to Assumption Grotto on Assumption Day!

Archived Photo from 2005 Assumption Day

It was my first time experiencing this glorious feast day at Grotto

Come to Assumption Grotto on August 15th where devotions and Masses run from morning 'til evening. 

The 9:30am Mass will be a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form (1962) missal.  The evening Mass will be an Ordinary Form Mass (new Mass), and it will be concelebrated with Fr. Perrone as the main celebrant.  See details of the day on this page at assumptiongrotto.com. (Note that there is shuttle service running from St. Veronica's which is about 1.5 miles away - see the main grotto website).

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Dawn Eden's Master's Thesis on Theology of the Body now at CNA

The thesis written by Dawn Eden which critiques Christopher West is now available for free via Catholic News Agency (llink is provided in the body of her post below), which is hosting the 80+ page document on it's website. 

This is very good news because the research offered by Dawn is worthy of time and attention.  I myself have read the revised edition which preceded this version now on CNA.  I felt she did a very good job of detailing some of the main problems, and she does so in a way that is not condescending.  I am hoping to write my own review later.   

Sadly, as with anyone who has raised concerns over the Christopher West interpretation and presentation of Pope John Paul II's writings on the subject, Dawn has come under criticism. It's important to note that the version uploaded at CNA is revised and addresses some of these. 

I have been watching this intense debate for the past year and I've noticed that no matter how charitably someone critiques aspects of West's interpretation and presentation, they are thought to be "attacking" him. The matter has divided many good and faithful Catholics.  I believe that the reason the cork blew so forcefully is that a segment of Catholics has had issues with it for a very long time and dialogue has been suppressed by the wave of enthusiasm. 

Pearls are created by friction.  That which Pope John Paul II wrote will be better understood over time.  The way  it is interpreted and presented will grow over time, and I believe these critiques which are coming out are a necessary part of polishing.  Therefore, harsh rhetoric on either side is unnecessary. 

I strongly advise young people, and parents, to read this thesis and understand the problems.  I will be making a post which compiles arguments on both sides (hopefully, chronologically).  As you read more of these, you will begin to see the themes of concern. 

I believe people need to make their own bishops aware of their concerns - charitably.

Dawn writes (my emphases in bold):

My master's thesis critiquing Christopher West now available for free from Catholic News Agency


Following Cardinal Justin Rigali's homily at the Theology of the Body urging that the "rich content" of John Paul II's Wednesday catecheses "be mined and proclaimed," I have decided to make my master's thesis, "Towards a 'Climate of Chastity': Bringing Catechesis on the Theology of the Body into the Hermeneutic of Continuity," available to all, free of charge. The thesis critiques the presentation of John Paul II's theology of the body that has been popularized by Christopher West and the Theology of the Body Institute, which was founded to promote West's presentation.


Catholic News Agency has generously agreed to host the thesis on its Web site so that the paper may be downloaded for free. The link for downloading the thesis may be found at the end of CNA's interview with me. That article also has space for comments, if you would like to add your own thoughts to the discussion.


The version of my thesis available from CNA is a brand new revision that includes a new preface in which I answer some criticisms that have arisen since I first made the work available. In addition, since some West fans have claimed I do not give his teachings sufficient context, I have included additional examples from his work.


I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has encouraged me in my research, as well as everyone who has shown their support by donating to support my doctoral studies. (As I have previously noted, my goal is to become a professor of moral theology at a small Catholic college.) If you have benefited from my thesis and would like to support my studies, you may click here to donate.


Thanks also to those who have written me with any kind of feedback on my thesis, whether supportive or not. Submitting my work for public discussion has been a great learning experience. If you would like to contact me, I invite you to do so via my feedback form. Also, I am grateful for any and all "knee-mail"--that is, prayer. I am sending it heaven-ward daily for everyone who reads my thesis, and for everyone involved in the TOB discussion.

Here is one excerpt from the CNA article where the thesis can be found:

Eden’s thesis—which gained public attention in June when she published her official defense on her blog—has sparked controversy among some Catholics, as it critically examines popular speaker Christopher West’s presentation of John Paul II’s teachings.

Among the assertions made by West that she faulted was his claim that the Church’s liturgy “is modeled on the union of spouses,” which he supports by saying the Easter Candle is “truly” intended to be a phallic symbol. Eden countered this by citing documentation from the Consilium—the body of experts charged with revising the liturgy following Vatican II—showing that theologians appointed by the Magisterium had rejected the phallic interpretation of the candle

And, with good reason. You'll have to read the thesis to learn more.

For those who do not know Dawn Eden, you can find more here from her website. 

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Red Hat Speculation Begins...

Before I send you off into the pregame show of an ecclesial spectator "sport" that comes around every few years (the making of Cardinals - known more plainly as - a consistory), I want to toss in another item that I was unable to post on last week. 

Blogging Canonist Ed Peters was recently at a Canon Law Conference at the beautiful Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin.  Also there, was another blogging canonist, Fr. John Boyle, of the UK who is spending a year in Marquette, Michigan (I got to know Fr. Boyle through blogging and we hope to see him at Assumption Grotto should he venture down to the lower part of the "mit"!).  Also there, was Father Z (the three are in the pic below and Father Z promises us that he is not that short, but that these guys are just that tall). 

There has been periodic discussion in the blogosphere about the next consistory, ever since the last consistory.  As I mentioned in my recent post on Archbishop Burke (which has been updated, by the way, after I noticed that I missed his membership in the Congregation for Clergy), the next conistory is rumored to take place anywhere from this fall to early spring 2011.  I have mentioned in other comboxes, that I believe it will take place in 2011 because of the number of Cardinals Electors soon to be turning 80 (if this list is not organized by age, then click the "Birthdate" link and they will appear at the top of the list). 

Dr. Peters looks at this much deeper and his analysis left me hopeful that another rumor would not come to pass.  Many have speculated in recent years that Detroit will lose it's red hat because we can't tip the balance of American "Cardinal Electors" to say... the Italians (bear in mind that there is a cap at age 80, at which time a Cardinal is no longer eligible to vote in a papal conclave).  But, I like the rationale used by Dr. Peters and it gives me hope that Detroit will keep it's red hat and that Archbishop Vigneron may very well be among those named in the consistory.  Just how many Americans might we see elevated?  Follow the link to read his most interesing (and fun) analysis.

Musings on the next Consistory

In the mood for some completely personal musings on an important topic that none of us have the slightest control over? Okay, how about papal elections? Rome basically shuts down in August, and here in the USA summer vacation is winding its way toward Labor Day. So it’s a great time to speculate on the next Consistory, rumored to be scheduled for as early as this Fall, but more likely in the Spring of 2011. Or, not. We'll see.

Continue reading Dr. Peters on the next Consistory...

Here is a pic of Archbishop Burke and Ed Peters at the recent conference (hmmmm  - as Father Z pointed out earlier, methinks Archbishop Burke isn't that short, but it's that Peters is that tall).  As an aside, Dr. Peters is speaking to his new boss.  He was recently named a Referendarius by Pope Benedict XVI.  If you don't know what that is.... go have a read.

Let the [speculation] games begin!


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Teresa Benedict of the Cross (Edith Stein)

Today is the feast day of

Teresa Benedict of the Cross (1891-1942)

(Edith Stein)

nun, Discalced Carmelite, martyr

From the Vatican's website:
 

"We bow down before the testimony of the life and death of Edith Stein, an outstanding daughter of Israel and at the same time a daughter of the Carmelite Order, Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, a personality who united within her rich life a dramatic synthesis of our century. It was the synthesis of a history full of deep wounds that are still hurting ... and also the synthesis of the full truth about man. All this came together in a single heart that remained restless and unfulfilled until it finally found rest in God." These were the words of Pope John Paul II when he beatified Edith Stein in Cologne on 1 May 1987.
Who was this woman?

continue reading about Edith Stein at vatican.va...



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Catholic professor discusses the feminine body and "spousal love"

Via Catholic News Agency, the article begins (links have been added by me)...

Crestview Hills, Ky., Aug 7, 2010 / 08:02 am (CNA).- Writing for this week's edition of the Thomas More College journal, Catholic professor Mary Shivanandan addressed the topic of feminine beauty, explaining that a woman's physical and spiritual attributes find their fullest expression in “spousal love,” whether in motherhood or consecrated celibacy.


On Aug. 5, The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts released its latest journal issue, Second Spring: an International Journal of Faith and Culture. This recent edition is dedicated to exploring the Theology of the Body from several perspectives.

In her article titled, “The Spousal Nature of Feminine Beauty in John Paul II,” Mary Shivanandan – a professor of Theology at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family at the Catholic University of America – explores the theme of the purpose of a woman's beauty and where it finds its fullest expression

This is an area that I believe is developing with regards to what is commonly referred to as, "Theology of the Body".  I think the next few years are going to yield some fruitful discussion about this topic in some areas that have been neglected.  This is one of them. 

“Feminine bodily beauty!” Shivanandan began in her article. “Is this not a topic more suitable to a fashion magazine than a serious journal? What does it have to do with theology?”


“But John Paul II takes feminine beauty very seriously,” the professor underscored.


“Right away,” she added, “we have a perspective on the feminine body that is not characteristic of our culture, which either favors the thin straight silhouette of the fashion model or the dress open and showing curves to the navel.”


In modern society, woman “is presented either without sexual attributes or as a sex object,” the professor lamented. “How is it even possible to address a culture that treats the feminine body in this way?”

I might add, that this is why, in modern society, we have such a rise in eating disorders and people spending loads of money on elective surgery for reasons of vanity.

However, “John Paul II does not hesitate to rise to the challenge,” she wrote.


“When John Paul II links the visible bodily aspect of a woman with its power of perennial attraction 'in strict accordance with motherhood,' he may seem to be limiting the often wondrous visible beauty of woman to one dimension.”


Yet, “the mystery of femininity manifests and reveals itself in its full depth through motherhood,” Shivanandan said, quoting the late Pontiff.

“This mystery, as he explains in his Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem, involves 'a special openness to the new person' on the part of woman through which she discovers her own identity precisely as woman.”


In this gift of self through the openness of bringing new life into the world, a woman not only realizes her identity as female, but reaches the fullest expression of what feminine beauty is, explained Shivanandan


“Beauty, feminine beauty, which, as John Paul II says, is in strict accordance with motherhood, is both a source and fruit of spousal love lived sacramentally in the family,” she noted. “From it radiates the beauty of the civilization of love.”


“It is the great challenge of our time to recover this sense of feminine beauty as intrinsically
spousal,” Shivanandon wrote.

She now mentions "spousal love" in another context - a vocation open to some women which is probably unknown to many Catholics.

In addition to a woman expressing her beauty as a gift of self through spousal love in marriage, the professor added, in “the consecrated virgin the spousal form is also present but expressed in a different way, as signifying the priority of personhood over bodily sexual attraction.”


“Espoused to the Lord, she points to the eschaton (heavenly reality) where there is no giving in human marriage. Thus the woman has to be affirmed in her role as person, oriented to self-gift, spouse and mother in a correct order.”

What exactly is a consecrated virgin?  From the code of canon law:

Can. 604 §1 The order of virgins is also to be added to these forms of consecrated life. Through their pledge to follow Christ more closely, virgins are consecrated to God, mystically espoused to Christ and dedicated to the service of the Church, when the diocesan Bishop consecrates them according to the approved liturgical rite.

You can read more at the website of the United States Association for Consecrated Virgins, and I especially recommend reading through the FAQs, and for the greatest level of detail, the information packet.

The article concludes:

Shivinandan reflected that this “way of approaching feminine beauty is almost entirely foreign to our culture, which isolates feminine bodily beauty as a thing in itself, using it to sell products or titillate the senses.”


Pope John Paul II, however, “finds the search for what he calls 'integral beauty' or 'purity free from stain' in the bridegroom’s search in the Song of Songs,” the professor observed.


“He notes that the Song of Songs refers to the bride as 'a garden closed,' a 'fountain sealed,' because, in the Pope’s words, she is 'the master of her own mystery.'”


“The authentic gift of the woman, which is essential to her personal dignity, is revealed in the gift of self as spouse and mother.”

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California Judge Legislates from the Bench on Prop 8

I only have time for a quick post. Go to the blog of Tom Peters and see what is happening in California. It's about prop 8 on marriage between one man and one woman. Cardinal George has issued a statement on behalf of the USCCB and you can read it there with additional links.

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Canonist Ed Peters examines an essay by Fr. Thomas Doyle, OP

"Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.  Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings..." (Heb 13:7-9)


Canonist, Ed Peters, looks at a recent essay by Fr. Thomas Doyle, OP.  I offer this here because I have heard variations of this out of ordinary lay Catholics.  Perhaps you have too.  I'm giving you a lead in, and you'll have to go to Dr. Peters' blog to read the rest and pick up the many links he has embedded. 

Fr. Doyle and the ecclesiology of despair

Fr. Thomas Doyle, op., has an essay in The Tablet (24 July 2010) wherein he comments, mostly negatively, on some canonical procedural norms recently revised and published by Rome. My concern here, though, is with what I will call an “ecclesiology of despair” to which I think Fr. Doyle’s essay gives voice.


Concluding his criticisms of the new norms, Fr. Doyle asserts that: “They are tragic evidence that the hierarchical governing body of the Church is no longer capable of leading the People of God.” Now, for Catholics called to maintain communion with the Church in all things (c. 209), such an assertion, no matter what context occasioned it, is disturbing.


The “hierarchical governing body of the Church” is the pope and bishops in union with him (cc. 331, 336), usually operating dispersed throughout the world (cc. 375, 381), sometimes operating in an ecumenical council (c. 337). But let's be clear: the “hierarchical governing body of the Church” is not the ecclesiastical equivalent of, say, the Democratic or Republican Party (groups that can and do lose their mandate to govern in any number of ways), nor is the Church's hierarchy even the equivalent of the federal-state governmental system we know in America (a structure that need not have been adopted and that many nations do not follow). Not at all.

Continue reading Ed Peters on "...the ecclesiology of despair"

And...Scriptural references from "Scripture Catholic"

• The Primacy of Peter
• Apostolic Authority and Succession

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