Jul

27

The Beloved Community: From Formation to Action

Activism / Announcements / Christianity / Current events

If you live in Atlanta, are thinking about moving to Atlanta (you know who you are!), or are simply interested in helping progressive Christianity to prosper in the Atlanta area, this event looks mighty tasty: The Beloved Community: From Formation to Action which is scheduled for October 10-11, 2008. According to the “Progressive Christian Cooperative” website, this event will be a networking opportunity for those who are interested in living out an inclusive theology with an emphasis on social justice. The only sour note for me is that the PC Cooperative website explicitly states that it is “a movement within contemporary Protestant Christianity” — I wish they had used a word like “ecumenical” or some other tag that wouldn’t give a possible sense of being exclusive to non-Protestant Christians. Hopefully they won’t mind a Catholic or two coming to hang out, though.

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Jul

25

Humanae Vitae, 40 years later

Christianity / Current events

Today marks the fortieth anniversary of the controversial Papal encyclical Humanae Vitae, in which the Catholic Church hierarchy dug in its heels and refused to regard artificial birth control as anything other than a “grave evil.”

To mark this date, a coalition of dissenting Catholic organizations placed an ad featuring the following letter in a high-circulation Italian newspaper:

An Open Letter to the Pope

Today, July 25, 2008, the Catholic church marks the 40th anniversary of Humanae Vitae—the foundation stone for the Catholic hierarchy’s anti-contraception policy that has had a catastrophic impact on the poor and powerless around the world, endangering women’s lives and leaving millions at risk of HIV.

When Pope Paul VI cemented the Catholic hierarchy’s ban on contraception in 1968, he over-rode the findings of a group of experts he had himself chosen.

That group, the Birth Control Commission, had voted overwhelmingly to recommend that the church overturn the ban on artificial contraception, saying that it was neither “intrinsically evil” nor were previous teachings on it infallible. Even after Pope Paul brought in 15 bishops to make the final report, they too were swayed by the logic of the case for contraception and voted to change the teaching.

A “minority report” was produced which said that the teaching on contraception could not change—not for any specific reason, but because the Catholic hierarchy could not admit it had been wrong: “The Church cannot change her answer, because this answer is true…It is true because the Catholic Church, instituted by Christ…could not have so wrongly erred during all those centuries of its history.” It went on to say that if the hierarchy was to admit it was wrong on this issue, its authority would be questioned on all “moral matters.”

Humanae Vitae continues to be a source of great conflict and division in the church. Catholics and non-Catholics alike continue to feel the impact of the Catholic hierarchy’s devastating policy.

The impact of the ban has been particularly disastrous in the global south where, because the Catholic hierarchy holds significant sway over many national family planning policies, it obstructs the implementation of good public health policies on family planning and HIV prevention.

However, even in the global north, Humanae Vitae affects public health policy. Earlier this year, lobbying by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in the US Congress resulted in the dropping of vital family planning services that can prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

The evidence is overwhelming that Humanae Vitae has been an utter failure in convincing Catholics to abandon modern methods of contraception. Studies the world over show that Catholics use contraception, and use and support the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV. The ban has, however, prevented many women and men around the world from accessing reliable family planning methods and condoms.

It is clear to us that the Catholic church cannot move forward until it honestly confronts the paradox of Humanae Vitae: Most Catholics use modern contraceptives, believe it is a moral choice to do so and consider themselves Catholics in good standing, yet the Catholic hierarchy completely denies this reality, forcing the clergy into silence on this and most other issues related to sexuality.

The past 40 years have been marked by a hardening of the Vatican’s attitudes at the very time that the world has moved to a different, more comprehensive view of sexuality and women’s role in society. Pope Paul VI did not succeed in turning back the clock 40 years ago and it is unlikely any other pope will succeed to do so in the future. But many people, especially women in poor countries, will continue to suffer as long as the church hierarchy tries to do so.

Pope Benedict, we call on you to use to use this anniversary as an opportunity to start the process of healing by being true to the positive aspects of Catholic teachings on sexuality and lifting the ban on contraception to allow Catholics to plan their families safely and in good conscience.

Complete list of Signatories to the Open Letter to the Pope

Catholics for Choice
A Critical Mass: Women Celebrating Eucharist – USA
Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church – USA
Brothers and Sisters in Christ – Ireland
Call to Action – USA
Catholic Women’s Ordination – UK
Catholics for a Changing Church – United Kingdom
Catholics for a Free Choice – Canada
Catholics for the Spirit of Vatican 2 – USA
Católicas pelo Direito de Decidir – Brasil
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir – Bolivia
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir – Buenos Aires
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir – Chile
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir – Colombia
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir – Córdoba
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir – El Salvador
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir – España
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir – México
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir – Nicaragua
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir – Paraguay
Centro Bartolomé de las Casas – El Salvador
Chicago Women-Church – USA
Chrétiens sans Frontières de Gironde – France
Colectivo Rebeldía Santa Cruz – Bolivia
Col.lectiu Dones en l’Esglesia – Spain
Comité Oscar Romero – Chile
Comunidad Santo Tomás de Aquino – Spain
CORPUS, National Association for an Inclusive Ministry – USA
David et Jonathan—Association Homosexuelle Chrétienne Ouverte à Tous – France
Demain l’Eglise – France
Dignity USA
Droits et Libertés dans les Eglises/Femmes et Hommes en Eglise – France
Espérance 54 en Meurthe et Moselle – France
European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups
European Network Church on the Move
Gehuwd en Ongehuwd Priesterschap – Netherlands
De Graalbeweging – Netherlands
KerkHardop – Netherlands
Landelijk Koördinatie Punt Groepen Kerk en Homoseksualiteit – Netherlands
Mandragora/Netmal – Brazil
Mariënburgvereniging – Netherlands
Movimiento También Somos Iglesia – Chile
National Coalition of American Nuns – USA
New Ways Ministry – USA
Noi Siamo Chiesa – Italy
Nos Somos Igreja – Portugal
Nous Sommes Aussi l’Eglise – France
Pax Christi Maine – USA
Plein Jour – France
Red Latinoamericana de Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir
Réseaux Résistances – Belgium
Roman Catholic Women Priests – Europe-West
Roman Catholic Women Priests – Canada Est
Roman Catholic Women Priests – Canada West
San Francisco Bay Area Women-Church – USA
Southeastern Pennsylvania Women’s Ordination Conference – USA
Stichting Kerk Hardop – Netherlands
Stichting Magdala—Voor Vrow en Priester – Netherlands
Voice of the Faithful/New Jersey – USA
Werkplaats voor Theologie en Maatschappij – Belgium
Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER) – USA
Women’s Ordination Conference – USA
Women-Church Baltimore – USA

Source: Catholics for Choice

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Jul

22

Quote for the Day

Mysticism / Quotations

I have found heaven on earth, since heaven is God, and God is in my soul.

— Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity

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Jul

12

Nuns in the Outfield

Catholicism / Christianity

Beth Patterson over at the Virtual Teahouse alerted me to this wonderful article at the ESPN website about Atlanta’s own Dominican sisters and their ministry, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cancer Hospice. Naturally, living in Atlanta I knew about OLPH (it’s been part of the Atlanta Catholic Community even longer than the Trappists have) but I’ve never been there so I didn’t realize how close it was to Turner Field — or how such a bond has emerged between the caregiving nuns and the baseball community. It’s a wonderful story: take the time to read it.

Making Time Stand Still: In the shadows of Turner Field, terminal cancer patients and the compassionate nuns who care for them find joy in baseball

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Jul

11

The Feast of St. Benedict: Ad Deificum Lumen

Christianity / Mysticism / Spirituality

Today is the feast of St. Benedict.

This morning at mass, Fr. Tom Francis (who works with me at the Abbey Store) preached on the Rule and on his life experience as a Trappist monk for over 50 years now. During the sermon, he mentioned a conversation that he and I and another Lay-Cistercian had a while back about a phrase in the prologue to the Holy Rule of St. Benedict: et apertis oculis nostris ad deificum lumen, which is often translated as “Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God,” but which might more properly be translated as “Let us open our eyes to the deifying light.” I asked Fr. Tom about this, and did he agreed with me that this is a rare example of a western mystic acknowledging the mystery of deification — and expanded on this in this morning’s sermon, which, by permission of Fr. Tom, I am happy to reprint here:

11 July 2008 — Feast of St. Benedict — Homily by Fr. Thomas Francis, OCSO

In 1951, I was given a copy of the Rule of St. Benedict, which eventually had to have its cover replaced, as the original one wore out. I can now say, “See, I have kept the Rule all these years!” I remember an aphorism of those days, given by both the Abbot and Novice Master and in all Religious Orders: “You keep the Rule and the Rule will keep you.” Of course that was a bum steer, a cliché of Religious life since the Council of Trent, when motivation for the following centuries was based mostly on “Keeping rules and regulations.” We are fortunate indeed to have had the Vatican Council re-examine these worn-out cliches, and restore us to Gospel values, rather than emphasizing conduct based on written law..

Two weeks ago in the Abbey Store, we had an interesting conversation in our store, between Carl, our book buyer, Paco and myself. It concerned the Latin word used in the Prologue : in the expression, “Let us open our eyes to the deifying light.”. The term deificum is a rare Latin word, translated from the Greek word for “making divine”, what they referred to as “theosis” = divinizing, making God-like. That was their term for striving, as the Latin West preferred to say, for holiness, sanctification, perfection. The Greek Fathers, to this day, urge both monks and laity to Theosis, striving to become God-like, divinized. Benedict seized on the term, and used its adjectival form “deificum lumen.” Thomas Merton quoted the line in our reading from The Waters of Siloe at the Night Office this very morning.. Unfortunately neither he, nor Benedict, nor the vast majority of Latin writers unpacked the meaning of both the word and its full significance. Benedict used the adjective to modify “light”, a symbol for “divine meaning, intelligibility.”

But in order NOT to be repetitive of past views, I would hope to be a bit creative with this term, and apply it to silence: silentium, “deificum silentium” — a value that pervades the Rule of Benedict

Silence, as you all know, is not a virtue, like charity ,patience or humility. One does not make acts of silence. Rather it is a condition, a milieu, an environment in which something else takes place. We have been sharing on silence and solitude in our community discussions recently. As is well known, Benedict not only devoted a chapter (chapter 6) to this “condition”, but all through the Rule brings up its importance and value. For instance, in chapter 42, it is announced as the guiding principle of the whole of monastic life: “ At all times silence is to be cultivated by the monks, especially at night.” Complete silence in refectory and oratory; It’s value is mentioned in chapter 4 (good works), chapter 7 (humility), and elsewhere. So far I have merely repeated when and where this value of silence is expected.

But as is my usual procedure, I’d like to start pushing the envelope. In the teaching of Jesus Himself on Prayer, He instructs all of us, “When you pray, go into your chamber ( your heart), close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.” The operative phrase, as I see it, is “close the door” = keep completely still, silent = shut down your normal consciousness, with its operations of thinking, desiring, imagining and remembering, especially and particularly the religious, biblical, ascetical, ideas, symbols, values, quotations.

“Be still (silent), in the depths and totality of your be-ing, and know that I am God. I am the God that is divinizing you, making you God-like, and your principal role is to be silent, let the “deifying silence” of God divinize you. And let me push the envelope even further: “let the Triune God trinitize you = make you aware of the Trinity dwelling within you and the cosmos. Such is the kind of prayer Benedict wants for us monks; indeed, it is for all Christians.

Let me end by quoting a line from our own Blessed Rafael Baron: “Let us be silent. Let us keep silence, for in it we will find our treasure, which is God” Triune! And so, whether you stick to the “deifying light” of the literal Rule, or the Trinitizing Love of a more “complete” interpretation, do have an enjoyable day!

I told Father Tom after the mass that I believe this is the first time I have ever heard the Mystery of Deification addressed from a Christian pulpit. I hope it won’t be the last.

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Jul

08

So what does Centering Prayer have in common with Rock and Roll?

Christian mysticism / Christianity / Contemplation / Music / Mysticism

When I was in high school, I used to hear charismatic Christians talk about how rock and roll music conjured demons. “It’s in the drum beat,” they said. “It’s the same drum beat that witchdoctors use in primitive cultures to call up their evil spirits.” Basically, if you listened to rock music, no matter what your intentions may have been, you were (according to these folks) unintentionally making yourself vulnerable to the malevolent influence of opportunistic spirits.

It’s interesting how I don’t hear that kind of rhetoric any more, and maybe it’s just because I no longer move in those kind of culturally reactionary circles. I guess it’s hard to maintain the “rock-and-roll-conjures-demons” theory in a world where rock bands like Third Day, Kutless and Switchfoot crank out music as heavy as Led Zeppelin in their heyday — and with a decidedly Christian message.

But nowadays it seems like the devil-alarmists have found a new target: Christian mysticism and centering prayer. For a representative example, read this article by John Dreher: The Danger of Centering Prayer. Dreher takes aim at centering prayer’s admitted use of eastern spiritual techniques, but then goes on to tell the story of a young girl who practices centering prayer only to have her life invaded by demons (and while it’s debatable if she really were under demonic attack, Dreher’s insistence that centering prayer was the culprit, without looking at family history, psychological issues, or other possible factors, is singularly unconvincing).

According to what the demon-watchers are saying, it seems that centering prayer, just like rock and roll, acts as a beacon for those same nasty opportunistic spirits. The alarmists must be afraid of rhythm, I think, because that’s the only connection I can see between centering prayer and rock and roll: whether it’s the rhythm of a steady drumbeat, or the rhythm of a repetitive prayer word, either way the fundamentalists see demons lurking behind the “beat.” Of course, centering prayer’s critics argue that it is the silence itself that makes us vulnerable to demonic attack! (Man, those folks must keep their TVs and radios blaring 24 hours a day). Go read the drivel that propagandists like Ken Silva and the Lighthouse Trails Research folks are putting out, and you’ll start to wonder why movies like “The Exorcist” weren’t about Thomas Merton or Julian of Norwich.

You know, I think at the end of the day rock and roll is far more subversive of Christianity than is mysticism. But Christianity dealt with the “threat” of rock music by creating its own shadow rock culture. Despite its embarrassing beginnings (anyone remember Stryper?), the contemporary Christian music scene has matured nicely, with some wonderful music being put forth in the name of Jesus.

Well, my friends, go back and read what mystics from Clement of Alexandria in the second century up to Merton and Thomas Keating in our own time have been doing. They have been taking spiritual practices from non-Christian sources (whether pagan mystery religions or the TM movement) and re-fashioning those exercises with a decidedly Christian focus. The result: Christian mysticism. Now, the purists will always whine that this is not the “real” gospel. And by doing so, they are unwittingly (or maybe not so unwittingly) doing the devil’s work, for they are pushing people of goodwill away from the gospel by their xenophobic fear/hatred/rejection of anything that does not conform to their narrow definition of what is “righteous.”

I’m tired of people who attack art or spirituality by accusing the object of their hostility of being a demon-magnet. It’s metaphysical nonsense devoid of real content, a straw-man argument designed strictly to frighten the gullible. Instead of alarmist propaganda, I’d rather hear from reasonable people of goodwill, even those who have thoughtful, nuanced criticism of mysticism’s (or rock’s) failings and limitations. That kind of discourse can be enlightening and interesting. Meanwhile, hooray for the musicians (and aspiring mystics) who keep exploring the boundaries where Christianity interfaces with non-Christian culture. By doing so, they are creating new places where God’s grace may lavishly flow. And double hooray for their doing so even when they are attacked by fundamentalist ideologues for being dupes of the devil. I think Matthew 5:11-16 applies here.

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Jul

03

Meg Funk

Contemplation / interfaith dialogue / monasticism / Other people's blogs / Spirituality

One of the most respected of contemporary Benedictine spiritual writers is Mary Margaret (Meg) Funk, OSB. Her books include Thoughts Matter: The Practice of the Spiritual Life and Tools Matter for Practicing the Spiritual Life. She writes not only about Benedictine spirituality and contemplative practice, but also about interreligious dialogue, a pursuit she has been deeply involved in for some time now. I’ve just learned of her blog, which looks to contain all sorts of interesting entries. Here’s an excerpt from a recent posting that I suspect most readers of my blog will particularly enjoy:

We are all called to Contemplation, resting in God. There are many paths in this journey. This path very specifically taught by the Unknown author of the Cloud of Unknowing is for those attracted to the mystery and not inclined to go through images of Jesus, or Mary or through the life of Jesus Christ as devotion. The attraction is Christ centered, but beyond the images and stories. The Unknown author speaks for those who want the apophatic path (imageless) of us when He says, “ God is a jealous lover we must fix our love on him. Close the doors and windows on imagination because God is beyond our thoughts, concepts and images.” The teaching of the method is helpful and easy to understand, but hard to do: Practice: lift up your heart to the Lord, with a gentle stirring of love, desire Him for his own sake, not for gifts. We must Center all our attention and desire on Him.

Read the full post here: Emptiness Practice

Or, just visit her home page here: Meg Funk

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Jul

02

Quote of the Day

Bible / Quotations

But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

— St. Paul (I Corinthians, 6:17, NRSV)

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