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| February 8, 2007 Edition | ||||
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Guided by the Spirit: Questions and answers
I have been to many parishes and have talked with many parishioners about the Guided by the Spirit planning process. The early anxiety surrounding the planning process is being replaced by a hesitant acceptance and a healthy engagement by the people of the diocese. As core teams continue to meet in cluster to discuss possible solutions, I want to take some time and answer the more common questions that have been posed by the parishioners they represent. The questions generally fall into one of three distinct categories: theological, cultural, and process. To fully answer any one of them would take much more space than I am allowed, so feel free to e-mail me if you would like to discuss these further. I will be taking the next three weeks to answer the more common questions. This week we'll start with theological questions with answers from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) and the Code of Canon Law (CIC). Would the priest shortage problem be solved with married priests or women priests? The priest, in a sense, IS married, married to the Church, the bride of Christ, stated for over 2,000 years and demonstrated by the Apostles who left everything (including their wives) to follow Christ. As the Catechism states (CCC: 1579): The priest is called to consecrate himself with undivided heart to the Lord and the "affairs of the Lord" (1 Cor 7:32). As for women priests, Pope John Paul II recently reiterated the Church's position on this with his Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, "Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful." Is it okay to go to Mass just once a month? No, the first precept of the Church is "You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor. (CCC: 2041-2043, CIC: 1246-1248). The following of a precept is meant to guarantee the minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth in the love of God and neighbor. So especially in our modern times where transportation is not the concern it was for our forefathers and commutes of 20 miles are not uncommon for the most trivial things, attending Mass should be the priority. Why are Catholics having this problem when Protestants are building big churches? The simplest answer is that the Catholic faith calls upon each of us for continual, daily conversion, to begin and begin again, leaning heavily on the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Penance, not just a "once and done" conversion. Also, as the disciples of Jesus said, "This teaching is difficult, who can accept it?" (Jn 6:60). There are many controversial teachings that the Church puts forward for her faithful to follow, teachings that many Protestant churches have taken an opposing viewpoint. Like children, we are called to be obedient to all of God's law, given to us by the Church led by the Vicar of Christ, the Holy Father. Unlike children, we have the ability to choose the 'house' in which we follow God's law. If you have any questions, please contact us at guidedbythespirit@straphael.org or mail us at Guided by the Spirit, 702 S. High Point Rd., Madison, WI 53719. Next article: Cultural Questions
St. Thérèse of Lisieux lecture: Scheduled for March 8MADISON -- Duncan Stroik, an educator and practitioner in Catholic architecture, will be speaking at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center in Madison as part of the St. Thérèse Lisieux lecture series on Thursday, March 8, at 7 p.m. Stroik's St. Thérèse of Lisieux lecture series talk is titled "Ex Cathedra: A city set on a hill cannot be hid." A sign language interpreter will be available for the lecture. Stroik's architectural practice grows out of a commitment to the principles of classical architecture and urbanism. For over a decade he has focused on the design of ecclesiastical, civic, residential, and collegiate buildings, which combine a passion for durability, function, and beauty. Stroik's education and career have closely paralleled the evolution of the international classical movement, and over the past decade his work has been instrumental in the new renaissance of sacred architecture. He received his architectural education from the University of Virginia and Yale University. Following graduation, he served as a project designer for the architect Allan Greenberg, with whom he designed a number of prestigious civic, institutional, collegiate, and residential projects. In 1990 Stroik was invited to help form and implement a new curriculum in classical architecture at the University of Notre Dame, later hailed by the New York Times as the "Athens of the new movement." He is considered to be one of the foremost educators and practitioners in Catholic architecture. There is no charge but people are asked to register online for the St. Thérèse of Lisieux lecture at www.madisoncatholic.org/oec or contact the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis at 608-821-3160 or OEC@straphael.org
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Offices: Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, 702 S. High Point Road, Madison
Mailing address: P.O. Box 44985, Madison, WI 53744-4985
Phone: 608-821-3070 Fax: 608-821-3071 E-Mail: info@madisoncatholicherald.org