Heartfelt compassion

The new issue of The St. Anthony Messenger, a magazine produced by the Franciscans of Cincinnati, features a review of a book typed by the NARAL-backed ex-lieutenant governor of Maryland, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. The reviewer is the Rev. Lawrence M. Ventline, "a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit for three decades." You can sense the thrill running up his pant leg.

This is a head-turner of a book, enveloped in a vision of heartfelt compassion. The writer is convinced that, if Jesus walked the streets today, “he would comfort the drug addicts, the homeless, people living with disease, children living unhealthy or unsafe lives. And he would challenge all of us who failed to come to their aid in the course of our individual lives or in the formulation of our collective policies.”
...
Kennedy Townsend’s heart has mine aching for Churches that stand up to speak truth in love once more when others sit in silence. “We are all children of the same God. Once we start acting like it, there will be no challenge beyond our reach,” Kennedy Townsend writes in this soul-stirring call.

Keeping the state of flow

Earlier this week in the Wall Street Journal psychology professor Christopher Chabris reviewed Daniel T. Willingham's new book Why Don't Students Like School?, an exploration of what science tells us about how we think, learn, and remember. The relevance to catechesis should be obvious. Here is the key part of Willinghan's thesis:

So why don't students like school? According to Mr. Willingham, one major reason is that what school requires students to do -- think abstractly -- is in fact not something our brains are designed to be good at or to enjoy. When we confront a task that requires us to exert mental effort, it is critical that the task be just difficult enough to hold our interest but not so difficult that we give up in frustration. When this balance is struck, it is actually pleasurable to focus the mind for long periods of time. For an example, just watch a person beavering away at a crossword or playing chess in a noisy public park. But schoolwork and classroom time rarely keep students' minds in this state of "flow" for long. The result is boredom and displeasure. The challenge, for the teacher, is to design lessons and exercises that will maximize interest and attention and thus make students like school at least a bit more.

One of the reasons for C.S. Lewis' enduring popularity is that he gives your brain bite-sized morsels to chew on as he makes an argument or teaches a lesson. The always aphoristic Peter Kreeft is the same way. For instance, his explanation of the relationship of the theological virtues -- faith is the root, hope is the stem, love is the bloom -- is a wonderful example. You'll remember it and also thirst for more information. Do drilling and memorization work? Oh yes:

Elsewhere Mr. Willingham has his curious teacher ask: "Is drilling worth it?" The answer is yes, because research shows that practice not only makes a skill perfect but also makes it permanent, automatic and transferable to new situations, enabling more complex work that relies on the basics. Another question: "What is the secret to getting students to think like real scientists, mathematicians, and historians?" According to Mr. Willingham, this goal is too ambitious: Students are ready to understand knowledge but not create it. For most, that is enough. Attempting a great leap forward is likely to fail.

The lowest common denominator approach to religious education, which emphasizes faith sharing and emotive response, is generally defended by appeals to the existence of different learning styles. Rubbish, says Willingham:

The trendy notion that each person has a unique learning style comes under an especially withering assault. "How should I adjust my teaching for different types of learners?" asks Mr. Willingham's hypothetical teacher. The disillusioning reply: "No one has found consistent evidence supporting a theory describing such a difference. . . . Children are more alike than different in terms of how they think and learn."

It turns out that while education gurus were promoting the uplifting vision of all students being equal in ability but unique in "style," researchers were testing the theory behind it. In one experiment, they presented vocabulary words to students classified as "auditory learners" and "visual learners." Half the words came in sound form, half in print. According to the learning-styles theory, the auditory learners should remember the words presented in sound better than the words presented in print, and vice-versa for the visual learners.

But this is not what happened: Each type of learner did just as well with each type of presentation. Why? Because what is being taught in most of the curriculum -- at all levels of schooling -- is information about meaning, and meaning is independent of form. "Specious," for instance, means "seemingly logical, but actually fallacious" whether you hear it, see it or feel it out in Braille. Mr. Willingham makes a convincing case that the distinction between visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners (who supposedly learn best when body movement is involved) is a specious one. At some point, no amount of dancing will help you learn more algebra.

This book just went on my short list.

Three weeks until bliss

May Festival begins Friday, May 22, and this year's schedule includes performances of Mozart's masterpiece Requieum:

The drama continues with Mozart’s Requiem, music commissioned by a mysterious stranger whom the ailing Mozart believed was also plotting his death . . . music Mozart felt he was composing for his own funeral. Although Mozart died before completing his Requiem, this deeply personal and emotionally charged work is a true masterpiece.

Because it's worked wonders for Lutherans and Anglicans

Rochester's Channel 13 conducted an interview with Bishop Matthew Clark. The main theme is that he isn't retiring until he absolutely must. Toward the end, he's given an opportunity to defend priestly celibacy. Since this is the same man who once said he'd be "pleased" to ordain women (see here), his response probably won't surprise you:

Would allowing priests to marry help ease the shortage? The Bishop says he doesn't know for sure but says it probably would. It isn't his decision.

Market forces

I've at least temporarily taken down "The marketing experience" post. (It's saved, so no one's comments are lost.) Let it suffice to say that it's difficult to avoid discussing a man's personality when he puts it at the very center of a marketing campaign.

Madrid's solution

This week's Catholic Telegraph features a profile of apologist Patrick Madrid due to his participation in a local Theology on Tap session. His simple solution to the lack of knowledge about the faith possessed by many Catholics is worth highlighting. And his experience on an airplane with a Moslem man caught my attention, as I recently had a similar exchange with a man from Ethiopia (alas, in a cab):

Madrid shared an experience he once had with a man on an airplane flight. A Muslim, the man spoke for almost an hour about his faith, and Madrid listened with genuine interest, even though he did not agree with much of what the Muslim man was saying.

“I showed him the courtesy of listening that I learned from the saints, and it paid off,” Madrid said. “When it was my turn to speak, he listened to me.”

A polite discussion of Islam versus Catholicism ended in an exchange of business cards. The two men swapped emails for a short time, the Muslim man sending Madrid a video on Islam and Madrid referring the Muslim to a apologetics website.

Although Madrid does not know what happened to the man, he does know that seeds were planted that day.

“Miracles of conversion are able to take place because we open our mouths,” Madrid said.

“If Catholics give in to the temptation of being relaxed and laid back, not saying anything when opportunities arise, there is no telling what occasion for grace may pass by us,” he continued.

Before addressing fallen-away or non-Catholics, Madrid suggested that Catholics study the faith so that they know it well enough to articulate it in an adult way.

He highlighted the fact that the level of knowledge of the faith of average Catholic is that of an eighth grader and theorizes that “by the time a young Catholic receives the Sacrament of Confirmation, their study of the Catholic faith has concluded. There is usually no more formal study of Scripture or of church teachings.”

Madrid’s solution to this lack of knowledge is to encourage Catholics to read one chapter of the Gospels and three paragraphs of the Catechism of the Catholic Church daily, noting that within one month people will notice a marked improvement in their understanding of the faith.

He said that Catholics don’t need to be theological experts in order to evangelize, but they must have a proper mindset towards evangelization and the people they try to evangelize.

“Our pride and arrogance can get in the way of the best laid arguments,” Madrid warned.

He reminded the audience to speak more to God about the person to convert rather than talking to the person about God.

“Recognize that the Holy Spirit does the true converting and that we are but tools of that conversion,” Madrid said.

File under "How I won't spend my summer vacation"

From this week's Telegraph:

"Chewing"

The Gospel readings for Mass this week are a tour of the Eucharistic discourse in chapter 6 of St. John. Tomorrow's reading, verses 52-59, contains the famous passage "For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed," as if to leave his hearers with no doubt about the literalness of His message. Enjoy the commentary on these passages from the Navarre Bible provided free by the Daily Word service:

Our Lord uses a stronger word than just "eating" (the original verb could be translated as "chewing") which shows that Communion is a real meal. There is no room for saying that He was speaking only symbolically, which would mean that Communion was only a metaphor and not really eating and drinking the Body and Blood of Christ. "All these invitations, promises and threats sprang from the great desire which (Jesus) had of giving us Himself in the holy Sacrament of the altar. But why should Jesus so ardently desire us to receive Him in Holy Communion? It is because love always sighs for, and tends to a union with, the object beloved. True friends wish to be united in such a manner as to become only one. The love of God for us being immense, He destined us to possess Him not only in Heaven, but also here below, by the most intimate union, under the appearance of bread in the Eucharist. It is true we do not see Him; but He beholds us, and is really present; yes, He is present in order that we may possess Him and He conceals Himself, that we may desire Him, and until we reach our true homeland Jesus Christ wishes in this way to be entirely ours, and to be perfectly united to us" (St. Alphonsus Liguori, "The Love of Our Lord Jesus Christ Reduced to Practice", Chapter 2).

Rascally Reiki

The May 1 Catholic Telegraph of Cincinnati runs my letter, along with a potentially misleading Editor's note:

Editor:
The August 3 Telegraph includes a lengthy article about a recent USCCB statement concerning Reiki therapy. According to the bishops' Committee on Doctrine, Reiki is a dangerous, "unchristian" form of superstition that presents "insoluble problems."

One of the document's key statements is as follows: "It would inappropriate for Catholic institutions, such as Catholic health care facilities and retreat centers, or persons representing the church, such as Catholic chaplains, to promote or to provide support for Reiki therapy."

Yet here in Cincinnati the Sisters of Charity offer Reiki healing services and extensive coursework in this New Age therapy. One class "prepares participants to become a Reiki Master." In light of the statement from the bishops, one should expect the Sisters to suspend this "inappropriate" ministry.

Rich Leonardi
Cincinnati

Editor's note: According to a spokesperson for the Sisters of Charity in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, the order no longer promotes Reiki on its website since the Vatican offered its pronouncement on its inappropriateness for Catholics.

Why is it potentially misleading? Because the sisters have not indicated whether they will cease to offer the Reiki services themselves; they merely claim to have airbrushed Reiki references from their website.

Moreover, the sisters do indeed promote Reiki on their website, as this link reveals. The link had been taken down earlier this week. (In the event the link is taken down again, here is a cached version.)

"I don't think St. Francis would approve"

CREDO/Rochester Catholic's Gene Michael responds to Lee Strong's "Mafia Rosaries" post (which we discussed here):

Yesterday a critical piece titled Mafia Rosaries showed up on a locally based website. The piece was written by Lee Strong, another local Catholic blogger.

In this piece, Lee says it is his “impression” that the Rosaries for Rochester campaign is calling for a Mafia style “hit” on Bishop Clark. After being criticized for this pejorative characterization, Lee later explains that he only meant that the “hit” would mean the resignation or removal of Bishop Clark.

Fair enough. But why would that be wrong as an answer to prayer for godly leadership? We are not telling God to do anything, we are merely asking Him for help. It’s up to Him to decide how best to answer our prayers.

Well, anyway, I really have no control over other people’s “impressions”. The campaign documentation is very clear and explicit in its content to any fair-minded person. People who characterize prayers for godly leadership as a Mafia style “hit” campaign really need to examine their own motives.

One thing in Lee’s post that did catch my eye was his quotation of St. Francis’ Admonition XXVI which says in part:

Blessed is the servant of God who exhibits confidence in clerics who live uprightly according to the form of the holy Roman Church. And woe to those who despise them…

“Woe to those who despise them”? Bad enough that the Rosary campaign has been completely mis-characterized. Even worse is the implication that the participants “despise” Bishop Clark. There is nothing in the campaign that can be credibly described as a despisement for Bishop Clark. Criticism, yes. Despisement, no.

If Lee has a problem with people criticizing the bishop, that’s his prerogative. But if that concern translates into a damaging fabrication, that’s just plain wrong.

I don’t think St. Francis would approve.

Note to parish priests

Want to be a saint?

Spend more time in the confessional.

From Columbia magazine's "Catholic Man of the Month" feature, which profiles St. John Mary Vianney in the just-released May issue:

So much so did the Christian faithful seek him out for reconciliation that, during the last 10 years of his life, Vianney spent 16-18 hours each day administering the sacrament.

The closest thing to a latter day Cure of Ars in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati has got to be St. Louis Church's Fr. Joseph Binzer. He receives confessions virtually every day and provides simple spiritual guidance from the confessional that is refreshingly free of both chattiness and pop psychology.

Pope Saint Pius V and the Roman Catechism

This Thursday is the feast of Pope Saint Pius V, best known for his promulgation of the Roman Missal, also known as the Tridentine Rite, the Pian Missal, or, now, the Extraordinary Form. He should equally be known for his creation of the Roman Catechism, which took the teachings of the Council of Trent and presented them in an organized format. It became the basis for the Baltimore Catechism in this country, the "Penny Catechism" in Britain, and scores of similar works around the world. So monumental was the Roman Catechism that the Holy See continued to offer official versions through 1978 -- over a dozen years after the close of Vatican II, the council that supposedly changed everything. In an effort to explain the then-recently released Catechism of the Catholic Church, the first official universal catechism since the Roman Catechism, Bishop Fabian Bruskowitz wrote a brief history of catechisms and catechesis in 1996; it contains a section on Pope Saint Pius V:

The Council of Trent, which was summoned to confront the crisis that the Protestant revolt brought about in Christianity, intended to draft two catechisms-one for the learned, and one to be for the unlettered and children. Only the first was completed in 1566. The purpose of this catechism was to communicate the realization "that all Christian knowledge and eternal life is to know Jesus Christ, that to know Christ is to keep His commandments, and to know that charity is the end of the commandments and the fulfillment of the law."

This catechism of the Council of Trent was the basis for the Roman Catechism issued by Saint Pius V in 1565, and later revised and issued again in 1583 by Pope Gregory XIII. The Catechism of the Council of Trent particularly, because of its completeness and its doctrinal orthodoxy and integrity, was strongly recommended by Pope Leo XIII, Pope St. Pius X and Pope Pius XI.

Many catechisms, especially those issued by great saints such as St. Vincent de Paul, St. John Baptist de la Salle, and St. Robert Bellarmine, were based on the Roman Catechism, as were the various national catechisms issued through the centuries, such as our own Baltimore Catechism.

Furthermore, the Roman Catechism remains of great value and has a great deal in common with the new Catechism of the Catholic Church which Pope John Paul II has issued.

What's holding you back?

If you're a Notre Dame donor, it starts with an O and ends with an A:

DEARBORN, Michigan, APRIL 27, 2009 (Zenit.org).- A Notre Dame alumni coalition verified that donors have pledged to withhold $8.2 million from the university in protest of the school's decision to honor President Barack Obama.

The coalition launched the national outreach effort one week ago, appealing to alumni and benefactors to hold back donations until the university's president, Father John Jenkins, is replaced.

In a press release today, the group, called "Replace Jenkins," reported that over 900 pledges have been sent online with the promise of canceling payments to the school, including notifications from donors who removed large estate bequests to the university from their wills.

The coalition statement reported that campaign organizers have "personally confirmed a majority of the largest donations, and continue to verify the validity of millions of additional gifts."

David DiFranco, the group's spokesperson, said: "We knew many donors and alums were unhappy with the decision to honor a pro-abortion president, but we never expected this large of a response." ...

"Mafia Rosaries" and God's will

Over at blogger Lee Strong's site, he declines to support CREDO/Rochester Catholic's "Rosaries for Rochester" campaign, claiming "this campaign is not so much intended for the Bishop as directed against him." He then muses aloud whether the intention of the campaign is to invite "a 'hit' on the Bishop [Matthew Clark] Mafia-style." (Although Lee doesn't mention CREDO/Rochester Catholic, it is obvious he is referring to the site.) What's below is the stated intention of the Rosary campaign; you decide whether it's as bad as Lee suggests.

CREDO believes that the time for change is now, not in 2012. It is for this reason that we are sponsoring a Rosary campaign to ask for God’s intervention in our diocese. We are asking for God to strengthen and restore Bishop Clark in a way that would allow him to deal with this crisis of faith. If Bishop Clark is not able, for whatever reason, to respond, then we are asking that God would grant us a new bishop to help restore the spiritual vitality of this diocese.

Ultimately, we pray for God’s will to be done. We humbly recognize that an intervention at this time may not be in God’s plans. However, we have the fullest of confidence that He will help us in the way that He deems to be most beneficial.

Forgotten routines

From the age of 12 to around 16, I spent roughly two hours a day in my parents' basement doing a boxer's workout -- speed bag, heavy bag, shadow-boxing, push-ups, sit-ups, and other forgotten routines. The inspiration came when I was walking home from school and two older boys spat in my hair from their bicycles. When I arrived home, I dipped my head in the family pool, grabbed an Army duffel bag, and stuffed it with a rolled-up, glue-back rug. That was my first heavy bag. I pounded away at it for months until I saved enough money for a real one. To this day, I have scar tissue on my knuckles from the stiff resistance of the glue. Over the years I adorned the walls of the basement with posters and magazine covers from Sports Illustrated and Ring magazine. Hearns vs. Leonard, Cooney vs. Holmes. Roberto Duran. Marvin Hagler. Ray Mancini. And Greg Page. Requiescat in Pace.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Greg Page, a former heavyweight boxing champion who suffered a severe brain injury in a 2001 fight, has died at his Louisville home. He was 50.

His wife, Patricia Page, said she found the one-time World Boxing Association champion in his bed early Monday morning. Patricia Page said he died of complications related to injuries he suffered in the fight.

Page told The Associated Press her husband “is in a better place now.”

The March 9, 2001, fight left Page in a coma for nearly a week. He then had a stroke during post-fight surgery. He was paralyzed on his left side and received intensive physical therapy.

Family friend Christopher 2X said Page took on his debilitating injuries with the same intensity as he would have in preparing for a fight. ...

Come, O Spirit of diversity

The local Sisters of Charity posted last week's Earth Day liturgy to their website.

(Curiously, I didn't find a liturgy for Respect Life Sunday.)

We believe Earth is our teacher.
We believe in safeguarding Earth’s regenerative capacities. We are called:
In humility to reverence the beauty and gifts of Earth,
In simplicity to recognize our kinship with Earth,
In charity to sustainably protect and restore the integrity of Earth’s ecological systems.

Undoubtedly

The leftwing historian Fr. Thomas Bokenkotter, author of the discredited A Concise History of the Catholic Church and this diocese's answer to Fr. Richard McBrien, has a letter in this morning's Enquirer. You'll note he parrots the line about Sarkozy that appeared in the Democrat party operative's "back up Obama" email. You'll also note the contrast with Fr. Fox's letter from yesterday; Fr. Fox addressed the substantive issue of personhood and rights, while Fr. Bokenkotter's letter is steeped in polls and politics. (His last entry for the Enquirer was a eulogy for Pope John Paul II, in which he took one last parting shot at the Holy Father; you can read an excerpt in my review of his book.)

Your paper noted (April 21) that Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk has joined those of some his fellow bishops who oppose Notre Dame’s choice of President Barack Obama to give the commencement address on May 23 in spite of Mr Obama’s pro-choice stand on abortion.

Catholic opinion on this extremely complex issue is divided. as is seen from the recent elections when nearly half of the Catholic vote went to Mr. Obama.

Undoubtedly they preferred Mr. Obama because they believed his social policies would do more to reduce abortions then any Quixotic attempt to reverse Roe vs. Wade.

I might note that according to a Catholic News Service report, the Lateran Cathedral in Rome recently made French President Nicholas Sarkozy an honorary canon in spite of his pro-choice views. The silence of the Vatican at the time seems to indicate a more flexible position than some of our American Catholic bishops.

The Rev. Thomas Bokenkotter

Assumption Church

Walnut Hills

Update, 27 April 2009: See responses to Fr. Bokenkotter's letter here, here, here, here, and here. We'll have to wait and see whether any of them make it into the print edition.