Good News

It is really not easy to find truly good Catholic news in the world today. Still, there are little glimmers of hope here and there.

First:

I watched the “livestream” of the installation Mass of Archbishop Alexander Sample. This was of particular interest to me, because I see Archbishop Sample as a shining star amidst a bunch of wimpy US bishops who has already set a good example for his brother bishops in several ways, but especially with regard to liturgical music. 

The installation Mass was better than some I’ve seen, despite some details that were neglected (for example, WHY can’t there be a real antependium on these altars, even when they are probably just tables set up in a big auditorium?! I mean, seriously, the white table cloth thing has to go. It’s not that hard to make a decent antependium.) There were no Native Americans (or other ethnic groups) dancing with bowls of incense, and Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers carried the Book of the Gospels with appropriate reverence. Whew! But isn’t it sad that the good news is the absence of bad news? Oh well!

At any rate, Archbishop Sample can do great things for the Archdiocese of Portland, and I think he will give it his best shot. My prayers are with him on a daily basis.

Second:

A bishop has made a strong statement against the “V-Monologues” play that continues to plague Catholic university campuses. Bishop Earl Boyea of the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan, wrote this on his Face Book page:

I recently had occasion to read the script of The Vagina Monologues . Oh my. This production is a train wreck on multiple levels. Most fundamentally, it is anti-woman, reducing her God-given genius and dignity to a bizarre emphasis on one physical aspect of her person.

It struck me that the operative word in the title doesn’t start with “v” – the operative word is “monologue.” The script is a series of narcissistic speeches about the physical appearance of female sexual organs, masturbation, lesbian coupling, and other topics that are equally dismissive of the true worth of a woman. As one might sadly expect, there is no suggestion anywhere that a woman might find happiness in a loving marriage.

We live in a world that too often treats women like disposable creatures who exist for sex and little else. While purporting to be part of an effort to oppose violence to women, this theatrical event actually embraces the dismissive outlook on women that leads to violence and exploitation of our sisters in Christ. There is nothing redeeming in this “play” and certainly it contains multiple teachings which are completely contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church as well as violations of human dignity.

Good for you, Your Excellency, for speaking up and pointing out the immorality of this play! Now if we can only get Catholic campuses to stop permitting the play to be performed there! When will bishops re-assert control over the Catholic colleges and universities in their dioceses?

Third:

LifeSiteNews.com reports that

A Catholic church on Long Island has removed a 47 year-old Long Island man from his role as the parish's confirmation teacher, lector, and altar server after learning he was “married” to another man.

[The man, Nicholas Coppola] claims that he had been an open homosexual in his parish for years. Even his pastor, he alleges, knew of his engagement in the homosexual lifestyle but permitted Coppola to serve in leadership positions, including as an altar server, religious education teacher for children preparing for confirmation, and lector.

Well, in that case, probably some action should have been taken sooner. However, it appears that once the bishop learned about it, something was done.

Bishop William Murphy of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, received a written complaint about Coppola. A diocesan official passed it on to Coppola’s pastor saying, “While not on a witch hunt, I know it would be of concern to you if a catechist were, in fact, ‘married’ as described.”

It’s a positive sign, I think, to see that the man was removed from ministry in the Church. Allowing a person living an openly homosexual lifestyle to teach in a Church setting certainly sends the wrong message. But then, we all knew that. It’s just nice to see our leaders take an active role in reversing the damage. Now, I would presume, Nicholas Coppola also has a better understanding of Church teaching on this issue, and the importance of that teaching – not only for the other parishioners, but for his own soul.

So there you have it: good news. Enjoy it while it lasts! ;-)