An Aid To Memory

I posted on John Kerry visiting Chillicothe, Ohio a few weeks ago. Even though Chillicothe Catholics seem to follow the classic "Catholics are Democrats" tradition, I figured there would be some outcry. Follow-up information has appeared in the local newspaper, The Chillicothe Gazette, as Fr. Hummer responds to concerns of his parishioners that he held a private Mass for John Kerry and gave a subtle endosement of the pro-choice candidate. Here are some articles about the ensuing controversy. Personally, I would like to see the whole issue die, because this kind of strife cannot be good for the small-town Chillicothe Catholic community, although the issues that it has raised have probably served to get local Catholics thinking and praying.

Mixing Preaching, Politics
Kerry Mass Part of His Calling
Letter to the Editor of Fr. Hummer

There were also some good letters to the editor from local Catholics upset at the Kerry visit, which were moderate and well-reasoned.

There are just some days that I can’t think of anything too fancy or interesting to write about, so borrowing from Charles, who in turn borrowed the idea from someone else, I am just going to spout a few random thoughts and facts.

I listened to Christmas music as I designed the Christmas page for ChurchYear.net, specifically the Crash Test Dummies and the New Christy Minstrels (worlds apart in style!).

I am enjoying the autumn, although this week has been so hazy and foggy that it makes seeing the beauty of Fall somewhat difficult. Hmm…this seems like an appropriate analogy for what sin does to us and our relationship with God.

I have taught Kindergarten, first grade, and third grade this past week, and believe it or not, I prefer Kindergarten, although after tying the 20th shoe, I am seriously considering investing in a velcro company.

My newest cat Zoe’s birthday was on September 22. Please send tuna in lieu of belated cards.

My dad had what my mom called a “Homer Simpson moment.” When he yawned, a bee flew into his mouth. He got stung twice, although he is all right, and laughed about it like the rest of us. Just so you know, my mom and dad are EMTs and had the EpiPen ready.

My dad supposedly ordered the comedy movie Waiting for Guffman, with Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy and others, but it hasn’t arrived yet. When it does, I will probably strategically “borrow” it for awhile. The photo on the left is from the movie.

A new study says drinking more than one cup of coffee a day raises certain inflammation markers within the body, and an increase of these markers correlates with an increase in heart disease risk. I have been cutting down coffee and drinking more black and green tea.

And to finish up all of this randomness, I need to say…I have the greatest girlfriend on the planet.

With Halloween approaching and falling on a Sunday this year, many Christians of the more fundamentalist variety (most Evangelicals celebrate secular Halloween) are getting a little uptight, as Charles points out. In response to the increasing popularity of paganism in our culture, and the fundamentalist over-reaction to it, we asked friend David Morrison to write a balanced article on the holiday. I think he has done that perfectly here: The Hallowed Eve: Christians and Halloween. Of note, for some good Halloween wackiness from the left, check this out.

Image from:
www.mste.uiuc.edu/~mmckelve/phonebook/images/seasonal/halloween/

According to a recent article, John Kerry is not excommunicated, latae sententiae or otherwise. Apparently the correspondence between a California Canon Lawyer and and Dominican Father Basil Cole was private and not official.

Why is all of this so confusing? I think it is because theologians and Church officials have just begun to debate the role that pro-choice politicians and dissenting Catholics should have within the Church. I have a feeling this issue will be in the forefront in upcoming years.

Yesterday a Vatican official said that John Kerry and pro-abortion politicians incur ecxommunication latae sententiae. I wondered exactly what this was and how one becomes excommunicated in this fashion. I wanted to share what I learned so far here in my blog. I am still learning about this and I hope I can learn more. This is what I have found:

The Latin literally means something like "a broad judgment." Ecclesiastically it means those who incur excommunication automatically without the need of a judgment of a Church official or Church body. In other words, according to current Catholic canon law, there are some acts that automatically excommunicate you from the Catholic Church. You don’t have to go before a bishop, or before a synod, you simply, through your own choice, choose to act contrary to the Church, and thus are separated from the Church. The other type of excommunication, ferendae sententiae is a judgment imposed by a Church Superior. The acts that incur latae sententiae excommunication are:

Apostasy- Willfully rejecting the truth, e.g. becoming an atheist.
Heresy- Holding beliefs contrary to Church Teaching, e.g. Arians.
Schism- Separating from the Church, e.g. the Latin Mass SSPX
Desecration of the Eucharist- Desecrating the Body and Blood
Physical force against the Pontiff- Assaulting the Pope
One who procures an abortion & accomplices- Patient, doctor, politicians(?).
Priest who absolves his own partner in adultery
Priest who directly violates the confessional sacramental seal
Both parties who consecrate a bishop without a pontifical mandate

There are mitigating circumstances that can lessen these sins, that are outlined in Canon law (1322ff). Those excluded from excommunication are those who:

Have not turned 17
Were, without fault, ignorant of violating the law
Acted under physical force, or under a chance occurrence that could not be foreseen or avoided
Acted under compulsion of grave fear
Lacked the use of reason

A latae sententiae excommuncation is not permanent, and may be lifted if a person goes to the sacrament of reconciliation. In fact all excommunication is seen as medicinal in value, to bring the person back into the fold. Keep in mind that a senior official has to absolve the sins in order to lift the excommunication (or a priest acting on his behalf), so consult your local priest about your situation.

Should you worry about excommunicating yourself? Only numbers 1-6 relate to laypeople. Most people know pretty clearly if they assault the Pope. As far as desecrating the Eucharist, most Catholics are ok, and do not normally desecrate the Eucharist intentionally, such as by throwing away the host. Abortion is more complicated. The debate now is as to whether pro-choice politicians are accomplices in the act of abortion. This issue will be debated heavily in the upcoming years within the Catholic Church. Apostasy, Heresy, and Schism are more complicated too, as many Catholics publicly, intentionally, and willfully teach against the Church. If you willfully submit to the Church’s teaching you should be safe on all of these. Even if you slip up, or unintentionally hold to a heretical belief, if your intentions are to hold to Church Teaching and be corrected when necessary (and follow the correction), I wouldn’t lose sleep over whether you are excommunicated.  Canon 1323:2 states that a person is not liable to penalty if he or she "was, without fault, ignorant of violating the law or precept; inadvertence and error are equivalent to ignorance." However, continuing in heresy and the other sins once you know the Church’s Teaching is another matter entirely.

Should we judge who is excommunicated and who is not? I don’t think so. We are not present in the confessional with others, and we cannot judge the heart like God can. We do not know who has been absolved and who has not, nor do we know the mitigating circumstances surrounding a person’s situation. Nor can we refuse another person communion; only a priest, bishop, or the individual himself may do this. Thus I think we should leave this matter to the Church hierarchy and to the consciences of the individuals involved. However, I think admonition and teaching are certainly helpful if someone is clearly in or near a state of latae sententiae excommunication.

Some Links:

Discussion on Excommunication
Excommunication.Net
Canon Law on Excommunication
"Excommunication" from Wikipedia

Note: If I have erred or omitted anything important to this discussion, please add a comment, as I am learning about this topic

Charles explains that the Vatican has just excommunicated John Kerry. Rather than comment any more on this busy blogging day, I will direct you to Charles’ fine blog so you read more, including the original news article.

Since I became Catholic I have tried to stay out of Anglican affairs, both for my spiritual health (I was angry a lot as an Anglican last year) and because nothing is worse than the meddling of an outsider. However, I was keenly watching and waiting for the Windsor Report, hoping for the sake of my friends and brothers and sisters in the Anglican Church that the report would have a Christian outcome. Unfortunately, the report is largely Anglican fluff and fudge, lightweight and ambiguous. Robin Eames, the head of the Lambeth Commission producing the report, said that the report “had teeth.” The report has no such thing. Perhaps Anglicans are so used to gooey fudge that plain ol’ fudge seems tough and mean. Ironically I fear that the document designed to keep Anglican unity will actually hasten the Communion’s demise. I have a feeling that the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches will benefit greatly from this matter.

My brother and I have recently set up a conversion page with resources and stories for those looking into either the Roman Catholic or Eastern Churches. We had created this page before the Windsor Report was due, but feel that it may be helpful for disenfranchised Anglicans. However, we are not trying to steal anybody away from the Anglican Church, just offering options for the many Anglicans who now feel homeless. Also, this article about Being a True Catholic may be helpful to those who think that pretty externals make one Catholic. As many traditional Anglicans are discovering, vestments and ornate churches can only hide Protestant ecclesiology and methodology for so long. We must continue to pray for Anglicanism.

I am proud to link to a brand new Catholic blog, my girlfriend Maria’s Dialogue. So far, even before a formal debut (i.e. being linked to), she has tackled John Kerry, the Year of the Eucharist, and feminism! And I must say she is doing a great job! I am not just saying this because she is my girlfriend either…but I must say that she is a great girlfriend. Anyway, I will link over quite frequently since we think a lot alike. And why should I cover a particular issue if she can do it just as well or better?

Welcome to the world of Catholic blogging Maria. I hope we didn’t put too much peer pressure on you ;).

October is "Respect for Life Month," a time to promote respect for life at all stages (from conception until death) through prayer and action.  Here are a few links to help you observe this important month,

Prayers for Respect for Life Month
Pro-Life Activities
Catholic Pro-Life Links
Prayers for Life
Catholics Against Capital Punishment

Presidential candidate John Kerry has visited Chillicothe, Ohio and attended mass at St. Mary Parish there, with Fr. Lawrence Hummer officiating. Kerry attended a private Mass. Interestingly, about the time Kerry attended Mass, I was at confession in my own parish. 

Had I been invited to this private Mass, I certainly wouldn’t have been among the hundreds of screaming Kerry supporters, as I am not a "screaming supporter" of either presidential candidate, as many of my blog readers know (I really hope those 200 screamers weren’t all Catholics). In fact, I probably would have been primarily distracted and bothered by Kerry’s presence at Mass. I think Fr. Hummer made some good points about there being other issues in the election, such as George Bush’s unjust Iraq War, that Catholics must consider when voting. However, I became disappointed with his "win will you" comment, a subtle endorsement of Kerry, because Kerry would likely appoint Supreme Court justices who would clearly expand abortion rights and move toward the legalization of gay marriage. And we must remember that according to Catholic teaching, life issues such as abortion take precedent over other issues when choosing a candidate, even if the other issues are still important.

Had I been there, I would have liked the chance to have encouraged Kerry to follow the Church’s teaching on major moral issues, and tell him that if he were to switch his position on certain moral issues, many other young Catholics and I would vote for him in a heartbeat. (Honestly, I will just be glad when this election is over, because no matter who wins, I think America loses.)