2001 LETTERS
December
November
October
September
July/August
June
May
April
March
February
January

Little Notes

Confessions
Talk About Movies
Roamin' Catholic
Follow Me




Contents © 2001
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

JULY/AUGUST 2001 LETTERS

---

A few years ago I wrote a letter objecting to an uncharitable article you published about a local priest. I quoted Scott Hahn who said "We should be building up our priests, not tearing them down."

I would like to repeat that comment--and at the same time request that you take us off your mailing list. My husband and I have finally had it with the lack of charity and good judgment shown in your newspaper.

Specifically, I am referring to the latest "Follow Me" about a priest who was not accepted for the priesthood here in the diocese of San Diego but was eventually ordained in Peoria. With a title like "Follow Me" we are led to wonder what example this priest is supposed to be setting forth when all he did was talk about his alleged mistreatment by Father Steven Callahan and Bishop Brom. All we have is his word for it--how do we know that Father Callahan didn't have valid reasons? Not everyone who wants to be a priest is qualified--whether or not he considers himself a good, orthodox Catholic. And the quotes provided by Father Callahan didn't show anything out of line: he sounded much more charitable than your interviewee.

We also objected to Robert Kumpel's repeatedly identifying Bishop Brom simply as "Brom." If this were a secular paper, that might be expected--but shouldn't a Catholic paper show a little more respect to a bishop?

I could comment on the lack of good journalism (I hesitate to even use that word in relation to News Notes), but it would be a waste of my time. I do want to say, though, that you do nothing to build up the Body of Christ when all you do is criticize those who don't meet your rigid standards. Perhaps you could ask yourselves how your work at News Notes fulfills the two greatest commandments: love God and love your neighbor as yourself.

Celine McCoy
San Diego


STRENGTHEN US

These fine Catholic publications have received many very uncharitable "Letters to the Editor" in which they have been accused of being "unkind," uncharitable, enemies of the Church" etc., ad nauseam. In defense of these great Catholic publications, I would like to cite three quotes that are very significant to these criticisms.

They are: "Lord strengthen us: We do not want to make pacts, to retreat, to compromise, to dilute, to permit that they deface the divine integrity of Thy doctrine on our lips. If a flood of unpopularity breaks upon us, may our prayers always be that from Sacred Scripture: I have chosen to be an object in the house of my God, rather than to dwell in the tabernacle of sinners,' (Ps 83:11).

"It must be observed that if the faith were endangered, a subject ought to rebuke his prelate even PUBLICLY," St. Thomas Aquinas.

Last but certainly not least: "Love for whoever errs must never bring about a compromise with love: Errors must be amassed and judged. The love which the church has for man obliges her to tell man how and when his church is being denied, his good unrecognized, his dignity violated, his worth not adequately appreciated. With humility, but with great firmness you have to give witness to this great truth today," (Pope John Paul II, 1986). There are many more, however this will have to do for now.

Kenneth Fisher,
Founder & Director
Concerned Roman Catholics of America


YOU HAVE A CHOICE

Editor: A copy of this letter was sent to News Notes on May 24 as the state assembly was considering this year's budget.

An Open Letter to All Catholic California Legislators: Richard Alcaron, Roy Ashburn, Patricia Bates, Bill Campbell, Ellen Corbett, Lou Correa, Jim Costa, Joe Dunn, John Dutra, Martha Escutia, Liz Figueroa, Marco Firebaugh, Dean Florez, Sally Havice, Fred Kelley, Michael Machado, Abel Maldonado, Jack O'Connell, Deborah Ortiz, Robert Pacheco, Rod Pacheco, Anthony Pescetti, Don Perata, Sarah Reyes, Gloria Romero, Kevin Shelley, Jackie Speir.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Each of you has publicly identified yourself as a Catholic. Can I assume that you do so because being Catholic, following the teachings of our Faith, and personal salvation are essential to you? Unfortunately, too many politicians identify themselves as Catholic merely to gain some political advantage.

I have something so important to say to you, something that causes me to tremble when I even think of it. Abortion. There is no way to commit an "abortion" except to savagely kill an innocent human being in the womb. "Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers you do unto me," said Christ. Each time we kill an unborn child, we do kill Christ.

Advocates of atrocities always spew euphemisms to hide the brutal nature of their proposals. Killings have disguised themselves as "cleansings," "purifications," "crusades," and "terminations." But man's inhumanity to man reaches into Hell when the killing of babies as called "a woman's right."

We must not be hypocrites. We can not publicly call ourselves Catholic and then willfully, proudly and publicly take actions which are profoundly sinful and thus, scandalous. We as Catholics are called to holiness in every action we take. Catholic public officials have a special obligation to be decent role models.

The Budget Bill contains over $140 million to facilitate abortion and the abortion industry. Can you imagine if the Budget Bill would say that Jews could be terminated and Medi-Cal would have to pay? Do you think even one Jewish legislator would approve?

What if the language stated that only Blacks would be terminated? I don't think Black legislators would approve. So stop and understand that Jewish babies, Black babies, Asian babies -- any babies -- but mostly Latino babies, are being killed with taxpayer funds. The leadership for this child-murder comes from Planned Parenthood, an organization developed from a foundation of eugenics and racism. We as Catholics are coerced to pay for this abomination when you as a majority vote to approve.

I personally call you to holiness. I welcome you to seek my spiritual counsel. Like John the Baptists crying out in amoral wasteland, I call you to repent. It was John who spoke of Christ as an unborn child "filled with the Holy Spirit even from his Mothers' womb." You as a legislator hold such terrible power in your hands that you could vote to force us to pay for the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of small babies.

When you vote, you have a choice, a choice between sin and grace. To vote for abortion funding is sinful. It is part of the Church's mission to pass moral judgments even in matters related to politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls requires it. Formal cooperation with abortion constitutes a grave sin and the Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime. The inalienable right to life of every innocent human being is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation. These are the teachings of Catholicism.

Pray for me as I pray for you.

In Christ's Name,

Monsignor Edward Kavanagh
Saint Rose Church and Saint Patrick's Home for Boys, Sacramento

TOP