2006 LETTERS
November/December
September/October
July/August
June
May
April
March
February
January

Little Notes

Confessions
Talk About Movies
Roamin' Catholic
Follow Me




Contents © 2006
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

LETTERS
January 2006

---

LAME INDEED

In response to Elizabeth Moreno's letter regarding, "What Do You Have to Do to Lose Your License" (November 2005), I agree it was lame. Lame -- because it was way too kind.

Elizabeth, you tout the commonness of the disease of alcoholism. But did all those lawyers, judges, and athletes grab the most private part of a woman in public? Those same private parts he as an OB/GYN should respect? Okay, so he's got himself off drugs and alcohol. What counseling has he done in order to understand why he molested a woman in public? We've all known a lot of drunks that haven't committed sexual offenses. He's not an ear, nose and throat doctor -- he's an OB/GYN for heaven's sake!

Elizabeth asks to look up his license because it wasn't revoked. No kidding -- wasn't that the point of the article -- the headline to be exact. And besides, Elizabeth, be honest. You didn't have to look up his license. You clearly know the guy personally. Birds of a feather.... You couldn't even write a letter to a newspaper without using vulgarity.

As for everyone having a past, Elizabeth -- you bet we do. But, it is just that: the past. We found the way to the Lord and we don't do those things, condone those things, or justify our poor behavior anymore. Many people in the pro-life community have reached out to Dr. Rivera, because initially he did seem different. But even though all these people are praying for him -- separating the sin from the sinner -- he is still a man of choice.

Dr. Rivera chooses to use being down on his luck as justification for killing the same babies he's supposed to bring into the world. He chooses to work for Bertha Bugarin who preys on poor women, preys on doctors who have had problems, and who chooses to partner with a "doctor" who is a two-time convicted sex offender. This is with whom Dr. Rivera chooses to work.

Has Dr. Rivera chosen to offer his services free as a volunteer at a medical clinic that serves the poor? That would go a long way to gain back his reputation, his self-respect, and the respect of his colleagues in the medical community who could very well help him get a moral ethical job in May when his probation is up. I suspect he hasn't -- or Elizabeth would have been sure to point that out.

So Elizabeth, I must be lame. What part of his life is supposed to inspire me? Real doctors don't kill babies?

Patricia Mendoza,
Via email

SOMEONE WITH NO WIT OF INTELLIGENCE

Regarding the letter titled "Big Mistake" (December 2005), Chorus Breviarii was asked to say that Mass at Blessed Sacrament with the permission and consent of the pastor and the associate pastor of that parish. Whoever your little so-called 10th grader is, saying that the C.B "overstepped" something, that person needs to be fully informed as to how the permission was obtained, and then how the Mass was duly executed according to the new rite post 1962 per Vatican Council II.

Without the pastor putting in his own two cents, it appears as if there has been some kind of misstep by the group, but nothing could be further from the truth. The Mass was said properly, was not the Tridentine Latin Mass, and there was nothing wrong with the way that it was offered, only the mean-spirited feminists that complained in the first place. Now it appears to have slopped over onto someone with no wit of intelligence to be criticizing something they know nothing about, which is the actual Latin Tridentine Mass. Had they known anything about it, they would know that it looks very little like what was offered at Blessed Sacrament for the Chorus Breviarii group.

The Devil will work his mischief with whomever is lame enough (in spirit and in mind). So it appears as though your little 10th grader was and is an easy target. Better that they become informed properly than to become the dupe they are in their little letter.

Vita La Fond,
Via email

LOPEZ IS INACCURATE AND UNFAIR

I found Mr. Lopez's letter inaccurate and unfair towards Chorus Breviarii. First, there is no such thing as "Mass with the priest facing the tabernacle." What is traditional since apostolic times both in the Latin and the Eastern Churches is celebrating Mass facing east. This occurs because it is from the east that Jesus Christ, the sun of justice, will come again to judge the living and the dead. In this context the position of the tabernacle is irrelevant. The fad of celebration towards the people comes from mistaken archaeological evidence (debunked by Monsignor Gamber in his book The Reform of the Roman Rite) in conjunction with flawed pastoral theology. Second, celebration facing east is allowed without special permission (On the Orien tation of the Priest at Mass, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments). Third, the altar, which is movable and very light, was not turned around but moved to the center of the astro-turf platform. Moreover this did not stir the contro versy as Mr. Lopez can check if he carefully rereads the "Tradition Begone" article in the November issue. Fourth, Chorus Breviarii asked and was granted permission to celebrate Mass in the normative Roman Rite. The position of the celebrant, the use of incense, of male altar servers only, of bells for consecration, of incense, of the biretta for the priest, et cetera, were not negotiated because they are not forbidden. If not of charity, it is at least a matter of courtesy to allow the guest priest to choose from the options available according to liturgical law and to refrain from micro-managing him. Therefore, Chorus Breviarii did not overstep any bounds, because its members are not dissident mavericks but dedicated Cath olic laymen who sing and pray for the sanctification of their souls and of those who come to their liturgies, in communion with the bishop of San Diego.

Roberto Lionello
Rancho Penasquitos

WHAT'S NEWS NOTES' OBJECTIVE?

I am not sure what your main objective to the News Notes is. Maybe this is something you could share with your readers. The headline reads that you are San Diego's lay Catholic newspaper. So why not report on all the places some one could attend adoration, or daily Mass times around town? How about reporting on great Catholic web sites, or even on how the Catholic homeschooling population is growing in San Diego? Even better do Catholic book reviews. I would hope a Catholic news organization's main goal is to help Catholics build a stronger relationship with Christ.

Shawn Fleming,
La Mesa

TOP