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Contents © 1999
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

April 1999 LITTLE NOTES

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THIS IN A FEB. 26 MEMO from pro-life Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian (R-Carlsbad): "What can you say about a man who declares, 'He can take his best shot... I'm here!' the confidence that Rep. Jim Rogan showed in standing up to Bill Clinton proves he is a man of conviction and morals. Rogan was one of the House managers who presented the arguments for impeachment who has since been targeted by the liberal elite.

"Rogan is also being sought out to run against Seanator Diane Feinstein. The 'Draft Rogan' effort is thundering on, having picked up state Senator Ray Haynes, who is considering a run himself against Feinstein. Haynes is telling supporters he will step aside and fully back Rogan should he decide to run. No word yet from the non-partisan office of San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn, who also has been eyeing the race.

"Rogan is already incurring the wrath of Clinton's Hollywood connections who fear he is a legitimate threat to Feinstein. 'Many of us are looking forward to spending time and money and effort to defeat James Rogan,' boasted Hollywood hotshot David Geffen. Added Feinstein operative Bill Carrick, 'Anyway you can say the word "Target," it will be in neon when it comes to Jim Rogan.'"

RESPONDING MARCH 12 to an article in last month's News Notes regarding the gays in Presidio Park and the failure of the Parks and Recreation Department to correct signs in the park, San Diego City Council Deputy Mayor Byron Wear promised, "I will hold Parks and Rec's feet to the fire." He sent a memo dated March 9 from Penny Culbreth-Grath of Parks and Rec, who apologized "for the delay and lack of communication."

Wear described his efforts since 1997 to stop outdoor sexual activity in the park, including community meetings, locking restrooms at night, instituting summer and winter hours, more policing, increasing arrests, and preventing lewd conduct charges from being pled down to peace disturbances. He added, "The [Lesbian and Gay Men's Community] Center was initially supportive, but a few months later, in May of 1997, Gay and Lesbian Times published an article insinuating that my cleanup efforts were contributing to a 'national sex panic'."

Asked if the homosexual community hindered law enforcement efforts in the park, Wear said, "The people who live in the houses overlooking the park are the community, and according to them outdoor sexual activity is not acceptable."

THE SAN DIEGO UNION in its March 2 business section ran a story on Catholic Family Radio network (aka Catholic Radio Network), started by Father Joseph Fessio of Ignatius Press and Nick Healy of Franciscan University at Steubenville. The network's president, John Lynch of Rancho Santa Fe, having helped develop local stations 91X and XTRA-AM, is quoted, "We want to address life's problems with a nessage of love and compassion." Radio talk show hosts for the network include Alan Keyes and Dan Lungren. But most interesting news for San Diegans is that the Los Angeles station, KPLS (830 AM), is boosting its power from 2,500 watts to 50,000 "within the year, giving it the third-strongest radio signal in the region and apparently bringing it within reach of San Diego listeners."

ZERO TOLERANCE FOR PRO-LIFE POSTERS. San Diego attorney James McElroy, who has a history of lawsuits against local pro-lifers, filed a suit on March 11 for Planned Parenthood's Mission Valley abortion mill against six named pro-lifers. On March 12 he obtained a temporary restraining order from local Superior Court Judge Richard Strauss, which orders that the six defendants and "all other persons served with this notice, and/or their agents, representatives, and all persons acting under or participating with or aiding or abetting them" cannot assemble, picket or demonstrate any closer than 25 feet of any entrance or exit to 1075 Camino del Rio South, must stand in single file at least three feet apart, cannot display "photographs/posters/visual depictions/literature which are larger than eight and one-half inches...by ten inches...on any vehicle, tree, utility pole, person, sidewalk, lawn, Property 1 [the building housing the PP clinic and its parking areas and driveways], within 500 yards of Property 1."

The defendants--Kenneth Scott, Cheryl Sullenger, Sylvia Sullivan, Troy Newman, Jo Ann Kreipel and another pro-lifer who requested anonymity--are represented by attorneys Rick Vattuone of La Jolla and Kevin Snider of the U.S. Justice Foundation in Escondido. "As I read the declarations, everything the defendants did was constitutional, and protected constitutional activity," Vattuone commented. "All they were doing was carrying signs on the sidewalk."

Donations to support defense of pro-life activists can be sent to Life Legal Defense Foundation, Dept. W, Box 2105, Napa, CA 04558, 707-224-6675 and the U.S. Justice Foundation. 2091 East Valley Parkway, Ste. 1-C, Escondido, CA 92027, 760-741- 9655. The USJF engages in constitutional rights litigation and education of the public.

SHOULD USD PUT CONDOMS in the candy dishes? On February 16, as part of AIDS Awareness Week, USD employees and an American Red Cross representative attempted to answer that question during a program entitled "Condoms and HIV: A Moral Response." The program was held in a meeting room draped with AIDS quilts at the Hahn Student Center, where of an estimated 200 expected attendees, about 50 people, mostly college-age, showed up.

The program began with Associated Student Director of Social Issues and "cradle Catholic" Susan Jacobi asking each audience member to write down his answers on index cards which had been placed, along with red AIDS ribbons, on each seat. "Yes" answers overwhelmingly defeated "No" answers. Jacobi read each response along with the reason given, if available. Reasons for "Yes" responses included the belief that USD should pass out condoms because students are going to "do it" anyway and that passing out condoms will make sex "safe."

Jacobi then discussed the responses in relation to USD's identity and Catholic Church teaching. "USD is a Catholic school," she said. "What does our identity say about what we do or don't do?"

Writing on a blackboard at the front of the room, Jacobi asserted that moral decisions are determined by "subjective intentions," "circumstances," "the act itself," and "the consequences." She said, "God created human sexuality. The passion you feel for a lover is a glimpse of God's passion for us." Quoting several points from the 1977 Paulist Press document "Toward a Theology of Human Sexuality," Jacobi said that "human sexuality should be self-liberating, life-serving, other-enriching and joyous." She said, "Jesus taught us we are not to judge others," and that "the Catholic Church has a tradition of primacy of conscience." She also said that the Church, while prohibiting genital sexual activity outside of marriage, states that sexual relations should be "loving and committed" and "faithful, monogamous, and open to the possibility of new human life." Jacobi concluded her portion of the program by saying, "It's not adequate to say 'Just wait until marriage.'"

With regard to the sinfulness of genital sexual activity outside of marriage Jacobi displayed an excerpt from James Nelson's "Sexuality and Spirituality" that stated, "Sexual sin lies in the dualistic alienation by which the body becomes an object, either to be constrained out of fear (the Victorian approach) or to be treated as a pleasure machine (the playboy approach). It lies in the dualistic alienation by which females are kept from claiming their assertiveness and males are kept from claiming their vulnerability. It lies in the alienation which finds expression in sexual violence, in Rambo-like militarism, in racism, and in ecological abuse. The uncompleted sexual revolution began to recognize some of this." In non-quotes below the excerpt, Jacobi added the sentence, "I assert the sexual revolution has far to go."

After Jacobi, Red Cross AIDS educator and USD alumnus John James discussed the facts of HIV transmission and prevention. Condoms, he stated, do not provide "safe sex," only "safer sax." The primary method of transmission when AIDS was first discovered, he said, was homosexual activity, but "now, everyone engaging [in sexual activity] is at risk. According to James, "The research shows that talking about condoms, and teaching about safer sex, does not promote sexual activity. [At the] Red Cross, we don't talk about morals; we don't talk about anything other than facts, and that is how this disease is spread, and who can be infected -- which is basically all of us."

Kathy Valdivia of the University Ministry office addressed the audience, reminding them that "We are human beings created in the image of God.... The process of becoming is a process in which we make moral decisions all our lives," she said. "The [decisions] that we're talking about this evening are very serious. When you're making moral decisions, you have to realize that you have to look at the intention with which you are about to proceed [and] hopefully you'll realize that these aren't the best circumstances for you to proceed with sexual action." She continued, "It is good to ask yourself, 'What are the consequences of these actions?' and usually those are very convincing arguments. When you, to be very blunt, take your pants off, the relationship is never the same again."

Valdivia was followed by Christina Castro, who spoke about psychological counseling services offered by USD's counseling center. After the program, Valdivia assured News Notes that USD has no intention of making condoms available for students, but that the issue must be open for discussion.

MID-MARCH E-MAIL FROM A LOCAL PASTOR: "In a meeting with his priests, Bishop Brom reminded us that a pastor is the chief catechist in his parish, just as the bishop is the chief catechist in the diocese. A pastor shares in the collaborative work and power with the bishop in the presbyterate. Each of us pastors signed an oath to teach everything that the Catholic Church teaches, and to give obedience to the magisterium and the local ordinary.

"Any catechist or religious education director is subordinate to the pastor in the content of teaching and in the management of the parish religious education program. The pastor canonically has the charge of teaching in the parish; a lay director does not, and must collaborate with the pastor in his program or leave. I have experience of religious educators in parishes, employed and volunteer, trying to deny this authority in appealing to a diocesan religious education handbook as their ultimate authority; by appealing to, as ultimately authoritative, some approved texts and techniques offered them by the office for evangelization and catechetical ministry; by appealing to a 'moral authority' of conscience to ignore the pastor's authority in teaching and managing a program; by appealing to a technique of supposed 'collaboration,' insisting on getting their way or ignoring that on which they do not agree; the leadership of a religious order of sisters stating that the hierarchy of the church no longer is valid, that collaboration (meaning for them really concensus that all must agree or no change is required) is the only way they operate.

"Over the years, parishioners have complained to me about the attitudes of people in the office not answering their calls, not being present in the office to serve them, of calumny and detraction against the clergy of the diocese especially of Bishop Brom when he appoints a pastor who directs catechists to teach the Church's teaching, of parishioners having been solicited for large sums of money by these persons and not being repaid, of being asked to write letters to remove a pastor, of improper catechesis such as the idea of women being ordained as priests, God as 'she,' of a non Catholic ecclesiology, of their children not knowing the doctrine or prayers, while the offending religious educators are promoting their personal authority and religious opinions. Other pastors have complained to me that their religious education directors were organizing public opinion against the priest, fomenting dissent to pit the directors and their authority against the pastor.

"If these things are happening, it appears there might be a need to retrain religious educators at all levels in theology, ecclesiology, and catechetical technique , and insist on an ongoing program of renewal with clerical direction, despite a resistance to any authority by some lay workers in diocesan and parish ministry.

"It is important that a pastor clearly define the role of the religious educators from director to assistants in the office, give clear thorough job descriptions, personally approve the texts that will be used, and give ongoing guidance at all levels to ensure that those receiving the message are given the full teaching of the church and not a personal opinion. Once this is done, any opinions or attitudes which might be contrary to Church teaching would then be those of the pastor."

HOLY TRINITY PARISH IN EL CAJON on Saturday, February 22, sponsored a Lenten Day of Reflection for approximately 30 participants. The retreat, entitled "Experiencing Jesus," was coordinated by director of religious education Carol Lane, who also serves Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Lakeside.

The retreat consisted of talks by local Catholics followed by small group discussions and periods of individual reflection. Catholic family and child counselors Patricia Medeiros, and Margaret Hicke, told of conversion experiences during the opening talk, and later in the day Medeiros led a healing-of-memories session. Deacon Bill Korty of Our Lady of Grace parish discussed "Gifts of the Holy Spirit" and led the retreat's closing session, "I am the Bread of Life." That session consisted of charismatic prayer and laying on of hands, followed by an "Agape celebration of love," wherein participants blessed and shared unconsecrated bread, wine, and grape juice. Steven Faucher of Our Lady of Grace discussed the meaning of personal holiness in "You must be Holy, because I am Holy." Shawn Quinn of St. Columba parish in Serra Mesa spoke on ways of increasing personal holiness and spirituality: "I pray that they may be one as we are one." Quinn's suggestions included subscribing to Catholic publications such as Catholic Answers' This Rock magazine, Eucharistic adoration, and participation in small faith communities. During the lunch break, Pastor Brian Corcoran greeted participants at each table.

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