The Church is Full of Hypocrites!!!

I am guessing most Catholics have heard someone who doesn't go to church tell them one of the reasons they don't darken the doorway of churches anymore is because they are "full of hypocrites".  Is it really?

Well, yes and no.

First things first, we need to define our term. What is a hypocrite?
There are two definitions in the dictionary:

1. a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
2. a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings

Do Catholics fall into either of these definitions? Sometimes we do. Anytime you sin or fail to live up the the standards that are set before us by Christ and the Church, then it could be said we are hypocrites.

But, what most people mean when they call someone a hypocrite is that the person is two-faced and does not even try to act in accord with the standards of their faith. So, in this respect many Catholics are not hypocrites.

Regardless of the semantics, I think some motherly wisdom is the best way to get to the heart of the matter.

My mom was a public high school teacher for decades. She frequently had her students throw the hypocrite charge at her as a reason they didn't care to engage Christianity. My mother simply replied with something similar to this (she also used it on me when I made the same accusation of hypocrisy when I was rebelling):

"You are correct, the Church is full of hypocrites. Come join us."

Motherly wisdom for the modern man.

Differences Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches?

Q - Can you point out the major differences between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches?

A – Thanks for your question!

Before we get to the differences, let us affirm what we have in common. While language is different, we both share valid Sacraments. We both hold the Saints and Mary in esteem. We both have authority that comes from the Apostles. We both recognize at least some of the Ecumenical Councils as authoritative. We both center our belief on the Eucharist. We both believe in basic creedal Christianity. Both are legitimate “churches”.

Now, some Orthodox do not like Catholics at all and others are much more open. But, the Catholic Church views the Orthodox as a “sister” Church and we should remember this. Pope John Paul II said that he looked forward to the day when the “Church can breathe with both lungs”, in referring to the Catholic and Orthodox uniting again.

The differences between Orthodox and Catholic start and end with authority. The Orthodox do not believe that the Pope has any special authority over the other Patriarchs and (leaders of the Orthodox churches) Bishops. He is merely another Bishop with the same authority as the rest.

Other issues include:

• The Orthodox (for the most part) reject the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
• There is a slight difference, although many believe it to be blown out of proportion (including me), about the spiration of the Holy Spirit. Was it from both Father and Son or the Father alone?
• The liturgies (worship) are different in style and somewhat in emphasis.
• Orthodox allow contraceptive use in marriage.
• Orthodox allow divorce and remarriage.

For more on the divide, you can read this.

Pray for Christian Unity!

A Week In The Life Of A Priest

A great video from Down Under:

Is Harry Potter Evil?

Q - Because the final Harry Potter movie is coming out, I thought I might ask what the Church teaches about the books and movies. Is Harry Potter considered evil or more accurately, should I be careful with the books and movies?

A - Thanks for the timely question. I am guessing this will create a lively discussion. I read the books just a few months ago to see if they were appropriate for my 11 year-old daughter to read. We ended up reading the entire series and talking about them and had some great discussions as a result. I am also working my way through the movies and have watched the first four.

I, unlike some other Catholics, do not believe they are dangerous to read for the average adolescent who is well-formed in their faith and is emotionally secure, for their age - as long as a parent reads and discusses the moral pitfalls with them.

There are some Catholics who believe the series is "evil". It is criticized in this manner because the books contain magic done by witches and wizards. I can see this side of the argument, but do not share such a harsh view. While magic plays a part, as long as the boundaries between the magic described in the books and real occult magic is discussed with a child, it could help a young person understand the real problems with seeking power in magic, not drive them toward it.

What I can say is the Church has no official position on these books or movies. So, we must use our best judgment as to whether or not someone should read them. Is it possible that someone could be spiritually harmful, because of magic, for some who are immature in their faith? I suppose it is possible, but I believe it is unlikely. To be quite honest I have bigger reservations over the moral decision-making of the characters than I do about the use of magic. Also, there are much more dangerous things in our culture including parts of the internet, certain video games, etc.

So, since there is no side the Catholic Church takes on this issue, I might provide some pros and cons (as I see them) and you can make the decision yourself. BTW - I HIGHLY recommend that parents read and discuss the books with their children and only allow them to read them if they are well-formed in their faith, act in a moral manner, and are emotionally secure, for their age.

CONS of Harry Potter:

• The protagonists of the series (esp. Harry) make poor moral decisions. There is regular rule breaking and the moral decision making sometimes equals "the ends justify the means".
• The consequences of breaking the rules and doing bad things is not always clear.
• The only ones who really enforce the rules are the characters who are either evil or questionable. The "good" authority figures generally sweep away punishment or minimize it.
• The use of magic might encourage some young children who do not understand the occult to think about magic or seek it out too much.

PROS of Harry Potter:

• Several virtues are highlighted repeatedly, including courage, loyalty, and love.
• Harry overcomes many terrible events in his life to do something very good in the end.
• Prejudiced and oppressive leaders are shown to be what they are.
• Voldemort, the antagonist, is clearly evil and corrupt.
• The magic used is not occult, but more utilitarian.
• Some compare the story to the life of every Christian and the moral drama of life that goes with it.
• The dangers of fame and the drawbacks of power/fame are clear.

Clearly there is no clear-cut way to decide what any individual Catholic or Catholic family should do. The best thing to do is be prudent and follow your conscience.

I hope this helps.

Fr. Barron on The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist

My Hero

His Words - Which Challenge Me
I dare you to read all of this and meditate on these wise words:

Dear young people, in such a world is it hard to believe? Is it hard to believe in the Third Millennium? Yes! It is hard. There is no need to hide it. It is hard, but with the help of grace it can be done, as Jesus explained to Peter: "Neither flesh nor blood has revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Mt 16:17).

This evening I will give you the Gospel. It is the Pope's gift to you at this unforgettable vigil. The word which it contains is the word of Jesus. If you listen to it in silence, in prayer, seeking help in understanding what it means for your life from the wise counsel of your priests and teachers, then you will meet Christ and you will follow him, spending your lives day by day for him!

It is Jesus in fact that you seek when you dream of happiness, he is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; he is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is he who provokes you with that thirst for fulness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is he who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is he who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle. It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.

Dear young people, in these noble undertakings you are not alone. With you there are your families, there are your communities, there are your priests and teachers, there are so many of you who in the depths of your hearts never weary of loving Christ and believing in him. In the struggle against sin you are not alone: so many like you are struggling and through the Lord's grace are winning!

His Witness - Which Inspires Me

Is Our Lady Appearing at Medjugorje?

I've never understood fully all the controversy surrounding the apparitions at Medjugorje, I know there are problems with it, but can you explain it for me?

A - Thanks for the question. Medjugorge is a site in Bosnia where some children reported to start to receive visions from Mary in 1981. The visionaries say they continue to this day. This is a touchy subject for many people, because I know there are thousands of good Catholics who have visited Medjugorje to see the purported visionaries see and listen to the Virgin Mary give them messages from Heaven. Many believe that she is appearing there and are very sincere in their belief. But, sincerity doesn't prove it is happening nor does a personal belief.

Eventually the Catholic Church will rule officially on whether the visions are valid or not, and they have formed a commission to look into it - which is rare, because they usually do not rule until the visions end. But, until that day I recommned you steer clear of anything to do with Medjugorje. I will lay out why below.

1 - If The Visions Are Not Valid, There Are No Good Options.
Suppose that the visions are ruled to be invalid, and most of the evidence that is coming from the Church points that way, then there is no good option left for a person who believes them to be true:

• A - They can believe the Church is right, but their experience was not.
• B - The can believed their experience is correct, but the Church is not.

2 - All Private Revelation is Optional.
Neither option is good for a devotee of Mejugorje. Furthermore, ANY private revelation, even if approved by the Church such as Lourdes, Fatima, or Guadalupe, still isn't necessary for any Catholic to believe in. We are only bound to believe in public revelation and those doctrines intimately tied to publicly revealed truths that come to us from Jesus and the Apostles.

3 - The local Bishop Has Grave Doubts.
The local bishops in Bosnia have repeatedly stated that they doubt the visions are valid. In one statement Bishop Peric said:

"As the local bishop, I maintain that regarding the events of Medjugorje, on the basis of the investigations and experience gained thus far throughout these last 25 years, the church has not confirmed a single apparition as authentically being the Madonna."

These 3 reasons are just the tip of the iceberg. I admit I haven't paid much attention to Medjugorje, because I find everything I have heard from Church officials who oversee the Diocese (and from the Vatican) to be troubling, at best. Some priests involved have been dismissed from their orders, some troubles in the purported messages, and other issues continue to surface.

I hope this helps.

Furthermore - I know this will bring out supporters of the visionaries. For the sake of clarity, I am NOT saying that Mary isn't appearing. I am saying I have solid doubts she is, based on the evidence. We will all know once the Church rules one way or the other. Until then ask Mary to pray for us all.

NOTE - comments will be strictly monitored.

What About the Bad Popes?

So, does a bad Pope disprove Catholic teaching?

The Church and New Media

The Church and New Media is an important book coming out in August 2011, edited by Brandon Vogt. The book has 12 contributors that highlight different ways in which the Church uses new media to bring the Good News to the world. It has a forward by Cardinal Sean O'Malley, of Boston, and an afterword by Archbishop Dolan, of New York. Some of the contributors include Mark Shea, Fr. Robert Barron, and Thomas Peters. I am humbled to also be one of the 12.

A new website and video have been launched to announce the book.

Did I mention you can also follow on Twitter and Facebook?
You better be able to with a book like this.

Another great thing about this book - 100% of the royalties from The Church and New Media will help establish computer labs throughout schools in the Archdiocese of Mombasa, Kenya.

If you need one more reason to read the book. 5 of the 12 contributors are Aggies:

• Jen Fulwiler
• Taylor Marshall
• Shawn Carney
• Matt Warner
• Me

Corapi Issue Gets Worse

Pray for Corapi.
Here is a statement from SOLT - his community. This is not good news.
Comments will be off for this post.

Press Release Concerning Fr John Corapi from SOLT Regional Priest Servant
July 5, 2011


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

From: Rev. Gerard Sheehan, SOLT Regional Priest Servant Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Robstown, Texas

Fr. John A. Corapi submitted his resignation from the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity ("SOLT") early in June. SOLT is a Society of Apostolic Life of Diocesan Right with its regional office in Robstown, Texas.

While SOLT does not typically comment publicly on personnel matters, it recognizes that Fr. John Corapi, through his ministry, has inspired thousands of faithful Catholics, many of whom continue to express their support of him. SOLT also recognizes that Fr. Corapi is now misleading these individuals through his false statements and characterizations. It is for these Catholics that SOLT, by means of this announcement, seeks to set the record straight.

A woman, well known to Fr. John Corapi, mailed SOLT a signed letter detailing allegations of Fr. Corapi's sexual activity with adult women, abuse of alcohol and drugs, improper sacramental practices, violation of his promise of poverty, and other wrongdoing.

After receiving the allegation, SOLT formed a three person fact-finding team to ensure that it handled this matter in accordance with canonical norms. The team included a priest-canonist, a psychiatrist, and a lawyer. Two were members of religious orders, and one was a lay Catholic. Two were men, and one was a woman. All three have national reputations and substantial experience in ecclesiastical processes related to priest disciplinary issues.

As the Society was engaging this team, Fr. Corapi filed a civil lawsuit against his principal accuser. He contended that she had defamed him and breached her contract. The contract, according to Corapi's lawsuit, contained a provision binding the woman to silence about him. He offered the woman $100,000 to enter this agreement.

SOLT's fact-finding team subsequently learned that Fr. Corapi may have negotiated contracts with other key witnesses that precluded them from speaking with SOLT's fact-finding team. Many of these witnesses likely had key information about the accusations being investigated and declined to answer questions and provide documents.

When the fact-finding team asked Fr. Corapi to dismiss the lawsuit, to forbear from foreclosing his mortgage, and to release her and other individuals from their contractual obligations to remain silent about him, he refused to do so and, through his canonical advocate, stated: "It is not possible for Father Corapi to answer the Commission's questions at this time."

SOLT's fact-finding team has acquired information from Fr. Corapi's e-mails, various witnesses, and public sources that, together, state that, during his years of public ministry:

He did have sexual relations and years of cohabitation (in California and Montana) with a woman known to him, when the relationship began, as a prostitute; He repeatedly abused alcohol and drugs; He has recently engaged in sexting activity with one or more women in Montana; He holds legal title to over $1 million in real estate, numerous luxury vehicles, motorcycles, an ATV, a boat dock, and several motor boats, which is a serious violation of his promise of poverty as a perpetually professed member of the Society.

SOLT has contemporaneously with the issuance of this press release directed Fr. John Corapi, under obedience, to return home to the Society’s regional office and take up residence there. It has also ordered him, again under obedience, to dismiss the lawsuit he has filed against his accuser.

SOLT's prior direction to Fr. John Corapi not to engage in any preaching or teaching, the celebration of the sacraments or other public ministry continues. Catholics should understand that SOLT does not consider Fr. John Corapi as fit for ministry.

Father Sheehan will not be available for comments as he is attending the SOLT General Chapter from July 5-23.

A New Marriage Prep Program

Trey Cashion, one of my best friends and a parishioner here at St. Mary's, is the co-author of a new Marriage Prep Program which was just published by Our Sunday Visitor Press. The name is Together in God's Love.

Together in God's Love
A Program for Catholic Preparation for Marriage
by Joseph D. White, Ph.D. and William R. Cashion III, M.T.S.
Imprimatur from Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

The celebration of marriage as a sacrament is not a one-time event, but a lifelong vocation. Marriage and family have been the cornerstones of society in cultures throughout the world and across time. It is, therefore, no small task to help people enter into this lifelong commitment.

Together in God’s Love uniquely combines cultural attitudes, modern psychology, and Catholic theology as couples prepare to become one in Christ through matrimony. Using very practical, multi-sensory, and active learning techniques, the program focuses on the areas of Faith, Communication, Sexuality, and Stewardship to express marriage as a communion of persons, just as the Holy Trinity is a communion of persons. It is attentive to various learning styles as well as cultural diversity through the use of language, games, role playing, and self-assessments.

The flexible format can be used by sponsor couples, large group formats, or multi-day meetings. It combines the best of each approach to maximize participant engagement and comprehension while minimizing leader training and facilitator expertise.

In addition to addressing all the key areas called for in the U.S. bishops’ latest document on marriage, Together in God’s Love effectively combines Church teachings, such as Theology of the Body, with current, relevant, scientific research about healthy marriages that affirms and expands upon the insights of our Catholic Faith.

Congrats to Trey!

What Should Benedict Tweet?

In honor of Pope Benedict's first tweet, I am holding a Papal Tweeting Contest. The winner gets the prize of winning the contest.

The rules are simple. The person who gives us the best Papal tweet wins. Here is video of Benedict tweeting:

Two Reasons Same-Sex Marriage Is Gaining Ground

Catholics have not done a good (or even adequate) job of addressing the attacks on marriage. These attacks continue to grow stronger and without an understanding of how to defend marriage and the reasons behind the break-down of marriage, we will continue to see our culture slide into the anti-marriage mentality. Before I get into the reasons why same-sex marriage is gaining ground we need to explore some of the fundamental reasons why same-sex "marriages" are not good for those in them or society.

WHAT MARRIAGE IS.
Marriage is the basic cultural building block of society. One man, one woman, and their children unite as a family - every bit of evidence shows that families thrive in monogamous and stable homes with two biological parents of opposite sexes who remain married. This means that there is less poverty, crime, strife, etc. in homes where marriages do well. This is because the mother and father of children cannot be replaced. Two fathers or two mothers cannot provide what one mother and one father can. The role of the father can't be replaced by a woman and the role of the mother can't be replaced by a man. Studies back up this claim. Thus, same-sex couples can never provide all that children need to thrive. When families suffer the rest of our culture suffers.

Furthermore, same-sex relationships are not the same as male-female ones. While a same-sex couple might have strong affectionate feelings for one another, nature shows us they cannot bond as a married couple can. They cannot procreate and their bodies are not made to compliment one another. Think of this - a male or female by themselves is incapable of creating human life. They need the other. Thus, our bodies are incomplete without the opposite sex.

NOT ABOUT LOVE.
True love is to choose what is best for the other regardless of the cost to myself. This means same-sex relationships can never have loving sexual relationships. This is because the true act of sex is about giving yourself away, but in same-sex relationships you can't do this because the body isn't made to be given to someone of the same sex. A married couple can say, with their bodies, I want to create life and bond with you. I want to be one with you. This is impossible with same-sex couples, because while the body might still be saying this, the act itself is ordered toward selfish pleasure - not creating life or bonding the couple as one flesh.

NOT ABOUT EQUALITY.
Many people say that same-sex couples "deserve" the "right" to marry and that those that oppose them are merely bigots who want stamp out the rights of others. This isn't the case. The Catholic Church consistently teaches the respect of others, regardless of sexual orientation. It also teaches us to love and serve all. But, we must also work for truth and the common good. This means while we fight against same-sex marriage, we do not fight against individuals.

That being said, marriage laws are by definition discriminatory. They discriminate FOR families (not against non-married persons) in order to build up what is good for society. Where do children thrive? In the traditional family. If we tear that down, then society will suffer. Thus, the government needs to help support this building up of what is good for society.

Thus, marriage is about more than two people who have good feelings for one another. It is about the good of society - which is why the government got involved in it in the first place.

Some may argue that a same-sex couple should be able to do things such as share property rights, visit in the hospital, etc. But, all of these legal hurdles can already be overcome with current laws and a few documents.

So, what they are really looking for is social acceptance of their behavior. This is why the Catholic Church is enemy #1 for advocates of same-sex marriage. They cast us as homophobic, archaic, and mean-spirited. Which is not the truth.

Catholics need to fight such lies. But, to do so we need to know where it all comes from.
----
My thesis is that there are two main cultural culprits that have gotten us to where we are today:

1. Contraception
2. Pornography

REASON #1 - CONTRACEPTION - THE ROOT OF THE ISSUE:

Contraception has caused a number of cultural issues, not the least of is the fundamental re-orienting of the purpose of sex for the majority of people. What is the purpose of sex to modern man? Pleasure. This contraceptive mentality has changed us as a people. Sex is for pleasure however we can get it and is what we wish it to be. Sex is not for making babies or for bringing two spouses together. It is purely a selfish act of fulfilling a 'need', not a giving of self to another.

Contraception makes us turn inward, rather than outward - it perpetuates this selfishness on our part. It also sees marriage as an optional social construct (an attitude which harms women and children most of all)

This mentality is tearing apart our culture. I have seen it time and time again. It happens when sex between two people becomes about me rather than you. Thus the fruits of contraception include:

• Divorce rate doubled between 1965-1975 from 25% to 50%
• One demographer has shown that access to the pill paralleled the increase to the divorce rate
• 41% of births are to unwed mothers in 2008 (72% of black babies)
• 41% of pregnancies end in abortion in New York City
• 50% of marriages end in divorce.

Now pick one of these that is good for our culture.

When sex isn't about babies or bonding, then it becomes selfish. Once this happens, the family breaks down. Once the family breaks down, society breaks down.

REASON #2 - PORNOGRAPHY - THE DEATH OF MARRIAGE:

If contraception weakened marriage, pornography is killing it. More and more marriages are being ravaged by pornography and the trend will not slow down anytime soon. With 80% of young men and 33% of young women regularly using porn, more people will be unable to really love another person. Why? Take a look at this:

• Shown to devalue the other person and sex within marriage.
• Porn creates fantasies that real persons can't live up to.
• Porn sets up sexual habits or addictions that create "boredom" with only one other person.
• Porn creates distrust within marriage and is cheating on your spouse.
• Sexual satisfaction is decreased significantly.
• Porn strips sex of love and makes it about using others and objectifying them.

That is just the tip of the iceberg. It gets much worse when you really crack open the stats.

Suffice it to say, porn kills marriages. Thus, it is destroying our culture. But, at the root of porn is the contraceptive mentality that sex is about ME.

HOW CONTRACEPTION AND PORN LEAD TO SAME-SEX MARRIAGE:

How does it all fit together? Well, it is quite simple.

1. Contraception strips sex of it's intended purpose - babies and bonding.
2. Pornography re-defines sex into pleasure alone.
3. Thus, once someone has bought into contraception and pornography, they won't be able to argue that same-sex relationships are wrong, because there is nothing left to argue about. Who are they to tell someone what they are doing is wrong? Who are they to say someone shouldn't have pleasure when having sex?

We have given away too much. The stakes are too high. So, what do we do?

THE GOOD NEWS

The good news is that there is THE Good News - the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Christ CAN restores hearts.
Christ CAN forgive sin.
Christ CAN change our culture.

But, we have to do our part. This is the action plan.

• We have to pray for our culture and for all people.
• We can't see anyone as the "enemy".
• We have to educate ourselves.
• We have to speak up and fight back.
• We have to vote our morals and faith.
• We have to evangelize others so God can change their hearts.

This battle for our culture is not lost yet.

Further reading:
**What is Wrong With Porn?
**Contraception - What the Church Teaches.
**"Same Sex Marriage: Why Not?"
**The Debate about "Same-Sex Marriage"
**Special Report on Gay Marriage

Aggie Catholic Priest Leads International Congress on Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in Rome

Fr. Florian Racine was in grad school here while I was an undergraduate. He might be one of the few people I have ever met who said my name more correctly than I do myself. He got a master’s degree in ocean engineering from Texas A&M University in 1994. Fr. Racine worked two years in Houston as an engineer at  before being ordained for the Diocese of Frejus-Toulon in 2002.

Several years after his ordination he established the Missionnaries of the Most Holy Eucharist, a clerical association of diocesan rite, which encourages Eucharistic Adoration around the world.

This past week the group hosted an International Congress on Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in Rome entitled - Adoratio 2011: From Adoration to Evangelization.



Aggie Catholics: Forming Apostles For The Church and the World