Pope Francis Takes Aim At Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's " Cosmic God"

Christians do not pray to a remote “cosmic god” but to the God who is our Father, Pope Francis said at Mass this morning.

Commenting on today’s Gospel reading, in which Jesus teaches his disciples to pray the Our Father, the Pope said: “To whom do I pray? To the Almighty God? He is too far off. Ah, I can’t hear Him. Neither did Jesus. To whom do I pray? To a cosmic god? That’s quite normal these days, is it not?… praying to the cosmic god, right? This polytheistic model that comes from a rather light culture.

“You must pray to the Father! It is a strong word, ‘Father’. You must pray to Him who generated you, who gave you life. Not to everyone: everyone is too anonymous. To you. To me. To the person who accompanies you on your journey: He knows all about your life. Everything: what is good and what is not so good. He knows everything. If we do not start the prayer with this word, not just with our lips but with our hearts, we cannot pray in a Christian language.”

According to Vatican Radio, he added: 

“We have a Father. Very close to us, eh! Who embraces us… All these worries, concerns that we have, let’s leave them to the Father, He knows what we need. But, Father, what? My father? No: our Father! Because I am not an only child, none of us are, and if I cannot be a brother, I can hardly become a child of the Father, because He is a Father to all. Mine, sure, but also of others, of my brothers. And if I am not at peace with my brothers, I cannot say ‘Father’ to Him.”

He reminded the congregation in the chapel of his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, that Jesus taught that unless we forgive others God the Father will not forgive us. “No, you cannot pray with enemies in your heart, with brothers and enemies in your heart, you cannot pray,” he said. “This is difficult, yes, it is difficult, not easy. ‘Father, I cannot say Father, I cannot.’ It’s true, I understand. ‘I cannot say ‘our’, because he did this to me and this…’ I cannot! ‘They must go to hell, right? I will have nothing to do with them.’ It’s true, it is not easy. But Jesus has promised us the Holy Spirit: it is He who teaches us, from within, from the heart, how to say ‘Father’ and how to say ‘our’. Today we ask the Holy Spirit to teach us to say ‘Father’ and to be able to say ‘our’, and thus make peace with all our enemies.” 

Link (here) to The Catholic Herald 
More Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J. and Teilhardism (here), (here) and (here)

America Magazine Pushes Junk Global Warming Science

Scientists believe that the last time concentrations were this high was during the Pliocene epoch, around 3 temperatures were 5-7 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than they currently are and sea levels were nearly 80 feet higher than they are today. Since that period, scientists believe that naturally changing ocean patterns may have contributed to the significant decrease of atmospheric CO2, and a subsequent decline in global temperatures. Whatever the cause of this CO2 reduction, atmospheric CO2 concentrations stabilized at around 280 parts per million around 10,000 years ago, and lasted until the dawn of the industrial revolution in the 1800s—the time when humanity began releasing unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases as fossil fuels became the predominant form of energy.

million years ago, a time when the Earth’s average

Link (here) to full article at America Magazine written by  Daniel R. DiLeo and Daniel J. Misleh

For the real story on Global Warming go (here)

More on the fraudulent hockey stick model of climate change (here)

We are actually in a global cooling for the last 15 years (here)

The politics of "Global Warming" (here)

Vinegar Monologues At Georgetown University

Georgetown Law Students for Reproductive Justice Auditions for Vagina Monologues and Vinegar Tom

Event Type:	Theatrical Preparation
Location:	Gewirz 109
	Thursday, January 24, 2013 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Calendar:	Campus Life & Wellness
Contact:	Maura Hayes
:	Link (here) to the Cardinal Newman Society

Georgetown University’s Law Students for Reproductive Justice held auditions for the vile play Vagina Monologues last week, according to the university’s law school website. The auditions took place in the Gewirz Student Center on campus.
The obscene play distorts human sexuality by placing sinful activity in a favorable light, including lesbian activity and masturbation. It seems to take delight in reducing sexuality to the satiation of selfish pleasure and even declares a lesbian rape of a teenage girl her “salvation” which raised her into “a kind of heaven.”
The Cardinal Newman Society reported last year that nine Catholic colleges and universities hosted the depraved play in 2012. That was the lowest number of Catholic institutions to host the play in a single year. That was down from a high of 32 in 2003.
- See more at: http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/1892/G%E2%80%99Town-Law-Students-for-Reproductive-Justice-Holding-Auditions-for-%E2%80%9CVagina-Monologues%E2%80%9D.aspx#sthash.ddo3xk8s.dpuf

Georgetown University’s Law Students for Reproductive Justice held auditions for the vile play Vagina Monologues last week, according to the university’s law school website. The auditions took place in the Gewirz Student Center on campus.
The obscene play distorts human sexuality by placing sinful activity in a favorable light, including lesbian activity and masturbation. It seems to take delight in reducing sexuality to the satiation of selfish pleasure and even declares a lesbian rape of a teenage girl her “salvation” which raised her into “a kind of heaven.”
The Cardinal Newman Society reported last year that nine Catholic colleges and universities hosted the depraved play in 2012. That was the lowest number of Catholic institutions to host the play in a single year. That was down from a high of 32 in 2003.
- See more at: http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/1892/G%E2%80%99Town-Law-Students-for-Reproductive-Justice-Holding-Auditions-for-%E2%80%9CVagina-Monologues%E2%80%9D.aspx#sthash.ddo3xk8s.dpuf

Georgetown University’s Law Students for Reproductive Justice held auditions for the vile play Vagina Monologues last week, according to the university’s law school website. The auditions took place in the Gewirz Student Center on campus.
The obscene play distorts human sexuality by placing sinful activity in a favorable light, including lesbian activity and masturbation. It seems to take delight in reducing sexuality to the satiation of selfish pleasure and even declares a lesbian rape of a teenage girl her “salvation” which raised her into “a kind of heaven.”
The Cardinal Newman Society reported last year that nine Catholic colleges and universities hosted the depraved play in 2012. That was the lowest number of Catholic institutions to host the play in a single year. That was down from a high of 32 in 2003.
- See more at: http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/1892/G%E2%80%99Town-Law-Students-for-Reproductive-Justice-Holding-Auditions-for-%E2%80%9CVagina-Monologues%E2%80%9D.aspx#sthash.ddo3xk8s.dpuf

The University of San Francisco Is The Most Under Ranked Jesuit Institution

Ranked #212 in our composite of  

U.S. News's college and university lists.

Ranked #82 in PayScale's mid-career salary list.

The University of San Francisco is a private Jesuit university that was founded in 1855. Even though it's not ranked very high at #106 on US News' list, students are drawn here for its great location right near the Golden Gate Bridge and for its small class sizes. The average mid-career salary is high at $92,400.

Note: Although U.S. News ranks colleges and universities separately, we combined these lists by doubling the ranking. Read the full methodology here.

Link (here) to Business Insider

Fr. Paul Crowley, S.J. discusses sodomy and other sins against the Sacrament of Marriage  in an extensive interview (here) at Religion News Service

Homosexual Spiritual Exercises Retreat To Be Conducted In Spain

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Fr. Donal Godfrey, S.J.

This week from June 20-27, a retreat for men is being held in Spain. The retreat will be led by two Jesuit priests. It will be held in “…a self-catering retreat/holiday home run by the Jesuits which we will have to ourselves.”  A description of the retreat may be found at spanishretreats.org.uk. It is titled Liberation. A Retreat for Men in Calpe, Costa Blanca, Spain, June 20-27., led by Father Donal Godfrey, S. J.“Donal is an Irish  Jesuit priest who has been working for the last six years in California, USA. He is currently working as a chaplain in the Jesuit University of San Francisco; a job which involves training the Chaplaincy Team in Ignatian Spirituality. Donal is a regular celebrant at the popular Castro Church of Most Holy Redeemer and has been heard leading a service there on Radio 4′s Sunday Service. He has written a book on the parish ministry, Gays and Grays. As university chaplain, Donal spends much of his time mentoring students and staff. Donal loves this aspect of his work and has reflected on the task of a effective mentor, particular in relation to work with people who are in some way marginalised such as those who are immigrant or gay.”

The webpage goes on to describes the retreat program: “A retreat is a safe place to open yourself to healing the wounds of the past and allow new life and freedom to flood in. Feel nurtured by an accepting retreat community; receive the healing love of God. Learn how to better use your talents for the good. Donal and David (Father David Birchall, S.J.) will lead the group through prayer, reflections, and sharing to help us better understand and appropriate the inner liberation God desires for each of us as children of God….. 

By taking a look at the interaction between the individual conscience and the teaching authority of the Church and Scripture we shall consider how best we can live our call to exercise the freedom of the Children of God. This will focus specifically on the area of sexuality….Although both retreat leaders are Catholic priests, this retreat is open to men of any Christian denomination or of no church affiliation. We shall be dealing with issues of sexuality and spirituality and so we are open to all regardless of sexual orientation. However, a respect for difference is vital in a retreat that seeks to be a safe place for all however you might describe your faith or sexuality.”

Under the Making Friends section, the webpage says:  “These retreats in Calpe have been running for a number of years and have always been an enjoyable experience with friendly and welcoming groups of people. We have found that there has always been an openness and acceptance of others. You can be yourself in the group sharing your faith and other areas of life such as sexuality.”

There’s a lot of sexuality there. The retreat program also includes “bodywork,” whatever that means. 2013 will not be the first year Father Godfrey has led a retreat for the group in Spain. According to a December 6, 2011 post on the British Quest Gay Catholic website Father David Birchall (who will assist Godfrey at the retreat) relates that Father Godfrey led a similar retreat called Clear as your Conscience on June 13-20, 2012. In the same post, Father Birchall also described the retreat’s new Jesuit House location: “After a dalliance with a retreat house in Mallorca run by nuns we have now taken residence in a sea-front house which the group has to itself.” Sounds like the presence of nuns cramped the retreatants’ style.

Link (here) to California Catholic Daily

The Guard Of Honor

"to find a way in which ordinary people could draw closer to Christ's Heart even while immersed in their

everday activities. She had the inspiration that each person, in whatever walk of life, could dedicate one hour to the Sacred Heart of Jesus each day while engaged in their regular duties.  In this way ordinary actions could be sanctified and a gift of love made to the Heart of Christ."

Link (here) to read more from Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.

Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J., " Happy 75th Birthday Martin Heidegger"

Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J. sends a "Happy Birthday" message to his former philosophy professor and NAZI sympathizer Martin Heidegger. Listen to it in German (here)

Karl Rahner, S.J, On The Issue Of The "Unchangeable" Teachings

In 1948-9 Karl Rahner, S.J. returned to the theology faculty at Innsbruck and taught on a wide variety of topics which were to become the essays published in Schriften zur Theologie (Theological Investigations). The Investigations is not a systematic presentation of Rahner’s views, but, rather, is a diverse collection of essays on theological topics characterized by his probing, questioning search for truth. 

Rahner was to develop difficulties with Rome. His outspoken, frank approach to issues and his creative, challenging and non-traditional approach to theology often got him into trouble with the authorities who tended to be more traditionally minded, especially on the issue of the "unchangeable" teachings of the Catholic Church. 

In 1962, however, with no prior warning Rahner’s superiors in the Order told him that he was under Roman pre-censorship, which meant that he could not publish or lecture without prior permission. The basic objections of the Roman authorities focused, essentially, on Rahner’s views on the eucharist and Mariology.

Link (here) to the Boston University website

Pope Francis To The Jesuit Journal La Civilta Cattolica, "“Your Fidelity To The Church Still Needs You To Stand Strong Against The Hypocrisies That Result From A Closed And Sick Heart”

The Jesuit Residence in Rome of "La Civilta Cattolica."

Pope Francis met with the staff of the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica on Friday morning, encouraging them“self-referential” Church. “Even the Church, when it becomes self-referential, gets sick and old,” Pope Francis said. “May our gaze, well fixed upon Christ, always be prophetic and dynamic towards the future. In this way you will always remain young and daring in your reading of events!” La Civilta Cattolica, whose name means “Catholic civilization,” is a primarily Italian-language review that has been published in Rome since it was founded in 1850. The Pope told the review’s staff that dialogue means “being convinced that the other has something good to say” and “making room for their point of view” without falling into relativism.

Dialogue requires one to “lower the defenses and open the doors.” “Your fidelity to the Church still needs you to stand strong against the hypocrisies that result from a closed and sick heart,” he told the review’s staff. “But your main task isn’t to build walls but bridges. It is to establish a dialogue with all persons, even those who don't share the Christian faith but ‘who cultivate outstanding qualities of the human spirit.’” He said dialogue should take place even with “those who oppress the Church and harass her in manifold ways.” “Through dialogue it is always possible to get closer to the truth, which is a gift of God, and to enrich one another,” he said. 

He noted the example of Father Matteo Ricci, S.J., a pioneering sixteenth-century Jesuit missionary who sought to present Christianity in terms that Asian cultures would find more understandable and accessible. The Pope praised the “Jesuit treasure” of spiritual discernment. He said this discernment “seeks to recognize the Spirit of God’s presence in human and cultural reality, the seed already planted by his presence in events, feelings, desires, in the deep tensions of our hearts and in social, cultural, and spiritual contexts.” Pope Francis said La Civilta Cattolica staff are called to help heal the “rift” between the Gospel and the culture, “which even passes through each of your and your readers’ hearts.”

to dialogue with everyone and to avoid the failings of a

Link (here) Catholic News Agency

Associated With Jesuit Universities

Theologians and others associated with Jesuit universities have joined with the partisan group Faith in Public Life to defend Catholic grants to grassroots organizing groups, despite concerns that some recipients have undermined Catholic teaching. Faith in Public Life has issued a report lamenting the declining support for the U.S. bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). The report blames pro-life and other groups for complaints that the grant program has supported groups directly or indirectly opposed to Catholic teaching on abortion, marriage and other issues. But Faith in Public Life has long been allied with Catholic and other religious groups that oppose the Church on key public policy issues. Launched by political activists following the defeat of pro-abortion Sen. John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election, the group encourages support for Democrat policies among religious Americans. Thomas Chabolla, former associate director of the CCHD and now assistant to the president of the Service Employees International Union, serves on the board of Faith in Public Life. The author of the new CCHD report is John Gehring, a former media relations officer for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Gehring last year tried to convince news reporters that the Catholic bishops’ “Fortnight for Freedom” was a partisan effort to impact the 2012 presidential election. In fact, the Fortnight rallied support for the religious freedom of Catholic colleges, hospitals and other apostolates — and it will be repeated this month in a non-election year. Also last year, a group with apparent ties to Faith in Public Life attacked The Cardinal Newman Society as “a powerful network of right-wing Catholics” when the Society opposed Georgetown University’s invitation to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius as a graduation speaker. In a post at MoveOn.org, Michael Sherrard of “Faithful America” — who told donors to send gifts to the mailing address of Faith in Public Life — also complained of the Newman Society’s leadership in opposing the University of Notre Dame’s commencement honors to President Barack Obama in 2009.

Link (here) to Aleteia.org

Ambrose Hogan who teaches education and writes film reviews for British Jesuits ThinkingFaith.org gives a positive review of the morally repugnant film Behind the Candelabra 

Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. "Those Unwanted Elements In The Human Race"

“It is not only that in generalized opinion these attacks tend no longer to be considered as “crimes”, paradoxically they assume the nature of “rights”, to the point that the State is called upon to give them legal recognition and to make them available through the free services of health care personnel. Such attacks strike human life at the time of its greatest frailty, when it lacks any means of self-defence. Even more serious is the fact that, most often, those attacks are carried out in the very heart of and with the complicity of the family—the family which by its nature is called to be the ‘sanctuary of life’” (no. 11). — John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, March 25, 1995. When one re-reads Blessed Pope John Paul II’s encyclical on life, he needs to keep these statistics in mind:

Since 1980, some 1,295,830,000 abortions were performed throughout the world. That is about one-seventh of the present world population. In this context, the famous phrase, “I feel lucky just to be alive!” takes on new meaning. The number of abortions per year in the world is between forty and fifty million. That is, in six or seven years, we kill roughly the population of the United States. Since Roe v. Wade (1973), some 56 million abortions took place in America. 

Two sorts of reaction to such numbers occur. One is of horror and sadness that the human race, with so little stir, could allow and even approve this holocaust. The other is that this massive killing is what human beings “do,” so it must be all right, a part of their nature throughout the world. We have too many human beings for the planet to support anyhow. The sooner we rid ourselves of any notion that we cannot eliminate those unwanted elements in the human race politically judged to be unwanted or unnecessary the better.

Link (here) to the full article by  Fr. James V. Schall, S.J, entitled, On the Dignity of Human Life

First Myanmar-born Jesuit

Jesuit Father Wilbert Mireh was ordained to the priesthood in Loikaw Cathedral in Myanmar in May, making him the first Myanmar-born Jesuit to be ordained since the Society of Jesus was approved 473 years ago. Twenty Jesuit priests were present for the ceremony, including Jesuit Father Wardi Saputra, Fr. Mireh’s novice master. “A long time ago the bishop [of Taunggyi, Fr. Matthias U. Shwe] kept asking me, ‘When will we have a Jesuit ordained in Myanmar?’” recalled Fr. Saputra, who came to Myanmar from Indonesia in 1998 to set up a novitiate. For Fr. Mireh, the moment of ordination was one of grace in which he felt the blessing of God. While aware of the responsibility that would come with being his country’s first Jesuit priest, Fr. Mireh said he felt tremendous support from those around him. “It’s a privilege, and a feeling of being ready to begin my ministry — I’ve been wanting to do this for so long. As a Jesuit, I am filled with the missionary spirit,” he said.

Link (here) to Jesuit.org

Protestant Timothy George "Our Francis, Too"

Dr. Timothy George

Since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision of 1973, Catholics and evangelicals in the United States "death penalty" for the unborn. In 2005, he admonished his fellow believers in Argentina to "defend the unborn against abortion even if they persecute you, calumniate you, set traps for you, take you to court, or kill you. No child should be deprived of the right to be born, the right to be fed, the right to go to school." Likewise, Francis of Assisi was known for his passion for spreading the Good News, once making a trip deep into North Africa to declare Christ to a sultan. One of the great challenges of Pope Francis will be to energize Catholic leaders for the New Evangelization—to study the Scriptures, renew the disciplines of the faith, and boldly proclaim the love of Christ. As important as interfaith dialogue may be, real evangelization requires something more: unambiguous witness for Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the one and only Savior. The sex abuse scandals, by no means limited to the Catholic church, have besmirched Christian witness in the 21st century. Both outside and inside the church's walls, there is much that makes us wince and turn away. But reform and renewal can come only as we face squarely the evil within us and around us and seek the repentance that comes only as a gift. I believe that Pope Francis, a Jesuit, would agree with the first of Martin Luther's 95 Theses: "When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent,' he willed for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance."

have worked side by side to advocate for the sanctity of life. The pro-life community will have a strong ally in the new pope. He has referred to abortion as the

Link (here) to Christianity Today to read the entire article by Baptist Protestant Professor  Timothy George is dean of Beeson Divinity School, an interdenominational, evangelical theological school within a Baptist university (Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama), and an executive editor of Christianity Today.

The Counter Reformational Pope Francis

Every pope in the Catholic Church’s past has had a mastery over Catholic rhetoric—the pope always says washing the feet of young women incarcerated at a nearby prison. This was the first time the pope has ever washed the feet of women—not to mention that one of them was a Serbian Muslim, which is another break in papal tradition. This type of servant leadership is precisely what has connected the new pope to our younger, more cynical generation. He is breaking the rules in the right places: where they shouldn’t exist. As Pope Francis accepts his role, a new generation of evangelicals accepts theirs. As young evangelicals have rejected the megachurch and the televangelist and embraced a more rugged, grassroots Christianity, these actions by the pope fit perfectly. He has refused to live in the massive papal quarters in Rome and has chosen to live in the guesthouse, instead. One of his first actions as pope was to cancel his newspaper subscription at his home in Buenos Aires.

the right thing. But Pope Francis has decided to lead with his actions. Before delivering his message at the Holy Thursday Mass (an extremely important mass in Catholic tradition), Pope Francis spent time on his knees,

These small things go beyond his radical, public acts of humility and reveal his dedication to simplicity. Evangelicals have grown in their love of the simple things. Public evangelicals like Shane Claiborne and David Platt have fascinated crowds and sold hundreds of thousands of copies of books about these principles. As Pope Francis leads in simplicity and continues to dedicate himself to living in this way, it will only increase his popularity.

The pontiff’s simplicity carries over to his language, too. Catholics have always had trouble connecting their message to young people. Many who grew up in the Catholic Church struggled to connect with its liturgy and message. To a newcomer, it’s often overwhelming.

But Pope Francis’ language is accessible and concise, which works perfectly with the Twitter-speak of young Christians like me. His quotes are simple and yet profound: “The Church is a love story, not an institution” and “War is madness. It is the suicide of humanity.” 

As many reject the King James Bible and the complex, irrelevant theological language of the past, they embrace the succinctness of Pope Francis’ words. It is important here to realize that the pope is popular with evangelicals not because he’s doing what they already do, but rather because he is doing what they are not doing but wish to begin doing. As I scour the landscape of evangelical leadership (authors, speakers, mega-church pastors), it is difficult to find a man like Francis. 

In the age of best-selling books and church auditoriums that rival arenas, we do not see many leaders take the route of Pope Francis. And perhaps this is why we enjoy him so much: He is leading us in a way we are not leading ourselves right now. Pope Francis is popular not for what he does, but how he does it. He’s popular not for what he says, but how he says it. These are character issues we are seeing displayed; he is adopting an attitude, not an office. I pray we would not be afraid to be led by a servant like Pope Francis. For if we cannot be led by a servant, how can we be led by Jesus? 

I see Pope Francis respected because he reminds us of Jesus, which unfortunately is a bit of a surprise when seen in public religious leadership. He is a breath of fresh air. He did not see the office of pope as something to be grasped, but instead made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant, which is an imitation of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:5-11). 

This adoption of servanthood has turned critics into followers. Because it’s difficult to be critical of someone who serves the poor and spends time with the victims of the world’s worst violences.
Link (here) to the Protestant Relevant Magazine and read the piece by Protestant pastor Chris Nye

Jesuit And His Parish Under Seige In Syrian War

The Jesuit Courtyard in "Old Section" of Homs

A priest working in the devastated city of Homs in Syria has given an account of some of the horror he's facing every day. The priest, who cannot be named, sent a report to the charity Aid to the Church in Need, which is supporting Syrians with an aid package of £25,450 (€30,000) for a center in Homs, on top of £42,450 (€50,000) given last year. 

The report details the priest's struggle to provide basic food, shelter and medicine to more than 30,000 people fleeing violence amid ongoing bomb blasts and other violence.

He goes on to give an account of the “many explosions” of the past week in his quarter of Homs, one of which took place very near to his church. The car bomb left 11 people dead, of whom five were his parishioners. An earlier explosion caused the death of a 10-year-old boy from the Catholic community centre next to his church. 

Three other children were injured. In his report, the priest pays tribute to a Jesuit priest and 74 other Christians living in a “siege[–like] manner” in Homs' ancient Old City, where many historic churches, mosques and other buildings lie in ruins after fierce fighting. 

Facing a shortage of food and medicine, the Jesuit and his flock rely on aid parcels being sent to them. Describing life for the Jesuit and his people, the priest writes that people continue to cling to hope in spite of the difficulties. He said: “We have a great hope. Churches still ring bells for prayers and all people come and share Mass.” Quoting Pope Francis, he writes: “Nobody can steal our hope and joyfulness.”

Link (here) to the Zenit Story

Wholesome Reading At St. Ignatius High School

"Has St. Ignatius High School never heard of Ignatius Press?"

The institution in question is a Jesuit preparatory school in Cleveland, Ohio. I know very little about it (I'm told that tuition is around $11,000 a year), but I see that the school's website features the following quote:

"The purpose of our education is to give a young man the tools whereby he can answer the question What does God want from me?" -- Rev. Robert J. Welsh, S.J., '54

Very nice. But, having read the school's required summer reading list, I wonder, "Does God really want teenagers to be reading books filled with numerous vulgarities, sexually-explicit language and references, and perspectives that are amoral and hedonistic?"

For example, the novel, The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, which is required summer reading for "English I" and "Honors English I", contains the following passage, uttered by the book's central character, Junior, a teenage boy growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation (warning: sexual language):

I spend hours in the bathroom with a magazine that has one thousand pictures of naked movie stars:

       Naked woman + right hand = happy happy joy joy

Yep, that’s right, I admit that I masturbate.

I’m proud of it.

I’m good at it.

I’m ambidextrous.

If there were a Professional Masturbators League, I’d get drafted number one and make millions of dollars.

And maybe you’re thinking, “Well, you really shouldn’t be talking about masturbation in public.”

Well, tough, I’m going to talk about it because EVERYBODY does it. And EVERYBODY likes it.

And if God hadn’t wanted us to masturbate, then God wouldn’t have given us thumbs.

Yeah, yeah, I get it: this is real teen talk written to engage teens who live in the real world and who want tough, straight, honest fiction that takes on controversial and difficult topics. That's the usual line trotted out in defense of such overrated pieces of fiction. Junior also expresses his anger at God and Jesus (after the death of his grandmother's death) by doodling cartoons that are stupid at best and certainly offensive. There is also the dubious revelation that Indians, according to Junior, used to be supporters of gay marriage--until their open-mindedness was corrupted:

My grandmother had no use for all the bay bashing and homophobia in the world, especially among other Indians.

"Jeez," she said. "Who cares if a man wants to marry another man? All I want to know is who's going to pick up all the dirty socks?"

Of course, ever since the white showed up and brought along their Christianity and their fears of eccentricity, Indians have gradually lost all of their tolerance.

If it was just one Catholic school, I might simply say, "Unfortunately, there's usually going to be a bad apple in the barrel." But Alexie's novel (based in large part on his own life) appears on the reading lists of numerous Catholic schools across the country. See for yourself. Why? Is it because it won the 2007 National Book Award for Young People's Literature? If so, then why not have the young teens read the 2004 winner, Godless, by Pete Hautman, in which the the main character says, "Why mess around with Catholicism when you can have your own customized religion? All you need is a disciple or two...and a god.'" (To be fair, Hautman's book is not, from what I can tell, actually antagonistic to religion; it might even be quite the opposite.)

And what to make of the inclusion of The Privileges, by Jonathan Dee? I read parts of it online, along with some reviews. It appears to be both repulsive and forgettable, filled to the edges with foul language and disagreeable characters, many of them seemingly hoping to be in a Camus novel but lacking the depth or focus to make the cut. I suppose it passes for what is now considered "sophisticated", what with the "f" bombs and narcissistic chatter. Goodness.

Looking at the summer book list for St. Ignatius High School, I noticed that none of those required for English classes was written before 1970, and all but one--The Hollow Hills, by Mary Stewart (1973)--were published in the past eighteen years. Do schools even bother with the classics anymore? Or has the push for being "relevant" gotten to the point that any book written before iPhones existed is relegated to the outer darkness?

It got me thinking of the books that I had to read for English classes when I was high school (a public school) in the mid-1980s. They included several plays by Shakespeare (Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Hamlet), For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ivanhoe, My Name Is Asher Lev (a personal favorite), 1984, A Tale of Two Cities, and Tess of the D'Urbervilles.

Link (here) to Catholic World Report

Six Eye-openers From Pope Francis

Pope Francis has challenged his flock of 1 billion Catholics not to be “starched Christians” who chat about theology over tea. He’s been taking his own advice. Since his election in March, Francis has delivered sharp and unscripted remarks on everything from homosexuality to atheism to his unlikely election to the seat of St. Peter. Anyone who bet the 76-year-old Jesuit from Argentina would become Supreme Pontiff likely won a lot of dough, Francis joked on Sunday. We’re wagering this pope’s got a few more surprises up the sleeves of his white cassock. Meanwhile, here are six eye-openers Francis has uttered thus far.

1) There’s a “gay lobby” inside the Vatican

2) All atheists go to heaven?

3) “I didn’t want to be pope”

4) Sleepy prayers

5) Christians should mind their own beeswax

6) Throwing food away is stealing from the poor

Link (here) to CNN to read the 6 discussed

Deir Taanayel

Domaine de Tanaïl

At a Jesuit monastery in the heart of Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, a small group of dedicated workers are making dairy products from start to finish, not too different from how it was done hundreds of years ago. Every day at 6 a.m., cheesemakers in white lab coats and gloves start their work. Step by step – starting with the cows that graze on the farm – they make around 10 varieties of cheese, as well as yoghurt, butter and ice cream. The milk from the cows grazing just footsteps away is transported through pipes to large metal cooling tanks. It is then drained through bags until it reaches the right consistency, depending on the product.

“We’re well-known for our old ways,” says Rana Kadri, as she gives a tour of the facility. Each product is made in a different way to reach its final shape, she explains. Yogurt and strained yogurt – laban and labneh respectively – for example, are made at a higher temperature than the cheeses.

The Dutch-inspired hard Gouda cheese – far from a local product – is one of their main products, but for very Lebanon-specific reasons. With an aging time of up to three years, much longer than the softer dairy products, it can be stored for long periods without it going bad, an unfortunate consideration in the conflict-prone Bekaa Valley, where roads are sometimes blocked when tensions flare up. Despite the area’s reputation, there is a general feeling of pride in the rich agricultural traditions of the Bekaa Valley. Once known as the breadbasket of the Roman Empire, the area is today home to most of the country’s wineries as well as the source of a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Kadri, who has been working as the facility’s production manager for the past six months, had only recently finished college when she got the job offer to lead the artisan cheese operation in the idyllic setting of a farm in a monastery. Deir Taanayel stretches some 200 hectares and includes a stone church, a small lake and livestock including cows, goats and chickens.

A large garden that leads visitors to the entrance is something out of a rural travel book, with rows of picnic benches, bicycles for rent lined up along the main building, and a large cage with dozens of colorful exotic birds singing away. Families of stray cats have made the farm their home, having found a reliable source of food.

The monastery itself dates back to 1860, but the cheesemaking and the farm in its present form didn’t start until around 70 years ago, when the monks began the activity that would later inspire other Lebanese dairies to adopt the name Taanayel – a bittersweet result of their success. As the demand for the dairy products grew, so did their need to organize their work.

Four years ago, the monastery began a partnership with Arc en Ciel, a nearly 30-year-old Lebanese non-governmental organization that specializes in social and rural development. There are now 50 full- and part-time employees, and it remains a nonprofit operation.

Under the new management, the monastery has gone from a little-known spot to one of the must-see destinations for those visiting the area. In 2011, Deir Taanayel received a mere 15,000 visitors, while last year the number reached 80,000. This year they are expecting a total of 120,000.

“[Arc en Ciel] helped raise our standards. They run it like a business,” says Elia Ghorra, an agricultural engineer in charge of the production who began working at the monastery in 2005. “On Sundays you see all nationalities and religions having picnics here. It’s beautiful.”

The NGO has turned the nearby eco-lodge, a grouping of traditional mud houses as well as an adjacent restaurant that serves Taanayel cheese, into a youth hostel, offering a quaint place for visitors to spend the night when in the are

Sandro Magister, “It’s Pretty Incredible That The Pope Said These Things,”

Sandro Magister

They appear to underscore numerous reports in the prelude to the election of the pope, that corruption, blackmail and violation of one of the highest codes of Catholic conduct were part of the intrigue that scandalized the Vatican in recent years. Francis, who portrays himself as a simple pope of the people, has made it clear that one of his highest priorities is to put the Vatican’s house in order. He has appointed a group of eight cardinals to advise him on how to overhaul the Vatican, and the head of the Vatican Bank has recently given a series of interviews to journalists — an openness unheard of under his predecessors.

“It’s pretty incredible that the pope said these things,” said Sandro Magister, a Vatican expert at the Italian weekly L’Espresso. “I don’t think there’s any doubt on the foundation of the phrases attributed to him. Otherwise they would have denied it.”

The pope made the remarks at the Vatican on June 6, while speaking to a meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious, the regional organization for priests and nuns of religious orders.

“In the Curia, there are also holy people, really, there are holy people. But there also is a stream of corruption, there is that as well, it is true,” he said in Spanish, according to a loose summary of the meeting posted on a Chilean Web site, Reflection and Liberation, and later translated into English by the blog Rorate Caeli. “The ‘gay lobby’ is mentioned, and it is true, it is there ... We need to see what we can do,” Francis continued, in the document, produced here verbatim.

On Tuesday, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, did not deny the reports of Francis’s remarks, saying only that he had no comment on a private meeting — a marked shift from past months, in which the Vatican vehemently called such reports “unverified, unverifiable or completely false.” 

Link (here) to the full story at the New York Times

Fr Henri Boulad, S.J. On The Situation In Egypt, “How democratic countries can support such movements is disgusting,”

Fr. Henri Boulad, S.J.

A priest who directs the Jesuit Cultural Center in Alexandria, Egypt, blasted Western support of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt during a visit to Parliament Hill. Jesuit Father Henri Boulad, 82, a Melkite Catholic, singled out the United States, France and Great Britain for their support of the Islamist group, which he said has created a regime far worse than the military dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak that preceded it. He warned of looming catastrophe. “How democratic countries can support such movements is disgusting,” Father Boulad told a meeting of the Middle East Discussion Group at a luncheon hosted by Canadian Sen. Ann Cools. The Jesuit described Egypt as unstable and that the government is running out of money to provide basic services. Income from tourism has decreased because of strict restrictions on tourist activity and a dangerous lack of security, he said. Forces comprised of a wide array of thinkers, journalists, youth, Christians and a large number of Muslims who oppose the aims of the Muslim Brotherhood are rallying to challenge the regime, he said. “Grass-roots people are more and more convinced these people are liars,” Father Boulad said. Muslim opponents, he explained, “don’t want this kind of Islam.” “I am speaking up and saying ‘Don’t be intimidated by these people,’” he said. “Resist in the name of your principles.”

Father Boulad charged that the Muslim Brotherhood has a systematic plan to harass Christians so that they will leave Egypt and that among their tactics is the kidnapping and rape of Christian girls. The organization also invokes human rights to silence critics in France, Canada and elsewhere, using the courts against people who speak up, he said. The government cries “Islamophobia” and it “is politically incorrect to be an Islamophobe,” he said.

“The United States, France and Great Britain are supporting this. It’s crazy,” he added. “Intellectual and factual terrorism is being implemented not only in Egypt but all over the world. You cannot speak up. They go to court; they accuse you.” “As long as Islam is not reformed, we are going to catastrophe,” Father Boulad warned. Fortunately, he continued, some people have the courage to speak up. He said he hoped liberal democracies would support the growing coalition opposing the Egyptian ruling party.

Link (here) to Catholic Sun

Pope Francis Makes Connection Between The "Gay Lobby" And A Stream Of Corruption

And, yes... it is difficult. In the Curia, there are also holy people, really, there are holy people. But there also is a stream of corruption, there is that as well, it is true... The "gay lobby" is mentioned, and it is true, it is there... We need to see what we can do... The reform of the Roman Curia is something that almost all Cardinals asked for in the Congregations preceding the Conclave. I also asked for it. I cannot promote the reform myself, these matters of administration... I am very disorganized, I have never been good at this. But the cardinals of the Commission will move it forward. There is Rodríguez Maradiaga, who is Latin American, who is in front of it, there is Errázuriz, they are very organized. The one from Munich is also very organized. They will move it forward. Pray for me... that I make mistakes the least possible...

Link (here) to Rorate Caeli

Fr Paul Joseph Duffy S.J. Requiescat in Pace

Fr Paul Joseph Duffy S.J. Died peacefully at the Manresa Residence, Hawthorn, Melbourne, on June 4, 2013. Son of Francis and Frances (both dec.), brother of Desmond Duffy, Carmel Duffy, Norma Anderson and Frances Duffy (all dec.). Previous Provincial of the Australian Jesuits, University lecturer, Exec. Dir. Centre of the Study of Communications and Culture St Louis Uni.U.S.A., Writer and Pastor. His memory is treasured by his Jesuit Community, Parish and friends. Requiescat in Pace

Link (here)

Pope Francis To Jesuit School Students

The school is one of the educational environments in which we grow to learn to live, to become adult and

mature men and women, capable of walking, of going along the road of life. These were the words of Pope Francis in an address to the numerous -- and enthusiastic -- students, families, and teachers of Jesuit schools in Italy and Albania. The Pope said the most important characteristics, according to the spirit of Saint Ignatius, are interior freedom -- founded on spirituality -- and magnanimity -- that is, having ideals, thinking of others, responding with goodness, and following the path traced out by God. To the Jesuits, Pope Francis said that the schools are a precious instrument.....

Link (here) to the Vatican's YouTube Channel to watch the video