Fr James Martin, S.J. On Ted Kennedy

Senator Kennedy was not perfect. But that did not stop him from doing a world of good for the poor and marginalized in this country and around the world.

Those photos of Chappaquiddick, the testimony from that rape trial, and his support for abortion

must be placed alongside 46 years of dedicated work for this country. And, by his own admission, the Gospels were directly related to a great many of his legislative accomplishments. In that same interview mentioned above, his biographer said, “I once asked him why someone as well off as him was so interested in the poor and the sick, and he said it was his mother's Catholic teaching: the Sermon on the Mount and the passage from Luke that to those who much is given, much is expected.”

Link (here) to Jesuit Fr. James Martin, S.J. and his full piece at the blog portion of America.

More on Sen. Ted Kennedy

His infamous "Waitress Sandwiches" at the La Brasserie (here)
His Hyannisport meeting with Jesuits on abortion (here)
Ted Kennedy and Fr. Robert Drinan, S.J. (here)

Photo of Mary Jo Kopechne's funeral at St. Vincent's Church Plymouth, PA (here)

Fr. James Martin, S.J. on Ted Kennedy from the latest issue of Time Magazine.

"He is a complicated figure," says the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and the culture editor of the Catholic magazine America. "Catholics on the right are critical because of his stance on abortion. Catholics on the left celebrate his achievements on immigration, fighting poverty and other legislation that is a virtual mirror of the Church's social teaching."

Link (here)

We could all use a little refresher on purgatory (here) and (here)

Fr. James Martin, S.J. On Bloggers, Sr. Margaret Mary McBride, Fr. Ladislas Orsy, S.J. And Bishop Olmsted

This is a small excerpt of a larger piece by Fr. James Martin, S.J. on the excommunication of Sr. Margaret Mary McBride by Bishop Olmsted.

And he (referring to a blogger) disagrees with Ladislas Orsy, S.J., professor of canon law at Georgetown University, who has also taught at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Fordham University, the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and is the author of numerous books on canon law.  Fr. Orsy wrote about the case in a Letter to The (London) Tablet.  

Link (here) to the full post by Fr. James Martin. S.J. at In All Things.

"An Unborn Child Is Not A Disease" Bishop Thomas Olmsted

In a medical crisis, the unborn child possesses the same inalienable right to life as an adult patient and must be treated with equal respect. Bishop Olmsted confirmed this point in a public statement issued last month.  

“An unborn child is not a disease. While medical professionals should certainly try to save a pregnant mother’s life, the means by which they do it can never be by directly killing her unborn child. The end does not justify the means,” stated the bishop.  

“We always must remember that when a difficult medical situation involves a pregnant woman, there are two patients in need of treatment and care, not merely one.”

 

Link (here) to the National Catholic Register article entitled, Questions Remain in the Phoenix Excommunication.

Fr. James Martin, S.J. On Padre Pio And Mother Teresa

Fr. James Martin, S.J. the public face of America, the leading Jesuit publication in the English speaking world recently was interviewed on an Australian radio show entitled the Spirit of Things hosted by Rachel Kohn on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation  network.

Rachael Kohn: Well I have to admit that the story of Padre Pio is a little disturbing to me. I know that he was someone kind of tortured about his sinful past, he was very ill, and then he had these marks of stigmata on his hands. I've read a very critical analysis of his life, and I must say it sounded plausible. What do you think of Padre Pio?

James Martin:Well you know, the stigmata is a pretty big mystery. It's the wounds of Christ that appear in a person's body. St Francis of Assisi was the first one to have that phenomenon. 

I haven't read that much on Padre Pio. He was a very holy man, he was a very good confessor and from what I understand even correct me, he really suffered from those wounds, and was quite embarrassed by them. I go on the testimony of people that I know who knew him or who met him, because you know, he only died a few years ago. 

I mean I see him as a holy person but once again I don't know a whole lot about his life actually.

Rachael Kohn:Well saints' lives are examined medically, but what about psychologically?

James Martin:Well the question is can a neurotic person be holy?

Rachael Kohn:Yes, that is -

James Martin:And I would say yes. It's why people say, Well you know, if they were neurotic or sort of obsessive-compulsive, well then I say, Well so God can't work through that? I think God can work through anything. 

I think you have someone like Mother Teresa who I'm not saying is neurotic, but there's someone who's a very strong-willed, forceful, some might even say not intransigent, but just determined woman. And some might say Oh, you know, you're not open to self-doubt, you're not open to criticism, and you see the person in her life. But then you read her journals that came out, that she had lots of struggles with her faith and with her prayer, and you realise that she was struggling that whole time. 

So a lot of times we look from the outside in, and we might not really know what's going on inside. So I think you can say that God can work through all sorts of personalities, even neurotic personalities.

Rachael Kohn:So it really then does depend on the actions, on the holy actions. It almost doesn't matter that Mother Teresa had doubts about her faith?

James Martin:Well I say I think it makes her a greater saint because frequently we look at people like Mother Teresa and we say Oh, you know, she never had doubts, she never struggled with her prayer, things were easier for her. But you read her journals and you realise that she was doing all of these actions, working with the poorest of the poor, with very little in prayer. 

She had a very intense prayer experience early in her life that sort of was the engine of all of this, and she was faithful to that. So here's this woman , has this one experience in the late 1940s, has very dry prayer for the rest of her life and continues on. So there's this great sense of fidelity. So in that case I think it's both, and I really think in all cases with the saints, it's not only their actions but their personal prayer life. 

But Mother Teresa, there's another example of someone who I think is a great saint, perhaps one of the greatest because of the difficulties she had to endure. It's like Mary MacKillop. I mean there are plenty of foundresses of religious orders, right; there are not many foundresses of religious orders who were excommunicated. So for me that raises her in my eyes as an amazing saint, and all the saints were pretty amazing.

Rachael Kohn:Well who's your favourite saint? I have a suspicion you might say Ignatius of Loyola.

James Martin:I should say Ignatius of Loyola who's the founder of the Jesuit order of which I'm a member - and I just wrote a whole book about him. I have to say it's Therese of Lisieux, the French Carmelite. She is known for what's called 'The Little Way', which is doing small things with great love. And there's a person who I think everyone can relate to because really, very few of us are called to start a religious order like Mary MacKillop or Mother Teresa or Francis of Assisi, right? I mean very few of us are going to be Popes like Blessed John XXIII but all of us struggle and can do little things for God, so Therese is just for me an amazing saint. But I would say No.2 is St Ignatius Loyola as you correctly divined. No pun intended!

Link (here) to read the transcript and listen to the whole video.

Fr. James Martin, S.J. On Catholic Blogging

Fr. James Martin, S.J.

The best blogs point Catholics to news items that might be otherwise overlooked, to resources that might be under-appreciated and to personal stories from Catholic individuals that can inspire, challenge and provoke. 

At its worst, though, the Catholic blogosphere is an arena for a self-appointed magisterium to engage in snarky commentary, judge without evidence and condemn with nary a thought for a person’s reputation.  

One wonders when reading these condemnations: I seem to have missed the conclave that elected you as pope.  Or: When were you appointed to the CDF?  Some Catholic blogs are also so vituperative that they barely seem Christian, and hardly present a good public face for the church.  

Who would want to join such a group?  What’s more, a few bloggers seem solely interested in “inside-baseball” Catholicism (I'm guilty of this myself sometimes), which the Pontifical Council has noted. 

“One of the things we are a little bit aware of is that sometimes the Catholic blogosphere can become a bit of a ghetto…rather than engaging in the world outside,”

Link (here) to read the full blog post by Fr. James Martin, S.J. 

Below the break line are some blog posts from the past year of Fr. James Martin, S.J.
.

Fr. James Martin, S.J. On Liberation Theology

Pope John Paul II admonishing  Fr. Ernesto Cardenal, S.J.

In its heyday, liberation theology was not without controversy: some in the church, and some in the Vatican, thought it skirted too close to Marxism--including Pope John Paul II.  On the other hand, John Paul didn’t shy away from personally involving himself in direct political activism in Poland.  It was the Latin American version of social action that seemed to bother him more.  But even John Paul affirmed the notion of “preferential option for the poor,” as did Paul VI before him.  “When there is question of defending the rights of individuals, the defenseless and the poor have a claim to special consideration,” John Paul wrote in his great encyclical Centesimus Annus, which celebrated 100 years of—uh oh--Catholic Social Teaching. “Liberation theology” is easy to be against.  For one thing, most people don’t have the foggiest idea what you’re talking about.  (It even sounds vaguely suspicious, too.)  It’s also easier to ignore the concerns of the poor, particularly overseas, than it is to actually get to know them as individuals who make a moral claim on us.  For another, there are lots of overheated websites that facilely link it to Marxism.  My response to that last critique is to read the Gospels and count how many times Jesus tells us with should help the poor and even be poor.  In the Gospel of Matthew, in fact, Jesus tells us that the ones who are to enter the Kingdom of heaven are those who help “the least of my brothers and sisters,” i.e., the poor.   After that, read the Acts of the Apostles, and read about the apostles “sharing everything in common.”  Then let me know if helping the poor is communist or simply Christian. I have no idea if President Obama subscribes to liberation theology. But I do.

Link (here) to read the full post entitled, Glenn Beck and Liberation Theology by Fr. James Martin, S.J.

Link (here) to the photo and lengthy  story of “Pope John Paul II on his 1983 arrival in Managua, publicly reprimanded Jesuit priest and Sandinista Minister of Culture Ernesto Cardenal."

More on the subject

An interview with sanctioned Fr. Jon Sobrino, S.J. in Sojourners Magazine (here)

More on Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor program in Washington, D.C. (here)
Read about the Italian Father Alighiero Tondi, S.J. and his Communist connections with the Catholic Action Movement (here) as told by Time Magazine
Jesuit Education and Social Change in El Salvador By Charles Joseph Beirne, S.J.

Go (here) to read the one time Jesuit Fr. Malachi Martin on Liberation Theology in his famous book entitled, The Jesuits.

Jesuit Says of Pope Benedict, "Oddly Discordant"

The Boston decision also stands in contrast to the increasingly heated language coming from church leaders on the topic of same-sex marriage.  Pope Benedict XVI's comments last week in Fatima, Portugal, in which he stated that abortion and same-sex marriage were "some of today's most insidious and dangerous threats" to the common good seemed oddly discordant.  

The equation of abortion, something that clearly is about a threat to life, with same-sex marriage, which no matter how you look at it, does not mean that anyone is going to die, is bizarre.  A good friend of mine, who is g@y, recently resigned from a position at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, 

where he said, with great dismay, that “abortionsamesexmarriage” had become one polysyllabic word among some of his bosses.

Link (here) to America magazine, the entire article entitled, "Hinghman, Same-S@x Marriage and Life Issues" written by Fr. James Martin, S.J.

Fr. James Martin, S.J. follows up on the subject with this post (here). his post is entitled, Cardinal  O'Malley on Hingham.

Ignatius Insight's Carl E. Olsen on the subject (here) 
Catholic News Agency on the subject (here)
Catholic World News on the subject (here)  
Fr. Thomas Euteneuer, president of Human Life International in a follow up piece on Fr. Martin's article (here)
Matt C. Abbott at Renew America and Fr. Martin go it (here)

Blogger Note: The original post by Fr. Martin has been edited slightly from it's original form. 

America Blogger Vs. America Blogger

Michael Sean Winters writes.

The news keeps getting in the way of a blogpost I have been meaning to write in response to my colleague Father Jim Martin’s request for civility in the blogosphere. (Unfortunately, I can’t find his original posting in the archives.) Father, we love you to death, but have to give you a noisy, blatty, Bronx cheer on this one.

I think the blogosphere has restored happily some of the rough-and-tumble esprit of democracy, buried so long under Victorian notions of propriety. Surely, the nastiest election in American history remains that of 1800, when John Adams accused Thomas Jefferson of being a radical and an atheist and Jefferson charged Adams with being a closet monarchist and worse. The attacks were ad hominem as well as political, and vicious in the extreme. Link (here) to the full post

Fr. James Martin, S.J. responds.

Dear Michael,
Gunning for me? Uh oh. I guess I agree with you that we should not be afraid of controversy, or calling people to account for their actions or words. But by the same token, the blogosphere often seems to elicit the worst from us, Catholics included-snotty, unfounded, mean-spirited, anonymous, ad hominem attacks that call people's faith and humanity into question. I'm all for playful, but when's the last time you saw playful in the blogosphere? Vicious is more like it: you should see the comments we delete before they're posted! Anyway, I take your point, but, on the other hand, I reserve the use of the Bronx cheer only for those who live within a subway ride of the Bronx.
James Martin, SJ

Link (here)

Now Father Martin you can get a little rough and tumble yourself.

Remember your comments regarding Diogenes at DotCommonweal?

An excerpt.

Best of luck in your noble hunt for the hate-spewing Diogenes, one of those people who seems to have forgotten that being Catholic also means being Christian.

Link (here) to the Fr. James Martin's full statement down in the combox.

Martin, Colbert And Beck

On March 18th 2010 Fr. James Martin, S.J. the New York City based Culture Editor of America the leading Jesuit publication in the English speaking world appeared on Comedy Central's, The Colbert Report .The show is hosted by comedian and satirist Stephen Colbert. The subject of  this particular segment was Fox television and radio talk show host, Glenn Beck. Glenn Beck a political satirist has recently been doing critical exposes and commentaries on Christian "Social Justice" and its connections to National Socialism, Socialism and Communism. Father Martin's participated in a limited appearance as Colbert's foil. The heavily edited treatment of Glenn Beck's rather lengthy original comments intellectually short change the viewer in this otherwise rather funny segment. Fr. Martin  during the segment quotes Brazilian Archbishop Hélder Câmara, "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a Communist." More on Liberation Theology (here)

Watch Stephen Colbert and Fr. James Martin, S.J. on Comedy Central (here)

Fr. James Martin, S.J. Watches EWTN

For a recent example of the Cafeteria Catholic on the right, witness EWTN's offering a very friendly airing of the views of a person who supports torture--or at least the "enhanced" interrogation techniques--that have been thoroughly discredited, as well as roundly condemned by the church.

Link (here) to the full post in context by Fr. James Martin, S.J., entitled, Welcome to the Cafeteria, EWTN.

Fr. Joseph Rickaby, S.J. with an overview of Catholic Just War Theory (here) St. Ignatius of Loyola on war in Africa (here) St. Thomas Aquinas the Angelic Doctor of the Church on war (here) Search engine results of EWTN contained in America magazine (here) , (here) , (here) , (here) , (here) , (here) , (here) , (here) and (here)

Fr. James Martin, S.J. Interviewed On The Diane Rehm Radio Show

Diane Rehm

FATHER JAMES MARTIN, S.J.

11:40:19

Good morning.

DIANE REHM

11:40:22

Father James, do you think that people misunderstand chastity and celibacy?

MARTIN

11:40:29

Yeah, I do. I think almost completely. I think there's a misunderstanding of its role and, you know, its benefits and really, its history. And I always ask people, you know, do you know any celibates? And they say, no. And then you ask them, well, what about, say, unmarried aunts or uncles or single people and they say, oh, yeah, I guess I do. And, you know, I think most of -- most people would admit that many of history's most beloved people, I mean, you know, (word?), John Paul, Mother Teresa were celibates. And so, you know, when you get people thinking about it in concrete terms, it helps them a little bit more. But you're right, there is a lot of misunderstanding.

REHM

11:41:01

Why do you think the Catholic Church today requires celibacy for its priests? I recognize that the history going back hundreds of years had to do with economic inheritance questions, but why now?

MARTIN

11:41:21

Well, actually, that's just one reason. I mean, that's, as Father Albert Cutie' was saying, you know, a lot of it came from not wanting to pass on inheritances, you know, to priests' children, but I think the more importance reason is that it's really an imitations of Jesus. I mean, for a lot of different reasons, some known, some unknown, Jesus was not married. And we follow Jesus in his sort of total gift of Himself to the people. Now, that doesn't mean that it's better or worse or that it can't work for other religions, but, you know, in the Catholic Church, that's -- that's the other reason, that we're -- we're following Christ and we're trying to imitate Him as carefully as possible and as closely as possible. But once again, it's not for everybody, obviously.

REHM

11:42:01

Of course, there are married priests in the Catholic Church. How is this possible?

MARTIN

11:42:05

Well, as Father was saying, you know, we have people who were Anglicans or Episcopal priests who decided to join the Catholic Church and, you know, rather than saying, you have to get divorced, you know, we accept them as married priests. And so, you know, it's interesting that, you know, I wonder if more Catholics will become more familiar and more comfortable with the idea of married priests, but, you know, for the most part, you know, priestly celibacy, I think, you know, is what most Catholics are familiar with and, you know, and what most people are familiar with, with those in Religious orders as well.

REHM

11:42:42

When you hear about the priests who've struggled or even left the Church because of falling in love or when you hear about priests who've been removed, even bishops who've been removed from their posts because of sexual abuse of young men, what goes through your mind, Father James?

MARTIN

11:43:05

Well, I think those two things are separate. I would -- you know, I think it's important to say that celibacy does not lead to pedophilia. I mean, you know, most sexual abuse, as most people know, takes place within families and, you know, no one says that, you know, marriage somehow leads to sexual abuse. So I think there's celibacy and people not able to, you know, sort of follow that rule and there's also sexual abuse, you know, I mean, which is a whole other kettle of fish. I mean, when I hear of people who are leaving the priesthood, you know, I think of Jesuits who I know who have left the Jesuits and, you know, what happens is, you know, guys, you know, they fall in love and they have to make a choice.

MARTIN

11:43:43

Either you stay and you keep your vows or you leave and, you know, you get married and, you know, that's a part of a lot of peoples' journeys. But, you know, most of the -- well, I would say, I don't know anyone, for example, in the Jesuits, you know, among my friends, of whom there are many, who are in a relationship and so I think it's important to say something like, you know, the same way that the fact that there are many divorces in the Unites States does not negate the value or the beauty of marriage, the fact that there are some people with their vows of chastity or their promise of celibacy does not negate, you know, the chaste life or the celibate life in the priesthood, I would say.

REHM

11:44:18

Father James Martin, he's a Jesuit priest and culture editor of America magazine. Father Cutie', how do you feel about whether the Church is now outdates?

ALBERT CUTIE'

11:44:36

I think part of the thing, I think -- I agree with almost everything Father Martin said and I really appreciate his work -- his work in America magazine. As a matter of fact, America magazine wrote a beautiful editorial a few days after my pictures -- before my pictures were published, it was called "A Modest Proposal." It's online, America, "A Modest Proposal," saying that bishops should take leadership in asking Rome to allow for married priests. So I understand the dilemma that Father James and many people are in when they talk about these things. I think 100,000 plus priests have left to marry since the Second Vatican Council. Not all of them Religious, not all of them Diocesan, but from the priesthood. 

Link (here) to the full interview

Wiegal And Martin On The Letter By Hans Kung

Fr. James Martin, S.J. writes in a post (here) at America entitled, Küng to Benedict: Set About Reform

.

Even if you don't agree with all he writes (and I don't) Hans Küng is a theologian of great learning, distinction and experience.  

He's forgotten more theology and church history than I will ever know.  And even if you don't agree with all he writes in his open letter to the world's bishops, it is well worth reading. 

(I could have done without the grandiose "pastoral letter" trope, addressing his remarks to the "Venerable Bishops," but c'est la théologie.)  In light of what he calls "the worst credibility crisis since the reformation," Küng lists several missed opportunities , and then makes his suggestions: 1.) Do not keep silent; (2) Set about reform; (3) Act in a collegial way; (4) Unconditional obedience is owed to God alone; (5) Work for regional solutions; and (6) Call for a council. 

George Weigal  in an article at First Things (here) entitled, An Open Letter to Hans Kung.

Perhaps, while you and Benedict XVI were drinking beer at Castel Gandolfo in the summer of 2005, you somehow imagined that Ratzinger had changed his mind on this central question. He obviously had not. 

Why you ever imagined he might accept your view of what an “ongoing renewal of the Church” would involve is, frankly, puzzling. Nor does your analysis of the contemporary Catholic situation become any more plausible when one reads, further along in your latest op-ed broadside, that recent popes have been “autocrats” against the bishops; again, one wonders whether you have been paying sufficient attention. 

For it seems self-evidently clear that Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI have been painfully reluctant—some would say, unfortunately reluctant—to discipline bishops who have shown themselves incompetent or malfeasant and have lost the capacity to teach and lead because of that: a situation many of us hope will change, and change soon, in light of recent controversies.

Blogger Note: I would be interested reading your comments on the perspectives of George Weigal and Fr. James Martin, S.J. and how you interpret Fr. Hans Kung's Letter which you can read (here)

Jesuits At The Los Angeles Religious Education Conference

Jesuit Speakers at the Los Angeles Religious Education Conference

Fr. Gregory J. Boyle, SJ

Jesuit priest Fr. Greg Boyle has been an advocate for at-risk and gang-involved youth in Los Angeles for over 25 years. He is founder and Director of Jobs For A Future/Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention and employment referral program for gang-involved youth in the United States. As an expert on gangs and intervention approaches, Fr. Boyle is a nationally renowned speaker and consultant and serves as a member of local and national gang advisory boards. His latest book is entitled “Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion.”

Rev. Richard Leonard, SJ

Some people are wary of the cinema because of the worst movies that are on the screens. There are, however, films – and sometimes not overtly religious ones – that can move us to a deeper communication with God. This workshop will look at the media context within which our people explore their faith and offer movie suggestions for the classroom, retreats, reflection days, rites of initiation (RCIA), and formation nights.

 

James Martin, SJ

Jesuit priest Fr. James Martin is Contributing Editor of America Magazine. He is the author of several award-winning books including, most recently, “Between Heaven and Mirth,” “The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything” and “My Life with the Saints.” A popular speaker, Fr. Martin is a frequent speaker at national conferences, retreats and parish groups, and has given presentations at the Religious Education Congress each year for the past several years.

Jesuit Exibitors at the Los Angeles Religious Education Conference

America Magazine - (212) 581-4640 - www.americamagazine.org
        New York, NY - Category: Religious Publication
         Booth(s): 584

Boston College School of Theology and Ministry - (617) 552-6535 - www.bc.edu/stm
        Chestnut Hill, MA - Category: Educational Institution
         Booth(s): 110, 112

California Province Jesuits and Lay Partners - (408) 884-1630 - www.jesuitscalifornia.org
        Los Gatos, CA - Category: Religious Life
         Booth(s): 260, 262, 264, 266

Creighton University Master of Arts in Ministry Program - (402) 280-2424 - www.creighton.edu/masterofministry
        Omaha, NE - Category: Educational Institution
         Booth(s): 567

 Fordham University Graduate School of Religious Education - (718) 817-4800 - www.fordham.edu/gre
        New York, NY - Category: Educational Institution
         Booth(s): 668

Homeboy Industries - (323) 526-1254 - www.homeboy-industries.org
        Los Angeles, CA - Category: Faith & Justice
         Booth(s): 281, 283

 Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University at Berkeley - (510) 549-5013 - www.scu.edu/jst
        Berkeley, CA - Category: Educational Programs
         Booth(s): 688

Loyola Institute for Ministry - (504) 865-3399 - lim.loyno.edu
        New Orleans, LA - Category: Educational Institution
         Booth(s): 671 

Loyola Marymount University - (800) 568-4636 - www.lmu.edu
        Los Angeles, CA - Category: Educational Institution
         Booth(s): 357, 359, 361, 456, 458, 460 

Loyola Press - (800) 621-1008 - www.loyolapress.com
        Chicago, IL - Category: Educational Programs
         Booth(s): 137, 139, 141, 143, 145, 236, 238, 240, 242, 244 

Loyola University Chicago, Institute of Pastoral Studies - (800) 424-1238 - www.luc.edu/ips
        Chicago, IL - Category: Educational Institution
         Booth(s): 160

Santa Clara University/Graduate Program in Pastoral Ministries & The Jesuit School of Theology - (408) 554-4831 - www.scu.edu/pastoralministries
        Santa Clara, CA - Category: Educational Institution
         Booth(s): 690

Link (here)

Oldest Jesuit Dies At 105, Fr. James A. Martin, S.J.

R.I.P. Fr. Martin
Pierre Thompson
The world’s oldest Jesuit died Monday in Georgetown’s Wolfington Hall. Father James A. Martin, S.J., who celebrated his 105th birthday in August, passed away shortly after a Monday afternoon mass and having the last rites administered to him. “He had a peaceful death,” Fr. John Langan, S.J. said. “He was surrounded by the community, which doesn’t happen very often.” Martin’s funeral will take place today at 10 a.m. in Dahlgren Chapel. Martin’s wake, held in the Jesuit residence on Wednesday, was attended by family and friends. Martin served as a Jesuit for 68 years. His life at Georgetown began with his role as Assistant Dean of Men and Assistant Dean of Athletics from 1939 to 1940. During World War II, Martin left the University to serve as a U.S. Army Air Corps chaplain, which took him to North Africa, Italy and France, according to a University press release. Martin was involved with Georgetown’s Ignatian retreat program from 1972 to 1983. He was primarily responsible for the construction of the Loyola Retreat House in Faulkner, Md., which Georgetown students and faculty still use. Martin spent the remainder of his years at Georgetown after retiring in 1989. Although he may have been less active in the last years of his life, people remained well aware of him, Fr. Langan said. “He was very much loved by everybody because he was a very happy person,” Charlotte Daniel, Assistant to the Rector, said. “He was a colorful person … His favorite saying was ‘Isn’t it wonderful?’” Link with picture (here)

Fr. James Martin, S.J., "Pope Francis, Who “Reaffirmed” The Findings Of The Assessment, And The “Program Of Reform."

Today the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a statement about the ongoing“reform” (to use their word) of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the main umbrella organization of women religious in the United States, which represents roughly 80% of American Catholic sisters and nuns.  In their statement, the Congregation noted that the new prefect of the Congregation, Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, as well as Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, the Holy See’s Delegate for the Doctrinal Assessment of the LCWR, met with the Presidency of the LCWR.  Archbishop Müller also noted that he had spoken with Pope Francis, who “reaffirmed” the findings of the Assessment, and the “program of reform.”  The LCWR issued a statement, which listed the participants in the meeting in full, and said that the meeting was “open and frank.”

oversight and

Link (here) to the full piece by Fr. James Martin, S.J. at America Magazine

Link (here) to Fr. John Zuhlsdorf's critique of the same article.

See You Later Alligator!

This a portion of a post from Fr. James Martin, S.J. the Culture Editor at America the Jesuit magazine on the departure of the controversial leftist politico-catho blogger Micheal Sean Winters.

We bid farewell on this blog (America's, In All Things)  to Michael Sean Winters, one of our most indefatigable and most popular bloggers, and someone well known to the readers of America.  Michael, author of Left at the Altar: How the Democrats Lost the Catholics and How the Catholics Can Save the Democrats, is a well-known Catholic commentator and essayist.  Over the past year, he has written extensively on political matters, church issues and more broadly social issues.  

He was one of our first (and most regular) bloggers, someone we relied upon for timely, hard-hitting looks at the issues of the day, and someone who usually drew a lot of "traffic" to our site, and who was often quoted in the MSM.  

Michael, who has written for the print edition as well, will continue to write for the magazine--in print and online we hope--but will be blogging more or less regularly for the National Catholic Reporter.
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Link (here) to the full blog post by Fr. James Martin, S.J. his post is entitled, Ave Atque Vale.

Fr. Z. at WDTPRS on Micheal Sean Winters

America writer attacks critics of Sen. Kennedy: don’t mention his abortion record 

Deal Hudson on Michael Sean Winters 

Michael Sean Winters of America Magazine Implies that I'm an Anti-Semite

Patrick Madrid on Michael Sean Winters

Gotta Love the National Catholic Reporter Crowd

George Wiegel on Michael Sean Winters 

The McBrien Prize

 

Fr. James Martin, S.J. On Commiting Adultry

I am not sure of Fr. Martin's reasoning for this post?

Nothing above is surprising or controversial: all of the above are church teaching. But taken together, it raises an important pastoral question for all of us: What kind of life remains for these brothers and sisters in Christ? Officially at least, the g@y Catholic seems set up to lead a lonely, loveless, secretive life. Is this what God desires for the g@y person?

A small portion (here) of a larger post by the Jesuit Fr. James Martin, his post is entitled, What Should A G@y Catholic Do?

Blogger Note: Please read these after you have read Fr. Martins post.

The Vatican document on homosexuals and seminaries-- full text (here)

Some of the Churches teaching on homos@xuality at Catholic Answers (here)

A great post from The Curt Jester on Fr. Martin's post, What Should an Adulterous Catholic Do?.

Fr. James Martin, S.J. On Christmas

Priest: ‘More Virgin Mary, Less Virgin Islands.’

Dec 18th, 2008

by Holy Weblog.

I was startled to hear NPR broadcast an opinion piece by a Jesuit priest urging more Jesus in the Christmas season. More specifically, Fr. James Martin, S.J. went off, albeit gently, on Christmas cards that feature not the Savior, but the senders themselves: It’s the middle of the day, and I’m opening my Christmas cards. And what do I see when I tear open the envelope?

Not Baby Jesus in his manger. Not the Virgin Mary. Not even the Wise Men. No, chances are the card will be a photo of a family on some beach in the Caribbean.

Or a picture of somebody’s house. Or someone’s dog wearing reindeer horns. These are the new favorite Christmas cards, for even the most pious Christians: the family cards. …

Look, I love family photos during the holidays. … But I enjoy the photos more when they’re inside the card, not the card itself. Because more and more, even devout Christians have been replacing Jesus, Mary and Joseph with themselves. Doesn’t it strike you as weird to set aside the Holy Family in favor of your family?

Does a photo of Cabo San Lucas trump the story told by the original San Lucas? Is Christmas really about you? Still unconvinced? Try a thought experiment. For your next birthday, how would you feel about getting a birthday card with my photo on it? “Happy Birthday! It’s a photo of me!”

Many thanks to Holy Weblog, for this one (here)

An Interview With Fr. James Martin, S.J.

Have you ever not said something or not did something because you were afraid you might get in trouble with the church?
Yes.

What idea do you think is the most important idea right now for the church to be talking about?
How to combat sex abuse.

Have you ever said something or done something that was outside the boundaries of church rules because you knew it was the right thing?
Yes.

Link (here) to the full written interview of Fr. James Martin, S.J. with 21 questions

Fr. James Martin, S.J. On The Sacking Of Padro Arrupe By Blessed John Paul The Great

I had my differences with Pope John Paul II, technically my former boss.  (Who doesn't disagree with the boss from time to time?)  He wasn’t always the biggest fan of the Society of Jesus (aka the Jesuits, my religious order), though some of his suspicions seem to have originated with some of his advisers.  

When, in an unprecedented move in 1981, he suddenly removed Pedro Arrupe, the beloved superior general of the Jesuits, from his post, a great many Jesuits were both dismayed and angered.  John Paul, suspicious of the Jesuits’ work in “liberation theology” (an approach that emphasizes the liberation of the poor from suffering, as Jesus had), was apparently told by some advisers that the Jesuits would be disobedient after his public sacking of Arrupe.  

We were not.  Over the years, multiple sources have told me that John Paul was surprised by our fidelity--and pleased.  It changed his view of the Jesuits.

Link (here) to read the full post by Fr. James Martin, S.J. at America's blog In All Things

Archbishop Charles Chaput OFM Cap. And Fr. James Martin, S.J.: On The President's Speech At Notre Dame

An excerpt of Archbishop Charles Chaput's op-ed piece, entitled, Politics, Morality and a President: An American View

President Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame had nothing to do with whether he is a good or bad man. He is obviously a gifted man. He has many good moral and political instincts, and an admirable devotion to his family.

These things matter. But unfortunately, so does this: The President’s views on vital bioethical issues, including but not limited to abortion, differ sharply from Catholic teaching. This is why he has enjoyed the strong support of major "abortion rights" groups for many years. Much is made, in some religious circles, of the President’s sympathy for Catholic social teaching.

But defense of the unborn child is a demand of social justice. There is no "social justice" if the youngest and weakest among us can be legally killed. Good programs for the poor are vital, but they can never excuse this fundamental violation of human rights.

An excerpt of an open letter by Fr. James Martin, SJ at the Ignatius Press blog, entitled Insight Scoop.

First of all, I am unabashedly pro-life. And in case people think I’m being artfully evasive I mean this: I believe in the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.

However, as you could see from the CNN show,

I also believe that some in the pro-life movement (defined broadly) sometimes downplays the non-abortion parts of the pro-life tradition: that is, the death penalty, war, feeding the hungry, euthanasia, and so on. These are also important “life” issues. Moreover, I believe that you can be firmly pro-life, as I am, and not agree with the precise strategies, noble as they are, of every quarter of the pro-life movement

in reaching our common goals.

That is, you don't have to violently disagree with the Notre Dame decision in order to be pro-life. Nor do you have to speak the use the same language, pursue the same political goals or, in general, do the same things, in order to sincerely and ardently work for an end to abortion.

Also, what I mean by a litmus test is this. Abortion is certainly the pre-eminent life issue these days, but it is not the only one. To my mind that is pretty much a litmus test, and so I think our understanding of what constitutes Catholic moral teaching needs to be broadened. Also, I question the notion of requiring non-Catholic politicians to be covered by the same strictures for honors, since they already do not agree with fundamental ideas like the papacy, church authority and so on.