The Areopagus 11-9-09
posted by Phil Lawson
11-9-09
You may have heard that the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Italy must remove all Crucifixes from public school classrooms. One can argue this from different angles, i.e. separation of church and state, the Cross as a national symbol connected with Italian heritage, etc.
What strikes me above all is that you have a transnational organization (the European Union) imposing it’s decisions on a supposedly sovereign nation (Italy). Why should a type of European super-supreme court be able to tell a nation (some approx. 97% Catholic) that it can’t have Crucifixes on the walls of its schools??
From a strictly Catholic perspective, what ever happened to subsidiarity? (making decisions on the lowest possible level, as close to the affected parties as possible)?
Here’s Cardinal Bertone’s pointed response to the ruling:
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 5, 2009 (Zenit.org).- In European schools, crucifixes are prohibited but Halloween pumpkins are promoted, observed Benedict XVI's Secretary of State.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone stated this in response to the Tuesday decision of the European Court of Human Rights, which called for the removal of Christian symbols from public school classrooms.
"This Europe of the third millennium only leaves us the pumpkins of the feasts repeatedly celebrated and takes away from us our most cherished symbols," said the cardinal in an article published in L'Osservatore Romano.
Phil’s Tidbits:
On a lighter and more inspiring level, this is really impressive, even more so given the little that priests actually are paid.
French Priests Give a Month's Salary to Needy
Charity Initiative Spreads Internationally
LYON, France, NOV. 5, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The priests of the Lyon Diocese are donating a month of their salary to aid the poor, joining in an initiative of their brothers in Spain.
The diocesan Council of the Presbyterium invited all the priests to donate one month's salary, which amounts to some $1,340, to a charitable organization that supports victims of the economic crisis.
Even though "individually and discreetly, numerous priests contribute to the financing of charitable organizations," a statement on the diocesan Web site acknowledged, "we wish to express our closeness by a particular financial commitment."
It expressed the desire that this initiative would be seen "not only as true pastoral concern for the most destitute," but also as "our will to donate a part of our goods to those who do not have what is necessary to live."
The priests of Lyon "who wish to and can" are therefore invited to make this donation, the Web site stated.
It added, "The sum suggested is 900 euros [$1,340] but each one should give what he wishes and what he can."
The priestly council, representing all of the ordained ministers of the diocese, stated that they are "aware that this gesture is not sufficient." However, they expressed the desire "to address a sign to our contemporaries for whom the image of the Church is often that of preaching, and more rarely that of a concrete solidarity."
The proposal was voted on by the council members while they gathered with the bishops in June. This idea, introduced by a young priest of the diocese, actually started in Spain, where other presbyters began a similar project of economic solidarity last April.
During Holy Week, bishops of several Spanish dioceses asked their priests to give 10% of their salaries to help the needy.
There is a new film out “Blood Money” that spotlights the abortion for profit industry, especially Planned Parenthood. The trailer is only 2+ min. and worth watching:
http://www.bloodmoneyfilm.com/
There are a few universities that seem to have “solved” the vocation crisis. The University of Illinois is one. And the University of Texas A & M is another. Here is a recent summary priestly and religious vocations from Texas A & M –school logo - the “Aggies”:
As of today, August 18, 2009, here are the numbers:
*Current Aggie priests/permanent religious = 128
*Current Aggies in seminary / religious formation = 42
*# of Aggies who entered seminary or religious formation:
• 2009 = 8
• 2008 = 7
• 2007 = 8
• 2006 = 14 (record number)
*For the last 12 years - average number of Aggies per year entering seminary/formation = 8.17
*2009 ordinations = 3 priests + 1 transitional deacon
*2009 religious = 2 final vows + 1 first vows + 1 entering novitiate
These numbers have translated into helping many orders and dioceses around the country. For instance:
• The Austin diocese, one of the biggest pipelines from Aggieland, has a record number of seminarians for this fall = 46 (a record number for the third year in a row)!
• The New Orleans province of Jesuits who has about a dozen Aggies.
• 5 Aggie in the Nashville Dominican sisters.
God Bless you! Phil Lawson For the latest info on St. Peter’s, check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com (You can also find old editions of the Areopagus here)
The Areopagus is a regular email for adults that includes various reflections, tidbits, news and events. Hope you find it fruitful!
If you would like to be added to this list, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com
On the other hand, if you would like to be removed, send an email to the same address indicating that.
You may have heard that the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Italy must remove all Crucifixes from public school classrooms. One can argue this from different angles, i.e. separation of church and state, the Cross as a national symbol connected with Italian heritage, etc.
What strikes me above all is that you have a transnational organization (the European Union) imposing it’s decisions on a supposedly sovereign nation (Italy). Why should a type of European super-supreme court be able to tell a nation (some approx. 97% Catholic) that it can’t have Crucifixes on the walls of its schools??
From a strictly Catholic perspective, what ever happened to subsidiarity? (making decisions on the lowest possible level, as close to the affected parties as possible)?
Here’s Cardinal Bertone’s pointed response to the ruling:
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 5, 2009 (Zenit.org).- In European schools, crucifixes are prohibited but Halloween pumpkins are promoted, observed Benedict XVI's Secretary of State.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone stated this in response to the Tuesday decision of the European Court of Human Rights, which called for the removal of Christian symbols from public school classrooms.
"This Europe of the third millennium only leaves us the pumpkins of the feasts repeatedly celebrated and takes away from us our most cherished symbols," said the cardinal in an article published in L'Osservatore Romano.
Phil’s Tidbits:
On a lighter and more inspiring level, this is really impressive, even more so given the little that priests actually are paid.
French Priests Give a Month's Salary to Needy
Charity Initiative Spreads Internationally
LYON, France, NOV. 5, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The priests of the Lyon Diocese are donating a month of their salary to aid the poor, joining in an initiative of their brothers in Spain.
The diocesan Council of the Presbyterium invited all the priests to donate one month's salary, which amounts to some $1,340, to a charitable organization that supports victims of the economic crisis.
Even though "individually and discreetly, numerous priests contribute to the financing of charitable organizations," a statement on the diocesan Web site acknowledged, "we wish to express our closeness by a particular financial commitment."
It expressed the desire that this initiative would be seen "not only as true pastoral concern for the most destitute," but also as "our will to donate a part of our goods to those who do not have what is necessary to live."
The priests of Lyon "who wish to and can" are therefore invited to make this donation, the Web site stated.
It added, "The sum suggested is 900 euros [$1,340] but each one should give what he wishes and what he can."
The priestly council, representing all of the ordained ministers of the diocese, stated that they are "aware that this gesture is not sufficient." However, they expressed the desire "to address a sign to our contemporaries for whom the image of the Church is often that of preaching, and more rarely that of a concrete solidarity."
The proposal was voted on by the council members while they gathered with the bishops in June. This idea, introduced by a young priest of the diocese, actually started in Spain, where other presbyters began a similar project of economic solidarity last April.
During Holy Week, bishops of several Spanish dioceses asked their priests to give 10% of their salaries to help the needy.
There is a new film out “Blood Money” that spotlights the abortion for profit industry, especially Planned Parenthood. The trailer is only 2+ min. and worth watching:
http://www.bloodmoneyfilm.com/
There are a few universities that seem to have “solved” the vocation crisis. The University of Illinois is one. And the University of Texas A & M is another. Here is a recent summary priestly and religious vocations from Texas A & M –school logo - the “Aggies”:
As of today, August 18, 2009, here are the numbers:
*Current Aggie priests/permanent religious = 128
*Current Aggies in seminary / religious formation = 42
*# of Aggies who entered seminary or religious formation:
• 2009 = 8
• 2008 = 7
• 2007 = 8
• 2006 = 14 (record number)
*For the last 12 years - average number of Aggies per year entering seminary/formation = 8.17
*2009 ordinations = 3 priests + 1 transitional deacon
*2009 religious = 2 final vows + 1 first vows + 1 entering novitiate
These numbers have translated into helping many orders and dioceses around the country. For instance:
• The Austin diocese, one of the biggest pipelines from Aggieland, has a record number of seminarians for this fall = 46 (a record number for the third year in a row)!
• The New Orleans province of Jesuits who has about a dozen Aggies.
• 5 Aggie in the Nashville Dominican sisters.
God Bless you! Phil Lawson For the latest info on St. Peter’s, check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com (You can also find old editions of the Areopagus here)
The Areopagus is a regular email for adults that includes various reflections, tidbits, news and events. Hope you find it fruitful!
If you would like to be added to this list, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com
On the other hand, if you would like to be removed, send an email to the same address indicating that.
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