Fishwrap getting Condom Conundrum wrong, but with a surprise!

Posted on 24 November 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

When it comes to the Condom Conundrum the National Catholic Fishwrap‘s commentators are living down to our expectations.

To wit one Phyllis Zagano who is “senior research associate-in-residence at Hofstra University and author of several books in Catholic Studies. Her book Women & Catholicism will be published by Palgrave-Macmillan in 2011.”

Phyllis, in the manner of one who hits something while driving and then wonders what the thud was as she heads into a ditch, misses the point of what the Pope said even as she mentions it.

But there is a very interesting bit which surprised me.

It’s not just about male prostitutes [No, Phyllis.  It isn’t.]
by Phyllis Zagano on Nov. 24, 2010

Pope Benedict XVI, a brilliant theologian, is becoming a public relations train wreck. The latest story: male prostitutes can use condoms to prevent transmission of AIDS. [That is not what the Pope said.  What did the Pope actually say?  When a male prostitute chooses to use a condom, that is a first step toward something more fully human.]

Say, what?

Male prostitutes don’t immediately come to mind when I am considering AIDS. In fact, male prostitutes don’t come to my mind at all. [Hey, Phyllis!  AIDS is being spread by male prostitutes.  This is a serious thing.  I wonder at her irresponsible comment.  Has she been duped by those who want to separate AIDS from homosexuality?] What was he thinking? It certainly took me a while to figure it out. [Don’t stop thinking about it yet.]

Of course, the media dust-up and subsequent blogitis has lots of folks laughing (again) at the Catholic Church. [Although the conservative Catholic blogs (the great majority) seem to be understanding the arguments.] Now the Catholic idea seems to be: don’t get AIDS when you hire a male prostitute. [Watch this…] But who hires male prostitutes? Recall, please, there’s been a bit of a homosexual scandal involving Catholic priests over the past few years. [She managed to situate the “clerical sexual abuse of minors scandal” in the right category of dysfunction. A writer for the Fishwrap has made the clerical abuse crisis a matter of homosexuality.]

As if things weren’t bad enough, once the pope-condom-male prostitute story began flooding newsrooms, Vatican spokesman Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi personally asked the pope if he meant anything specific about choosing male (as opposed to female?) prostitutes.

According to BBC-News, the answer was “no.” Lombardi continues, [Wait for it….] “The problem is this…It’s the first step of taking responsibility, of taking into consideration the risk of the life of another with whom you have a relationship.”

Nice, but not exactly a sound bite. [But it was the point.] How about: “it is immoral to infect another person with a disease.” I mean, that has a certain ring to it not lost in the clouds. Wouldn’t the church look a little better saying “Pope aims to curb AIDS,” rather than have “pope” and “male prostitute” in the same headline?  [And now that she is off on the wrong track, nothing goes right with the rest of her piece.]

[…]

That, folks, is another example of how people who should know better are getting this wrong.

It may be that Ms. Zagano is so fixed on one idea that she can’t interpret this story in any other way.

 

Posted in Biased Media Coverage, Clerical Sexual Abuse, Throwing a Nutty | Tagged ,
16 Comments

Lost Roman Chinese Legion

Posted on 24 November 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

This is for your Just Too Cool file.

From the Daily Telegraph with my emphases:

Chinese villagers ‘descended from Roman soldiers’

By Nick Squires

Genetic testing of villagers in a remote part of China has shown that nearly two thirds of their DNA is of Caucasian origin, lending support to the theory that they may be descended from a ‘lost legion’ of Roman soldiers.

Tests found that the DNA of some villagers in Liqian, on the fringes of the Gobi Desert in north-western China, was 56 per cent Caucasian in origin.

Many of the villagers have blue or green eyes, long noses and even fair hair, prompting speculation that they have European blood.
A local man, Cai Junnian, is nicknamed by his friends and relatives Cai Luoma, or Cai the Roman, and is one of many villagers convinced that he is descended from the lost legion.

Archeologists plan to conduct digs in the region, along the ancient Silk Route, to search for remains of forts or other structures built by the fabled army.

“We hope to prove the legend by digging and discovering more evidence of China’s early contacts with the Roman Empire,” Yuan Honggeng, the head of a newly-established Italian Studies Centre at Lanzhou University in Gansu province, told the China Daily newspaper.

The genetic tests have leant weight to the theory that Roman legionaries settled in the area in the first century BC after fleeing a disastrous battle.

The clash took place in 53BC between an army led by Marcus Crassus, a Roman general, and a larger force of Parthians, from what is now Iran, bringing to an abrupt halt the Roman Empire’s eastwards expansion.

Thousands of Romans were slaughtered and Crassus himself was beheaded, but some legionaries were said to have escaped the fighting and marched east to elude the enemy.

They supposedly fought as mercenaries in a war between the Huns and the Chinese in 36BC – Chinese chroniclers refer to the capture of a “fish-scale formation” of troops, a possible reference to the “tortoise” phalanx formation perfected by legionnaries. The wandering Roman soldiers are thought to have been released and to have settled on the steppes of western China.

The theory was first put forward in the 1950s by Homer Dubs, a professor of Chinese history at Oxford University.

The Roman Empire reached its greatest territorial extent under the Emperor Trajan in the 2nd century AD, just as the Han empire was beginning to decline.

Most historians believe that the two empires had only indirect contact, as silk and spices were traded along the Silk Road through merchants in exchange for Roman goods such as glassware.

But some experts believe they could instead be descended from the armies of Huns that marauded through central Asia, which included soldiers of Caucasian origin.

Maurizio Bettini, a classicist and anthropologist from Siena University, dismissed the theory as “a fairy tale”.

“For it to be indisputable, one would need to find items such as Roman money or weapons that were typical of Roman legionaries,” he told La Repubblica. “Without proof of this kind, the story of the lost legions is just a legend.“

Just too cool.  I hope they find something.

Posted in Just Too Cool |
18 Comments

Not for the weak of heart or stomach. The hideous truth.

Posted on 24 November 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

CMR reports on the hideous truth.

Vegetarians around the planet were horrified to learn today that the popular Thanksgiving dish for vegetarians called Tofurkey doesn’t actually derive from the vegetarian bean curd known as Tofu but from a very small and extraordinarily cute endangered species called the Tofurkey.

This is the first photo of a Tofurkey taken at a farm in Rhode Island just moments before it was skinned, torn limb from limb, had its eyes removed while still alive, and was finally dipped in boiling oil.

A tofurkey farm is not a typical farm. The tofurkey is extraordinarily cute and very inexpensive to keep because they’re fed exclusively by hugs and smiles. “That’s all they need,” said one tofurkey farmer. “And they’ve got these huge expressive eyes that melt your heart.” It’s those expressive eyes that make “slaughter season” very hard for tofurkey owners.

[…]

I just can’t print the rest.  You’ll have to go over there to read … it.

Posted in Fr. Z's Kitchen, Lighter fare |
27 Comments

QUAERITUR: Reservation of Precious Blood in home of a sick person

Posted on 24 November 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader:

My father-in-law has been battling tongue cancer (which has spread to
his lymph) and has been housebound for nearly 5 months. Moreover, he hasn’t eaten any solid foods for nearly 10 months. He has a feeding
tube for his nutrition.

The liturgical question regards the fact that a priest friend of the
family suggested that they have a tabernacle in their bedroom,
containing the Precious Blood in a dropper bottle so that he can
receive a drop (since he cannot eat even a particle of the host).

Is this an acceptable practice?

In general the Precious Blood may not be reserved.  Under special circumstances, the Precious Blood may be kept briefly for the sake of distribution to the sick.  Of course that must be done with great care.

Furthermore, the Blessed Sacrament  may not be reserved in a home without the permission of the local bishop.

The best solution here would be for a priest to say Mass in the room and give the poor man some of the Precious Blood consecrated at the Mass.  A second best solution would be for the true Eucharistic minister (bishop, priest or deacon) would bring the Precious Blood and give it to the fellow in the proper way.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box | Tagged ,
7 Comments

POLL ALERT: Justification of “mercy killing”

Posted on 23 November 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

There is a poll on the site of the New York Daily News attached to a story about an 88 year old man who shot his wife in the head to end her suffering.

As of now.

UPDATE 24 Nov 1755 GMT:

I am amazed.

UPDATE 25 Nov 1512 GMT:

I am even more amazed!

Posted in Emanations from Penumbras, POLLS | Tagged ,
37 Comments

Fr. Fessio on what Pope Benedict really said: USEFUL ANALOGY ALERT

Posted on 23 November 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

USEFUL ANALOGY ALERT

“Pope Approves Padded Pipes for Mugging”

You would do well to read this carefully and use it in conversations.

Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ,  wrote a piece for Reuters which means that it will get a little visibility.

It begins:

Did the Pope “justify” condom use in some circumstances?

No. And there was absolutely no change in Church teaching either. Not only because an interview by the Pope does not constitute Church teaching, but because nothing that he said differs from previous Church teaching.

Then why all the headlines saying that he “approves” or “permits” or “justifies” condom use in certain cases?

With a tip of the biretta to Ignatius Insight:

[…]Equally problematically, “giustificati” = justified, was used in the Italian  translation of “begründete”, and arbitrarily resolves the ambiguity one-sidedly.

The Pope responded: “She [the Church] does not regard it as a real or moral solution, but, in this or that case, there can be nonetheless in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality”.

In the first place a solution which is not “moral” cannot be “justified”. That is a contradiction and would mean that something in itself morally evil could be “justified” to achieve a good end. Note: the concept of the “lesser evil” is inapplicable here. One may tolerate a lesser evil; one cannot do something which is a lesser evil.

But the crucial distinction here is between the “intention” of the male prostitute, viz. avoiding infecting his client, and the act itself, viz. using a condom. Since this distinction has been missed in almost every report I’ve read, it calls for some elaboration.

This distinction, in moral philosophy, is between the object of an act and the intent of an act. If a man steals in order to fornicate, the intent is to fornicate but the object is the act of theft. There is no necessary connection between stealing and fornicating.

In the case of the Pope’s remark, the intent is preventing infection and the object is use of a condom.

Here’s an example of this distinction that parallels what the Pope said.

Muggers are using steel pipes to attack people and the injuries are severe. Some muggers use padded pipes to reduce the injuries, while still disabling the victim enough for the mugging.

The Pope says that the intention of reducing injury (in the act of mugging) could be a first step toward greater moral responsibility. This would not justify the following headlines: “Pope Approves Padded Pipes for Mugging” “Pope Says Use of Padded Pipes Justified in Some Circumstances”, Pope Permits Use of Padded Pipes in Some Cases”.

Of course, one may morally use padded pipes in some circumstances, e.g., as insulated pipes so that hot water flowing through them doesn’t cool as fast. And one may use condoms morally in some cases, e.g. as water balloons. But that also would not justify the headline “Pope Approves Condom Use”, though in this case it could be true. But it would be intentionally misleading.

In sum, the Pope did not “justify” condom use in any circumstances. And Church teaching remains the same as it has always been—both before and after the Pope’s statements.

Read the entire post.

Posted in Biased Media Coverage, The Drill | Tagged ,
33 Comments

Queen Elizabeth warns Church of England synod

Posted on 23 November 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The “head” of the Church of England gives the “body” of the Church of England a warning.

From BBC:

Queen gives warning to Church of England synod

Queen ElizabethThe Queen has spoken of the “difficult” and “painful” choices facing the Church of England as she formally opened the Church’s general synod.

She also spoke of the “need to communicate the gospel with joy and conviction in our society”.

The Queen addressed the 476 members of the Church’s governing body as they marked the start of a five-year term.

The synod will also debate measures to keep the Church together over issues such as same-sex blessings.

And its members are preparing to discuss Prime Minister David Cameron’s “big society” idea.

Before her address, the Queen, who is supreme governor of the Church of England, attended a service of Holy Communion at Westminster Abbey, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh.
Speaking at the synod meeting, she said: “The new synod will have many issues to resolve to ensure that the Church of England remains equipped for the effective pursuit of its mission and ministry.

“Some will, no doubt, involve difficult, even painful, choices.
“But Christian history suggests that times of growth and spiritual vigour have often coincided with periods of challenge and testing.
“What matters is holding firmly to the need to communicate the gospel with joy and conviction in our society.”

Marriage ‘delight’

The Queen also said a “preoccupation with our welfare and comfort” were not “at the heart of our faith” but rather “the concepts of service and of sacrifice as shown in the life and teachings of the one who made himself nothing, taking the very form of a servant”.

During her address, the Queen said the place of religion had come to be a matter of “lively discussion” in a more “diverse and secular” society.

“It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue and that the well-being and prosperity of the nation depend on the contribution of individuals and groups of all faiths and none,” she said.

“Yet, as the recent visit of His Holiness the Pope reminded us, churches and the other great faith traditions retain the potential to inspire great enthusiasm, loyalty and a concern for the common good.”

There was applause at the synod meeting when the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, expressed “delight” at the forthcoming marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Addressing the Queen, he said: “I am sure I speak for everyone here in expressing our delight at the family news announced last week.”

‘Casualty stations’

Also speaking at the synod meeting, Dr Williams said he wanted to avoid the worst aspects of “secular partisanship” by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

He urged members not to reject the Anglican Covenant, a proposed agreement aimed at resolving disputes within the worldwide Anglican Communion.

[…]

Read the rest there.

Posted in Pope of Christian Unity | Tagged ,
10 Comments

Fox News website headline: LIE – They should be ashamed

Posted on 23 November 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

This is the sort of shallow, asinine, perhaps even mendacious BS we all knew would crop up in the mainstream media.

NOTA BENE:  This headline is a LIE.

Note also that the URL for the story indicates something quite different.

UPDATE 2258 GMT:

I wrote  note to someone who is impossible to ignore in the Fox News organization.

I am sure many other people wrote notes as well.

And I have also been engaging an AP writer behind the story.

I noticed on the Fox News site that the headline has been revised.

UPDATE 23:10 GMT:

Okay, I have more information.  I have been in touch with the person who wrote the AP article.

For some reason some idiot editor at AP (my choice of words, not writer’s) took the writer’s name off the byline and, stupidly, imposed that gawdawful original  headline.

But we have seen in the past how very badly AP has treated the Church, haven’t we.

At best that bad headline was an unprofessional mistake based on the inability to understand what is written in black and white.  A more realistic scenario is that it was a purposeful distortion of the facts.

Meanwhile, this is from the CBC:

And…

Posted in Biased Media Coverage |
29 Comments

HUGE GLOBAL POPE NEWS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE AND MEANINGFULNESS

Posted on 23 November 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

My friend Greg Burke, the Rome correspondent for Fox News, has an article about the Pope’s new interview-book and the biggest news to come from it.

Keep in mind, folks, that the whole Condom Conundrum, is energy-consuming frivolity compared to this bombshell.

The German interviewer asked Pope Benedict about the significance of use of the camauro.

The Pope said:

“I was really just trying to fight off the cold.”

KaBLAM!

Now that’s news!

Posted in Lighter fare | Tagged ,
18 Comments

QUAERITUR: Dispensation for Americans to eat meat on Friday after Thanksgiving?

Posted on 23 November 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

wishboneFrom a reader:

The folks at Rorate Caeli have posted that Pius XII granted an indult
for Americans to eat meat on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Is this
indult still in effect?

I don’t know.  Probably not.  Also, it doesn’t make any difference if in the 40’s or 50’s Pius XII gave some sort of dispensation.

Under the present law of the Church Catholics can substitute other forms of penance in place of abstaining from eating flesh.

Keep in mind also that no one is required to eat meat the day after Thanksgiving just because there are a lot of left-overs.   Most people have pretty good refrigerators these days.  Many Americans had them in the time of Pius XII, too.

If from piety you do not want to eat meat on Friday, then don’t.

If you are considering how to observe Friday as a day of penance but want to use those left-overs – perhaps you have a lot of guests to feed and it would not be good for your budget to provide other things – consider doing something other than avoiding meat during meals.

  • Cut back on the amount you eat.
  • Give alms.
  • Don’t shop.
  • Don’t turn on the radio, TV, computer.
  • Don’t text or use your mobile.
  • Don’t listen to music.
  • Pick something by which you can gain an indulgence.
  • Figure out some other sacrifice of your time for the sake of others.

Be creative.

That said, I am curious to see that document, if it exists.  Anyone have concrete information?  Perhaps we can find it in the AAS.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box | Tagged
28 Comments