Mirror of Justice

Kevin Flannery S.J. on capital punishment

I think Father Kevin Flannery's article on capital punishment is well worth reading. Here. He discusses problems with the explantion of the teaching on capital punishment in Evangelium Vitae and in the Catechism. In particular, he explains the errors in discussing capital punishment as analogous to personal self-defense and as resting on the principle of double effect.

Richard M.

symposium on Kraynak

The Catholic Social Science Review published a very interesting symposium (here, see volume 9 (2004)) on Robert Kraynak's book Christian Faith and Modern Democracy. That book and the symposium take up some of the questions raised by Rob in his recent post.

Richard M. 

website comparison

Here is an effort to respond to Susan's good question about what I had in mind with my reference to the websites of what I take to be two very different religious communities. I should haven't taken the lazy way out.

Here is the mission/vision of the IHM Sisters--"Urged by the love of God, we choose to work with others to build a culture of peace and right relationship among ourselves, with the Church and with the whole Earth community. The IHM community envisions and is committed to bringing about the dream of God on planet Earth through respect for, nurturing of and promoting the liberation and well-being of all persons and all of nature as God's good creation."

Here is a portion of the Mission of the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist--"By living this strong sacramental and liturgical prayer life, we hope to:

• Attract and form women to be faithful religious serving the Church for the good of souls, especially through the total gift of themselves as spiritual mothers and brides of Christ.
  
  
• Establish and support Catholic schools steeped in the rich culture of the Catholic faith to nourish the spiritual formation of youth, their families and society.
  
  
• Promote the culture of life and respect for the dignity of each person through apostolic work.
  
  
• Respond to the needs of the Church arising in the third millennium through teaching, catechesis and evangelization."

In my view, the IHM site seems more about the sustainability of planet Earth than about the Gospel, which is not to say that environmental issues are not at all relevant to Catholics. It may be that I am overly concerned about the IHM site's references to Jungian spirituality and drum therapy but it seems to me that the site indicates a community that has moved "beyond Jesus." It may be that I am being unfair to the  IHM community. As I mentioned, the IHM sisters I met in Monroe were inspirational. I received an email from a reader who spoke in very moving terms about the faith and devotion of IHM sisters who teach at a school in Maryland. My concern is that the community doesn't seem to be sustaining itself. I think that is because there isn't enough of an emphasis on community life and Eucharistic Adoration, and being a bride of Christ. 

I'll try to follow up with more of an explanation.

Richard M.   

women religious and the vatican

I thought I'd make a quick comment about Michael P.'s recent post. I think Cathlics owe a debt of gratitude to the communities of sisters who helped build the Church. I was taught by Ursuline Sisters and I am grateful to them for their lives of sacrifice and witness. But it is clear that there are challenges for communities of religious sisters in the West and also signs of tremendous hope. These points can be illustrated by looking at the websites of the IHM Sisters, here, and of the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, here. The IHM Sisters, which is Sister Schneiders' community, are based in Monroe, Michigan. I have heard it said that the Monroe convent is the largest in the world although I am not sure about that. The convent is a grand structure that is now the home of approximately 200 sisters with the median age of 84. I have been there on a retreat and the sisters are inspiring. But there is a sadness there because it is seems likely that the community will quietly go out of existence in the not too distant future.  

The Sister of Mary are based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The community has only been in existence for a dozen years. The community began with 4 sisters and there are now over 80 sisters. I believe that the median age is about 24. I know the Sisters of Mary quite well and the community is full of dynamism and joy. It is hard to meet this community without feeling a sense of great optimism and hope.

A quick perusal of the websites reveals, I think, why the Vatican thought it necessary to examine religious life in the US. I understand that the head of the Vatican team is Bishop Leonard Blair of Toledo who is friend of mine. Bishop Blair is a holy priest and a careful thinker who will, I am confident, fairly discharge his responsibilities.

Richard M.

comment on Woodward and the ND/Obama controversy

Kenneth Woodward's comment on the ND/Obama controversy largely depends, it seems to me, on the idea that Notre Dame is not really honoring President Obama by awarding him an honorary degree. He refers to the degree as the "customary honorary degree" and later notes that Obama "will receive an honorary degree because it is the custom, not as a blessing on any of his decisions." Woodward's comment notes that Notre Dame is "allowing its graduating class to hear from the President" (is anyone saying that President Obama ought to be prevented from making his views known?) and he (Woodward) seems to view the graduation ceremony as a debate between Obama and Glendon. (Does the Laetare Medal recipient deliver a speech at graduation?)

If Notre Dame had invited President Obama to speak at Notre Dame to participate in an exchange of views with Mary Ann Glendon, I doubt whether there would be a firestorm. The objections to Notre Dame's actions are not really about a desire to avoid engagement or about shunning the world as evil.

The objections seem largely the result of the perception that Notre Dame is in fact honoring President Obama by awarding him an honorary degree. I agree that there is room for prudential judgments. What if the public official was the Secretary of State whose public duties and actions were not inconsistent with Catholic moral teaching but who had expressed opposition to Church teaching on matters--e.g., Humanae Vitae--not relevant to that official's public duties and actions? I think, then, that one could make the argument that the award of an honorary degree to such a person should not reasonably be viewed as creating scandal or creating confusion about Church teaching on moral issues. (I wonder, though, why Catholic schools think it is so important to award honorary degrees to high profile public officials. Maybe the schools ought to rethink the whole matter.) But that doesn't seem to be the case with an award to President Obama. Woodward himself notes that Obama's actions have "violated fundamental Catholic principles on the protection of human life." (I wonder why Woodward refers to these principles as "Catholic"--which seems to leave the impression that the views are theological in nature?)

Richard M.

Arizona Supreme Court on vouchers

More bad news on the school choice front. The Supreme Court of Arizona has held two state voucher programs unconstitutional under the state Constitution. Here. The programs involved scholarships for students with disabilities and scholarships for students in foster care. The Court found that both programs violated the Aid Clause of the state Constitution; that provision states that "[n]o tax shall be laid or appropriation of public money made in aid of any church, or private or sectarian school, or any public service corporation."

Richard M.

comment on models

Just a quick comment on Amy's post. I do think that dialogue is a good thing and so I think it entirely appropriate to have Peter Singer at a Catholic university to debate euthanasia or infanticide or to publish works by him in its law review. I don't think, however, that decisions to award an honorary degree are the occasions to affirm a school's commitment to dialogue. I don't think honoring someone such as Peter Singer (and I realize that Amy didn't suggest him) would be perceived as an invitation to dialogue. It would likely be perceived as an endorsement of his work or if not an endorsement then at least an indication that his views (although in tension with the views of the Church) are not sufficiently troublesome to preclude him from being honored.  

Richard M.    

more on commencement speakers

I think this discussion about the matter of honorary degree recipients and commencement speakers is valuable. (I agree that the general issue of speakers is very different. I don't know of anyone who objects to having President Obama (or a surrogate such as Doug Kmiec) appear at a Catholic school and debate Robby George on abortion or stem-cell issues.)   

But why does a school think it is a good idea to routinely honor the President or the Attorney General or a Supreme Court Justice? There are plenty of people who would be worthy recipients of honorary degrees. But not all of these recipients would have the same "value" for the school in terms of making a statement about its place in the world of higher education or in the broader society. I guess my view is that the school shouldn't be so worried about its secular prestige. It ought to be more concerned about honoring people whose words and actions warrant such honors. Individuals who have advanced policies that are inconsistent with the Church's moral teachings ought not to be the recipients of such honors. 

I don't think this has much to do with the whether the school is interested in engaging the culture or whether the school is completely pure (is Rick suggesting that the school ought to be or try to be "impure"?). Criticism of Notre Dame's decision doesn't amount to a return to the catacombs. I don't think it is necessary for a school to honor people such as President Obama to avoid that charge. (I don't understand Rick to be making that sort of sweeping charge because he too is criticizing Notre Dame's decision.) With regard to bestowing honors, Catholic schools ought to make decisions that build up the Church so that members of the Church can more effectively engage the culture. That means that the Catholic school ought not to view itself as somehow outside the Church.

Richard M.

Pope Pius XII

Here, from Sandro Magister, is the latest on Pope Pius XII. The article, which highlights a recent article in La Civilta Cattolica, discusses the legacy of Pius XII. Pius has been unfairly maligned for his actions during WW II. This latest briefly explores his cautious legacy as Secretariat of State. Perhaps these articles are the beginning of a measured response to Pius XII. Pope Bendict has recently praised Pius XII and it seems likely that Pius XII will eventually be canonized. His life was marked by great holiness and an admirable record on many issues. The report of his caution during his years prior to his papacy demonstrates that the life of an individual is often marked by great complexity and ambiguity. One is left with a sense of humility about how we would have responded to the pressures of that era. It makes it all the more important to hold up the legacy of heroes such as Thomas More and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and of Pius XII even if particular prudential judgments seem difficult to defend today.

Richard M.

Benedict's speech in Paris

Courtesy of Sandro Magister, here is Pope Benedict's speech at the College des Bernardins. The speech is a profound reflection on the roots of European culture. It echoes some of the themes of Benedict's Regensburg address. In particular, there is a reflection on God as creative Reason.

Richard M.