The Weight of Glory

In celebration of the Church's birthday, and Mother's Day, I've updated my home page. These two celebrations fit together well, when you consider Mary, Mother of the Church, praying in the Upper Room with the apostles. The Holy Spirit overshadows them, and the Church is born.

To all mothers, and all women, a happy Mother's Day. Thanks, Mom, for everything.

Back in January of this year, Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap, preacher to the papal household, gave two talks in Los Angeles at a gathering of the SCRC about Pentecost and loving the Church.

I've posted the first of the two talks as an audio podcast today. Here's an excerpt:

Last year, in England, there was a consultation of all the charismatic renewal in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, to make a balance of the first forty years of the charismatic renewal, and in preparation for this consultation, a survey was distributed with many questions. One of the questions was: "What do you think has been the greatest blessing the charismatic renewal has brought to your life?" Well, the answer, almost unanimous, was the love of God. "For the first time, I discovered what it means to be son of God / daughter of God." And any time I myself have an occasion to meet people who have received the baptism in the Spirit, I ask them, "What remains to you after years of this experience?" Usually the most common answer is the love of God. The love of God.

This is the miracle of miracles. Usually we are looking for miracles, but this is the greatest miracle: God loving us. When we know, at least a little, who God is and who we are, this is the greatest miracle. And it's difficult to believe. Apparently, this is the most easy thing to believe. But on the contrary, very few people reach this position of really believing that God loves them... personally, eternally, in such a way that we have no idea. So Pentecost, my dear brothers and sisters, should be this: a rediscovery of the love of God for us. We are more preoccupied with how we love God, but this comes later.

One of the most important contributions of the charismatic renewal to the whole theology of the Church is precisely to restoring this order. Before the commandments, before the duties, comes grace -- the gift. This shows the essential difference between Christianity and any other religion or religious philosophy. Any religion starts telling people what they must do to reach the final goal (nirvana, and so on.) Christianity doesn't begin by telling people what they must do. It begins by telling what God has done for them. Grace!

Somebody could say, "Yes, but isn't the first and most important commandment this: 'You must love your God with all your soul and all your strength?'" Yes, this is the highest commandment. But the order of commandments is not the first order, it's the second one. Before the order of commandments, there is the level or the order of gift: grace. And we have contributed to this rediscovery which is the secret of making evangelization effective nowadays. The power of Christianity is grace.

The whole talk is worth a listen. You can download the talk directly to your browser here, or subscribe to my feed using iTunes, or simply look up the episode on Podcast Alley.

Also, check out Father Cantalamessa's homily for Pentecost, Power from Above.

The May 10 protest against the Church of Scientology focuses on the Fair Game policy, a policy set in place by L Ron Hubbard that basically said that suppressive persons (SP) are "fair game" for all kinds of attack by the Church.



Since the last worldwide protests in April, there have been a number of PR nightmares for the Church:

• Jason Beghe, a comic actor who escaped from the Church, gave an extended video interview to Mark Bunker; YouTube pulled Mark Bunker's YouTube account shortly afterward
• Marc Headley, former Scientologist who entered the Church at the age of 9 and was involved in SeaOrg and Golden Air Productions, gave audio interviews on April 25 and May 9, revealing the human rights abuses and the physical abuse he himself sufffered at the hands of David Miscavige, leader of the Church
• a story broke about asbestos contamination on the Freewinds cruise ship
• Yesterday, a story broke about James Parker, the most wealthy member of the Church of Scientology, quietly pulling back from the cult

Scientology has gone on the offensive, claiming that the protestors are lying, and transforming www.scientology.org into the Scientology Video Channel (which, of course, does not allow any user comments).

Michael Bayly has a post on his blog entitled Why We Cannot Cheer the Pope.

My response:

It's difficult to cheer the Pope if you won't first hear the Pope.

It's like a child in the middle of a temper tantrum ("we do not want to listen to him.") The parent might be offering the very thing the child needs, but the child is too busy with the tantrum to stop screaming, to listen, and to find out what is actually being communicated / offered.

It seems that dissenters have bought the lie of the serpent in Genesis and so interpret things through the lens of a power-struggle (cf. Genesis 3:5).

This is very unfortunate. Anyone who has taken the time to read what the Pope said during his apostolic visit to America would realize that he didn't shake the finger at anyone, but was ready to put the best interpretation on everyone's efforts to live the Gospel, and encouraged everyone to foster a personal, intimate, living relationship with Christ Jesus. The Pope wasn't issuing mandates, but inviting fellow Christians to mature discipleship. It was a very hopeful message, not a shaming message at all.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

The culture of dissent in America runs deep... I think because we live in a country founded by Puritans deeply suspicious of authority and tradition and racked with Calvinist baggage... who sought escape from their dark, shame-based and dualistic world view in the sentimentality of transcendentalism. I think this history goes a long way toward explaining the way American Catholics tend to misunderstand the place of authority and conscience in the moral life, as well as the role of the Church as a mediator of grace and revelation.

The archdiocesan appointments I mentioned yesterday now appear in the Catholic Spirit:

On May 2, his first official day as leader of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minne­apolis, Archbishop John Nienstedt named Father Lee Piché as vicar general and moderator of the curia, replacing Father Kevin McDonough, who has served in the Chancery since 1984.

Father Piché, who has been serving at All Saints in Lakeville, was also named pastor of St. Andrew in St. Paul.

Father McDonough now will serve the archdiocese as Office for Protection of Children and Youth Initiative director. He also was named pastor of Sagrado Corazón de Jesus in Minneapolis, while continuing to serve as pastor of St. Peter Claver in St. Paul.

In addition, Archbishop Nienstedt named:

Father Erich Rutten as chair of the Commission on Ecumenism and Interreligious Affairs, replacing Father Piché. Father Rutten will continue to serve as campus ministry director at the University of St. Thomas.

Father Eugene Tiffany will serve as director of the Office of Priestly Life and Ministry, while he continues to serve as pastor of Holy Spirit in St. Paul.

Father Francis Kittock, who is retired from full-time ministry, was named assistant director of the Office of Priestly Life and Ministry....

Complete list of new appointments here.

Also, Archbishop Nienstedt has written an article entitled Exciting New Developments at Chancery, in which he announces the development of a new office:

The Presbyteral Council has been asking for a new Archdiocesan Office of Life and Ministry of Priests. Nothing is more important to me than the life and ministry of our priests. They function as my right arm!

Not wanting to remove a pastor from his parish to accomplish this important work, I have asked Father Eugene Tiffany to work half time at this ministry, while continuing his pastoral responsibilities at the Church of the Holy Spirit in St. Paul.

I have also asked Father Francis Kittock to assist Father Tiffany in overseeing the new pastors in their transition. I am grateful to both these priests for agreeing to serve in these roles.

Eventually, I would like to see this new office affiliated more closely with St. Paul Seminary as well as our archdiocesan offices for deacons and vocations.

In other news, Joe Towalski interviews the new archbishop about the future.

And finally, the Archdiocese has asked that the practice of lay preaching come to an end, as of May 2.

During the RCIA Hollywood sessions this spring, I brought up the Puritan influence on American culture and religion a couple of times. One of the listeners to the RCIA podcasts wrote to me asking about this, so I prepared a detailed response over on the RCIA Hollywood blog.

Glosslip.com is thrilled to announce a special radio segment on our BlogTalkRadio show, Glosslip Radio. This Monday we will be interviewing Astra Woodcraft, ex-Scientologist and child Sea Org member and her father Lawrence Woodcraft, an architect, ex-Scientologist and former Sea Org member. Recently, Astra and her father were profiled on ABC’s Nightline interview with Jenna Miscavige, niece of CoS leader, David Miscavige. Astra, Jenna and another ex-Scientologist, Kendra Wiseman started a website called Exscientologykids.com.

Also significant is Lawrence Woodcraft’s detailed history on the CoS cruise ship, the Freewinds. Just yesterday we reported the ship has been permanently sealed due to a massive asbestos leak discovered during renovation. Mr. Woodcraft reported the “blue asbestos” problem years ago, but the Church of Scientology has worked hard to cover up the problems until the recent news leak our of the Caribbean, where the ship is dry-docked.

A new vicar general and vicar for clergy have been chosen for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. I'll wait to see an official announcement before posting the names here. But both look like very solid choices!

This one-hour documentary by FOX about Pope Benedict XVI's recent visit to the U.S. looks interesting:

Hosted by Chris Wallace. In April 2008, Pope Benedict XVI made an historic trip to the United States, his first since being named Pope. This one-hour documentary taps the world-wide resources of Fox News to examine the man, his mission, and the role he desires for the Roman Catholic Church in the 21st century. Born Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict grew up in the small villages of Bavaria Germany as Hitler came to power. He became a priest, a brilliant college professor, and a top advisor to Pope John Paul II. After John Paul's death, Pope Benedict XVI took over a church faced with significant challenges, including: dwindling numbers of Catholics in Europe, ascandals and priest shortages in the United States, a growing secularism throughout the West, and the spread of radical Islam throughout the world.
This hour reveals the inside stories behind Benedict's plan to revitalize the faith of Catholics in America; his outreach to American Protestants, including Evangelicals; his visit to Ground Zero -- the site of Al Qaeda's September 11, 2001 attack on New York City; his White House meeting with President Bush, and his historic address to the United Nations. Interviews include top Catholic theologians, Former Great Britain Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Bush's National Security Advisor Steven Hadley, the Vatican's Ambassador to the United Nations, the Reverend Pat Robertson, and others.

Available May 13 on DVD.

This week, in honor of World Communications Day, I'm going to post a few examples of good use of the media for evangelization.

First up, here's Father Andrew Cozzens speaking about celibacy for a local news story in the Twin Cities, when Pope Benedict XVI released Sacramentum Caritatis:



Of course, the news commentators had to end the story with an ambiguous / confusing statement (forgetting, of course, to mention that even in the East, only celibate clergy are ordained bishops), but the clip itself was pretty strong.

Today is World Communications Day. Every year, the Pope releases a message on this day addressing those involved in social communications. This year's letter is titled The Media: At the Crossroads between Self-Promotion and Service; Searching for the Truth in order to Share it with Others and includes this passage:

Man thirsts for truth, he seeks truth; this fact is illustrated by the attention and the success achieved by so many publications, programmes or quality fiction in which the truth, beauty and greatness of the person, including the religious dimension of the person, are acknowledged and favourably presented. Jesus said: “You will know the truth and the truth will make you free” (Jn 8:32). The truth which makes us free is Christ, because only he can respond fully to the thirst for life and love that is present in the human heart. Those who have encountered him and have enthusiastically welcomed his message experience the irrepressible desire to share and communicate this truth. As Saint John writes, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life … we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing this that our joy may be complete” (1 Jn 1:1-3).

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to raise up courageous communicators and authentic witnesses to the truth, faithful to Christ’s mandate and enthusiastic for the message of the faith, communicators who will “interpret modern cultural needs, committing themselves to approaching the communications age not as a time of alienation and confusion, but as a valuable time for the quest for the truth and for developing communion between persons and peoples” (John Paul II, Address to the Conference for those working in Communications and Culture, 9 November 2002).

I've updated my homepage with a new slideshow in honor of this day and the upcoming feast of Pentecost.

On Archbishop Harry Flynn's 75th birthday, Rome has accepted his resignation.

Happy birthday, Archbishop Flynn! Thank you for your many generous years of service. And ad multos annos!

VATICAN CITY, 2 MAY 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, U.S.A., presented by Archbishop Harry J. Flynn, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop John C. Neinstedt.

More details on the website of The Catholic Spirit.

Here's the message I left for Archbishop Flynn on the Catholic Spirit's message board:

Posted: Saturday, April 26, 2008
Guestbook entry by: Clayton Emmer

Dear Archbishop Flynn,

Thank you for your years of service in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

I feel fortunate to have had the chance to know you during my years as a seminarian, and for your continued friendship in the years that followed. I wish I could have been an altar server for you one last time in the Cathedral for the priesthood ordination liturgy this morning. I promise I would have had my shoes polished. As it is, I'm now in Los Angeles. Come visit sometime!

May your years of retirement be a time of deep and joyful renewal for you, and may you find encouragement in witnessing that seeds you have planted for the Kingdom have sprouted, grown and blossomed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Yours in Christ Jesus, our hope,

Clayton

Congratulations also, and prayers, to the new archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, John Clayton Nienstedt. May God, who has begun a good work in him, bring it to fulfillment, as he works to make the name of Jesus Christ known and loved.

Pope Benedict XVI's general prayer intention for the month of May highlights the service that entertainment, art and the media can offer to the dignity of the human person.

VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2008 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for May is: "That Christians may use literature, art and the mass media to greater advantage in order to favor a culture which defends and promotes the values of the human person."

His mission intention is: "That the Virgin Mary, Star of evangelization and Queen of the Apostles, may still guide today with maternal affection the missionaries, both men and women, throughout the world, just as she accompanied the Apostles in the early stages of the Church."

This Sunday is also World Communications Day.

I've updated my home page with a new Flash animation and a link to the Pope's letter for this annual event. You can also find a lower-quality version of the animation on YouTube.

Today's Catholic Spirit features a series of articles about Archbishop Harry J. Flynn as he prepares to retire. The whole issue is worth a read, but I especially enjoyed coadjutor archbishop John C. Nienstedt's article highlighting Flynn's legacy, and also an interview with Flynn:

There has been concern expressed by some people around the archdiocese about the leadership transition that has been taking place and that will be finalized when you retire. Do you have any concerns about that?

No. I think in every change, there's wonderment. As I've said before and I say it again: We're all different personalities. I might have emphasized things that Archbishop Roach didn't emphasize. And Archbishop Nienstedt might emphasize certain areas that I didn't emphasize. But out of all of this is a beautiful tapestry. And, as long as God is being served, and as long as the beauty of Jesus Christ is being handed over, that's all that's necessary, and it comes in different packages.

Do you have a parting message for the people of the archdiocese as you move into a new stage of your ministry?

Yes. Love the church. Love the church. Love the church. And remember that the church is the presence of Jesus Christ in our world.

Renting a movie for 24 hours is not the only option on iTunes anymore.

Today, Apple announced that movies can be purchased via download from iTunes, on the same day as the DVD release.

The technology revolution continues...

As many of you know, the New York Times hosted a blog discussion with popular authors and theologians during the Pope's apostolic visit to the United States.

I contributed in the comments box to a few of the posts:
Amy Welborn's What is God Whispering to You? and So Much for T-Shirt Theology

Rosemary Radford Reuther's Silence on Contraception, The Church as State, Bush, Benedict, and the Attack on Secularism, A Few Good Priests and Silenced Discussion

Alejandro Bermudez's No Free Thought Without Truth

Peter Steinfels' Young Catholics: Fervent but Fewer

Richard J Mouw's Why the Pope Speaks for Evangelicals Too

Fr. James Martin's The Vicar of Christ and My Gay Friend

The Catholic News Agency reports a tsunami of interest in priestly vocations in New York following Pope Benedict XVI's recent visit.

Also, check out the excellent vocations website -- NYPRIEST.COM -- created by Grassroots Films, creators of the film Fishers of Men.

Also, the Saint John Vianney college seminary in Saint Paul, MN, has come up with a creative solution to the fact that it is overflowing with seminarians.

From the StarQuest Production Network (SQPN):

On June 22, 2008, SQPN will host the first Catholic New Media Celebration. This festive event will be held in conjunction with the Eucharistic Congress that takes place the day before in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Catholic New Media Celebration is going to be an unprecedented event in the history of Catholic media.

Visit the official website for the Catholic New Media Celebration at http://celebration.sqpn.com. Event flyer available here.

It will teach you, both as a media producer as well as simply someone who enjoys Catholic New Media, how to get involved in the exciting media revolution that is opening up so many new opportunities for the Church to spread the message of Jesus, the Bread of Life.

While we will be revealing more details about the program in the near future, here are already some reasons why you can’t afford to miss this day:

• It’s going to be big: it’s the biggest Catholic New Media event ever organized!


• It’s a celebration: there will be a lot of fun, some exciting surprises and great performances!


• It’s a reunion: meet all your friends, podcasters and fellow listeners that you’ve met online!


• It’s a training seminar: we will show you how you can make your own podcast, video, or even a live internet radio and television station!


• It’s Catholic: the Eucharist will be the heart of the celebration!


• It’s what the Pope encourages: “The new media – telecommunications and internet in particular – are changing the very face of communication; perhaps this is a valuable opportunity to reshape it!” - Pope Benedict XVI, message for the 42nd World Communications Day


• The event will be FREE, easily accessible, and hotels and transportation are readily available.

Come to the Eucharistic Congress on Saturday and stay for the Catholic New Media Celebration on Sunday. It will be a weekend you will never forget!

We hope to bring together some 600 people, but we can only reach that goal if you help us. Help us spread the word about this event by telling your friends and family about it. We will keep you informed about the celebration on www.sqpn.com.

This is an ominous interview from ex-Scientologist Marc Headley, former member of SeaOrg and Golden Air Productions. He entered the Church in 1989 and left in 2005. He speaks of his own experience being physically abused by David Miscavige, the human rights violations, the no-child policy in SeaOrg, the hundreds of forced abortions in the organization, Tom Cruise's departure from Scientology and sudden return, Lisa McPherson, and a number of other topics. A PDF transcript of the 90 minute interview is available here. The audio link is below.



Frankly, I've decided this will be my last post on this blog by way of expose of the Church. I have heard enough from diverse sources -- about the litigious nature of the Church, the fear, deception, intimidation, and human rights violations perpetrated by David Miscavige, etc -- to believe that there is something diabolical going on in this organization.

I mean, consider this speech by Miscavige:

Contained in the body of Dianetics and Scientology are answers to those age-old questions — Who am I? What’s the purpose of all this? And, What happens when I die?

The direct answers are: You are a spiritual being, distinct and separate from a body. You have lived lifetime after lifetime and will live again. You are seeking to survive for yourself, your family, group, mankind, the physical universe, and to survive as a spirit. And only when you have fully achieved that level of enlightenment can you truly understand the Creator.

And while that may sound familiar to many of you in the tradition of the ancient Eastern religions — you are certainly correct. What is different, and what is new about Scientology, are the means and ways of achieving it. For Scientology is a modern religion, born in the technical age of the 20th century. And if you were to ask any Scientologist, they would tell you it is a practical religion, with practical answers — tools that can be applied to achieve that greater awareness and purpose in the here and now. Or, as we say it, when you have the answers to life’s questions — there is virtually no part of existence it cannot be applied to for the betterment of life itself.

As for what it means in the greater scope of things — well, I return to that “greater drama” I referenced at the outset. It is summed up in the cycle of religion and science, and the question of which one held the answer to man himself. That has been the battle, and it’s been a continuous cycle. And while, through the ages, each has pointed to the “failures” of the other to support their position, we believe neither was correct. Instead, they both awaited a mutual meeting ground. That, to us, is Scientology.

And with that in mind, I won’t try to tell you that as a religion we are “just like everybody else.” Certainly we share those same goals of peace, compassion, the belief in a higher purpose — that life transcends this mere existence of the “clay” that is our bodies. Beyond that, we seek evolution to a better state for man in the here and now.

And then read paragraph 676 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

The Antichrist's deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the "intrinsically perverse" political form of a secular messianism.

It seems wise to remember what Jesus said about the need for prayer and fasting (Mark 9:14-29). I think Anonymous has done, and continues to do, great work in exposing the evils committed by Miscavige and others in the Church. But at a certain point, I no longer need to be convinced of the magnitude of the evils involved.

Learning more about the abuses will likely only serve to make me angrier about them. I recall what Saint John of the Cross has to say about spiritual anger:

Through a certain indiscreet zeal they become angry over the sins of others, reprove these others, and sometimes even feel the impulse to do so angrily, which in fact they occasionally do, setting themselves up as lords of virtue. All such conduct is contrary to spiritual meekness.

Also, regarding spiritual peace and the will of God:

Strive to preserve your heart in peace; let no event of this world disturb it; reflect that all must come to an end.... Take neither great nor little notice of who is with you or against you, and try always to please God. Ask him that his will be done in you. Love him intensely, as he deserves to be loved.

Prayer and fasting are the best things I can offer in this situation.

The Catholic Spirit has a web page set up to offer Archbishop Flynn a word of thanks as he retires. Click here to view the page.

In less than two hours, five men will be ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. This will be the final ordination ceremony with Archbishop Harry Flynn as main celebrant, as he will likely be retiring later this year.

Please pray for these men:

• John Bauer
• Shane Campbell
• John Meyer
• Fernando Ortega
• Jon Bennet Tran

Also pray for Archbishop Flynn, Coadjutor Archbishop Nienstedt, and for the whole archdiocese during this time of transition.

In other news, it seems that Archbishop Flynn's parting gift to the archdiocese will be a pastoral letter entitled The Moral Conscience:

The moral conscience is not a personal, subjective guide that allows one to determine the rightness or wrongness of an action, but rather a tool to judge whether an action is in accord with right or wrong, writes Archbishop Harry Flynn in a soon-to-be-released pastoral letter.

Titled "The Moral Conscience," the letter was inspired by the work of the archbishop's biomedical ethics commission.

"People seem to think that choices can be made without reference to natural law, and this idea of relativism has crept in, as the Holy Father has mentioned," Archbishop Flynn told The Catholic Spirit, which received an advanced copy of the letter....

"The Moral Conscience" is divided into four sections. In the first section, "The Question,"  Archbishop Flynn examines knowing the difference between right and wrong. Although the church teaches right and wrong can be known, the archbishop acknowledges contemporary society does not always share this view.

"This questioning of the truth of right and wrong, the questioning even of the possibility of knowing anything to be certain, leads to what we call 'relativism,'" Archbishop Flynn wrote.

"Over time [false notions] have fostered a moral culture which prizes personal autonomy and subjective determination of good above all else, creating a world of merely individualistic morality," he added.

This subjectivism leads to the idea that things are good or bad based on an individual's preferences - of what he or she thinks is best for himself or herself - in opposition to what is best for the common good of society.

"If we want to live in a society that respects the dignity of all persons, then it is in our interest to take a strong look at the objectivity of what is good or bad, right or wrong for all of us," he wrote.

In the second section, "Truth, Christ, Church," Archbishop Flynn addresses love and truth as exemplified by Jesus.

"Truth is essential in our relationship to God and to each other," he wrote. "The foolishness of what we have referred to as relativism is in the fact that it tries to accept everything as possibly true and ends up accepting nothing as actually true."

He points to God's gifts of faith and reason as guideposts in the person's search for truth, which reveals the way one ought to live.

"The more we know ourselves through both reason and faith, the more we come to know the truth of our relationship to God. And the more we know of that relationship, the more we know about how we ought to live," he wrote.

A very timely message indeed.

After Pope Benedict XVI's recent apostolic visit to the United States, here is what Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles had to say about the visit and its impact on him personally (see the April 25 edition of The Tidings for the whole essay):

Time and again he led us back to our friendship with Jesus Christ, and urged us to recognize the presence, love, and mercy of Jesus surrounding us.

For me personally, the two most memorable moments of grace with our Holy Father were ones shrouded in quiet prayer, silence and few public words: his meeting with victims of sexual abuse in Washington, D.C., and his visit to Ground Zero in New York. Both of these events had the dignity of silence, the depth of sadness, and the promise of hope-filled prayer - and both captured deeply the most wounded parts of our Church and of our country.

Yes, the great outdoor Masses were inspiring, the meetings with ecumenical and interfaith leaders were moving, and the gathering with young people and seminarians was memorable. But the power of those times of quiet healing moved me more deeply than all the rest of the Holy Father's many public appearances.

At first, I didn't know why. After all, concelebrating Mass with the Pope and tens of thousands of people was surely uplifting and a source of joy for us all. Slowly the realization became real: those times of quiet healing grace were exactly what I needed at this time in my own journey of faith. My own mistakes and failures over the years had continued to burden me - a weight that I failed to realize was holding me down.

The gentle and quiet manner of Pope Benedict touched me in the most vulnerable depths of my soul. I felt uplifted by our Shepherd and my heavy burdens somehow seemed lighter. How did our Holy Father accomplish this? Through his consistent call to faithful discipleship in Jesus Christ, and his reassurance that we are truly saved by hope in our loving God! His recent Encyclical Letter, Spe Salvi [Saved by Hope], continues to point us forward and upward on our journeys. He does not allow us to remain mired in our sins and faults, but instead, kept repeating the call to "true freedom" in Jesus who has come as "the way, the truth, and the life" for each one of us.

I return to Los Angeles a different disciple of Jesus than when I left a week ago. Thank you, Lord, for sending us not only the Vicar of Christ and the Successor of Peter, but also a brother and friend who knows Jesus personally and gave us six extraordinary days of grace and hope!

Please continue to pray for the Cardinal and the Church in Los Angeles.

The mainstream media has joined the chorus of voices expressing concern about the Church of Scientology. Last night, ABC aired a Nightline report on Scientology, interviewing Jenna Miscavige Hill, former Scientologist and the niece of Scientology leader David Miscavige.

Articles include:

Ex-Scientology Kids Share Their Stories

Niece of Scientology Leader Shares Her Story

Jenna, along with other ex-Scientologists, share horror stories of child labor, an abortion policy among members of Sea Org, and restricted access to family members outside of the Church. In this section of the article describing Sea Org and abortions:

"I'd been very unhappy while I was there," said Astra Woodcraft, who was becoming disillusioned with the church.

"They came up with a new rule, 'OK, that's it. No more kids,'" she said.

Her father said, "She was very upset when she was about 16 or 17 and told me they suddenly decided to change the rules and Sea Org members were no longer allowed to have children."

Hill said that "if you get pregnant when you're in the Sea Org you either have to leave, or you get an abortion."

Said Astra Woodcraft: "I remember thinking wait a minute, I never agreed to this. I am 17 years old, I haven't made a decision that I'm not going to have children."

Two years after the policy was established, Astra Woodcraft learned she and her husband were expecting a baby.

"A very high-level Sea Org member one day saw me and asked me what I was doing and I said I was leaving and I said I was pregnant and he said, Oh, is it too late for an abortion?," Woodcraft said. "I didn't even know what to say in response. "

The Church of Scientology is clearly feeling the heat, as it issued an official statement in response to the Nightline report:

Statement from the Church of Scientology to 'Nightline'
April 24, 2008—

The Church of Scientology made it clear from its first contacts with "Nightline" that it would not publicly discuss the ecclesiastical circumstances surrounding the dismissal of Mrs. Hill from Church staff, regardless of the nature of her allegations.

The Church will not discuss matters surrounding Mrs. Hill, because given the thrust of her claims, she has used her name to make an otherwise ecclesiastical issue into a family matter and a personal attack on a family member. The Church will not relinquish its dignity to engage in such a debate. Moreover, due to Mr. Miscavige's ecclesiastical position he cannot, will not and never has commented on family matters. It would be entirely inappropriate. Indeed, it is always inappropriate to discuss family in a public forum.

Every religion has its detractors; there is no faith that can satisfy everyone's spiritual needs, Scientology included. We wish Mrs. Hill well in her search for spiritual fulfillment.

"Nightline" clearly had its show prepared before it ever contacted the Church. Nonetheless, the Church provided "Nightline" with a wealth of information regarding the allegations raised in this piece so that ABC could undertake journalistic due diligence. "Nightline" well knows the Church cannot respond directly to Mrs. Hill's allegations without impugning her character, something the Church will not do.

The Church of Scientology repeatedly offered ABC unlimited access to its staff and facilities for a piece on the actual story of Scientology. Under the leadership of Mr. David Miscavige, the Church has seen unprecedented expansion across the globe, in its membership, in its facilities to serve its parishioners and the surrounding communities and, most importantly, in its humanitarian programs reaching out to make this a better world. "Nightline" was more interested in pursuing a story more fitting to tabloid journalism.

Just a couple of thoughts:

it is always inappropriate to discuss family in a public forum.

What?!

The Church will not relinquish its dignity to engage in such a debate.

Nothing to relinquish.

Every religion has its detractors.

And so does every cult, with good reason.

You can only have an ecclesiastical issue if you are truly a church. And a cult that is based on science fiction doesn't really qualify as a church or a religion. So all the talk about "faith", "religion" and "spiritual needs" being met rings hollow.The fact that Scientology includes a cross in its logo is really nothing short of blasphemous.

In other news, Madonna weighs in on the controversy with some stunning Kaballah insight:

She told New York magazine: "I don't care if people worship turtles or frogs! All I care about is whether they are good people - and Tom is a good person. He gets a raw deal, just like the orphans in Malawi get a raw deal.

I think a lot of marginalised people get a raw deal."

Well, there's another ex-Catholic to start praying for. Of course, Fr. Benedict Groeschel has already taken her on in his prayer apostolate, but the more the merrier...

Apparently Tom Cruise feels he can defend himself, without the wisdom of Madonna. He's returning to Oprah to discuss it all on May 2 and 5.

Meanwhile, Anonymous is gearing up for its fourth round of protests on May 10.


The voiceover for the video is as follows:

Hello, leaders of scientology.
We are Anonymous.

We hope you are looking forward to may 10th.

You are the center of attention.
Finally, after all these years, you are getting all the media coverage you could ever ask for.
But there is one problem.
Truth.
Your ruin is not Anonymous.
your ruin are not corrupted Thetans.
Your ruin are not your Sp's, but the truth that is driving them, driving us.
Truth is your ultimate ruin.
For truth is not on your side.

Founded by a lying science- fiction writer, You rejected truth from early on.
You have locked this door forever. You have turned your back on it.
Now, after years of silence and silencing, we have broken down the gates,
advancing and stomping over your backs.

This you still fail to understand.
You still fail to understand that it was you who brought us upon yourself.
You still fail to understand that we can not be destroyed by your lies.
You still fail to understand drowning our voices with music does not drown reality.
You still fail to understand that we do not fear your troll accounts and silly advertising, your O.S.A blogs and so- called informative websites. For none of these things contain the one most most powerful weapon of all:

Truth.

It is nothing but more of your bullbaiting, more laughable attempts of intimidation.

You know the rules scientology, and so do we. We knew the game and we played it.
And we have now decided that we have gotten sick of your "Fair Game" policy.
Over ninethousand times you will fail. It's game over, Scientology.
Your pretty empire took so long to build. Now, with a snap of history's fingers...
...down it goes.

On may 10th, the fourth wave of global protests will be coming your way.

You simply can not survive the age of information.

Knowledge is free.
we are Anonymous.
we are legion.
we do not forgive.
we do not forget.
expect us.

Previous posts about Scientology:

Interceding for the Stars (1/16/08)

Internet Vigilantes in War Against Scientology (1/28/08)

Anonymous Holds a Successful, Peaceful Demonstration (2/10/08)

The Ides of March (3/14/08)

YouTube Faces a Dilemma (4/19/08)

As an article on GodSpy puts it, after Pope Benedict XVI's recent visit, it's time to hit the books.

So, in preparation for this weekend's RCIA Hollywood session, I prepared a PDF containing all of the addresses and homilies given by Pope Benedict XVI during his recent apostolic visit to the United States. I numbered each paragraph within each address, and added PDF bookmarks and page numbers.

Here's the current version of the study PDF.

I'd like to expand it into a study guide with questions, a glossary, etc.

I could use some help from all of you in the Catholic blogosphere: Could you suggest words from the text that belong in a glossary, as well as some study questions that you think would be good for each address and/or homily? Also, would a table of contents be helpful (I already added bookmarks in the PDF)? What else would make this a good tool for study in parishes, etc?

Please feel free to leave your ideas in the comments box. Thanks in advance!

Looks like John Henry Cardinal Newman will be beatified later this year. Hat tip to Jeff Miller for the good news!

His book The Idea of a University is one of my all-time favorites.

In today's Boston Herald, Star Parker, president of the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education, writes:

I became my own story last week when I got word that a large Catholic University in Minnesota, University of Saint Thomas, denied permission for me to speak there as part of my college speaking tour.

How could this be happening? A Catholic university, which has played host to talks from left winger Al Franken and a transgendered woman named Debra Davis, nixes a presentation on abortion from a conservative black woman?

Conservative blogs were soon aflame. Then stories in print. Plenty of flak started reaching the university and soon a representative was on the phone to put me back on their calendar.

Kevin Mooney of CNSNews.com suggests that the timing of the papal visit may have had something to do with the reversal of decision:

Jason Mattera, a spokesman with the conservative Young America's Foundation (YAF), said the timing of the pope's visit may have prompted the school to change its mind.

"For a Catholic institution to deny a pro-life speaker on campus at a time when the pope is making a historic visit to America just became an embarrassment," Mattera said. "It's startling that a school named after one of the greatest thinkers in civilization is displaying such anti-intellectualism. Let's treat college students like the adults they are and allow them to hear from a variety of speakers and form their own conclusions."

A news bulletin from the University offers this explanation:

"St. Thomas proudly functions within the Catholic intellectual tradition," said Dr. Mark Dienhart, executive vice president. "We are now and always have been fully supportive of the moral teachings of the Catholic Church. This issue has always been about what is the appropriate involvement of the university in scheduling speakers, not about any particular speaker or his or her message. We are glad we have reached this agreement with Ms. Parker."

From the New York Post:



Hat tip to Whispers In the Loggia.

for a failure of leadership? The LA Times asks the question.

YouTube has put itself in an awkward position this week by disabling -- for the second time in a year -- the profile for Mark Bunker of Xenu TV. Hear Mark Bunker speak about this, on the recently un-disabled YouTube profile of a former Scientologist by the name of Tory.

Why did YouTube do this?

Last Sunday, Mark posted a video (which he recorded and which contained completely original content) of actor Jason Beghe venting his dissatisfaction with the Church of Scientology. Beghe was formerly an OT5 in the Church, and had given as much as $1,000,000 to the Church during his involvement.

The Times Online carries the story.

It appears that the Church of Scientology put pressure on YouTube to remove the video, although the legal grounds on which the action was taken have not been explained or defended. It has been three days now, and YouTube has done nothing to resolve the issue.

UPDATE (4/20/08): In an interview with Glosslip, Mark Bunker explains that there were a couple of e-mail warnings, one in regard to a Stephen Colbert video. So there was a precedent. But Mark argues that there wasn't time to resolve the issue, and would rather have the account reinstated than have to set up a new account and re-upload all of his videos. He had 10,000 subscribers on his channel.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Continue to pray for all those enmeshed in the cult of Scientology, those trying to escape, and the lives that have been damaged by the lies, fear, and selfishness of those who have acted abusively within this organization.

On a related note, apparently Amazon.com has been party to some Scientology censorship.

UPDATE (4/21/08): Full Jason Beghe interview now available here.