corpus christi

More than any dogma, practice, devotion or moral norm, what sets Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity apart from all the other Christian churches is the belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Here, the Catholic concept of sacrament takes its boldest stand: a visible sign that is what it signifies.

The words of Christ at the last supper mean what they appear to affirm: "This is my Body. This is my Blood. Do this in memory of me."

Catholicism's radical understanding of Christ's intention and the meaning of his gesture has long made other versions of Christianity queasy. Outside the Church, 'communion' becomes a social gesture, a symbol of spiritual belonging, a ritual recalling a moving historical moment... anything but what it really is.

Catholic understanding of the Eucharist stems from our understanding of the Incarnation, the first sacrament. "And the word became flesh and dwelt among us."

A God who does not shy away from the human condition in all its messiness. A God who considers no aspect of Creation unworthy of its Creator. A God who teaches dependence on one another, selfless giving to one another, being truly there for one another... and does it personally.

This world would be a lonely, lonely place were it not for that small sanctuary light that burns day and night, oblivious to the shallowness and disregard of many, in chapels all over the earth. As long as that light flickers, we have everything to live for.

boston massacre

Sure, it was only one game. Either a win or a loss, nothing more.
Sure, we'll just have to see where they are in September.
Sure, every team gets blown out once in a while. Geez, how many games do they play in a season, anyway...

Whatever. Nothing can make me enjoy this any less.
Bosox 17. Evil Empire 1.
And loving it.

wassup?

In a few days they're auctioning off the Pope John Paul's old car. Nope, not the Popemobile, so recognizable from the past pontiff's globetrotting. His car. You know, his drive before being Pope.

A 1975 Ford Escort GL with over 60,000 miles personally logged by JPII will be sold to the highest bidder in Vegas next weekend (3-4 June). The Pope had sold the car to a US based auction house in 1996 and used the money for Catholic charities. The present owner has debts to pay and hopes to get $5m.

It appears that Josef Ratzinger's old wheels (1999 Volkswagon Golf) went for a measley $240g a few months ago.

How long before they sell indulgences on EBay?

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Still dwelling on the topic of my last post, I did a quick search to see if there are any official fatwas condemning suicide bombings by jihadists, as T.L.Friedman called for in his op eds last week.

There is at least one (I'll keep looking), and very recent. Fifty-three Pakistani clerics signed a fatwa that rejects the killing of innocents, for whatever reason, as against the spirit of Islam. The fatwa was applauded only days ago by the Catholic bishop of Lahore.

Although it's unlikely that this decree in itself will reduce terrorists attacks in Iraq or elsewhere, it is a glimmer of hope on an issue, up to now, virtually hopeless.

holy, holy

Much has been made of the Newsweek story that sparked deadly riots and massive anti-US demonstrations in a number of muslim countries in recent days. The Bush administration has, somewhat sanctimoniously, called for reparation of America's damaged image in the Islamic world. The magazine, supported by numerous media sources, claims that the real cause of the trouble is not an isolated article, previously ok'd by Pentagon reviewers, but the Administration's entire response to Islamic terror, including especially the detention center at Guantanamo.

THAT is a beef that will go on for as long as Bush is in office and may even then never be resolved to the complete satisfaction of either party.

The Exorcist, however, would like to get his two cents in, specifically, on one aspect of the controversy.

Two pieces by editorial contributor Thomas L. Friedman were run by the NY Times last week on the Guantanamo incident that seem to reflect a broader misunderstanding of what's really the issue.

In Outrage and Silence (May 18), Friedman calls the alleged desecration of the Qur'an an outrage, but goes on to say that if riots are going to be staged and fatwas are going to be issued they should instead protest "the indiscriminate mass murders of Iraqi Shiites and Kurds by these jihadist suicide bombers".

In The Best P.R.:Straight Talk (May 20), he extends this thinking even further, saying, "we think the Arab-Muslim world must also look in the mirror when it comes to how it has been behaving toward an even worse crime than the desecration of God's words, and that is the desecration of God's creations". Mr.Bush should reprimand the Islamic world stating clearly, "I don't understand a concept of the sacred that says a book is more sacred than a human life. A holy book, whether the Bible or the Koran, is only holy to the extent that it shapes human life and behavior."

What "we think" and what we "don't understand" about Islam have seldom been more evident.

Our western culture, oh-so-remotely reflecting judeo-christian values, recognizes no greater dignity, no greater right, no greater value than that associated with human life. It is in the name of 'human dignity' that some defend euthanasia and abortion and others protest the death penalty or advocate adoption.

Not so in Islam. The dignity, rights and sanctity of Allah are quite evidently in a different category, untouchable and incomparable with human claims of any type, however noble. Foreign and contradictory as it may seem to us, Islam has retained a heightened, almost hair-trigger sense of the sacred that absolutely outweighs any other values, convenience or consideration. In practice, this results in a moral standard that westerners find hard to swallow.

From a theological standpoint, the Qur'an in Islam is not similar, in the way it is understood, to the Bible in Christianity. For us, Sacred Scripture is God's word analogously, that is, inasmuch as it reflects the true, original Word of God who is Jesus Christ in person. Inspired, but not dictated, the Bible is not diminished by this analogy. Its authority in the Christian world derives from it.

Again, not so in Islam. There is no human mediation involved in the Qur'an. The written word in it's original form (arabic) is directly identified with its Source, Allah himself. The Qur'an is God's caring and commanding presence among his people, the only way he is present in the world. To defile or disrespect the Qur'an is to dishonor God himself. Contrary to what Friedman asserts, its effect on human life and behavior is irrelevant to the holiness of the Qur'an.

A true muslim could never be indifferent to even a supposed affront to the Qur'an. The riots after the Newsweek debacle (inasmuch as they may have had anything to do with the Guantanamo story) were not an exaggeration, they were an obligation. Killing or dying in defense of Allah/Qur'an is not a denial of morality, it is its most sublime expression.

I do not think this way. You do not think this way. But it is equally irrational to expect fervent muslims to surrender their moral standards, which reflect a sensitivity to the Sacred long abandoned by the western conscience, especially on advice by George Bush. That is what Friedman proposes in his response to the Newsweek article conflict.

This is where the Exorcist begs to differ, in case you were wondering.

accusations dismissed

Both Ian Fisher of the NY Times and Marion Lloyd of the Boston Globe have reported that las Friday, May 20, a Vatican spokesman, Rev. Ciro Benedettini, informed the Legion of Christ that the investigation surrounding Fr. Marcial Maciel has been dropped and no church trial will be brought to bear against the founder of the congregation.

Unfortunately, I'm not so sure anything other than a guilty verdict will satisfy the men on crusade against Fr. Maciel. This is about vindication. Their vindication.

Juan Vaca, one of the accusers, responded to the news by saying that the dismissal of the case would damage the Vatican's credibility. Interesting. If an accusation is consistently dismissed for lack of substance, by different judges, who's credibility is really to be questioned, the accused's or the accuser's?

Hopefully the cloud has been lifted from over Fr. Maciel and the Legion permanently.

holy

This, the Sunday after Pentecost, is celebrated in the Catholic Church as Trinity Sunday. We focus, albeit for a few fleeting moments, on the momentous and unparalleled revelation of God as Father, Son and Spirit of Truth. This dogma or doctrine of faith is the basis of everything else Christians believe and teach. It is the fundamental content of Christ's message to the world: He came to bear witness to the Father, to reveal to mankind the God that all religion searches for.
Yet the doctrine of the Trinity is usually relegated to the meanderings of theologically inclined eggheads. The normal Catholic Joe who has to pull a nine-to-fiver just to stay alive and who, with any luck and a bit of good will, gets a little religion into his life on the occasional Sunday might not give a whole lot of thought to the meaning, much less the relevance, of seemingly obscure dogma. There are bills to pay, kids to school, a marriage to keep alive, vacations to plan, things to buy and sell... and, well, who has the time or the appetite for not-terribly-useful religious insights?



If that's the case with many a well meaning believer, what to say about the many, many people who consider all religious doctrine (especially Christian) just so much gobbledygook?(Please get to the point, Fr. Karras, the season finale of Desperate Housewives starts in a few minutes!!!)

Hmmm...

(to be continued...)

May day

Today my niece is 11 years old. I will probably see her tonight and be able to say 'Happy Birthday' in person, but just in case, I thought I'd mention her on today's post.

She's into gymnastics and cheerleading and the like.
She practices at home. See?

She wonders why, oh why, is her uncle an exorcist...

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Speaking of exorcists, Paul Schrader's version of the prequel is playing now in NY and LA. The NY Times didn't like it. Said it was only for "the serious crowd".

Damn skippy.
Wouldn't have it any other way.

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Saw Reggie play his last game yesterday. I'm not a Pacers fan, but I will miss his quirky, in-your-face style, his last minute heroics, his encouragement of New Yorkers booing and jeering at the Garden...

He was, after all, one of the last reminders of the great NBA rivalries of the late '80s and the '90s.

The Detroit - Miami showdown should be interesting...