| May 7, 2007 | Volume 82, Number 14 | |
|
|
Financial help urged for campus ministryThe recent tragedy in Blacksburg makes us all wonder what to do, what can we do. The Catholic response to such horrors is prayer. We can pray for the injured, and those on the campuses. One real way to support students on these college campuses, huge or small is to send along some funds to support the fine work of the Catholic Campus Ministers. A directory is on line at the Diocese website which gives the name, address and phone numbers of the campuses in our Diocese. There also exists at the Chancery Office the coordinating office of campus ministries which is run by Sr. Diane Guy and her very fine and dedicated staff. The ministry has existed very quietly for a very long time and has been known as the Newman Club. These campus ministries form a core community of Catholics on our college campuses, where the students find a home away from home with others who share their beliefs. Attendance at Mass, scripture study, outreach to others, study of Catholic philosophy; a real community of believers while the student is on campus. Life-long friendships are formed. Yes, indeed, vocations to the priesthood as well as some teachers in our Catholic schools have come out of our campus ministries. I am sure that the CCM office in Blacksburg would welcome any financial support for their program — during this time of crisis — or for their campus outreach on a regular basis. Lord willing, our financial outreach could help prevent such future disasters.
Purgatory visions considered validI was disappointed to read Father Dietzen’s April 23 column (“Whose version of purgatory do we believe?”). A reader asked why there seems to have been a shift in how we view purgatory over the years, since past revelations revealed a place of intense suffering while more recent ones describe a beautiful place. Instead of explaining how these visions are by no means contradictory, Father Dietzen chooses to undermine our faith in the saints by reminding us that their revelations contain some errors. The Catechism contains little on purgatory, but an important point Father Dietzen neglected to explain is that part of this purification process involves expiation for sins, even forgiven sins. Sin has a double effect on us, the Catechism states. It offends God and interferes in our relationship with him. If the sin is serious enough, then it severs our relationship with Him and casts out divine life from our soul. That’s why we call such sins mortal sins, because they bring death to the soul. But lesser sins, or venial sins, still offend God and harm our relationship with Him. Often, those sins also harm others, and even if God forgives us the guilt of our sin, there are still consequences that are not wiped away by absolution. And we must make amends for those consequences. This is what is meant by expiation. Expiation, as reported through visions of the saints, is accomplished through intense suffering. This shouldn’t surprise us, since even in this life the process of burning out self-love is most efficaciously accomplished through suffering and making amends for our mistakes is usually unpleasant and humbling. But because in purgatory our wills will be completely aligned with God’s, we will also experience profound peace and even joy in the midst of our sufferings. We will be grateful for our pains because they purify us and make us fit to stand before the all-holy God, whom we will finally truly love above all. It is true that no Catholic is bound to believe private revelation, but it would seem imprudent to dismiss visions of the saints regarding purgatory. If nothing else, they inspire one with a holy fear of sin. Both understandings of purgatory — as a process of painful expiation and a condition of sublime peace — are entirely compatible. Saints’ visions help us see purgatory as a gift of mercy from Our Lord, who graciously gives us one last opportunity to perfect ourselves, even after most of us neglect to avail ourselves of opportunities to do so in this life.
Fr. Dietzen’s column does not appear in the web edition of The Catholic Virginian due to copyright restrictions.
Criminals need change of heartAs I began to read Chuck Brown’s recent column, (“Whatever happened to rehabilitation and restoration”) I was filled with hope. Here was “one who began his professional career with the FBI and who currently visits the incarcerated regularly,” writing in The Catholic Virginian. Surely he would have the keys to “creating a more serene and peaceful society.” Alas, all he offered was social criticism, media sensationalism and emotionalism, without any substantive steps to address the problem of crime and criminals in our society. I suspect that part of this failure could be attributed to several flawed premises underlying his approach. For instance, he equates the rehabilitation of felons and the protection of society, especially children, from crime. Those two goods are not, by any stretch of the imagination, equal. I believe that we should first seek to prevent crime, by all the means at hand, including incarcerating those who have repeatedly commited criminal acts or whose single crimes are so vicious and heinous that they “cry out to heaven for vengeance.” Mr. Brown also calls repeatedly for “treatment programs,” ignoring the millions, perhaps billions of (taxpayer-provided) dollars spent annually on a wide variety of programs in the criminal justice, health services and social services sectors; to say nothing of the poor performance of those programs in achieving reductions in criminal behavior and the rehabilitation of offenders. Additionally, he equates the deprivation of liberty represented by the prison system with “punishment for its own sake,” again failing to recognize that, as Americans, our liberty is second only to life in our hierarchy of values. The state’s ability to deny a citizen his or her liberty should be a major incentive to avoid criminal activity. Finally, Mr. Brown places far too much responsibility on society and the government for the rehabilitation of offenders. It is an individual’s behavior that lands him or her in the penal system (frequently, after numerous community-based attempts at reform). It requires an individual’s conversion from criminal activity to avoid future incarceration. The state, with all of its programs, education and rehabilitation, cannot change the individual’s heart. I do agree that there needs to be a continuing dialogue on crime and punishment, responsibility and rehabilitation, but that dialogue needs to be based on pragmatic premises and realistic expectations, not on emotion-laden media reporting or shop-worn calls for fewer prisons and even more spending on programs.
War and violence in world scornedThe recent tragedy at Virginia Tech has deeply saddened and traumatized us, and we pray for those who have died as well as for the students and staff of Virginia Tech. In the light of such happenings we need to look within ourselves and ask who are we as a society and what we can do to make life less violent, especially for our young people. There is a presumption that war, with its horrible loss of life and great destruction, is a way of solving problems. We practice the violence by using capital punishment to execute criminals. As Gandhi taught, an eye for an eye makes both parties blind. We have the violence of abortion as a normal practice in life. There is the violence of many people living in poverty that robs them of their human dignity while we live among great affluence. As followers of Jesus, we are called to follow brother Jesus who preached a kingdom of peace, justice and love and called us to build that kingdom on earth. We are made of better stuff than accepting violence as a way of life. We are an Easter people following Jesus from death to new life. May we live up to our calling, rejecting violence, and taking time to reach out to the poor and alienated around us. God loves us and wants all of us to have the fullness of life Jesus came to bring.
Parish suggested for profile seriesI have enjoyed the parish profiles. When are you going to do one on St. Joseph’s, Richmond? We have a vibrant, growing parish that in my judgment needs to become more involved in the diocesan church, and the diocesan church needs to become more aware of it. I think people all over would be interested to read of this aspect of our diverse Catholic community.
(Editor: The Catholic Virginian will eventually do a profile on every parish community in the diocese and will include St. Joseph’s in Richmond. There is an effort to make sure that parishes in various regions and of various sizes are featured randomly.)
Women’s Commission article laudedI am a member of the Diocesan Women’s Commission. I wanted to thank you so very much for the beautiful article in The Catholic Virginian. I think it will help with our work for all the people to see what we have done and are going to do. The Catholic Virginian is such a wonderful vehicle to get to everyone. I always read it from cover to cover and find it so informative. Thank you again for what you do.
Reader cancels CV subscriptionI would like to be removed from your mailing list. Your paper is clearly aimed for right wing Catholics, a group which I find to be truly evil. I found three letters to the editor in support of Latin in Mass, yet not one voice of reason of disagreement. I’m sick of reading your paper and want to be removed.
(Editor: The Catholic Virginian publishes a variety of letters. To date, no one has written to express their disdain for the use of Latin in the Mass, other than the initial one from John Pelissier of Amherst. The Catholic Virginian will publish letters which take both sides of an issue.) About Us | Archives | Around | Articles | Columns | Contact Us | Editorial | Hispanic Apostolate | Home | Opportunities | Parish Profile | Shortakes | The Catholic Diocese of RichmondCopyright © 2006 The Catholic Virginian Press. Articles from Catholic News Services, including Fr. Dietzen’s column, may not be reproduced here due to copyright considerations.The Catholic Virginian is a biweekly publication serving the people of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. This website includes some, but not all, of the articles from the print version of The Catholic Virginian.For subscription information Contact Us. |
