September 29, 2017 Vol 02, No 19

A journal for restless minds Asking For Clarity Asking For Clarity Doesn’t the Pope Answer His Critics?” His A disconcerting silence objective thoughts and reasoned com- A disconcerting silence ments—in my humble opinion—bear Let Your Actions Speak reading. Rather than interpret, parse, Words are not enough here has been a disconcerting and rephrase his words, I will let Father silence from the Vatican ’s Diner Longenecker speak for himself: Food for a restless mind these past two years, despite “six major initiatives in which

Tboth clergy and laity have expressed concerns about the Pope’s teaching, particularly ema- nating from . Despite the his week’s big Catholic news repeated pleas and warnings of chaos and is the release of a “filial correc- confusion, Francis has refused to respond or tion” of by a 1 Colloquī is a Deacon’s Cor- acknowledge the initiatives.” group of theologians and ner weekly journal. Its mission T church laymen. … and purpose: to encourage seri- There are and have ous discussion, to promote rea- been a plethora of reports This is the sixth major soned debate, and to provide on this silence, including initiative in which both serious content for those who this past week in our lo- clergy and laity have ex- hope to find their own pathway cal newspaper. What has pressed concerns about to God. been the thrust of most of the Pope’s teaching, par- Each week Colloquī will the reporting has been to ticularly emanating from contain articles on theology, cast a pall on those who have publicly Amoris Laetitia. Despite the repeated philosophy, faith, religion, Ca- questioned the Pope as a small group of pleas and warnings of chaos and confu- tholicism, and much more. fringe radicals within the Church who sion, Francis has refused to respond or Be forewarned! Articles are out to get the pope at all costs. acknowledge the initiatives which are as may and often will contain fuel follows, in chronological order: for controversy, but always On September 26th, Father Dwight with the express intent to seek Longenecker, who says of himself: “I’m a In September 2015, just ahead of the the Truth, the whole truth, and former Evangelical, then an Anglican priest, second Synod on the Family, a petition nothing but the truth, so help us now a Catholic priest,”2 wrote an interest- of nearly 800,000 signatures from around God. ing and well-considered article, “Why the world including 202 prelates was CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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Let Your Actions Speak candy behind a bush where I could esus asks us, “Which of the two did later reclaim my booty. his father’s will?” The answer is Words are not enough J obvious: the one who refused but Let us be completely honest with his parable, for most of us, then did as he was asked. His immedi- ourselves. Both of the sons in the para- has a familiar ring to it. At ate refusal was of little note, for he ble represent each and every one of us some point in our lives, we subsequently did the will of his father. at some point in our lives. We have all can usually recall saying Obedience reveals where our heart is; promised to do something and then Tone thing and doing another. Most, I obedience, or disobedience, reveals the not followed through with our prom- imagine, have been like the son who direction the heart is moving. ise; we have all refused to do some- said yes but then refused to act upon “Obedience is never neutral, for to not thing and then ended up doing it any- their assent; fewer are like the one who obey God is to disobey his will. Inaction to way; resolving to give up some bad said no but then acted to the contrary. God’s known will is simply a passive form habit or to adopt a good one—and fail- of rebellion, but rebellion none-the-less.” I still vividly recall a moment in ing on both accounts. Our actions truly do speak louder than my life when I said yes, but acted con- our words. trary to my response. When I was nine or ten years old, we “Whenever I take the opportunity to had a neighbor, a wonderful actively love God in personal obedi- lady, originally from Spain, who ence, I end up sensing a new tender- was both generous and kind to ness in my heart toward Him and a everyone. On Easter Sunday, she stronger resolve to obey again next set a large basket full of candies time. Obedience is not an end, but a on her front porch with a small means—a means to express our love sign that read, “Please, take all to God, and a means to increase our you want.” Being the literal- love for God. It is a catalyst in the ope Paul VI wrote in a letter minded person that I was, I proceeded process of loving God and becoming more on the eightieth anniversary of 2 to fill every pocket, my shirt, my like Jesus.” Pope Leo XIII’x Re- mouth, and both hands with candy. P rum Novarum, “Let each one examine Many of us harbor the notion that My parents naturally inquired himself, to see what he has done up to now, faith and religion are roughly synony- where I had obtained such a stash of and what he ought to do. It is not enough mous, but they are not at all the same. to recall principles, state intentions, point sweet deliciousness, to which I honest- Religion must be animated by faith; ly replied, “Mrs. M. said to take all we to crying injustice and utter prophetic faith must be lived out in the context wanted.” Naturally, and quite rightly, denunciations; these words will lack real of religion. Both are essential and relat- my parents saw things quite different- weight unless they are accompanied for ed; one without the other is defective. each individual by a livelier awareness of ly to my way of thinking and told me, The fault Jesus found with the quite emphatically, to take it all back. personal responsibility and by effective action. It is too easy to throw back on oth- chief priests and the elders of the peo- After no small amount of arguing ers responsibility for injustice, if at the ple was they had religion without on my part, I finally acquiesced and same time one does not realize how each faith. Religion without true faith is all agreed to return the candy. Of course, one shares in it personally, and how per- too common among us. For example, I had no true intention of doing so, sonal conversion is needed first. This basic some people believe their mere ac- and as soon as I walked out the door humility will rid action of all inflexibility ceptance into a religious group and and out of their sight—ostensibly on and sectarianism, it will also avoid dis- outward observance of ritual are all my way to return those ill-gotten couragement in the face of a task which that is required to achieve salvation. goods—I surreptitiously stashed the seems limitless in size.”1 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 They encourage us to level our- But everything comes back to say- ften referred to as “the selves with others, appreciating their ing “Yes” or “No” to God. Yet, these hatched, matched, and dis- perspectives to better understand their are not words we say but what we O patched Catholic”—that is issues and attain a level of compassion do. A “Yes” that is said but is not done someone who identifies as Catholic, is not otherwise possible. How much is only an evasion. We cannot just talk baptized, feels the need to be married holier would we be if we could con- the talk, we must walk the talk. in the church, wants to be buried in sistently and humbly regard others as e must decide to obey the church, and goes to church at we do ourselves. God all the time in every Christmas and perhaps at Easter—but Jesus told the chief priests and el- way. Partial obedience is that is about all. W ders that "tax collectors and the prosti- a euphemism for disobedience. No God demands more than just a tutes are making their way into the king- matter how weak you have been for “Yes,” more than mere words. God dom of God before you." They certainly years, God will always give you the calls us to a living faith where we ac- were not keeping God's Law. They grace to obey. God offers each of us tively engage in a living relationship had said “No” to his commandments the greatest treasure possible– with him. many times. But when they met Jesus, unending peace, joy, happiness, and they experienced a radical transfor- life with him in his kingdom. We can Good intentions are never mation in their lives. They listened and lose that treasure if we say no and re- enough. And promises don't count they responded. Many of the dregs of fuse the grace God offers us to follow unless they are actually performed. society heard the message and in his way of truth and righteousness. Our actions speak; words are but changed their lives. They became We will be rewarded when we say yes whispers of hope. The religious and Christians in action as well as in word. through our actions. I pray today that civil leaders in Jesus' time spoke a lot we all will walk the talk towards about God and, in particular, how God Two messages can be drawn God’s kingdom. was to be served by a strict observance out from this: one, we ought never be of the Law. But they did not have the complacent in our relationship with Amen. spirit of love, compassion, caring and God. It is too easy for any of us at any forgiveness for the weak and vulnera- time to find ourselves falling away ble. They heard the teaching of Jesus from our commitment to Jesus and to Homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) his Gospel. And two, God always ac- but made no effort to carry it out. They Ezekiel 18:25-28 had a long tradition of following God's cepts us where we are. If we are in un- Philippians 12:1-11 Law but when they encountered Jesus, ion with him, things are well; if we Matthew 21:28-32 the Son of God, they refused to listen. have, by our own choice, become sepa-

rated from him, he accepts that too. 1. Pope Paul VI, Octagesimo Adveniens, 1971, §48. Today’s readings encourage us to His love and his grace are always Octogesima adveniens (The eightieth anniversary) learn to accept and grow beyond our available but they can be rejected and is the incipit of the May 14, 1971 Apostolic Letter shortcomings. They command humili- spurned. And we can "die in our sin." addressed by Pope Paul VI to Cardinal , president of the Pontifical Council for the ty when we don’t receive the credit we Laity and of the Pontifical Council for Justice and believe we deserve; they warn against o matter how far we have Peace, on the occasion of the eightieth anniversary strayed from God, no of Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical . conceit. The next time you look in a 2. Martha Thatcher, The Freedom of Obedience: mirror, say to the person looking back N matter how sinful we have Choosing the way of true liberation, Navpress at you, “You are the center of the uni- become, it is never too late to turn back Publishing Group, 1987. verse.” Does that make you feel un- and we can be absolutely sure that a comfortable? It should. warm, no-questions-asked welcome will be waiting for us.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 However, I think people need to religious experience we are more like- presented to Pope Francis, calling on understand some of the underlying ly to find common ground. him to issue words of clarity on the currents in this discussion. The ele- hey also feel that a Church’s teaching on marriage and phant in the nave is the yawning gap “propositional faith” is, by its family. The signatories, from 178 coun- between the views of contemporary nature, bound to the historical tries, expressed concern about theologians and ordinary Catholics. T and philosophical constructs of the “widespread confusion” arising from the People in the pew probably do not time and culture in which the proposi- possibility that “a breach” had been know that many theologians and cler- tions were asserted. So, the theology of opened within the Church at the previ- gy are critical of what they call Thomas Aquinas (they would argue) ous synod. “propositional faith.” Propositional faith was fine for Europe of the thirteenth n July 2016, a group of 45 Catholic is a faith that is grounded in rational century, but it is rather clunky for the scholars, prelates and clergy sent statements and definitions. It is, if you fast moving, fast changing global cul- I an appeal to the College of Cardi- like a religion based in an authoritative ture of the twenty first century. A faith nals asking that they petition Pope book, a creed, a catechism, a dogmatic that is not so propositional is more Francis to “repudiate” what they saw as systematic theology and, by extension adaptable and fluid. “erroneous propositions” contained a defined religious law. Those who In reading the gospel it is difficult in Amoris Laetitia. They said the apos- favor a propositional faith like certain- not to sympathize with those who crit- tolic exhortation contains “a number of ty and clarity. icize “propositional faith.” After all, Je- statements that can be understood in a Critics of propositional faith be- sus’ main opponents were the reli- sense that is contrary to Catholic faith and lieve that, at best, the propositions are gious people who were indeed legalis- morals.” simply a framework or structure of tic, judgmental and bound to their On Sept. 19, 2016, four cardinals — belief, and that the real experience is laws and man made traditions. Jesus, , Walter Brandmüller, far more complicated, but also far on the other hand, waded in and Raymond Burke, and more exciting and real. They criticize “made a mess” to use Francis’ terminol- — presented the Pope with dubia, five those who like a propositional faith as ogy. He defied the legalistic technicali- questions on disputed passages of Am- being rigid, legalistic or Pharisaical. ties, met people where they were and oris Laetitia with the aim of obtaining The critics of propositional faith like to brought healing, compassion and for- clarification and resolving confusion emphasize the more subjective giveness. over diverse interpretations of the con- “encounter with Christ.” They advocate Why does Pope Francis not an- troversial passages among various getting away from all the debates swer his critics? I believe it is because bishops and episcopal conferences. about doctrine or canon law, rolling he is not in favor of “propositional The Pope did not acknowledge the up one’s sleeves and getting busy do- faith”. He wants Catholics to move dubia, nor did he respond to the cardi- ing God’s work in the world. beyond the technicalities, the details of nals’ request for an audience in May. ritics of propositional faith doctrine and the constrictions of canon In February this year, confraterni- also believe that it is divisive. law to live out a Catholic life more like ties representing thousands of priests C If “the encounter with Christ” Jesus’–allowing for the complications worldwide issued a statement saying a is emphasized rather than proposition- and ambiguities of real life, meeting clarification of Amoris Laetitia was al formulas of doctrine and morals, we real people who face difficult decisions “clearly needed” in the wake of will connect better with non-Catholic and are trying to be close to God while “widespread” differing interpretations Christians and people of faith and tiptoeing through the legalities and of the . They also goodwill who are outside the bounda- rules of being a Catholic Christian. thanked the four cardinals for sub- ries of Christian belief. In other words, CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 mitting the dubia. “doctrine is divisive” but if we focus on

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 ambiguous definition of historic faith he vine is the faith—the en- n other words, he does not an- and morals. counter with Christ—the real swer his critics because he does experience and adventure of Pope Francis is fond of criticizing T not wish to play their game. He living the Christian life. The trellis is I the Catholics who are rigid and bound the doctrinal and moral propositions does not wish to be drawn into their by a legalistic approach, but in my ex- legalistic arguments, but instead wants that support the vine, but the trellis, perience these sorts of Catholics are to continue to challenge them. That is being a dead thing needs constant few and far between. The vast majority why he lets his ambiguous statements maintenance and repair if it is to sup- of Catholics I work with are ordinary stand without further clarification. port the vine. folks who are not stupid even if they That is why he does not answer the are not theologically educated. They “corrections” he receives. I expect he Deacon’s Diner understand the need for clear teaching believes the teaching of the church is in doctrine and morals, but they also Food for a restless mind clear. He has not contradicted it, so understand that life is complicated and there is no further need for discussion or those restless minds the work of the church is to minister and debate. that hunger and thirst for Christ’s love in complex situations. more. Each week this Instead he wants us to live with In fact, rather than the problem space will offer a menu of the ambiguities and get on with the being an excess of legalistic, proposi- Finteresting and provocative titles, complicated business of bringing Jesus tionally bound Catholics, in the USA written by Catholic authors, in to people who are tied up in the some- the is besieged with addition to those referenced in the times messy business of life. the opposite problem. The majority of articles, for you to feed your restless mind. As a pastor, I understand this and Catholics are poorly catechized and far am sympathetic to what I believe Pope from being bound by doctrine and BOOKS Francis is trying to do. moral teachings they are mostly igno- rant of these things and what doctrine On Conscience However, there is always the other and moral teachings they have ab- Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger side of the argument and balance is a sorbed are largely ignored. Ignatius Press 2007, 82 pages. good thing, and a good pastor knows that, because of their personality type, My own take on this, therefore, is How the West Really Lost God certain of his flock are going to need that I understand the need for the Mary Eberstadt certainty, re-assurance and clarity of “encounter with Christ” as opposed to a Templeton Press teaching. Instead of. marginalizing faith that is merely propositional, but I June 9, 2012, 268 pages. them, he will provide clarity of teach- also believe that without a clear affir- ing while still challenging them not to mation of the propositions of our faith, Strangers in a Strange Land rely on propositional statements alone the “encounter with Christ” becomes no Charles J. Chaput Henry Holt and Co. or to take refuge in the seeming securi- more than a subjective religious expe- February 21, 2017, 288 pages. ty of doctrinal statements and “clear rience. moral teaching.” oth are needed, and an analo- PERIODICALS While it is important for the Pope gy I have often used is that of to exhibit Jesus’ way of ministering in the vine and the trellis. First Things B Institute on Religion and Public Life the world, it is also part of the Pope’s The vine is what matters. It is a Editor: R. R. Reno job to define and defend the faith, and living, growing, fruitful gift. A vine Ten Issues per year. for Catholics part of this experience of www.firstthings.com needs a trellis to grow and reach the encountering Christ is a clear and un- sun and bear good fruit.

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Deacon Chuck Lanham is an Each issue of Colloquī can be viewed or downloaded from author, columnist, speaker, and a servant of God. http://deaconscorner.org. He is the author of The Voices of God: Hearing God in the Deacon Chuck can be contacted thru email at Silence, Echoes of Love: Effervescent Memories and is [email protected] currently writing his third book Without God: Finding God in a Godless World. Colloquī is a weekly publication of Deacon’s Corner Publishing.

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