Letters from Canada - 8
Father Mark: In “Letters from Canada 7” Father Francis talks about the election of the New Pope, Pope Francis I. During this retreat talk, He goes on to address the status of the Catholic Church.
Father Francis: A constant in all of human history is the struggle between good and evil. This conflict is played out in various degrees in all human institutions and traditions be it the family, government, and yes also in religious churches. The Catholic Church is no exception to these forces and enters Pope Francis I to confront these challenges in the Catholic Church and all of humanity.
Sometimes what is good or evil is easy to identify and correction is more obvious. But in reality the good and evil in most human enterprises are not that straightforward. Example: we can all agree that war is evil, but many times the good guys in the conflict also shared in the responsibility for the conditions that led to that war. Example: The causes that led to both World War I & II have roots in the politics of all of Europe not just Germany. Abortion is an evil and a source for outrage, but so are hunger, abuse, and destitution experienced by too many children and this evil is not given the same attention, concern or outrage. As the Spiritual leader of over a billion Catholics, Pope Francis needs to tip the balance of good over evil first in the Catholic Church and then the rest of the world.
Recent times have focused on the evils of sexual abuse of Children by religious clergy most notably, a small number of Catholic Priests. This by far is the most egregious, but the evil story does not stop at this scandal. The history and causes that underlie this tragedy start with Roman Curia (The Pope’s cabinet) and filters down to Catholic congregations that view their church as an exclusive club that preserves their social and cultural traditions.
But for now let’s review why the Catholic Church is the largest and oldest Religious Institution in History. From two thousand year ago to the present many Catholics and including many other Christians lived their lives based on the example and teachings of Jesus. From the very beginning of Christianity to the present day some Christians followed Jesus’s example of love, compassion, generosity, and sacrifice to heroic levels. A few examples: Saint Francis, Saint Catherine, Mother Theresa, Saint Augustine, Saint Theresa, Saint Ignatius and Father Emil Kapaun.
Father Emil Kapaun is a more current example of a good Catholic priest. President Barack Obama presented US Army Chaplain Father Emil Kapaun with the Medal of Honor (posthumously) at the White House in April 2013. Father Emil story comes to the forefront in 1953 when the Chinese communist released thousands of American prisoners captured during the Korean War. Among those released emerged a group of soldiers carrying a large wooden Cross made from scraps of firewood with radio wire used for a crown of thorns. In captivity under the threatening eyes of their captors, they made this Cross as a tribute to their friend and fellow prisoner who touched their souls and saved their lives, Chaplain Father Emil Kapaun.
Father Emil a Saint in combat boots ignored orders to retreat when his unit was overrun by Chinese soldiers and continued to treat the wounded on the front lines. As more than a dozen wounded American Soldiers were about to be gunned down, Father Emil pleaded with a Chinese Officer for a safe surrender and the Officer stopped the execution. As he and the other soldiers were being led away, Father Emil saw a helpless American Soldier lying in a ditch with a gun to his head. He left the line, pushed the armed Chinese soldier away, picked up and carried the American soldier to rejoin the other American prisoners. That American Soldier lying in the ditch and other Soldiers saved by Father Emil were in the White House during the Medal of Honor presentation.
Father Emil and the other prisoners were led on a death march of 87 miles to a prison camp. Along the way, with Father Emil’s example and encouragement, the able body soldiers helped those who had trouble walking. He pleaded with soldiers who wanted to give up, to continue and saved them from being shot.
Once in the hellish camp, Father Emil constantly reminded the American Soldiers that God still loves and cares for them. He led them in prayers and hymns for God’s help to endure and survive their suffering. He tended to their physical needs by cleaning their wounds, washing their clothes, boiling water in pots he forged from scrap metal, and sharing his food. At night, Father Emil sneaked out the camp passed the guards to forge for food in the fields and brought back rice and potatoes. These deeds are just a small sample of how Father Emil showed His faith in God and love for his fellow soldiers. The Chinese guards ridiculed and tortured Father Emil for his devotion to God and his fellow man, but that did deter him in the least. What did finally stop Father Emil were exhaustion, frailty, pneumonia, and dysentery. To the delight of his captors and over the protest of the other prisoners, he was dragged out the camp and dump in what was referred to as the death house to die two days later. As he was being dragged out of the camp, Father Emil prayed for God’s forgiveness for the Chinese guards.
Like Father Emil, there are other Catholic Priests and Religious Nuns that are devoted to serving others. Everyone is touched by the burdens of life be it a tragedy or unresolved situations. Good Priest and Nuns guide individuals and families through periods of grief and hardship with comfort and support that God is aware of their suffering and that things will be better if not in this earthly life, then definitely in the next life when they will be with God. This is followed by these religious people doing everything possible to lessen the hardships, even if it means bending or breaking the Church rules.
If most of the Priests and Nuns were happy and dedicated to their calling, Pope Francis’s pastoral mission would not be so challenging. But this is not the case and there is a shortage of good priests and nuns. At the center of the Church's problems are the lifestyle and policies of the Catholic Clerical Hierarchy. This predicament starts with the Roman Curia who can intimate and sometimes threaten the Pope to the Bishops that ride in luxury cars and live in mansions.
To be continued in Letters from Canada - 9
Father Mark: In “Letters from Canada 7” Father Francis talks about the election of the New Pope, Pope Francis I. During this retreat talk, He goes on to address the status of the Catholic Church.
Father Francis: A constant in all of human history is the struggle between good and evil. This conflict is played out in various degrees in all human institutions and traditions be it the family, government, and yes also in religious churches. The Catholic Church is no exception to these forces and enters Pope Francis I to confront these challenges in the Catholic Church and all of humanity.
Sometimes what is good or evil is easy to identify and correction is more obvious. But in reality the good and evil in most human enterprises are not that straightforward. Example: we can all agree that war is evil, but many times the good guys in the conflict also shared in the responsibility for the conditions that led to that war. Example: The causes that led to both World War I & II have roots in the politics of all of Europe not just Germany. Abortion is an evil and a source for outrage, but so are hunger, abuse, and destitution experienced by too many children and this evil is not given the same attention, concern or outrage. As the Spiritual leader of over a billion Catholics, Pope Francis needs to tip the balance of good over evil first in the Catholic Church and then the rest of the world.
Recent times have focused on the evils of sexual abuse of Children by religious clergy most notably, a small number of Catholic Priests. This by far is the most egregious, but the evil story does not stop at this scandal. The history and causes that underlie this tragedy start with Roman Curia (The Pope’s cabinet) and filters down to Catholic congregations that view their church as an exclusive club that preserves their social and cultural traditions.
But for now let’s review why the Catholic Church is the largest and oldest Religious Institution in History. From two thousand year ago to the present many Catholics and including many other Christians lived their lives based on the example and teachings of Jesus. From the very beginning of Christianity to the present day some Christians followed Jesus’s example of love, compassion, generosity, and sacrifice to heroic levels. A few examples: Saint Francis, Saint Catherine, Mother Theresa, Saint Augustine, Saint Theresa, Saint Ignatius and Father Emil Kapaun.
Father Emil Kapaun is a more current example of a good Catholic priest. President Barack Obama presented US Army Chaplain Father Emil Kapaun with the Medal of Honor (posthumously) at the White House in April 2013. Father Emil story comes to the forefront in 1953 when the Chinese communist released thousands of American prisoners captured during the Korean War. Among those released emerged a group of soldiers carrying a large wooden Cross made from scraps of firewood with radio wire used for a crown of thorns. In captivity under the threatening eyes of their captors, they made this Cross as a tribute to their friend and fellow prisoner who touched their souls and saved their lives, Chaplain Father Emil Kapaun.
Father Emil a Saint in combat boots ignored orders to retreat when his unit was overrun by Chinese soldiers and continued to treat the wounded on the front lines. As more than a dozen wounded American Soldiers were about to be gunned down, Father Emil pleaded with a Chinese Officer for a safe surrender and the Officer stopped the execution. As he and the other soldiers were being led away, Father Emil saw a helpless American Soldier lying in a ditch with a gun to his head. He left the line, pushed the armed Chinese soldier away, picked up and carried the American soldier to rejoin the other American prisoners. That American Soldier lying in the ditch and other Soldiers saved by Father Emil were in the White House during the Medal of Honor presentation.
Father Emil and the other prisoners were led on a death march of 87 miles to a prison camp. Along the way, with Father Emil’s example and encouragement, the able body soldiers helped those who had trouble walking. He pleaded with soldiers who wanted to give up, to continue and saved them from being shot.
Once in the hellish camp, Father Emil constantly reminded the American Soldiers that God still loves and cares for them. He led them in prayers and hymns for God’s help to endure and survive their suffering. He tended to their physical needs by cleaning their wounds, washing their clothes, boiling water in pots he forged from scrap metal, and sharing his food. At night, Father Emil sneaked out the camp passed the guards to forge for food in the fields and brought back rice and potatoes. These deeds are just a small sample of how Father Emil showed His faith in God and love for his fellow soldiers. The Chinese guards ridiculed and tortured Father Emil for his devotion to God and his fellow man, but that did deter him in the least. What did finally stop Father Emil were exhaustion, frailty, pneumonia, and dysentery. To the delight of his captors and over the protest of the other prisoners, he was dragged out the camp and dump in what was referred to as the death house to die two days later. As he was being dragged out of the camp, Father Emil prayed for God’s forgiveness for the Chinese guards.
Like Father Emil, there are other Catholic Priests and Religious Nuns that are devoted to serving others. Everyone is touched by the burdens of life be it a tragedy or unresolved situations. Good Priest and Nuns guide individuals and families through periods of grief and hardship with comfort and support that God is aware of their suffering and that things will be better if not in this earthly life, then definitely in the next life when they will be with God. This is followed by these religious people doing everything possible to lessen the hardships, even if it means bending or breaking the Church rules.
If most of the Priests and Nuns were happy and dedicated to their calling, Pope Francis’s pastoral mission would not be so challenging. But this is not the case and there is a shortage of good priests and nuns. At the center of the Church's problems are the lifestyle and policies of the Catholic Clerical Hierarchy. This predicament starts with the Roman Curia who can intimate and sometimes threaten the Pope to the Bishops that ride in luxury cars and live in mansions.
To be continued in Letters from Canada - 9
