And Minnie Jackson's Pie Goes to the Lovely Lady from Woodstock, Virginia

I just loved it in The Help when Hilly Holbrook says to Skeeter Phelan, “Believe it or not, there are real racists in this town.”  Poor Hilly, she didn’t have a chance; she was so clueless to her own blind ignorance.

And that pie is special just for you Mrs K

And there are real racists in our town too—and just as clueless.  I get regular emails from a friend of mine who just hates President Obama.  Sam is a good man.  He is a good Catholic—attends Mass faithfully, volunteers for a number of charities, is active in his parish, belongs to a men’s prayer group, is a graduate of a leading Catholic University.  And he has a passionate hatred for Barack Obama.  One, two, sometimes three emails a week forwarding some article or cartoon or other disparagement, most of the most vile and abusive sort.  They aren’t rational critiques.  Don’t misunderstand me, I think there is plenty of room to be unhappy with the President.  He has been to many of us a disappointment.   How could he help but be with the expectations we put on him when he was first elected.   There is no problem in being disappointed; there is no problem with disagreement.  I am speaking of a deep personal contempt, a rabid and personal hatred, for the man.  The President can do nothing right; indeed all that he does as President, as an individual, even as husband and father, is just plain evil.   And everything that goes wrong is his fault.  There is this deep visceral contempt for the man that defies any logic—it is an out of control hatred for someone Sam has never met.   It is so bad that one friend after another, even dyed in the wool Republicans, has emailed Sam to say that they don’t want any more of his anti-Obama emails.  The fact of the matter is—and I know that it is harsh—but Sam is a racist.  Given his age and his ethnic background, it is understandable.  Sam just can’t figure out how did the world shift so much that some uppity black guy could get that far?  We haven’t had an Italian yet in the White House and now we have a black guy?—how did we get bypassed? 

Sam’s not the only one who is just really pissed that there is a Black guy in the White House.  There’s Jack.  Jack is retired military—worked his way up from an enlisted man to captain, tough guy from Brooklyn.  Jack is into guns—wants to be buried with an AK-47 at his side.  He carries a bowie knife in a sheath in his belt. Can’t talk about much other than guns and stories of the good ol’ days when he was on active duty and commanding a company of soldiers.  Jack is a faithful member of his parish, makes it to Mass every Sunday without fail.  He sent his kids to Catholic schools.   But mention President Obama—and you will hear an expletive-laden tirade about how he is a Socialist and probably a Muslim and how our country is going to hell with his commie programs.  When Jack’s son made Eagle Scout last year Jack asked former President George W. Bush to send a letter of congratulations—for Jack Barack Obama is not a legitimate President, “Probably born in Kenya.”  Again, I am not talking about a rational analysis of the successes and failures of the Obama administration—I am talking about off-the-wall outrage that is sheer emotion erupting as personal venom.  Frankly, Jack couldn’t tell you what differentiates a Socialist from a Communist from a member of the Green Party—he can just tell you how our country is going down the toilet because “Barack Hussein Obama” is in the White House.  In fact neither Jack nor Sam, Good Catholics both, could tell you what the Church teaches on issues such as Health Care, Rights of Immigrants, Capital Punishment, or Debt Forgiveness for Developing Countries.  That, by the way, says more about their pastors than about them.  Jack goes to a Church where the Pastor won’t ruffle feathers because he wants people to like him; Sam goes to a parish where you hear about Same-Sex marriage and about abortion but no other part of the Church’s teaching.  Yes, there are real racists in our town.   I am sure that both Sam and Jack would agree without batting an eyelash, much less looking in a mirror.

Am I saying that everyone who is opposed to President Obama’s policies is a racist?  By no means.  Jack and Sam aren’t opposed to his policies—they are consumed by a hatred for the man, a man they do not know.  Their disagreement with his policies is no more than a by-product of their personal contempt and hatred for Barack Obama.  He triggers in them some visceral reaction that not only is not rational but which is strong enough to override any rational analysis of the President’s policies and actions.  They hated him from the first time they saw him as a candidate and they have never been able to rationally discuss his place in history due to what has no more substance than a personal animosity.  Irrational hatred has one root—prejudice.  Prejudice can be rooted in other qualities than race, of course, but it is still prejudice and it is not pretty. 

This brings me to the Hilly Holbrook award for 2013.  I gave the commendation out last year to a prominent Northern Virginia Blogger who voiced the occasional stereotyping opinion about Latinos and Blacks and Asians and among her rants about Muslims liked to go on and on and on about how our nation is a Christian Nation and our Founding Fathers established it on Christian principles despite the fact that our founding fathers were, almost to a man, Deists at best and more aptly could be described today as benevolent agnostics.  That Blogger has passed on to her eternal reward and so now I am looking for a new recipient.  There are any number of Catholic Junior League types that would qualify.   One of the wing-nut blogs I look at a lot is Les Femmes, Women of Truth put out by MaryAnne Kreitzer, also a Virginia lady.  Twenty years ago I used to get her newsletter by the same name sent me when I worked in Northern Virginia and so I developed a particular fascination with her parallel universe.  Mrs. Kreitzer has her particular brand of Catholicism—right wing but for the most part inside the lines of faithful adherence to the Church doctrine and discipline—and she likes to push it as the only real McCoy Roman Catholicism even though it puts her at odds with not only her Bishop but the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and now increasingly with Pope Francis.  She sees the Marxism beneath the Campaign for Human Development and the Culture of Death that runs through Catholic Relief Services.  Georgetown, Notre Dame, and even the Catholic University of America have all abandoned their Catholic roots and are shilling some secularized culture that endorses Gay Marriage and the Vagina Monologues while persecuting students who want all night Eucharistic Adoration.  Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are out along with the Susan G. Komen Foundation and its Walk for the Cure; mantillas and the Scouts of Saint George sitting around a campfire singing Latin hymns are in.  Father James Martin SJ and Sister Joan Chittester OSB have horns and tails and carry pitchforks as the roam the world seeking the ruin of souls.  This is all just eccentricity (or possibly paranoid schizophrenia) however and hardly qualifies one for the Hilly Holbrook award.  What does qualify her is her pathological hatred for the man in the White House.  It isn’t that the Obama administration is pro-Choice—I understand that objection—Mrs. K’s complaint is much wider than the usual liberal agenda.  It is a crazy off the wall loathing that has devolved into a manic rant.  More and more over the past year her anger with Obama and his presidency has pushed the Church and the issues facing the Church to the side where no story is too wild, no rumor too outrageous, no tale to scurrilous to be believed and published.  

That this is a racist view and not just a personal antipathy towards Barack Obama for some reason other than his skin color is confirmed by her recent expressions of contempt for that “radical Marxist Communist and terrorist” Nelson Mandela—who also just happens not to be white.   Mandela’s record is not spotless—no one’s is.  George Washington was a slave owner—and not always the kindest of slaveholders.  Lincoln believed that Blacks, while they should be freed from slavery, were genetically inferior to the White Race.  Christianity has at various times and in certain places encouraged violence against Jews.   The Papacy encouraged the Crusades that carried out the slaughter of tens of thousands of ordinary people, including Greek Orthodox in the 1204 Sack of Constantinople.  Thomas More, while Lord Chancellor, was responsible for carrying out the burning of “heretics.”  Pius XII could have done much more than he did to expose and condemn the murder of Jews, Gypsies, Slavs, and Gays in the third Reich.  Our American Revolution was not achieved without the shedding of innocent blood and the freeing of slaves in this country was at the price of untold horror and loss of life.   Each of these men and movements did evil but they also did far more good.   

Social change has always been difficult for Madame Kreitzer.  According to friends who knew her back in her days at St. Louis Parish in Alexandria she fought every battle for over forty years against letting go of the old ways in which things were done both in the Church and in Virginia life.  “She believed in the Old South and its genteel ways; it was tough for her to see the urbanization—the “northifcation”—of what was once Virginia but now had become only the Washington suburbs. Her move to the Shenandoah was find her Tara where she could teach her granddaughters to drink tea and dress pretty for Church.”   

Now Sam and Jack and Mrs. K would not think of themselves as racists—and neither, for that matter—would Hilly Holbrook. “There are some real racists in this town…” All three can assure us that some of their best friends….well, you know the line.  And they wouldn’t be untruthful.  Miss Hilly always thought she treated the help real fine.  That is the nice thing about prejudices—they don’t get in the way of personal relationships as long as everybody remembers their place.  The problem is that their place isn’t in the White House.  Maybe it be called the White House for a reason!  At least in some people’s minds.  And obviously their place even in Africa is in the bondage of apartheid under the control of decent white folks who can make sure they don’t have abortions or engage in same-sex relations.  Where would we be if we didn’t have people like Mrs. Kreitzer to tell us what is right an what is wrong and who is good and who is in mortal sin. 

So Mrs. K, in between your rants and your rages about the President and about Mr. Mandela, have your little tea parties with the girls—it’s real cute but don’t give them a slice of Minnie’s pie—that pie is special, just for you. 

Of Scouts and Shepherds

Scouts of Saint George: Catholic Alternative
to the Boy Scouts of America

Well the craziness about gay Boy Scouts seems to be dying down except among the usual nut-cases.  Our friends over at Kitchen Table Chats with a Catholic Matriarch, Les Femmes, The Tenth Crusade, Dymphna’s Road, Kresta in the Afternoon,  Restore DC Catholicism, and other lunatics-on-the-loose are beating the drums for troops to be expelled from Catholic parishes and a few clerical crazies are busy ridding their parishes of this Sodom and Gomorrah organization.  The Reverend Derek Lappe of Bremerton Washington (Seattle Archdiocese), The Reverend Brian Grady of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Chicago (Archdiocese of Chicago), and the Reverend John De Celles of Saint Raymond of Penafort in Springfiled VA (Diocese of Arlington), have all expelled troops from their parishes.  Anne Hendershotte,  professor of Sociology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, in a particularly bigoted article published in the Washington Times, endorsed these actions as well as the decision by the Reverend Richard Perozich of Saint Mary’s in Escondido not to permit any child or adult of same-sex orientation to be part of his parish.  I presume there are others and others yet to come, but frankly I am surprised there has not been more of a negative reaction despite the endorsement of conservative Canon Lawyer, Edward Peters that the Scout policy does not require Catholic parishes to terminate their relationship with local troops.  One priest, the Reverend George David Byers, bravely proclaimed on his blog that he would refuse communion to anyone coming to the altar in a scout uniform.   However the posting quickly came down, allegedly on order from diocesan officials who informed the priest that he wouldn’t be giving communion to anyone if that were the case. 
My favorite response comes from—as it so often does—from la femme herself,  the resolute Mary Ann Kreitzer, of the Les Femmes website.  As ever running in where angels fear to tread, the Wacko of Woodstock was among the first voices calling on the clergy to expel the scouts.  Even in her ultra-conservative diocese however, the influence she once exercised over the wing-nut clergy that abound in that stronghold of theological quackery has waned and other than for the aforementioned Father De Celles. It doesn’t seem that the priests are any longer dancing to her tune.  But what really gave me a chuckle was her endorsement of a counter-BSA organization being started by ex-Episcopalian priest, Taylor Marshall—the Scouts of Saint George.  Dr. Marshall, like so many others on this bandwagon,  marches to the tune of a drummer few others can hear, but I am sure he is going to give his best efforts to this new scouting venture and, as an Eagle Scout himself, he undoubtedly gets the Baden-Powell ethos at the heart of scouting.  Ms. Kreitzer, on the other hand, does not: in her gushing enthusiasm for life in a parallel universe she blogged

They've already tentatively picked a logo and a uniform shirt. They are busy working on a manual and they have nearly two thousand folks involved with the group including over 200 Eagle Scouts. But what I liked best reading about the vision was this lovely paragraph:
Please keep praying for the Scouts of Saint George. Just keep imagining the sight of forty boys sitting around the campfire praying the Rosary and singing Marian hymns. We will build this with God's grace.

Even with 200 Eagles to help, it will be hard enough to build from scratch a new scouting program without access to key scouting resources such as Philmont and Sea Base, but I doubt the chance to sit around a campfire and say the rosary and sing Marian hymns is going to be a huge draw.  What Ms. Kreitzer and her pack can’t seem to realize is that the days of Bing Crosby Catholicism are over and they ain’t coming back.   I could be wrong, but I don’t think Father Chuck O’Malley would be tolling the bells of Saint Mary’s on the local scout troop.  Perhaps the best remark comes from one Father Chris Markel whom I heard on the radio—“these boys—gay or straight, black or white, Catholic or Protestant, Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, legally here or illegally here—all belong to Christ’s flock and they need a shepherd.  I was ordained to be a shepherd of Christ’s flock.  They all have a place and will have a place under my pastoral care.  To do otherwise would be to betray the Great Shepherd of the Sheep who shed his blood not for some, not even “for many” but for all.”      

Gay Scouts

One of the events that happened while my computer was in the hospital is that the Boy Scouts of America changed their policy to permit gay youths to become scouts.  This sent some of my favorite loons of the blogosphere over the edge howling and screeching that the Scouts had “caved in” to the “lavender lobby.”  Father Derek Lappe, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea parish in Bremerton WA is one of several priests to expel Boy Scout troops from his parish and he has received a lot of support from right-wing groups for his decision.   There have also been many voices raised questioning Father Lappe’s decision and claiming that his stated reasons betray an understanding of same-sex attraction that is consistent neither with contemporary scientific theory nor with Church teaching.   Pastor Brian Grady of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Crystal Lake has also terminated parish support of a Scout troop.   
Frankly I am surprised—and relieved—that more Catholic pastors haven’t followed Father Lappe’s example.  But when one reads the policy of the Church towards any form of discrimination against people with same-sex attraction, I don’t know how parishes could have supported troops unless the Scouts changed their policy.  Let me quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  
2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

One Way to Atone for Our Sins

The coffin of Jimmy Saville, papal knight

and sexual predator, awaits being brought

to Leeds Cathedral for funeral Mass last

year.

I never knew who Sir Jimmy Saville was until the news broke about his history of alleged sexual abuse of minors—with over three hundred accusations against him he is reported to be one of the worst sexual predators in the history of Great Britain.  When you consider the history of the British monarchy that is quite a distinction.  Saville was a radio and television personality over the last fifty years or so who parlayed his fame from a media personality to being a major fundraiser for British charities.  For his charitable work he was knighted first by Queen Elizabeth and later by Pope John Paul.  Archbishop Nichols of Westminster has petitioned the Vatican to posthumously remove the papal honors and the Royal Household is considering rescinding the Imperial honors.  It is, of course, an embarrassment that a man who was such a prominent Catholic have this sort of disgrace pinned to his name.  But there is another side of this that we as a Church should look at.

In the last few weeks Americans have been made painfully aware of the rampant sex-abuse scandals in the organization of the Boy Scouts of America.  Their recent release of files has shown over 500 cases that were swept under the rug but some sources, including Wikipedia, claim that there were two thousand cases of sex abuse in the Boy Scouts of America since since the mid 20^th century.  All the time that the Catholic Church was being excoriated for its handling of abuse cases, the BSA kept smugly silent about the secrets in its own closet.  But then that is human nature, I would suppose. 

And of course the problems of Penn State in the Jerry Sandusky matter show that this same desire to protect the institution at all costs and regardless of the safety and suffering of others is not a Catholic matter or a Scouting strategy but that it is endemic in our society.  
The Catholic Church has undergone—finally and not without great pain—a revision of protocols to insure that the welfare of the vulnerable will not be subordinated to the good of the Institution again.  Of course such individuals as Bishop Bruskewitz, former Bishop of Lincoln, rejected such protocols for their jurisdictioncs, but the acceptance of the “Dallas Accords” has been all but universal and seems to be securely in place.  This is perhaps due more to the strictures of the companies the insure the various dioceses than a genuine desire for reform and protection but whatever the reason the Church is to be commended on its clean-up of a horrible mess.  But I think that we, as Church, can do more and that is my point in this posting. 
The Catholic Church has learned some valuable lessons in dealing with its sex abuse crisis.  I personally do not believe that sex abuse is a topic for Sunday morning sermons any more than I believe abortion, birth-control, homosexuality, or other sexual issues belong in Sunday sermons.  I do think they need to be addressed in other fora however.  Without resorting to the pulpit, I do think the Church could play a very important role in bringing this problem—a widespread problem in our society—out into the light.   In particular I think the Church could do a great service in educating parents of children enrolled in Catholic schools and in religious education programs of danger signs for which to watch in protecting their children.  I think the Church could sponsor programs in which people who have been victims have an opportunity to heal together and I think many of these same people could be encouraged to speak in consciousness-raising fora in parishes and Catholic institutions.  The topic of sexual abuse and how to recognize its danger should be incorporated at age-appropriate levels in curriculum of Catholic education.  (And we must remember that while this is a difficult balance, this particular issue needs to be addressed while children are still quite young because that is when they are particularly vulnerable.)    Finally since most abuse is in the context of the family—not the Church and not the Scouts and not Little League—we need to provide support for parents who fear that a spouse or close relative is in danger of harming a child. 
As a Church we have failed and failed miserably but now we have an opportunity to redeem that failure and make it work for good.  Let’s not pass it up. 

The Boy Scouts, the Catechism, and Homosexuality

Miranda Leitsinger for NBC News reported a story about Ryan Anderson, a young man who had completed all the requirements for his Eagle Scout rank but is being denied the achieved honor due to his scoutmaster’s refusal to sign off on the award because Ryan is gay.  The Boy Scouts of America have a policy denying membership in the organization to Gay boys and men.  Ryan has been in scouting since he was six years old—presumably before he (or anyone else) could have identified his sexual orientation. 

Troop 212 in Moraga California to which Ryan belongs is sponsored  by the Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church.  Just across the Bay from San Francisco, Moraga Valley Presbyterian is a member of the Presbyterian Church USA which, like most liberal mainline denominations, is “gay friendly.”  (In looking at their church website and seeing its evangelical tone, I had initially thought that Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church might have been affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America, a more conservative body, but its ties are with the larger and more liberal group.) 
The reason I bring up the story of Ryan Anderson is that the same day I saw Ms. Leitsinger’s story, one of my regular readers sent me the following paragraph from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition. Catechism of the Catholic Church 2358

The Catholic Church has a much more narrow interpretation of sexual morality, and the morality of same-sex relationships in particular, than the Presbyterian Church USA, but it also has a requirement that gays “be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity” and that “every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”  What would happen if a gay scout in a Catholic sponsored troop was denied an award he had earned?  Indeed, can Catholic Churches even sponsor troops if they exclude gay men and boys from membership?  Hmmm.  This could be a real conundrum.