On which values should a new Europe be based?

In March, 2007, The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community, COMECE held a conference in Rome to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the European Community.

For the occasion, COMECE appointed a committee to produce a report on the values of the EU. The name they gave to their Committee was “The Group of the Wise” and it consisted of 25 prominent Europeans, among them Pat Cox and Peter Sutherland.

The publication of The Group of the Wise’ initial report, brought with it considerable disquiet because, notwithstanding the Report’s title A Europe of Values, it made no reference to issues such as abortion, euthanasia and Gay marriage.

Some of this disquiet found a voice in the President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Angelo Benasco of Genoa. As reported by Vatican Radio (23/3/2007), Archbishop Benasco reminded the Conference that, “The Catholic Church’s main concern is that the dignity of the human person remain the ethical centre of the Union. He said that human life must be protected from conception until natural death. He also said, the family must be respected.”

However, neither the Archbishop’s words nor his sentiments made their way into the final version of the Report which COMECE later presented to the European Commission.

So what does all this mean? It seems clear that there are two competing visions for Europe here, each having its own distinct set of values. One vision seems to involve the belief that “peace” in Europe can be successfully built (without putting too fine a point on it) on euthanised sick and elderly people; on an ‘anything goes’ attitude to marriage and sexual morality and; even, on the bodies of millions of aborted children. The other vision might be represented in the words of Archbishop Benasco, or, to quote the present Pope, in a timely address which he delivered for the 2008 World Day of Peace, “Everything that serves to weaken the family based on the marriage of a man and a woman…is an objective attack on peace.” (emphasis added)

The Treaty of Lisbon, if approved by the people of Ireland, would establish for the very first time a new supranational state, a State which would have a working Constitution explicitly based on the shared values of the Member States — values to which we will be giving our approval, if we vote ‘YES’ on October 2nd.

And what values are these? Well, 24 of the Member States effectively treat abortion as a “human right”, for starters. Euthanasia is also practiced.

More explicitly within the Constitution is the requirement that there may be no discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation (Article 10, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) –the word ‘orientation’ is not here meant to mean a disposition (over which a person may have no say) but rather an openness, for example, to homosexual behaviour.

The requirement that there be no discrimination of this nature would seem to imply that homosexual, bisexual and other harmful behaviour must be valued at least equally with the sexual relationship that is proper to the marriage between a man and a woman.

There is also no right to life for unborn children in the proposed Constitution but, ironically, the fact that a right to life is mentioned at all, as it is in Article 2.1 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, would seem to preclude the recognition of a right to life for unborn children as this right is recognised in almost none of the Member States.

Article 53, of the Charter, in particular could lock a country irreversibly into its tragic abortion regime and we would be turning the key! It is amazing to think that with our votes here in Ireland we have the power to establish such a potentially monstrous supranational state and consign 500 million Europeans to be citizens of that state, without them having any individual say in the matter. It is as if the people of Britain were being required to vote on setting up the old Soviet Union and on making the people of Ireland its citizens!

In the words of German Constitutional expert Prof. Dr. Karl Albrecht Schachtschneider, “Ireland is now the most important country in the world.” If the Irish people vote YES on October 2nd they will be voting YES to this Superstate, YES to its Constitution and YES to the values contained in that Constitution.

In effect, they will be giving much more than ‘a nod anda wink’ to the killing of millions of children in the EU every year. No, the Irish people will be signing their names to a Charter which by protecting the false “rights” already being practiced in these countries will strengthen the hold that the culture of death has over our European brothers and sisters. Christian charity demands that we stay our hand!

The Jewish people had it right. After one of their Kings had sacrificed (his) children to the false god Molech, the site of the sacrifice (the valley of Hinnom from which Jesus derived His name for hell, Gehenna) was
effectively turned into a rubbish dump situated outside the City walls. How terrible it would be for us and for the people of Europe if we were to build our city on our very own Gehenna.

North Korea’s decision to go ahead with their rocket launch, may just simply be their attempt to join the satellite race but it could also be a statement of intent. A statement that Kim Jong-il is ready to take on the rest of the world for power and that is a frightening prospect.

If you arrest people’s rights and put them into a situation where their lives are in jeopardy then no one can claim that they win.  It’s not something I want to be in the middle of and it always makes me wonder why we have in our nature the want and desire to destroy the things we work sohard to create.

There is also the want to have something that others have and maybe Jong-il has looked towards other countries like America, Japan, Korea China and all of Europe and said “why can’t I join in?”

This needs to be stopped, whoever has their finger on the button needs to stop and think about their actions and the subsequent reactions because that horrible word revenge has been used for centuries as justification for too many actions in the name of what is right.

Usually it is not the case.

But then I have often wondered exactly what planet politicians are on because the real world must seem like a distant memory to them.

The story that has broken in the expenses row of the British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in relation to pay per view films appearing on her house expense sheet, paid for by the British Government. Subsequently Ms Smith was criticised for claiming more than £116,000 in allowances for her family home in the West Midlands after nominating her sister’s property in London – where she stayed several nights a week – as her main residence.

I understand there are instances where their profession can cause politicians to be away from their main residence. But there is always something that is a step too far.

How is it that Ministerial offices are nearly always revamped yearly at a huge cost to the tax payer. How is it when the Dáil is not in session it still costs us, the taxpayer, money?

How can we justify Minister Cullen’s St Patrick’s Day trip to Miami and Houston that cost €10,500? The two flights cost €7,850, accommodation €1,607, local transport €600 and “sundry expenses” €285.

Last year the total cost of St Patrick’s Day trips for 33 Ministers cost €523,621 and I suppose as a courtesy to the public only 17 went this year.

Is there really a need for so many to go in the first place? How much do you really need to promote Ireland on March 17th? It’s the day when everyone claims to be Irish.

Are the hours long? Are the days tough? Both answers are obviously yes but as in a lot of professions, some work harder then others. In days where people across the world are struggling, it seems like a smack in
the mouth to the voting public, as we start to see where our hard earn money goes.

It isn’t a pretty picture.

Villagers organised the wedding ceremony because the region was suffering a water shortage as it waited for monsoon rains to arrive, according to school teacher Noor Mohammad Kalon, who was a guest on behalf of the “groom.”

Kalon reported to AP that the locals believed the ceremony had an effect as it rained the next day.

Moving on to Michigan and a baseball park has created a hamburger that contains a whopping 4,800 calories.

The West Michigan Whitecaps are offering fans a behemoth dubbed the Fifth Third Burger, named after the team’s ballpark and the meal’s five beef patties, which each weigh one third of a pound (136 grams).

“Besides being unique and large and bizarre, it tastes good,” Whitecaps president Scott Lane told the Grand Rapids News. “I’m sure there are going to be crazies that come down and try to eat the entire thing.”

The Whitecaps have stated that should anyone complete the challenge they will be rewarded with a free t-shirt.

The abuse of children is the abuse of our society’s innocence, the murder of our society’s innocence. The sexual abuse of children is something so abhorrent, so horrifying that it can only make any person of conscience sick to the stomach.

If I didn’t know any better I would have guessed that the biggest problem for our bishops would be to make sure that the don’t forget about charity when dealing with the priests involved. The reality for too many is that their biggest problem has been to appear to give a damn.

God is Love. The God of our Church is the same God of Love. Any man who is not revolted by the sexual abuse of children is not representative of God or His Church. A bishop who stands for the rights of the weak, who stands before any of the world’s evils and continues to proclaim peace, justice and love will face resistance from the world’s evils. If certain wayward priests choose instead to stand for these evils then a bishop must be prepared for ecclesiastical civil war. If Bishop Magee thinks he can put his personal comfort above the protection of children from sexual abuse then he is no place to claim any relationship with the God of Love.

Children are a source of grace in our world. The Church is supposed to be another. A priest who abuses a child robs the world of God’s grace twice. Any bishop who denies a child their due protection from abuse again robs the world of such grace. Pope Benedict XVI has often been misunderstood by our secular world for speaking on purely theological lines. What ever way you look at this the sexual abuse of children and the overlooking of this abuse by senior figures in the Church is a horrifying abuse of man and a horrifying abuse of God.

As Michael Kelly quoted in The Irish Catholic recently, the former press officer for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Russell Shaw spoke for us all recently when he said: “I live and work in a largely non-Catholic, even anti-Catholic, environment. In this setting I consider it my job to be an exemplary representative of the Church, a kind of living testimony to Catholic beliefs and values. With all my faults, I work pretty hard at it, too. But time and again the authorities have pulled the rug out from under me. The sex-abuse scandal isn’t the whole of it, but it’s made things far worse. Really, I ask you, how can you put a good face on being a Catholic in the eyes of people who are at best suspicious of the Church, when you’ve got something like that hanging over your head?”

Mr Kelly goes on to write: “People who have stayed true to their faith despite the scandals, people who have felt humiliated by the thoughts of their non-religious co-workers, mothers and fathers who have had to endure the scorn of their teenage children at the Church’s failings need reassurance.”

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Our two highest Church authorities, Cardinal Brady of Armagh and Dr. Martin of Dublin, have spoken and acted for the good of the abused children. The problem however is that as long as his brother bishops will speak to him at all John Magee can shut himself in his ivory tower and do even more damage. He has let us all down and by refusing to resign he continues to do so. He has lost all moral authority now. If he wants to work for the protection of children he should resign as bishop and do so in his new role, more open to grace.

How can the Church stand so fiercely in protection of the unborn child while ignoring the living? If anyone is to be refused communion for supporting abortion then Magee should be refused communion for ignoring the abuse of live children.

If the other Irish bishops care enough to stand up for the truth, regardless of how it will inconvenience them, they must force Magee to resign or appeal to Rome to make the decision for him. They are practically the pope in their own diocese but this is one universal Church. They should take responsibility for it.

Advent is a season of light, goodness, comfort, peace, and joy. It’s fitting that the American holiday of Thanksgiving comes at the end of the liturgical year and the beginning of the season of Advent. Our practice of “giving thanks” for the blessings we’ve received over the past year opens our hearts to receiving the love of Christ born during this time of waiting and hopeful anticipation. Thanksgiving helps us enter Advent with an “attitude of gratitude” – a thankfulness that comes from being loved by God and witnessing his presence working in our lives. We’re thankful for our families, who support and encourage us through life’s big ups and downs; our friends, who make us laugh and help us relax and have fun; our significant others, who teach us about love and selfless giving; our jobs which provide financial security and hopefully allow us to do good in the world; our health, especially in a time of high health care costs; our safety and security, when much of the world experiences extreme poverty or violence. Whether it’s big or little things, we have a lot to be thankful for this year and every year.

Last night I heard a talk by Claire Noonan, who runs the Siena Center at Dominican University in Chicago. The topic was “being called by our baptism.” She and other responders shared about God’s love being enough. Our baptism calls us to accept that love within ourselves and to share it with others; that is our mission, and that is enough. As we enter Advent, we begin reflecting on Mary’s choice to accept and share God’s love. She was grateful for the blessings of her faith, and she chose to follow God’s call by being mother to Jesus. In turn, Jesus accepted God’s love and shared it with others during his public ministry, to the point of death on the cross, which we celebrate in Lent/Easter.

It’s fitting that the liturgical season starts after Thanksgiving, and that it follows a circle between Christ’s birth and Jesus’ death. During Advent, we are called to reflect on the light of Christ, the love of God, and the call of our birth and baptism – let us do so with open and grateful hearts.

The past few months has seen tumultous public debate on the candidates, especially centered on the issue of abortion. The USCCB document on ‘Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship’ put itself forward as a guide to key issues relevant to Catholics, in order to help form consciences in accordance with God’s truth.

The document was quoted by many Catholics, both by supporters of Obama, and by those who believed that they would be going against basic Church teachings by voting for a pro-choice candidate. We then saw the breakup of Catholics into groups based on their opinion – voters who claimed to be Catholic, but still wanted to support Obama.

The Catholic Church is hierarchal, and if it is accepted that the bishops carry God’s truth, and that is to say that abortion is an intrinisic evil – and that by placing your vote with Obama, your conscience cannot be fully formed.

If the final figure reflect the exit polls, and show that the majority of Catholics gave their vote to Obama – then surely there has been a huge malfunction somewhere along the line. If these voters went against the Church teaching on issues, and formed their own consciences (which, in past posts we saw can be erroneous) then can these people still be considered as true Catholics?

The synod fathers recognize and encourage the service of the laity in the transmission of the faith. Women, in particular, have an indispensable role on this point, above all in the family and in catechesis. In fact, they know how to arouse hearing of the Word and the personal relationship with God, and how to communicate the meaning of forgiveness and evangelical sharing.
It’s hoped that ministry of lector can be opened also to women, so that their role as announcers of the Word may be recognized in the Christian community. 

The report states that the proposition passed with 191 votes in favour, 45 opposed and 3 abstensions.
It will be interesting to see what the outcome of this proposition is – while any Catholic can of course perform the task of reading scripture, to be officially installed as a lector currently requires you to be male.

Unofficial women lectors are a common sight in churches, and the train of thought seems to be that since they are already fulfilling that role, it will not be a large gap to bridge to simply install them officially.

What are the chances of this proposition being realised, and is it possible it could have further consequences? If things are made official by habit, then could positions such as Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (the misuse of which was addressed in Redemptionis Sacramentum) become standard use in services, simply because they are habitually used in service?

“Over the Pope as the expression of the binding claim of ecclesiastical authority, there still stands one’s own conscience, which must be obeyed before all else, if necessary even against the requirement of ecclesiastical authority.” (Doctrine of Vatican II, vol. V, commentary on p. 134.)

I’ve yet to read the quote in full context, and intend to do so over the next couple of days. But it is definately an eye-opening line of thought as it presented.

I have some wonderful news! I was wrong. Not that this is a rarity, but this particular mistake is really quite sweet. The Poor Clare community in Ennis celebrated their golden jubilee this week and the celebration was marked by a visit from our belovéd President Maire McAleese. Last week I wrote with dismay at how this great woman seemed to have fallen into the secular trap set for every aspiring Irish politician today – don’t dare mention religion in public. Thank you Madam President for breaking free from these Christo-hostile bonds.

In the monastery Mrs McAleese wished “a very happy birthday to all the Poor Clares for 50 wonderful years and I particularly thank you for 11 of those years”.

Our president of the people, for the people, went on to admit that she spends three days in the monastery on retreat every year…while president of Ireland…shock, horror! The Irish Times and Irish Independent once again take their impartial stance to the world: “President tells of days spent living with nuns in Ennis”…“President spends yearly retreat with enclosed nuns”…”cloistered away in prayer”…etc

“You can’t take the burden of sorrow from them and people do come in great sorrow, but you can go in a journey of light with them and that matters so much; the courage, the faith, the hope that your prayers give them. That little bit of energy to keep them focused for tomorrow – that is so important to bring the joy of Clare and the joy of Christ into their lives.” It is so heartening to hear a lay Irish public figure speak about the “joy of Christ”…so heartening.

This approach by such a well respected figure does trickle down. The Irish Times went on to explain that the Poor Clares “dedicate their lives to God through the vows of enclosure, chastity, obedience and poverty.” No “scandal”, ”falling church attendence”, “disillusioned Catholics” or jibes about “wafers”. This is some of the best press the Church has gotten in Ireland since the scandals ten years ago!

A signed photograph of President McAleese hangs on the wall of the main corridor: “Much love to my dearest sisters, Mary.” In the visitors’ book yesterday she wrote: “Congratulations on 50 years of prayful loving care of so many people whose sorrows you shared, whose joy you enchanced.” and ended with those wonderful words “God bless this lovely community”. I don’t know when I last heard an Irish politician say the words “God bless”.

The remnants of a ‘Catholic Ireland’ can often be seen when Irish politicians attend Catholic services as a government representative in special circumstances. When the President and her husband joined the Poor Clares and local friars for midday prayer in the monastery chapel there was a sense that this was the real thing. After her enlightening the nation on her commitment to her faith she read from the book of the prophet Hosea…and one can’t help but feel that she believes the words she reads. Rare in a politician really!

This is extraordinary news and consider it recognised. A respected figure in Ireland has come out and proclaimed that she has a soul…and that she cares. The skys haven’t opened. She hasn’t been impeached….but this Irishman is cheering.