St. Pius XII

After a long time with relatively few popes up for canonization, we’re now in an era in which there are a bunch of them (and there are some interesting theories on why that is, but that’s a subject for another day). One of these is Pius XII, who shephered the Church during WWII.

And who then was viciously slimed after the war.

Well, good for the Vatican for considering his canonization. Here’s some recent stories that have a bearing on that:

1) NEW BOOK DISCUSSES HITLER’S PLOT TO KIDNAP PIUS XII AND HOW IT WAS THWARTED BY THE DISOBEDIENCE OF A GERMAN GENERAL.

2) CARDINAL BERTONE’S SPEECH DEFENDING PIUS XII.

3) PERSPECTIVE ON CARDINAL BERTONE’S SPEECH.

4) JOHN ALLEN ARGUES THAT IT’S TIME TO BEATIFY AND CANONIZE PIUS XII.

Here’s the nut of his argument:

I’ll prescind from whether Pius XII actually merits sainthood. Instead, I want to remain in the realm of observable facts, which in this case seem to me to be the following:

  • A significant block in the Catholic church, including much of its senior leadership, has a strong conviction that Pius XII is a saint and should be formally recognized as such;
  • In other sectors of opinion, including much of the Jewish world, there is an equally strong conviction that Pius XII failed in his moral responsibilities during the Holocaust;
  • No new evidence, or new historical perspective, is likely to alter those convictions;
  • The primary force keeping this debate alive in the media, and making it a source of turbulence in Catholic-Jewish relations, is the question of possible sainthood.

Assuming those four premises are accurate, it seems to follow that there are only two ways out: Either Catholicism renounces sainthood for Pius XII, or we get it over with. Since the former is unlikely, the latter may be the best available option — and the sooner, the better. The alternative is allowing an endless cycle of point/counter-point exchanges to coarsen conversation and harden feelings.

An interesting exercise in ecclesiastical realpolitik, but if you’re in the "Pius XII should be declared a saint" camp, it goes to the issue of when it is prudent for him to be declared a saint.

A Voice Crying Out In The Wasteland

YEAH, I COULD HAVE TOLD YOU THAT RELEASING A STATEMENT CHALLENGING THE TEACHING OF ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS WAS A LOSER.

It’s amazing they had the hubris to release it in the first place.

Still, it’s something to see the head of the thing noting that they can’t afford to do that kind of thing any more.

Oh, and I loved this bit:

Finn made clear that he was not trying to stifle criticism, but said that in the future, such statements should come from individual theologians, perhaps with others signing on, but not in the name of the CTSA.

In other words, "If you want to mouth off to the Vaticsan, you take the hit. I’ve got to look out for the good for the organization."

Half the purpose of issuing joint statements on behalf of the society was to protect the individual signatories by making them look like they’re part of a big, impressive group (or by not having individual signatories at all, just a joint statement of the organization). Having to make such statements on your own, without the society backing you up, will–indeed–"stifle criticism."

(Oh, and the other half of the purpose is to make the statements have more punch by them being issued by a society and not just an individual or a few individuals.)

Too Funny!

New non-emergency system to ease burden on busy 911
By Michael Blue
Daily Texan Staff
A new non-emergency communication system unveiled by the Austin Police Department Tuesday may reduce an overloaded 911 system and help police focus their efforts on actual emergencies.
About 50 community members and police officials gathered at the Texas Medical Association Building to hear about the APD’s fall launching of the new 311 non-emergency communication system. With the new system, APD hopes 311 operators will absorb the non-emergency calls that have overburdened the 911 system.
Calls to 311 should not require immediate police action and include offenses such as property crimes no longer in process, animal control problems, illegally parked vehicles, vehicles blocking alleys or driveways or calls asking questions about telephone numbers, addresses and hours of operation for APD’s divisions or programs.
Paul Flaningan, APD spokesman, said the 311 system is specifically designed for calls that are not life threatening, as opposed to the 911 system that handles emergency situations.
“[The 311 calls] are for non-emergencies like someone calling and saying ‘Hey, some people are blowing off fireworks,’ or there is a water-main break or a fire hydrant erupts,” Flaningan said.
Currently, the 911 system is being deluged with non-emergency calls.
APD estimates that between 50 and 60 percent of 911 calls are non-emergencies an estimated 240,000 and 360,000 phone calls that 311 operators could possibly handle. The effect could free up 911 operators to concentrate on situations for which 911 was created tackling emergencies that require immediate police intervention.
…
With the installment of the 311 system, APD believes that several objectives can be accomplished. Police objectives include decreasing officer response times to emergencies, reducing the number of 911 calls abandoned due to lengthy waiting times, and most importantly, the APD said freeing up officer time to concentrate on problem-solving activities.

GET THE STORY. (wma audio)

Snopes says that they called the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which confirmed that this was a real phone call they received (they’re still listing it as of "undetermined" veracity, though, since they don’t know if the woman placing the call was hoaxing the police department or not). They also state:

Anyone who has worked a police or emergency services dispatch line can attest that some callers just don’t seem to have a very good grasp of what kinds of situations constitute valid emergencies, or even what sort of problems fall within the purview of law enforcement or emergency rescue services.  People call 911 for assistance in such matters as needing help with homework, clogged toilets, and non-functioning smoke detectors, to try to find out the latest sports scores and lottery results, to report broken televisions and cable outages, to seek assistance in locating lost pets, and to report all sorts of minor medical ailments.

HERE’S THE SNOPES PIECE (with transcript for those who have audio problems).

Converting From Islam In Malaysia

A reader writes:

The Malaysian federal court has rejected professed Catholic Lina Joy’s appeal to change her stated religion from ‘Muslim’ to ‘Christian’ on her identity card. If she still persist to change her religion, she will need to apply for apostasy with the Syariah court, which the Syariah law forbids.

MORE INFORMATION

Please help to make available this news to your readers as this would help the world to know more about the suppression of religious freedom in Malaysia. It would be a great help to Lina herself.

I’d be happy to let people know about it and to ask for prayers for her and all in Malaysia and elsewhere in the Muslim world who wish to become Christian. The unsettling thing is that Malaysia is among the more progressive countries in the Muslim world when it comes to this issue.

EXCERPT:

In practice, sharia courts do not allow Muslims to formally renounce Islam, preferring to send apostates to counseling and, ultimately, fining or jailing them if they do not desist.

They often end up in legal limbo, unable to register their new religious affiliations or legally marry non-Muslims. Many keep silent about their choice or emigrate.

Lina Joy, 43, was born Azlina Jailani and was brought up as a Muslim, but at the age of 26 decided to become a Christian. She wants to marry her Christian boyfriend, a cook, but she cannot do so while her identity card declares her to me Muslim.

In 1999, the registration department allowed her to change the name in her identity card to Lina Joy but the entry for her religion remained "Islam."

Malaysia, like neighboring Indonesia, practices a moderate brand of Islam, but Muslims account for only a bare majority of Malaysia’s population and are very sensitive to any perceived threats to Islam’s special status as the official religion.

Malaysia has been under Islamic influence since the 15th century, but big waves of Chinese and Indian immigrants over the last 150 years has dramatically changed its racial and religious make-up. Now, about 40 percent of Malaysians are non-Muslim.

Motu Proprio Update

I’ve been waylaid by recent events (like the trip to Europe) that have kept me from blogging about the forthcoming motu proprio on the liturgy in a timely manner (by my standards, at least).

We’ve had confirmation from more than one source that it is, indeed, coming.

MOST RECENTLY BY (#2 THE VATICAN MAN) SECRETARY OF STATE CARDINARL BERTONE.

Who says it’ll be coming "soon" (which in Vatican-speak could mean weeks or months, but means it’s coming).

A couple of thoughts:

1) Cardinal Bertone indicates that the motu proprio will be accompanied by a letter from B16 explaining the reasons for the change and hoping for a "serene reception" from the Church on the issue.

This is unusual.

I can’t remember the last time a motu proprio was accompanied by a letter from the pope himself. There may have been one, but I can’t remember it. In any event, it’s significant that the pope would write a letter to cushion the force of a motu proprio.

This signifies the sensitivity of the issue.

Why is it so sensitive?

Because the use of the Tridentine Rite of Mass is an identity marker.

Apart from the identity issue, nobody would get greatlly overworked about the fact that a certain (and relatively small) group of Christians are being allowed to celebrate the Mass according to their preferred rite. "Big deal," some might say. But when the preferred rite happens to be the majority rite of the by-far-the-largest ritual church, different stakes are in play.

People will look at this as if it is a symbol of approval or disapproval not just of the rite of Mass but of the whole set of changes that have affected the Latin Church in the last forty years, which is a much greater matter.

2) I’ve also read reports that the motu proprio will establish rights for Catholics who want to celebrate the other sacraments–not just the Eucharist–according to the old rites.

Normally the rites that govern the ways the sacraments are celebrated are handled through the Congregation for the Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, but I’m picking up vibes that the Ecclesical Commission Ecclesia Dei will have an expanded portfolio in the wake of the motu proprio, meaning that we may have two dicasteries that deal with liturgy–the CDW and the ECED.

Time will tell.

There Ain’t Anything You Can’t Fix With Duct Tape!

That’s what they say back home in the South.

And it seems true elsewhere, too. When I was in Rome recently I saw a parked car that had its driver’s side rear view mirror reattached with duct tape.

But it seems there are interesting things you can fix with salad dressing, too.

Like precious works of art.

GET THE STORY.

P.S.: Tim J! This could be what happens to your stuff in a couple hundred years!

Or maybe future folks will just take off the grime with duct tape.

You know what they say!

P.P.S.: My favorite kind  of duct tape is the kind that has the cute little ducks printed right on it.