Hysteria in the headlines

In reporting the content of an interim report from the Synod of Bishops taking place in Rome, headlines all over the country have recently said things like, "Vatican proposes dramatic shift in attitude toward gays, same sex couples" or "Vatican asks: Can we accept gays?"

The news stories are actually about a working document which was published after some small group discussions midway through the Synod on the family which is still meeting in Rome. The Pope did not author the document. The document will now be discussed and modified in the next week by working groups of bishops who will scrutinize each section, suggest changes and amendments and then a final report will be issued after the Synod ends. Even then, it will not be a report authored by the Pope but by a group of Bishops who attended the Synod. 

This final report will be disseminated and discussed worldwide over the next year. There will be a second Synod in Rome next October which will take the final report into consideration for their deliberations and recommendations which they will make to Pope Francis at the end of the second Synod. Keep in mind that this present document is not a reference document, meaning that is simply a draft document that will be debated and adjusted as a committee puts together a final document of this year’s Synod.

As Fr. Robert Barron put it, "What has just appeared is not even close to a definitive, formal teaching of the Catholic Church. It is a report on what has been discussed so far in a synod of some two hundred bishops from around the world. It conveys, to be sure, a certain consensus around major themes, trends that have been evident in the conversations, dominant emphases in the debates, etc., but it decidedly does not represent 'the teaching' of the Pope or the bishops."

Personally, I think that the section of the document called "Welcoming homosexual persons" has the good intention of emphasizing what the Church has always taught - charity toward everyone. Also, we should not unjustly discriminate against those with same sex attractions. Love the sinner but hate the sin. We should welcome everyone to Church because we are all sinners and we all need to hear the Good News about Jesus Christ, the offer of salvation, and how to repent from our sins and struggle to live a good Christian life. 

"Welcome," however, does not mean homosexual behavior is suddenly good. Same sex attraction is a disordered tendency (although not a sin) because it is not ordered toward the good, truth and beauty of human sexuality. On the other hand, when some chooses to engage in homosexual behavior, it is neither a truly unitive or procreative act. A homosexual act is an intrinsically evil choice and a mortal sin because it is a grave choice against God's providential plan for human sexuality. 

I certainly would admit that some of the wording of that section of the document is confusing and needs some serious work. It was pointed out that there is a mistranslation of the Italian word "valutando" (which does not mean "valuing" but "considering" or "taking into account") which has caused some serious confusion. The phrase "accepting and valuing their sexual orientation" would be better translated, "accepting and taking into account their sexual orientation."

That's why they call it a "working document" or a "draft." As Cardinal Dolan of New York said, "A lot of bishops and myself feel that (the document) needs some major reworking."

Let's pray for the Bishops and the Pope as they continue the Synod on the Family in Rome.

Pastor's Corner, October 12, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

On October 18 the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Luke, the Evangelist. He is the patron of medical personnel since St. Luke was a physician.

Today more than ever the Church needs many of her sons and daughters to be doctors, nurses, medical technicians, hospital administrators, emergency personnel, etc. The medical field is one filled with opportunities to show forth the great charity of Christ to those who are ill and to manifest the greatness of human dignity as revealed to us in God creating man in His image and likeness and in redeeming man by way of the death of His Son on the Cross. Does not Jesus teach us in Matthew 25: 40, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me”?

With the increase of costs for medical procedures, sometimes financial reasons drive decisions instead of the love for the patient and their dignity as a human being.

St. Pope John Paul II once wrote a prayer for physicians in which he said, “Make us O Lord, Good Samaritans, ready to welcome, treat, and console those we encounter in our work. Following the example of the holy medical doctors who have preceded us, help us to offer our generous contribution to the constant renewal of health care structures.” May all those in the medical field truly be Good Samaritans for others!

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, October 5, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Today we begin our Forty Hours Devotion. This is an intense time of adoration, praise, petition and thanksgiving for the whole parish as we spend time in quiet prayer for Our Lord who is truly present, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Holy Eucharist.

The practice of have 40 hours of continuous eucharistic adoration probably began in the 16^th Century in Milan, Italy. According to Pope Paul III, the two primary reasons for the start of the devotion were “to appease the anger of God provoked by the offences of Christians, and in order to bring to nought the efforts and machinations of the Turks who are pressing forward to the destruction of Christendom.”

One important fruit of Forty Hours is that it provides people of all ages and walks of life to spend some time in silence before Our Blessed Lord. In a world filled with so much noise and distractions (especially of the electronic kind!), we need silence. A few years ago Pope Benedict said, “When messages and information are plentiful, silence becomes essential if we are to distinguish what is important from what is insignificant or secondary” (World Communication Day message 2012).

Please take some time during 40 Hours to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament in silence.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Mission Schedule

Here is the schedule for our Parish Mission during our Annual 40 Hours: 

Sunday, October 5                        

All Sunday Masses: Fr. Angelus Shaughnessy will preach 

12 noon: Exposition & Opening of 40 Hours                    

7pm: Evening Prayer & Homily by Fr. Shaughnessy                                              

                                                                                                                           

Monday, October 6  

 9 am: School Mass & Homily by Fr. Shaughnessy 

 12 noon: Confessions      

 1 pm: Conference by Fr. Shaughnessy

 7 pm: Evening Prayer & Homily  by Fr. Shaughnessy 

Tuesday, October 7

12 noon: Confessions

1 pm: Conference by Fr. Shaughnessy

7 pm: Evening Prayer & Homily by Fr. Shaughnessy, Benediction & Closing 40  Hours

ALL ARE WELCOME. PLEASE COME AND JOIN US. 

Pastor's Corner, September 28, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Next weekend we begin our Annual Forty Hours devotion. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed 24/7 in the Church and we will all have the opportunity to adore the Lord who is truly present under the appearance of bread and wine. We will also have the privilege of listening to Fr. Angelus Shaughnessy, OFM, who will conduct a Parish Mission during those days.

A Parish Mission is a special time of conversion for the whole parish. The Catholic Encyclopedia describes a parish mission as a time to instruct Catholics “more fully in the truths of their religion, to convert sinners, rouse the torpid and indifferent, and lift the good to a still higher plane of spiritual effort.” It is a time of intense prayer, of turning toward the power of the sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Penance, and of listening to the preaching of the Word of God with the desire to change one’s life for the better. Ultimately, it is a special time of encounter with Christ through His Church.

We need a mission or retreat to rejuvenate our love for the Lord and face us with some of our sins that keep us from a deep relationship with Him. We need to hear the Word of God preached in a new and refreshing way to help us love the Gospel more and be inspired by it. To put in succinctly, every once in a while we need to be “shaken up” in our spiritual lives.

I hope and pray that you can join us for our Parish Mission.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, September 21, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

World Meeting of Families icon

This Sunday we are pleased to welcome to the Cathedral the Most Reverend John McIntyre, Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia. Bishop McIntyre will celebrated the 9 am Mass. He will then speak at the Women’s Alliance Communion Breakfast immediately after Mass about the World Meeting of Families (WMOF). This meeting will take place in Philadelphia from September 22 – 27, 2015. The concluding Mass may possibly be celebrated outdoors by Pope Francis! If his Holiness comes, it will be his first pastoral visit to the United States.

WMOF was started by Saint Pope John Paul II in 1992. He wanted these meetings to be an occasion for strengthening the bonds of the family across the globe. The first WMOF took place in Rome in 1994, the International Year of the Family. These Meetings have happened every three years in places like Rome, Manila, Mexico and most recently (2012) in Milan.

During the days of the conference, families share their thoughts, dialogue and prayers, working together to grow as individuals and families. Families can participate in discussion groups on the Christian family’s role in the church and society, led by many distinguished speakers. The days of the meeting usually conclude with a Mass celebrated by the Holy Father.

We look forward to the WMOF in Philadelphia next year. For more information, please visit http://www.worldmeeting2015.org

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, September 14, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

It has been about a month since the death of comedian Robin Williams by suicide. Social commentators tell us that a suicide is committed every 13 seconds in the United States and there are more deaths by suicide than car accidents. What does the Church teach with regard to suicide?

Suicide is taking one’s own life and is forbidden by the 5^th Commandment, “Thou shall not kill.” As the Catechism says, suicide “contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life... It likewise offends love of neighbor” and it “is contrary to love for the living God.” (2281)

Does committing suicide condemn someone to hell? Objectively speaking the answer is yes. Suicide is a grave sin which, if done with full knowledge (knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God's law) and deliberate consent (sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice), then the person is responsible for the grave sin and will suffer the eternal consequences of their action.

It is good to keep in mind, however, that “grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture” can diminish someone’s responsibility (Catechism, 2282). Thus, we should never assume to be able to ultimately judge a person’s level of responsibility, most especially those who struggle with severe mental health issues. Only God knows the heart.

Consequently, “we should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives” (Catechism, 2283).

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker