A Comedy of powers
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Malaysia Today
26 July 2007
Yes, guilty as charged. I have stolen this line from Shakespeare. But I can’t help it. What better way to describe the eight hours I spent under interrogation at the Dang Wangi Police Station yesterday other than it was a comedy of errors? By the way, before I go on, I have received more than a thousand phone calls, SMSes and e-mails from well-wishers and supporters. I have not found the time to reply to each and everyone yet so I hope you will forgive me for my rudeness. I am certainly touched by the concern and the messages of support posted in Malaysia Today’s blogs. From the bottom of my heart, and with sincere humility, I thank you all and promise you that the fight for more freedom in Malaysia shall continue come hell or high water.
I received a call from the police at 8.00am yesterday that they want to record my statement on the police report lodged by an ex-Selangor Menteri Besar with two Muhamads in his name. I saw the phone call coming and was not only expecting it but was hoping that they would summon me for interrogation so that I can expose this entire episode for the farce that it really is. In short, I pushed their hand with the ‘See you in hell Muhamad son of Muhamad’ article so that they would be forced to make their move on me.They wanted me in at 10 but I told them I can only make it at 11.
I wanted to update the website first in case my visit to Dang Wangi ends up a two-week stay.According to the press reports, the police report made against me was with regards to an article I wrote on 11 July 2007 that they regard as insulting the Agong and Islam. By the way, in case you did not know, Malaysia does not have a king so please stop referring to the Agong as King. Agong does not translate to king. Agong means supreme and it merely means he is the Supreme Ruler of the nine rulers, a sort of ‘first amongst equals’ situation.I brought along two shopping bags of four copies of the Quran in Arabic, English and Bahasa Malaysia, the Salasilah or family tree of the Selangor Sultanate, and an ‘approved’ version of Selangor’s history written by Buyung Adil. I could of course have also included Joginder Singh Jessy’s, DJ Tate’s and Winsted’s versions as well, but I thought the Buyung Adil version, which is in Bahasa Malaysia, would be less strenuous on the more simple-minded.T
he police informed me that my interrogation was not about my article of 11 July 2007. In fact, on 11 July 2007, I never wrote any article. I did on 8 July though and again on 13 July, but never on 11 July. According to what the newspapers reported, I was alleged to have insulted the Agong and Islam, so the purpose of the two shopping bags of books was to debate Islam and the Agong with those who were about to interrogate me. But they did not want to talk about any of my articles. They only wanted to talk about some of the comments in the blogs posted by Malaysia Today’s readers.I told the police I refuse to talk about the comments in the blogs. I did not write these comments so I refuse to talk about what I did not write. I only want to talk about what I wrote and defend myself against charges that I have insulted the Agong and Islam.
But no, the police did not want to talk about my articles. They only wanted to talk about the comments in the blogs.I told the police I still refuse to talk about the comments and if therefore they want to charge me for sedition under the Sedition Act then go ahead. I banged the table with my fist and shouted, “Charge me! Charge me now!” The police said that they do not wish to charge me yet but only to take my statement. I can refuse to reply if I wish or reply that I do not know anything. But they have no choice but to take my statement because a police report had been made against me.It boggles the mind that they MUST take my statement barely two days after the police report against me was made whereas they do not feel they MUST do anything on the hundreds upon hundreds of other police reports made the last ten years or so since 1998. Take, as one example, the police report made by four Umno delegates to the Kubang Pasu AGM last year alleging that they were each bribed RM200 to not vote for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Malaysia Today published copies of these police reports. One of the Umno delegates who made the police report was subsequently beaten up in his house in front of his family. He made a second police report on the beating and even fingered those who had beaten him up because he knew them personally. Again, nothing was done. So this MUST take your statement once a police report has been made against you is as truthful as I am still a virgin.When that ex-Selangor Menteri Besar with two Muhamads in his name went to the Dang Wangi Police Station on Monday to lodge his police report, he did not have any details to support the allegation that Malaysia Today had insulted the Agong and Islam.
He was told that the evidence to support this allegation must be attached to the police report. They then tried to get onto the internet to access Malaysia Today so that they could look for the evidence. But they did not know how to and could not find Malaysia Today.They then enlisted the help of a journalist from one of the Chinese newspapers who was there covering the event. Through the good help of this Chinese reporter, they finally found Malaysia Today and went through the comments in the blogs to find the evidence that they needed to support the police report.Malaysia Today was launched on 13 August 2004 and since then we have about 20,000 or so items with an estimated five million comments in the blogs. Looking for the evidence would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. We must note that at this point of time they had lodged a police report but lacked the evidence. They were now putting the cart before the horse. They now needed the evidence to support the police report.They finally found about a dozen or so postings amongst five million that looked strong enough to prove that Malaysia Today has insulted the Agong and Islam.
One was my own posting that said if you insult any race or religion then I would have no choice but to delete your posting and ban you from further posting comments in Malaysia Today. Another was by Indianputra who was appealing to Malaysia Today’s readers not to fight and argue as some people might take advantage of the squabbling and exploit it to divide the races. What we want is a peaceful country, argued Indianputra, so if we engage in a civil manner then we will be able to unite all the races. And so on and so forth. Basically, this was the evidence they were working on to prove that Malaysia Today insulted the Agong and Islam.I asked the police whether these postings are insulting the Agong, insulting Islam, and are trying to divide the races, or whether they are actually the reverse. The face of the ASP interrogating me turned red as he tried to explain that he was just doing his job and that he was ordered to take my statement.
I replied that the person who made the police report is a stupid person who can’t speak English. So what do you expect from someone like that? He can’t even understand comments that are appealing for national unity and instead interpret it as calling for racial strife.“Do you know that that orang bodoh ran away with the Sultan’s daughter and then denied it?” I asked the police. They just smiled. “Well, I am going to reveal this to the world,” I continued. “I am going to publish the letter he wrote to the Sultan where he denied he had married the Sultan’s daughter whereas he had in fact already secretly married her in Thailand. You tengoklah. I akan balun si bodoh tu habis-habis.”The police appeared amused at what I had to say although their only retort was, “Banyak maklumat kita dapat hari ini.”They then wanted to know the identity of those who post comments in Malaysia Today’s blogs.
I told them I do not know who they are but I do know that amongst them are 25 Umno cyber-troopers headed by Azalina and Norza. “Azalina?” they asked.“Yes, Azalina lesbian,” I replied.“Oh, Azalina Othman.” Apparently they know who I meant by Azalina lesbian.“I did not say Azalina Othman. I said Azalina lesbian. You are supposed to record everything I say the way I say it. That is what a cautioned statement under Section 112 is all about. Saya kata Azalina lesbian. Bukan Azalina Othman. You record what I say and I will sign the statement.”The second police officer stopped typing and scratched his head with a sheepish grin on his face. “Okaylah, I don’t want you to get into any trouble. Drop the lesbian and change it to Othman.”
The second officer continued typing while chuckling. He was certainly enjoying himself.I pointed out a few IDs that belonged to the Umno cyber-troopers and the second officer recorded them down. “How do you know they are Umno cyber-troopers?” the first officer asked me.“Because I have received information from inside Umno,” I replied.“You have people planted in Umno?”“Of course I do, and I bribe them to feed me information. I just slam RM1,000 onto the table and ask them to tell me everything and they sing like a canary. It is not that hard to buy information.”The four police officers in the room smiled and shook their heads in disbelief. “Can we record this in your statement?”“Of course you can. The reason I am telling you this is so that you can record it in my statement.
I want it on record that Umno is attacking Malaysia Today with 25 cyber-troopers and they are the ones who are posting racial statements. Sometimes they even masquerade as Chinese and whack the Malays and Islam. Then other cyber-troopers would respond and whack the Chinese. The Umno cyber-troopers are the ones behind this racial and religious bashing in Malaysia Today. Then they make a police report alleging that Malaysia Today insults Islam and stirs racial sentiments.”All this exchange was of course recorded as anything you say under Section 112 interrogation is recorded and you are made to sign the statement at the end of the interrogation. And you go to jail if you make a false statement.At the end of the eight-hour interrogation, I asked them whether we are finished and they said yes. “Okay, now I want to make my additional statement,” I informed the police.“Of course, we will ask you before we end whether you want to add anything more to your statement. That is the procedure.”“Okay, now I will make that statement.
Malaysia Today’s domain name is registered in the UK,” I told the police. When you click on the domain name malaysia-today.net you are sent to the server of the registered IP address in that domain name. Our server is in Singapore. But what you see is only the front page. Then you choose which item on the front page you want to read and you are sent to the blog. The blog sits in the US. When you post a comment it goes straight to the blog. For all intents and purposes, Malaysia Today is a foreign website and not a Malaysian website. We therefore do not come under Malaysian laws.”“Let me put it another way,” I told the police. “Sodomy is a crime in Malaysia and you can get sent to jail for nine years for the crime of sodomy even if you are a Deputy Prime Minister. In England, men can marry men and you will even receive a congratulatory message from the British Prime Minister. So, sodomy is not a crime in the UK and you do not go to jail.”“In short,” I summed up. “Your Sedition Act is valid only in Malaysia and not outside Malaysia.
So you cannot impose Malaysia’s Sedition Act on Malaysia Today which resides outside Malaysia. I can actually tell you to go to hell and that I will not waste eight hours answering all your questions. But I do not want you to think I am sombong so I was prepared to spend eight hours with you answering all your questions as I know you have a job to do and it is not your fault.”I knew this officer was under tremendous pressure because every half an hour he would receive a phone call from his OCPD as well as the IGP asking about the progress of the interrogation.
The top bosses were monitoring the whole situation and my interrogation was not a routine one at all. One senior Chinese officer who sat there the entire duration without opening his mouth revealed his true role when the only time he spoke was to utter the statement that I am trying to topple the IGP. That was what the police really wanted. It was payback time for the revelations of the links between the IGP and the Chinese organised crime syndicate.Umno, however, had other motives. It was not about Malaysia Today insulting the Agong or Islam. They did not even have any evidence of this until that Chinese reporter helped them get onto the internet and access Malaysia Today’s website. What they were perturbed about is my article in my column No Holds Barred on 8 July 2007 about the powers of the Agong.
If you read Article 150 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia -- which I have reproduced below -- you can see that the Agong has the power to remove the Prime Minister if the Agong perceives the Prime Minister as totally incompetent and a danger to the economic life and well-being of Malaysians. Of course, this has never been done before except in 1969 to address the problem of the May 13 race riots. But this does not mean it cannot be done, just that it has never been done or done only once in 1969.Note the key points in Article 150 such as: 1) If the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is satisfied2) That a grave emergency exists3) Whereby the security, or the economic life, or public order in the Federation or any part thereof is threatened4) He may issue a Proclamation of Emergency making therein a declaration to that effect.5) A Proclamation of Emergency may be issued before the actual occurrence of the event which threatens the security, or the economic life, or public order in the Federation6) Except when both Houses of Parliament are sitting concurrently7) The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is satisfied that certain circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action8) He may promulgate such ordinances as circumstances appear to him to require.9) The Houses of Parliament shall be regarded as sitting only if the members of each House are respectively assembled togetherNow, Article 150 is very clear in that the Agong can interpret the situation as he sees it and take action that he thinks is befitting the situation.
Basically, it is his opinion and only his opinion that rules and he can act based on his opinion.When this article was first published on 8 July 2007, it sent shockwaves right through the fourth floor and right up to the fifth floor of the Prime Minister’s office in Putrajaya. They suddenly realised that if the Agong perceives the Prime Minister as incompetent and a danger to this country, then the Agong can remove the Prime Minister and appoint anyone he so wishes to replace the Prime Minister. It need not be the Deputy Prime Minister or any of the Umno leaders. In theory, it can even be the Agong’s gardener if the Agong thinks he is better than the Prime Minister and the best man to lead this country.
And that was when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi decided to quietly sneak out of the country with his entire family. They suspected that this article of 8 July 2007 was not a coincidence but was instead a hint that the Agong may act within his powers under the Federal Constitution of Malaysia to sack the Prime Minister and replace him with someone better. The Prime Minister then summoned the IGP and the Director of the Special Branch to Australia to obtain feedback as to whether he is in danger of being ousted.Earlier, Abdullah had announced the extension of the IGP’s tenure on contract basis beyond 13 September 2007 when he is supposed to retire. Abdullah received a major blow yesterday during the Rulers’ Conference when the Rulers expressed displeasure at Abdullah's announcement of this extension without first informing them about it.
This was the Rulers’ very strong message to Abdullah that they are not happy with the way he is running this country.Abdullah is worried that Malaysia Today might be playing a role of ‘instigating’ the Rulers to sack him. They then sat down and came out with a plan to turn the Rulers against Malaysia Today by accusing Malaysia Today of insulting the Agong and Islam. They hope that by doing this the Rulers would get angry with Malaysia Today and be very grateful to Abdullah for putting Raja Petra in jail and in that same process protect and defend the image and dignity of the Rulers. In short, Abdullah wants the Rulers to think that Malaysia Today is their enemy while the Prime Minister is their friend. So, no need to sack Abdullah. Instead, put Raja Petra in jail. And with that Abdullah and his family can continue to live happily ever after as the First Family of Malaysia.
Abdullah is due back on 27 July 2007. According to his office, he may delay his return until the first week of August. Abdullah was hoping that by the time he returns on 27 July 2007, Raja Petra would be safely tucked away behind the high walls of the Sungai Buloh Prison and he can then request an audience with the Agong to inform the Agong how he defended the image and dignity of the Agong by punishing Raja Petra for the crime of insulting the Agong and Islam.But they sent a fool to undertake the job of assassinating Raja Petra. This ex-Selangor Menteri Besar with two Muhamads in his name botched the mission. Abdullah now has to rethink his strategy as well as the date of his return home. Would he still be walking in the corridors of power or would he have to stay in Australia and apply for PR status? Yes, we live in interesting times.
A certain Datuk from Abdullah’s camp phoned me last night and I told this Datuk to inform his boss that Raja Petra is bent on destroying Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and ensure that all that remains of him is a pile of dust. An Uncle to the Agong phoned me two days ago and said “Bodoh betul Mat Taib!”Round One: Raja Petra. But will I also win Round Two? I don’t know yet. We will have to wait and see. Time will of course tell. But what I do know, it is a fight to the death and I really do not care whether that will be me.
Article 150 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia
(1) If the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is satisfied that a grave emergency exists whereby the security, or the economic life, or public order in the Federation or any part thereof is threatened, he may issue a Proclamation of Emergency making therein a declaration to that effect.
(2) A Proclamation of Emergency under Clause (1) may be issued before the actual occurrence of the event which threatens the security, or the economic life, or public order in the Federation or any part thereof if the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is satisfied that there is imminent danger of the occurrence of such event.
(2A) The power conferred on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong by this Article shall include the power to issue different Proclamations on different grounds or in different circumstances, whether or not there is a Proclamation or Proclamations already issued by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong under Clause (1) and such Proclamation or Proclamations are in operation.
(2B) If at any time while a Proclamation of Emergency is in operation, except when both Houses of Parliament are sitting concurrently, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is satisfied that certain circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action, he may promulgate such ordinances as circumstances appear to him to require.
(2C) An ordinance promulgated under Clause (2B) shall have the same force and effect as an Act of Parliament, and shall continue in full force and effect as if it is an Act of Parliament until it is revoked or annulled under Clause (3) or until it lapses under Clause (7); and the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to promulgate ordinances under Clause (2B) may be exercised in relation to any matter with respect to which Parliament has power to make laws regardless of the legislative or other procedures required to be followed, or the proportion of the total votes required to be had, in either House of Parliament.
(3) A Proclamation of Emergency and any ordinance promulgated under Clause (2B) shall be laid before both Houses of Parliament and, if not sooner revoked, shall cease to have effect if resolutions are passed by both Houses annulling such Proclamation or ordinance, but without prejudice to anything previously done by virtue thereof or to the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to issue a new Proclamation under Clause (1) or promulgate any ordinance under Clause (2B).
(4) While a Proclamation of Emergency is in force the executive authority of the Federation shall, notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, extent to any matter within the legislative authority of a State and to the giving of directions to the Government of a State or to any officer or authority thereof.
(5) Subject to Clause (6A), while a Proclamation of Emergency is in force, Parliament may, not-withstanding anything in this Constitution make laws with respect to any matter, if it appears to Parliament that the law is required by reason of the emergency; and Article 79 shall not apply to a Bill for such a law or an amendment to such a Bill, nor shall any provision of this Constitution or of any written law which requires any consent or concurrence to the passing of a law or any consultation with respect thereto, or which restricts the coming into force of a law after it is passed or the presentation of a Bill to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for his assent.
(6) Subject to Clause (6A), no provision of any ordinance promulgated under this Article, and no provision of any Act of Parliament which is passed while a Proclamation of Emergency is in force and which declares that the law appears to Parliament to be required by reason of the emergency, shall be invalid on the ground of inconsistency with any provision of this Constitution. (6A) Clause (5) shall not extend the powers of Parliament with respect to any matter of Islamic law or the custom of the Malays, or with respect to any matter of native law or custom in the State of Sabah or Sarawak; nor shall Clause (6) validate any provision inconsistent with the provisions of this Constitution relating to any such matter or relating to religion, citizenship, or language.
(7) At the expiration of a period of six months beginning with the date on which a Proclamation of Emergency ceases to be in force, any ordinance promulgated in pursuance of the Proclamation and, to the extent that it could not have been validly made but for this Article any law made while the Proclamation was in force, shall cease to have effect, except as to things done or omitted to be done before the expiration of that period.
(8) Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution:(a) the satisfaction of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong mentioned in Clause (1) and Clause (2B) shall be final and conclusive and shall not be challenged or called in question in any court on any ground; and (b) no court shall have jurisdiction to entertain or determine any application, question or proceeding, in whatever form, on any ground, regarding the validity of- (i) a Proclamation under Clauses (1) or of a declaration made in such Proclamation to the effect stated in Clause (1); (ii) the continued operation of such Proclamation; (iii) any ordinance promulgated under Clause (2B); or (iv) the continuation in force of any such ordinance.
(9) For the purpose of this Article the Houses of Parliament shall be regarded as sitting only if the members of each House are respectively assembled together and carrying out the business of the House.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
I bade my son farewell today
A Father's Yoke
July 16,2007
My son, Ryan, who is 18, left to further his studies in Australia today. He goes to embark on his tertiary studies at a reputed university - ordinarily, something to be proud of. However, it was more sadness than pride that ruled the day I have pondered many a time as to why we come to a point where it is like tossing your child out of a flaming or sinking ship. We have many universities here, yet we have to sacrifice so much to send them abroad. Why?
Thanks to the politicised education system, it is not in his interest to study here - even when we are now a global village. Many nations who lagged behind us have closed the gap or gone ahead. Had he gone through the local universities, his mobility in terms of employability worldwide would be seriously curtailed. The major corporations in Malaysia generally prefer the foreign graduates - especially those from ranked universities.
The polarisation that is systemic ensures that his circle of friends more likely would be non-Malay or non-Muslim. This would be a major disadvantage in a multi-cultural society - increasingly the trend in many progressive countries.
When I was a student in the 70s, our friendships were not determined by our race or religion. In fact, in many cases, we got to know our friends' ethnic origins many years later when they got married and we attended their wedding ceremonies. In today's increasingly common parlance, I am reminded repeatedly that I am a third generation 'pendatang'. My son therefore will be the fourth - one who like me, speaks only English and Malay. ‘Pendatang’ nonetheless. Scholarships by and large are a mirage for folk like us. Just like crumbs and morsels that fall off a dining table.
So what are we griping about in the land of blue skies and 'ais kachang'? Our land of blue skies could and should have been a land of milk, honey and plenty. Instead, we have increasingly unfettered corruption, polarisation, degeneration of our education system right from Standard 1 to full blown chaos at the tertiary level. The perception of fair play as played out in the judiciary gives one little to look forward to in seeking justice.
Our sports achievements - barring a few rare exceptions - have seen a massive slide. Even this has been politicised. From a feared soccer nation, we are now below Singapore and Thailand. Sportsmen sell out on their honour and country. Wonder who they learnt this from. From multi-racial teams for soccer, hockey and rugby, we put out almost homogenous teams today. The results speak for themselves
When my son is ready to join the job market, the civil service would not even be a considered option. Turn back the clock about 50 years and one sees the stark difference - when the best brains competed to join the service. So, as a 'pendatang', my advice to others like me is that you cherish and value the limited time you have with your children because unlike others, you are not guaranteed the opportunity to be at their side - or even a short distance behind - to see that they don’t tumble along life's walkway.
When they are packed off at 18, the chances of them returning is so much less. The plus side is that as parents, we know that we have given them the opportunity to make their best shot for the years to come. Farewell son, the grass may not be greener on the other side, but the skies are more blue. And even if the grass is not greener, it is grass you can stand on with your head held high.
God Bless.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Sex Scandal - apology
LA cardinal apologizes to plaintiffs
By GILLIAN FLACCUS,
By GILLIAN FLACCUS,
Associated Press Writer
16 July 2007
LOS ANGELES - Cardinal Roger Mahony, leader of the nation's largest Roman Catholic archdiocese, apologized Sunday to the hundreds of people who will get a share of a $660 million settlement over allegations of clergy sex abuse.
16 July 2007
LOS ANGELES - Cardinal Roger Mahony, leader of the nation's largest Roman Catholic archdiocese, apologized Sunday to the hundreds of people who will get a share of a $660 million settlement over allegations of clergy sex abuse.
"There really is no way to go back and give them that innocence that was taken from them. ... The one thing I wish I could give the victims, I cannot," he said.
"Once again, I apologize to anyone who has been offended, who has been abused. ... It should not have happened and should not ever happen again."
"Once again, I apologize to anyone who has been offended, who has been abused. ... It should not have happened and should not ever happen again."
Mahony said that he has met in the past 14 months with dozens of people alleging clergy abuse and that those meetings helped him understand the importance of a quick resolution to what he called a "terrible sin and crime."
The settlement will not affect the archdiocese's core ministry, Mahony said, but the church will have to sell buildings, use some of its invested funds and borrow money. The archdiocese will not sell any parish property, he said.
"We gather today because this long journey has now come to an end, and a new chapter of that journey is beginning," Mahony told reporters.
The deal between the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and more than 500 alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse reached late Saturday is by far the largest payout since the nationwide clergy abuse scandal emerged in 2002 in Boston.
The settlement also calls for the release of priests' confidential personnel files after review by a judge. According to Tod Tamberg, spokesman for the archdiocese, the settlement had not required Mahony to make his public apology.
Earlier Sunday, Mahony presided over Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles without directly addressing the settlement. The service did include a prayer for victims of clergy abuse.
Mahony and all parties are expected before a Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Monday to enter the settlement into the court record, attorneys said.
"I think for those of us who have been involved in this for more than five years, it's a huge relief," said Michael Hennigan, archdiocese attorney. "But it's a disappointment, too, that we didn't get it done much earlier than this."
"I think for those of us who have been involved in this for more than five years, it's a huge relief," said Michael Hennigan, archdiocese attorney. "But it's a disappointment, too, that we didn't get it done much earlier than this."
Parishioners reacted with disappointment and relief to the settlement.
Vivian Viscarra, 50, who attends Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels three times a month, said the victims deserve the payout even though it could hurt the church's ability to deliver important services. The amount would average a little more than $1.3 million per plaintiff, although individual payouts will vary according to the severity and duration of the abuse.
"I am disappointed," Viscarra said. "And it's making me re-evaluate my views of whether people in the ministry should be married. People do have needs."
Chris Parra, who attends Mass every Sunday, said she couldn't help thinking about the settlement when she shook Mahony's hand on the way out of the cathedral.
"Even when I was standing there, shaking his hand, I was thinking about how he's finally going to release the priests' personnel records and I wondered to myself why didn't he do that sooner," she said, holding her baby, Tomas.
Parra said she was upset that her tithing would go toward paying the settlement.
"Even when I was standing there, shaking his hand, I was thinking about how he's finally going to release the priests' personnel records and I wondered to myself why didn't he do that sooner," she said, holding her baby, Tomas.
Parra said she was upset that her tithing would go toward paying the settlement.
"I still want my children to follow the church's guidelines and foundation because that's how I was raised," she said. "But there's still a lot of healing to be done."
The deal settles all 508 cases that remained against the archdiocese, which also paid $60 million in December to settle 45 cases that weren't covered by sexual abuse insurance.
Under the latest deal, the archdiocese will pay $250 million, insurance carriers will pay a combined $227 million and several religious orders will chip in $60 million. The remaining $123 million will come from litigation with religious orders that chose not to participate in the deal, with the archdiocese guaranteeing resolution of those 80 to 100 cases within five years, Hennigan said. The archdiocese is released from liability in those claims, Tamberg said.
Plaintiffs' attorneys can expect to receive as much as 40 percent of the settlement money — or $264 million — for their work.
Plaintiffs' attorneys can expect to receive as much as 40 percent of the settlement money — or $264 million — for their work.
Standing outside the cathedral, Mary Grant, spokeswoman for Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said the settlement did not end suffering for the thousands of victims of clergy abuse.
"This is not over," she said. "Church officials would like to think that this settlement means everything is OK. ... But this is not a magic wand."
The settlements push the total amount paid out by the U.S. church since 1950 to more than $2 billion, with about a quarter of that coming from the Los Angeles archdiocese. A judge must sign off on the agreement.
The settlements push the total amount paid out by the U.S. church since 1950 to more than $2 billion, with about a quarter of that coming from the Los Angeles archdiocese. A judge must sign off on the agreement.
The Los Angeles archdiocese, its insurers and various Roman Catholic orders have paid more than $114 million to settle 86 claims so far.
Several religious orders in California have also reached multimillion-dollar settlements in recent months, including the Carmelites, the Franciscans and the Jesuits.S. church since 1950 to more than $2 billion, with about a quarter of that coming from the Los Angeles archdiocese. A judge must sign off on the agreement.
The Los Angeles archdiocese, its insurers and various Roman Catholic orders have paid more than $114 million to settle 86 claims so far.
Several religious orders in California have also reached multimillion-dollar settlements in recent months, including the Carmelites, the Franciscans and the Jesuits.
LA church to pay $600M for clergy abuse
By GILLIAN FLACCUS,
Associated Press Writer
15 July 2007
15 July 2007
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles reached a settlement agreement Saturday with more than 500 people who allege they were sexually abused by clergy, the main plaintiff's attorney told The Associated Press.
Attorneys for the archdiocese, the nation's largest, and the plaintiffs will release a joint statement Sunday morning and hold a news conference Monday, said plaintiff's attorney Ray Boucher.
The deal is valued at $660 million, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity because the settlement had not been officially announced. It is by far the largest payout in the church's sexual abuse scandal, and it exceeded earlier reports from sources that the settlement would be between $600 million and $650 million — $1.2 million and $1.3 million per plaintiff.
This is a breaking news update. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles will settle its clergy abuse cases for at least $600 million, by far the largest payout in the church's sexual abuse scandal, The Associated Press learned Saturday.
Attorneys for the archdiocese and the plaintiffs are expected to announce the deal Monday, the day the first of more than 500 clergy abuse cases was scheduled for jury selection, according to two people with knowledge of the agreement. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the settlement had not been made public.
The archdiocese and its insurers will pay between $600 million and $650 million to about 500 plaintiffs — an average of $1.2 million to $1.3 million per person. The settlement also calls for the release of confidential priest personnel files after review by a judge assigned to oversee the litigation, the sources said.
The settlements would push the total amount paid out by the U.S. church since 1950 to more than $2 billion, with about a quarter of that coming from the Los Angeles archdiocese.
It wasn't immediately clear how the payout would be split among the insurers, the archdiocese and several Roman Catholic religious orders. A judge must sign off on the agreement, and final details were being ironed out.
It wasn't immediately clear how the payout would be split among the insurers, the archdiocese and several Roman Catholic religious orders. A judge must sign off on the agreement, and final details were being ironed out.
Lead plaintiffs' attorney Ray Boucher confirmed the sides were working on a deal but would not discuss specifics. He said that negotiations would continue through the weekend and that there were still many unresolved aspects.
Tod Tamberg, archdiocese spokesman, declined to comment on any settlement details.
"The archdiocese will be in court Monday morning," he said.
"The archdiocese will be in court Monday morning," he said.
Steven Sanchez, 47, was one of the plaintiffs set to go to trial Monday. He was expected to testify in the trial involving the late Rev. Clinton Hagenbach.
Sanchez, a financial adviser, said the past few months have been especially difficult because he had to repeat his story of abuse for depositions with his attorneys and archdiocese attorneys in preparation for trial.
Sanchez, a financial adviser, said the past few months have been especially difficult because he had to repeat his story of abuse for depositions with his attorneys and archdiocese attorneys in preparation for trial.
"We're 48 hours away from starting the trial, and I've been spending a lot of time getting emotionally prepared to take them on, but I'm glad," he said. "It's been a long five years."
A spokeswoman for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said at a news conference outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Saturday that the group had not been apprised of any settlement, and that no such deal would stop anyone's suffering.
"No matter what happens, no resolution, guilty verdict or settlement magically takes away the pain of having been raped or molested by Catholic priests in this archdiocese," said Mary Grant, the group's regional director.
"No matter what happens, no resolution, guilty verdict or settlement magically takes away the pain of having been raped or molested by Catholic priests in this archdiocese," said Mary Grant, the group's regional director.
The settlement would be the largest ever by a Roman Catholic archdiocese since the clergy sexual abuse scandal erupted in Boston in 2002. The largest payout so far has been by the Diocese of Orange, Calif., in 2004, for $100 million.
Facing a flood of abuse claims, five dioceses — Tucson, Ariz.; Spokane, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; Davenport, Iowa, and San Diego — sought bankruptcy protection.
The Los Angeles archdiocese, its insurers and various Roman Catholic orders have paid more than $114 million to settle 86 claims so far.
The Los Angeles archdiocese, its insurers and various Roman Catholic orders have paid more than $114 million to settle 86 claims so far.
The largest of those came in December, when the archdiocese reached a $60 million settlement with 45 people whose claims dated from before the mid-1950s and after 1987 — periods when it had little or no sexual abuse insurance. Several religious orders in California have also reached multimillion-dollar settlements in recent months, including the Carmelites, the Franciscans and the Jesuits.
However, more than 500 other lawsuits against the archdiocese had remained unresolved despite years of legal wrangling. Most of the outstanding lawsuits were generated by a 2002 state law that revoked for one year the statute of limitations for reporting sexual abuse.
Cardinal Roger Mahony recently told parishioners in an open letter that the archdiocese was selling its high-rise administrative building and considering the sale of about 50 other nonessential church properties to raise funds for a settlement.
Cardinal Roger Mahony recently told parishioners in an open letter that the archdiocese was selling its high-rise administrative building and considering the sale of about 50 other nonessential church properties to raise funds for a settlement.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge overseeing the cases recently ruled that Mahony could be called to testify in the second trial on schedule, and attorneys for plaintiffs wanted to call him in many more.
The same judge also cleared the way for four people to seek punitive damages — something that could have opened the church to tens of millions of dollars in payouts if the ruling had been expanded to other cases.S. church since 1950 to more than $2 billion, with about a quarter of that coming from the Los Angeles archdiocese.
It wasn't immediately clear how the payout would be split among the insurers, the archdiocese and several Roman Catholic religious orders. A judge must sign off on the agreement, and final details were being ironed out.
Lead plaintiffs' attorney Ray Boucher confirmed the sides were working on a deal but would not discuss specifics. He said that negotiations would continue through the weekend and that there were still many unresolved aspects.
Tod Tamberg, archdiocese spokesman, declined to comment on any settlement details.
"The archdiocese will be in court Monday morning," he said.
Steven Sanchez, 47, was one of the plaintiffs set to go to trial Monday. He was expected to testify in the trial involving the late Rev. Clinton Hagenbach.
"The archdiocese will be in court Monday morning," he said.
Steven Sanchez, 47, was one of the plaintiffs set to go to trial Monday. He was expected to testify in the trial involving the late Rev. Clinton Hagenbach.
Sanchez, a financial adviser, said the past few months have been especially difficult because he had to repeat his story of abuse for depositions with his attorneys and archdiocese attorneys in preparation for trial.
"We're 48 hours away from starting the trial, and I've been spending a lot of time getting emotionally prepared to take them on, but I'm glad," he said. "It's been a long five years."
A spokeswoman for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said at a news conference outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Saturday that the group had not been apprised of any settlement, and that no such deal would stop anyone's suffering.
"No matter what happens, no resolution, guilty verdict or settlement magically takes away the pain of having been raped or molested by Catholic priests in this archdiocese," said Mary Grant, the group's regional director.
A spokeswoman for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said at a news conference outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Saturday that the group had not been apprised of any settlement, and that no such deal would stop anyone's suffering.
"No matter what happens, no resolution, guilty verdict or settlement magically takes away the pain of having been raped or molested by Catholic priests in this archdiocese," said Mary Grant, the group's regional director.
The settlement would be the largest ever by a Roman Catholic archdiocese since the clergy sexual abuse scandal erupted in Boston in 2002. The largest payout so far has been by the Diocese of Orange, Calif., in 2004, for $100 million.
Facing a flood of abuse claims, five dioceses — Tucson, Ariz.; Spokane, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; Davenport, Iowa, and San Diego — sought bankruptcy protection.
The Los Angeles archdiocese, its insurers and various Roman Catholic orders have paid more than $114 million to settle 86 claims so far.
The Los Angeles archdiocese, its insurers and various Roman Catholic orders have paid more than $114 million to settle 86 claims so far.
The largest of those came in December, when the archdiocese reached a $60 million settlement with 45 people whose claims dated from before the mid-1950s and after 1987 — periods when it had little or no sexual abuse insurance. Several religious orders in California have also reached multimillion-dollar settlements in recent months, including the Carmelites, the Franciscans and the Jesuits.
However, more than 500 other lawsuits against the archdiocese had remained unresolved despite years of legal wrangling. Most of the outstanding lawsuits were generated by a 2002 state law that revoked for one year the statute of limitations for reporting sexual abuse.
Cardinal Roger Mahony recently told parishioners in an open letter that the archdiocese was selling its high-rise administrative building and considering the sale of about 50 other nonessential church properties to raise funds for a settlement.
Cardinal Roger Mahony recently told parishioners in an open letter that the archdiocese was selling its high-rise administrative building and considering the sale of about 50 other nonessential church properties to raise funds for a settlement.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge overseeing the cases recently ruled that Mahony could be called to testify in the second trial on schedule, and attorneys for plaintiffs wanted to call him in many more.
The same judge also cleared the way for four people to seek punitive damages — something that could have opened the church to tens of millions of dollars in payouts if the ruling had been expanded to other cases.
Return of old Mass
Feature Article, 14 July 2007
Beyond language
Mark Francis
Pope Benedict's sanction for wider use of the Tridentine Mass is an unprecedented change in the Church's liturgical life. But as this professor of liturgy argues, it also has troubling theological and pastoral consequences
The long-expected motu proprio of Pope Benedict XVI, permitting a wider use of the 1962 edition of the "Missal of Pius V" - the so-called Tridentine Mass - has finally been published, containing elements that are sure to displease traditionalists and progressives alike.
Understandably, the majority of Catholics "in the middle" may wonder what the fuss is all about since only a small minority has voiced an ardent desire to return to the old rite. It is very unlikely that Catholics will flock en masse to their local parishes to demand that altars be turned back to the wall and that money be set aside for the purchase of new baroque chasubles with matching maniples, pax boards, and the reinstallation of communion rails.
Nevertheless, publication of "Summorum Pontificum" is troubling. Given the negative reaction that the possibility of this motu proprio provoked among many bishops - especially in France - and despite Benedict XVI's repeated statements in support of collegiality, it is disappointing that he seems to have given greater weight to a small group of advisers (and perhaps to his own personal piety) rather than to bishops who are more in touch with the pastoral life of the church.
Until now, the Pope, who is not a trained liturgist, has shown interest and sensitivity in liturgical matters. The motu proprio, though, seems to betray a real misunderstanding of liturgy's role in the life of the Church. It is ironic that, given the Pope's often-voiced antipathy toward relativism as both the bane of modern life and a threat to the integrity of the faith, he himself seems to have succumbed to the very relativism that he has so often denounced. It is legitimate to wonder, given liturgical history, theology, canon law, and pastoral practicalities, whether the liturgy is being taken seriously by this motu proprio or being treated as just another choice available in the "Catholic cafeteria".
A logical place to start any discussion is the designation of the Tridentine Rite in the apostolic letter as the "extraordinary Roman Rite". Such a designation has no precedent in the liturgical history of the Church and is based on the debatable presumption that the use of the Tridentine Rite was not abrogated by the publication of the liturgical books mandated by Vatican II.
From 1970, when the Missal of Paul VI was promulgated, to 1984 when the Congregation for Divine Worship issued an indult to allow a local bishop to permit celebrations of the old rite, the abrogation of the Tridentine Missal was taken for granted. In 1988 Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter Ecclesia Dei adflicta called for a "generous application of the directives" already stipulated in the 1984 indult. Again it emphasised that permission to use the old rite is a pastoral concession to those spiritually unable to adapt themselves to the new rite, provided that this did not imply a rejection of the Second Vatican Council or the validity of the liturgical reform. The use of the old rite was not presented in either of these documents as "normative" in any way.
In the context of this rather ambiguous disciplinary situation, it is helpful to reflect on the nature of a "rite" within the Church. The Roman Rite is one of 23 recognised "rites" of the Catholic Church. The term "rite" encompasses not only the Order of Mass and - at least traditionally speaking - is a way to describe how a given group of Christians expresses their faith in life and worship. It goes beyond issues of language, rubrics or ceremonial directives of the Mass to differences in designating liturgical time, the assignment of particular saints' days, the particular style of liturgical prayer employed in all of the sacramental rites, along with distinctive gestures and movements used in these liturgical celebrations.
The adoption of a new calendar that altered the liturgical year and modified the relative importance of certain feasts and memorials, the removal of saints from sanctoral cycle that were deemed unhistorical, the revision of the celebration of funerals, the re-introduction of the adult catechumenate, all significantly changed the liturgy, no matter how much the Pope may argue for continuity between the old and new Roman Rites.
Historical precedent also demonstrates that the "Tridentine Rite" was meant to be abrogated in 1970. It simply cannot be argued, for example, that after the sixteenth century there were two officially recognised ways of celebrating the Roman Rite. Designating the old and new rites "uses" within the same rite is an attempt at canonical sleight of hand and does not solve the problem. While it is true that when the "Missal of Pius V" was promulgated, there were local medieval "usages" in France, such as the rite of the City of Lyon, these were permitted as a concession to centuries-old territorial custom. Nor can it be reasonably argued that the "Tridentine Rite" ought to be accorded the same status as one of the Oriental rites, since the ancient rites of the Eastern Churches are the expression of Christianity lived over centuries by a given nation or ethnic group within a limited geographical territory.
It also seems clear that Pope Paul VI intended to replace the previous Missal and wanted to restore the liturgy by returning "to the original norm of the holy Fathers" (general introduction to the 1970 Roman Missal). The sixteenth-century framers of the "Missal of Pius V", which dates from 1570, were unable to do so because they lacked adequate historical resources, for they were unable to refer to manuscripts dating earlier than the pontificate of Innocent III, around 1216. As a result much of the Tridentine Rite is a hybrid of medieval Franco-Germanic elements fused to a Roman core that dates from the late sixth century.
That is why Paul VI's novus ordo is closer to "the original norm of the holy Fathers" than the Tridentine Rite. Article Six of the Preamble to the General Instruction of the "Missal of Paul VI" implies as much by stating that there was something that was incomplete about the old missal since "the older Roman Missal [that of Pius V] is brought to fulfilment in the new" [that of Paul VI].
As a product of the sixteenth century and compiled during the height of the Reformation, the "Missal of Pius V" reflects the Church's antagonistic relationship to a larger world that was seen as opposing its authority and traditions. This can be easily seen in some of the Ad diversa Mass formulas which maintain earlier, medieval texts - for example, a Mass "Against the Pagans".
Perhaps the most problematic aspect of the "Tridentine Rite" is its treatment of Judaism. While the adjective "perfidious" describing the Jews was removed from the 1962 edition of the Missal there are still prayers that call for their conversion in direct contradiction to Vatican II's "Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions" (see Nostra Aetate 4).
Perhaps the most problematic aspect of the "Tridentine Rite" is its treatment of Judaism. While the adjective "perfidious" describing the Jews was removed from the 1962 edition of the Missal there are still prayers that call for their conversion in direct contradiction to Vatican II's "Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions" (see Nostra Aetate 4).
In much the same vein, the Missal refers to Christians of other Churches as heretics and schismatics - descriptions of fellow Christians that are unlikely to promote much ecumenical dialogue. And since the lectionary attached to this Missal proposes practically no readings from the Old Testament it represents a deficient liturgical presentation of God's Word - a problem that the Council fathers sought to remedy (see Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy 51).
The ecclesiology expressed by the old rite reflects the very limited liturgical attention the Counter-Reformation Church gave to the baptised faithful. It was the role of the ordained that was highlighted, and the gathered assembly is not even mentioned in the introductory material and rubrics of the "Missal of Pius V", thereby reducing their role to mute spectators.
The ecclesiology expressed by the old rite reflects the very limited liturgical attention the Counter-Reformation Church gave to the baptised faithful. It was the role of the ordained that was highlighted, and the gathered assembly is not even mentioned in the introductory material and rubrics of the "Missal of Pius V", thereby reducing their role to mute spectators.
In addition to the ecclesiological problems, another weakness of the "Tridentine Rite" is its anaemic pneumatology - or theology of the Holy Spirit. While the faith of the Church expressed in the liturgy is in the Triune God - we pray to the Father, with the Son, in the Holy Spirit - try as you may, it is difficult to discern an epiclesis (an invocation of the Holy Spirit over the gifts and people) in the Roman Canon; an element commonly agreed in East and West to be as an important element for a theologically complete Eucharistic Prayer.
All of the new Eucharistic Prayers composed for the "Missal of Paul VI" have such an invocation. Reverting to a pneumatologically weak formulation of the central act of the Church's worship (the Roman Canon being the only Eucharistic Prayer in the "Missal of Pius V") clearly impoverishes the worship of those who would exclusively use this Missal.
While the theological problems of the "Tridentine Rite" are at odds with the teachings of the Council, the pastoral difficulties that will accompany the implementation of this motu proprio may prove to be an even greater problem, starting with the priests themselves. Where will competent priests, willing to celebrate the Mass and other sacraments according to the old rite, come from? Are we now to offer Latin and liturgy courses in seminaries to train our new priests to offer the Rite of Mass and the sacraments of the Medieval Rite on demand along with the liturgical rites mandated by Vatican II?
The official proclamation that this medieval rite is "extraordinary" compromises the coherence of the Church's self-understanding and threatens to reduce the liturgy to a simple matter of individual "taste" rather than what it is meant to be: an accurate reflection of what we believe as Catholic Christians who live in the twenty-first century. Although cited several times in the document, the hallowed patristic axiom lex orandi, lex credendi (how we pray, so we believe) has been seriously ignored in this motu proprio.
In short, "Summorum Pontificum" weakens the unity of the Church by failing to support the foundational insights of the Second Vatican Council.
The Good samaritan
Herald: Sunday, July 15, 2007
Whose schedule really matters?
Reflecting on our Sunday Readings
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 15, 2007
Readings: Dt 30:10 -14; Col 1: 15-20; Luke 10: 25-37
Usually when we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan the priest will note in his homily that those who passed up the poor man were part of the Temple ritual and should not be confused with Christian or Catholic Church priests or Church workers. I’m not so sure.
Yes, the priest and Levite of the parable had to avoid ritual impurity and would not have been able to serve their function in the Temple if they had touched a dead or diseased person. But I am not so sure that the parable couldn’t point to all of us, priests and Church workers included.
With the growth of the people in the faith and the shortage of priests, we priests are busier than ever. But, are we too busy to be compassionate? When a person comes to the office crying, when a wife calls to ask if someone could see her husband before he dies, when a young couple need to deal with a crisis, a priest has to forego his schedule, or make an appropriate accommodation, and show compassion for those who are hurting.
All Church workers as well as those who teach in our schools and childhood centres need to do the same. If we don’t, and when we don’t, then we become so busy doing our work that we miss the Lord reaching out to us.
“But, I’m doing the Lord’s work,” we might protest, and we do so protest. Then we are confronted with this rhetorical question: “How can you be doing the Lord’s work if you are missing the presence of the Lord reaching out for help?”
It is the same for all Christians. We cannot claim that we are doing something good if the major action of our Christianity is mere attendance in Church.
Recently I was speaking with a young mom who got herself into a bit of a predicament marriage-wise. Actually, it was the lack of the marriage that made the predicament. She was in my office with her fiancé as we were getting things straightened out for them both. As an aside, let me say that I often mention to people that our lives would be wonderful if we went in a straight line from the starting line to the finishing line, but sadly none of us do. What is important is that we find ways to get to that finishing line. Anyway, so you can see I had two good people in my office who were not in a proper relationship but who were working on it.
Back to the story, the girl told me about a friend of hers who was killed and how she and her fiancé were spending all sorts of time with the friend’s family as well as writing to them, sending them notes encouraging them to keep the faith and to know that God was with them.
I said to myself, “Now this is a good Christian and a Good Samaritan.” She may not be seen by some to be in the mainstream of religious life like the Samaritan of the parable, but she knows what she needs to do to be a Christian. She needs to be compassionate.
I said to myself, “Now this is a good Christian and a Good Samaritan.” She may not be seen by some to be in the mainstream of religious life like the Samaritan of the parable, but she knows what she needs to do to be a Christian. She needs to be compassionate.
Good Christian husbands, when your wives are having a down day, or are in a funk, perhaps feeling overwhelmed and under-appreciated, be good Christians and good Catholics and drop whatever you are doing to just be with her. Don’t be concerned like most men with accomplishing something, or even with solving her problems. You can’t. Just be present for her and with her, even if you do nothing more than chat. That is being compassionate. That is being a Good Samaritan.
Good Christian wives, when your husband is so concerned over providing better for the family, and is full of anxiety wondering how you are going to pay for your ordinary expenses, let alone the kids’ college and your own future, just let him know that you and he will always be together, you will always have love and God will take care of the rest. All of us men have a lot of ‘little boy’ in us that needs to hear someone we love tell us everything is going to be OK. That is how you ladies can be Good Samaritans.
Good Christian parents, stop being so concerned with filling your children’s schedule and be more concerned with being physically present to hear their needs when they express them. Maybe the folks next door have their kids in every activity possible. If that works for them, great. But being a Good Samaritan for your own children is being available to be compassionate for them.
Good Christian children and Teens, your Mom and Dad love you, but they are not perfect. Like you, God is still working on them. He’s basically working on them through you teaching them new levels of patience and understanding. Even still, the worse thing that bothers your parents is when they think they have not been as good parents as they could have been. When you know they feel bad about how they reacted to something you said or did, how about letting it go and give them a hug or kiss? Better yet, how about not provoking them and do your part in the family-chores, etc.
Good Christians, all of us, we need to stop trying to “schedule Jesus”. Jesus is not on our schedule. We are on His schedule. And He is on the schedule of those who need us to show compassion.
Pray, all of us, that we don’t overlook His presence when He reaches out to us in those who need our love, our charity. — Fr Joseph Pellegrino
Herald: Sunday, July 15, 2007
Whose schedule really matters?
Reflecting on our Sunday Readings
15th Sunday in Ordinary TimeJuly 15, 2007Readings: Dt 30:10 -14; Col 1: 15-20; Luke 10: 25-37
15th Sunday in Ordinary TimeJuly 15, 2007Readings: Dt 30:10 -14; Col 1: 15-20; Luke 10: 25-37
Usually when we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan the priest will note in his homily that those who passed up the poor man were part of the Temple ritual and should not be confused with Christian or Catholic Church priests or Church workers. I’m not so sure.
Yes, the priest and Levite of the parable had to avoid ritual impurity and would not have been able to serve their function in the Temple if they had touched a dead or diseased person. But I am not so sure that the parable couldn’t point to all of us, priests and Church workers included.
With the growth of the people in the faith and the shortage of priests, we priests are busier than ever. But, are we too busy to be compassionate? When a person comes to the office crying, when a wife calls to ask if someone could see her husband before he dies, when a young couple need to deal with a crisis, a priest has to forego his schedule, or make an appropriate accommodation, and show compassion for those who are hurting.
All Church workers as well as those who teach in our schools and childhood centres need to do the same. If we don’t, and when we don’t, then we become so busy doing our work that we miss the Lord reaching out to us.
“But, I’m doing the Lord’s work,” we might protest, and we do so protest. Then we are confronted with this rhetorical question: “How can you be doing the Lord’s work if you are missing the presence of the Lord reaching out for help?”
It is the same for all Christians. We cannot claim that we are doing something good if the major action of our Christianity is mere attendance in Church.
It is the same for all Christians. We cannot claim that we are doing something good if the major action of our Christianity is mere attendance in Church.
Recently I was speaking with a young mom who got herself into a bit of a predicament marriage-wise. Actually, it was the lack of the marriage that made the predicament. She was in my office with her fiancé as we were getting things straightened out for them both. As an aside, let me say that I often mention to people that our lives would be wonderful if we went in a straight line from the starting line to the finishing line, but sadly none of us do. What is important is that we find ways to get to that finishing line. Anyway, so you can see I had two good people in my office who were not in a proper relationship but who were working on it.
Back to the story, the girl told me about a friend of hers who was killed and how she and her fiancé were spending all sorts of time with the friend’s family as well as writing to them, sending them notes encouraging them to keep the faith and to know that God was with them.
I said to myself, “Now this is a good Christian and a Good Samaritan.” She may not be seen by some to be in the mainstream of religious life like the Samaritan of the parable, but she knows what she needs to do to be a Christian. She needs to be compassionate.
I said to myself, “Now this is a good Christian and a Good Samaritan.” She may not be seen by some to be in the mainstream of religious life like the Samaritan of the parable, but she knows what she needs to do to be a Christian. She needs to be compassionate.
Good Christian husbands, when your wives are having a down day, or are in a funk, perhaps feeling overwhelmed and under-appreciated, be good Christians and good Catholics and drop whatever you are doing to just be with her. Don’t be concerned like most men with accomplishing something, or even with solving her problems. You can’t. Just be present for her and with her, even if you do nothing more than chat. That is being compassionate. That is being a Good Samaritan.
Good Christian wives, when your husband is so concerned over providing better for the family, and is full of anxiety wondering how you are going to pay for your ordinary expenses, let alone the kids’ college and your own future, just let him know that you and he will always be together, you will always have love and God will take care of the rest. All of us men have a lot of ‘little boy’ in us that needs to hear someone we love tell us everything is going to be OK. That is how you ladies can be Good Samaritans.
Good Christian parents, stop being so concerned with filling your children’s schedule and be more concerned with being physically present to hear their needs when they express them. Maybe the folks next door have their kids in every activity possible. If that works for them, great. But being a Good Samaritan for your own children is being available to be compassionate for them.
Good Christian children and Teens, your Mom and Dad love you, but they are not perfect. Like you, God is still working on them. He’s basically working on them through you teaching them new levels of patience and understanding. Even still, the worse thing that bothers your parents is when they think they have not been as good parents as they could have been. When you know they feel bad about how they reacted to something you said or did, how about letting it go and give them a hug or kiss? Better yet, how about not provoking them and do your part in the family-chores, etc.
Good Christians, all of us, we need to stop trying to “schedule Jesus”. Jesus is not on our schedule. We are on His schedule. And He is on the schedule of those who need us to show compassion.
Pray, all of us, that we don’t overlook His presence when He reaches out to us in those who need our love, our charity. — Fr Joseph Pellegrino
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Altantuya murder trial
13 July 2007
MALAYSIA: Murder Trial Exposes Shaky Justice System
By Baradan Kuppusamy
IPS News
KUALA LUMPUR, Jul 10 (IPS) - A decade after Malaysia's criminal justice system earned worldwide condemnation for bending the rules to send a prominent politician to jail, it is back in the dock and under attack for allegedly stretching the rules in a sensational murder case involving top personages.
Opposition lawmakers and independent observers are questioning the diligence of the police investigation into a high profile murder, the integrity of the prosecution in ferreting out "all the truth" and the independence of judges to mete out justice.
At the core of the rising dissatisfaction is the gruesome murder of a 28-year-old Mongolian beauty, Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was abducted from outside the home of Abdul Razak Baginda, one of the country's best known political scientists. Baginda is political adviser to Najib Razak, the country's powerful Deputy Prime Minister.
Altantuya was abducted by two police officers belonging to an elite police unit on Oct. 18 last year, according to public prosecutors’ opening statement when the trial opened last month.
The next day, prosecutors said, Altantuya was killed and her body blasted to pieces with C4 explosives in an attempt to obliterate all traces of her body.
According to witness testimony all records of Altantuya's entry and presence in Malaysia were erased from the computers of the Immigration Department.
Opposition lawmakers charged that such an erasure is impossible without top level intervention. They want to know who, why and how this and other "anomalies" are linked. They are angry that police investigation is "confined" to the barest minimum and not expanding to find "all the truth."
In earlier court affidavits Baginda admitted he had a love affair with the murdered Mongolian who was conversant in French, Russian and Chinese and was variously referred to as a part-time model and translator.
Baginda said he ended the affair but Altantuya harassed him for money and finally came to Malaysia last October to blackmail him by threatening to inform his wife and teenage daughter about the affair.
Witnesses said Altantuya asked for 500,000 US dollars to keep the affair a secret. Baginda admitted he had asked for help from Najib's aide-de-camp and introduced him to the two police officers from whom he had asked for help to resolve his problems.
"I never ask them to kill her," Baginda said in the affidavit.
In the dock are Baginda and two members of the elite Special Forces Command that provides security to VIPs, including Najib whose name has persistently hovered over the crime, the investigation and now the prosecution ever since the murder made the headlines last November.
"The entire conduct of the prosecution (was) not meant to seek and find the truth, to catch the culprits who perpetrated the crime, but at all stages, to protect powerful individuals from being implicated in any way," said opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
"The many twists and turns in the case have raised doubts about the integrity of the prosecution and independence of the judges," he told IPS. "It is sickening, it is pathetic, to say the least."
Among the "strange" twists is the sudden removal of the presiding judge before the trial started without giving a plausible explanation to the lawyers. The head of the prosecution team was changed at the eleventh hour and the reason given -- the prosecution leader was seen playing badminton with the judge -- was rejected by prominent lawyers.
Finally, defence lawyers for the three accused kept changing with one walking out on the first day of hearing, charging that "third parties" were interfering in his work.
The last time when the prosecution and the judiciary were this badly criticised was in 1998 when Anwar was in the dock and accused of corruption and sexual misconduct following a fall out with then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.
The Anwar trial, universally condemned as a farce, had severely undermined the Mahathir administration -- and it is believed the current trial may have similar consequences for Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.
The worry is that public confidence in his reformist agenda would be seriously undermined, especially with a crucial general election widely expected in the next 12 months.
Anwar and other opposition politicians allege that there are "credible speculations" that the murder could be connected to a fall out over commissions in connection with the billion-dollar purchase of two Scorpene submarines that Najib as defence minister had negotiated with France in 2002.
According to Anwar RM 540 million (157 million dollars) were paid out in commissions and among the recipients was a company owned by Baginda.
"The government must carry out a complete review of the submarine purchase and how politically connected individuals profited from it," said Lim Guan Eng, secretary general of the opposition Democratic Action Party. "The public is losing confidence," he told IPS. "The poor police investigation and unprofessional prosecution is so glaring."
Answering the various allegations, Najib's office issued a brief statement denying any links between Najib and the murdered Altantuya. "I am innocent...Allah is my witness," Najib said.
Public doubt, however, worsened after a bombshell revelation by a witness last week that the victim had shown her a photograph of herself, Baginda, Najib and "others" having lunch in a Paris restaurant.
Both defence lawyers and prosecutors cut off the witness from testifying further. Shockingly, the court too did not ask the witness, a cousin of the murdered woman, to produce the photograph -- a serious lapse according to senior criminal lawyers.
"It is shocking that the court did not ask the witness to produce the photograph --it is such a basic thing to do," said a senior criminal lawyer who declined to be named. "The failure to pursue the photograph is highly suspicious," he told IPS. "It shows political interference.'’
"Public confidence is in tatters and only a complete and in-depth probe into all the circumstances in this murder will satisfy the public," said prominent human rights lawyer Sivarasah Rasiah. "The world too is watching," he told IPS. (END/2007)
MALAYSIA: Murder Trial Exposes Shaky Justice System
By Baradan Kuppusamy
IPS News
KUALA LUMPUR, Jul 10 (IPS) - A decade after Malaysia's criminal justice system earned worldwide condemnation for bending the rules to send a prominent politician to jail, it is back in the dock and under attack for allegedly stretching the rules in a sensational murder case involving top personages.
Opposition lawmakers and independent observers are questioning the diligence of the police investigation into a high profile murder, the integrity of the prosecution in ferreting out "all the truth" and the independence of judges to mete out justice.
At the core of the rising dissatisfaction is the gruesome murder of a 28-year-old Mongolian beauty, Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was abducted from outside the home of Abdul Razak Baginda, one of the country's best known political scientists. Baginda is political adviser to Najib Razak, the country's powerful Deputy Prime Minister.
Altantuya was abducted by two police officers belonging to an elite police unit on Oct. 18 last year, according to public prosecutors’ opening statement when the trial opened last month.
The next day, prosecutors said, Altantuya was killed and her body blasted to pieces with C4 explosives in an attempt to obliterate all traces of her body.
According to witness testimony all records of Altantuya's entry and presence in Malaysia were erased from the computers of the Immigration Department.
Opposition lawmakers charged that such an erasure is impossible without top level intervention. They want to know who, why and how this and other "anomalies" are linked. They are angry that police investigation is "confined" to the barest minimum and not expanding to find "all the truth."
In earlier court affidavits Baginda admitted he had a love affair with the murdered Mongolian who was conversant in French, Russian and Chinese and was variously referred to as a part-time model and translator.
Baginda said he ended the affair but Altantuya harassed him for money and finally came to Malaysia last October to blackmail him by threatening to inform his wife and teenage daughter about the affair.
Witnesses said Altantuya asked for 500,000 US dollars to keep the affair a secret. Baginda admitted he had asked for help from Najib's aide-de-camp and introduced him to the two police officers from whom he had asked for help to resolve his problems.
"I never ask them to kill her," Baginda said in the affidavit.
In the dock are Baginda and two members of the elite Special Forces Command that provides security to VIPs, including Najib whose name has persistently hovered over the crime, the investigation and now the prosecution ever since the murder made the headlines last November.
"The entire conduct of the prosecution (was) not meant to seek and find the truth, to catch the culprits who perpetrated the crime, but at all stages, to protect powerful individuals from being implicated in any way," said opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
"The many twists and turns in the case have raised doubts about the integrity of the prosecution and independence of the judges," he told IPS. "It is sickening, it is pathetic, to say the least."
Among the "strange" twists is the sudden removal of the presiding judge before the trial started without giving a plausible explanation to the lawyers. The head of the prosecution team was changed at the eleventh hour and the reason given -- the prosecution leader was seen playing badminton with the judge -- was rejected by prominent lawyers.
Finally, defence lawyers for the three accused kept changing with one walking out on the first day of hearing, charging that "third parties" were interfering in his work.
The last time when the prosecution and the judiciary were this badly criticised was in 1998 when Anwar was in the dock and accused of corruption and sexual misconduct following a fall out with then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.
The Anwar trial, universally condemned as a farce, had severely undermined the Mahathir administration -- and it is believed the current trial may have similar consequences for Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.
The worry is that public confidence in his reformist agenda would be seriously undermined, especially with a crucial general election widely expected in the next 12 months.
Anwar and other opposition politicians allege that there are "credible speculations" that the murder could be connected to a fall out over commissions in connection with the billion-dollar purchase of two Scorpene submarines that Najib as defence minister had negotiated with France in 2002.
According to Anwar RM 540 million (157 million dollars) were paid out in commissions and among the recipients was a company owned by Baginda.
"The government must carry out a complete review of the submarine purchase and how politically connected individuals profited from it," said Lim Guan Eng, secretary general of the opposition Democratic Action Party. "The public is losing confidence," he told IPS. "The poor police investigation and unprofessional prosecution is so glaring."
Answering the various allegations, Najib's office issued a brief statement denying any links between Najib and the murdered Altantuya. "I am innocent...Allah is my witness," Najib said.
Public doubt, however, worsened after a bombshell revelation by a witness last week that the victim had shown her a photograph of herself, Baginda, Najib and "others" having lunch in a Paris restaurant.
Both defence lawyers and prosecutors cut off the witness from testifying further. Shockingly, the court too did not ask the witness, a cousin of the murdered woman, to produce the photograph -- a serious lapse according to senior criminal lawyers.
"It is shocking that the court did not ask the witness to produce the photograph --it is such a basic thing to do," said a senior criminal lawyer who declined to be named. "The failure to pursue the photograph is highly suspicious," he told IPS. "It shows political interference.'’
"Public confidence is in tatters and only a complete and in-depth probe into all the circumstances in this murder will satisfy the public," said prominent human rights lawyer Sivarasah Rasiah. "The world too is watching," he told IPS. (END/2007)
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Upbringing children
How Can You Help Your Child Succeed?
by Jerold Aust
The Good news
Too many parents allow the harmful influences of society to shape their children’s future. Children need good parental attention. What can you do to help your child succeed?
James and Amy were young parents trying to put down roots in a large city. James was in sales; Amy had taught school. Now that they had children, they began planning for their children's futures.
Amy wanted her children to enjoy reading books, believing reading would offer them increased benefits throughout their lives. She subscribed to the adage that education, experience and memories can never be taken away from you.
James thought the children might become teachers, although he believed they had to ultimately choose their own professions. If they did what they really wanted to do, their job would be fun and not "work."
Eventually, both children decided to go to college. After high school, they got jobs and saved their money; both wanted to earn their education.
Surprisingly, both went on to get advanced degrees. No one in either James's or Amy's families ever studied for a graduate degree. So it was surprising and gratifying to them that their children did. While James and Amy realized that graduate education wasn't for everyone, they believed that a good education was a valuable tool for their children's success.
We'll return to James and Amy's story shortly to see how they helped their children take the right paths. First, though, let's consider some good building blocks that can help your child succeed.
Building blocks for your child's success
As a parent, you should realize that whether or not you help your children build their future, their future will be shaped by someone.
Without guidance, children can struggle, looking for whatever is available, or they can always follow in their parents' footsteps. Some parents expect their children to follow in their footsteps. This can lead to problems, for not all children have the talents or desires their parents have.
Wise parents provide an overarching environment for their children's future success, introducing them to a wide range of possibilities.
As Positive Thinking writer John Maxwell notes: "Becoming a parent, who sees his children not as they are but as they could be, takes time and effort. It doesn't happen overnight, but it really pays off. The key to making it happen is focusing on our children's potential" ("Unlock Your Child's Potential," October 2002, p. 27).
Your child's success is built one step at a time. The old axiom still holds true: There is no elevator to true success; everyone must take the stairs.
A child's future is shaped early
When our own children were tiny babies, my wife and I determined that they should get the best start in life possible. We had heard that approximately 80 percent of a child's cognitive process is formed by age 3 and 90 percent by age 5.
That was a sobering thought for us. So we set ourselves to do the very best we could for our children in that very short span of time. That's not easy when most parents are focused on the basics, like feeding and protecting their babies. For entertainment we were concerned about providing them with toys and, at times, acceptable children's television programs.
Family counselor "Dr. Phil" McGraw, well known for his books and TV program, focuses on the importance of parenting: "Your role as a parent is the highest, noblest calling you will ever have in your life. What's more, I believe that you can and will rise to that challenge if given the proper knowledge and tools for this important task.
"I know that you already possess the most powerful and important ingredient to succeeding. That critical factor is an unconditional and heartfelt love and devotion you have for your child. But it takes much, much more than love and good intentions because you aren't the only influence in your child's life" (Family First, 2004, p. 10).
Let's explore five building blocks that can help prepare a successful future for your children.
One: Set a good example for your children
Looking back over the years, my wife and I were occasionally surprised at some of the things our children said and did in the normal course of family life. We knew that the unsavory things that came out could sometimes be traced back to us. We discussed this at length and determined to set the best example we could, though it wouldn't of course be perfect.
In fact, author and leadership consultant Stephen Covey wrote: "Good families—even great families—are off track 90 percent of the time! The key is that they have a sense of destination.
They know what the 'track' looks like. And they keep coming back to it time and time again" (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families , 1997, p. 9).
Much of our lives were spent giving of ourselves to our children. Some even thought we were giving too much of our time to our children, but we stayed the course. We knew that they needed us far more than physical things and money.
The Bible tells parents they must spiritually ground their children in knowledge about God and His way of life: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deuteronomy 6:5-7).
Although no parent is perfect in this, those who would create the best moral climate and educational environment for their children will start with God's instructions. Imperfection is no excuse for the thoughtful and understanding parents who strive to give the best of themselves to their children.
Life is an exercise in learning to do what is right instead of what is wrong. It gets down to a matter of choices. We choose to do what we do. And we can choose to be dedicated to teaching and exemplifying the right things to our children.
Two: Encourage your child to read and communicate
Amy, as a child living on a farm, loved books and reading widely. James, conversely, spent most of his time working outside. In her early days, Amy had no television or other negative influences that might come from modern media and crowded big cities. What she did have was an active imagination fired by the books she read.
With James's help, Amy wanted her children to develop a love for books and reading widely. They would read to their children every night and discuss the exciting stories that ignited their children's imaginations. Perhaps more than anything else, this early reading process contributed to their children's later successes.
James and Amy also allowed their children to discuss issues that many parents might think objectionable. For example, they discussed sex and reproduction and answered their children's questions as accurately as possible so the children wouldn't have to learn the wrong things from peers and other misinformed sources.
Realizing their children would spend many hours each day without their attentive supervision, they took advantage of their private family time and discussed the important topics of life one-on-one.
Addressing the issue of personal growth in the family, John Maxwell advises: "Look at each day as an opportunity to develop yourself. Read books and listen to tapes on areas where you want to grow. Go to conferences. Spend time with successful people.
"Make your home a growth environment. Begin by praising your children anytime they show a desire to learn. Provide opportunities for them to have new experiences. Buy books and tapes for them. Show them that you value growth" ("Unlock Your Child's Potential," October 2002, p. 29).
Three: Extend your child's educational opportunities
How far do you go to increase your child's educational opportunities? Some parents look forward to the time when their children are old enough to enter kindergarten or the first grade because they want more free time for themselves. They think children are a burden to free expression, an unnecessary and temporary interruption of their life's great pursuits.
When a man and woman marry, they assume they are in agreement on just about everything. Their early time together working through small challenges and differences can help solidify their marriage. After the honeymoon wears off, many experience a big change. Suddenly another human being enters their lives. From the moment of their child's birth, they turn their time and attention to the new love of their lives.
Now they have to get up in the middle of the night to tend to their little baby, to feed and change diapers. Gone is the time they once had to enjoy each other. Night after night of only a few hours of sleep can wear many a parent down.
Now, instead of the peace and tranquility and uninterrupted mutual love and joy they had with each other, suddenly too many couples find fault with each other and argue over the very gift that fulfilled their lives. Patience for each other wanes; respect and love is now secondary in their relationship.
Adding to this, parents sometimes resort to the TV to get a break in their now busy and hectic lives. There the commercials and TV programs suggest they could be better off with faster cars, nicer clothes and unlimited spending. It's all very unrealistic, but it sells.
The example of James and Amy is instructive here. Realizing such factors could pull them off course, they decided to take charge of their lives and the lives of their children. They began to plan for their children's future.
They encouraged their children to think about what they might like to do after high school. Their children recognized that their parents had college degrees that helped them in their personal lives and in their chosen professions.
Amy and James, however, realized that their children might not want to follow in their footsteps. They openly discussed this with their children and didn't try to force their personal desires on them. They had no intention of trying to relive their lives through their children.
Dr. Phil adds to this idea: "Survey Fact: Forty-eight percent of parents said that their own parents had too high expectations and feel that this caused high anxiety for them as adults" (Family First, p. 69). Naturally, parents can provide counsel for their children's future work, but the son or daughter must make the final decision.
Today, James and Amy's children are happier because they are doing what they enjoy, knowing as well that even better career opportunities might later open up for them in related fields. They didn't lock themselves into something they wouldn't continue to enjoy for the rest of their lives. And they have learned to be flexible in an ever-changing world.
Four: Teach your children godly morals
Personally, my wife and I trained our children to follow God's Word as their moral guide. When our son was just a couple of months old, we would place him on the bed while we knelt by it and prayed. Our children learned about our relationship with God through prayer. Now they pray with their children.
Elva Anson wrote this about the importance of prayer in a family: "Teaching children to pray should be as natural and easy as teaching them to talk. When children learn to talk, they simply imitate the sounds they hear us make. When they learn to pray, the same principle applies. If we have never learned to pray ourselves, our children have nothing to imitate" ("Teaching Your Child to Pray," Positive Thinking, March 2001, p. 26).
The world we live in is not given to godly morals. Lust, dishonesty, drugs, violence and war are the common fare for humanity from birth to death. Our children are immersed in the world's immoral ways from the time they are born.
Godly morals come from God's laws, specifically the Ten Commandments. How many people do you encounter on the street, in shopping malls and in social gatherings who actually try to live by the Ten Commandments? Listen to the majority of people for hardly any time at all and you quickly learn that God plays almost no role in their lives.
Parents who teach their children about God's Word and His Ten Commandments are the very ones who can appreciate and enjoy true success. This is the one common denominator for true success, even in a world that does not recognize God's laws at work in their lives.
Amy and James taught their children about God. They read children's Bible books about Old Testament personalities and their personal struggles. They discussed with them how to apply the principles of God's laws to their personal lives.
When James and Amy allowed their children to watch television, they watched it with them. They let their children choose what they watched as a family, with parental guidance. As they watched a television show, if something objectionable came up that they didn't want their children to copy or consider acceptable, they would momentarily discuss it with them in brief interactive exchanges. That way the children could learn to quickly recognize right and wrong moral messages.
James and Amy applied this teaching method in various settings and circumstances—when they went shopping, playing with their children on the playground and when they went for evening walks. They dedicated themselves to teaching their children godly morality based on God's holy and spiritual laws. Now thoroughly grounded in the Bible, their children do the same.
Five: Never stop sharing yourself with your children
Finally, parents should never stop sharing themselves with their children. This doesn't mean they should remain in charge of their children after the children have become adults, are married and have their own children. Parents should be available to their adult children and graciously accept the gift of grandparenting as it comes their way. This is God's way, for wisdom comes with age; and compassion and forgiveness, from experience.
James and Amy determined that they would always try to spend time themselves with their children, even as they grew older. They knew that age and experience can be tremendous resources that children and grandchildren can benefit from and enjoy. Instead of heading off into the sunset, disconnected from their children and their families, they determined there was no greater or more lasting satisfaction than to share their autumn years with their children and grandchildren.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with traveling, or golf, or whatever retirement opportunity older parents might like to pursue. But there is something wrong with parents and grandparents divorcing themselves from their children and grandchildren to grasp at last-minute satisfactions, only to inherit the wind.
Dr. Covey addresses the debilitating factor of putting family second to one's own personal interests and job. While conducting a seminar on the importance of extended family relationships, he shared this:
"These men and women [were] sobered and very thoughtful. Their failure to succeed in this family effort drove them to really examine their own personal lives. As they did so, they came to the realization that family was not just some sideshow. It was tremendously important to them. And they began to realize that 'success' in this area of their lives was not a matter of technique and a quick fix; it was based on the long-term principles that govern in every dimension of life" (p. 103).
It's important to never stop sharing yourself with your children.
Assurances of success of children
Above everything else, God's number-one purpose for humankind is family. The success of a family also means the success of children.
Distinguished scholar Merrill Unger summarized the Bible's revelation about God and the family in his Unger's Bible Dictionary: "The family relation is the institution of God lying at the foundation of all human society . . . The family occupies a prominent place throughout Scripture, is the first form of society, and has continued to be the germ and representative of every fellowship" (1972, "Family").
The Bible contains many prophecies about the good news of Jesus Christ's coming Kingdom on earth. Included in God's many positive and encouraging promises is this one about how families will dwell in peace with multiple generations coexisting in close proximity:
"Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children's children, forever" (Ezekiel 37:25).
Zechariah 8:4-5 adds: "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing."
God is pro-children and pro-family. He is dedicated to the success of parents, for He knows that as parents go, so goes the family. God is also dedicated to children. In fact, God is so moved by the attitudes of little children that Jesus Christ set them up as good examples all adults should follow:
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me'" (Matthew 18:1-5).
James and Amy's parenting efforts yielded excellent results. So can yours. Your child can succeed. All loving parents can be equipped to help their children succeed if they understand God's purpose for humankind and if they are willing to dedicate themselves to the ongoing welfare of their children and grandchildren. As a steward over God's future sons and daughters, you can help your child succeed. God is always ready to help! GN
Helpful hints for parents
Former U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle and clinical psychologist Diane Medved collaborated on The American Family: Discovering the Values That Make Us Strong (1996). Here are some of their tips for bringing up successful children:
• Be a cheerleader to your children. A parent teaches values by example.
• Make your home the center of your children's activities.
• Children need standards set by both the father and mother.
• Respect for the family is essential. At the daily send-off, let them know they are representing the family at their school.
• Inflexible activities, such as the children's bedtime, give the children order and security. They also help parents retain authority.
• Engender love for education by reading to your children and helping them through their homework. This promotes education and helps parents and children to bond.
• Parents should stick to their word.
• Emphasize completion of a project. It builds confidence and security.
• Teach gratitude for special privileges and gifts. When your children receive services or goods from others, encourage them to be thankful.
• Parents should be punctual. This teaches reliability as well as respect for others. A penalty can be given if children begin to develop a habit of lateness.
Jerold Aust
The Good News
by Jerold Aust
The Good news
Too many parents allow the harmful influences of society to shape their children’s future. Children need good parental attention. What can you do to help your child succeed?
James and Amy were young parents trying to put down roots in a large city. James was in sales; Amy had taught school. Now that they had children, they began planning for their children's futures.
Amy wanted her children to enjoy reading books, believing reading would offer them increased benefits throughout their lives. She subscribed to the adage that education, experience and memories can never be taken away from you.
James thought the children might become teachers, although he believed they had to ultimately choose their own professions. If they did what they really wanted to do, their job would be fun and not "work."
Eventually, both children decided to go to college. After high school, they got jobs and saved their money; both wanted to earn their education.
Surprisingly, both went on to get advanced degrees. No one in either James's or Amy's families ever studied for a graduate degree. So it was surprising and gratifying to them that their children did. While James and Amy realized that graduate education wasn't for everyone, they believed that a good education was a valuable tool for their children's success.
We'll return to James and Amy's story shortly to see how they helped their children take the right paths. First, though, let's consider some good building blocks that can help your child succeed.
Building blocks for your child's success
As a parent, you should realize that whether or not you help your children build their future, their future will be shaped by someone.
Without guidance, children can struggle, looking for whatever is available, or they can always follow in their parents' footsteps. Some parents expect their children to follow in their footsteps. This can lead to problems, for not all children have the talents or desires their parents have.
Wise parents provide an overarching environment for their children's future success, introducing them to a wide range of possibilities.
As Positive Thinking writer John Maxwell notes: "Becoming a parent, who sees his children not as they are but as they could be, takes time and effort. It doesn't happen overnight, but it really pays off. The key to making it happen is focusing on our children's potential" ("Unlock Your Child's Potential," October 2002, p. 27).
Your child's success is built one step at a time. The old axiom still holds true: There is no elevator to true success; everyone must take the stairs.
A child's future is shaped early
When our own children were tiny babies, my wife and I determined that they should get the best start in life possible. We had heard that approximately 80 percent of a child's cognitive process is formed by age 3 and 90 percent by age 5.
That was a sobering thought for us. So we set ourselves to do the very best we could for our children in that very short span of time. That's not easy when most parents are focused on the basics, like feeding and protecting their babies. For entertainment we were concerned about providing them with toys and, at times, acceptable children's television programs.
Family counselor "Dr. Phil" McGraw, well known for his books and TV program, focuses on the importance of parenting: "Your role as a parent is the highest, noblest calling you will ever have in your life. What's more, I believe that you can and will rise to that challenge if given the proper knowledge and tools for this important task.
"I know that you already possess the most powerful and important ingredient to succeeding. That critical factor is an unconditional and heartfelt love and devotion you have for your child. But it takes much, much more than love and good intentions because you aren't the only influence in your child's life" (Family First, 2004, p. 10).
Let's explore five building blocks that can help prepare a successful future for your children.
One: Set a good example for your children
Looking back over the years, my wife and I were occasionally surprised at some of the things our children said and did in the normal course of family life. We knew that the unsavory things that came out could sometimes be traced back to us. We discussed this at length and determined to set the best example we could, though it wouldn't of course be perfect.
In fact, author and leadership consultant Stephen Covey wrote: "Good families—even great families—are off track 90 percent of the time! The key is that they have a sense of destination.
They know what the 'track' looks like. And they keep coming back to it time and time again" (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families , 1997, p. 9).
Much of our lives were spent giving of ourselves to our children. Some even thought we were giving too much of our time to our children, but we stayed the course. We knew that they needed us far more than physical things and money.
The Bible tells parents they must spiritually ground their children in knowledge about God and His way of life: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deuteronomy 6:5-7).
Although no parent is perfect in this, those who would create the best moral climate and educational environment for their children will start with God's instructions. Imperfection is no excuse for the thoughtful and understanding parents who strive to give the best of themselves to their children.
Life is an exercise in learning to do what is right instead of what is wrong. It gets down to a matter of choices. We choose to do what we do. And we can choose to be dedicated to teaching and exemplifying the right things to our children.
Two: Encourage your child to read and communicate
Amy, as a child living on a farm, loved books and reading widely. James, conversely, spent most of his time working outside. In her early days, Amy had no television or other negative influences that might come from modern media and crowded big cities. What she did have was an active imagination fired by the books she read.
With James's help, Amy wanted her children to develop a love for books and reading widely. They would read to their children every night and discuss the exciting stories that ignited their children's imaginations. Perhaps more than anything else, this early reading process contributed to their children's later successes.
James and Amy also allowed their children to discuss issues that many parents might think objectionable. For example, they discussed sex and reproduction and answered their children's questions as accurately as possible so the children wouldn't have to learn the wrong things from peers and other misinformed sources.
Realizing their children would spend many hours each day without their attentive supervision, they took advantage of their private family time and discussed the important topics of life one-on-one.
Addressing the issue of personal growth in the family, John Maxwell advises: "Look at each day as an opportunity to develop yourself. Read books and listen to tapes on areas where you want to grow. Go to conferences. Spend time with successful people.
"Make your home a growth environment. Begin by praising your children anytime they show a desire to learn. Provide opportunities for them to have new experiences. Buy books and tapes for them. Show them that you value growth" ("Unlock Your Child's Potential," October 2002, p. 29).
Three: Extend your child's educational opportunities
How far do you go to increase your child's educational opportunities? Some parents look forward to the time when their children are old enough to enter kindergarten or the first grade because they want more free time for themselves. They think children are a burden to free expression, an unnecessary and temporary interruption of their life's great pursuits.
When a man and woman marry, they assume they are in agreement on just about everything. Their early time together working through small challenges and differences can help solidify their marriage. After the honeymoon wears off, many experience a big change. Suddenly another human being enters their lives. From the moment of their child's birth, they turn their time and attention to the new love of their lives.
Now they have to get up in the middle of the night to tend to their little baby, to feed and change diapers. Gone is the time they once had to enjoy each other. Night after night of only a few hours of sleep can wear many a parent down.
Now, instead of the peace and tranquility and uninterrupted mutual love and joy they had with each other, suddenly too many couples find fault with each other and argue over the very gift that fulfilled their lives. Patience for each other wanes; respect and love is now secondary in their relationship.
Adding to this, parents sometimes resort to the TV to get a break in their now busy and hectic lives. There the commercials and TV programs suggest they could be better off with faster cars, nicer clothes and unlimited spending. It's all very unrealistic, but it sells.
The example of James and Amy is instructive here. Realizing such factors could pull them off course, they decided to take charge of their lives and the lives of their children. They began to plan for their children's future.
They encouraged their children to think about what they might like to do after high school. Their children recognized that their parents had college degrees that helped them in their personal lives and in their chosen professions.
Amy and James, however, realized that their children might not want to follow in their footsteps. They openly discussed this with their children and didn't try to force their personal desires on them. They had no intention of trying to relive their lives through their children.
Dr. Phil adds to this idea: "Survey Fact: Forty-eight percent of parents said that their own parents had too high expectations and feel that this caused high anxiety for them as adults" (Family First, p. 69). Naturally, parents can provide counsel for their children's future work, but the son or daughter must make the final decision.
Today, James and Amy's children are happier because they are doing what they enjoy, knowing as well that even better career opportunities might later open up for them in related fields. They didn't lock themselves into something they wouldn't continue to enjoy for the rest of their lives. And they have learned to be flexible in an ever-changing world.
Four: Teach your children godly morals
Personally, my wife and I trained our children to follow God's Word as their moral guide. When our son was just a couple of months old, we would place him on the bed while we knelt by it and prayed. Our children learned about our relationship with God through prayer. Now they pray with their children.
Elva Anson wrote this about the importance of prayer in a family: "Teaching children to pray should be as natural and easy as teaching them to talk. When children learn to talk, they simply imitate the sounds they hear us make. When they learn to pray, the same principle applies. If we have never learned to pray ourselves, our children have nothing to imitate" ("Teaching Your Child to Pray," Positive Thinking, March 2001, p. 26).
The world we live in is not given to godly morals. Lust, dishonesty, drugs, violence and war are the common fare for humanity from birth to death. Our children are immersed in the world's immoral ways from the time they are born.
Godly morals come from God's laws, specifically the Ten Commandments. How many people do you encounter on the street, in shopping malls and in social gatherings who actually try to live by the Ten Commandments? Listen to the majority of people for hardly any time at all and you quickly learn that God plays almost no role in their lives.
Parents who teach their children about God's Word and His Ten Commandments are the very ones who can appreciate and enjoy true success. This is the one common denominator for true success, even in a world that does not recognize God's laws at work in their lives.
Amy and James taught their children about God. They read children's Bible books about Old Testament personalities and their personal struggles. They discussed with them how to apply the principles of God's laws to their personal lives.
When James and Amy allowed their children to watch television, they watched it with them. They let their children choose what they watched as a family, with parental guidance. As they watched a television show, if something objectionable came up that they didn't want their children to copy or consider acceptable, they would momentarily discuss it with them in brief interactive exchanges. That way the children could learn to quickly recognize right and wrong moral messages.
James and Amy applied this teaching method in various settings and circumstances—when they went shopping, playing with their children on the playground and when they went for evening walks. They dedicated themselves to teaching their children godly morality based on God's holy and spiritual laws. Now thoroughly grounded in the Bible, their children do the same.
Five: Never stop sharing yourself with your children
Finally, parents should never stop sharing themselves with their children. This doesn't mean they should remain in charge of their children after the children have become adults, are married and have their own children. Parents should be available to their adult children and graciously accept the gift of grandparenting as it comes their way. This is God's way, for wisdom comes with age; and compassion and forgiveness, from experience.
James and Amy determined that they would always try to spend time themselves with their children, even as they grew older. They knew that age and experience can be tremendous resources that children and grandchildren can benefit from and enjoy. Instead of heading off into the sunset, disconnected from their children and their families, they determined there was no greater or more lasting satisfaction than to share their autumn years with their children and grandchildren.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with traveling, or golf, or whatever retirement opportunity older parents might like to pursue. But there is something wrong with parents and grandparents divorcing themselves from their children and grandchildren to grasp at last-minute satisfactions, only to inherit the wind.
Dr. Covey addresses the debilitating factor of putting family second to one's own personal interests and job. While conducting a seminar on the importance of extended family relationships, he shared this:
"These men and women [were] sobered and very thoughtful. Their failure to succeed in this family effort drove them to really examine their own personal lives. As they did so, they came to the realization that family was not just some sideshow. It was tremendously important to them. And they began to realize that 'success' in this area of their lives was not a matter of technique and a quick fix; it was based on the long-term principles that govern in every dimension of life" (p. 103).
It's important to never stop sharing yourself with your children.
Assurances of success of children
Above everything else, God's number-one purpose for humankind is family. The success of a family also means the success of children.
Distinguished scholar Merrill Unger summarized the Bible's revelation about God and the family in his Unger's Bible Dictionary: "The family relation is the institution of God lying at the foundation of all human society . . . The family occupies a prominent place throughout Scripture, is the first form of society, and has continued to be the germ and representative of every fellowship" (1972, "Family").
The Bible contains many prophecies about the good news of Jesus Christ's coming Kingdom on earth. Included in God's many positive and encouraging promises is this one about how families will dwell in peace with multiple generations coexisting in close proximity:
"Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children's children, forever" (Ezekiel 37:25).
Zechariah 8:4-5 adds: "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing."
God is pro-children and pro-family. He is dedicated to the success of parents, for He knows that as parents go, so goes the family. God is also dedicated to children. In fact, God is so moved by the attitudes of little children that Jesus Christ set them up as good examples all adults should follow:
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me'" (Matthew 18:1-5).
James and Amy's parenting efforts yielded excellent results. So can yours. Your child can succeed. All loving parents can be equipped to help their children succeed if they understand God's purpose for humankind and if they are willing to dedicate themselves to the ongoing welfare of their children and grandchildren. As a steward over God's future sons and daughters, you can help your child succeed. God is always ready to help! GN
Helpful hints for parents
Former U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle and clinical psychologist Diane Medved collaborated on The American Family: Discovering the Values That Make Us Strong (1996). Here are some of their tips for bringing up successful children:
• Be a cheerleader to your children. A parent teaches values by example.
• Make your home the center of your children's activities.
• Children need standards set by both the father and mother.
• Respect for the family is essential. At the daily send-off, let them know they are representing the family at their school.
• Inflexible activities, such as the children's bedtime, give the children order and security. They also help parents retain authority.
• Engender love for education by reading to your children and helping them through their homework. This promotes education and helps parents and children to bond.
• Parents should stick to their word.
• Emphasize completion of a project. It builds confidence and security.
• Teach gratitude for special privileges and gifts. When your children receive services or goods from others, encourage them to be thankful.
• Parents should be punctual. This teaches reliability as well as respect for others. A penalty can be given if children begin to develop a habit of lateness.
Jerold Aust
The Good News
Monday, July 9, 2007
Unofficial translation of papal text on use of Tridentine Mass
7/7/2007
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Here is an unofficial translation of Pope Benedict XVI's apostolic letter, "Summorum Pontificum," issued "motu proprio" (on his own initiative) July 7, 2007. The original text, which allows for greater use of the Tridentine Mass, was issued in Latin. The translation follows.
It has always been the care of the supreme pontiffs until the present time that the church of Christ offer worthy worship to the divine majesty "for the praise and glory of his name" and "for the good of all his holy church."
As from time immemorial so in the future the principle shall be respected "according to which each particular church must be in accord with the universal church not only regarding the doctrine of the faith and sacramental signs, but also as to the usages universally handed down by apostolic and unbroken tradition. These are to be maintained not only so that errors may be avoided, but also so that the faith may be passed on in its integrity, since the church's rule of prayer ("lex orandi") corresponds to her rule of belief ("lex credendi")."(1)
Among pontiffs who have displayed such care there excels the name of St. Gregory the Great, who saw to the transmission to the new peoples of Europe both of the Catholic faith and of the treasures of worship and culture accumulated by the Romans in preceding centuries. He gave instructions for the form of the sacred liturgy of both the sacrifice of the Mass and of the Divine Office as was celebrated in the city. He made the greatest efforts to foster monks and nuns, who militating under the Rule of St. Benedict, in every place along with the proclamation of the Gospel by their life likewise exemplified that most salutary expression of the rule, "Let nothing be given precedence over the work of God" (ch. 43). In this way the sacred liturgy according to the Roman manner made fertile not only the faith and piety but also the culture of many peoples. Moreover it is evident that the Latin liturgy in its various forms has stimulated in the spiritual life very many saints in every century of the Christian age and strengthened in the virtue of religion so many peoples and made fertile their piety.
However, in order that the sacred liturgy might more efficaciously absolve its task, several others among the Roman pontiffs in the course of the centuries have brought to bear particular concern, among whom St. Pius V is eminent, who with great pastoral zeal, at the exhortation of the Council of Trent, renewed the worship of the whole church, ensuring the publishing of liturgical books amended and "restored according to the norm of the fathers" and put them into use in the Latin church.
It is clear that among the liturgical books of the Roman rite the Roman Missal is eminent. It grew in the city of Rome and gradually down through the centuries took on forms which are very similar to those in vigor in recent generations.
"It was this same goal that as time passed the Roman pontiffs pursued, adapting or establishing liturgical rites and books to new ages and then at the start of the present century undertaking a more ample restoration."(2) It was in this manner that our predecessors Clement VIII, Urban VIII, St. Pius X,(3) Benedict XV, Pius XII and Blessed John XXIII acted.
In more recent time, however, the Second Vatican Council expressed the desire that with due respect and reverence for divine worship it be restored and adapted to the needs of our age. Prompted by this desire, our predecessor Pope Paul VI in 1970 approved for the Latin church liturgical books restored and partly renewed, and that throughout the world translated into many vernacular languages, have been welcomed by the bishops and by the priests and faithful. John Paul II revised the third typical edition of the Roman Missal. Thus the Roman pontiffs have acted so that "this liturgical edifice, so to speak, ... might once again appear splendid in its dignity and harmony."(4)
However, in some regions not a small number of the faithful have been and remain attached with such great love and affection to the previous liturgical forms, which had profoundly imbued their culture and spirit, that Pope John Paul II, prompted by pastoral concern for these faithful, in 1984 by means of a special indult "Quattuor abhinc annos," drawn up by the Congregation for Divine Worship, granted the faculty to use the Roman Missal published by John XXIII in 1962; while in 1988 John Paul II once again, by means of the "motu proprio" "Ecclesia Dei," exhorted the bishops to make wide and generous use of this faculty in favor of all the faithful requesting it.
Having pondered at length the pressing requests of these faithful to our predecessor John Paul II, having also heard the fathers of the consistory of cardinals held March 23, 2006, having pondered all things, invoked the Holy Spirit and placed our confidence in the help of God, by this present apostolic letter we decree the following.
Art. 1. The Roman Missal promulgated by Paul VI is to be regarded as the ordinary expression of the law of prayer ("lex orandi") of the Catholic Church of Latin rite, while the Roman Missal promulgated by St. Pius V and published again by Blessed John XXIII as the extraordinary expression of the law of prayer ("lex orandi") and on account of its venerable and ancient use let it enjoy due honor. These two expressions of the law of prayer ("lex orandi") of the church in no way lead to a division in the law of prayer ("lex orandi") of the church, for they are two uses of the one Roman rite.
Hence it is licit to celebrate the sacrifice of the Mass in accordance with the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated, as the extraordinary form of the liturgy of the church. The conditions laid down by the previous documents "Quattuor abhinc annos" and "Ecclesia Dei" for the use of this missal are replaced by what follows:
Art. 2. In Masses celebrated without the people, any priest of Latin rite, whether secular or religious, can use the Roman Missal published by Pope Blessed John XXIII in 1962 or the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970, on any day except in the sacred triduum. For celebration in accordance with one or the other missal, a priest does not require any permission, neither from the Apostolic See nor his own ordinary.
Art. 3. If communities or institutes of consecrated life or societies of apostolic life of either pontifical or diocesan rite desire to have a celebration of holy Mass in accordance with the edition of the Roman Missal promulgated in 1962 in the conventual or "community" celebration in their own oratories, this is allowed. If an individual community or the entire institute or society wants to have such celebrations often or habitually or permanently, the matter is to be decided by the major superiors according to the norm of law and the particular laws and statutes.
Art. 4. With due observance of law, even Christ's faithful who spontaneously request it, may be admitted to celebrations of holy Mass mentioned in Art. 2 above.
Art. 5.1. In parishes where a group of faithful attached to the previous liturgical tradition exists stably, let the pastor willingly accede to their requests for the celebration of the holy Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962. Let him see to it that the good of these faithful be harmoniously reconciled with ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the governance of the bishop according to Canon 392, avoiding discord and fostering the unity of the whole church.
5.2. Celebration according to the missal of Blessed John XXIII can take place on weekdays, while on Sundays and on feast days there may be one such celebration.
5.3. Let the pastor permit celebrations in this extraordinary form for faithful or priests who request it, even in particular circumstances such as weddings, funerals or occasional celebrations, for example pilgrimages.
5.4. Priests using the missal of Blessed John XXIII must be worthy and not impeded by law.
5.5. In churches that are neither parochial nor conventual, it is the rector of the church who grants the above-mentioned permission.
Art. 6. In Masses celebrated with the people according to the missal of Blessed John XXIII, the readings can be proclaimed even in the vernacular, using editions that have received the "recognitio" of the Apostolic See.
Art. 7. Where some group of lay faithful, mentioned in Art. 5.1 does not obtain what it requests from the pastor, it should inform the diocesan bishop of the fact. The bishop is earnestly requested to grant their desire. If he cannot provide for this kind of celebration, let the matter be referred to the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei."
Art. 8. A bishop who desires to make provision for requests of lay faithful of this kind, but is for various reasons prevented from doing so, may refer the matter to the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei," which should give him advice and help.
Art. 9.1. Likewise a pastor may, all things duly considered, grant permission to use the older ritual in administering the sacraments of baptism, matrimony, penance and the anointing of the sick, as the good of souls may suggest.
9.2. Ordinaries are granted the faculty to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation using the former "Roman Pontifical," as the good of souls may suggest.
9.3. It is lawful for clerics in holy orders to use even the Roman Breviary promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962.
Art. 10. It is lawful for the local ordinary, if he judges it opportune, to erect a personal parish according to the norm of Canon 518 for celebrations according to the older form of the Roman rite or appoint a rector or chaplain, with due observance of the requirements of law.
Art. 11. The Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei," erected in 1988 by John Paul II(5) continues to carry out its function. This commission is to have the form, duties and norm for action that the Roman pontiff may wish to assign to it.
Art. 12. The same commission, in addition to the faculties it already enjoys, will exercise the authority of the Holy See by maintaining vigilance over the observance and application of these dispositions.
Whatever is decreed by us by means of this "motu proprio," we order to be firm and ratified and to be observed as of Sept. 14 this year, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, all things to the contrary notwithstanding.
Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, July 7, in the year of Our Lord 2007, the third of our pontificate.
Benedict XVI
Footnotes
1. General Instruction of the Roman Missal, third edition, 2002, n. 397.
2. Pope John Paul II, "Vicesimus quintus annus," Dec. 4, 1988, n. 3: AAS 81 (1989) p. 899.
3. Ibid.
4. Pope St. Pius X, "motu proprio" "Abhinc duos annos," Oct. 23,1913: AAS 5 (1913) 449-450; cf. Pope John Paul II, "Vicesimus quintus annus," Dec. 4, 1988, n. 3: AAS 81 (1989) p. 899.
5. Cf. Pope John Paul II, "motu proprio" "Ecclesia Dei," July 2, 1988, n. 6: AAS 80 (1988) p. 1498.
7/7/2007
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Here is an unofficial translation of Pope Benedict XVI's apostolic letter, "Summorum Pontificum," issued "motu proprio" (on his own initiative) July 7, 2007. The original text, which allows for greater use of the Tridentine Mass, was issued in Latin. The translation follows.
It has always been the care of the supreme pontiffs until the present time that the church of Christ offer worthy worship to the divine majesty "for the praise and glory of his name" and "for the good of all his holy church."
As from time immemorial so in the future the principle shall be respected "according to which each particular church must be in accord with the universal church not only regarding the doctrine of the faith and sacramental signs, but also as to the usages universally handed down by apostolic and unbroken tradition. These are to be maintained not only so that errors may be avoided, but also so that the faith may be passed on in its integrity, since the church's rule of prayer ("lex orandi") corresponds to her rule of belief ("lex credendi")."(1)
Among pontiffs who have displayed such care there excels the name of St. Gregory the Great, who saw to the transmission to the new peoples of Europe both of the Catholic faith and of the treasures of worship and culture accumulated by the Romans in preceding centuries. He gave instructions for the form of the sacred liturgy of both the sacrifice of the Mass and of the Divine Office as was celebrated in the city. He made the greatest efforts to foster monks and nuns, who militating under the Rule of St. Benedict, in every place along with the proclamation of the Gospel by their life likewise exemplified that most salutary expression of the rule, "Let nothing be given precedence over the work of God" (ch. 43). In this way the sacred liturgy according to the Roman manner made fertile not only the faith and piety but also the culture of many peoples. Moreover it is evident that the Latin liturgy in its various forms has stimulated in the spiritual life very many saints in every century of the Christian age and strengthened in the virtue of religion so many peoples and made fertile their piety.
However, in order that the sacred liturgy might more efficaciously absolve its task, several others among the Roman pontiffs in the course of the centuries have brought to bear particular concern, among whom St. Pius V is eminent, who with great pastoral zeal, at the exhortation of the Council of Trent, renewed the worship of the whole church, ensuring the publishing of liturgical books amended and "restored according to the norm of the fathers" and put them into use in the Latin church.
It is clear that among the liturgical books of the Roman rite the Roman Missal is eminent. It grew in the city of Rome and gradually down through the centuries took on forms which are very similar to those in vigor in recent generations.
"It was this same goal that as time passed the Roman pontiffs pursued, adapting or establishing liturgical rites and books to new ages and then at the start of the present century undertaking a more ample restoration."(2) It was in this manner that our predecessors Clement VIII, Urban VIII, St. Pius X,(3) Benedict XV, Pius XII and Blessed John XXIII acted.
In more recent time, however, the Second Vatican Council expressed the desire that with due respect and reverence for divine worship it be restored and adapted to the needs of our age. Prompted by this desire, our predecessor Pope Paul VI in 1970 approved for the Latin church liturgical books restored and partly renewed, and that throughout the world translated into many vernacular languages, have been welcomed by the bishops and by the priests and faithful. John Paul II revised the third typical edition of the Roman Missal. Thus the Roman pontiffs have acted so that "this liturgical edifice, so to speak, ... might once again appear splendid in its dignity and harmony."(4)
However, in some regions not a small number of the faithful have been and remain attached with such great love and affection to the previous liturgical forms, which had profoundly imbued their culture and spirit, that Pope John Paul II, prompted by pastoral concern for these faithful, in 1984 by means of a special indult "Quattuor abhinc annos," drawn up by the Congregation for Divine Worship, granted the faculty to use the Roman Missal published by John XXIII in 1962; while in 1988 John Paul II once again, by means of the "motu proprio" "Ecclesia Dei," exhorted the bishops to make wide and generous use of this faculty in favor of all the faithful requesting it.
Having pondered at length the pressing requests of these faithful to our predecessor John Paul II, having also heard the fathers of the consistory of cardinals held March 23, 2006, having pondered all things, invoked the Holy Spirit and placed our confidence in the help of God, by this present apostolic letter we decree the following.
Art. 1. The Roman Missal promulgated by Paul VI is to be regarded as the ordinary expression of the law of prayer ("lex orandi") of the Catholic Church of Latin rite, while the Roman Missal promulgated by St. Pius V and published again by Blessed John XXIII as the extraordinary expression of the law of prayer ("lex orandi") and on account of its venerable and ancient use let it enjoy due honor. These two expressions of the law of prayer ("lex orandi") of the church in no way lead to a division in the law of prayer ("lex orandi") of the church, for they are two uses of the one Roman rite.
Hence it is licit to celebrate the sacrifice of the Mass in accordance with the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated, as the extraordinary form of the liturgy of the church. The conditions laid down by the previous documents "Quattuor abhinc annos" and "Ecclesia Dei" for the use of this missal are replaced by what follows:
Art. 2. In Masses celebrated without the people, any priest of Latin rite, whether secular or religious, can use the Roman Missal published by Pope Blessed John XXIII in 1962 or the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970, on any day except in the sacred triduum. For celebration in accordance with one or the other missal, a priest does not require any permission, neither from the Apostolic See nor his own ordinary.
Art. 3. If communities or institutes of consecrated life or societies of apostolic life of either pontifical or diocesan rite desire to have a celebration of holy Mass in accordance with the edition of the Roman Missal promulgated in 1962 in the conventual or "community" celebration in their own oratories, this is allowed. If an individual community or the entire institute or society wants to have such celebrations often or habitually or permanently, the matter is to be decided by the major superiors according to the norm of law and the particular laws and statutes.
Art. 4. With due observance of law, even Christ's faithful who spontaneously request it, may be admitted to celebrations of holy Mass mentioned in Art. 2 above.
Art. 5.1. In parishes where a group of faithful attached to the previous liturgical tradition exists stably, let the pastor willingly accede to their requests for the celebration of the holy Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962. Let him see to it that the good of these faithful be harmoniously reconciled with ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the governance of the bishop according to Canon 392, avoiding discord and fostering the unity of the whole church.
5.2. Celebration according to the missal of Blessed John XXIII can take place on weekdays, while on Sundays and on feast days there may be one such celebration.
5.3. Let the pastor permit celebrations in this extraordinary form for faithful or priests who request it, even in particular circumstances such as weddings, funerals or occasional celebrations, for example pilgrimages.
5.4. Priests using the missal of Blessed John XXIII must be worthy and not impeded by law.
5.5. In churches that are neither parochial nor conventual, it is the rector of the church who grants the above-mentioned permission.
Art. 6. In Masses celebrated with the people according to the missal of Blessed John XXIII, the readings can be proclaimed even in the vernacular, using editions that have received the "recognitio" of the Apostolic See.
Art. 7. Where some group of lay faithful, mentioned in Art. 5.1 does not obtain what it requests from the pastor, it should inform the diocesan bishop of the fact. The bishop is earnestly requested to grant their desire. If he cannot provide for this kind of celebration, let the matter be referred to the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei."
Art. 8. A bishop who desires to make provision for requests of lay faithful of this kind, but is for various reasons prevented from doing so, may refer the matter to the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei," which should give him advice and help.
Art. 9.1. Likewise a pastor may, all things duly considered, grant permission to use the older ritual in administering the sacraments of baptism, matrimony, penance and the anointing of the sick, as the good of souls may suggest.
9.2. Ordinaries are granted the faculty to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation using the former "Roman Pontifical," as the good of souls may suggest.
9.3. It is lawful for clerics in holy orders to use even the Roman Breviary promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962.
Art. 10. It is lawful for the local ordinary, if he judges it opportune, to erect a personal parish according to the norm of Canon 518 for celebrations according to the older form of the Roman rite or appoint a rector or chaplain, with due observance of the requirements of law.
Art. 11. The Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei," erected in 1988 by John Paul II(5) continues to carry out its function. This commission is to have the form, duties and norm for action that the Roman pontiff may wish to assign to it.
Art. 12. The same commission, in addition to the faculties it already enjoys, will exercise the authority of the Holy See by maintaining vigilance over the observance and application of these dispositions.
Whatever is decreed by us by means of this "motu proprio," we order to be firm and ratified and to be observed as of Sept. 14 this year, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, all things to the contrary notwithstanding.
Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, July 7, in the year of Our Lord 2007, the third of our pontificate.
Benedict XVI
Footnotes
1. General Instruction of the Roman Missal, third edition, 2002, n. 397.
2. Pope John Paul II, "Vicesimus quintus annus," Dec. 4, 1988, n. 3: AAS 81 (1989) p. 899.
3. Ibid.
4. Pope St. Pius X, "motu proprio" "Abhinc duos annos," Oct. 23,1913: AAS 5 (1913) 449-450; cf. Pope John Paul II, "Vicesimus quintus annus," Dec. 4, 1988, n. 3: AAS 81 (1989) p. 899.
5. Cf. Pope John Paul II, "motu proprio" "Ecclesia Dei," July 2, 1988, n. 6: AAS 80 (1988) p. 1498.
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