WCR Letters to the Editor

Focus on love, not divorce

First, suggesting Catholic lawyers should turn down people needing help with divorce is absurd. Lawyers, nor anyone, should not turn a blind eye to people in need. Lawyers do not encourage people to get divorced; in fact, lawyers have a professional responsibility to seek out all avenues of reconciliation between the parties. Perhaps the pope should focus more on ensuring the Church does a more thorough job of preparing couples for marriage, instead of encouraging lawyers to not help people in need.

Second, the pope's comments encourage people to stay in unhealthy marriages.

No one likes divorce; but we cannot create an environment where people are afraid to leave unhealthy or abusive marriages. We must put the needs of the people before the integrity of the sacrament.

Third, Pope John Paul makes a clear statement gay marriages should be opposed; this does not encourage an understanding and acceptance of gay people. Basically, the Pope is indicating the love between 2 gay people is not worthy of the sacrament of marriage. I have friends who are gay: The love between them is no different than the love between my heterosexual friends.

The God whom I know has no judgment about love and does not think one love is better than another. The pope's comments indicate gay people are not worthy of celebrating the sacrament of marriage; and yet gay people are worthy enough to be priests of the Catholic Church.

In the recent book, The Changing Face of the Priesthood, Donald Cozzens indicates anywhere from 23 to 58 per cent of priests are gay. I have a hard time comprehending gay people are good enough to lead the Catholic Church, but not good enough to celebrate their love through the sacrament of marriage in a Catholic Church.

Brian J. Kash
Edmonton, Alberta

Patriarchal language behind NRSV Bible controversy

The reason why the NRSV of the Bible has not been approved by the Vatican, as Janet MacLellan states in her letter (WCR Jan 28), is for reasons of patriarchal language.

It was in 1995, only a few months after the publishing of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, that the NRSV was forbidden to be used for liturgical and catechetical purposes.

Yet the NRSV, widely used in Britain and the United States at the time, was considered by Father Raymond Brown, a renowned scholar, as the best Bible for study purposes being sensitively biased toward inclusive language. It was approved by the U.S. Bishops and Vatican liturgists in 1990.

It is my contention it was the bias toward inclusive language that was the culprit, not the excuse used by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, that the translation enfeebled faith.

Moreover, it had to stay in tune with the exclusive language used in the opening statement of the Catechism of the Catholic Church which states: ". . . at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men."

All this came at a time when the media, legal and academic culture was moving inexorably toward inclusive language, simultaneously rekindling the hope for women's ordination which had been quashed effectively on May 24, 1994 by John Paul's Apostolic Letter, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, stating that: "ordination for women was out of the question."

The attitude the Vatican holds towards inclusive language and women's ordination is for no other reason than to ensure women will continue to feel alienated in biblical study, catechetics and in liturgy.

Jim Verhesen
Rocky Mountain House

Holy Church honours and respects women

Father compares the requests or advice from the Holy Church with which the holy father is in full agreement, with the inhuman treatment of women by the Islamic Taliban sect.

I feel this comparison is a total distortion of fact, as well as insulting to the Holy Church and all Catholics!

There is no religion in the world that reveres women more than the Catholic Church. The beautiful, Holy Mary, The Mother of God and the thousands of female martyrs and saints who we venerate on our knees as special friends of Our Creator gives the lie to this.

God did not create man and woman for the same purposes in life, although our modern anti-Christian culture evidently insists that this is so. If God has this purpose in mind, He would have created us all hermaphrodites!

However, Father Joly may yet get his wish. For the past 20 to 30 years, all studies reported in many respected medical journals, such as, The British Medical Journal, the New England Medical Journal and the Lancet, have warned of the apparent femininization of the male species, from the female hormones pouring in to the world's water systems from the massive use of the birth control pill, and other female hormones.

It appears this is having a disastrous effect on the male species of fish, animals and the human male. If the problem continues for the next 50 years or so, we may only have hermaphrodites on our altars!

Peter Mendes, MD
Edmonton

TOPS turbulence races through faith community

C.M. Evans
Millet

McBrien spreads hogwash

Next thing you know someone's opinion will be that our Lady is not relevant today either. But then, that's been done already hasn't it!

I will be one of the many thousands of Padre Pio's spiritual children who await his canonization with much joy.

Blessed Padre Pio, pray for us.

Ursula Brown
Devon

Scrap bafflegab for straight talk

These terms have lost their meanings and really aren't especially helpful.

"Politically correct" has been pejorative, and "politically incorrect" a term of self-congratulation, and both have the effect of closing down minds and stifling the discussion of issues.

There are so many fine alternative words and phrases we can abuse each other with. Let's drop the gloves and say what we mean.

Fiona Kelly
Gibbons

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