Yes, we need (some) sordid details

By Kevin F. Keiser (a riposte to Father Orsi’s post)

Father Michael Orsi argues that seeking to uncover the details of Legion of Christ founder Father Marcial Maciel’s sinfulness “merely promotes the sin of detraction.” He is not the first. Similar things have already been said from within Legionary circles. The “D” word is being tossed about now in the hopes that those of us who are serious believers will shrink from the threat of a sin which is grave because it harms a man in that which is most valuable to him short of his own soul -- his good name.

But a closer look is called for. Detraction is too easily identified with any infringement whatsoever upon the good name of another. But even Our Lord harmed the good name of the religious authorities of his day: A man’s good name decreases quite a bit when he is called a “hypocrite” by a public figure who raises the dead, heals men born blind and claims to be the Son of God.

The truth is that detraction is one of those sins where intention is key. Not everyone who says something bad about another is a detractor; one must intend to harm the good name of another. This is explained well by St. Thomas Aquinas:

It happens sometimes that someone says some words through which someone's fame is diminished, not intending this, but intending something else. This, however, is not to detract, per se and formally speaking. ... If, indeed, someone utters words through which the fame of another is diminished for the sake of some good or necessary thing, with due circumstances being observed, it is not a sin, nor can it be called detraction. (Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 73, a. 2, and reply to the first, translation by author).

If a good and necessary thing is intended when one speaks words that harm another’s good name, the speaker is not committing the sin of detraction. Of course, there are the limits of prudence, which the old Catholic Encyclopedia spells out well: there has to be a very good reason, and no more should be asserted than is necessary. But it goes on to defend the rights of journalists (and historians) to inveigh against wrongdoing by public figures.

The question, of course, is whether in the case of Father Maciel, the good to be gained by a transparent revelation of his misdeeds would outweigh the obvious diminishment of his good name and perhaps that of the Legion and Regnum Christi.

I argue that the revelation of his misdeeds – and of others in Legion leadership -- would be of great benefit to the Church and the world, and even to the Legionaries of Christ and to Regnum Christi itself.

Father Orsi is right to phrase the question in terms of whether such knowledge would “bring [us] closer to Christ.” But an over-individualized and over-spiritualized notion of “closeness to Christ” too narrowly restricts the notion of the common good. This has been the particular problem with the Legion’s public responses up to now.

This is the time for concrete words and concrete actions. This is not the time to use terms like "purification" or any overly abstract word in public statements. This is not the time for giving a spiritualized account of what the Will of God is trying to achieve by this turn of events, and still less a time to refer to it as a "miracle," or a "mystery" that needs to be "processed."

Frankly, this is an affront to human intellect and ultimately to God.

The current problem is not so much Father Maciel’s fornication or pederasty. It is his deceit. The restitution that has to be made for lying is telling the truth:

• What are the accusations that have been leveled against Father Maciel?

• What did the Legion do about them? What did the Vatican do about them? We keep hearing about an "internal investigation." Well, tell us about it. Who was conducting it? Was it self-imposed, or imposed by the Vatican?

• During Father Maciel’s double life, who knew about it? Who should have known?

• Was the mother of the now 22-year old daughter a minor when Father Maciel had sexual intercourse with her?

• Where was Legion money going?

There is no way the Legion can validate its claims that it wants to be transparent and put the Church's good above its own if it does not begin by coming clean.

To hide behind the fact that Father Maciel was a flawed instrument is no answer at all. Yes, Our Lord demands that we be disposed to forgive all of our private offenders. But the order of public justice is not going to drop all charges because of even true repentance. Father Orsi mentions the case of King David. It must be remembered that God himself revealed David’s crime to the prophet Nathan, awaited David’s vocal admission of it, forgave David, and still gave him temporal punishment for his sin (2 Sam 12: 1-15). It would in fact be an injustice to the victims of Father Maciel and to the people of God if, in the name of forgiveness, we refused to recognize that there are consequences to his crimes and the lack of subsequent transparency.

I earnestly hope that the Legion gets through this. I appreciate their good work, and I want them to continue to exist in some form. But if the Legion’s next public statement is just about proposed changes, etc., without any hint of a beginning of transparency, I don't know what hope there is. What kind of change of heart is reluctant to manifest itself in exterior acts that acknowledge the gravity of the crimes committed and deals with them seriously? The damage to the Church, should the Legion fail to do so, is incalculable.

I beg the Legion: for its own sake, but, far more importantly, for the sake of Holy Mother Church, please, come clean.

Kevin F. Keiser is earning his doctorate in moral theology from Rome’s Pontifical University of St. Thomas, and blogs with his wife Heidi at novantiqua.com.

Mile high inspiration

I am fortunate enough to be blogging tonight from Denver, where I am presenting two workshops at the Living the Catholic Faith Conference sponsored by the Archdiocese of Denver. What a blessing to be in the presence of so many devoted Catholics -- 1,500 in attendance today and another 1,500 expected tomorrow. We're talking wall-to-wall people at every event, including the 8 a.m. Mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles Chaput.

Sitting out there in the crowd, shoulder to shoulder with my fellow Catholics, was a powerful experience, but even more powerful was Archbishop Chaput's challenge to those in attendance to live the Gospel without watering it down or, as he explained, without putting a "gloss" on it.

The good archbishop focused on the responsibility of Catholics to live out the true Gospel message, not some version that we interpret or imagine because it suits our needs or makes us more comfortable. He called on Catholics to fast -- really fast, not the half-hearted stuff we tend to do nowadays. He called on people to be prophets and to speak out in the public square on the issues of the day, such as abortion, embryonic stem cell research, immigration and poverty. He told the crowd that the world is not changing for the better because Catholics are not speaking out for what is right. Strong words, but powerful and necessary words, especially in our troubled times.

Tomorrow we head into Round Two of the event, which is really the perfect way to usher in the season of Lent. Surrounded by other Catholics, celebrating liturgy, focusing on our calling -- it's a visible sign of faith in action and a reminder that those beliefs we profess each Sunday are not meant to stay within our church walls. We have to take it to the streets and make it real every other day of the week. Can I get an Amen?

Please, no sordid details

By Father Michael Orsi
Chaplain and Research Fellow, Ave Maria School of Law

Over the past few weeks, the Catholic Church has once again been roiled in scandal. This new controversy was sparked by revelations of a double-life led by the late Father Marcial Maciel Degollado (1920-2008), founder of The Legion of Christ. After an internal investigation, the congregation discovered that Father Maciel had fathered a child, a daughter now in her twenties. Other reports from a former financial officer of the order tell of the founder taking large sums of money with him, for unexplained reasons, whenever he left Rome.

All of this follows years of accusations about sexual improprieties and the Vatican’s 2006 “invitation” to Father Maciel to retire from leadership of the order and lead a life of “prayer and penitence.”

The Legionaries have issued a very terse official statement: “We have learned some things about our founder’s life that are surprising and difficult for us to understand. We can confirm that there are some aspects of his life that were not appropriate for a Catholic priest.”

The statement’s lack of specificity in even confirming details of the charges has led to widespread calls for greater transparency, about both Father Maciel and the operations of the organization itself. Catholic media, in particular, have been aggressive in calling the Legion to task, perhaps because of the order’s high-profile presence on the religious-communication scene as owner of The National Catholic Register and other Catholic information outlets.

This story raises three critical questions which need to be explored: (1) Should more be revealed? (2) What does Father Maciel’s life teach us about God? (3) What does it teach us about ourselves?

Somehow it has become a common assumption that putting every aspect of a person’s life up for public scrutiny is a good thing. Especially so those aspects that have to do with sexual matters — the stuff of tabloids and “reality” TV — concern for which, in former times, would have been dismissed as voyeurism. Who can forget the coverage Prince Charles and Princess Diana received over their extramarital sex lives, or for that matter, the media frenzy about what Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinski were up to in the Oval Office?

The question is: Are we better off for knowing all such sordid details? I think not. Those revelations hurt the individuals involved, their families, and their respective nations. They also led to interminably salacious and less-than-edifying conversations, tempting us all into the sin of gossip.

There is much speculation about the identities of Father Maciel’s mistress and daughter. But for them to be “outed” could be a devastating experience. It could also cause needless and unfair suffering to others not directly involved in the situation but close to it. Relentless probing would certainly bring further hurt to the many excellent Legionaries and all the men and women of Regnum Christi, the lay apostolic movement associated with the Legion.

I have often reflected on the words of a pastor who, when confronted with information about the foibles of others, would ask, “How does knowing that bring me closer to Christ?” There are some things we don’t need to know.Transparency in governance would undoubtedly be a good thing for the Legion as a religious community. An investigation of the order’s protocols by a Vatican appointed visitator is appropriate. This should include careful attention to accountability for Legion finances. Donors have a right to know how their money is being spent. But, the extent of a person’s sins and the sordid details of a person’s sex life (whether that individual is alive or dead) is never necessary, and more often than not, merely promotes the sin of detraction.

The Legion’s founder may indeed have been a radically flawed person, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Legion itself is flawed. God often works through very weak and sinful human beings — a truth which the Legionaries may want to emphasize as part of their reflection for renewal. St. Paul was painfully aware of this when he preached on God’s grace, which as he said, acts through earthen vessels to deliver God’s message and bring about good.

Scripture is replete with examples of how God works through some very unsavory people. For example, King David, an adulterer and a murderer, was beloved by God and, to this day, is honored as the greatest of the Jewish Kings. The late Scripture scholar Raymond Brown astutely pointed out that there are some very tainted women in Jesus’s genealogy: Tamar, who had a sexual relationship with her father in-law, Judah; Ruth, who was a despised Moabite; Rahab, who was a prostitute; and Bathsheba, an adulteress. From these came the Christ!

The old saying, “God writes straight sentences with crooked lines,” comes to mind. Just because Father Maciel was flawed, doesn’t mean the charism of the Legion must be. In fact, the proverb most applicable in this situation is: “By their fruits you will know them.” My experience with the Legion (and the experience of many others) has been greatly rewarding spiritually. The work of Legionaries with priests and laity has borne much fruit. In particular, their defense of Catholic doctrine and the life issues is most commendable (in this regard I highly recommend the work of Legion priest, Father Thomas Berg, LC, director of The Westchester Institute for Ethics and the Human Person).

I have a cousin who became addicted to researching his genealogy. He spent a fortune seeking information from a variety of resource groups, most of which charged fees for their forensic services. Although the findings rarely matched, one theme appeared consistently in their reports: My cousin was descended from royalty, and his ancestors were all heroes. Common sense might confirm the lie, but they told him what he wanted to hear.

The fact is that we all have some monkey on the family tree (or a screwy Uncle Looey). That doesn’t mean we’re tainted by our ancestors’ presence in our genealogy, that we’re responsible for their wrongdoing, or that we’re doomed to repeat their questionable behavior. In some instances we may even profit from it. The life of Old Joe Kennedy still has many questions surrounding it, yet his clan is considered American “royalty.” There is one thing we do inherit through our family line, however: Original Sin. But God knows our human weaknesses. That’s why he sent Jesus, who gave us the sacraments to help overcome the proclivity to sin.

The sexual concerns that sent Father Maciel into retirement before his death were related to allegations of pedophilia during the 1950s. Because of the time lapse, charges could not be proven beyond doubt, but the reports seemed plausible enough to require intervention by the pope. I think Benedict acted wisely and pastorally. He gave Father Maciel an opportunity to make things right with God before he died. One can only hope he made the most of it — in which case, we should all be so graced.

It would appear that Father Maciel committed acts that were horribly wrong. But, his life and legacy were (and still are) valuable to the Church and to the order he founded. Like my cousin, we all wish to believe we come from a long line of wonderful people. Similarly, those in religious life would like to call their community’s founder a saint. We have no way of knowing that Father Maciel isn’t one. The penances he performed at the end of his life might have been efficacious in ways we will never know.

Perhaps this strange, sad episode is part of God’s plan for reconstituting the Legion of Christ into a more effective ministry. In the end, it may turn out to be a moment of grace for all of us.

[Father Orsi penned this essay for the OSV Daily Take. This viewpoint offered differs from some of our previous coverage on this blog of the Legion scandal, and we welcome its contribution to the conversation. Don't hesitate to leave a comment below.]

Update: A moral theologian replies and says, yes we do need some sordid details.

Remember, man, that you are dust...

Our forty-day journey begins today, with the cross of ashes on our foreheads to remind us of our mortality, our sinfulness, our belonging to Christ. It's rare that the secular media takes on this subject with anything more than the obligatory ashes photo on the front page of the paper the next morning. Today National Review Online, however, is offering serious reflections on the meaning of Ash Wednesday from the likes of Michael Novak, Father George Rutler, and Mother Mary Assumpta Long, O.P., of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. Click here to see what they -- and a few others -- have to say.

And don't forget to check out OSV's "Your Guide to Lent" by clicking here. The downloadable poster provides explanations of Lenten traditions and suggestions for making the season more meaningful.

Heading into the desert

With Ash Wednesday just a few hours away, I couldn't help but pause when I saw the following status update on a Facebook page today: "If you like Lent, you're doing it wrong." Hmm. Considering the fact that my status update is all about how I can't wait for Lent to begin, I didn't take that commentary lightly. For me there is something powerful and deeply, deeply spiritual in a season that invites us to spend so much time in the desert. In our instant-gratification, hedonistic society, the notion of purposely walking into the darkness, voluntarily taking on sacrifice, pondering the depths of suffering is a welcome change from business as usual.

I think there are definitely Advent people and Lent people, and those of us who look forward to Lent do so not because we don't understand it but precisely because we recognize just how badly we need it. We need those forty days to strip away the excesses from our lives -- excess food, excess spending, excess chatter -- whatever our excess of choice may be. What a blessing to be given this time to reflect and repent. If we enter Lent with the hope of moving forward with our prayer lives, of doing penance for our sins, of giving something extra to someone else, I don't think we can ever be doing it "wrong." There are many ways to do Lent right, in fact. If we start believing otherwise, we may miss the opportunity to work our way through the darkness and sorrow to a place of light and resurrection. Tomorrow the work of Lent begins, and I, for one, am glad to be here.

We'd love to hear your special thoughts on the meaning of Lent in your life, so please feel free to share in the comment section.

Le Carre's alarming picture of European decline

By Russell Shaw, OSV contributing editor

The decline of religious faith occurring in Western Europe has been a favorite subject of theologians and social scientists for years. Nearly all speak of what the University of Chicago's Jean Bethke Elshtain calls the "signs of cultural slackness and exhaustion" now visible there. But for concrete depictions of those signs, we must turn to novelists, film-makers, and journalists.

In this connection it's helpful to take a look — not a terribly long one, mind you — at the new John le Carre thriller, "A Most Wanted Man" (Scribner, $28). This isn't an analysis of the loss of faith but a fundamentally blasé portrait of it.

Despite the praise heaped on the book by some reviewers, "A Most Wanted Man" isn't in the same league with le Carre cold war tales like "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" and "The Looking Glass War." As an experienced fiction writer, the author knows how to keep readers turning pages, but his new novel features forgettable characters and a story line shaped by arbitrary decisions rather than the exigencies of human nature under stress.

Still, the book does provide — unintentionally, no doubt — a chilling picture of post-Christian Europe spiritually on the skids. It does this in two quite different ways.

The more obvious way concerns characters and plot. In this bleak tale of counter-intelligence agents in Germany wrestling clumsily with suspected terrorists and one another, the only people with religious faith are the Muslims.

With one exception, none of the rest appears to know or care anything about religion. The exception is a minor character who remarks that her family is Catholic — and whose personal experience of Catholicism is seemingly having been abused as a teenager by an uncle who was a priest. (In case you had any doubt on the matter, the abuse scandal will remain a stock element of the picture of the Church as presented in popular fiction and journalism for years to come.)

The story line of "A Most Wanted Man" is jaded, cynical, and without hope. As in his early novels, le Carre exploits moral equivalency in order to make the point that 'our' side is as bad as — and arguably worse than — "theirs." The villain of the piece, naturally, is the CIA. Who else in a book by an anti-American European?

But it's in the deeper realms of moral substance that the novel fails most seriously.

Shortly before reading the new le Carre, I read Joseph Conrad's 1911 novel "Under Western Eyes," an early classic of the spy novel genre. The stories have similar situations: mysterious young man arrives in foreign city — Geneva in the Conrad book, Hamburg in le Carre's — and stirs suspicions that end in tragedy.

But there the likeness ends. Conrad, a fatalist, nevertheless brought to his writing — perhaps from his Polish background — a vision of good and evil that invests his tale with moral weight. In the moral vacuum of le Carre's novel, cheap ironies attempt unsuccessfully to substitute for moral substance.

Conrad's story turns on the workings of guilt. Le Carre's people have much to feel guilty about but lack the capacity to feel it. As a picture of Europe, the message is that what remains after the fabric of a culture unravels is a residue of adolescent moral callowness.

Certainly one still finds in Europe strong communities of faith inhabited by Christians of great decency and commitment. But the decline of faith there is real, and John le Carre unwittingly has given us an alarming picture of it.

Off to a great start

Archbishop Timothy Dolan, the newly appointed Archbishop of New York, is right now taking questions from the press and is deftly handling inquiries about everything from the fear of school closings to personal heroes to support for priests to the New York Yankees. As a New Yorker, and one who lived in and worked for the Archdiocese of New York for many years, I am thrilled for folks downstate. 

He has professed his unequivocal support for the priests, saying he is there to serve them. He reassured the interfaith community that he wants to continue the tradition of working closely with them. Questioned about the Obama administration's differing views on life issues, the archbishop referred back to the language of Vatican II, saying that "engagement" is key, but he made it clear that he, like his predecessors, will be a strong voice for the unborn. He also broke to speak briefly in Spanish to New York's large Latin American community.

Cardinal Edward Egan told the press conference that he plans to take up residence at a parish rectory in the archdiocese and celebrate Masses and do confirmations. To which Archbishop Dolan responded, "You're hired."

Updates will continue...

Live from New York...

It's Archbishop Timothy Dolan.

Finally, after weeks of rumors and speculation, Pope Benedict XVI has appointed the Milwaukee archbishop to succeed Cardinal Edward Egan as head of the Archdiocese of New York. The announcement came this morning, although Archbishop Dolan's name came as no surprise. News of his imminent appointment had been swirling around both the Catholic and secular press for some time now.

Archbishop Dolan, 59, is expected to celebrate 8 a.m. Mass with Cardinal Egan at St. Patrick's Cathedral before heading to a press conference later in the morning. Cardinal Egan, who turned 75 in April 2007, is the first Archbishop of New York to retire from his post; all others have died while serving.

More New York news to come later...

Do abstinence programs really work?

That's been a subject of some recent debate, especially considering that President Barack Obama is expected to support eliminating federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs aimed at teens.

To hear it told, abstinence-only programs simply don't work.

Scott Alessi gets to the bottom of that claim in the March 1 issue of OSV. Doug Kirby, one of the leading researchers in the field of abstinence education and teen sexual behavior, identifies for OSV the key elements of successful programs. Read the story here.

A U.S. prison system lurching toward collapse

OSV's editorial board slams America's slammers in a March 1 editorial:

It pains us to say this, but justice in America these days is more crippled than blind, and the entire system seems to be lurching toward collapse.

It isn't just the inequity of the system that allows those with legal counsel and resources to defer or avoid prison. It is how we treat those who are incarcerated.

Exhibit 1 is California's prison system. Despite the fact that the state has been building prisons at a manic rate since 1970, the entire system is so overcrowded and inhumane that a federal court has ordered it to reduce the number of its prisoners by one-third.

Violent and gang-riddled, with the system at twice its maximum capacity, the California system is not so much a house of correction as it is a breeding ground of pestilence. It contains 156,000 inmates (with another 20,000 farmed out to other states). Federal judges have tentatively ordered the California system to be capped at 101,000, which means that 55,000 prisoners must be released. Read more.

One step closer to 'designer babies'

With every advancement of fertility technology, society seems to inch a little bit closer toward the point of no return, that place where the last shred of dignity for life in the womb goes out the window. Well, we seem to be just about there. Slate magazine is reporting that a Los Angeles company specializing in "assisted reproduction" has begun advertising the "pending availability" of tests that would allow parents-to-be to choose the gender, eye color, hair color and complexion of their artificially conceived children. Yes, that's right folks, now it's not enough to kill off human lives because of a genetic predisposition toward certain diseases; very soon it will be considered business as usual to kill off children who have a genetic predisposition toward freckles or frizzy hair.

The Slate piece by William Saletan should be praised for exploring the monumental ethical issues surrounding the impending reality of designer babies. Saletan quotes from the fertility company's own materials to show how doctors can convince parents to screen for cosmetic characteristics by linking it to screenings for chromosomal abnormalities. While a mom-to-be might abhor the idea of screening only for blond hair or blue eyes, the ick factor drops considerably if the screening is an add-on to a battery of tests for serious conditions.

"See how smooth the transition can be? You're already screening for diseases. Why not add one more factor while you're at it? So now you'll know which embryos are male and which are female, just in case two of them turn out to be healthy and you're lucky enough to be able to choose which one to put in the womb," Saletan writes. "And if you're checking sex, why not throw in eye color and complexion? You don't have to do anything with the information yet. Just run the test and find out what your options are."

It really wasn't that long ago that the idea of "designer babies" was seen as something out of science fiction, or just alarmist propaganda on the part of pro-lifers. But here we are, once again, on the doorstep of the latest development that will decide the fate of a life on something as insignificant as hair color. I hate to say, "We told you so," but we did and, as usual, society refused to listen.

Thanks to Ed Mechmann over at Catholic Varia for the heads up on this story, which you can read in its entirety by clicking here.

Reconciliation Around the Clock

Just last night I was talking to my pastor about the fast-approaching Lenten season and whether our parish would have its usual reconciliation service. That led to a conversation about confession in general and the fact that people just don't seem to go anymore. So when I received word this morning that 20 parishes in Manhattan as well as St. Patrick's Cathedral are going to run "24 Hours of Confession” between 7 a.m. on Friday, March 6, through 7 a.m. on Saturday, March 7, my ears perked up. No more excuses about confession times being inconvenient. It would be great if more dioceses could jump on this bandwagon.

The campaign is a joint effort of the Cathedral of Saint Patrick Young Adults (CSPYA) in association with the Archdiocese of New York. Participating parishes will keep confessional "doors" open for a total of 120 hours during the 24-hour period.

“Thousands upon thousands of Catholics line up to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday each year…imagine if these same thousands of Catholics line up for confession? It could be a tremendous day for our Lord,” said Mario Bruschi, director of CSPYA, in a press release announcing the event. “The Archdiocese of Chicago organized a '24 Hours of Grace’ event in 2007, with seven parishes participating. On that day, 2,500 souls attended confession."

Bruschi said that the Chicago event translated into 105 people attending confession per hour. Hopes are high that 24 Hours of Confession will result in three times that number since so many parishes have signed on.

For a list of participating parishes, click here.

SF archdiocesan spokesman: Communications mixup

by Valerie Schmalz, OSV contributing editor

Looks like the spokesman for San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer was left out of the loop about his boss' private meeting with House Speaker (and fellow San Franciscan) Nancy Pelosi.

Maurice Healy late Wednesday night told OSV that there was a mixup in the internal communications at the archdiocese and he just learned Tuesday, Feb. 17, that the archbishop had met with Pelosi on Feb. 8 -- despite a series of meetings with the archbishop in the interim.

"I have no details and I have not spoken to archbishop about the meeting, which had been envisioned as a private and pastoral meeting since it was first proposed in an invitation to the speaker," Healy said in an e-mail.

Healy said his tardiness in responding to OSV queries was because he had taken a vacation day on Wednesday, Feb. 18, and was out of reach.

He said Archbishop Niederauer would not be able to comment on the meeting because he is on retreat this week.

UPDATE: 2/19 10:23 a.m. Adds third paragraph with Healy direct quote.

Archbishop Niederauer's meeting with Pelosi

by Valerie Schmalz, OSV contributing editor

So the meeting took place after all.

Brendan Daly, press spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the pro-abortion-rights "ardent" Catholic, has confirmed to OSV this afternoon that she met privately with San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer Feb. 8.

“It went well,” Daly said. “They both thought it was productive and agreed they would meet in the future at some point.” Daly said they did not set a date.

Daly said that the meeting did not sway Pelosi's stance on life issues. “She is not changing her position on abortion,” he said.

Daly said Pelosi still goes to Mass and Communion every Sunday at San Francisco's St. Vincent de Paul parish or elsewhere when she is traveling.

Why are we hearing of this meeting only ten days later? “It was a private meeting. They didn’t feel the need to publicize it and we didn’t feel the need to publicize it," Daly said.

It was so private that the archbishop's own press spokesman, Maurice Healy, seemed unaware of it. He told OSV on Friday that no meeting had taken place, despite the archbishop making himself readily available.

In light of today's revelation, OSV has recontacted Healy and is still awaiting his response. Stay tuned. UPDATE: Healy cites communications mixup.

Keeping secrets from the kids

Parents today pride themselves on being honest with their kids. They talk about the things they did way back when, and they hope their children will learn something from all of the personal revelations. But Mary Beth Bonacci, author of Real Love, is tossing out a warning to parents who think that talking about their premarital sex lives will somehow keep their children on the straight and narrow. Her advice, in not so many words: What happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom.

In her latest column, Bonacci makes a good point when she says that children who hear about their parents' escapades in detail won't necessarily focus on the negative aspects of their past, only that their parents' present seems pretty good and so they can probably follow their example with little or no damage. In a world where children have become the center of everything, Bonacci boldly suggests that perhaps there are some things that children don't need to know. And in keeping sex secret, we may even keep sex sacred. The full column is up on her Real Love Incorporated website. Click here to check it out.

Vatican: Pope and Pelosi

The Vatican has released a statement about Pope Benedict XVI's brief meeting this morning with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, an ardent defender of abortion rights and self-described "ardent" Catholic.

Here it is:

Following the General Audience the Holy Father briefly greeted Mrs Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, together with her entourage.

His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church’s consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development.

House Speaker Pelosi, Archbishop Niederauer Meeting — Not Happening?

By Valerie Schmalz, OSV contributing editor

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, an outspoken abortion rights advocate, has not been able to find a time to meet with San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer in the nearly six months since she told Tom Brokaw on ABC’s Meet the Press that “we don’t know” when life begins and that the Catholic Church’s prohibition on abortion dated back about 50 years.

“While she initially accepted the archbishop's invitation to a pastoral meeting, she has not been able to arrange such a meeting on her schedule, despite our putting forward several available dates,” said Maurice Healy, spokesman for the archbishop, in a Feb. 13 e-mail. Healy said the archdiocese also received “hundreds of e-mails and phone calls to the archdiocese from Catholics across the country” after Pelosi’s Jan. 25 comments to George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week” in which she defended “hundreds of millions” in spending on family planning in the nearly $800 billion economic stimulus package.

“Archbishop Niederauer was on a pastoral visit to Vietnam and returned in early February. I have brought to his attention the reaction to Speaker Pelosi's comments,” Healy said. Pelosi attends St. Vincent de Paul parish in San Francisco and has described herself as an “ardent, practicing Catholic.” In his September statement, Archbishop Niederauer described the longtime legislator as “a gifted, dedicated and accomplished public servant” who “has stated often her love for her faith and for the Catholic Church.”

A Pelosi press spokesman said Feb. 13 that she did not know when or if Pelosi would meet with the archbishop or when Pelosi would respond to Our Sunday Visitor’s inquiry. Pelosi was scheduled to depart on an eight-day trip to Europe -- including a stop to meet Pope Benedict XVI -- the same day.

In a letter delivered to Archbsihop Niederauer Sept. 5, Pelosi offered to “meet at your earliest convenience” to discuss the archbishop’s statement that Pelosi's remarks on “Meet the Press” were “in serious conflict with the teachings of the Catholic Church” on abortion, the beginning of human life and the formation of conscience. Pelosi’s remarks were criticized by bishops throughout theUnited States, including by Cardinal Justin Rigali, chair of the pro-life committee, and Bishop William E. Lori, chair of the doctrinal committee. Pelosi "misrepresented the history and nature of the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church on abortion," they said. Since the first century, the Church "has affirmed the moral evil of every abortion," they said.

On Jan. 23, Pelosi applauded President Barack Obama’s repeal of the “Mexico City” policy which had barred federal funds to international organizations which provided or referred for abortion, saying the move “will help save lives and empower the poorest women and families to improve their quality of life and their future.”

During the “This Week” interview, Pelosi was asked by Stephanopoulos, “Hundreds of millions of dollars to expand family planning services. How is that stimulus?” Pelosi answered, “Well, family planning services reduce costs. They reduce costs. …. Contraception will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.”

UPDATE: The meeting DID take place.

A new kind of discrimination

Embryonic stem cell research is the next anti-life item likely to come up on the new adminstration's agenda to ease or eradicate restrictions that protect unborn babies. Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, education director for the National Catholic Bioethics Center, charges that President Obama, who campaigned on the idea of equality for all, will be discriminating against "an entire class of humans" through "targeted destruction" when he rolls back federal funding restrictions placed on embryonic stem cell research by the Bush administration. Read the full story here.

12-year-old pro-life apologist

Via Lifesitenews.com, the story of a 12-year-old girl from Toronto who crafted a five-minute speech arguing against abortion for a school speech competition — and won, despite some controversy.

Check out the speech here at youtube.com:

How did we end up here?

Abortion advocates never like to talk about post-abortion regrets, but Glamour magazine tackles that subject in its March issue, as Kathryn Jean Lopez reports over at National Review Online. Lopez's column, "Signs of Life in Unlikely Places," ties up a lot of loose ends surrounding society's penchant for creating and destroying life on what sometimes seems like a whim. Click here to read her take on abortion, sex without commitment, the fertility craze and more.

To get the full story from Glamour, click here. And you can read interviews with eight women who have had abortions by clicking here. But be prepared. This is by no means a pro-life piece. It's still abortion propaganda for the most part. Perhaps it's telling that we are so used to never seeing any fair treatment of the abortion issue in the secular press, that even this qualifies as progress.

Updated 2/17 1:30 p.m. Fixed hyperlink to NRO article.

More on Maciel

Italian journalist and Vatican specialist Sandro Magister today rounds up varying views on the recent posthumous revelations that the founder of the Legion of Christ, Father Marcial Maciel (pictured), lived a double life.

Magister says the order is "in danger of collapse."

OSV president and publisher Greg Erlandson addressed the scandal in a column in our Feb. 22 issue, and draws three important lessons from the fallout. Read it here.

The OSV Daily Take blog interviewed a leading American priest member of the Legion in the immediate aftermath of the revelations. See his answers to tough questions here.

The most comprehensive archive of links to this whole story is at AmericanPapist.com, Thomas Peter's blog.

(Photo chiesa.espresso.it)

Lessons of isolated leadership

In any organization or institution, isolated leadership, cut off from relevant facts and feedback, can be a serious problem for both the leaders and the led. From Watergate to the decision to go to war in Iraq, the White House and the nation have often suffered its unhappy consequences.

But the isolation of leaders is a problem not just for the imperial presidency. As more information comes to light about the origins of the economic crisis, it's increasingly clear that some top figures in business and finance were operating inside a self-referential corporate cocoon that cut them off from reality.

Isolated leadership also can be a problem in the Church. Catholics, to their dismay, have been forcibly reminded of that in recent weeks, as a firestorm of criticism swirled around Pope Benedict XVI's decision to lift the excommunications of four ultra-right Lefebvrist bishops, including a Holocaust denier.

Voices have been raised here and there in this controversy protesting what one papal defender calls "beating up on the pope." In fact, there's been a lot of that. No one at all familiar with Benedict XVI can possibly imagine that this man is anti-Semitic or is soft on Holocaust denial.

Suggestions to the contrary border on the obscene.

What's more, some reactions reflect a woeful lack of charity toward the Lefebvrists — not just the four bishops but their several hundred thousand followers whom Pope Benedict hopes to reconcile with the Church. Rather than desiring the return of these brothers and sisters, some Catholics apparently would prefer that they remain in their separated, schismatic condition.

With all that said, however, it's necessary to admit that this nasty episode arises, partly at least, from structural and human flaws in the way the Vatican operates as well as from Benedict's own management style. These diverse factors combine to isolate the pope, creating the possibility — and now the reality — of disagreeable results.

In a statement defending Benedict, the Vatican Secretariat of State said the bizarre views concerning Nazi killing of Jews held by Bishop Richard Williamson, the Holocaust-denying Lefebvrist, were "unknown to the Holy Father" at the time Williamson's excommunication was lifted.

That's just the problem. The pope didn't know. And he should.

If, just here, somebody wishes to make the point that not even a pope can know everything, it must be said that the very small number of Vatican insiders who were in on this decision ought to have made it their business to know (Bishop Williamson had stated his views publicly, after all) and ought to have told the pope. The fact that nobody dug up this crucial — and available — bit of information and shared it with the pope was a staggering staff failure.

And if Benedict had known? Then he could have made his decision — to lift or not lift the excommunication, and on what terms — on a sound basis. Kept in the dark, he was set up for trouble. "Not only the Obama administration struggles with an incompetent vetting process," commented Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson, a veteran of the White House.

Pope Benedict's management style exacerbated the situation. His temperament and, probably, his age are part of it. The pope is a scholarly, retiring intellectual who will soon turn 82. Clearly he prefers to conduct business with a small number of intimates rather than reach out to a broad circle of advisors. In the present case, officials who should have been included in the decision process were outside the loop.

On top of everything else, the episode spotlights serious problems with the Vatican's external communications.

The director of the Vatican press office — an overextended priest named Federico Lombardi, S.J., who wears too many hats — complained about this in an extraordinary after-the-fact interview with a French newspaper. When a loyal functionary like this goes public with his grievances, it's a sign that something's badly wrong.

But hang on. Before getting wrought up about these apparent failures in far-off Rome, Catholics need to look around them and give thought to how things stand at home.

In how many American chanceries and rectories, one might ask, are the same problems — failing to consult outside a small closed circle, neglecting to tell the man in charge painful truths he needs to know, self-defeating secrecy, isolated decision making—time bombs waiting to go off?

The Vatican is a goldfish bowl where mistakes easily become visible to the world. Similar mistakes closer to home usually — though not always — get a pass. But they have the same potential for harm, albeit on a smaller scale. Sometimes the harm occurs.

It's of two kinds. It embarrasses and alienates Catholics and even would-be friends of the Church. And it undercuts the Church's ability to be a voice of conscience in the public policy debate.

What happens now? In other organizations, after a fiasco like this heads would roll and a study — possibly just window dressing, but also possibly for real — would be launched to find out what went wrong and how it can be prevented from happening again.

The Vatican doesn't operate like that. It should. So should other institutions and structures of the Church. To make this point isn't beating up on the pope—or the bishops or the pastors. It's helping them do their difficult, demanding jobs.

"e-condoms" unveiled for Valentine's Day

New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has taken another stab at a Valentine's Day attention-grabbing gimmick that purports to help society but really just caters to the prurient interests of those who promote "free" sex with an in-your-face attitude. It's the "e-condom," if you can believe it, available through a Facebook page. What's an e-condom, you ask? Nothing but a meaningless attempt to be edgy in a world where sex can apparently sell even the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which is probably not the first thing people think of when they think romance and love. So they have to create some hype, which they're doing through a Facebook page that shows pictures of the "official" NYC Condom, which was unveiled on Valentine's Day two years ago. The page also allows you to send e-condoms to your friends. When I checked mid-day on Friday, more than 6,500 e-condoms had already been sent. Apparently Hallmark just doesn't cut it anymore.

In addition to sending a Valentine's e-condom, you can also RSVP for National Condom Day, whose motto is "Celebrate by using one." It just so happens to fall on February 14. Well that was convenient.

I decided that in order to tell you how bad things are out there, I should click on the "video" option on the e-condom page. I have to admit that I was a little afraid of what I might see and I even sent my 3-year-old out of the room, but it also turned out to be a whole lot of hype. Just couples dancing to salsa music on the streets of New York while images of condoms fly at you. A 21st-century version of Singing in the Rain, I guess.

If you go so far as to click on the NYC government site for more information, you are treated to "Where, How, Why, More." In bold letters it says, "Condoms can be fun." I wish I was making this up, but I'm not. Every time I think our culture has reached a new low, along comes someone or something -- often a taxpayer-funded agency -- to show me that, no, we can in fact sink a little lower into the moral gutter.

When I clicked "More," I was offered an array of links to other organizations that want in on this great e-condom extravaganza, among them Planned Parenthood, the Alan Guttmacher Institute, and a Plan B connection in case your e-condom fails. I'm shocked -- shocked -- to find such fraternizing going on here.

It feels like a losing battle sometimes, doesn't it? You can't fight City Hall, or, in this case, the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene. But our faith challenges us not to give up this fight. Do what you need to do to lobby against such campaigns, to speak your mind, to cast your vote, to stop the madness. Otherwise, who knows what they'll come up with for next Valentine's Day.

Woman surprised baby was not a "blob"

Remember the story we posted last week about the live baby girl who was dumped in a trash can after a botched abortion? Well, the baby's mother, Sycloria Williams, now 21, is telling her side of things in this week's edition of the Florida Catholic, and it's quite a disturbing and revealing story. (You can read the entire interview by clicking here.)

In case you missed the original story, here's the bottom line: Williams was scheduled for a late-term abortion, but her doctor did not arrive at the abortion clinic in time. When her baby was born alive, a staff person scooped her up, put her in a biohazard bag and dumped her in a trash can.

In the exclusive interview with the Florida Catholic, Williams spoke of the decision to have the abortion in 2006 and about her complete surprise that her 23-week-old unborn baby actually looked like a baby.

“I thought it would be a blob thing, but bigger, not a baby,” she said in the interview. “She looked like a Water Baby. Like those dolls you fill up with water. She was really little, like this, she said, holding her hands about 12 inches apart." (According to the Florida Catholic, a "Water Baby" is a doll sold at Toys R Us to replicate the "warmth, weight and feel of a real baby.")

How can a young woman who had previously lost a baby through miscarriage and who said she asked "a lot of questions" at the clinic about procedures and equipment think that her 23-week-old unborn child would look like a "blob thing"? If ever there was an argument for informed consent, this is it.

Our public schools in particular and our society in general certainly seem to be providing our children with all the information they need to have sex, but obviously no one is explaining with quite so much detail what happens after you have sex and make a baby. Even my 8-year-old knows that a baby looks like a baby inside its mother because she's seen her own ultrasound photos.

Today's moms-to-be can get 4D ultrasounds with before and after photos to show just how much their unborn babies look like the babies they eventually hold in their arms. But clearly there are some women who are not seeing so much as a textbook diagram of what their babies look like in utero. They're not even being told what their babies look like. And so these young women, thinking they are carrying around a blob and not a baby with a beating heart, head off to a clinic where staff people think nothing of letting women give birth in recliners in a waiting room -- or throwing live human beings away.

Williams is against abortion now. “No one should lose their life if you get pregnant,” she said in the Florida Catholic interview. “If I got pregnant again I would have the baby.” She said women considering abortion need to know that help is available.

And they need to know the details about the baby inside them -- what it looks like, what it feels, what its little body is doing day after amazing day in the womb. Maybe then young pregnant moms will have as much information about the babies in their wombs as they seem to have about the babies on toy store shelves.

Turning a blind eye toward pornography

A friend of mine was checking out the iPhone with his 13-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter at the Apple store at a local mall recently when he looked up to find hard-core pornography playing from a nearby widescreen computer monitor for all to see -- adults and children, including his own. And when I say "hard-core," I mean really, really hard-core. He turned to put his body between his own kids and the screen and managed to turn it toward a wall as quickly as possible before heading over to talk to a manager. Meanwhile, over near the offending computer, a group of teens snickered.

When confronted with the news that his store, which caters heavily to families and has a children's section, was playing hard-core porn in public, the manager shrugged his shoulders and said, basically, It's a computer store. What do you expect? Not even so much as an apology to my friend or a scolding for the teens.

This scenario is so disturbing on so many different levels, it's hard to know where to begin. Do we start with Apple for not using its own parental control filtering software in a store where children have easy access to the Internet via demo computers? Do we start with the staff person, who not only doesn't understand that it is illegal to show pornography to children but also doesn't understand that, even if it weren't illegal, it is still terribly, terribly wrong. Do we start with the teen-agers, who obviously know how to access hard-core pornography at a moment's notice and who don't know enough to be embarrassed or ashamed or horrified?

It would be nice to think that the Apple store incident is isolated, a freak occurrence, but statistics tell us that it is not. The proliferation of pornography via the Internet and the rampant rise in addiction to it is a monumental problem for our society, especially for today's young people who are growing up in a world where what they see on screen is viewed as "normal." But we all know there is nothing normal about the kind of sex children and adults view through pornography. If we think the 50 percent divorce rate and the rise in unmarried couples we're seeing now is bad, just wait until the next generation comes around. How can these young men and women possibly know what to expect from a committed marital relationship when what they've come to accept is cheap, faceless, nameless sex in its most perverse forms.

That may sound harsh, until you stop and look at the statistics currently out there:
-- 420 million porn pages on the Internet, most originating in the United States
-- Every second 28,258 Internet users are viewing pornography
-- Average age of first Internet exposure to pornography is 11 years old
-- 80 percent of 15- to 17-year-olds are having "multiple hard-core exposure"

The statistics go on and on, showing that pornography is terribly addictive in addition to being terribly immoral and that more and more teen-agers are joining the ranks of adult men -- and a growing number of women -- with this problem.

My friend has gone back to the Apple store to try to get the staff there to safeguard against the possibility that any other unsuspecting parents and children will ever have to deal with the fall-out of seeing hard-corn pornography on a weekend trip to the mall, but to no avail. It seems that society at large no longer thinks of pornography as something that should be kept under wraps -- literally and figuratively. And it will be our sons and daughters who will eventually pay the price.

To learn more about how to protect your children, click HERE for "Your Family and Cyberspace," a tip sheet for Internet safety published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Charter vs. Catholic: Round two

The Catholic school-charter school debate is in the spotlight again, this time in Brooklyn, where Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg held a press conference today to announce that they are working to transform four Catholic schools slated for closure into public charter schools. At the moment, the move is impossible since state law prevents charter schools from having a connection to religions institutions, but Bloomberg expressed his support of a change in legislation that would allow the schools flip.

This announcement is sure to reignite the controversy surrounding the decision to turn struggling Catholic schools into non-religious versions of their former selves. Washington, D.C., did just that by closing seven schools last year and re-opening them as charters in September. (You can find OSV's story on the charter controversy here.)

Supporters of the shift to charter schools say that it will allow the Church to continue to educate children in under-served communities. Bishop DiMarzio, at today's press conference, said: “We’re looking at a new direction that can be beneficial financially to the city and to the students that we do serve.” (For The New York Times story on the press conference, click here.)

But that raises more questions than it answers. Becoming a public charter school means that the former Catholic schools can no longer teach religion during school hours or display crucifixes on the walls. So we come down to the heart of the matter: Is the mission of Catholic education to provide academically rigorous alternatives to failing public schools, or is the mission of Catholic education to impart the faith within the context of an academically rigorous educational setting? Will Catholic students now attending those schools be able to attend religious education in those building after school hours, or will that be off limits? Will students who now leave class to serve a funeral Mass, say, be allowed to do so if and when the schools turn public? Will Catholic students have the option of leaving class for Masses on holy days or first Fridays? Will teachers have to provide state-mandated health education programs that might include morally offensive materials for Catholics?

There is no doubt that Catholic education is struggling and the Church needs to find answers to some difficult questions facing schools on the verge of closure, but is the best solution to leave the Catholic faith out of the equation?

Human train wreck? Or pro-life emblem?

Know the story about the California woman with octuplets? Here's our editorial from the Feb. 15 issue:

Human train wreck, or pro-life emblem? The convoluted story of Nadya Suleman, the 33-year-old unmarried mother who recently gave birth to octuplets in California, is a mixed bag of messages.

Good thing that we as Catholics have a multimillennia tradition on human dignity and family to help sort it out. Because judging by some of the news stories and Internet discussions we've seen, most Americans are flummoxed.

At one extreme of the spectrum are reports like those from the hospital where Suleman was recovering that strangers were leaving messages with the switchboard that they hoped the babies would not survive infancy. How could any sane person actually desire a baby's death?

At the other end were those who tried to paint Suleman, who already has six children under 7, as some sort of a pro-life supermom. Please.

True, her love of children is commendable, as is her refusal of her doctor's suggestion to "selectively reduce" the number of babies in her uterus. And it may well be that many of her critics have an anti-life attitude that would like to see an end to any big families.

But given the circumstances -- not least of which include no husband and no income -- it seems clear that her desire for children was amplified to a grotesque perversion of what is otherwise natural and healthy.

What we found most encouraging about the story was it shocked fertility doctors around the country into reflecting on their own ethical responsibilities -- something that many doctors in recent years explicitly have excluded from consideration. We may not endorse their conclusions on this recent case, but we welcome the healthy reminder to doctors that ethics matters.

What is unfortunate, though, is that the extremeness of this case is unlikely to make any seriously rethink the ethics of in vitro fertilization, which is how Suleman had all 14 of her children.

The Church teaches that in vitro fertilization -- which produces what used to be called test-tube babies -- is wrong and an injustice to the child because it separates conception from the conjugal act. Infertility is a great suffering to many couples who desire children, but obtaining them through techniques that don't respect the dignity of the human person is no solution.

Ethics becomes even more important today because of our society's stunning technological advances. These advances have benefited all of us, but the Church plays a crucial role in reminding society that being able to do something doesn't mean that we should do something. Technology must always respect human dignity and serve truly human development, not the other way around.

The great risk stories like Suleman's hold is that they steadily shift society's boundary of what is shocking to even greater extremes. In the past year, we've also seen a "man" get pregnant twice, and we have popular reality television shows like "Jon and Kate Plus 8" (about a family with sextuplets conceived through artificial insemination) making such events imaginable and even "normal."

All of these issues impact Catholics, many of whom avail themselves of these same technological procedures. There is a pressing need for a greater understanding on the part of Catholics of what the Church teaches in these frontier areas of technology, sexuality and morality.

Way beyond the slippery slope

I'm not sure how the abortion-rights folks are going to spin this one. An AP story today is reporting that a Florida abortion clinic threw out -- in a plastic biohazard bag -- a baby girl scheduled to be aborted but born alive when the doctor didn't show up on time. The story says the case has "riled the anti-abortion community, which contends the clinic's actions constitute murder." And what else, pray tell, might we contend if such alleged horrific actions are, in fact, true? Seems to me that putting a living human being in a plastic bag and dumping it in a trash can like yesterday's leftovers doesn't require anyone to "contend" anything. It's murder -- cold-blooded and pre-meditated. In case the abortion advocates want to know what pro-lifers mean when they talk about the "slippery slope" that starts with one immoral act and leads to an even greater immoral act, this is it. Every day we're watching our culture slide ever closer to the abyss where human life at every stage is viewed as disposable.

A Legion priest answers OSV questions

I asked Legion of Christ Father Thomas Williams, an American who has held various leadership positions in Rome for his order, including as dean of theology for its pontifical university, to comment on the future direction of the Legion in the wake of its recent admission of unspecified failings on the part of its founder, Father Marcial Maciel.

Father Williams is familiar to many American television viewers as an analyst for CBS and formerly for NBC. He's also authored a number of theology books.

Here are his responses via email this morning:

Our Sunday Visitor: It cannot have been easy for the Legion to acknowledge flaws in the founder. What precipitated it now?

Father Thomas Williams, L.C.: Shortly after the Vatican's communique of May 19, 2006 [requiring Father Maciel to retire to a private life of penitence and prayer] Father Alvaro Corcuera [Father Maciel's successor as head of the order] began an internal investigation of the charges lodged against Father Maciel. In this investigation, he discovered that Father Maciel had fathered a child, who is now in her early 20s.

OSV: In the public statements so far from the U.S. and Rome spokesmen for the Legion, there has been acknowledgement of the discovery of “surprising and difficult to understand” facts about Father Maciel’s life that were “inappropriate” for a Catholic priest. Leaks from LC/RC sources indicate that those “facts” include at least the fathering of a child. But swirling around are also the original accusations of sexual abuse of seminarians, and revived rumors of drugs and inappropriate use of congregation funds. If the “facts” discovered by the LC leadership were limited only to the mistress, one would think the Legion would make that clear. (The “rights of privacy” argument advanced by Father Scarafoni yesterday frankly rings a little hollow; it is not like the Legion needs to provide names, addresses and phone numbers of those involved.) So is it fair to read the statements as an acknowledgement that some or all of the other allegations are true, or at least suspected?

Father Williams: During the investigation it became clear that some of the charges were patently false (contradiction of dates and places, etc.) while others seemed plausible and even likely. Obviously it is never possible to know for sure what happened in the past. I do not know which of the accusations were more likely true, but what seems evident is that some of them must indeed be true.

OSV: A spokesman has already said that the congregation would not “renounce” Father Maciel as some reports had suggested. I realize there is little precedent in the history of religious congregations to imitate, but does that mean that there will be no distancing at all from the founder? Will his writings still be read as before? Will his picture remain on the wall? Will he still be called Nuestro Padre?

Father Williams: We have already begun moving his pictures from the walls. Regarding his writing, it is more complicated since they represent an integral part of the charism of the order, which the Church has approved as authentic.

OSV: On a related note, for the purposes of carrying on the charism of the Legion, how does the congregation do that considering the founder apparently led a double life? How can his teachings on the charism be reliable?

Father Williams: We have the assurance of the Church's magisterium to rely on. A number of cardinals have stepped forward to encourage us to remain strong and keep moving forward, despite the tremendous difficulties.

OSV: How was Father Maciel able to lead a double life in a religious community? Were there those on the leadership team who were aware of his sinful behavior? Do you expect that they could be disciplined?

Father Williams: Usually in both civil and religious life subjects are not responsible for the actions of their superiors, while the other may be the case. I was close to Father Maciel for years and never saw anything that made me suspicious of his activities. I think these revelations have been a shock for all Legionaries.

OSV: A U.S. canon lawyer, Ed Peters, has argued that for the Legion to move into the future in a healthy way, it should invite an apostolic visitation and thorough housecleaning. Is this likely, or at least on the table?

Father Williams: I don't know.

OSV: Is there any consideration at all to dissolve the congregation and refound?

Father Williams: None whatsoever.

The price of 'perfection'

I was thumbing through a special "bridal" section of my local paper today when I was struck by the number of ads for plastic surgery mixed in with the ads for gown shops and limo services. I couldn't help but feel sad over it. Is this what we've come to? A young woman preparing for marriage now not only has to pick out dresses and invitations but also various surgical procedures to bring herself up to speed for the big day?

And that got me thinking about something that's been on my mind a lot lately: our society's constant quest for what it views as "perfection." We all heard, after the fact, that the classical interlude at President Obama's inauguration, featuring greats like Itzhak Perlman and Yo Yo Ma, was prerecorded to prevent any flubs. The same goes for the stellar "performances" by Faith Hill and Jennifer Hudson at the Superbowl on Sunday. They were prerecorded, officials said, because "the slightest glitch would devastate the performance."

That pretty much sums up the prevailing point of view in popular culture these days, doesn't it? The "slightest glitch," be it a missed note in the National Anthem or a nose that doesn't live up to magazine model standards, is too devastating to consider. Have we become so obsessed with avoiding glitches that we would rather take fake perfection than real life with its often beautiful flaws? How did we as a culture lose sight of the fact that the things that are not perfect are usually the very things that make us interesting, that seeing someone achieve near perfection without any help from surgeons or back-up recordings is much more powerful than a flawless but fake end goal.

Once again, it is our Church that remains the counter-cultural voice of reason, reminding us that perfection comes in a very different package than we might expect. Sure, Jesus said, "Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect," (Matthew 5:48), but he wasn't talking about liposuction and lip-syncing, he was actually referring to loving our enemies and praying for those who hate us. How's that for turning the idea of perfection on its head?

In these days of downsizing and real financial devastation that can not be quick-fixed with a nip and a tuck, it's reassuring to remember that God does not expect the kind of perfection that strains our pocketbooks. What He desires is something much more affordable. He wants our hearts and souls, glitches and all.

Other ways to help Amy and the Dubriel family

In addition to buying Mike's books (with Our Sunday Visitor doubling what would have been his proceeds, other bloggers have jumped into the fray, with Amy's blessing, to help out.

Lisa Hendey at Catholic Mom is helping promote Amy's "buy Mike's books" request.

Danielle Bean has established a donation fund to help their children.

Father John Zuhlsdorf is collecting spiritual bouquet posts.

Dubruiel Proceeds to be doubled for college fund

Inundated with offers of assistance because of the sudden death of her husband, Mike Dubruiel, Amy Welborn has urged folks on the blogosphere to support her children’s education by buying Mike’s books. And Our Sunday Visitor is willing to help, too.

Amy writes on her blog: “Many have asked what they can do. All I can say is to simply buy his books. Not from me, because I am in no position to fill orders, but from anywhere. He long ago promised God that he would give all the royalties of The How To Book of the Mass to the children’s college funds, which he did faithfully. Buy them, read them, and give them away to others. Spread the Word. That is what he was all about.”

Our Sunday Visitor will make its own contribution to the children's college fund by doubling what would have been Mike’s proceeds from book sales on all of his OSV books through the month of February. Here’s a link to his books in the OSV catalog.

UPDATE: Broken links fixed.

Michael Dubruiel's parting words on faith

Michael Dubruiel's last column for his diocesan newspaper (to be published this week) is now posted on Charlotte Was Both, the well-known and well-respected blog of his wife, Catholic author Amy Welborn. Go there, read it, and see the faith of a man who did not buy into the "big lie." You cannot help but be moved to tears -- and maybe moved to stronger faith. It seems that moving people to faith was at the heart of Michael's life and now, it appears, it is at the heart of his death as well.

Remembering Mike Dubruiel

The news came yesterday evening that Michael Dubruiel, an acquisition editor for Our Sunday Visitor for nine years, had died after collapsing at the gym. He was 50 years old.

Mike had left Our Sunday Visitor last April to go to work for his long-time friend, Bishop Robert Baker of Birmingham, Alabama. In my encounters with Mike after he left, he seemed enthusiastic about the work in the diocese. He was responsible for several areas of concern, and the challenges appeared to energize him.
Mike was always a hard worker. He was also a prolific and gifted author.

Among his titles for Our Sunday Visitor were
· The Church’s Most Powerful Novenas
· The How-To Book of the Mass, Expanded
· How to Get More out of the Mass
· How to Get the Most Out of the Eucharist
· A Pocket Guide to Confession
· A Pocket Guide to the Mass
· Praying in the Presence of Our Lord with Fulton J. Sheen
· Praying the Rosary

The titles reveal his deep concern for the fundamental practices of the faith by Catholics. He sensed a great pastoral need in this area, and he had a gift for deepening the appreciation of ordinary Catholics for the encounters with Christ that occurred in Mass, during the Eucharist, in Confession.

Mike was also a gifted acquisition editor who oversaw the development of a host of successful books for us. He also took the lead in the editorial management of our pamphlet line.

Mike was a man of strong opinions, a keen intellect and a passion for his faith. He loved his wife, Amy, his children, Pope Benedict, and the Florida Gators.

Mike will be missed by all of us here at Our Sunday Visitor. He was a man dedicated to serving the Church in his work, in his writings, in his talks. He was a real gift to the Church in this country, and his death is a great loss for the Catholic community.

We ask everyone to pray for the repose of Mike’s soul, and to remember his family -- Amy and their children as well as Mike’s parents – in your prayers.

May he rest in peace.

Mourning the loss of an OSV family member

It is with sadness that I have to report that Michael Dubruiel, formerly in book acquisitions at Our Sunday Visitor, died unexpectedly today. Michael, who was most recently director of the Office of the New Evangelization and Stewardship for the Diocese of Birmingham, was the husband of Catholic author and blogger Amy Welborn, who posted briefly about Michael's death on her blog, Charlotte Was Both. Please pray for Michael, as well as for Amy and their family.

To bless or not to bless?

Here's the question of the day, and I'll be expecting to hear back from you in our comment section: Is your parish or school offering the Blessing of Throats today, the Feast of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr?

I ask this because my parish in upstate New York does not offer this traditional Catholic blessing, which, when I was growing up, ranked right up there with ashes. My mother would no sooner miss taking us to get our throats blessed than she would miss her own father's funeral. It was considered non-negotiable in my family. So tell me, is it just my section of the country or state that has let this tradition fade into oblivion, or is this happening all over?

My children, who attend Catholic school, have never had their throats blessed, but that will change tonight. A priest friend of mine (who still offers throat blessings in the Diocese of Metuchen, N.J.) emailed me to tell me that I can do the blessing myself using the following prayer from the Book of Blessings (Roman Ritual):

1634. A lay minister, touching the throat of each person with the crossed candles and, without making the sign of the cross, says the prayer of blessing.

Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and
martyr,
may God deliver you from every disease of the throat
and from every other illness:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Each person responds:
R. Amen.

And before you take issue with the idea of just anyone serving as a "lay minister," be assured that the Book of Blessings states clearly that "other laymen and laywomen, in the virtue of the universal priesthood, a dignity they possess because of their baptism and confirmation," may perform certain blessings, including this one. The book specifically cites parents acting on behalf of their children, so I'm in the clear.

Digest this: Fasting is good for you

With the start of Lent just weeks away (Ash Wednesday is Feb. 25), here's some interesting scientific information about fasting for you to chew on (or not).

A growing body of data suggests that occasionally skipping meals has health benefits (in addition to the spiritual ones), the Los Angeles Times reports. It's receiving new attention because a number of people are turning to it to lose weight.

"Called intermittent fasting, this rather stark approach to weight control appears to be supported by science, not to mention various religious and cultural practices around the globe. The practice is a way to become more circumspect about food, its adherents say. But it also seems to yield the benefits of calorie restriction, which may ultimately reduce the risk of some diseases and even extend life. Read more.

For more on fasting in Catholic tradition, see this article from the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia.

The Super Bowl ad you didn't see

Despite the onslaught of bizarre and crude Super Bowl ads that sometimes make you wonder what the marketing folks were thinking when they went ahead and decided to shell out $3 million for 30 seconds, one ad in particular did not make the cut with NBC. Take a look and decide for yourself if this ad (from Catholicvote.com) would have offended you as much as, say, the annual godaddy.com raunchfest:

A different kind of Hollywood premier

You probably don't think of Hollywood when you think of the Rosary, but Family Theater Productions is hoping to change all that. The production company founded by famed Rosary Priest Father Patrick Peyton, CSC, will release Rosary Stars: Praying the Gospel at a Hollywood premier on Feb. 7. The DVD features 20 celebrities, from athletes to movie stars, reflecting on the importance of the Rosary in their lives. Rosary Stars also includes a historical segment on the "evolution of the Rosary," as well as the actual praying of the Rosary.

I find the idea of this DVD intriguing, in part because I've always been challenged when it comes to praying the Rosary. I'm a champion multi-tasker, but ask me to say a Hail Mary while also contemplating a Mystery, any Mystery, and I'm lost -- or asleep. I know people who pray the Rosary while running, and I just have to tip my hat to them since I'm sure I'd end up as roadkill if I tried that.

Among the celebrities featured is Immaculée Ilibagiza, whose book, Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, tells her story as a survivor of the 1994 genocide. Not surprisingly, she takes up the Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar. Other celebrities include Jeff Suppan, starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers; Alejandro Monteverde, director, producer and co-writer of the movie Bella; and Lourdes Benedicto, who has appeared in 16 television series, including 24, ER and NYPD Blue. You can view the complete list of celebrities and watch the trailer by clicking HERE.