Second Chances - Michael Vick

In our parish bulletin this week our pastor wrote a column dealing with NFL quarterback Michael Vick and his recent release from prison.

For those of you who don't know, Michael Vick was just released from prison after serving time for funding a dog fighting operation.

There are a couple of things about this story that I find interesting. First, I am amazed at the amount of hatred that has been directed towards Michael Vick. This is not to say that I am condoning dog fighting. Dog fighting is a terrible thing, but what if people showed the same hatred for other forms of evil that are happening in the world? There are millions of people starving in our world each day. Christians are persecuted and not allowed to practice their faith. Women are still victims of domestic abuse. Millions of babies are aborted each year. The list goes on and on. The challenge for us is that every injustice in our world demands our attention. Part of our mission as Christians is to bring both justice and mercy to a world torn by sin.

Second, his story once again challenges us to forgive as Jesus Christ taught us. Tony Dungy, a former head coach in the NFL, went to visit Michael Vick while he was in prison. Tony is a faithful Christian who has tried his best to live his faith both in his profession and in his family life. This is what he had to say about the situation.

"Michael's future, just like those of thousands of other inmates around the country is worth saving. [ . . . ] I firmly believe Michael deserves a second chance in life. I understand how appalling dogfighting is, and in no way do I condone it. But he was given a punishment that the court deemed appropriate, and now he exits prison having paid for that crime. It's time to let him bounce back after that loss. If we are willing to forgive Michael and take an honest look at the person who is leaving that prison we might be surprised at what we see. We might see a man who says 'I'm sorry' with his actions and not just his words. We might see a man who wants to get back to his three children and stop the cycle of young people growing up without a father to help them. I'm not sure of the Michael we would see on the field, but I believe we would see a very different person off the field. That's what would be exciting to me."

Put yourself in the shoes of Michael Vick. Would you want to be given a second chance? All of us have done things in our life that we would do differently today. We give thanks to God for the many times we have been forgiven.

Second Chances - Michael Vick

In our parish bulletin this week our pastor wrote a column dealing with NFL quarterback Michael Vick and his recent release from prison.

For those of you who don't know, Michael Vick was just released from prison after serving time for funding a dog fighting operation.

There are a couple of things about this story that I find interesting. First, I am amazed at the amount of hatred that has been directed towards Michael Vick. This is not to say that I am condoning dog fighting. Dog fighting is a terrible thing, but what if people showed the same hatred for other forms of evil that are happening in the world? There are millions of people starving in our world each day. Christians are persecuted and not allowed to practice their faith. Women are still victims of domestic abuse. Millions of babies are aborted each year. The list goes on and on. The challenge for us is that every injustice in our world demands our attention. Part of our mission as Christians is to bring both justice and mercy to a world torn by sin.

Second, his story once again challenges us to forgive as Jesus Christ taught us. Tony Dungy, a former head coach in the NFL, went to visit Michael Vick while he was in prison. Tony is a faithful Christian who has tried his best to live his faith both in his profession and in his family life. This is what he had to say about the situation.

"Michael's future, just like those of thousands of other inmates around the country is worth saving. [ . . . ] I firmly believe Michael deserves a second chance in life. I understand how appalling dogfighting is, and in no way do I condone it. But he was given a punishment that the court deemed appropriate, and now he exits prison having paid for that crime. It's time to let him bounce back after that loss. If we are willing to forgive Michael and take an honest look at the person who is leaving that prison we might be surprised at what we see. We might see a man who says 'I'm sorry' with his actions and not just his words. We might see a man who wants to get back to his three children and stop the cycle of young people growing up without a father to help them. I'm not sure of the Michael we would see on the field, but I believe we would see a very different person off the field. That's what would be exciting to me."

Put yourself in the shoes of Michael Vick. Would you want to be given a second chance? All of us have done things in our life that we would do differently today. We give thanks to God for the many times we have been forgiven.

Eaten Alive - Minnesota Chesterton Conference

The Twin Cities Chesterton Society is presenting the 1st Annual Minnesota Chesterton Conference on Saturday, September 19th, 2009 at St. John's University in Collegeville in the MN Science Center Auditorim. The theme of the conference is Eaten Alive: What the Economic Crisis Has Done to Us (And What We Can Do About It)

Here is a description for the event. You can find full details at the American Chesterton Society website.

In just a few short months we have seen unprecedented economic meltdown and business failure on a grand scale. Accompanying it has been gigantic government growth with bailouts that have resulted in the virtual takeover of certain industries. Thousands of people have lost homes and jobs, and the entire country, along with the world, is facing great economic uncertainty.

Everyone is looking for answers. Among the many responses to the crisis has been an encyclical from Pope Benedict XVI, which has been both praised and condemned across the political spectrum. Lost in all the commotion is the fact that G.K. Chesterton saw all of this coming a long time ago. Like any true prophet, he did not just preach doom and destruction, he offered hope.

The Twin Cities Chesterton Society is hosting a one-day conference and inviting everyone to come and consider the real problems that face us as well as the real solutions. Please join us on the beautiful campus of St. John’s University for the first annual Minnesota Chesterton Conference.

Here is the schedule and lineup of speakers:

8:00 AM Registration and coffee and rolls
9:00 AM Robert Hanten -- “Economic Plunder & Pillage: A Public-Private Venture”
10:00 AM Break
10:30 AM Professor Daniel Finn -- “Justice: What’s Government Got to Do with It?” 11:30 AM Lunch in the main dining room
1:00 PM Joseph Pearce -- “Size Matters: Government, Business and Power Envy”
2:00 PM Break
2:30 PM John Medaille -- “Justice: What’s Business Got to Do with It?”
4:00 PM Arthur Hippler -- Caritas in Veritate: The Social Encyclical of Benedict XVI
5:00 PM Reception at the Great Hall
7:00 PM Banquet at the Great Hall
8:00 PM Keynote Address by Dale Ahlquist-- “The Restoration of Sanity”

Eaten Alive - Minnesota Chesterton Conference

The Twin Cities Chesterton Society is presenting the 1st Annual Minnesota Chesterton Conference on Saturday, September 19th, 2009 at St. John's University in Collegeville in the MN Science Center Auditorim. The theme of the conference is Eaten Alive: What the Economic Crisis Has Done to Us (And What We Can Do About It)

Here is a description for the event. You can find full details at the American Chesterton Society website.

In just a few short months we have seen unprecedented economic meltdown and business failure on a grand scale. Accompanying it has been gigantic government growth with bailouts that have resulted in the virtual takeover of certain industries. Thousands of people have lost homes and jobs, and the entire country, along with the world, is facing great economic uncertainty.

Everyone is looking for answers. Among the many responses to the crisis has been an encyclical from Pope Benedict XVI, which has been both praised and condemned across the political spectrum. Lost in all the commotion is the fact that G.K. Chesterton saw all of this coming a long time ago. Like any true prophet, he did not just preach doom and destruction, he offered hope.

The Twin Cities Chesterton Society is hosting a one-day conference and inviting everyone to come and consider the real problems that face us as well as the real solutions. Please join us on the beautiful campus of St. John’s University for the first annual Minnesota Chesterton Conference.

Here is the schedule and lineup of speakers:

8:00 AM Registration and coffee and rolls
9:00 AM Robert Hanten -- “Economic Plunder & Pillage: A Public-Private Venture”
10:00 AM Break
10:30 AM Professor Daniel Finn -- “Justice: What’s Government Got to Do with It?” 11:30 AM Lunch in the main dining room
1:00 PM Joseph Pearce -- “Size Matters: Government, Business and Power Envy”
2:00 PM Break
2:30 PM John Medaille -- “Justice: What’s Business Got to Do with It?”
4:00 PM Arthur Hippler -- Caritas in Veritate: The Social Encyclical of Benedict XVI
5:00 PM Reception at the Great Hall
7:00 PM Banquet at the Great Hall
8:00 PM Keynote Address by Dale Ahlquist-- “The Restoration of Sanity”

Is Poverty The Main Cause of Abortion?

Just a thought, if poverty plays such an important role in the decision for many women to have an abortion, then why are most of the opponents of abortion around the world from 3rd World countries in greater poverty than our own?

Is Poverty The Main Cause of Abortion?

Just a thought, if poverty plays such an important role in the decision for many women to have an abortion, then why are most of the opponents of abortion around the world from 3rd World countries in greater poverty than our own?

Catholics in Alliance Muddle the Truth

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend wrote a recent article claiming that President Obama had more in common with most American Catholics than the Pope. For unintended reasons her statement is probably true given that much of the Catholic Church in America has been in de facto schism from Rome for years. Evidence of such belief comes from a statement from the group Catholics in Alliance for the [mythical] Common Good. In an attempt to clarify their position on contraception they put out the following statement,

Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good is a lay Catholic organization that works to promote the common good and the broad spectrum of Catholic social teaching. We are committed to confronting the moral scandal of poverty, health care reform, worker justice, ending the death penalty, promoting racial tolerance, and finding common ground on abortion. Catholic social teaching is not about a single issue or narrow ideologies of left or right. However, recent criticisms of Catholics in Alliance have provided the opportunity to clarify our position on contraception as it relates to finding comprehensive solutions to addressing the tragedy of abortion.

Catholics in Alliance has joined other faith-based and secular advocacy organizations to find comprehensive strategies that limit unintended pregnancies, support pregnant women and reduce the number of abortions.

While polling and research demonstrate a diverse spectrum of opinion among Catholics, abstinence until marriage is the sexual ideal promoted by the Catholic Church. We believe that Catholic teaching has valuable lessons to offer our instant-gratification culture that often separates sex from loving, committed relationships and frequently treats the sacredness of sexuality as simply another commodity in a marketplace of choices.

Sexual fidelity in marriage and abstinence for young adults are important Catholic virtues to promote. At the same time, Catholics in Alliance also rejects the paralysis of debates that pit proponents of contraception against abstinence advocates. As the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy has stated, research supports a comprehensive approach that includes providing accurate information about contraception and abstinence as complementary, not competing, strategies.

After more than three decades of political stalemate and legal gridlock,the Alliance applauds legislative efforts that are now bringing pro-choice and pro-life leaders together around the urgent need to limit unintended pregnancies, support pregnant women and reduce abortions.

These efforts include the Pregnant Women Support Act and the Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act. Applying broad moral principles from a particular faith tradition in a pluralistic democracy enriched by diverse values requires prudential judgment and recognition that politics is the “art of the possible.” Both of these efforts represent essential steps toward finding common ground in service of the common good.

Now we can clearly discern from the previous statement that the "Alliance" wants to have their cake and eat it to. While claiming support for the Catholic position vis a vis contraception they also believe in using contraception to reduce abortion.

The Church has for a long time had to deal with such dissenters. Here is a excerpt from the Inquisitors Manual of Bernard Gui.

Advice concerning the guile and deceit of those who, not wanting to reply clearly and lucidly, do so ambiguously and obscurely.

There are some malicious and crafty people among the beguins who, in order to veil the truth, shield their accomplices and prevent their error and falsity from being discovered, respond so ambiguously, obscurely, generally and confusingly to questions that the clear truth cannot be gathered from their replies. Thus, asked what they believe about some statement or statements proposed to them, they reply, "I believe about this what the holy church of God believes," and they do not wish to speak more explicitly or respond in any other way. In this case, to exclude the ruse they use (or rather abuse) in referring in this way to the church of God, they should diligently, subtly and perspicaciously be asked what they mean by "the church of God," whether they mean the church of God as they understand it; for, as is clear from the errors presented above, they use the phrase "church of God" misleadingly. For they say they themselves and their accomplices are the church of God or are of the church of God. But those who believe differently than they and persecute them they do not consider to be the church of God or part of it.

Catholics in Alliance Muddle the Truth

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend wrote a recent article claiming that President Obama had more in common with most American Catholics than the Pope. For unintended reasons her statement is probably true given that much of the Catholic Church in America has been in de facto schism from Rome for years. Evidence of such belief comes from a statement from the group Catholics in Alliance for the [mythical] Common Good. In an attempt to clarify their position on contraception they put out the following statement,

Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good is a lay Catholic organization that works to promote the common good and the broad spectrum of Catholic social teaching. We are committed to confronting the moral scandal of poverty, health care reform, worker justice, ending the death penalty, promoting racial tolerance, and finding common ground on abortion. Catholic social teaching is not about a single issue or narrow ideologies of left or right. However, recent criticisms of Catholics in Alliance have provided the opportunity to clarify our position on contraception as it relates to finding comprehensive solutions to addressing the tragedy of abortion.

Catholics in Alliance has joined other faith-based and secular advocacy organizations to find comprehensive strategies that limit unintended pregnancies, support pregnant women and reduce the number of abortions.

While polling and research demonstrate a diverse spectrum of opinion among Catholics, abstinence until marriage is the sexual ideal promoted by the Catholic Church. We believe that Catholic teaching has valuable lessons to offer our instant-gratification culture that often separates sex from loving, committed relationships and frequently treats the sacredness of sexuality as simply another commodity in a marketplace of choices.

Sexual fidelity in marriage and abstinence for young adults are important Catholic virtues to promote. At the same time, Catholics in Alliance also rejects the paralysis of debates that pit proponents of contraception against abstinence advocates. As the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy has stated, research supports a comprehensive approach that includes providing accurate information about contraception and abstinence as complementary, not competing, strategies.

After more than three decades of political stalemate and legal gridlock,the Alliance applauds legislative efforts that are now bringing pro-choice and pro-life leaders together around the urgent need to limit unintended pregnancies, support pregnant women and reduce abortions.

These efforts include the Pregnant Women Support Act and the Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act. Applying broad moral principles from a particular faith tradition in a pluralistic democracy enriched by diverse values requires prudential judgment and recognition that politics is the “art of the possible.” Both of these efforts represent essential steps toward finding common ground in service of the common good.

Now we can clearly discern from the previous statement that the "Alliance" wants to have their cake and eat it to. While claiming support for the Catholic position vis a vis contraception they also believe in using contraception to reduce abortion.

The Church has for a long time had to deal with such dissenters. Here is a excerpt from the Inquisitors Manual of Bernard Gui.

Advice concerning the guile and deceit of those who, not wanting to reply clearly and lucidly, do so ambiguously and obscurely.

There are some malicious and crafty people among the beguins who, in order to veil the truth, shield their accomplices and prevent their error and falsity from being discovered, respond so ambiguously, obscurely, generally and confusingly to questions that the clear truth cannot be gathered from their replies. Thus, asked what they believe about some statement or statements proposed to them, they reply, "I believe about this what the holy church of God believes," and they do not wish to speak more explicitly or respond in any other way. In this case, to exclude the ruse they use (or rather abuse) in referring in this way to the church of God, they should diligently, subtly and perspicaciously be asked what they mean by "the church of God," whether they mean the church of God as they understand it; for, as is clear from the errors presented above, they use the phrase "church of God" misleadingly. For they say they themselves and their accomplices are the church of God or are of the church of God. But those who believe differently than they and persecute them they do not consider to be the church of God or part of it.

Bishop Wenski of Orlando on the Prison Situation

Insightful column from Bishop Wenski of Orlando on the prison crisis.

Earlier this year, a federal court found conditions in California prisons so overcrowded and inhumane that it ordered that state to reduce its prison population by one third. But these conditions are by no means unique to California. As a nation we incarcerate more of our population than any other Western country, more than even the Soviet Union did. Today, the United States has more than 2.2 million people in prison on any given day – and in the course of a year some 13.5 million passed through our correctional institutions.

How did this come about? There are lots of reasons, of course. The crisis in our families – the breakup and dissolution of American families, especially among the poor - certainly left many young people rudderless. Many did not only lose their way; they never learned the way.

Access to better legal counsel and resources often allow the rich and better educated offenders to defer or avoid prison. The incarcerated tend to be the ill-educated, the mentally ill, drug addicts or the poor. And, because of ill considered tougher entencing laws and tougher parole laws that seek more to punish than to rehabilitate, our prison populations continue to grow. “Three strikes” laws often end up sentencing minor criminals to a lifetime of jail for what are relatively petty third offenses. Justice is supposedly blind – but given the inequities of the criminal justice system today, one could right say that justice is crippled.

Our Judeo-Christian tradition has always called for the humane treatment of prisoners and has emphasized that imprisonment should lead to the rehabilitation
of the prisoner so that he can return to society and resume his place as a productive citizen. The reality of prisons today is far from this ideal. While society needs to be protected from the worse among us, there is little effort to rehabilitate the nonviolent and the misguided. And while our constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, what we see happening in our prisons is cruel and inhuman. The spread of infectious diseases in prisons, including AIDS, and the sexual violence that occurs within prison walls point out just how inhuman conditions are in our nation’s prison system today.

All this reflects the sad reality of the incarcerated today whether they are in a small county jail, or a large federal prison. Their world is one of pain and despair. Because nobody wants to live next door to a correctional institution, they are usually built in isolated rural areas – and so prisoners end up “warehoused” far from their families – and so, “out of sight, out of mind”, the rest of society allows itself to simply ignore them.

Violence begets violence: man’s inhumanity to man consists not only of crime itself but also how we as a society treat the wrongdoer. The inmate is our brother or sister in Christ, a child of God who in spite of whatever crime he or she might have committed does not forfeit his or her dignity as a child of God.

As a Church we must proclaim and promote the respect of each person’s dignity – this must include the unborn, the handicapped, the elderly…and it cannot fail to include the prisoner as well. Here in the Diocese of Orlando, many of our priests, deacons and faithful minister to the incarcerated. Their ministry is truly a work of mercy. They take to heart Jesus’ words in his parable of the Last Judgment (cf. Matthew 25): “I was in prison and you visited me.” After all, Jesus himself was imprisoned and suffered crucifixion, the means of capital punishment of his time. And from the cross, he beatified a common criminal who history now knows as the “Good Thief” because he “stole” heaven – getting there before even before the sinless Virgin Mary.

Bishop Wenski of Orlando on the Prison Situation

Insightful column from Bishop Wenski of Orlando on the prison crisis.

Earlier this year, a federal court found conditions in California prisons so overcrowded and inhumane that it ordered that state to reduce its prison population by one third. But these conditions are by no means unique to California. As a nation we incarcerate more of our population than any other Western country, more than even the Soviet Union did. Today, the United States has more than 2.2 million people in prison on any given day – and in the course of a year some 13.5 million passed through our correctional institutions.

How did this come about? There are lots of reasons, of course. The crisis in our families – the breakup and dissolution of American families, especially among the poor - certainly left many young people rudderless. Many did not only lose their way; they never learned the way.

Access to better legal counsel and resources often allow the rich and better educated offenders to defer or avoid prison. The incarcerated tend to be the ill-educated, the mentally ill, drug addicts or the poor. And, because of ill considered tougher entencing laws and tougher parole laws that seek more to punish than to rehabilitate, our prison populations continue to grow. “Three strikes” laws often end up sentencing minor criminals to a lifetime of jail for what are relatively petty third offenses. Justice is supposedly blind – but given the inequities of the criminal justice system today, one could right say that justice is crippled.

Our Judeo-Christian tradition has always called for the humane treatment of prisoners and has emphasized that imprisonment should lead to the rehabilitation
of the prisoner so that he can return to society and resume his place as a productive citizen. The reality of prisons today is far from this ideal. While society needs to be protected from the worse among us, there is little effort to rehabilitate the nonviolent and the misguided. And while our constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, what we see happening in our prisons is cruel and inhuman. The spread of infectious diseases in prisons, including AIDS, and the sexual violence that occurs within prison walls point out just how inhuman conditions are in our nation’s prison system today.

All this reflects the sad reality of the incarcerated today whether they are in a small county jail, or a large federal prison. Their world is one of pain and despair. Because nobody wants to live next door to a correctional institution, they are usually built in isolated rural areas – and so prisoners end up “warehoused” far from their families – and so, “out of sight, out of mind”, the rest of society allows itself to simply ignore them.

Violence begets violence: man’s inhumanity to man consists not only of crime itself but also how we as a society treat the wrongdoer. The inmate is our brother or sister in Christ, a child of God who in spite of whatever crime he or she might have committed does not forfeit his or her dignity as a child of God.

As a Church we must proclaim and promote the respect of each person’s dignity – this must include the unborn, the handicapped, the elderly…and it cannot fail to include the prisoner as well. Here in the Diocese of Orlando, many of our priests, deacons and faithful minister to the incarcerated. Their ministry is truly a work of mercy. They take to heart Jesus’ words in his parable of the Last Judgment (cf. Matthew 25): “I was in prison and you visited me.” After all, Jesus himself was imprisoned and suffered crucifixion, the means of capital punishment of his time. And from the cross, he beatified a common criminal who history now knows as the “Good Thief” because he “stole” heaven – getting there before even before the sinless Virgin Mary.