Vicki Thorn

Call to Be Catholic opened its 6th program year in 2009 with Vicki Thorn speaking at St. Joseph's in Owatonna. Vicki Thorn is the founder of Project Rachel, a program that ministers to women suffering from the trauma and effects of abortion. Beyond the questions of morality and politics which abortion brings to mind, there is still a human dimension to the situation which requires pastoral compassion.

The focus of Vicki's talk, however, was the alienation and suffering of the Generation X and Generation Y young adults who have grown up in post- 1960s culture. Vicki's approach to this topic was unique and candid, sharing many insights drawn from scientific sources.

It was this choice of sources which made Vicki's message so powerful. Without quoting scripture, theology, or any teaching document of the Church, Vicki made her pro - life, pro - family argument drawing primarily from biology.

The pheromones, the chemicals of attraction between men and women, are changed by chemical contraceptives, causing relational frictions at a very basic level when the woman's system is cleared of chemicals.

A woman's body is changed by pregnancy in ways that are continually being discovered, and some of these new discoveries lend further credence to the pro - life viewpoint. The link between abortion and breastcancer has been discussed in literature for several years, However, building on this point, it is now known that a great deal of a woman's future health depends on carrying early pregnancies to term.

Vicki Thorn gave an incredible presentation, and backed her position with solid biology and science, taking life issues out of the realms of philosophy and theology, and into the hard sciences.

Fr. Thomas Cook - St. Paul

Fr. Thomas Cook is a priest who knows his way around the Diocese of Winona. A native of Austin, he has served as a pastor in such varied communities as Easton, Truman, Madelia, and St. James. He was also a very popular instructor at Lourdes High School in Rochester. Fr. Cook is well known for his apologetic and catechetical talks, and Call to Be Catholic invited Fr. Cook to speak on the topic, "In Search of St. Paul." This year has been designated by Pope Benedict XVI as the year of St. Paul, marking the approximate 2000th anniversary of his birth as an occaision for deeper study into this key New Testament figure.

Fr. Cook placed great emphasis on the importance of understanding who Saul of Tarsus really was and how unique his formation truly was. The city of Tarsus, located in modern day Turkey was a trade center of some importance in the Ancient World. Land trade routes from the East met the Greco-Roman Mediterranean world at Tarsis. Saul of Tarsus thus grew up in a cosmopolitan atmosphere.

The formation of the man who was to become St. Paul was also cosmopolitan. Fr. Cook informed us that Paul was clearly educated in the Greek classics. Throughout the Pauline letters there are phrases and allusions to Greek literature. In addition to this, we know that Paul was a merchant, a tentmaker by trade who was a Roman citizen, a status which accorded him numerous privileges. This man who is so deeply immersed in classical knowledge is also a Jew, and quite proud of this aspect of his identity. Paul is proud of his membership in the party of the Parisees. St. Paul studied the depths of Judaism under the professorship of Gamaliel, one of the greatest Torah scholars of that time.

Saul of Tarsus, with this background, despised the new sect of Christians. His zeal for the law led him to be the most passionate persecutor of the new Faith. He was complicit in the martyrdom of St. Stephen, and was on the way to Damascus with the authority to search the synagogues and root out the Christians in its membership. It was then that Saul of Tarsus became St. Paul.

Fr. Cook was quick to point out that all of the paintings, statues, and images we have of this moment take great liberty with the Biblical text. It is nowhere said that Saul was knocked from his horse. After seeing the light, hearing the voice of the Savior identifying himself with his followers, Saul is led into Damascus, in the same manner he had thought to lead Christians out.

At numerous points throughout his talk, Fr. Cook made certain to bring the character of Paul alive for us today, and give day to day examples of how we face the same emotions, moral struggles, and moments of grace. Fr. Cook made particular mention of understanding God's will and God's plans, and how our resistance against the plans of God often is futile in the unfolding of events.

The audience connected well with Father. Questions and dialogue ranged from points about the live and writings of St. Paul to other questions regarding more general information about Catholic teaching in general.

This was a well attended event. It was wonderful to see people from all over the diocese.

If you have a question, I will be forwarding this to Fr. Cook. If you have a comment about the event or anything else to say, please comment below.

Larry Price - Annulments

Larry Price does not wear a hooded cloak, peering over ancient tomes in a smoky, candle lit room. That is the image many seem to have of the Catholic Church's annulment process. The truth, however, is radically different.

This area of marriage and marriage dissolution is one of the most misunderstood aspects about the Church's life and teaching. Larry Price educated the Call to Be Catholic audience on this topic. A background in canon law and extensive experience with the diocesan marriage tribunal make Price an individual of expertise in this area.

The Church does not have "divorce", per se. It does not end a marriage that for some reason has fallen apart. What an "annulment" really says is that a marriage as a sacramental union never got off of the ground.

Consent is a key to determining if a sacramental union existed. Immaturity, coercion , mental imbalance, and abuse history can all contribute to flaws in this area which might permit the granting of an annulment.

Price made certain to emphasize that the Church's first job is the salvation of souls, and even a seemingly bureaucratic and legalistic type process as an annulment is meant to serve this end goal. In a civil divorce, the focus of the proceeding is on the distribution of assets and spousal/child support. The annulment process actually provides a venue for healing and grace, as the whole relationship from the beginning to end is examined and an opportunity exists for the healing process to begin.

The audience was also given an overview of the process, which can take several months. Paperwork needs to be submitted and witness statements are taken. It is important to know that the annulment process is not done in secret, the ex-spouse will be contacted and interviewed about the relationship. In a civil criminal action, there is a presumption of innocence of the accused, the prosecution must prove guilt. Likewise, in the annulment process, the presumption exists that the bond was valid. There is even an appointed individual, the Defender of the Bond, whose function in the proceeding is to support the finding that the marriage was valid. In the even that the tribunal returns a decision in favor of declaring the bond null, that decision is reviewed by the archdiocese.

Price made every effort to make the audience aware that God's love does not end with divorce. These matters are close to the heart and deal with people's most intimate and sensitive issues. Ministry to those in these situations is at times heartwrenching, but is also an opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ to those in what might be the most broken parts of their lives.

Dr. Janet Smith - Conscience

Dr. Janet Smith's topic - The Role of Individual Conscience in Making Decisions About Right and Wrong is something that challenges each of us and our own little voice. Often, we hear people talk about their conscience as though it were a trump card, that their conscience overrules the mandates of scripture and accepted morality. Dr. Smith's talk showed us that conscience is both a student and a teacher. It is our duty to form our conscience by prayer, study, and a lively spiritual life. Dr. Smith used some examples of her own inner monologue to give examples of how small and insidious the small temptations of our lives are. These humorous anecdotes were a terrific means to take wordy moral theology and show how it applies to our daily life.
Drawing heavily from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Dr. Smith touched on the elements of will and consent in the sinfulness of a particular act. Although the Church's teaching may sound legalistic it is rooted in Scripture and and the experience of the Saints and thinkers of the Church's life throughout the ages.
Dr. Smith provided examples of the use of conscience from such wide examples as such seemingly innocuous things as overly enjoying and confiding in someone of the opposite sex and seeking out their companionship over that of spouse to lofty questions of the morality of organ donations of live ovaries.
Always we must keep in mind our human weakness, and our tendancy to rationalize. Our conscience is a tool for interpreting Scripture and the Church's teaching in our daily lives. Like any tool, however, our conscience must be honed and kept sharp by grace and diligence.

Dale Ahlquist - Beyond Left and Right

Call to Be Catholic opened its year's line up of spearkers with Dale Ahlquist, President of the American Chesterton Society, EWTN personality, and prolific author. So much of the public debate about Catholic thought revolves around politically hot issues like abortion, homosexuality, and euthanasia. The Church's teaching is far deeper than mere political rhetoric and slogans, however, and as our title suggests, is beyond left and right.
Dale draws much of his material from G.K. Chesterton, a British author and intellectual from the early 20th Century who scandalized British society by converting to the Church. Chesterton went on to write both some of the finest Catholic apologetics and some of the best English literature of his time.
Dale's talk focused on how normal, down to Earth, and sane the Church's teaching really is. Normal people, according to Dale, fall in love, get married, and have families. This natural situation is what the Church fosters and nurtures. What does this have to do with politics? Dale notes that most of those with the time and energy to become politically active are those who have not fallen in love, gotten married, or started families. Thus, though we may have the right to vote, we do not have the right to choose what to vote about. The activists and polemicists who drive most of the media and social debate.
It is from this basis that Dale begins to explain modern Catholic Social teaching. Beginning with Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, the Church has set forth some guiding principles of social justice which affect people in industrialized, modern societies. Chief among these are the ideals of distributivism and subsidiarity. Distributism deals with the idea that property is a good, and the just stewardship of resources is part of God's command. Flowing from this, the necessities of life and dignified existence flow from the just use and distribution of property. Subsidiarity is best summarized as "Small is Better." Problem solving and human societies function best when decisions are made at the lowest possible level. Human to human interactions are far more just and equitable than bureaucratic actions. These two principles tend to frown on both big business and big government.
Reaction to Dale's talk was spirited. He has the ability to talk about very dense ideas in an engaging and humorous manner. Ive known Dale for awhile and he is a fine gentleman and has a contagious enthusiasm for his topic. His ability to connect with an audience and present such high level material to a non-academic audience was a terrific start to the year.

COMMENTS, Comments, comments.........

I sent this page out to the emails of those of you from the C2BC audience that I have addresses for.

For those of you not used to blog formats..

Down at the bottom of this post you will see in little letters "posted by Kyro at " and the word comments next to it. Click on comments and you should either get a popup box or be taken to another page where you can type in some feedback regarding the programs of last year, as well any speakers or topics you would like to see as we plan next years events.

Also note, that this Sunday, May 4 at 7PM Fr. Tom Cook is going to give a talk about Marian devotion at Sacred Heart Church in Owatonna.

Have a great day!!

Fr. Michael Keating -- Islam

Greetings,

Below is a synopsis of Fr. Keating's address. If you want to refresh yourself on his points, read on below. Click on COMMENTS at the bottom if you would like to provide feedback, questions, or reactions to the topic. Have a great day!!

Fr. Keating delivered a wonderful presentation for the Owatonna's call to be Catholic audience. He had an enormous topic and little time available to do it justice. He organized his information very succinctly to provide a guiding overview of how to perceive and think about Islam in the modern world.

Fr. Keating arranged his talk around a number of key concepts.

HISTORY

Rude, fat, and boorish were how Europeans were described by Muslim writers of the 10th Century. The Islamic world had grown into a powerful, advanced, and robust civilization almost overnight. From the time of Mohammed in the 7th Century, Islam expanded over enormous swaths of territory absorbing the old empires and nations of the Mediterranean and ancient Near East almost overnight. Fr. Keating mentions that the three great traditions brought into Islam were the Arabic, Persian, and Turkic. Within a hundred years the Islamic World stretched from Spain in the West, to the borderlands of China in the East. The conquerors left conquered peoples in place, but set up a social structure that made conversion and assimilation favorable through taxation policies. Islamic expansion continued in a number of pulses throughout the centuries, reaching the gates of Vienna twice, last in 1689. This date marks the beginning of a drawn out perceived cultural decline.

THE "ANNOYING" CRUSADES

Fr. Keating wanted to make clear that most discussion of the Crusades is historically "Silly." Neither the Crusaders OR the Muslim peoples of the time saw them as expansionism or a colonial effort, these labels were applied by 18th and 19th C. Western historians. As a matter of fact, Fr. Keating notes that the Crusaders are hardly mentioned at all by Islamic writers and historians of the time. He compared the situation in a parallel way to the Vikings occasional capture of northern French cities which they would later leave or be expelled from, an example of skirmishes of little threat to the core civilization.

ANACHRONISM

Fr. Keating warned us of taking the current situation of today and trying to project it back through history.

7 ASPECTS OF MUSLIM VIEW OF WORLD
The heart of Fr. Keatings talk centered around these points outlining how the cultural, religious, and social outlook of the Islamic world is vastly different than ours in the West.

1) Abrahamic religion - Islam sees itself as the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, and the final revelation. Thus, Jews and Christians are operating on an old model which God has superceded through Mohammed.
2) Islam means "submission" to God's will. God is associated strongly with sovereign will, and the Christian concepts of Logos and reason are not present.
3) Islam is a religion of Strength. The Jews were a small nation, Christians worship a crucified Savior. The favor of God brings victory, Islamic thought has difficulty with weakness.
4) A necessary tension with Christianity. Both want to save the world, the claims made by both ultimately wrestle against each other.
5) No distinction between religion and politics. In the West, although sometimes done poorly, there has always been a distinction between Pope and Emperor, Bishop and King, Priest and Lord. This is a foreign concept to Islam.
6) Scriptures are different. The Bible is seen as inspired, with a human and divine element which we must grapple with interpreting. The Koran is dictated. As a result, Christian scholarship creates a great deal of theology and Islamic scholarship creates a great deal of law and jurisprudence.
7) No authority/No hierarchy in Islam. Islam has scholars who build consensus around issues and create schools of thought, but no figure like the Pope who can speak for all.

MODERN CRISIS/MODERN PROBLEM

Fr. Keating arranged a great deal of this information around the idea of "House of Islam", the nations where the Islamic faith is supreme, and the "House of War", the frontiers where the faith is spreading.

DECLINE AND SELF DOUBT

Beginning in the 1500s, the balance of power in the world shifted towards Europe. A number of events, beginning with the defeat of the Ottomans at Vienna in 1683 have sent the Islamic world reeling. Napoleon took Egypt easily, and no Moslem army, only the British could expel him. In the 19th C, European colonial powers divided the Islamic world, and in the 20th Century, the USA emerged as the new Western, Christian power. These developments left the Islamic nations asking, "Where is God??" To classical Islamic thought, the favor of God leads to victory, and the overwhelming power of the West is deeply troubling to this mindset. The titling of the US as "The Great Satan" is a result. If God's favor grants victory, and the West has technological and cultural dominance over Islam, than it can only be the work of Satan himself.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Fr. Keating is deeply impressed with the frankness and depth of Pope Benedict XVI in the area of Islamic dialog. The 2006 Regensberg address was horribly misunderstood by the press, but directly challenged Islamic scholars to examine reason and rationality in religion, to make room for Logos in their theology and condemn violence as unreasonable. Over the past year, 144 scholars have responded to this dialog.

Q&A
Fr. Keating mentioned Bernard Lewis (Click the name for his books) as a good author in the area of Islamic studies.

Discussion during the Q &A ranged from Islamic imagination and fiction and its difference from that of the West. Fr. Keating did mention that alot of Romance and the tradition of the troubador comes from Islam. Women in Islamic nations are loved, and treasured, though not in a fashion we are familiar with in the modern West.

In encountering a Moslem in dialog, charity and lifestyle are more powerful than arguement, as even our use of terms is radically different.In terms of evangelization and the encounter of Faith, Fr. Keating made particular note of the Blessed Virgin. Miriam, the mother of Jesus, is deeply loved and revered amongst Moslems, and may be the best bridge we have.

I hope everybody enjoyed the program. Comments are below. Let us know what you thought!!!!