Shades of Hunthausen?

by D Gregory Smith

Bishop Richard Morris’ (of Toowomba, Australia) removal by Pope Benedict XIV has some muscle memory for those of us who suffered through the Hunthausen shakedown. Heavy-handed tactics on the part of the papacy toward Hunthausen, one of the most Christ-like bishops I’ve ever known, still stings. A reminder from Richard McBrien:

The removal of Bishop William Morris from the pastoral care of the Australian diocese of Toowoomba, Queensland, where he has been bishop since 1993, is reminiscent of two other cases: that of Bishop Jacques Gaillot of the diocese of Evreux, Normandy, France, in 1995, where he had been bishop for 12 years, and the effective removal of Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen from the archdiocese of Seattle in 1986, where he had been archbishop since 1975.

I say “effective removal” because, although Hunthausen was not removed as such, a younger bishop was installed over him, with authority that no longer belonged to the archbishop.

That younger bishop is now an archbishop himself and a cardinal as well: Donald Wuerl, who also heads the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, which just issued a condemnation of Sr. Elizabeth Johnson’s 2007 book, Quest for the Living God. Johnson is a Sister of St. Joseph and is a Distinguished Professor of Theology at Fordham University in New York.

This is just getting creepy. Even discussion is being forbidden. Witch hunt, anyone?

Full article here.

Mother’s Day, 2011

by D Gregory Smith

After considering this for a while, I have decided that I am going to partake of some shameless self-indulgent sentimentality.

I miss my Mom.

We all went to Lydia’s in Butte last night for dinner in her honor- it was one of her favorite places. Dad, my brother and sister, their spouses and their parents, me and Ken and his mom. We celebrated all the mothers in our families- including the absent ones. And I noticed something last night that I haven’t been able to shake.

I love being around this family.

I loved watching my Dad enjoy his children. I loved watching Ken gently pull the chair out for his mom before she sat. I loved how we all told stories and laughed and listened and ate delicious food- sharing tastes across the table. I loved the subtle teasing, the secret shared smiles, the knowing nods and the conversation that was all over the table. I loved how we drank wine and water and Manhattans and Diet Coke and shamelessly ordered dessert. I loved how we all treated each other like, well, like we loved each other.

Which we do.

And I wanted my Mom there- because she was always such an uncompromisingly real presence at all of our family gatherings. You never had to wonder what she thought, or who she was talking to- or about. She loved nothing more than to sit next to my Dad and tell stories and laugh, remind us of details- or have us remind her, and generally just be with her kids and have a good time. I’m not sure how, but she taught us how to enjoy each other.

I remember watching them watch us last Christmas. They were sitting together on a couch, and we (me, brother, sister and all our respective spouses) were all talking to each other, telling stories and teasing each other a little, laughing and just having a great time. I happened to look up at my parents and I saw my Mom look at my Dad, smile, and put her head on his shoulder. That moment is one of the most precious memories I have. In my mind, I hear that smile and that gesture say “We done good, Dave.”

They sure did.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. We miss you lots.

Catholics Becoming Protestants

by D Gregory Smith

Jesuit Thomas Reese, former editor of the magazine America– and someone I respect greatly, is sharing some of his concerns about the “New Exodus” in the Catholic Church.

Any other institution that lost one-third of its members would want to know why.

And why not the Catholic Church?

…the U.S. bishops have never devoted any time at their national meetings to discussing the exodus. Nor have they spent a dime trying to find out why it is happening.

Thankfully, although the U.S. bishops have not supported research on people who have left the church, the Pew Center has.

…One of the reasons there is such disagreement is that we tend to think that everyone leaves for the same reason our friends, relatives and acquaintances have left. We fail to recognize that different people leave for different reasons. People who leave to join Protestant churches do so for different reasons than those who become unaffiliated. People who become evangelicals are different from Catholics who become members of mainline churches.

An excellent article- well worth the read. If you’re like me, you may recognize many people you know, or even yourself. Full article here.

Update: This may also be part of the reason.

Low Vitamin D Levels Associated With Rapid HIV Progression

by D Gregory Smith

From AIDSMeds.com:

HIV-positive people with very low vitamin D levels were more likely to develop AIDS and to die than people with higher vitamin D levels, according to a study published online January 25 in the journal AIDS.

Low vitamin D levels have been found in numerous studies in HIV-negative people to be associated with serious illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and kidney failure. What’s more, a number of recent studies have found that the proportion of people with HIV who have low vitamin D levels is quite high, with fewer than a quarter in some studies having ideal levels.

…and so it’s always a good idea to have your Vitamin D level checked regularly with your doctor, whether you’re HIV+ or not. More on Vitamin D can be found here.

And  read the full story from AIDSMeds.com here. 

More Heat For Rehberg?

by D Gregory Smith

Nah, that would mean investigative journalism from the local mainstream media.
Pogie:

You certainly have to love the Montana media and Montana’s Congressman. The former never felt it necessary to cover the national news that Rehberg called Pell Grants welfare but decided he should get an op-ed in every newspaper defending his position, while the latter is pretending to be reforming Pell Grants when all he is doing is working to cut them, increasing college costs for students and families.

Read it and weep. Or, better idea- start a Montana newspaper and get a multimillionaire to fund your investigative journalism team….

What To Feel Upon The Murder Of A Murderer?

by D Gregory Smith

Like so many of you, I watched in horrified fascination as the Twin Towers were maimed and finally toppled, killing and injuring thousands of people and terrifying a nation. I also watched our president, almost ten years later, report that the man responsible for that action had been shot and killed in a raid on a compound outside of Islamabad, Pakistan. The President’s demeanor was appropriately somber and yet had hints of the triumphant. So many cliche`s come to mind:

Serves ‘im right.

An eye for an eye….
You reap what you sow.
Justice is done.
Mission accomplished.
He got what he deserved.
Hooray, Hooray it’s the First of May…etc.

I’m conflicted. As I watched the people gathering in front of the White House last night, I understood the relief they exhibited. I realized I didn’t want to understand the celebration.

On the one hand, the man was a terrorist, a murderer and a complete wacko. On the other hand, he was a human being- with all the dignity and flaws imbued thereof, and completely worth saving. Did he love? Did he show any kindness to another person? Probably.

Could he have repented for his actions? Would he?
We’ll never know.

This is not to impugn the sense of justice felt here- this man was directly responsible for the murder of thousands of fellow human beings. But if I rejoice in his death, if I celebrate it, am I giving up on the goodness of humanity I so profoundly believe in? Am I substituting revenge for justice? Is patriotism predicated on the murder of enemies? Is this the easy way out? Have I become the terrorist who has lost sight of the humanity of the people I kill?

Probably unpopular things to ask, but still, these questions haunt me.

Do they haunt anyone else?

Same Sex Sunday, 5/1/11

by D Gregory Smith

Our newspapers and magazines love making lists and ranking famous people.  We see it every day: from Cosmo to USA Today, lists are it.  One list made a surprising uproar in the LGBT community recently.  Out Magazine’s Power 50 generated a lot of criticism for its clear lack of diversity.  There were few people of color on the list–only two people of Latino heritage–and absolutely no African Americans or trans people.  Is this a comment on Out Magazine, or a comment on our larger society as a whole?

This week we sit down with Out Magazine’s Editor in Chief, Aaron Hicklin, to discuss the list, the backlash, and what this could tell us about opportunities for people of color and trans people in our society as a whole.  We also ask Aaron if there is a way to be more inclusive without destroying the spirit of the list–find out what he says.

Listen here.

He’s For Them, But He’s Against Them

by D Gregory Smith

source: AP/Lisa Kunkel

Poor Denny Rehberg. So misunderstood.

So easy to do.

Over at Cowgirl, a letter to the editor of the Dillon Tribune- and Rehberg’s response(?)-appear.

The subject is/are Pell Grants (against which Rehberg was/is), Western’s Commencement (out of which Rehberg backed) and Rehberg’s defense of Pell Grants (which are for students who are students- we just can’t have too many students, it’s welfare.).

Read it.

Then join me in taking a Rehberg break in honor of the First of May.

Marriage

by D Gregory Smith

Addendum

by D Gregory Smith

I don’t know how, but I lost a couple of sentences from the last post.

I’ve replaced it, but it should have read:

“…political bigotry and chicanery. And let’s not forget Jamee Greer, Mike Wessler, Niki Zupanic and all the representatives of groups who lobbied for human equality- they get all the abuse, ridicule and sleepless nights, but not enough recognition. Drinks and kidneys for them, too.”

Apologies