Any Way Saturday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

News from the Diocese of Memphis TN
May 29, 2008

Seminarian Deacon
Dennis Schenkel

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Ordination of Newest Priest to be June 7
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Seminarian Deacon Dennis Schenkel will be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Memphis on June 7. The following is an article written by Schenkel describing his journey to the priesthood.
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Though I waited until my mid-thirties to begin seminary, on some level I have known my whole life that I should become a priest. My own experience of being around priests who were good, holy men, in love with Jesus Christ, led me to see priesthood as a special role in the life of the Church.

The priests I knew growing up were excited about the Gospel. They brought us the sacraments, and they were good, trustworthy advisers. While priests do not marry or start their own families, they are part of every family.

Story continued HERE.
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Dennis maintains a blog [although not writing a whole lot lately - he claims to be very busy right now] at http://vitamea.cybercatholics.com/vitamea/
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Please pray for all the new priests being ordained this year.

My wife, Aunt Rozann, and I will travel to Memphis for the events next weekend.

uncle jim
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excerpts from an article by Deal Hudson

May 27, 2008

Are Republicans and Religious Right headed for divorce?
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On May 22, 2008, a new era began in the history of what is called the Religious Right. Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain rejected the endorsements of two of the leading Evangelical pastors in the United States, Rev. John Hagee and Rev. Rod Parsley.

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In my recent book Onward, Christian Soldiers: The Growing Political Power of Catholics and Evangelicals in the United States, I wrote a final chapter titled, "Can the Democrats Get Religion, Can the Republicans Keep It?"
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The new emphasis on discussing personal faith among Democrats appears to be working.
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Among Republicans, the move of religious conservatives to the campaign fringe has come about for two reasons, one intentional, the other accidental.
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The expectation remained, however, that through an effective faith outreach, the McCain campaign would bring reluctant religious conservatives into the fold.
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Then the unforeseen happened: Hagee, the mega-church pastor from San Antonio, was charged with anti-Catholic statements by Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.
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The unexpected apology by Pastor Hagee to Donohue, and their subsequent warm meeting in New York City, appeared to have put the controversy to rest.
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"Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them."
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Hagee tried to beat McCain to the punch by withdrawing his endorsement.
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Controversial statements from leaders of the Religious Right are not new -- Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and James Dobson all committed their share.
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There will surely be those who applaud McCain for distancing himself from the "fanatics" on the Religious Right.
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Ronald Reagan won Evangelical support with a now-famous line at a 1980 National Affairs Briefing held in Dallas: "I understand that you can't endorse me, but I'm here to endorse you."
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The unanswered question raised by McCain's words on May 22 is whether he will be viewed by Evangelicals as explicitly reversing Reagan's endorsement.
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Within the past two months, McCain has unintentionally aggravated both Evangelicals and Catholics.
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As things stand, I believe Catholics are still in play for McCain, if his campaign conducts a vigorous outreach.
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And this is no small thing: McCain will need religiously active voters over the next five months.
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The fact is, McCain's moderates can't beat Obama's adoring groupies.
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More likely, new leadership will emerge among religious conservatives propelled to the forefront by the national fight over gay marriage.
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Deal W. Hudson is the director of InsideCatholic.com
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Women Priests?

The Way Wednesday
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Critical Excerpts from a book review of:
The Catholic Priesthood and Women: A Guide to the Teaching of the Church
by: Sara Butler, Hillenbrand Books

Reviewed by: Monica Migliorino Miller, associate professor of sacred theology at St. Mary's College of Madonna University in Orchard Lake, Michigan
[Complete article may be read here.]
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In May 1994, Pope John Paul II issued his apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis to deal with one specific issue: the Church's ban on the admission of women to the ministerial priesthood. The Catholic Priesthood and Women: A Guide to the Teaching of the Church attempts to provide a new generation of young Catholics, most especially seminarians, with an understanding of the Church's teaching and to give them a "theological orientation" to the topic.

The fundamental reasons that the Church has no authority to admit women to the priesthood is the Church is bound to follow an original gesture of Christ when He established the sacrament of Holy Orders. When Christ called only men to the company of the Twelve, we are confronted by Christ's will.

Many argue that Christ was subject to the historical conditions of His day. Times have changed, they say, the Church is free to abandon a practice that discriminates against women. Ordinatio Sacerdotalis insists on Christ's sovereign freedom in His choice of male apostles.

Butler states that no injustice exists so long as the Church does not prevent anyone from attaining personal holiness. Butler recognizes that, doctrinally, the male gender of Christ and the apostles "is not arbitrary, but significant." Thus a close connection does exist between the fundamental and theological reasons for Church doctrine. That the priest acts in persona Christi is not simply a theological argument, but the doctrine of the Church. Christ cannot simply be identified with the Church. He is the head that causes the Church.

The book is a welcome addition to those works that seek to explain and defend the all-male priesthood.
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Male and female, we are all called to ministry. Service to God's people is paramount in our relationship to Him. He intends our gifts and talents, as He distributes them, to be used for the common good. Our use of time, talent, material, and spiritual resources is very much indicative of the importance we place on our responsibilities as stewards of the creation in which He has placed us.

"Go and make disciples of all nations", we are commanded. Male and female we are commanded.
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