Dear Sir or Madam:
I have unsubscribed from this list because of the following message, which I received today.
Strangely, this message was not on your website, it was replaced by a different “Word of Encouragement.” Could that be because this “encouraging” message shows a gross lack of charity towards some faithful Catholics?
Was it not the very same Pope John Paul II referred to in this “Word of Encourgement” who said, “respect must everywhere be shown for the feelings of all those who are attached to the Latin liturgical tradition” (Ecclesia Dei Adflicta, 2 July 1988).
I certainly do not feel that this letter conveys any sense of the respect demanded by our Holy Father.
Now that this has been brought to your attention, I would think, as good Catholics, you would want to issue an apology – over this same email list – for this rude and unchristian message.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Alexander
Dear Mr. Alexander:
I'm sorry to hear you're signing off from our Word of Encouragement.
There was no deception intended in your not finding the same Word of Encouragement online that day. It was because there was a glitch that repeated the message from 9/24-25 in the archives for 10/24-25. We have fixed the problem.
Regarding those who are attached to the Latin liturgy, I certainly do respect them. I merely point out that those with such feelings often do not respect either the Pope or the Catholic communion as a whole, just as leftist dissenters do not.
I decline your request for an apology. Catholics who claim the name “Traditionalist” in contradistinction to the rest of the Catholic communion or who suggest that the Paul VI mass is not the “Traditional” mass are like Catholics who would say they are “Christian” in such a way as to suggest that the rest of the Catholic communion is not. The fact is, John Paul II adheres to the Tradition, as do I. The fact is, the Paul VI mass is where the Tradition has developed to in the Latin rite.
To suggest otherwise, or to call the Mass invalid or an abomination or to call the Council a mistake, or to speak as though the Holy Father has somehow betrayed the Tradition (as is endemic in so-called “Traditionalism”) is not a legitimate expression of attachment to the Latin liturgical tradition. It is dissent and (in the case of the SSPX, schism), just as much as left wing dissent is.
If you do none of these things then my words did not apply to you and there is no need for you to feel picked on. If you do these things, then shame on you.
Mark Shea
Senior Content Editor
Catholic Exchange
NOTE: Viewers may see the Word of Encouragement that sparked this exchange here.
A Thought after the 'Sneak Attack'
Dear James Bemis:
OK so they snuck one by us. Now let's be fair to everyone. If domestic partners demand the same rights as a married man and woman then it is only fair that domestic partners are put into the same tax category as married couples.
If you are domestic partners then you MUST file joint tax returns. Since married couples end up paying more taxes, domestic partners will (must) also. Domestic partners may not be as eager to demand equal rights if it means higher taxes. Just a thought.
Sincerely,
N. Russel
Dear Mr. Russel:
Interesting idea, but I don't think we want to go there. Suppose Congress changes the tax code to not only eliminate the marriage penalty, but reduce the tax burden on married couples, as many Republicans want to do. Then, we would have both legitimized “domestic partnerships” and be subsidizing them too.
Categorizing “domestic partners” as a married couple for tax purposes is only playing into the hands of those pushing the radical sex agenda. We should avoid it like the plague it is.
Cheers!
James Bemis
NOTE: Viewers who missed James Bemis's article, “Sneak Attack,” which appeared in the Edge on October 31, may find it here.
A Call to Prayer
Dear Catholic Exchange:
The country and the world are in fervor and strung out and many people are returning to prayer. Prayer for peace, protection, safety, war, and an end to terrorism. Saul once was an efficient persecutor of Christians. God made him one of the most famous promulgators of the Faith. So also can he do it now.
Mary, Mother of Jesus has appeared to us numerous times providing prayers and methods of prayer for our times and for answers to our problems. In our lifetime we have seen some of the results of decades of prayer for the fall and conversion of communism in the former Soviet
Union. The job is not over!
We must continue more fervently than ever and pray not just for the defeat of terrorism but for the conversion of the terrorists! This backs both our national and Christian unity and our pro-life message. Though a war may be just, the problem is not going away without the help of the Spirit and conversion.
Prayerfully submitted in the name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
James Plazo
Dear Mr. Plazo:
Thank you for the call to prayer. Indeed, all of our attempts to eradicate terrorism and protect our country and families are in vain if we do not look to our ultimate Protector.
Our Holy Father has asked all the Catholics of the world to pray the Rosary for world peace. The staff of Catholic Exchange urges all of our viewers to join the Holy Father and in this way fight terrorism and other evils.
Mark Dittman
Associate Editor
Catholic Exchange
