Links for 02/10/15 | National Catholic Reporter

Links for 02/10/15 | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: Robert Christian has almost entirely missed the boat on what Francis will talk about (he certainly won't talk about marijuana).  He will talk about the brotherhood of man - and maybe the obligation toward migrants and the protection of children and families.  Will he endorse a living wage?  I hope so.  A minimum wage? Probaby not.  The environment?  Sure - but until I see what he writes, I will not guess what will say.  Consumerism?  Maybe - which is a pity because the one thing that keeps workers from going armed to work and killing the boss is the ability to finally buy what they need with what they make - its a good thing.  Oh, he won't talk about abortion, since the Congress did not enact legal abortion and does not have the consensus to do anything about it legislatively over and above essentially ratifying current law (which would kill the fundraising on both sides of the issue).  Hopefully those who brief him will mention such things, although I have no hope of that happening if the USCCB and its Pro-Life office (and Richard Doelfinger) have a say in doing the comments.



Burke cannot distinguish between doctrine and truth - but then again, his post does not entitle him to attend the next Synod anyway.  He can say what he wants because he knows he is not going.  I am sure someone probably called him and told him to dial it down so he can coast to retirement (along with Cardinal Law).  His opinion is not supposed to matter as much as that of the laity in responding to the questions provided, even though the original pre-synod questions were obtuse and irrelevant.



When I see that the Pope has said something on discipleship at morning Mass, I wonder what was said in my parish - as these Homilies are about the scripture of the day.  I remember being an Altar boy in middle school and junior high.  We liked the priests who did short Homilies on Sunday and none on weekdays.  The Bible is now in the venacular as is the reading of it.  I like the idea of attendees seeing their own lives in the readings as much has having them explained to them by the Homilist (although sometimes a well done Homily that supplements what is written with context is essential - like, for example, the Sermon on the Mount quotations on ripping out your eye or the incident where the Lord addressed the payment of taxes - and what was significant about the fact that members of the Jewish authorities had one of the coins used to pay the tax (which was considered unclean) on them - and what that meant, not only about taxation, but about their desire to kill him to support the status quo. I would be interested to hear what Francis says about that story.