Opinion: Mailbag: Catholic schism

The Catholic church doesn’t need any apologies from modernist Catholics like Robert E. Doud who illegitimately claim to be speaking on behalf of the church. Doud is simply incorrect in claiming that ‘The church should not behave as a pressure group or political lobby’. In coining the phrase ‘separation of church and state’ in 1801, Thomas Jefferson never intended that social and political issues be divorced from codes of morality. He merely meant that the U.S. government be prevented from establishing one or another church as the ‘official’ religion. All governments and religions worthy of their name concur with the Ten Commandments and their prohibition against murder. Contrary to Doud, morality and faith are not things that can be restricted exclusively to the private sphere. In fact, no politician in any society or government can, in good conscience, rule coherently in the service of the common good apart from one’s own faith or values. The conscience being one and indivisible does not permit the acting out of parallel lives. The Catholic church thus teaches that those who publically support abortion are already excommunicated and therefore should not, under penalty of grave sin, receive Holy Communion. Those in positions of authority like Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles who act apart from the pope and do not publically enforce this law are accomplices in the same sin of the communicant. These are the people that especially need our prayers. Sincerely, Paul Kokoski. Hamilton, Ontario. Canada.

As a 30-something, ‘John Paul II’ Roman Catholic, I can only chuckle at the Robert E. Doud’s of our Church who just don’t seem to get that their time has passed, and their schismatic view of the Catholic Church will never come to be. Instead of ‘chagrin’ Pope Benedict XVI was elected, serious Catholics of my generation rejoiced. The conclave of 2005 solidified the reality that the fuzzy days of ‘post Vatican II’ are mostly behind us. Our prayer is that our Church will return to solid orthodoxy, with a serious liturgy and teaching on a life in Christ. Mr Doud’s generation spent it’s formative and professional years trying to abolish this orthodoxy. With nonsense like ‘liturgical dance’, woman ‘priests’, watered-down Catechism tailored to the 60’s sexual revolution, and the abandonment of important Church doctrines and teachings in the ‘spirit of ecumenism’ - all of which instead of breathing ‘new life’ into the Church, ultimately led to the pervert-priest abuse scandal where thousands of mostly young boys were preyed upon by their less-than chaste clergy. My generation is far from perfect. However, unlike Mr. Doud’s generation who never grew out of their infantile need to ‘challenge authority’, we seek to fully embrace our Church and a life in Christ. We seek not to denigrate our Church but to lift it up as a light to all people’s and nations as Jesus intended. Marc Seanassey

Subject: I completely concur As a priest, educator, retreat director of 35 years I share these sentiments. John Paul II and Benedict are an embarrassment to thinking, reasonable, open-minded, dialogical human beings. They were and are repressive dictators....who preach equality to Muslim nations and yet practice discrimination in their own demoninations by not ordaining women or validating same sex couples.