Year: 2013

On
Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

Sex, truth, and the illumination of our guilt

Making Sense out of Bioethics column by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

Guilt has gotten a lot of bad press recently. We live in an age where guilt is practically always something bad, something to get past with the help of a shrink.

Particularly when discussing sex, people will declare that religion and morality do nothing more than make people feel guilty.

Andrew Aaron, a sex and marriage therapist in New Bedford, Mass., seems to subscribe to this view: “Through centuries,” he writes, “religious education has associated sex with what is wrong and sinful rather than what is sacred. Instead of an expression of the divine, sex is suspiciously regarded as weakness of the flesh. The result of this influence is that sexuality, a natural part of being human, is tainted with shame, guilt, and ambivalence.”

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On
Tom and Theresa Sobieski

Thanks for publishing conference testimony on mascot legislation

To the editor:

We want to thank you and the staff at the Catholic Herald for devoting considerable space in the paper to print the Wisconsin Catholic Conference testimony concerning the pending legislation on the mascot law.

At present the bill has passed both the Assembly and Senate, but it still needs the governor’s signature to make it law.

The new law would definitely reduce the opportunity for dialogue in those communities with race-based mascots, so it could damage the progress in Wisconsin for their removal.

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On
Margarete Schels, For the Catholic Herald

Students in Jefferson learn about icons

JEFFERSON — Seventh and eighth graders at St. John the Baptist (SJB) School in Jefferson were recently able to catch a glimpse of heaven thanks to the work of Madison-based iconographer, Drazen Dupor.

Students had been studying religious icons in religion classes. In collaboration with art teacher Sally Koehler and with the support of the SJB Home and School Association, students began their first steps on the journey to understanding and appreciating this cherished liturgical art form.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Farewell to Year of Faith: It opened the door to deeper faith and a desire to share it

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Since October 11, 2012, the Catholic Church throughout the world has been observing a special Year of Faith. In his apostolic letter Porta Fidei (“The Door of Faith”), Pope Benedict XVI asked Catholics to experience a conversion — to turn back to Jesus and enter into a deeper relationship with him.

The pope noted that the “door of faith” is opened at Baptism, but during this Year of Faith Catholics were asked to open it again, to walk through it and rediscover and renew their relationship with Christ and his Church.

The first day of the Year of Faith coincided with the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the publishing of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict asked Catholics to study and reflect on the documents of Vatican II and the Catechism to deepen their knowledge of the faith.

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On
Chris Lee

La Iglesia vive en medio de la confrontación

Esta columna es la comunicación del Obispo con los fieles de la Diócesis de Madison. Cualquier circulación más amplia va más allá de la intención del Obispo.

Queridos amigos:

La semana pasada en el encuentro de Baltimore de la Conferencia de Obispos, nuestro Nuncio Apostólico el Arzobispo Carlo María Viganó, que sirve como el representante personal del Papa Francisco en los Estados Unidos, se dirigió a los obispos en nombre del Santo Padre.

En primer lugar, pensé que era interesante que buena parte de su ponencia se centraba en citas del Papa Pablo vi y del Beato Juan Pablo Magno.

Este es un signo seguro de que el Papa Francisco desea ser visto en continuidad con sus venerables predecesores, un hecho que él dejó claro recientemente al decir que la perspectiva de la hermenéutica de la continuidad del Arzobispo Agostino Marchetto es una herramienta adecuada de interpretación del Concilio Vaticano II.

Pero, quiero centrarme en un pensamiento en particular del Arzobispo Viganò

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On
Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service

Pope prays, calls for aid for typhoon victims

Young residents in Cebu, Philippines, hold signs asking for help and food along the highway November 11 after Super Typhoon Haiyan hit. The typhoon, one of the strongest storms in history, is believed to have killed tens of thousands, but aid workers were still trying to reach remote areas. (CNS photo/Charlie Saceda, Reuters)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis led prayers for people hit by a deadly typhoon in the Philippines and surrounding region and asked that concrete aid be sent soon.

During the Angelus with pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on November 10, the pope expressed his concern and prayers for the estimated tens of thousands of people dead and others affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated parts of the central Philippines November 8.

“I wish to express my closeness to the people of the Philippines and that region that has been hit by a terrible typhoon. Unfortunately the victims are many and the damage is enormous,” the pope said.

He asked the tens of thousands of people gathered in the square to join him in a moment of silent prayer “for these brothers and sisters and let’s try also to make our concrete help reach them.”

Pope makes donation

In response to the tragedy, Pope Francis made an initial donation of $150,000 for the relief efforts through the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.

The money, sent through the local churches hardest hit by the storm, was earmarked to support “assistance for the displaced and those impacted by the flooding,” the Vatican said in a written statement.

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On
Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

40 Days for Life vigil ends with look to the future

MADISON — The so-called “drizzle” that had the appearance of a full-blown rain shower wasn’t enough to keep about three dozen people from coming out to mark the end of the 40 Days for Life vigil in Madison.

40 Days for Life is an annual vigil of prayer, fasting, and peacefully witnessing to end abortion. For the past several years, the vigil has taken place outside the Planned Parenthood clinic on Madison’s east side. This year’s vigil ran from September 25 to November 3.

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