curlytop

This is a fun discussion, everyone; thanks. Tom Hanks as Langdon -- somehow I can't picture it right now, but perhaps he'll surprise us. I recall Brown mentioning that women thought Langdon had a "voice like chocolate," and somehow that doesn't mesh with Hanks. It would have been perfect for Harrison Ford in his younger days, though. Folks, if you haven't seen Jesus Christ Superstar in a while, check it out. I didn't really fully appreciate it when it first came out. It's actually quite good, full of humor, joy, and pathos. Another good Christian "musical" is Brother Sun, Sister Moon, based on the early years of the ministry of St. Francis, with music by Donvan. Peace -- Mary

Hi Aletheia and all -- I loved hearing and seeing Matthew Fox -- very energetic and engaging! Wished I had a chance to attend one of his Rave Masses -- which I thought they were going to have at that conference but they didn't. I would love to hear Joan Chittister too -- I'm a deep fan of her books, and I've always been so impressed to see her on TV interviews -- a strong and com/passionate woman! But DC is too far and too expensive for me too. Swami Beyondananda is actually a Jewish comedian and ex-professor whose schtick is that he's a Hindu swami with pearls of punnish wisdom to bestow. He's an absolute hoot. Thanks for posting the updated NSP link William! Peace, Mary

Hi all: I got to see Jim Wallis speak at the Network of Spiritual Progessives conference in Berkeley this past summer . . . he was great and the whole conference was excellent. Haven't read God's politics yet, but I do enjoy writings I have seen by Wallis in Sojourners and various other journals. The Network of Spiritual Progressives is an ecumenical organization spearheaded by Rabbi Michael Lerner's Tikkun community. I encourage anyone who wants to participate in a political movement that seeks to form networks between progressive people of all faiths as well as spiritual-but-not-religious people to check out this organization! I guess I should actually start a thread about it. At any rate, there will be another meeting of this conference in Washington, DC, in February 06. If you're interested, go to www.tikkun.org. At the Berkeley conference (and the DC conference will be similar) we had speakers / artists / groups like: Jim Wallis, Peter Gabel, Fritjof Capra, Matthew Fox, Carol Flinders, Holly Near, "Swami Beyondananda," Thandeka, Buddhist Peace Fellowhip, John Shelby Spong, Van Jones, Rami Shapiro -- in D.C. they'll also have Sister Joan Chittister! Okay, sorry . . . I'll start another thread. Eventually.

Hi there Marie -- I'm a progressive catholic too! Welcome! And my actual name is Mary!

Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening -- Excellent new book out by Cynthia Bourgeault. Setting the Gospel Free by Brian Taylor. Too Deep for Words by Thelma Hall.

For those with a contemplative bent, The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living is a good choice for a devotional reader. It includes excerpts from the works of Thomas Keating, sacred scripture, and other spiritual writings, with a different series of readings for every day of the year. One short page for each day. The readings have been compiled by S. Stephanie Iachetta and it's published by Continuum.

More on Taize -- Taize is a town in France where an ecumenical group of lay monks is stationed. The community was founded in 1940 and is known for its distinctive style of contemplative music -- sublime but simple melodies and repeated phrases. A full-on Taize service may include a few short readings, but they are mostly musical. It's really a contemplative prayer service, and the audience is encouraged to join in on singing the phrases -- they are very simple and it is easy to participate. It's really quite something to do this meditative, sung prayer with a group of people. Expansive and disarmingly beautiful. GIA, publishers of liturgical music, has some good recordings, both live and studio, of Taize music in all languages. The best English language one, in my opinion, is GIA's Songs & Prayers from Taize, recorded in Bristol in 1991 under the direction of Philip Dixon. Check out www.giamusic.com. curlytop

Feeling the need to defend Catholic church music here -- in reponse to the first post on this thread. Maybe you have to dig for a while to find these places, but there are Catholic churches where people sing and where the music is good! I often attend a Catholic church that has a black gospel choir -- the folks there are very familiar with "Amazing Grace" and "Blessed Assurance." I go to an annual Catholic Religious Education Congress in Los Angeles, where a variety of liturgies are offered -- Celtic, African, Contemplative, etc., -- and the music is absolutely stellar! The Vietnamese contemplative mass brought tears of gratitude to my eyes. Of course church is not a concert hall, and the purpose of worship is not simply to attain emotive spiritual experiences through music. But music is a part of community worship and, as the saying goes, singing is like praying twice! I've also heard it said that singing is like getting a massage from the inside! Peace, curlytop

Hi all -- I started posting here some time last year but I've never introduced myself on this thread! Haven't been around for a while either -- so many neat forums, so little time . . . I live in San Marcos, Ca -- near San Diego. Just turned 45, married with two cats (Kali and Harpo). I write and edit for a local educational publisher. I'm a catholic (I like the little "c" because it implies universalism) who was raised Roman Catholic and who attends Roman Catholic churches. Rejected and abandoned my faith and anything having to do with institutional religion from high school through my early thirties, but underneath it all, still had a spiritual hunger. In my thirties I started reading here and there about world religions, dabbled a bit in Buddhism and paganism, started meditating, then had a mystical experience in a Roman Catholic church in New Orleans that encouraged me to return to my spiritual roots. (Also had been reading several books -- Thich Nhat Hanh's Living Buddha, Living Christ was one -- that spoke of the need to honor one's religious roots). Interests include: mysticism, contemplative prayer, world religions, interspirituality, interfaith dialogue, integral philosophy (a la Ken Wilber). Walking / hiking. And chocolate. And, okay: Desperate Housewives. I'm a member of FaithfulAmerica.org, the Network of Spiritual Progressives (started by Rabbi Michael Lerner's Tikkun community), and Contemplative Outreach, an organization started by Father Thomas Keating that practices and teaches Centering Prayer. I facilitate a Centering Prayer group in San Diego. I enjoy all kinds of music, from mainstream rock to Gregorian and Taize chant, ska-jazz, salsa, funk, grunge, harp with flute, Celtic, reggae, zydeco, Putumayo world beat offerings . . . I enjoy reading about world religions and mysticism. Right now I'm reading Lex Hixon's Coming Home: The Experience of Enlightenment in Sacred Traditions. Excellent, inspired work! Okay, I guess 7 paragraphs about me is enough! Thanks for listening and I'm enjoying meeting you all! curlytop

Actually I guess I'd have to say I'm "in" southern Cal too, as I was actually born in Chicago and raised in Kansas City, MO. I like it here, though it took a little getting used to CA's unique four seasons: fire, flood, escrow, and the Academy Awards. curlytop

Wow James, quite a long response there -- hard worker, you! For the moment I want to respond to just one of your assertions: "Anyone who holds these opinions [about ordaining women priests and having married clergy] is not a Catholic in good standing, you can't contradict doctrine and then say you'Re still a Catholic. A person can hold those ideas and a person can be a Catholic, but they can't be both." If that's the case, then the Catholic Church itself is not a Catholic in good standing. In the 1980s, when the Episcopal church began ordaining women, hundreds of their married priests left in protest. They were welcomed to serve as priests in the Catholic Church. So we actually do have some married priests in the Catholic Church. Moreover, even the Council of Trent (1545-63) recognized that the rule on celibate clergy was not an unchanging, divine law. According to the HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism, "Trent recognized that the laws governing celibacy for clergy were church laws rather than divine laws. Consequently, it conceded that these laws could be changed should the Church ever decide to do so." We also have had women priests as recently as the twentieth century. Quite a rarity, and in extremely unusual circumstances, but a fact nevertheless. Here's some information from www.womensordination.org: "The 1948 communist takeover of then Czechoslovakia brought vast social changes. It also brought heavy persecution to Catholics who constituted 66% of a population of 16 million. Thousands of people were imprisoned for practicing their religion. Despite the threat of imprisonment, believers nourished a vibrant faith in an underground church that paralleled the government-controlled parish structure. Bishop Felix Davidek (1921-1988), a brilliant scholar, linguist and medical doctor, was consecrated with Vatican approval to serve the underground church. When a need for sacramental ministry for women in prison emerged as a serious concern, it was clear that a male priesthood could not answer it. Davidek called a secret Synod composed of bishops, priests and laity to consider the ordination of women. After heated debate, the decision was made to proceed. On December 28, 1970, Davidek ordained the first woman priest, Ludmila Javorova, who served as Vicar General of the underground diocese for 20 years. In 1991, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk of Prague confirmed that up to five or six women were ordained as priests, but only Ludmila has come forward." Catholics can and do disagree with various doctrines. Here again the Encyclopedia of Catholicism: "Every dogma is a doctrine, but not every doctrine is a dogma. It is no easy matter to determine the difference between the two, and there is no list of dogmas to which all Catholics would agree, bishops and theologians included. The formal and deliberate rejection of a dogma (a doctrine that is considered infallible) is an act of heresy. This is not to say, however, that dogmas are beyond critical evaluation or immune from development. Not every dogma was originally expressed in the best form. A dogma can reflect 'the changeable conceptions of a given epoch' and as such is open to improvement and development." Remember that some our our most revered saints, like Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, were once held in extreme disregard by the Inquisition, the precursor of today's Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. We should not be so quick to judge who is and who is not a "Catholic in good standing." Ciao for now, curlytop

My prayers are with you and your family, des. May God grace you with strength and love. And gentleness toward yourself. I have an aunt who has had Alzheimer's for the past ten years or so. My cousin (her daughter) took care of her for a while, but she had a full-time teaching job, so she soon had to place her in an elder day care situation. I know that the stress of caring for her was a struggle. My aunt eventually went in to some kind of home care -- a house with a couple who specialize in Alzheimer's care, and who tend to 3 other patients in their home. It has turned out to be a very good situation for all concerned. And actually my aunt is in a coma presently and these may be her last days. God rest her soul. Peace to you, curlytop

I'd recommend some books on the contemplative tradition(s) -- anything by Thomas Keating Wayne Teasdale's The Mystic Heart Evelyn Underhill's Mysticism William Johnston's Arise My Love: Mysticism for a New Era Thich Nhat Hanh's Living Buddha, Living Christ And also books by Joan Chittister (In Search of Belief is great) And Wendy M. Wright's trilogy: The Vigil, The Rising, The Time Between . . . My two cents for now, curlytop

OH, Aletheia, deep OUCH! Do take care of yourself now and read and rest hearty! curlytop

Hi all. For anyone interested, here's an article about how, and why, Catholic progressives keep hangin in there, from commondreams.org. Why I Am Still A Catholic by Suzanne Camino Gay marriage? I'm all for it. Women priests? We need them desperately. Married clergy? It's time. Just war? Oxymoronic, from a Christian perspective. And yet here I am, in the wake of the sexual abuse scandals, in the shadow of politicians denied the body of Christ for their political stands, with the knowledge that some of my weekly tithe is being used to promote legislation that denies civil rights to homosexuals, recommitting to the Catholic faith of my childhood and to the Catholic Church itself, with its looming, maddening, dangerous flaws. A gay friend, not Catholic, asks politely a question that boils down to 'How could you?' What's the deal? Why not find a nice, progressive Episcopal church where my young daughter would see women in leadership roles and where I could support the ongoing realization of the civil and human rights issues close to my heart? Blame Pope John XXIII. He opened the first session of Vatican II on Oct. 11, 1962. The modern church and I were born in the same week. 'Let's open the windows,' Pope John famously said, and as I grew I watched the windows fly open and I took for granted the fresh air blowing in. I watched my young, devout parents embrace the new Mass, the new music, and the new architecture that focused on community, on inclusiveness, on the participation of the laity. I went to catechism classes where they told me that being Catholic was about serving the poor and seeing Jesus in every suffering person. 'If you want peace, work for justice,' were the oft-quoted words of Pope Paul VI, the pope we prayed for and listened to while I was in elementary and junior high school. Copies of the Catholic Worker newspaper were distributed in the vestibules of the conservative Midwestern parishes we belonged to as I was growing up. I learned that the Catholic faith that moved Dorothy Day to action was the same faith that I should be nurturing for myself. The local Catholic newspaper featured stories of brave young women working with victims of political violence in El Salvador, among them Jean Donovan and Dorothy Kazel, women we would eventually mourn and revere as martyrs and models of Christian faith at work in the world. This was the Catholic Church I learned. It was a church that celebrated the reforms of Vatican II, that reached out toward other faiths, that focused on the needs of the poor and the oppressed, that looked at abortion as a social problem to be approached with great compassion and in the much larger context of the 'seamless garment' of respect for all human life, at every stage. This was a church where women were emerging from their invisible, supportive roles to become leaders, to preach the gospel from the pulpit, to offer the body of Christ to communicants, and to head the newly-empowered parish councils. It was a church determined to keep pace with the times and there was every evidence that the pace would continue. Sometime after college I noticed that going to church was not the same experience it had been, and I started on the long, frustrating faith journey that led in a painful circle back to where I started. I stumbled upon an unusual Catholic parish, one where the commitment to community and social justice and vibrant liturgy were immediately tangible, where the pastor teaches that Jesus' way is a way of nonviolence and service to the poor, that women should be allowed to answer's God¹s call to the priesthood, and that homosexual Catholics must find a way to integrate their sexuality into their lives by consulting not only official church teachings, but their own prayer-informed consciences. I felt immediately at home. I didn¹t know exactly why. Months later it hit me: This was what my catechism teachers, my pastors, and my own experience of church‹the mainstream Catholic church-- had led me to expect. I knew that this congregation and their pastor would be considered radical Catholics by today¹s standards, but I couldn¹t stop thinking that what I observed there seemed so familiar and so beautifully commonsensical. Jesus was a nonviolent radical who served the poor and welcomed everyone to his table, and these people were behaving, quite reasonably, like his followers. Their celebration, their focus and their service to others are rooted in the history of the Church, a history that includes St. Francis, Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, Dorothy Day, Archbishop Oscar Romero, Sister Helen Prejean, Kathy Kelly and Sister Dorothy Stang. This is the Church to which I am recommitted, the one I hold in my vision, the one I will pray for and work towards. I didn't move away from the church; the church moved away from itself, and damned if I am going to let it get away. As one of the nuns at my new parish told me, following a frustrating series of decisions by the church hierarchy, 'Just because they're in charge doesn't mean it isn't our church too.' Amen, sister.

Yo Beach, I'm from San Marcos, about 30 miles north of San Diego. curlytop

Lolly and Lily -- hey, that has a nice lilt to it! Amen to your posts! Recognizing the fact that people are at different developmental levels and different stages along the spiritual journey is so important. I think it is also partly what Paul means in 1 Cor. 13: 9 - 12: (NAB) "For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then fact to face. At present I know partially, then I shall know fully, as I am fully known." All is process, and we have different needs as the journey contines, as we keep on walking and growing. Peace, curly

Hey all. Unorthodox Catholic Curly here. I came across this article in the April 20, LA Times. It speaks to the variety of perspectives within Catholicism. It encourages me to stop pre-judging. It also gives me a feeling of hope --God bless Cardinal Mahony -- and I will continue to pray for Pope Benedict XVI. (What follows are excerpts, not the entire article): "Mahony Says the World Soon Will See Pontiff's Pastoral Side" It was an odd pairing: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Vatican's watchdog of othodoxy, sat down for breakfast Tuesday next to Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, one of the most progressive U.S. prelates. Given their sometimes conflicting approaches, the two men might not have ended up next to each other had a protocol officer been present. But Mahony said in an interview that he came away from the encounter -- and from two days of secret meetings in the Sistine Chapel -- convinced that Ratzinger would show a far more pastoral side of himself as pope than he had in his years as enforcer of doctrine. "I think what you're going to see and hear is a very pastoral, spiritual dimension," Mahony said. "Remeber, he's no longer the chief theologian of the church in that same sense . . . . He is the chief theologian as being pope." Ratzinger's choice of the name Benedict XVI, Mahony said, is an indication that promoting peace in the world and reconciliation among peoples and faiths will be priorities. After Ratzinger was elected, Mahony said, the new pope was asked what name he had chosen. "He said, 'I'm going to take the name Benedict XVI,' but then went on to explain why, which is very interesting," Mahony said. His first reason was that his namesake, Pope Benedict XV, reigned from 1914 to 1922 during World War I. "It was the worst scourge of war ever known on the face of the Earth" at the time, Mahony said. "So he said we still need to be working at peacemaking, reconciliation and harmony around the world," Mahony said. The second reason offered by Ratzinger was that St. Benedict, who founded the Benedictine Order, said that "Jesus Christ is first and foremost. Everything else is secondary. [Ratzinger] said those are the reasons [he] chose the name." At breakfast Tuesday, Mahony said, Ratzinger inquired about the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as well as those of the other prelates present. "He's someone that you could walk into a Starbucks with and sit down and have a coffee with and be totally at ease," Mahony said. "He's just delightful." . . . Mahony acknowledged that Ratzinger had a reputation as uncompromising when it came to adherence to church doctrine. "Everyone who's a public figure in some way always carries a reputation or baggage," Mahony said . . . [Mahony]: "We, as American Catholics, have to be a little more patient, and we have to know the rest of the church better," he said. "We really are isolated." Asked whether he expected the pope to give local dioceses more leeway in addressing local problems, a position which Mahony endorsed as recently as two weeks ago, he said he though Benedict would consult with bishops and be "very helpful." For more than two decades, it was Ratzinger's role to quell dissent in the church, and he silenced a number of theologians who challenged the Vatican. But Mahony said Ratzinger liked "to listen to other points of view. That's the role of a theologian -- to hear other points of view. Those don't frighten him or turn him off." Mahony added: "As a good theologian, if he disagrees with you, he does so in a very pleasant way." ---article by Larry B. Stammer

I came across this invite to an upcoming interfaith conference from Rabbi Michael Lerner in a friend's e-mail. I'm planning to go! "We invite our Catholic brothers and sisters, and people of all faiths, and spiritually-sensitive secular people, to join with us in creating a voice for spiritually or religiously committed progressives--by helping us create The Network of Progressive Spiritual Activism, at our founding conference on Spiritual Activism, July 20-23 at the University of California, Berkeley. For more details, go to www.tikkun.org and REGISTER NOW. More than ever, this alternative voice is so badly needed!"

Hey all -- Beach -- The RCC has had a wide variety of popes. In the 60s with John XXIII and Vatican II, modern reform was the name of the game. In the 80s and 90s with John Paul II, dialogue and social justice and holding a conservative stance on sexual and human life issues was the name of the game -- a mixture of liberal and conservative. With Benedict XVI, it may be that doctrinal traditionalism is the name of the game. But his papacy doesn't automatically erase or negate the reform-minded moves of previous years. All is process; nothing is static. The CC contains all of these elements; to suggest that it is only conservative or fundamentalist is to be reductive. (Similarly, to say that the church was a thorougly progressive institution after Vatican II would also be reductive.) Darby -- The RCC has held various opinions on abortion, although it has generally weighed in against it. However, according to the HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism: "Therapeutic abortion to save the life of the mother was not officially condemned by the Catholic Church until the latter half of the nineteenth century." Peace out, curly

I am looking forward to seeing the Wookie planet though! And bunches of Wookies! By the way -- on Bro Sun Sis Moon -- St. Francis remains Catholic so he can't have a church with women priests -- however his platonic love, St. Clare, joins his group's female counterpart, a Franciscan order for sisters. But yes, the film is certainly intended to appeal to those who want women priests! Definitely warms a progressive's heart!

Since the Catholic church doesn't define itself as solely fundamentalist, conservative, moderate, liberal, or progressive, I think that people might desire moderation because it helps avoid the excesses of the extremes at either end. Moderation also might be seen as something that serves as a better "container" for a group of folks with such a wide variety of political persuasions. It tends toward tolerance. (We liberals and progressives like to think that we are tolerant, but I've seen how we can be pretty intolerant of conservatives . . .). Back to Jesus -- In Matthew 5:17, here are Jesus's words: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill." Ciao for now, curlytop

Aletheia -- Yes, Lutheran, Episcopalian, and Catholic liturgy are quite similar. I've been to all three of these kinds of churches, and if one is not very familiar with them, it would be difficult to tell them apart . . . Beach -- Many of us progressives prefer to stay with our home denominations because we are working to change things from within the tradition. (For example: Jesus did not set out to start a new church -- he remained a Jew and a rabbi who worked for change within his own faith. Of course, another tradition developed from that, which is wonderful. But my point is that some of us find that our path remains in our home denomination, even as we dissent from it.) Catholicism has nourished me, nurtured me, made me who I am today -- (which, imo, means it can't be all that bad . . . ). As a daughter of the Catholic Church, I recognize that my motley family is a bit crazy, wounded, in pain, and needs my support. I know that some of my family has left because they got badly hurt by some of my misguided brothers and sisters -- if that is what they need to do to survive or to love God, then I bid them a fond farewell with great love -- and continue to have a friendship with them. But I have had the fortune, the blessing, the grace, to have been met with great love and compassion by something within Catholicism. So I stay here and work to bring more of that love out into the world -- to other Catholics, to other Christians, to non-Christians, to agnostics and secularists (like my husband). I do this not because I believe everyone should be Catholic, but because I want to be a part of that compassionate flow that God has generated within me through the medium of Catholicism -- that same flow coming from that same source that exists in all the world's great wisdom traditions. Another analogy: Staying within your denominational tradition is also kind of like being an American while people like George Bush are president. Some people have decided to move to Canada rather than remain in a country that would have him as president. That's certainly understandable. But me, I feel like: I was born here. This is my country; it is a part of who I am; and I love it. George Bush is a part of it, but he doesn't represent its totality. I will stay here because my country and my fellow/sister Americans may need me more than ever now. . . Peace, curlytop

Ahhhhh . . . Beach, Brother Sun, Sister Moon is probably my favorite flick of all time! And admittedly, all you Star Wars fans out there, when the first of these movies came out in 1977, my high school buddy and I went to see it every week for a year!! I also loved Contact -- it's one of the movies that makes me stop what I'm doing and watch it when it comes on TV . . . And nothing can beat that director's cut of The Abyss Other favorites: Wings of Desire (was later made into an English-language version -- City of Angels? -- but I prefer the original German Wem Wenders version). The Unbearable Lightness of Being Dirty Dancing (kind of embarrassed to admit it, though!) Jesus Christ Superstar Mystery Train The Yes Men Fantasia A Room with a View There are others, but that's what's off the top of my head! Cheers, curlytop

Hi again -- Here's something from Rabbi Michael Lerner -- long but informative. The Selection of Cardinal Ratzinger Is Bad News for the World and for the Jews Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor of the world's largest circulation progressive Jewish magazine, TIKKUN, and rabbi of Beyt Tikkun Synagogue in San Francisco, took the unusual step of criticizing the choice made by the Catholic Church for its new Pope, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Lerner was careful to make clear that he was NOT speaking as leader of The Tikkun Community, the interfaith organization whch he co-chairs, which has NOT taken a stand on these issues, but only as editor of TIKKUN magazine. Moreover, Lerner started with the following: "I want to bless the New pope and pray that he transcends his views on gays, women, secularists, the lack of validity of other religious paths, etc. I also pray that all the good people in the Church who do not share his views and want to preserve the social justice orientation of Jesus' teachings will join with us in creating an interfaith Network of Progressive Spiritual Activism--now more than ever such a context both for secular and for progressive religious and spiritual peole is badly needed." Rabbi Lerner issued the following statement: "Since the days in which he served in the Hitler Youth and Nazi army in Germany (apparently against his will, but nevertheless apparently absorbing the deep patriarchal and authoritarian character structure that the fascists did so much to foster in youth) to his role as the leader of the forces that suppressed the liberatory aspects of Vatican II and purged or silenced the Church of its most creative leadership (including German Catholic theologians Eugene Drewermann and Hans Kung, Brazilian theologian Leonardo Boff, and several prominent American Catholic thinkers), to the present moment in which he is recognized as the leader most identified with the forces of reaction and suppression of dissent within the Church, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has distinguished himself as a man who can be counted on to side with the most anti-humane and repressive forces, in opposition to those who seek to give primacy to a world of peace and justice. "Although normally Jews would welcome any choice of leadership by our sister religion, we have particular reason to comment on this choice. "Jews have a powerful stake and commitment in ending global poverty and oppression. We fully well understand that in a world filled with pain and cruelty, the resulting anger is often channeled in racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic directions. Both as a matter of principle, based on our commitment to a prophetic vision, and as a matter of self-interest, Jews have disproportionately supported liberal and progressive social change movements seeking to end war and poverty. "So it was with great distress that we watched as Cardinal Ratzinger led the Vatican in the past twenty-five years on a path that opposed providing birth control information to the poor of the world, thereby ensuring that AIDS would spread and kill millions in Africa. "And we watched with even greater distress as this Cardinal supported efforts to involve the Church in distancing itself from political candidates or leaders who did not agree with the Church's teachings on abortion and gay rights, prioritizing these issues over whether that candidate agreed with the Church on issues of peace and social justice. As a result, Cardinal Ratzinger has led the Church away from its natural alliance with Jews in fighting for peace and social justice and toward a stance which in effect allies the Church with the most reactionary politicians whose policies are militaristic and offer a preferential option for the rich. "We can't help noticing that under Cardinal Ratzinger's tutelage the Church began moves to elevate the infamous Pope Pius XII to the status of saint. Instead of repenting for the failure of the Church to give unequivocal messages telling all Catholics that they would be prevented from receiving communion for collaborating or cooperating in any way with Nazi rule, or for failing to hide and protect Jews who were marked for extermination, Ratzinger has sought to whitewash this disgraceful moment in Church history. Many Jews are outraged at a Church that denies communion to those who have remarried or those who oppose making abortion illegal but that did not similarly deny communion to those who participate in crimes against humanity. "In fact, Cardinal Ratzinger publicly praised the fascist movement in the Church known as Opus Dei and supported canonization of Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei, an open fascist who served in the government of Spain's dictator Franco, and who publicly praised Hitler. " While many of us agree with Ratzinger's critique of moral relativism, he extends that critique in illegitimate and dangerous ways, equating secularism with moral relativism and suggesting that secularism is now repressing religion. Since many, many Jews are secular, we have much concern about the way that this assault can quickly turn in anti-Semtiic directions (some of us remember the Nazi-supporting priest Father Coughlin of the 1930s whose US radio show always insisted that he was only agaisnt the secular Jews and hence wasn't "really" anti-Semitic). But whether or not he turns against Jews, those of us who are religious Jews or people of faith in other religions should rally against the attempt to demean all secular people and blame on them the problems of selfishness actually rooted in the dynamics of the the global capitalist market. Ratzinger also publicly critiques all those inside the Church who are tolerant enough to think that other religions may have equal validity as a path to God. This is a slippery slope toward anti-Semitism and a return to the chauvinistic and triumphalist views that led the Church, when it had the power to do so, to develop its infamous crusades and inquisitions. In 1997 Ratzinger said that Europeans attracted to Buddhism were actually seeking an "autoerotic spirituality" that offers "transcendence without imposing concrete religious obligations." Hindusim, he said, offers "false hope," in that it guarantees "purification" based on a "morally cruel" concept of reincarnation resembling "a continuous circle of hell." At the time, Cardinal Ratzinger predicted that Buddhism would replace Marxism as the Catholic church's main enemy. "Ratzinger is being falsely described as a conservative, when in fact he, despite his publicly genteel manner, is a raging reactionary. Unlike many American conservatives who oppose gay sexual practices but not their legal rights, Ratzinger in 1992 argued against human rights for gays, stressing that their civil liberties could be "legitimately limited." "Those of us in the Jewish world who have enormous respect for Christianity and for the wisdom and beauty of the Catholic tradition are in mourning today that the Church has confirmed for itself a destructive direction that will hurt not only Catholics but all those who seek peace and justice in the world. "We remain hopeful that the new pope may return to his original more progressive positions (pre-1968) and realize that the world needs a church that can respond compassionately and wisely to what is needed rather than remain wedded to dogma that is so destructive. In a statement that Ratzinger made a few years ago, he seemed deeply aligned with TIKKUN's ciritque of the selfishness and materialism of the contemporary world. We hope that he stops blaming that on secularists and comes to understand that secularists too, as well as people from other faiths, can be allies in the struggle for a new ethos of love and generosity. We pray that he may find a way to bring a better, kinder, more loving and compassionate agenda to the Catholic Church. It is precisely because we continue to feel allied with the Church and see it as an important ally in the struggle for social justice and peace that we are so dismayed at this misdirection. Meanwhile, we reaffirm our solidarity with the many millions of Catholics who had hoped for a very different kind of Pope who would make the Church more open to women's leadership, to prioritizing social justice, to rethinking its opposition to promoting birth control, and to returning to the hopeful spirit of Vatican II. We can say publicly what many of you can only say privately-that this new Pope does not represent what is most beautiful and sacred in the teachings of Jesus." Late this evening, Rabbi Lerner was interviewed on a national call-in radio show on the issues discussed here, and he mentioned the problem that Catholics have of speaking out on these issues, given Cardinal Ratzinger's tendency to take retributive actions to purge from positions in the church those who disagreed with his views. A retired catholic priest called in, said he agreed 100% with Rabbi Lerner's position, and said that he wouldn't dare say these things under his own name for fear that his retirement pension would be cut off, so he thanked Rabbi Lerner for saying for progressive Catholics what many do not dare say for themselves. Rabbi Michael Lerner is editor of TIKKUN and author of ten books, including Healing Israel/Palestine (North Atlantic Books, 2003) and Jewish Renewal (Harper Perennial, 1995). Meanwhile, we invite our Catholic brothers and sisters, and people of all faiths, and spiritually-sensitive secular people, to join with us in creating a voice for spiritually or religiously committed progressives--by helping us create The Network of Progressive Spiritual Activism, at our founding conference on Spiritual Activism, July 20-23 at the University of California, Berkeley. For more details, go to www.tikkun.org and REGISTER NOW. More than ever, this alternative voice is so badly needed!