Discouraged by ‘Catholic legalism’
I read with alarm the recent decision by the Phoenix Diocese declaring invalid the baptisms celebrated by Father Arango because of a one-word deviation in form.
What does this decision communicate to faithful Catholics, to inactive Catholics and to those who have serious doubts about becoming Catholic?
Once again Catholicism is presented as legalistic and dogmatic, elevating the legal form of a sacrament over the sacrament’s purpose of serving the needs of persons, placing liturgical law over the mission of reconciliation.
My son called my attention to this decision. Like so many young adults, he questions the mindset of the Church and whether he could be an authentic Christian and, in addition, Catholic. At this time of synodal dialogues, can we allow the Lord to remind us that the sacrament, like the sabbath, was made for man, not man for the sacrament? [Mk 2:27]
I converted to Catholicism at age 33; I had been baptized at age 9 within the Baptist tradition. When confirmed, no one asked whether my baptism was valid, what words were used, and no one challenged the obvious fact that my pastor who baptized me was not a priest.
How can my baptism be accepted as valid and the baptism of so many be challenged because of a lack of formality?
I would argue that even if invalid, the sacrament is still efficacious. And what of the tradition to honor the baptism of desire, the baptism of intent or the baptism of martyrs?
I find this display of Catholic legalism discouraging. – Deacon Melvin Dowdy, Richmond
‘Open up the Catholic Church in America’
In September 1952, a Korean War veteran asked me to drive him to the Maryknoll seminary at Clark’s Summit in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The large class of entering seminarians was comprised mostly of WWII and Korean War vets. Four years later, my friend called me to say that he was leaving the seminary to return to civilian life.
“My class is down to a handful,” he said. “The Catholic Church is losing the finest group of American men I’ve ever known simply because it does not allow priests to marry.”
Now, some 60-plus years later, the Catholic Church in America is on the ropes from cultural change, Church scandals and now COVID. It badly needs a jumpstart.
It is time we have both married priests and a diaconate wide open to women. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops should make this a pressing issue in the ongoing synod.
Open up the Catholic Church in America. It’s what a vast majority of the Catholic laity wants for the 21st century. – Ret. Captain Jim Mulligan, USN, Virginia Beach
VAERS provides vaccine injury reports
In response to questions in letters to the editor on Jan. 24, the U.S. government has the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. VAERS collects reports of injuries and deaths after any vaccine was injected into anyone. It is a felony to make a false report, but apparently no crime to not make a report at all.
VAERS has over 1 million reports of injuries following COVID-19 vaccinations and over 21,000 deaths. Most vaccine injuries or deaths are not reported because most medical professionals are either unaware of VAERS or discouraged from making a report by superiors. A VAERS report requires about 30 minutes of a medical professional’s time.
Go to vaers.hhs.gov to access reports of vaccine injuries. – David White, Roseland
Discuss other issues on ‘Views’ page
After reading the multiple letters to the editor in the Feb. 7 issue of The Catholic Virginian that relate contradictory findings, I am driven to write.
I have reviewed the CDC website referred to and cannot locate figures as quoted by Ms. Curley and Mr. Lineberry. I do know that we will soon approach 1 million COVID deaths in the USA.
The issue is not whether one has the right to be vaccinated or not, but the dissemination of plus/minus accurate data to others to support this decision.
I urge The Catholic Virginian, for the sake of providing the most accurate data to its readers, engage, if possible, a public health expert from the University of Virginia, Georgetown or other medical center to state the CDC statistics and to bring an end to further “opinion pieces.”
This could and should be short and to the point. Just the facts. It will serve to move the running battle of opinions to the sidelines and permit discussion on the letter page of a wide range of other issues. – Paul Schellhammer, MD, Virginia Beach