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* * * * * * * * * * The Malachi File I just checked the calendar and it’s hard to believe that when this comes out, it will be nearly Christmas, and soon New Year’s. It’s been a pretty rough year for us Catholics. Can the news from Boston possibly get any worse? But I’d like to call everyone’s attention to one very positive recent development for St. Malachi’s and that is the e-mail alert system. Thanks largely to the efforts of Dolores Sullin, it keeps us informed about prayer requests and other emergencies of people in the Community and Parish, and those close to them. We would like to encourage more people to use this e-mail service by calling in their prayer requests for Community/Parish members, former members, and families. Upon occasion, we hear complaints that one person or another is being mentioned too often. Our reaction is much the same as when we get similar complaints about Communio: we use what we are given, and just about everything we are given, and we appreciate all of it. If you know of someone who needs prayer for one need or another, and of course, you know that they want the need broadcast by e-mail, let us know. Updates about ongoing problems are also welcome. We would like to encourage more people to use this e-mail service by calling in their prayer requests. Here’s how: direct the request to Judy Bozell or Carol Lavelle at the Rectory, phone 216-781-3110 or 216-861-5343. On a holiday or a weekend, contact one of the Committee chairs and they will help get the request in the works. We have two reasons for asking that you not contact Dolores directly: one is that she does a lot of work for us already and we don’t want to overload her; and second, it’s good to have a second person involved in screening the calls. Not to make a big deal of it, but there is a potential for misuse and even mischief. As I mentioned last month, we take the privacy of individuals on our e-mail lists very seriously and we absolutely do n’t want to send out unwanted e-mail. If you want to get off the list, or to be added to it, contact Dolores at dasas@nccw.net. The original sign-up came when you filled out your annual recommitment forms in the spring, and we don’t do anything with the lists other than what they are intended for.We also have e-mail lists for the two Community publications, the Newsletter and Communio. I encourage more people to get on these lists because, at a time when collections are down, we could start cutting back on our copying costs if we can get enough people signed up. Meanwhile, note that both publications are posted to our web site, www.stmalachi.org, shortly after they are issued, and archives are available there thanks to the efforts of Communications Co-Chair Mike May. Now there is a third list that we have yet to get off the ground, one for special announcements pertaining to events and activities at Malachi’s, especially those that come up too late for publication, or are deserving of an extra boost of publicity. Everyone on the Communications Committee is already doing all they can, and we need someone to step forward and take charge of this venture. (Actually, we’ve been asking for a long time, but it’s time to ask again.) At first, it will involve a good deal of time to set it up and get it running, but after that the time commitment to keep it maintained and functioning is not all that significant. Contact any of us involved in the Communications Committee if you are interested. You will need a fairly up-to-date computer (a Windows 98 machine should be fine), an e-mail program like Outlook or Outlook Express, and a good working knowledge of the software. I could go on to another topic - pedophile priests, changes in ordination policies, etc., etc. - but it’s Christmas. Merry Christmas everyone and we’ll see you back here next month for some etc. Thanks to David Alexander, Mike Pellegrino, Helen Brinich, John Lucic, Frank Schiros, Fr. Shannon and Steve DeJohn, the Mancusos, Dawn Stary and Ron Perger for sending in material for this issue. The next Communio will be published January 26th, with a January 12th deadline. - Dan Alaimo * * * * * * * * Her Constant Teaching (David Alexander sent this letter to us in response to something our Editor-In-Chief, Dan Alaimo, wrote in Malachi File in October’s issue. The Editor, Luis Gutierrez, offers his apologies for not including it in our November issue. David, thanks for sending it in!) [Dan Alaimo] wrote: I’d really like to see the Community of St. Malachi shift its attention to a more constructive approach to the problem, and that is, advocating for a change in the requirements for ordination - allowing for the ordination of women and married priests. The Community has a long track record of speaking out forcefully on this issue, but it has been strangely quiet lately. In fact, we seem strangely quiet on a number of things. But this is an area where we can have an impact. This is not a complete solution to the pedophile problem, and it will not bring an end to Church scandals - nothing will. So, why then have women and married priests? Women cannot be ordained to the priesthood. To be a member of the Catholic Church is to ascribe to a belief system that holds that as part of Her constant teaching. Women cannot be ordained to the priesthood. To be a member of the Catholic Church is to ascribe to a belief system that holds that as part of Her constant teaching. No amount of “speaking out forcefully” will change that, especially those who do not know the reason for the Teaching in the first place. Those who believe women in the priesthood to be a solution to the matter of abusive clergy obviously are not old enough to remember the days of Sister Mary Godzilla beating the crap out of them as an exercise in character building. Nor are they aware of reports earlier this year of the sexual abuse of children by women religious. There are a number of circumstances in which married men are ordained to the priesthood, mostly men of Eastern Rites, or former Protestant clergy. Among those who express reservations about relaxing this discipline are the wives of a few of them, not to mention therapists who counsel their families. Regarding the latter, the overwhelming evidence is that either the marriage or the ministry suffers. Is celibacy a common trait of sexual abusers? The evidence suggests otherwise. (Ask any family that harbors what used to be euphemistically referred to as the “funny uncle.”) Not only that, but married men have been known to break their vows. There is no reason to think that ordination will make such temptation magically disappear. “Strangely silent,” indeed. Maybe we need to think about what we propose, and wonder if we will leave the situation better than we found it. Now... let’s see if anybody’s open-minded enough to publish this. - David L. Alexander * * * * * * * * Thoughts On John 1 One of my favorite parts of the Bible is the first chapter of the Gospel of John. It is good reading for Advent because it implies so much about Jesus Christ. I recently learned that verses 1 through 14 of this first chapter of John used to be recited by the priest after communion at every mass before the changes of Vatican II. What is it about this opening to the fourth gospel? Revisit some of the amazing verses here:
The implication for me is that the truth and wisdom contained in all religious beliefs, even the truth and wisdom of the agnostic or atheist, as well as the truth and wisdom in all of creation would find it’s ultimate source in the truth and wisdom of Jesus Christ. This opening to John’s Gospel reminds me, as author Ken Wilber writes, that God “is not set apart from all things and events…but, so to speak, is sewn through the fabric of all that is…[N]ot a Big Thing set apart from finite things, but rather the reality or suchness or ground of all things.” For me these verses from the Gospel of John are so amazing because in them I hear of the all-encompassing nature of Jesus Christ. The implication for me is that the truth and wisdom contained in all religious beliefs, even the truth and wisdom of the agnostic or atheist, as well as the truth and wisdom in all of creation would find it’s ultimate source in the truth and wisdom of Jesus Christ. It is as Thomas Aquinas reportedly said, “All truth, whoever utters it, comes from the Holy Spirit.” Matthew Fox gives an interesting exercise for reading the opening to John’s Gospel. He cites the Hebrew word for the “Word” of God as “Dabhar.” “Dabhar,” he implies, means the “creative energy of God,” which goes beyond human words. He then, as an example, re-writes the opening to John’s Gospel by replacing the word “Word,” with the phrase “Creative Energy”:
When reading scripture it is sometimes important to try to separate fact from belief. A book published in 1993 by a group of Jesus historians called “The Five Gospels” gave some startling opinions about the Gospel of John. This group of historians categorized the words of Jesus in all the gospels under four different ratings, delineated in the book by four different colors. These color ratings identified the words that they considered “Jesus undoubtedly said” in the first rating, with words that “Jesus did not say” in the fourth rating. Interestingly, almost the entire Gospel of John was rated by these scholars as containing words that “Jesus did not say,” but instead represented “the perspective or content of a later or different tradition.” Some people might find such conclusions upsetting. For me, however, they bring to mind the letter written by Fr. Bill Shannon that was re-printed in the last issue of Communio. He cited Pope Pius XII’s encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu. He wrote that this encyclical freed Catholic biblical scholars to use historical approaches to understand scripture. Shannon wrote that this enabled us to “open our minds and hearts to what the Word of God was saying to us as it comes to us in fragile human documents.” Therefore despite the sobering findings of historians, we can find solace acknowledging that facts and belief can be separate things. I have always loved that first chapter of John’s Gospel. When you love something there is nothing quite like finding someone else who loves that same thing. You want to sit down together if you can, and go over and over your thoughts about this thing you both love. I recently found, in print, someone who wrote with great enthusiasm about the opening to John’s Gospel. He was one of the authors of “The Interpreter’s Bible,” published in 1952. Just listen to the enthusiasm and great intelligence that this commentator brings to his exposition on that awesome beginning of John’s Gospel: No book in literature has so breath-taking an opening as these stupendous findings on the life and character about to be described, flung down so confidently…It is a bewilderingly crowded preface…this author…gives the impression of thinking much faster than he can speak or write; with the result that the reader’s mind is overwhelmed by a rush of staggering assertions, at each of which he would like to be given time to pause, and try to begin, at least, to think this out; but none is allowed him, and at once he is swept on and on. The whole thing has the effect more of a piece of lofty music than of literature. It stirs strange feelings and emotions in us that surge up out of the deeps. It creates an atmosphere in which one reads, awed and tense, and with held breath. We know that we are face to face with something august, tremendous, illimitable. But the impression left upon most readers’ minds, one fancies, is indefinite and vague; a sense of something very big and very real, but indescribable, which will not go into words. This is a passage best to be understood by that additional faculty with which the mystics credit us, which sees much farther than reason and intelligence, and knows much more accurately than they ever can; and yet it cannot tell others what it sees and experiences. So, here we are in Advent. Jesus is coming. Now re-read John’s first chapter. It’s loaded…It’s amazing…It’s good news! In the beginning was the Word… - John Lucic * * * * * * * * ‘The Good Shepherd Cares For His Flock’ I once heard the above statement given in a homily. Headlines, editorials, and articles to the shock and sorrow of Catholics contradict what was once taken for granted, but no more. Curiously, the blame has been placed entirely on priests, yet that has diminished to one indictment in the entire diocese. Think of it: in a diocese covering hundreds of square miles the interminable search for abusive priests results in one indictment! Even more curiously, the news of just that one indictment comes on the eve of Christmas when most Catholics and shoppers are distracted by the oncoming holiday. All Catholics get is tedious information paper mill that when it’s analyzed, turns out to be hot air and gobbledygook. However, this essay is not about priests - it’s about their bosses. Not a single cardinal or bishop has offered to step down or retire in recognition of their malfeasance. What must Protestants and Muslims think of such a man as Boston’s Cardinal Law after the revelation that he incredibly allowed the transfer of a priest without noting that this priest fathered (no pun intended) two children with a woman and left her to die of cancer without care? The same legal and public relations firms are still churning out their hierarchical cover in hopes that all the interest will go away. No mea culpas, no genuine effort to encourage the elimination of state statutes of limitations, no serious attempts to involve community or parish in person-to-person dialogue, no serious attempt to include priests in community dialogue or speak their piece in the pulpit. All Catholics get is tedious information paper mill that when it’s analyzed, turns out to be hot air and gobbledygook. Therein is where the real scandal lies. There is a saying in the army that my officer uncle once told me about: when something goes wrong, the horse manure rolls down the hill until it hits the low man on the totem pole. In education, if a teacher is identified as a sexual abuser, it’s not left up to the discretion of the principal to investigate or prosecute. It’s turned over to authorities. If the principal doesn’t report an incident, he also is subject to prosecution. Are cardinals and bishops immune from prosecution? Commands, directives, orders call for obedience. Statements of truth, on the other hand - such as statements of faith - call for assent In the world of commerce when Enron and WorldCom officers misled their investors and the public, their actions were scrutinized and they became subjects for indictment by law enforcement agencies. Should we ask anything less of our law enforcement agencies with regard to hierarchical misuse and abuse of religious discretion? Many sincere Catholics find the subject of priestly abuse and a hierarchy that turns a blind eye to it extremely painful and stressful and wish the matter would go away. But it won’t go away unless it is dealt with satisfactorily. We can’t let misfits and miscreants besmirch the reputation of the Church. The Church is unparalleled in its peace and justice efforts, as well as its stance on many world issues that no other denomination can measure up to. It’s important for Catholics to understand this but it’s also important to prevent further tarnishing of the Church’s image with our non-Catholic world population. - Frank Schiros
* * * * * * * * Authority In The Church (Last month Steve DeJohn handed our Editor-In-Chief, Dan Alaimo, “An Open Letter To The Bishops Of The Local Churches In The United States,” a letter penned by Professor Emeritus at Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y., Fr. Bill Shannon, and we ran it. A number of people have expressed their interest in the letter and with that in mind we thought we might pass along an article Fr. Shannon wrote which he presented October 23, 2002 as a lecture honoring the 40th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester sponsored the lecture. As it is a lengthy piece, we’ll be presenting it in four parts through March. Again we thank Steve DeJohn, who has exchanged several e-mails with Bill Shannon, for getting this to us. The article is being presented here with Fr. Shannon’s permission.) A number of years ago I visited some friends at their cottage on lovely Lake Muskoka, north of Toronto. One day I happened to be in front of the cottage. John the oldest of my friends’ children - he was perhaps five or six at the time - was throwing stones and rocks into the lake. The pride of Lake Muskoka is that its beaches are sandy without stones or rocks. So I said to him: “John, stop throwing stones into the lake!” He looked at me - quietly for a moment - and then asked: “Can you spank me?” What he was really asking me was: “Do you have authority over me? Do I have to obey you? Do I have to listen to what you are saying? Do I have to agree with the reasons you have for saying what you did?” The Nature Of Authority The topic I am to speak about is “Authority in the Church.” Now the correlatives of authority are obedience and assent. Rightful authority can demand (1) obedience to its directives and (2) assent to what it teaches. It is important to note the difference between obedience and assent. Commands, directives, orders call for obedience. Statements of truth, on the other hand - such as statements of faith - call for assent. You cannot obey a statement of truth. Thus, “two and two are four” is the statement of a mathematical truth. You can give your assent to it or you may withhold your assent. But you can’t obey it or disobey it. It makes no sense to say: “I obey the statement ‘two and two are four.’“ Etymology This means that true authority always addresses itself to human freedom and reason. It does not compel. Rather it persuades. For it seeks the free assent of the person. Authority can be seen as dominating those who are the subjects of that authority or empowering them to grow. Interestingly, the derivation of the word suggests that latter meaning gives a more authentic understanding of authority. The word comes from the Latin auctoritas which comes from auctor which means “author” or “producer.” Auctor in turn comes from the verb augere which means “to cause to increase,” “to cause to grow.” Interestingly, when applied to agriculture, “augere” means “to fertilize,” or “to make fertile.” This etymology strongly suggests that the purpose of authority is “to enrich” those toward whom the authority is directed, to help them grow. Authority exists, therefore, “to empower people,” to enable them to discover and make use of the gifts they have. This means that true authority always addresses itself to human freedom and reason. It does not compel. Rather it persuades. For it seeks the free assent of the person. Its task, therefore, is to further people’s development by calling them to personal involvement. Karl Rahner has put it this way: “Authority must be fully integrated into the freedom of the subject’s decision” (Sacramentum Mundi, vol, 1, 130). Substitutional Authority Such authentic authority must be distinguished from another form of authority that is of a temporary character: a type of authority that exists to make itself unnecessary, namely, substitutional authority. Such authority exists to help those who are not yet adults and who, therefore, cannot be responsible for their own destiny. Thus, parents exercise authority over their children in order to lead them to a point when they can act freely and responsibly on their own. This substitutional type of authority exists to disappear, to make itself superfluous. Once the subject of authority can exercise her or his freedom in a responsible way, this vicarious function of authority ceases. One of the pitfalls that people in authority can easily fall into (and all too often this has been true of the Church) is the mentality that wants to continue to exercise this kind of substitutional authority even after the subjects of that authority have achieved a sufficient maturity to exercise their own freedom in a responsible way. When this happens in the Church, authority becomes dominative and repressive of the freedom of the members of the Church. The Magisterium In this talk my principal emphasis will be on the teaching authority of the Church (i. e., the magisterium) and the assent that Catholics are required to give to the teachings of the magisterium. The word magisterium, by the way, really means the office of teaching, but in Church parlance it is used to refer to those who hold the teaching office in the Church. As Catholic Christians we are committed to the belief that authority exists in the Church and that this authority comes from God. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. The Holy Spirit is present in the Church in order, as the Fourth Gospel says, “to guide [us] into all the truth.” (John 16:13) Some of you may remember Bishop Kearney. He certainly believed in the presence of the Spirit in the Church. He was not impressed, however, by a change in terminology. After his first and only trip to Rome for the Second Vatican Council, he often said: “I hope the Holy Spirit will take as good care of the Church in the present as the Holy Ghost did in the past.” Two questions I shall try to reflect on. (1) What is the nature of this authority given by Spirit? (2) To what degree, if any, does the laity participate in that authority? First, Vatican II emphasized the importance of baptism, second, it attempted to decentralize the Church, and third, it made clear that the laity have an indispensable role to play in the teaching function of the Church. What I have already said about authority in general suggests that the subject of authority is not just a passive recipient of the will of authority. The subject, ideally at least, should be actively involved in the teachings that come from authority. There is an intriguing expression in Eastern thought that says: “The teacher and the taught create the teaching.” I would not want to push this statement too far; but there is, I believe, a way in which it can be seen to make sense. God’s revelation in Jesus is given to the whole Church, not - in the first instance at least - to the magisterium. The task of the magisterium is to articulate God’s revelation as it is being experienced in the Church (though of course it can never do this fully, for God’s revelation burst the bonds of human language). The task of the laity is to receive that teaching with faith and gratitude as a gift from the magisterium, yet not in a completely passive way, but as somehow involved in that teaching through their experiencing the reality of the Gospel in their lives. For if it is true that the magisterium speaks for the whole Church, this means that the whole Church ought in some way be involved. The New Testament And Authority Against a background that sees authority as (1) empowering people and (2) being addressed to their freedom, I want to look at the New Testament and recall the strong words Jesus had to say about the way authority was to be exercised among his followers. In chapter 10 of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about the way authority was exercised among the Gentiles. His remarks come immediately after the disciples are pictured as quarrelling over who among them is the greatest. Jesus says to them: “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them and their great ones are tyrants over them.” What Jesus is saying is that for most people authority means domination over others, coercion, refusal to respect peoples’ freedom. Then comes punch line of stark contrast: “But it is not so among you.” It’s almost as if he is pleading with them: “You won’t let it be that way among you, will you? You won’t let that happen, will you?” Then comes his command: “Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant.” The Greek word which is translated “servant” is diakonos (which means ministry). Jesus goes even further: “Whoever want to be first among you must be the slave, the servant, of all” (Mk 10:41-44). The Second Vatican Council did three things that are especially important to our understanding of this kind of servant-authority in the Church and the way in which the whole Church, not just the magisterium alone, is involved in the teaching of the Church. (1) First, Vatican II emphasized the importance of baptism, (2) second, it attempted to decentralize the Church, and (3) third, it made clear that the laity have an indispensable role to play in the teaching function of the Church. And all this in the context of what I see as the governing metaphor of the Council: the image of the Church as the People of God. - William H. Shannon (You can write Fr. Shannon at 4095 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14618; or e-mail him at wshannon@ssjrochester.org.)
* * * * * * * * A Letter From The Mancusos (We’ve been blessed with another letter from the Mancusos, who with the support of both the Parish and the Community, and with baby Rachel in tow, are training to do missionary work in Bolivia. You can read their letters by going to www.stmalachi.org and clicking on the Communio archives; a letter - or two - has appeared in every issue of Communio since September. Al, Beth, Rachel: we look forward to seeing you over the holidays!) 29 November 2002 Dear All, I thought today would be an appropriate day to write this update seeing that we have no car to go shopping. I am sure there will be plenty of other people who will be able to say they were a part of the biggest shopping day of the year. It was quite a melancholy Monday morning when we were all preparing to depart from Washington. Saying goodbye is never easy. We are all in Cross Lake, Maine. You will most assuredly not find this town on a map. To give all of you a better idea of where we are look for Fort Kent, Maine and Caribou, Maine, and we will be right about in the middle. Yesterday, for Thanksgiving, it was 16ºF here. We are spending these next three weeks with Beth’s family. We leave here on the 19th of December. We can be reached here at: (207) 834-6595. Our address is: P.O. Box 561, Fort Kent, ME 04743. Please do not call after 9:30 p.m. Last Sunday in Washington D.C., we were all commissioned as missionaries for Franciscan Mission Service. Beth’s mom and dad came down from Maine, and my mom and sister came down from Cleveland. While they were here, they expressed their concerns for us leaving the States to go to Bolivia, but more specifically their concern for Rachel’s well being. Rachel is unable to receive two vaccinations until she turns two. The specific vaccines are for Hepatitis A and Typhoid Fever. These are both food-borne, and they can be controlled by Beth’s and my very close attention to what Rachel eats. Furthermore, the effects of Hep A are quite mild for a child under the age of five, and we have consulted various health professionals about the risks involved. From all of this we are quite confident in Rachel’s and our own health security. Nevertheless, we feel we owe it to our families to consider their concerns and make an even more educated decision on leaving for mission now or after Rachel turns two, which would mean that we would have to postpone for a year. If we do decide to postpone for a year, we will most likely look into working in a domestic volunteer program in the States during the postponement period. Franciscan Mission Service (F.M.S.) has offered, kindly, to house us in Washington if that is where we would happen to end up. Tim, would there be an opportunity for our family to join you in Mississippi for our year off or a portion thereof? Obviously, there are only six weeks before we are scheduled to depart. F.M.S. has made it quite clear that our decision should not be rushed in any way. We can take all the time we need. However, they said it would most likely be better for our sanity that the decision we make be sooner than later. We do want to add one more note. Beth and I both have signed a contract to live overseas working for F.M.S. for three years so we do have a commitment. Rachel has been adding a few more things to her repertoire. She now knows where her belly, mouth, toes, and nose are on her body. She knows sign language for hurt, eat, all done, and again. It was quite a melancholy Monday morning when we were all preparing to depart from Washington. Saying goodbye is never easy. Our house managers, John and Patricia Kelly, got up early in the morning to make waffles for us as a special gift. They were incredible. We appreciate all they did for us. Sr. Sofia and Sr. Anna were the first to depart just before 7:00 a.m. They have been such a blessing for us. Their friendship and deep spirituality have been quite a witness to us. Yes, they are both nuns, but they are much more than that. They are human beings just like us. They are no different. They have worries and fears, strengths and weaknesses, love and passion. They eat, sleep, cry, make music, clean, cook, and pray. They have just taken sacred vows which most of us have not. We are blessed to call them our friends. Please remember them as they are heading to Jeremie, Haiti in two weeks. Currently, they are in Springfield, IL and Chicago, IL on retreat. We will miss them greatly. My aspiration for is to discover many of the things that are at the heart and soul of this town. Unfortunately, Diana could not be commissioned with us this past Sunday. This was quite a shock to us. Diana worked so very hard, and it was disappointing that she was unable to complete her journey with us. We were so happy that she chose to be with us all at the commissioning ceremony. Please keep Diana in your prayers as well. Diana is still planning on going back to El Salvador to do more wonderful work. She just will not be doing it under the F.M.S. banner. Diana was a good friend to Rachel, Beth, and myself. I loved and looked forward to going on our morning bike rides prior to the cold and the sniper shootings. Diana is such a deeply caring and spiritual woman. Diana, more than any one else in our community, raised our social awareness. After coming to Washington from Salvador, she continued to walk in solidarity with the poor. She attended peace marches and rallies. She prayed about injustices throughout the world. She prayed for the leadership of our nation who have to make difficult decisions. We will miss her. During our time in Washington, we were very blessed and thankful for having met Ann Hunter. Ann was very helpful to Beth and myself. She has helped us more than she can imagine. Also, thank you Joe, Megeen, and Barbara for all your time, energy, knowledge, and prayers amongst all the other things you did for us. Lastly, we give thanks to our family and friends, the Community of St. Malachi, the Parish of St. Malachi, the Parish of St. Mel, and the Propagation of the Faith Office for the Diocese of Cleveland for all they have done and will continue to do. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, as we will all of you. - Al, Beth and Rachel Mancuso
* * * * * * * * (Dawn Stary and several members of her family have just recently joined the Community and Dawn, God bless her, has already stepped forward and offered to contribute to our community by writing a column that will appear in Communio every month - for as long as she remains in Cleveland. Thank you, Dawn, and welcome!)
* * * * * * * * Padre Franco The Bell Ringer (Padre Franco derives the title for this column, and for his monastery, from
the movie “Cinema Paradiso,” where the village priest was the local censor.
Whenever he found objectionable parts in a film, he would ring his bell and the
projectionist would cut the scene out. While the Padre is a little like the
priest in the movie, ringing a bell with his words, he takes some license with
the concept in rating the films, using a scale of one to five bells - the more
bells, the better he liked the picture. Brother Daniel joins the good Padre this
month, offering a review of breathtaking brevity and a review of a documentary
playing on the Eastside. Padre Franco would like to remind everyone that the
Monasterio de la Cinema Paradiso is open to anyone with a passion for movies who
cares to share their reflections with the larger Community. Men, women, and
teens are encouraged to join us. Popcorn will be provided.) Solaris 3 1/2 As in a similar film, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” this film encourages the viewer to explore the deep issues of life as well as speculating on the ambiguous outcome of the movie. “Solaris” raises questions it can’t possibly answer. Chris Kelvin (George Clooney), a psychologist, receives a cryptic message which asks him to leave Earth and travel to a space station revolving around the planet Solaris. The request is made by the sponsoring company to find out why the ship’s crew won’t return home. Once Kelvin arrives at the station, he finds two dead bodies and two survivors who are enigmatic about what has and is happening. There are no scientific explanations about what is happening on Solaris, and the appearance of Kelvin’s dead wife, Rheya (Natascha McElhone) only adds to the mystery. Most of the emotions stem from the viewer’s awareness of mortality. People die, but it is the loved ones left behind who suffer the sting of death. We can comfort ourselves with Christ’s victory over death and of his pending return. A Dylan Thomas poem is quoted throughout “Solaris” – “Though lovers be lost, love shall not; death shall have no dominion.” It brings to mind Romans 6:9 – “knowing Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death have no more dominion over him.” — Padre Franco The Emperor’s Club 3 3/4 “The Emperor’s Club” is the latest movie tribute to nature’s noblest profession. It is in the tradition of a long list of films, such as “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,” “Blackboard Jungle,” “To Sir With Love,” “Dead Poet’s Society” and “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” There are frustrating thoughts that must come to mind for some teachers as a result of this type of movie. Teachers get the tributes, but doctors and lawyers get all the money. There is still a large segment of the population that believes teachers are paid for summer, Christmas and Easter vacations – they aren’t! The movie opens with Professor William Hundert (Kevin Kline) reflecting on what brought him to the luxurious resort of a former student of his. Twenty five years earlier, he arrived at Saint Benedict’s School for Boys to teach students that the lasting benefits of Western Civilization were not only the exploits of the ancient Greeks and Romans, but how those long dead statesmen and warriors could give guidance in contemporary life. The arrival of Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsch), a rebellious student, sets the tone of the story. Hundert is too prissy, entirely too polite, conservative and too stiff at first to control Sedgewick’s behavior, but eventually he manages some semblance of good behavior, if not good values. The obnoxious Sedgewick is a chip off the old block of his equally obnoxious father, who is a rich and powerful senator (have we heard of this before?). The crux of the story is Sedgewick’s attempts to cheat at an annual Emperor’s Club competition and subsequent failure. Years later, the rich and powerful Sedgewick tries to repeat the Emperor’s Club competition with his old schoolmates and proves he’s still the same old cheater. An aspect of the movie that must make inner city teachers sigh with desire is that the classrooms are filled with polite boys, laughing on cue, studying dutifully and obeying with precision. That will be the day! — Padre Franco Die Another Day 3 3/4 There is no cultural saving grace to this movie, but it is fun. It’s like watching a funny book character played by a real live human. It’s probably the best of the 007 Bond movies. — Padre Franco Die Another Day 3 Bang, bang. Boom, boom. Pretty girls. Pretty good. — Brother Daniel Standing In The Shadows Of Motown 3 Movies come and go pretty quickly in December, so you will have to move pretty fast to catch this one while it is still at the Cedar-Lee. This is a worthwhile film, and worth seeing while still on the big screen with the big sound system. But why such a low rating? The general quality of the documentary is not great. But that’s not what is important. The music alone is worth the price of admission, depending, I suppose on whether you have fond memories, or any memories, of the many Motown hits of the ‘60s and ‘70s. “Standing in the Shadows of Motown” is about the unsung (literally, and with pun intended) musicians who played behind all the Motown performers, the Four Tops, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, and on and on. Called The Funk Brothers, it is said in the movie that they played on songs that sold more records than Elvis, the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones combined. It is also said that on many of these songs, Deputy Dawg (prompt for those who need it: this is a cartoon character from long ago) could have sung lead, and they still would have been hits. The various performance pieces interspersed through the movie do a good job of proving this point. The singers are something more than Deputy Dawg, but they also are not the famed vocalists of the Motown era. Some singers are better than the originals, some are lacking, but the instrumental backing is powerful, upbeat stuff. The soundtrack even includes a couple of tracks of plain instrumental music – not even the melody – and, you know what, it still sounds real good. If you have any fondness for the great Motown hits, see the movie, enjoy the music, and take what you can from the documentary. If anything, this movie is yet another demonstration of how corrupt and inept the music business is, letting great musicians like these go uncredited and unrecognized until now. So weigh my three-bell rating with this: if you have any fondness for the great Motown hits, see the movie, enjoy the music, and take what you can from the documentary. And pick up the soundtrack – it’s one of the better ones, and much more than an excuse to promote the latest pop hits as most contemporary movie CDs are these days. — Brother Daniel * * * * * * * *The Shoes (This was sent to us by Ron Perger as an anonymous piece of inspiration like so many others floating around the Internet, but we were able to track the name of the author down through a simple Yahoo search. We urge others to do the same before sending material like this in to us. The authors deserve credit for their work. This poem and others like it can be found at www.onceuponapoem.com.) closed my eyes, I saw that the shoe of the man next to me was touching my own and I sighed. With plenty of room on either side, I thought, Then the prayer began: “Heavenly Father,” someone said –But I thought, “Does this man with the shoes have no pride?” They were dusty, worn, scratched end to end. What’s worse, there were holes on the side! “Thank You for blessings,” the prayer went on. Aren’t we supposed to look our best when Then the prayer ended and songs of praise began.The shoe man was loud, sounding proud as he sang. He lifted the rafters; his hands raised high; The Lord surely heard his voice from the sky. Then the offering was passed; what I threw in was steep.The shoe man reached into his pockets, so deep, And I tried to see what he pulled out to put in, Then I heard a soft “clink,” as when silver hits tin. The sermon bored me to tears – and no lie – At the end of the service, as is custom here, But I was moved inside to want to meet this man, So after the closing, I shook his hand. He was old, his skin dark, his hair a mess. And there were tears in his eyes–but he had a wide grin. “Let me explain,” he said, wiping his eyes. I know I don’t look like all the rest, but I always try to look my best.” “I polish my shoes before my long walk, But by the time I get here they’re as dirty as chalk.” My heart fell to my knees, but I held back my tears,He continued, “And I must apologize for sitting so near.” “But I know when I get here I must look a sight. And I thought if I touched you, our souls might unite.’“ I was silent for a moment knowing anything I said would pale in comparison,So I spoke from my heart not my head. “Oh, you’ve touched me,” I said. “And taught me, in part, That the best of a man is what’s in his heart.” The rest, I thought, this man will never know —Leanne Freiberg * * * * * * * *
Looking For That Special Gift? Honor that special someone and support the families and children of St. Malachi Center. For fifty dollars, give a soup bowl, certificate and recognition at the Soup for the Soul benefit. For one hundred dollars you get all that plus two tickets to join in the fun at Soup for the Soul the evening of April 3 rd. To purchase contact St. Malachi Center at (216) 771-3036.* * * * * * * *
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