Young Voices

Cardinal Francis George of Chicago spoke Feb 23 at a gathering on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He became the first Catholic cardinal to speak at the Church of Latter-day Saints university, speaking on "Catholics and Latter-day Saints: Partners in the Defense of Religious Freedom" as part of the Mormon school's forum series. The aim of the talk, of course, was to highlight the commonality of each religious institution's stance that marriage can only be between a man and a woman -- and to deny that gays and lesbians have a right to wed.

February 2010

Last week, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement that claimed that New Ways Ministry, a pastoral organization for lesbian and gay Catholics, could not speak on behalf of the faithful in the United States. The statement not only raises the question, “Who speaks for Catholics today?” but even more pressing is this question: “Is anyone listening?” According to some recent studies, Catholics are listening, but not always to the bishops.

Most weekends, I wake up early and tip-toe downstairs before my partner stirs. I flip open my computer and browse through the instant play selections on Netflix, hunting to find a movie to check off my never-seen/must-see list. Last weekend, the selection was "Footloose."

A few weeks ago, a reader of the Young Voices blog commented: "I would be interested in hearing about the favorite Catholic devotions of your young readers. The Rosary? Divine Mercy? Eucharistic adoration?"

Devotion, both as a practice and as a way of being, is not often a topic of consideration in our post-modern world. The word is derived from the Latin word devovere, meaning "to vow." In a time when vows, whether to religious life or marriage, seem to be in crisis, devotion and devotions seem to be suffering a similar marginalization.

To be honest, I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s. Maybe it is because I’m not one for drinking and staying up past ten. Or maybe it is because all of the excitement and apprehension makes me a little nervous. Or maybe it is because I’ve never understood the idea of making New Year’s resolutions (I’m more of the daily resolution type). Or maybe it is because I’m already so exhausted from Christmas that one more party seems unbearable.

Regardless of my anti-New Year’s philosophy, when New Year’s rolls around every year, I rally. I go to parties with friends. I watch Dick Clark and the ball drop. I kiss my partner at midnight. I drink a glass of cranberry juice and peach schnapps, having the bartender top the same drink off with cranberry juice throughout the night. And I sing the first few words to Auld Lang Syne, before realizing those are the only words I know.

But the next morning, I don’t feel any different. Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 hold the same joys and challenges, responsibilities and regrets. And I wonder how it might feel to be someone who puts more stock in New Year’s. Would I wake up on Jan. 1 filled with a little hope and promise?

It hasn't even been a year since Barack Obama took office as President of the United States, but he already has 24/7 analysis on what he's done (or not done). Liberals are craning their necks wondering when he is going to do something that earns him the Nobel Peace Prize he received today, and conservatives are pouncing on him for spending so much money. Last week, Obama made his first big move in terms of the war in Afghanistan, deciding to raise the troop levels by deploying 30,000 more troops in the middle of 2010. What does this mean for Catholics who voted for Obama on the basis that he was the anti-war alternative to George W. Bush and John McCain?

Certain bishops are contributing money to defeat the potential for all families to have equal protections under law, many Catholic laity are exemplary in their espousal of equality. In fact, of all Christian denominations, Catholics are the most favorable toward LGBT acceptance in the U.S. with 58% of Catholics believing that homosexuality should be accepted by society (Public Religion Research, 2008).

And while Catholics overall are evenly divided on the question of marriage equality with a provision for religious exemptions, in a few short years that is certain to change. The youngest generation of Catholics between 18 and 29 years of age are 60 percent in favor of full marriage equality (Public Religion Research, 2008). And the corresponding numbers across other generations are also growing.

The bishops know this and are struggling to promote their narrow vision of marriage. Last week the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a “pastoral letter” on marriage that was anything but pastoral.

Tom Roberts, NCR editor at large, recently wrote about an upcoming document from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops on marriage, and the threats to marriage . The threats ranged from cohabitation to same-sex partnerships, to birth control pills, condoms and other forms of artificial contraception. There is a lot to question here given what sociology, biology and 21st century experience contribute to the dialogue. The threat to marriage that I would like to think more about is divorce.

Sosan's husband tried to electrocute her. He tried to poison her. She escaped to one of the six shelters in Afghanistan. But in a country where women are not allowed to live without a male, she could not leave the shelter until she married again, according to a recent United Nations report. Shelters are full and the rise in domestic violence cases is not solely due to cultural beliefs and governmental policies but is also tied to U.S. aggression.