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Year: 2008

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Christian Witness, Perspective, PNCC,

They will know we are Christians…

a.) by our politics
b.) by our economics
c.) by our left-wing right-wing dichotomy
d.) by our love

I found a link to Frank Schaeffer’s Huffington Post article: Changing the Failed Strategy of the Religious Right Into a Winning Formula That Helps Heal Our Country at Huw’s site in Heal Our Country.

The Republican/evangelical right’s world view has been replaced by a battered, it’s-the-economy-stupid!, state of mind. Economic collapse and perhaps worse awaits us. We are losing one war, and the other war was clearly a mistake. And the fools who got us into this mess need not apply for any post higher than dog catcher for years to come. Most American know all this.

This knowledge signals not just a loss for the Religious right but a resounding and permanent defeat. It also signals (to anyone sane) that even if you except the Religious right’s view that, for instance, all abortion is murder, gay marriage an affront to God’s natural law and so forth, a change of tactics is in order. Obviously no one is getting convinced, but rather the culture is moving in the other direction. In fact the Religious Right has made its case so badly that with friends like them the right’s causes need no enemies.

What might a change of tactics be? How to effect change at the same time as practicing love for one’s neighbor without which love — by Christ’s standard anyway — everything else becomes mere sound and fury signifying nothing?

Here’s the answer. (Yes, I said the answer.)..

One of the reasons I love the PNCC. There is a distinct dearth of polemics in our Church. You do not see the ultra-conservative ultra-liberal dichotomy that exists in other Churches. We know that we can achieve nothing by conflict and everything through unity.

Perhaps it comes from Bishop Hodur’s focus on our regeneration in Christ. We are made new by our choice. We know that once we adopt regeneration we must learn to adapt to it — to become fully human as part of a community. Focusing on regeneration requires that we hold a high opinion of man’s value as a child of God. We see mankind as endowed with the intellectual capacity and moral capability to see, to learn, and to decide for God. That message counters those who seek division, who key on differences.

In valuing all we realize that we cannot and must not cast obstacles before those who come seeking. We know that they seek love — a love that differs — the love of God. Our evangelism requires that we show our members, and all who seek, that every aspect of the Church, from the liturgy which is an intimate encounter and an actualized unity with Christ, to our democratic form of governance, is an opportunity to work and struggle for ourselves, for our brothers and sisters, for mankind, and ultimately for union with and in Christ. In achieving that we achieve truth and the ultimate victory. In that we hold-up God’s model of love.

Fathers, PNCC

November 26 – St. Asterius of Amasea from the Sermons of Asterius

Christians and sharers of a heavenly calling, you country folk, and all who come from the towns, you who in concord have gathered at the present feast, — for by a general address I embrace you all, — has each one of you thoughtfully considered and realized why we are assembled? And why are martyrs honored by the construction of notable buildings and by these annual assemblies, and what end did our fathers have in view when they ordained the things we see, and left the established custom to their descendants? Is it not evident to one who concentrates his thought on this subject even for a short time, that these things have been given permanent form to rouse us to pious emulation, and that the feasts constitute public schools for our souls, in order that while we honor the martyrs, we may learn to imitate their sturdy piety; that lending the ear to the gathered teachers, we may learn some useful thing which we did not know before, — either the certainty of some doctrine, or the explanation of some difficult Scripture, — or may hear some discourse that will improve our morals?

But you seem to me to have abandoned your care for virtue, to have forgotten your zeal on behalf of your souls, and to have devoted all your thought to the rubbish of mammon and the business of the markets; some bargaining yourselves; some greedily haggling with competing dealers in order to reduce their prices. But transfer your love to the church, Abandon the love of money, that mad passion of the market. Turn from it as from a disorderly courtesan who, embellished with foreign stuffs and with the brilliant colors of the apothecary, smiles upon the multitude. Love the church, divine and discreet, modestly attired, with look august and grave. For thus Solomon says in the book of Proverbs, “Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.” Do not pass her by with contempt, nor deem the things that lie near us on this table of little worth because it is possible for you to procure them freely. But desire them all the more because we do not sit, as hucksters, with balance and scales; but seek only one gain, — the salvation of the hearer. — Sermon 3: Against Covetousness.

Perspective, PNCC

Who is shadow casting whom

From Catholic Culture: ‘Declaration of Scranton’ casts shadow over dialogue with Polish National Catholics

The ‘Declaration of Scranton,’ issued by the bishops of Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC) in April, cast a shadow over the PNCC-Roman Catholic Dialogue that met in Baltimore earlier this month…

Of course that statement is easily turned. ‘Role of pope casts shadow over every dialog that ever existed…’

What never ceases to amaze me in the endless ecumenical propaganda war (like we all need to score points) is that people are so surprised when a Church represents itself as actually believing in the things it believes in. Of course Rome has that right, but not only. The Declaration of Scranton is a restatement of the Declaration of Utrecht which was normative for the PNCC — and was for nearly one hundred years. We didn’t just pull this stuff out of a hat (or miter)…

So to the question: Who cast a shadow over whom? We all have perspectives, but in the end, we must be what we claim to be. We can only be who we claim to be if we truly believe that we proclaim the truth. Anything less and we’re just pikers.

LifeStream

Daily Digest for 2008-11-25

blog (feed #1) 10:58pm Do you remember your first dance?
twitter (feed #4) 10:58pm Posted a tweet on Twitter.

New blog post: Do you remember your first dance? http://tinyurl.com/5sng9a
lastfm (feed #3) 11:55pm Scrobbled 14 songs on Last.fm. (Show Details)
blog (feed #1) 1:00pm Put on a happy ecumenical face (not)
twitter (feed #4) 1:00pm Posted a tweet on Twitter.

New blog post: Put on a happy ecumenical face (not) http://tinyurl.com/5e7bvn
blog (feed #1) 4:16pm Who is shadow casting whom
twitter (feed #4) 4:16pm Posted a tweet on Twitter.

New blog post: Who is shadow casting whom http://tinyurl.com/6xfjb8
blog (feed #1) 4:35pm November 26 – St. Asterius of Amasea from the Sermons of Asterius
twitter (feed #4) 4:35pm Posted a tweet on Twitter.

New blog post: November 26 – St. Asterius of Amasea from the Sermons of Asterius http://tinyurl.com/6k9r2r
Christian Witness, Perspective, PNCC

Put on a happy ecumenical face (not)

From the USCCB website: Polish National Catholic-Roman Catholic Dialogue Explores Transfer of Clergy, Doctrinal Statement

WASHINGTON—”The Polish National Catholic (PNCC)-Roman Catholic Dialogue explored the transfer of clergy and a doctrinal statement at their fall meeting, that took place in Baltimore, November 6-7. Bishop Edward U. Kmiec of Buffalo and Bishop Anthony Mikovsky of the PNCC Central Diocese in Scranton, Pennsylvania, presided.

The meeting began with a progress report from the Roman Catholic members on a proposal to ask the Holy See if the PNCC could be considered to be in the same position as the Orthodox on two matters. First, PNCC faithful would be allowed to act as godparents at Roman Catholic baptisms in addition to a Roman Catholic. Second, mixed marriages performed in the PNCC without a dispensation from canonical form, even if not lawful, would be considered valid by the Roman Catholic Church. This proposal is under consideration by USCCB committees.

Dialogue members also discussed recommendations to both churches on how to handle cases of clergy transferring from one church to the other. A first draft of such recommendations that draws upon a parallel agreement that already exists in Germany was examined. The draft will be revised on the basis of the discussion and considered once again at the next meeting.

The dialogue also discussed at some length The Declaration of Scranton that was issued by the PNCC bishops last April 28. This text, which was to clarify the PNCC’s position on issues for groups that seek to come into full communion with the PNCC, raised questions for the Roman Catholics that were outlined by Msgr. John Strynkowski, Ph.D., a pastor from the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York. The Declaration highlighted divergences between the two churches regarding the teaching authority of the pope, and pointed to a need for further consideration by the dialogue of the Roman Catholic teachings about the Blessed Virgin Mary. The meeting concluded with a discussion of misunderstandings at the local level between the two churches and the best way to deal with them.

Members decided to meet once in 2009 in a longer session than usual, slated for September 28-30.

As such statements go, they attempt to put a happy face on a situation, a situation this writer opines, is going no where. A sure sign is the decrease in the frequency of these meetings.

The reality is that we, along with the Orthodox and Oriental Churches have a far different opinion on the Bishop of Rome, synodality, Roman pronouncements concerning Marian doctrine, (and you can throw in the filioque and the man-made discipline of celibacy for good measure). Once the downward spiral begins, occasioned by the intractable position of the Romans (positions they cannot abrogate without a redefinition of the role of the Bishop of Rome, denouncing that bishop’s full, immediate, and universal jurisdiction, and admitting an error in proclaiming the Marian doctrines that flowed from the “exercise” of said “authority”), then the issues, going beyond core issues, can be piled on as well.

Further, do we need to spend meeting time “discussing” Rome’s opinions on Marian doctrine or the Papacy? Does any Catholic Church need an explanation on this? Does Rome really think that it will win Churches over by demonstrating its arguments — arguments it has promulgated by itself. Does Rome expect anyone to sit there, listening to this, while wistfully gazing at them. We, in the PNCC, know scripture, and the Fathers, and the Councils. For the Roman Church it may make for a fun day of symposia, giving cover for travel, expense accounts, and meals with like minded gents in black suits, but otherwise it isn’t worth the trip. These doctrines are well known, written upon, theologized over, and discussed at ecumenical meetings ad nauseam. In business its called spending time spinning your wheels.

To be plain, the PNCC is the Church. It is Christ’s Church in the manner and style of our Savior who called His people to love one another. The commandment of love lives in the Church, is its teaching, and has Christ as its center. We cannot place our focus, our central focus, on a far off bishop. We cannot bifrucate our love, making love dependent on man-made laws and man-made discipline that bears no relationship to the furtherance of our climb up to Christ, that bears no resemblance to the humanity Christ came to save. Is unity in love to be based on glorification of one bishop over unity itself?

While we are obligated to pray to the Father, with our Lord and Savior, for the unity that seems to elude us, such prayer does not occasion a caving on core issues. If that were so we would not be Church, we would be politicians and businessmen. Prayer occasions action and that action includes our duty to speak truth to power. May God bless our witness, may He endow us with the gift of love.

Fathers, PNCC

November 25 – St. John Chrysostom

Do you feel upset when you drop a plate or a pot, and it smashes into tiny pieces on the ground? Do you feel anxious when a strong wind is blowing, and you can hear the tiles on your roof coming loose? Do you feel worried about the crops in your field when it rains so hard that the ground is flooded? Do you feel frightened at night when you hear a door click or squeak, wondering if robbers have come to steal your goods? To feel those things is quite normal. Yet the challenge of our faith is that we become so indifferent to material possessions that nothing of this kind can concern us. Of course while we remain on this earth, we must have plates on which to serve our food, roofs above our heads to keep us dry, crops growing in the fields to feed us, and some basic pieces of furniture in our homes. But if we work hard day by day to the best of our abilities, we can be sure that God will provide what we need. And if something is broken, lost, or stolen, God will decide if and when to replace it.

Poland - Polish - Polonia, ,

The Cosmopolitan Review – integrating roots and history into life

The Cosmopolitan Review is a new journal from the organizers and alumni of the Poland in the Rockies program. I encourage you to check it out. The following is a quote from the introduction to the first edition:

People tend to unite at times of crisis. We just have to look at the high voter turnout for the last American elections and Barack Obama’s landslide victory for proof. Poles are no exception to this paradigm of uniting during times of crisis, and our history is telling of that.

The idea for the cosmopolitan review came at a time of questioning whether the Poland in the Rockies program would continue existing. Organizers and certain alumni alike wondered whether such immense organizational efforts could be sustained without deeper alumni involvement. Spending 11 days in the Canadian Rockies learning about Polish history, culture and politics is great, but what next? How could we keep the spirit of Poland in the Rockies alive between installments of the program?

As I brainstormed ideas with Irene Tomaszewski, program director of Poland in the Rockies, and Judith Browne, a 2008 alumna, we realized that PitR alumni are actually doing a lot. But since we are spread out all over North America and Europe, it can be challenging to keep up with all of this motion. The idea of a newsletter, which then evolved into a review, was thus born.

From Chicago, Montreal, to Toronto, Edmonton and Halifax, PitR alumni are keeping busy organizing movie screening tours, plays, conferences, as well as radio and television interviews related to things Polish. the cosmopolitan review will not only keep you up-to-date on these events, it will also feature book reviews, news analysis, interviews with academics and commentary from a Polish-American and Polish-Canadian perspective.

What made PitR so special was not only the high caliber of speakers, but also the quality and diversity of students and young professionals attending the program. They are leaders in their respective professional and academic fields of activities, and some of them are introduced in this first issue of the cosmopolitan review: emerging musician Nina Jankowicz from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania; Halifax-based filmmaker Eric Bednarski; Dominic Roszak from Ottawa, an actor in Canadian politics; South African writer Judith Browne; Jodi Greig, a polonophile studying in Krakow; Justine Jabłońska, editor-in-chief & project manager of som.com, Marek Broniewski, an Albertan currently studying at the London School of Economics; Agnieszka Macoch, a history graduate from Chicago; Patrycja Romanowska, a columnist from Edmonton; and Vincent Chesney, a Philadelphia-based psychologist. Let’s not forget about Antoni and Jan Kowalczewski from Edmonton: without them, CR wouldn’t be online.

These individuals are part of a valuable and growing network of dynamic individuals. Such a network is not an option in a globalized world, but a necessity.

In this first edition, we also have the pleasure of featuring an account by historian Norman Davies, a comment by former foreign correspondent and editor for Newsweek and current director of public policy of the EastWest Institute Andrew Nagorski, and a portion of an interview with Polish-English translator Bill Johnston, all three Poland in the Rockies speakers; as well as an interview with Timothy Snyder, an American professor of history at Yale specializing in Central and Eastern Europe, whom we’d love to have at the program in the future.

As Snyder told me during an interview after a lecture at the College of Europe in Natolin, Warsaw, there is currently a great opportunity for Poland to turn Polish historical scholarship and historical consciousness into European historical consciousness and scholarship. Poland would win a great victory if Polish history could be integrated in European history. I will add: to North American history as well.

So, how are you going to integrate your roots and your history into your mainstream North American and European lives?

The PitR alumni network is yours. So is the cosmopolitan review. Take advantage of it. Expand it beyond the borders of PitR: contributions won’t be limited to its participants.

I believe in education and I believe in the value of programs like Poland in the Rockies. CR is a reflection of that. It was born in times of double crisis: one of identity, one of economics. In face of these crises, let’s unite. Let’s cultivate our network, and take advantage of it…

In my estimation this effort goes far beyond ‘identity politics’ to identity. In a world of competing influences, competing intellectual, political, and religious allegiances, we need programs, journals, and intellectual exploration such as that presented in The Cosmopolitan Review. These efforts ground us. They are a touchstone in a sea of confusion, a touchstone that Bishop Hodur would easily recognize. We are one people as a diamond is one. We are multifaceted as is the diamond. Those facets bring out the brilliance that is within. Those facets are the cultures of the world and particularly those that espouse humanity – the humanity we all long for.

LifeStream

Daily Digest for 2008-11-24

blog (feed #1) 10:56pm November 24 – St. John Chrysostom
twitter (feed #4) 10:56pm Posted a tweet on Twitter.

New blog post: November 24 – St. John Chrysostom http://tinyurl.com/5la6tk
googlereader (feed #5) 9:16am Shared a link on Google Reader.

Best bubbly doesn’t come from the biggest names
blog (feed #1) 2:24pm The Cosmopolitan Review – integrating roots and history into life
twitter (feed #4) 2:24pm Posted a tweet on Twitter.

New blog post: The Cosmopolitan Review – integrating roots and history into life http://tinyurl.com/5w85kl
blog (feed #1) 2:39pm November 25 – St. John Chrysostom
twitter (feed #4) 2:39pm Posted a tweet on Twitter.

New blog post: November 25 – St. John Chrysostom http://tinyurl.com/66thyx
Fathers, PNCC

November 24 – St. John Chrysostom

Share what you have, lest you lose what you have. Spend what you possess on the needs of others in order to keep what you possess. Do not cling to what you own, lest it be taken away from you. Do not hoard your treasures, lest they rot and become worthless. Entrust all your wealth to God, because then it is protected against all who want to steal or destroy it. Do you understand what these injunctions mean? Or do they sound like nonsense to you? To the person without faith, they mean nothing. But to the person with faith, they make perfect sense. Faith tells us that God alone can supply the material things on which we depend. He gives some people more than they need, not that they can enjoy great luxury, but to make them stewards of his bounty on behalf of orphans, the sick, and the crippled. If they are bad stewards, keeping this bounty to themselves, they will become poor in spirit, and their hearts will fill with misery. If they are good stewards, they will become rich in spirit, their hearts filling with joy.

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