Letters 01.20.2008

January 20-26, 2008 Issue | Posted 1/15/08 at 1:29 PM

My husband and I, both registered nurses, were so glad that “Spacing Babies Online” (Jan. 6) mentioned John and Sheila Kippleys’ new organization, Natural Family Planning International. We always thought their thorough treatment of the subject matter was a personal help for our marriage, as well as for the many couples that we have taught over 15 years.

We want your readers to know that we teach for NFPI with Power Point presentations, and that anyone can inquire with the organization about doing this also. In addition, the Kippleys’ new manual, Natural Family Planning: The Question and Answer Book, is being edited now, with plans for it to be published soon. Best wishes to NFPI, as well as to the Register, for the New Year.

Ann Craig, RN 

Robstown, Texas

I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy the articles by Melinda Selmys. Her writing reminds me of my deep-thinking son who has temporarily (I hope only temporarily) left the Church.

He has analyzed himself right out of believing in God, but I have faith that he’ll come back — and come back stronger than before. Melinda and the other staff members at Vulgata magazine seem to embody many of our young people today who looked elsewhere for the truth only to be led back to the fountain of Truth, Christ and his Church. Thank you for the wonderful articles and for your paper as a whole, which is a Godsend to me.

Lainie Williams

Denham Springs, Louisiana

I was happy to see the clip and share the article, “How (and Why) to Return to Sunday Mass” in the Dec. 2 issue of the National Catholic Register. I was chagrined, however, in the “Quick Tip” to “bow your head as a sign of reverence before receiving Communion” to “(Do it while the person in front of you is receiving Communion.)”

I have seen many people do this, but why would we not wait that extra moment and bow before Jesus? It seems that to bow while the person in front of you is receiving Communion is to place more importance on not holding up the line than to truly show reverence to Our Lord in holy Communion.

For this one reason, I decided against sharing this potentially helpful piece.

Rita Eichman

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

My wife and I are both delighted and and blessed to be able to support your work. In his book Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict XVI discusses the principal images of John’s Gospel — water, vine and wine, bread.

Benedict equates Jesus’ parable about the vineyard owner to our contemporary Church. In an explicit warning, Jesus says, “Take care of thie vineyard.”

At Ephesus, after his resurrection, he counsels, “Repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

It seems increasingly apparent in our evolving Church leadership that some lampstands have been removed and replanted in soil such as that you now till. We seek to follow the Lord’s plan in our lives, sometimes without perfect clarity. But we know that support of your work is of our God. We are called to help you and in Christ so that you can more ably and brightly illuminate his lampstand.

May the Lord continue to bless you and protect you as yo advance his word in grace and with uncompromising courage.

Robert and Monica Mylod

Manasquan, New Jersey

Concerning Mark Shea’s “The Immaculate vs. the Proud” (Dec. 16):

I think it was Cardinal Biffi who said Blessed Pius IX is the greatest modern pope. Not only did he define the Immaculate Conception and papal infallibility through Vatican I, he fought socialism, communism and freemasonry tooth and nail.

I can’t help but add a thought on the modern attack on fatherhood by the crude, vulgar, amazonian feminism of today. One of their favorite dicta is “all men are pigs,” which just points out their own pigginess.

What the psychologists are calling an epidemic in malignant narcissism is a feminist type of control at its worst. Christians in deliverance ministry call it the Jezebel spirit — and it is seen in males and females.

Martha Richardson

El Paso, Texas

Regarding “The Human Ecology” (Dec. 16): I find the letter, “Population and Nature” and your response (both Dec. 23) to be equally unsatisfactory. Roger Plenty projects an exponential population increase and the typical brutality of population crashes, and then cryptically recommends that we “devise a means of countering it.”

The Register responds that at five homes per acre all of the world’s population today would fit within the state of Alaska.

Yes, the Register is correct to note that in the world today it is “generosity and justice” that are in short supply. But in Mater et Magistra (1961) John XXIII tones down earlier pronouncements by noticing that nature has only “almost inexhaustible productive capacity” (No. 189). And attuned to the dramatically rising implications of per capita resource consumption, John Paul II in Centesimus Annus (1991) counsels “above all a change in lifestyles” (No. 58).

In today’s world, the personal ecological footprint involves more than building lot acreage. Whatever the true story on global warming, severe water shortages also come to mind. Might it even be a Christian vocation to become intricately informed and involved in such matters? John XXIII, perhaps anticipating Humanae Vitae (1968) and responsible (and generous) parenthood and John Paul II’s theology of the body, said this: “But whatever be the situation, we clearly affirm these problems should be posed and resolved in such a way that man does not have recourse to methods and means contrary to his dignity” (Mater et Magistra, No. 191).

For its part, the Register would serve its readers well to remember the difference between all preemptive and sophomoric arithmetic — and evangelization.

Peter D. Beaulieu

Shoreline, Washington

Regarding “Calling All Pilgrims and Pioneers” (Nov. 18):

My criteria in recently subscribing to your newspaper was for the purpose of obtaining complete and accurate reporting on people and events important to my Catholic faith and beliefs, pro and con.

The front page article regarding Republican candidate Mitt Romney’s Mormon religious beliefs as they may differ from other mainstream Christian beliefs failed to address the major difference between living one’s beliefs and one’s actions, so critical when considering the best pro-life, pro-family candidate for the presidency.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Romney is anything but pro-life or pro-family in his actions as a candidate for office and as former governor.

In the past, he supported a woman’s right to abortion, that Roe v. Wade should be sustained and the necessity for all hospitals (Catholic or private) to make available the morning-after pill upon demand.

He has a long history in supporting homosexual rights legislation as well as same-sex “marriage” within Massachusetts. His support of the homosexual rights agenda was not limited to public school educational programs at the elementary and high school levels but was also evident in his state judicial appointments.

It is significant that this NCR edition also highlighted a Massachusetts couple’s lawsuit (“David vs. Goliath,” Dec. 16) as they continue to fight for a parent’s rights for their kindergarten-age child to “opt out” of teachings on human sexuality when they are against their own religious beliefs.

I know I am now able to make a more informed decision at primary election time.

Rebecca Reeder

Leesburg, Virginia

“Teachers vs. Priests” (Dec. 2) regarding the sex abuse issue: I am reminded in 1 Peter 4:17 that “judgment begins first with the household of God,” and saints of old, including John of the Cross and Bernard of Clairvaux, were fond of quoting Zephaniah 1:12 that God will “search Jerusalem with lamps,” that is, God will first purify our own hearts and the people of God from our own sins and filth before he will send his judgment on non-believers.

Since this is so, we should be quick to examine our own hearts and our Church first to repent of our own sins and as Benedict reminds us to “remove the filth from the Church first.”

After we have done that, we may then begin to confront sin in the surrounding pagan culture. And as our tendency to return to our old sins is great, and a pagan culture continues to influence us, it is wise to continue to search our hearts and our Church so that the filth will not return. It is better to search ourselves first because as Malachi 3:1-4 reminds us the Lord will come to judge his Temple and will refine them like fire in the furnace.

If we have attempted to repent first we can trust and pray that God will be more merciful and need to be less harsh with our Church. As 1 Peter 4:17 indicates, that judgment will be even more severe for nonbelievers; let us look to ourselves first. Also, we must remember that God, first, strongly desires to make holy the Church of God.

Robert Gravlin

Florissant Missouri

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