Regarding Pia de Solenni's opinion column “Tattooed In Toronto: Can Catholics Bear Body Art?” (July 14-20):
I found this piece informative. My only problem was that she failed to mention Leviticus 19:28, which speaks out against tattoos and piercings. Since she talked about Scripture, I figured it would be good to talk about the passage that states, “Do not lacerate your bodies for the dead, and do not tattoo yourselves. I am the Lord.”
DWAYNE COLEMAN JR.
Los Angeles
Pia de Solenni is right when she writes, “most of them [the young people attending World Youth Day] will be good Catholics.” And, if some of these good Catholics come to Toronto displaying “body art,” I for one will not be casting stones against them.
“The sacraments have a truly indelible, permanent nature,” she says, and that's true. If I take off my wedding ring, the sacrament of marriage is not removed; only the external identity of that sacrament is removed. If the priest removes his collar, the sacrament of Holy Orders remains; only the external identity is removed. When I die and my body goes away, the soul remains; only the external identity of the soul is removed.
These kids, these teens, these good Catholics are not trying to recreate themselves to mislead God; neither are they trying to communicate to the Church a new sign for the marriage covenant. These children want love and attention. Attention they have, but love … I wonder.
JOSEPH MATA
Rockford, Illinois
Subscribe to the National Catholic Register! Click here to begin a trial subscription to the print edition, and receive 3 free issues with no risk and no obligation.
Comments
Post a Comment
Post a Comment
By submitting this form, you give The National Catholic Register permission to publish this comment. Comments will be published at our discretion, and may be edited for clarity and length. For best formatting, please limit your response to one paragraph and don't hit "enter" to force line breaks.