Political Problems Persist

Carlos Briceño's article “Faith in the Spotlight” (April 25-May 1) is an excellent summary of several critical moral issues facing the Roman Catholic Church — specifically abortion, conscience and the duties of public leaders who profess to be Catholics.

Catholics cannot wait for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to “release guidelines about how the Church should treat Catholic politicians who ignore Church teachings.” Canon law and the Catechism of the Catholic Church provide all that is necessary. Clearly there is an element within the bishops' conference that would just as soon wait for the problem to go away, as evidenced by [conference head] Bishop Wilton Gregory's refusal to be interviewed for your article.

Whether because of “analysis paralysis,” cowardice or whatever other reason, the hierarchy's inability or unwillingness to act compounds this scandal the same way it compounded the priest sexual-predator scandal. I believe, with all my heart, that the faithful will rally behind the bishops if they would act to discipline Sen. John Kerry, Frances Kissling and the so-called Catholics for a Free Choice organization, and others who arrogantly disobey Church teachings.

In this Easter season, it is important to emulate Christ, who overcame evil and death not by appeasing it but by taking the battle directly to it and defeating it.

BOB HAUGH, Colonial Heights, Virginia

Unforgettable Images

I am writing this letter to give my support to the use of graphic abortion images that have the potential to save the lives of the unborn and change the hearts and minds of countless people. Since the infamous Roe v. Wade decision of 1973, 40 million unborn children have been murdered in the United States.

The pictures are brutal, disturbing and disgusting, but they convey a necessary message. Abortion, first and foremost, is murder. It is not simply a “choice” but the willful and premeditated ending of a human life. There is no way for an honest person to deny this fact after viewing these photographs.

When I looked at these horrible pictures, I was filled with sorrow on so many different levels — for all of the lost potential, the ruined lives both of these children and also their potential mothers. I struggled with these images, and I came to the conclusion that there is no other way to show the public what abortion truly is. These photographs have the potential to change the hardest of hearts and, in fact, they already have.

A society's values are reflected most clearly in how the most vulnerable and helpless are treated. The sad legacy of abortion must end. We must be resolute in standing up for the dignity of each and every human life, from conception until natural death, as the Roman Catholic faith teaches so beautifully.

I look forward to the day when the tragedy of abortion has ended, and the pictures of aborted children will serve as a memorial to the countless victims, both born and unborn. Until that day, these pictures serve a necessary purpose in the pro-life battle.

I wanted to end this letter with a quote from our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, which has guided me in my own life and my own medical practice. I think it speaks to the mission of Catholic Christians and compels us to accept the challenge of being witnesses for Christ.

“Our commitment to the dignity of all human beings is the reason why the ecclesial community establishes such things as soup kitchens, provides shelters for the homeless and medical care for the poor. The same conviction should compel all of you today to defend the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death, to care for and protect the unborn and all those whom others might deem ‘inconvenient’ or ‘undesirable.’”

We need to build a culture of life!

Glenn Applegate, M.D., Milwaukee

Hellwig's No Help

Your recent article on dissent at Catholic colleges extensively quotes Monica Hell-wig, president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (“Campus Crisis: Report Says Catholic Colleges Promote ‘Culture of Death,’” May 2-8).

Considering her willing and deceitful defense of such obvious anti-Catholic activities as awarding honorary degrees to notorious pro-abortion supporters, supporting pro-abortion clubs, offering internships at local Planned Parenthood offices and hiring pro-abortion politicians as faculty members, it seems clear the problem in Catholic higher education is systemic, not random.

It would be a scandal if she had been appointed to her post only recently and was ignorant of all these problems. Much worse than that, her comments reflect her conviction that such activities actually support Church teaching.

DAVID R. KLUGE, Sheridan, Oregon

Maddening Microcosm

Not too long ago the Register interviewed Mark Shields of CNN's “Capital Gang” and, if I remember correctly, your interviews are a complimentary look at Catholics in the public eye and a short review of their positive achievements.

Since you contributed to the credence and notoriety of Shields' Catholicism, I believe you now have a responsibility to report to your readers how Shields performed as a Catholic on the May 1 broadcast of his show, seen by millions across the country. In my opinion, he and Margaret Carlson have scandalized our faith and have added to the confusion of Catholics and others who are in conflict on abortion. When powerful “Catholic” voices sacrifice integrity and betray their faith to maintain power, they must be challenged! We must fight back vigorously. And who can do it better than the Register?

While watching the show, I found it hard to believe my ears; I had to resort to the transcript to confirm what I heard. The comments of these five people and the quoted comments of our cardinals were to me a microcosmic view of the fundamental crisis in the Church today. This group reflected the anti-Catholicism outside the Church in Al Hunt's insulting comment about Archbishop Raymond Burke and his ridiculous comparison of the death penalty with abortion. It showed the conflict among Catholics — two faithful to doctrine and two in dissent. And it revealed that top Church leaders are still unwilling to provide the decisive leadership for which they are responsible.

CHARLES N. MARRELLI, Irvine, California

Editor's note: Mark Shields was never an Inperson interview in the Register. He was spotlighted elsewhere for statements he made against abortion.

The Might of Men

Regarding “I Regret My Abortion: Jennifer White's Horrific Tale of What Abortion Is Really Like” (May 2-8):

Many of us viewed the movie The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson. It is a visual testimony of how husbands are to love their wives as taught to us in Ephesians 5:23-33. What woman would not feel cherished, loved and respected if she were loved like Christ loves his bride, the Church, as portrayed in the movie?

Granted, most men will never be scourged or crucified for their beloved — but they will always have the opportunities of total self-giving and self-sacrifice for their beloved, seeking her welfare instead of fame, fortune, excessive sports and unbridled passions.

Jesus Christ left all men an example to follow and the promise that he would be with them until the end of time with the Eucharistic graces necessary to truly love their wife and children. No woman would ever resort to the killing of her children through abortion because of feelings of fear, pressure or abandonment if men would be more Christlike in their commitments and responsibilities entrusted to them by God.

In turn, what woman would be foolish enough not to submit to such a Christlike, loving husband?

PATRICIA STRANG, Foley, Minnesota

Singular Passion Experience

In our community, the Franciscans of the Immaculate, we are forbidden to watch TV or go to the movies. Although we utilize these means for evangelization in the spirit of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, we do not use them for ourselves because of our vow of poverty, our call to interior contemplation and our need for fraternal interaction (something TV does not promote).

So as we followed the Register's reports about the release of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, we knew we would not ourselves be seeing it … or so we thought. As Providence would have it, on Feb. 19 a friend of our community drove to our isolated friary for no other reason than to implore us to go to the movies with him. He offered to buy the whole community tickets and drive them to the theater to see The Passion. It was a unique request; it is a unique movie. So we asked our regional superior for a unique permission and it was granted.

On Thursday, Feb. 26, after our usual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with rosary and Benediction, our rides came to pick up two Franciscan priests and four brothers in full habit — plus three retreatants who decided to go with us — a diocesan priest in clerics and two nuns in full habit. Off we went to the movies. (For me it had been about 15 years since I last saw a movie in a theater; it had been 17 years for Father Raphael!).

We waited at the entranceway to the theater, waiting for the previous showing to finish. It was simply amazing to see the people coming out of the theater. They were speechless; some were in tears. It was quite the preamble. Then our turn came. We took our seats in the small-town theater, which dated back to 1908. The lights dimmed, the usual previews were skipped (at our benefactors' request) and the movie began.

Well, it was more like going to Calvary with Jesus and Mary than going to the movies. It was as if we were there — Hebrew, Latin and all, watching Good Friday unfold. What a masterpiece! Beyond words. Unlike any other film I had ever seen.

FATHER MAXIMILIAN MARY DE CRUCE, FI, Maine, New York