Don’t Sell Singles Short

I would like to make a comment on the survey by the National Center for Health Statistics cited in “Marriage: A Tonic” (ProLife Victories, Jan. 9-15), which concluded that “married people are sick less often and are more active.”

Single people can be healthy and happy; they, too, can have successful careers and friends. Single people contribute to a great deal in society by ministering to other people. Marriage isn’t for everyone; it takes a lot of prayer and commitment. It also does take a great commitment to be single and celibate in accord with one’s religion.

Let’s start more clubs for singles who are committed to their vocation to seek the Lord in many ways, and encourage that. Jesus had friends and spent a good many years on earth with them. I’m sure the saints had many friends as well. So let’s support the singles who struggle out there watching the media talk about the benefits of sex. Let’s keep sex where it belongs: in marriage between a man and a woman.

Don’t get me wrong; I believe that marriage is a wonderful sacrament for those who are able to marry. The word I’m thinking of is discernment. We should pray that God will help others discern their vocation to the religious life, married state or single life. We’d have far fewer divorces and a lot more happy people if they would pray for the right vocation in their lives.

S.T. Kroffe

Los Alamitos, California

_{Undercover Unorthodoxy}

Regarding “Even Minus the Mandatum …” (Letters, Jan. 2-8):

University of St. Thomas alum Dan Wambeke was “dismayed” to learn that his alma mater neither has the mandatum nor wants parents inquiring about it (“Decades-Long Cover-up?”, Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2004). He sees hope, however, in the fact that St. Thomas has a new, rapidly growing Catholic-studies program. But would he be “dismayed” again to know that the ads for this program state (in very small print) that the University of St. Thomas “does not discriminate on the basis of … affectional preference” (aka sodomy)?

Having “many fine orthodox professors on staff” is not good enough. And having to “inquire of others” who the orthodox professors are at a Catholic college is inexcusable. Either they’re orthodox or the school isn’t Catholic.

Parents who are sacrificing to provide a Catholic education shouldn’t have to be asked for “this little bit of extra effort” to ferret out the orthodox professors (and with no help from the St. Thomas administration, which considers this information “a private matter between the local ordinary and the individual theologian”).

The “Decades-Long Cover-up” isn’t over yet.

Ann Barrett

Pine, Arizona

_{Seminary Sentry} 

I read with interest and anticipation “Vatican Readies Plans for U.S. Seminary Visitation in 2005” (Jan. 9-15). The article concluded by noting: “The last apostolic visitation of U.S. seminaries took place in the 1980s and covered every aspect of priestly formation programs.”

Given what we now know, I would be curious to read that report in detail to see what was thought at that time as “covering every aspect of priestly formation programs.”

I am encouraged to think that this time the focus will be sharper and the results will be announced.

J. Graham Keily

Bethany Beach, Delaware

_{Our Buffeted Bishops}

While the special edition “In Celebration of Bishops” (Jan. 2-8) was generally heartening, the editorial needs some comment.

First of all, the essay was universal in its condemnation of all our bishops even though only a few fell short. Saying that the whole sex-abuse scandal was the “failure of the bishops” with a broad-brush stroke, it scapegoated all the bishops. That simply is not accurate. It seemed to reflect popular reaction to media coverage — which tended to be unfair, judgmental and unforgiving.

Many in our Catholic media, in high dudgeon and embarrassment, picked up on that and joined in the chorus of catcalls. So fairness was lacking, if my understanding of Christ’s teaching is correct. We need to place the event in the context of history, understanding human failure, God’s attitude about that, and the faith we must have in Christ’s redemptive love — not only for myself, but for all.

Finally, far greater scandals have been overshadowed, scandals that directly affect our sanctification. We need to get away from the structural problems that do not directly affect our salvation and focus attention on the fact that there has been a widespread lack of faith in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

There is a general lack of evangelization from the pulpit on matters of morality, social issues and instruction in faith basics. If the popularity of The Da Vinci Code and ensuing discussions about it are any indication, then we are in deep trouble. These to me are the more important scandals that need to be addressed.

Lawrence Petrus

Rocky River, Ohio

_{One Bread}

The letter to the editor by a well-intentioned but theologically ill-informed doctor from Mississippi muddied the water in regard to the gluten and gluten-free, wheat-based host debate (“What’s at Stake in the Gluten Debate,” Jan.16-22).

Rice is not valid matter for consecration. There is no need for anyone to continue to argue about the need for rice hosts. There is a Vatican-, U.S. bishops’ conference- and diocese-approved “low gluten” host you can order from the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, Mo., that has a tiny bit of gluten to make it valid for consecration, but not enough to cause celiacs any health risk.

Many of us educated in Catholic colleges were mis-trained as to what Vatican II really taught and required, e.g., that the interpretation of the requirement in the Vatican II documents that “the bread for the Eucharist ‘must look like real bread’” means “it must look like that which passes for bread in the United States — a raised, browned loaf.” This is totally erroneous. 

As a longtime bread-maker, I’ve studied breads and baking methods from all over the world. Go to any Near-Eastern store and see the variety of shapes and grains. Some are totally flat, baked by slapping one side against a hot brick oven wall. Jesus consecrated Passover matzos, flat bread baked at a high temperature and made of flour and water only.

I once looked up every single reference in the documents of Vatican II and its implementation documents to “the bread needing to look like ‘real bread.’” In all but one instance, the phrase was accompanied by a reference to the “traditional flat shape.”

“Bread” is not only that which looks like Wonder Bread and comes in a plastic bag. Bread for the Blessed Sacrament must be wheat and water only in the Roman rite, wheat-water-yeast only in the Eastern rites.

The process of making modern altar bread involves whipping wheat and water only to get a good deal of air into the mixture, then baking it in thin sheets, punching out and marking each host, and further slow baking. It is, indeed, “real bread” — edible, freshly made, not tasting of flour or raw or brittle and inedible. The requirements must be appreciated “in context.”

Kathryn R. Schutz

Omaha, Nebraska

_{Adult Stem-Cell Successes}

It is amazing that embryonic stem-cell research gets all the headlines and all the public funding (“California’s Bad Move,” Jan. 16-22) when adult stem cells have been used therapeutically since the 1980s. There are almost 80 therapies using them — and they’re actual treatments, not theory or research. There have been more than 250 clinical trials involving adult stem cells. There are zero treatments using embryonic stem cells, and there have been zero clinical trials.

Among the unreported problems with embryonic stem cells are that they suffer immune-system rejection, they often cause tumors called teratomas, and they are extremely difficult to convert to any specific type of cell.

The simple truth is that most progress in stem-cell research is being made using the adult rather than the embryonic variety. And the truth is that the biased media are largely ignoring that fact — while portraying opponents of embryonic stem-cell research as heartless Bible-thumpers prolonging human suffering.

So few people are aware that Dr. Carlos Lima at the Egaz Moniz Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, has successfully transplanted nasal-tissue stem cells into the injured spines of patients in clinical trials. His research has resulted in Kim Gould, a British patient left paralyzed in a riding accident in 1998, regaining some movement and sensation.

There were no headlines when Song Chang-Hoon, a medical professor at South Korea’s Chosun University, told the story of Hwang Mi-Soon, a 37-year-old paraplegic. After being paralyzed for 20 years, she was able to rise from her wheelchair and is now shuffling back and forth with the aid of a walker — after stem cells from umbilical-cord blood were injected into her spine.

Daniel John Sobieski
Chicago

_{Pro-Life Papering}

Thank you for your excellent pro-life articles following the March for Life. I particularly liked reading about the march on the West Coast, “Coast to Coast” (Jan. 30-Feb. 5), as I knew nothing about that. Seeing those smiling faces of the pro-lifers tells the whole story!

Here on Long Island, our local newspaper, Newsday, didn’t even print one thing about the national March for Life in Washington, D.C. They prefer to pretend it’s not happening.

Your paper is excellent. It was recommended to me by a priest — how right he was. Thanks again.

Theresa M. Piekut

Ridge, New York