The Great Scandal of The Age - Dorothy Day's Word On The Eucharist

"The great scandal of the age is that those without the sacraments are so often superior in charity, courage, even laying down their lives for their brothers, to the 'practicing Catholic' who partakes of the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist and then stands by while his brother is exploited, starved, beaten, and goes on living his bourgeois life, his whole work being to maintain 'his standard of living,' and neglecting the one thing needful, love of God and brother." Dorothy Day March, 1954

Ah yes, Dorothy Day had something to say about the Eucharist and those who would like to put themselves above others, especially the poor. The poor who make us uncomfortable with their odor and filth. The poor who make us uncomfortable with their illnesses and put such a burden on the rest of us. The poor who have to work two jobs to make ends meet. Or those who finally realize that a government benefit pays more than a sevice job.

The US Catholic Bishops Conference is prepared to question who deserves the Eucharist. What hypocrites in fancy robes with rings, special hats and crosses around their necks. These are men who have overseen the abuse of children in the diocese that they lead. They have, for the most part, excluded gay, lesbian and transgender people from the sacraments and from their worship. These are men who really don't seem to know Christ or his teachings. They should study who and when Christ excluded people from his teaching.

As these sacramental policeman look for how to exclude people from the ranks of the church, they do so while living very well. Wonderful homes, gracious meals, making themselves comfortable before they comfort those who need it. Their behavior is shameful but not a surprise. Many people have left the church because of these so called leaders. Others accept the fact that the church left them. The church and leaders like this have left us on issues like war and peace, economic equality, racial justice, and so much more. Abortion has become the end all of their preaching with no recognition of a woman's role in her own life or the life of the church. 

I am not surprised that the US Catholic bishops have lost their way. Honestly they could never be depended on for the leadership that's necessary in an inclusive church. They have had their chance and have failed every time. 

God help poor Francis. Dorothy Day pray for us.

Donald Trump's Legacy - An End to Democracy

At this point I believe that democracy as we knew it in the US, ended in 2020. Many will find it hard to accept. Others will say that it hardly existed in the first place. But Donald Trump's legacy is that he and his Republican partners have in fact brought an end to democracy in the US and the same end to democracy is now spreading internationally.

It was easier than anyone thought. No blatant coup, no nuclear arsenal let loose, no troops deployed. It proved to be simple really. Lies, lies and more lies told over and over again and pushed through a disinformation campaign using the media and high tech companies to communicate the message.

Initially there were Republicans who were as horrified as anyone else at the gross untruths and methodologies but once people in that party's leadership realized the potential for their power-base everything changed and it changed dramatically. People may not have come on board until a few months into 2021 but the big lie had been seeded right after the 2020 election.

Yes, the big lie ended it all. It makes some feel good to continue to refer to it as a lie but in fact none of that matters since the lie has become enough of a truth for enough of the people. Yes, what killed democracy was the accusation of fraud in the general election. The allegation of widespread fraud, real or imagined is now an accepted tactic to be used in every election with a recognition that the allegation itself is enough to sink the results. Even if a winner is declared and certified, the people who declare and certify are determined to be part of the fraud. And just so it's clear, this tactic can and will be used by any party who loses an election.

Add to all of this legislative efforts to suppress and reduce voting rights which makes voting itself more difficult and more controllable. It becomes pretty clear that democracy doesn't have a chance in this environment.

None of this means that democracy can't come back. It can but people need to realize that it will be a fight like no other. It will require commitment and belief. It will require cooperation and negotiation. It will require radical confrontation with powerful people. Sadly, it will most likely lead to some level of violence by one side or the other and possibly both. Institutions of government as we know them, the House, the Senate, the Courts will all most likely undergo major changes. It will take brave people to stand up and speak truth to power.

I have no idea how any of it will end but I do know that this is Donald Trump's legacy and he has lots of partners.

Remembering Dan Berrigan

Recently there have been numerous postings and articles about Dan Berrigan, the Jesuit priest who stood up for justice and peace many times during his lifetime. April 30th, 2021 was the 5th anniversary of his death and May 9th, 2021 would have been his 100th Birthday. As a result, many who knew Dan or people who looked up to his actions or values have found ways to commemorate these dates. On Saturday, May 8th, I'll be participating in a Zoom event hosted by John Dear from his Beatitudes Center, "Celebrating Dan Berrigan's 100th Birthday".

Jim Forest, author of "At Play In The Lions Den, a Biography and Memoir of Dan Berrigan", has also written much about Dan recently. Jim and Dan had a close relationship based on their involvement in the founding the Catholic Peace Fellowship in the 60's. Jim's insights are important and impressive and anyone interested in learning more about Dan would be well served by reading Jim's biography.

I knew Dan from my involvement at the Catholic Worker in New York City in the mid 60's. Dan was a frequent visitor to the Catholic Worker at that time participating in Friday Night Meetings, performing Liturgies or visiting with Dorothy Day and everyone else at St. Joseph's House of Hospitality. Dan, like most of us, was evolving during that period of his life. He was being affected by the war in Vietnam, racial injustices and poverty. He was counseling young men about the draft and promoting conscientious objection as a legitimate Catholic response to war. At the same time he was being affected by young people, men and women, who were already making decisions about the war and resistance to it. He was, I think, challenged by the difference between talking about resistance and actually resisting.

When the Catholic Worker became involved in draft card burning, initially by one of Dan's students, David Miller and then at Union Square in 1965, through the involvement of Dorothy Day, Tom Cornell and myself, Dan was watching closely. He was understanding the significance of the events and supporting them but also like many, wondering where would they lead.

A few days after the draft card burning at Union Square, another young man associated with the Catholic Worker, Roger LaPorte, walked to the UN with a gallon or so of gasoline and set himself on fire. Roger made statements about being a Catholic Worker and being against war, all war. Roger died a few days later. There are lots of stories about Dan's involvement with all of these events. Here's what I know. Both Dorothy Day and Dan Berrigan were concerned about the impact of Roger's action and death on young people broadly and specifically on the young people at the Worker. There were some within and outside of the Worker who wanted to quickly condemn Roger's action. Both Dorothy and Dan, separately, knew that life and this death were more complicated than that. Dorothy struggled with public perceptions and Dan worried about that close knit community of young people that he had come to know.

I was a part of the group of young folks who were impacted by all of this. We didn't like the way statements were being made about Roger and his action. We didn't like the media circus that naturally ensues when something as significant as this happens. We were struggling ourselves with Roger's frustration about protests, draft card burnings and their ineffectiveness against the war. We were of course a community, 10 or 12 of us brought together by our relationship with the Catholic Worker. When Roger passed, we got together for our own private response, a memorial that evolved into a Liturgy. Dan came to participate. We shared bread and wine. We prayed and remembered Roger. Dan became our pastor and blessed the gifts. He said some comforting words. We hugged and cried. Much has been made about this event. I have no doubt that it was a direct reason for Dan being assigned out of the country to South America and basically silenced for his opposition to war and violence. But it certainly wasn't as formal as some have implied. 

Dan and his brother Phil were influenced by all of this and went on to become leaders of the Plowshares movement in opposition to nuclear weapons of mass destruction. They both wrote and talked about the influence of these early events and their own evolution as leaders in the resistance movement. 

Some of what all of these discussions and remembrances of Dan reminds me of is his love of and constant searching for community. Actually, he made it seem very easy. He found community in small groups of friends, large demonstrations or gatherings, or with just one other human being. He thrived on community and was constantly seeking it out and in the process making everyone else comfortable in finding it. But he also enjoyed the search and the reach. He would go to every corner of society to find community and that's where the Eucharist would take place and everyone, but especially Dan, would enjoy it. Happy 100th Dan. Rest in Power!

Here is a musical remembrance of the Catonsville action that both Dan and Phil Berrigan were a part of. Thanks to J DeFilippo for this: War No More

88th Anniversary of The Catholic Worker

Today, May 1, marks the 88th anniversary of the Catholic Worker movement, founded by Peter Maurin and Dorothy Day. Soup-lines, Houses of Hospitality, Farm Communities, newspapers and newsletters, demonstrations, protests, arrests and jail time are all part of that history and continue today around the world. Workers and scholars clarifying thought through discussion. A no nonsense philosophy of personalism and Christian anarchy have always been at the core of the Catholic Worker. Thousands upon thousands have been impacted in someway. All of this will continue long after many of us are gone because the concepts are in fact simple. We are all responsible for our own actions as well as each other. Happy Anniversary to Catholic Workers around the world and continue the fight for peace, justice and equality.

Policing in America

Policing is always hard and difficult. It is also many times not good for anyone, including the police officer. Most say it's a necessary evil that we need to accept, put up with for the greater good. It's at the core of a lot of other things in society and government. Things like courts and prisons are the direct result of policing. From there, agencies and systems have developed. Things like probation departments and various support and prevention agencies all have their roots in policing and arrests. So it has certainly become complicated over the yers, decades and centuries. Yet we consistently give people guns, handcuffs and other tools to arrest and detain more people.

In the evolution of policing in America however, biases and discrimination have taken over, along with the abuse of power by many who are hired to perform these duties of control and "peace" keeping. Why is it that people of color, poor people, people who are different are targeted by police agencies across the country? Who provides this direction and these policies in cities, towns, villages and municipalities? We all share some blame in this and we all share some responsibility - everyone who wants safety in their lives, everyone who lets public officials know what is acceptable and of course those who fear people who don't look or act like them. Principles of nonviolence, non confrontation and deescalation have to be a major part of discussions and reforms.

But the policing problem is much bigger than these things alone. In many cases, police authorities are running the show based on their own interpretation of what they believe is good for everyone else. In addition, people who are hired for policing positions bring plenty of biases with them. It may be from experiences in the military, from their upbringing or from colleagues. Wherever it comes from, it is deep-seated and yes, attitudes about power and control are built into the equation of policing.

With all of that being said, what we're seeing and what communities of color have been seeing for years relative to policing and the use of force is totally out of balance. People are being abused, shot and are dying for the most minor offenses. Why are men and women of color being pulled over for minor infractions that lead to death? Why are people even pulled over for some of these infractions? How important are traffic violations? These are serious questions that need to be answered. Police departments and municipalities need to figure out why their training on deescalation seems to be failing. What is the mind set of police looking for confrontation, chasing, pursuing and terminating lives over misdemeanors? Why, when tragedies happen do police agencies set themselves up in tit for tat battles with the communities they are supposed to be serving?

Although it's tempting, we can't turn away from videos of people being killed or abused by the police. Of course they're disturbing but so are the experiences people are living or dying through. We can't turn away from trials and demonstrations. People of color and other minorities have been living with absolute fear of the reality of what happens to them when confronted by the police. But most of all, police agencies and police officers have to stop the battle with members of their communities. They have to stop the emphasis on force and retaliation. They have to stop presenting themselves as military entities with wartime equipment that can be used to battle their communities.