Denver Catholic

4 I OPINION JANUARY 15, 2014 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER B. Pachelbel C. Mendelssohn THE CATHOLIC DIFFERENCE 2. Romantic composer Ludwig van Beethoven wrote sacred music including his Missa Solemnis and Mass in C Major. He is most famous for his symphonies. How many symphonies did he compose? GEORGE WEIGEL A good friend habitually refers to the Wall Street Journal as his "favorite Catholic newspaper"—a bit of whimsy not without foundation, given the openness of the Journal's op-ed pages to serious Catholic argument on numerous issues. But just as Homer occasionally nods, so does America's best newspaper. And on Jan. 2, the Journal nodded, big-time, in this description of why Pope Francis was one of the "People to Watch" in 2014: "After raising expectations for shifting views toward homosexuality, divorce, the environment, and society's obligations to the poor, the pontiff is expected to also undertake bureaucratic reform at the Vatican, as well as the possible expansion of the role of women in the Church." By my count, and bypassing the unnecessarily split infinitive, there are four errors in that one sentence, plus one grave misconstrual of ecclesiastical "roles." Although it is very difficult for those who see Catholicism through political lenses to grasp this, popes are not like presidents or state governors, and doctrine is not like public policy. Which means that a change of papal "administration" does not—indeed cannot—mean a change of Catholic "views." Doctrine, as the Church understands it, is not a matter of anyone's "views," but of settled understandings of the truth of things. Nor are popes free agents who govern by the seat of their pants, if you'll permit the phrase. Prior to the completion of Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Pope Paul VI proposed adding to that seminal document a sentence stating that the pope is "accountable to the Lord alone"—an effort, I suspect, to protect papal authority and freedom of action from potential civil or ecclesiastical encroachments. But the council's Theological Commission rejected Pope Paul's proposed amendment, noting that "the Roman Pontiff is … bound to revelation itself, to the fundamental structure of the Church, to the sacraments, to the definitions of earlier Councils, and (to) other obligations too numerous to mention." Those "other obligations" include honoring the truth of things built into the world and into us. At an academic conference years ago, a distinguished Catholic philosopher remarked (perhaps hyperbolically) that "If the pope said that '2+2 = 5,' I'd believe him." An even more distinguished Catholic philosopher gave the correct, and far more Catholic, response: "If the Holy Father said that '2+2 = 5,' I would say publicly, 'Perhaps I have misunderstood His Holiness's meaning.' Privately, I would pray for his sanity." Popes, in other words, are not authoritarian figures, who teach what they will and as they will. The pope is the guardian of an authoritative tradition, of which he is the servant, not the master. Pope Francis knows this as well as anyone, as he has emphasized by repeating that he is a "son of the Church" who believes and teaches what the Church believes and teaches. Thus the notion that this pontificate is going to change Catholic teaching on the morality of homosexual acts, or on the effects of divorce-and-remarriage on one's communion with the Church, is a delusion, although the Church can surely develop its pastoral approach to homosexuals and the divorced. As for the environment and the poor, Catholic social doctrine has long taught that we are stewards of creation and that the least of the Lord's brethren have a moral claim on our solidarity and our charity; the social doctrine leaves open to debate the specific, practical means by which people of good will, and governments, exercise that stewardship, and that solidarity and charity. And "the role of women in the Church"? No doubt various Church structures would benefit by drawing upon a wider range of talent (irrespective of gender) than the talent-pool from which Church leaders typically emerge. Still, in an interview with La Stampa before Christmas, Pope Francis made it clear that identifying leadership in the Church with ordination is both a form of clericalism and another way of instrumentalizing Catholic women. Flying a Vatican desk, Francis was suggesting, is not the acme of discipleship. As for Curial reform: Oremus ("Let us pray for each other") as we used to say. A. 4 BY PETER WESTHOFF A. He limited himself to speaking no more than 100 words in a day. "I B. He ate only wild mushthank my God room and herbs. C. 22 for graciously granting me the opportunity C. He did not bathe for of learning that death 25 years. 3. Wolfgang Amadeus is the key that unlocks Mozart composed the door to our true 6. What did many sacred pieces, happiness" 20th-century Thomincluding 18 Masses. He —Mozart istic philosopher Josef made an arrangement for Pieper argue in one of his the 14th-century prayer Ave books as the basis for culture? Verum Corpus (Hail True Body). What does one primarily praise A. community when praying the Ave Verum? B. invention A. The immaculately conceived C. leisure Virgin Mary B. 15 The music and writings of Germany A quiz on Catholic things under the patronage of the "Doctor of Prayer," St. Teresa of Avila. For each question there is one right answer, but the answer for one question is "None of the Above." Germany has provided the world with a remarkable number of great composers, both Catholic and non-Catholic. Our first questions will involve four Catholic German composers. 1. This convert to Catholicism has a more famous Lutheran father whose great works include the Mass in B minor. The son wrote many liturgical works including Kyries, Glorias, Magnificats and Salve Reginas. What is this composer's last name? A. Bach B. The suffering body of Jesus and the Eucharist C. The bride of Christ: His mystical body 7. Which of these works was written by Cardinal Ratzinger before he became Pope Benedict XVI? A. "Truth and Tolerance" 4. Offenbach, a Jewish convert to Catholicism, changed his first name from Jacob to Jacques while in Paris. His work influenced Strauss and Sullivan (of Gilbert and Sullivan). What musical genre is he credited with creating? B. "Charity in Truth" C. "God is Love" A. the waltz B. the operetta C. the concerto LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Kudos on return to mail delivery Good to know that the Denver Catholic Register is back to mail delivery. Seems like with the previous carrier delivery, I got it about once-a-month—at best. At church our priest mentioned an announcement in the DCR that I hadn't seen (since I didn't get any in December). So I went online to read that one and while reading the previous edition saw the notice about going back to mail delivery. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Douglas Blondin Thornton Editors note: Read the Register online at www.denver catholicregister.org. 1. A - Johann Christian was the son of Johann Sebastian. 2. None of the Above. He wrote nine symphonies. 3. B, 4. B, 5. C, 6. C 7. A The other two works are encyclicals written by Pope Benedict. What popes can and can't do 5. Blessed Henry Suso, a Dominican Friar of the 14th century, found time to write Das Buchlein der Weisheit (The Little Book of Divine Wisdom) amidst his practice of extraordinary penances. One of the following was a penance he undertook. It might be considered the most unusual but certainly not the most painful. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters should be no more than 250 words and should include the writer's name, address and telephone number. We rely on our readers to recognize that the opinions expressed in letters to the editor are those of the author and are not necessarily those of the Archdiocese of Denver. Letters containing plainly misstated facts, misinformation or libelous statements will not be printed. Unsigned letters will not be printed. Letters may be edited. Send letters to: Editor, Denver Catholic Register, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or fax to 303-7152045. E-mail us at: editor@archden.org. ARCHBISHOP AQUILA'S SCHEDULE Jan. 18: Mass of Remembrance, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (12:10 p.m.); 41-Year Remembrance: Honoring Denver's Children Lost to Abortion and blessing of D.C. March for Life pilgrims, Lighthouse Women's Center, 3894 Olive St., Denver (3 p.m.) DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE: 303-722-4687 OR CIRCULATION@ARCHDEN.ORG Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 General Manager Karna Swanson Denver Catholic Register (USPS 557-020) is published weekly except the last week of December and the first week of January, and in June, July and August when it goes bi-weekly. The Register is printed by Signature Offset in Denver. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. Editor Roxanne King Subscriptions: $35 a year in Colorado; $42 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $42 surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Mexico, $48 air; Canada, $55 air. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic Register, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or e-mail circulation@archden.org. Business Manager Michael O'Neill Editorial: 303-715-3215 or editor@archden.org Advertising: 303-715-3253 or dcrads@archden.org Circulation: 303-715-3211 or circulation@archden.org Online: www.DenverCatholicRegister.org

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