2011 October archive at Being Frank

Archive for October, 2011

Oct

Style vs Substance in politics

By Kereopa Closed

Categories: Being Frank...

With the Rugby World Cup over, the election has well and truly begun. Personally, I’m feeling a little swamped in terms of the massive amounts of material – both from parties and the media – since Writ Day 10 days ago. Its truly a sprint campaign – short but very intense.

I want to make a short comparison today in terms of promoting Catholic principles v living them as a party.

Labour last week launched their Interfaith policy – which is largely ridiculous. As a Christian, I found it both patronising and mildly offensive. In the 9 years of Labour, we had a Prime Minister should constantly reminded us (as if we should forget) of the separation between church and state. And then the same party releases policy on what they would do to support religion if they became government. Contradiction much?

Also, Labour’s other policies are incredibly anti-Christian. Supporting gay marriage, adoption etc are all designed to unravel Christian morality.

Whereas National has no such policy – they’re focused “on what matters”: the economy mainly. I’ll make no judgement on the merits of that policy. However, last week they announced Simon O’Connor as the new candidate (and shoo-in MP) for the Tamaki electorate. Simon is a staunch Catholic, having studied at the seminary to be a priest until very late in the piece. Clearly he had another calling. He’s a good, faithful man and Parliament will do well with him on the Backbenches.

The contrast is between a party that proposes policy supporting religion and a party that elects good Christians as MPs. Style vs substance.

By far, it’s better to have good people influencing policy, rather than weak people influencing lukewarm policy.

Good luck to all parties. May the bloodbath begin.

St Thomas More, patron saint of politicians, pray for us.

Oct

Doing your research

By Voice in the wilderness Closed

Categories: Being Frank...

Our society live in what is sometimes referred to as the ‘information age’. The amount of knowledge we are able to access at the click of a mouse or by the turn of a page is sometimes incomprehensible. Worldwide social movements start one day, become global the next and are forgotten in a week.

Few people go to the library, which for centuries, even millennia, was the hub of knowledge in communities. Yet, people know more about the world and about the multitude of ideas in it.

So why do we have so much confusion about things, for example the new translation of the missal? Why do we have Catholics who do not know why the church teaches this or that? We can’t claim ignorance any more, when the answers are usually a google search away!

Oct

“I hate the public so much! If only they’d elect me. I’d make ‘em pay!”

By Methuselah's Beard Closed

Categories: Being Frank...

How about that World Cup victory? Finally. Now hopefully we can stop hearing about the World Cup and everything World Cup related. I’m tired of all the articles, all the bleating from the commentators, all the whingeing about the French even after we had won. Just let it go people. The night after the world cup I had to sit through interview after interview on the news saying the same thing. Oh and here’s a 1 minute filler on the devastating earthquake in Turkey. And we’re back to gormless fan #29402 shouting “GO AB’SSSSSSSSSSSSSS” really drunkenly. It’s not really even a ‘World’ Cup people.

I’m really underwhelmed so far at the campaigning (probably because it hasn’t really started yet) but there’s not much to get excited about at the moment. Personally, I think 3 years is not really long enough for the the Government to stay in power or implement its policies / long term plans. 3 years means they are always looking over their shoulder and making the people are happy enough to keep them in power, rather than actually focussing on fixing / running the country.

One really cool (ok maybe it doesn’t strictly fit the definition of ‘cool’) thing I saw on the web this week was this ‘What’s your number’ thing on the BBC. Apparently when I was born, I was the 4,359,842,493rd person alive on the Earth. Special!! Ok so it’s only an estimate, but still it’s nice to be labelled. The site also tells me that the Earth’s population has more than doubled in the last 50 years after growing very slowly for most of human history. Even after all our contraceptive efforts? Oh no! What will we do when we run out of space / food / air? The UN estimates that by 2030, we may need two earth’s to support us if the current population and consumption trends continue. You’d hope some smart scientist type people would think of some way to solve this by then. Going further through the site, it appears we are ok as most of the current growth is not happening in developing countries like ours. Phew.

Oct

Pilgriming all over tha place

By Opthomistic 3 Comments

Categories: Being Frank...

I find that there is nothing more relevant and hip than a congregation shrieking “The servant song” (Schutte me now Remix). Especially the line “we are pilgrims on a journey”. It seems to me that this lyric is almost totally devoid of meaning, because people don’t really understand pilgrimage anymore.

WYD Sydney was touted to us as a pilgrimage. Strangely, the itinerary devoted more time to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge than to religious sites, which I had to visit myself after sneaking away from the “pilgrimage group”. Things weren’t much better for the WYD Madrid plan, which, while it did fit a visit to Taize in, managed to almost entirely ignore the incredible religious and historical richness of France and Spain. I wasn’t going to be fooled twice, so I decided that if I went to WYD it would be self-arranged.

Earlier this morning, I left on what will be my first real pilgrimage. It’s only a 100 km on foot, and between the Cathedrals of two neighbouring dioceses, so nothing on the scale of the Holy Land, Paris to Chartres, or Santiago de Compostela. Still I hope that the experience of camping out at night, and singing and praying with about 400 other young adults, and spiritual direction by priests during the day will be the right combination of penance and encouragement I need to advance my spiritual life.

I’m trying to think about what pilgrimages people could do in New Zealand. I think the Marists have a few hikoi for young people, although I was disappointed with the one that I did with them. For those in Wellington, perhaps a pilgrimage could be arranged from the City to the statue of Mary in Paraparaumu (maybe February 11th, on the anniversary of Lourdes?). For those in Auckland and Hamilton, a several day journey could be made on foot between the two Cathedrals, or in a day by car/bus. For those in Dunedin and Christchurch, I propose the same between Timaru and Oamaru. For those in Palmerston North diocese, you could go to Jerusalem in Palestine, Jerusalem in the US, or ACTUAL Jerusalem.

Has anyone here done pilgrimages either here or overseas? Or has suggestions for pilgrimages that could be done in NZ in the future???

Oct

Birth of a Nation

By Inkling 2 Comments

Categories: Being Frank...

Today is Wednesday, (it is undeniably true), and the afterglow of the World Cup is refusing to fade. It takes those rare events of intense emotional value – the deepest tragedies, the greatest triumphs – to create that sense of commonality and shared experience between people that makes a country a nation.

Just as the country pulled together after the earthquakes in Christchurch (to the professed amazement of commentators in the media..) so I feel the triumph of the World Cup has brought NZers together in a way that very few other things ever could. Perhaps this last year and a half has really seen the birth (or re-birth?) of New Zealand as a nation.

And how good, how utterly fantastic to hear Brad Thorn and Ma’a Nonu and Captain Courageous himself all giving glory to God after the game during their interviews. One should never, I think, underestimate the great power of good that testifying to one’s faith can do in the hearts and minds of those who hear it. It goes back to that commonality of feeling, of belief; and people who have the courage to acknowledge their faith in the public sphere contribute volumes to the building of community and the community of faith. ’Courage’ is not a word that should need to be used here – but in the New Zealand that many try to claim as a secular nation, it is undeniably difficult to speak frankly about one’s faith. Perhaps this difficulty comes from a fear of difference of opinion, and perhaps from a sense of delicacy. But listening to those All Blacks on Sunday night, I felt again what I’ve heard much evidence to support; that New Zealand is at heart a very Christian country – more Christian that anyone lets on. As soon as New Zealanders become unafraid to say what they believe, then we have a shot at becoming the Christian nation that we once were and ought to be.

Oct

We’ll do it this way thank you very much

By Marty Rethul 39 Comments

Categories: Being Frank...

On 27 October 1986 occurred the Assisi Day of Prayer for World Peace. Presided over by Pope John Paul II, it was attended by representatives of various religious faiths from around the world. This coming Thursday marks the 25th anniversary of this event, and Pope Benedict XVI is holding a similar Day of Prayer for Peace, with some key differences.

This article gives us some information about the event. While many faiths will be present, it appears as though the prayers for peace will not take place together, as happened in 1986. From the article:

Benedict, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, didn’t attend that first 1986 meeting and later criticised it as an example of religious relativism – the idea that there are no absolute truths and that all religions are somehow equal – since people of different faiths were seen praying together, jointly.

In 2000, when he was head of the Vatican’s doctrine office, Ratzinger issued a controversial document in part as a response to the Assisi meeting, which suggested the fullness of human salvation was found in the Catholic Church alone.

Now Benedict is presiding over his first Assisi interreligious gathering, and the decision to eliminate the common, public prayer is being seen as his way of further correcting the wrongs from the 1986 event, which was repeated in 2002, albeit with changes.

I think we can safely say that there’ll be no statue of Buddha over the tabernacle at this meeting, as there was in 1986. It is obvious that the Holy Father has thought carefully about this event, and is making a clear statement about what is appropriate at an event of this nature. Clearly, praying with pagans is out.

Here in New Zealand, the Church is making its own play for the Day of Prayer for World Peace. The website of the Church in New Zealand has details about what we are planning. Apparently, we are doing things our way here in New Zealand, using the outdated model of 1986, rather than the modern interpretation of Benedict XVI. In the article, Sr Catherine Jones SMSM (Chair of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Council Committee for Interfaith Relations) describes what we are doing, and I quote, as a ‘multi-faith prayer event’.

In fact, the website article makes it clear how we are harking back to outdated and dangerous modes:

The New Zealand services will consist of prayers read from members of different faith communities and conclude with a shared prayer of the Decalogue of Assisi for Peace, a prayer of commitment to peace first used at the 2002 meeting in Assisi. The faith groups participating include Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Baha’i and Sikh.

It’s all rather confusing. Why don’t we just do what the Holy Father is doing? Are we somehow more enlightened? One wonders where such events are taking place. After a short search down the article, and one finds the following:

Hamilton
Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Christchurch
At the Peace Bell in Hagley Park

Wellington
Sacred Heart Cathedral

Palmerston North
The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit

Auckland
St Patricks Cathedral

Dunedin
Holy Name Church

So, in four of the six dioceses, we are using our own Cathedrals (bar Christchurch, which hasn’t really got one any more) – where our Eucharistic Lord resides, to invite pagans, heretics, and other enemies of Christ to pray to their idols, images and false gods. In only one diocese is a Catholic sanctuary not to be used for this nauseating religious relativism.

Well done the NZCBC. Let’s show Rome what we really believe.

Oct

Basking in the post-RWC tournament glory

By Kereopa 5 Comments

Categories: Being Frank...

Sorry about my lack of post yesterday. I was basking in the glory of the All Blacks/enjoying the sunny holiday and failed to realise my commitments. D’oh! So you get two posts today – though no doubt Marty’s will be much more thoughtful (and thought-provoking).

But what a game. Truly nail biting. Feel a tad sorry for the French who put up an amazing fight but, alas, we no match for the Kiwis. Another four years before we have to face such a test again. But it was more than just a victory of the competition, New Zealanders all over the country did a brilliant job of hosting the more than 100,000 visitors who came here to enjoy it.

Kiwis ought to be very proud of the way we humbly and graciously hosted the RWC 2011. Bring it back next time, I say!

St. Sebastian, patron saint of athletes, pray for us.