RBWords - Volume 21 - Number 3: March 2008
Something to Think About
The upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States is creating a lot of excitement out in this direction. Part of the big doings is to celebrate the centennial of the creation of the first dioceses in the then existing United States after Baltimore. Those dioceses were Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Bardstown, KY! In 1846, the headquarters was moved to Louisville, but the cathedral in Bardstown retains its pride as the “proto-Cathedral” (proto=first) and has been declared a “minor basilica.” So, Archbishop Kurtz of Louisville and a bunch of other worthies from the archdiocese will be going east to take part in the festivities. What can most of the rest of us expect from the event?
The papal nuncio, Archbishop Sambi, says it is a “new Pentecost” for the American church! I think that might be a bit optimistic even if it is a worthy goal. A papal visit is a big occasion that offers very different opportunities for different folks. The media go on a feeding frenzy, and because controversy is their bread and butter, they will trot out every conceivable tension for attention. The temptation to triumphalism is strong on these occasions and difficult to resist since everyone likes pageantry, parades and processions. I\'m certainly no exception! Given the age of Benedict XVI, this may be his only trip to the U.S.A., so there are lots of folks who want bragging rights about being there to see or greet him (not least our own royal couple from the White House who will meet him at the military airport – a bit of irony given the official papal disapproval for our military efforts in the Middle East!).
My own reaction is to worry about the man himself. He\'s in his early 80\'s and the stress of the trip will be considerable no matter how “controlled” it will all be. We can all pray that he survives the trip and hoopla in one piece! IT\'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
It Has Been Said
It is true that neither the ancient wisdoms nor the modern sciences are complete in themselves. They do not stand alone. They call for one another. Wisdom without science is unable to penetrate the full sapiential meaning of the created and material cosmos. Science without wisdom leaves men enslaved to a world of unrelated objects in which there is no way of discovering (or creating) order and deep significance in man\'s own pointless existence.
From GHANDI ON NON-VIOLENCE by Thomas Merton
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