Bucks
Fathers Gambet and Riegler on Papal Pronouncements
Dear Friends,
Good morning. Religion fascinates me…all religions. I’ve never fully understood why the major religions of the Middle East, Europe, and the Western Hemisphere, have spent 2,000 years killing each other? After all, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are based upon a belief in the same God…the God of Abraham.
Islam has its own rules for Heaven’s entry. Christians do too, although Roman Catholics have an advantage over their Protestant brethren…that is, according to the Pope. Last month, several of the Pope’s decrees got me thinking. If I’m puzzled by the Catholic tradition, I turn to my favorite priests: Father Dan Gambet the immediate past President of DeSales University and Father Fred Riegler, the pastor of St. Isidore’s, Quakertown.
When I read that the Pope said that you couldn’t get to Heaven unless you were Catholic, I was greatly worried. “Won’t God let a poor Quaker in the pearly gates,” I asked Father Dan?
“I’ve read the document,” he replied. “No where does the Pope’s edict say that Protestants can’t get to heaven.”
But Father Dan hastened to add that the Catholic Church is Christ’s church on earth. “Protestant denominations don’t enjoy that status,” he said.
“Why,” I wondered?
“Two reasons,” he answered. “First, Protestants don’t believe in transubstantiation;” meaning that Protestants believe that sacramental wine is a symbol for Christ’s blood. (Catholics, on the other hand, think that sacramental wine is the blood of Christ.) “And second, Protestants don’t believe in apostolic succession.” According to the Pope, only he can appoint bishops.
I was still nervous. Father Fred Riegler instantly put my mind at ease.
“Don’t worry about it,” he laughed. “There’s probably room up there…even for you.”
While I was at it, I asked my friends about another Papal edict. Pope Benedict XVI will allow churches to celebrate mass in Latin, “A concession to traditionalists that has caused concern among those fearing a rollback of one of the Vatican’s key liberalizing reforms,” according to the Associated Press (June 29).
“That’s a good idea,” Father Dan told me. “Celebrating the mass in Latin makes the service special. But it must have spontaneous demand from the congregations in order to insure grass roots support.”
“I can still do the mass in Latin,” Father Fred added. “I can think in Latin.” But he’ll probably wait until his congregation warms to the idea first.
I turned to a touchy subject. The Philadelphia archdiocese is offering indulgences to their parishioners to mark its 200th anniversary. Its followers get the chance to shorten their sin-cleansing stop in purgatory after death. Didn’t the sale of indulgences start the Protestant revolution led by Martin Luther in the 16th century, I asked my friends?
“Today, you don’t have to pay a cent,” Father Fred responded emphatically.
“Martin Luther was right in his criticism of the Catholic church selling indulgences,” Father Dan said. “But the church [Philadelphia arch diocese] is not selling indulgences. There’s no money involved. The great computer in the sky will erase sin.”
I told both priests that I needed plenty of indulgences.
Finally, I broached the subject of the $660 million settlement in the Los Angeles archdiocese pedophile case. California waved the statute of limitations giving victims a one-year window to make their cases known against sexually abusive priests…508 priests in the Los Angeles diocese were identified.
For more than a year, several Pennsylvania legislators have introduced bills similar to the California example…but without success. The bills to open the statute of limitations are bottled up in legislative committees. Is the Philadelphia archdiocese behind the stalling tactics, I wondered?
“The Philadelphia archdiocese is trying to avoid charges against dead priests who can’t defend themselves,” Father Dan explained. “There are cases which will be impossible to prove. The problem is that the further back you go, the harder it is to get accurate evidence. And the priest and the church get black eyes just the same.
“Still the church can never undo the harm that happened to innocent children. It’s a terrible thing. And some bishops didn’t handle it well. I judge no one. I wasn’t there. But the church can make reparations.”
Who knows whether the Pennsylvania legislature will open that window? The pressure is building so the jury of public opinion is still out. We’ll just have to stay tuned.
You can understand why I think so highly about Father Dan and Father Fred. They don’t hide when faced with tough questions. They’re among my favorite clergymen. If I were Catholic, I’d want them to be my priests.
Sincerely,
Charles Meredith