Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
May 22, 2002
Letters
Beware of "Left Behind" theology
Besides the "Left Behind" series of books there is also a movie, "Left Behind: The Movie." For the uninformed Catholic the Left Behind phenomenon would appear to be uplifting Christian fiction. Rather than being based on the Book of Revelation, this whole series is based on the unscriptural notion of the "rapture."
Go out and find the book "The Rapture Trap" by Paul Thigpen. This book is to be recommended for all Christians, but especially Catholic Christians.
Thigpen writes plainly and has done his homework with regard to this secret "rapture," which is not even mentioned in sacred Scripture. Many Catholics today are ill informed concerning Church teaching on the end times and Christ's second coming. Here is a sampling of what you will learn concerning how unsound the Left Behind theology really is:
•The origins of the "rapture" doctrine and its theological flaws;
•What the Catholic Church teaches (and doesn't teach) about the end of the world;
•The five ways Catholic theologians interpret the Book of Revelation;
•What the Church teaches about the anti-Christ;
•The subtle (and not so subtle) anti-Catholic agenda from promoters of the secret "rapture" doctrine;
•Why Christians need a living voice, the magisterium of the Church, to interpret sacred Scripture.
Another excellent source for Church teaching concerning the end times is the "Catechism of the Catholic Church."
Jay Garland
Lakewood
Visit Holy Ghost Church
Last summer Denver was supremely blessed by having the Oblates of the Virgin Mary take the helm at Holy Ghost Church. The two young priests who serve that parish are as selfless and hardworking as anyone could ask. We would like to suggest that Catholics of all ages attend a liturgy there soon. When you are downtown for a business appointment, go to the 11:30 a.m. weekday Mass and then spend a few minutes in prayer in front of the exposed Blessed Sacrament. On the weekends choose from a plethora of Mass times and types, including a Latin Mass at 10 a.m. on Sunday — the organ and choir are out of this world — and there's an early morning Mass with no music at all.
Please learn more about this order of priests and support their efforts in this area. Thank you.
Joe and Pat Winston
Denver Teach, don't blame
I was glad to see in the May 8 Register three articles that shed light on, one: attacks on the Catholic Church; two: what celibacy is and isn't; and three: zero tolerance. They gave good, factual information about our Church mission, its history and the recent summit of our cardinals in Rome.
But, in all three there was an underlying message that the scandal is somehow the fault of either the media or of me, the common Catholic reader. Paul Gray's "Tough times for the Catholic Church" seemed to say that attacks on the Church are inevitable until Catholics understand the mission of the Church and the importance she places on her holy priests. Is the sex scandal somehow my fault because I might be one of those who misunderstands? Paul, I wish you could evangelize without pointing fingers.
George Weigel's "What celibacy is and isn't" did a wonderful job of explaining the history of celibacy and of showing it as a positive giving-of-self, but George places blame on "too many Catholics" who have "forgotten," "find hard to grasp," and not only have a "misunderstanding" but a "pitiful" misunderstanding of celibacy's history. George, teach me, don't blame me.
John Thavis' article "Bishops, media views of `zero tolerance' create gap in perceptions" was wonderfully informative. He explained the distinction between removing a priest from his Church job and removing him from the priesthood, and the distinction between voluntary and forced laicization. Understanding that I felt far more confident in our cardinals and real hope for a productive June meeting of the bishops. The cardinals, Thavis admits, omitted some explanations from the summit's final communique. Is it then the fault of the media that there was a misunderstanding?
Gray stated that if we need to relearn the roots of the faith there is "no harm in admitting that." Why, then, am I made to feel at fault?
Theresa D. Cooley
Broomfield
Cover-up worsens fault
Australian Paul Gray's article in the DCR of May 8 totally missed the point. The damage inflicted by the recent Church scandals is not the result of anti-Catholicism, it is self-inflicted. Some of our hierarchy did properly respond to problems, but all too many were more concerned with image and damage control. Their concern was to impress Rome, not to protect their people; we are now suffering the result.
A recent column by George Weigel and a letter from Elizabeth Martens seemed to blame the problem on the "undisciplined" (unorthodox?) priests succeeding Vatican II. This is historically untrue and very uncharitable. Of any age, era, or religion, none of us is free of concupiscence.
Apparently we learned nothing from the Watergate era: the cover-up is worse than the original fault. We deserve better leadership. To this end, the Church should seek lay participation in choosing that leadership at all levels. Even Father Richard Neuhaus has called for greater collaboration with the laity. Do we believe that the Holy Spirit moves in the Church?
Raymond E. Schramm
Thornton
Greet priests
With so much attack on the priesthood and priests, some people are asking what they can do to help lift the spirits of their priests. One small help would be to greet the priest when you meet him on the street: Often hundreds of people who are Catholic are passing the priest and never say "Hello" or "Good morning."
It lifts my spirits when people greet me in public. Even in Catholic institutions that friendly greeting is lacking. Let us be courteous to our spiritual leaders.
Rev. Robert DeGrandis, S.S.J.
St. Joseph Seminary
Washington, D.C.
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