Cosby Conservatism

While we're on the topic of race in America, Ta-Nehisi Coates has penned an interesting piece for the May edition of The Atlantic with the header "The audacity of Bill Cosby's black conservatism."

Here's an accompanying video with Coates describing his subject:



Hat-tip: Ross Douthat

A Lingering Cold

A lingering cold the past several days has kept me from blogging, notably about the controversy caused by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright -- Senator Barack Obama's former pastor.

Over the weekend, I saw Rev. Wright in the PBS interview with Bill Moyers. Maybe it was the NyQuil, but he seemed fairly reasonable in that setting. I did not agree with many of his conclusions, but he did come across as discerning.

What a difference a few days make.

Rev. Wright's responses Monday during a Q&A session at the National Press Club were at times offensive and frequently obnoxious. (Beginning at 2:40 in the clip, the reverend reiterates his belief that it is possible that the U.S. government may have spread HIV-AIDS in the Black community.)

Below is video from Tuesday during which Senator Obama disavowed his former pastor:



Video Hat-tip: Andrew Sullivan

"I will come to you"

Today is the sixth Sunday of Easter. The Gospel at Mass is from John Chapter 14:

Jesus said to his disciples:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you.

"I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.

"Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

At The Airport

Peggy Noonan had a good column in yesterday's Wall Street Journal.

Her lead:

America is in line at the airport. America has its shoes off, is carrying a rubberized bin, is going through a magnetometer. America is worried there is fungus on the floor after a million stockinged feet have walked on it. But America knows not to ask. America is guilty until proved innocent, and no one wants to draw undue attention. America left its ticket and passport in the jacket in the bin in the X-ray machine, and is admonished. America is embarrassed to have put one one-ounce moisturizer too many in the see-through bag. America is irritated that the TSA agent removed its mascara, opened it, put it to her nose, and smelled it. Why don't you put it up your nose and see if it explodes? America thinks.

Hallelujah

For this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," I've picked Leonard Cohen's 1984 song "Hallelujah." It's been covered by several vocalists and heard in a few movies and TV shows (usually during a sad moment that achieves resolution of some sort).

"Hallelujah" picked up new steam after being heard this season on American Idol.

I think my favorite vocal on the song is done by Rufus Wainwright.

Pax:



I also like the the Allison Crowe version:

Blog Report: Monica makes the ballot!

Another update from a previous post:

It is being reported that Monica Douglas has secured a sufficient number of write-in votes to secure the GOP nomination for state representative from Pennsylvania's 39th legislative district.

Go, Mo!

CNA: Newman Beatification Approved

Update to yesterday's post "Kindly Light":

Catholic News Agency is reporting that the Vatican has approved the beatification of John Henry Newman.

From CNA:

The Vatican has approved the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, the English convert and theologian who has had immense influence upon English-speaking Catholicism, the Birmingham Mail reports.

John Henry Newman was born in 1801. As an Anglican priest, he led the Oxford Movement that sought to return the Church of England to its Catholic roots. His conversion to Catholicism in 1845 rocked Victorian England. After becoming an Oratorian priest, he was involved in the establishment of the Birmingham Oratory.

He died in 1890 and is buried at the oratory country house Rednall Hill.

The Catholic Church has accepted as miraculous the cure of an American deacon’s crippling spinal disorder. The deacon, Jack Sullivan of Marshfield, Massachusetts, prayed for John Henry Newman’s intercession.

At his beatification ceremony later this year, John Henry Newman will receive the title “Blessed.” He will need one more recognized miracle to be canonized.

The case of a 17-year-old New Hampshire boy who survived serious head injuries from a car crash is being investigated as a possible second miracle.

Hat-tip: Rosemary

Update: The Times of London has a more qualified story on this news.

He Hath Done It!

Stephen Colbert is a Catholic himself -- and therefore allowed to make Pope jokes.

For a laugh:



And, last night, featuring Fr. Jim:



Hat-tip: Catholic Colbert

Kindly Light

The Times of London reported Sunday that John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801 - 1890) may be beatified later this year -- moving him one step closer to being named a saint of the Church.

I learned about Cardinal Newman during my college years after becoming a member of the Newman Club at NYU, a group of Catholic undergraduates on campus who gather together for social, spiritual and community service activities. (Go here for a backgrounder on the "Newman Movement.")

Cardinal Newman was one of the great preachers and writers of Victorian England. His verse "The Pillar of Cloud" is a favorite of mine:

LEAD, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,

Lead thou me on!

The night is dark, and I am far from home,—

Lead thou me on!

Keep thou my feet! I do not ask to see

The distant scene—one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou

Shouldst lead me on;

I loved to choose and see my path; but now

Lead thou me on!

I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,

Pride ruled my will: remember not past years!


So long thy power hath blest me, sure it still

Will lead me on,

O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till

The night is gone,

And with the morn those angel faces smile

Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

Far Away

Prior to the Papal Mass Sunday at Yankee stadium, an ensemble of boys from South London called Libera performed as part of the pre-Mass "Concert of Hope."

Deacon Greg has found a video of Libera's piece "Far Away":

"Like a family"

At The New York Times' "A Papal Discussion" blog, Jesuit Fr. Jim Martin writes beautifully about his day at Yankee Stadium in a post called "A Surge of the Heart."

He ends:

When the popemobile drew within 20 yards, I removed my microphone and told the two (welcoming and warm) anchors that I couldn’t cover this part of the event because I wanted to experience it. The popemobile moved toward our spot, and when it passed directly in front of us, Pope Benedict looked at us, or at least seemed to, and raised his hand in blessing. And Cardinal Edward Egan pointed at me, smiled and waved. And out of me came a loud cry of joy!

I had felt hoarse all day, until that moment. Somehow I had found my voice!

At that moment, I felt a tremendous sense of gratitude. For what? For being a part of a worldwide church. For being a part of a community of believers. For being part of the communion of saints. And also, for being able to see that while some of my old disagreements with the former Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger are not unreasonable, that he is the Vicar of Christ, and is, for this poor and flawed Catholic, and for all Catholics, the Successor of St. Peter. So this “man of faults,” as he called himself last week, connects me with the apostles, and so connects me with Jesus Christ.

The church is like a family. It drives you crazy sometimes, but you still love it. Not grudgingly, but fully and unreservedly. As well, you may drive everyone else in it crazy, and you will still be a part of them. Not grudgingly, but fully and unreservedly. It will always be flawed, and so will you. It will always be a part of you, and you will always be a part of it. Moreover, I have committed myself to this imperfect and beautiful, traditional and progressive, confusing and clarifying, bizarre and familiar, graceful and sinful community for the rest of my life.

So for being Catholic I cry out, just like I cried out at Yankee Stadium yesterday afternoon, under the bright sun, along with 60,000 of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

With joy!

The NYT photo above is credited to Chang W. Lee.

"You Know The Way"

It has been approximately 24 hours since the end of the massive Papal Mass at Yankee Stadium and I am just now getting around to blogging about it -- partly due to physical exhaustion and partly due to being emotionally strung out by the Papal visit.

I attended the Yankee Stadium Mass along with other parishioners from the Church of St. Paul the Apostle on Manhattan's West Side. The photo above shows the view from our seats along the third-base line.

In the abstract, being part of the universal Catholic Church -- a body of perhaps one billion members around the world -- is digestible. But, to be in the presence of the head of this body three times in one week -- and doing so along with tens of thousands of other Catholics, is blessedly amazing ... and overwhelming.

I remember so well the Papal Mass in 1995 that was celebrated by Pope John Paul II on the Great Lawn of New York City's Central Park. It was the most amazing spiritual experience of my life -- an occasion of joy and community and love.

I was 19 years old then. Today, I am 31. In the intervening 11.5 years, I have changed, the church has changed, the world has changed. And, there is a new pope -- a new pope with different gifts and priorities and words.

I loved Pope John Paul II intensely. He inspired me in so many ways -- to be brave, to stand up for those in need and to serve my Church and my community. And, in the times of my failings, John Paul's words of truth and courage were often on my brain. I loved JPII the way you love a saint.

Over the course of the past week, I have come to love Pope Benedict XVI, as well. But, right now, this love is different from my love for JPII. I love B16 for what he is trying to teach all of us. I love him for his great desire to remind us of the nature of Christ and why He came into the world. I love him for his steadfastness and strength. Even when I don't agree with B16 on something, I still love him -- the way you love a grandfather.

It really is true what they say -- the crowds came to SEE Pope John Paul but they come to HEAR to Pope Benedict. At the two Papal Masses I attended this past week, the pope's homilies were the part of liturgies that I most anticipated.

Here's a graph from B16's homily at Yankee Stadium:

Real freedom, then, is God's gracious gift, the fruit of conversion to his truth, the truth which makes us free (cf. Jn 8:32). And this freedom in truth brings in its wake a new and liberating way of seeing reality. When we put on "the mind of Christ" (cf. Phil 2:5), new horizons open before us! In the light of faith, within the communion of the Church, we also find the inspiration and strength to become a leaven of the Gospel in the world. We become the light of the world, the salt of the earth (cf. Mt 5:13-14), entrusted with the "apostolate" of making our own lives, and the world in which we live, conform ever more fully to God's saving plan.

I also have to say that part of being emotionally overwhelmed by the Papal visit is caused by joy that the visit itself went so well and hit so many perfect notes: the important meeting with victims of clergy sexual abuse, the visit to the beautiful BNSIC, the visit to the synagogue, his Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and that wonderful event for youth at St. Joseph's Seminary.

There were so many things that could have gone sour -- but angels were clearly in the whirlwind.

No where was this more evident than from the reporting of the New York City media -- print and electronic. Anti-Catholic bias in the press? Not this week. Not in Gotham. The reporters and photographers and headline-writers fell in love with B16. He brought "HOPE" into their collective lexicon more than any presidential candidate could ever do.

The Gospel at Mass this Sunday, the fifth Sunday of Easter, was a good one for a Papal visit. In it, the apostles Thomas and Philip represent all humanity when they push Christ for proof that he is God -- despite Christ's reassurance them that He is going to prepare a place for them in the house of the Father.

From John Chapter 14:

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.”

Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Epilogue:

Yesterday, after the Mass, I took the 4 train home. My end of the train car was filled with Mass-goers speaking in Spanish who said they grew up in Columbia, Brazil, Puerto Rico and Spain.

Among those people was a group of young nuns who told me they are from Columbia but work in Queens. They said their order is "Preachers of Jesus and Mary."

Below is a photo I took of three of the nuns checking out pictures they had taken of the Mass with the Pope:

Cathedral Steps

Today, along with other young adult parishioners of the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in NYC, I stood on the steps of St. Patrick's Cathedral before, during and after the Papal Mass there.

We waved to the Holy Father as he travelled in the popemobile north on Fifth Avenue (after his post-Mass lunch at the Cardinal's residence).

Chang W. Lee of The New York Times captured this shot of the moment:

I'm in the white shirt on the top step. Here's my camera phone pic of almost the same moment:

Here are some shots from earlier in the day:

(Looking south on Fifth Avenue.)

(Some other YAs from church: Paula, Jeff and Allison.)

(With the glare of TV lights across Fifth Avenue, a Missionary of Charity sister waits for B16.)

Sunburned Papist

It sounds like I'm not the only one who got a sunburn Thursday morning in D.C.

Smart People

Maybe a quick movie review to help start the weekend?

Last Saturday, while I was home in Western PA, Ed and I caught "Smart People," a new movie set in Pittsburgh (notably at Carnegie Mellon University and surrounds).

The comedy/drama/romance stars Dennis Quaid as a grumpy, widowed CMU professor. Ellen Page ("Juno") plays his high-strung daughter; Thomas Haden Church ("Wings") is his perpetually down-on-his-luck brother; and Sarah Jessica Parker portrays an emergency room doctor who becomes Quaid's love-interest.

For a plot synopsis, go here.

When I first saw the preview for "Smart People," I was turned off by the prospect of another "angst before enlightenment" movie of this type. But, reading a good review or two (plus the Pittsburgh connection) pushed me to check it out -- and it delivered reasonably well.

But, I think "Smart People" may have been better without Dennis Quaid. I have to concede -- I find him grating. And, his range seems limited.

Sarah Jessica Parker may also have been a liability for the film. It's hard to watch her without constantly thinking of her as Carrie in "Sex and the City."

Go Monica '08!

Monica Douglas, a fellow veteran of the trenches of Western Pennsylvania political campaigns, has been drafted to seek the Republican write-in nomination for state representative from PA's 39th Legislative District.

According to an article at Monica's blog, the Republican who filed for the nomination was knocked off the ballot for having an insufficient number of signatures on his nominating petitions.

If she gains the nomination, this would be Monica's second run for the seat. In 2002, she ran a strong race against the district's longtime incumbent, gaining 41.2 percent of the vote despite a large voter party affiliation disadvantage.

The 39th includes small towns, rural areas and economically-depressed former industrial areas in part of the "Mon Valley," a section of southern Allegheny County and eastern Washington County through which the Monongahela River flows.

Monica is now in her fourth year on the borough council in the town of Elizabeth, PA -- and has been council president since 2006. It says a great deal about Monica's leadership abilities and competence that a Republican was chosen to lead the government of a town with a majority Democrat population.

Professionally, Monica is executive director of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County (RCAC). She previously worked for several political campaigns as well as the North Side Leadership Conference.

Monica is a rare breed in politics -- she has been able to keep her soul and self in tact over the course of many campaigns. Her integrity and determination would be tremendous assets in the Pennsylvania House.

For Monica to get the GOP nomination, 300 Republican voters would need to write in (or type in) her name in this Tuesday's primary election in Pennsylvania. She does have some competition -- apparently the Democrat incumbent holder of the seat is also seeking the GOP write-in.

Go Monica!

Poster Pope

You know the artsy Che Guevera poster-esque image of Barack Obama?

Yeah, there's a lot of that going around:

Hat-tip: The Anchoress

La Boheme

For this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," it is very tempting to post a piece of music from the Mass at Nationals Park or something else related to the Papal visit. But, before B16 arrives here in Gotham and the ensuing posts about his NYC events, it might be good to take a quick breather from all things Pope.

Also, I have been remiss in mentioning that on Tuesday evening (thanks to her original guest coming down with a bug), I had the opportunity to join Kelly in seeing "La Boheme" at The Metropolitan Opera.

I'm a longtime fan of this Puccini classic and Tuesday evening's performance did not disappoint. In fact, "La Boheme" is usually the piece that I recommend to people when they want to go to their first opera -- owing to its romantic story, lush and memorable score and engaging staging (especially the crowd scene).

But, Tuesday night was a special treat because I had never been to a performance of "La Boheme" at the Met -- it was Kelly's first time, too. She was surprised by how much of "La Boheme" really did inspire the hit '90s musical "Rent."

So, for your listening pleasure, below is a clip (featuring some other opera company) of the well-known piece "Musetta's Waltz" from "La Boheme."

Pace e Bene:


And, a movie clip extra:

Remember when Loretta Castorini went with Ronny to see "La Boheme" at the Met? Enjoy:

A Papal Discussion

Fr. Jim Martin, S.J., yesterday posted two good reflections at the NYT's "A Papal Discussion" blog.

Here are the links:

The Meeting With Abuse Victims

The Vicar of Christ and My Gay Friend

Context of This Hope

The Papal Mass this morning here in Washington, D.C., at Nationals Park was an amazing experience. The ballpark was packed with some 46,000 souls -- all intent on welcoming B16 and hearing his message of hope.

My old NCSC friend, Michelle Colby, and I were blessed to be seated on the field about 20 feet from the front row. If you were looking at the altar, we were in the second section to the left of the center aisle in which the processions took place.

(The political nerd in me feels compelled to share: we were about 15 feet catty corner from the seats of Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy and Samuel Alito.)

The music used during the Mass was varied. The highlight was Cesar Franck's "Panis Angelicus" ("Bread of the Angels") sung by opera legend Placido Domingo at the end of Communion. I also was very moved by "Pange Lingua" -- another song during Communion. (The version performed was a composition of Paulist Father Ricky Manalo.)

This Mass likely will be most remembered for the pope's brilliant but somber homily during which he addressed the recent crisis in the Church due to the sexual abuse of minors. Here's a snip:

It is in the context of this hope born of God's love and fidelity that I acknowledge the pain which the Church in America has experienced as a result of the sexual abuse of minors. No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse. It is important that those who have suffered be given loving pastoral attention. Nor can I adequately describe the damage that has occurred within the community of the Church. Great efforts have already been made to deal honestly and fairly with this tragic situation, and to ensure that children - whom our Lord loves so deeply (cf. Mk 10:14), and who are our greatest treasure - can grow up in a safe environment. These efforts to protect children must continue. Yesterday I spoke with your Bishops about this. Today I encourage each of you to do what you can to foster healing and reconciliation, and to assist those who have been hurt. Also, I ask you to love your priests, and to affirm them in the excellent work that they do. And above all, pray that the Holy Spirit will pour out his gifts upon the Church, the gifts that lead to conversion, forgiveness and growth in holiness.

The full homily is at Whispers. Also, John Allen of National Catholic Reporter is reporting that, earlier today, the pope met with sexual abuse victims from Boston.

The Anchoress has a good reflection on this morning's Mass. Her lead: "Did it seem to you, as it did to me that we watched Benedict loosen up or break free a little bit at this mass? Watching him exit he seemed bigger and bolder to me, as though he was growing into his part."

I should note that there was one slight negative out of today's Mass (and those field seats): I have a sunburn!

The image above of B16 incensing the altar today at Nationals Park is from BBC News.