Saturday, October 22, 2005

"What it means to be a faith believer"

Well, it's been a few weeks that First Things has had a regularly updated blog "On the Square" on its website, with contirbutions largely by Fr. Neuhaus and occasionally by editor Joseph Bottum. The thing that makes the blog interesting is that it seems to be an ongoing serving of the fare that has made the periodical famous (well, apart from articles of serious heft), i.e. Fr. Neuhaus' incisive commentary and dry, acerbic, polemical wit in the monthly "Public Square." (Gosh, I hope polemics can be witty. Else I'm in trouble ... )

Here's this hilarious example, where Fr. Neuhaus skewers some of what Bishop Skylstad (and he is often at his polemical best skewering bishops) of Spokane says in a recent interview with John Allen:

Mr. Allen also interviewed Bishop William Skylstad, president of the U.S. bishops conference. Despite his diocese of Spokane being in bankruptcy as a result of sex abuse pay-outs, Skylstad seems to be upbeat about things in general. He defends the high rate of annulments in the U.S. and says our marriage tribunals are something of a model for other countries. He recognizes ecumenical problems but adds, “There are lots of creative things we can do together. When I get home, I’ll preach at an ecumenical service.” The synod does “feel some urgency to move to greater unity about who we are as faith believers.” As he might have added, there are no doubt also those who feel a measure of urgency about what it means to be a faith believer. Some bishops are concerned about the state of liturgy but, says the Skylstad, “I have the sense that the guys in general don’t feel that way.” On what to do about politicians who defy the Church’s moral teaching: “I think the vast majority would like to approach this from the point of view of catechesis and dialogue rather than coming down in a harsh way. It’s a very difficult question, of how to make your personal belief and the teaching of the Church consistent with your public role. We need to dialogue about this, and address it.” With a strategy that combines dialogue and addressing it, the bishops may be on the way to a resolution. Bishop Skylstad is in favor of meetings. “We recently had Father Ron Rolheiser in Spokane, who pointed out that the Holy Spirit actually came for the first time in a meeting, meaning the gathering of the disciples in the upper room, so I’m hopeful.” Of the synod, he says, “There’s a collective wisdom that occurs when a group comes together.” Wherever wisdom occurs, collective or otherwise, attention must be paid. The occurrence of wisdom is, after all, a rare thing. As to whether it is occurring at this meeting in Rome we will have to, on the evidence of this interview, take the bishop’s word for it.
Now lest you get all huffy, I'll add the disclaimer: no, I don't always agree with everything Fr. Neuhaus says. His wit, however, I appreciate unapologetically. "As he might have added, there are no doubt also those who feel a measure of urgency about what it means to be a faith believer." Ha!

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