Statement on Christopher West from Fr. Jose Granados

From Fr. Jose Granados:

"It is highly inadequate and open to serious misunderstanding to say that John Paul II took the sexual revolution a step further. For the principles that were at work in Puritanism, with its negative vision of the body, are the same ones at work in pornography and in the sexual revolution. In both cases the body is seen without reference to the dignity of the person and to the plan of God for man; it is deprived of its symbolism and its language. Puritanism attempts this by silencing the body and its urges; the sexual revolution (as expressed for example in Hugh Hefner) by exalting it as an absolute. In both cases (but especially in the latter) the body, and with it the human person, are despised, because they are cut off from their ultimate origin and destiny. Pornography is in no sense an attempt to recover the beauty of the body and sexuality, but a sign of despair regarding this beauty and the possibility of finding meaning in human love.

The recovery of the meaning of the body, with reference to love and to the mystery of man and God, is the novelty brought about by John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. The Pope’s proposal is not about sexuality, but about the truth of love as the foundation of the person’s dignity and the meaning of reality; and about the family as the place where the person finds himself and his way towards happiness.

Moreover, one of the results of the sexual revolution is precisely the pansexualism that surrounds our society. We cannot respond with a different kind of pansexualism, with a sort of “Catholic sexual revolution,” which in the end promotes a similar obsession with sex, even if 'holy.'"

Fr. Jose Granados
Assistant Professor of Patrology and Systematic Theology at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family

Coauthor of "Called to Love: Approaching John Paul II's Theology of the Body"
(Source of article)

From the Dawn Patrol...

"In the last couple of days, Professor David L Schindler’s critique of Christopher West as come under attack by some heavy guns, namely, Professor Janet Smith and Professor Michael Waldstein. I would like to comment only relative to the main point I made here on The Dawn Patrol last week. That point is that the very effective popularization of the theology of the body (TOB) by West has a severe liability insofar as it promises too much: it is supposed to be the bombshell that will delivered us from the death-grip of that nasty Catholic Puritanism.

I am not a scholar; while my argument with West is theological, it is not academic. West is a popularizer. He is targeting the sex-saturated masses with arguments that are largely apologetical in style and substance. It seems to me that Schindler, dean of the John Paul II Institute, is addressing West on an academic level, and he does so fairly and accurately.

That being said, it is not true, as both Smith and Waldstein claim, that Schindler does not offer sources for his arguments. He gives precise instances of remarks made by West, which he documents, and then he summarizes the problem as follows (emphasis mine}:

I offer these examples not merely because they are vulgar and in bad taste, not to mention sometimes bordering on the just plain silly, but because they indicate a disordered approach to human sexuality. An objective distortion in approaching sexuality does not cease to be such simply because it is theologized. West to be sure will point toward the “orthodox” intentions and context of the examples, but my criticism bears on the substance of his preoccupation as reflected in the examples.
It seems that Schindler is arguing that to do things like advising young men to look at their naked bodies in a mirror in order to overcome shame is an example of a “disordered approach to sexuality.” Taken together with the other examples of West's teachings, Schindler indicates a “preoccupation” West holds which, from the many blog comments I have read over the last week, seems to be a common complaint about his approach. West justifies all he says on the basis of his knowledge of the corpus of John Paul II’s TOB, including the above advice. Schindler does not seem to be impressed by this extrapolation of the pope’s teaching--this theologizing that really has nothing to do with the John Paul’s corpus of writing..." (Continued here)

Christopher West's theology in question by theologian

This was found through the Catholic News Agency. A very enlightening article, revealing things and concerns that I have had but haven't had time to research enough about it to form an opinion. I am presently not voicing my opinion, but feel I should present this article for you to ponder yourselves. Fair warning for those who may blush - the continuation of the article contains graphic and explicit details about what should be an intimate subject between spouses and some of which may seem totally out of whack!

Here is the article by David L. Schindler
Provost/Dean and Gagnon Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Pontifical Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family:

"Regarding his interview on Nightline, Christopher West says that his remarks were taken out of context. In some sense, this is surely true. However, the comments as aired are the latest in a long list of statements and actions not inconsistent with the context set by the Nightline editors.

Though occasioned by West’s Nightline appearance, the present statement addresses his theology as a whole.

Let me stress that I agree with those who vigorously defend West’s intention of fidelity to the Church. Certainly he has had positive results in drawing many Catholics into a deeper understanding of their faith. As for myself, I do not initiate anything about West in my classes, but only respond when asked a question. Then I begin by emphasizing West’s intention of orthodoxy. As I have often put it, "he would throw himself in front of a bus for the Church." It is important to understand, however, that good will is not synonymous with sound thought; and I must say, not without reluctance, that West’s work seems to me to misrepresent in significant ways the thought of John Paul II.

The following examples have been verified by persons directly involved or by things written by West himself (and I regret the necessary adoption of West’s own language).

West’s work has involved suggesting that a man and woman bless their..." (Continued here).

Christopher West on ABC Nighline tonight!

From a press release...

"Christopher West, senior fellow of the Theology of the Body Institute, was interviewed last week for an in-depth feature segment on ABC's Nightline. The interview was filmed on location in North Carolina during one of his conferences and also in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, near the headquarters of the Theology of the Body Institute.

We were informed today that the piece will air tonight (May 7). ABC Nightline airs at 11:35 EST. Check your local listing for more information.

Nightline has an average nightly viewing audience of four million. Please pray for those who will be exposed to the message through this medium.

Over eight hours of taped interviews were edited down to seven minutes. We ask for your prayers through the intercession of John Paul II that the message of The Theology of the Body will be presented authentically.

God bless you,
TOB Institute Staff"

Fr. James is ready to Rock and Roll about the Theology of the Body!

My friend, Fr. James who is a pastor at a parish in Texas and a very fine priest will be a contributing author to Catholic Exchange's new "Theology of the Body" channel of their marvelous website. If you know a priest who would enjoy these articles or one you know could benefit from this information, please pass on this post to them. You may read it yourself and find it very interesting, too. Feel free to leave a comment here at my blog and also at Catholic Exchange if you would like with suggestion, questions, or other feedback.

Thanks and enjoy!

God bless!

Donna-Marie

Priestly Celibacy: Introduction

What does priestly celibacy have to do with the Theology of the Body? Isn’t all of this talk about John Paul II’s teaching really just for married couples? Surprisingly, this is what a lot of priests really do think.

I have been asked to write a series of articles for priests on the topic of celibacy in light of John Paul’s Theology of the Body. Wow, what a task I signed up for! I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject. I am on a journey too. But, I do know that just as the whole business about sex and marriage is confusing for most people who are called to marriage, the whole business about sex and celibacy is really confusing for many priests. Wouldn’t it be better just to let Catholic priests marry? What’s the big deal?

I am not going to try and answer every concern and every issue just in one short article. These articles will be a work in progress. I am learning a lot about John Paul’s Theology of the Body and I welcome comments and corrections. However, I can promise you that in these articles I will be who I am: up-front, direct, honest and controversial. I thrive on controversy. Controversy makes life interesting and exciting. So, if you are ready to rock and roll, let’s begin.

Theology of the Body requires study. John Paul’s teachings from his General Audiences are not easy to plow through. Begin by purchasing a copy of Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by John Paul II and Michael Waldstein. Read this along with Christopher West’s Theology of the Body Explained. I can guarantee one thing: if you assimilate the message of these books and make it your own, you will see celibacy and the priesthood in a whole new dimension. These teachings are really awesome... (Continued here)

The Gift of Communion: Part II (Theology of the Body article)

The Gift of Communion, Part II

By Fr. James Farfaglia

As discussed last time, the gift of communion in Marriage is only possible when man and woman make a sincere gift of themselves. Communion of persons in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony of course is only possible if both husband and wife live the theological virtue of charity with Christian authenticity and maturity. The spouses live out in the ordinary circumstances of their lives the daily program of Christian love so beautifully delineated by St. Paul.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7)
This program of love is certainly not easy to live out within our daily existence. However, it is possible to live this life of love if we have a mature spiritual life. Most of all, we need to center our lives on the Sacrament of Love; i.e., the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is called Holy Communion. Jesus himself, through the Eucharist, grants to us the most powerful experience of intimacy possible within our earthly existence. As Pope Benedict explains: “And that is what is really happening in Communion, that we allow ourselves to be drawn into him, into his inner communion, and are thus led finally into a state of inner resemblance...” (Continued here at Catholic Exchange)

The Gift of Communion, Part One by Fr. James

The Gift of Communion, Part One

George Washington Carver, the scientist who developed hundreds of useful products from the peanut once said that when he was young he asked God to tell him about the mystery of the universe. But God answered him and said that such knowledge is reserved for God alone. So the famous scientist asked God to tell him about the mystery of the peanut. God said that knowledge about the peanut was something that he could handle and God told him all about it.”

My dear friends, when we consider the mystery of God, we must realize that just like George Washington Carver had to be content with his knowledge of the inner workings of the peanut, so too we must understand that our knowledge of God is very limited indeed. As Pope Benedict once said: “God, as the Wholly Other, remains beyond our comprehension”.

The mystery of the Blessed Trinity is clearly revealed to us throughout the New Testament. However, we already get a glimpse into this mystery in the first book of the Bible. “God said, let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves…” (Genesis 1: 26). Us? Ourselves? These words reveal to us the nature of God. God is one God, but three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One God, not three Gods... (Continued here at Catholic Exchange)

"Only Girls can Be the Mommies"

Mary Kochan recently shared her "new baby" with me over at the amazing Catholic Exchange. I hope you'll take a look. I am highlighting one of the articles here by Christopher West in CE's new channel: "Theology of the Body"

Here's what Christopher West has to say in his very interesting article:

"Do you remember the Mister Rogers song that went like this: “Only girls can be the mommies [tinkly piano…] Only boys can be the daddies, yes sir … Everybody’s fancy, everybody’s fine … Your body’s fancy and so is mine”? Well, it seems what may have been true in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is not true in Mister Beatie’s, an Oregonian “man” who announced this spring that he is five months pregnant.

The news was everywhere at the end of March. Some of the Headlines read: “A Pregnant Man: It’s Incredible”; “He’s Having Their Baby”; “Pregnant Man Stuns Medical Profession”; and “She’s Pregnant, But She’s a He.”

What gives? In case you haven’t heard — she is not a he, rather “he” is a she. Thomas Beatie is actually Tracy Lagondino, a woman who had her breasts surgically removed and has been pumping her blood stream with male hormones in order to grow facial hair. Her ovaries and womb, however, have remained intact. She stopped injecting testosterone in order to ovulate and, as she herself says, my body “regulated itself after about four months.”

To “regulate,” of course, means to bring order, to conform something to the truth of things. She, herself, by acknowledging that her body “regulated itself” admits that she is a woman. Wait a minute… even as I write this, I am baffled by the boggling absurdity of needing somehow to demonstrate that “she is a woman.” How could it be otherwise?

Let us allow Mister Rogers, in his own simple way, to inject a little sanity: “Boys are boys from the beginning [tinkly piano]… Girls are girls right from the start, yes sir… Every body’s fancy, every body’s fine… Your body’s fancy and so is mine.”

I don’t mean to make light of the situation, or in any way to turn it into a joke. This is not a laughing matter. Tracy Lagondino is not a man “trapped” in a woman’s body. There is no such thing..." (Continued here)