The Big Three Are Now The Big Two

Those of you that read my blog know that I am a church musician. I have been fortunate to have been given a bit of keyboard talent, the support of parents that paid for piano lessons and the mentorship of a very talented organist that is also a good friend.

Some people have asked how I ever developed an interest in the organ, given that I had little exposure to classical organ music as a child. I always get a bit upset when I see the results of church surveys about music programs that express that "organ music is pre-Vatican II". Given that I was the youngest of five children in the 60s and 70s, I was raised in an environment where the radio was ALWAYS on (I do mean 24 hours a day/7 days a week). My first exposure to organ music was when I first heard (and was completely smitten with) the song "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procul Harum. Not too long after that, my parents bought me one of those cheap record players - the one where the player was actually smaller than the records. Along with the record player, I got a flimsy vinyl recording (like the ones that came on cereal boxes) of Light My Fire by The Doors. I simply loved the organ melodies in those two songs. A few years later, "redneck" of "southern" rock became popular. One song in particular became the rallying anthem for this brand of music. Interestingly enough, it wasn't a hard rock song - but a ballad (that had some harder portions toward the end). Flick your lighter and wave your arm for "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd!

While I like Bach, I was raised on and influenced by the organ music of Procul Harum, The Doors and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Billy Powell, the keyboardist for Lynyrd Skynyrd passed away suddenly at the age of 56 a couple of days ago. I truly do feel a sense of loss. While he may not have led the cleanest life, he did have a musical influence on at least one kid.

Below are links to the big three organ songs that influenced me.

A Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harem

Light My Fire - The Doors

Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Garbage Out, Garbage In

Those wacky Society of St. Pius X bishops and priests don't seem to get it. One of the four bishops that had his excomminication remitted made recent comments denying that the Holocaust took place. This doesn't do much to build on Jewish-Catholic relations. The Society has silenced this bishop from making public comments on issues related to Jewish history. From what I read, he is likely to formally apologize for his comments. While all this is going on, there are reports that a prominent priest of the Society is making similar comments. He isn't denying that Jewish people were killed. He just thinks the numbers are overblown - maybe 500,000 rather than 5-6 million died.

I don't get it. In the fall of 1992, I spent a day at Dachau. I went through the museum. I saw the ovens that were used to "deal with the problem" of the Jews. I cannot explain the feeling that I had that day. It felt like my entire body was being pulled down by a dense fog. The only other time that I had a remotely similar feeling was at Pearl Harbor. I suppose that one might experience similar feelings at the "Ground Zero" locations in New York and Hiroshima.

I do worry about how Jewish leaders will react to the remitting of the excommunication of the four bishops of the Society, especially given that one of the bishops and a priest from the Society have made public statements denying the Holocaust. The Vatican certainly could have done a better job of vetting the four bishops prior to remitting their excommunication. Perhaps they went to the same vetting school that was attended by the McCain campaign.

Stay tuned, folks. This situation seems to be on a long and rocky road.

The Boomerang Effect

Those whacky Society of Saint Pius X bishops are back! In 1988, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre ordained four bishops without Vatican approval. Under canon law, the four newly ordained bishops and the ordaining bishop (Lefebvre) were automatically excommunicated.

The Society of Saint Pius X does not recognize nearly anything or anyone related to Vatican II. Popes John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul, John Paul II and Benedict were and are not authentic Popes in the eyes of many of the Society's members. The members fail to recognize the Novus Ordo of the Mass - they feel the Mass must be the Tridentine Mass (Latin).

There has been a long effort to get the Society back into the fold. Pope Benedict's making the Tridentine Mass more available was seen as an effort to reach out to the Society. However, the Society said that was not enough. There seemed to be a stalemate. Vatican officials said that one condition required for the Society to enter into the fold was for them to recognize the validity of Vatican II and the recent Popes. At first, the Society said that would not be possible.

In the summer of 2008, there was a breakthrough. A group of monks with strong ties to the Society requested and was welcomed back into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. This was a glimmer of hope.

From the recent reports about the remittance of the excommunications of the four bishops, the Society is not yet in full communion with the Church. However, the recent turn of events makes it seem like that will happen very soon.

Not all are happy about the "ex-excommunication" of the four bishops. Many that embraced Vatican II feel that Pope Benedict is catering to the very conservative faction of believers. They argue that his move to make the Tridentine Mass more available and his remittance of the excommunications of the four bishops is clear evidence.

As usual, the devil is in the details. It will be interesting to see if details of any agreements between the four bishops and the Vatican are made public. I doubt that they will be. My hope is that the four bishops agreed to fully embrace the Tradition of the Church, including recognition of Vatican II.

For a Catholic News Service report on this situation, go to: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0900355.htm.

Yous Tubus

The Vatican entered a new world today. People can now have a virtual relationship with the Church on YouTube! Give it a try at: http://www.youtube.com/vatican.

Falling Into Place

Well, nearly two weeks after the incident, I am still reading reports related to the Miracle on the Hudson - the fact that all passengers and crew aboard a U.S. Airways jet survived a crash landing into the Hudson River. Everything went wrong and everything went right. After the plane took off, it it a flock of geese (or ducks). This happens quite often. However, these collisions usually do not result in damage so severe that it disables on engine, let alone two engines. Well, that is where things went wrong.

From that point on, everything went right/things were in the right place. There were two experienced pilots, a well-trained crew and passengers that did not panic. The pilots did everything right. They ruled out an attempt to land at another airport due to the likelihoood that they might not make it and crash into a populated area. They made the decision to land in the river. Fortunately, the river was very calm (another thing that went right). There were boats and ferries in the river. They happened to be located in areas of the river that made it possible for the jet to have a clear space to land and for the boats to quickly make it to the plane.

The crew of the plane kept everyone calm. All of the passengers knew what they had to do to minimize the possibility of injuries when the plane hit the water. Those passengers near exeits knew exactly what to do. Reports indicated all of the exits were opened within seconds after the plan hit the water. The boat captains knew what to do to get to the plane and the people on the boats, including many ferry passengers, knew what to do to get the people safely away from the plane and/or out of the icy water.

Everything went right to ensure that everyone on the plane survived. Throughout the past several days, an analogy kept coming to me. Think of how everything has to go right in order for a baby to be born anywhere in the world. Thinks have to go right during the fertilization process that leads to conception. Things have to go right with the health of the mother and the child. Adequate health care has to be available. Somebody that knows what they are doing has to be in the position to deliver the baby. The baby needs proper attention and care as soon as he or she enters the world. So many things could go wrong during this complex process - and they often do. However, so many babies make it because everything falls into place - just like the Miracle on the Hudson.

The Dream Goes On

Today, we celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most well-known civil rights activists that accomplished a great deal in his short life. Dr. King's accomplishments have made it possible for us to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama as the first African-American President of the United States.

During the celebration, we cannot lose site of the core of Dr. Kings civil rights dream. I work very closely with people with developmental disabilities. In the state in which I live, there are thousands of people on waiting lists for basic lang-term care services - residential services like living in a group home and vocational services like day programs/job training and support programs. They are eligible for such services. However, since there is not enough funding for these basic services, people with special needs are placed on waiting lists. People with special needs are often forced to live and work in congregate settings. Many policymakers feel that it is more cost-efficient to "warehouse" people with special needs in instituional settings or in large work centers. This isn't a problem if people choose such settings. However, many are forced into such settings against their will.

In celebrating the progress we have made in civil rights as a nation, we need to recognize that we have yet to realize Dr. King's dream. We should save some of our celebtatory energy to continue to push for the dream of everyone being valued and treated as a human being - regardless of skin coler, gender, disability, etc.

Vocation Awareness Week

We are nearing the end of the 2009 Vocation Awareness Week. During this week, special emphasis is given to the promotion and encouragement of vocations to the priesthood, religious life, consecrated life and the permanent diaconate. This week is also an opportunity for us to remember the many priests and religious that have had an impact in our lives.

I went to elementary school at the Catholic grade school attached to our parish. Fortunately, the school was staffed with many wonderful Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross. In addition to learning the "three Rs" and the Catholic faith, we learned many other lessons thanks to the Sisters. Sister Elise taught all of us how to throw a baseball like her favorite player, Cesar Geronimo. Sister Marion developed a wonderful game called "Buzz/Whoo" in which two teams would compete with each other to see how quickly they could answer questions about current events.

I recall a particular incident that demonstrated the strong bond between the Sisters and the school/Church community. Our parents were notified very early one morning that our school was closed. We didn't know why. Of course, we were overjoyed to have an unexpected day off. Several of us boys got together to figure out what games we could play. During the deliberations, one of the boys mothers informed us of the reason for the school closing. Sister Kathryn Le Roy, a very young Sister, suddenly passed away during the night. We found out later that she passed away due to complications from a congenital heart defect. We did not know Sister Kathryn, because she was not a teacher at our school. However, she lived in the convent with the other Sisters we knew. When we learned this, we no longer felt like playing. While we were young boys, we loved the Sisters and, even though we may not have shown it, we were very grateful for all that the Sisters did for us and our families. Their loss was our loss and we grieved with them.

We felt like we had to do something, but we didn't know what. We thought about getting flowers for the Sisters, but we didn't want to disturb them during a time of mourning. The same mother that broke the news to us about Sister Kathryn suggested that we go to Church and spend time praying for the Sisters. We thought that would be appropriate, even though, as young boys, it was difficult for us to sit still anywhere - let alone in a Church. The mother called the rectory to see if it would be OK for a few boys to come to Church for 30 minutes and pray for Sister Kathryn, her family and the other Sisters. The mother was informed that the Church would be opened. Within 15 minutes, nearly 20 young boys entered the Church and spent 30 minutes praying for Sister Kathryn, her family and the other Sisters. Given that these were nearly 20 young boys, it might be more accurate to say that they spent 30 minutes in Church. However, I am sure that a fair amount of the time was spent in prayer! This was the least we could do for the Sisters that did so much for others.

As Vocation Awareness Week comes to a close, please remember the priests and religious that have had an impact in your life, especially women religious. Keep them in your prayers and, if possible, provide financial support to their communities. These are wonderful ways to express gratitude to them for following and living their vocations.

Padre Pio II

The world lost another Padre Pio on Sunday. Cardinal Pio Laghi passed away in Italy. Cardinal Laghi's name may not be known to many. He had a strong connection to the United States. He served as the primary diplomatic link between the Holy See and the United States when permanent diplomatic relations were established in the 80s. When that happened, Laghi was appointed as Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. In that role, he was responsible for handling diplomatic relations as well as overseeing the Church in the United States. If there was a diocese without a bishop, then-Archbishop Laghi was responsible for developing a terna, list of three possible successors for the Pope to consider. In this role, Laghi played a very significant role in the development of the face of the current U.S. hierarchy.

After several years of retirement, Laghi was called in for special duty in 2003. As the U.S. was gearing up for war with Iraq, the Vatican sent Laghi to try to urge the U.S. to consider alternatives before attacking. I have read numerous accounts that indicate that the discussions were either "bluntly diplomatic" or "diplomatically blunt". In no uncertain terms, Laghi told State Department officials that they did not know what they were doing and underestimated the resources required to achieve their goals. Laghi stated that, if the attack proceeded, the U.S. should be prepared for decades of challenges and frustration. Laghi also warned that an attack would jeopardize the safety and stabilty of Christians in Iraq. He mentioned that the majority of Christians would leave the country and this would lead to a situation of "brain drain". Many of the leading professionals in Iraq were Christians. They rose in society because they had access to education provided by many Christian communities, including Catholic religious orders. Hindsight shows that Laghi knew about that of which he spoke. For a ZENIT article on Laghi's death, go to: http://www.zenit.org/article-24767?l=english.

May he rest in peace.

Another Story About Twins

This is an amazing story from CBS News. A tip of the cap goes to Deacon Greg Kandra, a former CBS news writer, for sharing the story. Perhaps it could be translated into Hebrew and Aramaic (and other appropriate languages) and forwarded to the Gaza Strip. Be forewarned that, since this is a CBS News feature, you will have to endure a short promo for an upcoming program prior to viewing the news feature.


Watch CBS Videos Online

The Race Is On

Way back in my college days at a large state university, one had to have a science requirement in order to graduate. The one class everyone took was a class on human genetics taught by one of those "far out" liberal professors. I even remember his name - Val Woodward. There were over 1000 students in the class I took. It was popular not because of the subject, but because if you showed up, you got a C. I actually tried to do a bit better than a C - and did. Every day, Professor Woodward would remind people that there are no significant genetic differences between black people and white people - just their skin color. He even bristled at the use of the term "race". It was a good class if one paid attention. Not only did one learn about genetics - Gregor Mendel and his peas - but one learned about humanity.

I was reminded of Professor Woodward's class when I recently read an article about a couple in England that recently gave birth to twins. The father is black and the mother is white. One of the twins has dark skin and the other has light skin. Amazingly, this is the second set of twins for the couple. The first set also includes one twin with dark skin and another with light skin. Pretty much everything with both sets of twins is genetically similar - with the exception of skin pigmentation. To see an article on the twins from AOL News, go to: http://news.aol.com/article/twins-with-different-skin-color-born/290834.

The Loss of a Jett

Jett Travolta, the eldest child of John Travolta and Kelly Preston, recently died while on vacation in the Bahamas.

Jett had a developmental disability. My hunch is that it might be a "no-no" for Scientologists to recognize and treat (in traditional ways) members that have developmental disabilities. Since Jett died in the Bahamas and was 16, there will likely be rumors of some type of overdose. The official line is that he suffered a seizure, fell and hit his head on a bathtub. My guess is that this is accurate. Many people with developmental disabilities have serious seizure disorders. I serve as guardian for several people with developmental disabilities. All of them have a seizure disorder. In most cases, the disorder can be treated with medications. However, since some of the most effective medications such as Depakote and Kepra are also used to treat mental illness, my guess is that Scientology would frown on any members taking such medications.

Last year, a father and mother in my state were both convicted of a felony for not getting their teenage daughter treatment for her diabetes. Rather than seek medical treatment, the couple prayed over their daughter. The daughter died. I doubt that any relatives of Jett Travolta will ever be in court - even though they may have been equally as negligent as the parents in my state that were convicted.

Ultimately, a young many may have died from a condition that is usually effectively controlled by medications.

Back To The Drawing Board

A couple of months ago, one of my posts included information about a person for whom I serve as guardian. Many years ago, this person had a consensual sexual relationship with a woman that, like him, had a developmental disability. The woman did not want to press charges, nor did the woman's family. However, word got to the local district attorney about the situation. The DA brought sexual assault charges. My friend was found guilty. Because of his developmental disability, he was remanded to a state mental health institution for 42 years. Why such a harch sentence? The reasons included: he was a young black male living in a lily white community, he was disabled and poor and the judge was (and is) a complete racist nutbag.

Fortunately, we were able to petition to get my friend into a conditional release program. This is a program that allows certain convicted felons to serve their sentence in a secured community-based setting. It was not easy to convince the same judge to allow this. For many years, my friend did very well. He lived in small group homes and even found a job on his own. His staff said that they had to fight for shifts that included working with my friend.

My friend has had a couple of anger management issues. Last year, he became confrontational with a staff member due to feeling abandoned by his family. My friend began to throw some things around the apartment. Rather than calling other staff for assistnance in "talking down" my friend, staff called police. My friend was taken into custody. Whenever this happens, our friendly judge must be informed. A hearing to revoke his conditional release was held. Several people testified on behalf of my friend and we convinced the judge to give him another chance to continue in conditional release.

A few weeks ago, my friend had another confrontation with staff. Police were not called. However, when word of the confrontation got to my friends parole official, things got blown way out of proportion. A hearing was held last week and my friends conditional release was revoked.

Earlier today, I went to visit my friend in the state mental health institute. When I arrived, I had to tell the guard (behind bullet-proof glass) that I was there to visit my friend. I key with a number was slipped to me through as slot as was a form I had to fill out. The key was for a locker. I had to put everything but my clothes in the locker - no belt, no watch, no keys. I walked through a metal detector to a holding room. A staff member came to get me. We went through two security gates and into the visiting room. While walking, the staff member said he wished all of the institution residents were as easy to work with as my friend is. He questioned why he was at the institution.

The visiting room looked like a classroom. There was a single raised desk in front where two guards kept watch. There were two rows of chairs facing the guards. My friend was sitting on the end of the second row wearing the standard bright yellow institution uniform. There were three other residents meeting with family and friends. My friend was glad to see me. He was very confused as to why he was there. It was tough for me to explain to him why he was there - I am as confused as he is on that issue. However, my friend understood that physical confrontations with staff are inappropriate reactions to frustrations that he has. I mentioned that all of us have frustrations and that we are judged by how we react to those frustrations. I think my friend gets this, but I am not sure. He has often presented himself to be more capable than he really is.

It was a tough visit. My only hope was to let him know that he had friends that would visit him and would actively try to get his conditional release reinstated. I will try to visit him every Saturday from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm, since he informed me that these are mandatory "quiet hours" during which residents must remain in their rooms unless they have visitors.

So, it is frustrating to see my friend back in the same place where I first began working with him many years ago. However, since that time, he does of a significant history of living successfully in a community-based setting. That gives me some hope that he can repeat his own history - minus the innapropriate reactions to frustrations.

Carrying the Section

Yesterday, the pastor of one of the churches of which I am a member called to ask a favor. More accurately, he called to ask that I be ready to deliver a favor.

Several years ago, I sang in the choir at this church. There were and are several excellent singers in the choir. I left the choir because several members developed the attitude that Mass was just a sidelight to the concerts they presented every Sunday morning. Not once was the focus on making music that would encourage the congregation to sing. Why should people in the congregation sing when there was such a wonderful choir?

This past summer, a new liturgist and music director took over at this church. After several months of trying to work with this choir, the director submitted his resignation on the day after Christmas.

The pastor that called yesterday asked me to pray for a good resolution to the situation and to consider filling in as a temporary musician in the event that the pastor could not convince the current liturgist/music director to stay.

The situation reminds me of the U.S. basketball team that competed in the Olympics several years ago. The team was made up of the best players from the NBA (this was just after professionals were allowed to compete). Virtually everyone predicted that the U.S. team would easily win the gold medal. The Dream Team was fortunate to win a bronze medal. While the U.S. team was made up of the best players, other countries had players that made up the best teams.

Back to the situation at my church...As a musician, it is very frustrating to see so many talented singers fail to focus on the goal of making music that encourages other people to sing at Mass. I have been to many other parishes where singers and musicians with less abilities were much more effective in encouraging parishioners to actively participate in Mass by singing.

I once saw a tombstone that read "He Never Had a Solo, But He Always Carried the Section".

Looking Ahead

As we enter a new year, one might wonder what we have to which we can look forward. Look at the news: war (again) in Palestine, piracy off the coast of Africa, corrupt politicians, parents killing their own kids, an economy that is in the tank, etc. How can anyone have a positive outlook?

We can have a positive outlook because change is inevitable. Nothing stays the same. Given that, the only real question is: What are we, as individuals, going to do to ensure that the changes that take place are as positive as possible? None of us can broker a Middle East peace deal. None of us can come up with the road map toward economic recovery. However, we can set an example to those around us. When we want to snipe at that person that grates on us, we can wish them a happy day. When we see someone in need, we can make a small donation to a social service agency.

The Berlin Wall fell not because of bulldozers, but because tens of thousands of individuals each took out a very small chunk of the wall (literally and figuratively).