Promoted by PD

This is necessarily going to be the veriest sketch of a highly complex question--one that tons of people, many or most of them way smarter than I am, have discussed, debated, and theorized about for the better part of two millennia thus far. I want to emphasize that, while I have relied on official sources to the fullest possible extent, any errors of fact or interpretation that may be present in what follows are entirely my own. Only that material which is explicitly attributed to an official Catholic source should be considered definitive.

With that caveat out of the way, follow me below the fold as I attempt to sum up the faith of billions of people across the world, a faith that has been evolving for more than two thousand years. (As I often say, the reason they call us "practicing Catholics" is that even after trying for 2,000 years, we still haven't gotten it exactly right.)

A word on language. Latin is the official language of the Catholic Church, and the definitive edition of any text will be in that language. Many (if not most) Church documents are cited using the first significant words of the incipit, the first section of the text (e.g. Gaudium et spes, "Joy and hope").

Jesus Christ, inner Light,
Let not our own darkness conquer us.
Jesus Christ, inner Light,
Enable us to welcome Your love.

--Suzanne Toolan, RSM

That song was to have been the signature text for tonight's Taizé service at my parish. It will now be one of the signature texts for a combined Taizé service and healing vigil there. It's also, I would argue, one of the better messages to take away from the horrible events at Northern Illinois University yesterday.

Follow me below the fold for what we know now:

At the end of the public portion of its annual meeting this past Wednesday, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released what is widely being described as a voter guide (PDF link), just as it has done ahead of every presidential election for the last 30 years. A long version of the bulletin insert is also available (PDF link).

Virtually without exception, the major media outlets, and most people I've seen discussing this statement in Left Blogistan (including, regrettably, here on Little Blue), have seriously mischaracterized both its intent and its content. Take this story from the AP, which has been widely used as the starting point for a lot of online verbiage. It is headlined "Catholic bishops instruct voters," and here's how it starts:

I was in a meeting this afternoon at work when I heard something that I figured my fellow Street Prophets can help out with. There's a bill sitting in Congress that would make it easier for homeless kids to apply for financial aid so they can get a college education and get off the streets.

Obviously, this is not a particularly "sexy" issue, so it hasn't been getting a lot of attention. But a couple of people from the university where I work have been going around interviewing homeless kids all across the country, and they're heading to Washington this week or next to see if they can't light a fire under Congress to do something about the problem.

And that's where I figure y'all come in. Follow me below the fold for some details.

Via Andy at Towleroad, I learn that Fred Phelps and his merry band of haters are planning to preach picket at the funerals of some of the victims of the Virginia Tech shooting that occurred yesterday. I am trying very hard, though thus far not having a great deal of success, not to become what I hate, but suffice it to say that if I were face to face with Mr. Phelps and his supporters right now I think I would have great difficulty repressing the urge to rip their guts out through their mouths. With my bare hands.

Dan had to do a wedding tonight, so he's asked me to fill in on our regular Sunday night community prayer* thread. All who come in peace are welcome, whatever tradition (including "None of the above") they may follow.

So let us gather below the fold in prayer*

(*meditation, good and active thought)

I've had this card taped or otherwise affixed to my bathroom mirror for the last five years, so that each morning and evening as I begin and end my day, my eye falls on it. It came from Pax Christi USA, the Catholic peace organization. It's what I'll be praying today. This prayer, attendance at the noon Mass, and the color of my clothing (I'm wearing the red appropriate to a martyr's remembrance and feasts of the Holy Spirit--whose inspiration, guidance, wisdom, and fortitude I know I need to get through these dark days of the Shrubbery), are the only recognitions I'm making of the day, because I refuse to buy into the Bu$hovik propaganda that is otherwise desecrating the memory of what happened five years ago today.

O Sapientia
O Adonai
O Radix Jesse
O Clavis David
O Oriens
O Rex gentium
O Emmanuel

O Wisdom
O Lord
O Root of Jesse
O Key of David
O King of the Nations
O Emmanuel

But what does surprise me is the telling lack of anything even remotely resembling a pastoral understanding of how this initiative is going to make their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in Christ feel--and, even more so, the generally atrocious reasoning, historical and otherwise, that the document displays. Considering that each and every one of the six men who signed off on that statement has an earned doctorate in canon law, I expect them to know better.

The image tonight is a photograph I took at the Musée Rodin in Paris this January. I happened to be in the right place at the right time to grab this shot, even though it came at the price of a bunch of complaints from my aching back and legs (I had to squat down pretty low to catch the sun just right). The sculpture is entitled La Cathédrale.

Aurora borealis over Wisconsin, courtesy of the folks at Spaceweather.com.