As the World Turns

Once again, my continual refrain that Scranton is the center of the universe proves true.

As I noted before, during the recent Presidential election, almost all of the candidates visited the Electric City or touted their ties to Scranton, from Hillary Clinton to Joe Biden. Even Obama enlisted hometown boy, Senator Bob Casey, to his side early in the campaign and made several stops there with Casey by his side.

Now that the election has receded, Scranton has still managed to stay in the news for one thing or another. The latest newsworthy item is former Bishop Joseph Martino, who recently resigned after an 8 year reign of terror in the town, as I noted the other day. See Exit, Stage Right.

One of the LLWL gang returned today from a Cape Cod vacation and mentioned that she heard the news of Martino's giving up his throne while she was at the Cape. The news traveled far and wide.

Likewise, Time Magazine has also featured the story of Martino's sudden departure from the diocese of Scranton in its latest issue. They have an interesting take on what caused Martino to suddenly step down, Bishop Martino: Too Outspoken on Abortion for Vatican?:

For suddenly departing politicians and CEOs, the standard line is to "spend time with family." Now the Catholic Church may have its own version of this unconvincing, stock answer. On Aug. 31, Joseph Martino, the controversial bishop from Scranton, Pa., stunned longtime church watchers by announcing that he was resigning his post because of problems with insomnia and fatigue.

The Catholic leader, who has gained national prominence for his outspoken pro-life advocacy and aggressive criticism of pro-choice Democratic politicians, is still more than a decade away from reaching the church's automatic retirement age of 75. Martino's abrupt resignation, along with the fact that he was not reassigned to another position within the church, has some church insiders suggesting that the highly unusual move was far from voluntary — and quite possibly the work of a Vatican that has been decidedly less openly critical of the Obama Administration.

Whether Martino is leaving willingly or not, his departure means that one very vocal critic of the Administration has lost his bully pulpit.

Time suggests that Martino's constant castigation of pro-life Scrantonian Senator Casey may have been the deciding factor in the Vatican ditching Martino, particularly since the jabs were related to Casey's support of President Obama. As the piece observes:

Building bridges has also been the public posture of the Vatican when it comes to the Obama Administration. The Vatican remained silent on Notre Dame's decision to invite Obama to speak. And although Pope Benedict XVI expressed his disappointment with Obama's support for abortion rights when the two met in July, a Vatican spokesman went out of his way to state that the Holy Father was "very impressed" by the Democratic President.

With the substantial shortage of priests in the Church these days, it has to be pretty extreme for the Vatican to permit a priest to step aside for other than a very good reason. Of course, I'm glad he's gone, whatever the reason. Friends & family have long reported that the Bishop was deeply dividing the membership within the diocese. At least now the parishioners in Scranton can now begin the healing process.

Exit, Stage Right

Shrouded by the same mystery that has surrounded his tenure, Bishop Joseph Martino has resigned as Bishop of the Diocese of Scranton after a 6 year reign of terror. See Scranton's Bishop Martino stepping down.

Rumors of his departure have been rampant for some time, but the official word from Rome came this morning. Vatican accepts Bishop Martino's resignation. As the Scranton Times reported over the week-end:

Bishop Martino's resignation at the age of 63 is unusual – it comes more than a decade before the age, 75, at which bishops must submit their resignations under canon law – and caps six years of a tumultuous tenure as head of the 11-county diocese.

Sources in the diocese say the bishop stepped down because of health reasons.

Today, Martino cited his reasons for his early retirement -- by quoting from the lyrics of Kenny Rogers' song, The Gambler, “You have to know when to hold them, know when to fold them." he then aptly added, "And I think it's time to move on." In other words, as noted by Whispers in the Loggia, Calming the Waves:

Bishop Joseph Martino admitted to the assembled media that 'there has not been a clear consensus regarding [his] pastoral initiatives or way of governance' of the 350,000-member diocese following parish and school closings which, however necessary due to changing demographics, caused considerable controversy in the 11-county church.

The 63 year-old prelate said that the difficulties led to bouts of insomnia and a weakened immune system which, having taken a toll on his physical vigor, led him to submit his resignation to Pope Benedict in June, nearly a year after he first mentioned to his metropolitan that 'moving on' might be the best plan for himself and the diocese.

Of course, his critics (and there are legions of those) believe that "health reasons" is just a cover for the fact that he got the boot by the pontiff for his heavy-handed administration of the diocese. With the reign of Martino, who knows what the truth is. And with the closed world of the Catholic Church, who knows if we'll ever find out. Turns out that he tendered his resignation in June, which was accepted by the Pope in July. However, it was only disclosed after the rumors started when Martino was seen moving out of the Scranton rectory that is the home to the Bishop of Scranton.

Yet, one thing is for sure -- the resignation is very unusual. In fact, according to Clerical Whispers, "The Vatican statement it noted that the pope had accepted the resignation under a provision of church law in which a bishop due to illness or "some other grave reason, has become unsuited" to carry out his duties." So much so that, as Rocco Palmo of Whispers in the Loggia notes, Sede Vacante: "Today's move is just the third time this decade that a Stateside red-hat has been called in to oversee a local church amid emergency circumstances."

I've written about Martino many times, observing his antagonistic, combative, hostile style. Some of the highlights are chronicled in In Scranton, the Curtain Falls:

At the helm of one of the nation's most staunch, reliable bastions of Catholicism, while the kind, bookish cleric's fierce advocacy for the pro-life cause has won him fervent admiration from church conservatives nationwide, the quarter-million member Scranton church has been roiled since Martino's 2003 arrival by swaths of contentious parish and school closings, strained relations with the presbyterate, a perceived indifference to the media, clashes over the diocese's de-recognition of the local union for Catholic high school teachers (a move upheld by the Vatican) and, most famously, a steady stream of statements on politics, parades and public officials which served to draw lines in the sand in the socially conservative, heavily-Democratic area, home to both the revered Casey clan and, in his boyhood, Vice-President Joe Biden.

No doubt, Martino was brought to Scranton to handle a difficult job, to oversee the consolidation and closure of various schools and Churches in this diocese with a dwindling number of parishioners and priests. No one would have been loved after implementing those difficult changes, especially in a city as traditional as Scranton and its surrounding towns. While Martino was brought to town to be the henchman, to chop the excess, he just didn't need to be such an aloof, dictatorial in his carrying out his mandate. A bit of compassion -- need I say, empathy, would have perhaps made parishioners feel that the Church understood their pain, instead of looking like they frankly didn't give a damn.

In an excellent essay on the reign & departure of Martino, David Gibson of Politics Daily observes, Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino, Biden's Nemesis, Resigns Under Cloud:

But church insiders say Martino had also worn out his welcome with his brother bishops and the Vatican. So his resignation may be further evidence that the U.S. hierarchy is divided between moderate voices and a more strident conservative minority that is struggling in the wake of Obama's success with Catholic voters.

* * * *

The chief cause of Martino's local problems was his controversial plan in 2007 to close and consolidate Catholic schools in the diocese, which have been struggling with declining attendance, and declining donations. Closing schools is never popular, yet the need to do something is a harsh fact of life for many bishops, especially in the Northeast. But Martino's peremptory style did not help matters, and growing protests were followed by still steeper declines in church attendance and donations, a dropoff clearly exacerbated by the recession, which has ravaged the Scranton area. Then in February of this year, Martino announced that he was closing 91 of the diocese's 209 parishes, cutting the number of Catholic churches in this storied Catholic community by almost half.

But it was the presidential campaign last year that brought Martino to national prominence, and seemed to bring out the more volatile aspects of his personality.

In September, as Biden was barnstorming Pennsylvania -- the vice-president was born and baptized Catholic in Scranton before moving to Delaware later in life -- Martino declared that Biden would be denied communion if he tried to receive at a church in the Scranton diocese. "I will be truly vigilant on this point," Martino said. It was a step not even Biden's own bishop in Delaware would take.

Then in October, Martino had priests read a letter during all Sunday masses in the diocese telling Catholics that voting for a pro-choice politician was equivalent to endorsing "homicide."

* * * *

But it was an event in late October last year, on the eve of the presidential vote, as religious rhetoric was growing white-hot, that may have pushed Martino over the line in the eyes of many.

A parish was holding a regular voter-education forum on the election, featuring discussion of a document, "Faithful Citizenship," the election guide endorsed almost unanimously by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, or USCCB. Martino showed up at the parish hall unannounced, causing a stir. Then he took the microphone and proceeded to critique the organizers for not using his own letter on abortion as the basis of the discussion.

When a nun at the forum reminded Martino about the document of the enitre bishops conference Martino responded, "No USCCB document is relevant in this diocese. The USCCB doesn't speak for me," Martino declared. "The only relevant document ... is my letter. There is one teacher in this diocese, and these points are not debatable."

It was a bizarre episode and one that not only capped Martino's reputation as a divisive figure, but also seemed to set him against his other bishops -- a stance that may have been the ultimate cause of his downfall.

As Gibson concludes:

Whatever the ins and outs of the internal church maneuvering, the upshot is that a leading voice in the anti-Obama wing of the church hierarchy has been silenced while both Obama and Biden continue to take center stage.

And I can certainly say Amen to that.

The Magic of Home

As I observed on Twitter:

Who says you can't go home again? Weekend in Scranton. Yummy lunch @ Pappas Pizza & dinner @ Savory Maza. My Italian/Lebanese sides happy.

We spent a long week-end in Scranton, where we had a 50th anniversary party for my husband's parents. My parents are also home from Florida for the summer, so I got to visit with them as well. A family-filled week-end (and, as always, some good eats).

A perfectly timed Week-end Journal piece in last week's Philadelphia Inquirer selected Scranton as a destination point, The magic of Scranton, which provided a chuckle for the family and friends from the area.

Calling downtown compact -- about 6 square blocks, in the article may be accurate, but doesn't truly reflect what that downtown was like when I was growing up. Back in the "good old days" (or at least my memories of them), downtown was a vibrant place to be. My high school was on the edge of town, so we went downtown every day after school. To the Charlamont Restaurant at the Globe Store, for brownie a la mode, to Coney Island (mentioned in the piece) for hot dogs, shopping at the Globe and the Scranton Dry Goods Store -- as well as the Army/Navy Store -- believe it or not -- in my hippie days. Those were the days, my friend.

Because the party was held at the Scranton Hilton, I drove my daughter around center city, pointing out various points of interest from my youth. She insisted that it was the first time that she had been downtown (which I find hard to believe), and observed that it was nicer than she expected. I also have to admit that I was amazed at the revival of the downtown in the past few years. My old high school, Central, is now home to a college. The train station and courthouse have been renovated and look fabulous.


As the Inky notes of Scranton:

Mary Ann Moran Savakinus, director of the Lackawanna Historical Society, gives us the city's history in a nutshell:

"The industrial boom was fueled by the holy trinity of iron, rail, and coal." In 1847, brothers Selden T. and George W. Scranton were the first to mass-produce iron rails in America. Their iron-manufacturing business was short-lived, but coal stayed hot. With local fields containing 85 percent of the world's anthracite coal, the family shifted to railroading to transport those "black diamonds" around the country.

By 1900, Scranton had grown into the 38th-largest city in the country, with a population of more than 100,000, and families such as the Scrantons had joined the so-called robber barons of the era.

But the city's story is not just about the wealthy. Industrial growth required labor, and immigrants poured into the city to fill the jobs. The Irish and the Welsh were among the earliest arrivals, followed by Eastern Europeans and Italians.

"Having mined anthracite coal in their native country, the Welsh were a perfect match for the Pennsylvania mines," Moran Savakinus says. "Back then, Scranton had the largest Welsh population outside of Wales itself."

After World War II, coal was displaced by cheaper fuels - oil and natural gas - and the city's fortunes faded.

Its fortunes faded and many of its inhabitants migrated elsewhere (Philly has lots of them). However, like the "hardscrabble" people of Scranton, the city manages to survive, and thrive in its own way.

And, it's nice to know that you can go home again. At least once in a while, for a visit.

(Photos via Scranton Design)

Bookends

The summer continues to be a whirlwind of activity, but this week was one filled with sorrow. I started & ended the week by attending funerals. A friend and a relative. Both were known for their warm, loving personalities, who gave much to friends, family and others.

My cousin Linda, who just turned 50, died very suddenly. She was out to dinner with her 20 year old daughter and collapsed shortly after she was seated at the restaurant. Her son's high school graduation party was just last week. The funeral was held on Monday, because the family didn't want it to fall on his 18th birthday, which was Tuesday. In addition to her work and caring for her family, she helped to care for her sister, who has advanced ALS. Linda was funny, warm and above all, generous. It was one of the saddest funerals that I've ever attended -- the unexpected, sudden loss of a young, vibrant person.

Whenever I went back home, her sister invariably teased me about the lack of "style" with my hairdo. She hounded me to plan a week-end when I could come home, so that Linda, a hair stylist, could work her magic on my hair. In fact, my brother had made an appointment with Linda for a "make over" in mid-August as a birthday present, when I plan to be home again. Of course, the fact that I'll never get the Linda treatment was a refrain during the viewing & funeral.

On Friday, I ended the week by attending a memorial service for a friend who died at 52 of endometrial cancer. Last I had heard, she was in remission and doing well. I had just received word that she was not doing well when I found out later that day that she had died. Like my cousin, Debra was a wonderful person, kind and generous to all. Our kids went to Greene Street Friends School together, where she also taught & worked in administration for many years.

As her obituary said:

Everybody needs a hug once in a while.

That was the idea behind the Prayer Shawl Ministry, begun by Debra Pinder Symonette at the First United Methodist Church of Germantown.

Members of the ministry combine knitting and crocheting with prayer, creating shawls for people, mostly women, in need of comforting.

"A shawl ends up being very personal and very loving," said Zelphia Ellerson, a friend of Debra's since they attended Girls High together. "It's a hug. That's what it is."

The shawl ministry was just one expression of Debra Symonette's compassion and love of people. The multi-talented educator, onetime architect, artist and craftsman died Wednesday of complications of endometrial cancer. She was 52 and lived in East Mount Airy.

* * * *

Debra founded Paper Crane Studio, a crafts studio based at the church. She taught doll-making, rubber-stamping, scrapbooking, basket-making, card-making, calligraphy, beading, orgami, crocheting, knitting, quilt-making and other skills.

"Paper crane" is a Japanese symbol of peace and hope.

Debra also taught a variety of crafts at the Mount Airy Learning Tree, and organized "Stitch and Pitch" outings to Phillies games.

She was a member of United Methodist Women, which works to raise awareness of human rights, economic opportunity and health and quality-of-life issues relevant to women. She also was a member of the board of Weaver's Way, the West Mount Airy food cooperative.

The quilt pictured above, titled "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilt," was part of an exhibition that was shown last fall by a group of quilters. Embodying the spirit of Debra, her quilt contained quilt blocks from all of the original quilters in the group, as a way of showing the creativity of each member and the community. Debra looked at life that way in all that she did.

At the end of the service, paper cranes -- the symbol of peace & hope -- were handed out to all.

Sailing Away

I'm back from a long week-end in Scranton for my nephew's Graduation Party. Another trip back in time as I wander the halls of the Tripp House. As I mentioned 2 years ago when my other nephew graduated, Ain't No Party Like a Scranton Party:

The trip to Scranton was a real trip down memory lane for me. The Graduation Party was held at The Tripp House, which is Scranton's oldest home. Even more, years before it was taken over by the Junior League and restored as an event venue, my grandmother lived there. My brothers and I went to the house early to help set up for the party, so I got to wander around the house and remember spending time there with Noni. Great memories.

The rest of the week-end was also filled with family-related activities. On Saturday, we attended a Church picnic at McDade Park and another graduation party that evening.
Scranton has some of the best state parks around. After the bucolic setting of McDade Park, on Sunday the family spent the day at Lackawanna State Park, where we went kayaking and canoeing. After the rest of the gang headed out on the lake, my brother & I sat with my parents for a while, before we decided to hop into our own canoe.

Of course, anyone who knows me knows that me in a canoe isnn't exactly a picture that easily comes to mind. I probably haven't been in a canoe since the days when we had our vacation house in the Poconos. In fact, after the shock wore of the faces of my niece and nephews when we caught up with them, I had to take pictures to prove to doubters that I really was sailing the lake in my canoe.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you. The Bishop of Scranton, Joseph Martino, did not cancel St. Patrick's Day.

Happy St. Pádraig's day!

For more on St. Patrick, see Suzie-Q.

_____________

To alcohol! The cause of... and solution to... all of life's problems.

-- Homer

Diversity Defined

Diversity has no place in the Catholic Church, or its institutions of higher learning, announced Scranton Bishop Martino. Acknowledging that the "advancement of tolerance, understanding and harmony between people of different races and cultures" are worthy goals, the Bishop clarified that such teachings have no place in a Catholic Institution, since they conflict with Catholic values.

In his latest quest for the limelight in the Electric City, the Bishop of the Diocese of Scranton has defined the word "Diversity," at least for those Catholics who don't have a dictionary handy. As the Times-Tribune explains, Bishop Martino defines role of 'diversity':

Bishop Joseph F. Martino called on area Catholics to see a difference between 'authentic tolerance' and an 'anything-goes mindset,' in a public statement Tuesday.

* * * *

The statement describes a school’s responsibility to teach Catholic values. It says while diversity is a worthy goal, a Catholic institution may not compromise on the “objective, moral truth” of Catholic teaching.

“For example, would the Diversity Institute be justified in hosting a speaker who believes the Holocaust is a myth? Or one who believes slavery is OK because certain people are inferior? Or one who believes women can be exploited because they are the “weaker sex”?” the bishop asked.

“Their views are certainly ‘diverse,’ but does that qualify them to be given a platform in the name of tolerance?" Bishop Martino wrote. “As Catholics, we believe there is an objective, moral truth — given to us by Jesus Christ. This truth is timeless, and it cannot be altered by the shifting tides of popular culture.”

See also, Bishop, Misericordia trade statements on diversity institute.

Banning Holocaust deniers (sorry Bishop Williamson, you aren't welcome in Scranton), gays and people who know people who may be pro-Choice is the latest edict defining the limits of diversity, instructs Martino.

Of course, I'm speaking of the man who runs the Catholic Church in Scranton, Joseph Martino, who has taken time from closing churches in the Diocese to targeting colleges who foolishly believe learning means listening to views that may not be your own. As I've written (many times) before, Martino has attacked a local college because it dared allow a gay man to speak at a forum (sponsored by the Diversity Institute, of all things) as part of its Black History celebration. Santimonious: In Praise of Moron.

For more of the sad saga of sinful doings in Scranton, see The Intolerance Institute, Sinful in Scranton.

In his latest statement, Martino issues a final word to his critics and naysayers:

Bishop Martino concluded his statement by offering a “postscript” to people who criticize him for “taking public stances that may not be popular or ‘politically correct,’ or may not agree with their own personal notions of what ‘progressive’ Catholic doctrine should be.”

“My job as a bishop is to promulgate the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church to all the faithful,” he wrote. “I will continue to do so.”

I'm just sorry that I left the Church long ago, so I can't make a big scene & leave now!

Santimonious: In Praise of Moron

Good thing I'm not a practicing Catholic any more, or I'd be in trouble with the Church (yes, in many ways). I had promised to give up Martino for Lent, but it's obvious that I haven't been able to keep that pledge, since this is the second time I'm writing about him this week. See The Intolerance Institute.

In addition, I usually reserve my religious rants for Sundays, in honor of that being the day set aside for worship, but the combination of agita in the Church & Scranton has caused me to make an exception.

As I wrote earlier this week, Joseph Martino (which I believe is Italian for Moron), the Bishop of Scranton, is apparently on a mission from God to seek out & eliminate any discourse within the Church. For example, he has attacked a local college because it dared allow a gay man to speak at a forum (sponsored by the Diversity Institute, of all things). See also, Sinful in Scranton. There have even been suggestions that he may punish the school by removing its Catholic affiliation, which he has the power to do. Bishop Martino could take church affiliation from Misericordia.

He has also targeted anyone whom he does not consider sufficiently "pro-life," The Evil Lurks Within, and he has anointed himself as the Decider-In-Chief of what is appropriate (sound familiar?). Maybe we need to rename the Church as the Church of the Lemmings.

In Rick Santorum's (remember him? the former Senator from PA) weekly column in the Inky, Mr. Sanctimonious is downright gleeful about Martino's attacks against Democrats (including Bob Casey, who beat him for his Senate seat), In praise of Catholic priests who dare to teach and enforce:

That's why Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino got so much national attention last fall. Martino, formerly the auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia, made the welcome decision to publicly bar then Sen. Joe Biden and other abortion advocates from receiving Communion in the Scranton Diocese. Then, after the November election, he admonished his brother bishops for their reluctance to deal with the issue faithfully.

Last month, Martino took on the most influential family in his diocese, the Caseys. He excoriated Sen. Bob Casey, who claims to be pro-life, for voting to give taxpayer dollars to overseas organizations that perform abortions. He warned that Casey was "formally cooperating with evil."

Martino was not done. Two weeks ago, the Philadelphia native and St. Joseph's Prep graduate issued a strong statement of disapproval to a local, nominally Catholic college, Misericordia University, that had scheduled a speech on campus by someone advocating same-sex marriage. "The faithful of the Diocese of Scranton should be in no doubt," Martino said, "that Misericordia University in this instance is seriously failing in maintaining its Catholic identity."

Then, last week, Martino took on some more of the biggest guns in the diocese: the Irish clubs that organize the largest public Catholic event of the year, the St. Patrick's Day festivities. Through a letter from his Irish auxiliary bishop, Martino warned that if any of these groups went ahead with plans that in any way honor politicians who are not pro-life, he would close the cathedral where Mass is usually held prior to the parade, as well as other diocesan churches. He said he would not countenance anything that created confusion about the teachings of the church.

The reason for the letter: Scranton's St. Patrick's Day parade last year featured Hillary Clinton.

Not satisfied with the bad press & controversy he's created so far this week, Martino has issued a new salvo, by publishing a new letter against Senator Casey & ordering priests to deny Communion to any politician who does not tow the line. Bishop Martino counseling Eucharistic ministers to deny Holy Communion. As Catholic Culture explains, Scranton's Bishop Martino orders priests: no Communion for public sinners:

The official notice does not mention any individual by name. However it is impossible to overlook the fact that on the same day, February 26, the Scranton diocese also posted an open letter from Bishop Martino of Pennsylvania Senator Robert Casey, in which the bishop-- for the second time-- reminded the Catholic lawmaker of his moral obligation 'to oppose abortion and other clear evils.'

Martino's position, of course, is ridiculous. Senator Casey is definitely not pro-Choice. In fact, he had a very difficult time during the election (where he beat Santorum) because of his position. I can attest to the fact that many of my friends and colleagues did not want to vote for him because of his strong pro-life views. See Green is the Color of Money. Yet, Martino doesn't want to be bothered by the facts -- he "says his interpretation of the matter is 'in no way mistaken.'”

Truthfully, I'm beginning to think that what's going on here is Martino's political views are coloring his religious beliefs. I'm willing to bet that the man is a Republican, who is bent on doing whatever he can to sway voters in this traditionally conservative, but Democratic area. Clearly, the sole focus of his wrath are politicians of the Democratic persuasion. That is, the only issues he promotes as "evil" are those that Democrats hold. How about the Death penalty? Or the unjust war in Iraq? Those all impact "life" as well. Yet they are Republican issues, so he stays away from them. This theory is espoused by Bilgrimage in Collusion of the Catholic and Political Right: The Martino Story Continues and I truly believe he is correct in this. It's all part of the hard shift to the right and the elimination of the teachings of Vatican II.

And Martino's views (as well as those of the man formerly known as Ratzinger) are having an adverse impact on the Church. Despite the fact that the Catholic Church is still the largest ecclesial ministry in the US, the Church is starting to look like the economy -- in free fall. As noted by Catholic Culture: "Between the beginning and the end of 2007, the number of Catholics in the United States declined by nearly 400,000 to 67.1 million, according to the newly published 2009 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches." I'm sure the numbers of Catholics who have fled the Church in Scranton in the last year or so are also phenomenal (but we'll never know, because Martino will never release that information).

So, you may ask: why do I care? Although I have not been a member of the Church for many (many) years, I consider having been born & raised Catholic a bit like being Jewish -- for me, it's more a cultural thing than religious. In other words, I'm a secular Catholic, if that's possible. So I don't appreciate my cultural background being defiled this way. Contrary to the pontifications of this Bishop of the flock in Scranton, I am sure that the teachings of the Catholic Church are not intended to be grounded in bigotry, intolerance and harsh judgments of others.

And other people may be afraid of speaking out, but I can -- because I have nothing to lose.

The Intolerance Institute

Thankfully, I left the Catholic Church many years ago, so I don't have to witness first hand the sadness that is emanating from the destruction of the Church wroth by the likes of Bishop Martino of Scranton.

Having been born & raised in Scranton (accompanied by a Catholic School education from Kindergarten through Law School), I did think that there was one major advantage to my education. The benefit of spending grade school with the sisters would permit me to tell funny stories of having been taught by the nuns -- and Lord knows, there are many of those to tell. No More Patent Leather Shoes. In fact, my colleagues in the LLWL Gang, who are religiously diverse, got to hear the Catholic girls explain Pagan Babies at lunch the other day.

Yet, the Church of today, ruled by scolding dictators with vanity, intolerance and charity for none has superseded those fond memories, leaving a vile taste behind.

Once again, the Bishop of Scranton, Joseph Martino, has reared his ugly head to cause dissension, anger & pain among his flock. I have written of him many times of late, chronicling his dastardly deeds "in God's name." One of those dealt with his displeasure with a local Catholic University who permitted a civil rights activist, who happens to be gay, to speak at it's annual Black History event. See Sinful in Scranton. As the Scranton Times reports, Bishop Martino targets Misericordia University Diversity Institute:

Bishop Joseph F. Martino is calling on Misericordia University to “seriously consider discontinuing its Diversity Institute,” which hosted a gay-rights speaker earlier this month.

The bishop has publicly criticized the appearance of Keith Boykin, a best-selling author, television commentator and founder of the National Black Justice Coalition. Now Bishop Martino wants to ensure other speakers like Mr. Boykin do not receive a platform at Misericordia again.

Boykin, who is black as well as gay, was there as part of the school's Black History Month celebration and his focus was on black history, not on gay rights.

Lest there be any misunderstanding about Martino's intention, he wants it to be clear that he does not believe in diversity, if it does not comport with his view of the Church's teachings:

In a statement released by the Diocese of Scranton on Tuesday, the bishop conveyed that students should learn respect for all races and cultures, but viewpoints in opposition to Catholic teaching should not be presented “under the guise of ‘diversity.’ ”

“Doing so within a formal structure sanctioned by the institution gives the impression that these viewpoints are acceptable, or that all morality is relative,” the statement read.

The bishop is “asking Misericordia to seriously consider discontinuing its Diversity Institute” and also wants the school to prove its efforts in teaching Catholic morality regarding sexuality and homosexuality — including naming courses, content and catalog numbers.

Let the Inquisition begin! Martino also chose to issue his edict to the school by means of a press release, rather than by notifying the college first:

In a statement released by Misericordia on Tuesday afternoon, the university said it has “been committed deeply to its Catholic mission and the teachings of the Catholic Church for 85 years” and that it “welcomes the opportunity to discuss these matters with the bishop and his delegates at their convenience.” No further public comment was made.

Misericordia, located in Dallas, is a Catholic-affiliated school founded in 1924 by the Religious Sisters of Mercy. It is funded independently and not run by the diocese.

I have it on good authority (unlike me, I come from a religious family) that Martino never discussed any of his concerns with Misericordia or the Institute before he issued his attack through the media. Not a meeting. Not a letter. Not a call. No need, since Martino doesn't believe in discussion. He speaks, others obey.

And what about this radical Institute that obviously needs to be reigned in, according to the Bishop? What incendiary things has this organization done in the past? The Wilkes Barre paper describes the mission, Institute has long track record of promoting diversity:

Since 1993, the Diversity Institute at Misericordia University has provided programming and seminars for institutions in Northeastern Pennsylvania to encourage people in the region to be educated about diversity issues.

Its director, Linda Trompetter, Ph.D., had no comment Tuesday about the Diversity Institute at Misericordia University or Bishop Joseph F. Martino’s call to shut down the program. Through the years, though, the Diversity Institute has spurred larger initiatives that have addressed diversity issues throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Diversity Institute has presented at area businesses, government agencies, schools, universities and hospitals on issues ranging from sexual harassment, prejudice reduction and culture competence.

They’ve also presented programs on gender, religion, sexual orientation and class.

Each summer, the Diversity Institute hosts a multicultural summer camp for kids who live in and out of the area. The camp always ends with a picnic co-sponsored by the Wilkes-Barre chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

I have mentioned before that my hometown, and the surrounding area, was not exactly a beacon for harmonious racial relations. See, e.g., Oh, Dear Me and Can't Be Topped. So, one would think that an Institute that works to overcome those sentiments might be just what the region could use.

Yet Martino wants to do away with it? I guess his credo is a faith based upon Intolerance. Which Commandment was that?

Sinful in Scranton

I think Martino must be Italian for Moron. The Bishop from Scranton must sit around, looking for issues to stir up controversy and dissension in the Diocese. Based on the press he generates and the number of parishioners who are fleeing the Church, he's doing an excellent job.

Of course, this is the man who has elevated the abortion issue as the only important issue facing the world today. Forget unjust wars like in Iraq and genocide in Darfur. He doesn't have time for that. Forget hunger and rising homelessness. Forget about the death penalty. And let's not even talk about the problem of pedophiles in the Catholic Church.

During the election he ordered a letter be read during every mass in the Diocese, forbidding Catholics from voting for a pro-Choice candidate. See Say It Ain't So, Joe. More recently, he publicly rebuked Senator Bob Casey, from Scranton, for paling around with people who are pro-Choice. The Evil Lurks Within. A marvelous response to Martino on this particular issue can be found at Scranton Catholic Bishop Wants to Protect Children, Fails to See Irony.

Last week, he blasted a college for sponsoring a civil rights activist (who happens to be gay) as a speaker for its annual dinner of the Diversity Institute as part of Black History Month. As the Scranton paper reported, Bishop Martino rips college for gay-rights speaker:

The Diocese of Scranton is publicly criticizing the appearance of a gay-rights advocate who will speak at Misericordia University today.

Bishop Joseph F. Martino voiced “absolute disapproval” of the university providing a “platform” for Keith Boykin, a best-selling author, television commentator and founder of the National Black Justice Coalition.

In a statement issued by the diocese Monday, Bishop Martino called Mr. Boykin’s beliefs “disturbingly opposed” and “antithetical” to Catholic teaching.

This is the Catholic Church after all. Openness to Diversity is what's truly antithetical to small-minded, power-mongers like Martino. I'm sure he wasn't happy that the school held the lecture anyway, to a standing room only crowd. Disruption-free talk at Misericordia.

Moving on to new targets, Martino issued a pronouncement that no elected officials who hold pro abortion positions can be permitted to have any involvement in the city's upcoming St. Patrick's Day events. As the Times reported, Bishop warns Irish planners in Scranton:

In a letter to the heads of three local Irish-American organizations, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton has threatened to close St. Peter’s Cathedral during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations if the groups feature elected officials who support abortion rights at their annual events.

The letter, which was signed by Auxiliary Bishop John M. Dougherty, reports that Bishop Joseph F. Martino is “determined to prevent scandal,” which would be caused if the organizations “in any way” should “honor pro-abortion officials” by giving them parade or dais positions or opportunities to speak and “the Catholic Church is seen to be involved in this honoring.”

In direct terms, the letter reiterates the bishop’s publicly stated position that elected officials who vote to support abortion rights will be denied Holy Communion if they attempt to receive the sacrament in the diocese, including at St. Patrick’s Day Masses. The closing of St. Peter’s Cathedral is offered as an additional measure to prevent the honoring of such officials.

See also, Bishop of Scranton bars pro-abortion officials from St. Patrick’s Day Masses.

Of course, his position makes perfect sense. A closed mind matches the closed doors. On the other hand, this is a big deal in Scranton, with its large Irish population. As the Times notes:

The annual St. Patrick’s Parade through downtown Scranton is one of the largest in the country, and the dinners hosted by the Friendly Sons and the Society of Irish Women often have featured prominent national and international figures. Last year, President Barack Obama, then a senator, spoke at the Irish Women’s dinner; Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern spoke at the Friendly Sons’ dinner and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, then a senator, marched in the parade.

Although bishops of the diocese have historically attended the Friendly Sons’ dinner, Bishop Martino has never participated.

As Whispers in the Loggia explains: "Bottom line: no Biden."

The final irony about Martino is that he may be getting a lot of press on his pontifications, but he isn't just shutting doors to the Church to keep people out -- the doors to many parishes are being closed due to falling numbers of attendees. As Whispers in the Loggia observed:

Late last month, the Scranton diocese announced that, due to falling numbers of priests and fewer resources to go around, almost half its 209 parishes will be closed or consolidated.

(Cartoon via John Cole, TheTimes-Tribune)

The Evil Lurks Within

Sunday. The time to turn to thoughts of religion.

Apparently, the Catholic Church is vying with the Evangelicals to see who wins the Christian Less Christ Award. The Catholic Church is beginning to remind me of the GOP, a bunch of old (mostly white) guys who are totally removed from reality, baying at the moon.

The Pope (formerly known as Joseph Ratzinger, who served in his previous Vatican job as Pope John Paul’s Dick Cheney) is a hard-lined conservative who is intent on repealing most of, if not all, of the ecumenical teachings of the Second Vatican Council. Pope Benedict's decision to remove the excommunication of traditionalist bishops (including a Holocaust denier) has caused a storm of criticism from Jewish groups and other political leaders.

It's not just the reprehensible views of Bishop Williamson, however, that's the problem (although that is a major problem). It's the overall ultra-conservative turn of the Church itself that's so troubling. As noted by Clerical Whispers, Pope's Controversial Move Gives Hope to Shunned Traditionalists:

These ultra-traditional Catholics want the Vatican to declare that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church, want a return to old liturgies in which Mass is said in Latin, and say Vatican II, which met in the early 1960s, violates true Catholicism and is the reason why many have left the faith."

* * * *

Experts say some of the most controversial aspects of the group are more prominent in Europe, particularly in France. Those include anti-Semitic comments by society leaders and calls for governments to favor Catholicism.

"Lefebvrists want a much closer alliance between the church and the state than is permissible or possible in the post-Enlightenment world," said the Rev. James Massa, who heads ecumenical and interreligious outreach for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

And nowhere is that more true than in little ole Scranton. My brother alerted me to the latest travesty from the Catholic Church in Scranton, courtesy of the Bishop there, who apparently runs the Church like his own little Fiefdom. As the Scranton paper reports, Bishop Martino accuses Sen. Bob Casey of “cooperating with … evil”:

Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph F. Martino accuses Sen. Bob Casey of “cooperating with … evil” by refusing to back legislation to block U.S. tax dollars from flowing to foreign family planning groups that refuse to renounce abortion.

In a Jan. 30 letter to the senator, the bishop also calls on Mr. Casey to live up to his Catholic faith and “oppose abortion and other clear evils, including contraception.”

* * * *

The letter was prompted by Mr. Casey’s vote against an amendment to the state Children’s Health Insurance Program, which the Senate adopted last week. The amendment, authored by Sen. Mel Martinez, a Florida Republican, would have required family planning groups abroad to agree, before they receive U.S. aid, that they would not perform or promote abortions.

I've known the Casey family from my days in Scranton. I went to school with one of the Caseys (they are a big family, so who didn't?) and I knew the former Governor Casey. The family is very religious and they personally toe the Church line, including Senator Casey. He espouses his views, even though it has meant that, like his father, he has had a difficult time in the Democratic Party because of his stanch pro-life views. Casey certainly does not deserve this treatment by the Church. Yet, in Martino's letter, he chides Casey for his position:

Quoting church doctrine, the bishop contends Catholics are required to oppose “any law that attacks human life” and some Catholics “are given a particular title to this task … including those who hold economic and political power.”

Bishop Martino said Mr. Casey should reverse his vote because his “responsibilities as a Catholic … exceed even those of your office.”

See also, Bishop Admonishes Sen. Casey. Martino also made news during the primary for his stance on abortion as the single issue in the campaign for Catholics. See Say It Ain't So, Joe. Like the Pope he emulates, this is a man with major power & control issues, as they say.

I also suppose Martino forgets that the main opposition to JFK as the first Catholic to run for President was that he would put his religious beliefs ahead of those duly enacted laws of the land. Notwithstanding his personal/religious beliefs, abortion is still legal in this country and as a Senator, Casey is obligated to respect those laws.

And as for the Bishop, if Martino was so concerned about "life," where was he on the issue of the unjust war in Iraq? Is he working to end it? How about the death penalty? Nothing extinguishes life like the death penalty. And, let's not forget he is the Bishop in the Scranton Diocese, an area rife with gun lovers. Where does he stand on gun control? Does he preach to his flock to put down the guns? And finally, this is the Catholic Church we're talking about. How did he respond to the pedophiles in the ministry? I'm sure I don't need to answer these hypothetical questions, since the answers are obvious.

Scranton Chain-saw Invasion

During the primary, President elect Barack Obama got in a heap of trouble for saying that the working class voters in Pennsylvania were bitter, which caused them to cling to guns or religion or a dislike of those who aren’t like them, such as anti-immigrant sentiment, as a way to vent their frustrations.

Well, he obviously spent some time in Scranton, for he knows about which he speaks. Scranton is not just "home" to his new VP to be, Joe Biden, or just like home to Hillary Clinton or the TV show, The Office. No, Scranton is much, much more.

Scranton is also home to the woman who was arrested for cussing out her toilet (as well as her neighbor, an off duty police officer). See The Terrible Toilet. And Scranton is also home to the most recent example of a brim full of bitterness -- the man who attacked his neighbor's door with a chainsaw because the neighbor allowed friends to park their car in front of the man's house.

As the Scranton paper reports, Jury convicts Scranton man in chain-saw incident:

A Scranton man who took a chain saw to his neighbor’s door walked out of Lackawanna County Courthouse in handcuffs Tuesday after a jury convicted him on four criminal counts.

* * * *

The incident occurred March 5 at Jamie Zaleski’s 730 Maple St. apartment. Mr. Zaleski was there with several friends when someone knocked on his door.

When he asked who it was, the man replied, “Your worst (expletive) nightmare. Open the door or I’ll cut it down.”

The group fled out the back door as the chain saw tore through the middle of the front door, leaving a gash that began at the bottom and stopped about halfway up.

During their investigation, police learned Mr. Kane and another neighbor, Earl Fedrick of 733 Maple St., approached Mr. Zaleski about a month before the incident to ask him to refrain from parking in front of their homes across the street.

* * * *

The chain-saw attack was precipitated March 5 when one of Mr. Zaleski’s friends parked in front of Mr. Kane’s home, according to police.

This is hardly a situation like Center City Philly, where parking is a premium. This is a residential section of Scranton, with single family homes and plenty of street parking.

That's certainly a new twist on road rage. In fact, it's a twist with a saw.

(Via From Pine View Farm).

Can't Be Topped

I was definitely a child of the 60's. (Of course, some would say that I still am. My brother calls me a "dead hippie" because he says I've never given up my liberal views.)

I talked the talk, walked the walk -- and dressed appropriately. I was for love, peace and understanding. I marched against the war. And I wore flowers in my hair.

And the music was part of my life. I was not so much into hard or acid rock. My favorites were James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel, Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell and Carole King. And then there was Motown and TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia). Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. The Temptations, the Supremes, the Spinners, the Delfonics and, of course, the Four Tops. Songs that still fill my iPod today.

One of the great Motown crooners, Levi Stubbs, died yesterday. Four Tops Frontman Levi Stubbs Dies:

Four Tops frontman Levi Stubbs, whose dynamic and emotive voice drove such Motown classics as "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" and "Baby I Need Your Loving," died Friday at 72.

He had been ill recently and died in his sleep at the Detroit house he shared with his wife of 48 years, said Dana Meah, the wife of a grandson. The Wayne County medical examiner's office also confirmed the death.

With Stubbs in the lead, the Four Tops sold millions of records and performed for more than four decades without a change in personnel.

* * * *

Their biggest hits were recorded between 1964 and 1967 with the in-house songwriting and production team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland. Both 1965's "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" and 1966's "Reach Out" went to No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart.

Other hits included "Shake Me, Wake Me" (1966), "Bernadette" and "Standing in the Shadows of Love" (both 1967).

It's hard to know for sure, memories being what they are, but I wouldn't be surprised if Motown was my first interaction (such as it was) with blacks. At the time I grew up, my hometown of Scranton had a population of about 125,000 (vs. 75,000 today). However, there were probably only about 1,000 blacks (and most likely little or no other minorities).

The neighborhoods were divided by ethnic background and the reality was, there was not much mingling even among the Irish, Italian, German and other ethnic groups. In fact, it is often said that Sunday morning is the most segregated time in America. That was certainly true in Scranton, but not just with respect to race. My neighborhood, for example, was mostly Catholic, but each ethnic group had its own Church. I can recall the Irish Church, the Italian Church and even the Lithuanian Church (where I went to grade school) within a few blocks of my home. There were also the Protestant Churches, such as the Clinton family Church that was up the street from my house. In fact, during the primary, Jason Jones of the Daily Show satirized the pastor at the Clinton's Church as racist because there were no blacks who attended the Church.

The black population in Scranton was largely found on the outskirts of the downtown area. And even though I attended one of the two public high schools in town, there were probably no more than 1/2 dozen blacks in my entire high school (that may have had as many as 1,500 students at the time). My high school, Central, was considered the "college prep" school, and (not so) subtle segregation encouraged the black students to attend Scranton Tech.

So, I not only owe singers like Levi Stubbs for the best music of my generation, but for introducing my to another culture in the best positive way possible. After all, anyone who could sing with such soul was alright with me.

The City Is Electric

Once again, Scranton is in the forefront of the presidential campaign news. This time it was a visit from the Biden and the Clinton families, making a joint appearance in support of the Obama/Biden ticket.

As the Allentown Morning Call observes, in Now, more than ever, it's the Electric City:

''The last time I saw this kind of action was John F. Kennedy,'' said Jim Kennedy, a district judge who palled around with Biden as a kid and often popped into Hank's for a hoagie with the future Democratic vice presidential candidate.

Kennedy remembers a crowd of 200,000 gathered in Scranton to welcome JFK in 1960, cramming sidewalks and leaning out of apartment windows to get a glimpse of the Democratic presidential candidate. ''That's the last time in our lifetime that it's been like this,'' he said.

To many Scrantonians, this city has always been the political epicenter, welcoming the periodic homecomings of Clinton and Biden with a fanfare that left few here unaware of the lawmakers' area roots. This year, the way many here see it, the rest of the country has simply caught on.

''The media has always been a little slow on the draw,'' chuckled Evie McNulty, the recorder of deeds for Lackawanna County. ''We've always been the center of the universe.''

* * * *

This year's Scranton hoopla is a storm that's been in the making for years, assisted by a political pedigree unusual for a city of 75,000. Among its politically famous native sons: ex-Republican Gov. Bill Scranton, who ran for president in 1964; ex-Gov. Robert Casey Sr.; and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., whose rise was cemented with his 2006 election.

Joe Biden, the "Scranton boy, done good," as Obama referred to him after the last debate, and Hillary Clinton, along with the former President, took the stage in Scranton, where "the two former rivals in the Democratic primary made the case for Barack Obama in a region of the state where he got creamed by Sen Clinton by more than 50 points on April 22nd." See Scranton Style: Bill, Biden, and Hillary Woo the Working Class.

The Clintons were in town for the christening of Hillary's nephew at the family Church up the street from my home. Another Clinton homecoming for Scranton. Too bad my snowbird parents are already in Florida or they could have walked up the block to see them. My mother especially was a huge Clinton fan & is one of the Hillary supporters that the campaign is trying to sway to Obama.

The Morning Call reports on the visit, Scranton is new hotbed:

U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden made a triumphant homecoming to this hard-scrabble coal mining city on Sunday, where they laid blame for the nation's worsening economic woes at the feet of Republican nominee John McCain and exhorted their supporters to work hard until Election Day.

Making a direct appeal to the blue-collar voters who eluded Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama in the state's hard-fought April primary, Clinton, Biden and former President Bill Clinton, warned of continued economic hardship for the middle class if McCain captures the White House on Election Day.

''All across Pennsylvania, folks are trying to figure out what all this tough economic news means for them and their families,'' said Biden, the Democratic vice presidential nominee who spent the first 10 years of his life in this city's Green Ridge neighborhood. ''For too many American families, the economy didn't start collapsing a year ago Â… it started collapsing eight years ago.''

Working families, Biden told a crowd of roughly 6,000 supporters at an indoor soccer complex here, were asking themselves ''questions that are as simple as they are profound.'

See also, Dream team of heavyweight Democrats in Scranton pushing support of Obama.

And I missed that Scranton was recently featured on the Today Show, as part of it's feature of battleground states:



The former mayor of Scranton, Jim McNulty, has started a website about the city's political juice, Scranton: The Election City.

Say It Ain't So, Joe

John Cole, The Times-Tribune

As the church bells ring this Sunday morning, if you are Catholic and live in Scranton, you may want to give a pass on mass. In what's ironically called "Respect Life Sunday," the Bishop of Scranton disrespects Catholics everywhere by imposing his political views on the city's parishioners under the guise of his anti-abortion stand. The Times-Tribune reports, Scranton Diocese priests read abortion position letter to parishioners:

A letter from Bishop Joseph F. Martino to be read aloud by priests at all Roman Catholic Masses in the Diocese of Scranton this weekend calls on the faithful to understand and remember the church’s position on abortion come Election Day.

“Jesus Christ ... does not ask us to take up his Cross only to have us leave it at the voting booth door,” Bishop Martino says in the two-page pastoral letter, which will also be circulated with all parish bulletins on Saturday and Sunday. In it, he criticizes the laws that protect abortion rights and takes particular aim at political candidates who express support for those rights.

In the letter, Bishop Martino refers to abortion as “homicide” and writes, “It is a tragic irony that ‘pro-choice’ candidates have come to support homicide — the gravest injustice a society can tolerate — in the name of ‘social justice.’”

No mention by Martino, of course, of the death penalty or torture or supporting unjust wars (like Iraq, perhaps), all issues that relate to life -- or loss thereof. The Republican Bishop justifies this by saying:

Bishop Martino’s letter also confronts the argument that abortion is not the only “life” issue that should concern Catholic voters. The bishop notes such reasoning is sound “only if other issues carry the same moral weight as abortion does,” for example, euthanasia and “destruction of embryos for research purposes.” Other issues, including health care, education, economic security, immigration and taxes do not carry the same weight, he writes.

He also argues that abortion is a “deeper” and “more corrupting” moral failure than “mistakenly believ(ing) that an unjust war is just.”

I just wrote a few days ago about my experience at my family reunion last month, where the priest (from Scranton) who officated mass gave a lecture against voting for any candidate who supports abortion. See God is on My Side. I didn't realize that this was part of a concerted (political) campaign in support of the Republican party.

Now I know why SNL called Scranton a "hellhole" in its VP debate skit last night. The writers must have seen the NYTimes piece on Martino's order to issue instructions to parishioners on how to vote in the election next month. Fortunately, not everyone is a Stepford Catholic. As the Times reports, Catholic Church Is Riven by Internal Debate:

As the Roman Catholic Church observes its annual “respect life” Sunday in this heated presidential election season, the unusually pitched competition for Catholic voters is setting off a round of skirmishes over how to apply the church’s teachings not only on abortion but also on the war in Iraq, immigration and racism.

In a departure from previous elections, Democrats and liberal Catholic groups are waging a fight within the church, arguing that the Democratic Party better reflects the full spectrum of church teachings.

It is a contest for credibility among observant Catholics, with each faction describing itself as a defender of “life.” The two sides disagree over how to address the “intrinsic evil” of abortion.

* * * *

In Scranton, Pa., every Catholic attending Mass this weekend will hear a special homily about the election next month: Bishop Joseph Martino has ordered every priest in the diocese to read a letter warning that voting for a supporter of abortion rights amounts to endorsing “homicide.”

“Being ‘right’ on taxes, education, health care, immigration and the economy fails to make up for the error of disregarding the value of a human life,” the bishop wrote. “It is a tragic irony that ‘pro-choice’ candidates have come to support homicide — the gravest injustice a society can tolerate — in the name of ‘social justice.’ ”

In response, a coalition of liberal lay Catholics is pushing back, criticizing the bishop’s message for neglecting other aspects of “life” talked about in Catholic social teachings, like concern for the poor.

See also an earlier Times piece on the issue, Abortion Issue Again Dividing Catholic Votes.

The Times-Tribune also discusses the fact that not all Catholics support the Bishop, Hot topic: Groups rip Martino on vote advice:

Groups that advocate for a broad view of Catholic social justice teaching and for maintaining the separation of church and state have criticized a letter by Bishop Joseph F. Martino that instructs Catholic voters to consider abortion above all other issues on Election Day.

The letter, which will be read in place of the homily at all parishes in the Diocese of Scranton this weekend, ignores aspects of the official statement on voting issued last fall by the national organization of bishops, progressive Catholic groups say.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops holds that Catholics “are not single-issue voters” and allows for Catholics to vote for candidates who support abortion rights, but only if they do so for other “morally grave” reasons.

The national bishops also define racism, torture and genocide, as well as abortion and euthanasia as among the most important issues for Catholics to consider.

Chris Korzen, the executive director of the progressive Catholic group Catholics United, said those other issues, which the church considers “intrinsic evils,” are “conspicuously absent” from Bishop Martino’s letter.

As Sr. Mary Elizabeth Clark of the national Catholic social justice lobby Network, in Washington, said when the issue was raised in the 2000 election:

"Poverty is an act of violence against life," Clark said. "Trade policies that will dehumanize people and the earth are life issues as much as is abortion."

See Catholics able to `think for themselves,' bishop says.

Is it any wonder that the Catholic Church is more losing members than any other faith? Swing Shift. I can attest that it was people like Martino that drove me away from the Catholic Church long ago and things haven't changed for the better since then. Way to go, Joe.

Queen for the Day

UPDATE: Had to do the video:



Here's SNL's version of the VP debate, with Queen Latifah as debate moderator Gwen Ifill, as well as Tina Fey, reprising her role as Governor Sarah Palin.

For me, the best part is the mocking of Biden's continual reference to his scrappy Scranton beginning (about midway through). All I have to say is OMG! Too funny -- and true.

~~~~


I know someone who will be tuned in to tonight's SNL to see the show's take on the VP debate. TMZ is reporting that Queen Latifah will be getting in on the act by portraying last night's moderator, PBS journalist Gwen Ifill, during the Sarah Palin/Joe Biden VP debate on "SNL" this week. See Queen Latifah Set to Grill Sarah Palin.

One of the LLWL Gang* is the biggest Queen fan I know.

And, I'm sure it'll be way better than the real thing!

(*LLWL = Lady Lawyers Who Lunch, a/k/a my officemates)

The Hometown Crowd

This one's for my homies -- the Scranton hometown crowd.

In the continuing saga of Scranton's 15 minutes of fame during the election, Keith Olberman's Number Two "Worst Person in the World" is a Fox News anchor polling the crowd at a diner in Scranton.

Who does the crowd go for -- McCain or Obama?

God is on My Side

Wayne Stayskal

Reading this Washington Post story about evangelical ministers flouting federal law, which prohibits endorsements of political candidates from the pulpit, by explicitly endorsing McCain, 33 Pastors Flout Tax Law With Political Sermons, reminded me of my recent family reunion.

The Post story reported:

Defying a federal law that prohibits U.S. clergy from endorsing political candidates from the pulpit, an evangelical Christian minister told his congregation Sunday that voting for Sen. Barack Obama would be evidence of "severe moral schizophrenia."

* * * *

Johnson and 32 other pastors across the country set out Sunday to break the rules, hoping to generate a legal battle that will prompt federal courts to throw out a 54-year-old ban on political endorsements by tax-exempt houses of worship.

The ministers contend they have a constitutional right to advise their worshipers how to vote. As Johnson put it during a break between sermons, "The point that the IRS says you can't do it, I'm saying you're wrong."

The fundamental problem with the premise espoused by these fundamentalists is that it is not illegal to a Church to endorse a candidate. It merely means that they cannot do so and take advantage of the advantages of tax exempt status afforded to churches and other non-profit entities. No one is forcing these ministers to accept the benefits of being a tax exempt entity under IRS rules. Just say no to tax exemption and endorse away! As the Post article notes:

Yet while the ministers say the rules stifle religious expression, their opponents contend that the tax laws are essential to protect the separation of church and state. They say political speech should not be supported by a tax break for the churches or the worshipers who are contributing to a political cause.

A few weeks ago was our annual family reunion in Lancaster. I've mentioned before that on Saturday, before the family dinner, there is a liturgy of the mass. Give Me Some of that Old Time Religion. The priest from the Lebanese parish in Scranton comes to celebrate mass. I've also mentioned that I'm probably the only person there who doesn't attend. I figure that there has to be one heathen in every gathering and I volunteered to be it.

During the Cocktail hour after mass (now, that's something I could believe in), several of my relatives were discussing the fact that the priest had addressed the election during his sermon and admonished them not to vote for any candidate who supports abortion. Not only was I shocked to hear this blatant political talk from the pulpit, but I was also appalled that my cousins (and spouses) were mentioning this approvingly. They felt this justified a decision not to vote for Obama. So much for Biden having much influence over the vote in Scranton.

The next morning, Father ended up sitting next to me at breakfast. I thought long and hard about expressing my dismay over his conduct, but decided to let it go, since the reunion is a family gathering, not a political forum. At least I would honor that tradition. However, I wanted to ask whether next week's sermon was to advocate against voting for anyone who supports the death penalty or unjust wars (isn't that what the Pope called Iraq?). I wonder whether he really wants all Catholics to sit out the election, since they can't vote for either candidate if that's the case.

My musings also reminded me how much the Catholic Church has changed from the Church that I remember. As a follow up of sorts to my post on Banned Books week, I was an English major undergraduate and attended Marywood College in Scranton, which was then an all girl's Catholic college. The school was run by the IHM (Immaculate Heart of Mary) nuns, so it was not exactly UC Berkeley on the Lackawanna.

Yet, as inconceivable as it sounds today, I actually took a course in college entitled "Literature in Pornography." We studied several of the books on the banned book list I noted, such as Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence, Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov, Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller and of course, Portney's Complaint by Phillip Roth. I am also certain, despite our supposedly more enlightened times, such a course would never be offered today.

Sad to say, but for many, religion has become the refuge of the small-minded.

Scranton never leaves you

After taking our daughter to Miami to start college last week, we spent a few days with my brother and his family in South Florida. His mother-in-law was also visiting and like us, his wife's family is also from Scranton, so we all got a kick out of all of the homage paid to The Electric City after the selection of Joe Biden as Barack Obama's running mate. See The Message. His wife's family are Irish Catholics from Green Ridge, not far from where Biden was born, while our family lived a few blocks from the Hillary Clinton's father's home. see e.g., All Roads Lead to Scranton.

All of us are political junkies, so we spent some time watching the Democratic doings (thank god for TiVo), which was all the more entertaining since the news stories were interspersed with Scranton references. We've all been gone from Scranton for over 20 years (his mother-in-law lives in Arizona and even voted for McCain in 2000), but Scranton is still home for us all. We should have thought to play a beer game every time the city was mentioned, as suggested by Dan Rubin. Scranton, Jewel on the Lackawanna.

Of course, the Scranton connection is politically advantageous for Obama/Biden to emphasize, given the importance of Pennsylvania in the upcoming election. As described in a piece in Politico, Sen. Joe Biden (D-Scranton):

Joe Biden lived in Scranton, Pa., only until he was 10 years old, but you wouldn’t know it lately from listening to him, his running mate Barack Obama and their surrogates.

Since Biden began campaigning as the Democratic vice presidential candidate, he and campaign aides have spent as much, or more, time talking about his ties to the hardscrabble former coal town nestled in the hills of northeastern Pennsylvania as they have about his connection to Delaware, which Biden has represented in the Senate for more than 35 years.

Introducing Biden as his running mate Saturday, Obama called him a “scrappy kid from Scranton who beat the odds,” while Biden said he agreed to run partly “for everyone I grew up [with] in Scranton, Pa., who’s been forgotten.” Both men mentioned Scranton well before either Claymont, Del., where Biden's family moved when he was 10, or Wilmington, Del., where his family lives now.

In the last few days, Biden has called Pennsylvania “home,” a spokesman has attributed his penchant for shooting from the hip to his Scranton roots and the campaign proclaimed him "Pennsylvania's third senator" in an e-mail to Keystone State press.

“I am so proud of representing my state, and it is my state and I love it,” he said of Delaware during a Thursday breakfast speech to Pennsylvania convention delegates. “But, you know, Scranton never leaves you. And Pennsylvania never leaves you,” he said, drawing the biggest applause of the morning.

The Scranton love fest is more than just idle nostalgia, though.

The city is the biggest population center in a key swing area in a key swing state with 21 electoral college votes — seven times as many as Delaware.

But perhaps more significant than Scranton’s impact on the Pennsylvania results is the potential for the city to lend the Obama and Biden ticket some of its unquestioned blue-collar creditability. That could boost the ticket’s appeal nationally to the type of older, white, working-class, socially conservative Democrats who dominate the voter rolls in Scranton and nearby Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton — and who are expected to be much fought over in Obama’s battle against Republican rival John McCain.

Another Scranton native, Mark Jurkowitz, wrote for Real Clear Politics about the city's resurgence -- at least in the news, if not in reality. He notes, in How Scranton Became the New Peoria:

As a native of Scranton, it's fun to see a hot network sitcom that celebrates, or perhaps mocks, the quirky ordinariness of Scrantonians. And don't think we're not proud (The local newspaper website has an interactive "Office Tour of Scranton" to identify local hotspots ranging from a coal museum to the kosher deli.)

But the "Office" renaissance is nothing compared to what happened in the 2008 campaign. In the past few months, this hard-bitten city, known to millions of passing motorists for the junkyard that loomed above Rte. 81, has become the new Peoria--ground zero for old-fashioned American values, the psychic heartland.

It really began with Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary. As she began to focus on connecting more with regular folk, she embraced her Scranton roots--her father grew up in the city and she spent time there as a child--as a symbol of her grit and everyman empathy.

* * * *

With its population of socially conservative voters who tended to be Democrats by birth, Scranton has been a kind of political bellwether in national elections. But for all the city's attempts to to "get back up," as Clinton would say, no one could have envisioned its emergence as a full-blown icon in this campaign.

In an election in which economic hardship and working class anxiety are crucial issues, Scranton has somehow become a symbol of both the ills and resilience of our society as a whole. And for the candidates, a Scranton background is a badge of honor, a way of saying "I am one of you."

In an interview with the Scranton Times shortly after the announcement of his selection as VP on the Democratic ticket, Biden had this to say about Scranton:

I never left Scranton, as you know. Scranton never leaves you. Scranton is part of your heart. It becomes part of who you are. And I know you probably think that’s crazy, but call guys like BillyKotzwinkle, who wrote “E.T.” (novels), call people who have gone on here, the McGowans . I remember sitting with him and talking with him about building blocks in Scranton. Scranton never leaves you; it’s in your blood. The other side of it is, even though I moved out of Scranton and moved down to Wilmington because there’s no work for my dad back in the mid-’50s, I came home. I spent my summers there with my friends . . . . I mean, I really mean it. Wilmington may have had my head, but Scranton’s always had my heart.

See ‘Scranton never leaves you’.

Now, I don't doubt for a minute that all of the Scranton talk is intended for the points the Democrats hope to score in the election and yet, as cynical as I can be at times, I also believe that what Biden says is true about the fact that Scranton never leaves you. I have been away from Scranton longer than I lived there, yet Scranton is the place that comes to mind when I think of "home."

Scranton's glory days had long passed well before I was born, but the people of Scranton, despite being "scrappy," are still proud, warm-hearted and full of humor. In part, there is some influence that emanates from the proximity of the city to New York and Philly, yet the small town, ethnic character is the strongest reflection of the people of Scranton. It's a good mix. Philly has a lot of ex-Scrantonians (of course, not surprising because there aren't a lot of jobs left in Scranton) living here and we immediately develop a kinship when we meet based upon our shared past.

It can be seen in the first Biden ad, "Scranton" -- playing in Northeast PA:



As Ben Smith of Politico says:

The campaign will run the ad, which ties Biden's biography to Obama's and stresses the Delaware senator’s Scranton roots in northeast Pennsylvania. Biden provides the testimonial as images of Obama with his mother and his grandparents flash on the screen, followed by a shot of him on the trail leaning in to listen as an older white woman says something to him.

The only other note I'd add is that Jurkowitz talks about memorializing Scranton in a song, saying:

The way things are going, Bruce Springsteen will probably write a song about Scranton. (Billy Joel did "Allentown," but he was off by about 50 miles.) All that will be needed to complete Scranton's improbable rise as the touchstone of this year's election will be for a candidate to utter the cliche, "Today, we are all Scrantonians."

He must be too young to remember that Scranton was the subject of a Harry Chapin song in 1974. The song, 30,000 Pounds of Bananas, was about about a trucker carrying 15 tons of bananas who crashed coming down the Moosic Street hill in 1965.