Comments on the John Paul's funeral

I stayed up last night to watch the funeral on TV. Sadly, I fell asleep for about an hour. I'll have to go back and watch that part. (As a humorous side note: why can't the vatican get with the times! Everything important should be in primetime. I sure hope the next Pope is willing to consider important moderizations like this before his death. Jeez!)

Luckily, I woke up in time for the final prayers and for them taking him inside St. Peter's Bascilica. What a powerful moment that was! I cried and cried and cried. I cried not so much out of sadness for the man but out of a deep love for the man and a deep realization of how far I have to go in living up to my baptismal, confirmational, and marital vows. There is nothing like reflecting on the life of a saint to make it clear how I've failed myself.

But in that moment, knowing the depth of my failures, I remembered John Paul's favorite phrase of Christ: "Do not be afraid!" a phrase that speaks to everyone, saint and sinner. After he was taken inside the bascilica, I turned off the TV and pulled out my Rosary and prayed. I asked for Mary's intercession with every Hail Mary and asked for John Paul's intercession with every glorious mystery. Finally I asked God to fogive me my sins while I forgive those who tresspass against us.

John Paul the Second... pray for us!

kencraw on 04.08.05 @ 10:30 AM PST [link] [No Comments ]

Wow! Read this one

This is a great tribute to the Pope:

He Was My Pope, Too by Lutheran Uwe Siemon-Netto, writer for Christianity Today.

kencraw on 04.07.05 @ 02:58 PM PST [link] [No Comments ]

Patriarchal structure of Chruch as demeaning as apartheid?

Next up in my list of letter recipiants is Joan Ryan of the San Francisco Chronicle in response to this column. Here is the text of my e-mail:

I am writing in response to your column entitled "A fearless defender". Let me start of by thanking you for writing a fair column. Your words reflect an honest and open opinion, one that it seems is having difficulty rectifying your respect for John Paul and your disagreements with him. The world needs more rhetoric like this. I think that John Paul would applaud your honesty and your willingness to speak up without fear. Stated more clearly, John Paul's desire for respectful dialogue, desires for more honest columns like this. That said, I'd like to speak to some of your concerns for his teachings.

The first topic I'd like to mention is that there are more solutions for sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS than condoms. The Church has always taught that sex outside of a heterosexual marriage is immoral. If the world followed this teaching, there would be no AIDS epidemic. It is inaccurate to mention John Paul's condemnation of condoms without mentioning his condemnation of sex outside of the bonds of marriage. It is not that John Paul didn't care about the millions who were dying of AIDS, but that he had a different solution to the problem. In fact, he cared deeply for those who were affected by this terrible disease and called for them to save themselves by turning to God and following His will.

People may call this solution "unrealistic". I would respond in two ways. First, from a pragmatic perspective, it seems that the condom solution is proving out to be just as unrealistic. The spread of AIDS has not slowed as dramatically as everyone would hope, even in the United States where the strategy has been given more than a fair chance. There is also evidence from a couple of countries world-wide that have embraced the Catholic Church's teaching in its schools and have seen the HIV infection rate drop dramatically. Second, I quote John Paul (who was quoting Christ) when I say "Do not be afraid!" Yes, from our western hyper-sexualized society it seems unthinkable that fidelity can be the solution to AIDS but John Paul had that faith in God that He would help us no matter how unlikely it seems.

The second topic I'd like to mention is birth control within a marriage. I am curious why you would say that it was an immoral edict to call birth control immoral? Is it the drastically falling birth rates in countries that have embraced birth control that threaten to cripple the society's ability to provide for itself? Is it the "suffering" that a family must ensure to raise a child? I challenge you to find someone who would call their own children so burdensome that their life would be better unlived. If a couple truly wants to stop having children, they are welcome to abstain from sex. If it would truly be that burdensome for them to have another child, they have an avenue to prevent it. If that couple is unwilling to make that sacrifice in their sex life to prevent having children, then that child must not be that burdensome.

Again, some may say that asking a couple not to have sex is "unrealistic". John Paul responds, as always, with "Do not be afraid!" While it may seem unimaginable that a woman can give birth to 8 children in today's materialistic society without destroying both the parents and the 8 children, John Paul has faith in God that he can give us the strength to serve Him by giving life to 8 children of God.

Finally, it is a great misconception to see the Church as patriarchal. The reality is that God is the head of the Church. John Paul would not see himself as the ruler of the Church but as the servant of servants. The Church asks us all to serve. It asks unmarried men to serve the Church by giving up all their possessions and serving the Church. It asks the same of unmarried women. A nun is no less holy and no less important than a priest. Similarly, while it doesn't get the same media attention, the shortage of nuns in the Church is just as devastating as the shortage of priests. John Paul was well aware of this and was constantly calling for an increase in vocations of both men and women. John Paull asks all to serve, including both married and celebate men and women. For married couples he asks them to serve the Church by bearing children and raising them in the faith. In that service there are certain aspects that only women can perform. The Church sees this not as a burden but as a great privilege. Just as it is a privilege for John Paul to serve as Pope, it is a privilege to for a woman to serve by having a baby.

Again, some mays that askings for a great sacrifice from everyone is "unrealistic". They may even say that despite the best intentions of the likes of John Paul having a male priesthood demeans women. But John Paul would respond "Do not be afraid!" While it may seem impossible in our power hungry society that a male leadership can be respectful for, give honor to, and give authority and power to women, John Paul has the faith in God that He would help us no matter how impossible it seems. Just as it is not men who turn bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, as you suggest, but God, it is God who is the ruler of the Catholic Church. Any man or woman who does not appreciate that their role in the Church is not to gain power but to be a servant of God, completely misunderstands the mission of the Church. Christ came to serve and so did the Church.

To conclude, I'm glad we agree that John Paul's legacy will be one of a fearless defender of the Catholic faith. I thank you for writing a honest and fair column about your feelings about the constant teachings of the Catholic Church and John Paul. I hope, that just as you have faith in the importance of speaking up to share your thoughts on John Paul's teachings, that this letter will help you to see that John Paul was a great defender of all, including women. He looked at the world through different colored glasses, glasses that could only be worn by someone with the confidence to say "Do not be afraid!" I pray that you come to see that he did not have any blind spots, that he fully saw what concerns you, but chose to hand his life and the lives of everyone in the world to the service of God no matter how "unrealistic" that seemed.

Ken Crawford
Online reader in Roseville, CA

kencraw on 04.07.05 @ 01:40 PM PST [link] [2 Comments ]

Pope's funeral tonight at 1 AM PDT

Just a reminder for this evening. The Pope's funeral will be at 1 AM PDT (pacific daylight time). That is 10 AM in Rome. I wanted to remind people because when we hear Friday, at least for me, we don't think that really means Thursday night.

I hope everyone is able to watch.

kencraw on 04.07.05 @ 10:33 AM PST [link] [No Comments ]

My thoughts on John Paul II's passing

I've been trying to write this entry for 3 days now without success. There is so much to say and so little time. I think I'll start by linking to some less than glowing opinion pieces on John Paul II:

But John Paul II's most lasting legacy to Catholicism will come from the episcopal appointments he made. ... as a result the ranks of the episcopate are filled with mindless sycophants and intellectual incompetents. - The New York Times

In the end, though, he could not win over everyone, and his tenure ended for him with many disappointments. - The Washington Post

The pope would certainly never have wanted his own end to be a lesson in the transcendent importance of allowing humans to choose their own manner of death. But to some of us, that was the exact message of his dignified departure. - The New York Times


I post these not because I agree with them but because it is important to remember in this time when the majority of the press and seemingly all of the world leaders are competing with each other to offer the most glowing statement of their love for John Paul II.

The reality is that the majority of people in the world did not like John Paul's policies and beliefs. The majority of the world wanted abortion and condoms, euthanasia and the death penalty, women priests and gay "rights", married priests and more lay authority.

But somehow through this all, this man was loved. Only the most extreme of advocates for certain causes were able to demonize this man enough to actually dislike him. Everyone else had a deep respect for the man. So how was this possible?

I believe it was because HE loved everyone. He loved those who disagreed with him. He loved those who demonized him. He loved those who fought against everything that he fought for. The quality of John Paul II that I'd like most to grow to have as a greater part of me is that ability to love my enemy as he did. He truly embodied that aspect of Christ. He was one of the few people who could sit with the publician and the prostitute and make clear to them two things that are so difficult to communicate at the same time: that he disapproved of their actions and called them to repent while still telling them that he loves them no matter what. I think we should all strive to emulate John Paul in this regard. In doing so we would ultimately be emulating Christ, who John Paul emulated.

The other thing that struck me about his death is how much so many people, particularly Americans do not understand the goals of the Catholic Church. In the same Washington Post article I linked above, it states 'Ultimately, he was hard to categorize in the American context. The terms liberal and conservative "just don't apply to him," said Glendon, the philosopher.' Sighting a similar understanding of him, I heard one radio commentator call him a "paradox of a man". How arrogant of us to force him into our American political spectrum! We have such a narrow focus that we can not see the world through anyone elses eyes. So many of the negative comments of him spoke about dwindling Church membership, concerns about the sexual abuse crisis and growing dissent regarding Chruch orthodoxy. They speak as if these are the metrics by which John Paul II judged himself when the reality is that John Paul never judged himself or the Church by human standards. He judged himself and the Church by God's standards and it didn't matter if that was liberal or conservative, popular or unpopular, and increased or decreased membership in the Church. John Paul saw it has his role to preach the Truth and it didn't matter what categories that fit into. That is the goal of the Church: to preach the Gospel to the whole world and to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Finally, I have one prayer that keeps bubbling to the top when I think of John Paul's passing. I pray that his death may help bring together Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians together with the Catholic Church. There is often so much hatred of the Catholic Church from those circles yet somehow they too loved John Paul II. I pray that in death they will come to see that they loved a truly Catholic man. A man, who if they are correct in believing that those who accept the Gospel according to the Catholic Church are hell-bound, is surely receiving his eternal punishment as I write. I pray that those who believe both of these things (Catholics are hell-bound and John Paul was a great Christian) see the inherent contradiction in those beliefs and come to see that the Catholic Church is not only Christian, but the founding Christian Church. Even if that realization does not bring those who have it to be members of the Catholic Church, they will at least come to love, as Christians, the 1 billion people world wide who profess their faith in the Catholic Church.

John Paul the Second, pray for us and for the whole world.

kencraw on 04.06.05 @ 02:24 PM PST [link] [No Comments ]

A final book recommendation

The other book I try to read every handful of years besides "The Sea Wolf" is Earth Abides by George R. Stewart. It's a book about a man who lived through the near elimination of the human race through a plague. The plague is over in the first chapter and the book is about living in a world after society has disappeared.

It's a great book about how our lives are tied up in the society we live in and how life, in it's real essence, is far more complex than what we limit it to. Although the writer has a godless view of the world, the reality is that for a person of faith, it makes you think of what it means to hand your life over to God knowing how temporary our lives are.

I'm reading it right now. It starts slow and that's what I'm grinding through right now but as I remember, the last 50 pages are the best 50 pages I've read. I'll give an update when I finish it.

kencraw on 04.06.05 @ 11:53 AM PST [link] [No Comments ]

Once you've finished the Sea Wolf

The next book you need to read, if you haven't already, is Crossing the Threshold of Hope by John Paul II. It is, of the works of his I have read, the most accessible and best shows his amazing faith in God and the confidence with which he believes that God can give us peace even in times that do not seem peaceful. "Do not be afraid!" is the scriptural phrase he comes back to time and time again.

With the Pope's recent passing, if you're feeling the desire to know the man whom so many are praising now, read this book to better understand what man this man of God tick.

kencraw on 04.06.05 @ 11:47 AM PST [link] [No Comments ]

The Sea Wolf

Two weeks ago I posted that I recommended to everyone reading "The Sea Wolf" by Jack London. I finished reading it last week on a plane flight back from Boise, ID. It is every bit as great as I remember it. There is a moment towards the end where someone writes B O S H on a piece of paper that just sends chills down my spine because it speaks to so many things about the human condition including but not limited to our arrogance, charity, and the power of the human spirit.

Read it! You won't be disappointed.

kencraw on 04.06.05 @ 11:42 AM PST [link] [No Comments ]

Amazing Race metrics update

OK, it's been a few more weeks. Let's see how I'm doing against my metrics (and against my brother):

As a reminder, see my previous entry for details of the formulas and goals. Here are the results to date:

Ranking stability week #1: Ken 1.81 Briain 1.27
Ranking stability week #2: Ken 1.20 Brian 2.20
Ranking stability week #3: Ken 1.00 Brian 2.00
Ranking stability week #4: Ken 0.29 Brian 0.29
Ranking stability week #5: Ken 0.50 Brian 1.00
Ranking stability week #6: Ken 0.80 Brian 0.80

Season ranking stability: Ken 0.93 Brian: 1.42

Philimination accuracy: Ken: 3.00 Brian: 2.33

Skill Score: Ken 2.79 Brian 3.31

So, I'm meeting my target numbers across the board at this point, which is good and I have a slight lead over Brian as well, which is even better! The best part is that our rankings are fairly similar. Basically I rank Rob and Amber as 1st and Brian ranking Uchenna and Joyce in first while we each have the other team in 3rd. So, unless one of those teams go soon, Brian and I will have the same Philimination accuracy for the next week (but not for the season). Since I continue to have greater ranking stability, I feel good about being able to keep a lead.

kencraw on 04.06.05 @ 11:35 AM PST [link] [2 Comments ]

Question of the Week: How is the next Pope picked?

Now that John Paul has died, many are asking what the process is for picking the next Pope. I'll give a brief overview:

In the Catholic Church there is a group of people called the College of Cardinals. The whole purpose of this group is to elect the next Pope. To become a Cardinal, you are selected by the Pope (before he dies of course) and once made a Cardinal, you are a Cardinal for life. As such, you are able to participate in the election for all future Popes. There is one exception: you must not have turned 80 before the Pope died (technically their 80th birthday must not have been on the day before the Pope's death or earlier). While you are no longer able to participate in the election, one is still considered Cardinal after his 80th birthday. Cardinals tend to be archbishops, but they need not be. The reality is that they could be anyone. In fact, in centuries past, the College of Cardinals was a mixture of bishops (arch or otherwise), nobility and theologians.

The election starts 15 days after the death of the current Pope (can be delayed for an additional 5 days if need be) and once it has started, the participants (the College of Cardinals) are not allowed to have contact with anyone outside of the group. The term that is used for this is 'conclave' which is Latin for "with key" meaning that they are locked in the room for that time. The purpose is to ensure two things:

1. That no one is able to interfere with the process
2. To speed up the process

The person who is elected must be elected by a 2/3rds vote. This, as we all know from secular governments, can be very difficult to do. Before the conclave was instituted there were cases where it took up to 3 years for them to elect a new Pope. Recent conclaves have takes a handful of days.

Finally, it is important to note that as Catholics we do not see this process as a simple election. We see it as the process by which the Holy Spirit guides the Church. The person who is finally selected to be the next Pope is not the "winner" or "victor", he is the servant of servants. I think the best example of this is how difficult it is to predict who is going to become the next Pope when the conclave begins. If the process was like a secular election, this would be far easier to do. However, the Holy Spirit is a difficult One to figure out and His guidance can embarass those who try to predict the outcome. A final example of the Church's emphasis on the Holy Spirit during this process is that the conclave is held in the Sistine Chapel, a chapel that was designed to evoke powerful response from it's visitors to know God's presence in our lives.

kencraw on 04.04.05 @ 02:43 PM PST [link] [No Comments ]

Reflections on Sunday's readings

I will restrict myself to talking about the readings in this post and discuss the passing of our Pope in another one.

I unfortunately didn't make it to Mass on Sunday. I was sailing. I really have no excuse and need to make sure I am more strict in my Sunday observance. There are plenty of Masses that get done before I need to be at the yacht club. Forgive me father!

Yet even when the readings are read outside of Mass, they make quite an impact. What an important time in our Church year Easter is!

What struck me in these readings is just how much the Catholic Church is apparent in them. The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles very much speaks to our goals as Christians. Whenever I read from that book it amazes me how well the current Church is striving to be the same Church that is in Acts. The second thing that struck me is Christ's command to the Apostles in John 20:21-23:

'(Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."'

It speaks to both confession and to the Holy Spirit's guidance of the Church through the successors of the Apostles, the bishops in such a profound fashion!

Finally, the "first" end of John's Gospel was what I chose as the quote of the week because of how strongly it speaks to the falacy of Sola Scriptura. Right in scripture we see an admittal that scripture is not complete of its own right but that it was written "that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name."

May we remember that important goal of scripture whenever we pick it up to discern God's will.

kencraw on 04.04.05 @ 02:22 PM PST [link] [No Comments ]

Scripture Quote of the Week

"Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name."

-John 20:31 from Sunday's Gospel reading

kencraw on 04.04.05 @ 02:10 PM PST [link] [No Comments ]