Google Earth Pictorial: St. Boniface
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The sun arrives each morning

And there is a moment tender

When the night must yield its holdings

And share what time has rendered 

The mind reaches to the past

Straining to recall

The way things were

Before sun’s last fall. 

Wasn’t it here that we once stood?

The words then said I understood?

And should we not say them again?

And should we not remember “when?” 

No. Patient light reminds us.

We now live a newer day.

Memories are just memories

And with you they shall stay. 

For “I make all things new.”

And ne’er shall you repeat.

The failings or the glories.

Now yesterday’s replete. 

I was confronted with a challenge today. A reporter for the Religion News Service interviewed me over the phone today. I remembered why I hate interviews. I’m a “context” person and I never want to make a statement unless it can be followed up by a thousand qualifications, nuances, and/or a process of listening to the person with whom I’m communicating. I like dialogue, not interviews. I’m not a sound bite person. 

She asked me a question that doesn’t fit into a sound bite, usually carries an agenda, and can get you fired from a pastoral position if you are not careful in the way you answer it. I don’t believe her intent was to trap me, but it made me think hard and squirm a little bit.  

The whole ONE BODY ONE SPIRIT project seeks to explore and advocate for the diversity that exists within the Church. I know this is a touchy topic because one of the downfalls of the modern Church is that every pastor or pastoral staff is a pope of his/her congregation. S/he gets to make decisions, and if someone doesn’t like the decision then the congregant walks down the street to the next church where s/he can find a pastor with whom s/he agrees. Individuals hold onto short bits of scripture and traditions that they like and use them to build up a theological architecture that suits their own purposes.  

So when this reporter asked me whether or not I feel it is a problem that American Catholics hold beliefs that are too divergent, what am I supposed to say? The phenomenon of the “shopping cart” Catholic or Christian is a problem. The idea that you can take what you like about a religious system and ignore the rest is inconsistent, but so is the idea that we are mindless drones who kowtow our gift of intellect to spiritual gurus. Pope John Paul II often said “Unity is not uniformity.” (for example he said this on Sept 9, 2003 at the 17^th annual meeting of prayer for peace.) 

My pastor, Fr. Joseph Jackson likes to say, “The Church is a big place” And it is. We have room for liberals and conservatives. They might not understand each other, but I don’t always understand my brothers and the decisions they make. They’re still my family. (Or so I am told. I’m still holding onto the idea that they are both godless alien children accepted into our household by my loving parents) 

I quoted to the reporter my own Archbishop, Cardinal Francis George, who has oft said, “There are relatively few core beliefs one needs to accept to be Catholic, there is far more things that are open to interpretation.” That may sound scary to some, but I think I know what he means. 

I’m not a big rosary person. But I’m still Catholic. I still invoke the intercession of Mary. I’m not big on lighting candles in front of statues of saints. But I’m still Catholic. I haven’t been known to protest at the Supreme Court for illegalizing abortion, but my belief in the dignity of the human person means to me that all life is sacred, womb to tomb. My baptismal candle was once lit and every Easter Vigil when I renew my Baptismal promises, I light a candle recalling the first one that once was lit for me. I’m Catholic. There is no doubt. “Unity in diversity” means seeing the incredible uniqueness of every person, every parish, and every moment. It means seeing how things are the same, even when they change.  

I walked into St. Boniface parish in Edwardsville, IL for daily Mass today. To see my pictorial of it you need to have Google Earth loaded on your computer and then click here. The last time I was in St. Boniface parish was for my cousin’s wedding. Then it was a small Gothic German style church. Now, it is completely remodeled. Part of the old church is now a chapel. The old sanctuary is now opened up into a vast worship space. It was completely different. But was it Catholic? 

I’m sure there are some out there who would give a exuberant “No!” But let me point out. There are stained glass windows from 3 centuries in the building. The paintings and murals share the same heritage of time as the windows. The painting behind the main altar, which is usually the centerpiece for any Church, is a painting that changes according to the liturgical season and holy day. In many ways, this parish is more attuned to the Catholic tradition than many parishes with static works of art!

The sun has come up on a new day in the Church. We remember dearly and tenderly what yesterday was like, but God makes all things new. It is our duty and responsibility to rise with the sun and face God’s new day. Part of that new day means acknowledging how we have grown. We are black and white. We are Anglo and Latino. We are rich and poor. We are conservative and liberal. We are Catholic. The word means Universal. That means we must look to see all things and call all things to greater unity through the love that God has given us.  

As I said before, I’m not very good at sound bites.