THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 15, 1994 TAG: 9410140111
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E7 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Issues of Faith
SOURCE: Betsy Mathews Wright
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
IF THERE'S anything this job is, it is humbling.
This week alone, I've been called ``whining,'' ``rude,'' ``self-centered,'' ``offensive,'' ``stupid,'' ``anti-Christian'' and a ``little Hitler.''
But that's not the humbling part.
The really humbling part of this job is being shown weekly how very much I don't know, and that always brings me to my knees. Realizing one's inadequacies, however, is good for the soul.
After reading the small avalanche of letters, calls and computer messages sent to me this week, I think I finally get it. I think I finally understand - as well as any outsider can - how Roman Catholics feel about the pope. As one reader expressed it: ``The pope is a part of my family, and, hey, you can call your brother a bum, but you certainly don't want anyone outside the family to say it.''
It is also worth noting that the education I got this week is one I could never find in a course or book. Readers went to great lengths, including four- and five-page letters, to express eloquently their feelings about their faith.
I tried several times to pull out bits and pieces from the 73 responses but kept failing to do justice to any one reader. So I've chosen one letter that seemed to speak for the majority of respondents. My gracious thanks to all who responded and for their genuine desire to be understood.
From Dolores R. Riego de Dios, cantor and liturgical coordinator of Our Lady of Victory Chapel at the Norfolk Naval Station:
``The Catholic religion has never really been understood by the non-Catholic world. . . . You have asked about our love of the pope and whether it is unheard of to openly criticize him. To answer, (the issue) is really more (about) a love of our Catholic faith. Catholic people do not like others on the outside of our faith telling us what we do and do not believe - especially when they have little more than some book to guide them through a religion that is as old as Christ's death and resurrection. . . .
``The root of the Catholic faith is the sincere belief in the moral conscience that God instilled in every human being. Catholics further believe the pope is infallible only in matters of Catholic doctrine and dogma. Catholics respect him further for his other beliefs but do not necessarily embrace all of his thinking - that is, not since Vatican II, when we were encouraged to think for ourselves. We still have a strict moral obligation to use our intelligence and consciences to sort out what is good and try to find God's divine plan for us. The Catholic Church, in it's infinite wisdom, now encourages us to do that.
``The pope, partly because of his higher position and (his) moral responsibility to guide us in our faith, takes a more conservative path. Catholics still listen intently when the pope speaks, and due to our basic roots, have developed a deep love and respect for him far beyond ordinary understanding. . . . You'd have to have been raised Catholic to truly understand.
``The only other way to explain our love of the pope, while openly being critical of him, is . . . that of the family unit. Have you ever criticized your parents or someone else you love dearly? What happens when someone outside your family (does the same)? I'll bet you don't like it one bit!
``In the end, it is Almighty God who will judge us all based on our deeds and true intentions on this Earth. . . . World opinion means nothing compared to what God expects from us. That is what it means when we say in the Lord's Prayer: `Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven.' ''
I now see that it was wrong - and, yes, even rude - to label the Vatican a bunch of ``old boys.'' I should have been more loving in my words. I apologize for being human enough to let my passion overtake my sense of fair play. I also apologize for resorting to unprofessional name-calling and not just sticking to an intelligent criticism of the issue.
I cannot, however, apologize for my belief that an all-male institution such as the Vatican might be frightened by the idea of women's equality. I am not saying something original. I am saying something that Roman Catholics worldwide have also said. I also acknowledge that this is not a universal belief and that many loving, intelligent Christians feel the Vatican is very pro-woman. On that issue, we will just have to politely agree to disagree.
To all my Roman Catholic readers - and to the Protestants, Jews, Muslims, agnostics and others - please remember:
If you want to be understood, teach. If you want to be respected, listen.
I'll keep trying to do that, if you will. MEMO: Every other week, Betsy Mathews Wright publishes responses to her
opinion column. Send responses to Issues of Faith, The Virginian-Pilot,
150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510; call (804) 446-2273; FAX
(804) 436-2798; or send e-mail to bmw(AT)infi.net. Deadline is Tuesday
before publication. You must include name, city and phone number. by CNB