catholicPittsburgh.org

September 11, 2014

We are very sorry to tell you that Dr. Anthony Padovano has suffered a serious concussion in a fall at his home and will not be able to join us on Monday, September 15th.

His family has sent us a copy of his talk and we would like to convene on Monday as planned and have it read to us by a member of our staff. We will then follow the reading with discussion of the points raised.

Because this has just happened, we were unable to provide timely notice to those who have paid for his talk in advance. We will, therefore, offer a refund of the amount paid for the talk. You can obtain a refund by coming on Monday evening, or, if you choose not to come, by contacting us at:

APP, P.O. Box 2106, Pittsburgh PA 15230.

We have no information at present about the possibility of rescheduling Dr. Padovano’s visit but given his age and the seriousness of his injury, are not optimistic.

We hope you can join us on Monday at Kearns.

Peace and Blessings,

David Aleva
The Association of Pittsburgh Priests

[Text of Dr. Anthony Padovano's planned talk]

Rev. Neil McCaulley, a contributor to this website, member of the Association of Pittsburgh Priests, and a priest who supported ordination of women and married men passed away on June 28, 2014.

In these pages he addressed important issues that must be discussed, including the consultation in the selection of bishops and the need for married priests. He wrote: "There will be no new evangelization or “church alive” without a drastic increase in priests. The obvious answer that everyone speaks of is to ordain married men."

He also wrote hopefully: "Today, everyday, God does new things. Try to discover them. Look for the summer God (as John Shea says) i.e. where things bloom in your life. If we have joy in the Lord, confident of His commitment, concern, power and plan, it makes it easier to strive to build God’s Kingdom here on earth. We have hope and that is a true source of divine energy."

You can read his obituary in the Post-Gazette. He will be missed.

Dear Editor:

There is an old saying that “honesty is the best policy”. Everything I read today speaks of the critical need for more priests. There will be no new evangelization or “church alive” without a drastic increase in priests. The obvious answer that everyone speaks of is to ordain married men. The only ones who won’t recognize this seems to be our bishops. It is about time for them to publicly demand the permission to do that from the Vatican. Pope Francis is open to the idea of collegiality. In fact, he embraces it and encourages it. What are our bishops waiting for? For all the parishes to close?

Concerned,

Fr. Neil McCaulley

October 11, 2013

On October 11, 1962 Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council. Much celebrating and book writing is now taking place to remember that historic event, 50 years ago. It was a call to the People of God to take their place as adults in the Catholic Church.

One of the major applications of this very positive emphasis on the laity has been to hear the voice of the faithful on the selection of bishops. The Bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg, our neighbor Bishop Brandt, will reach 75 next year and will submit his resignation. The Diocese of Harrisburg already has a “vacant bishop’s chair”. It would be most appropriate if there were a wide consultation on the selection of the next bishop in these two dioceses. The National Federation of Priests Councils published a manual for such a process in 1974. A number of dioceses have used that manual or developed their own.

The Association of Pittsburgh Priests would be glad to assist Greensburg in such a process. It would be a process with greater outreach and transparency than usually occurs.

If there is any interest in such a process I can be reached at 412.387.4517. We tried to encourage a wide open process here in Pittsburgh in 1982, but had little luck. Perhaps the voice of the faithful would be more welcome today.

Sincerely,

Fr. Neil McCaulley (retired)
Epiphany, Uptown
164 Washington Place
Pittsburgh PA 15219

Member of the Association of Pittsburgh Priests

P.S. What happens in any diocese is important to every diocese, especially its neighbors!

September 2012

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Vatican II Ecumenical Council this coming October 11, 2012, we believe that it is both appropriate and necessary to question and challenge recent assertions by Duquesne University that it should be granted a “religious exemption,” from the sanction and procedures of U.S. labor law in order to block adjunct teaching faculty’s ability to organize, form a union, and collectively bargain. The university’s position is particularly painful given Duquesne’s acceptance of unions outside the academic disciplines, its history of promoting unions and labor education in the past, and especially the legacy of Monsignor Charles Owen Rice, one of the university’s most influential graduates and namesake for an annual endowed lecture on Catholic social teaching.

The Second Vatican Council represented a confident and robust attempt by the church to confront the world in a spirit of generosity and tolerance and thereby transform the world into a more peaceful and just place. Sadly today, it seems that sexual and financial scandals, combined with the influence of powerful reactionary financial interests, have combined to shrink the scope of Church teaching and make it complicit in the growing global and national economic inequality - today more extreme than at the time of the council, at levels not seen since the Great Depression. The Second Vatican Council called for vigorous efforts “to remove as quickly as possible the immense economic inequalities which now exist.”

The Council’s pastoral constitution “The Church in the Modern World,” asserts the interdependence of person and society, along with the necessity of promoting the common good. It strongly recognized the limitations of an individualistic ethic. “Profound and rapid changes make it particularly urgent that no one, ignoring the trend of events or drugged by laziness, content himself with a merely individualistic morality. It grows increasingly true that the obligations of justice and love are fulfilled only if each person, contributing to the common good, according to his own abilities and the needs of others, also promotes and assists the public and private institutions dedicated to bettering the conditions of human life.”

This brings us to the heart of the matter. In discussing the principles governing economic life as a whole. The Council asserted: “Among the basic rights of the human person must be counted the right of freely founding labor unions…without risk of reprisal.” The document asserts that this fundamental right to a freely organized labor organization is rooted in the need for “the active participation of everyone in the running of an enterprise…workers themselves should have a share also in controlling these institutions, either in person or through freely elected delegates.”

Justice cries out for Catholics who still affirm the spiritual optimism and joy of Vatican II to consider the state of full time adjunct faculty at Duquesne and other local institutions. A full time adjunct with an advanced degree teaching a full faculty load of eight classes in two semesters will earn less than $25,000 a year and not receive any health care benefits. Given the steadily climbing costs for students, the tuition money paid by a single student for a single class will pay the adjunct’s remuneration for teaching the same class. Classes are normally authorized for a minimum of ten students, so the worker’s share is 10% or often substantially less. Top administrative personnel make up to 22 times as much as these adjuncts!

What makes this situation more acute is that many if not most of these young teachers are carrying enormous debt loads as a result to the escalation of the cost of a university education growing at twice the level of inflation for decades. How do these young faculty, teachers of the future generations of Catholic educated professionals, speak with a straight face about Catholic social teachings about economic justice?

The Association of Pittsburgh Priests would like to add our name to the chorus of support for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Network and the Resource Center for Religious Life.

We want to thank the sisters for their major role in building the Church in the United States from coast to coast.

We want to thank them for their whole hearted response to Vatican II to return to the charisms of their founders and continuously seek renewal.

We want to thank the sisters for answering the call of Vatican II to minister to those at the margins of society as well as those suffering most in society.

We want to thank the sisters for not judging or condemning our brothers and sisters who are gay or lesbian or women who feel called to ordained ministry.

We want to thank the sisters for their radical obedience to the voice of God in spite of opposition from those who should support them.

“For over 45 years the Association of Pittsburgh Priests has endeavored to encourage the works of justice and peace in the light of the Prophets as well as the social justice teachings of the Church. We have also pursued the implementation of the teachings of Vatican Council II. Over the years our self-understanding grew to include all those who were baptized into the Body of Christ. We have been able to do much more together than alone. Will you join us in building the Kingdom of God? Come to a meeting!” -Father Neil McCaulley

Rev. Joan Clark Houk has a new web site. Check it out for news on Pittsburgh events celebrating Women’s Ordination Month in July.