March 28, 2004

Here’s a plateful

One too many visits to a St. Joseph’s Table has left me with an appreciation of things buffet. So here’s a menu of comment to go along with your meals for the rest of Lent.

It’s too bad there hasn’t been more of a response from Catholics about the racial nastiness involving the Chicago Fire Department. Sneaky racist blather over department radios is wrong and sends a bad message. Most firefighters are more concerned about saving lives than about racial infighting.

Daughters of the Heart of Mary Sister Anita Baird, director of the archdiocesan Office for Racial Justice, reminds us all that “the Catholic Church teaches that racism is a sin.” She said, “We are offended and embarrassed by the … actions of a few members of the Fire Department,” adding that Catholics “must not remain silent in the face of such blatant disrespect and racist actions.”

Baird, of course, is right, and only in the face of public outrage will things change. For the entire archdiocesan statement, see Page 2.

As we went to press, Chicago officials had not yet acted on St. Barnabas Church’s request to use part of the school and the cafeteria as part of the highly effective PADS shelter for the homeless one night a week.

The effort by St. Barnabas pastor Father Ray Tillrock and a committee of parishioners would seem like a slam-dunk in light of the Gospel call to perform such corporal works of mercy. But not all parishioners in the Beverly neighborhood see it that way.

Some are fuming that homeless people would be invited to sleep, and eat, in a school which serves children. They say they fear for the kids’ safety and about illnesses transmitted by the homeless.

There are municipal and state regulations involved, too, including one about people living in areas where food in prepared.

I’ve been involved in a few PADS operations over the years. They’re helpful, necessary and certainly reflective of the Gospel. Tillrock, the veteran St. Barnabas pastor, thinks so, too, and is pressing for the necessary zoning change.

I hope a compromise can be worked out; churches need to be more than places of comfort and worship, they need to be places of welcome, even for the “least” of humanity.

As we pass the first anniversary of the war in Iraq, you have to admire Pope John Paul II. He never backed away from his sadness over the U.S.’s go-it-alone war, while continuing to pray for the troops in the midst of the fighting. In addition, he continues to press for recognition that the United Nations—not individual nations—must manage global crises. Nor has he forgotten that, while denouncing international terrorism, we must also call for justice and human rights.

Here’s also a reminder to readers who asked (and in some cases, quite snippily) why there were no Democratic positions included in the survey of candidates for the U.S. Senate primary election which appeared in the March 15 edition. The survey, prepared by the Catholic Conference of Illinois, asked ALL candidates for their comments. No Democrats responded. That was explained in the accompanying article.

Finally, we’ve written at length about the book, “The Da Vinci Code,” a fictional mystery that has taken on a life of its own … and taken potshots at Christianity in general and Catholics in particular. The “conclusions” drawn by some from the book have been debunked and historical inaccuracies pointed out, but people still seem to forget the book is just fiction.

For another view, writer Amy Welborn, an occasional columnist for Catholic News Service, has written “The Catholic Perspective: The Da Vinci Code,” which might help people answer questions. It’s being published through Our Sunday Visitor. For information, visit www.osv.com.