My World of Religion, Politics, Entertainment and Social Issues

Dear Blog Visitors: I am delighted that we will have two more women amongst the ranks of the priesthood on Sunday, November 11. The tradition of ordaining women to the presbyterate, which began with Mary Ramerman in Rochester, New York, is gaining momentum as Catholics come to realize that there is no place for sexism in our church. My hearty congratulations to Rose Marie Hudson and Elsie Hainz McGrath for the courage in their decision to go through with their ordinations, despite threats from the infamous tyrant of St. Louis - namely, Archbishop Raymond Burke. What is particularly despicable about Archbishop Burke's threats is his statement to the effect that the above-mentioned ordinations will hurt relations between Catholics and Jews in St. Louis. Just because the ordinations are taking place in a reformed Jewish synagogue does not justify angry statements by Burke. If we are to change the structure of the Roman Catholic Church, radical action is needed. Such radical action was...

The following was published in the November-December issue of 'CORPUS REPORTS.' BEING THANKFUL FOR OUR GIFTS By Ray Grosswirth, CORPUS Media Liaison In the September/October edition of ‘CORPUS Reports,’ president Russ Ditzel wonderfully articulated the phenomenon of ‘writer’s block’ that consumed him for a brief period. As a long-time writer, I too have experienced this phenomenon. The mind is a curious thing. There are days in which my creativity is racing a thousand miles an hour, and I rush off with pen-in-hand to put my thoughts to paper. On other days, the so-called ‘writer’s block sets in and I stare endlessly at a blank page. As media liaison for CORPUS, I try to maintain a presence for our organization in newspapers, the internet, radio and television. Admittedly, there are days when I find myself in a dilemma over how to get our message out. I find it is an ever-increasing challenge to find mainstream members of the media who are willing to spend time with me to d...

The following was published in the September-October, 2007 edition of 'CORPUS REPORTS.' CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS By Ray Grosswirth, CORPUS Media Liaison It was recently announced that the Los Angeles Archdiocese agreed to a settlement of over $600 million, as restitution for the multiple cases of sexual abuse that occurred over the period of several decades. Those who have covered the abuse story since 2002 have theorized that our hierarchy can probably live comfortably with this settlement, with the preconceived notion that our bishops can now go about the business of healing a wounded church. $600 is indeed a lot of money! Yet, considering all the real estate holdings of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, bankruptcy seems unlikely. As in the case of the Boston Archdiocese, once buildings are sold and financially-strapped parishes are closed, it will be business as usual for the powers-that-be. While perhaps some of the victims will find comfort ...