My World of Religion, Politics, Entertainment and Social Issues

Dear Blog Visitors: I want to take this opportunity to wish outgoing Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy well as he begins his new role as New York's Lieutenant Governor tomorrow. It was interesting for me to notice that Bob's final act as Mayor was his signing the multiple contracts I rushed through during the past week. A few friends have asked if I will be following Bob Duffy to Albany to be part of his team. The answer is no. I am looking forward to retirement from my long-time employment at City Hall, which will take place on May 6. As indicated in another blog post, I plan to spend my retirement years pursuing my passions and engaging more fully in my ministries as a married priest. Bob Duffy will be a superb Lieutenant Governor, and I would not be surprised to see him in the White House in the future. I admire his ability to get things done, and I am sure he and Governor Andrew Cuomo will be a dynamic team. My very best to all of you in 2011. Ray

Dear Blog Visitors: It has been a couple months since I posted anything to my blog. This is because I have been busy with preparations for retirement from my secular job on May 6. As long as my health holds out, I am looking forward to a very active retirement, which will be inclusive of perhaps a part-time secular job, in addition to more involvement with my ministries as a married priest, such as officiating at weddings, baptisms and funerals. I also look forward to enhancing my creative passions in such areas as photography, video-making, classical music and acting. One area that I plan to scale back is my involvement with efforts to reform the Roman Catholic Church - an involvement that has taken up approximately twenty years of my life. I am beginning to think it is time to allow the next generation to decide what kind of church it wants, whereby they can engage in the same type of lobbying with bishops my generation has experienced (perhaps with better results). In the video ...

MY BLUEPRINT FOR THE CITY OF ROCHESTER By Raymond A. Grosswirth I want to begin by thanking a few of my Facebook friends, who have e-mailed me messages designed to encourage me to consider running for Mayor of Rochester. While I am flattered that anyone would even think of me in a mayoral position, I simply must state that I have no intention of placing my hat in the ring. Furthermore, I don’t meet the legal requirements for a candidate, as specified in the City of Rochester’s Charter. Specifically, a candidate for the Mayor of Rochester must have been a resident of the city for at least two years immediately preceding the election. (Although I spent most of my life within city limits, I have been a resident of the town of Henrietta, New York for the past 17 years.) While I have been grateful for my Civil Service employment at City Hall for the past twenty-three years, I am also looking forward to my retirement in May of 2011. Could I be coaxed back to City Hall to work in an app...

Dear Blog Visitors: Although I minister independently of the Rochester Diocese in my capacity as a married priest, I nevertheless have considerable contact with Roman Catholics locally and beyond. In some of my conversations, I have learned that quite a few diocesan Catholics are concerned about the health of their parish priests. As parishes continue to cluster, diocesan priests are experiencing more pressures, in terms of both increased office work and the amount of time they spend on sacramental functions. Consequently, they have very little time for physical exercise, and paying attention to their diets is something that is being tragically neglected. You may have seen some of my videos in which I try to gently coax priests into some simple exercise, occasionally utilizing humor, but always mindful of the fact that there are serious consequences for neglecting one's physical well-being. In the video above, I once again reprise my role as the 'dancing priest.' In this...

Dear Blog Visitors: As I continue to research my ancestry, I have been doing some writing on some of the more notable members of my family. One such person was the late Jay Jason. (His real name was Jonas Levy.) Jay's name will be familiar to those of you who used to frequent what was commonly referred to as 'The Borscht Belt.' The Borscht Belt was a name given to a group of summer resorts that lined the area surrounded by the Catskill Mountains in New York State. If you have been following either my blog or YouTube channel, you are aware that I have Judaism on my father's side of the family and Catholicism on my mother's side. One of my fondest memories of growing up in a mixed religious environment was our annual trek to the Prospect Inn in the Catskills. During some of these outings, we were able to see my cousin, Jay Jason, perform on stage. He also performed regularly at the well-known and popular resort, 'Grossinger's.' The Borscht Belt resort...

Dear Blog Visitors: An inspiring piece from the Chicago Tribune caught my attention this morning. It is headlined, 'Excommunicate Me, Please.' When I was ordained a married priest in 2006, there were two responses from members of the Roman Catholic hierarchy. One response was that because of my actions, I excommunited myself. The other response was the my ordination was valid, but illicit. The fact remains that I never received a formal excommunication letter from the Vatican. Does this mean I am in limbo? However, like many married priests around the world, I remain in active ministry, officiating at weddings, baptisms and funerals (in my case, with legal recognized certification from the Federation of Christian Ministries). In recent years, we have seen many women ordained as priests. Yet, to the best of my knowledge, none of them have received a formal excommunication letter from the Vatican. As in the case of myself, these women have simply been told that by their a...

Dear Blog Visitors: As I was combing my hair this morning, I thought of a line from Shakespeare: "Parting is such sweet sorrow." If I were to do this at the seashore, I guess I would be referred to as a 'beach comber.' Hopefully, you'll excuse the play on words above. This was simply a lead-in to the video I have posted, which serves the purpose of a long-held secret: I color my hair. I thought it would be fun to get away from my usual video format, ranging from social topics to church politics. In this particular video, I take viewers with me for a visit to my hair stylist, Shari (daughter of high school classmate). We shot this at Donna B's in Penfield, New York. As I near retirement from my job at City Hall, I may let my gray hair color return. For the time being, the coloring helps me to blend in with my co-workers, many of whom are much younger than myself. (As I point out in the video, I would hate for anyone in my work environment to accuse me of...

Dear Blog Visitors: If you have followed my blog the past month, you are aware that I announced a shift of focus, concerning the subject matter I will be covering. Whereas I used to devote the vast majority of my writings to reform initiatives in the Roman Catholic Church, I made a decision that I wanted to address other topics of interest as well. However, when an important matter arises in the Catholic Church, I will certainly address it from time to time. A matter of extreme importance arose the past week that I felt needed at least a few comments on my part. In brief, a Vatican official stuck his foot in his mouth by announcing that in the future, any woman seeking ordination to the priesthood would be guilty of a crime against the church as serious as sexual abuse by a priest. The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith perhaps does not realize that the Inquisition ended a long time ago. However, the behavior of Vatican officials is such that we have to wonder...

Dear Blog Visitors: On occasion, friends will inform me when they notice a blog post that is critical of me. Just yesterday, a friend let me know that an orthodox Catholic blogger referred to me as a heretic, for the simple reason that I don't follow all the rules of the Roman Catholic hierarchy. I am the first to admit that I don't follow all the rules of the RCC hierarchy. So, if an orthodox Catholic wishes to refer to me as a heretic, I am certainly fine with that. As I have grown older, I have become increasingly fascinated with images sent to us from the Hubbel telescope. The images help us to realize that the universe is much larger than we ever imagined. When we consider the vastness of God's creation, we also come to realize that what we know of our Creator is in actuality very little. Many persons have told me that they are suspicious of any religious institution that claims to have the fulness of truth about God. I share in such suspicions, which is why I hav...

THE ABOVE RECORDING WAS MY FINAL APPEARANCE ON WAXC AS 'THE WIZARD OF PUN' (AIRED IN 1978). THE ABOVE RECORDING FROM 1976 WAS ONE OF MY APPEARANCES AS 'THE WIZARD OF PUN' ON RADIO STATION WAXC. IN THIS EPISODE, WE COMMEMORATED THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TELEPHONE. Dear Blog Visitors: I thought I would take a break from my routine blog posts to give you a glimpse into my past life as a radio personality. In brief, I was known as 'The Wizard of Pun' on Rochester radio station WAXC from 1975-1978. It was with great joy that I recently reflected on my three years in radio for the purpose of adding to an on-line radio archive. If you click onto the audio player above, you will hear two of my appearances on WAXC as 'The Wizard of Pun.' The first selection is the final episode, which aired in 1978 (includes a recent reflection on my three years with WAXC); the second episode, from 1976, was in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the telephone. It ...

Dear Blog Visitors: I want to take this opportunity to wish Scott Caton well as he prepares for his ordination to the priesthood in 2011. In preparation for his ordination, he will be serving in the transitional diaconate at Blessed Sacrament Church in Rochester. What makes this particular ordination unusual is that Scott is a former Protestant minister who converted to Catholicism, and he is married with six children. I want to be sincere with my welcome to him, because after all, he may help to prove a point I have been trying to make for over twenty years - namely, that Holy Orders and Marriage are entirely complementary. On the negative side, Scott's admission to the Roman Catholic priesthood highlights a double-standard that is operative in the church. In brief, if a married Protestant minister converts to Catholicism, he is allowed to become a Catholic priest if Vatican approval is granted. If, on the other hand, a married Catholic seeks Holy Orders, he faces condemnation...

Dear Blog Visitors: I continue to pray for the day when men and women members of the clergy will serve side-by-side in all religious denominations. This, of course, includes the Roman Catholic Church, which continues to insist that its priests be male and celibate. Rochester, New York is indeed blessed to be the host city for many religious events at which male and female members of the clergy celebrate together for common causes. In the two photos above, taken by David Lewis, an inclusive clergy is gathered (including yours truly) for the ordination of five Catholic women to the priesthood. While a Vatican spokesperson will often issue a negative comment concerning such an event as the ordination of women, there was notable silence on this particular occasion. My sense is that even the Vatican has come to realize that women are answering their calls to ordination with increased frequency and nothing will stop the will of the Holy Spirit. At a time when parish closures are commonpl...

Dear Blog Visitors: As I move closer to retirement from my secular job (Accounts Payable Supervisor for the City of Rochester), the number one question I am constantly asked is: "What are you going to do in retirement?" A corresponding question I am often asked is: "Are you going to start your own church?" Starting a church is a daunting task for anyone who is called to active ministry, so I don't realistically see myself doing that. If, on the other hand, a faith community calls me forth, I will certainly enter into a dialogue to see if there is a potential meeting of the minds and spirit. At present, I am not leading a faith community. In fact, there are some Sundays I am so exhausted from my secular job, that I simply find the need for solitude. (After racing against the clock the rest of the week, I occasionally need a Sunday to recharge my batteries.) When I do attend liturgies, it can either be at a diocesan parish, Spiritus Christi Church, or any num...

Dear Blog Visitors: I am filled with joy today because I took part in the ordination of five women in Rochester. The two newly ordained priests are Chava Redonnet and Theresa Novak Chabot, and the three newly ordained deacons are Caryl Johnson, Patti LaRosa and Ann Penick. Chava Redonnet will be serving the Rochester community and the others will serve in their respective cities/communities. I want to thank Spiritus Christi Church for allowing RCWP (Roman Catholic Women Priests) to use their worship space for today's ordinations. It was also very generous of Rev. Jim Callan to host several out-of-town guests in his home for a couple days. I also want to thank the many musicians from Spiritus Christi who enriched the ordination liturgy. The presiding bishop for today's ordinations was Andrea Johnson. (I have known Andrea for several years as a result of conferences we have attended that dealt with inclusive ministry.) Andrea did a spectacular job as presider of a three-hou...

Dear Blog Visitors: We continue to be saturated with stories in the media concerning the escalating sexual abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church. As you know, I have made several videos on this topic, and I have tried to identify causes and solutions to the crisis. A couple days ago, I received a letter from a Pittsburgh diocesan priest. His request to me was very simple and reasonable. In brief, he asked that I consider making a video that recognizes the many good priests throughout the world, who continue to serve faithfully, despite the hardships caused by the abuse crisis. In the video I am providing above, I indeed paid tribute to all priests who serve those in need, whether the priests be celibate, married or women. The Pittsburgh priest who wrote the letter to me helped me to realize the stigma many good priests experience in public places. In this particular case, the priest experienced people staring at him at an airport, since he was wearing a collar, whereas this was...

Dear Blog Visitors: I haven't posted anything since Easter, due to the fact that I am gearing up for my annual hectic pace connected with my secular job at City Hall in Rochester. This is not to say that my job doesn't keep me busy other times of the year, which is evidenced by the fact that I haven't taken a vacation day since December 24 (Christmas Eve). However, as the City prepares to transition from one fiscal year to the next (May through July), I can't say I look forward to the annual ritual of dashing through the halls at breakneck speed, and shuffling paperwork at 100 miles per hour My workload will actually increase if Mayor Duffy's plan to take over the Rochester City School District succeeds (I would be responsible for the School District's payables in addition to my present duties of supervising payables for all City departments.) However, I nevertheless support the Mayor's plan, because I know he is 100% committed to top-quality education. A...

Dear Blog Visitors: In the video above, I put politics aside and wished all a very blessed Easter. It is my prayer that despite all the tensions in the world, and the terrilbe news concerning worldwide sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, that somehow the good news of the Resurrection will lift us up out of the ashes. In the spirit of ecumenism, I attended a beautiful and meaninful Good Friday celebration at Incarnate Word Lutheran Church in Rochester. The music was a wonderful complement to the reading of John's Passion. Incarnate Word is known for its top-notch liturgical music and I was not disappointed. I find I still cringe at the reading of John's account of the Passion, due to the blame John placed on first century Jews for the Crucifixion. This has led to many centuries of anti-semitism. Fortunately, Vatican II and contemporary scholarship have remedied the injustice caused by John's Passion narrative. While most of John's Gospel contains a wonderful theol...

Dear Blog Visitors: The topic of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has been headline news for the past couple weeks, considering that the full scope of the crisis is only now coming under unprecedented scrutity. Thus far, I have addressed this looming crisis from two perspectives: 1.) the role mandatory celibacy may have played; 2.) the role the pope may have played. In the video above, I address a third dimension of the sexual abuse crisis - namely, the role the Seal of Confession may have played. My recommendation in the video is that the Vatican examine its long-standing policy of secrecy in the confessional booth (whatever is revealed is never disclosed). In cases when priests admit to abusing a child, the priest hearing such a confession should be allowed to report such revelations to bishops or civil authorities. Pastoral counselors, for example, are required by law to report cases of revealed abuse. Therefore, priests should place the protection and rights of victims over ...

Dear Blog Visitors: I have often envisioned what it would be like to have a conversation with Pope Benedict XVI on a variety of church-related issues. You may recall that I made a video a couple years ago that amounted to be a spoof of an imagined phone call between the pontiff and myself on the issue of clerical celibacy. Utilizing a combination of humor and serious-minded data, the video remains the most-watched of my YouTube entries. In the video above, you won't find any humor, due to the very serious topic that is being addressed - namely, sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. The more we learn, it has become apparent that our pontiff had first-hand knowledge of many abuse cases when, as Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, he was head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In this dramatized video, I imagine having a cell-phone conversation with Benedict XVI, during which I make two recommendations to him. Let us pray that Benedict does the right thing in the face o...

Dear Blog Visitors: Several years ago, prior to my ordination as a married priest, I wrote my '95 Theses.' After much contemplation, I have decided that it is time for another group of theses. This time, I have chosen one topic, as did Martin Luther. While the topic of Luther was indulgences, I feel it is important to make 40 points on the issue of mandated clerical celibacy. (The number ‘40’ is significant in a biblical sense.) Before listing my 40 theses for your consideration, it is important to state that I fully realize that at least some priests are called to a life of celibacy. St. Paul realized as far back as the first century that some persons are called to a celibate life, whereas others are called to marriage. In our contemporary society, relationships have come to encompass many definitions, and I want to celebrate the coming together of all committed partnerships, just as I recognize and respect those who have been called to a life of celibacy. However, w...

Dear Blog Visitors: It appears that the lid of the Vatican box of secrets has been opened. When the Boston Globe was the first major publication to reveal the full scope of the sexual abuse crisis in the United States (2002), there was a mistaken impression that this was a problem unique to America. We now know this is not the case, because of international revelations that have come full circle in the past week. It is safe to say that we have only begun to experience the tip of the iceberg. In addition to the United States, the Vatican has reluctantly admitted to far-reaching abuse cases that encompass all expanses of Europe and third world countries. I was very pleased to learn yesterday that members of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in Austria are beginning to raise a question I raised in a video I made yesterday. Namely, Austrian bishops are now wondering if the policy of mandatory priestly celibacy has contributed to the sexual abuse crisis. All Roman Catholic cardinals need to ...

Dear Blog Visitors: I am sure that many of you are aware of major news that was released yesterday, concerning a letter written by Cardinal Ratzinger (currently Pope Benedict XVI) in 2001. In this letter, Cardinal Ratzinger ordered church leaders to keep all cases of reported sexual abuse secret. Further news has been released that indicates the fact that when our pontiff was archbishop in Munich, he moved an abusive priest from one parish to another, whereby more abuse occurred. For many years, I have maintained there is a strong connection between the policy of mandatory priestly celibacy and sexual abuse. Although I am not a psychologist, I have read with great interest the findings of reputable experts who have studied the sexual abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church. Many psychologists are in full agreement that when an institution requires celibacy of a person who may not be called to this lifestyle, the result can be sexual dysfunction, or even worse, acts of sexual abuse...

Dear Blog Visitors: If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you are certainly aware of my ministerial activities. For the most part, any ministries I partake in are voluntary. The one exception is my role as a wedding officiant, for which I charge a standard fee of $100.00 (to cover preparation, meetings with couples, rehearsals and ceremony). My primary source of income comes from my secular job, which I have held for the past twenty-one years. In the context of this government job, I thought I would share with you a brief essay I wrote, in advance of a feature article that will appear soon in Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle. In this article, the newspaper will be focusing on charges from the public that are often articulated, whereby some tax-payers feel government employees have better benefits and salaries than those in the private sector, and there is occasionally an assumption that workers in the private sector work harder than government employees represented by unio...

Dear Blog Visitors: If you read various Catholic blogs, it might appear that there is no constructive dialogue between traditionalists and reformers. This is indeed often the case. However, it is wonderful when a middle-of-the-road approach is taken and produces results. One of my better experiences in recent years occurred on January 8, 2003. On that day, the executive board of CORPUS (national association for an inclusive priesthood) and the president of the NFPC (National Federation of Priest Councils) spent a day together in New York City. Highlights of our day included constructive talks on the role married priests could play in various dioceses around the country. This was inclusive of a very nice lunch in an Italian restaurant in Manhattan. I have included a photo taken at the lunch mentioned in the preceding paragraph. From the left are Bob Silva (former president of the NFPC) and the former CORPUS executive board, including Bill Wisniewski, Russ Ditzel and Ray Grosswirth...

Dear Blog Visitors: If you have been followers of my blog, you are aware that I often speak of my Judeo-Christian background. Part of this background was inclusive of distant relatives in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, which was later to become absorbed as territories of present-day Hungary, Poland, Austria and Slovakia. For Jews around the world, 2010 represents the 65th anniversary of the liberation of concentration camps that dotted the landscape of the Holocaust in Eastern Europe. Having done extensive family research, I discovered that 69 persons with the Grosswirth name perished during that terrible period (original spelling was Groszwirth). Most family victims were from Hungary, with some from Poland and Austria. (As indicated in the previous paragraph, these countries were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.) With a Roman Catholic history on my mother’s side of the family, I have generally been supportive of the canonization process when sainthood is bestowed upo...