The following letters to the editor appear in the edition of July 8, 2004. Letters appearing in this space do not necessarily reflect the views of the Arlington Catholic Herald or the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. The editor reserves the right to edit letters as necessary. There is no guarantee of publication. Send letters to: letters@catholicherald.com.

Refreshing Column

I’m writing in response to the "Principle of Subsidiarity" letter (ACH 7/1/04). I was a little put off by this and the many other letters to the Herald by the misinterpretations of the subsidiarity principle. These articles always seem to repeat the consistent theme that to do anything to respond to a problem would violate their subsidiarity ideas against helping the less fortunate.

It seems that whenever someone like Father John Rausch makes a constructive proposal for helping the least and the broken these advocates of subsidiarity drag out that old red herring accompanied by the constant repetition of "we should only help people in need with some vague local non-existent and therefore, meaningless alternative plan." In other words, do nothing to help others in need because they really don’t count.

What I find so amazing is that when it comes to their own needs, I’ll bet these subsidiarity advocates don’t reject the funding of their schools, the building of their roads, the enhancement of their safety, the protection of their health, the cleaning up of the damage after the hurricane, the services of their fire department or the plowing of the snow off their roads.

Based on their subsidiarity interpretations, it seems that if they own a snow shovel, we should not have to fund snow plows and salt trucks; and if they own a water hose, the rest of us should not have to offer taxpayer funded fire departments; and as a bonus we should close our schools so they can home school their kids as well.

Additionally, I don’t know anything in the Catechism or in the Church’s social teaching that lets the government off the hook when it comes to meeting our collective responsibility for assisting our less fortunate neighbors in their time of need.

I commend the Herald for featuring Father Rausch’s columns. I find them refreshing in this current climate of everyone-for-himself.

John Horejsi
Vienna

Celebration of Holiness

The sanctuary of a Catholic church, by its very name, means that which is holy. I recently attended an early morning Mass in a church that simply and eloquently celebrates this holiness. The center aisle points slightly toward the tabernacle on the highest dais in the sanctuary. The sacred repository rests beneath a large, softly illuminated crucifix and stands visible above the altar. The bowed face of the Crucified looks down at the tabernacle. A wooden statue of Mary in prayer stands high on Its right while another of St. Joseph lowering his right hand toward the tabernacle stands high on Its left. The tabernacle, as well as the altar, is flanked with the candles. A person entering the church has a sacred focal point.

I have occasion to travel and visit other Catholic churches. The tabernacle as the central focal point is not prevalent. Some churches remove the tabernacle to a rear chapel behind closed doors. Removing the Blessed Sacrament thus removes our blessed Lord from the focal point, and the consequence is a convention-like behavior among the congregation. Private chapels should at most supplement, not replace, the church tabernacle. Some churches place the tabernacle directly to the right of the altar. During services, the altar is reverenced while the tabernacle remains unattended. Some churches place the celebrant on the highest dais behind the altar while the tabernacle is off on a side wall and on a lower level. Genuflection becomes an "eyes right" salute. Children especially don’t know whether to bow or genuflect at the pew. Again, the focal point has been removed.

In our secular culture, we need churches centered on the Eucharist. We need center aisles reaching for the infinite. Everything in the sanctuary, even the silence, is a sacramental of grace for each person entering the church. Action, in this case the positioning of the divine repository, speaks louder than words. Let us reverence our Holy of Holies for the world to see, and, like the simple eloquence of that church, may there be always a physical expression of perpetual adoration.

Name withheld by request.

'New Age’ Practices

I have waited to see if anyone else would comment on several of the articles in last month's "Health and Wellness" section (ACH 6/17/04), pertaining to "inner self" healing techniques and a few alternative therapies and ideologies. Though at first glance, most of the articles probably seemed harmless to your readers, I saw them in a different light. I know that I am not alone in my opinion.

Some readers may balk at my views, but I think it best if I quote Pope John Paul II from his 1993 ad limina address to several U.S. bishops:

"New Age ideas often open up a way for themselves in preaching, catechesis, congresses and retreats, and thus come to influence even practicing Catholics who may not be aware of the incompatibility of those ideas with the faith of the Church."

What does "New Age" have to do with the "Health and Wellness" articles? Several practices mentioned in the articles, (i.e. yoga, Tai Chi and dream energy work, also known as depth psychology), are in fact labeled as "New Age" — something the Holy Father has stated as being "incompatible" with Catholicism. So many hospitals (including Catholic ones) retreat houses, health clubs, schools, news journals, and even some parishes, have embraced many of these practices and ideologies. Now it has hit home in our diocesan newspaper.

The "syncretism of esoteric and secular elements," is being promoted everywhere today, by the powers that be who are either oblivious to their spiritual errors, or intentionally unconcerned.

I myself, have no desire for half truths in my life. I prefer to remain in Christ, seeking only the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but "the true living water which only Christ our Redeemer can give."

Virginia St. Pierre
Alexandria

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