Month: October 2013

Let’s All Panic Over Franciscogenic Papal Change!!!!!!!

This morning, I read Dolan confirms error in Scalfari interview in the National Catholic Reporter.  It confirms that there was at least one factual error in Scalfari’s interview:  he suggests that Francis, upon hearing of his election, left the Sistine Chapel, panicked, wanted to decline, then got his head together, felt better, and went out to get dressed.  But

As veteran Italian Vatican writer Andrea Tornielli has pointed out, however, there is no room next to the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square, which is located in the middle of a long hallway, raising doubt about the literal accuracy of the quotation.

In any event, Dolan said, the sequence put on the pope’s lips by Scalfari is out of order.

Francis did not hesitate before accepting his election, Dolan said, although there was a moment later when he paused in prayer before stepping out onto the balcony for the “Habemus Papam” announcement.

Okay, not such a big deal, right?  We’re still weathering this huge FRANCIS CRISIS, which is going to spell DOOM AND DISASTER for everybody and everything, and the SEA LEVELS WILL RISE and there will be GIRL CARDINALS, and puppy dog cardinals, and Benedict’s name will be chiseled off all the walls, and the speaking of Latin will be punished with excommunication, and there will be dogs and cats living together, and so on.

Then there’s this:

Respected French Vatican writer Jean-Marie Guénois confirmed with Scalfari that he didn’t tape the interview, nor did he take notes, so the text was an after-the-fact reconstruction.

He didn’t tape the interview.  He didn’t take notes.

He didn’t tape the interview.  He didn’t take notes.  

He didn’t tape the interview.  He didn’t take notes.  

I’m just a teeny, two-bit, part-time writer on the very outer fringes of what could possibly be considered journalism, and even I know that this is outrageous.  Insanely irresponsible.  Something that should make people lose their jobs and all credibility forever.  Holy shit.  As my sister Devra Torres said, “So we’re commenting on a bad translation of a hazy memory in the mind of a presumably heavily biased source.”  One more thing?  Scalfari is 88 years old.  But I’m sure his memory is completely accurate.

So, I know this is a big deal.  But not for one second do I think that the Francis haters will so much as bat an eye.  We’ll get a shrug and a grimace, and they’ll continue with their self-congratulatory dirge celebrating mourning this tragic decline of the papacy.

Why?  Because Francis haters are like the prophets of climate change.  No matter what happens, it’s just more evidence for what they’ve been telling us all along.  Got a hurricane? Expect to see more and more of this kind of thing, because climate change!  One of the calmest hurricane seasons in the last 62 years?  Continue to panic!  Because climate change!  Polar ice caps melting?  You see, that’s climate change!  Polar ice caps growing and getting icier?  Have you not been listening???? This isclassic climate change.

When you’re completely wedded to the idea of anthropogenic climate change, bad news is bad news, and good news is bad news, too.

Same with the Francis haters.  Absolutely anything you say about the man — and about the demonstrable, incontrovertable good effects of his papacy — it’s all just more evidence of bad news.  They don’t like what he says, and then they hear that he didn’t actually say it, and the response is, “I’m tired of the excuses!”  Okay.  So you’re tired of the truth?   Yeah, I thought so.

Even things that have nothing to do with him are magically attributed to his malign influence.  And when we hear about — oh, people becoming interested in the Church again . . . people asking their Catholic friends questions, because they’ve heard there’s something interesting going on in Rome . . . people considering joining RCIA, or getting their marriages regularized, or going to confession in droves . . . well, there you have it.  Proof that Francisogenic Papal Change is ruining the Church.  Because they are not the right kind of people, you see.  Their hearts aren’t having the right kind of conversion.  Their experience of the love and mercy of Christ isn’t authentic enough.  How can you be so blind?  THIS IS A CRISIS, PEOPLE.

Because if it’s not a crisis, we might have to change how we look at the world.

Well, we shall see, won’t we.  If the climate really is changing, there’s not a hell of a lot we can do about it.  If Francis really is ushering in a new era, he is the Pope, and he calls the shots.  So we’ll see what’s changing, and why, and how it all shakes out.  I’m putting my faith in the Holy Spirit.  If you’ve been paying any attention at all, you’ll know that

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.

The wind is blowing, and so far, it feels good.

7 Quick Takes, in which I have fun doing my penance

Okay, so I’m slow. I just got around to reading Francis’ interview with America magazine, and now I want to do a quick round-up of last week’s Catholic Women Rejoice conference in Vancouver, WA.

(photo credit Caitlin Elder)

–1–

It really was obnoxious, but I asked one of my dear, extremely busy hostesses to find me a priest who could hear my confession.  Because airplanes.

So she did, and he found the time, and we found a sacristan who could open the confessional for us, and it was a great confession.

I won’t tell you what I said in there, but the priest told me that we should try to figure out how to turn our sins into strengths.  So for my penance, I had to use my computer for good, instead of . . . other things.  I’m supposed to seek out five websites that would be useful or edifying for people.  So today’s post will count as one, since I didn’t exactly seek these out, but they certainly fill the bill otherwise.

–2–

Caitlin Elder writes Tales of the Elders.  Clever name, eh?  Caitlin is a lovely woman, very attentive and sincere — and, like 99% of the women I met at the conference, so funny.  Here we are at the dinner after the conference  – and you can see I’m a bit droopy with jet lag by this point; but Caitlin, who is pregnant, is peppy and alert.  Young parsons!  How do they do it?

(photo credit Caitlin Edler)

Do check out Caitlin’s blog for great summaries of the three talks at the conference, and stay for this sweet post about her pity party cure, her encouraging post about post-partum depression, and one extremely awesome photo of one freaked out baby on Santa’s lap.

–3–

I was thrilled to be placed at a table with Katrina Burbank, who sent me those beautiful hair jewels that my family likes so much.  Katrina is so sassy (I’m sorry, not my favorite word, but it just kinda fits) and funny and honest.  Here we are at the dinner:

Katrina is holding her ridiculously cute baby in a carrier because she knows that if she puts her down, I will kidnap her and bring her home in my purse.

(photo credit Katrina Burbank)

Burbank Homestead is her beautifully designed blog where she writes about “faith, family, crafting, and beer.”  Here is her write-up of the conference,  Katrina is so busy, and has done a masterful job of  turning her powerhouse energy and organizational skills into a resource for other busy folk who are looking for help getting it all together.  Her practical homesteading posts are especially helpful, without ever slipping into that “gaze-upon-my-wonderfulness-you-miserable-slob” attitude you often get from helpful blogs.

–4–

I had so much fun talking to the author of Moments in Mediocre Motherhood.  I don’t know if we’re really kindred spirits or if she just makes everybody feel that way, but what a fantastic woman.  I gave my speech about Mary, and described how Mary is the kind of mother who, when approached by a screaming, sticky, snotty toddler, will scoop up said toddler and cuddle her, rather than shrinking away.  So this woman, who was there with the prettiest baby girl in the world,  introduced herself by charging up to my table covered from head to toe in pretty baby girl poop and demanding a hug.

(photo credit Moments in Mediocre Motherhood)

That hug, she did not receive.  Look, I’m not Mary!  Anyway, I laughed my head off, and continued laughing as we exchanged notes (after she found a change of clothes) about how to deal with unexpected pregnancies, working from home with kiddos in the house, and dealing with fertilinazis.   She also very generously changed her schedule the next day so that she could accompany me to the airport after Mass, which gave me some extra time to play with her cutie wootie:

who was perhaps not quite as enthusiastic about our relationship as I was

(photo credit Moments in Mediocre Motherhood)

What impressed me the most was her obvious, overflowing joy and love for her family.  Check out her blog for more of this infectious joy despite — or because of — her crazy life.

–5–

Another instant friend was Kate, who braved the day with not one but two of her four kids. Kate is the co-founder of Real Catholic Love and Sex:  More than Just Missionary, which recently got a great review from Dr. Gregory Popcak. The blog is written by Kate and a married man named James, and is one of the more honest and thorough blogs about Catholic sex and marriage that I’ve seen. Here I am with Kate (and yes, we did do other things at this conference besides drink wine — but I will admit, I really enjoyed that part).

(photo credit Kate)

Not the highest quality photo, but it really captured the evening, during which I laughed so hard my throat hurt for days — and yes, I cried a little bit, too.  Kate also rearranged her schedule to come to an earlier Mass so she could drive me to the airport.  I only wish we didn’t live on opposite sides of the country.

–6–

I accidentally left my conference gift bag behind in Portland, but dear Lisa Ferry is mailing it to me.  I had heard so much about one of the goodies inside, the exquisite handmade soap made by Anna Cools of Roots Soap Company.

I dunno –  how good could it be, with only an average of five stars from 733 reviewers?  I only got a few minutes to speak with Anna, but she gave me a wonderful selection of her soaps for my girls.  Watching the mail!  Thanks again, Anna.

–7–

Oh, I met so many other wonderful women at this conference, too many for my poor brain to remember at the end of the week  – including, of course, the dynamic Julie Ondernko, founder of Catholic Finish Strong, who gave us a smorgasbord of saints to get to know

(photo credit Caitlin Elder)

and the amazing Sr. Miriam James Heidland

(photo credit Caitlin Elder)

who reduced a roomful of 300 women to tears in the best possible way.

I also met the fabulous Louise Mohr, whom I could have spotted half a mile away by her lipstick.  I hear from her sister that she has a fashion blog, and I WANT TO SEE IT.  Where, Louise?

And so many, many other wonderful women who braved the rain and their busy schedules to come together for a beautiful day filled with grace.  If you were there and would like to share your blog or website, please email me (simchafisher@gmail.com) or put it in the comments, and I will add it to the post.  And please, beautiful Sia Nickelsen, who showed me her excellent little women’s magazine, I meant it when I said send me a reminder!  I need reminders!

Again, Sterling Jaquith and Lisa Ferry, you did a completely amazing job putting this day together and making me feel at home.  The Catholic Women Rejoice conference will be back next year!  I really suggest putting it on your calendars now.

Don’t forget to check in with our host, Jen Fulwiler at Conversion Diary, and wish her a happy 10th anniversary!

Sandra Bullock on motherhood

I don’t know anything about the movie Gravity, but I liked a lot of the things Sandra Bullock had to say about motherhood and work, in this interview for NPR  Of course she is rich enough to be able to decide whether or not to work; but it was very, very good to hear a woman saying,

[M]y baby before was my work. That’s what I had. And then I was given the blessing of this extraordinary creature and human being, who’s turning into a good little man.

And you just, you just realize that, you know, unless it’s a great experience for myself and for him, or unless this experience that I’m being offered will benefit him down the road, I’m not leaving the house. Or I’m leaving the house, but I’m not going to go work.

And once he’s in school, you know, permanently in school, those moments for me to work will be very few and far between. And I’m so happy to embrace that. So yeah, I think it’s changed me a thousand percent. And I think it’s made me better. And I think it’s made me, you know, less worried about if this film doesn’t work, you know, “What do I have?” You know, I go, “I already have everything. And if this film doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. Nothing you can do.”

She describes how hard it is to be away from her baby when she’s working on a movie — and, what you hear less often, how hard it is on him.  He didn’t like seeing her in the weird isolation suspension rig they had built to make it look like she was trapped in space.  The question of whether women can balance work and mothering is often put in terms of what is best for the woman — which is significant, but not the whole story!

Transcript and audio here.

 

Do you have a motto?

Okay, so I’m finally getting around to reading that America interview with the Pope.  Haven’t gotten too far yet — just up to the part where the interviewer has asked him who he really is.

And he repeats: “I am one who is looked upon by the Lord. I always felt my motto, Miserando atque Eligendo [By Having Mercy and by Choosing Him], was very true for me.”

And then he goes on to talk about mottos, of St. Ignatius, of John XXIII.

I love the idea of having a motto — especially if you can change it when you feel like it.  My motto used to be something that I came up with when people used to ask me all the time, “How do you do it?” — meaning, raise kids and meet deadlines and make supper, I suppose.  So my answer and motto was, “Praise God and cut corners.”

My family once put together a family crest, which I describe here, including our motto, which was “It Could Always Be Worse.”  And, in the last year we homeschooled, we were doing a medieval unit, so we put together coats of arms.  The motto my son came up with was, “REVENGE.”  Yup, put the little sucker in school the next year.

How about you?  Do you have a personal or family motto?  Did you used to have one that no longer fits?  If you had to come up with one today, what would it be?

I’m no expert . . .

and yet I feel like there must be another solution besides this:

Gov’t shutdown means food pantries need help – UPDATED

I know, I know, Big Brother is too big, and it’s super fun to crow about what a vast improvement it is when government is shut down — no more panda cam, boo hoo hoo.

But for many people, the shutdown is no joke.  Since our fearless leaders in Washington are covering themselves with glory (and I include both parties.  I’m completely disgusted with every last one of them), there are plenty of Americans who face genuine hardship.

The WIC program will run out of federal funding in a few days, and various states may or may not have enough funding to continue the program.  WIC provides nutritious food to nursing and pregnant women and their children ages five and under.  I can clearly remember a time when our family — yes, while we were employed full time and living thriftily — absolutely depended on food from WIC.  Eggs and tuna, cereal and milk is what we lived on, and if that had run out, we would have gone hungry.

School lunch programs will also lose their federal funding soon.  Many kids depend on school lunch as their main meal of the day. (It doesn’t matter whether or not you think the government should be supplying lunch, or what you imagine you know about parents who have spent money on tattoos or whatever.  We’re just talking about kids who need to be fed.)

The Department of Veteran’s Affairs will run out of funding, so they won’t be able to pay the pensions and benefits for veterans. And any government employee who’s been furloughed may certainly be low on food.

Please consider bringing a bag of shelf-stable groceries to your local St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, or whatever local organization distributes food to people who need it.  

It doesn’t matter what you think about the proper role of government.  Our response to hunger and need is not a political statement.  We are just talking about people who will not have food in their bellies.  If you have $5, $10, $20 that won’t break your budget, please please shop for hungry people next time you go shopping, and encourage your friends to do the same.  Maybe explain to your kids that you’re going to skip dessert this weekend and use that money to buy food for people who would otherwise be skipping dinner.

If you don’t know where your local food pantry is, call your church — they will be able to direct you.  Many supermarkets have donation bins, or you can add a monetary donation to your grocery bill.

Again:  not a political statement.  Just a work of mercy.

UPDATE:  My sister Abby reminds me that many women and babies depend on WIC for formula, including expensive specialty formula for babies with various allergies.  Another reader reminds me that it couldn’t hurt to ask your local food pantry if they are more in need of food or money donations.