Being Catholic

Pope Leo has told Catholics they’re not to talk about Mary, Jesus’s mum, as though she had anything to do with him saving the world from damnation.

A decree from the Vatican’s doctrinal office approved by the pontiff says Jesus alone saved humanity from hellfire and therefore Catholics must not call Mary the “co-redeemer” or “co-redemptrix”, ending a long-running debate among church scholars that has even divided popes. (source) 

It’s a little late for all this don’cha think? I mean, cat's outta the bag. Mary’s been seriously revered for forever and a half.

First – has the dude failed to notice the bathtub madonnas across America? I realize that the highest concentrations of bathtub Marys are found in East Boston and Somerville, Massachusetts (due to the big Italian and Portuguese population) but, c’mon man, this is NOT just a Massachusetts deal. Leo had to have seen some when he was living in the Chicago area. There are Catholics out there – I feel certain of it.

Second – I went to Catholic school for six motherfucking years. We damn sure prayed to Mary. If she has nothing to do with saving humanity from hellfire WHY, when we say the rosary, do we say 153 Hail Marys and only six Our Fathers? Hmmmmm? DON’T tell me that Mary’s hard of hearing or busy doing the washing up so she’s missed the first 147 times I recited the damn prayer!

Third but probably most important – Mary birthed that boy! If it wasn’t for Mary going through nine months of prego nausea, having to pee all the damn time, heartburn, and backaches on top of childbirth without an epidural or a goddamn Tylenol, there would be no christian savior.

Yeah, I don’t think Jesus gets all the humanity saving credit here – not by a long shot. That’s just  99,000 kinds of patriarchal bullshit.

I’m reminded of when my mother wanted to fix me up with a young man who was studying for the priesthood – the CATHOLIC priesthood. No wives allowed. I pointed this out to her and, well, let’s just say she had a lot more confidence in my attractiveness than I. Or, more likely, she had a better understanding of 19 year old boys' sex drive. Maybe she thought I should baby trap him? HAH! No bloody chance of that! I had zilcho interest in bambinos then (or later for that matter) and no particular wish to hook up with sexually inexperienced, aspiring priests.

Of course, now I have Paul Simon’s Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard in my head. 

Whoa, in a couple of days they come and take me away
But the press let the story leak
And when the radical priest
Come to get me released
We was all on the cover of Newsweek

And I'm on my way
I don't know where I'm going
I'm on my way
I'm taking my time
But I don't know where
Goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard

Possibly, mother was thinking about the Berrigan brothers. Philip and Daniel Berrigan were both peace activists – members of the Catonsville Nine, members of the Plowshares Movement and anti-nuclear activists. They acted on their firmly held beliefs – they walked the talk and went to jail for it.

In 1969, while still a Josephite priest, Philip married Elizabeth McAlister, a former nun. Both were excommunicated. Philip and Elizabeth went on to found Jonah House in Baltimore, Maryland.

Mission: The Jonah Malcolm Community is a sanctuary space for activists and creatives. We commit to strengthening community through food justice, education, and peace building.

Vision: The Jonah Malcolm Community envisions a world that resists oppression through creativity, spirituality, sustainability, and acknowledging community autonomy. We believe justice and peace emerge when space is held for collective healing, community restoration, and food sovereignty. 

Brother Daniel was a Jesuit priest.

Yeah, I think mother would have been okay with me hooking up with a radical as long as he was a good Catholic. The Berrigans were very good Catholics.