The everything Catholicism book.

The everything Catholicism book Helen Keeler and Susan Grimbly Published by Adams Media Corporation; Avon, Masachusetts, 2003. pp. 289, paperback, $22.95 CAN

This book is in a series of over 150 The Everything books that tell everything about anything. This book seems to be designed as a study text, perhaps for high schools, or as an encyclopedia. It has a good idea behind it and has pictures and big print. It states that "this publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered." Probably this aim is fulfilled in the other titles of the series, but it isn't in this one.

Many erroneous statements are made concerning matters well known by informed Catholics. Some examples of these erroneous statements are: that "the quest for the historical Jesus is not essential for authentic Catholic faith" (page 10); that St. Paul was the 12th apostle, replacing Judas (14, 15, 229); that Jesus worked 35 miracles (16); that St. Paul's Cathedral is at the Vatican (24); that the Nicene Creed is said at every Mass (30); that the Emperor Constantine moved his capital city from Rome to Constantinople in 450 A.D. (38); that clerical celibacy was required beginning with the 13th century (40); that St Francis de Sales founded the Salesians (51); that "it is no longer the Church's goal to try to convert Protestants to Catholicism. Instead, the Church recognized the status of Protestant communities, apologized for contributing to Christian disunity and the mistakes made during the Counter-Reformation" (58); that, "existing since creation, the Spirit is the third person of God" (65); that the Blessed Virgin said, "Nothing is impossible with God" (68); that in earlier times Catholics did not believe that Jesus, not Mary, "is the true mediator between God and mankind" (86); that the effects of baptism do not include a share in God's life (95); that "for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory" is part of the Our Father (121); that the practice of weekly Confession has been left behind, which "is only natural, as the Catholic Church has adapted to the needs of its membership at different times" (122); that, for Canada, "it is no longer necessary to abstain from meat on Friday" (122); that, "by the time of the Council of Trent, the Church decided that prayer to saints is acceptable as long as the faithful ask the saints to intercede with God on their behalf and understand that saints do not have divine powers" (124); that one Catholic practice is "immersion in holy water" (125); that memorial Masses of saints need not be said (148); that St. Luke was one of the Apostles (152); that "all Cardinals are ordained bishops" (177); that archbishops have authority over the other bishops in their province (179); that "the clergy is now merely a subset of the priesthood of the faithful" (186); that children today need not go to Confession before First Communion, since they have no mortal sins (218); and that the Sacrament of Matrimony was established around 1200 (222).

Besides manifest errors one can find numerous statements which give the impression that the Church is not clear on certain matters, and that this book is not going to be clear either. For example: that "Jesus was not preaching a new religion.... He reminded people that following the letter of the Law was not as important as living a good life on earth" (13); that "some scholars believe that Mary went on to have more children--siblings of Jesus" (78); that "the birth-control encyclical, which significantly reduced church attendance and donations, can be dismissed by Catholics who disagree with it if they feel at home in their parish" (241); that "nuns and Catholic laywomen are still battling for the right to be ordained [priests]" (187) [there is no mention of the fact that now it is an infallible teaching of the Church that God does not want women to be ordained priests]; that "active parishes are pushing against the structure of a conservative Church that has not abandoned its traditional hierarchical structure" (241); that "debate rages even inside the departments of theology, where outspoken faculty members question the direction of the Church" (246); that the causes that lay organizations champion "include rights for homosexuals" (252); and that "the Church has acknowledged that no single Church dogma can express the whole truth of Christianity" (267). The three final sentences of the book illustrate the ignorance and inept language of the whole book: "If some Eucharist is not used during a service, it should be offered to the sick and those who are absent. The Catholic Church stores the host in monstrance, or ostensorium. Any wine that has not been drunk during the service is consumed by priest, ministers, or deacons" (emphasis added) (283).

If one is to write a book on Catholicism today a choice must be made (1) to be orthodox and accept the teaching of Christ taught by the Church's Magisterium, or (2) to be a dissenter and thus have one's own religion, or (3) to be neither of these but simply a historian.

The authors of this book have chosen to be dissenters. They write that the Church "is one in its common beliefs" (188), yet they stress the dissent which exists on a wide scale concerning such issues as the governance of the Church, contraception, the ordination of women to the priesthood, and divorce and remarriage, and indicate that they are on the side of dissent. Following are some of their totally false statements:

1. After Vatican II, "writings that were once accepted as divine revelation to an individual and that were rigidly adhered to received new interpretations. The Church accepted that written works are always influenced by historical context that may not have as much relevance for succeeding generations" (58).

2. "Teaching must now be 'received' by the whole Church to be seen as truly infallible" (154). "The people have to believe and accept a teaching for it to be a true belief" (255). "Even moral and religious teachings of the past can be reformed, if they are not taught by a consensus of theologians and received by the people of the Church" (260).

3. "The Church's opposition to reproductive choice led to its stance against legislation to improve the equality of women (252).

4. "Married couples who see sex as a way of reaffirming their love, rather than a mere necessity for procreation, are told they are sinful. These are problems of a Church whose teachings is dictated from the top, with little reference to the parish priest or lay believer" (255). [The authors do not consider that it is God who is at the top of the Church's hierarchy.]

5. If the laity succeed "in creating structures at the national Church level that are more responsive to lay concerns, they could begin to dissolve the hierarchy. The pope would remain a spiritual leader, reinterpreting Christ's message for every age with the help of the Holy Spirit, but church structures would be decided and operated by lay people.... Leaders of national churches would consult together regularly, but there would be no need for central control" (261).

Both authors live in Toronto. One of them is a volunteer catechist.

I hope that no one else reads this book.