News Briefs

Colorado Priest Warns Satanism on the Rise

DENVER (RNS) — Satanism is on the rise across the country, according to a Denver cleric, but most people aren't taking it seriously.

The Rev. Mark Matson, a Roman Catholic priest, believes Denver is a stronghold of satanism. He is producing a video about satanism and witchcraft to be used in youth groups throughout the nation.

Later this month, Father Matson will bring in a New York priest who is an expert on satanic worship to address Catholic youth of the archdiocese.

"Parents and clergy don't want to believe this is going on, but it is—and Denver is a center for it," the priest said.

Father Matson's video will feature "straightforward theological and psychological information" about satanism, along with interviews with representatives of the FBI, police, clergy and satanic groups.

A Theatine priest who directs the archidiocesan youth program called Awakening, Father Matson has studied satanism for more than two years, gleaning information from law enforcement officials in Colorado and San Francisco. He has spoken to more than 4,000 youths about satanic worship and has visited with more than 50 Denver area youths who have at least dabbled in such practices.

Sacrificing small children and animals, drinking blood of humans, eating human hearts and decapitation of humans are rituals of satanic worship, explained Father Matson.

Decapitation of a human, a satanic ritual with origins in Mexico, recently has surfaced in southern California, Father Matson said. Innocent children are used because "that is a desecration of the holy and pure. Satan is pleased with the death of an innocent," he added. Such acts are final stage "in giving one's soul to Satan," the minister said. The greatest sacrifice is for a mother to dedicate her unborn child to Satan, thus giving the child untold evil power.

Father Matson said there are three kinds of satanists. The first—high satanists—often are professional people who practice the ritual carefully and secretly in their homes. Their goals are power, sex, and drugs, he said.

The second group is those on the periphery, the runners, who are involved in the criminal aspects of satanism, such as kidnapping of children. The third group includes the "self-styled satanists"—teenagers who dabble in occult practices, such as animal sacrifice, because they're exciting and usually involve drugs and sex.

A key element in high satanism, he said, is mocking the Catholic Mass with a "black mass"—desecrating the communion bread, using an upside-down cross and involving an ex-priest in the black mass.

Pro-choice Nuns Hail Order's Decision as 'Victory for all Women'

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Reveling in a clear victory, two Roman Catholic nuns praised their religious order for deciding not to dismiss them for their outspoken "pro-choice" views on abortion.

Speaking at a June 9 press conference here, sisters Barbara Ferraro and Patricia Hussey, both of Charleston, West Virginia, called the decision by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur "an enormous victory for all women."

The two sisters, who run a shelter for abused and homeless women, faced dismissal from their order after signing an October 1984 ad in the New York Times that supported the right of Catholics to dissent from church teachings on abortion.

Twenty-four other nuns also signed the Times ad and faced similar discipline. But cases against them were dropped when they agreed to affirm their support of Catholic teaching on abortion.

Despite the order's decision, which was announced June 4, the sisters still could face further disciplinary action from the Vatican. In 1986, the Vatican said it could re-enter the case if it were unhappy with the order's decision.

"I would like to assume the Vatican will respect the order's decision," said Sister Hussey. The two nuns said they had not reached any deals with leaders of the sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

"We have not compromised our views, lied about our position on abortion or accepted silencing amidst many threats and demands," said Sister Ferraro. "What we hope is that our struggle and commitment to remain firm and honest gives both hope and courage to all Catholics, particularly women."

The sisters speculated that the order's decision was influenced by the large volume of mail their supporters sent on their behalf. In their decision, officials of the order said dismissal of the nuns "would not be in the best interests of the church." But the officials said the decision "is not to be interpreted as support for, or agreement with, your public statements on the subject of abortion."

Sister Hussey said news of the decision came as a complete surprise. The two nuns had already received two preliminary warnings of dismissal prior to the decision to drop the case against them. During this period, they continued to speak out publicly for abortion rights, despite orders by their superiors to halt the activity.

Dissent on issues such as abortion is important to making the Catholic Church more vital, the women said.

"As we have maintained over the past four years, we are not meant to be Eichmann Christians and blindly obedient," said Sister Patricia. She was referring to Nazi War criminal Adolph Eichmann, who claimed in his defense during a 1961 war crimes trial that he was merely following orders.

The 1984 ad that the two women signed was published after several bishops attacked Catholic politicians, including Democratic vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro, for failing to advocate church stands on abortion.

Frances Kissling, executive director of Catholics for Free Choice, said at the press conference that so far, Catholic clergy have been much less active on the abortion issue in this year's presidential campaign.

Ms. Kissling attributed the decrease in activity to a lawsuit brought by abortion-rights activists. The suit seeks to deny the Catholic Church its tax-exempt status because of political activity by church leaders in the area of abortion.

The case currently is before the United States Supreme Court, and a decision is expected this month.

If the court rules in favor of the church, Ms. Kissling speculated, church leaders may be more active in the fall election campaign.

Briefly Noted: Wife of Former Pastor Charged with Theft from Church

The wife of a former pastor in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, has been charged with stealing $114,000 from the congregation over a three-year period.

According to a complaint filed in the case, Carol Land used her position as the wife of the pastor of the Victory Christian Center Church of God to write herself 253 checks between November 1984 and December 1985. Although a church clerk paid most routine bills, the complaint said Mrs. Land "had access to the books and the checkbook and paid for any unusual items that would come up."

Mrs. Land is free on bond. Her husband, the Rev. Doyle Land, resigned from the church in February and moved out of the state. Authorities said no charges are pending against him. Church members began to investigate the finances when some wondered how the Lands were able to build a $150,000 house and how Mrs. Land was able to purchase expensive clothing on the pastor's weekly salary of $500.

Married Ex-Priests See Themselves as Solution to Clergy Crisis

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Patrick Sorohan owns and manages a community bookstore in Lancaster, Ohio. Sorohan has four daughters, and he and his wife serve as lay readers in their local Catholic parish. Thirteen years ago, Sorohan sought and received formal "dispensation" from priestly ministry, and his hope now is to return to the priesthood with his wife and family.

More than 400 other former priests and their wives joined a first national gathering of "married priests" at American University in June. Their purpose was to call upon the church to abandon rules requiring a celibate priesthood and draw on former priests to ease the worsening shortage of priests. "Mandatory celibacy is starving the Catholic Community of sufficient ordained priests," said a statement issued at the close of the gathering. The conference, sponsored by the Corps of Reserve Priests United for Service (CORPUS), also called on the American church to "initiate a widespread program of identification and reconciliation with inactive priests."

There are about 100,000 married ex-priests worldwide, and more than 17,000 of them live in the United States, according to CORPUS, which claims a membership of 5,000. The group cited studies that say 5,000 of them would return to active ministry if allowed to do so. Although Pope John Paul II repeated the church's policy of celibacy during his visit to the United States last September, he urges Catholic leaders to encourage young people to accept that calling. At the same time, however, the church in the United States is looking for ways to cope with the shortage of priests. Ten percent of Catholic parishes are without priests, according to figures cited here, and projections are that former priests will soon outnumber active ones. There are 58,382 active and retired priests in this country.

Former priests contend that mandatory celibacy is the chief obstacle to attracting new recruits. They pointed to a study conducted by Catholic University sociologist, Dean Hoge, who has estimated that clergy ranks would swell by 400 percent if the priesthood were open to married men.

"Obligatory celibacy has lost the support of Scripture, history, tradition, pastoral life and the life and minds of God's people," theologian and ex-priest, Anthony T. Padovano, said during the keynote speech to the gathering. "By every standard we can measure, the time for a married priesthood has come." Padovano said those who left the priesthood for marriage feel stigmatized and unwanted by the church. Very few are involved in full-time religious work, and some have left the church altogether. "If the church can't find an adequate place for married priests and their families, it becomes, at least to that extent, an anti-life church," charged Padovano, who drafted position papers for the U.S. hierarchy before he left the priesthood. He now teaches at a state college in Mahwah, New Jersey.

The conviction among "married priests" that they are still priests stems from Catholic theology, which holds that the sacrament of ordination can never be revoked. Under Catholic canon law, those who want to leave the clergy and marry must receive a special dispensation from their priestly functions. Many priests, especially during the social and religious tumult of the 1960's, married without submitting to this process called "laicization." Some former priests are not waiting for a change in church rules and have begun to perform priestly or quasi-priestly functions. These former priests point out that under "emergency conditions," such as in hospitals or when someone is near death, church law dictates that priests, active or inactive, perform sacraments. The critical shortage of priests has presented such an emergency. Mr. Sorohan, the bookstore owner, said his desire to return to active ministry has become stronger as he has seen "parishes close down because there aren't enough priests."

Jazz Mass Highlights Texas Jazz Festival

CORPUS CHRISTI — Soulful music and joyful celebration was offered during the Jazz Mass, part of the four-day Texas Jazz Festival.

The Jazz Mass was held Sunday, July 10 at the Bayfront Plaza Water Garden. The main celebrant was Auxiliary Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD, of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, who accepted the invitation from Bishop Rene Gracida of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

The Jazz Mass, which was first performed as a Christmas Midnight Mass in 1973, is being sponsored this year by the Kennedy Memorial Foundation, the Texas Jazz Festival Society and Holy Cross Catholic Church, of which Msgr. Robert Freeman is pastor.