Being a person who loves to travel and has been all around the world, one city seems to continue to call me back time and time again. That city is not Rome, Paris, or even Rio de Janiero, but interestingly enough Calcutta, India, known to the locals as the City of Joy.

Children in Calcutta, India.

I recently returned home from my third journey to Calcutta to serve the poor alongside the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa’s nuns).  Each time I go to Calcutta, the trip has something different to teach me.  At the heart of it, that “something” is what continues to call me back.

Mother Teresa said that material poverty is easier to eradicate then spiritual poverty. She would go on to say that material poverty is met by giving out bread but the solution to spiritual poverty runs much deeper. Before I expand on this concept, I first would like to pose a  simple question.  How many people do you know that are satisfied with what they have? Be honest.

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Papal Pilgrimage To Isreal Ends With a Bang

Benedict declared his intentions in the clearest of terms. “First, to those who still dispute Israel’s right to exist as a state, Benedict stated: “Let it be universally recognized that the State of Israel has the right to exist, and to enjoy peace and security within internationally agreed borders.” Yesterday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had requested that the Pope denounce Iran on Israel’s behalf, especially regarding Iran’s repudiation of Israeli statehood. While avoiding mentioning Iran by name, Benedict lost no time in doing just that. Moving on, he stated: “Let it be likewise acknowledged that the Palestinian people have a right to a sovereign independent homeland, to live with dignity and to travel freely. Let the two-state solution become a reality, not remain a dream.”

Benedict made an impassioned appeal: “No more bloodshed! No more fighting! No more terrorism! No more war! Instead let us break the vicious circle of violence. Let there be lasting peace based on justice, let there be genuine reconciliation and healing.”

The three great religions of the world, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all share Abraham as their common father. In Catholic circles, Abraham is remembered as the “Father of our Faith”. Like in all “big families”, sometimes members disagree and do not get along. So sad, when we all share a common humanity and will all one-day return to the same Creator that made and loves each us all.

Lack of forgiveness is at the center of the Middle East problem. So many times the world has looked to a multitude of people and things to solve the tensions between the three great religions, all sharing Jerusalem. Instead of looking to were the source of the hatred lies, in the hearts of men. Each person must find forgiveness in his or her heart. I believe the Pope’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land stressed the importance of this needed forgiveness between all people in Israel and the Middle East.

In the Christian faith, Christ tells the faithful:

“Father, forgive us our trespass, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

May God bless all three great religions sharing the Holy Land; Christians, Jews, and Muslims. May we all learn to live in peace and love one another as God loves each of us personally.

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PROTECT RELIGIOUS SPEECH

Senator Edward Kennedy and Senator Patrick Leahy have introduced a hate crimes bill that parallels the House version. Catholic League president Bill Donohue wrote to them today about his concerns. The following is the text of his letter:

The driving force behind the Matthew Shepherd Hate Crimes Prevention Act is the desire to provide additional penalties to criminals who assault homosexuals because of their sexual orientation. Without commenting on the propriety of hate crimes legislation in general, the central problem with this bill is its chilling effect on religious speech.

To be specific, the bill would criminalize religious speech that was critical of homosexuality if it were linked to a crime against a gay person. How do I know this? Because when the bill was considered in the House, that is exactly what Rep. Louie Gohmert was told when he raised this issue. While assaulting anyone, independent of sexual orientation, is rightly considered a criminal offense, the prospect of criminalizing religious speech that proscribes certain sexual practices is beyond worrisome—it is downright dangerous.

The First Amendment protects freedom of speech and religious liberty, both of which are jeopardized under this bill. The chilling effect this legislation could have on the right of the clergy to address sinful behavior flies in the face of the spirit of the First Amendment. Surely there are ways to protect homosexuals from being singled out by anti-gay thugs without trespassing on the constitutional rights of priests, ministers, rabbis, imams and others. Accordingly, language that would accomplish this end should be included as an amendment.

First let me state that the Catholic Church, without question upholds the human dignity for all men and woman who actively live, as well as who have homosexual tendencies. With that said, the homosexual lifestyle is viewed by the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faithful worldwide as not being in accordance with the Natural Law and amoral. There is a big difference between voicing disapproval of ones behavior and respecting the humanity of the person. This fact is nothing new and is common knowledge but that is not the central issue surrounding the bill Senators Kennedy and Leahy recently proposed. The issue is while homosexual men and women without question should be offered protection under the law from acts of violence, the idea that religious speech, which condemns homosexual practices, should also be protected under the First Amendment. If we as Americans believe in freedom, it has to be a belief that spans across the board.

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Catholic League president Bill Donohue explains why he wants a disclaimer in “Angels & Demons”; it debuts in Rome today and opens in the U.S. on May 15:

“India’s Censor Board has asked that a disclaimer be put in ‘Angels & Demons’ saying the movie is a work of fiction. It has also asked that certain scenes be deleted from the movie. The Board explained its position by saying ‘It has its guidelines and its duty, and if it thinks a film, any film, disparages a religious community or hurts religious feelings, it should take action under its code.The Catholic League would like to see the same disclaimer inserted everywhere the movie is shown.
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