Pastor’s Corner — April 14th, 2024
New Vatican Document On Human Dignity (Dignitas Infinita)
On Monday the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released a Declaration on Human Dignity called Dignitas Infinita. While I haven’t had a chance yet to do a deep dive and read the whole document, from what I read this document seems to be a strong and compelling reaffirmation of the Church’s traditional teaching on human dignity. Significantly, the latter half of the document offers a timely reiteration as to why gender theory, surrogacy and euthanasia, are all incompatible with Christianity and should be rejected. What is drawing a lot of attention are these paragraphs on gender theory:
57. Regarding gender theory, whose scientific coherence is the subject of considerable debate among experts, the Church recalls that human life in all its dimensions, both physical and spiritual, is a gift from God. This gift is to be accepted with gratitude and placed at the service of the good. Desiring a personal
self-determination, as gender theory prescribes, apart from this fundamental truth that human life is a gift, amounts to a
concession to the age-old temptation to make oneself God, entering into competition with the true God of love revealed to us in the Gospel.
58. Another prominent aspect of gender theory is that it intends to deny the greatest possible difference that exists between living beings: sexual difference. This foundational difference is not only the greatest imaginable difference but is also the most beautiful and most powerful of them. In the male-female couple, this difference achieves the most marvelous of reciprocities. It thus becomes the source of that miracle that never ceases to surprise us: the arrival of new human beings in the world.
59. In this sense, respect for both one’s own body and that of others is crucial in light of the proliferation of claims to new rights advanced by gender theory. This ideology “envisages a society without sexual differences, thereby eliminating the anthropological basis of the family.” [103] It thus becomes unacceptable that “some ideologies of this sort, which seek to respond to what are at times understandable aspirations, manage to assert themselves as absolute and unquestionable, even dictating how children should be raised. It needs to be emphasized that ‘biological sex and the socio-cultural role of sex (gender) can be distinguished but not separated.’” [104] Therefore, all attempts to obscure reference to the ineliminable sexual difference between man and woman are to be rejected: “We cannot separate the masculine and the feminine from God’s work of creation, which is prior to all our decisions and experiences, and where biological elements exist which are impossible to ignore.” [105] Only by acknowledging and accepting this difference in reciprocity can each person fully discover themselves, their dignity, and their identity.
This is good stuff. Overall, I find this to be a solid declaration that confirms the truth of the Catholic faith in light of an increasingly secular culture that doesn’t hold a high value for the dignity of each person. If you want to know how the Church understands the dignity of the human person and how it applies to moral issues today, I encourage you to read the document itself. Of course this document doesn’t cover every moral issue on the dignity of the human person in depth, but it’s a good place to start to understand why the bible and the Church accord such value on the dignity of the human person.
The Catholic News Service has a good article on this: “Vatican document on human dignity condemns gender transition, surrogacy, abortion.” Bishop Barron has a great video take (8:33) on it, in which he explains how unique the dignity of the human person is that flows from Christianity, how it transcends political divides, and how it transcends the valorization of a false understanding of freedom rooted in self-determination.
Encounter Healing Service April 20th
We are having another public healing service at St Pat’s on Saturday April 20th. Just this past week, people told me some more remarkable testimonies about people being healed at our healing services, both of which were confirmed by doctors. One involved the healing of two hernias in someone’s stomach and another was the growth and restoration of function of a kidney of someone who attended a service. Please considering bringing people who need healing to the next service.
Shamrock Royale: St Pat’s School Auction on April 20th
Our 2024 School Auction this year will be held at Oak Pointe Country Club on April 20th from 6-11 PM. Our goal for our spring auction is to create a school environment that prioritizes our students’ well-being alongside education. Tickets and donations will help enhance our school’s interior with upgrades like flooring, paint, and artwork to create a welcoming space. Outside improvements include a new outdoor Creation Wall (where each student will contribute by painting a tile), a wildflower sanctuary and beautifying our walking trails. Finally, we’re committed to sustaining our scholarship fund and school security program. Parish and school parent support is vital in achieving these goals and fostering a nurturing educational environment at St. Patrick Catholic School.
The whole “Shamrock Royale” Auction will have a James Bond Theme. For tickets please go here. Tickets must be purchased by end of day on Monday, April 15th. For access to the silent auction (starts Saturday) please go here . For more information on the Auction go here.
If you have any questions please contact Kate LaPorte (kablaporte@gmail.com) or Christie Scanlon (springst@umich.edu).
New Studies: Religious Families are Happier, More Stable and Less Abusive
It shouldn’t be a surprise that new studies demonstrate that families involved in religious practices are happier, less abusive, and more stable than other families. Since God made us and since he’s good for us, it makes sense that being religious is good for us. But for us it’s another confirmation that the secular conception of the good life isn’t as good or as satisfying.
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Mathias