The Gadfly “To persuade and reproach” - Socrates, The Apology
Vol. IX, Iss. 5 November 11, 2008
MaskMask-buster Alert! You don't want to wear a mask – masks are fake. We are reminded of that a lot on campus whether in spiritual talks, witness stories, household life, or by the unique phenomenon of FUS positive peer pressure. But it's easy to be over zealous about mask-busting and miss the point, especially when dealing with the issue as something new. What exactly is this “mask”? A mask is a kind of hypocrisy – a way of being duplicitous. Sometimes it means being two-faced about religious things, but quite often it's more about our
social life. Either way, having a mask is symptomatic of a problem with our relationship with God and others. Putting on a mask is like putting a glove over an infected hand wound instead of going to the doctor to get the medicine needed to cure it. Some people put on masks so that others won't hurt them. For example, if you don't tell others about your woundedness, they won't know where to strike. Some people put on masks to win the favor of others or to set up a false macho image for the sake of popularity or esteem. Whatever the reason,
what often underlies the mask is that we are trying to fill that emptiness that only God can fill with something fake we know can never fill it – but we don't know where else to turn or are too proud to go there. Household small group or share group has as one of its goals living a Christian life without a mask. We are encouraged to trust our housemates with our woundedness and likewise to be sympathetic and confidential about the woundedness our housemates share with us. This (Continued on p. 8)
On Voting Well Sam the Stereotypical Franciscan Student arrived at the Holiday Inn in the morning on November 4, with his photo ID and his SWOP paycheck in-hand, ready to vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin. Now granted, Sam wasn’t thrilled to death with John McCain—he would have much preferred to be voting for Brownback or maybe even Ron Paul. But heck, even McCain was better than that socialist terrorist Barack Obama, right? So Sam handed his ID to the polling staff and stepped up to the touch screen to place his
vote. Chuck Baldwin, Ralph Nader, Richard Duncan, blah, blah, blah, where’s McCain? Oh, there he is! Okay, just touch the box—oh, there’s the little x mark—all done! Let me just press the cast-your-vote button and then I can make it back up the hill for my next class. Wait! What’s this? I have to vote for other candidates too? But I don’t know who these people are! I didn’t even think about it...shoot! Now what am I supposed to do? Oh well, I could just guess...yeah, but then what if I’m voting for someone who isn’t pro-life!? I’ll just vote for all the Republicans.
I mean, after all, aren’t Republicans always pro-life? That will be the safest move. Okay, so Mike Crites, Richard Stobbs, Daniel Jenkins... Sam goes through the list of names on the several pages. But what is this? Another awful surprise—there are issues on the ballot! Six of them! But this can’t be so terrible; I mean, they explain each issue, don’t they? I’ll just decide as I go...yes...yes...yes...I’m running out of time! I can’t read the whole explanation for Issue 5, it’s just a bunch of numbers I (Continued on p. 7)
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St. Clare, pray for us!
Staff:
Comrades in Arms,
Laura Berry (LB) Michelle Blohm (MB) Brian D’Amico (BD) Emily Davis (ED) Katherine Eddy (KSE) Layout Editor: Teresa M. Fasanello (TMF) Manuel Garcia (MG) Amanda Lamuro (AL) Editor in Chief: Gillian Lamuro (GL) Callie Langworthy (CL) John Mario Levri (JML) Business Manager: Jessica Kelley (JK) Joe Maciag (JM) Andy Moe (AM) The Goodkind Gnostic: Michael C. Pezzulo (MCP) Michael J. Ruszala (MJR) Mark Schreck (MJPS) Retired Editor in Chief: Cate Shultis (CS)
Every time I ask someone what is the best household to join (out of sheer speculation mind you, the Gadfly editor must be above bias), the only answer I receive is that each are special in their own way. That’s actually the same answer I received from my mother when I asked her who was her favorite and from long experience I can tell you this is a highly unsatisfactory answer. Apparently each household has their own special “charisma” and each is so different it is impossible to compare. Well all I can say is: Baloney sandwiches! Where is the healthy sense of competition in that? You can compare everything! But, of course, this being Franciscan we can’t really say which is
** Please note that the views expressed in the articles do not necessarily represent the
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~Mission Statement~ The Gadfly is an attempt to “bite the sleeping horse” in the spirit of Socrates. It is a student publication whose purpose is to facilitate discussion concerning campus and cultural issues as they pertain to students of Franciscan University. It aims to be a forum for open, well-thought out, and honest discussion towards the end of knowing and loving truth in its most robust sense.
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better or anything, but we can say what each household does best. Like who has the best T-shirt? Which household has the biggest feet? Which household looks the most like the twelve apostles? I don’t want any gooey answers like “our household is the most loving” because, well, everybody’s household is the most loving and it is boring to be the most loving. So be inventive and write to the Gadfly what your household does best. If you don’t write in, beware I might just have to invent one for you myself and nobody wants that to happen, do we. And who knows, their might just be a bag of candy for the best answer. So good luck and keep the household fires burning! ~The Editor of the Gadfly
Word off the Street Watch what you say! The Gadfly is always listening.
“Now all we have to do is find a man and start having babies” —A girl in St. Thomas More Lobby to a friend
St. Martha, pray for us!
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The Battle of the Beards My dear Miss Larsen-Silva, First of all, can I say that you have a positively stirring writing style? If I were not for the many years I spent sticking my head out of car windows and shouting, “Cut Your Hair HIPPIE!” you might have had me rushing to the nearest Gillette factory with my pitchfork. Needless to say, I cannot agree with you. Beards are let’s not say evil because you did bring up Jesus, darn you, so let’s say not the peak of manliness Allow me to explain. Being as I am an Air Force brat, I, of course, know that the manliest men in the world are military men. And they do not have beards (except for AfricanAmerican men with skin conditions, but even they have to keep it closed clipped in order to look properly intimidating). This is because our present military follows the traditions of the mighty Roman military which conquered the (bearded) barbarians. Roman men scraped their beards off with pumice stone and I dare say that is a lot manlier than keeping the downy fur safe on one’s chin. All the notable military men were beardless. Surely Mucius Scaevola rubbed his stump over his smooth Roman chin. Surely Julius Caesar scratched his clean cheek when laying waste to the Gallic hordes. Surely Wellington, when fighting the equally beardless Napoleon in the battle of Waterloo, wiped the dirt from his shaven lip.
And I dare you to find a better looking brilliant military commander than Wellington. You see the only people who get away with having beards are those who, when not forced to shave either by their mother or by their military commander, are too lazy to do it, and then make some bogus claim about being manly. Manly, my foot or my leg rather. No one claims girls who quit shaving their legs are the peak of femininity even though they are following nature just as boldly as our bearded counterparts. No indeed! I doubt if there are that many hairy men who want to find an equally hairy wife despite all their love of nature. To rest my case, da Vinci, Gandalf and St. Clement never got married and Lincoln had a wife who went insane. Their beards were probably a result of the fact that nobody loved them enough to tell them to shave and since the absence of love is inherently evil, those beards are evil. And to the men of Koininia, if there is anything worse than a beard, it is a beard dripping with oil. So listen to your moms and shave.
~GL
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Professor Quote of the Week:
“I didn’t go to Franciscan so I didn’t have feelings like you guys do.” —Dr. Stephen Lewis, on dating
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St. Radegunde, pray for us!
Diversity in Orthodoxy To whom do you belong at Franciscan – the charismatics or the traditionalists? To whom do you belong, O Corinthians – Paul or Apollos (1 Cor 3:4)? You have to pick, right? Not necessarily. You'll see me at the Extraordinary Form Latin Mass on campus, chanting timeless Latin hymns and receiving Communion at the altar rail. You'll also see me at the Festival of Praise. If you ask if I am a charismatic or a traditionalist, I will say that I am an orthodox Roman Catholic seeking Christ in the Church, who treasures the diversity within Catholic orthodoxy. I have experienced the power of charismatic worship. God is there. I have also experienced the awe and transcendence of the Extraordinary Form Latin Mass. God is there too. To whom do I belong? I am striving to belong only to Christ. Where Christ the King is, there too is His Kingdom – the Church. I want to be what Henri Cardinal de Lubac calls a “man of the Church.” There is an authentic diversity in Catholic orthodoxy, and I believe that the Extraordinary Form Mass and charismatic prayer can each have a legitimate role in our spiritual development in Christ. In his book, The Splendour of the Church, De Lubac writes, “Whether we like it or no, there are many non-essential things which change according to time and place. But without blinding himself to the plain fact
“There is an authentic diversity in Catholic orthodoxy, and I believe that the Extraordinary Form Mass and charismatic prayer can each have a legitimate role in our spiritual development in Christ.”
of this diversity, the man of the Church will make it his business to see also the continuity which exists at an even deeper level of reality” (182). That deeper level of continuity involves a view to the whole – a filial devotion to Mother Church and a respect for the whole Body of Christ in its many parts. St. Paul warned of divisive attitudes within the Body, and in a like spirit, De Lubac writes of the disposition of the true man of the Church: “He will love the Church's past... Granted, the last thing he will do will be to devote himself to a cult of nostolgia, either in order to escape into an antiquity which he can reshape as he likes, or in order to condemn the Church of his own day... He will of course never take it into his head to appeal from the present teaching of the magisterium to some past situation, doctrinal or institutional, or invoke such things in order to apply to that teaching an interpretation which would in fact be an evasion” (179-180).
I value the Extraordinary Form Latin Mass and I believe that taking part in it can truly enliven our understanding of the traditional nature of the Mass and can draw us beyond ourselves to an appreciation of authentic values with rightly appeal to our spirit. But I will not look down upon the faith of parishioners around the country who have been nourished by the Novus Ordo Mass for over four decades, or question the validity of the Mass celebrated for 25 years by Pope John Paul II. I oppose doing anything to disobey our bishops or the Pope in matters of liturgy in order to be more “traditional” than they. I reject any attitude of escapism from participating fully in the life of today's Church by returning to a former time period. Finally, I will not gloss over the guidance of Vatican II's Pastoral Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy which calls for promoting a spirituality of both internal and external active participation of the whole people of God in offering themselves to Christ in the liturgy; the fact that many have erred to the excess in this matter does not give us an excuse to dismiss it but to return to its authentic meaning. Thus, when I attend an Extraordinary Form Latin Mass, I do so with the mentality outlined above. On the other hand, while I value charismatic prayer and be (Continued on page 6)
St. John, pray for us!
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On Peaking Early I am a senior this year. As such, I’ve been reflecting a bit on my college career in recent days, as I’ve sorted through college junk, trying to update my resume. Having completed my resume, I am not feeling victorious as I had expected I would. Instead, I feel bemused; two questions confront me: Where has the time gone, and what has happened to me in its passing? I was an eager, precocious freshman and a confident, competent sophomore, but somewhere along the line things seem to have changed. When I was sick freshman year (running a fever, not eating, and unable to stand without being dizzy), I would suck it up, finish all my papers on time, and still be able to lecture others on the virtue of developing a strong will. Now I feel that the slightest sickness throws off my whole schedule, and I recently asked for an extension on a paper for the first time. I try hard to do well in all the things in which I am involved, but I find myself falling short. Take this publication, for in-
stance. I don’t even remember the last time I got an article in on time! Of course, one could attribute this to the famed sickness, Senioritis, or the more respectable “crazy senior year.” These, however, do not seem like sufficient reasons. I am not slacking off in anticipation of the end of senior year, and I was involved in more activities as an underclassman in addition to taking a heavier course load. What has changed? Maybe it is my priorities. Maybe it’s my ambition. In the beginning of my time in college, I wanted to be the best in every class. I wanted to take the world by storm. Now those things aren’t quite as important to me. Schoolwork and school-oriented things used to be the center of my world, but they simply aren’t any longer. And since my attention is now divided, I have had to make compromises. This practice has led me to conclude that life is all about making compromises. Or, rather, it’s about making the right com-
promises. How much sleep do I need in order to take care of myself and be awake all day long? How much time do I need to spend working on Latin – not to be the best in the class, but to do my best? Can I cut out prayer time to do schoolwork? How much time do my friends need to know that they are valued, and to maintain my relationships with them? These are the questions that now structure my day, and of which I was previously (blissfully) unaware. And though things were easier during the peak of my college career, when I had all the answers, they might be a little more authentic now. So even if it means ceding my perfectionist throne to an upstart freshman, and admitting my finitude to myself and those around me, I suppose I will continue on my compromising way in the hopes that someday soon I’ll hit a balance, and maybe even start rising again. ~E.D.
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St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us!
Diversity in Orthodoxy, continued from page 4
lieve it can have its place in our spiritual life, I believe it should not exceed its bounds. I am very grateful for the example of Pope Benedict XVI in his more traditional interpretation and celebration of the Novus Ordo Mass and in his approval of the Extraordinary Form Mass. I welcome his example and look to his leadership and direction in these matters. The Church in our day is in rough waters and many souls have lost their fervor. Perhaps this is why young people are rallying around spiritual movements promoting the Extraordinary Form Mass or charismatic prayer – and this is a good thing. But it is really the Church they are seeking – Christ in the Church in all His vigor. We must never allow just a part of the life of the Church to take the place of the whole. Again, I believe that to appreciate these different spiritual movements without doing violence to those who are orthodox but not like-minded, we must approach these segments of the Body of Christ with a love and appreciation for the whole. In Catholic philosophy,
there is room for differences in opinion. In fact, a student will be able to distinguish several competing schools of thought in our philosophy department here at Franciscan. As a philosophy student, I sought to sort out these schools of thought in my mind, but it puzzled me why Franciscan theology department seemed to have much less of an internal struggle of ideas. I think this is because they have adopted an ecclesial mindset – they are trying to form students who are not merely products of a certain school of thought but rather men and women of the Church, who, once they have been firmly established in their ecclesial thinking, can explore further theories in a secondary manner and in light of the whole Body of Christ. Parts should never take over the whole. We study Scripture and Magisterial documents and we read St. Thomas, the Fathers, and other theologians in light of Magisterial teaching. We look first and foremost to the Magisterium for guidance as to what is authentically Traditional. In fact, according to the Franciscan Graduate Catalog, “Rather than prepare 'specialists' in
a particular field of ministry or academic study, at the master's level, we believe it is important to provide a firm, orthodox understanding of Catholic theology... [and] expose students to a number of different areas of ministry and study of the Christian faith” (38). We look to the Magisterium not only in matters of doctrine, in which they have a charism of infallibility, but we also give deference to them as our shepherds in the Body of Christ in matters of discipline – as de Lubac says, both “doctrinal and institutional.” We seek to go neither to the right or to the left, but rather to remain straight on the narrow way – a path which while narrow is still open to a diversity of expression in seeking Christ, whether from higher or lower, whether from different cultures, or from different stages of life or development. So to whom do you belong – the charismatics or the traditionalists, to Paul or Apollos? Let us belong only to Christ. Then we will truly be men and women of the Church appreciating with love the different segments of Christ's Body in light of the whole. ~ MJR
Apathy: n. lack of interest or concern, especially regarding matters of general importance or appeal; indifference. Help us prevent apathy.
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St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us!
TOP 10 REASONS TO JOIN THE GADFLY 10. People actually read The Gadfly. 9. Our wit and charm might rub off on you. 8. Nothing improves your résumé like the name of a bug. 7. You value your work too much to submit it to other campus publications, right? 6. You will be continuing a legacy that reaches all the way back to Socrates... or trying. 5. Someone should benefit from the money FUSA gave us. 4. You know how to solve all the problems on campus, if not the world. 3. The Gadfly is something Democrats and Republicans, traditionalists and charismatics, smokers and non-smokers can agree on. 2. The Gadfly staff is really, really, ridiculously good looking. And more. 1. We have a new staff, a new vision, and some other new stuff you’ll have to join to find out about... We’re pretty much Gnostics, but the good kind. ~STAFF On Voting Well, continued from page 1
won’t understand anyway. Wait, I passed a car on the way in that said vote no on issue 5...okay, no...and then Issue 6, I’ll just guess no...okay, whew! I’m done. Sam walks back up the hill to campus feeling proud for having done his civic duty. He makes a mental note to stop in the Port after class to pray that McCain will win. Does Sam sound familiar? Now this little story isn’t meant to point fingers or make anyone feel guilty. But here are some things Sam (and maybe you, too) didn’t know. Democrat Charlie Wilson, candidate for the U.S. Congress, is actually pro-life. Robert Owens, of the Constitution Party, was the only one of the three candidates for Ohio Attorney General who declared rather
boldly on the home page of his campaign Web site that he believed in the right to life from conception to natural death. Democrat Jason H. Wilson, who ran for state senate, was pro-life, as was his opponent Tim Ginter. Sam had two pro-life candidates to choose from for this office, which would have given him a chance to think about other issues he cared about, like education, or helping the poor, or reforming the prison system—if only he had known! State Representative candidate Daniel Jenkins was pro-life as well, so Sam voted as he would have wished there. Alas, poor Sam didn’t realize that out of the four candidates for Ohio Supreme Court, Justice Evelyn Stratton had been endorsed by the Ohio Right to Life PAC. In fact,
Sam didn’t vote for any of the justices, since these were labeled “non-partisan elections.” And then we have the issue questions. Actually, the Catholic Bishops of Ohio took sides on Issues 5 and 6, advising the public to vote “yes” on Issue 5 and “no” on Issue 6. By voting “no” on Issue 5, Sam was voting to continue to permit companies to charge exorbitant interest rates on payroll loans, sometimes nearing 400 percent interest! By voting “yes” on Issue 6, Sam was voting for a constitutional amendment to allow one specific individual to open a casino in one specific Ohio city. If only Sam had known! Next Election Day, don’t be Sam. ~LB
( Mask Buster Alert continued from p. 1)
allows us to realize our need for God's healing. Sometimes it helps us to talk over our problems with others and find comfort in knowing that they care – that we're not in it alone. We can also benefit from their prayers and advise, or be held accountable in living a Christian life – in “keeping it real.” Still, we're all wounded healers. That's how God uses us. But because of that, we should be aware of the excesses to which we may be prone. What we need is a mature balance in the way we share, taking into account the content, circumstances, and the realization of both the need and the proper cure. Thus in sharing, we need to consider the factors of what, why, and with whom. Let's take a look at them. First let's ask, what should we share? Vatican II's Inter Mirifica lays down the principle that people do not have a right to all information, but only to that information which is of concern to men, is in accord with human dignity, and is presented with charity. This is also an important guideline for deciding what we should share. But at this point, I want to go on to the why and with whom since the content of our sharing largely depends on that. So why should we share? Sharing should be ultimately a realization of your need for God's healing, which can be brought about through the instrumentality of our Christian brothers (or sisters). Proximately, it may be for encouragement, prayers, and
sometimes – but not always – advice. The why should not be to succor negative feelings or to turn one's struggles into a melodrama. Also the why should not be for self-flagellating or humiliating oneself. Seeking accountability in the Christian life is a good thing, but dwelling on superfluous and impertinent details about sin is simply not in accord with human dignity. I've heard that some people sometimes dread going to small group because they are expected to talk about their problems when they would just have to dig up old issues which have already been resolved. We shouldn't feel obligated to bring those things up in detail. Perhaps just say that you struggled in a certain area but that it was now dealt with and does not need to be discussed any further. Isn't that what Aslan told the children in Narnia after Edmond's misdoings had been forgiven? Stirring up negative emotion just because it's time for small group defeats the purpose of Christian sharing. Finally, with whom should we share? This is quite the question, and it's an easy one to overlook on our friendly, Christcentered, and co-ed campus. Scripture advises us to make our friends many but our confidants few. Thus, we should typically confide in a small number of mature and like-minded people – perhaps certain housemates, same sex peers, or older mentors. People on campus are always asking how you're doing,
and if you look like you're having a hard day, they may try to drag out what's bugging you. Receiving encouragement is a great thing and is a blessing on this campus. But if you're having a hard day, you shouldn't feel bad about saying, “Yes, I'm having a hard day – just say a prayer for me,” rather than feeling obligated to share all of the details with everyone. Finally, in a recent talk, Mary Gabriel, a residence director, discussed the boundaries we should have in our relationships. She pointed out a principle based on John Paul II's Theology of the Body that the way people communicate should express the truth about the nature of their relationship. Because of our many coed friendships, students sometimes share too deeply with friends of the opposite sex, consequently blurring the line between friendship and romantic relationships. While a certain level of meaningful sharing may be appropriate, extensive sharing or sharing on certain topics are best kept for trusted and mature friends of the same sex. Masks are dangerous and they block us from realizing and seeking our need for God's healing. However, establishing proper boundaries and being mindful of the what, why, and with whom of sharing should not be seen as another type of mask, but only as authentic prudence – something we constantly need to be reminded of on campus. ~ MJR
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