The Psychobabble of Rome

Yawn, yawn... 

Yet another pope calling for an end to the sex scandal. 

Hey Francis!

The day you defrock and turn over the names
and evidence 

of bishops and cardinals 

that hid, moved, and promoted pedophile priests, 

I will start believing your 'new' verbiage. 

Start by turning over the evidence damming Cardinal Bernard Law, 

who was given asylum by your two papal predecessors,

but then you know this, you are the Pope. 

Return him to Boston, 

let him stand trial, be convicted, and spend the rest of his days 

in the 'Franciscan' simplicity of an American jail cell.

Until then,

don't insult our intelligence...

please shut the fuck up ~

zjm

The True Meaning of Easter

photo by zachary jack marcus
“You can cut all the flowers 

but you cannot keep Spring from coming.” 

 ~ Pablo Neruda

Pot of Gold

On St. Patrick's Day...

Took my daughters

Audra Grace age 9

Aliza Quinn age 5

to the art museum

Several hours of wandering

in silence

sketch pads in hand...

losing themselves in worlds

far beyond

the programmed pablum

of school and otherwise

modern banal activities

At one point, Audra,

sat down in the center of one gallery room,

not on the designated bench...

but in the middle of the floor

When she stood up

she handed me this,

written in her own hand...

"Magic...

is there another word for it?

Art, creativity, love,

mistakes, loyalty, nature

The way the sun touches the grass,

the way the river flows.

Looking at everything

and having a desire to paint it. 

Feeling proud, happy or sad.

The word 'magic' is magical itself.

Imagination and books are some more.

Magic...

is every word in the world."

Audra G. Marcus (age 9)


zjm

Francis washes feet of prisoners on Holy Thursday

Here is my problem...

The 'humility of Pope Francis is now being marketed by the Vatican 

like Oscar Mayer hot dogs.

Matthew 6:3 establishes the meaning of humility:

"But when you give to someone in need, 

don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."

Next time, Francis, take an unmarked car and wash feet, 

take a billion dollars of Vatican money and send it

anonymously 

to the poor of the world.

Happy Easter.

zjm

The Pope's Words Birth More Questions

"It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: Husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God’s gifts!"

Pope Francis

19 March 2013

The question is whether these words 

will include a mandate to stand against government 

and economic policies that oppress the poor?

Is it a call to traditional charity, or solidarity?

Is it a call for action against corporate wealth

that rapes and pillages the environment?

Are they words for all humans...

including the LGBT community?

Including pro-choice folks?

Including 'non-catholics?'

zjm

A Message From The Grave For Pope Francis ...

“Peace is not the product of terror or fear.

Peace is not the silence of cemeteries.

Peace is not the silent result of violent repression.

Peace is the generous,

tranquil contribution of all

to the good of all.

Peace is dynamism.

Peace is generosity.

It is right and it is duty."

~ Oscar A Romero

Pope Francis wants "a poor church for the poor." Really?

"A Poor Church for the Poor"

Pope Francis went on record with the media today, saying he wants "a poor church for the poor."

Okay, so what does that mean?

Does it mean a public audit of the untold billions of Vatican dollars in cash, property, and treasures?

Does it mean liquidating all Vatican assets and giving them to the poor? Does it mean ridding all Catholic churches of their garish trappings of prestige?

Does it mean ... "Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Does this mean opposing repressive regimes that violate human rights and slaughter the innocent?

Wish you well, Pope Francis ... maybe start by selling your humble Papal chair?

zjm

Pope Francis: Wolf in Sheep's Clothing?

"History condemns him. 

It shows him to be opposed to all innovation in the Church 

and above all, during the dictatorship, 

it shows he was very cozy with the military," 

Fortunato Mallimacci

former dean of social sciences at the Universidad de Buenos Aires

I chose to lead with the above photo of the new pope, rather than this one:

The reason being, that we, the human community, are possibly being sold the best public relations con job since 'The Emperor's New Clothes.' The difference being, 'The Emperor's New Clothes' was honestly marketed as a fable. Pope Francis is being marketed as the genuine jovial, joking, smiling lover of the world's poor. 

I actually don't doubt he loves poor people, and that he has a true pastor's heart for their suffering. 

But a major problem exits: The new pope's historical collusion with fascist regimes that screw the poor, and in the case of his native Argentina, slaughtered thousands under his watch over the Catholic Church. Whether he stood by in silence, or actually assisted the junta, is still up for historical judgement. 

What is clear is that Francis silenced his own 'liberation theology' priests, and opposed 'liberation theology' that advocates standing in solidarity with poor. In addition to these troubling questions is the new Pope's staunch and continuing support for the most reactionary elements of catholic theology and dogma, including suppression of human rights for women and the gay community, and fellow catholics who express and defend different points of view. He continues to defend mandatory celibacy for priests, despite empirical evidence that such policy has led to an unfathomable breeding ground for sexual abuse.

Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador was assassinated by the military junta in 1980. He too, professed love for the poor, and stood with them. Unlike Pope Francis, he also stood in direct opposition to the government killing his brothers and sisters, and paid for it with his own life...at the very same time Pope Francis seemingly got on well with the same sort of government doing the same things. 

I do hope Pope Francis shows us a new side of a converted soul, a commitment to social justice that goes beyond kissing the feet of the the poor, to courageous opposition of the governments and economic system that screw the poor. 

In the meantime, Pope Francis, you owe the world a few answers.

zjm

Is God?

Alessandro Di Meo / EPA file

Lighting strikes the basilica of St.Peter's dome in Vatican City 

during a storm on Feb.11, 2013, the same day 

Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation

So, if, as conservative catholics believe, God actually chooses the popes in a mysterious divine manner, what are we to say about God, given His last two choices for Pope?

Back to back pedophile protectors? Really? This is God's will? 

How about the long lineage of corrupt pontiffs chosen through human history?

Perhaps God's plan is a mystery? 
Perhaps God is incompetent? 
Perhaps God is just a screw up? 
Perhaps God's lightning bolt above St. Peter's is just a quiet "Fuck off!" 
Perhaps he just missed Benedict? 
The Cardinals?
The Curia?

And lest one think I am singling out catholics, I'm not. 
The same idiocy applies to blind authority allegiances in all religion
...and they are a plenty.

Time to duck...

zjm

'As Long As I Have My Plastic Jesus ...'

Oli Scarff / Getty Images file

Vatican follies are in full bloom, and soon we will have a new pope, the face and hands of god in the world. Most important, the mercantile offspring of prayer is alive and well. And if that doesn't sustain us, there is the sweet history of choosing a new pope.

zjm

The Expanding Vatican Sex Follies

Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images, file

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, 74, leader of the Scottish Catholic Church

The top Roman Catholic Cardinal of the UK is the latest. At least this time we have the accusations of an adult priest coming on to other adult priests, not children. The alleged offended priests have requested that the Vatican disallow the accused Cardinal from voting for the new Pope, the one to replace Benedict, whose papacy is defined by the ever unfolding sex scandal, and his efforts to hide the offending priests, and sweep it all under the rug.

I have been involved in ongoing conversation with others about the Catholic sex scandal, and the appropriate ways to address and redress its pernicious effects. One person remarked to me the other day: "I take no joy in this, and how it affects all the good people in the church." I have thought a good deal about this comment in recent days, and I realize I differ with this sentiment. 

I take THE GREATEST JOY in the ongoing revelation of this sex scandal, in the naming of pedophile priests who belong in prison, along with the Pope, and hierarchy, for protecting these sick fucks. I extol the lawsuits by victims, as they try and bleed some of the stored billions to help other victims. It is a joyful cause for celebration when the assholes who abuse power in the name of God are brought down. 

If we, collectively, as a world community, do not celebrate this, we trivialize the horror experienced by countless victims throughout the world.

Happy Sunday. 

By the way ... Pope 'Pedophile Protector' Benedict said 'thanks and goodbye' to a throng of 100,000 of the adoring in Rome today...

zjm

'Me' against 'Them'

In many ways, I have spent my entire life on a journey away from blame...

Having lived much of my early life in a realm of ritualistic abuse, both inside my home, and in the outer religious world that encircled me, it was natural and easy to develop a 'me' against 'them' framework of life. Fight back or be killed. Life became an adversarial contest of will and strength, and of course, blame. Problem with blame is that 'everyone' is not responsible, community is harmed, and ultimately destroyed.

As I live longer, I increasingly think in terms of 'we' and 'us' rather than terms of 'me' or 'them.' It occurs to me that when I think in, or use, the term 'them' I am descending into the narcissistic tense of all things 'me,' when in reality, there is not 'them' or 'me' but only 'us,' the collective community for which and to which we are responsible. 'We' eliminates the possibility of 'blame,' changes the monologue into one of dialog and conversation, where 'we' are all, collectively, responsible for outcomes. If 'we' are indeed 'we' then I/we must feel the full range of emotions at the same time: Love, anger, sorrow, empathy, and hope. For it is we, our collective self, that is enacting all things at one time, in the the actions and avoidance of each particular one of us.

e. e. cummings said:

we do not believe in ourselves

until someone reveals

that deep inside of us

is someone valuable,

worth listening to,

worthy of trust,

sacred to our touch...

once we believe in ourselves

we can risk curiosity, wonder,

spontaneous delight,

or any experience that reveals the human spirit.

It is this dance to which we are invited. The great partnership of 'we.' Perhaps this is what moved Jesus when he looked out over the city from high on the hillside, and simply wept. Wept for it all ... the joy, the laughter, the life, the death, the sorrow. For it is in all those things that we discover 'we,' become 'us' - the unbreakable community.

zjm

Choice

when one offers lodging to fear

its power grows until blindness

makes one unavailable

 to the power of love ~

zjm

The thing is...

If we think of ourselves as old

talk about ourselves as old

we become older than our bodies

we become old in spirit

old in heart...

then we court

death

with our hearts still beating

zjm

What is real, what is sanity?

On Monday this week, at Columbia University, Professor Emlyn Hughes stripped to his underwear in his Frontiers of Science class. This video speaks for itself, but I recommend you watch it until the very end, paying close attention to the spontaneous comments made by a young woman sitting near the camera, and to the remarks by Hughes afterward ~ zjm

Afraid In The Night

Oscar Pistorius, Olympic and Paralympic star runner, first man to compete in the Olympics running on two artificial legs, was arraigned in court today in South Africa, on charges of premeditated murder. Shot and killed his girlfriend on Valentine's day, he says, because he believed her to be a prowler in the house. A lone judge will decide his fate.

When my now 31 year old daughter was just a few weeks old, I awoke in the middle of the night, hearing a noise in the hallway outside my bedroom. My daughter's mother was not in bed next to me; I could hear her rocking and singing to our daughter in the room adjacent to ours. The noise in the hallway moved out into the living room, then out to kitchen. By now, I was convinced I was hearing footsteps, that a prowler was in the house. The steps then started back from the kitchen, and stopped in front of the door to the bedroom. Very slowly, the door opened, revealing a hulking figure back lit by the hall light. I screamed out in terror, only to discover it was my daughter's mother returning to our bed.

To this day, I believe, had there been a handgun next to the bed, I would have shot my daughter's mother, for I was certain there was a prowler in the house endangering my family in the next room.

Good fucking reason not to have a handgun in the house!

No one will ever know what happened in the Pistorius household that night, irrespective of any verdict of law. What we do know, is that some kind of fear took possession in that house. And when fear takes hold of us, in the night, or in the bright light of noonday, bad stuff tends to happen.

Good reason to master our fears.

Jesus Returns!

Valentine's Day...

Time for fresh air ...