Dear Editor: I really admired Father Cush before he wrote this column… and now even more so. He was brave to put this story (Was This A Case of Papal Overreach?, Jan. 20) out there with all of its gut-wrenching questions, and challenging us Catholics to come to our own conclusions.
I was deeply disturbed after reading this article. I had to put it down for awhile, and when I went back, I was able to start asking some questions that we will never know the answers to.
Regarding the initial act of the nanny, what the heck was she thinking? Despite what I want to believe were the best of intentions, it is never ok to do anything to a child without his parents’ permission, especially something as serious as Baptism.
This one act of the nanny that ignored the free will and freedom of choice of the parents snowballed into a series of unfortunate choices by both the local church (Why in Heaven’s name did a priest think it was OK to baptize a child without the expressed permission of his parents?) and the pope himself (Why then did the church authorities feel they had the right to rip the child out of his home by virtue of a Baptism that did not have the expressed consent of a Jewish family?).
Does theological and canonical law supersede the gift of free will given to us by God?
Then of course I can also hear ringing in my ears, “Well that’s the way they did things back then.”
Even though we have thankfully evolved as a church and learned from these past choices by the grace of God, does that make what was done right? In my opinion, no.
We have made some serious, serious, errors as a church and they need to be acknowledged, which is why I admire Father Cush for writing this story.
Should the pope not be canonized because of the choices he made within the culture of his time? I cannot answer that question. There were many seriously sinful people who have been canonized… St. Augustine being in the top 10.
Does that mean Blessed Pope Pius IX’s sins should be overlooked or the serious denied? Again my personal opinion is, no. I am beginning to think we should do away with creating saints and start focusing more on healing each other so we can become the church God desires and created us to be.
So what is the conclusion I have reached? The obvious. Personal sin continues (the nanny). The sins of the church authority continue (no need for details).
May God in His mercy help us continue to grow and learn from our errors.
ROSEMARIE DEPTULA
Woodside
Dear Editor: In response to Father Cush’s article on papal overreach, I don’t believe any child or adult should be forced to be baptized and/or practice the Catholic faith.
My youngest daughter married a man of the Baha’i faith (now divorced). When their daughter was born, they decided not to introduce her to any religion.
Although my daughter had 12 years of Catholic education, she still chose this path for her daughter. My heart was broken, but I respected her decision.
EILEEN KOPP
Gerritsen Beach
Dear Editor: Does the end justify the means? The nanny took the sick young Jewish boy, Edgardo Mortara, to be baptized. She did not ask the parents for their permission.
My assumption is that she believed he was in danger of death, and that baptizing him would assure his entrance into heaven. Or she thought it would save his life. At the time, many Catholics thought you had to be baptized to enter heaven.
During World War II, many Jewish children were provided with baptism certificates to save them from being exterminated. This was done with the consent of the parents, who wanted their children’s lives to be spared. Many of these children grew up in Catholic families and practiced the faith.
Pope Pius IX ordered the boy to be taken from his family. He believed this was the right thing to do. What would be the opinion if a Catholic boy had been circumscribed and brought up Jewish?
Parents are the guardians of their children. This right should not be taken from them, unless their lives are in danger.
A child who is baptized Catholic without the consent of his parents should not be forced to be brought up in the Catholic faith. When I was a child, I asked a priest if I should baptize my Jewish nephew. Wisely, he asked if there were any chance of the child’s being brought up as a Catholic. Definitely not!
Saints are not perfect. They just try harder to do what they believe is the right thing. We cannot judge them.
Remember, you do not have to be baptized to go to heaven. The good Lord welcomes all people of good will. He loves us all and knows how to get each of us to His Kingdom.
PROVIDENCE CALDERON
Forest Hills
