Wisdom Wednesday | August 10th

August 10AUSCPRoundup

“Peace is possible; peace is a duty.” Wisdom Wednesday offers this call from Japanese bishops on the 10-day anniversary observance of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, August 6—15.

This week we look at nuclear weapons, abortion politics in Kansas, a cardinal from the Amazon, a dictator’s shutdown of Catholic radio stations, the murders of four Muslim men, a call for the end of mandatory priestly celibacy, a look at capitalism and the common good, and the cost of being non-violent.

We’ll look at discrimination from several points of view: Asian, Latino, African American, and the disabled. And we wrap up the week with a report on an unauthorized church stage production of the musical where Alexander Hamilton bows his head and accepts Jesus Christ. The lawyers are calling.

We begin with the Japanese bishops’ call for peace during the Ten Days of Prayer for Peace — held every year by the Church in Japan from 6 -15 August, the anniversary days of the two atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

During the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Vatican says atomic energy must only be used for peaceful purposes.

Also on the calendar this month, Pope Francis will install the first cardinal of Brazil’s Amazon region in a sign of his concern for the rainforest and its indigenous inhabitants.

Discrimination in America

Discrimination is a common concern this week. National Catholic Reporter offers three ways Catholics can be allies to Asian Americans. And Pew Research examines what it means to be Asian in America.

Bishop Steven Raica of Birmingham will celebrate a Mass tomorrow (Thursday, August 11) commemorating the 101st death anniversary of a Catholic priest murdered for celebrating an allegedly interracial marriage. Father James Coyle was an Irish-born cleric who served at the Alabama church and became a Catholic hero of the region following his fatal run-in with the Klu Klux Klan in 1921 at the age of 48.

Pew Research finds that Latinos experience discrimination from other Latinos about as much as from non-Latinos

Disability theology: How religious beliefs can help or hinder accessibility. A faith community with ramps and sign language interpreters can still embrace harmful theology.

Abortion politics

The political strategy of the American bishops has failed, at least that is one conclusion from the Kansas abortion vote.

The vote in Kansas is seen as a “wake-up moment” for pro-lifers

Radio stations shuttered, a bishop under investigation

Nicaragua’s police said they have begun an investigation against a Roman Catholic bishop who has been an outspoken critic of President Daniel Ortega’s government. They accused Bishop Rolando Álvarez, leader of the Matagalpa diocese, of allegedly “organizing violent groups” and inciting them “to carry out acts of hate against the population.” Ortega’s government has closed seven radio stations owned by the Roman Catholic church in the first week of August.

More to read

 

Finally, an unauthorized altar call

When offered a chance to save his soul at a Texas church this past weekend, Alexander Hamilton did not throw away his shot. A staffer told RNS the church has no comment about the production. During a worship service, pastor Roman Gutierrez acknowledged that the church was contacted by a lawyer from “Hamilton” but claimed “We had over 30 people get saved . . . and that is really why we do these plays.”

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We hope you have enjoyed this roundup of recent news about faith, politics, and culture. We will return next week with another edition of Wisdom Wednesday.

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