‘Battleground in the jungle’: the Batavia leprosy asylum in the age of slavery

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Snelders
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Working Relationship ◽  
Catholic Priests ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Colonial Government ◽  
To Receive ◽  
The Church

The Batavia leprosy asylum served to segregate the poor and the slaves among the Surinamese leprosy sufferers. Here the colonial government entered into a working relationship with the Catholic Church, in which the church had an essential role in maintaining some kind of moral and social order in the asylum. The Church was also allowed to use the asylum as an important recruiting ground for new converts. In the asylum, Catholic priests attempted to establish a ‘Christian leper identity’ on the sufferers, who had to shed their former heathen cultural identity to receive the care of Catholic compassion. But not all of the sufferers went along with the establishment of this new identity: Batavia was a place with its own infra-politics of non-compliance and contestation that was not so much evident in open resistance as in a cherishing of autonomy in everyday life.

V. Models of Dissent: The Chicano Movement in the Roman Catholic Church

Horizons ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-149
Author(s):  
Jason Steidl
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Roman Catholic ◽  
The Other ◽  
Roman Catholic Church ◽  
Chicano Movement ◽  
Catholic Priests ◽  
The Church ◽  
Successes And Failures ◽  
The Catholic Church

This contribution to the roundtable will compare two forms of protest in the church—one that is radical and challenges the church from the outside, and the other that is institutional and challenges the church from the inside. For case studies, I will compare Católicos Por La Raza (CPLR), a group of Chicano students that employed dramatic demonstrations in its protest of the Catholic Church, and PADRES, an organization of Catholic priests that utilized the tools at its disposal to challenge racism from within the hierarchy. I will outline the ecclesiologies of CPLR and PADRES, the ways in which these visions led to differing means of dissent, and the successes and failures of each group.

Separating the Sheep from the Goats: Victorian Didactic Hymns

1976 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-273
Author(s):  
Susan Smith Tamke
Keyword(s):  
Social Order ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Religious Community ◽  
Charles Kingsley ◽  
Internal Colonialism ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Government ◽  
Behavioral Norm ◽  
The Church

Charles Kingsley complained in 1848, “We have used the Bible as if it were a mere constable's handbook—an opium-dose for keeping beasts of burden patient while they were being overloaded—a mere book to keep the poor in order.” Kingsley was outraged that religion should be used for the utilitarian purpose of keeping the lower classes in their place. And yet, in most societies religion has traditionally served the very practical purpose of supporting the established social order. To this end the Christian church—and in this regard it is no different than any other institutionalized religion—has preached a social ethic of obedience and submission to the government in power and to the established social order. The church does this by sanctioning a given code of behavior: those people who conform to the prescribed behavioral norm will achieve salvation, while those who fail to conform are ostracized from the religious community and, presumably, are damned. In sociological terms, the code of behavior approved by a given society is most often determined by that society's most influential groups, always with a view (not always conscious or deliberate) of maintaining the groups' dominance. From the point of view of the least influential classes, this didactic function of the church may be seen as an effort at social control, at internal colonialism—in Kinglsey's words, an effort simply to keep the “beasts of burden…, the poor in order.” In terms of biblical imagery the church's didactic function is to separate the sheep from the goats, that is, to set a standard of “respectable” behavior to be followed by the compliant sheep, with probable eternal damnation and temporal punishment for the recalcitrant goats.

Bridging the Gap between Orthodoxy and Orthopraxis: The Catholic Church’s Concern for Migrants

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Reginald Alva
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
Global Migration ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Catholic Church

Migration is a global phenomenon. An essential part of the mission of the Catholic Church is to love Christ particularly in the poor and the weak, which includes migrants. The Magisterium of the Church has consistently stressed reaching out to migrants. However, issuing documents would mean nothing if Christians do not implement them in letter and spirit. Christian charity would be meaningless if it remains only as a part of orthodoxy without orthopraxis. The phenomenal rise in global migration has created unfavorable conditions for many migrants. The Church being an ‘expert in humanity’ has a great task to reach out to the least in the society.1 In this article, we shall examine the role of the Catholic Church in bridging the gap between the orthodoxy and orthopraxis in their mission for migrants. We shall base our study on the documents of the Church and actual cases of migrant ministry in the Church.

scholarly journals State policy of division of Catholic Church priests in Bosnia and Herzegovina into „positive“ and „reactionary“ (1945-1963)

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 71-92
Author(s):  
Denis Bećirović ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Social Order ◽  
State Policy ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
The State ◽  
Religious Communities ◽  
Post War ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Catholic Church

The illumination of the state policy of separating „positive“ from „negative“ priests of the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the most important issues in the scientific understanding of the position of this religious community during the first decades of existence of AVNOJ Yugoslavia. The post-war government in Bosnia and Herzegovina treated a large number of priests of the Catholic Church as real or potential enemies of the state. In addition to ideological reasons, which were more or less similar in all communist parties, the negative attitude of the CPY towards the Catholic Church was influenced by the fact that some priests supported the Ustasha movement during World War II. The justification for the negative attitude of party structures towards priests was argued most often in the documents of the Commission for Religious Affairs with the following reasons: that most priests supported the occupier and domestic traitors during the war; that they spread hostile propaganda against the national liberation movement; that they actively participated in the fight against the new social order; that they had committed war crimes and persecuted members of other faiths, and that they had been linked to criminal Ustasha emigration abroad. In addition to „negative“ priests, there were „positive“ priests that also acted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as they were reported in the documents of the Commission for Religious Affairs. They did not agree to the policy of confrontation with the state and demanded the establishment of dialogue and co-operation between the Church and the state. Some of the most prominent representatives of this group of priests were: Fr Bono Ostojić, Ph.D. Karlo Karin, Fr Mile Leko, Fr Josip Markušić, Fr Serafin Dodig, Fr Kruno Misilo and others. Holders of „positive tendencies“ among the clergy, according to the Commission for Religious Affairs, understood the importance of establishing communication and contacts with state authorities and the harmfulness of the negative attitude of the Catholic Church towards the state. Their goal was to change the methods of solving problems between the Church and the state, and to build a path that would suit the interests of the priests of the Catholic Church and the interests of the state community, without interfering with the church's dogmatic canonical principles. The „differentiation“ of priests was treated as a positive result of the work of the new government, because, according to their assessments, in the first post-war years, representatives of religious communities had a hostile attitude towards the newly created socialist Yugoslav state. Therefore, the Commission for Religious Affairs (federal and republican) has continuously pointed out the importance of implementing a policy of „stratification and differentiation“ within religious communities. According to the observations of the Federal Commission for Religious Affairs, the post-war „differentiation“ among the priests happened primarily due to their attitudes regarding the relationship between the state and the Catholic Church. Some considered it desirable and useful to establish communication with the newly created authorities, while others maintained a negative attitude. In addition to these two groups, there was a third group that was undecided. When considering the biographical data of the priests of the Catholic Church proposed for state decorations, it can be stated that the authorities carefully took into account which priests would be on the list of candidates recommended for awards. A positive attitude towards the new socialist social order, active participation in the establishment of the Association of Catholic Priests in Bosnia and Herzegovina, loyalty, patriotism towards socialist Yugoslavia, and contribution to the development of the Association of Catholic Priests in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are some of the most important reasons for choosing candidates for awards. In the article, based on unpublished archival sources, the author contextualises the political circumstances and the circumstances in which the state policy of differentiation of „positive“ from „reactionary“ priests of the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina took place, points out the reasons for and bearers of such policy, and analyses its expression and results. Also, the author presents the policy of awarding state recognitions and decorations to individual priests in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Feminism and Womanism

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Veeneman
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
Male Privilege ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The World ◽  
Role Of Women ◽  
God's Grace ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Catholic Church

This chapter investigates feminist and womanist approaches to theologies of the sacraments in which sacraments are “events in the church in which God’s grace is made present to the community.” Citing the work of Susan Ross, Elizabeth Johnson, and others, the author posits the need for theologies of the sacraments to be reworked in light of the experience of women, particularly regarding the sacraments of Ordination and Eucharist. Ordained clergy should relate the Eucharist to ministry to the poor and hungry. In addition, the patriarchal framework that undergirds male privilege in the Catholic Church has resulted in misunderstanding both the maleness of Jesus and the possible role of women to serve as ordained clergy. Ultimately reevaluating theologies of the sacraments from a feminist and womanist perspective is for the sake of empowering worship and furthering mission in the world.

The Laity and the Ecumenical Spirit, 1889–1893

1964 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-19
Author(s):  
John Rickards Belts
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
Social Order ◽  
American People ◽  
Second Vatican Council ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Historical Criticism ◽  
Vatican Council ◽  
The Social ◽  
Centennial Celebrations ◽  
The Church

In the late 1880's new sounds reverberated throughout the Catholic Church in America. Rapid urban growth and the rising tides of immigration required new perspectives on religion in the social order: science and historical criticism involved philosophy and theology, and rumblings of internal as well as external controversy were heard in the Church. The layman was achieving status in business and politics and, as he became more vocal on civic and cultural issues, he played a larger role in representing Catholicism before the American people. Self-critical voices sounded forth in the Catholic press, and churchmen were calling upon the laity. When the conjunction of several major centennial celebrations occurred in 1889, laymen leaped into the breach and started a trend in Catholic thought and action that has much to say to our generation, especially in the light of the Second Vatican Council.

Leaving the Institution. Secularized Priests

2010 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesc Núñez
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Extensive Investigation ◽  
Catholic Priests ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Catholic Church

Toward the end of the last century, particularly during the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, hundreds of Catholic priests distanced themselves from the Church or decided to leave the ecclesiastical institution. This fact, unusual at that time, is the focal point of the present article, which is the result of an extensive investigation into the renunciation of the priesthood by a significant number of priests in the Barcelona diocese. The author addresses the question why such deeply committed members of an institution, as are the priests of the Catholic Church, decided to leave the institution at that moment. The author discusses some aspects of the social context in which this process took place and offers some explanations for these significant departures.

Ecclesial Opposition to Mining on Mindanao: Neoliberalism Encounters the Church of the Poor in the Land of Promise

2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Holden ◽  
Daniel Jacobson
Keyword(s):  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Liberation Theology ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Roman Catholic Church ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Preferential Option ◽  
Philippine Government ◽  
The Church

AbstractIn the developing world, environmental issues are often livelihood issues as the poor try to protect resources necessary for their subsistence. This paper examines the opposition of the Roman Catholic Church, on the Island of Mindanao, to neoliberal policies designed by the Philippine government to encourage nonferrous metals mining by multinational corporations. Mining is an activity with substantial potential for environmental degradation that can deprive the poor of their livelihood. The Church, demonstrating the influence of liberation theology and its preferential option for the poor, has taken a stance opposing mining as an activity that may harm the poor by degrading the environment upon which they depend for their livelihood and further impoverish them. The paper examines the Church's efforts to provide alternative development programs for the poor and discusses the potential for more conflict between neoliberalism, and its "top down" methods of implementing policies, and liberation theology with its "bottom up" perspective on achieving development.

Obstacles to Change in the Church: Lessons from Four Brazilian Dioceses

1973 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 395-414
Author(s):  
Thomas C. Bruneau
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Third World ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The One ◽  
The Third World ◽  
The Church

A review of the popular and even scholarly literature dealing with the Catholic Church in Latin America during the last decade will leave the reader confused. The books, articles, and media coverage in comparison with each other are ambiguous and at times contradictory. If on the one hand the Church is described as the fastest-changing institution on the continent, there is on the other hand ample proof put forth that the institution is stagnant and in many cases apparently bankrupt. While some students point to the emergence of militant clergy groups such as the Golconda movement in Colombia or Priests of the Third World in Argentina, others as easily argue that these movements are beyond the institution and without significance in the larger society. And for every time the Church is shown siding with the poor and oppressed, two instances are held up in which words are not followed by action.

Ten Years of Change in the Church: Puebla and the Future

1979 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-312
Author(s):  
Alexander Wilde
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Community Or ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Future ◽  
State Authority ◽  
The Church

The Puebla meeting of the Latin American bishops in early 1979 capped a decade of far-reaching and surprising change in the Catholic Church. A new, local-level unit—the “ecclesial base community” or CEB—has given Catholicism a vitality in society it has not known for centuries. At the same time, the Church has achieved an unprecedented integration as an institution nationally and regionally, in Latin America as a whole. It has found itself, through an unexpected historical dynamic, increasingly committed to the cause of the poor in deed as well as word, And it has been thrust into political confrontations with state authority throughout the region with an intensity and scope unmatched since the nineteenth century.

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