The Mass I attended this Sunday ended as it typically does, with
applause…a resounding, “Yay for us!” It’s
a big reason I actively avoid this parish. The homily and the announcements
echoed the same message, “Yay us” whilst metaphorically pounding each other with
hearty congratulatory, “good job” pats on the back.
Allow me to elaborate on the “Yay us” messages…parenthetical statements
are my commentary.
The deacon gave the homily and described how he, his brother deacons and their (dutiful)
wives (bowing to the church hierarchy’s sexist clergy hegemonic praxis) spent a
day last September at an economically challenged parish in Flint, Michigan…(the
city of famed poisoned water due to short-term cost-cutting decisions made by
public officials, many of whom were supported by the Michigan Catholic
Conference of Bishops and their pay-pray-and-obey followers). He explained how this group of “humble
servants” ministered to people in that neighborhood, “helping transform their lives”
(seemingly oblivious to any connection between voting and lifestyle patterns as
causes of poverty which transformed lives in a negative way.)
Are you envisioning his uni-directional arrow of “goodness” flowing
from his “us” of deacons and their wives to his “them” of the economically
challenged yet? In case not, please
allow me to continue.
He also described that while members of his “us” group took turns
piously praying before the exposed Blessed Sacrament, a few women from his
“them” group who “by the way they were dressed you could guess that they were
ladies of the night” knelt at the altar too.
This he celebrated as some dramatic transformational “turn away from
sin” moment. (He seemed oblivious to his
arrogant sinful judgement about these women simply based upon their attire and,
even if he guessed their profession accurately, isolated them in sin without
mentioning the sins of their male clients…thus overlooking his own sin of
sexism as well….but…”yay us.”)
The group distributed backpacks filled with school supplies to about
900 children (many if not most of whom are more economically vulnerable since
September due to additional bishop-supported politicians failing to approve the
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding renewal.)
Again, completely oblivious to the direct connection between the church
hierarchy’s support for political candidates whose policies often worsen
poverty, he seemed very proud of the “us” group for “helping” the “them” group
and boasted how the “us” group’s work was helping the “them” group “turn away
from sin” (which somehow he seemed to equate with poverty).
Mass concluded with extolling all the “great work” done by Catholic
Charities and he even had board members who were present at Mass stand, be
recognized and congratulated with applause…”Yay us…”
The cadence of “Yay us” messages made retaining my breakfast difficult
because here’s what I heard. “Look at
all those sinful poor people and ‘yay us’ because we let God use us to help
those poor sinful people on the margins.
Aren’t we the best Christians? We
even got some ‘bad girls’ to kneel in piety…aren’t we awesome?” I cannot celebrate small gestures sprinkled
upon poor people because I wish poverty did not exist. I mourn the causes of poverty and examine my
role in them. I abhor people turning
other’s misfortune into their feel-good-about-myself opportunities.
In my head I thought, “What profound arrogance! The people most in need of transformation
seem to be those congratulating and promoting themselves.” But doesn’t this type of double exploitation
of the poor reflect much of U.S. Catholicism right now? First such Catholics support candidates,
policies and practices that cause poverty or exploit those living in it, and
then they undertake feel-good-about-myself “ministry,” the positive impact of
which dwarfs in comparison to the damage their lifestyle inflicts upon the poor.
The recessional hymn was, “Be Not Afraid,” so I decided to confront the
deacon who delivered the “Yay us” messages.
I expressed my concerns about sexism, arrogance, self-promotion and the exploitation of the
poor in both contributing to their poverty and using ministry to the poor as a
feel-good activity. I told him doing the
latter is what we call “poverty pimping” in that poor people become an instrument
for other people to feel good about themselves.
I am tired of hollow preaching pitying and denouncing others without
climbing into their wounds to truly understand their situation. I asked the deacon if he knew the major
motivator for prostitutes to enter the business. He acknowledged it was due to poverty, trying
to feed themselves or their families. I
asked him if it is a sin to feed your family.
I asked him if the sin isn’t instead causing poverty that leaves
prostitution as one of few options. I
asked him why he failed to mention the men who will pay women for sex but not
to improve their economic situation so they don’t need to prostitute themselves.
He had no response other than that the
church can’t solve politics.
I responded by paraphrasing a quote from the late Brazilian Archbishop
Helder Camara, “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a
communist.”
The deacon responded that the church cannot worry about or address the
political situations causing poverty.
Really? That’s interesting. I seem to recall we just prayed for a small
army of parishioners who went to D.C. for the “March for Life.” I thought the Michigan and US Conference of
Catholic Bishops both spent a shit-ton of money towards electing and lobbying politicians
based upon policies the bishops support.
I thought the Michigan bishops were working on a project to get more Catholics
to engage in the civic arena. I thought the
hierarchy has been braying about the politics of “religious liberty.” Or does the sexist Catholic hierarchy only
try to influence politics that regulate women’s bodies? Are the hierarchy just another set of poverty
pimps using the poor as a way to feel good about themselves when they toss some
crumbs in their direction?
I also asked the deacon how he can be so arrogant as to judge a person’s
profession simply based upon their clothes.
He had no response. I regret I
did not share with him that my observation is people like politicians and
priests who regularly prostitute themselves by suspending their morals to
accept money from various interests tend to dress in suits and chasubles… Was that what these women were wearing
causing him to suspect they were prostitutes?
The deacon expressed an interest to further discuss my concerns but based
upon his comments I suspect it is because he would like either to justify
himself or “save” me. I got no sense that he was learning from me. If I find some
spare time, perhaps I will meet him and learn his motivation. In the
meantime, I will send him a link to this article and ask him to read it and a few
others. However, I do not wish to be
used for yet another of his “yay me” moments.
