We do indeed need to show joy as Catholics.
My motto — “Be happily and uncomplicatedly Catholic.”
Michael J. Sheehan
Archbishop of Santa Fe
Aftermath of “The Pope is pregnant”
I have compiled the comments about this issue into 3 sections. It is interesting that the messages have been equally divided between the pros and the cons, providing I don’t include two threats. Here there are:
1. You have your nerve to poke fun at the Pope!
As a great admirer of Pope Benedict XVI, nothing could have been further from my mind. As you may recall, in a previous issue (“I could have baby-sat the Pope”), I confirmed my admiration and respect for this great holy man. Over 2000 years ago when God wanted to become man, he chose the most perfect human being to be the means of accomplishing this goal—the Virgin Mary. Today, if God wanted to repeat this miracle, He would again select that most perfect person on earth, whom I identified as our beloved Pope. If that is being critical, be my guest.
2. Thanks you for this great thought provoker. I’ll admit at first I was dumbfounded. After re-reading it three times, I absorbed its most powerful messages. I only wish our parish priests had the guts to use this in discussion groups with their parishioners. If they did, what would you suggest as lead points?
- Do you believe that this could have happened—that God could have produced this miracle? I imagine that only a handful of Jews in Bethlehem believed in Mary’s virginity. In your thinking, is there a glass ceiling on the will of God? Are you a sincere believer in miracles?
- In your belief, how important is gender? Do you think of the first person in the Holy Trinity as only God, the Father—or God, the Father, Mother and Essence of all Being? Should the Parousia occur during your lifetime, would you accept a female baby as the Messsiah?
- When you receive Communion, do you sense the miracle of a new inner life?
3. This is a real shocker and most Catholics are too complacent and provincial not to be offended. What fun do you get by rocking the boat? 
I admit I enjoy being a boat-rocker. If someone doesn’t do it, the comfortable passengers might nap off and miss the beauty and experience of sliding through the blessed waters of life. In the spiritual life of a Joyful Catholic, there should be no role for complacency. Unless we constantly sense the ecstasy of our faith, we are poor receivers of God’s treasures that he showers upon us. A complacent Catholic is third rate.
