Failing Mayor Menino

I read Mayor Menino's remarks at last night's gathering of the beautiful people to support the inappropriately named "Catholic" Charities with deep sadness...and not a little bit of anger at the people who applauded him.

"....what moves me most about being a Christian is what Jesus taught us about being religious," Menino said. "He did not give priority to piety. He didn't make holiness the big thing. And he did not tell us to go around talking up God, either."

In three sentences, the Mayor — as he has in the past by denying that the Church's teachings on abortion and homosexuality were "not doctrine" — openly displayed his ignorance of Catholicism.

And how did the Archdiocese of Boston respond to this?

Terrence C. Donilon, a spokesman for the archdiocese, applauded the speech. "Mayor Menino's remarks clearly demonstrate this is a person who loves his city and is dedicated to helping others," Donilon said. "We appreciate his many good deeds on behalf of the needy.."

Leaving aside for the moment that the Mayor's "good deeds" are funded by Boston taxpayers (I just got notice that my property taxes are increasing) Donilon — and by implication, the hierarchy of the Archdiocese — make it plain that the priority is not the salvation of souls. No, the priority is to do "good deeds." And to make bleeping sure that everybody knows that "good deeds" are being done.

I wish — I pray — that somebody points out the Gospel passage we hear every Ash Wednesday.

"Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father." (Matthew 6)

Even more, I pray that somebody — preferably the Archbishop, if not Mayor Menino's parish priest — pay attention to the salvation of Mayor Menino's soul, and those of all of us in this Archdiocese.

I pray that our shepherds gently but firmly correct the Mayor and all who hear him, and remind all of us that holiness, is, in fact, "the big thing."

Source: The Boston Globe