Where the Rubber Hits the Road: July 2015

The case pits two of the five sisters against Archbishop Jose Gomez who agreed to sell the estate to Perry, the flamboyant pop singer who rose to fame with the hit “I Kissed A Girl” and has been known to shoot whipped cream out of her brassiere.

The sisters aren’t fans — “for what should be obvious reasons coming from Catholic nuns,” they said in a filing. They claim the head of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles illegally amended the bylaws of the nonprofit that has title to the property in a “hostile takeover” so he could seal the deal with Perry against their wishes.

For his part, Gomez cites both canon and California law as being on his side in the bid to annul the nuns’ transaction with local restaurateur Dana Hollister. She’s taken possession of the place, and has started fixing it up.

“It’s fascinating on all different levels,” said Sonia Lee, a lawyer not involved in the case. “I never thought I’d see the day when Katy Perry is in bed with the archbishop.”

Click on the link below to read the entire story:

Katy Perry and archbishop vs. the nuns: Judge seeks middle ground over sale of former convent | National Post

The best exploration of this question that I've read was Fr. Richard J. Neuhaus's American Babylon. It was the last book he published prior to his death and consists of his reflections on the relationship between his citizenships in both the American and Christian 'kingdoms' (the best part of the book) and a long jeremiad levelled against Richard Rorty (not RJN's best by a long-shot). I look forwarding to reading it again in the week to come - the first of my summer vacation breaks at my cottage. It will be my personal sanctuary within which to hide as I'll be sharing the place with the family of a former neighbouring pastor whose friendship I encountered as we both served in the Mattawa area. My property and cottage are small and Phil and Amanda will be bringing their four young daughters and one foster daughter with them - so I cope by taking some time each day to sit alone under a tree or in a local bakery sipping coffee, reading in peace, and revelling in the quiet of the moment.

Don't get me wrong. I love children. Visits like this week's brings joy and laughter into my life, true gifts at any time but all the more so aside a beach and river during the summer season. But I've been a bachelor my entire adult life and find the chaos of some many competing voices and demands for attention to be quiet tiring. Such experiences renews in me the amazement I possess whenever I see such excellent parents as my friends cope with such demands so successfully each and every day. Raising children (imho) is FAR HARDER and DEMANDING a life than the one I live as a priest. I think that many of the worthwhile conclusions RJN reaches in his last book were afforded him because he lived the privileged existence that comes to we Catholic clergy. He'd have never had the time (let alone the energy and capacities) to think out all his arguments and then write them down in a book if he had had a handful of kids to care for each day. I know I wouldn't have been up to the challenge!!

To Be American or To Be Catholic -- Which Comes First? - Aleteia

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