Rabbi Commandeers Catholic Basilica for Good Friday

otremer6 wrote:As a reform rabbi took over the prayer service from the pastor of the parish, Father John Bauer, a wooden cross was passed around over the heads of the crowd like at a rock concert. Doctor van Parys, who's responsible for that spectacle, contrasts his good Friday Liturgy and celebration with those which came before, by saying that before, it was an opportunity for Christians to persecute the Jews...

otremer6 wrote:“Prior to the Second Vatican Coun*cil, Good Friday was seen as a day when Catholics would traditionally persecute the Jewish people, blaming them for the death of Christ. Jews would literally hide from Catholics on that day,” said van Parys. “We thought it would be a jarring yet enlightening experience to invite a rabbi to speak to our congregation during Tenebrae.”[Tenebrae is what they referred to as their Good Friday Service]

otremer6 wrote:...Doctor van Parys, who's responsible for that spectacle...

Dr. vanParys wrote:Good liturgy happens when it's not inward navel-gazing activity. Good liturgy happens when it is outward and sends people into world to be Christ to the world. Last night I did a talk on celebration of the Eucharist. Catholics are so tempted to give great respect to Christ present in the Eucharist. In the Word proclaimed, in the people gathered, the presider, but above all in the sacred bread and wine, the blessed Sacrament. And I told them this story, that one year it was the feast of Corpus Christi, where we above all celebrate the body and blood of Christ, and we had no priest here, so we couldn't really do a Mass, which is quite wrong. But it gave me the occasion to do what I had always wanted to do, which was get into the pulpit and yell out 'You are the body of Christ'. So the presentation last night about the celebration of the Eucharist really became a talk about how we are called to be Eucharist to the world, to be the body of Christ to the world for the salvation of the world.

Dr. vanParys wrote: Archbishop Ireland in the early parts of century decided he was going to build two churches - one in St. Paul to seat 3000, and then one in Minneapolis as well. It's uncertain why he wanted to build this church, but gossiping tongues say that St. Paul was already a bastion of Catholicism whereas Minneapolis was rather a bastion of Lutheranism. Those gossiping tongues say that maybe he thought that if he built a monument to Catholicism in Minneapolis that Catholicism would grow there. Whether that's the case or not, I think what he did build was a beacon of faith, of hope, and of light in the landscape of Minneapolis. That became so clear on September 11. That day I was in the church doing my usual things and my cell phone rang, I had forgotten to turn if off. It was my father calling from Belgium and he said 'Have you been watching the news?' I said 'No, I'm in the church'. And he said you'd better go and turn on CNN and watch what's going on. So I did. And as I stood there amazed with my colleagues, the telephone started to ring. Hundreds of calls. There were some people we could recognize as parishioners but many weren't. By 10.30 am we had decided we had to have a prayer service. It was on news by 11 o'clock and we did do a prayer service. As I walked into the church, it was an inter-faith service, I recognized people from the back. There were many backs I did not recognize. There were people wearing the yamakah __________, there were people there who were wearing the traditional Muslim dress, there were some Tibetan monks in their saffron robes. This place has become a beacon not for Catholicism but it has become a beacon of faith, hope, love, peace, justice; where people can come whatever state they're in. That became very clear on that dramatic day, but I think it's the case every day to a lesser extent. Why people come here, why young people come here, is probably for those reasons. Because this is a beacon of something else. It's a beacon that goes beyond one denominational structure. Although of course obviously we are a Roman Catholic cathedral church. Rather than limiting us I think it opens us up to many more possibilities.

Dr. vanParys wrote:First of all, this motto, traditional church and a modern message. I think if you're going to go to church you may as well go to a church that looks like a church. Our unashamedly being Catholic and yet being respectful and welcoming of those who are not. Our embracing of diversity. No matter who you are you are welcome here, we have a totally open door policy. That does not mean that we do not tell everybody that these are the official teachings of the Catholic Church. You are welcome here. But remember, these are the teachings, and if you really want to belong here, you need to consider these. Ultimately we will not say 'if you don't consider them you are not a member', because ultimately we believe that a person's individual conscience goes above any church authority, which is essential Roman Catholic teaching.

otremer6 wrote:The Diocesan newspaper is unconcerned and unmoved by the strange oddities taking place at this prayer service, with rose petals falling from the ceiling and a moment when there is a whimsical and cultic bedlam as the lights are turned down and the laity bang their pews for about five minutes in the darkness, as if to waken things below that would be better left asleep.

Dr. vanParys wrote:I'm much better at pastoral work than I ever thought I would be and the parish is much more of an academically inspiring place than I thought it might be. Our congregation is highly educated and expects well thought out speech and activities. So that works well.