Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Thank you for this wonderful article (9/24/2020) about Fr. San Juan. I didn't know him, but I was deeply touched by his story, in particular this line: "His birth was welcomed as a miraculous surprise, coming 11 years after the family's next oldest child."

This struck me because I have never thought of my birth as a miracle, although my situation was somewhat similar. My brothers were 12 and 14 when I was born, and my mom was also at what was considered an "advanced age" at that time for childbearing.

Because of her age, her doctor offered her an abortion. I know this because, when I was a teenager, she told me that she wished she had accepted that offer!

Consequently, I always had a feeling of being a "mistake," an unwanted surprise. It wasn't until reading your article just now that I realized that my birth was also miraculous. I am a miracle!

Thank you for giving me a new perspective on my history. It's a gift bequeathed to me by a holy priest I never even met!

Blessings,

Marilyn Boussaid
St. James Parish
Redondo Beach, CA

It’s difficult for me to think of a time when I did not feel welcome in the Catholic Church. I was raised Catholic and have attended Mass every Sunday my whole life, and I have always felt a sense of belonging when I step into a Church. I also happen to be white, of European descent.

I’ll never forget the day that one of my African American friends made a joke about how there are no Black Catholics. She said this very casually. Her tone of voice did not indicate that this comment was meant to be provocative. But it provoked something inside of me. I don’t think I said anything in the moment, but when I thought back to her comment later on, my first reaction was to defend the Church, listing every Black Catholic I knew in my head. I came up with a list of about five people. But what I realized much later is that it doesn’t matter how many Black Catholics I, as a White Catholic can name. If my Black friend does not feel welcome in the Catholic Church, that means there is a problem and we must address it.

The problem is not with my friend’s perception, as I wanted to believe at first. I wanted to point out why she was wrong, and that she had misperceived and misjudged the Church. And while the simple fact may not be accurate, because there are Black Catholics in the world, her feeling of not being welcomed is her truth, not something I get to argue against. Hopefully, nobody in the Church intended to make her feel that way, but the fact remains that she does feel that way. And it is now the Church’s responsibility to be more inclusive so that our Black brothers and sisters don’t feel unwelcome anymore.

-Teresa Hull

Mundelein, Illinois

In his article, "Consistently Controversial," John Allen states "a vote for Trump is, well, a vote for Trump." This implies that any Catholic would be a fool (or worse) to vote for President Trump. If Allen opposes some/all of Trump's policies, he could at least enumerate them!

Actually, Trump has done more to defend religious liberty than any recent president, including defending the unborn and choosing conservative judges, as well as creating the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division of HHS. He even came to the defense of the Little Sisters of the Poor.

I think Allen's casual dismissal of Trump speaks volumes about his own political leanings.

-Alice Ackley, Cerritos

Thanks for John Miller's article on "The Order."

I was raised Catholic and am a devout, but non-Catholic - follower of Jesus. I am also a Daniel Silva fan, but the author is wrong in his argument that the Gospels are the reason behind history’s anti-semitism.

I am pleased that you published this review and like you, hope that Mr. Silva gets things right in his next Allon novel.

-Steven Parrillo, Plymouth, PA

This letter to the editor is regarding “Consistently Controversial" by John Allen in the Sept 18-25, 2020 issue of Angelus.

I am convert from the Lutheran Christian faith to Roman Catholic because it was a clear and consistent ideology that I found very close to my own. I therefore had to comment on this article, which stabs deep in my heart.

My heart reaches out to the humans who are murdered before they even have a chance to make their way into this world. It grieves me tremendously that the Church,  which is to be the body of Christ, cannot stand up and say that they are for life. The life that the Father has given them and us. We are in this world together and we are not separated into compartments of political and nonpolitical, it is life on Earth, the mortal life that God gave to all of us and it is his will that we may live in peace and enjoy his gifts. Where is the problem in taking a clear stand on that issue?

In the latest issue of the Angelus, John Allen makes a comment suggesting that a vote for Biden gives the pro-murder side advantage and a vote for Trump is just "a vote for Trump." Is Allen completely ignorant? We vote for the person who is for life. A vote for the murder side will not hold a good, but will go down as a great sin for assisting the side of death and evil. How can you be called a Roman Catholic if you profess that Murder is something you approve of and will support? We are Children of life with Christ, our Lord, the giver of life.

May God the Father have mercy on us for our luck warm positions that offends him.

-Carl Mossberg

Palos Verdes, CA

I am a huge fan of Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allon books. But after reading the summary of “The Order,” I became concerned. I Googled reviews of the book, specifically to see if it is anti-Christian. The first link to appear was your article by John J. Miller, entitled “Nonsense and disorder in ‘The Order.’”

I wanted to compliment you on that article. It addressed my concerns nicely. I am hoping Mr. Silva has read your article and reflected on the points that are raised. I agree that this parallels Dan Brown’s works of several years ago. I read those novels too, enjoying the intrigue and action, but getting madder and madder by the minute with all the attacks on my faith.

I’m in a quandary now, for I want to read Silva’s book (after all, it is a Gabriel Allon adventure), but I’m afraid I’ll just get angry at it.

Thank you for your article. Hopefully it will not fall on deaf ears.

— Jeff Star