A Rough Week
It’s been a tough week for the truth. Michael Rasmussen and Alexandre Vinokourov
both left the Tour de France after doping allegations. FBI Director Robert Mueller has
offered sworn testimony that conflicts significantly with that of Attorney
General Alberto Gonzalez. Barry Bonds
continues his tainted pursuit of Hank Aaron’s home run record. Zimbabwean Archbishop Pius Ncube—who has
heroically led the charge against the dictatorship of Robert Mugabe—faced
allegations of adultery this week. Closer
to (my) home, the net widens in a cash-for-grades scandal at a California community college that has already implicated more than 24 people.
When it comes to human nature, it’s sometimes hard to know
where to find the balance between cynicism and realism. Certainly there have been acts of heroism and
human kindness than have not found their way onto the front pages of our
newspapers. All in all, though, I would
say that those who believe that human beings are fundamentally in need of a
gracious salvation have the better argument at the moment.
I can relate to that. I experience a similar feeling when reading the New York Times.
Starting at the front page, one’s spirit sinks lower and lower until the obituary section, where reading about the passing of people who have lived long lives filled with accomplishment can be strangely uplifting.
“this is the way the world ends, not with a bang…”
Is this the result of the center collapsong?
A second thought, much bad news is possible when we’ve lost sense of community and the common good.
I don’t think that I would put the accusations against Archbishop Ncube in the same category as those against competitors in the Tour de France or Barry Bonds.
In the broader scheme of things, these sporting competitions are unimportant when compared for the struggle for freedom in Zimbabwe.
But, perhaps more importantly, the fact that the charges against Archbishop Ncube were brought up in a court run under the authority of Mugabe and were examined without any chance given to the archbishop to refute them suggest strongly that the president may have, at the least, manipulated the situation for his own gain and, at worst, has created the whole situation to cast doubt upon one of his most vocal critics.
I don’t think that this kind of manipulation is happening in the sporting arenas mentioned. If there has been any manipuation there, it’s been by the competitors, driven by various motivations, to use performance enhancing drugs.
I agree with Sean that Archbishop Ncube’s struggle and predicament dwarf the other dispiriting items in Peter’s list. The Archbishop makes me proud to be a Catholic. He’s a solitary voice for freedom in a country wracked by the oppression, corruption, and evil (it’s not too strong a word) of a madman destroying his country while professing his adherence to the tenets of Catholicism. I’m sure others also see the echo of Archbishop Romero in Archbishop Ncube.
Archbishop Ncube and the suffering people of Zimbabwe desperately need our prayers, and the plight of Zimbabwe needs much more attention from the developed world. Perhaps I’m wrong, but I haven’t sensed that the U.S. has been using its muscle–diplomatic or financial–to help effect change in this country with something like 6,000% inflation per year. Certainly, the African neighbors of Zimbabwe need to be doing more, too.
How do the women on this blog weigh in on Ncube’s apparent affair with a separated married woman? The Archbishop deserves tremendous credit for confronting Mugabe in a country where people have severe hardships. In fact there was a joint condemnation by the Catholic bishops in April. http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F50812F63F5B0C7A8CDDAD0894DF404482
Yet the issue of bishop, pastor, psychiatrist and the like, being involved with someone who is in a needy situation, must be examined. In the RCC especially too often the women is blamed.
Anyway, Peter, contretemps, like the poor, is always with us. Someone said there can be no poetry after Auschwitz.. Indeed, this is why the concept of Original Sin is so plausible.
Wo/man is capable of the noblest deeds. Many times commits the most unspeakable crimes. We have the injunction of the Lord to “let our light shine.” Not in innocuos dogmas but in living acts. Yet we believe and with faith joyfully go forward.
Just to be clear, I wasn’t trying to rank order anyone on the list or compare one set of sins to another. These were all news stories that came across my computer at some point during the week (which may give you an idea which newsfeeds I subscribe to!). By the end of the week, I was feeling quite dispirited. The news about Abp. Ncube came as a particular blow, because I admire the man for all the reasons Shawn mentions.
Bill asks: How do the women on this blog weigh in on Ncube’s apparent affair with a separated married woman?
Jean says: In my relatively short life as a Catholic, I have known and admired many priests. And I’ve heard from at least one source that every of those priests has had an affair, is gay, has a gambling problem, or eats, smokes, or drinks too much.
I get irritated with those tale-tellers who are “in the know” about Father.
Maybe it’s my Protestant background, but I don’t really expect priests to be all that much better than most other people, though perhaps they should try harder. It’s not within my ken to know whether they are.
Ncube is a flawed man who still has enough courage to stand up to a foul dictator. He deserves our prayers for his continued courage and for his human frailties.