Letters

Buddha in church (letter)

E. Makaus

Contents - Sep 2008 - Buy a copy now Editorial: World Youth Day 2008: the challenge ahead - Michael Gilchrist WYD08: World Youth Day 2008: what the media missed - Deborah Baker WYD08: Impressions of youth - Bridget Pati and Berni Sullivan WYD08: Faith: alive and well! - A pilgrim's progress - Catherine Sheehan WYD08: A reflection on WYD - Tim Cannon WYD08: Memories of homestay hosts - Emidio and Phyllis Restall News: The Church Around the World WYD08: Theology on Tap: young Catholics' response to relativism - Patrick Langrell The physical and mental scars of abortion - Charles Francis Foundations of Faith: Priesthood and the sacraments: Divine help for eternal salvation - Br Barry Coldrey Liturgy: No smoke without fire: Benedict XVI and true liturgical reform - David Birch Vatican: Restoration work completed near tomb of St Peter Letters: World Youth day (letter) - M. & L. MORRISSEY Letters: Courage of young Jozef Ratzinger (letter) - Frank Bellet Letters: Invaluable work of Anne Lastman (letter) - Errol Duke Letters: Moral equivalence (letter) - Leo McManus Letters: Abortion grief - Anne Lastman Letters: Buddha in church (letter) - E. Makaus Letters: Sex abuse apology (letter) - M.J. Gonzalez Letters: Vatican II (letter) - Frank Mobbs Poetry: The Sermon at Templestowe - Bruce Dawe Books: Saving Those Damned Catholics, by Judie Brown - Catherine Sheehan (reviewer) Books: THE WISDOM OF NAZARETH: Stories of Catholic Family Life - Siobhan Reeves (reviewer) Books: SAINT BENEDICT'S RULE: A New Translation for today, by Patrick Barry OSB - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: FAITH AND FIDELITY, by Anthony Meredith SJ - Michael Daniel Books: Books available from AD2000 Books Reflection: Archbishop Burke of St Louis: the responsibilities of a bishop - Archbishop Raymond Burke

The presence of a statue of Buddha in front of the altar in a Catholic church (Richard Stokes, July AD2000), coupled with a choir under the banner of homosexuality, is indeed reprehensible and surely calls for strong episcopal action.

Buddhist literature asserts that 'there is a fundamental incompatibility between the notion of God and the basic Buddha principles' and that 'the existence of God is incompatible with Buddha's teachings.'

What then is the meaning of Buddha's statue in front of a Catholic altar? Is it mere ignorance or rather a wilful profanation of the sacred? Whatever the case, such a statue does not belong in a Catholic place of worship.

In this regard, one recalls the passages of Sacred Scripture about 'the desolating sacrilege ... standing in the holy place' (Matt. 24:15) and 'the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be' (Mark 13:14).

During the time of Noah, the sins of mankind called for the Great Flood. Could it be that the wickedness of the modern generations - as noted above - is calling for some similar climatic catastrophe? The Lord said through the prophet, 'the earth will become a desert because of the wickedness of those who live on it' (Micah 7:13).

Will we ever learn?

E. MAKAUS
East Malvern, Vic

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 21 No 8 (September 2008), p. 15