What happened in Chicago at Holy Name Catholic Church on Easter Sunday this year undoubtedly came closer to honoring the Spirit of the Law than any other Easter service in the country.
Cardinal Francis George had barely gotten through the first sentence of his homily, when six members of the street theatre group 'Catholic School Girls Against the War' stood up, spoke out and broke through the 'fourth wall'. The six protestors began their brief action at the start of the politically conservative Cleric's sermon. But the immediacy and relevance were apparantly too much for the six hundred parishoners and their leader. The pronouncement of one million Iraqis dead, along with the reminder, "Thou shalt not kill" was not acceptable during Mass. Congregants jeered. The die-in had just begun when the six young adults were hustled out of the room by security guards, drawing applause from the audience. Bertolt Brecht would have been proud. The religious authorities handed the 'criminals' over to the civil authorities.
CSGATW, now known as the 'Holy Name Six', were arrested, charged with felony and battery and held in Cook County Jail until making bail, set at twenty five thousand dollars each. They could be facing up to five years in prison for accidently dripping fake blood on church carpeting as well as the easter garments of a few nearby parishoners. It appears a message is being sent and these young people are being used as an example. No one dare follow his or her own truth, moral authority and conscience above that of the Church. You simply *must* take the church as seriously as it takes itself. Do not hold a mirror up to this institution - such is the nature of all empire. They are the faithful patriots, the defenders of all doctrine and the enforcers of social control.
It has been said that these six young people alienated parishoners from their cause as a result of this action. However, I believe that anyone who would change their mind about the immorality of this occupation simply because they resent the action of a few protestors, was already deeply alienated. The fact is that this was a unique moment within the past five years of civil disobedience and peace marches. The instituion that makes a religion of obedience to unyeilding rules and dogma has now been confronted on its own turf. The deafening silence by those who claim to be actively opposing this war had become unbearable. Why is it a crime to bring the spirit of the Law into the church itself? How better to honor 'God'? But democractic values are the antithesis of a patriarchal hierarchy. Open mindedness and freedom of expression are no way to run an efficient empire.
What might have occured had there actually been someone in that room who understood the message of the man they believed they had come to celebrate? Perhaps they might have spoken out in defense of the six obviously sincere and compassionate souls. They could have offered to engage in dialogue; in a sincere desire to understand what moved them to take so bold an action. They might have chosen not to fear the strangers among them who had come to make statements of peace and compassion and justice, even if their meathods made some feel uncomfortable. Although this would have been a break in protocol, it would have done far more to honor Jesus than forcing them out and having them arrested. Is that really so difficult to understand? Jesus taught people to follow what was in their hearts and conscience. But this would mean trusting ourselves and claiming our own authority to act as responsible human beings - a threatening notion for an institution where conformity itself is a basic tenet and obedience an ultimate commandment.
Speaking after the service, Cardinal George told the press, "We should all work for peace, but not by interrupting the worship of God". This sounds like the kind of irony one would expect to hear on the 'Colbert Report'. Apparently, in the parlance of the Church, worshipping God is is synonomous with worshipping it's own ceremony. It is 'God' as bethrowned emporer, demanding that homage be paid in the form of sanctimonious ritual. Forget compassion and acts of conscience - these are not primary directives. Hypocracy is a very specific form of dissonance, and this entire event is riddled with it. The Chicago Archdiocese called this action 'sacriligeous'. Translated, this means it was real and unexpected and relevant - thus interfering with the predictable functioning of the institution.
Adherence to the letter of the law has clearly prevailed here. This is the real 'sacrelige'. Silence is compliance and the Holy Name Six were saying "No more"! By calling these protestors 'violent' and making them out to be criminals, this church has made a mockery of Jesus on Easter. No rules that come from this institution may be broken, regardless of the circumstances or the nobility of the cause. Civil disobedience is acceptable only when it poses no threat to church authority because they believe it to be equivalent to Divine authority.
There are on-line petitions calling for the Chicago Archdiocese to drop the charges. But I am not too optimistic. That would be what Jesus would do.
-###-
April 12, 2008 Rita Corriel rcorriel@fast.net I am a psychologist, writer and activist living in Pennsylvania
