Sometimes, I wonder if the Catholic Church is attempting suicide in slow-motion. There was Pope Benedict’s recent call to disgruntled Anglicans to “come home” i.e. return to the Catholic fold, which, of course, assumes these people actually left them at some point in recent history (best be careful in assuming that the 16th century is recent history).
There have been the repeated efforts to diminish, minimize, and punish the GLBT community, especially those who actually practice within the Church. Even though sex scandals and attrition have significantly decreased the number of men interested in priesthood and Catholic monastic communities, Church leadership continues to hold on to the view that only celibate men can become leaders in the church.
Women continue to be second-class citizens in many facets of church life, and there has been an on-going “investigation” — read as “witch-hunt” — occurring amongst communities of liberal and progressive nuns who are, in my experience, actually doing their best to truly live Jesus’ teachings of love, compassion, and justice.
And now, this little gem, from Paul Lynch’s Zen Mirror blog:
The U.S. bishops have issued guidelines that call Reiki therapy, an alternative medicine originating in Japan, unscientific and inappropriate for Catholic institutions. They outlined the position in “Guidelines for Evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy.” The guidelines were developed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine, chaired by Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Connecticut. They were approved by the USCCB Administrative Committee, March 24, during its spring meeting in Washington. The Administrative Committee is the authoritative body of the USCCB to approve committee statements.
Where to begin. First, there is the intervention of a religious institution into the health matters of its members. Second, there is the laughable use of science as a defense from an institution that spent centuries historically damning scientific endeavors. Finally, there is the deliberate focus to discredit a healing method that has attracted a large number of Catholic nuns. A coincidence? I think not.
As far as I’m concerned, this is another example of patriarchal oppression. Why such strong language? Because think about it — women in the church have learned something that is giving them the power to heal others. People in Catholic communities struggling with all kinds of issues are going to these women, instead of to the priests in their churches. Jealous, the male church leadership condemns Reiki as unscientific and superstitious, fearing that its continued spread will undermine their authority. This probably isn’t the whole story, but I’m almost positive it’s a large part of the story.
Photo Credits
“Jesus Healing Ruler’s Daughter” Public Domain
Recent Nathan Thompson Articles:
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Religions always condemn what they cannot understand.
In this case, the RCC may already know the power of energy healing and don’t want others to participate in healing themselves. After all, isn’t that what their christ Jesus did…. healing with intention and energy and laying on of the hands.
This actually answered my drawback, thank you!
I am not a Catholic. I have a Level 3 Reiki certification and will soon take the Reiki Level 4 class because for me, Reiki works.
Another pseudo-intellectual, pseudo-“compassion” article bashing the Catholic Church! Surprising? Of course not.
It is not the Catholic Church that is taking one more step into oblivion; it is the anti-Catholic propagandists who are.
Interesting comment? Alas, you offer nothing objective to substantiate your remarks. Perhaps provide some insight? Something from your heart? Just sayin ..
I tend to find that the most compassionate, kind, and loving Catholics are people who either have deep skepticism in the hierarchy, or have abandoned it all together. I’ve spent a lot of time examining some of historical/current structures in my own spiritual community of Zen Buddhism. It’s a mixed bag. I think it’s an important reminder that we have to see institutions as vehicles that either serve to bring people together, or are great hindrances. It’s probably true that the longer a given institution is around, the more likely it has become a hindrance.
Yes, by all means, let’s devote time and energy to prevent the laying on of hands to those with pain, stress, and injury.
With all of the poverty, hunger, addiction, educational deficiencies and unemployment in our country, it is nothing short of amazing that the Catholic Church chooses to address this issue.
As a certified Reiki practitioner this proclamation will have no effect on me, but perhaps it will serve to remind Catholics of just how askew the church’s priorities have become.
I can only agree that this Church has long since lost it’s way…if it ever had it, which I doubt. Organized religion continually demonstrates that they are driven by people with all the faults and evil inherent in holding power. There is little spirituality to be found in the Catholic church and while they have fantastic art in their cathedrals that is absolutely awe inspiring, their actions in the field speak louder than pictures. People need to leave all these man made power centric religions behind, leave them in the dust to where they can return to dust…whether you are catholic, protestant , mormon or muslim, free your mind and become who you are.
Sorry didn’t mean to have a rant in commenting on your story Nathan, but these types of unbelievable pronouncements underscore so much of the violence perpetuated against women by these institutions.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
I left the church when I was in high school and I watched a priest refuse to give communion to two little girls waiting because he had run out. He had just given a sermon that if he ran out he would not go back to the altar and get more, because children were not being supervised and putting too many in. Now, these two little girls were not the offenders and they were the ones punished. Finally their mother came up and got them as the Priest went on with the mass and left them waiting for communion.
I walked out and only returned this past January for my Mother’s funeral. I did not partake in communion then either, because I do not believe in the church any longer. They have stepped way out of line with their attitude against children and the abuse they do to them in many ways. This attempt now against healing shows another layer of insensitivity. They are so out of touch.
Well said, Nathan. The hierarchy of the Catholic Church is so out of touch with the reality of modern life, they appear to be living in an entirely different dimension. But don’t worry about reiki: in 400 years the Vatican will recognize its efficacy and humbly apologize for the Church’s error.