Comments on: Shall We Call Her a Saint? The Cause of Dorothy Day

By: Anthony M. Joseph

Anthony M. Joseph — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 19:18:25 +0000

Today, Catholic Worker houses are all over the map, theologically and politically. Day’s institutional legacy has been compromised. I would think this would be an impediment to her canonization.

By: minbee66

minbee66 — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 22:27:19 +0000

Joseph M. Anthony points out that in the 21st century, it is no longer possible to combine an orthodox Catholic outlook with the far-left political support of abortion, contraception, and homosexuality advocated by the Democratic Party. Many of Day’s followers no longer find this a difficulty, as shown in an article in the June-July 2012 “Catholic Worker” publicizing a soon to be opened house of hospitality in Kenya for homosexuals on the street, in which the former CW who is seeking to start the house asks, “What would Jesus do for the male street walkers of Nairobi?” In addition, Part 5 of “Voices from the Catholic Worker” ed. Rosemary Riegle Troester, 1993 reveals similar CW disagreements with Day’s views on contraception, abortion, homosexuality, and feminism. In October 2012, the New York City CW scheduled a showing of “Pink Smoke Over the Vatican,” a “documentary on women’s ordination.” To see how Day’s incoherent mishmash of propaganda and piety attempted to create a “Christian communism” in the Catholic Church, please go to the blog “Dorothy Day Another Way” or read Dr. Carol Byrne’s book.

By: minbee66

minbee66 — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:57:30 +0000

William Doino seems to have been misled by secondary sources’ claims. This article’s title–”Shall We Call Her a Saint?”–and its opening sentence that “America’s bishops, led by Cardinal Dolan, have unanimously approved the cause of Dorothy Day” are misrepresentations of the USCCB “consultative vote” on Dorothy Day. This voice vote required a “majority” and was “passed,” according to the USCCB website. Neither the USCCB press releases nor Cardinal Dolan called the vote “unanimous.” No count was made, so how can writers claim that that every bishop participated in the the voice vote and no one abstained? In addition, this was NOT a vote on Day’s sanctity, as Cardinal Dolan told the bishops before the vote: “Now clarification: …you’re not being asked to indicate whether or not you consent to the cause … if you have any objections there’ll be chances for you to express those during the cause. What I’m seeking your opinion about is the opportuneness of advancing the cause on the local level” (minutes 35:55 ff at the Tuesday afternoon General Session, part 1, November 13, 2012 General Assembly on-demand video, USCCB.com).
Doino’s failure to acknowledge criticism of Day, as in Dr. Carol Byrne’s “The Catholic Worker Movement (1933-1980): A Critical Analysis,” easily obtainable at amazon.com, seems unscholarly and partisan. Day’s image exerts a powerful influence on some. Another example is Catholic Worker Tom Cornell, who is an editor of the paper and also on the Executive Committee of the Guild for Dorothy Day. Cornell was greatly influenced by Day, who was with him when he publicly burned his draft card with her approval and encouragement. He also delivered her eulogy at the memorial service held for Day’s lifetime friend and colleague Communist Party USA Chair Elizabeth Gurley Flynn; this eulogy,”Red Roses for Her,” also appeared in the CW’s November 1964 issue. Doino claims that Day was never “inauthentic,” but she often appears out of touch with reality, as when she claimed that World War II didn’t save many Jews (William D. Miller, “Dorothy Day,” 1982, p. 365). One also wonders how “authentic” were her assertions (for she stated them more than once) that she would obey the Cardinal/bishop or competent ecclesial authority in regard to closing the CW or changing its name. She refused to obey on several occasions,as her letters document.

By: Michael Sanford

Michael Sanford — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 01:26:51 +0000

I too am wondered by Ms. Day’s life. I have read Thomas Merton’s writings on Day, and believe that there is some social outreach that needs to be explained. Those who who have concerns about her are required to understand the historical period she worked. In the 1930′s and 40′s the country was in midst of a horrible depression and then WWII started. Workers rights in those day were truly trampled not only by industry but by the US government. Complex personalities like Ms. Day’s fits well with the turbulent era she lived in. Her cult is not as cut and dry like some saints, but again, Augustine had to over come major sins in his life to make sainthood, I’m sure Ms. Day will overcome her detractors as well.

By: Phil Runkel

Phil Runkel — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:27:57 +0000

For a report of a healing following prayers for Day’s intercession, see
http://cjd.org/2011/04/01/medical-miracle-in-oklahoma-after-seeking-dorothy-days-intercession/. Of course, this isn’t required to be declared Venerable, the next stage for her cause.

By: John Crosby

John Crosby — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 17:20:21 +0000

I look at this Sainthood initiative and wonder why the Church would be looking at her? To prove Sainthood the Church requires that God would cause a miracle through the person. Now we know that there must be more than one miracle. I have sent an email asking about the miracle and or miracles and have received no reply. Does anyone know of a miracle/miracles?

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 13:47:57 +0000

David,

My example was in the more limited sense that disapproval of an individual’s stance on certain matters need not prevent one from believing an individual saintly. And, of course, one’s own beliefs in the sanctity of an individual have little to do with whether the individual is declared a saint, absent a widespread movement of popular declaration, I suppose.

By: Adam Baum

Adam Baum — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 04:53:13 +0000

@AF:

“I’ll leave it to the wisdom of Holy Mother Church to determine whether or not Ms. Day was a canonizeable saint.”

Actually, It’ll be up to God. This process requires authentic miracles, which precludes a shouting match.

If Miss Day becomes a Saint, it won’t be due to her public pronouncements. In a lot of ways, her absolutism (“That it is better that the United States be liquidated than that she survive by war”) reminds me of Ayn Rand’s. Both women were largely autodidacts, which tends to heterodoxy and both made their way with mordant pens, driven by their peculiar views of the world. That one accepted God and the other rejected God with absolute certitude bordering on ferocity seems a bit like obverse sides of the same coin to me. Their egos were more than a match for their intellects.

I take no position on her cause. There’s an old saw that says God draws straight lines with crooked pencils, and so I would take some confirmatory comfort in her Canonization if it should occur.We always hear that Saints are “real people” and real people are sinners.

In reading accounts of her biography, I see no education or experience that would make her a dispassionate and competent commentator on the array of matters that she chose to comment upon, but ultimately Sainthood is a comment on sanctity, not political or economic rectitude.

By: David Nickol

David Nickol — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 20:27:02 +0000

I don’t think it is correct to regard Dorothy Day’s pacifism as something similar to Thomas More’s approach to dealing with heretics. We accept Thomas More as a product of his own age, and if we imagine him alive today, we certainly would not expect him to advocate burning at the stake. But Dorothy Day is close enough to our own times so that we can expect she would indeed be a pacifist if she were alive today. While I don’t think canonizing her would necessarily be an official endorsement of pacifism, it would certainly be a strong message that an exemplary Catholic living today could take the same stand that Dorothy Day did, and demand that soldiers refuse to fight and workers in defense industries go on a general strike. It is extremely difficult to imagine the American bishops actively supporting such a stance today. Would anyone care to venture a guess as to how many Dorothy-Day-style pacifists there are among the United States bishops today? Do you think any Catholic chaplains would urge men and women in the armed services to refuse orders?

By: Anthony M. Joseph

Anthony M. Joseph — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:34:29 +0000

I place Day on the Left for her political views (pacifism, anarchism, pro-worker, “pro-poor”). I think it is important to accept this designation. Doing so clarifies the fact that in the mid-20th century it was possible to articulate a left-spectrum political philosophy that was consistent with Catholic teaching (though surely not mandated by it). I don’t think this is possible today. Please see, if you wish, my post in Reflection and Choice.