Mailbag

Danehy Gets Some Sound Advice From a Fellow Catholic

Regarding Danehy, May 12: I sympathize entirely with your plight, and I have both an answer to your question for the bishop (begging the indulgence of His Excellency) and a suggestion.

It is definitely not a sin to fantasize about smashing the guitar—the first time. For the benefit of Protestants who cannot tell the difference between temptation and sin, and who insist that the thought is the sin: Satan puts all kinds of thoughts in our minds. Satan tempted even Jesus—a lot. It is the savoring of the fantasy, recalling it and petting it, that is the sin. The Christian’s victory over sin is in telling Satan to get behind him.

My suggestion is that you come to St Gianna Oratory at Holy Family Church (Main Avenue and University Boulevard) for a Latin Mass. It isn’t the Latin that matters, but the attendees. The late Father Richard Rego, who instituted St Gianna, was famous for turning away people in shorts or halter tops, or displaying any behavior that showed disrespect for the Eucharist. The congregation still complies; they recognize what a gift the Extraordinary Form is, and they want to attend. The songs scan, because they were written by people who knew and respected the language, and no one will compel you to sing them.

And there are no guitars, ever—so you can avoid the near occasion of sin.

Yours in Christ,

Paul Hilts

The City Is Right to Fight Adobe-Damage Claims

I am glad that the city is not paying off Donald Rollings (“Leak Litigation,” Currents, May 12). He has failed to prove that the city’s water lines caused the cracks in his building.

As a licensed geologist, I can say unequivocally that all water lines leak; adobe and stucco crack; and litigious people will do anything for a buck.

Sometimes, a crack is just a crack.

Alison H. Jones

This article appears in Jun 2-8, 2011.