Expert panel discusses Catholicism

Correction Appended

The Interfaith Council of Greater Richmond and the Office of the Chaplaincy at the University of Richmond hosted a panel of experts who discussed the principles as well as the misconceptions of Roman Catholicism.

The event, which took place April 2 in the North Court reception room, was the fifth and final installment in a series titled "Discovering Many Faiths." Aside from Catholicism, previous panels discussed The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Islam, Jain and the Baptist church. The Interfaith Council hosted a similar event last year but this year marked the first partnership between the council and the Office of the Chaplaincy at Richmond.

"Everyone knows the surface of their neighbor's beliefs," said Midge Falconer, chairwoman of the Discovering Many Faiths Committee. "But the purpose of this is to dive into the deep sea of religious faiths."

Everyone deals with a world that is religiously diverse, said Matthew White, interreligious community and justice coordinator at the Office of the Chaplaincy. White said it was important to promote religious diversity and give people a platform to learn about and discuss other religious faiths.

"I think that it is vital that we create an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to deal with diversity issues in general," White said. "A dominating motif of ours is creating inclusive spaces through programs, classes and dialogue. Our ultimate hope is that people will not only come and learn about different faiths but also how to speak to people of other faiths"

White said religious dialogue was not always well-executed. The dialogue is often one-sided and not at all mutual. Instead of listening, people yell and attack ideas, White said. These events and similar ones hosted by the Office of the Chaplaincy are rooted in building better dialogue, he said.

The panel featured six members of both the University of Richmond community as well as the City of Richmond community.

The Rev. James L. Kauffmann, of St. Benedict Catholic Church in Richmond, discussed the history of the Catholic Church.

"One must look at theological history so one can garner an appreciation for the great legacy of a religion," Kauffmann said.

Kauffmann spoke of the origins of the Catholic Church, covering its history up until the Fifth Century A.D. Many philosophical movements, such as those of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, preceded Catholicism and its fundamental beliefs, Kauffmann said.

The Rev. David Nemetz, deacon and pastoral associate at St. Michael Roman Catholic Church in Glen Allen, Va., spoke about Catholic beliefs. Nemetz outlined principle beliefs as well as common misconceptions.

"Catholicism is a very basic set of beliefs that people interpret in many different ways," Nemetz said.

Alison Eichler, liturgical ministries director at St. Michael, spoke about Catholic holidays and festivals. Although all festivals and celebrations are important in paying homage to people and events, Eichler said sharing the bread and wine every Sunday was the most important one.

But Eichler devoted much of her time to burials and funerals, which are among the most distinct features of the Catholic Church, she said.

"Every life, whether for a homeless person or the Pope, is important to honor," she said. "If we [Catholic Church] do nothing well, we do bury and honor the dead with the most honor and respect."

Patty Kaczmarek, a junior at Richmond and president of Catholic Campus Ministries, and Eric Collins, a sophomore, spoke from the youth perspective of Catholics.

Kaczmarek said that her experience at Richmond had taught her how to live in a multicultural environment. But it has also given her the courage to stand up for what she believes in, she said.

Collins spoke about the many misconceptions of the Catholic Church and the role that the youth could play in changing that.

"You often hear that Christians hate 'blank,'" Collins said. "Obviously, absolute tolerance was an idealistic dream, but we remember that in the Bible Christ speaks to us directly on this issue, warning us to realize our own shortcomings before casting a figurative stone. The role of the youth is to take progressive change and immortalize the ideas [of Catholicism]."

Collins said that it was tough to be religious on a college campus. Often, openly religious students are stereotyped, he said.

Eileen Lapington, Catholic campus minister at Richmond, addressed women in the Catholic Church. As women become more and more independent and their roles in society change, so do their roles within the Catholic Church, she said.

After Lapington spoke, the 30 or so people in attendance, mostly from the City of Richmond community, did a round table discussion with panelists.

This version of the story CORRECTS a quote from Eric Collins.

Contact staff writer Nick Mider at nick.mider@richmond.edu