When I was a kid in Depression era Perth Amboy, I was greatly impressed by religious services exemplified by the priest. He looked so spiritual as he conducted the services in Carpatho-Russian and was accompanied by a first class a capella choir. I was further astounded when four men with baskets collected donations. In those days the folks contributed mostly coins. The only paper money was placed by businesses or professional people, the local numbers runner and the saloonkeeper. Boy! Priesthood was the future for me!

I memorized the church services. However, I wondered who this guy Pappa Pius was who mentioned. I learned that he was Pope Pious XII the head of the Church. At that time we were under the jurisdiction of Rome by reason of a centuries old treaty. We were allowed to conduct our services in our own language, our priests were allowed to be married and the parishes conducted their own financial affairs. One priest in New York had nine beautiful daughters!

In the 1920s Rome decried that all of our priests had to be celibate, that our services were to be conducted in Latin and the bishop would control the local parish’s financial affairs. As young as I was I could not accept celibacy. I Instinctively knew I wanted a family when I grew up!

A long costly legal battle followed. In the mid 1930’s we prevailed and won! Some parishes remained with Rome. They were called “celibates.” Eventually our local parish joined many others in the Northeast and became Orthodox and kept their old customs as before. One of our sons Richard Smisko became Metropolitan Nicholas of the Diocese!

I am most sympathetic to the Catholic Church in my City. I attend my wife’s Catholic Church as well as my own St. John’s Orthodox Church. An old sinner like me needs all the help he can get. Meanwhile even though I love and enjoy my Catholic friends I wonder about the rigid attitudes of Rome. For instance for 1000 years after Christ there was one church. Then in 1054 the Pope and the Patriarch of the East excommunicated each other and split. The issue of celibacy was decreed by the Pope.

I believe the celibacy requirement of priests and the exclusion of women from the clergy together with the denial of the sacraments to divorced couples has had a very harmful effect. There is a shortage of priests for American Churches. Young men are simply not going in for the religious life as before. Women are being ordained as clergy in Protestant and Jewish religions. And they are doing great! As for instance the wonderful female Rabbi in our fair City.

Another restriction galling young people is the denial of sacraments to divorced couples. This drives them to other denominations. I, myself am not a strict adherent to religious dogmas . My primary belief is the philosophy of Jesus Christ. This includes Love, Good Will, Forgiveness, Patience, Charity and all other virtues.

He did not have time to establish religions as we know them. After all his ministry of earth consisted of only a few years. All these religions were founded long after his death by humans with all their faults and virtues. This has led to more religious strife than many other causes. Including the present one in the Middle East which is the modern version of the Crusades of the Christian West against the Muslim East. It is a no win situation as were the old time Crusades!

On January 5, 1964 Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Benedictos of Jerusalem met in the Holy Land on the Mount of Olives. The first meeting in five centuries between a Roman Catholic Pope and an Eastern Orthodox Church Patriarch. It is also the first papal pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Hopefully the present actions of Pope Francis will lead to reform and an eventual reunion of the West and the East similar to the local St. John’s Parish before we won our freedom in the 1930s!

God Bless us all! God Bless America! It certainly needs it!

Thank you for your courtesies,

Very truly yours, Peter Book a.k.a. Pedro Libro