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Singer Michael Jackson, who died June 25 at age 50, was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. But there are some reports he explored other faiths as an adult. (Joe Cavaretta/ Associated Press/ File 2003) |
Articles of Faith
Religion thriller: Michael Jackson and his possible explorations of faith
The King of Pop was a Jehovah’s Witness. A Muslim. He accepted Jesus before he died. The Vatican loved him. There’s even a Jewish angle of sorts. Not to mention the unending discussion of what it means to call him an icon, or an idol. Here is a brief Michael Jackson religion roundup. Make of it what you will:
Jackson was raised a Jehovah’s Witness, and there have been a variety of unconfirmed reports that at some point he was disfellowshipped by the Witnesses. Back in 2000, Jackson discussed doorbelling for the Witnesses in an essay for Beliefnet: “Sundays were my day for ‘Pioneering,’ the term used for the missionary work that Jehovah’s Witnesses do. We would spend the day in the suburbs of Southern California, going door to door or making the rounds of a shopping mall, distributing our Watchtower magazine. I continued my pioneering work for years and years after my career had been launched.’’
Jackson’s brother Jermaine is a Muslim, and there were some reports during Michael’s life that he, too, converted to Islam. Perhaps my favorite development on the role of Islam in the Michael Jackson story, though, was this correction that ran last Saturday in The New York Times, revising a comment by Jermaine Jackson: “He said, ‘May Allah be with you always,’ not ‘May our love be with you always’.’’
Not to be outdone, Christianity Today tackles the question, “Was Michael Jackson a Christian?’’ The evangelical magazine explores, and then essentially debunks, suggestions that Jackson accepted Jesus just before his death. “Initial rumors that the King of Pop had accepted Christ may have been false,’’ the magazine concludes.
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, meanwhile, offers a story on Michael Jackson’s “Jewish Ties,’’ which turn out to be quite complex - he said some offensive things, he was friends with a rabbi, he flirted with Kabbalah (who didn’t?), and it’s possible that at least two of his children are technically Jewish because Jackson’s former wife Debbie Rowe, who has been thought to be the biological mother of the children, is Jewish.
L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, published a generous appreciation of Jackson’s legacy, prompting Tom Heneghan of Reuters to observe: “It’s not every day that the Vatican newspaper suggests that a man accused of pedophilia and said to have converted to Islam might be immortal.’’ Over at American Papist, Thomas Peters is not amused, calling the Vatican paper’s assessment “fawning’’ and writing, “All the artistic success in the world, we must realize, is a basket of straw if your personal life was a spiritual, human wreck.’’
Parishes in Pepperell, Groton to merge
And then there were 291.The Archdiocese of Boston, which had 357 parishes back in 2002, consolidated another pair of parishes Wednesday. Sacred Heart-St. James in Groton and St. Joseph in Pepperell merged, forming a new parish, Our Lady of Grace. But this transition, unlike some in the past, appears to be largely peaceful. The churches, located about 8 miles apart, have shared a pastor for three years, and for the time being the new parish will hold Masses in the existing buildings, so the changes for worshipers in the short term are relatively minor - a consolidation of the offices and a slight reduction in the Mass schedule. Over the long term the community hopes to construct a parish campus - with church, rectory, and parish center - on the town line that would replace the existing buildings.
The congregations are relatively small for Catholic parishes in the archdiocese - each parish has about 750 families, and average weekend Mass attendance runs between 500 and 600 at each church. The Groton parish is itself the result of a previous merger, in 2003, and is now trying to sell one of its church buildings and parish halls. The new parish will include not only Groton and Pepperell, but also Dunstable.
Reaction to Caritas's decision mixed
Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley’s decision to require Caritas Christi Health Care to end its short-lived joint venture withThe American Life League, which had been quite critical, offered unqualified praise for the decision: “We profoundly thank Cardinal O’Malley for his courage, leadership, and pastoral concern for the health and well-being of those youngest members of his archdiocese. He has set a beautiful example of dedication and charity for those poorest of the poor - the preborn.’’
Others were less sanguine, noting that Caritas will remain a provider for Commonwealth Care, the state insurance program for low-income people, which is required to cover abortion services. The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts called Caritas’s withdrawal from the joint venture a “partial victory,’’ saying that “any continued participation by Caritas Christi in Commonwealth Care would obligate Caritas, directly or indirectly, to make abortion referrals.’’
What would these activists have Caritas do? The Lady in the Pew (Kelly Thatcher) blogs that if a woman named Judy calls and asks for an abortion: “What I’m supposed to do is (a) help Judy find an alternative to abortion or (b) refer her to one of the many people and/or organizations who are very good at doing just that. Duh!’’
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