CHICAGO — The Windy City has never been the same since October 1979, when Pope John Paul II visited, a year into his pontificate.
“There has been an immense pride in this city ever since,” explained Rebecca Hartman, associate archivist at the Museum of the Archdiocese of Chicago. “We have the largest Polish population of any city outside of Warsaw, and that visit was a moment in time that will never be forgotten.”
To commemorate the visit — and the 25th anniversary of John Paul's election on Oct. 16, 1978 — the Archdiocese of Chicago will devote three rooms of its museum to a Pope John Paul II exhibit beginning Oct. 9 and running through November.
Chicago, however, is far from alone in celebrating the silver anniversary of John Paul's pontificate. Throughout the United States, the anniversary is being marked with book-launch parties, museum exhibits, pilgrimages to Rome, special issues of diocesan newspapers and special liturgical events.
The celebration will be worldwide, of course. In Rome, anniversary events will conclude with the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta on Oct. 19. That's also World Mission Sunday, and the Pope and the founder of the Missionaries of Charity, who were friends, shared a passion for mission and service to the poor.
An international anniversary concert will celebrate the Pope's jubilee Oct. 19 in Gdansk, Poland, birthplace of the solidarity labor union once banned by the former Soviet Union. The concert will include more than 500 singers from five continents, including the choir of St. Eulalia Church in Winchester, Mass. The concert will also feature the Baltic Symphony Orchestra and showcase an African-style Mass from Kenya and original compositions from the United States, Poland and Canada. U.S. celebrations began in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 10, when the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops introduced two books at a reception: a coffee-table volume titled John Paul II: A Light for the World and The Poetry of John Paul II — Roman Triptych: Meditations.
Leaders Gather
In New York, the Holy See Mission to the United Nations will host a symposium Oct. 7 titled “Peace on Earth” in conjunction with the Pope's anniversary and to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Pope John XXIII's encyclical Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth).
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan plans to participate in the symposium along with Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Holy See's permanent observer to the United Nations, according to Olivetta Danese, Holy See mission attaché.
Other dignitaries include Julian Hunte of St. Lucia, president of the 58th session of the U.N. General Assembly; Archbishop Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and former permanent observer to the United Nations; Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, Vatican secretary for relations with states; and Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York.
Just a few blocks up First Avenue, Cardinal Egan on Oct. 6 will host the national unveiling of John Paul II: A Light for the World during a reception at the headquarters of the archdiocese.
Civic leaders from throughout New York have been invited to the reception as well as Archbishops Martino, Tauran, Migliore and several other Catholic leaders in the New York area, said Joseph Zwilling, Cardinal Egan's spokesman.
“The audience will know the magnificence of Pope John Paul II's pontificate,” Zwilling said, adding that the book John Paul II: A Light in the World does a good job of capturing the significance of the Pope's 25-year reign.
Back in Chicago, two exhibit halls of the archdiocese museum will feature 25 pictures of the Pope provided by Reuters news service that have never been shown in the United States. The other exhibit room will be devoted entirely to photos and memorabilia from the 1978 papal visit to the city.
“This Pope's contact with Chicago has been outstanding,” said James Dwyer, director of the office of communications for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Museum archivist Hartman was only 4 years old when the Pope visited Chicago. Like other Chicagoans her age, Hartman has grown up hearing stories about the visit. Through stories and research, Hartman knows that hundreds of thousands of Chicago residents lined the streets — despite cold, windy conditions — trying to catch a glimpse of the Pope's motorcade as it made its way through the city.
She's grown up knowing how close John Paul was with Cardinal John Cody, the archbishop of Chicago at the time of the Pope's visit. Cardinal Cody, as a portion of the visit exhibit will explain, was a friend of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla many years before he became Pope John Paul II.
“We've uncovered all sorts of documentation about the Pope's visit,” Hartman said of the exhibits she is helping to prepare. “There were ‘sellout’ crowds at every event pertaining to his visit.”
Other events commemorating the Pope's 25th anniversary include:
• Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, D.C., will lead a pilgrimage of 260 people to Rome on Oct. 12-20. Cardinal McCarrick will also celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Oct. 26 at noon.
• Cleveland Bishop Anthony Pilla will celebrate Mass on Oct. 22 at St. John's Cathedral.
• The Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio — which this year celebrates it 16th anniversary — will close its anniversary celebrations Oct. 16 with a Mass marking both the diocese's anniversary and the Pope's jubilee.
Wayne Laugesen is based in Boulder, Colorado.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Wayne Laugesen ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Vatican Mass Crackdown? DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:VATICAN CITY — A draft Vatican document that addresses liturgical abuses has come under the media spotlight after reports that an internal debate within the Roman Curia delayed its publication.
The leaked document, to be printed in full in the October edition of the Italian journal Jesus, is said to have caused objections from some cardinals and bishops.
The Italian newspaper Il Messagero, which printed a portion of the text, claimed the draft, which was completed in June, was considered “too conservative,” with certain Church leaders finding the document “excessively harsh.”
But Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, cautioned that it is too early to speculate on the draft.
In an interview with the Register, Cardinal Arinze advised people to study Pope John Paul II's encyclical on the Eucharist, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, issued in April, to prepare themselves for the upcoming document, which is a follow-up to the encyclical.
The draft document reportedly discourages the distribution of Communion under both species of bread and wine and says altar girls are permissible only “for a good reason.”
The document also disapproves of “liturgical dance” and frowns on the practice of applause from the congregation during the Eucharistic liturgy, despite the fact that congregations often applaud at papal liturgies in St. Peter's Basilica.
Work began on the document at the instruction of John Paul to address abuses in the Eucharistic liturgy and make “prescriptions of a juridical nature,” as outlined in Ecclesia de Eucharistia.
According to Jesus, a Rome-based publication of the Society of St. Paul, the document, whose working title is ” Pignus Redemptionist ac Futurae Gloriae” (” A Pledge of Redemption and of Future Glory” ), addresses 37 abuses against the Eucharist.
The document is being drawn up by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
According to Jesuit Father Keith Pecklers, professor of liturgy at the Gregorian University in Rome, there “was agreement on some points in the document” during a recent plenary session of consultors at the divine worship congregation.
But he added there was also “some significant discussion” and “concerns raised by some cardinals on other points in the document.” The result “was that the document was returned to the working group for substantial revision before any vote could be taken,” he said.
“I would judge it premature to comment on a document that has yet to emerge,” Father Pecklers continued, “especially since we have no idea just how closely it will resemble what had been proposed in the earlier draft.”
The consultation process for such documents is lengthy, entailing a series of revisions, observations and redrafts. The reported rejection of this draft for further revision is therefore “quite normal,” according to Jesuit Father Kevin Flannery, dean of philosophy at the Gregorian University. “A document is distributed, and those called to the meeting are asked to make comments that they know will possibly lead to changes,” he said.
Father Flannery was also suspicious that applause and dance were “not allowed,” as these words were not directly quoted from the draft.
“I would not be surprised if it said that applause is not to be encouraged by the celebrant,” he said. “There is often applause during the liturgies at St. Peter's, but the Pope never ‘calls for it.’ It would be absurd to prohibit applause itself.”
Concerning dancing, Father Flannery pointed out that it has also been part of papal liturgies at St. Peter's. “I would imagine that the document said, or says, that dance should be limited to certain situations,” he said.
Dancers in traditional costume danced at the closing Mass of the Synod of Bishops for Asia in St. Peter's in 1998, for example.
On the other hand, he said, together with the added willingness to dialogue with the Orthodox and the Oriental Churches, the Anglicans and Protestant communities, he could “quite understand the prevalent feeling in the dicasteries [Vatican departments] that we must keep our own house in order.”
Another anonymous source told the Register the origins of the document “go back to the Second Vatican Council.” He added there were “no divisions within or between the dicasteries” over the document and that reports on the draft document have been a “huge misrepresentation of the situation and blown out of all proportion.”
“The document was probably given to journalists to allow them to play around with it, to discredit it in an attempt to rally those who are opposed to it,” he said. “I think many who have pushed for greater freedoms in the Eucharistic Liturgy would be dumbstruck at the way it has been practiced over the years, and Pope John Paul is merely moderating those excesses.”
Cardinal Arinze, meanwhile, refused to be drawn into any speculation. “Any comments would be premature and misleading,” the cardinal told the Register. “I'm not going to speak when the document is not finished. People should be more patient.”
The cardinal, who is hoping to release the document at the end of the year, said, “Those who will be alive when the document is published — as I hope I will be — will have plenty of time to comment on it then.”
“In the meantime let them study the encyclical on the Eucharist of the Holy Father, which will be more fruitful,” he said. “That's the best way to prepare themselves for the document on which we are working.”
Edward Pentin writes from Rome.
----- EXCERPT: Cardinal Arinze Counsels Patience On Liturgical Document ----- EXTENDED BODY: Edward Pentin ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Artists and Actors Promote Faith in 'Glory Stories' DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:HAMDEN, Conn. — Five-year-old Katie Rose Luetkemeyer of Marshall, Va., had just listened to her mother read a story about Blessed Imelda Lambertini, the patroness of first communicants, and how the young Dominican nun had a miraculous encounter with Jesus the day she first received Communion.
Katie Rose exclaimed, “I want to receive my first Communion now, too!”
Her mom had been reading from a coloring book that uses the lives of the saints to evangelize young people — and their parents. It's part of a Catholic World Mission project started a year ago with Fresh Flowers in Winter, a book about Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego. Now the books are being expanded to include dramatizations for radio.
“It really took off,” said Ken Davison, Catholic World Mission's executive director. “A lot of Catholic schools in the United States loved [the first book], and we had a Christmas card coloring contest associated with it. It became such a big seller … that we were approached by some other artists who said, ‘We'd love to do this.’”
One of those was Caroline Clifford, a Centerville, Va., artist who had been an animator for Disney for nine years but left because she wanted to use her talent to serve the Church. Clifford learned about the project through Artists for a Renewed Society, a Catholic artists group, and agreed to do the drawings on a volunteer basis for Let the Children Come to Me: Blessed Imelda's First Communion Miracle. She recently completed sketches for the latest coloring book, God's Little Flower, about St. Thérèse of Lisieux, which is being coordinated with the Luke Films production, Thérèse.
Clifford in turn got her former colleague John Webber, an animator for Walt Disney Feature Animation, involved, and he has been working into the early morning hours to finish the drawings for St. Joseph: The Man Closest to Christ, another book in the series.
“I just wanted to use my talent for God,” said Webber, who has a special devotion to St. Joseph and sees his volunteer work as an opportunity to do something for the saint and for God.
Other stories soon to become part of the series include The Courageous Saints of the Knights of Columbus, the tale of six martyred Mexican priests; books on Mother Teresa, who will be beatified Oct. 19; and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.
The first describes the persecution of the Church in Mexico during the 1920s, when priests were killed for celebrating the sacraments.
Clifford said the 32-page stories are an effective evangelizing tool that can be used to reach not only young readers but also adults who can be catechized through their children by something as simple as a coloring book.
Each book in the series aims to emphasize a truth of the faith or a Catholic virtue, Davison said, adding, “We want the child to learn the life of a saint, but we want to change lives.”
For example, the Blessed Imelda story, which was released three months ago, is intended to teach children about the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
“It's almost scriptural apologetics for the first half of the story,” Davison said. “We need to strengthen the faith and teach kids the faith in a way that captures their imagination.”
A number of dioceses have ordered the books, which are bilingual, for first Communion, while others have used them in work with Spanish-speaking immigrants. Catholic World Mission, based in Hamden, Conn., has incorporated them into the group's schools in Latin America both as catechetical and language-instruction tools.
Stella Jeffrey, director of evangelization and catechesis for the Diocese of Fargo, N.D., said her diocese's Young Disciples Teams used the Blessed Imelda book this summer as part of Mass preparation workshops at their weeklong day camps for elementary students.
“The kids just like the story,” Jeffrey said. “They're very amazed at little Imelda.”
Jeffrey, who plans to add Fresh Flowers in Winter to next year's program, said she decided to order the books when Bishop Samuel Aquila sent one to her office with a note: “Take a look at these.”
“That translates, ‘It's good,’” Jeffrey said.
The coloring-book stories were converted into taped dramatizations after Davison attended the New Evangelization of America Conference in Dallas earlier this year and became convinced of the need for solid Catholic family programming that could be aired on the radio.
Within two months, a cassette and CD containing the Blessed Imelda and St. Juan Diego stories had been produced as the first volume in the Glory Stories series.
Glory Stories on St. ThÉrése of Lisieux and the Mexican martyred priests are being produced by Brian Shields of Jacksonville, Fla., who also is the producer for the Luke Films movie ThÉrése.
Shields got involved with the project after meeting Davison at the New Evangelization of America Conference.
“He was talking to a co-worker of mine,” Shields recalled. “I just kind of butted into their conversation and we all started talking. He was saying he got this idea of doing these coloring books and wanted to do audiotapes with them, and I was thinking that's a great idea. It's a great way to make families and kids aware of the saints because they're tremendous examples of how we should live our lives.”
A former actor who appeared in the Emmy-winning HBO mini-series From the Earth to the Moon, Shields said he is enthused about helping make the Glory Stories exciting and entertaining for kids.
“It seems to me that kids just like to have fun,” he said. “That's how I've learned best — when I'm having fun. I hope that comes out. Of course, the message is to nurture them on their faith journey.”
Davison said his plan is to have each coloring book spawn a 12- to 13-minute drama that can be mixed and matched with others to fill a 30-minute radio slot. Several networks have expressed interest in using the stories once more become available, he added.
After discovering the Glory Stories at a meeting where Davison was distributing copies, Mike Jones, vice president and general manager of Ave Maria Communications in Ann Arbor, Mich., said, “This is what I'm looking for.”
“What I liked about them was it was Catholic and it was about the saints,” he said. “These are people who can be held up to our children.”
Jones, whose organization produces and distributes Catholic radio programming for airing on its two Michigan stations and a satellite network, said the stories will appeal to the increasingly younger audience Catholic stations are serving.
“We have a lot of home-schooling and Catholic school families,” he said, “and there is a need for children's programming.”
To begin airing them, however, he will need at least 13 stories.
“This is great stuff and I can't wait till there are enough to put it on the radio,” he said.
Meanwhile, Davison said, the coloring books and the Glory Story tapes and CDs are available through Catholic World Mission and its Web site, www.catholic-worldmission.org. The coloring books also can be purchased through Circle Press USA (33 Rossotto Drive, Hamden, CT 06514). The St. Thérése Glory Story will be available through Luke Films (P.O. Box 761, Beaverton, OR 97075) as well.
All proceeds from sale of the items go to support Catholic World Mission's evangelization efforts in Latin America.
Davison said artists who have given their time to work on the project like the fact they get to do something Catholic and express their own style. Like St. ThÉrése, he said, “They can join the missions without leaving home by using their skills to further the faith.”
Judy Roberts is based in Millbury, Ohio.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Judy Roberts ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: RU-486 Linked to Death of Mother DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:SAN FRANCISCO — Eighteen-year old Holly Patterson was buried Sept. 24, her death pointing an accusing finger at anyone who ever said it's “safe” to abort a child by simply taking a pill. Now her family is seeking answers.
And the drug known as RU-486 and the way it is administered are again under scrutiny.
According to several published news reports, Patterson went to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Hay ward, Calif., Sept. 10 and was given RU-486 (mifepristone) — or a prescription for it — along with another drug called misoprostol to help her expel the child once it was aborted. The child was reportedly approximately seven weeks' gestation.
Four days later Patterson went to the hospital with cramps and bleeding but was sent home. Three days after that, she died of septic shock. Parts of the aborted child had not been successfully expelled from her body.
“The system she trusted failed her,” her father, Monty Patterson, told the San Jose Mercury News. “There are several elements involved, and I want to look into all of them and understand what went wrong.”
Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, located in Northern California, responded to the Register's request for comment by providing the following statement: “A patient who sought health care services at a Planned Parenthood health center died last Wednesday [Sept. 17] at a Hospital in Pleasanton, Calif. The cause of death is unknown at this time.”
The statement also included a few words from Planned Parenthood Golden Gate president and chief executive officer Dian Harrison: “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family. We wish them strength and support in this tragic time.”
But those in the pro-life movement who have followed the RU-486 debate say this tragedy would never have happened if the federal Food and Drug Administration hadn't rushed the approval of the drug and recommended the use of the second, misused drug in the RU-486 regimen.
“Holly Patterson's death is a tragedy. Responsibility for her death as well as the other deaths resulting from RU-486 rests with the Clinton administration, who rushed this deadly pill to market against the FDA's usual standards,” said Michael Muench, legislative director of the Pro-Life Alliance, based in Annandale, Va.
It has been widely reported that both the Alameda County coroner and the FDA are investigating Patterson's death. While the coroner's office did not return the Register's requests for comment, an FDA spokeswoman confirmed that the FDA would “investigate any new reports” of deaths associated with RU-486.
“To date the FDA has no reports of actual deaths related to RU-486,” she added. “Deaths have been related to the procedures involved.”
The Second Drug
The procedures involved are a large part of the problem, according to Edward Szymkowiak, national director of STOPP International, a project of American Life League whose acronym stands for Stop Planned Parenthood. It is the drug miso-prostol, marketed as Cytotec, which is taken after RU-486 in a way not intended by the manufacturer, causing many of the problems.
“RU-486 is not [administered] as a single drug but as part of a regimen,” Szymkowiak explained. “If nothing else [this death] will help educate the public that there is not one drug involved, there are two.”
According to Szymkowiak, the second drug is being used to induce labor — a use never intended by the manufacturer.
In fact, a letter on the FDA's own Web site from Searle, the manufacturer of Cytotec (miso-prostol), states: “Cytotec administration by any route is contraindi-cated in women who are pregnant because it can cause abortion. Cytotec is not approved for the induction of labor or abortion.”
It also warns of “serious adverse events reported following off-label use of Cytotec in pregnant women,” including maternal or fetal death, uterine hyper-stimulation, rupture or perforation requiring uterine surgical repair, hysterectomy, amniotic fluid embolism, severe vaginal bleeding, retained placenta, shock and pelvic pain.
Previous deaths related to RU-486 include a woman who died in September 2001 after taking part in Canadian trials of the regimen.
In August 2002, three groups — the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Christian Medical Association, and Concerned Women for America petitioned the FDA to revoke the use of RU-486. Among the reasons cited by the groups was the fact that RU-486 had been inappropriately rushed through the approval process and that Cytotec was being used inappropriately.
The executive summary of the petition explains: “The FDA strives to ensure that drugs are not promoted in ways contrary to the labeling the FDA has approved. In the case of Mifeprex [the brand name for RU-486], this routine understanding was turned on its head. The FDA mandated the off-label use of misoprostol as part of the Mifeprex abortion regimen and did this in the face of strenuous objections from the manufacturer of misoprostol.”
Motives
Muench believes the motives for the rapid approval were a radical abortion agenda and greed.
“The push for the approval of RU-486 by the radical abortion industry and the Clinton administration shows that the pro-abortion movement is not concerned with the well-being of women but with maintaining the multimillion-dollar industry of [abortion],” he said.
Szymkowiak said that in addition to all of the problems with the FDA's recommended use of the RU-486 regimen, Planned Parenthood has gone even further. He pointed out that the August 2002 issue of the Alan Guttmacher Institute's Guttmacher Report on Public Policy details the deviations from the FDA protocol.
The article states, in part: “The medical standards for mifepristone abortion published by [the National Abortion Federation] and by [Planned Parenthood Federation of America] allow the low-dose regimen [of mifepristone] and in-home administration [of misoprostol], and such modifications [to FDA protocol] have become common practice.”
Szymkowiak said he hopes the Bush administration will see Patterson's death and those of other women — and the violations of FDA procedure that occurred in approving RU-486 — as reasons to take the abortion pill off the market.
The Church has taken a strong stand against RU-486 around the world and has worried about the dangers to mother and child alike.
When it was first approved in the United States, then Auxiliary Bishop William Lori of Washington, now bishop of Bridgeport, Conn., stated: “The traditional role of this government agency has been to protect Americans, to evaluate and approve safe drugs that heal and enhance life, not to approve drugs that take life. Not only that, RU-486 poses very serious physical risks for the women who take it to abort their children.”
In light of the Patterson tragedy, Szymkowiak said people need to remember that RU-486 was designed to kill.
“While it occasionally kills the mother and makes headlines,” he said, “it nearly always kills the child.”
Andrew Walther is based in Los Angeles.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Andrew Walther ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Filling in for Mother Teresa DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:Sister Nirmala Joshi, a Hindu convert of Nepali origin, has big shoes to fill.
She has headed the Missionaries of Charity congregation since March 1997, when she was chosen as the uperior general six months before the death of Mother Teresa, who founded the congregation. Sister Nirmala recently was re-elected as superior general for another six-year term.
Sister Nirmala spoke to Register correspondent Anto Akkara about the concerns of the Missionaries of Charity congregation and preparations for the Oct. 19 beatification of its founder.
How is your congregation getting ready for the Oct. 19 beatification of Mother Teresa?
We are preparing for the beatification of our mother, Mother Teresa, in a spirit of joy and thanksgiving, with much prayer and reflection on the charism entrusted by God to Mother and to each one of us.
Oct. 19 will be observed in all our convents around the world with holy Mass and other prayers. At a later date, the Archdiocese of Calcutta and many of the dioceses where our convents are located will have their own thanksgiving celebrations.
We are also planning special treats for the children and people under our care.
Even the Communist government of West Bengal, the Indian state under which Calcutta falls, will join the beatification celebrations in Calcutta. Can you elaborate on the interest the non-Christian public is showing in Mother Teresa's beatification?
Since Mother was mother not only to the Christian people but also to all, regardless of religion, creed or nationality, her children everywhere are eager to express their joy at the recognition being given to the mother.
Some of the ways in which they are sharing in the joy are by prayer, song, music, exhibitions and treats for the poor, sick and suffering.
Recently your congregation won copyright protection for “Mother Teresa” and the congregation logo. Some have criticized this action, saying that saints are “universal property” of the Church and cannot be “reserved” for a congregation. How do you respond to this?
Mother had expressed on a number of occasions her wish that her name not be used by individuals or organizations without permission.
We have obtained a copyright for our logo and are seeking ways to protect Mother's name. It's our duty to ensure that the use of the logo and Mother's name does not conflict with Mother's firmly held principles and religious beliefs.
Mother Teresa had a keen desire to open a home in China. Have you been able to realize that dream?
We have houses in Hong Kong and Macau that have become a part of China. However, we do not yet have any house in mainland China, which was Mother's real dream. We are sure that Mother is praying much for this intention.
What is the present strength of the congregation — the number of “tabernacles,” as the Mother called the homes, and the number of countries you are in now?
At present, we are at about 4,500 sisters in 710 “tabernacles” in 132 countries.
You have been re-elected the Missionaries of Charity superior general for another term. What are your goals and targets for the coming years? Are you trying to bring in steps to make the Missionaries of Charity mission more effective?
‘Our goal is holiness for ourselves and for the people we serve.’
Our goal is holiness for ourselves and for the people we serve. We want to make the love of God real in our own lives and in the lives of all we come in contact with — our co-workers, volunteers, benefactors and the poorest of the poor.
Rather than introducing changes to the congregation, we have been trying to nurture, develop and deepen what our Mother started. More and more our sisters are receiving training in spirituality, medical work and in the care of the handicapped so we can give wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor, making even better use of our God-given talents and resources.
You belong to the contemplative wing of the congregation. Is this wing growing stronger now? Could you elaborate more on the present structure of the congregation, including the Missionaries of Charity brothers and fathers?
By the grace of God, the contemplative branch of the Missionaries of Charity is growing.
The Missionaries of Charity family now includes the active and contemplative sisters and brothers, the fathers and the Corpus Christi Movement for Priests — a movement that seeks sanctification of priests in their ministry through prayer, fraternity and joyful living of their priestly ministry in union with their bishops and in spirit of the Missionaries of Charity.
We also have our co-workers, persons of all faiths and nationalities who wish to share in our service to the poorest of the poor spiritually or actively. The Lay Missionaries of Charity are Catholics, married or single, who, after undergoing formation under the direction of a priest, take vows.
Anto Akkara is based in New Delhi, India.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Anto Akkara ----- KEYWORDS: Inperson -------- TITLE: Catholic Event Co-Hosted by Kennedy Draws Protest From Pro-Lifers DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:WASHINGTON — Inviting Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., to co-host a fund-raiser for inner-city Catholic schools? For a small band of pro-life Catholics protesting the event, it just didn't make any sense.
“I heard that Mr. Kennedy was going to be held up as a role model. I found that to be very disturbing based on his positions that run counter to Catholic social teaching, including abortion and special homosexual rights,” said Janet Baker, who organized the Sept. 17 protest.
The event, dubbed the Annual Boehner-Kennedy Dinner, raised money for the 13 inner-city Catholic schools in Washington, D.C., known as the Center City Consortium.
Ohio Congressman John Boeh-ner, a pro-life Catholic Republican, also co-hosted the dinner, which was held at the Capital Hilton just a few blocks from the White House.
Tim Russert, host of NBC's “Meet the Press,” also gave a speech at the dinner and actor/comedian Bill Cosby provided a comedy act.
Baker noted that the Kennedy invitation came only months after the Vatican released a doctrinal note regarding Catholic politicians titled, “The Participation of Catholics in Political Life.”
In the document, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith states: “[T]hose who are directly involved in lawmaking bodies have a grave and clear obligation to oppose [emphasis in original] any law that attacks human life. For them, as for every Catholic, it is impossible to promote such laws or to vote for them.”
Kennedy, a Catholic, has consistently supported abortion. He voted against banning partial-birth abortion andt voted for a rider to the bill endorsing the Roe v. Wade decision.
“Holding up such a man in honor is contrary to everything that the Pope has said to do to uphold the sanctity of human life,” Baker said.
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, D.C., spoke with some of the protesters before attending the dinner.
Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for Cardinal McCarrick, said it wasn't the Archdiocese of Washington that invited Kennedy.
“Education is one of Boehner's top issues,” Gibbs said. “He was given a video about the Center City Consortium. After seeing the video, he apparently decided that he wanted to do something to help the kids.”
She noted that Boehner, who chairs the House Education Committee, attended Catholic schools from kindergarten all the way through college, when he attended Xavier University in Cincinnati.
“He approached Ted Kennedy, who co-sponsored the No Child Left Behind Act with him. Boehner and Kennedy put this dinner together. It's their dinner,” Gibbs said.
She noted that the Archdiocese of New York holds an annual Al Smith Dinner where politicians of all stripes come to raise money for Catholic hospitals.
In 2000, both major party candidates for president, Texas Gov. George Bush and Vice President Al Gore, attended the Smith Dinner. Gore supports abortion and opposes school vouchers.
Voucher Issue
Kennedy also opposes school vouchers. He is expected to try to filibuster a bill that would allow vouchers to underprivileged students in Washington, D.C., which would be valid in private or parochial schools.
Gibbs also said the money raised for the schools will enable inner-city children, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, to be exposed to Catholic social teachings.
“These kids are going to get the pro-life message for the next eight to 12 years, which some of them would not likely hear elsewhere,” Gibbs said. “Our priority as a pro-life Church is to take care of the people before they are born, when they are in school and throughout their lives.”
Steve Forde, spokesman for Boehner, said the purpose of the fund-raiser was simply to help a good cause.
“It was to raise money for 13 Catholic schools,” Forde said. “It raised in excess of $700,000. It was wildly successful.”
The money will be used to buy textbooks and improve plumbing and wiring of older buildings.
“This wasn't a fund-raiser for NOW [National Organization for Women],” Forde said. “It was for inner-city students who now have the opportunity to go to Catholic elementary schools — an opportunity that they didn't have before this dinner.”
Michael Smith, a spokesman for the Consortium, said the event's goal was to set politics aside and raise money for children in need.
“Our motto was, ‘Check your politics at the door.’ You saw business and labor in the same room supporting the same thing,” Smith said.
He said the Consortium would begin planning soon for next year's Annual Boehner-Kennedy Dinner.
“We want this to be an ongoing event like the Al Smith Dinner in New York,” Smith said.
He said he couldn't understand why people would protest the event.
“Here we have Congressman Boehner and Sen. Kennedy having a dinner to help these children in Catholic schools. I'm stunned that anyone could be opposed to that,” he said.
But Father Peter West, a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., where Cardinal McCarrick was archbishop until 2001, said it was still wrong to have Kennedy as a co-host.
“It doesn't matter who did the inviting. Kennedy is the co-host,” said Father West, who is associated with Priests for Life but pointed out that he was at the protest as an individual, not with the organization.
Joshua Mercer writes from Washington, D.C.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joshua Mercer ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:Modesty in Canada
The code forbids boys from wearing muscle shirts and baggy, slide-down-the-rear-end pants favored by hip-hop singers. Girls are banned from wearing revealing tops and spaghetti straps, Saskatoon's Star Phoenix reported.
In the first week of the new dress code, some students rebelled, wearing even more outrageous clothes, the paper reported, but things have settled down since then.
Strathcona student Deanna Thomas, 16, stood up for the new code.
“There are a lot of girls who dress inappropriately, who have their thongs sticking out of their pants and they have to walk up the stairs holding up their pants,” she said.
A nearby junior high, Father Michael Troy School, recently became the first Catholic school in the province to impose such a dress code.
“The kids come from very different backgrounds, from those quite wealthy to those quite needy,” said principal Helen Matsuba. “This will be an equalizer among the kids and they won't be judged by what they are wearing.”
Anti-Defamation League Spreading Poison?
CATHOLIC LEAGUE, Sept. 18 — The flap continues against Mel Gibson's still-unfinished film version of the Gospel account of Jesus' death, The Passion, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights reported.
The group noted that in the Sept. 18 Jewish Week, Anti-Defamation League director Abraham Foxman accused Gibson of being anti-Semitic for criticizing the Anti-Defamation League's campaign against him and his film, and for Gibson's statement that “modern secular Judaism wants to blame the Holocaust on the Catholic Church.”
Foxman called this statement “classic anti-Semitism.”
Catholic League president William Donohue criticized Foxman for “seeking to poison relations between Catholics and Jews.”
Donahue noted: “It is no secret that extremely secular Jews have teamed up with profoundly alienated Catholics to blame the Catholic Church for the Holocaust. Quite frankly, most Catholics are fed up with the lies.”
Priests Vote to Create Lobby Group
The paper reported that specifics of the priests' alliance structure and intentions had not yet been decided. However, the very existence of the group would make Milwaukee one of only a few dioceses in the United States with such an organization.
Father Kenneth Mich, one of 14 organizers, invited more than 400 diocesan priests to attend a “sharing session” conducted by a “professional facilitator,” the paper reported.
Some 80 priests showed up and voted to form the new group.
Father Mich said some issues the group would address included priest shortages, proposals for optional celibacy and religious instruction for public-school children.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Detroit Catholics Call 'Foul': Letters of Protest Go Unheard by Archdiocese DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:DETROIT — When Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, met with Catholic leaders in early September, he said bishops need to learn from the scandals to take lay opinion seriously.
Lay Catholics in Detroit are wondering what more they need to do to have their opinions heard after protesting a Sept. 13 event held at the University of Detroit Mercy's Ward Conference Center. They say their protests received no response from either the university or the archbishop's office.
The daylong conference, “Women of Conscience: What Does Healthy Dissent in the Church Look Like?” was promoted by Call to Action and sponsored by the Chicago-based National Coalition of American Nuns. The coalition is a group that has publicly chastised the Vatican, advocated for the ordination of women and has supported unrestricted access to abortion.
The conference's speakers represented a potpourri of the country's leading Catholic dissenting feminists. They included Anita Caspary, Agnes Monsour and Christine Vladimiroff, women who have a history of advocating dissenting positions on matters of Catholic faith and morals, and who have been subject to discipline by the Holy See for their dissent and disobedience.
At the end of August, letters, faxes and e-mails from concerned Catholics were sent to Cardinal Adam Maida's office and to University of Detroit Mercy president Sister Maureen Fay in protest of the conference's presence at a Catholic institution.
After notice of the conference appeared on the Web log sites of Father Rob Johansen, Catholic psychologist Gregory Popcak and Catholic writer Mark Shea, many additional letters and e-mails were sent to Cardinal Maida and Sister Fay. The Register received copies of more than 20 letters that were sent to the diocese and university prior to the conference.
However, no actions were taken and the conference went on as scheduled.
At the conference, members of the coalition elected Sister Jeanine Grammick, Sister Beth Rindler and Sister Donna Quinn as the organization's new executive team.
The Vatican suspended Sister Grammick's outreach to homosexuals in 1999. Sister Rindler began an underground women's Eucharist group in 1991 — a group that meets monthly to celebrate Mass without an ordained male priest. Sister Quinn is the co-founder of Women-Church Convergence, a coalition of 32 feminist groups committed to a participatory, egalitarian and self-governing model of church.
“The speakers are women of conscience,” Sister Rindler said. “They were led by God, you might say. Healthy dissent means you don't do something just because somebody else says so.”
Asked whether St. Thomas Aquinas' description of heresy in the Church as gangrene might apply to their actions, Sister Rindler responded, “Hitler was able to do what he did because people followed. I don't think it's always the wisest thing to just follow a so-called leader.”
The conference was originally scheduled to take place at Madonna University in Livonia, Mich. Lay Catholics such as Pamela Gesund of West Bloomfield, Mich., wrote to Madonna president Sister Rose Marie Kujawa in June to protest the conference taking place at a Catholic university.
“Sister Kujawa explained that the scheduling of the event had taken place through their dining room but said she would take the matter into her hands,” Gesund said. “It was eventually canceled. We didn't find out until late August that it would be held at University of Detroit Mercy.”
Gesund was one of the local Catholics who contacted both the university and Cardinal Maida's office.
“Nothing happened,” she said. “That's what is so frustrating. I don't understand the silence in the face of public scandal. The shenanigans that go on are the direct result of the silence from the leaders of our Church.”
Cardinal Maida could not be reached for comment. Ned McGrath, director of communications for the archdiocese, said the archdiocese was unaware of the conference.
“We didn't have any knowledge of it aside from a notice of it in the diocesan newspaper,” McGrath said.
“The conference wasn't sponsored or endorsed by the archdiocese,” McGrath added. “It was an independent free-standing organization that met on the campus of University of Detroit Mercy. People have the right of assembly.”
McGrath would not comment on how many letters or e-mails the archdiocese received.
“We receive calls on all sorts of things,” McGrath said. “If they are from people within the diocese, we deal with them as best we can. They are responded to on a case-by-case basis. If they come in as part of an organized effort, we handle them as such.”
University president Sister Fay did not respond to Register inquiries.
“The communications department has received no phone calls or e-mails regarding the event,” said Gary Lichtman, media director for the University of Detroit Mercy. “If there were people who had comments, this is the first we've heard of these people. I cannot speak for the president or anyone else.”
“We did not sponsor or promote this event. It is not our event and nor did we participate in any way,” Lichtman added. “The conference was held in a banquet room of the conference center. The conference center is run by Sodexho, a separate entity that is hired by the university.”
The rental policy for the conference center states that the university “reserves the right of refusal for any group,” but Lichtman could not say whether the university had refused to rent the conference center to any groups in the past.
On his Web log, Father Johansen, a priest who serves in St. Joseph, Mich., compared the phrase “healthy dissent” in the conference's title to cancer.
“To ask the question, ‘What does healthy dissent look like in the Church?’ is inane,” Father Johansen said. “It is like asking, ‘What does a healthy tumor look like in the brain?’ There is no such thing because it takes a decided, settled position in opposition to the defined faith or discipline of the Church.”
Another concerned lay Catholic found another way to protest. Mary Ann Hart of Southfield, Mich., sent letters via e-mail and regular mail to Cardinal Maida. While she has not yet had the opportunity to draft a letter to the university, she looks forward to doing so.
“As a University of Detroit alum,” Hart said, “I very much wish to explain to Sister Fay why my donations are going to Ave Maria University and Campion College instead of my alma mater.”
Tim Drake writes from St. Cloud, Minnesota.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Tim Drake ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: New Findings Question Portrayal of Pope Pius XII as 'Hitler's Pope' DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:St. LOUIS — The perception that Pope Pius XII was a man who aided and abetted Hitler's Holocaust through inaction and indifference might be changing, thanks in part to the accidental discovery of high-level diplomatic correspondence that portrays the Pope as vehemently anti-Hitler.
“The idea of Pope Pius XII as ‘Hitler's Pope’ has become lodged in the public mind-set, but I'm not sure it's an accurate legacy,” said Charles Gallagher, a Jesuit scholastic and historian at St. Louis University.
Gallagher, 38, grabbed international headlines in August for digging up two unpublished documents that call into question the portrayal of Pius XII as a leader who stood idly by as Hitler exterminated millions of Jews and thousands of Catholics during World War II. In fact, Gallagher's research shows that Pius XII distrusted Hitler and believed he was a wicked scoundrel.
“Ultimately, as more documentation is uncovered over time, the record may show that the condemnation of Hitler by Pope Pius XII was more intense than is indicated even in the official documentation that has been released by the Vatican pertaining to this debate,” Gallagher told the Register.
While researching another topic, Gallagher, who is studying for the priesthood, found a confidential memorandum written in April 1938 by Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli — the Vatican's secretary of state at the time who would become pope the following year. Gallagher found the memo among the diplomatic papers of Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy, father of President John F. Kennedy, at the Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston.
Cardinal Pacelli's memorandum was written to the senior Kennedy, who at the time was serving as ambassador to Great Britain. In it, Cardinal Pacelli said a compromise with Hitler should be “out of the question,” and he further condemns the Nazis by explaining that the regime was lacking any “evidence of good faith.” The memo said the Church “at times felt powerless and isolated in its daily struggle against all sorts of political excesses from the Bolsheviks to the new pagans arising among the young Aryan generation.”
Cardinal Pacelli's memorandum goes on to explain that his concerns about Hitler reflect his personal views, which he invited Ambassador Kennedy to share with his “friend at home” — likely,
Gallagher explained, a reference to Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Additional Evidence
At Harvard University, Gallagher recently turned up additional evidence that Pius XII had disdain for Hitler. In a memorandum filed in 1939, shortly after Cardinal Pacelli was made Pope, Alfred Klieforth, U.S. consul general at the time, described a conversation he had with Cardinal Pacelli two years earlier.
“His views, while they are well known, surprised me by their extremeness,” Klieforth wrote. “He said that he opposed unalterably every compromise with National Socialism. He regarded Hitler not only as an untrustworthy scoundrel but also as a fundamentally wicked person. He did not believe Hitler capable of moderation.”
Historians have commented that Gallagher's discoveries support other arguments and evidence that Pius XII was far from being the Nazi sympathizer authors such as John Cornwell, who wrote Hitler's Pope, have portrayed him to be.
J. Michael Phayer, professor emeritus of history at Marquette University, told the Los Angeles Times it has long been argued that Pius XII disliked Hitler and considered him evil.
“But we have never had that in words before. We now know he's already formed his opinions clear back in 1937 while he was still secretary of state,” Phayer said, explaining the magnitude of Gallagher's findings.
Still Not Moved
It would take quite a bit more than what Gallagher found, however, to convince the most outspoken critics of Pius XII that he bears little or no responsibility for aiding Hitler. Cornwell, for example, told The Independent newspaper in London that Gallagher's findings change nothing.
Cornwell asserted that Gallagher's discovery might be part of a “Vatican campaign,” adding: “This sort of thing is fairly typical of people who are trying to reinstate Pius XII in the affections of the Catholic Church, which is not an easy task.”
Other critics say Pius XII's personal views about Hitler ring hollow when held up against the Pope's foreign policy toward Hitler's regime.
Aaron Breitbart, a senior researcher at the Simon Wiesenthal Center — an international Jewish human-rights organization in Los Angeles — acknowledges that Hitler implored Italian Catholics to defend Jews. However, Breitbart believes the Pope was willing to take such a stand only when it was clear that Hitler was losing the war.
Breitbart insists he has never viewed Pius XII as pro-Hitler or anti-Semitic in any way. However, he said Hitler's rise to power was bolstered when Cardinal Pacelli, as secretary of state, signed the Concordat in 1933 — an agreement that granted freedom of practice to the Catholic Church in Germany. In return for that freedom, as was done in concordats with various other governments, the Church agreed to separate religion from politics.
“Pope Pius XII, while serving as the Vatican's secretary of state, was the primary compromiser who allowed Hitler to operate without opposition from the Church in Germany,” Breitbart argued. “That agreement made him the primary and the first major compromiser with Hitler whether he understood that at the time or not.”
Breitbart also argues that Pius XII showed weak leadership skills by failing to excommunicate Hitler and SS leader Heinrich Himmler, who were Catholic. That would have sent a strong message to the Germans, he said, adding that the Nazis were “subject to public opinion and they feared public opposition.”
“There were many, many great Catholics who gave their lives and did wonderful things for the Jewish people during the Holocaust, “ Breitbart said. “I simply don't consider Pope Pius XII as one of them.”
Gallagher said he holds tremendous respect for Breitbart's research and scholarship. But critics of Pius XII's foreign policy don't always take into account the potentially lethal ramifications that could have resulted from aggravating Hitler at the height of World War II, he said. One wrong move, Gallagher explained, and Hitler might have killed even more Christians and Jews.
Though press reports have suggested Gallagher's findings could ease concerns about canonizing Pius XII, Gallagher thinks that's a stretch.
“I think these documents bear no weight on the issue of canonization,” he said of his findings. “But they do go some way in dispelling the impression that this Pope was a pawn of Hitler.”
Wayne Laugesen writes from Boulder, Colorado.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Wayne Laugesen ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:Jude Law Next as Pope?
The 32-year-old actor is reportedly in negotiations with the Mediaset group — owned by Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi — to play Karol Wotyjla as a young priest in Poland.
The two-part television movie will begin production in early 2004, shooting in and near the Pope's native Krakow.
The Pope Blesses Whom Others Curse
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sept. 18 — They're often enough the object of curses and abuse, but Pope John Paul II has worn their shoes, and he stands in solidarity with them: the soccer referees of Italy.
Himself a former goalkeeper, the Holy Father blessed the Italian football referees, including top international referee Pierluigi Collina, at his general audience Sept. 17, according to the AP.
John Paul told the referees that the sport should be “inspired by ethical and spiritual values.”
Vatican Reporter Handicaps Cardinals
Before the cardinals gather, the paper reported, the Sistine Chapel will be swept for electronic listening devices. The paper noted that the Pope has also done a great deal to shape the sacred College of Cardinals that will elect the next pope — appointing 104 of the 109 men who will be eligible to vote.
However, that doesn't mean the next pope will be exactly like this one, observed John Allen, Vatican correspondent for CNN and The National Catholic Reporter, quoted by The Plain Dealer.
“We do not get clones of the sitting pope as his successor,” Allen said. “Historians will tell you this is the pendulum dynamic. The Italians … say, ‘You follow a fat pope with a thin one.’”
Allen spoke at a press conference promoting his book, Conclave: The Politics, Personalities and Process of the Next Papal Election. He suggested that many cardinals are looking to the developing world when they (discreetly) consider the ailing John Paul's successor.
The cardinals also understand they need someone who is charismatic, with deep personal holiness and a command of front-burner issues, Allen said.
Allen pointed to four cardinals whose chances he found intriguing: Claudio Hummes of Brazil, Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez of the Dominican Republic, Godfried Danneels of Belgium and Ukrainian Lubomyr Husar.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: God Has Crowned Us With His Grandeur DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:Register Summary
Pope John Paul II was unable to personally attend his general audience on Sept. 24 due to an intestinal ailment. Instead, he asked Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican secretary of state, to read the message the Pope had prepared for the occasion while he followed the proceedings from his room in Castel Gandolfo by television. At the end of the audience, the Holy Father addressed a few words to the pilgrims and gave them his blessing via a satellite link.
John Paul's catechesis focused on Psalm 8 and marked the end of a long series of mediations on the 84 psalms and canticles that are used during morning prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. The Pope characterized Psalm 8 as a “shining example” among these many psalms and canticles. Although man might feel like a speck of dust amid the immensity and grandeur of God's creation, he said, God has looked down upon man and has crowned him as his viceroy over creation.
“He entrusts the entire universe to this frail creature,” the Holy Father noted, “so that he might draw knowledge and sustenance for his life from it.”
He pointed out that the author of the Letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament found a deeper understanding of God's plan for man in this psalm. Our vocation is not limited to this world, the Holy Father said, but extends to the world to come.
“The vocation of man is a ‘heavenly calling,’” he said. “God wants to ‘bring … many children’ to heavenly ‘glory.’ In order for God's plan to be accomplished, a ‘pioneer’ needed to map out the life in which man's vocation would find its principal and perfect fulfillment. This pioneer is Christ.”
Meditating on Psalm 8, a wonderful hymn of praise, we have come to the end of our long journey through the psalms and canticles that make up the heart of our morning prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. During this catechesis, we have reflected on 84 biblical prayers, attempting to emphasize first of all their spiritual depth without losing sight of their poetic beauty.
Indeed, the Bible invites us to begin our daily walk with a song that not only proclaims the wonders God has done and our response in faith but also celebrates them “with a skillful psalm” (see Psalm 47:8), that is, in a way that is beautiful, gives light and is pleasant and strong — all at the same time.
In fact, Psalm 8 is a shining example among them. Here, man, who is immersed in the darkness of the night, when the moon and the stars light up the immensity of the heavens (see verse 4), feels like a speck amid the infinite and boundless spaces that rise above him.
God's Grandeur
Two experiences emerge in Psalm 8. On one hand, the human person feels as though he is being crushed by the grandeur of creation, “the work of God's fingers” (see verse 4). This rather unusual expression is used in place of “the work of God's hands” (see verse 7), as though to point out that the Creator had sketched out a design or made an embroidery with the shining stars that are scattered through the immense universe.
On the other hand, however, God looks down upon man and crowns him as his viceroy: “Yet you have … crowned him with glory and honor” (see verse 6). As a matter of fact, he entrusts the entire universe to this frail creature so that he might draw knowledge and sustenance for his life from it (see verses 7-9).
This perspective on man's sovereignty over other creatures is clarified in a way that almost recalls the opening pages of Genesis: Flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, beasts of the field, birds of the air and fish of the sea are entrusted to man so that by giving them their names (see Genesis 19-20), he will discover creation's profound reality and respect it and transform it through his labor, thereby revealing it as a source of beauty and life. This psalm makes us aware of our greatness but also of our responsibility for creation (see Wisdom 9:3).
Christ the Pioneer
When reading Psalm 8, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews gained a deeper understanding of God's plan for man. Man's vocation cannot be limited to the present earthly world; by affirming that God has put all things at man's feet, the psalmist wishes to let us know that God also wants to make “the world to come” subject to him (Hebrews 2:5), “the unshakable Kingdom” (Hebrews 12:28). In short, the vocation of man is a “heavenly calling” (Hebrews 3:1). God wants to “bring … many children” to heavenly “glory” (Hebrews 2:10). In order for God's plan to be accomplished, a “pioneer” needed to map out the life (see Hebrews 2:10) in which man's vocation would find its principal and perfect fulfillment. This pioneer is Christ.
In this regard, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews observed that the expressions of this psalm apply to Christ in a special way, more than to any other man. Actually, the psalmist uses a verb meaning “to make a little less,” saying to God: “Yet you have made them a little less that than a god, crowned them with glory and honor” (see Psalm 8:6; Hebrews 2:6). For ordinary men, this verb is incorrect; they were not “made a little less” in regard to the angels since they never were above them. However, for Christ, the verb is correct because, as Son of God, he was above the angels and was abased when he became man, until being later crowned with glory in his resurrection. Thus, Christ has totally fulfilled the vocation of man and has fulfilled it, as the author makes clear, “for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9).
Crowned with Glory
In this regard, St. Ambrose comments on this psalm and applies it to us. He begins with the phrase that describes the “crowning” of man: “You … crowned them with glory and honor” (verse 6). He perceives in this glory the reward that the Lord has in store for us when we have overcome the trial of temptation.
Here is what this great Father of the Church had to say in his Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke: “The Lord has also crowned his chosen one with glory and magnificence. This God, who desires to distribute these crowns, allows temptations: Therefore, when you are tempted, know that a crown is being prepared for you. If you discard the struggle of martyrs, you also discard their crowns; if you discard their torments, you will also discard their blessedness” (IV, 41: Saemo 12, p. 330-333).
God is preparing that “crown of righteousness” for us (2 Timothy 4:8), with which he will reward our faithfulness to him, which has been demonstrated even in those times of turmoil that upset our hearts and minds. But he is always attentive to his chosen creatures and wants to see his divine “image” shining in them at all times (see Genesis 1:26), so they will be a sign of harmony, light and peace in the world.
(Register translation)
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: Silver Jubilee Celebrations Highlight Pope's October Schedule DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:If Vatican officials had their way, October would be 40 days long.
Pope John Paul II's official schedule for the month includes almost an entire week of festivities to mark the 25th anniversary of his papacy.
In addition to the bishops who are scheduled to be in Rome for their five-year “ad limina” visit, the Holy Father is expected to receive in separate audiences the Pontifical Committee of Historical Sciences on Oct. 30, 130 members of the General Chapter of the Redemptorists on Oct. 3 and members of the Knights of Columbus and the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre on Oct. 9 and 17, respectively.
Also on his agenda is a visit by the Anglican primate and Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, which was scheduled for Oct. 4.
In yet another audience-cum-speech, on Oct. 6 John Paul will receive the pilgrims who came to Rome for the preceding day's canonization ceremonies. Two weeks later, on the day after Mother Teresa's beatification, in a departure from the time-honored tradition of a papal audience for the pilgrims present for a beatification, a Mass will be celebrated in St. Peter's Square instead.
The Pope is also scheduled to receive 3,000 faithful from the diocese of Ozieri, Italy on Oct. 11 and 8,000 pilgrims who will be in the Eternal City to celebrate the centenary of St. Joseph of Cupertino on Oct. 25. On Oct. 24 he will preside at the annual Mass in St. Peter's Basilica for the students and faculty of Rome's ecclesiastical universities.
If you are just catching your breath (or have been holding it!), now comes the centerpiece for October: the celebrations marking the silver anniversary of John Paul's election to the papacy on Oct. 16, 1978.
All 164 members of the College of Cardinals are expected in Rome to celebrate this jubilee with the Holy Father, considering it a special occasion for one reason, if for no other: John Paul is just the fourth Pope in history to have reigned for 25 years. Only three popes have now reigned longer than John Paul: Leo XIII (25 years, five months), Pius IX (31 years, seven months and 21 days) and St. Peter (precise dates unknown).
At 5 p.m. on Oct. 15, the College of Cardinals — joined by patriarchs, the presidents of episcopal conferences and the heads of dicastery of the Roman Curia will gather in the New Synod Hall for the start of a four-day meeting, during which six cardinals will reflect on themes of great importance to the Church and ones that have been hallmarks of John Paul's papacy.
John Paul will participate in two of the sessions: On the morning of Oct. 16 he will sign and promulgate the postsynodal apostolic exhortation for the 2001 Synod of Bishops on the ministry of the bishop and address the assembly. He will also speak on Oct. 18 after the presentation of a message from the entire College of Cardinals. The cardinals and other ranking prelates will then join the Holy Father for lunch in the Vatican.
The culminating moment on the anniversary day, Oct. 16, will be an evening Mass in St. Peter's Square, where it is anticipated that tens of thousands of faithful will join the College of Cardinals, many of the world's bishops and members of the Roman Curia.
On Oct. 17, the College of Cardinals will meet again in the morning. At 6 p.m., in the presence of John Paul, there will be a concert in the Paul VI Hall offered by the Leipzig choir and orchestra who will perform Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Bruckner's ” Ecce Sacerdos Magnus.”
Though not part of the official celebrations for the Pope's silver jubilee, the Oct. 19 beatification of Mother Teresa is considered by many to be a highlight of the anniversary festivities — certainly for the Holy Father, who was linked to her by a long and close personal friendship.
Closing the calendar of celebratory events is an audience on Oct. 21 with the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, whose members will extend their best wishes to John Paul.
Not on any calendar but expected by everyone is the publication of the Holy Father's latest book, which he worked on during his summer vacation at Castel Gandolfo. Untitled at press time, it is expected to focus on the ministry of the bishop and gather some of the Pope's personal recollections of his years as a bishop, including those as Pope, the Bishop of Rome.
Does the Pope ever rest? his collaborators are asked. One answer seems to lie in his agenda for October. A second might be found in the words of Matthew 11: 28-30: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Joan Lewis works for Vatican Information Service.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joan Lewis ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: As Founder Is Canonized, Comboni Missionaries Continue Work in Sudan DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:SOUTHERN SUDAN — In the two-decades-long civil war that has devastated Sudan, one group that has been in the midst of serving and healing the people are the Comboni Missionaries.
But they are not the new kids on the block. Their founder, Blessed Daniele Comboni, traveled from his native Italy to Africa in 1857 and later became the first bishop of Sudan. At a time when Europeans and Arabs were still exploiting Africans through the slave trade, Comboni's vision was to “save Africa with Africans.”
Pope John Paul II was scheduled to canonize Blessed Daniele Comboni at the Vatican on Oct. 5. The Comboni Missionaries are so much a part of Sudan that the Sudanese consider Comboni to be one of their own, not a European.
“Comboni is their bishop,” said a priest who did not want to be identified. “They feel he is their saint and that the Sudanese Church is capable of producing holiness. It is a big celebration.”
But the celebration comes in the midst of continuing hardships. The civil war that began in 1982 pits Arab Muslims living in the North of Sudan against black Africans in the South, where many Christians reside. Two million people have perished and more than 4 million have been displaced. Countless numbers of children have been kidnapped, with many forced into fighting or slavery. Rape has not been uncommon.
Some observers, in fact, warn that if militant Islam triumphs over the Christian and animist peoples of Southern Sudan, it will spread quickly through the rest of the continent.
As it is, life is difficult for Christians living under radical, Islamic rule in the northeast African country.
“They try to make life unbearable for us,” said Comboni Father Giovanni Antonini, who spent 30 years in Sudan and is now living in Rome. “I was the provincial in Northern Sudan. Whenever I used to leave Khartoum, I had to inform the police. They made me sign six documents. Then they gave me permission, but not always.”
He said the last church to be built in Sudan was in 1969, and only after 13 years of begging.
“Christians are naturally discriminated against,” said another priest, who, like the other priest interviewed for this article, wished to remain anonymous. “If you want to get ahead, you become Muslim. And people do it. The government is very shrewd. First, they created a program where all children had to learn Arabic. Now, they must learn about Islam.”
Worldwide Mission
About 4,000 Comboni priests, religious brothers and sisters and lay missionaries work in 41 countries on five continents. They are in 16 African countries, including Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, another conflict-ridden country where 13 Combonis have lost their lives in recent years.
There are nearly 100 Comboni missionaries in Sudan. They had been expelled from the country in the 1960s but were eventually recalled to run Comboni College in Khartoum — a high school that is considered one of the best in the nation.
“Many important people in the country studied there,” said Father Justo Lacunza, president of the Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies in Rome. “Interestingly enough, the majority of students are Muslim.”
In the North, the Combonis focus on helping the massive numbers of displaced people. They operate multipurpose centers that offer adult education, family counseling and courses to help Southerners adapt to urban life.
In the South, they live in areas not under government control and operate schools and health care centers. Because so many people are displaced even within the South, the Combonis try to help them with farming.
In almost all Comboni missionary centers, the majority of staff are Africans. That would be in line with the vision of Blessed Daniele Comboni.
“He had the idea of establishing centers of evangelization all around Africa,” Father Antonini said, “with schools, universities and hospitals so that Africans could eventually take over.”
But slavery is still a reality on the continent. In the Sudanese conflict, tribal militias were established in the 1980s to fight against guerrillas in the South.
“The government asked them to do their dirty work, but they never got paid,” Father Antonini said. “So they pay themselves with slaves: boys and girls.” Sometimes these children are sold to other Arab nations.
In Northern Sudan, the Catholic Church quietly deals with the issue. Among other things, it tries to reunite families.
Solutions
It is hoped current negotiations between the government and Southern rebels will lead to a peace agreement, but if it doesn't, a U.S. law will “kick in,” said Nina Shea, director of the Center for Religious Freedom at Freedom House in Washington, D.C.
The Sudan Peace Act, passed in 1999, enables the U.S. president to sanction the party acting in bad faith against peace negotiations. In this case, according to Shea, it could mean the United States would begin giving nonmilitary support to forces in the South.
But one priest working in Sudan said pessimistically: “They keep meeting and talking about progress, and the years pass.”
“There is some outside pressure on the government to come to terms with the South, but the pressure is not strong enough,” he said.
He believes this pressure must come from the United States and Europe.
“The United States is too interested in its own business,” he said. “The Sudanese government handed over some wanted terrorists, so the United States took pressure off of them.”
He believes it was because of this that the United Nations recently took away a special observer on human rights from Sudan.
Shea disagrees, arguing it was due to successful lobbying by Khartoum.
Nevertheless, the Comboni missionaries hope the canonization of their founder will focus the world's attention on the region and its sufferings.
As well, Father Antonini believes Sudan will play an important role in the history of Catholicism and Islam in Africa.
“The Sudanese Christians are different from Christians in other Arab countries,” he said. “They are aware of their rights and dignity. They have pride in themselves and want to be treated fairly.”
Within the Comboni schools in Sudan there are Christians, Muslims, Jews and Hindus. “I never had a problem with their living and studying together,” Father Antonini said. “We taught respect for the person because we see the image of Christ in everyone. Our activities are always centered on the value of every single human being.”
Sabrina Arena Ferrisi is based in Rome.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Sabrina Arena Ferrisi ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:Chaldean Catholics Left Out In Iraq
INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC NEWS, Sept. 17 — The 19 Chaldean Catholic bishops of occupied Iraq have called on U.S. administrator Paul Bremer to insist that Catholics be included in any new government of that country.
The provisional government council, appointed by the United States, includes representatives of every other major religious and ethnic group — but not Chaldean Catholics, Independent Catholic News reported.
The bishops noted that Chaldeans are the third-largest ethnic group in the country — after the much more numerous Arabs and Kurds — and that they represent one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, speaking Aramaic, the language of Jesus. The council does have an Assyrian Christian among its 25 members, but the bishops warned that the minimal Christian presence in the nascent government could push Iraq in the direction of becoming a radical Islamic state.
One Chaldean bishop, Shlemon Warduni of Baghdad, complained to the Italian magazine Famiglia Cristiana that U.S. occupiers have shown little respect for Iraqis' culture or well-being. He called life in that country “unlivable,” pointing to the lack of drinking water, gas and electricity.
“A single day's blackout in New York mobilized everyone,” the bishop noted, “but nobody is concerned after five months without energy in Baghdad.”
Christians Welcome Peace in Moluccas
FIDES, Sept. 17 — Peace is returning to the Indonesian Moluccas Islands after months of bloody fighting between Christian and Islamic militias, Bishop Petrus Mandagi of Amboina told Fides, the Vatican missionary news service.
“The Moluccas are starting a new life,” he said. “There is a new atmosphere of confidence and hope. People realize that no good can come of conflict and violence. I am confident that a lasting peace agreement will soon be reached.”
The Indonesian government recently lifted a state of emergency, which had lasted almost three years in the war-torn region. It had been imposed after attacks by Islamic zealots from the Lakar Jihad Islamic fundamentalist group, Fides said. Fighting left some 15,000 people dead and 500,000 homeless.
Bishop Mandagi warned that outside forces promoting Islamic fundamentalism stood ready to re-ignite the conflict and must be restrained by the Indonesian government.
Pacific Priests Call for Justice
MISSIONARY NEWS SERVICE, Sept. 19 — Priests of the Solomon Islands have asked the government of that archipelago to re-establish law and order and punish insurgents, Missionary News Service reported.
Before the arrival of Australian-led peacekeeping forces, the Islands were the scene of widespread political violence, ranging from abductions to killings. Victims included Salesian Father Augustine Geve.
Some 22 priests met from Sept. 16-18, conferring with police and other authorities, before issuing a formal call for justice to be done.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: The New Cardinals DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:It was widely reported that this was Pope John Paul II's “last chance” to influence the election of his successor. For the last 10 years every time the Pope has announced new cardinals it has been reported that way. This time, though, the Sept. 28 announcement that 31 new cardinals would be made at an Oct. 21 consistory did have a certain valedictory feel. What is the significance of the names on the list of 31? We asked our former Rome correspondent Father Raymond J. de Souza for an overview.
Curia cardinals. There are some Vatican dicasteries (departments of the Curia) that are always headed by a cardinal, and the new occupants of those positions are on the list, as is customary.
But John Paul also chose several long-serving department heads whom he had previously passed over: Archbishop Julian Herranz (canon law), Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragan (health care) and Archbishop Stephen Fumio Hamao (migrants).
Most notable among the Vatican appointments was that of Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, popularly known as the Holy See's foreign minister. Vatican rules normally prohibit one cardinal from reporting to another, and so Tauran, who reports to Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano, would normally not be eligible.
Clearly the Holy Father did not want to wait before honoring him — or the Pope's 82-year-old personal theologian, Father Georges Cottier.
The new Vatican cardinals seemed to indicate just what the media reports emphasized, namely that John Paul did not want to wait until next time to honor some of his long-serving collaborators.
Archdiocesan cardinals. The residential archbishops elevated to the College of Cardinals were, for the most part, heads of archdioceses normally led by a cardinal. Archbishop Justin Rigali, newly appointed to Philadelphia and a longtime papal friend, would fit that category, as would the new cardinals from Venice, Marseille, Florence, Genoa, Seville, Rio de Janeiro, Guatemala and Lyon.
Notable on the list by his absence was Archbishop Sean O'Malley of Boston. His omission highlights a delicate problem left over from Cardinal Bernard Law's resignation as archbishop of Boston but not from the College of Cardinals. Had John Paul appointed O'Malley, Boston would have ended up with two voting-age cardinals — a rather odd outcome after the scandals. How that issue will be resolved will have to wait for another time.
The Church suffering. The creation of cardinals in Lagos (Nigeria), Khartoum (Sudan) and Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) was a sign that the martyr's red of the cardinal robes is not merely symbolic. In places where the Church is persecuted, the appointment of a cardinal is a consoling sign of unity with the Church universal.
Breaking the mold? Whenever the Pope announces new cardinals, it is said that he is choosing men in “his own mold” — which in the secular press simply means that they are faithful to orthodox Catholic teaching. But in fact there are not so many men around who are “in the mold” of Pope John Paul II. Sydney Archbishop George Pell and Quebec Archbishop Marc Ouellet are two.
Archbishop Pell, who heads up an important international commission on English-language translations of the liturgy, will likely inherit the mantle of the late Cardinal John O'Connor for the English-speaking world. He speaks with candor and clarity, and to the extent that Catholicism in the English-speaking world needs an injection of muscular confidence, Archbishop Pell — “the Thunder from Down Under” — is the man.
Archbishop Ouellet is a true scholar — less than three years ago he was a professor working at the John Paul II Institute in Rome. Scholar-bishops are critically necessary to articulate the ancient truths of the faith in a (frequently hostile) secular environment.
A valedictory? One never knows, especially with this Pope. But old debts of gratitude were paid, solicitude for the suffering Churches was shown, and at least two new superstars were identified. And on top of everything, it surprised many. Typical John Paul II.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: Letters DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:The Bible Is Mum on Astronomy
I read with interest “Man of the Church: Challenging the Galileo Myth” (Sept. 21-27). There is another myth associated with Galileo that I have yet to see challenged, one that seems to have less substantiation, yet meets with almost universal acceptance — and one that may be even more damaging to the Church. [I am speaking of the myth] that, as your article mentions, “certain passages of Scripture seemed to agree” with the geocentric theory, and that, therefore, the Church might have to “reinterpret Scripture accordingly.”
I have read the Bible cover to cover five times and have yet to discover these supposed passages that lend support to the geocentric theory (or the heliocentric theory, or any theory for that matter). What are these passages? Is it that the sun “moves” across the sky? Do not our poets yet speak of the sun's course across the sky? And should the American Meteorological Society be held to task for day in and day out permitting its weathermen to speak authoritatively of the time the sun “rises” and “sets”?
A measure of common sense the size of a mustard seed would tell us that, if by some miracle the sun were to reach its apex at midday over New York City and then remain there for however many hours (as it did for Joshua to complete his battle), the morning papers would invariably report that “the sun stopped in the sky.” This is how we speak of the sun in relation to ourselves, and this is how we will always speak of the sun's movement and time's passing in relation to ourselves (whatever the prevailing theory of science might be), and so this is the way Scripture speaks of it.
The word of God is truth itself, and so it is absolute absurdity to enter into question of its truth; in a word, it rises well above the level of science and cannot be judged by its limited terms. Man cannot judge the God who has made him. Yet license for such “scholarly” work is repeatedly justified by pointing to Galileo and the inconsequential theory of a heliocentric universe.
Please, let us put this other myth to rest. The Bible is not geocentric or heliocentric. It is Christocentric and speaks authoritatively (as he has and does) on all matters under the sun.
On a separate note, as a monk-like, never-been-married forty-something, I just wanted to say how engaging I find Danielle Bean's descriptions of a mother's life. I should like to read a book-length account, say, “A Year in the Life of a Mother,” wherein she could offer short diary entries for each day of a particular year….
While I'm at it, let me also say that I find Don DeMarco's writing consistently of the best quality.
JAMES KURT Jersey City, New Jersey
Chinese Martyrs Clarified
A clarification is needed on the icon of the Chinese martyrs pictured for Tim Drake's Inperson interview with Debra Wang, “China Is Still Missionary Territory” (Aug. 31-Sept. 6).
The image shown is not an icon of the 120 Chinese Catholic martyrs who were canonized by Pope John Paul II on Oct. 1, 2000. It is actually an icon of 222 Chinese Eastern Orthodox martyrs who were killed during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. These Chinese Orthodox martyrs were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1902. Their feast day on the Orthodox liturgical calendar is June 11.
An Orthodox church is depicted on the upper-left-hand side of the icon. One of the martyrs, St. Mitrophan Tsi-Chung, depicted at the front of the icon, is dressed in the liturgical vestments of an Orthodox priest.
GUSTAVO LOPEZ Oxnard, California
‘No Easy Answers’ on Married Priests
Regarding “In Media Letter, Priests Call for Optional Celibacy” (Aug. 31-Sept. 6):
Several things need to be noted. Popes were married for how long? What caused the rift between the eastern and western Church? Celibacy? Right! It is a practice that is now beyond its time to be reconsidered.
In the eastern Church, celibacy is optional and adheres to canon laws requiring a cleric to remain in his state at the times of the bestowal of holy orders. Most are married men. There are a few sex scandals. No one would even attempt to hide them from public view but would throw the bum out and call the police, say our prayers and get one with the work of the Church.
Men do not go into a vocation because the work is very hard and we live in a society that no longer values hard work and long hours. Giving oneself to Jesus or to the fellow man does not work well in capitalism. There is your correlation with low entrance to the priesthood.
For years I was a married Orthodox priest. Sixteen hours a day were normal. Getting up at odd hours to hold the hand of one dying happened often. My wife tired of the work and its moving from parish to parish. We retired from pastoral ministry and joined the Roman [Catholic] Church without seeking faculties.
Celibacy is often good for the work and destructive on marriages. It appears a married priest has fewer occasions of sin. On the other hand, it costs the parish to house, feed, clothe and insure a family. There are no easy answers to this question.
Beyond celibacy is the arena of vows. When I see God I know my vows have been kept. To the celibate priest I would wish the same.
REV. WILLIAM SCHILLEREFF Salt Lake City, Utah
Thank You Times Two
Abundant thanks for two recent items in your superb publication: the article “Grieving Parents' Morning Light” (Prolife Profile, Sept. 14-20) and the column “Prayers for Jacinta” (Spirit & Life, Sept. 21-27).
I was thrilled to read about the Morning Light Ministry since I, too, had little support after the stillbirth of our son Loren in 1999, due to anencephaly. I started a pro-life Internet support group, Anencephaly Blessings from Above, groups.yahoo.com/group/anencephalybless-ingsfromabove, which now has more than 200 members. In time, it became apparent that many moms who aborted their anencephalic babies and deeply regretted it needed unique support of their own, so I started another group called Anencephaly Support groups.yahoo.com/group/Anencephaly_ Support, particular to their needs. I eventually handed the reins over to new list leaders and both groups continue to thrive while providing information, encouragement and support to bereaved parents.
Another site worth visiting for those whose baby has received a fatal diagnosis pre-natally is Carrying to Term at www.geoci ties.com/tabris02. This site is for those who are preparing to carry their child to term and answers questions such as “how do we tell people?” or “can we plan the funeral now?” and what to do at the birth, as well as grief recovery and memorializing your baby.
Meanwhile, “Prayers for Jacinta” could not have been more timely for me as I read it on the fourth anniversary of Loren's stillbirth, Sept. 20. The writing touched my heart and I rejoiced in the months I carried Loren within me and for the hours we had with him after his birth.
I thank you sincerely for these articles and your very fine publication.
ANN MARIE HENNINGER Sequim, Washington
Mourning Our Own Aborted
I sure hope that Ginalynne Mielko from Georgia (” Stop the Spin on Sin,” Letters, Sept. 7-13) never considers becoming a post-abortion counselor, because she would sure do a lousy job in getting any woman suffering from an abortion to go back to the sacrament of reconciliation.
I, too, “must sound off” on a particular way in viewing those of us who have had an abortion. I had an abortion when I was 17 years old, not because I said, “You know what, it seems like a great day to kill my child.” No, I was alone, desperate, very, very young and uneducated.
Yes, I was the one who walked into the clinic and let them murder my child, and it is a decision that I have to live with for the rest of my life. We're not stupid. But because I've had an abortion means that I have to walk around being called “murderer”? What ever happened to “whoever is without sin cast the first stone?”
Just because someone refers to their child who has been aborted as “losing” that child to abortion does not lessen the sin any more. I would give the Church more credit than that.
I'm sure these women are well aware of what they've done without someone constantly reminding them of what a horrible and terrible sinner they are. Christ forgives and wants these women to come back to him so they can be mothers to their children in heaven. I'll tell you one thing, if I read a Catholic article that referenced “unable to forgive herself for the role in the murder of her baby …” I would have never come back to the Church for fear of being chastised forever.
Please, have a heart and stop worrying so much about how magazines are grammatically referring to women having abortions and go out and see what you can do to help these women before they have one.
Thank you, Register, for allowing those of us suffering from abortion to mourn our children with dignity.
JENNIFER HIGDON New Market, Maryland
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: Family Planning ... Naturally DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:Thank you for Ellen Rossini's fine article “Natural Family Planning Still Missing From Marriage Prep” (Sept. 21-27). Please allow me to update it on the status of NFP as part of marriage preparation in the Diocese of Arlington, Va.
Since 1997, this diocese has had as its policy that a full series of natural family planning classes is not only highly recommended as part of marriage preparation, but a priest can also require a couple to attend the full series of classes should he desire. Currently there are more than 500 couples attending natural family planning classes within the diocese each year and that number would probably be larger if there were more natural family planning teachers.
Arlington was one of the first dioceses, if not the first, to place any requirements on an engaged couple to attend the classes. Our teachers have never reported that they have had a couple complain to them or be disruptive in a class as a result of their being “required” to be there. I fully agree with Father Randy Moreau's comment that we should want to “give them what they need” to gain their own salvation. It makes no sense to withhold the truth from engaged couples.
Natural family planning classes should be a normative part of marriage preparation in the Church. The best way to do this is to ensure that every married couple teaching in the diocesan and parish marriage preparation programs is faithful to Catholic teachings on marital sexuality. Allow them to witness the beauty that natural family planning brings to their marriage. Allow them to be ambassadors to the truth about marriage.
BOB LAIRD Arlington, Virginia
The writer is director of the Arlington Diocese's office for family life.
Regarding “Natural Family Planning Still Missing From Marriage Prep” (Sept. 21-27):
I'm here to tell you that my wife and I have been involved in our church's marriage-prep classes for a little over three years now. From its beginning, our program has included a class on natural family planning and the instructors hold no punches on this or any other subject.
When our five classes are completed (as well as other meetings required), the couples are pretty fully aware of what's in store for them.
DAN R. PARFAIT White Center, Washington
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Dan R. Parfait ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: An Open Letter To a Columnist DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:St. Thomas Aquinas wrote:
“The greatest kindness one can render to any man “consists in leading him to truth.”
For Aquinas, unlike the contemporary world of politically correct journalism, it is neither necessarily presumptuous to speak of the truth nor uncharitable to nudge another in its direction.
Would not the world be a better place if we were so neighborly that we kindly safeguarded each other from error while gently steering each other toward truth? Let us not allow ourselves to be rendered catatonic by unwarranted fears of presumption and imposition, but let us spring into action on the strength of conviction and truth. Let us not enlist either Pontius Pilate or J. Alfred Prufrock as spiritual role models.
In response to the Paul Hill saga a secular journalist and syndicated columnist, whom I will refer to as WW (in memory of “Wrong Way” Corrigan), has written an article that is the epitome of the politically correct secular view on the abortion issue. What can one say in all charity to WW?
Dear WW: I read your column with both interest and pain. I was interested in how you would view the convoluted problem of imposing the death penalty on a man who killed an abortionist as a means of preventing the killing of an untold number of unborn human beings. Is it permissible for society to execute Paul Hill and for abortionists to kill unborn children but not permissible for Mr. Hill to kill a killer?
At the same time, it pained me to witness the facility with which you reduced the pro-life movement to a grotesque caricature. I believe this facile reduction blinded you to the obvious.
In your stated view, pro-life people are so befuddled about life and death that they sometimes think that what they really stand for is death.
As you tell us, their “movement produces a zealot like Paul Hill.” But is it not obvious that a group that is steadfastly committed to life does not produce killers? Rather, is it not the pro-choicers themselves — who permit killing as a legitimate option — who produce killers?
My dear WW, can you not see that Paul Hill is pro-choice? He is merely taking a chapter from the pro-choice handbook of killing and applying it not to the unborn but to a doctor who kills the unborn. And if you are pro-choice, as you profess to be, then you are, though you may stubbornly deny it, in the camp of Paul Hill.
Your column lampoons the very position you embrace. Is not your commitment to political correctness blinding you to your lack of commitment to logical consistency?
The pro-life movement is not designed to produce killers. But producing killers is exactly what the pro-choice movement is designed to do.
In fact, some pro-choicers want pro-life candidates to be barred from entering medical school precisely because they refuse to kill. In this case, pro-choice enthusiasts have no doubt about what values pro-life people espouse.
In reading your column, I find your moral position to be, sad to say, rather incoherent. You seem to be what I would call “anti-pro-life/pro-anti-choice.” You are anti-life when it comes to the unborn children who are scheduled for abortion but pro-life when it comes to abortionists. On the other hand, you are pro-choice about abortion but not pro-choice about killing those who perform abortions. It is this radical inconsistency, I am afraid, that makes your position incoherent.
You tell us you are both a “religious” as well as an “honest” man.
As religious, you should know, as Christ stated, that we judge people by their fruits, not by their words (and certainly not by their labels). Actions surely speak louder than labels. Paul Hill's actions — the double homicide — are not pro-life.
Then you tell us the following: “I'm honest enough to admit, though, that the pro-life folks get to me sometimes. There is a certain moral weight to their observation that abortion stills a beating heart.”
But why do the pro-lifers get to you only “sometimes” rather than all the time? And why do you say that stilling a beating heart is “their” observation, when it is anyone's observation because it is a scientific fact? You could expand your honesty by admitting that the pro-life movement is standing by a universal truth. You might be more pro-life than you think or are willing to admit.
Furthermore, is it not “stilling a beating heart” exactly why you oppose Paul Hill's murderous act? If you universalize the iniquity of “stilling a beating heart,” you may find that your position becomes more coherent, your allegiance is pro-life and the obvious becomes unmistakable.
You claim the Paul Hills of the world are “less righteous than self-righteous.” Yet does not your own self-righteousness permeate your entire column? You talk about “pious lunatics,” how you find it “chilling” that government cold force women to bear a child, how you are “galled” by people who think the only purpose of sex is procreation (by the way, who are these people?).
You are right in advising that we strive to be righteous rather than self-righteous. But what is the crucial difference between the two? The righteous person recognizes and serves a truth he did not create. The self-righteous person is poisoned by pride and betrays himself by inconsistency and incoherence.
I pray that we all become more righteous. But that same prayer is worthless if it rejects the very truth that makes things right. “Doubt is not a sin,” you say. But it might very well be a most pernicious sin if it is accompanied by egoism and apathy. Inconvenience is a poor excuse for inaction.
Donald DeMarco is professor emeritus at St. Jerome's University in Waterloo, Ontario.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Don Demarco ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: The Passion: Still a Sign of Contradiction DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:From a Christian standpoint, it is the most-anticipated movie since, well, ever.
From a non-Christian standpoint, movie fans and film critics have been all abuzz about the project since word of it first appeared in the industry trades three years ago.
The interest in The Passion is not just because this movie, set to be released next spring, is being financed and directed by international film superstar Mel Gibson, whose last directing effort, Braveheart, won him multiple Academy Awards.
It's not just because this movie was shot in several dead languages and will have only sporadic captions to accompany the visuals. It's not just because the movie is basically one long sequence of horrific violence. And finally, it's not just because this project was singled out far in advance of its release as being potentially anti-Semitic and backward from a Christian theological standpoint.
The maelstrom of controversy surrounding Gibson's The Passion ultimately comes down to the fact that the cross is now, has always been and will always be a sign of contradiction.
Depending on your proximity to God, the suffering and death of Jesus of Nazareth will be either a source of grief and joy, of confusion or of fury. The cross can be ignored, but once out in the open it cannot be irrelevant because our nature is drawn in fascination toward the suffering of the One who made us.
One of the problems for the various groups lining up in attack formation against The Passion is that few of them have even seen the film yet. I have seen the film, and while I know it is probably unfair to take on people who are arguing in ignorance, somebody has to respond to the mud that is being slung around.
Anti-Semitic?
Is The Passion anti-Semitic? The answer is No. The film portrays good Jews and bad Jews, compassionate Romans and Romans who are twisted and cruel. The film leaves viewers with heartfelt sorrow for their own participation in the violence of sin. One of the last images of the film is a shot of Mary holding her dead Son and looking straight into the camera.
It's hard not to look away from the gaze that says, “This was for you. This was because of you.”
My sense is those who are hurling terrible accusations of anti-Semitism against The Passion tend to also find the New Testament anti-Semitic. One of the scholars who started all the controversy by publicly lambasting an early version of the screenplay told me emphatically, “The New Testament is undeniably anti-Semitic.” I'm not sure what we can do to soothe these folks about a film that bases itself first and foremost on the New Testament, but somebody has to say that calling the Scriptures evil is the same thing as calling Christ Beelzebub.
Many in the corporate Church are trying to find cover from the controversy behind a set of guidelines the U.S. bishops issued in 1988 regarding depictions of the Passion. One priest-professor of theology warned me just recently in foreboding tones, “We can never support a film that violates the bishops' guidelines.” Notwithstanding the irony of this particular dissenting theologian suddenly getting submissive to magisterial authority, the fact is the bishops' guidelines are irrelevant to Gibson's movie.
Released under the title “Criteria for the Evaluation of Dramatizations of the Passion” (Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1988), the bishops' statement was not written for mainstream entertainment productions such as The Last Temptation of Christ or The Passion. It was written for “all levels of Christian instruction and education.” That is, the document was written to rein in religious educators and parish liturgists in their “extra liturgical” projects. The dramatic projects referenced in the guidelines are Church-sponsored Passion plays. The “mass media” referred to in the bishops' document and the Vatican ones it is expanding upon is directed to specifically Church media. It has no bearing on secular entertainment productions.
But even if these ecclesial guidelines had authority in the secular context, the bishops' list has little practical application for artists. The document is basically official cover for the Church against charges it doesn't do enough to discourage anti-Semitism. But as a practical guide for artists, it is fairly useless. The document itself offers the following summary with a shrug: “A general principle might, therefore, be suggested that if one cannot show beyond reasonable doubt that the particular Gospel element selected or paraphrased will not be offensive or have the potential for negative influence on the audience for whom the presentation is intended that element cannot, in good conscience, be used. This, admittedly, will be a difficult principle to apply.”
How can anyone “show beyond reasonable doubt” that a work of art “will not be offensive” to someone somewhere? What is more, I would think a depiction of the brutal murder of the Son of God that wasn't somehow “offensive” would be, well, offensive. Observing the “general principle” of non-offensiveness is a completely subjective call, one a devout artist might have presumed to have avoided by staying as close to the literal text of the Scriptures as possible.
But that brings us back to the fact that, for many liberal theologians, the Scriptures themselves are problematic. The only certain guidance such scholars can offer devout artists is to never make art about Jesus, particularly not about his suffering and death.
Why Now?
There is a darker motive stirring in many theologian-types who seem inordinately predisposed against The Passion. It is as though they consider it in bad taste to make a devout, major motion picture about the suffering of Jesus at all. One angry academic actually e-mailed me the message, “Why do we need to see this kind of film now? Why deliberately enflame interreligious discourse?” The academic here is very right that parts of our Christian story are inflammatory for people of other traditions. The problem is his insinuation that it is somehow uncivil of us to harp on the points of divergence.
There are many Christians on the left whose opposition to The Passion comes down to green-eyed jealousy. Having desacralized and demythologized our faith for the last half-century, they have also lost their voice of authority with the People of God. They have “bound up impossible burdens of doubt and cynicism” regarding the Christian story and imposed them on the sheep who have been dismayed and even crushed in the process. Is it any wonder most people have turned them off and have become sheep without shepherds, wandering around aimlessly?
Now Mel Gibson steps forward with a powerful artistic presentation of the real Shepherd in Jesus' most-compelling posture as the sacrificial Lamb of God. The People of God are magnetically drawn to the film in hoards. It becomes a source of compunction and devout meditation for them in a way that 40 years of dissenting cynicism and biblical decon-struction has not been able to do. This is causing a reaction among some Church scholars that can only be described as fury. They are gnashing and grinding their teeth as their kingdom is being taken from them and handed to another.
A further source of elitist indignation toward the film comes from the presumption that we modern Christians have somehow outgrown the grim details of how the Savior won our redemption. The scholar I mentioned earlier went on in his message to note that “our real story is in the Resurrection, because anyone could die, but only God could rise again.”
I am not a theologian, and I won't even try to defend the right of Christian artists to renew and recall whichever mysteries of faith happen to be preoccupying them. But I do feel on solid ground in asserting that we must never stop meditating on the suffering of Christ. Driving home in the car after the screening, I found myself praying, “Jesus, I'm so sorry. I forgot…” This is something I haven't felt in years of banal homilies. It is a holy thing for sure.
Why So Violent?
The Passion is a shockingly graphic representation of Jesus' suffering. For people who love Jesus, watching it through the lens of an extremely talented filmmaker is almost overwhelming. I wanted to run from the screening room a few times, but it occurred to me that if Jesus could live it as an act of love, I could at least watch it as an act of worship. In a touch that Catholics will especially appreciate, it is at these moments of the film that the camera always finds Mary. Her presence and faith gets us through it in the same way maybe her presence got her Son through his passion.
Still, a chorus of dissenters in the Christian community has been disturbed about the violent aspect of the film from early on. One friend wrote me, “There's something fundamentally wrong with an R-rated movie about Jesus.” Actually, what was really “wrong” was the brutal death of the Savior. Trying to make his Passion non-offensive enough to earn the “family film” moniker seems to me to be much more theologically problematic.
It is not an easy question as to whether children should see The Passion. The reasons against plain old screen violence do not seem to apply here. This isn't choreographed gore meant to titillate and entertain. It is a devout retelling meant to elicit gratitude and love.
Since seeing the film I have found myself reflecting many times when something bugs me, “Well, this still isn't the Agony in the Garden.” A woman told me she wouldn't want her 10-year-old son to see the film until he is old enough not to be overly disturbed by the images. Hmmmm … Isn't being disturbed out of our self-centered comas part of the purpose of sacred art? This is something over which parents should brood.
Overall, The Passion is a beautiful work of art from the heart of one filmmaker to God, which we will all be blessed to share. It is controversial because Christ is in it, and he must always be “a sign that will be opposed.” The sniping against the film will fade as soon as it is released and millions of people experience it as a moment of grace.
Thanks be to God. It's not a moment too soon for a little extra grace in the Church.
Playwright Barbara Nicolosi is executive director of Act One: Writing for Hollywood.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Barbara R. Nicolosi ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Luminous Virtues: How to Pray the New Rosary DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:It's almost Oct. 7 — the feast of Our Lady of Rosary in the Year of the Rosary.
Pope John Paul II declared the Year of the Rosary last year in his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary), which also includes the Holy Father's presentation of a new set of rosary mysteries, which he calls “Mysteries of Light” or “Luminous Mysteries.”
It has always been tradition when reciting the rosary and mediating on the mysteries to seek a particular virtue or grace appropriate for the particular mystery being prayerfully considered. As the Holy Father put it, “It is worthwhile to note that the contemplation of the mysteries could better express their full spiritual fruitfulness if an effort were made to conclude each mystery with a prayer for the fruits specific to that particular mystery. In this way, the rosary could better express its connection with the Christian life” (Rosarium, No. 35).
In the Joyful Mysteries, the Annunciation leads us to contemplate humility; the Visitation, charity toward one's neighbor; the Nativity, a spirit of poverty; the Presentation in the Temple, obedience to God's law; and the Finding of Our Lord in the Temple, piety.
In the Sorrowful Mysteries, the Agony in the Garden seeks sorrow for our sins; the Scourging at the Pillar purity; the Crowning with Thorns moral courage; the Carrying of the Cross patience; and the Crucifixion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross the grace of final perseverance.
In the Glorious Mysteries, the Resurrection leads us to meditate on the virtue of faith; the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven on hope; the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles on charity; the Assumption of Mary into Heaven on devotion to Mary; and the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth on eternal happiness.
It is easy to see how the Luminous Mysteries fill out the life of Christ and Mary by providing the bridge between the Joyful and the Sorrowful Mysteries. I would like to propose for consideration an appropriate set of virtues or graces to be associated with these new Luminous Mysteries. The first Luminous Mystery: the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. The Pope, in this mystery, reminds us that we are all called to be sons of the Son, as the Holy Spirit invests Jesus with his mission in obedience to the Father. I propose that the virtue to be sought in the light of this mystery be fidelity to one's Christian vocation.
The second Luminous Mystery: Jesus' self-manifestation at the Wedding Feast at Cana. Our Holy Father in this mystery reflects that the great sign of turning water into wine was worked through Mary's intercession. This sign opened the hearts of his disciples to believe in Jesus and his mission. I propose that the virtue for this mystery be the gift of discipleship.
The third Luminous Mystery: the Proclamation of the Kingdom and Call to Conversion. The Holy Father in this mystery links the particular passage of the proclamation of the Kingdom specifically to repentance and the forgiveness of sins. We are called to reflect upon Jesus' ministry of mercy. I propose that for this mystery one seek metanoia, a conversion of heart. This is particularly to be achieved through the frequent and devout reception of the sacrament of penance, in which we receive the mercy of Christ as we are restored through his grace as healthy members of his body within his Kingdom.
The fourth Luminous Mystery: the Transfiguration. The Pope in this great mystery tells us that the divinity of Christ shines forth from his glorious face. We also are reminded of the Heavenly Father's pleasure in his Son, and we are commanded to “listen to him.” I propose that for this mystery we ask for the gift of contemplation of Christ's divinity. This gift of the Father working through the Holy Spirit allows us to unite ourselves with the three apostles and recognize that Christ is a divine person whose divine nature is hypostati-cally united to his human nature. The divine approval coming from the Father as well will enable us to be strengthened like the apostles during times of difficulty and suffering. What a great consolation it is to know that in being faithful to Christ, we are being faithful to God made man.
And finally, the fifth Luminous Mystery: the gift of the Eucharist, the great sacrament of his love. Our Holy Father in his April encyclical on the Eucharist, Ecclesia de Eucharistia (The Church in Relation to the Eucharist), tells us, “By giving the Eucharist the prominence it deserves and by being careful not to diminish any of its dimensions or demands, we show that we are truly conscious of the greatness of the gift” (Eucharistia, No. 61). He goes on to remind us all that “no one is permitted to undervalue the mystery entrusted to our hands: It is too great for anyone to feel free to treat it lightly and with disregard for its sacredness and its universality” (Eucharistia, No. 52). I propose that the virtue for this mystery be reverence for the Blessed Sacrament in light of the powerful teaching of the Church and our Holy Father.
As we move closer to the end of this Year of the Rosary, which concludes Oct. 16,I challenge you to rediscover the rosary, if you haven't done so already. Then, in the midst of this apostate age, we will all move closer to that new springtime foreseen by the Holy Father by contemplating “the beauty of that face and the depth of his love.”
Timothy O'Donnell is president of Christendom College.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Timothy O'Donnell ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: 'Why Did You Really Become Catholic?' DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:“The difficulty of explaining why I am a Catholic,” wrote G.K. Chesterton, “is that there are 10,000 reasons all amounting to one reason: that Catholicism is true.” A related difficulty, especially for the convert, is that some onlookers would rather analyze your possible motives than consider your plainly stated reasons.
Upon entering the Church in 1997, my wife and I — both of us former evangelical Protestants — found we were the objects of the sort of misguided psychoanalysis that would amaze even the most devout Freudian. Subsequently, we met other converts from Protestantism who also contended with the same sort of we-know-your-mind-better-than-you-do attitude. Some of the “reasons” given:
“Have you been brainwashed?” A sly piece of rhetorical questioning, similar to asking the unsuspecting husband, “Have you stopped beating your wife?” If you try to seriously argue against the accusation, you only reinforce the impression that you are indeed brainwashed. What could be more natural than for those brainwashed to insist they are not, in fact, brainwashed? Laughing at the notion is interpreted as an unwillingness to take seriously the dire straits you are in.
“You're becoming Catholic to get attention.” An underhanded way of saying, “You're being rebellious and immature.” Yes, there is plenty of attention paid to the fundamentalist turned Catholic, nearly all of it negative. Friends and family members begin sending boxes of anti-Catholic literature and tapes, and you are informed, with intense piety, that prayers are being offered on your behalf. Some friends cut off all contact immediately. In a couple of instances, while trying to explain my decision, I was told that I was using “man's wisdom.” Irritated and increasingly testy (perhaps even uncharitable), I was then reprimanded for being “too emotional” about the issue.
“You want a Church that will tell you what to think.” This is a puzzling assertion: If you argue against it, does it mean the Church has told you to act as though you really can think for yourself? Actually, many fundamentalists find it reassuring to view Catholics as thoughtless drones mumbling prayers to Mary and drinking like fish every Friday and Saturday night. Ironically, the Catholic has far more freedom to think for himself than do those Christians who must adhere to every word that comes forth from the mouth of Pastor Bob at the local “Open Bible Faith Center.” Just one dissenting word uttered there about hymns, head coverings or eternal security and you could be shown the door.
“You didn't read the Bible enough.” On the contrary, the Bible led me to the Catholic faith. But try telling that to your fundamentalist or evangelical friends. The best response will be nervous laughter; more usual is an angry retort about the Catholic Church “hating” and “destroying” the Bible. Attempts to discuss this point rationally are usually doomed to a quick and fiery end.
As specious as these explanations are, it is incorrect to label them as copouts or disingenuous wisecracks. They are uttered with sincere and solemn conviction. They highlight the chasm that still divides Catholics from many other Christians and point to the need for improved catechesis and savvy, charitable apologetics.
So while the first 9,999 reasons might be psychoanalyzed away, perhaps the final one will find a home in the puzzled heart of the onlooker.
Carl E. Olson is editor of Envoy magazine and author of Will Catholics be ‘Left Behind’?
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Carl E. Olson ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: Mary of Abingdon Road DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:At the end of an afternoon crammed with breakneck sightseeing, the silence of Our Lady of Victories Church beckoned like a harbor during a hurricane.
Scurrying along London's Kensington High Street an evening or two before, I'd caught a glimpse of the simple — I may have even described it as austere — brick exterior of this church, just a few blocks from my hotel. It was tucked in the end of what I would normally have called an alley, but a street sign proved me wrong: Our Lady of Victories is at the end of Abingdon Road.
As soon as I entered the road, though, I found that my first impression had been mistaken. Our Lady of Victories isn't austere, but it is simple and homey.
Tucked in an alcove across from the church, safe from the curious eyes of passers-by, is a little shrine to Our Lady, and the brick wall standing perpendicular to it is brightened with colorful tiles of the Blessed Mother.
I had expected Our Lady of Victories to be cool and contemporary, but already I felt I had misjudged it utterly.
That Saturday afternoon, long before Mass was scheduled to begin, I found myself alone in the church except for a priest who scurried past me, smiling. I was struck by the warm scarlet walls and simple Lenten altar dressings. A series of Gothic arches leapfrogged to the front of the church, the archways pierced by light streaming through clean, contemporary stained-glass windows depicting Bible scenes. On low tables set behind the rear pews lay neat stacks of parish bulletins, pro-life publications and diocesan newspapers.
On the one hand, the church is indeed modern. I spotted signs warning visitors to turn off cell phones, for example, and noted that the sanctuary is protected from intruders by an electric beam. Yet it is also traditional. Carved wooden Stations of the Cross hang along the walls, and there are several places where petitioners can light candles. As I sat there taking it all in, a family entered the church. The parents led the two children in prayer as they lit a candle.
Mark of the Martyrs
The church is also far older than its simple exterior had led me to expect. Our Lady of Victories dates its parish history back to 1794, when a French abbé set up a chapel and school within the current parish boundaries. Mass was held in Kensington in various locations until Our Lady of Victories opened its doors on the Feast of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, July 2, 1869. That church was gutted by two bombs during World War II; this newer church, built according to the original ground plan, opened officially in 1959.
The church has three chapels, but when I first entered, I only spotted the two that flanked the sanctuary. Once I rose to visit the Lady Chapel, to the right of the altar, I discovered the third chapel in the back of the church.
Inside, a tiny altar was hung with red draperies, and murals of Christ and the angels (originally painted to celebrate the parish's bicentennial) decorated the upper walls and ceilings. From the entry-way you can see the statues of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher; both were martyrs for the faith, refusing to acknowledge King Henry VIII as the supreme head of the Church when Henry sought an annulment from Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Boleyn.
The chapel calls visitors' attention to the 40 English martyrs canonized by Pope Paul VI on Oct. 25, 1970, and the 85 martyrs beatified by Pope John Paul II on Nov. 22, 1987.
A Catholic visitor cannot be long in England before realizing — truly feeling, perhaps for the first time — how the Reformation still reverberates in the Church today. Near the statues of the two saints hangs a roughly carved stone head, thought to be a depiction of Jesus. A placard explains that the head was “ploughed up” in an English field. “It could have come from a statue on the Priory Gateway,” the explanation continues, “defaced at the time of dissolution of the monasteries, saved by burial.”
Surprising Zest
Echoes of this trauma have clamored through the centuries; one need only notice that, though there are dozens of churches in London, there are far fewer Catholic houses of worship than Anglican.
If Our Lady of Victories is any indication, however, the smaller population of Catholic churches is surprisingly active and vital, with a primary school and a Mass schedule that includes a sung Latin Sunday liturgy.
While I dawdled in this chapel, gaping at the murals and the statues, parishioners began trickling in. I left the martyrs' chapel and headed toward the Lady Chapel that I had originally intended to visit when I was sidetracked by St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher.
Perhaps especially because of the contrast with the more somber martyrs' chapel, the Lady Chapel can be described only as radiant. Decorated in blue, white and green, the small chapel had a bas relief of the Madonna behind the brilliantly-painted altar. Misty with incense, the space was filled with parishioners — and there was still some time until Mass. I'd arrived too late to take part and had to wait to enter the chapel until the parishioners had emptied out and I could squeeze in.
On the other side of the altar is the Sacred Heart Chapel, far simpler than the Lady Chapel. And in the back of the church, across from the martyrs' chapel, is a small shop where volunteers sell medals, books and other religious items.
It's a lesson so many of us think we have learned: Appearances deceive. The simple exterior of Our Lady of Victories encloses a wealth of beauty, history and activity that so many people, hustling past the alley to catch a bus or tube, never suspect.
How lucky I was to discover this hidden treasure in the heart of bustling London.
Elisabeth Deffner writes from Orange, California.
----- EXCERPT: Our Lady of Victories Church, London ----- EXTENDED BODY: Elisabeth Deffner ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: Warning! Virus Attached (Maybe) DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:The last message you want to see in your e-mail inbox is an urgent alert saying your computer has been infected with a virus.
In August, when I received just such a message, my first reaction was denial: It just can't be. After all, I use a firewall and keep Windows and Norton AntiVirus up-to-date. After thinking about it for a few seconds, however, I suspected that the e-mail warning might itself lead to a virus.
That's one technique virus-writers have been known to use. They tell you you're infected and offer you a link to a program that's designed to cure the specific virus your computer has supposedly contracted. But, in fact, if you download the program, you're downloading a virus. Aware of this trick, I ignored the alert.
The next day, Brother Craig downloaded our e-mail and a whopping 216 messages came in first thing in the morning. Two hours later, another 200 arrived. As I scrolled through the messages, I found most were returns to me from automated mail servers saying that my e-mail, having been judged “infected,” was being rejected by the computers I'd sent it to. My outgoing mail was being returned to me as undeliverable.
These e-mails supposedly sent by me all came with an attached file. The message told me I had to open the attachment to get the details on why my outgoing mail was being returned to me unopened. I looked at the “From” line in the e-mail header and, sure enough, there was our e-mail address, monkadorer@catholic.org.
Resisting the urge to worry, I scanned my computer for viruses with Norton, the popular anti-virus program. I was actually hoping Norton would come up with something just so I would know it was doing its job. But the computer received a clean bill of health.
I was a bit stumped at this point. Was it possible that a new virus had been developed that Norton couldn't detect? If so, what could I do about it? I looked in the e-mail header for “what” had sent the e-mail. It said Outlook Express and gave the version number. I quickly checked all our computers. None of them had this version of that program. Perhaps we weren't infected after all.
Then things took a turn for the worse. We were using a free e-mail service provided by Catholic Online (www.catholic.org) and downloading our e-mail from their service. This way our real e-mail address with our Internet provider remained hidden; if we changed Internet service providers, our contact e-mail address could remain the same. However, like most free services, Catholic Online limits the amount of space you can take up with your free e-mail account.
As I said, we were getting on average 100 e-mails an hour, most with attachments. Unless we kept pulling the e-mails off Catholic online, we would certainly go over quota, thereby freezing up our e-mail account. I tried downloading our e-mail periodically — until one got “stuck.” Our computer wouldn't download it. Now if one e-mail gets stuck, even though you download all the other e-mails, none of them get deleted from the Catholic Online account. So I decided to use Catholic Online's Web-based e-mail handling system. I tried to delete the e-mails and they wouldn't go away. So I knew that our e-mail account would be frozen in a matter of hours. Sure enough, that's just what happened next.
My first break came when I closely examined the e-mails I had already downloaded. One of them, thanks be to God, actually told me the name of the virus I supposedly had: W32/Sobig.F@mm. Now here was information I could do something with. I could look up this virus in the Norton virus database. Here's what I learned.
W32.Sobig.F@mm uses a technique known as “spoofing,” by which it randomly selects an e-mail address it finds on an infected computer. The searching “worm” uses this address as the “From” address when it performs its mass-mailing routine to other addresses in the infected computer. Now I'm sure several people have our e-mail address in their computer-address books. One or more of these persons was now spreading this virus — and it looked like it was coming from us. I received a little consolation when I read that the virus would deactivate itself on Sept. 10. At least an end to the madness was in sight!
I believe this latest virus threat has started a new, malicious trend impossible to defend against. Even though our computers were protected, Sobig still shut down our e-mail address. Imagine if this virus decided to send people to pornographic sites in our name. How long would it take us to recover from that?
It is worthwhile to protect from these types of viruses by never using your primary e-mail address. Set up your contact e-mail address so that it isn't the address assigned to you by your ISP. Then, if what happened to me happens to you, just cancel the e-mail address account.
Getting your ISP to change your assigned primary e-mail address could be more of a hassle. A contact e-mail address can be set up with a free e-mail service provider like Catholic Online at catholic.org. Or if your ISP enables you to set up more than one e-mail account, do so and never give out your primary one.
If this sounds like a bit of a bother, that's because it is. But it's much less trouble to be proactive and protective now than reactive and recovering later.
Brother John Raymond, co-founder of the Monks of Adoration, writes from Venice, Florida.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Brother John Raymond ----- KEYWORDS: Art & Culture -------- TITLE: Monthly Web Picks DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:For this month's picks we'll look at the Eastern Catholic Church, as many in the West are not familiar with it.
A good place to start learning about Eastern Catholics is from the article titled “Catholic Rites and Churches” found in the EWTN online library at ewtn.com/expert/answers/rites.htm.
Byzantines.net was started by an Eastern Catholic webmaster, Greg Bronson, who wanted to create a general interest site on Eastern Christianity. The “About Byzantine Catholics” link is a good place to begin here.
At St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church in Baltimore, crosslink.net/~hrycak/
Welcome-s.html, you can learn about the Ukrainian Church as well as this particular Catholic church. You may want to see its “Unofficial Directory of Eastern Catholic Churches in the U.S.” link to find and experience an Eastern church near you.
Another place to search for an Eastern Catholic church in your city is at Masstimes.org. Follow the “Mass Times by City” link and find your city. Then look for a parish with an Eastern Church designation after its name in brackets, such as: (Maronite).
For more Eastern Church links see the Eastern topics in my online directory at monksofadoration.org /directory.html.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Brother John Raymond ----- KEYWORDS: Art & Culture -------- TITLE: Weekly Video/DVD Picks DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:The Guys (2002)
Based on a stage play written in the days after Sept. 11, 2001, The Guys is a small, intimate meditation on ‘ grief and loss built around an encounter between a New York fire captain named Nick (Anthony LaPaglia) and a writer named Joan (Sigourney Weaver), who meet to discuss the eulogies Nick has been called on to deliver for a number of his fallen brothers. Some may find the film difficult to watch, either because of its painful subject matter or because of its stark, conversational format. But those who aren't put off by its austerity will find it more than capable of rewarding them.
At one point Joan speaks of trying to bargain with God but wonders, “How can you cut deals with God under these conditions?” She knows what she would want to bargain for: “I want them back, all of them. That's the only thing I'll settle for.”
Yet she realizes she has “nothing to bring to the table.” The Guys doesn't go beyond these observations to deeper issues of faith, trust and redemption, yet it does take false options off the table.
Realizing that neither “cutting deals” with God nor “settling for” horror is a viable possibility can be a first step toward faith — or at least away from superstition and despair.
Content advisory: A few crass expressions; reflections on death and grief.
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
A haunting, harrowing war movie, an emotionally devastating character study and an extraordinarily restrained work of animé or Japanese animation, Grave of the Fireflies is a unique and unforgettable masterpiece.
Set in a Japanese coastal village during the waning days of World War II, the simple story follows a young teen-aged boy named Seita and his kid sister Setsuko as they try to survive the air raids and napalm firestorms that have become routine. The film depicts the horror of wartime bombing of civilian targets but avoids portraying its characters as idealized victims.
From the outset we know that both Seita and Setsuko will die; in the film's lone nonrealistic conceit, the opening scene shows their spirits reunited outside a train station and riding a train to the next world, and the rest of the story is seen in flashback from Seita's point of view. Despite this inevitability, the film draws the viewer into the children's story, evoking the experiences of childhood grief, small moments of ordinary life and happiness amid tragedy and fear, and the overwhelming confusion of adult responsibilities in desperate circumstances falling on teen-aged shoulders as powerfully as any film I've seen.
Content advisory: Images of wartime menace, suffering and death; some immoral behavior including telling comforting lies to a child and looting; undefined, allegorical spirituality. Teens and up.
The Big Sleep (1946)
The dialogue is hard-boiled and crackles with wit, the plot is fast-paced and nearly impenetrable and Humphrey Bogart ‘ is coolly unflappable in Howard Hawkes' stylish noir classic The Big Sleep, based on the Raymond Chandler novel. Bogart plays Chandler hero Philip Marlowe, a tough gumshoe who admits that he's not very tall (” I try to be” ) and says he likes his brandy “in a glass.”
The case begins with Marlowe hired by an elderly, well-to-do widower who is being blackmailed over the wayward behavior of the younger of his two lovely daughters. The elder, more responsible daughter (Lauren Bacall in her second film with Bogey, after To Have and Have Not) is clearly trying to protect her sister and father, and isn't sure whether Marlowe is part of the problem or part of the solution.
The labyrinthine plot contains so many shady characters, twists, double-crosses and shootings that even with a score card it's almost impossible to keep straight. But The Big Sleep is less about plot than about style, atmosphere, classic repartee — and Bogey and Bacall's onscreen chemistry.
Note that the film exists in an earlier, even more muddled form as well as the official 1946 edition, which clarifies some of the first version's obscurities.
Content advisory: Menace, gunplay and brief stylized violence; innuendo; oblique depiction of illicit drug use and other sordid goings-on.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Steven D. Greydanus ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Weekly TV Picks DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:OCT., VARIOUS DATES
The Gift of Life
PBS, check local listings
An international registry of potential donors of bone marrow assists people afflicted by blood disorders. This new documentary follows the stories of a donor and a recipient.
SUNDAY, OCT. 5
Robinson Crusoe: The True Story
Discovery Channel, 10 p.m.
Daniel Defoe based his popular novel Robinson Crusoe (1719) on the real-life adventures of Alexander Selkirk, a sailor who was marooned on a tropical island in 1704 but survived until his rescue four years later. This new special tells Selkirk's story.
MONDAY, OCT. 6
Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip
PBS, 9 p.m.
Back in 1903, the newfangled “horseless carriage” got a national publicity jump-start when auto enthusiast Horatio Nelson Jackson, a retired doctor, wagered he could drive from San Francisco to New York City in less than three months. This Ken Burns documentary tells how Jackson and his dog, Bud, in their open-seat, 20-horsepower Winton touring car, made the arduous trip in “only” 63-1/2 days.
TUESDAY, OCT. 7
NL Championship Series
Fox, 8 p.m., live
Baseball's National League, in business since 1876, plays Game 1 of the best-of-seven series that determines its 2003 pennant-winner. The American League, around since “only” 1901, plays Game 1 of its deciding series tomorrow at 8 p.m., also on Fox.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8
EWTN Live
EWTN, 8 p.m.
Guest Carl Olson, who edits the Catholic apologetics magazine Envoy, discusses his new book, Will Catholics Be “Left Behind”? The book relates authentic Catholic teaching about the last things and the Book of the apocalypse, or Revelation. It also debunks Protestant “end times” and “Bible prophecy” errors, and the 1830s “rapture” misinterpretation of the premillennial dispensationalist John Nelson Darby.
THURSDAY, OCT. 9
Life on the Rock
EWTN, 8 p.m., live, call-in
Guest Dr. Peter Rudegeaire's topic tonight is, “Sorting Through Agendas: The Truth About Homosexuality.”
FRIDAY, OCT. 10
America's Stonehenge
History Channel, noon
Christopher Columbus landed on San Salvador on Oct. 12, 1492. But did Europeans reach the Americas in prehistory? This show explores Mystery Hill, near Salem, New Hampshire, a 30-acre complex of walls, tunnels and caves, dated by some to 2,000 B.C.
SATURDAY, OCT. 11
Explorations
National Geographic Channel, 5 p.m.
“Ad astra per aspera,” or “To the stars through difficulties,” the Latin saying goes. This show, “Space: Reaching for the Stars,” assesses challenges involved in reaching the stars.
Dan Engler writes from Santa Barbara, California.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Dan Engler ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Congresswoman Wants to End Home School Discrimination DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:WASHINGTON — Home-schooling advocates have a new friend in Washington. Her name is Marilyn Musgrave, a Republican congresswoman from Colorado.
Musgrave was elected last November. Traditionally, congressmen wait a few years before authoring legislation — especially controversial legislation. But Musgrave is the main sponsor of a constitutional amendment to protect marriage, and she's also the principal author of the Home Schooling Nondis-crimination Act.
For Musgrave, supporting the home-schooling legislation flowed naturally from her role as a parent of four children.
“I'm extremely supportive of home schooling. Ultimately, the education of the child is the responsibility of parents,” Musgrave said.
Perhaps no other congressman has the credentials Musgrave has on this issue. A former public-school teacher, Musgrave said she has no malice for hardworking public-school teachers.
“I taught public school right out of college. I am very supportive of public-school teachers,” she said. “When it comes to the well-being of the child, I'm going for the parent.”
It was concern for her youngest child that led to Musgrave's decision to home school.
“There was lax discipline in the school and a lack of academic rigor,” she said. And, she said, the state teacher certification didn't satisfy her concerns.
“[The teachers unions] think a certificate is a guarantee that you can teach,” she said. To Musgrave, that's not always the case.
So Musgrave took her own experiences to the table and offered her bill to correct the imbalances in current law against home schoolers. Currently, she has 57 co-sponsors for the legislation. And Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, has introduced the legislation in the Senate.
The act would change several existing laws. Its goals are to:
• clear up confusion over whether colleges can accept home-school graduates who are younger than the state-mandated compulsory attendance age;
• clarify that local school officials are not required to investigate home schoolers with special-needs children if those home schoolers are not receiving federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act funds;
• repair the existing Education Savings Accounts, which now limit the participation of home schoolers to those few states where home schools are considered private schools by state law (currently, 18 states recognize home schools as private schools);
• give privacy protections to the records of home schoolers held by public schools;
• ease the restrictive labor laws for home schoolers between ages 14-16 by extending periods of permissible employment (currently, home-schooled students cannot work during normal school hours).
“I know how much of a commitment it takes to home school. I want these home-school kids afforded the same tools as other students,” Musgrave said.
As a state legislator, she had scores of home-school students visit her office. She said they were living proof that home-schooled students were comfortable talking to adults, even at legislative committee meetings.
“Invariably, home-schooling students would have a great deal of poise,” Musgrave said. “In fact, they were less nervous then most of the adults.”
Taking Notice
Musgrave's hard work has caught the attention of home-school advocates.
The Home School Legal Defense Association said Musgrave “should be commended” for offering up the home-schooling bill.
The organization's spokesman, Tom Washburne, said the Home Schooling Nondiscrimination Act would correct federal programs that fail to recognize the home-schooling option.
“Home schooling wasn't thought of when the original bills were written into law,” Washburne said. “This needs to be fixed up. It just needs to be done.”
Washburne said his organization has been working for years to correct all of these laws. The Home Schooling Nondiscrimination Act is an attempt to correct them all at once.
“We took several issues we've been fighting for the last five years. There's no reason that you couldn't make these amendments to separate bills,” Washburne said.
In fact, one piece of the legislation has already been introduced as a stand-alone bill by Minnesota Republican Mark Kennedy. It would amend the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 to protect the privacy of home-schooled students, too.
A problem with the law is its definition of “student,” Kennedy wrote in an op-ed piece for The Hill, a congressional newspaper.
“[The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974] states that such a definition does ‘not include a person who has not been in attendance at such agency or institution,’” Kennedy wrote. “Therefore, children who have not attended the school, such as home-schooled students, are not afforded the same … privacy rights but in many states are still required to provide personal information.”
Washburne said specific privacy problems involving the records of home-schooled students in Minnesota, Missouri and Florida warranted the legislation.
“Because the law does not protect the records, they can often be obtained through freedom-of-infor-mation laws even if the local school would not otherwise make them available. [Kennedy's bill] would afford home-school records the same protections as public-school records,” Washburne said. “This bill is the first step in assuring that home-school records held by the state remain private.”
So far, the National Education Association has not announced any opposition to the bill.
Washburne believes there's no reason for the association to actively oppose the bill, since it merely corrects current legislation so such legislation doesn't discriminate against home schoolers.
But he noted that the National Education Association has shown hostility toward home schoolers for many years.
At the 2002 convention in Dallas, the organization passed a resolution on home schooling. It read: “The National Education Association believes that home-schooling programs cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience. When home schooling occurs, students enrolled must meet all state requirements. Instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the appropriate state education licensure agency, and a curriculum approved by the state department of education should be used. The association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools.”
Washburne again emphasized that the bill shouldn't inspire the National Education Association to actively oppose the bill.
“Most of these things,” he said, “are noncontroversial.”
Joshua Mercer writes from Washington, D.C.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joshua Mercer ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Apocalypse When? DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:WILL CATHOLICS BE ‘LEFT BEHIND’?
by Carl E. Olson
Ignatius Press, 2003 395 pages, $15.95 To order: (800) 651-1531 or www.ignatius.com
There's little doubt that apocalypse fever has struck. Even a casual stroll through the local bookstore reveals a seemingly endless stream of texts related to the end of the world and the second coming of Christ.
Among the most popular titles in this genre are those in the best-selling Left Behind series, written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. In each of these fictional texts, the authors play out a variety of dramatic end-times scenes. Each book is based on adherence to a particular form of apocalyptic theology that includes, among other components, a belief in “the rapture” — a secret snatching away of “true Christians” that spares them from the horrors of a “great tribulation,” which will precede Christ's final return.
The books in this series have enjoyed tremendous popularity, renewed an interest in apocalyptic discourse and prompted many readers, including a fair share of Catholics, to question whether they might be whisked away to glory — or “left behind” to face eternal torment.
Therein lies the starting point for Carl Olson's in-depth discussion of matters eschatological. But the Envoy editor (and Register correspondent) does much more than probe the question of who will or will not make the heavenly cut. Rather, he takes on the entire notion of the rapture and the belief systems that undergird it, emphasizing that eschatology, the study of the last days, must never be separated from ecclesiology, the study of the nature of the Church.
And, in situating the shallow tenets of popular prophecy preaching against the Church's deep theological patrimony, Olson shows the entire school of apocalypse-happy thought for what it is: a novelty and a sham.
Yet, airtight as his case is, Olson's tone never descends to smugness or condescension. With exemplary charity, he simply lays out the landscape and lets the facts speak for themselves.
“The Catholic Church has much to offer when it comes to the issue of the ‘end times,’ especially since the nature of the Church and the reality of the Kingdom are central issues,” he writes in the book's introduction. “And there is no greater teacher about the Church than the Church herself, the Mystical Body of Christ, ‘the pillar and bulwark of truth’ (1 Timothy 3:15). Many insightful books have been written by Reformed Protestants and other Evangelical scholars about these controversial and complex issues. I have profited immensely from their study - and labor, and I gratefully acknowledge my debt to 1 them. But these works [ occasionally miss, or leave undeveloped, i important points about the mystery of the i Church and the culmination of history, topics that the Magisterium and faithful Catholic theologians have addressed with great profundity.”
Given the runaway marketing success of the Left Behind books — 57 million copies sold so far — Will Catholics Be Left Behind? is an important and timely book. Its copiously documented research is buoyed by the author's lively writing style and his unique perspective as a former adherent of rapture theory.
Olson has given us a comprehensive, scholarly and indispensable resource: a must-read for Catholics needing a response to the hard sell of the end-times enthusiasts — or for those simply pondering Christ's return for themselves.
Patricia A. Crawford writes from Winter Park, Florida.
----- EXCERPT: Weekly Book Pick ----- EXTENDED BODY: Patricia A. Crawford ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Campus Watch DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:Lumen Christi
Respect for Catholic thought and tradition at the university dates to the 1930s, when Mortimer Adler established an influential undergraduate great books program that included an emphasis on St. Thomas Aquinas.
Founded in 1977 “to promote a better integration of faith, prayer and the intellectual life,” Lumen Christi sponsors lectures, visiting fellows and other programs that promote intellectual work done explicitly in relation to Catholic tradition. It also organizes Scripture study groups and other opportunities for spiritual formation.
Prayer and Action
COLLEGE OF NEW ROCHELLE,
Sept. 15 — A college cannot be called Catholic unless it has “a contemplative side and a social justice dimension,” according to Archbishop Giuseppe Pittau of the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education.
These essential aspects must be expressed explicitly by both faculty and students, said the archbishop at a Mass to open the anniversary of the New York college's founding by the Ursuline Sisters in 1904.
Archbishop Pittau said a Catholic college must maintain the “vertical dimension” of emphasizing “contact with God” while recognizing that “to serve is an essential part of being Christian.”
Boom Times
While not counted in the council's statistics, the newspaper observed in an aside that “Catholics increasingly reject the liberalism of their faith's powerhouse schools” and that newer colleges with stronger Catholic identities are rapidly growing.
The Times said many parents find that “the increasing depravity and materialism of American culture make values-laden colleges more attractive.”
All-Star Catholic
SPIRIT DAILY.COM, Sept. 18 — While college can be a time when many people lose their faith or give it diminished importance, just the opposite happened to Chicago Cubs pitching sensation Mark Prior, the Catholic Web site reported.
A celebrated college ballplayer, Prior was an All American at the University of Southern California, leading the Trojans to the College World Series in 2001. But also in college, Prior grew in his Catholic faith.
“I spent all year going to RCIA meetings,” said the All-Star pitcher, who received the sacrament of confirmation as a junior.
Community Service
ST. MICHAEL'S COLLEGE, Sept. 22 — Alumnus Robert Sutton has pledged $700,000 to the college in rural Colchester, Vt., to help build a new fire station house for the campus, the school announced.
The college's student-run, 24-hour fire and rescue squad responds to more than 2,000 calls annually, serving four adjacent towns and transporting more than 100 intensive-care patients each year. More than 40 students and 12 alumni volunteer for the squad annually.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Register Interview: Cardinal Arinze on Liturgical Dance DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:Cardinal Francis Arinze was asked last summer what he thought of liturgical dance. Here's what he answered.
Has liturgical dance been approved for Masses by your office?
There has never been a document from our Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments saying that dance is approved in the Mass. The question of dance is difficult and delicate; it is not easy.
However, it is good to know that the tradition of the Latin Church has not known the dance. It is something that people are introducing the last 10, or 20 years. It was not always so. Now it is spreading like wildfire, one can say in all the continents, some more than others. In my own continent, Africa, it is spreading, in Asia it is spreading. Now some priests and lay people think that Mass is never complete without dance.
The difficulty is this: We come to Mass primarily to adore God, what we call the “vertical dimension.” We do not come to Mass to entertain one another. That's not the purpose of Mass; the parish hall is for that. When we come to Mass we don't come to clap, we don't come to watch people, to admire people.
We want to adore God, to thank him, to ask him pardon for our sins and to ask him for what we need.
Don't misunderstand me. Because when I said this in one place, somebody said to me, “You are an African bishop! You Africans are always dancing! Why do you say, ‘We don't dance’?” A moment. We Africans are not always dancing. Moreover, there is a difference between those who come in procession at offertory, they bring their gifts with joy. There's a movement of the body, right and left, they bring their gifts to God. That is good, really. And some of the choir, they sing, they have a little bit of movement; nobody is going to condemn that.
But when you introduce wholesale ballet, then I want to ask you, “What is it all about? What exactly are you arranging?”
It is possible that there could be a dance that is so exquisite that it raises people's minds to God and they are praying and adoring God, and when the dance is finished, they are still wrapped up in prayer.
Is that the type of dance you have seen? Most dances that are staged during Mass should have been done in the parish hall. And some of them are not even suitable for the parish hall. I saw in one place, I will not tell you where, where they staged a dance during Mass, and that dance was offensive.
It broke the rules of moral theology and modesty. Those who arranged it, they should have had their head washed with a bucket of holy water.
— Ellen Rossini
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Ellen Rossini ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Conflict, Pain and Abortion: Michelman to Step Down at NARAL DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:WASHINGTON — After almost 19 years at its helm, Kate Michelman announced in mid-September she will retire as president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, the organization formerly known as the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League.
Reacting to the announcement, pro-life leaders painted a portrait of a conflicted woman: One who suffered much and then, they say, compounded that suffering with a bad decision.
Next April, after the April 25 March for Freedom of Choice, she will step aside as president, becoming “president emeritus” of the organization.
As president of NARAL, Michelman has been an ardent opponent of restrictions on abortion. She has argued in favor of partial-birth abortion, against parental-notification requirements for minor girls seeking abortions and against penalties for the killing of unborn children in the commission of violent crimes.
In the past, her positions carried the day, said Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee. But now they are rejected “by overwhelming majorities of the American people in polls,” he said, “and increasingly are rejected by the lawmakers whom they elect.”
Though she is retiring from the top slot at NARAL, Michelman is not expected to leave the scene. In a Sept. 22 statement she said, “My retirement from NARAL Pro-Choice America does not mean I am withdrawing from pro-choice activism. Quite the contrary. I will now be able to devote myself fully to the most-pressing challenge our movement faces today: electing a pro-choice president in 2004.”
Michelman struck a characteristic note of urgency. “The next four years will almost certainly see at least two Supreme Court vacancies,” she said. “If George W. Bush is allowed to fill those seats, it could mean the end of reproductive privacy and the end of Roe v. Wade. I intend to do everything I can to see that does not happen.”
Abortion has been a very personal issue to Michelman. As her official biography puts it, Michelman “became concerned about reproductive freedom after her own humiliating experience with a pre-Roe v. Wade abortion in 1970, which required her to obtain the consent of the husband who had deserted their family as well as a hospital panel comprised entirely of men.”
Michelman has said the abortion was “one of the hardest but also one of the most right and moral decisions I ever made.”
Michelman, said Helen Alvare, former spokeswoman for the U.S. Catholic bishops on pro-life issues and currently a professor at The Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law, “will be long remembered as capturing some of the signal strengths of the pro-legal-abortion movement. She was a shrewd and relentless planner who was able to turn America's weakness for subjective morality toward the cause of abortion with the messages ‘pro-choice’ and ‘who decides.’”
“She also had a compelling personal story that seemed to make the emotional case for abortion, the type of story that characterized many abortion advocates,” Alvare said.
It's a sentiment other abortion opponents, especially women, echo.
Donna Steichen, author of Ungodly Rage: The Hidden Tale of Catholic Feminism, said, “I can never read her bitter and patently defensive commentaries without a twinge of pity for the abandoned wife and mother she was once. How sad that she abandoned her integrity to fight for the right to kill babies.”
A Catholic Woman
Raised Catholic, Michelman has said she “challenged every religious, moral and ethical belief I had.” Her testimony has often been repeated over her years at NARAL. Michelman's husband left her when she was a young mother of three girls. She soon learned she was pregnant.
In 1991, she told the Senate Judiciary Committee during then Supreme Court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas' confirmation hearings that, had she not had the abortion, “my family would not have survived intact. But in 1970, you know, the government did not allow me to make this decision for myself. I was forced to appear before a hospital-appointed panel of four men. These complete strangers cross-examined me about the most intimate and personal details of my life. It was humiliating. I was an adult woman, a mother of three, and yet I had to win their permission to make a decision about my family, my life and my future. And I alone would have to live with the consequences of their decision.”
Michelman continued: “But finally they granted me their permission. I was admitted to the hospital. Yet as I awaited the procedure I was told by a nurse that they had forgotten one more legal requirement. I would not be able to have the abortion without written permission from the man who had just deserted me and my children. I literally had to leave the hospital and find the man who had rejected me and to ask his permission.”
“It was a degrading, dehumanizing experience,” she said.
There is plenty blame in her story to go around, said Catholic author Charlotte Allen. “All four of those male doctors said it was perfectly fine by them for Kate to terminate the life of her unborn child. I'm sure that they were thinking things like: Aren't three enough? These Catholics breed like bunnies, you know. And the abortion was okay with Kate's ex. He wasn't supporting the other kids or even spending time with them, so what did he care about a fourth? Kate got that abortion, and she became the virulent pro-abortion fanatic that she remains today because she was angry at men.”
“And rightly so,” Allen continued. “Couldn't one of those five gallant gentlemen, or anyone else, for that matter, have stepped forward and said: ‘We can help you, Kate, because you need help. We can force that rat to pony up some child support.’ Or said: ‘You don't have to have that baby alone.’ A family member? A priest? A friend? A support group? It seems that no one did. I hate everything that Kate Michelman stands for and everything that she works for. But she is the woman she is today because her supposedly enlightened contemporaries of the 1970s sold her on the idea that abortion is the solution for a failure of love.”
Alvare said she has hope for Michelman.
“In debates with her, I always found her charming and even kind with me,” Alvare said. “I continue to believe that she had a desire to help women but completely misunderstood the awful costs of abortion. I also believe that she will come to understand that her career was the wrong way to pursue a right object — women's true freedom and happiness.”
Michelman once admitted she herself was conflicted about abortion.
In a 1994 interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Michelman said, “We think abortion is a bad thing.”
Michelman later contested that she said it, but the reporter had the whole interview on tape.
Kathryn Jean Lopez is the editor of National Review Online.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Kathryn Jean Lopez ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Family Matters DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:Fathers First
Q
I'm a successful businessman, but I'm not a very successful father. I come home worn out and I don't have much to give to my kids or my spouse. On the other hand, I am a good provider. So shouldn't I concentrate on what I do best and not worry too much about the domestic situation, which my wife has well in hand?
A
More often than not a man comes in for counseling not because of career concerns, but because he feels he's failing his wife, his kids or both. The kids are out of control, the wife has had it up to here. Distracted by these concerns, he loses his sharpness at work and grows ambivalent about how much he can commit to with all those competing loyalties at home.
How successful should we expect to be in the natural world? When the devil provided Christ with his first temptation of turning stones into bread in the desert (Matthew 4:3) you get the impression that the devil is saying: “Enough of the fasting, already. You've got the power to turn stones into bread. Do it.” But Christ declined, reminding him that we do not live by bread alone. There is a higher calling.
When the apostles are debating who among them is the greatest (Mark 9:30-37), Christ, after telling them that he is to be handed over and killed soon, helps them understand that, to be first in the Kingdom of God, one must be last and the servant of all.
Is the Church telling us that we need not be at all concerned with success in this life? I don't think so. We best not neglect our gifts, as is evident from the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). On the other hand, as the first desert temptation clearly demonstrates, there are more important things than making one's way in the world. There are, actually, heavenly things to concern us — and they take priority.
Caring for children, for example, seems to be a very big deal to Christ. It is the example he gives of being first and of encountering him and the Father. This is his example of clarifying what it means to be important and successful — serving our children and taking care of them.
Given that perspective, obviously Christ wants us to succeed as parents. I believe that Christ wants it both ways in both spheres. He wants us to do well on the natural, human, level — and he wants us to do well on the supernatural and spiritual realm. But doing well in the world will never be as high a calling as doing well in the supernatural world. And it's the Church's job to constantly remind us of that while the Church itself is continually doing fantastic things on the natural level and is one of the great leaders serving humanity. It's just not as important as the higher world.
Parenting might be where the natural and supernatural intersect. Taking care of kids is a way of encountering Christ and God.
Obviously your wife does some things better than you. And she might even have more ease and satisfaction in parenting than you do. But there's no better person to father your children than you, their father.
Art Bennett is director of Alpha Omega Clinic and Consultation Services in Vienna, Virginia, and Bethesda, Maryland.
Reach Family Matters at familymatters@ncregister.com
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Art Bennett ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: HOME-SCHOOL HEADWAY DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:Facts of Life
A leading advocate of home schooling says * 1 million to 2 million children, representing 2% to 4% of all U.S. schoolchildren, are taught at home. These numbers don't jibe with the latest government numbers, from 1999, which put the total at 850,000. But Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute, contends the federal figure is low because of the home-schooled students who do not report themselves.
Source: CNN, Sept. 3 Register illustration by Tim Rauch
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: The 59-Bead Family DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:When it's time for the family rosary in Patrick and Christina Rock's household, 18-month-old Alexander Ambrose toddles to the shelf, gets the beads and puts a pillow where his father kneels.
“He can't speak yet, but he imitates us,” Patrick says. “It's endearing to see.”
The toddler is taking his first steps to one of the many benefits of praying the rosary with his family. Across America, lots of other youngsters — and their families — are doing the same.
As with any endeavor families undertake together, it takes some doing to establish and, especially, sustain a regular family rosary. Most children have short attention spans to work around. Many ‘tweens have unbridled energy to harness. And not a few teens have moods to manage. But it's clear the benefits of the family rosary far outweigh the costs — a fact worth contemplating Oct. 7, feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
“The first benefit of praying the rosary as a family is family unity,” says Father John Phalen, president of Holy Cross Family Ministries in Easton, Mass., one of whose ministries is family rosary. “There will be this trust, this unity, in the family because they've shared their prayers.” The family will face issues together.
Already, Jonna Creed's 7-year-old son, David, catches on during family rosary time in their Massachusetts home. Creed and her husband, David, also have 22-month-old Angela Marie and newborn Savannah Lee.
“We have a little intention with each bead,” Jonna Creed explains. With his turn, “our son David will say, ‘Dear Mary, please help little Savannah not to cry so much.’ That's what's on his mind, and it's a way for children to be active in the prayers.”
The youngest might not be able to understand the words of Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter for this Year of the Rosary, but they can begin to live it. The Holy Father writes, “The holy rosary … has shown itself particularly effective as a prayer that brings the family together. Individual family members, in turning their eyes toward Jesus, also regain the ability to look one another in the eye, to communicate, to show solidarity, to forgive one another and to see their covenant of love renewed in the Spirit of God.”
“We've got a lot more peace in the family,” Creed says. “We're a one-income family, and we prayed about that, and God's given us peace.”
Looks like the Holy Father had it right on this point, as well. “As a prayer for peace, the rosary is also, and always has been, a prayer of and for the family,” he writes. “At one time this prayer was particularly dear to Christian families, and it certainly brought them closer together.”
In Ohio, Tracy and Amy McManamon and their children — Sarah, 18; Catherine, 8; Elizabeth, 5; and Madalen, 1 — have seen these truths in action. “For Sarah, it has really brought peace,” says father Tracy McManamon. “Teenagers have a tough time out there today. Praying with the family, they can turn the negative influences off. I see Sarah turn to gentleness and softness. It's a peace-filled time for the family.”
It's also a time to draw near to Jesus and Mary. “I feel the Blessed Mother's very near to me and my family when we pray the rosary,” Creed says. “Praying the rosary is like holding Mary's hand.”
“The rosary,” according to the Pope, “has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety … It is an echo of the prayer of Mary.”
McManamon also finds the family rosary “a tremendous witness tool.” Teens visiting during family-prayer time are impressed — “and the Protestant kids join in with us. They say it's such a great prayer.”
There's still time left in this Year of the Rosary to start reaping these kinds of blessings. Just don't be discouraged when the inevitable roadblocks loom ahead.
“One of the first obstacles is our belief that we're too busy to pray,” Father Phalen says. “We have time to do what we give priority to.”
The Rocks in Massachusetts, whose other children include 4-year-old Isaiah, 3-year-old Dominic and another son due in December, follow this idea to good results. “We try to make it a special time we carve out of our day,” says Patrick Rock.
To overcome the obstacle of limited attention spans and easy distractions, “we create an environment different from daily activities,” he explains. “We have a statue of Mary and light a candle. So the focus is on Mary.”
Father Phalen recommends giving “the little ones whatever responsibility they can handle. Let them lead a Hail Mary, or even a part of it. Treat it as a prize, something valuable for them to do.”
The youngest might be able to do only part of the rosary. “You have to attend to where the kids are,” Rock says. Sometimes the Rocks have their youngsters pray just one decade. But, he adds, “My 4-year-old is now at the stage where he stays from beginning to end. Make it a loving special time,” he cautions, “not a task.”
Patrick Rock also learned, “The kids like the rosary because there's something in their hands. It provides contact and focus for them.”
Creed uses coloring kits from the Holy Cross Ministries. “Each sheet demonstrates a mystery of the rosary,” she says. “My son can read the words and Angela can look at pictures” such as John the Baptist baptizing Jesus.
Avoid the “mystery of the missing rosary,” Father Phalen says. Head off excuses like, “I lost my rosary,” or “She took my rosary” at the pass. How? Simple. “Have a bowl full of rosaries available on the fireplace mantle.”
What about apparent distractions? “If a young person is fidgety, ask him what he is thinking about,” he advises. “Sometimes what we label distractions are what we should be praying about.”
“Relate the mysteries to life in the family,” Father Phalen adds. “Bring the rosary alive and relate it to their life experience.” With the fourth sorrowful mystery, for instance, family members can talk about what their cross seems to be. Maybe they're “teased in class or having a hard time with a teacher.”
While Creed laments prime-time television's decline, she finds “the TV became a big aid to us with my 7-year-old,” she says. The pictures and music of the rosary broadcast daily by the Archdiocese of Boston got his attention.
Similarly, the McManamons often pray while watching the mysteries unfold on Familyland TV with Father Patrick Peyton's film, Life of Christ: Mysteries of the Rosary.
“What greater way to learn the rosary as a young person than by watching it, hearing it and touching it,” says McManamon. “They're using three senses.”
Their 5-year-old knows all about the life of Christ, he says. “My kids will see Christ crowned with thorns, and ask, ‘Why did they do that to Jesus?’ It becomes a teaching moment.”
Joseph Pronechen writes from Trumbull, Connecticut.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joseph Pronechen ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: The Strength to Say the Hard Things DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:Priest Profile
When parishioners of St. Margaret Mary Alocoque Church in St. Louis talk about Father Kristian Teater, their 29-year-old assistant pastor who arrived in June 2001, they don't fumble for expression.
That's not to say the priest needs a crash course in homiletics. Au con-traire, Conder says. “When he came to the parish, he described himself as ‘Two-Minute Teater,’” Conder recalls. “His presentation is dynamic. He takes one aspect of the Gospel and challenges us to live in a Christian way. A week later, you can still remember what he said.”
Longtime parishioner Kathleen Gau concurs. “He's not afraid to speak from the pulpit on issues we need to hear,” she says. “Yet he's a very gentle man.”
When the occasion calls for it, Father Teater takes on the tough issues of the day, Conder says. “He felt it was important to talk about the fallacy and dangers of homosexual unions. He really challenged everybody to take a stand and get involved.”
Bob Gau considers Father Teater “a priest's priest — he's very caring, into people and a brilliant guy.”
Father Teater came to St. Louis with his mother in 1985, when he entered sixth grade at St. John the Baptist Grammar School. He was a transplant from Temple, Texas — where, he notes, practically everyone's Baptist.
That included some members of his own family, though most around him weren't what he would describe as devout.
“I lived in the usual, secularized American family,” he says. “Here [in St. Louis], God was the center.” The personal witness of his grandmother and great-grandmother showed him how life-changing faith could be to those who paid it more than lip service.
It wasn't until sixth grade that he went to Mass every week, he says, reflecting on the one-on-one catech-esis he received from the priest so he could make his first confession and first holy Communion.
“It was so new to me — discovering all this for the first time, finding my Catholic identity,” he says. “The whole thing about religion attracted me from the start.”
By seventh grade he had begun thinking that God might be calling him to the priesthood. His next thoughts often went to the resistance he'd likely encounter.
“When I got that grace of sure-ness that God was calling me to this, I prayed the rosary a lot,” he says. He had become zealous for the devotion through the witness of a teacher and EWTN. And, he recalls, “my great-grandmother gave me my great-grandfather's rosary. He was a St. Louis cop and he prayed it every day.”
One day at Mass, St. Matthew's Gospel struck him with special force. He had the strong impression that Jesus was calling him to leave all and follow him, and telling him that he would be rewarded “a hundredfold.”
“That was pretty much a sign to me,” he says. “I thought, ‘Even if my family does reject me, I want to do what God is calling me to be.’ Otherwise, I knew I couldn't be happy.”
Father Teater remembers well his first big experience of what priesthood means. As a seminarian at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, he took part in the Corpus Christi procession in Orvieto.
“It was amazing to walk through the town and have the military and police stand at attention — and men, women and children leaning out of medieval buildings waving handkerchiefs, bowing their heads and making the sign of the cross, and seeing the respect for the Eucharist and the priesthood.” That same weekend he participated in a Eucharistic procession led by Pope John Paul II.
Asked about his modern-day role models, Father Teater cites the Holy Father, Archbishop Timothy Dolan (who was rector of his seminary) and Archbishop Justin Rigali (former bishop of St Louis). What about those three made an impression on the young priest? Their deep devotion to Christ in the Eucharist.
“The primacy of the Eucharist is supposed to permeate everything” in the priest's life, Father Teater says. “Above all, priesthood is about service to Christ and bringing him totally — body, blood, soul and divinity — to his people.” This explains his championing of Eucharistic adoration at his parish.
Father Teater's interior life is marked by an abiding love for the Blessed Mother — a dedication that started when he was a child. The image of the Blessed Mother taking care of her children seems to have strengthened him ever since.
It's a strength he's quick to share with all whom God places in his path, brother priests included.
“The thing that stands out the most about Father Teater is that he's a man of great faith and fidelity in a way that's attractive to people,” says Father Eugene Morris, teacher and director of worship at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis. “If I had to go into battle with him, I'd be very comfortable with him by my side — or in front of me, or in back of me.”
Of course, so would the people of St. Margaret Mary. “As a newly ordained priest” of exemplary fidelity and holiness, says Kathleeen Gau, “he gives us hope for the future.”
Joseph Pronechen writes from Trumbull, Connecticut.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joseph Pronechen ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Prolife Victories DATE: 10/05/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 5-11, 2003 ----- BODY:Warning Labels
CNSNEWS.COM, Sept. 18 — Australia has begun requiring pharmaceutical manufacturers to label products that were developed or tested with stem cells from human embryos.
The requirement, which will enable physicians and consumers to boycott those drugs if they have ethical objections to embryonic stem cell research, has been welcomed by pro-lifers.
Do No Harm, a coalition supporting ethical medical research, was first to take up the issue of labeling drugs tested in this way.
The group's medical spokesman, Dr. David van Gend, said he thought “it was only proper that patients and doctors have some way of knowing so that, where possible, they can avoid and if need be boycott such medications.”
Agreeable Vaccines
LIFENEWS.COM, Sept. 14 — Parents around the nation can now ensure that their children are protected against mumps and measles without having to resort to vaccines developed from cell lines taken from aborted babies.
Children of God for Life, a group that monitors vaccines from the pro-life perspective, says that the pharmaceutical giant Merck has confirmed that single-dose Attenuvax (measles) and Mumpsvax (mumps) are now available to family physicians.
The vaccines represent a pro-life breakthrough: They do not contain tissues from aborted unborn children.
Fetal Poster Cleared
THISISLOCALLONDON.CO.UK, Sept. 10 — An English woman who was arrested and charged with public order offenses after showing a poster of an aborted fetus has been cleared of all charges.
Fiona Pinto, 23, from Osborne Gardens, Hertfordshire, was campaigning to be elected to the Welsh Assembly as a Pro-Life Alliance candidate in April when the offending poster caused outrage among passers-by in Newport city center.
She and fellow Pro-Life candidate Joseph Biddulph, 52, were arrested after shoppers surrounded the pair and demanded that the poster be taken down.
Magistrate Sally Ann Fleming Jones told Abergavenny Magistrates Court: “The poster could be seen as being in poor taste and we feel its display in a public shopping area during school holidays could be seen as unwise. However, taken in the light of modern-day images used daily in the media, and with regard to the laws of freedom of expression, we do not find the charge of causing insult proved.”
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Pope John Paul II at 25 Years DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:ROME — Pope John Paul II celebrates his 25th anniversary as Pope amid a series of celebratory events that themselves indicate several of the signature themes of his pontificate.
The celebrations also take place amid renewed concerns about the Holy Father's health. John Paul has become increasingly frail in recent weeks, unable to stand or walk.
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna, Austria, said on Austrian state radio Oct. 2 that the Pope is dying.
“I don't know how near death he is,” Cardinal Schonborn said, but he is “approaching the last days and months of his life.”
The cardinal's remarks followed published comments of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger that the “ailing” Holy Father was in need of prayer. A papal aide later said the remarks, made to a German magazine, were taken out of context. Cardinal Schönborn's spokesman said his remarks should be taken “philosophically,” not literally.
Nevertheless, as the Register was going to press, the Vatican was still planning a full schedule of events, beginning with a papal visit Oct. 7 to the shrine of the Holy Rosary at Pompeii to cap the Year of the Rosary and set a Marian seal on John Paul's anniversary celebrations.
During the anniversary week itself, the entire College of Cardinals has been convoked by its dean, Cardinal Ratzinger, the Holy Father's most important collaborator and faithful lieutenant for 22 years as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The John Paul/Cardinal Ratzinger team — both of them leading professors before their service as bishops — has served as perhaps the most scholarly duo to lead the Church in modern times. Cardinal Ratzinger will lead the cardinals Oct. 15-18 in a symposium reflecting upon the principal themes of the Holy Father's pontificate.
On the election anniversary itself, Oct. 16, the Pope will sign an apostolic exhortation completing the work of the 2001 Synod for Bishops on the episcopal office — a kind of anniversary present to the world's bishops on how the job is done from one who has worn the miter for 45 years — more than half his life.
Later that evening the Holy Father will celebrate Mass in St. Peter's Square, roughly the same hour as his election 25 years previous. A pontificate known for great public theater will return to the site of so many of John Paul's historic moments — the assassination attempt of 1981, the first World Youth Day in 1985, the opening of the Holy Door in 1999 — to mark his appearance on the balcony as the first non-Italian Pope in 450 years. On World Mission Sunday, Oct. 19, John Paul will beatify Mother Teresa of Calcutta, arguably the greatest missionary of the 20th century.
Crowning Moment
It was last December when the beatification of Mother Teresa was announced, and it was expected it would be held in the spring. John Paul decided to delay it until October so it would be the crowning moment of his own papal jubilee.
Aside from being a close friend, Mother Teresa lived out so much of what is distinctive about John Paul's service as Bishop of Rome. A woman of deeply traditional faith and practice, Mother Teresa found a way to proclaim the Gospel and defend human life in a way that resonated with contemporary culture. Her presence on the world stage ensured that the poor, dispossessed and marginal could not be entirely forgotten.
A missionary in constant and respectful contact with other religions, she never compromised on the essentials of the Catholic faith. And like her friend the Pope, Mother Teresa's smile communicated her deep Christian joy as she traveled from one end of the world to the other.
John Paul will create 30 new cardinals Oct. 21 (he named 31, but one was named in pectore, or in secret) and will celebrate Mass with them in St. Peter's Square on Oct. 22, the anniversary of the first papal Mass that marked the solemn inauguration of the pontificate in 1978. It was at that Mass that John Paul preached his famous “be not afraid” homily, inviting the world to “open wide the doors to Christ.”
Twenty-five years later, the cardinals gathered around him will be a living witness to the reach of that exhortation, especially as many countries living under communism 25 years ago now have resident cardinals freely exercising their ministry.
Vatican sources told Catholic News Service that in spite of the concerns about the Pope's health, no serious consideration has been given to abbreviating the traditional ceremonies for the new cardinals.
The 135 cardinal-electors will no doubt have on their minds the next conclave. John Paul marks this anniversary with speculation that it might be his last milestone — speculation that, it should be noted, also marked his 15th and 20th anniversaries.
Father Raymond J. DeSouza, former Rome correspondent for the Register, is based in Kingston, Ontario.
----- EXCERPT: Special Events Size Up Pope's Legacy ----- EXTENDED BODY: Raymond J. de Souza ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Pope John Paul II at 25 Years DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:BOSTON — Millions of Catholics worldwide have seen Pope John Paul II from afar, either at large gatherings or on television, but far fewer have been blessed with the opportunity to share a meal or conversation with the Pope. The stories they tell paint a more personal picture of Karol Wojtyla.
Ray Flynn remembered his first meeting with then Archbishop Karol Wojtyla when the archbishop first came to the United States in 1969 to speak at Harvard University.
“At the time I was running for state representative,” recalled Flynn, the former mayor of Boston and U.S. ambassador to the Vatican from 1993 to 1997. “I was introduced to the archbishop by Cardinal Richard Cushing, who was a neighborhood friend of our family.”
Cardinal Cushing introduced Flynn as “a famous athlete whose father was a very devout Catholic and a good union dockworker.”
Archbishop Wojtyla told Flynn about an article he had published in a Polish newspaper. The topic of the article was dockworkers in Marseilles, France, and dealt with Pope Leo XII's 1891 encyclical letter Rerum Novarum (on capital and labor).
“I had been a student of Rerum Novarum, and so we became friends,” Flynn said. “Archbishop Wojtyla later sent me a copy of the article. Little did I realize that he would become the leader of the Roman Catholic Church or that I would be visiting him in Rome as the mayor of Boston.”
“Many people speak of John Paul's legacy and his role in the collapse of communism,” Flynn said, “but on many occasions I have seen an amazing side of him. The special love he has for people is the greatness of the man.”
One memory Flynn said would remain with his family forever occurred during his time as ambassador. His son, Ray Jr., was experiencing severe depression and the family was uncertain how to deal with it. Somehow, word reached the Pope.
“I was at a formal diplomatic function where the Holy Father had given us a presentation about an issue of some significance,” Flynn said.
“After the presentation, we lined up and the Holy Father, as was his custom, came down the line to greet us,” he continued. “When he came to me he looked up at me and said, 'Ambassador, how is your son doing? I pray for him all the time. With Our Lady's help he will become a healthy and strong boy and a young man. If there is ever any way that I can help, you let me know.'”
Overwhelmed with emotion and with tears welling up in his eyes, Flynn could only respond, “Holy Father, thank you so much.” Approximately 10 months later the Flynns observed their son was getting noticeably better.
The Holy Father later invited the entire Flynn family to meet him following midnight Christmas Mass.
“At about 2 a.m. we were escorted to a private room,” Flynn said. “There he met all six of our children and placed his hand on my son's forehead and prayed with him. This was just our family, but I've seen so many other times when he would stop and greet others — the poor, the weak, the infirm, the disabled, the elderly and gypsies.”
Flynn also recalled the Holy Father's penchant for Polish food.
One night he received a call from the Pope's secretary inviting him to the Vatican because the Holy Father wanted to communicate a message to then President Bill Clinton. Flynn went immediately.
“When I reached the apostolic apartment, there was a significant smell of kielbasa and cabbage,” Flynn said.
“I told the Holy Father, 'You know where I come from. I know that smell very, very well.'”
John Paul responded, “I should have invited you to come to dinner to have kielbasa with me. Every time you come here, I give you pasta.”
“I can get pasta everywhere,” Flynn said. “Some good kielbasa is what I'm in the mood for.”
On another occasion, Flynn met the Holy Father for breakfast.
“I should have invited you for dinner,” the Pope told Flynn. “I didn't think I could give you kielbasa for breakfast.”
Meals were often working times for the Holy Father, Flynn said, especially at lunch.
“I've seen him on many occasions where he is working and fumbling around with his food,” Flynn said. “Before you knew it, they were collecting the plates and he had barely taken any.”
'He Cleaned His Plate'
Twenty-year-old Robin Cam-marota said the Pope was one of the few people who cleaned his plate when she had lunch with him.
Cammarota, a third-year student at Hunter College in New York City, was one of 14 youths who spent two hours with the Holy Father during a private luncheon last year at World Youth Day in Toronto.
Active with her Catholic Youth Organization at St. Francis de Chantal Parish in the Bronx, Cammarota was invited in February 2002 by her Catholic Youth Organization director to be part of the luncheon.
The luncheon took place in July 2002 at the Holy Father's retreat on Strawberry Island near Toronto.
After Cammarota introduced herself to him, the Holy Father asked if she had been in New York City on Sept. 11.
“After telling him that I was there, he said that it was a terrible day and that he would keep us in his prayers,” Cammarota recalled.
The youth enjoyed a meal of spaghetti, asparagus and coleslaw, followed by cake.
“I think the Holy Father really liked the cake,” said Anneke Pehmoller of Germany.
“He ate more than I did,” Cammarota said. “He really cleaned his plate. When he was finished with the meal, he pushed his plate away, which gave us a good laugh.”
The highlight of the luncheon for Cammarota was telling John Paul that she shared his birthday.
“As the Holy Father was saying goodbye, I said, 'Your Holy Father, I was born on your birthday, May 18. In fact, when you turned 81, I turned 18.'”
With that, the Pope began to sing “Happy Birthday” in both English and Spanish.
“The 14 of us saw his weakness as well as his strength,” Cammarota said. “Many of us left that day feeling as though we had spent a day with our grandfather.”
Tim Drake writes from St. Cloud, Minnesota.
----- EXCERPT: Those Who Meet Him Cherish Pope's Personal Touch ----- EXTENDED BODY: Tim Drake ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Inches Closer to Being Law DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:WASHINGTON — It has been eight years, but it appears a bill to ban partial-birth abortions is close to becoming law.
The House on Oct. 2 voted 281-142 to ban partial-birth abortions. The action came just two days after a conference committee of House and Senate negotiators agreed on final language for the bill.
But Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., wanted several days of debate on the bill, which pushed a Senate vote past the Columbus Day recess.
That delay is just one more for a ban that has been anything but fast-track legislation.
“President Clinton and a minority of senators, mostly Democrats, blocked enactment of the partial-birth abortion ban for eight years, and now it appears that Democratic senators will obstruct the bill for additional weeks,” said Doug Johnson, legislative director for National Right to Life.
Boxer and other Senate Democrats had already delayed the bill for three months by refusing a customary procedural vote to send the bill to a conference committee to negotiate differences between it and a House bill.
Boxer had demanded that language supporting the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision remain in the final bill. But House Republicans refused to pass such a measure.
The senator told reporters: “I worry with this language out … what we're saying to American women is, 'Your health doesn't matter.'”
Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., who sponsored the ban, remained confident that Boxer's delay tactics were near their end.
“We're going to get the bill passed, and we're going to get it signed,” he said.
Gail Quinn, a spokeswoman for the pro-life secretariat at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged the Senate to take up the bill quickly.
“I applaud the House for its action,” she said. “I encourage the Senate to take up the conference report as soon as possible and send it to the president, who is waiting to sign it.”
In the abortion procedure that would be banned by the bill, a baby is partially delivered before the abortionist pierces his head, extracts the brain and collapses the skull, allowing for full delivery of the now-dead baby.
‘Important Step’
President Bush has made continued promises to sign the ban, and his spokesman reiterated that support after the House vote.
“This will be an important step toward building a culture of life in America,” said White House press secretary Scott McClellan. He urged the Senate “to move quickly on this important piece of legislation.”
President Clinton vetoed similar bans in 1996 and 1997.
A ban on partial-birth abortion has enjoyed wide popular support. A January Gallup poll found that 70% of Americans supported “a law that would make it illegal to perform a specific abortion procedure conducted in the last six months of pregnancy known as a 'partial-birth abortion,' except in cases necessary to save the life of the mother.” One in four Americans opposed such a ban.
Having lost support in the executive and legislative branch, abortion activists have announced they will head to the courts.
“We will challenge this unconstitutional ban the second it's signed into law by President Bush,” said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, a New York-based public interest law firm that represents Nebraska abortionist Dr. LeRoy Carhart.
“As the U.S. Supreme Court has already affirmed, bans like these threaten women's health; we will do everything in our power to prevent this harmful legislation from taking effect,” she said.
She referred to Stenberg v. Carhart, a case in 2000 in which the nation's high court overturned Nebraska's partial-birth abortion law by a 5-4 vote.
The bill's opponents say it is unconstitutional because the language is so broad as to ban more than one type of abortion and because the bill does not include an exception allowing the procedure in cases where it is necessary for the mother's health.
“We will have to practice medicine with the fear of prosecution after every patient,” Carhart told The New York Times.
Johnson of National Right to Life hopes that if the Supreme Court hears a challenge to the new law, there will be five votes in favor of its constitutionality.
“Two-thirds of Congress, 70% of the public and four Supreme Court justices say there is no constitutional right to deliver most of a living baby and then puncture her head with scissors,” Johnson said. “But five Supreme Court justices have said that the right of abortionists to perform partial-birth abortions is guaranteed by Roe v. Wade. We hope that by the time this ban reaches the Supreme Court, at least five justices will be willing to reject such extremism.”
He said the balance could be shifted in one of three ways: One of the justices could decide he was wrong in voting against the ban's constitutionality; one of the justices could decide the language in the new bill is more clearly defined than in the Nebraska law; or there could be a retirement from the bench who would be replaced by a pro-life judge.
House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., said the ban itself is medically prudent.
“Contrary to the claims of partial-birth abortion advocates, this savage procedure remains an untested, unproven and potentially dangerous procedure that has never been embraced by the medical profession,” Sensenbrenner said.
He said the language of the bill has been narrowed to define more clearly the prohibited type of abortion.
An abortionist who violates this ban would be subject to fines, a maximum of two years' imprisonment or both. The ban includes an exception for situations in which a partial-birth abortion is deemed necessary to save the life of the mother.
Joshua Mercer writes from Washington, D.C.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joshua Mercer ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Texas Contractor Leads Boycott Against Abortion Clinic Site DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:AUSTIN, Texas — “If you build it, they will kill children. So don't help them build it.”
That's the simple message Texas construction contractors — Catholics and others — are getting from Chris Danze, an Austin construction contractor who is spearheading a boycott of a proposed Planned Parenthood abortion clinic.
“We have a window of opportunity right now to stop them or at least slow them down,” said Danze, who credits his Catholic faith for his pro-life activism. “Once that thing is built, it will be at least 10 or 20 years of looking at a building that's used to promote sexual mayhem and the killing of unborn children. I don't want to look at it.”
Danze knew nothing of Planned Parenthood's plans for the new $6.2 million, 20,000-square-foot building until 10 weeks ago when he read a small news item in the Austin Chronicle, an alternative newsweekly. He read that with the new building, at 201 Ben White Blvd., Planned Parenthood of the Texas Capital Region would offer in-house abortions for the first time. In the past, Planned Parenthood clinics in and around Austin have only made abortion referrals.
“I saw that, and my reaction was to send off a letter to 25 of my closest vendors, including people who supply my company with cement, steel, wood and other construction materials,” Danze explained. “I told them that if I saw their trucks on that construction site, I would no longer do business with them.”
A few of Danze's subcontractors were upset, but most agreed to comply. Danze said several were inspired to help make the boycott a success.
“It caught on, and some of those vendors started offering to help me in promoting the boycott,” Danze said. “We got a snowball effect going.”
Phone calls were made, and more letters were written to every construction company and supply firm within a 60-mile radius of Austin. Newspapers and television stations picked up on it, airing Danze's efforts to blacklist the project. “We've been contacting everyone who supplies portable toilets for construction sites, portable fencing, equipment rental companies, steel suppliers, lumber suppliers and the list goes on,” Danze said. “We've been getting about a 95% positive response from the industry as a whole.”
As a result, subcontractors began backing out of their contracts with the abortion clinic's general contractor — Browning Construction Co. of Browning, Texas. Danze says all of the 18 cement contractors that operate within a 60-mile radius of Austin have agreed to refuse service and cement for the abortion clinic.
“I don't know what they're going to do when it comes time to pour cement,” Danze said. “They'll probably find a way, but it's going to be slow and costly, and it may be inferior cement.”
Danze's efforts, however, have not stopped construction in its tracks. A groundbreaking ceremony was staged Sept. 23, featuring about 200 of the clinic's supporters — including Austin Mayor Will Wynn and state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez of Austin.
“Mr. Danze's boycott will not affect our ability to complete this project at all,” said Danielle Tierney, director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of the Texas Capital Region. “Austin is a very pro-choice community and we have a great deal of support.”
The groundbreaking was possible because Browning Construction owner James Browning has resisted Danze's pleas that he back out of the contract. Furthermore, a handful of area subcontractors — including an excavation company — told Danze they didn't care to discuss a boycott.
Some contractors have been brought in from faraway cities in Texas, and Danze said it would be impossible to successfully boycott the abortion clinic throughout a state the size of Texas. However, every time he sees a new out-of-area subcontractor at the site, he pays the owner a visit.
“We ask them, 'Do you know what you're building?' Then we explain it to them,” Danze said. “The guy with the excavation company told me to get out of his face and never contact him again. So there are a few people in the industry who are happy to participate in this and help make it happen.”
Conflicting Thoughts
Others, such as James Stapp, are torn. Stapp is vice president of Capital Chem Can, a company in Buda, Texas, that leases and maintains portable toilet facilities for construction sites.
“Everybody in the construction industry is begging for work right now, so this darn clinic is really a tough issue,” said Stapp, who is Catholic. “The hardest part is this assertion that if we rent a toilet for that construction project, we're somehow condoning or supporting what will go on in that building. Nothing could be further from the truth. The people at Capital Chem Can, and our families, do not support abortion in any way.”
Stapp said he's praying about the decision he has to make: Whether to revoke toilet service for Browning Construction — a major contractor that helps keep him in business — in order to take a stand against abortion.
“Browning has given me business for 15 years,” Stapp said. “That company has stuck by me at times when the economy has been in pitiful shape. And you know what, until Chris Danze talked to me I didn't have any idea what they were building at 201 Ben White. I never know what's going up. I show up and leave toilets at a construction site before anyone else begins work.”
Stapp said he won't make a decision about boycotting until he's spoken with his priest, Father Howard Goertz, pastor of St. Anthony's Church, in Kyle, Texas. He'll pose this question: “What if I don't back out of this contract, but I donate all of my net profit from this to a pro-life organization? Where would that put me?”
James Browning, owner of Browning Construction, did not return calls from the Register. Danze said Browning has been unwilling to explain why he won't agree to boycott the project — a move that would bring construction to a halt, at least temporarily.
“James Browning was very polite when I spoke to him, and he listened very attentively to what I had to say,” Danze said. “But all he will tell me is that the project is moving forward.”
Danze said he no longer expects to stop the clinic from being built.
“But I can slow it down,” he said, “and I can probably add a quarter-million dollars to the cost.”
Wayne Laugesen is based in Boulder, Colorado.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Wayne Laugesen ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Working With the Holy Father DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, visited Catholic Familyland in Bloomingdale, Ohio, in July to record catechetical programs for the Familyland television network.
In a candid question-and-answer session during one of the summer family conferences, compiled here by Register correspondent Ellen Rossini, the cardinal answered attendees' questions about liturgy, concerns in the Church in America and his encounters with the Holy Father.
What personal testimony can you give about Pope John Paul II?
I want to say it is a joy to be near him. It is a joy to work with him and for him, to submit documents to him, to discuss with him. It is also a joy to have lunch with him. Sometimes I ask — like three weeks ago — I said I would like to discuss something with Holy Father. Fifteen minutes. Reply: Come for lunch. Oh, better — one hour and 15 minutes! So it is a delight.
And one day we were having lunch and then he asked me a question. I was answering. After some time he said, “But your soup is now cold. What of another plate?” So he is not always talking on dogma.
How and when did the Holy Father ask you to come to Rome?
In 1984. The Holy Father through the archbishop who was his assistant secretary said he has in mind to bring some bishops to Rome to work. Would I accept? I said I will work anywhere the Holy Father asks me to work. It is as simple as that. He asked me would I prefer to come to Rome or to remain in my own country. I said I don't prefer anything — whichever the Holy Father wants, that's the one I prefer, no problem from my side.
So the Holy Father eventually decided: “You come to Rome.” I went to Rome, and I am happy. And when I have problems I go to the chapel and I pray to Our Lord, and I say, “Your Vicar on earth called me here. Here is the problem, so you have to give me the grace, because I didn't ask you.”
What do you consider the most important and decisive thing the Holy Father has written for the universal Church?
Of all the things he has written, everybody will have his own dear document. The Holy Father has written 14 major encyclicals [and] plenty of apostolic letters — to choose only one and not the others can be problematic.
But I would recommend in particular his last encyclical on the Holy Eucharist, titled, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, “The Church Comes from the Eucharist.” All he has written are important, but this particular one is like the crown of them all.
What was the highlight of the great Jubilee Year 2000 for you?
The Eucharistic Congress, which was celebrated around the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ during that holy year, was really a high point.
And the second high point was the World Youth Day in Rome, especially when the young people went to confession from morning to night, and 1,200 priests and bishops heard confessions of young people from morning till evening — a proof that young people want religion and they are not allergic to the Catholic faith.
What was your reaction at Georgetown University, where some faculty protested your commencement speech that included a negative mention of homosexuality?
I gave my talk. Only three pages of ordinary Catholic doctrine.
What is the Vatican doing to reform seminaries with a better spiritual formation and also to increase vocations?
The offices of the Holy Father are doing what they can. Of course, the major action is in bishops and dioceses and the bishops' conferences and in seminaries around the world — most of them are regional.
The offices of the Holy Father give instructions, indications, helps. The bishops come to Rome together every five years, and they visit the various offices and also visit the Pope, and this type of thing is discussed.
But we must not expect that from the Vatican there will be instant solutions to problems all around the world because the Church is universal but also local.
In America, the Church has problems. How do we support our bishops, and what is the best way to communicate our concerns?
I have not come here with pocketed answers to the questions in the country. So, you have enough leaders; and among bishops, religious, laymen, laywomen, young people in your country, you have enough dynamism to examine the problems in the best tradition of the Church, and also in solidarity with the universal Church. There is nothing seen that was never seen before.
Ellen Rossini writes from Richardson, Texas.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Inperson -------- TITLE: Chicago Home for Troubled Children Comes Under Fire by State DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:DES PLAINES, Ill. — The news was dramatic. After an FBI probe, a 120-year-old Catholic home for troubled youth was threatened with closure. The state planned to remove the children from the home.
But the Illinois governor's office announced Oct. 3 that the children will be able to stay if the home adopts reforms.
Illinois officials began removing residents from the Des Plaines campus of Mary ville Academy, an institution of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, in September in an attempt to give Maryville more time to fix problems.
Maryville has been under fire since July 2002, following an investigation into its handling of a suicide, a series of assaults, runaways and sexual activity among the youths at the 270-bed campus, one of 21 facilities in and around Chicago.
FBI agents meanwhile have interviewed staff about the circumstances surrounding the 2002 suicide of a 14-year-old girl at the Des Plaines campus.
“We think [these issues] can be resolved quickly, said Father John Smyth, Maryville's longtime executive director. Father Smyth has pledged to work with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the archdiocese and the office of Gov. Rod Blagojevich to develop new programs and examine staffing at the facility.
In July, the Department of Children and Family Services gave Maryville 60 days to comply with two independent monitors' suggestions for improvements in care at the facility. In September, department officials began moving the most troubled residents — 39 youths, including 14 “Tier 1” (youths who need the most psychiatric and counseling services) wards of the state — out of Maryville. The remaining 91 are to be removed by Dec. 15.
Cook County Public Guardian Patrick Murphy, the legal guardian for most children at Maryville, filed a lawsuit Sept. 30 to stall the Department of Children and Family Services from removing the Maryville residents. He said he and lawyers from his office have interviewed all the youths at Maryville and found the vast majority does not want to leave.
The places the Department of Children and Family Services wants to place them “are no better than Maryville, and some are worse,” Murphy said.
However, he says the institution must make changes to its programs and staff.
“Maryville is not equipped to deal with [violent youth], and the place imploded,” he said.
Father Smyth has “done more for kids in Illinois than a thousand people put together,” Murphy stated, but he suggested it was time for him to “move on.”
“Five to seven years ago, [the Department of Children and Family Services] asked [Father] Smyth to take some really troubled kids,” Murphy said. “He mixed the troubled and non-troubled kids. That's like mixing gasoline and dynamite. I told him not to take them. When [the department] told Maryville to change its programming [to deal with the most troubled kids], Father Smyth dug in his heels and said he wouldn't change.”
Department of Children and Family Services spokeswoman Jill Manuel says the agency also is at fault.
“We do bear some of the responsibility [for problems at Maryville],” she said. “However, they've had almost two years to rectify problems and to bolster their services to make sure that the youth they have, including these Tier 1 youths, are getting adequate services.”
The state recommended that Maryville have better-trained staff in counseling and therapy as well as better programs in place to deal with violence and runaway youth.
Father Smyth disagreed. He said services at Maryville — including services for Tier 1 youth — are more than adequate. He cites the Maryville Scott Nolan Center as a first-rate psychiatric facility for helping the state's most troubled youth.
“It's the best psychiatric hospital for youth,” he said. “That's the reason I got it. I knew the campus here couldn't handle all Tier 1 kids. No one even mentions that or wants to recognize that because no one else would do it.”
Father Smyth maintains that the Department of Children and Family Services may have a hidden agenda in its decision to remove youth from Maryville's Des Plaines campus, just north of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.
“They want to rid themselves of residential care [to save money],” he said. “They attacked us first because we are the biggest, to get us out of the way.”
Established in 1883, several years after the Great Chicago Fire and several epidemics resulted in hundreds of homeless and orphaned children, Maryville has served as an orphan-age, boarding school and trade school for troubled youth. Today, it is a home for abused, neglected and abandoned kids providing diagnostic and medical care, therapeutic counseling, vocational training, special education and emergency shelter services. Last year, Maryville's network of facilities served more than 16,000 children.
Although much has changed since its founding, Father Smyth stressed that Maryville's focus on building a sense of family remains.
“I think it's important to teach the basis of the family because even though we're a surrogate family, it still has components of what a Judeo-Christian family should be — the kids can get a tremendous amount of strength from that,” he explained.
Father Smyth has worked at Maryville since his ordination in 1962. Amid the present controversy, he surrendered control to Maryville's program and clinical manager.
The priest, who holds celebrity status in Illinois, has garnered widespread support in the wake of state and FBI investigations. He said he was buoyed by a Sept. 22 rally at the Des Plaines campus that attracted about 1,500 boisterous supporters, including Maryville alumni, sports figures, political leaders and current Maryville residents.
Father Daniel Mallette, who has known Father Smyth for 50 years, runs one of Maryville's facilities near his parish, St. Margaret of Scotland in Chicago.
“He cares about people 24 hours a day, especially about God's poorest,” said Father Mallette, who visits the Des Plaines campus weekly. “He's got 32 kids right in our parish here. About 10 years ago, our convent was empty and they took it over. Everything he runs is top-notch.”
Father Smyth also is backed by his boss, Chicago Cardinal Francis George, who said in a statement: “I have pledged publicly to work hard to help make changes, redesigning programs and restructuring staff, in order to reopen the Maryville Academy campus. Maryville Academy has experienced significant challenges and is presently facing another one. I believe that Maryville Academy campus will continue to serve the children who need its help.”
Cardinal George “is 100% behind Maryville and myself,” Father Smyth said, “and he wants Maryville to [continue in its] mission of helping children.”
Patrick Novecosky is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Patrick Novecosky ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:No Porn — or Bibles — Allowed
VDARE.COM, Sept. 30 — Daniel Moody is a 21-year-old American soldier serving in the Middle East. Moody's father, Jack, tried to send his son a spiritual “care package” he'd requested, containing a Bible and some Christian literature.
But the elder Moody was stopped by a postal regulation that prohibits sending material to Middle Eastern countries containing “any matter containing religious materials contrary to the Islamic faith” or anything “depicting semi-nude persons, pornographic or sexual items or non-authorized political materials.”
Moody is suing to have the regulation changed. As he told Voice of America: “My son is in the military, and he's overseas fighting to free [Iraq] from tyranny, and to protect our rights and our freedoms, and here our government has a rule on the books that's limited his freedom.”
Syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin on the Web site VDare.com commented, “There's something terribly wrong when an American soldier overseas can't receive Scriptures in the mail but a Muslim chaplain can preach freely among al-Qaida and Taliban enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay.”
She was referring to James Yee, the former Muslim chaplain at the U.S. Naval base in Cuba who is suspected of smuggling out diagrams of detainees’ cells and the names of detainees and their interrogators.
Rock Band Promises Suicide Onstage
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sept. 29 — A rock band that calls itself Hell on Earth was to feature an onstage suicide by a terminally ill patient in a show in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Oct. 4, the Associated Press reported.
The show, which was originally scheduled for a large public theater, had to be moved to a private, undisclosed location after the theater's owner canceled the band's appearance.
The City of St. Petersburg passed an emergency ordinance making it illegal to conduct a suicide for commercial or entertainment purposes and to host, promote and sell tickets for such an event, the news service said.
Assistant City Attorney Al Galbraith said the city planned to seek a court injunction to prevent the private show as well.
Condom Ads Aimed at Teens' Parents
WORLDNETDAILY.COM, Sept. 27- According to the Web site WorldNetDaily.com, a series of TV ads sponsored by Planned Parenthood and local health officials will debut soon in the United States, starting in Oregon.
The first ad shows a letter from parents that reads: “We care about you. Protect yourself. Love, Mom and Dad,” with the letter “O” replaced throughout by open condoms.
WorldNetDaily cited Jim Sedlak of the American Life League, who criticized the ads: “You're asking parents to condone what most religions would call immoral practices. Most of the religious people where these ads are being shown have beliefs that object to premar-tial sexual activity.”
Planned Parenthood has claimed the ads, based on similar campaigns in Europe, would decrease teen pregnancy and abortion.
Sedlak replied that no scientific study has ever confirmed such claims and pointed out that Planned Parenthood makes and markets its own brand of condoms.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Pro-Life Win in Yonkers, N.Y., Election Provides Model for Other Races DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:YONKERS, N.Y. — Pro-life Catholics in New York's fourth-largest city are on a roll.
They flexed their political muscle in a September mayoral primary to help their candidate beat a highly favored, politically connected pro-abortion candidate.
In Yonkers, which is just outside New York City and in an area where “politics are in the hands of pro-aborts,” according to one pro-life leader, that was victory enough.
But a month before the Nov. 4 general election, the pro-abortion candidate, who had doggedly remained in the race on the Conservative and Independence lines, dropped out and threw his support behind the man who beat him.
That development, which occurred Oct. 1, boosted hopes that a candidate who not only supports the right to life but also is likely to be more attentive to the moral aspects of public education will triumph over the Democratic candidate, who is pro-abortion.
As well, the political work of the pro-life activists in Yonkers, which has a large number of Catholics among its 196,000 residents, could serve as a model for pro-lifers in other parts of the country and embolden pro-life candidates.
In the primary, Deputy Mayor Phil Amicone, a Catholic who appealed directly to pro-life voters, defeated the pro-abortion state Assemblyman Michael Spano, also a Catholic, by a margin of 43% to 38%, a difference of about 400 votes in a low-turnout election.
Spano comes from a family long prominent in local politics (his father is county clerk and his brother is a state senator) and had the endorsement of the local Republican Committee.
“If a ragtag group like ours that got into the thick of things late in the game and had no political connections could swing this election, then there's a lot more potential for pro-lifers around the country,” said Christopher Slattery, the head of six New York City pregnancy centers who spearheaded Yonkers Republicans for Life, a group that was formed in the month leading up to the Sept. 9 primary. The group joined the Catholic Coalition of Westchester and the local Knights of Columbus to make 12,000 phone calls to city voters and hand out fliers at Catholic churches.
About 70% of the city's 28,000 registered Republicans are Catholic, he said.
A Yonkers resident with four school-age children, Slattery got involved in the election after Spano began implying in campaign ads that he stood for family and faith values.
“We challenged him on his voting record,” Slattery said. “I think a lot of people are really fed up in general about politicians using the Catholic label and then going off and voting against Catholic principles. The Republican Party in New York has been corrupted by politicians who are willing to put the lives of unborn babies on the chopping block.”
Visual Help
The pro-life coalition prepared a voter's guide comparing the public positions of the two candidates on partial-birth abortion, taxpayer-funded abortion, homosexual unions, school prayer and condom distribution in public schools. Amicone gained the group's approval on each issue; Spano received a zero rating.
Spano later disputed the claims on the flier, according to a local newspaper, the Journal News. The paper also reported that he accused Amicone of appealing to “the extremists of the party, people who obviously think that women's reproductive freedom is relevant to the mayor's race.”
Neither Spano nor Amicone were available for interviews before press time.
But Stanley Tomkiel, head of the Catholic Coalition of Westchester, said the race is about more than whether a city mayor has any influence on the abortion question.
“Mike Spano had a strong pro-abortion record in the state Assembly and had been endorsed in his last election by the Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, and he comes from the Spano family, which has embraced the abortion-on-demand and homosexual-rights agendas as a policy for the Republican Party in New York,” Tomkiel said. “We felt it was a chance to send a message to the Republicans that their stance could have negative repercussions.”
John Margand, director of New York City-based Project Reach, which promotes abstinence education, said Amicone “has been pretty strong on the pro-life and family integrity issues.”
A Yonkers resident, Margand called the election “a seismic event” in which “Catholics pulled together and rallied support for the issues that concern us all as individuals and as a society. This may mark the end of complacency among Catholics, who really have been lax in many instances in exercising their civic and patriotic obligations to provide for the common good through their elected officials.”
“We have a responsibility to challenge politicians to clarify their stands on the most important issues,” Margand added, “so all voters can make informed choices.”
Tomkiel said he was pleased with the positive reaction of most Catholic clergy when members of his group distributed fliers outside of churches.
Father Leonard Villa, pastor of St. Eugene's Parish in Yonkers, said he was glad to see lay people responding to the Church's call to be active in the social and political realms.
“I think Catholics have to be much more willing to hold politicians accountable on moral questions of marriage and life that have a real impact on their faith and families,” Father Villa said. “I have reminded my parishioners many times about the need to get involved — especially about the recent documents from the Vatican and the U.S. bishops instructing Catholic politicians to let their faith inform their actions — and obliging them to be pro-life.”
Stephen Vincent is based in Wallingford, Connecticut.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Stephen Vincent ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Pope Has 'No Complex About Appearing Frail,' Health Care Bishop Says DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:MADRID, Spain — Pope John Paul II is evangelizing with his suffering, a Vatican aide says.
Bishop José Luis Redrado, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers and the only bishop in the history of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God, talked to Zenit news service about the new evangelization of the world of suffering and health and the witness of life that the 83-year-old Pope is carrying out.
What is the principal task of the Church in the realm of health care?
The Church has always been present in the health realm because she responds to the message that Jesus himself left to her: “Go, baptize and cure the sick.”
Throughout the history of the Church we see how she has been attentive to the service of the sick. She has had champions of charity, like (St.) John of God, (St.) Camillus of Lellis, St. Vincent de Paul and an enormous army, especially of women, at the end of the 19th century. The Church has been very attentive especially in times of crisis in the world.
The present Pope is also a champion of attention to the world of the sick. When his health was brilliant and strong, we all saw him give encouragement with his word; but when he became ill, he has given us an example with his situation. I myself published an article in [the review] Ecclesia in which I referred to him as “the hospital professor.” The Pope jokes that he has three residences: the Vatican, Castel Gandolfo and the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.
What are the functions of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers?
The Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers coordinates and animates from the Holy See all the organizations involved with health.
This Pope has instituted dicast-eries for culture, the family and health pastoral care — three aspects that characterized the Pope even before he was elected, because he wanted to bring to the papacy important things that he himself experienced and that are of great moment today.
Another mediation instituted by this Pope, which is multiplying the Church's presence in the world of the sick, is the World Day of the Sick, which is observed every year on Feb. 11. The pontifical council is responsible for organizing it worldwide; every year it is held in a different continent.
Last year it was in the American continent, in Washington. This year we are going to Lourdes, because the 150th anniversary will be celebrated there of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, and Lourdes is a special place. Moreover, it was at Lourdes that the 1st Day of the Sick was held, where we now return after having been to all the continents.
Why is it that some men are reconciled with God while suffering and others in such circumstances rebel against him?
The New Evangelization is carried out through the cross, but the acceptance or rejection of it depends much on a person's psychological sensitivity. Man cannot avoid what is happening to him, good or bad. Sickness is a bad thing, but it will be a good thing in the end, if a person grows in the way he sees the sickness.
If man rebels against sickness, it is an evil; if he continues to be rebellious, it is an evil. But if he gradually moves toward acceptance and adds love to his illness as he has loved the Lord, in the end it is a good thing for the person, because he discovers a new way of seeing things and even conversion. The face of God comes closer, as God was never far away. It is a mystery.
Sickness is an occasion in a patient's life that is not easy to live through, but if he opens up to a new experience, an experience of faith and love, the patient will discover a much richer, more magnificent reality of God.
The patient experiences a Good Friday of pain, suffering, but he is not closed in on himself. Rather, like the Lord, he walks toward the resurrection. If man shuts himself up in his Good Friday, suffering without a way “toward” his resurrection, then his suffering is useless. If his suffering is open to hope, moving forward with pain, effort, frailty toward a new reality, then he experiences life and resurrection.
Cardinal Claudio Hummes of Brazil reported an important fact at the United Nations: 25% of AIDS patients worldwide are cared for by the Church. What does this care consist of, exactly?
We have made a study in the pontifical council, from which the cardinal took his data, which corresponds to a reality we have verified sociologically.
We start from the fact that the Church has always been in the vanguard of everything that has occurred in the world of health. When there has been an epidemic, the Church has been there; when AIDS surfaced, the Church did not condemn but addressed the problem with mercy. The Church has inherited this capacity of acceptance and mercy from Jesus, who always accepted the marginalized.
When the Church is not merciful, it is not the Church of Jesus, which has its martyrs and prophets, its charitable gestures. A Church without martyrs and prophets is not the Church of Jesus, and a Church without the “imaginative charity” that the Pope talks about is not the Church of Jesus.
This is the New Evangelization, that of new persons, that of the evangelizer who has converted to the Gospel and proclaims it, who is a witness. This is why the converted patient, aware of what the cross means, is the best evangelizer. Whoever has not had an experience of suffering at any level has probably not matured in life as a person.
To tell the truth, life is difficult. Those who come after us, even if they have more means, will have a more difficult time, because the psychological aspects will be harder. Depression is the illness of the future, not AIDS, which will be combated. Depression is now the fifth major cause of absence from work. In 10 years' time, it will be the third cause. To have someone who is depressed near you, in the family, is not the same as talking about it.
This November the pontifical council is organizing the 18th international conference on depression, because we see that it is the illness of the future.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Papal Loyalty of New Cardinal Draws Fire from Press
ABC ONLINE (Australia), Sept. 30 — Cardinal-designate George Pell of Sydney, Australia, is one of the new cardinals named by Pope John Paul II.
The announcement led secular media to scrutinize the cardinal-to-be, whom ABC Online (Australia) characterized as a “conservative” with an “unwavering and strict interpretation of Church doctrine espoused by John Paul II.”
The network noted that Cardinal-designate Pell had in the past refused Communion to a homosexual activist group and said of him, “He's been called ambitious, conservative, divisive, even a bully.”
ABC Online then cited Bishop Patrick Power of Canberra, the Australian capital, who commented: “Many of the values that I think are dear to Australian Catholics, such as the dignity of the human person, the primacy of conscience, the theology of communion, the need for dialogue in our Church, reading the signs of the times, I don't think that they're values that are particularly clearly enunciated by Archbishop Pell.”
Cardinal-designate Pell replied simply, “I stand with the Church. I don't teach any of my own doctrines. I teach what Christ teaches. I'm a loyal son of the Second Vatican Council.”
New Center Opens for Chinese Catholics in Rome
FIDES, Sept. 26 — The Chinese Catholic community in Rome has a new center, Fides missionary news service reported.
The Agostino Chao Center and Library opened Sept. 28. Its chaplain, Conventual Franciscan Father John Chiu, called the opening an “an event of great joy for all the Chinese people in Rome, Catholics and non-[Catholics] as well as all our friends.”
The Chinese chaplaincy serves approximately 250 Catholics out of a total Chinese population in Rome of roughly 6,000 legal immigrants and some 25,000 other Chinese workers all over the capital.
Founded in 1968, the Agostino Chao Center apostolate helps immigrants settle into society, learn Italian and negotiate legal and medical issues, Fides reported. It also evangelizes among the Chinese community in Rome.
The center takes its name from the first of China's 120 martyrs canonized by John Paul on Oct. 1, 2000.
Pope Blesses Seafarers on World Maritime Day
INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC NEWS, Sept. 25 — To mark World Maritime Day, Pope John Paul II met Sept. 28 with seafaring visitors and representatives of sailing organizations at Castel Gandolfo, his summer residence near Rome.
The Pope offered the pilgrims a special blessing and praised the work of the Rome-based Apostleship of the Sea.
The apostleship is a welfare agency represented in 89 countries and operates Stella Maris centers for seafarers of every creed far from home, Independent Catholic News reported.
Commodore Chris York, the national director of the Apostleship of the Sea in England and Wales, said of the meeting: “We are delighted that the Pope has again shown that the welfare of seafarers is an important part of the Church's work.”
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: New Cardinals Express Joy and Trepidation at Appointments DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:VATICAN CITY — Following the nomination of 31 new cardinals by Pope John Paul II on Sept. 28, Catholic officials, commentators and the cardinals-designate themselves have speculated upon reasons for their appointments.
Have they been made to reflect the Holy Father's own vision for his successor? Which one might some day be elected to the Chair of St. Peter? Were the nominations and the consistory announced earlier than expected because of the Pope's health?
“I believe John Paul has it in mind that this could be his one last crack at appointing new cardinals,” said Catholic author and commentator Russell Shaw.
“I think they've been chosen not simply because they are obvious choices or meritorious but also because he's getting the next conclave in place,” he added. “That's not to say he's stacking it up and making them resemble clones of Pope John Paul II. But, like the rest of us, he has his view on the next conclave.”
Msgr. Lorenzo Albacete, national director of the ecclesial movement Communion and Liberation, has known the Holy Father since before he was Pope. He said that given John Paul's health, he was “not surprised by the decision” to announce the appointments at this time.
“I think the most important consequences will be in the election of the new pope,” he said. “Afterward, the tone and direction will be set by whoever is elected and not by the College of Cardinals as such.”
Msgr. Albacete pointed out that for many of those nominated, “the choice was already made when they were appointed to an office that traditionally is occupied by a cardinal. So I believe the Holy Father wanted to speed that part of it, given his poor health.”
Surprises
Some were surprised at the nominations to the dioceses in Sudan and Vietnam. The former has been suffering from a bloody civil war for more than two decades, often defined by a largely Muslim north and a Christian south.
Vietnam has a communist government that is no supporter of the Catholic Church and has no formal relations with the Vatican.
The Vietnamese government at first refused to recognize the appointment of Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Mam of Ho Chi Minh City but later backed down.
Msgr. Albacete believes this deference to the Church is precisely why these two countries have been singled out in the recent nominations.
“This has been a concern of the Holy Father from the beginning and indicates how he hopes the Church in the developing world will be a fertile ground for the faith that has become so difficult for the Western world,” he said.
“Moreover,” he continued, “it is in those countries that the Church will confront other religions with violent adherents, and I imagine the Holy Father wants the new cardinals to promote dialogue with responsible leaders of these religions that are seeking to isolate their violent adherents.”
There was a bit of buzz regarding the nomination of newly appointed Archbishop Justin Rigali of Philadelphia as the only new red hat in the United States. Many commentators had expected Archbishop Sean O'Malley of Boston to be so honored.
But, according to Shaw, the reason is simple: “The Vatican has for a long time had a clear policy that where retired cardinals are still eligible to vote [as is former Boston Cardinal Bernard Law], another appointed cardinal cannot vote over the retired one,” he said. “You cannot have two voters from the same diocese.”
Officials at the Vatican are also reported to believe that the archbishop of Boston has plenty of time-consuming duties to carry out in his archdiocese.
Reactions
The designated cardinals responded to the news with a mixture of surprise, joy, sense of honor and trepidation.
Archbishop Renato Martino, the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, was one of only two senior curial officials to be appointed. He told the Register the appointment will help him “a great deal” in his work and encourages him to do “better and more” after serving the Holy See for 41 years.
Archbishop Rigali told Vatican Radio he was “deeply grateful” for the appointment, which, he said, was “an encouragement to be ever more faithful to the universal Church, to the Gospel, ever more committed to the integrity of life for all of us. There is already a wonderful renewal going on in the Church.”
Australian Archbishop George Pell, who has been an outspoken supporter of Church teaching, was not surprised at his appointment, as his Archdiocese of Sydney has traditionally been led by a cardinal since 1946.
His appointment was criticized by Bishop Patrick Power of Canberra, however, who said Archbishop Pell might not represent the needs of Catholics in Australia or open to dialogue within the Church.
In his defense, Archbishop Pell told Vatican Radio he was a “loyal son of Vatican II” and that he is a supporter of the Pope.
Cardinal-designate Rodolfo Quezada Toruno of Guatemala City said his appointment was a “sign of hope” for the people of Central America. He told Catholic News Service he believed the decision was taken “not so much for me but for the country.”
Another notable appointment was the nomination of Indian Cardinal-designate Telesphore Troppo of Ranchi, who was appointed in recognition of the growth of the Church among tribal peoples of India.
Archbishop Keith O'Brien of St. Andrews and Edinburgh in Scotland could be a controversial figure, once stating that while he believed priestly celibacy was a gift to the Church, he would have “no problem with celibacy withering away.”
All those nominated will receive their red hats at the forthcoming consistory Oct. 21. According to Archbishop Martino, it will be “ different from other consistories where there's discussion of saints to be made or other matters proposed.”
It will instead be an opportunity for the cardinals to “get to know one another,” he said. It will be “an excellent occasion to meet and be acquainted.”
Edward Pentin writes from Rome.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Edward Pentin ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: Christ Is the Light Who Guides Our Way DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Register Summary
Pope John Paul II met with 12,000 pilgrims in St. Peter's Square for his general audience Oct. 1 amid media reports about his failing health. Although he appeared fatigued and spoke haltingly at times, he was encouraged by the spontaneous applause of the pilgrims.
The Holy Father concluded his series of teachings on the psalms and canticles from the Liturgy of the Hours by reflecting on the Canticle of Zechariah from the Gospel of Luke. The canticle, commonly known as the Benedictus, is recited each day during morning prayer.
John Paul noted that the canticle is a prophetic canticle. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, extols three events that portray God's deliverance of Israel: the covenant with Abraham, the covenant with David and the New Covenant in Christ.
“With Christ, therefore, the light appears that enlightens every creature and life flourishes,” the Holy Father pointed out. “We move on, therefore, having that light as a reference point; our uncertain footsteps, which often deviate during the day from paths that are dark and slippery, are sustained by the light of truth that Christ sheds on the world and on its unfolding history.”
The Holy Father concluded with a text from Venerable Bede, a doctor of the Church, who emphasized that Christ shows us “the sure way to our heavenly homeland” and encouraged Christians to ask for Christ's help “so that he will preserve in us the light of knowledge that he has given us and lead us to the day of perfection.”
As we end our journey through the psalms and canticles of morning prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours, we wish to reflect on a prayer that is recited every morning during the time of prayer and praise. It is the Benedictus, the canticle that Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, prayed after the birth of his son changed his life by removing the doubt that had left him unable to talk — a rather significant punishment for his lack of faith and praise.
Now, instead, Zechariah is able to celebrate the God who saves, and he does so with this hymn, to which the evangelist Luke refers in a way that certainly reflects its liturgical use within the early Christian community (see Luke 1:68-79).
A Prophetic Canticle
Luke describes it as a prophetic song that is inspired through the work of the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:67). We have here a blessing that proclaims the work of salvation and deliverance that the Lord offers to his people. It is, therefore, a “prophetic” reading of history — the discovery, to be precise, of the deep and intimate meaning of all of man's experiences, which are guided by the hidden yet active hand of the Lord that is intertwined with man's weak and uncertain hand.
This text is a solemn text and, in the original Greek, is made up of only two sentences (see verses 68-75; 76-79). After the introduction that is characterized by a blessing of praise, we can identify within the body of the canticle what amounts to three stanzas that exalt three themes that left a mark on the entire history of salvation: the covenant with David (see verses 68-71), the covenant with Abraham (see verses 72-75) and John the Baptist, who introduces us to the New Covenant in Christ (see verses 76-79). The stress throughout the prayer is on the goal to which David and Abraham point by virtue of their presence.
Christ Our Light
The culminating point is summarized in a phrase that seems somewhat conclusive: “the daybreak from on high will visit us” (verse 78). This expression, which at first glance seems paradoxical by uniting the words “on high” with the word “daybreak” is, in fact, significant.
Actually, in the original Greek, the word for “rising sun” is anatolè, a word that means either the light from the sun that shines on our planet or a budding shoot. Both images have a messianic value in biblical tradition.
On one hand, when speaking about the Emmanuel, Isaiah reminds us: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone” (Isaiah 9:1). On the other hand, when referring elsewhere to Emmanuel the king, he describes him as “a shoot … from the stump of Jesse” (that is, from the house of David), the offspring upon whom the Spirit of God rests (see Isaiah 11:1-2).
With Christ, therefore, the light appears that enlightens every creature (see John 1:9) and life flourishes, as the evangelist John says, when in fact he joins together these two realities: “through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race” (John 1:4).
This radiance of revelation (see Luke 1:79) shines upon mankind, which dwells “in darkness and in the shadow of death.” As the prophet Malachi proclaimed, “But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays” (Malachi 3:20). This sun will “guide our feet into the path of peace” (Luke 1:79).
We move on, therefore, having that light as a reference point; our uncertain footsteps, which often deviate during the day from paths that are dark and slippery, are sustained by the light of truth that Christ sheds on the world and on its unfolding history.
Seek God's Help
At this point, we would like to listen to some words from a teacher in the Church — one of the doctors of the Church — the Englishman Bede the Venerable (seventh and eighth centuries), who in his Homily on the Birth of St. John the Baptist made the following comment on the Canticle of Zechariah: “The Lord … has visited us like a doctor visits his patients, because, in order to cure the inveterate sickness of our pride, he has offered us the new example of his humility; he has redeemed his people, because he has delivered us — we who had become servants of sin and slaves of the age-old enemy — with the price of his blood … Christ found us as we were lying 'in darkness and the shadow of death,' oppressed by the long blindness of sin and ignorance … He has brought us the true light of his knowledge and, banishing the darkness of error, he has shown us the sure way to our heavenly homeland. He has directed the steps of our works so that we will walk in the way of truth, which he has shown us, and enter the home of eternal peace, which he has promised us.”
Finally, drawing upon other biblical texts, Venerable Bede concludes with the following words in order to give thanks for the gifts he has received: “Since we possess these gifts of eternal goodness, dear brothers … let us also bless the Lord at all times (see Psalm 34:2), because 'he has visited and redeemed his people.' May his praise be always on our lips and may we preserve his memory and proclaim the virtue of the one who has 'called us out of darkness into his wonderful light' (1 Peter 2:9). Let us ask him constantly for his help, so that he will preserve in us the light of knowledge that he has given us and lead us to the day of perfection” (Omelie sul Vangelo, Rome, 1990, p. 464-465).
(Register translation)
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: India Prepares to Regulate Conversions to Christianity DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:NEW DELHI, India — India, the world's largest democracy, allows anyone to practice any religion or to practice none at all.
But a few politicians are aiming to squash that freedom of religion.
The ruling coalition government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, is about to introduce a national law that virtually prevents religious conversions among members of the lowest rungs of Hindu society — the castes called Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST). Of the 1 billion people in India, approximately 250 million fall into this category.
Government officials and the Bharatiya Janata Party have been waiting for a politically opportune time to introduce the new rule, the Change of Religion of the Members of SC/ST Regulation and Approval Rule, but it will go into effect once published in the official gazette that lists all government declarations.
The rule, framed by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, has no approval from the Indian Parliament. The administration is waiting for the nod from India's prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has long opposed conversion of “backward” Hindus (the lowest caste) to Christianity and Buddhism.
“This rule is not against conversion. We are just trying to regulate forcible conversion,” said Bizay Sonkar Shastri, chairman of the National Commission for SC/ST, who framed the rule. “Our aim is to ensure that secular nature and the principles of equality are not violated by conversions.”
But Christian leaders say these rules are specifically aimed at Christian missions working among the poor, tribal peoples and Dalits, the low-caste Hindus who belong to India's lowest economic and social class.
Father Peter Thuruthikkonam, chairman of the Catholic Commission on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Backward Christians, did not mince words in his opposition to the rule.
“We will fight this rule tooth and nail,” he said. “It is the divine order to go out and preach the message of Christ. It is people's right to choose their religion. No politician can prevent us from doing it.”
However, Father Thuruthikkonam said he was worried disunity among Indian Catholic churches could weaken opposition to the rule.
Burdensome
Once implemented, the rule will insist anyone wishing to change his or her religion must apply for an affidavit before the district collector — the executive of each district — or an equal authority. A written order granting permission then has to be procured from the official. If violated, the person could be punished with a fine of 1,000 rupees ($22) a day from the date the conversion took place.
“We are simply not going to let this happen,” said Oliver D'Souza of the All India Christian Council, an alliance of Christian denominations, mission agencies, institutions, federations, nongovernmental organizations and lay leaders. “We have to protect our constitutional right to propagate matters of faith. These restrictions truly will breach our basic rights.”
In a country where 350 million people are illiterate and 260 million fall below the poverty line, the rule demands would-be converts to undergo higher secondary education.
“This is virtually stampeding on the religious rights ensured by India's Constitution,” D'Souza said. “All sections of Christians should unite to fight this menace.”
The law recommends aspiring converts who lack the required educational qualifications be subject to a panel to “guarantee freedom of conscience of the uneducated.” The district collector is to appoint an observer for such conversions, a civil servant “belonging to the same denomination to which the said conversion is sought to be effected.”
All district collectors are expected to submit a quarterly report to the state governments and an annual report to the federal government on all religious activities related to conversion.
Observers think the move to make new laws on conversion began with a ruling of India's Supreme Court on Sept. 1. The court said there was “no fundamental right to convert” anyone from one religion to another. It further stated that authorities could impose restrictions on religious conversions.
“Even the court decision is equal to taking away our liberty,” said Bishop Anil Stephen of Lucknow, leader of the Episcopalian Church of North India. “In our little diocese, many non-Christians have come to convert to Christianity. We will continue to help them profess their faith in Jesus Christ. Conversion of faith is the matter of one's conscience. No government can play with such sublime choices of man.”
Christian leaders also demanded that the proposed rule be put to discussion in Parliament, where elected representatives can initiate a debate on the issue.
“[The National Commission for SC/ST] is showing its true colors,” D'Souza said. “By aiding the rightist Hindu rulers to prevent Dalits from leaving the Hindu fold, it has virtually turned into a national commission for fascism.”
Costly Conversions
Conversion to Christianity is a highly controversial issue in India. Last January Australian Baptist missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two sons were burned alive by Hindu fundamentalists who accused Staines of converting tribal people.
A court recently convicted a Hindu fanatic and sentenced him to death for the crime.
The Indian states of Orissa, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, where the Bharatiya Janata Party or its allies are in power, have also passed laws to prevent conversions. The party has long pushed all other Indian states to pass similar laws. They seek to prevent religious conversion by force or allurement and prescribe a three-year prison term and a fine of 50,000 rupees ($1,070) for violators.
If the conversion is found to be legitimate but is carried out without prior permission, the convert could serve a one-year prison sentence and pay a fine of 1,000 rupees.
The legislation follows several public events in which massive numbers of Dalits embraced Christianity or Buddhism to escape caste discrimination within Hinduism.
Joshua Newton writes from Kochi, India.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joshua Newton ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Anti-Catholicism in England?
BBC, Sept. 29 — The archbishop of Birmingham, England, has accused the news and current-affairs departments of the state-sponsored British Broadcasting Corp. of anti-Catholic bias, the BBC itself reported.
Archbishop Vincent Nichols pointed to “hostility” toward the Church, which he said he found in three upcoming programs on the network: “Kenyon Confronts,” which deals with sex abuse by clergy; “Sex and the Holy City,” scheduled to coincide with the silver jubilee of Pope John Paul II and the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta; and an animated series called “Popetown,” which presents a literal cartoon of the hierarchy.
Archbishop Nichols called one of the programs “offensive to every Catholic in this country.” He said researchers for the sex abuse program had approached priests in his diocese aggressively — for instance, calling at late hours, insisting on interviewing one 79-year-old priest the day after he left the hospital and cornering another elderly priest in a rest home.
“The Catholic community,” the archbishop said, “is fed up.”
Rabbit Eggs Used to Grow Human Stem Cells
ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sept. 22 — A team of researchers at Shanghai's Second Medical University have managed an unusual feat with implications for bioethics debates in the United States.
According to the AP, the scientists have discovered how to fuse human skin cells with eggs taken from rabbits to produce early-stage embryos, which can be used to produce stem cells. Such cells are sought by researchers around the world who think they can yield treatments for such diseases as Parkinson's or be used to grow organs for transplant.
The use of aborted human embryos for this purpose has caused a major political battle throughout the West between pro-lifers and advocates of unrestricted experimentation.
It is unclear whether the embryos produced in China would satisfy this research need or whether they should be considered human. According to the AP, opponents of human cloning have insisted they should.
Financial Professionals Need Prayers, Too
The organization called on churches to include accountants and bankers in their prayer petitions, Times columnist Martin Waller pointed out. The group, founded in 1877, sponsored a report that found that prayers offered in church focus mostly on clergy, religious and those in social service professions, such as nurses and teachers.
John Raymond of the Industrial Christian Fellowship said of those engaged in business: “There is a feeling that these professions are too worldly — almost not good enough — for prayers. There is a feeling that you cannot mix God and Mammon. But I think that is exactly the opposite of how Jesus would see it. We need an increased awareness and acceptance by clergy and laity that work is part of God's creation and Christians need to be supported and equipped to live out their faith in their lives.”
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Pro-Life Victory DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Chris Danze's efforts to shutter the Austin, Texas, Abortion clinic isn't his first successful battle against abortion. Danze and his wife, Sheri, have participated in prayer vigils outside Austin's four abortion clinics for several years. In February, they were praying outside Austin OB/GYN, the clinic of former late-term abortionist Peter Kropf.
“Dr. Kropf started wandering around outside while we were praying, and I could tell he wanted to talk to someone,” Danze said.
Danze approached him, and the two began a discussion about life, God, prayer and the Catholic faith. Kropf told Danze that he grew up in an atheist family in Budapest, Hungary, where he befriended a nun.
“He told me how this nun would take him to Mass, and he became an altar boy,” Danze said. “But his father, an atheist, eventually put an end to it when Dr. Kropf was only 12. So he grew up as an atheist.”
Outside the clinic, during their discussions, Danze and Kropf quickly became friends. The doctor decided to stop doing abortions, telling Danze he had performed about 12,000 of them over 12 years. Kropf invited Danze and his wife to his home for dinner. At Danze's insistence, Kropf agreed to meet for several hours with Julie Drenner, a pro-life lobbyist.
“After closing the clinic, Dr. Kropf told me he's never had so much peace since he was an altar boy,” Danze said. “I told him he wouldn't find true inner peace until he could become that little altar boy again and give up his adult pride. A few days later he went back to Budapest to visit that church.”
Kropf could not be reached for comment.
Danielle Tierney of Planned Parenthood said it's true that Kropf suddenly quit doing abortions, leaving other abortion providers to wonder why. She won't speculate on the validity of Danze's account.
“I did not talk to Dr. Kropf when he closed the clinic,” Tierney said.
Kropf's decision, for whatever reason he made it, reduced the number of abortion clinics to three.
— Wayne Laugeson
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Wayne Laugeson ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: John Paul's Third Phase DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Father Raymond J. de Souza is reporting from Rome for the Register once again — for two weeks. Our former Rome correspondent is in the Eternal City for the beatification of Mother Teresa and the 25th anniversary of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. We asked him to share his thoughts with readers on the Holy Father's legacy.
Pope John Paul II marks the 25th year of a pontificate so long that its breadth touches far more than a typical pontificate might embrace. In fact, it could be said that the Holy Father is now in his “third pontificate” — the third distinct phase of his service.
The first 10 years (1978-88) were years of confident assertion. Most notably, John Paul took his message of the dignity of man redeemed in Christ to the heart of the Soviet Empire and left it reeling.
But the Holy Father challenged more than just communism. He developed his “theology of the body” in response to the challenges of the sexual revolution, he warned against a world increasingly divided into military and economic blocs, and he signaled that the era of overlooking public dissent in the Church was over.
The second 10 years (1988-1998) began with the defeat of communism and the end of the Cold War. While he did not retreat from the world stage (he challenged Bill Clinton and the United Nations at the world body's Cairo population conference in 1994), he shifted focus and produced a blizzard of teaching documents unparalleled in number and scope.
In the span of 10 years, he wrote the historic, groundbreaking encyclicals on mission (Redemptoris Missio, The Mission of Christ the Redeemer, in 1990), the principles of a free and virtuous society (Centesimus Annus in 1991), the principles of morality (Veritatis Splendor, The Splendor of Truth, in 1993), the defense of human life (Evangelium Vitae, The Gospel of Life, in 1995), the unity of Christians (Ut Unum Sint, The Call for Christian Unity, in 1995) and the relationship between faith and reason (Fides et Ratio in 1998).
Add to that the 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church, which he promulgated, and it becomes clear that the middle phase of John Paul's pontificate will dominate Catholic magisterial life for decades to come.
The third phase began in 1999 and continues to this day. The high-profile international interventions and trips slowed, and the teaching documents became more devotional rather than magisterial.
It is the phase of symbolic witness, in which the Holy Father has offered a testimony of iconic images, many of them related to the Jubilee Year. There was the great biblical pilgrimage with John Paul at the holy sites; the dramatic request for forgiveness in the name of the Church; the poignant visit to Fatima and the revelation of the prophetic secret; and then, after the Holy Door was closed, the continued efforts to visit Orthodox countries and new efforts to engage Islamic ones after Sept. 11.
Above all, John Paul has become his own icon through his physical suffering and frailty. All that was done and taught in the first 20 years has been sealed with the witness of the last five. The way of the cross is being walked to the end, and on a cross a man says little and does even less.
How long the Pope's “third pontificate” will last is unknown. Pope Paul VI famously said that today's world needs witnesses more than it needs teachers.
At his 25th anniversary, John Paul is no longer able to do much of what he used to do. What is left is simply to be a witness.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: Letters DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Unfair and Unbalanced?
Tim Drake, in his Sept. 21-27 column, “My Brushes With The Media's Anti-Catholicism,” describes how shocked he was by a National Public Radio producer who interrupted her interview of him to voice her pro-abortion views. Mr. Drake described her conduct as “unprofessional.” Not only is such behavior “unprofessional,” but it is also poisoning the entire culture. People promoting abortion distort and lie about every aspect of abortion.
Thirty years after the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton Supreme Court decisions decriminalized abortion for the entire term of pregnancy, they still distort the rulings. In January, a New York Times/CNN poll, a Washington Post poll and even the usually factual Washington Times all made false statements that the Supreme Court legalized abortion for only the first three months of pregnancy. In addition, the Fox News Channel, which claims to be “fair and balanced,” had two of its commentators, Morton Kondracke and Mara Liasson, make the same fallacious claim several times on Jan. 22, 2003, as though trying to convince people that abortions were only legal for the first three months of pregnancy.
These media outlets and personalities made these false statements even though both the Associated Press and the New York Times years ago issued memos stating it was wrong to characterize the court decisions as they did. Also, there have been literally hundreds of news stories relating to abortions after the first three months of pregnancy, e.g., partial-birth abortions.
The people who distort the rulings are “unprofessional.” They are either incompetent or deliberately misleading people. Abortion is a lie — it denies God is our creator — and it is maintained by the lies of its supporters. Unfortunately, their lies engender uncivilized discourse as we hear from Senate Democrats and presidential candidates and so many celebrities.
FRANÇOIS L. QUINSON
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Pius XII vs. Hitler
It was welcome reading to hear of Pope Pius XII's very strong opposition to Hitler and the Nazis from U.S. sources dating to 1937 (“Why the Pius XII Breakthrough Will Be Ignored,” Commentary & Opinion, Sept. 14-20).
This news follows a recent report by Sister Margherita Marchione, a recognized expert on the life and times of Pius XII. She describes documents found in the recently opened Vatican Archives for the period 1922 to 1939 showing that, throughout his Vatican service, Pius XII was opposed to Hitler and Nazism and condemned bigotry against and persecution of Jews. For example, Sister described a letter from Pius XII, then papal nuncio to Bavaria, dating all the way back to 1923 in which he denounced Nazism and condemned persecution of Jews. This was 10 years before Hitler came to power and some 15 years before Pius XII became Pope.
Unfortunately, like the resurrection of Jesus, some cannot bring themselves, even in the face of overwhelming proof, to admit that Pius XII vigorously opposed Nazism and worked tirelessly in every way to save Jews from the Nazis. When presented with the fact of the gratitude expressed by most Jews for Pius XII's aid to the Jews, they absurdly suggest it was politics, saying Jews did not want to be at odds with the Vatican when they were trying to secure a homeland.
Others will admit that Pius XII is credited by a Jewish historian with saving 860,000 Jews from the Nazis but that he didn't do enough to save the other 5.14 million, as though all the Pope had to do was tell priests to instruct the SS guards at the concentration camps to let the Jews go.
These specious arguments maligning Pius XII go with being a Catholic. Catholics should not in any way be defensive about the heroic work of Pius XII during World War II on behalf of Jews and all others, but they should confidently defend Pius XII — he did more for Jews than any other leader at that time.
One argument that contains a good deal of truth that is made against Christians is that preceding the Jewish persecution there was a great deal of bigotry against Jews. Hitler used this bigotry and combined it with the loss of respect for life exhibited by the German medical profession's (many of whom were Jews) killing of the “unwanted” to give the world the Holocaust.
We are in similar danger now with the tremendous loss of respect for life. If a maniacal leader such as Hitler gains control of a major industrial country, we could see the world plunged into a slaughter worse than the Holocaust.
JOHN NAUGHTON
Silver Spring, Maryland
Legitimate Grief
The letter titled “Stop the Spin on Sin” (Sept. 7-13) really troubles me.
Yes, abortion is a sin. However, the stark realization of the gravity of abortion often hinders the healing process. Although I really reacted emotionally right after my abortion, people from among my family, friends and others told me I really didn't have legitimate cause for grief because my abortion had been a “hard” case abortion done for medical reasons. At first I tried to take their well-meaning (but tragically mistaken) advice and didn't think too much about it. Several years later, however, when I saw my first photos of aborted children and was suddenly hit with the graphic awareness of the dead seriousness of this sin, I almost completely despaired.
Now that I knew how my poor child had really died — so cruelly, so needlessly — I greatly feared that even though God could forgive me, I never could forgive myself because, by abortion, I had committed nothing less than murder. Even more chilling, it was the murder of none other than my own child. I almost killed myself. It took years of terrible suffering and struggle (with many sad and discouraging setbacks) by me, my family and friends before we were restored to a normal life again.
The “spin on sin” letter brings back haunting memories of the enormous and persistent obstacles we encountered in our arduous fight to recover as a family and as friends from the abortion, especially so since my abortion was one of those done for supposedly “justifiable” reasons.
Have you ever wondered what becomes of women who have experienced “hard” case abortions done for rape, incest, birth defects, maternal medical problems? Well, one of the most insidious and blatant pro-abort fallacies is that “hard” case women do not suffer trau-matically from abortion or are not as likely to suffer as much as those who had “convenience” abortions because “hard” case abortions are done for “justifiable” reasons. However, the real truth is that “hard” case abortions can hurt just as bad or, at times, even worse, than “convenience” abortions.
I know this hard, cold truth firsthand. My personal pro-life testimony is just one of countless such testimonies that utterly refute the pro-abort lie that “hard” case abortions do not harm women. If you would like to find out more, please log in at www.priest sforlife.org/testimony/hollydutton.htm
HOLLY DUTTON
Dallas
The Pope's Family
Regarding “Small Families” (Family Matters, Sept. 21-27):
Tom and Caroline McDonald stated that Emilia and Karol Wojtyla Sr. only had two children. In fact, they were the parents of three. A daughter died in infancy.
Young Karol Wojtyla grew up to be Pope John Paul II.
KATHLEEN C. COUVILLON
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: Of Heroes and the Rule of Law DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Kenneth Whitehead portrays William Pryor, Alabama attorney-general, as a Catholic hero (“Why a Catholic Hero Removed the Ten Commandments,” Commentary & Opinion, Sept. 21-27).
Whitehead may see heroic devotion to duty in reluctantly but obediently removing the Ten Commandments from public view. For myself I prefer the sort of heroism exhibited by St. Thomas More, who resisted to the point of death.
St. Thomas laid down his high position as chancellor, and eventually his head, rather than obey evil edicts from his lawful sovereign, King Henry VIII.
Bowing to ungodly decrees issuing from a usurpatious politburo of unelect-ed and irremovable judges is neither courageous nor patriotic but rather craven and compliant with the paganiza-tion of America. If we emulate Pryor's example or endorse Whitehead's views, then we are in de facto acquiescence as the Constitution is adulterated by adjudication.
As grievous offenses against God are promoted to the level of constitutional I rights — like sodomy and abortion — Christians should look to examples of resistance and civil disobedience set by Martin Luther King, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and George Washington, not to people “having a semblance indeed of piety but disowning its power” (2 Timothy 3:5).
Chief Justice Roy Moore of Alabama has more than his name in common with Sir Thomas More. Here is what Moore said during the atrocity in Montgomery, Ala., about federal judge Myron Thompson's order to remove the Ten Commandments:
“Not only does Judge Thompson put himself above the law, but above God as well. … I hear others talk of the rule of law.
If the rule of law means to do everything a judge tells you to do, we would still have slavery in this country. If the rule of law means to do everything a judge tells you to do, the Declaration of Independence would be a meaningless document. … Dr. Martin Luther King is proof enough that great men do follow the rule of law and not the rule of men. I say enough is enough. We must 'dare defend our rights,' which is the motto of this great state.”
ROBERT STRUBLE
Bremerton, Washington
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: Death by RU-486: What About the Health of the Mother? DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:A California teen-ager died Sept. 17 after taking the abortion drug RU-486.
She didn't just take it and die. She was bleeding severely and unable to walk when she visited a clinic and, finally, a few days later, an emergency room before succumbing to septic shock and a severe bacterial infection.
After Holly Patterson was counseled by a Planned Parenthood clinic and given the drugs to end the seven-week pregnancy, the San Francisco-area teen was too scared to tell emergency room staff that she was in the midst of an abortion, a self-administered procedure that would kill her.
The convenience of self-medication, since RU-486 was approved by the FDA in 2000, apparently doesn't take away the stigma or the dangers of abortion. It's one of those constitutionally guaranteed rights that no one really likes to brag about.
Legally an adult at 18, Holly lived at home with her dad. But she wouldn't share the news of her pregnancy with him or her intention to have an abortion. And she certainly didn't tell him about the abortion going wrong.
She was young but didn't have to inform her parents. Her boyfriend was also scared or ashamed. He didn't tell the ER doctors what was going on.
How different is her story from “dying in an alley” back in the illegal abortion days? If abortion is simply a right and a choice and a freedom in this country, then why would a women die and die silently? She'd rather die than tell?
Holly's dad criticized “this microwave society where things are quick and easy, but they're not.”
Talk to your parents, he said.
Planned Parenthood says kids don't want to talk to their parents about sexual issues. On its Web site, the organization asks the question, “What would be wrong with making teens ask their parents for permission to use birth control?” The answer: Basically, it would lead to more teen pregnancy. Family relationships are pushed to the background because teens say they'd be less likely to visit a health care facility if they had to tell their parents first.
Of course teen-agers will prefer to take the advice of nonjudgmental strangers who do not know anything about them than seek the advice of a parent or clergyman or teacher who is personally involved in their lives. They are teen-agers. They don't want to hear No or get a speech or a sermon or anything that doesn't affirm their raging hormones and their need to be free and express themselves.
But parents have to say No about a lot of things that affect the well-being of their kids. About money and cars and whom they hang out with and what behaviors are appropriate or inappropriate for them, even as they enter adulthood.
Across the board, the vast majority of parents would probably be angry to learn of an unplanned pregnancy — initially. Maybe some would not get past that. But many would. And one hopes this death will not be treated as a fluke but as a wake-up call to parents to discuss things with their teens. So parents will not make assumptions about their kids' sexual activity or believe that strangers and the public school system will provide them with everything they need to avoid pregnancy or rid themselves of pregnancy.
And perhaps the invincible teen-agers who know everything will pause to consider that there are no quick fixes and that they had better prepare themselves for the results of their very grown-up actions.
RU-486 is not without controversy. There is talk that European trials showing risk were overlooked by the United States and the FDA. There are guidelines being followed in Europe — the drugs must be taken in the medical facility and the patient watched for a minimum of four hours to monitor for any bad reactions.
But, in the United States, teens such as Holly Patterson are often trusted to have the judgment in the middle of a crisis pregnancy to decide what to do and when to do it.
If a kid can't go into an emergency room and level with the staff, how can she be trusted to self-administer a complicated pharmaceutical cocktail? Can anyone honestly say to this girl, “Well, you've proven yourself to be responsible and dependable in life-or-death matters. We're going to let you handle this on your own.”
She got pregnant in the first place when she didn't intend to. She was “accident prone.” She shouldn't have been left alone with her problems.
Susan Konig is author of the upcoming Why Animals Sleep So Close to the Road and Other Lies I Tell My Children.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Susan Konig ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: John Paul the Saint-Maker DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Since his election 25 years ago, John Paul has beatified and canonized an incredibly diverse group of saints. In fact, he has canonized more saints than all of his predecessors combined. With more than 1,300 beatifications and 450 canonizations, the Holy Father is history's greatest saint-maker.
This has been brought about, in part, through the reforms of 1983 in the Congregation for Sainthood Causes. The saint-making process was transformed from a trial-like endeavor to a more historical academic procedure. The reforms eliminated the need for a “devil's advocate.” Furthermore, the reduction of the necessary miracles from four to two also made it easier for the congregation to advance particular causes.
The Church, of course, does not create saints. Only God can do that. The Church merely declares them.
What an array of holy men and women have been beatified and canonized during John Paul's pontificate. They include persons from every continent and every state of life, including children, adults, male and female, single and married. They include martyrs, mystics, religious founders and lay Catholics.
A product of the 20th century himself, the Holy Father recognizes that such a bloody century has produced an inordinate number of martyrs.
Among the groups of martyrs he has canonized are those from Mexico, China, Vietnam, Korea, Poland and elsewhere.
He has also concentrated on the holy men and women who died during World War II. In fact, one of his first canonizations was that of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a priest who gave his life for a husband and father in the Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz. Among others, he has also canonized the concentration camp martyr Edith Stein.
John Paul's saints also include a variety of mystics. They include saints such as Padre Pio, Juan Diego, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, the visionary children from Fatima and one from his own beloved Poland, Sister Faustina Kowalska.
Religious founders still make up the greatest number of the Church's saints. Among those whom the Holy Father has canonized are the wealthy heiress and founder of the American Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, Mother Katharine Drexel. Mother Drexel formed an order that sought to educate and evangelize Native Americans and blacks when it wasn't politically correct to do so. Last year, the Pope also beatified Blessed Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei. On Oct. 19 he will beatify Mother Teresa, founder of the Missionaries of Charity.
Last, but not least, the Holy Father has canonized many lay Catholics. While lay Catholics continue to make up the smallest minority of the Church's saints, John Paul has made a genuine effort to change this fact. During his pontificate he has beatified more than 200 lay people and canonized more than 200 more. Among them is the Church's first married couple, Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrochi. Other lay beatifications include such aspiring saints as the young Pier Giorgio Frassati and Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla, the pro-life physician and mother.
Twenty-nine years ago, then Archbishop of Hanoi Joseph-Marie Trinh Van-Can was allowed by the Vietnamese government to attend the World Synod of Bishops at the Vatican. There, he told the bishops, “Send us lives of the saints!” He explained that his people needed more than anything else to see that it was possible to follow in Christ's footsteps and to remain faithful when facing hardships.
For 25 years the Pope has been doing just that.
By doing so he has demonstrated that our Church is a living Church, made up of both an ancient and a modern cloud of witnesses.
Some critics have described John Paul as a “saint-making machine,” but the Holy Father knows what he is doing.
If there is to be a new springtime of faith, we need holy men and women whose examples we can follow. Through their lives they demonstrate the myriad paths to holiness. Their examples encourage and inspire those of us living in what appears to be a saint-less age. They also remind us that we are surrounded by examples of holiness, if we will only look. Examples of holiness do exist among members of our families, our parish, among our neighbors and our friends.
Faced with death many times over, Pope John Paul II knows we're all going to die and each of us has an eternal home. Through the beatification and canonization of so many faithful he has provided us with eternal examples of whom we can emulate, living witnesses whom we can ask for intercession and prayer, and role models whom we can follow to our own eternal home.
Do we still have need for the saints?
“Yes,” the Holy Father seems to be saying, “now more than ever.”
Tim Drake is the editor of Saints of the Jubilee (1stBooks, 2002).
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Tim Drake ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Pope John Paul II's 25th: Honor Him by Accepting All His Teachings DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:It's not unusual to see someone dozing off at a diplomatic summit.
Diplomatic proceedings tend to bore even the most motivated and disciplined person. Yet no one slept when Pope John Paul II addressed nearly a year ago the ambassadors of the world accredited to the Holy See on the issue of going to war with Iraq.
The world's leading moral authority delivered a clear message to the 177 ambassadors: “No to war! War is not always inevitable. It is always a defeat for humanity,” the Pope said.
The Holy Father pointed out that “international law, honest dialogue, solidarity between states, the noble exercise of diplomacy: These are the methods worthy of individuals and nations in resolving their differences.”
How did many American Catholics respond to John Paul's moral objection against war in Iraq? The organization Catholics for a Just War summed up the attitude of many by saying, “The Pope is not stating a defined teaching of the Church with regard to this specific war.”
In other words, the Pope's teaching on the moral interpretation of the just war doctrine as applied to Iraq is not a definitive teaching. Consequently, it is not binding in conscience for Catholics. This means it should be considered a matter of prudential judgment. So far so good.
But unfortunately, Catholics who reject Church teaching use “prudential judgment” language to butress the logic of dissent from the Holy Father's ordinary magisterium on many moral issues.
Many Catholics view the Pope's ordinary magisterium as optional. Many Catholic dissenters on issues such as contraception, in vitro fertilization, stem cell research and similar questions give the impression that their “prudential” judgment is as good as the infallible teaching magisterium of the Church.
It may be time for a reiminder of what Catholics' attitude should be toward the Church's ordinary magisterium.
Lumen Gentium, the Vatican II dogmatic constitution on the Church, gives the answer: “The religious submission of will and of mind must be shown in a special way to the authentic teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra [or in a definitive way]. That is, it must be shown in such a way that supreme magisterium is acknowledged with reverence, the judgments made by him are sincerely adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will. His mind and will in the matter may be known chiefly either from the character of the documents, from his frequent repetition of the same doctrine or from his manner of speaking.”
The term religious submission, or obsequium, indicates that the faithful should show the Holy Father's ordinary magisterium a religious allegiance “of will and of mind.” For this reason, the judgments made by the Pope are to be “sincerely adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will.”
The word authentic also needs some explaining since the expression “authentic magisterium of the Roman Pontiff” is often misunderstood. The Latin word authenticum is often translated in English as authentic. In modern English, authentic means genuine. However, it once meant authoritative or entitled to obedience, which corresponded well to the original sense in Latin. But this meaning today is archaic.
In other words, the most accurate translation today for authenticum is not authentic but authoritative. This distinction helps us to understand that the Holy Father serves the people of God by teaching with authority.
All of this shows beyond any doubt that the teachings of the Holy Father's ordinary magisterium represent for Catholics much more than an optional educated opinion. At the same time, John Paul's ordinary magisterium is not identical with his supremely authoritative magisterium. At first glance, some might not see the difference. However, there's a distinction. The formulation or particular way that the Pope's ordinary teaching is expressed could need refinement or qualification. Nonetheless, the substance of the teaching is truth.
Some Catholics question why they should put so much trust in the Holy Father's magisterium. After all, he's a man. The answer to this is that the Holy Spirit, which justifies our confidence in the general reliability of the ordinary magisterium, guides the Church. Consequently, the fidelity of the Church to Christ and the Gospel does not rest upon an individual but on the abiding presence and assistance of the Holy Spirit promised by Christ to his Church.
This requires a vision of faith. Faith is perfected by love. If we love the Church, we will shun public dissent. When public dissent takes on an organized form, it always undermines the common good of the Church. It polarizes the faithful into factions, weakens the practice of charity and undercuts the authority of the episcopate and the papacy. In short, the effect of public dissent on the life of the Church is always detrimental.
On Oct. 16 John Paul will celebrate his 25th anniversary as successor of St. Peter, Bishop of Rome and universal pastor of the Church. His pontificate has not been easy. He has traveled literally around the world to the point of exhaustion preaching and teaching the truth of the Gospel.
May faithful Catholics never cease to accept and to love that truth.
Legionary Father Andrew McNair teaches at Mater Ecclesiae Institute of Higher Education for consecrated women in Greenville, Rhode Island.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Andrew McNair, LC ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Loyal as Old Max DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Loyal as Old Max
As a parent, I take seriously my job to help my children develop personal attributes that will make them better persons and strengthen them on the road to heaven. In a word: virtues.
I was trying to teach the virtue of loyalty one day when our old dog, Max, came to mind.
Max was about as loyal as they come. He followed me everywhere I went. He always greeted me at the door with unbridled enthusiasm, whether I had been gone for several days orjust an hour. I could scold him or speak harshly to him, but my mood or expressions never dampened his loyalty. It didn't matter to Max if my hair was a mess or I felt grumpy. He didn't care if I loved my husband and children more than him. He didn't base his loyalty to me on what others thought of me. When I called, he came.
As I pondered Max's loyalty, I began to see how this furry, four-legged creature could give me a glimpse of Jesus' loyalty to me. Jesus is there for me, always. It doesn't matter what I do or how I treat him. I know he will be waiting by the door to greet me no matter how long I have been away. I know his loyalty isn't based on where I've been, how I look or how grumpy I might be. When I call, he always comes.
The question is: How loyal am I to Jesus?
In trying to answer this question, I again thought of Max. I remembered the times of my life when I was so busy that I gave little attention to old Max. With each birth of another child, for example, my days became consumed with family duties and activities. Through all those times, Max just kept on, steady as ever, offering his unconditional love, affection and acceptance for me. His loyalty never diminished or changed.
Isn't that how it is sometimes with our relationship with Jesus? We invite him to live with us, but when life gets busy, we forget to acknowledge him. There may be nights we lay our heads on the pillow and say, “Good night, Jesus. Sorry I didn't pray today. Maybe I'll do better tomorrow.” We become so consumed with our works and responsibilities that we push him aside like an old dog. He gets the scraps of our day and of our hearts. Do we really want to treat Jesus like a forgotten pet?
I've heard some say that it's okay if they sometimes forget to pray. Their work is their prayer. That is good. We should offer up our works to God. But is that enough? How well would we know our children if we only took care of them and never took time to really talk with them or listen to them?
Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan of Vietnam once said, “The works of God are not God.” I find myself repeating this statement often as I catch myself being caught up in the works of my vocation as wife and mother. The cardinal's wisdom has helped me to realize that, to be a loyal follower of Jesus, I must give him my heart. To be loyal to Jesus, I need to spend time with him in prayer. I need to quiet my heart and listen so I'll hear him when he speaks to me. I need to read the Gospels and learn from him. I need to receive him frequently in the sacraments.
And, as I do my daily works, I need to consciously recognize him in the little faces that I wipe clean of peanut butter and jelly. I need to see him in the cashier at the supermarket. I need to see him in my co-workers.
As I shared these reflections on loyalty with my children, I asked them: “Does Jesus get the scraps of your day?”
If I asked you, how would you respond?
Jackie Oberhausen writes from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Jackie Oberhausen ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: The Sacred Heart of 'Hot 'lanta' DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:On a hot and hectic Atlanta day — a possibility straight through October — there's nothing like the cool and calming interior of Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Walking recently to the downtown church from the hotel where I was staying approximately seven blocks away, I had worked up a sweat. I found the comfortable interior a welcome respite from the bright sun.
The French Romanesque Church's red brick and terra cotta twin towers rise 137 feet above the street, making it easy to locate in Atlanta's Peachtree neighborhood even from a few blocks away.
There, gathered with hundreds of other journalists, editors and publishers who were attending the Catholic Press Association's annual convention, I was able to make time for prayer and join in a spirit-filled, bilingual Mass for those who serve the Catholic Church by working for its media.
The parish was originally founded in 1880, 12 blocks west of its present location. However, when that area became too commercialized, parishioners purchased a new site and commissioned Atlanta architect W. T. Downing to build a new sanctuary. That was in 1897. Today the church stands as a testament to the faith of its founders. On May 13, 1976, it was entered in the National Register of Historic Places.
In addition to a plaque noting its inclusion in the National Register, another plaque, near the church's entrance, tells of the parish's historic visit by a then-living saint. Soon-to-be beatified (Oct. 19) Mother Teresa visited this church during a visit to her Missionaries of Charity in Atlanta eight years ago. The order was established in Atlanta in 1992 to work with the homeless and those with AIDS. Today the sisters enjoy a special affiliation with the parish, attending Mass and teaching Sunday school there.
The church was a fitting place for such a gathering of religious writers. For, just as our writing informs the faithful, those gathered in the church were unable to sit inside without seeing some art, architecture, signs, symbols or other pictorial representations that educate about the faith.
The white interior is illuminated not only by bright and colorful paintings and numerous brass furnishings but also by 28 remarkable stained-glass windows.
The church's high arches down the central nave draw your attention toward the life-size crucifix beneath the baldacchino in the sanctuary.
There above the tabernacle in the dome of the apse is a full-figured painting of Christ manifesting his Sacred Heart. He stands on the globe of earth with two angels kneeling on either side.
Around the curve of the arch, which separates the nave from the sanctuary, are painted Christ as the Lamb of God in the center, with the symbols of the four evangelists on either side: the lion for St. Mark, the eagle for St. John, the bull for St. Luke and a man for St. Matthew.
On the left side of the sanctuary, facing the nave, an archdiocesan coat of arms is painted. On the right-hand side is the escutcheon of the Society of Mary.
The sanctuary contains an abundance of gleaming brass, from the intricately detailed brass pulpit to the sanctuary lamp to Victorian candelabras that flank the altar and the central tabernacle.
Sunlight on Scripture
Perhaps the most outstanding feature of Sacred Heart Church is its collection of stained-glass windows. The 28 stunning windows were produced by the Mayer Studios in Munich and installed in 1902. Fourteen windows are placed along the walls of the nave, and seven pairs of narrow windows are found in the curve of the apse above the sanctuary.
The seven pairs of windows in the apse portray various miraculous manifestations of God, such as Christ appearing to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the angel appearing to Christ at Gethsemane and Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene in front of the tomb. They are a reminder of Christ's presence in our daily lives and of his Real Presence in every Mass.
The 14 windows along the walls of the nave portray events in the life of Christ. I imagined how useful the windows would be for instructing children in the key events of the Gospel or the mysteries of the rosary. With the sunshine pouring in, they literally bring Scripture to light.
Beginning with the window nearest the front Chapel of St. Joseph, they progress to the rear of the church and then continue down the north side aisle to the Chapel of Our Lady. Along the south wall they include the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presentation, the Finding in the Temple, the Wedding Feast at Cana and the Sermon on the Mount. Along the north wall, the events pictured include Jesus Welcoming the Children, Jesus Washing Peter's Feet, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Spirit.
To the rear, the church's choir loft is dominated by the large Sacred Heart Rose Window and the 2,598 pipes of the Casavant Freres pipe organ, which was completely restored in 2002.
The principal celebrant and homilist at our Mass was Bishop Joseph Galante, coadjutor bishop of Dallas. Archbishop John Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications; Bishop J. Kevin Boland of Savannah; and a number of other priests concele-brated, filling the sanctuary to overflowing.
Accompanied by the contemporary music of Catholic musician Ed Bolduc, praying in the “heart” of Atlanta proved to be the perfect place to reflect upon my vocation as a Catholic writer and the work of all those committed to spreading the Gospel through the written word.
Staff writer Tim Drake writes from St. Cloud, Minnesota.
----- EXCERPT: Sacred Heart Church, Atlanta ----- EXTENDED BODY: Tim Drake ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: Now Playing DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Take Five
1 GOOD BOY! (MGM) Director: John Robert Hoffman. Liam Aiken, Matthew Broderick (voice). (PG) Take One: Innocuous family fantasy about a young boy who discovers that dogs are really intelligent aliens sent thousands of years ago to colonize and dominate Earth but instead went native and became man's best friend.
Take Two: The genial, blandly amusing tale celebrates the bond between man and dog, and occasional mildly crude humor is limited to flatulence jokes and the like. Kids won't notice, but attentive parents will be irked that the filmmakers saw fit to insert fleeting depictions of an apparent homosexual couple in the supporting cast.
Final Take: Basically harmless but uninspired. It will leave viewers essentially none the worse for wear but no better, either.
2 THE SCHOOL OF ROCK (Paramount) Director: Richard Linklater. Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack. (PG-13) Take One: Rock-rebellion comedy-fantasy about a struggling rocker who poses as a substitute teacher at an elite prep school, grooming his students to play in a big-money battle of the bands contest.
Take Two: The hero's nearly religious reverence for rock's angry posturing and anti-authoritarianism — reverence culminating in a preconcert prayer to the “God of rock” — isn't quite condoned but isn't put in any larger context, either. Rock culture's darker side is whitewashed, and subjects other than music (and even music other than rock) get short shrift. A swishing, lisping fifth-grade “band stylist” injects “Queer Eye” camp into the grade-school setting.
Final Take: At its best a cheerfully anarchic celebration of creative energy and individuality, School ultimately makes no moral sense, but it's almost entertaining enough and harmless enough (not quite) for a qualified pass.
3 UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN (Touchstone) Director: Audrey Wells. Diane Lane, Raoul Bova, Sandra Oh. (PG-13) Take One: The golden Italian landscape is luminously photographed and Diane Lane is charming in a barely-there romantic comedy loosely based on the memoir by Frances Mayes.
Take Two: Following her nasty divorce from her husband, the film's heroine travels the road to recovery on a tour of Tuscany with a hunky Italian.
Sandra Oh plays a pregnant lesbian friend dumped by the lover with whom she had been planning on raising her artificially conceived child. Some profanity and crude language.
Final Take: The charms of the heroine and setting — and a bit of appreciation for Marian spirituality — can't redeem the rest of the movie.
4 SECONDHAND LIONS (New Line) Director: Tim McCanlies. Robert Duvall, Michael Caine, Haley Joel Osment. (PG-13)
Take One: A flaky mother fobs off her young son for the summer on two crusty, eccentric uncles she hardly knows. Rumors of hidden treasure and a romantic, swashbuckling back-story figure into a family film with more than a bit in common with the spring hit Holes.
Take Two: Its heart is in the right place, but the platitudes come with too much “tell” and not enough “show.” True ideals give way to sentimentalism as Duvall urges Osment to “believe in” what he wants to whether or not it's true. Stylized action violence, brief menace and a bit of mild bad language won't spoil the film for older kids. Final Take: A decent but flawed film that could have been a very good one. Family audiences could do worse.
5 THE FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS (Paramount) Directed by Jonathan Lynn. Cuba Gooding Jr, Beyoncé Knowles. (PG-13)
Take One: Spirited gospel music powers a church-set romantic comedy with Cuba Gooding Jr. as a callow fraud whose small-town aunt left him a tidy sum on condition that he lead his hometown church choir to competition glory.
Take Two: Never manages the most generic, safely banal Hollywood spiritual uplift, the vaguest pro-faith cliché. Further marred by sexual references, a winking attitude toward immorality and relentlessly negative stereotyping of Christians.
Final Take: Rife with barely veiled contempt for Christians and Christianity — and the attempt to market and sell the film to Christians — may just be the apex of that contempt. What an indictment of the churchgoing world if Christians buy it.
Steven D. Greydanus writes from Bloomfield, New Jersey
Spotlight:
While I can't quite recommend Jack Black's new hit The School of Rock, it's interesting to compare it to a current hit being marketed to churchgoing audiences: The Fighting Temptations, starring Cuba Gooding Jr.
In both films, a charlatan hero cobbles together an unlikely musical act under false pretenses, seeking to lead it to competition glory and prize money — despite resistance from a suspicious, uptight woman in a position of authority. Eventually his deception is exposed and he departs in disgrace, but his bond with the musicians wins out and they are triumphantly reunited for the climactic concert showdown.
Now consider the differences, and how they reflect on the seemingly church-friendly milieu of Temptations.
In School, there's a lot of talk about the meaning and message of rock music. The music is about something — rebellion, anger, defying The Man. No one in Temptations ever talks about a meaning or message in gospel music.
Similarly, School makes a big point that putting on a good show — not winning the competition — is what matters. In Temptations there's never any hint of any point to playing gospel music except winning the competition.
Astonishingly, School has more compassion and understanding for its uptight authority figure than Temptations. By the end of School, we actually like Joan Cusack. In the end of Temptations, LaTanya Richardson is shamed and disgraced with stunningly unchristian glee by her pastor brother and sent ignominiously away.
Finally, in School, someone says a prayer to God before a concert. Granted, it's not a very Christian prayer; still, it's interesting that prayer and God don't really figure in Temptations.
— Steven D. Greydanus
----- EXCERPT: A Register's-eye view of five current box-office leaders ----- EXTENDED BODY: Steven D. Greydanus ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Weekly Video/DVD Picks DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Robin Hood (1973)
Oo-de-lally! As post-Sleeping Beauty Disney animated features go, Robin Hood is a fine entry, better than The Sword in the Stone or The Fox and the Hound but not as good as The Jungle Book or The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Strengths include supporting vocal talent including Phil Harris (a Baloo-like Little John), Peter Ustinov (Prince John), inimitable Andy Devine (Friar Tuck) and Pat Buttram (the Sheriff of Nottingham).
Then there's the catchy, country-themed soundtrack courtesy of Roger Miller (Alan-a-Dale) and a fine, swashbuckling plot.
The conceit of casting the story with animals adds a certain charm and helps gloss over such oddities as the distinct shortage of Merry Men and the regionally eclectic accents (British Bedford and Ustinov, Southerners Devine and Buttram, etc.).
Jovial, pugnacious Friar Tuck is notable for being one of the few positive representatives of Christianity in a Disney-animated feature.
As a priest, he's allowed to allude to the Gospels (“Your last farthing? Aw, little sister, no one can give more than that!”) and say things like, “Thank God! My prayers have been answered!” as if he really meant them. And when Prince John plots to hang Friar Tuck in order to lure Robin Hood out of hiding, even Sir Hiss is shocked: “Hang Friar Tuck? A man of the Church?”
Content advisory: Mild animated action and menace; brief comic inebriation.
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Finally available on DVD, The Adventures of Robin Hood has been fully restored and comes loaded with extras, including a documentary on the film's making and a tribute to other screen Robin Hoods, notably Douglas Fairbanks.
The archetypal Hollywood swashbuckler, The Adventures of Robin Hood is everything a big-screen derring-do should be: rousing, lighthearted, witty, romantic, colorful, moralistic and richly satisfying. In his defining role, Errol Flynn establishes himself as the quintessential Robin Hood — jaunty, dashing and fearless, while Olivia de Havilland (Maid Marian), Basil Rathbone (Sir Guy of Gisbourne) and Claude Rains (Prince John) shine in supporting roles.
The story is the classic Robin Hood tale, and it's all here: the fateful shooting of the king's deer, Robin's ignominious duckings upon his first meetings with Little John (Alan Hale) and Friar Tuck (Eugene Pallette), Robin's penchant for entertaining wealthy victims in high Sherwood style before relieving them of their gold, the return of Richard (Ian Hunter) from the Crusades disguised in monk's attire. Innovations on the legend include a bravura early scene in which Robin boldly confronts Prince John at dinner and promises to oppose him by every means possible, and the initially prickly relationship between the rough Saxon Robin and the noble Norman Marian.
Content advisory: Much swashbuckling violence; a depiction of a corrupt bishop; a brief assault on a woman.
Robin Hood (1922)
Silent action king Douglas Fairbanks Sr. is the most exuberantly athletic of Robin Hoods, for sheer physicality perhaps outdoing even Errol Flynn's definitive performance.
In some ways the ideal Fairbanks vehicle, Robin Hood features bravura stuntwork and a moral theme of resisting oppression as strong as that of The Mark of Zorro, awesome castle sets rivaling the lavish production design of The Thief of Baghdad, a well-crafted plot as engaging as Don Q Son of Zorro and large-scale action scenes, with scores of Merry Men besetting Prince John's troopers.
Missing are the familiar episodes of Robin Hood's career, such as his river-crossing match with Little John and the archery contest.
Instead, this Robin Hood uses its long first act to develop a surprisingly involved back-story in which the man who will be Robin Hood accompanies Richard the Lionheart on the Crusades until he hears of Prince John's perfidy back in England.
Physically, Fairbanks was at the top of his game, and his Robin Hood leaps from the parapets and rides an enormous tapestry 30 feet or more to the ground.
In the film's most memorable stunt, he climbs up the chain of a closing drawbridge to the top of the castle wall.
Content advisory: Action violence; brief depictions of hanged bodies and of a woman being tortured.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Steven D. Greydanus ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Weekly TV Picks DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:All times Eastern
SUNDAY, OCT. 12
The Joyful Hour
EWTN, 7 p.m.
“The family that prays together stays together,” Father Patrick Peyton (1909-1992), the beloved Rosary Priest, told America and the world. Here the similarly beloved actor Pat O'Brien (1899-1983), his wife Eloise and their four children illustrate Father's motto by praying the rosary for TV viewers. Re-airs Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 1 a.m.
SUNDAY, OCT. 12
Emeril's Tailgate Recipe Contest
Food Network, 9 p.m.
Chef Emeril announces the winners of his competition to come up with the best meals to enjoy with football-loving family and friends before the big game.
MONDAY, OCT. 13
Idaho: A Portrait
PBS, 10:30 p.m.
God used a broad and beautiful canvas when he created Idaho, as this tour de force blend of aerial and ground-level views proves emphatically. First aired in September 2000.
TUESDAY, OCT. 14
Mickey's House of Villains
Disney, 8 p.m.
Mickey Mouse and his cartoon friends foil the baddies once again.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 15
Joseph & The Coat of Many Colors
Discovery Channel, 10 p.m.
In this new special, scholars offer their views on the account of Joseph in Chapters 35-50 of the Book of Genesis.
FRIDAY, OCT. 17
The World Over
EWTN, 8 p.m., live
On Oct. 19, Pope John Paul II will beatify a friend of his and of all the world: Mother Teresa, who showed us how to love our neighbors as “Jesus in distressing disguise” and who told us, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness.” Here is a preview of the great day at St. Peter's.
SATURDAY, OCT. 18
USC at Notre Dame
NBC, 2:30 p.m., live
If you want to see the ultimate college football rivalry, forget all the others and tune in to Notre Dame and Southern California. This year, the odd-smakers could favor the visiting Trojans, but just try telling that to the Fighting Irish in Notre Dame Stadium.
SATURDAY, OCT. 18
World Series, Game 1
Fox, 7:30 p.m., live
This will be the 99th World Series, and they don't call it the Fall Classic for nothing; there hasn't been a dull one yet. The American League has won 58 World Series and the National League 40, but anything can happen — and, in baseball, they always say only one thing is sure: “You never know.” Teams not set as of deadline.
Dan Engler writes from Santa Barbara, California.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Dan Engler ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Family Fights for Terri Schiavo's Life as Feeding Tube Set for Removal Oct. 15 DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Thirty-nine-year-old Terri Schiavo will be dehydrated and starved to death beginning Oct. 15 if a hearing five days earlier does not halt the court-ordered scheduled removal of her feeding tube.
In late September, U.S. District Judge Richard Lazzara ordered a hearing in the case for Oct. 10. Schiavo's parents filed a lawsuit challenging Florida's Health Care Advance Directives law and accusing their daughter's husband, Michael Schiavo, of depriving her of her rights to equal protection and due process under the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments to the Constitution.
Schiavo's case is an emotion-filled one. In 1990 she collapsed, apparently due to a heart attack. The incident left her brain-damaged and unable to function on her own.
But not everyone agrees that is the way her life has to be. Her parents and siblings argue that she can be rehabilitated. But her husband, who is her legal guardian, does not.
Michael Schiavo, who argues that Terri is in a “persistent vegetative state,” wants the feeding tube to go. For Michael Schiavo — who, advocates for Terri Schiavo point out, is engaged to be married to another woman and has had a child with her — this latest appeal is just another delay of the inevitable. His lawyer, George Felos, has told reporters, “I would hope that the federal judge looking at this realizes this is just an attempt to rehash what has gone on before.”
But Terri Schiavo's parents, siblings and friends disagree, and have been fighting Michael Schiavo in court to keep Terri Schiavo alive.
“Michael may say that Terri 'died' a long time ago,” said Christina Brundage, a nurse and volunteer with the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation (www.terrisfight.org). “When someone smiles when you come in the room — as Terri does with her family and some staff members [as stated in one of the affidavits] — laughs when music is played, follows commands, etc., the argument that she 'isn't there' is meaningless.”
Video available on the terris-fight.org Web site shows her reacting to her family and to others. More than 10 doctors, including a Nobel Prize nominee, have testified that Terri Schiavo is not unconscious and not in a vegetative state.
“[T]here is no moral reason to remove her feeding tube, and it is morally wrong to directly starve her to death,” said Sister of Providence Marian Brady, adjunct assistant professor of philosophy at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. “We seem to be developing a culture in which we think that others can hold the power of life and death over an afflicted individual who requires therapeutic care. Rather, we should be developing a culture that respects the suffering person enough to give the therapeutic care the person needs.”
Bob Schindler, Terri's father, said faith has been essential to his family's struggle to keep his daughter alive.
“Terri comes from generations of devout Catholic families,” he said. “Our family prays daily to God the Father, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Blessed Mother Mary, the Holy Spirit, Terri's guardian angel, St. Jude, [St. Padre] Pio and in particular to St. Theresa, Terri's patron saint.”
Wesley Smith, author of The Culture of Death, sees the Schiavo case as a terrible cultural milestone.
“Terri's case demonstrates the length we will now go to make the most defenseless among us dead,” he said. “Not only is she to be denied food and water, but she is also being denied medical care and rehabilitative therapy that doctors and therapists have testified would make it likely that she could relearn to eat and drink by mouth. If a horse or pig were dehydrated to death, the perpetrator would probably go to jail. Do it to human being who has a feeding tube and it is called 'medical ethics.'”
Florida's Catholic governor, Jeb Bush, issued a letter in late August asking a state circuit judge to appoint a guardian to “independently investigate the circumstances of this case and provide the court with an unbiased view that considers the best interests of Mrs. Schiavo.”
The courts have not acted on Bush's recommendation. He is likely Terri Schiavo's last line of defense; advocates for Schiavo have been urging supporters to write to the governor on their behalf.
Kathryn Jean Lopez is the editor of National Review Online.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Kathryn Jean Lopez ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Vocations Abound at Texas A&M Thanks to Priest's Efforts DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Father Michael Sis, director of campus ministry at St. Mary's Catholic Center at Texas A&M University, believes college is an ideal time to encourage young adults to think about whether they might have a religious vocation.
The 43-year-old priest has become known for a creative and successful approach that invites students to consider the priesthood or consecrated life through such opportunities as the Busy Students' Retreat, a twice-monthly discernment group, and “Seminary Sprints” and “Nun Runs,” in which students get a firsthand look at the lives of priests, brothers and sisters.
Although only about 11,000 of the 45,000 students at the College Station, university are Catholic, 56 have entered programs of formation as priests or religious in the last seven years. Father Sis' goal is to have one “Aggie,” as A&M students are known, in every religious order and every diocese in the world.
Register correspondent Judy Roberts talked with Father Sis about his efforts to foster vocations in the Church.
Tell me about your vocation and who encouraged you to consider the priesthood.
The beginning of my own discernment for the priesthood was when I was an altar boy. I was 13 years old in a parish in Bryan, Texas, when a priest recommended that I consider entering the seminary. Then when I was a freshman at the University of Notre Dame — I was not a seminarian; I was a regular student — I had some very helpful spiritual direction from the campus ministry staff at Notre Dame. … It's not like they were recruiting me.
The interest had been planted in me as a teen-ager, but I saw good examples there at Notre Dame and I was just inspired to pursue the priesthood by their availability.
Were you raised in a setting where vocations were encouraged?
I'm one of five kids — the fourth of five — raised in a Catholic family. My mother and father were very active in parish life as I grew up. They were supportive of my ideas about entering the seminary, but they never pushed it.
My other four siblings are all married and have children. When I was in high school, there was a priest who was working with our parish youth group. He personally invested his time and energy in helping us teen-agers, and because of his personal investment in our lives, he was a tremendous influence in inspiring me to consider the priesthood.
Did you want to go into campus ministry after you were ordained?
No. My thought up until 1989 was that I simply would be working in Hispanic ministry, because that is what I was doing for my first two and a half years as a priest — working in a poor Hispanic parish in Austin.
But there was a hole to fill in campus ministry and my bishop asked me to take the position. I went into it out of obedience.
Have you found that there was wisdom in your bishop's request?
Yes, it's a very appropriate place for me to work. I can't imagine enjoying any other work more than this.
How did you first get the idea to make vocations a priority in your campus ministry?
First of all, because of my own love for the Church and the great need for ministers in the Church, and then secondly, getting to know these young students here who are so vividly living their Catholic faith.
To see these students so alive with their faith and to know the great need that the Church has for ministers just seemed like an obvious connection.
Why is it important to get young people thinking about vocations while they are still in college?
Because in college, they're constantly discerning the course of their life, and so it's the appropriate moment for them to consider full-time service in the Church as one of their options.
Have other schools tried your approach to encouraging vocations?
I've been talking about these all over the country for several years now. Several campus ministries and dioceses have said they were going to try them. We don't say, “Do these 10 things.” We just say these are the things we do. And we encourage them to look at ideas and hold vocation ministry as a priority.
We don't recommend that somebody just take these 10 points and try to mimic them. Every campus will have its own particular needs.
Can you tell me about some of your students and how they happened to consider the priesthood or religious life?
One would be a young man named Brian McMaster — Father Brian McMaster — who was ordained two years ago for our diocese. He was a very active leader in our campus ministry and works at a church in Georgetown, Texas. When he arrived at A&M he was already interested in the priesthood, and then we just tried to encourage him and to give him opportunities to pursue that and continue discerning.
Another is a guy from Puerto Rico, Winston Mendez Silvagnoli. He was ordained this summer for the Ponce Diocese. He had come to A&M for a master's degree in chemistry so he obviously was not pursuing the priesthood. While here, he became very involved in student organizations, participated in discernment opportunities and started openly considering the priesthood. He went back to Puerto Rico and worked as a chemist, then entered the seminary in Puerto Rico and was just ordained this summer.
Is your goal of having one “Aggie” in every religious order and every diocese in the world unrealistic, given the times in which we live and the crisis in the Church?
The reason I have that goal is to communicate two very important points. First of all, my attitude to vocations ministry is not about turf battles. I'm not simply trying to recruit people for our diocese. In my opinion, if they serve the Catholic Church in whatever order or diocese, that's good.
The other point I want to get across is that I'm truly convinced that what these Aggies have to offer the Church is beneficial to the Church because I've worked with these students 11 and a half years and I see their qualities of intelligence, sincerity, generous service, love for the Church and their enthusiasm for the faith. And I think that's what every religious order or diocese needs. Of course it's a lofty dream, but I'm not concerned with that.
Where do most of your students who end up in formation go?
Of the 47 currently in formation, 12 are female religious, 13 are with male orders and 22 are in diocesan seminaries, seven for the Austin Diocese. So it's a pretty good spread. Among the young men, the Jesuits have had a regular steady flow to them, particularly the New Orleans Province. And among the young women, the group that's drawn the largest numbers is the Dominicans of Nashville, Tenn.
In both your own life experience and in your work with students, you seem to be saying that good role models are key to encouraging religious vocations.
Teen-agers and young adults need positive role models in the Church. They need adults in the Church who exemplify the Christian life and who live it joyfully. Those adults who work with youth do not even necessarily have to be recruiting for vocations explicitly because their love for the Church and their vibrant humanity will attract people to vocations in the Church.
I think explicit recruitment is important, but it's not the only thing they need. They need constant, healthy, joyful examples in regular everyday ministry.
Judy Roberts is based inMillbury, Ohio.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Judy Roberts ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Theology (of the Body) on Tap DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:BODY AND GIFT: REFLECTIONS ON CREATION
by Sam Torode
Philokalia Books, 2003 72 pages, $10.95 To order: (866) 333-6392 www. philokaliabooks. com
Nearly 25 years have passed since Pope John Paul II lit the fuse of what George Weigel has described as a “theological time bomb” — the Holy Father's Theology of the Body. Consisting of 130 general audiences between 1979 and 1984, the Pope's unprecedented — even revolutionary — reflections on the meaning of the human body, marriage, gender, sexuality and morality will offer scholars and laity alike a wealth of material to study and contemplate for years to come.
One of the challenges of reading Theology of the Body is the dense, difficult language often used by John Paul as he delves into the mystery of the human person. This challenge, coupled with misinformation about the content of the Theology of the Body, has caused some to criticize the Pope's work as simply being obsessed with sex or overly concerned with body parts. Sadly, such misguided claims ignore or miss altogether the insights and riches of John Paul's theology — wisdom badly needed in a culture so prone to disbelief, immorality, divorce and death.
As Christopher West states in the introduction of this slim book by Sam Torode: “[T]he theology of the body is not only about marriage and sexual love. Because the communion of the sexes is so intertwined with life i itself, the Pope J observes that his 1 talks aim at 'the I rediscovery of the meaning of the whole of existence, the meaning of life.'”
Body and Gift is the first of four books i seeking to translate (so to speak) the theological complexity of the Theology of the Body into concise, accessible English. It accomplishes that goal with impressive clarity. Body and Gift masterfully distills the essence of the first 23 of the Pope's teachings on the subject, which are a catechesis on the Book of Genesis, focusing on the original unity of man and woman. This opening section introduces key themes, including original innocence, original solitude and original nakedness. These provide the underpinnings for later insights into celibacy, virginity, and the resurrection of the body.
Torode writes in the second chapter, titled “In God's Image”:
“Ultimately, man can only be understood in relation to God. This great mystery of creation — that we are created in God's image — is the key reference point for understanding all aspects of humanity, including our sexuality…. The first chapter of Genesis is the basis for a Christian understanding of man — it tells the truth about who we are as human beings. It is of the utmost importance to all theology, especially the theology of the body.”
A strength of this book is that although written in a simple style, it is not a simplistic “theology of the body for dummies.” Not yet in his 30s, Torode understands and appreciates the depths of the Holy Father's ife work, and his grasp of its complexities makes this book a true translation, not merely an edited, abridged version.
Torode, along with I wife Bethany, has also authored Open Embrace: A Protestant Couple Rethinks Contraception (Eerdmans, 2002), a book that stirred up a bit of controversy in evangelical-Protestant circles and drew praise from many Catholics. The Tor-odes are now Eastern Orthodox, and so are in the unique position of being former Protestants popularizing the work of the Pope while not in full communion with the Catholic Church.
It bodes well that Body and Gift has been endorsed by some evangelical Protestants, including J. Budziszewski, one of the foremost experts on natural law in the Protestant world.
As the power and truth of John Paul's theological vision are recognized by more people, both Catholic and non-Catholic, his theological time bomb moves closer to sparking a potentially explosive revolution aimed at transforming the culture of death into a culture of life, holiness and authentic love.
Carl E. Olson is editor of Envoy magazine and author of Will Catholics be 'Left Behind'?
----- EXCERPT: Weekly Book Pick ----- EXTENDED BODY: Carl E. Olson ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Campus Watch DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Profiles in Caution
In an editorial, the Journal said the suit brought to mind the example of Grove City College, a tiny Protestant institution in Pennsylvania that, following a protracted legal battle, won its freedom from any control by the federal government in 1984 when it told its students they could not accept Pell Grants and remain enrolled.
“Do any of the schools and professors now arguing for their right to discriminate against the military,” the newspaper asked, “have the integrity to do the same?”
On to Atlanta
While Spring Hill already offers some graduate courses in Atlanta and Jackson, Miss., those “satellites operate on a shoestring basis out of local Catholic churches,” the paper reported.
For its new effort, the Mobile Register said, Spring Hill “would probably have to rent a building, hire staff and advertise its classes.”
West Wing Rosary
Sheen has been quoted as saying: “I personally am opposed to abortion, but I will not judge anybody else's right in that regard …”
“I wouldn't argue that Sheen is a bad person,” Cardinal Newman Society President Patrick Reilly, said, but “certainly Marquette can find better role models whose morality is consistent with Catholic teaching.”
Sheen, who plays President Josiah Bartlet on TV's “The West Wing,” also told a press conference that, like his character, he carries a rosary with him at all times and has “come to love the rosary.”
If It Ain't Broke …
Instead of new dorms and more sports teams, officials say they will now emphasize academics.
Also to be retained at the college, sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis, is the image of St. Francis, which adorns many campus buildings. “The famous saint may have died in 1226,” the Blade noted, “but he is alive and well in Sylvania.”
Online Learning
WHEELING JESUIT, Sept. 25 — The university has expanded its distance-learning program with the launch of a new program leading to a bachelor of science degree in health care leadership.
As with other distance-learning programs, students typically meet on campus only one weekend at the beginning of each semester and do the remaining coursework online.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joe Cullen ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Family Matters DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Kids and Money
Q
At what age is it appropriate to begin teaching children about money? Do you have any suggestions for how to go about it?
A
Children have a built-in curiosity that allows them to soak things up like a sponge. It is a wise parent who understands this and goes about building the character of the child in the virtues early on. The Catechism reminds us that “The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute” (No. 2221). In teaching your children about money matters, you will want to emphasize the development of a Christian attitude in addition to showing them the practical skills they will need to properly manage their money when they leave home.
There is probably no greater influence on the attitude of your children than your example. Are you satisfied that your priorities are following the Gospel message? Is God first in your life? Are you fostering the virtues of simplicity, generosity, sacrifice and personal responsibility in your home? Your living example is a more valuable blessing to your children than any material inheritance you may provide. Pope St. Gregory the Great said: “For true doctrine tries both to teach by words and example. … When one practices first and preaches afterward one is really teaching with power.”
One approach you can use to teach your children about money is to pay for completing tasks around the home. I would encourage you to start this no later than when your child reaches the age of reason (7 for most children). This is a simple and effective way to introduce them to the concept of pay for work, and it avoids an “allowance,” where the child is receiving something for nothing. Our 6-year-old daughter (a saver if there ever was one) has proven to be quite industrious at collecting snails to earn money. In fact, when spring comes, she has quite a bonanza.
I would encourage you to set up a system that divides their earnings into three components: 20% should be set aside in equal amounts for their tithe and long-term savings, while the remainder can be spent on a hobby or treat. The child can also elect to put the remainder into short-term savings in order to build up enough cash to make a more substantial purchase like a bicycle.
When it comes to teaching teens about money management, one very effective approach is to allow them to manage the portion of the family budget that directly impacts them. A good category to start with is clothing. Determine the teen's budget for the year, then give him responsibility for managing it. You might be surprised at the lessons learned as a result of this exercise. It won't take your teen long to realize that money doesn't grow on trees! You can add to his area of responsibility as you deem appropriate, always keeping in mind that tithing and saving need to be factored in.
Phil Lenahan is director of finance at Catholic Answers in El Cajon, California.
Reach Family Matters at familymatters@ncregister.com
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Phil Lenahan ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Too Much Time Online? DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Facts of Life
According to a study from [l the University of California at Los Angeles, 18% of U.S. feJQ, parents surveyed last year thought their children spent too much time online, up from 11% in 2000. “They are realizing it's like television. You can fritter away your time,” says Jeff Cole, director of the UCLA Center for Communication Policy. “The Internet doesn't always get a preferred position as it had two years ago when it was associated with homework and teaching.” New software and hardware have come out over the past year or so to help parents enforce time limits.
Source: Associated Press, Sept. 1 Register illustration by Tim Rauch
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Baby John Paul: Witness to Life DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Prolife Profile
To celebrate the Pope's 25th Anniversary, we present 25 babies named for the Holy Father.
A quarter-century after the election of Pope John Paul II, there are lots of Catholic families who have honored “John Paul the Great” by naming boys for the Pope.
One St. Louis couple has a particularly keen reason to be thankful for theirs. John Paul Thomas Vlahutin's story is miraculous and inspiring. Vlahutin was born Feb. 24, 2003, nearly 17 weeks early. Peter and Jenny Vlahutin say that their son's survival is a testament to the power of prayer.
Pregnancy did not come easily for the Vlahutins. The couple had been trying to conceive for several months. Working with their natural family planning physician, Dr. Michael Dixon, Jenny, a kindergarten teacher, underwent two surgeries during the summer of 2002.
“On Columbus Day, Jenny called to tell me she had called the doctor and picked up a pregnancy test,” Peter recalls. “When I came home, we did the test.”
Sure enough, on their second try with the test, they saw the result they'd been praying for.
“We were ecstatic,” says Peter, who works as campus minister for Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis. “We were jumping up and down.” The baby's projected due date was June 18, 2003.
The pregnancy progressed normally. Jenny experienced very little sickness. Her weight gain was normal and all her ultrasounds were good.
Then, on Feb. 23, things took a perilous turn.
That night Jenny began experiencing back pain. With her due date so far in the future — she was less than six months pregnant — she had no idea that the discomfort was a sign of labor. The next morning she went to see her doctor, who determined that she was fast approaching delivery. She was rushed to the labor-and-delivery ward, where attempts were made to stop her contractions. When these proved unsuccessful, her physician decided to transfer her by ambulance to St. John's Mercy Medical Center.
Peter drove separately — and experienced a powerful moment of grace while alone in his car. “I realized that this child was a gift,” he says. “I don't get to determine how the gift comes or what it looks like. I may only have the gift for two minutes, two days, two months or two years. That is in God's hands. All we could do was receive the gift and do with it what we can.”
On Feb. 24 at 10:53 p.m., Jenny gave birth to a baby boy. He was just 1 pound 5 ounces and 12 inches long. Peter's wedding ring fit around the baby's wrist.
The nurse turned to Peter and Jenny and asked, “Does this boy have a name?”
“We are, by nature, lengthy decision makers,” Peter says. “Thankfully, we had chosen baby names.”
The previous November, the couple had prayed for direction regarding a name. At Mass one Sunday, Jenny received signs of a sort confirming the names they had chosen — Bernadette and John Paul.
What were the signs? The deacon delivered a homily on the Pope and the congregation sang two hymns written by women named Bernadette.
“We have a tremendous amount of respect and reverence for the Pope,” Peter says. “I saw him at World Youth Day in Denver in 1993. The year we were engaged, both Jenny and I participated in the youth rally and Mass when the Pope came to St. Louis and, in September 2000, we both saw him in Rome for the beatification of Father William Joseph Chaminade.”
Power of Prayer
Peter and Jenny knew that John Paul's greatest need was prayer. They also knew they weren't alone. Within 24 hours of the baby's birth, their friends and families went into action. Family friend Tim Chik story organized people to pray in St. Louis. Another friend, Bill Dill, organized people to pray in St. Paul, Minn., and elsewhere.
When Dill heard that the first three days were the most critical to the baby's prognosis, he formed a 72-hour prayer team; its members sought to “hold John Paul up in prayer.” With the help of Greg Damm, Dill and Chik put together a Web site and organized more than 150 prayer partners from around the United States, Canada and Australia.
Dill recalls trying to recruit people to fill the late-night prayer spots. “I called Tim Chik on his cell phone,” he explains. “He happened to be at a men's prayer group that Peter was a part of that meets every two weeks. I could hear one man after another saying in the background, 'I'll take 2 a.m. I'll take 3 a.m., I'll take 4 a.m.' These brothers were standing up saying 'I've got this baby covered.'”
“We had made plans to have John Paul baptized immediately,” says Peter, “but the doctors were confident enough that we could wait.”
The couple's parish priest, Father John Leykam of Holy Trinity parish, baptized John Paul the next day.
“Our doctors acknowledged how much better John Paul seemed to do after the baptism,” Peter says. One experienced medical professional told the couple: “We're not foolish enough to believe that we do this on our own.”
Over the course of the next four months, the couple experienced many ups and downs — and several serious scares.
“The doctors were very frank with us,” Peter says. “They told us that 1 in 3 babies at this stage survives and, of those who survive, the majority will have serious complications.”
Another doctor told them that they had to try to get a tube down John Paul's throat to help him breathe. “If it doesn't work, we will bring him back to you and let you hold him as long as you can,” the doctor told them.
On March 17, three weeks after John Paul's birth, Jenny was able to hold her son for the first time. He was no longer than her forearm and just about as thin.
“I was so anxious the day before and the day of,” Jenny says. “It was absolutely amazing to hold him. For the first few minutes, I was holding my breath. The nurse told me, 'It's okay; you can breathe now.' Once I heard he was doing well, I could relax. I was in awe of the opportunity to hold someone so small.”
Throughout the ordeal, the Vlahutins recall, a palpable sense of peace enveloped them. This they attribute to the outpouring of prayer and support they received.
Aside from laser surgery to repair his underdeveloped retinas, John Paul didn't experience the myriad complications common among most “preemies.”
“He had no issues with his gut,” Peter says. “No problems with his esophagus. The valve and shunt between the heart and lungs closed up the way it was supposed to. His brain and heart were fine, and he didn't even need the hernia surgery that most preemie boys need.”
Jenny says that the experience gave her “a new appreciation for life.”
“Having John Paul was like having a window into the womb,” she adds. “We were able to hold in our hands what is going on in the womb. I know that God will use John Paul's story for other women who might be struggling with the abortion issue.”
John Paul Vlahutin went home on June 26, just eight days after his official due date.
Now seven months old, John Paul is growing slowly but surely. Mom and Dad report that he's beginning to smile, grab things and put stuff in his mouth. In September, he was taken off oxygen during the daytime hours. Soon, he will no longer need oxygen at night, either.
The Vlahutins are happy to see their son without a cannula, the oxygen mask that has been attached to his face since his birth.
“It's like seeing someone for the first time without their glasses,” Jenny says.
And John Paul loves to be held.
“He went for so long where he was supposed to be held but wasn't,” Peter says. “We don't have any fear of spoiling him in that area.”
Tim Drake was born a month prematurely 36 years ago.
He writes from St. Cloud, Minnesota.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Tim Drake ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Prolife Victories DATE: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 12-18, 2003 ----- BODY:Mexico City Policy Shines
REUTERS, Sept. 24 — President Bush's pro-life Mexico City policy has left so-called “family-planning clinics” in developing countries without funding, forcing many to close.
Under the policy, no foreign agencies can receive U.S. funds if they provide or promote abortion. A survey of Ethiopia, Kenya, Romania and Zambia by the pro-abortion groups Population Action International and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America showed the rule had forced clinics that distributed contraceptives to close due to lack of funds.
Builders Boycott Facility
ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sept. 22 — A group of building contractors has organized a boycott of concrete, building materials and workers to prevent construction of a new Planned Parenthood facility where abortions will be performed.
“We're going to do everything we can to stop it, slow it down and make it more expensive,” said Chris Danze, owner of Maldonado and Danze Inc., an Austin, Texas, concrete contractor.
Danze is chairman of the Austin Area Pro-Life Concrete Contractors and Suppliers Association. He said every concrete supplier within 60 miles of Austin has indicated it will not supply materials or labor to the project.
Danze said his group sent letters to more than 750 Austin- and San Antonio-area contractors asking them to participate. He said 14 have agreed not to supply concrete for the project. He also said some have refused to join but would not identify those companies.
Michelman Steps Down
Michelman said she would leave her post on April 30, 2004, to care for her ailing husband and their daughter. She said she gave the group's board at least six months' notice, allowing her to lead a pro-abortion march in Washington on April 25.
Michelman said her own abortion in 1970 spurred her to advocate abortion vehemently.
Ohio Abortions Hit Low
LIFENEWS.COM, Sept. 21 — The number of abortions performed in Ohio in 2002 dropped to the lowest level in 10 years, according to a report from the Ohio Department of Health.
The 35,830 abortions performed in Ohio, according to a report by the Department of Health, are 4% fewer than 2001. It is also the lowest number of annual abortions since 1992.
Approximately 79% of the women reported prior pregnancies, and 83% of the women were unmarried.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” said Dawn Slike of Lake County Right to Life, “but things are looking brighter,”
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Blessed Teresa of Calcutta: Love Never Ends DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:BRONX, N.Y. — On a chilly early-October morning, the needy converge on a warm spot in the South Bronx.
They come for food and loving care from the Missionaries of Charity, who have run a soup kitchen on East 146th Street six mornings a week for more than 15 years.
The sisters, with bare feet and wearing the distinctive white-and-blue saris of their order, greet each man and woman who comes through the door of Queen of Peace Home with a smile and a kind word. For some it is the only positive human contact they will have that day in a rough-and-tumble neighborhood.
“What the sisters do is beautiful,” says one patron who would not give his name, as he climbed the steps of the home. “But a lot of people don't appreciate it.”
Shortly before the Church would declare Mother Teresa “blessed” — one step before sainthood — the sisters give no indication that the honor being bestowed upon the order's foundress is changing their ways.
The only signs of the beatification are posters pasted on the doors of Queen of Peace Home and the sisters' convent around the block. They show a picture of Mother Teresa with Pope John Paul II. A handwritten sign offers a free bus ride to St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan for a Mass on Oct. 19, the day of the big event in Rome.
As they serve and scrub in the soup kitchen with a quiet joy, it is evident that the sisters are celebrating the beatification by working more diligently for the poor.
The same spirit fills the other New York homes run by the sisters, one for the poor in Harlem and another in Greenwich Village called Gift of Love for people dying of AIDS.
The three homes form a triangle of love, serving not just the poor, but anyone who comes feeling neglected or rejected. The sisters are there with Mother's love.
“Nothing has changed,” said Gene Principe, who has volunteered with the Missionaries of Charity for the past 20 years. “If anything, I'd say the sisters have become more focused since the death of Mother. She got her goal, which is heaven. They know that she is praying for them. Now her sisters are seeking the same holiness.”
Making Love Real
Sister Nirmala, Mother Teresa's successor, told the Register, “Our goal is holiness for ourselves and for the people we serve. We want to make the love of God real in our own lives and in the lives of all we come in contact with — our co-workers, volunteers, benefactors and the poorest of the poor.”
Father Antonio Morales, pastor of St. Rita's Church, down the block from the home and convent, said that the sisters serve the parish in many ways.
“They help prepare the children for the sacraments, they help us with the shelter,” he said. “They have a good spirit, and the people here love them because they do everything with great love and a true Christian spirit.”
The South Bronx neighborhood, which has seen some signs of renewal over the years, has benefited from the presence and prayers of the Missionaries of Charity, Father Morales added.
The simplest thing to say is that the sisters preach without words,” he said. “They share their love for Jesus.”
Stephen Vincent is based in Wallingford, Connecticut.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Stephen Vincent ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Just Another Pro-Abortion Catholic? Priests and Pro-lifers Assess Arnold DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Many Catholics sum up the recall election this way: California rejected one pro-abortion Catholic and replaced him with another.
But a priest who knows him holds out hope that Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger will have a change of heart.
Polls suggest that it was the budget that turned voters against Gov. Gray Davis in California's Oct. 7 recall election. Davis was in trouble with his bishop over his radical support for almost any abortion.
Schwarzenegger, an immigrant and actor, is a somewhat less pro-abortion Catholic. Schwarzenegger is against partial-birth abortion and supports parental notification for minors seeking abortion.
A priest in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles who knows Schwarzenegger said he might be swayed on issues of abortion.
This priest, who asked that his name not be used, said that the governor-elect is a regular fixture at Mass on Sundays -raising questions about Catholic pro-abortion politicians that the Vatican and the U.S. bishops are starting to address more vigorously (see page 7).
Schwarzenegger's fellow parishioner Bill Simon, a pro-life Catholic, ran against Gray Davis in 2002 and in the recall, before pulling out of the race and endorsing Schwarzenegger. He said Schwarzenegger, his wife, Maria Kennedy Shriver, and their children are regulars at Mass. “I always see them [at St. Monica's in Santa Monica] at the 9:30 a.m. childrens Mass,” Simon told the Sacramento Bee on Oct. 4.
“He, Maria and their four children are regular churchgoers,” explained the priest. “Arnold also asked a priest to dedicate his Los Angeles area campaign office when it opened, and he and his wife, Maria, worked to set up a Mass for the family on Oct. 7, the day of the election,” he added.
A large part of Schwarzenegger's religious sensibility comes from his wife, explained their priest acquaintance. And Maria Shriver's mother, Eunice Shriver, is a prominent pro-life Democrat.
“Maria has had an amazing impact on him,” the priest said. For one thing, “she has gotten him to go to church regularly.”
Schwarzenegger himself has been quick to claim his Catholic roots: “I'm Catholic. Yes, absolutely. I grew up as a Catholic,” he said in an interview on Fox News with Sean Hannity cited in the Sacrament Bee.
Issues such as abortion seldom came up in the recall. And even a last minute series of attacks in the Los Angeles Times that alleged that Schwarzenegger was a serial “grop-er of women” did not derail his campaign, for it was fiscal rather than moral outrage that fueled the historic recall.
California went from a $10 billion budget surplus to a $38 billion deficit during Davis' five-year tenure. On his watch there were power outages and outrageous energy prices and a commonly held belief that political favors were for sale to the highest bidder to Davis' campaign war chest.
It was these issues, not Davis' pushing of a radical abortion and homosexual rights agenda, that were seen as the major issues that energized the usually apathetic California voters into determined “recall” voters and swept Schwarzenegger from Hollywood to Sacramento.
Though during and after the election, some expressed disappointment that Schwarzenegger is not more conservative on social issues, many hold out hope that he may be able to remove some of the tarnish from the Golden State both on fiscal issues and on those social issues of particular concern to Catholics.
“I am cautiously optimistic that he might be closer to our views than people think,” said Dan Brennan, who worked on Republican Bill Simon's campaign for governor last year and still works as a political consultant active in Sacramento.
Brennan said that rumors abound that indicate that Schwarzenegger may be a pleasant surprise, and, he pointed out, “At least he is not Davis, [who sent] out directives that are deliberately hostile to the pro-life movement.”
According to Brennan, several members of Schwarzenegger's transition team are decidedly in line with Church teaching on issues such as abortion and homosexual marriage.
Among the members of the team cited by Brennan were Simon, pro-life Catholic Dean Andal, and Rob Stutzman, director of the Protect Marriage Committee and the man who ran the successful campaign for California's Proposition 22, an initiative to have marriage legally defined as being between a man and a woman.
Ned Dolejsi, executive director of the California Catholic Conference — the voice of the Catholic bishops in the state's public policy arena — also expressed hope that Schwarzenegger and his administration will be easier to deal with than Davis was.
Dolejsi characterized the relationship between the bishops and Gov. Davis as “challenging.” Bishop William Weigand of Sacramento earlier this year urged Davis and other Catholic politicians who support legal abortion to voluntarily refrain from receiving Communion. Davis routinely and publicly flouted Church teachings and rejected attempts at dialogue by the hierarchy.
Despite the fact that Schwarzenegger has also been described as pro-abortion, Dolejsi said he was hopeful for a better future: “We hope that this governor will be more responsive in dealing with us on issues of importance such as abortion.”
Dolejsi pointed out that many of the people working for Schwarzenegger come from the administration of Davis' predecessor, Republican Pete Wilson.
Gov. Wilson, not a Catholic, clashed with the Church on abortion and immigration.
Andrew Walther writes from Los Angeles.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Andrew Walther ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Induction Procedures Raise Moral Dilemma DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:ANCHORAGE, Alaska — At least two Catholic hospital systems in the United States are performing a procedure known as early induction for fetuses with anomalies incompatible with life.
The morally problematic procedure has been likened to an abortion by some pro-lifers.
Such a procedure is performed on pregnant women whose babies have been diagnosed as having conditions that would make their life outside the womb very short, such as the failure of the brain or kidneys to develop.
Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage and Loyola University Health System in Chicago have both stated they perform this procedure at or after 24 weeks of pregnancy, the time when a baby is usually considered to be viable. The protocol is in place for the other three parts of Providence's 31-hospital system, in Washington, Oregon and California.
Early inducement is not an uncommon procedure. It brings on labor before term (usually considered 37 weeks or after) for any number of reasons, usually for the medical care of either the mother or the child.
However, in early induction for fetuses with anomalies incompatible with life, the induction is done because the child has anomalies that make it virtually impossible for the child to live for very long, if at all, after birth.
Alaska Right to Life's president, Ed Wassell, along with two other members of Alaska Right to Life, met in May with the chief executive of the Providence Alaska system, Al Parrish, staff ethicist Maria Wallington, and Gene O'Hara, vice president for mission. The hospital officials admitted openly to the group that they do perform these procedures at or after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Right to Life informed Archbishop Roger Schwietz that these inductions were taking place at Providence.
He and his group met again with hospital officials in July, arguing about the use of early induction. The former vicar general of the archdiocese, Father Steven Moore, was present at the July meeting, and the ethicist for the entire Providence system, an Episcopalian named Jan Heller who is based at its Seattle office, participated by speakerphone.
Wassell told the Register that he asked a number of times during the meeting what the reasons were for performing these inductions, a question for which he could not get a clear answer. Officials did admit they were being done for anen-cephaly and renal agenesis, a condition where kidneys fail to form, he said, but they did not say what other reasons there are.
Officials from both Providence Health System and the Archdiocese of Anchorage turned down requests for interviews on this subject. They did, however, issue this brief joint statement Sept. 29: “Earlier this year, Ed Wassell, president of Alaska Right to Life, approached Al Parrish, executive of Providence Health System in Alaska, requesting clarification on the early induction practices and guidelines of Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage.
“After further consultation with ethicists, Providence Health System, in collaboration with Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz, determined that the practices are consistent with the [U.S. bishops'] Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. Providence leadership continues to be in dialogue with Archbishop Schwietz to assure that guidelines in development reflect Catholic teachings.”
Wassell denied that he was “seeking clarification” on the procedure. “We were asking them to end the use of the procedure at the hospital,” he said.
‘Morally Problematic’
The Church teaches that it is always wrong directly to will the destruction of innocent human life. But it is not always wrong to perform an action that causes harm to human life as a side effect.
However, the decision must be based on the principle of double effect: What you do must be morally acceptable in itself. If it has a bad consequence:
• you can't seek good from that bad consequence;
• the bad consequence must not be intended;
• there must be a sufficient balance between the good effect and the bad effect.
The only therapeutic reason given by hospital officials for early induction was “to relieve familial distress,” according to Wassell.
Providence officials did tell Wassell that if Archbishop Schwietz told them to stop performing the procedure, they would.
From then on, Wassell said, Right to Life stopped talking with the hospital and started talking with the archbishop to persuade him to take action.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Thomas A. Szyszkiewicz ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Rosary Year Successes DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:HAMPTON, Va. — Hundreds of rosary processions, special Masses and adoration hours across the country are helping to bring the Year of the Rosary to a close. But for many people, this ending represents a new beginning in their lives, whose impact might be felt for generations to come.
When Pope John Paul II declared the Year of the Rosary last October he wrote in his apostolic letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary), that the rosary is “a prayer of great significance, destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness.”
While no one knows for sure all that has transpired this past year, what is known is that millions more rosaries have been prayed, new apos-tolates have begun, and many people have come back to the Church.
Pope John Paul brought the Year of the Rosary to a close when he visited a Marian sanctuary in Pompeii, Italy, Oct. 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (story, Page 5).
“The rosary has a rich history, and it's wonderful that Pope John Paul II has called us to rediscover it,” said Dominican Sister Marie Blanchette Cummings, principal of the Dominican-run St. Mary Star of the Sea School in Hampton, Va.
The school was to host a family prayer night Oct. 15 with a living rosary involving its 210 students, many of whom wrote meditations and drew pictures to depict the new luminous mysteries the Pope proposed last year.
Meanwhile, Father Francis Peffley, administrator of Holy Trinity Parish in Gainesville, Va., said he has seen a noticeable increase in confessions, attendance at Mass, and conversions to the faith. This year's RCIA class had 60 catechumens, double the 2002 number.
“I would attribute all this to the millions of rosaries that are being said. We have encouraged people to say the rosary every day, and many of my parishioners have told me it has made a dramatic impact on their lives,” said Father Peffley. “They have a lot more peace, their prayer life has increased, and they've found a deepening of their faith and their relationship with the Lord and the Blessed Mother.”
Father Peffley was preparing a diocesan pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Oct. 18, with the theme “The Rosary: Our Spiritual Treasure.” Bishop Paul Loverde of Arlington, Va., was scheduled to lead the event, which was expected to draw 3,000 people.
Dean Crowhurst, a parishioner at Holy Trinity, began saying the rosary last year with his family, praying in particular for the sniper shootings in Washington D.C. to end. Soon after, two suspects were caught, and Crowhurst said it opened his eyes to the power of the rosary.
“As a [former] Protestant, I was always skeptical about the rosary. But it has brought me closer to the faith and given me a deeper relationship with God,” he said “My wife and I have renewed our faith and rediscovered a lot about the Catholic faith that has been very impressive.”
Many people say they experience a peace in their families and in their lives after praying the rosary. Judy Roden has suffered with severe Crohn's disease for 15 years. The San Diego resident nearly died after what had been her 10th surgery in March. The experience left her feeling hopeless and unwilling to go on living with the disease.
“I felt like there was nothing left — mentally, physically and spiritually. There was absolute, complete hopelessness,” she said.
Roden returned to the Church after 20 years, and began saying the rosary at the prompting of her pastor. It has helped her cope with the disease and is bringing her closer to Christ and his mother. “I don't know that there's a lot of trust there yet, but the rosary makes me focus and I can drown out all the anxiety in my head,” she said.
The year has also inspired a number of new apostolates and reinvigo-rated existing ones. The Register printed and distributed 64,000 Rosary Booklets with the new luminous mysteries, of which half were given to military personnel deployed in Iraq. It is reprinting another 50,000 booklets in response to demand.
The reception for the initiative has been “amazing, especially from the young soldiers who received them,” said Michael Lambert, who coordinates the effort for the Register.
Wayne and Dede Laugesen started the Rosary Project, an apos-tolate created in response to the Pope's call to “confidently take up the rosary once again.” The Laugesens developed the first in a series of children's DVDs, called “Holy Baby! Seven Prayers in Seven Languages.”
It gives parents a creative tool that introduces infants and young children to the seven foundational prayers of the rosary in seven languages.
“We're so thankful to the Holy Father for bringing this prayer into the modern age, and calling families to become what we are — the domestic church, engaged in prayer” said Dede Laugesen.
The World Apostolate of Fatima's Minnesota chapter began a media campaign this year with billboards, television and radio ads promoting the rosary for families. Chapter coordinator Connie Schneider said the campaign is in response to the Pope's call to “cast our nets out into the deep.” More than 200,000 Twin Cities commuters see the billboards every day, and even more people are exposed to the radio and television ads.
“We're trying to get the message out that we need to pray for our families, one prayer, one bead at a time,” said Schneider. “Our Blessed Mother is with us, and is bringing us once more the gift of the rosary.”
The chapter also filled the St. Paul Cathedral with 3,000 school-age children on the morning of Oct. 7 to pray the luminous mysteries.
Another 3,000 people attended an evening candlelight rosary procession with the Pilgrim Fatima Statue.
“It can grow from here to the point where we fill every cathedral on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary with our children. God will not turn his face from these children,” she said. “I hope that this year of the rosary is the beginning of a new time. All we need to do now as Catholics is evangelize out into the deep.”
Barb Ernster is based in Fridley, Minnesota.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Barb Ernster ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Called by God ... and Mother Teresa DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:Missionary of Charity Father Brian Kolodiejchuk knows more about Mother Teresa than anyone else.
He is postulator for the sainthood cause of the founder of his order, the Missionaries of Charity. Father Kolodiejchuk last year published The Soul of Mother Teresa: Hidden Aspects of Her Interior Life, a study drawn largely from letters she wrote to her spiritual directors. The work reveals a side of the smiling nun that many were unaware of.
Register correspondent Sabrina Arena Ferrisi spoke to Father Kolodiejchuk in Rome on the eve of the Oct. 19 beatification of Mother Teresa.
How did you become a Missionary of Charity priest?
I'm from Winnipeg, which is smack in the middle of Canada. My family belongs to the Ukrainian [Catholic] rite. My sister joined the Missionaries of Charity in 1976 as a nun and during the next year, she moved to Rome. After a one-year pre-novitiate, in May 1977 she was going to enter the novitiate [in Rome]. My whole family decided to go and visit. There, we met Mother Teresa. I was 21.
We were going to morning Mass every day. Mother Teresa knew I was the brother of one of her nuns. On June 2, the feast of the Sacred Heart, they founded the Missionaries of Charity Contemplative Brothers.
They had a special Mass for six new brothers, where Mother pinned crosses on them. At the end, all of us were leaving and she turned to me and said, “I want to pin a cross on you, too.” I didn't answer.
The next day, I asked her what she meant by that. And she invited me to join the brothers.
Had you ever thought about a religious vocation prior to this?
Previously, I had been in the seminary in Canada — the Ukrainian Rite. Before I left for Rome, I had decided that it was not my vocation. In typical Mother Teresa fashion, she wanted me to stay immediately. But I had to go back to Canada because of various things I had to take care of. I returned to Rome in the fall. So basically, my sister and I were in Rome at the same time, from 1977 to 1979.
Two years later, I went back to Canada to get a master's degree in philosophy. I still wanted to be a priest. I met an Oblate of the Virgin Mary, Father Joseph Langford, who asked me if I'd be interested in the priesthood for the Missionaries of Charity.
The Missionaries of Charity priesthood didn't exist yet — they were trying to get permission from the Vatican. I decided to stay in Rome and study theology at the Angelicum. But the Missionaries of Charity still hadn't gotten permission.
In your work as postulator, what have you discovered about Mother Teresa?
Mother Teresa was born in Skopje to an ethnic-Albanian family. Her father died, it was assumed, by poisoning. He was involved in the Albanian national cause.
He went to a meeting and when he came back, he died. Mother Teresa was 8 or 9 years old. After that she was left with her mother, her older sister, Age, and brother, Lazar.
Her mom was the strongest influence in her life, in addition to the parish. Their house was very near [the church] — right around the corner. In that setting, the parish was the center of community spiritual and cultural life. Albanian Catholics constituted 10% of the population. The majority were Albanian Muslims. The parish had youth activities, devotions and prayers.
Can you tell me anything about Pope John Paul II's relationship with Mother Teresa?
The Pope and Mother Teresa were close. She'd visit him whenever she was in Rome and consult with him. She wanted to be in harmony with him. And they were on the same wavelength. He agreed to waive the norm of five years [to begin working on her cause for sainthood] not just because of the friendship but because of her person. He told her to go speak to audiences that he couldn't go to.
What was Mother Teresa's spiritual life like?
From 1946 to 1947, she experienced an intense union with God. In 1949, when the [Missionaries of Charity] work began, her interior state changed. She experienced the “darkness.” The classic symptoms of the dark night — feeling rejected by God but feeling intense longing, thirst for God.
How long did this last?
This lasted the rest of her life. This darkness is the single most heroic thing about her life. She was having no consolation. She didn't feel correspondence with God. She only revealed this to a few spiritual directors. She was united to Jesus on the cross. His loneliness; “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?”
The words “I thirst” are in the constitution of the Missionaries of Charity Congregation. The aim is to satiate the infinite thirst of Jesus on the cross for love and souls. As the work expanded in the West, Mother Teresa said that the greatest poverty was being unloved, unwanted, uncared for.
Just like she lived this physical poverty, to be in solidarity with the poor, she was also experiencing an internal spiritual poverty — like so many do. This was a trial of faith, like St. Teresa said, “Like eating at the table of sinners”
What was the miracle that brought about this beatification?
A Hindu woman named Monica was suffering from tuberculosis and a tumor growing in her stomach in 1998. She was at death's door. On Sept. 5, the first anniversary of Mother Teresa's death, the Missionaries of Charity superior took a miraculous medal and put it on this woman's stomach and said nine Memorares. She prayed to Mother Teresa to please help Monica.
Monica fell asleep and when she woke up found that her stomach was flat.
What is special about this Beatification?
We chose as a theme the words of Jesus to Mother Teresa in an inner locution in 1947: “Come be my light.” Mother Teresa always said that love, to be true, has to hurt. In this life, you are the “law of the gift,” as the Pope calls it. Love involves the cross. It involves suffering in some way. Mother Teresa was a light for being faithful. In the same way, wherever we are, we can be a light. This beatification is for us, not for Mother Teresa, to inspire us to live our vocation.
Sabrina Arena Ferrisi writes from Rome.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Sabrina Arena Ferrisi ----- KEYWORDS: Inperson -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:N.Y. Archdiocesan Paper Rejects Ad by Voice of the Faithful
Voice of the Faithful, which was started in 2002 in response to the clerical abuse crisis, frequently features speakers who dissent from Church teaching. According to Newsday, a daily based on Long Island, N.Y., the ad was to promote an Oct. 25 conference at Fordham University in the Bronx on sex abuse.
“It's not an abortion clinic,” pointed out one conference organizer, Marie Ford Reilly, who said she was surprised the ad was rejected. “Obviously it's a blow to us. We very much need to get the word out. This is an opportunity for Catholics who love our Church … to work to facilitate healing and strengthening and renewal for our future.”
The archdiocese did not offer explanation for rejecting the $950 ad. The newspaper last year declined to publish an ad from the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests.
Judges Blocked: Not All Democrats’ Fault
But this time it's not Senate Democrats they blame; it's some fellow Republicans.
A popular newspaper on Capitol Hill reported that Republican Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, a Catholic, is angry with members of his own caucus who object to writings by district court nominee Leon Holmes of Arkansas about women and marriage.
One of them is Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who said Holmes' writings “raise questions in my mind about whether he has the proper temperament to be a judge.”
Holmes participated in a Catholic study group about marriage in 1997. In an article he and his wife wrote for a diocesan newspaper, Holmes echoed St. Paul when he wrote that the duty of the wife is “to subordinate herself to her husband.”
Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Arlen Specter said he might vote against Holmes if the nomination reaches the Senate floor.
“This (concern about Holmes) is a classic example of religious bigotry that I thought did not exist in this country,” Santorum said.
Previously, Republicans have been castigating Senate Democrats, especially those who are opposed to nominees' stands against abortion, for filibustering votes on pro-life candidates.
Dictionary Redefines ‘Marriage’
ADVOCATE.COM, Sept. 17 — According to the homosexual activist Web site Advocate.com, the newest, fall 2004 edition of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary will be updated to reflect the legal redefinition of marriage in that country — to include same-sex relationships.
The new definition, according to dictionary editor Katherine Barber, will read “the legal or religious union of two people.”
“Dictionaries just reflect what the actual reality is,” she explained. “If a dictionary says a marriage is the union of a man and a woman, that's just describing the fact that has been the case for hundreds of years. But if the law changes or society changes or something happens where the word marriage comes to apply to same-sex unions, we just change the definition.”
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Arizona Turns Down Same-Sex Marriage; Is Massachusetts Next? DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:PHOENIX — An Arizona appellate court rejected an argument that the state's law restricting marriage to one man and one woman is unconstitutional.
A three-judge panel of the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled unanimously Oct. 8 that the fundamental right to marry “does not encompass the right to marry a same-sex partner.”
Two homosexual men challenged Arizona's ban against same-sex marriage after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence v. Texas struck down state bans against sodomy earlier this year.
In the Arizona decision, Judge Ann Scott Timmer wrote: “Although many traditional views of homosexuality have been recast over time in our state and nation, the choice to marry a same-sex partner has not taken sufficient root to achieve constitutional protection as a fundamental right.”
Arizona's prohibition against same-sex marriage “rationally furthers a legitimate state interest,” she wrote.
Timmer said it is for the people of Arizona, through their elected representatives or by using the initiative process, to decide whether to permit same-sex marriages.
The decision was hailed by people such as Tony Perkins, who became president this year of the Family Research Council as the debate over same-sex marriage got ratcheted up by seeming homosex-ualist victories in Canada and the Episcopalian Church.
Arizona's decision is “completely in line with both the historical and legal definitions of marriage,” Perkins said in a statement. “Arizona is only the beginning, and we are ready to take the fight to protect marriage to any state in which this vital institution is endangered.”
Indeed, as the Arizona State Court of Appeals issued its decision, those keeping an eye on the debate wondered what a Massachusetts court would do and how courts in other states will decide.
A ruling on whether homosexual couples have a right to marry was expected from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court this summer but has been delayed.
The issue is so critical that the Family Research Council announced plans Oct. 2 to make protecting marriage its main issue in presidential election year 2004.
Perkins and others spoke to the Register about what life would be like in a United States where homosexual marriage were considered, at least legally, normal.
Marriage ‘Worthless’
Speaking from his Washington, D.C., office, Perkins was blunt: The American family would be destroyed, he predicted; society's most central institution would become worthless; millions more children would be deprived of a healthy upbringing and popular culture would be brimming with images of homosexuals as heroes.
Those who support homosexual marriage contend it will leave heterosexual people's lives unscathed. “Ending discrimination in marriage and allowing gay people civil marriage would allow huge protections and security for our families but really not change anyone else's life at all,” said Evan Wolfson, executive director of the New York-based Freedom to Marry organization.
But Dr. Jeffrey Satinover, author of Homosexuality & The Politics of Truth, believes allowing same-sex marriage would “further erode the idea that marriage is a public institution.” Homosexual-rights activists “think that getting married is an act that has no impact on anybody else,” said Satinover, a Westport, Conn.-based psychoanalyst.
In Vermont, which three years ago became the first state in the nation to recognize same-sex relationships, state Rep. William Lippert said the legislation has enhanced life.
“Vermonters are going about their daily lives, getting their wood in in the winter and enjoying the lake in the summer,” the Democrat who helped author the legislation said. “It just happens to be a much friendlier place in a legal way for gay and lesbian couples.”
Don't tell that to California Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy, whose vote against a domestic partner bill there in early September couldn't keep it from passing.
The bill grants same-sex couples nearly all the same rights as heterosexual couples, though it falls short of allowing homosexual marriage.
“It's an aberration in front of God,” said Mountjoy, a Republican. “What is going to be the value of marriage anymore?”
Father John Harvey, director of Courage, an apostolate that helps Catholics with same-sex attraction remain faithful to Church teaching on chastity, had similar words.
“It's so scary because it opens the floodwaters,” Father Harvey said from his New York office. “What you're really doing is destroying the institution of marriage that's been present since the beginning of culture.”
“Who's going to say it stops with just two men and two women?” Perkins added. “Where do you draw the line?”
But sweeping predictions of the effects of same-sex marriage seem incomprehensible to homosexual couples who say such recognition would grant them simple yet fundamental human rights. The say allowing same-sex unions would ease many problems homosexual couples face, from access to health care to collecting benefits to avoiding immigration scuffles.
For Bill Schuyler, who “wed” Ron Rinaldi, his partner of 28 years, in Vancouver, Canada, July 19, the change has already been noticeable.
In the past, 55-year-old Schuyler was refused entry into the emergency room when his 63-year-old partner suffered heart attacks, because he was not related. After they exchanged vows, the Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, couple had no problems staying together at a hospital when Rinaldi had a kidney problem.
Permanent Sign
Meanwhile, many of those who oppose homosexual marriage say such unions would hurt children, whom they predict would be surrounded by reminders of nontraditional families.
“It's going to have a detrimental effect on children,” said Perkins, a former Louisiana state representative. “They see marriage as the one institution that is unchanging in an ever-changing culture.”
For children of heterosexual couples, Perkins said, same-sex marriage would mean homosexuality would become an unavoidable element of each day. It could spur social change, he said, that results in pervasive public displays of affection by same-sex couples, infiltration of positive homosexual imagery on the airwaves and the probability of attending a school play filled with pairs of two mommies or two daddies.
Satinover said the increasing number of children raised by same-sex couples will see their development stunted intellectually and emotionally so seriously that the effects will ripple down to their own children.
Lippert said he's seen no such negative impact from Vermont's civil unions.
“It's allowed families to come together,” he said. “My hope is that children will have a picture of a more diverse world and have a greater level of tolerance.”
But Perkins said allowing homosexual marriage would mean traditional family values are given a curtain call.
“If marriage is lost,” he said, “the family will fall and there is no base to operate from.”
VATICAN CITY — The headline was in a quality British newspaper but had an unlikely air of sensationalism: “Pope rebukes Anglican leader over gay clergy.”
“Never before has the Pope criticized the leader of the Anglican Church in such a way,” the paper reported.
However, the reporting was wide of the mark. While his words were forceful, Pope John Paul II's address to the archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, was more cautionary than severely critical.
“As we give thanks for the progress that has already been made,” the Pope told the head of the Anglican Communion on Williams' first visit to Rome on Oct. 4, “we must also recognize that new and serious difficulties have arisen on the path to unity.”
“In light of this,” he continued, “we must reaffirm our obligation to listen attentively and honestly to the voice of Christ as it comes to us through the Gospel and the Church's apostolic tradition.”
Though he made no specific reference to the recent crises over homosexual clergy in the Anglican Communion, it was apparent John Paul was referring to it, most notably the ordination of Canon Gene Robinson, who is openly living a homosexual relationship, as Episcopalian bishop of New Hampshire.
“Faced with the increasing secularism of today's world,” the Pope concluded, “the Church must ensure that the deposit of faith is proclaimed in its integrity and preserved from erroneous and misguided interpretations.”
Schism?
The crisis regarding homosexually active clergy threatens to cause a schism in the Anglican Communion, which numbers 77 million worldwide, and has led to Williams hastily calling a meeting in London of Anglican primates to discuss the crisis.
At the heart of the debate is the dispute within the Anglican Communion about the interpretation and authority of Scripture. For the Catholic Church, at issue is homosexual practice being contrary to objective moral and natural law.
For these reasons, religious affairs writer Paul Vallely believes the Anglican Church will “not be swayed” by the words of the Pope.
“They're coming at the issue from different angles,” he said. If the Catholic Church does have any influence, he said, it will be “for different reasons” to those based on what the Vatican might say.
After his meeting with John Paul, Williams said he had “listened hard” to what the Pope said.
“I don't think we have had any surprises,” he told a press conference. “We are aware of the ecumenical implications. That will be part of our discussion.”
The archbishop of Canterbury, who has been in office since February, sought to clarify any perceived confusion over the issue, maintaining that the “public teaching” of the Anglican Communion “remains what it has been for the last many decades, in doctrine and in discipline.”
That was sure to please Paul Gardiner, chairman of the Church of England Evangelical Council, an Anglican group opposed to actively homosexual clergy. Speaking to the Register before the Rome meeting, Gardiner said the rift “won't heal without the Church coming out clearly and saying the biblical approach is the teaching we uphold.”
But that depends on an effective, central authority, something generally not favored by Anglicans.
“The danger of that,” Gardiner said, “is if you have a case of Gene Robinson, there is a greater possibility of disenfranchisement as I hear happens in the Catholic Church.”
Williams himself would instead like the authority question resolved through “shared decision making and a shared sense of boundaries,” Gardiner said. Whether that can be achieved without centralization is a “question we all share.”
But, on precedent alone, the chances of sharing authority satisfactorily look slim indeed.
“The Articles of Faith that used to bind us together have been dumped,” Gardiner said. “The Lambeth Resolution on the issue of same-sex relationships in 1998 was one of the strongest statements the conference has ever made … And what's also interesting is that such a staggering majority of bishops supported it.”
That resolution rejected homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture and rejected legitimizing same-sex unions or the ordination of anyone involved in such unions.
Ecumenism
So what does all this mean for ecumenical relations? Speaking after their meeting with the Holy Father, Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said the Church is “deeply concerned” about the issue and warned that future decisions could cause “new problems for our relations.”
Some commentators have gone further, saying the ecumenical discussions cannot continue as the two churches are going in opposite directions.
But the general mood between the archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal Kasper and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor of Westminster was fraternal and open.
Also raised at the meeting was the work of two commissions working toward improved relations between the two churches, one of which is preparing an agreed statement on the Blessed Virgin Mary. Williams also said he would respond to the Pope's invitation to church leaders to dialogue about the future of the papacy.
Praising the work of two commissions, Cardinal Kasper said: “Our dialogue has produced many excellent results and we look forward to working together to ensure that it continues to do so … The world needs our common witness.”
Williams' fervent hope was “that none we have achieved over these years of friendship” would be lost.
Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, who for 16 years headed the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, was keen to point out that the road of Christian unity was “a path with no exit.”
Whatever the difficulties, he said, “what unites us is more important than what still divides us, and that's what, with the Holy Spirit, gives us the impulse to continue.”
But as for a papal rebuke to the Anglican leader, Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor said it was “an encouragement” to the archbishop “to have a regard for the ecumenical dimensions — which he does do.”
It failed to stop Williams praising John Paul's “extraordinary spirit and indomitable will,” adding that he expected the Holy Father to “express himself forcefully on any subject concerned with witness to the Gospel.”
But whether it was forceful enough may not be seen until the meeting of Anglican primates. That gathering was scheduled to conclude on Oct. 16, the day of the Pope's silver jubilee.
Edward Pentin writes from Rome.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Edward Pentin ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:Pope Quells Speculation About Health
BBC, Oct. 5 — Demonstrating a surprising upturn in his health and vigor, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass on Oct. 5 on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica.
In contrast to his feebleness on display in Slovakia in August, the Pope looked “well and alert,” the British Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Despite the effects of Parkinson's disease, John Paul led a two-and-a-half-hour canonization ceremony for three 19th-century European missionaries who spread the faith in Africa and China.
The British news service said the Holy Father's resurgent health quelled rumors of his impending death that were being floated at the beginning of a month in which he is expected to participate in many events marking his 25th anniversary.
BBC's Rome correspondent, David Willey, said such recent speculation was premature, adding that the Pope intends to send a message to the world about the sanctity and value of the old and sick by persevering despite his suffering.
Vatican: 11 Nations Want Christianity in Constitution
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Oct. 1 — The Holy See is fighting a last-minute battle to insert some mention of Europe's Christian heritage into the new constitution of the European Union, according to the French news agency.
Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro-Valls told Italy's ANSA news agency Oct. 1 that at least 11 EU member states favor including a reference to Christianity. The interview was scheduled for broadcast while EU leaders met in Rome to discuss the draft.
However, Agence France-Presse noted that only four countries — Ireland, Italy, Poland and Spain — have made their support for this proposal public. The news service called the issue “one of the most sensitive” of the discussions, which are expected to drag on for months, as small European nations struggle with the larger ones, such as Germany and France, over how much power to grant the central EU government.
Those who oppose the Vatican's position, such as French President Jacques Chirac, have argued that any mention of Christianity would violate principles of “the separation of Church and state that underpin modern-day systems of government in Europe,” Agence France-Presse wrote.
Almost every day throughout September, Catholic World News has noted, L'Osservatore Romano has published somewhere the watchword: “Europe is Christian, or it is not Europe.”
Vatican News in Your Palm-Top
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE, Sept. 30 — The Holy See Press Office debuted a new electronic system Sept. 30 that let Vatican journalists receive the bulletin of the Holy See Press Office and the Vatican Information Service daily in real time through electronic handheld devices.
Mauro Sentinelli and Roberto Pellegrini of TIM (the Italian Mobile Telephone corporation) demonstrated the service, which is available to users of the Blackberry mobile telephone.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: Pope Crowns Rosary Year With Prayer for Peace in Pompeii DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:POMPEII, Italy — Pope John Paul II brought the Year of the Rosary to a close with a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine here Oct. 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Pope John Paul wanted the pilgrimage to have “the form of a supplication for the peace of the world.”
In a speech he read in a halting voice, the Pope called for a new movement of prayer and peacemaking to help heal the “conflicts, tensions and tragedies of every continent.”
The Pope said the rosary is an ideal prayer for peace, with its simplicity and its ability to “calm the spirit,” and is especially needed in a world “torn by winds of war and lined with blood in so many regions.”
His visit was one rich in symbolism.
When the crowd of over 30,000 pilgrims recited the rosary, at each Our Father, someone representing one of the five continents brought a lighted candle to the miraculous painting of the Virgin of the Rosary, the heart of the shrine.
“We have meditated upon the mysteries of light, as if projecting the light of Christ over the conflicts, tensions and tragedies of the five continents,” the Pope said after the praying of the Luminous Mysteries he proposed in his apostolic letter last year, Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary).
The Pope managed to read almost all of his speech, in a clear yet fatigued voice. Recently he was unable to complete the reading of a weekly catechesis at the Vatican.
Whenever he paused while delivering his speech, the pilgrims filled the void with enthusiastic applause and cheers of “Viva il Papa,” that faded away at the right time.
This pilgrimage, the Pope's 143rd trip inside Italy, seemed to encompass the 25 years of his pontificate. John Paul had visited the shrine in 1979 to celebrate the first anniversary of his election and returned during his silver jubilee.
At the beginning of the Year of the Rosary, he entrusted the apostolic letter to the “loving hands of the Virgin Mary, prostrating myself in spirit before her image in the splendid shrine built for her by Blessed Bartolo Longo, the apostle of the rosary.”
The Pompeii shrine is an imposing basilica, famous for its great healings and conversions, built by Blessed Bartolo and dedicated in 1891. The painting was brought to Pompeii in a horse-drawn cart by Blessed Bartolo in 1875. Several people who have prayed in front of it have experienced miraculous cures.
Blessed Bartolo (1841-1926) was a layman who published books and a magazine about the rosary, popularized a devotion called the Fifteen Saturdays of the Rosary, promoted the Rosary Novena, undertook many social and charitable works and started the order of the Daughters of the Rosary of Pompeii. The Pope beatified him on Oct. 20, 1980, and quoted him five times in Rosarium Virginis Mariae.
The shrine's setting itself provided symbolism, as the Pope noted. The ruins of the ancient city buried by an explosion of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, “witness a great culture, of which they also reveal fearful questions,” he said. “The Marian City is born from the core of these questions, proposing the Risen Christ as their answer.”
He said he was convinced that by proclaiming a Year of the Rosary he had prompted a significant reawakening of the prayer. That in turn should encourage Christians to put their faith into action in their own communities, he said.
John Paul responded to the crowd's love with spontaneous words before the final blessing. “Thank you, thank you, Pompeii…. Thank you for your welcoming and the youth's enthusiasm. Pray for me at this shrine now and always.”
The papal helicopter that had brought the Pope from the Vatican hours earlier left Pompeii at 1 p.m. amid cheers of well-wishers and signs reading: “John Paul II, the champion of the world,” and “Congratulations for your 25th anniversary.” There was also a passionately-inscribed Neapolitan poster that read: “Papa, tu sei una cosa grande” (Pope, you are a great thing).
The Holy Father himself called his Pompeii pilgrimage “the crown of the Year of the Rosary.”
CNS contributed to this article
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Alfonso Aguilar ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: Evening Prayer Is a Time of Thanksgiving and Repentance DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:Register Summary
More than 15,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square for Pope John Paul II's general audience Oct. 8. His teaching centered on the importance of evening prayer in the life of the Church and seemed to signal a new cycle of teachings on evening prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. The Holy Father recently completed a long series of teachings on the psalms and canticles that are recited at morning prayer.
“Evening is an appropriate time to prayerfully consider before God the day that has gone by,” Pope John Paul noted. “It is also the time to ask forgiveness for the evil we have done, pleading for God's mercy so that Christ will shine again in our hearts.”
The rising and setting of the sun are special moments in the day, with unmistakable features,” he said. “The joyful beauty of the dawn and the triumphant splendor of the sunset mark a rhythm in the universe in which the man's life is deeply involved.” He pointed out that both morning and evening prayer contain common elements that refer to the mystery of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.
“Nevertheless,” the Pope added, “as evening approaches, we also recall the mystery of night. Darkness is regarded as an occasion for frequent temptations, which are particularly debilitating, and for yielding to the incursions of the Evil One.” Evening prayer, he said, reminds us that even the darkness of the night is illuminated by God's presence and love.
Pope John Paul emphasized that morning and evening are always excellent times to turn to the Lord in prayer. “Since they are connected with important moments in our daily life and work, morning prayer and evening prayer… are, therefore, an effective means to orient our daily walk toward Christ, ‘the light of the world.’”
Since “every day of our pilgrimage on earth is always a new gift” of God's love (Preface of Sundays, VI), the Church has always felt the need to dedicate the days and hours of our human life to God's praise. Therefore, daybreak and sunset, which were typically spiritual moments for every nation and which were already sanctified in biblical tradition by offering a holocaust (see Exodus 29:38-39) and incense (see Exodus 30:6-8) in the morning and in the evening, have been two special times of prayer for Christians ever since the first centuries.
The rising and setting of the sun are not ordinary moments in the day. They have some unmistakable features: the joyful beauty of the dawn and the triumphant splendor of the sunset mark a rhythm in the universe in which the man's life is deeply involved. Moreover, some moments in the mystery of salvation, which continues to unfold in history, are linked to these different phases in time. For this reason, as the Church began to celebrate Lauds at the beginning of the day, it also began to celebrate Vespers as evening fell. Both of these liturgical hours have an express purpose, which is to recall two essential aspects of the paschal mystery: “In the evening the Lord is on the Cross, in the morning he rises…. In the evening I speak about the suffering that he endured in death; in the morning I proclaim the life that comes from him” (St. Augustine, Esposizioni sui Salmi, XXVI, Rome, 1971, page 109).
Precisely because they are connected with the memory of Christ's death and resurrection, these two hours, morning prayer and evening prayer, constitute “by the venerable tradition of the universal Church … the two hinges on which the daily office turns” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, No. 89).
Christ Our Light
In ancient times, the lighting of an oil lamp at sundown introduced a note of joy and communion into the home. The Christian community also lit a lamp as evening fell, and, with a grateful spirit, asked for the gift of spiritual light. This was the so-called ritual lighting of the lamp, whose flame is a symbol of Christ, the “Sun that never sets.”
As darkness approaches, Christians know, in fact, that God illuminates even the darkness of the night with the splendor of his presence and with the light of his teachings. In this regard, it is worth recalling the very ancient hymn of light, Fôs hilarón, which is found in the Armenian and Ethiopian Byzantine liturgy: “Joyful light of the holy glory of the immortal, celestial, holy, blessed Father, O Jesus Christ! Having reached the setting of the sun and seeing the evening light, we sing hymns to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is fitting to sing to you at all times with our voices in harmony, O Son of God, who gives us life: because of this, the universe proclaims your glory.” The West has also composed many hymns to celebrate Christ the light.
Evening prayer was inspired by this symbolism of light and developed as an evening sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for the gift of physical and spiritual light and for the other gifts of creation and redemption. St. Cyprian wrote: “As the sun sets and the day draws to an end, we need to pray again. In fact, since Christ is the true sun, at the setting of the sun and the end of the day in this world, we pray and ask that light be shed on us again and we remember the coming of Christ, who will bring us the blessing of eternal light” (De oratione domini-ca, 35: PL 4,560).
Thanksgiving and Repentance
Evening is an appropriate time to prayerfully consider before God the day that has gone by. It is the time “to give thanks for what has been given to us and for what we did in righteousness” (St. Basil, Regulae fusius tractatae, Resp. 37, 3: PG 3, 1015). It is also the time to ask forgiveness for the evil we have done, pleading for God's mercy so that Christ will shine again in our hearts.
Nevertheless, as evening approaches, we also recall the mystery of night. Darkness is regarded as an occasion for frequent temptations, which are particularly debilitating, and for yielding to the incursions of the Evil One. With its enticements, night becomes a symbol of all the evil from which Christ came to free us. Moreover, every time night falls, prayer makes us participants in the paschal mystery in which “the night shines like the day” (Exsultet). Thus, hope flourishes in prayer as we make the transition from a day that is fleeting to the dies perennis — the eternal day, from the feeble light of the lamp to the lux perpetua — the perpetual light, from the watch at night that waits for the dawn and for our encounter with the King of eternal glory.
For ancient man — even more than for us — the succession of night and day regulated his life and was an occasion for him to reflect on the great problems of life. Modern progress has altered to a degree the relationship between human life and cosmic time. But the intense rhythm of human activities has not removed the people of today from the rhythms of the sun's cycle.
Therefore, these two pivotal points in daily prayer are still valuable, since they are linked to phenomena that are unchanging and symbols that we readily recognize. Morning and evening are always opportune moments to dedicate to prayer, either in community or alone. Since they are connected with important moments in our daily life and work, morning prayer and evening prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours are, therefore, an effective means to orient our daily walk toward Christ, “the light of the world” (John 8:12).
(Register translation)
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: Lech Walesa Calls Nobel Choice 'A Big Mistake' DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:WARSAW — In a surprisingly frank attack, former Polish president and Nobel peace laureate Lech Walesa said it was a “big mistake” to award the 2003 prize to an Iranian human rights activist and snub his compatriot Pope John Paul II.
“For me it is a big mistake, a bad mistake, an unfortunate mistake,” a visibly annoyed Walesa told Polish television, after watching the Oct. 10 announcement of the award to Iranian human rights activist and feminist lawyer Shirin Ebadi from his home in Gdansk, northern Poland.
“I have nothing against this woman, but if there is someone alive in the world who deserves this distinction it is certainly the Holy Father,” he said.
Similarly strong criticism of the choice came from Bishop Tadeusz Pieronek, a senior figure in the Polish Roman Catholic Church in Krakow, the southern Polish town where the Pope was cardinal-archbishop before his election to the papacy in 1978.
“The Pope did not expect any prize and will not be surprised, but I am surprised and I think that public opinion is too that his immense effort for peace has not been recognized,” he was quoted as saying by the PAP news agency.
The ailing 83-year-old Pope, a Pole much beloved by his compatriots, had been considered one of the favorites for the prestigious prize, alongside former Czech president Vaclav Havel.
The surprise announcement that it had gone to Ebadi comes amid deep concerns for the Pope's health and as Poland, an overwhelmingly Catholic country, prepares on Sunday to launch celebrations of the 25th anniversary of a man they consider a political and religious hero.
President Aleksander Kwasni-ewski, who ousted Walesa in 1995, played down the disappointment, offering his congratulations to Ebadi while admitting in comments carried on the PAP news agency: “Poles expected something slightly different.”
“For us the Pope's merits are immeasurable, a prize would not be enough, there is therefore no reason to speak of deep disappointment,” he said, saying he respected the sovereignty of the Nobel Committee.
Walesa, who won the prize in 1983 and was elected as Poland's first post-communist president in 1990, has remained on the sidelines of political life, but nevertheless a highly vocal media personality, since losing the presidency.
A fervent Roman Catholic himself, he received, as former leader of the Solidarity trade union, much moral support from the Pope during the fight which eventually led to the fall of communism and the Iron Curtain in 1989.
“Before [John Paul II's] election just a few dozen of us wanted to fight communism,” Walesa told AFP in a recent interview. “But when he became Pope, when he arrived in Poland for the first time as John Paul II and [in 1979] uttered the famous words ‘do not be afraid,’ millions of us became committed to the fight.”
He said he would seek to investigate the reasons for the Nobel Committee's choice, but stressed he would not make a formal complaint to avoid offending the Pope.
In Rome a Vatican source said the same day the Pope would himself send a message of congratulations to Shirin Ebadi.
“I do not want to throw into question the committee's choice, but I am going to try and find out through my own contacts with the committee what weighed in favor of such a decision,” Walesa said.
“The Pope has so many merits, he has tried to convince the big powers that peace is always a better solution than war. The one who has done the most in the world, for all religions, did not get the prize,” he said.
But he said to protest against the choice “would be an offence to the Pope. The Holy Father is bigger than the Nobel Peace Prize,” he added, “than all the prizes in the world.”
(Agence-France Presse)
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: Food for the Poor Battles Image and Poverty in Wake of Scandal DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The roads in Haiti are as poor as most of the people living there. It's as if someone yanked most of the pavement away, leaving behind gravel, potholes and craters. The holes are often so deep and sizable that the roads appear to have been splattered with bombs, making a car ride a bumpy nightmare.
In a scene that probably occurs frequently, a Haitian driving a van filled with people on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince recently tried to make a turn, but the car's right tire had sunk into a huge, rain-filled hole. A group of passersby stopped and, together with the van's passengers, started rocking the van and lifting the front bumper to get the tire out.
That image — of a stuck car with people helping people — sums up Haiti perfectly: It is a country that is stuck, both economically and socially, but people are trying to get it moving again.
One group offering aid is Food for the Poor, a nonprofit Christian relief and development agency. For the past 21 years, the charity has been helping the destitute in Haiti, which is considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The Deerfield Beach, Fla.-based organization — the fourth-largest international relief charity in the United States — has offered food, education, housing, health care and emergency relief throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.
About three years ago, Food for the Poor was stalled temporarily when its president and founder, Ferdinand Mahfood, resigned after allegations of sexual and financial misconduct surfaced. It's estimated he diverted more than $400,000 to two female employees with whom he was romantically involved. The Mahfood family later repaid the money back to the charity.
Mahfood's brother Robin replaced him as chairman and president at the time. In September, P. Todd Kennedy, a lawyer and member of Food for the Poor's board of directors for almost two years, replaced Robin Mahfood as chairman of the board.
“I personally welcome the opportunity to devote all of my energies to guiding the explosive growth of Food for the Poor in fulfilling our mission to assist the poorest of the poor,” said Robin Mahfood, who continues in his positions as president and chief executive officer.
The FBI has been investigating Food for the Poor since the scandal broke because the charity receives federal funding. Bureau spokeswoman Judy Orihuela said the investigation is still ongoing.
The organization has been working “tremendously hard to regain the good name that we now have,” said Angel Aloma, Food for the Poor's executive vice president. He added that this work has led to some changes in the past several years, including “a tremendous amount of controls.”
Fallout
Part of the fallout from the scandal were the resignations from the board of directors by three Catholic leaders: then Auxiliary Bishop of Miami Thomas Wenski; Bishop Norbert Dorsey of Orlando, Fla.; and Auxiliary Bishop Gordon Bennett of Baltimore, all of whom favored more checks and balances for the Mahfood family and greater input and control from Church leaders and the Archdiocese of Miami.
In response to whether they would go back to the board of directors now that some changes have taken place since the scandal, Bishop Bennett responded with the following statement: “I wish Food for the Poor well in all of its future endeavors. However, it would be inappropriate for me to speculate any further on the matter of board membership. Such a situation has not arisen.”
Carol Brinati, spokeswoman for the Diocese of Orlando, commented on behalf of Bishop Dorsey and Bishop Wenski, who is now the diocese's coadjutor bishop: “The work that Food for the Poor does is worthwhile,” she said. “But it's too soon to know if the organization has truly reformed in terms of management and leadership.”
Aloma pointed out that Food for the Poor has received high ratings from watchdog groups such as Ministrywatch.com, which gave the charity five stars — the highest rating — for its efficiency in terms of how it raises funds, spends its resources and uses its assets. Charitynavigator.com gave the group four out of four stars — its highest rating — in terms of its overall rating, which deals with organizational efficiency, capacity and overall financial health.
But Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, a charity watchdog group in Chicago, gave Food for the Poor a grade of C, which is satisfactory, for how the organization handles its money. He noted that other watchdog groups count donated goods as part of the money that's raised, while he doesn't include that in his analysis. He estimated that Food for the Poor spends between $23-$30 for every $100 it raises, an improvement from several years ago.
Haiti
Although Food for the Poor does work in 16 countries, one of its biggest challenges is in Haiti, where the facts point out the urgent need for aid: About 80% of the people live in poverty. More than half of the population, including two-thirds of the children, suffers from malnutrition. About 95 out of every 1,000 children die before reaching their fifth birthday.
“What keeps me going is what keeps all of us in the country going, and that is hope,” said Catherine Herman tin, Food for the Poor's Haitian project manager. “We do have hope that [the poverty situation] will change. We pray and hope that sooner or later something is going to happen, and it will change.”
Food for the Poor sponsors a feeding program at its large warehouse in Port-au-Prince, the capital, which feeds more than 15,000 people every weekday. Almost 50,000 people receive medical care and medication for extremely low prices in the pediatric and adult hospitals in its Arcachon Hospital complex. Makeshift huts have been replaced by concrete blockhouses — more than 100 — in a place in Port-au-Prince called Nativity Village.
In a quiet village about 17 miles north of the capital, it operates a handicapped children's home. It also helps orphans and the elderly with homes in Haiti and has established a new medical facility that offers an AIDS program to treat, support and care for — and prevent — the transmission of AIDS from a mother to her child.
“You won't find a people with greater faith than Haitians,” said Robin Mahfood. “They have the belief that God is there. They know him. People believe he's there. They've seen him. They understand him. They pray to the Father for food.”
Carlos Briceno is based in Seminole, Florida.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Carlos Briceno ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:Theologian Prays for Hunted Animals
EKKLESIA NEWS, Oct. 3 — An Anglican theologian based at Oxford University has composed prayers to be offered for hunted animals. The prayers were to be used in churches on the World Day for Animals, observed on the feast of St. Francis, Oct. 4.
The Rev. Andrew Linzey's prayers were released by the Campaign to Protect Hunted Animals to support its ongoing campaign to ban hunting with dogs, according to Ekklesia news service. Promoters hoped the prayers would help garner Christian support for a total ban on hunting being debated in the British House of Lords.
No prayers have yet been composed for the hunting dogs — some 40,000 of whom will be put to death if the ban succeeds. The patron saint of hunters and hunting is St. Hubert, whose feast day, Nov. 3, marks the beginning of hunting season throughout Europe.
New Scots Cardinal Questions Church Teachings
Speaking at a Mass of Thanksgiving following the announcement that he would be in the Oct. 21 consistory, Archbishop O'Brien reportedly called for “full and open discussion” about Church teaching on birth control and a reconsideration of the requirement for clerics in the Latin rite to be celibate.
The paper reported that Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow, meanwhile, planned to issue a letter to be read aloud at all Masses in his diocese reaffirming Church teaching on sexuality.
Indian Woman Insists Mother Teresa Cured Her
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Oct. 5 — In spite of what the French news agency called “widespread skepticism” about Monica Besra's recovery from a stomach tumor, the 35-year-old Indian tribal woman is convinced it was the prayers of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta that cured her, not medicine.
Besra was so ill she had been unable to stand on her own, and Missionaries of Charity sisters took her to one of their homes. As she approached the chapel for Mass there on Sept. 5, 1998, the first anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa, she said she felt a beam of light from a picture of Mother Teresa on her face and body.
That evening, two sisters placed a Miraculous Medal that had been blessed by Mother Teresa on her stomach. When Besra awoke later that night, she noticed that the lump in her abdomen had disappeared and she had enough strength to get up on her own.
Not everyone is convinced. The former West Bengal health minister told the news agency that Besra, who is now a Catholic, was cured with the help of “very strong medicines.” The agency quoted “leading Indian rationalists” as saying it would be a shame if Mother Teresa's beatification were based on “lies” and that she deserved to be considered a saint on the basis of her work for the poor.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Anatomy of a Thorny Decision DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz told the Register in an e-mail that he turned to the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Boston for help to solve the thorny issues of induction.
The center asked him to submit a specific policy to comment on, and the archbishop sent the Providence Policy. It states:
“The pre-term induction of the delivery of a fetus is allowable only under the following conditions:
• if there is a serious risk to the health of the mother (Ethical and Religious Directives, Nos. 47,49) or
• if the fetus has a lethal condition. ‘Lethal condition’ is defined as a disease or a combination of abnormalities that, even with medical treatment, will not allow the fetus to live.
• if the fetus has reached 24 weeks of gestation (currently accepted as the stage of viability) or later (Ethical and Religious Directives, No. 49).”
The bioethics center told the archbishop that Providence's policy as stated “was morally problematic.” That judgment was made in a letter from a staff ethicist, Conventual Franciscan Father Germain Kopaczynski, a copy of which the Register has obtained.
“Its lapidary formulation certainly does not appear to be an adequate protocol for a hospital policy,” the letter said.
The archbishop then asked Providence for a more detailed policy “regarding guidelines for interpreting the Ethical and Religious Directives Nos. 45, 47 and 49.”
Those directives state:
“45. Abortion (that is, the directly intended termination of pregnancy before viability or the directly intended destruction of a viable fetus) is never permitted. Every procedure whose sole immediate effect is the termination of pregnancy before viability is an abortion, which, in its moral context, includes the interval between conception and implantation of the embryo. Catholic health care institutions are not to provide abortion services, even based upon the principle of material cooperation. In this context, Catholic health care institutions need to be concerned about the danger of scandal in any association with abortion providers.
“47. Operations, treatments and medications that have as their direct purpose the cure of a proportionately serious pathological condition of a pregnant woman are permitted when they cannot be safely postponed until the unborn child is viable, even if they will result in the death of the unborn child.
“49. For a proportionate reason, labor may be induced after the fetus is viable.”
“Being concerned about the procedure itself,” the archbishop told the Register, “I wrote a second letter at that time asking that the procedure be suspended until I could study the guidelines” in Providence's new policy.
When he received the new guidelines, he said, “it seemed to me that they were in keeping with the [Ethical and Religious Directives] and that the [Providence] system was seriously considering each case through its ethics committees in the light of the Ethical and Religious Directives.”
He then told Parrish the system could again use the procedure.
The archbishop has received further comments from the bioethics center on Providence's detailed policy, and he sent those comments to “the local and Seattle directors of the Providence System for incorporation into their policy. These comments and suggestions [from the National Catholic Bioethics Center] were meant to make the [Providence] policy more clear and specific than it had been.”
Tom Szyszkiewicz
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Tom Szyszkiewicz ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Mother Teresa's Church DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:Beatifications have a way of changing our perspective from earth's to heaven's. That's the whole point, really. The Church officially declares the sanctity of people in order to remind us that life should be lived according to standards that are not our own.
In Mother Teresa, God gave us the perfect saint for our age.
It's an age that detests hypocrisy — and Mother Teresa lived her love for the poor to the point of personal exhaustion. Our age is skeptical about faith — but Mother Teresa kept her faith despite unimaginable spiritual and physical hardships. Our age exaggerates physical beauty. But Mother Teresa's is at the same time one of the most attractive and unattractive faces in popular memory.
The more we learn about Mother Teresa, the more we discover that, even among the saints, she stands out.
Intellectually, she was impressive. She spoke simply, but as a native Albanian, she spoke English flawlessly. She was equally at ease with world leaders and with dying lepers as she managed an enormous worldwide network of apostolates. “People saw her holiness,” the pos-tulator of her cause told us in a ground-breaking interview last January, “but now we realize that her simplicity hid a real profundity.”
In terms of her spiritual life, her story rivals her namesakes, St. Teresa of Avila and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
In 1946, Mother Teresa wrote down how Christ called her to go to India. She didn't go gladly. “How could I?” she said. “I have been and am very happy as a Loreto Nun. To leave that what I love and expose myself to new labors and suffering, which will be great, to be the laughing stock of so many, especially religious, to cling and choose deliberately the hard things of an Indian life, to loneliness and ignominy, to uncertainty — and all because Jesus wants it, because something is calling me to leave all and gather the few to live his life, to do his work in India.”
And yet she went.
Her postulator said that her Yes was rewarded with a “real, close, intense union with Jesus in 1946 and 1947.” But then, once the Missionaries of Charity were started, she received the dark night of the soul that Teresa and Thérèse had experienced: the agonizing feeling of the absence of God.
“This was for us a new way of understanding the ‘I thirst;’ of Jesus — and often Mother would speak of a ‘painful thirst,’” said the postulator of her cause. “Mother was sharing in the longing and sufferings of her beloved.”
The dark night lasted as long as a year or two for the great mystics. For Mother Teresa, it lasted for five decades.
“This seems to me the most heroic thing of her spiritual life,” said her postulator. “Mother was not only sharing in the physical poverty of the poor but also the sufferings of Jesus — his longing for union, as expressed in Gethsemane and on the cross.”
And at the same time as all this was going on, she used to say that she wanted to be an “apostle of joy.”
It's hard for us to imagine such a thing. But this is precisely why Mother Teresa has become such a powerful intercessor for the Church of the 21st century.
“You are afraid,” Jesus told her, Mother reported to a bishop in 1946. “How your fear hurts me. Fear not. It is I who am asking you to do this for me. Fear not. Even if the whole world is against you, laughs at you, your companions and superiors look down on you, fear not. It is I in you, with you, for you.”
These words were kept by the bishop and are only becoming public now. It's as if Jesus' message, which was once just for Mother Teresa, is now meant for the whole Church: “You will suffer, suffer very much, but remember I am with you. Even if the whole world rejects you, remember you are my own and I am yours only. Fear not, it is I. Only obey — obey very cheerfully and promptly and without any questions. Just only obey. I shall never leave you if you obey.”
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: Letters DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:Ignore Bad Movies
I recently picked up the Register and was dismayed to see so many immoral movies being reviewed — most of them with nudity, profanity, sexual seductions and violence.
By receiving these movies you are indirectly recommending them.
EUGENE CHATELAINE
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
Editor's note: We never recommend films with offensive content. On the contrary, one of our aims in reviewing popular movies is to advise our readers of the ones that present serious problems for Christians. Our reviews should not be confused with our Weekly Video/DVD Picks, which synopsize movies we can recommend (though sometimes with minor reservations, which are always noted).
Imprecise Insignia
I smiled when I read the article “Detroit Catholics Call Foul” (Oct. 5-11). Tim Drake was describing an underground women's Eucharist group that celebrates Mass without “an ordained male priest.” I hope there is no other kind of priest that celebrates Mass.
Perhaps the descriptor is taken directly from the group's promotional material, but it does seem odd to use that wording. Are we all getting dulled to today's language?
JOHN HUGHES
Woodbury, Connecticut
Mandatum Seekers
Since 1991, when my son chose to attend Notre Dame University, I have been intensely concerned about the content of theological studies there. I remembered Bishop Fulton Sheen's advice that parents should send their children to secular campuses where they would learn to fight for their faith rather than send them to Catholic colleges where they would have their faith systematically undermined. His words certainly applied to Notre Dame, following the Land O' Lakes conference, and with Father Richard McBrien as head of the theology department.
But what about today? We all yearn for the “New Springtime” the Holy Father foresees in the Church. Yet its wheels of change turn slowly. Tim Drake reported in the July 6-12 Register feature “Notre Dame to Parents: We Won't Tell” that the mandatum for teachers of theology has been required by canon law since 1983, yet the U.S. bishops did not begin requiring it until 18 years later, in 2001.
I have done some investigation on my own and discovered that 35 of the 45 theology professors at Notre Dame have the mandatum and that, following the leadership of Professor John Cavadini, theology department chairman, newly recruited theologians are highly inclined to seek it. The school is not perfect, but surely buds of life are there, welcome signs of springtime in the Catholic Church.
I hope that readers of the Register will take a careful look at Notre Dame and that faithful Catholic students will consider this school, while remaining cautious and discerning. They can certainly ask theology professors whether or not they have a mandatum from the bishop. Those who have it will be glad to say so.
JUDY MINAHAN
Fort Myers, Florida
Paris-Bound
My mother Dorothy and I are some of the Register's most ardent readers. I was delighted to read the article on staying near the Sacre Cour in France (“Paris When it Spiritually Sizzles,” Travel, Aug. 31-Sept. 6).
We usually stack our Registers to give them to other readers once we're done. Recently I went to check on them and found that issues have “gone missing.” Help! Could you give us the contact info for the convent or can I get a copy of the article or another copy of that issue? I'm hoping to go to Paris in a few months and this would be a big help.
MARY GULDEN
Jermyn, Pennsylvania
Contraception in the Cafeteria
Kudos! Finally, info about natural-family planning that the people can read about on the front page (“Natural Family Planning Still Missing From Marriage Prep,” Sept. 21-27). I call that progress!
However, the writer, the bishops and priests refuse to put into print the most important part of the message. We are not getting it from the pulpit. Contraception is not allowed in the Roman Catholic Church, according to the final authority, the magisterium. For any diocese to “see what they think is right” is way off base.
Now, so many years after Humanae Vitae (On Human Life, 1968), it is finally brought to the forefront that the wrongness of contraception must be presented to the people honestly and completely, with no reservations. So what if couples will not be prepared for such “foreign teaching”? What are they, reluctant to ask “too much” of couples? It was not too much to ask Jesus to suffer. Why the kid gloves? Yes, it does take nerve and involve risks. Yes, the whole congregation might leave a parish. So what? Trust in Jesus.
We are asking our politicians, pharmacists and doctors to take big risks, but they cannot do it without the absolute backing of the Church. Father Moreau has it right when he states: “We have given couples what they need, not what makes us popular.” The popularity and monetary comfort of a diocese, bishop or priest is irrelevant. They will be held responsible for the salvation of each and every soul they are in charge of. They must take a stand, not wait for “directives.”
If the Catholic bishops and priests continue to be cafeteria Catholics, then it goes without saying that the people will feel very comfortable about being cafeteria Catholics, too.
THERESA KULICK Waterford, Michigan
Galileo's Gumption
Your front-page story on Galileo could stand more precision on the topic of Galileo and the threat of torture (“Man of the Church: Challenging the Galileo Myth,” Sept. 21-27).
First of all, the threat was made by Pope UrbanVIII himself, not by “the Church” as such. Secondly, the occasion was not in connection with his recanting, as one might gather from your story, but he did hold to the Copernicus theory. How did this arise? It was because Galileo, from the beginning of his trial, steadfastly refused to admit that he ever held to the Copernicus theory after the initial warning of Cardinal St. Robert Bellarmine in 1609. (Consequently the document supposedly dating to that era is not essentially important.)
The commission in 1633 concluded that, in his dialogue, Galielo did hold to the Copernicus theory with a moving earth. But he refused to admit it, despite his text.
Hence the final adjunction of Urban VIII: Threaten him with torture and, if he continues to refuse to admit, then go ahead with his abjuration. He would have had to abjure as a heretic, had he admitted; because he would not, he was convicted as “suspect of heresy.”
FATHER PIERCE CONWAY Washington, D.C.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: New Springtime Books A-Bloom DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:In his excellent article “Renaissance? Catholic Publishers' New Successes” (Sept. 28-Oct. 4), Tim Drake neglected the wild card of Catholic publishing: Print On Demand (POD) books. POD books are printed one at a time as they are ordered. You rarely see them in chain bookstores, but they can be ordered online from Amazon.com and other Web stores, or ordered through any retail book seller.
Tim Drake's own books are published by a POD publisher, First Books. POD is part of the new publishing renaissance that has made out-of-print titles once again available.
Ignatius, a traditional publisher, took on the ambitious project of republishing Chesterton's complete works. Sophia brought back Dorothy L. Sayers' trenchant and insightful essays and Regent College, using POD technology, has reprinted Charles Williams' novels.
Do POD companies compete with traditional publishers? Not necessarily. First Books' contract has an escape clause should the author sign with another publisher.
Catholic author Richard Purtill has published 19 books through traditional publishers. Ignatius is currently republishing two of his books, while three other books are being reprinted POD by First Books.
The vast selection of titles available at Amazon.com and other online bookstores, as well as from publishers' Web sites, far exceeds the shelf stock of even a large chain bookstore. Readers can vote with their wallets, ordering directly online, and books can become bestsellers without ever being sold in Hastings or Barnes & Noble. For readers, it's win/win in this springtime of Catholic publishing.
GORD WILSON BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: 'Marriage Last' Or Lasting Marriage? DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:All the girls want to get married. That's one of the things that surprised me when I started volunteering at a crisis pregnancy center here in Washington, D.C.
At first I thought it was a hopeful sign — and in some ways it is — that almost all of the women I counseled eagerly looked forward to marriage.
But the way they thought about marriage made it extremely unlikely that they would ever attain their goal. And my clients' conception of marriage is the same one most Americans hold today. The inner city is just an intensified, unsheltered version of the mainstream. This mainstream view of marriage appears to be exalted and romantic but actually leads to shaky, halfhearted, very-much-unromantic sexual partnerships.
The women I counsel often say they plan to get married when things are more together in their lives: when they're financially stable, when they're more sure about what kind of person they want to commit to, when they're older. Some of these impulses are obviously right. Emotionally immature people (like most American teen-agers) probably have no business making lifelong commitments. The women I see view marriage as so important that they want to be completely prepared before they enter into it.
Here are four problems with this seemingly commonsensical worldview.
First, if you're not ready to make a lifelong commitment to another person, why are you having sex with him? I sometimes tell my clients about a line from the movie Vanilla Sky: “Don't you know that when you sleep with someone, your body makes a promise — whether you do or not?”
We can talk about this fact in the philosophical terms of Pope John Paul II's theology of the body or we can just talk about the obvious possibility of pregnancy; no matter how you phrase it, sex is commitment, and if you're not ready for commitment you're not ready for sex. To deny this fact requires an alienation from one's own body and from one's most intense desires for a connection that goes beyond the physical.
Second, if you wait for marriage until you're financially stable, in many D.C. neighborhoods you'll be waiting forever. The money-first view of marriage leaves poor women in an especially vicious trap: They can never earn enough to buy a marriage.
Third, marriage isn't the reward you get for exiting poverty. It's a key that can help you exit poverty. Studies have found over and over again that married couples earn more and share resources more effectively. That's not just true for middle-class or wealthy couples; it's true for all income levels. (The best source for stats is probably Maggie Gallagher and Linda Waite's The Case for Marriage.)
These women say marriage is so important they need to be completely prepared first. Here are four reasons they're wrong.
And finally, nobody is ever ready for marriage. We can prepare ourselves; we can try to shape ourselves into responsible adults who choose good spouses. But in the end, life smacks everyone upside the head. The “marriage last” worldview is one in which we should only make commitments when everything's exactly in place, when we're stable, when we're totally prepared. Ironically, that worldview itself fails to prepare us for the times when things go haywire — when our stable, prepared lives derail.
The recent movie The Secret Lives of Dentists illustrated this point with its wrenching portrayal of a husband dealing with his wife's adultery and his children's illness. The Hursts did everything right, as far as we can tell. They're wealthy, they have good careers, they can spend weekends in their cozy country home. They have what the women I counsel are waiting for.
But they're not prepared. They're still forced to rely on commitment in the face of trouble, unpredictability and risk. Their lives can still be turned upside-down.
The same dynamics that have devastated the inner city are at work in Ivy League universities and corporate boardrooms. Collegiate women postpone marriage and childbearing until their educations are done or their careers are stable (which, for women who do postgraduate work, can be a very long time).
They, too, have sex while denying the degree of commitment that act entails; that's why Planned Parenthood sets up shop just outside every campus. They, too, believe that marriage is so amazing and heroic that they won't be ready for it until they're much, much older. They, too, believe that preparedness is prior to and more important than a commitment of lifelong love.
The best preparation for marriage is the realization that marriage is a lifelong commitment and the most stable, loving and — yes — romantic context for sex. Any other preparation is at best secondary, at worst distracting.
Eve Tushnet writes from Washington, D.C.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Eve Tushnet ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Mother and Me DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:It was 1976. We were standing outside the back door of the main auditorium of the Philadelphia Civic Center. Dan, Tom (now both priests) and I were attending the International Eucharistic Congress. Dan and I had just graduated from high school. A Congress worker had told us Mother Teresa of Calcutta would be arriving through that door on her way to speak to the thousands awaiting her inside the auditorium.
Soon the car arrived. Mother Teresa got out. She walked up a few concrete steps. Behind her was Dorothy Day, foundress of the Catholic Worker. Day was elderly and using a cane. Mother Teresa turned around and took her by the arm. What a beautiful moment! Mother Teresa helping Dorothy Day up the stairs.
And I was there.
Dan went up to Mother Teresa. He gave her some money wrapped in a note. It was Dan's money, but we had all signed the note with our addresses. We were later to receive a letter from one of Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity with a prayer card. Each had a favorite prayer of Mother Teresa written by Cardinal Newman. Each was signed by her.
As Mother Teresa walked past me I gently placed my hand on her shoulder just wanting to touch her. She turned around, thinking I wanted her attention. I said, “God bless you.” She thanked me and continued walking. I did the same with Dorothy Day.
I have met Merv Griffin and Harrison Ford, but I knew this was special. I knew I would always remember that day in 1976 when I met Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Little did I know I was to meet Mother Teresa again, more significantly.
‘Who Will Help Me?’
In 1980 I had just arrived in Rome to study theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelicum.
One day, a student from India at the Czechoslovakian seminary and I went to an early morning Mass at the Missionaries of Charity convent. There was Mother Teresa kneeling on the floor in the back.
Afterward, we were able to speak with her. I was allowed to talk to her privately about my vocation. Then Mother Teresa and I returned with a few others who attended the Mass. Mother Teresa clapped her hands together and asked, “Who will help me today?”
I would. And did.
Mother was opening a house for mothers and babies in need. I got into a car and was driven to a section of Rome some distance away. Mother Teresa had been given a school. The Sisters and the volunteers had done some work but much more had to be done. We had two days. At the end of the second day the bishop would come to say Mass and dedicate the house.
During one of my jobs I was removing the paper off of the metal frames of beds with Father Joseph Langford, who was to found (later that day!) the Priest Co-Workers of Mother Teresa. A group of co-workers had been founded for lay people some years before.
Mother found us and told us the novices could do that. She had other jobs for us. For me the greatest moment was when Mother Teresa couldn't open a window and asked me to do it and stood beside me as I tried.
Dorothy Day was elderly and using a cane. Mother Teresa turned around and took her by the arm. What a beautiful moment! Mother Teresa helping Dorothy Day up the stairs.
That window had no chance! I was determined to get it unstuck and opened! And I did.
We were given lunch by the Sisters, who ate in another room, in private.
Sometime later Mother Teresa and Father Langford left. They had an errand to do … an audience with the Holy Father! Father Langford presented the rules of the Priest Co-Workers for Pope John Paul II's approval. He approved, on one condition: That the Pope himself could be the first member.
When Mother Teresa and Father Langford returned, he showed us the white rosary the Holy Father had blessed and given him. Father went to help finish getting the chapel ready. I can remember him carefully measuring on the wall to line up the pictures of the Stations of the Cross.
My job in a hallway was to screw the glass globes back on to the hanging light bulbs. As I stood on the ladder Mother Teresa stopped to talk. Finally, it was time to leave. Mother asked me if I had money for the bus back to the seminary. I did. But even on such a busy and eventful day she thought to ask.
The second day there was more work to do. I must tell you that after a short while the awe of being with Mother Teresa was replaced by the feeling that I was with my Italian grandmother. I even once called her Sister instead of Mother.
Amazingly, by evening all was ready.
With a few others, I went outside to meet the bishop at his car. He asked me who would win the presidential election: Carter or Reagan. I had no idea.
The bishop said the Mass. He placed the Blessed Sacrament in the small tabernacle. The tabernacle was placed where it is in every convent of the Missionaries of Charity: beneath the crucifix and the words of Jesus — “I thirst.” Mother placed her hands on the heads of the Sisters who would remain. This is her blessing for her Sisters.
It was over. A new work of the Missionaries of Charity had begun. I took the bus back to the seminary.
Mother's Blessing
Throughout my four years in Rome I volunteered at the soup kitchen Mother Teresa's Sisters had nearby on Via Carlo Cantaneo, near Rome's large train station.
When it was time for a profession of a group of sisters, Mother Teresa would be there. Once, when my parents were in Rome, they were able to meet her and I took a picture of the three of them.
In 1983 I was called by Jesus to found a contemplative monastic community for men thoroughly dedicated to the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. This call was confirmed and recommended in writing by Cardinal Augustine Mayer when I met at a Vatican office with this former Benedictine abbot from Germany.
But I wanted someone else's “blessing.” I heard Mother Teresa was again at her convent next to the Church of St. Gregory. I went. She was meeting with her Sisters. When the meeting was over she came out into that hallway.
I handed her a paper telling about what the Monks of Adoration would be. I mentioned Eucharistic adoration being very important. Mother Teresa responded, “very important, very important.” Then I bowed my head and said, “Your blessing, Mother.” She gently placed her hands on my head, praying that God would bless me.
That was the last time I saw her. I was to return to America and read many books about her or books compiled of sayings from her talks. I was to watch several times the excellent documentary by the filmmakers the Petrie sisters (see page 18).
On Oct. 19, when Pope John Paul II beatifies Mother Teresa, it will be a special day for me. I will not be in Rome, but the Holy Father will proclaim Mother Teresa a blessed in Rome, the heart of the Church, the place where I was blessed to spend so much time with her.
It was a great privilege to spend so much time with a saint — a saint who helped Dorothy Day up the stairs; a saint who asked me if I had change for the bus.
Brother Craig Driscoll founded the Monks of Adoration and can be reached at monkadorer@catholic.net.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Brother Craig Driscoll ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: The Family as a Sign of Contradiction DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:During a recent eight-day family vacation to California, our clan came face-to-face with the all-too-common modern American reality that a family with more than two children constitutes a “sign of contradiction.”
Apparently, a great many people find that witness difficult to comprehend despite the fact that many of those making offensive remarks originally came from such families themselves.
Our vacation grew from a rare sale offered by the travel agency that allowed us to pay a lower ticket price for each additional child. My wife remarked that it would be the first and only time we would actually be rewarded by a company for our family's size. On the airplane, our family of seven took up the entire back row.
While we expected some negative comments about our family size, what surprised us the most was the sheer quantity of people who felt compelled to offer their commentary — whether negative or positive — about our family's size.
As lifelong Minnesotans, we're private and not prone to commenting to total strangers about anything. In California, however, the negative comments outpaced the positive.
For every, “What a beautiful family you have,” there were at least three, “Are they all yours?” or “You have your hands full” or worse. It didn't seem to matter whether we were at the airport, a restaurant, on the beach or at an amusement park. We were accosted everywhere we went.
At one restaurant the hostess said they didn't have a table large enough to seat us. Could our children, all aged 7 and under, sit at a different table, she wondered, or might we be able to sit in the bar?
At another restaurant our family was viewed not as a family unit but as a large group, thereby forcing us to pay an exorbitant 18% gratuity because we had more than six people. Forget the fact that our youngest, a baby, didn't eat the restaurant's food.
So frequent were the comments and the restaurant fiascos that we resorted to simply ordering dinner into our hotel room each night. But the hotel wasn't entirely a safe haven, either.
The occupancy rules at most hotels do not allow families larger than four to stay in the same room, thus forcing such families to either lie about their family size or to rent two rooms. Thankfully, we were able to find a family suite at a hotel that wasn't concerned about our family's size.
However, during the complimentary continental breakfast offered by the hotel each morning we found ourselves surrounded by other vacationing families — all with two children. While we never once commented to any of them on their family size, that didn't stop them from commenting to us about ours.
Perhaps the harshest comment came on the final day of our trip. It came from a 60-something-year-old male security guard at the airport. When he saw us, loaded down with all of our luggage, he shook his head.
“Whoa, five kids! That's a large family. I stopped at one,” he offered proudly.
We were so used to hearing these comments by this time that we simply smiled politely.
With his very next breath he complained, “I keep asking my daughter when she's going to give us grandchildren. I would like several grandchildren so that I can spoil them and send them on their way.”
Despite the strong temptation to lash out at him verbally, I held my tongue. Apparently the irony of the comment was lost on him. I didn't have the heart to point out the incongruity of his statement or the fact that if his daughter is anything like most parents in this day and age, he will have no more than two grandchildren.
So often we found ourselves wanting to offer back a smart retort or a charitable witness but knew that we needed to be careful not to judge others. Many might be unable to have children, yet for others the decision is a conscience choice.
As we entered an amusement park one father told us, “We found out how it worked after having twins, and we've had that taken care of,” implying either the use of contraception or sterilization. We could only remark that we, too, had twins, and proudly showed him the two children whom we were blessed with after the birth of our twins.
In March 1976, during the conclusion of the annual papal Lenten retreat, then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla said, “The times in which we are living provide particularly strong confirmation of the truth of what Simeon said: Jesus is both the light that shines for mankind and at the same time a sign of contradiction … Jesus Christ is once again revealing himself to men as the light of the world. Has he not also become at one and the same time that sign which, more that ever, men are resolved to oppose?”
The Pope's words ring just as true today.
It's sad to think that within just one generation the family has become so opposed and so maligned. Yet should we expect anything less in a culture that seems to despise life?
Given all of our vacation encounters, it's fitting that one of our most enjoyable afternoons was spent in fellowship with a Catholic family with four children. Our children played happily while the adults talked, and no one was required to justify their family size to anyone
Tim Drake lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota, with his wife and five children.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Tim Drake ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Missionaries of Charity Priests: It's Not Just Sisters Anymore DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:The Missionaries of Charity Fathers is the community of priests Mother Teresa founded in 1984. And therein lies a tale.
“Mother Teresa got sick in Rome in 1983. She was hospitalized,” Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, the postulator for Mother Teresa's sainthood cause, told the Register.
A priest “went to visit her on the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. He asked her again about starting a priestly order for the Missionaries of Charity. Usually, she did not even want to discuss it because the Vatican had told her to wait.”
But not that day. She said, “Yes, now is the time. But I want the Catholic Church to tell me this.”
“This shows you her way of discerning,” said Father Kolodiejchuk. “She wanted the Church to say Yes. She wanted the Holy Father to say Yes, which he did. The Missionary of Charity Fathers were started in the Bronx, N.Y., in 1984.”
The other branches of the Missionaries of Charity are the Active Sisters, founded in 1950; the Active Brothers, founded in 1965; the Contemplative Sisters; founded in 1976, and the Contemplative Brothers, founded in 1977.
The Missionaries Fathers is a “tiny seed of hope that is growing,” says Father Robert Conroy, the superior general.
Compared to the branch of Sisters, who have some 4,500 members in 132 countries, the Missionaries Fathers are a small and virtually unnoticed group. There are 26 priests and five deacons working in seven countries, including the headquarters in Tijuana, Mexico. More than a dozen seminarians are studying in Rome and elsewhere for the order.
Yet, Father Conroy says, numbers and influence have never been a goal for the MC Fathers. “Because we started with only two priests, and have been insistent on quality of formation, we have not grown quickly,” he said. “But I think this has been wise because we have put down firm roots and the men we have are the best.”
Father Conroy, who was born in Minneapolis and grew up in Kansas City, Kan., was elected superior last summer in a meeting of 25 Missionaries of Charity priests. For the past two years he had lived in a remote mountain region of Guatemala, where most of the residents speak a language not related to Spanish. “I was just starting to know the native language,” said Father Conroy, who is now based in Tijuana.
His job as superior, he says, is “ensuring that our little branch of the society is living out the spirituality of the Missionaries of Charity. That means guarding the gift, example and spiritual riches we have inherited from Mother Teresa.”
Father Conroy's vocation was guided by Mother Teresa. While studying for the priesthood in Rome as a seminarian with the Archdiocese of Kansas City, he met Mother Teresa and her sisters. Realizing that he was called to work with “the poorest of the poor,” he put aside his studies to join the MC Fathers six months before he was to be ordained a deacon. After serving as a novice with the order, he continued theology studies and was ordained a priest in 1989.
Mother Teresa “was a large influence in my vocation,” he said. “To me, she had the greatest credibility because of her service to the poor. Like St. Francis of Assisi, she gave her life for them, lived among them, and loved them.”
He added, “The beatification, I think, will make clear the logic of her service to the poor. Jesus in the Eucharist, leads us to Jesus in the poor. Jesus is hidden in the Eucharist and he is hidden in the distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor.”
Stephen Vincent
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Stephen Vincent ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: 'Mother Teresa Is on the Phone' DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Therese Williams developed their friendship through prayer and sacrifice.
Born in 1974, the 15th child of David and Charlotte Williams, Therese contracted spinal meningitis in her second year of life. She went into a coma for several weeks. She had to be on a respirator 24 hours a day and spent long months in the intensive-care unit of the Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Despite all the medical efforts, little Therese experienced pulse drops and her heart rate declined unpredictably.
One day, without warning, Therese's heart stopped. A team of specialists rushed in, gave her heart stimulants and applied extreme lifesaving techniques. All the Williamses watched the scene, alarmed.
“I had experienced many tensions in my life,” recalls David Williams, “but never the total exhaustion, the complete and utter wringing out of all emotions I endured that day. We prayed all we could — who knows how many rosaries — intensely and unceasingly for so long that we were totally expended.”
The family went home late that evening. They sat down for the meal in silence, too tired to speak. The phone rang. Nobody moved. Perhaps doctors were calling to give them bad news. Finally, Chris, the family's ninth child, picked up the phone.
“Mom,” he said. “Mother Teresa of India wants to speak with you.”
The family members exchanged looks of disbelief.
Charlotte Williams picked up the phone. “You are not to worry,” Mother Teresa said in her distinctive foreign accent. “Therese is in our Blessed Mother's hands. Tomorrow I will go to the hospital and leave her a miraculous medal.”
None of the Williamses had known that Mother Teresa was in Chicago attending a conference for religious. How did she find out about Therese? How did she get the family's unlisted phone number? To this day, nobody knows.
After the nun's call, the family forgot their apprehensions and felt peace and joy. The next day, they found the miraculous medal on Therese's bed. Little Therese went home with full-time nursing. She had to live in a wheelchair, her legs and arms paralyzed, and sleep in a Porta-Lung.
Her relationship with Mother Teresa, however, did not stop that day at the hospital. In the fall of 1980, the foundress of the Missionaries of Charity celebrated her 50th anniversary as a religious in The Bronx. The Williams family attended the celebration. After Mass Charlotte Williams, the 6-year-old Therese in her arms, waited her turn to greet the holy nun.
Mother Teresa spoke before they introduced themselves. “Therese,” she said. “I prayed for you. Now you pray for me.” How could Mother Teresa recognize the girl? The blessed nun brought this secret with herself to heaven.
Yet the key of her deep friendship with the American girl is not that mysterious. Souls can meet and grow in love through prayer and sacrifice. Thus, they can somehow transcend the boundaries of time and space.
Therese was named after the Little Flower of Lisieux — that Carmelite nun who met and loved many souls through prayer and sacrifice. That's why she was named the patroness of all foreign missions.
From her wheelchair, through prayer and suffering, Therese can enjoy not only a never-ending friendship with the Church's newest blessed but also with many other souls.
Therese's vocation, indeed, is not different from that of her friend Mother Teresa. In a letter dated Dec. 3,1947, the foundress of the Missionaries of Charity recounts what Jesus told her once. “Your vocation,” he said, “is to love and suffer and save souls.”
Friendships in the same vocation are kept forever.
Legionary Father Alfonso Aguilar can be reached at
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Father Alfonso Aguilar, LC ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: Mary Old England DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:The clerk at King's Cross Station told us that the Cambridge town center was a “nice walk” from the train station.
With that, we hopped on the bus waiting outside the station when we disembarked from our hourlong train ride from London. After all, we reasoned, the British sense of a “nice walk” might be altogether too much for our tired American feet.
Had we known that the bus ride would last all of five minutes, we might have decided to risk the walk — but I'm glad we didn't, because on the bus I first caught a glimpse of Our Lady and the English Martyrs Catholic Church.
We meandered through Cambridge, dawdling on the banks of the River Cam, gaping at the spectacular college buildings and poking around a market. Always, though, the thought tapped away at me: I wonder if that church is open.
On the hike back to the train station (only after a day of sightseeing could a five-minute bus ride translate into a walk that arduous), I found out.
Signs directed us to the back of the church, where we found ourselves the only visitors. The stone church soared up above us, pillars and peaked Gothic arches unfurling along the church's 158 feet. Everywhere I looked, there was something to hold my interest: vivid stained-glass windows of Our Lady and the 40 English martyrs, shrines and chapels, the Stations of the Cross carved in stone, the well-used wooden pews in which Cambridge Catholics and visitors from around the world have worshiped together.
As far as English churches are concerned, OLEM — as parishioners refer to it — is a mere stripling. It was built by a Cambridge firm between 1885 and 1890, funded solely by a former ballet dancer at Drury Lane in London and with the Paris Opera, Yolande Marie Louise Lyne-Stephens, the widow of a wealthy banker.
According to parish history, Lyne-Stephens was determined to establish the church on the feast of the Assumption (Aug. 15), while the first rector, Msgr. Christopher Scott, wanted to commemorate the English martyrs who had perished between 1535 and 1681. More than 30 of them had been in residence at Cambridge University.
Blood Witnesses
OLEM is a wonderful marriage of these two commemorations.
(This Oct. 25, by the way, marks the 33rd year since Pope Paul VI canonized the 40 English martyrs in 1970. Meanwhile, Oct. 19 is the feast of one of them in particular: St. Philip Howard.)
Over the west door stands the figure of Our Lady of the Assumption, while the English martyrs are depicted in the west window in two groups: one headed by St. John Fisher, representing the clergy, and one headed by St. Thomas More, representing the laity.
These two groups of martyrs also march along the side windows, which are not original to the church. The original windows were destroyed when OLEM was hit by a bomb in 1941, but they were subsequently re-created according to the original designs — which, in some cases, depict the tortures the martyrs suffered before their deaths.
The north-aisle windows are dedicated to the laity, featuring likenesses of St. Thomas More and others, while the south windows depict scenes from the life of St. John Fisher. Both were martyred when they refused to acknowledge King Henry VIII as the supreme head of the Church in England (when Henry sought a divorce from Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Boleyn).
At the west end of the south aisle, not far from the altar, is the Chapel of Souls. Above the chapel altar is a massive sculpture depicting the solace given to souls in Purgatory by Our Lady, who crowns the sculpture, and the angel who comforted Christ in Gethsemane.
In the church proper there are two altars — a modern altar now used in Mass and high altar with relics of St. Felix and St. Constantia, martyrs. The baldacchi-no sheltering the high altar is an intricately carved Gothic arch, atop which angels — five on each side — kneel in adoration before the risen Christ, who stands on the peak. This baldacchino is similar to the one covering the tomb of Robert the Wise, a 14th-century king of Sicily and Naples.
We had little time to spend in the church, since we had a train to catch. My memory is of cool gray stone and warm wood, illuminated by watery sunlight streaming through the colorful windows, and of intricate chapels and lovingly carved statues.
Back at home, I lingered over the parish bulletin and the other fliers I'd hastily collected from the rear of the church and regretted that I didn't have a chance to know this parish better. It's a truly English church with large enough numbers of Italian and Polish parishioners to require Masses said in those languages, a parish where all congregants at the first Friday early morning Mass are invited to breakfast at the rectory.
It is a parish, too, that carries out its evangelical and catechetical mission realistically. A notice in the bulletin reminds parishioners to keep a close eye on their belongings, and a sign in the church informs readers that, due to an unfortunate recent event, Euch-aristic adoration would be held only if more than one person participated.
I left OLEM reluctantly. Even my backward glances were rewarded by a herd of gargoyles I hadn't noticed earlier. With a smile, I shouldered my bag and hiked the rest of the way to the train station — knowing that, though I would have preferred to linger, I had at least dipped a little deeper into the enlightening history of our Catholic faith.
Elisabeth Deffner writes from Orange, California.
----- EXCERPT: Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church, Cambridge ----- EXTENDED BODY: Elisabeth Deffner ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: Passionate Plays DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:Step aside, Hamlet. Take a breather, Willy Loman.
Make room, all you classic and contemporary stage characters: The curtain is rising on the likes of Lolek, St. Thérèse of Lisieux and Blessed Margaret of Castello.
Is a revolution in theater arts afoot? No — just a boomlet in the number of playwrights looking to explore the Catholic faith while dramatizing the human condition.
One of the most experienced of the dramatic artists, award-winning playwright Dominican Father Peter John Cameron, says his mission as a dramatist is to engage audiences' imaginations, moving them with the wonder of what it's like to be fully human.
When a human being's reason is fully engaged, especially if he's thinking about the ultimate questions in life, he realizes he didn't create himself and he can't satisfy his expectations for happiness, says Father Cameron, who serves as artistic director of the Blackfriars Repertory Theatre Company in New York City (and as editor of Magnificat, the popular monthly prayer journal).
When questioning the true meaning of life, a reasoning person perceives a mystery and is filled with a desire to encounter a presence, he says.
“So the answer to the mystery is personal,” adds Father Cameron. “God gives us the answer definitively in sending his son, Jesus. All my plays are an attempt to engage reason in that way, to get people to consider the ultimate question of what it means to be human.”
Consider The Drama of Light, a series of short plays Father Cameron recently wrote about the luminous mysteries of the rosary. In the third mystery, the Proclamation of the Kingdom, 12 actors wearing masks, standing at sharp angles and with their backs to each other, appear on stage. The Blessed Mother quotes from Scripture, saying how God has relied on the word in human communications and language throughout history.
With each Scripture reference, the actors bring the scene to life. Jesus appears, proclaiming the Beatitudes. In response, the masked actors cite a Scripture verse as a response to, and fulfillment of, each of the Beatitudes. Realizing that the Word has transformed their lives, each actor takes off his mask and approaches Jesus so that, by the end of the play, when Jesus says that heaven and earth will pass away but his word will last forever, all the actors are standing in a semi-circle around him, their arms draped around each other's shoulders. “It's a very powerful visual image of the communion created by the Word of God,” says Father Cameron, whose play, a revised version of The Sacrament of Memory, about the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, will be performed off-Broadway in the fall.
Another playwright, Cathal Gallagher, believes more plays should be written that involve heroes of the Catholic faith.
“I think playwrights have a great opportunity to bring to life saints and heroes and martyrs and let young people see them,” says Gallagher, an Irish immigrant who formed Quo Vadis, a theater company in California's Silicon Valley, about six years ago. “Who knows? A seed may be sown that may yield vocations in the years ahead.”
Already he's dramatized the lives of Blessed Margaret of Castello, a midget born blind, lame and deformed who became a lay Dominican, and St. Margaret Clitherow, who was raised in the Church of England but converted to the Catholic faith. She was eventually martyred for harboring priests and permitting Masses on her property.
Gallagher's latest play, A Question of Ethics, about a Catholic student battling political correctness at a university, will be performed at a San Jose high school over several weekends in late October.
Gallagher, 64, hopes his plays will influence audience members to leave the theater “a better person than the person who went in. Hopefully, they'll find something encouraging and inspiring that could change their lives.”
Part of the inspiration for actor-playwright Jeremy Stanbary to form a Catholic theater company in Lincoln, Neb., earlier this year comes from the life of Karol Wojtyla, who understood the link between religion and theater. Wojtyla, who of course went on to become Pope John Paul II, acted in a clandestine theater company in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II.
The inspiration for the name of Stanbary's theater company, Epiphany Studio, comes from the Holy Father's 1999 Letter to Artists, in which the Pope talked about how “beauty is the visible form of the good,” says Stanbary, 25. “And it's the good that really draws the human heart in a powerful way. Beauty, in a sense, is the vocation of the artist. He (the Pope) calls for new epiphanies of beauty in our time to renew and restore man's soul and the soul of nations and the soul of cultures.”
An epiphany for Stanbary occurred when he found out at the end of his freshman year of college that he was going to be a father — even though he wasn't married. His son's birth sparked his “Augustine-like” conversion, which he said was the way that God chose to move his heart to a fuller awareness of God's mercy and love in his life.
“I was a product of our culture, which says, ‘If it feels good, do it,’” says Stanbary. “And I realized in a lot of painful ways that that wasn't the best way to live and that wasn't something that was good for me or for society, and the Catholic faith had the answers for me in that.”
Stanbary wrote a one-man Catholic drama while in college and, after graduation, spent a year of formation in the seminary. He discerned that God wasn't calling him to the priesthood and, after a two-year stint as a youth minister in Lincoln, he formed his nonprofit theater company.
His latest production is a one-man drama titled Lolek, the Holy Father's childhood nickname, which traces the life of Karol Wojtyla through young adulthood and will be performed in Lincoln on Nov. 7-8. He plans to share his faith with audiences around the country because he's hoping theaters, high schools and parishes book Lolek — or any of the other Catholic one-man dramas he's written.
“I want to reach out to the culture at large with the beauty of the truth,” says Stanbary, “which naturally finds a home in men's hearts when it's received in a proper way.”
Carlos Briceno writes from Seminole, Florida.
----- EXCERPT: A Catholic theater renaissance? ----- EXTENDED BODY: Carlos Briceno ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Weekly Video/DVD Picks DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:Lilo and Stitch (2002)
There's never been a Disney heroine quite like little Lilo. Of course she's high-spirited and spunky, but she's also troubled, highly imaginative, introverted and vulnerable. An orphan being raised by her teen-aged sister Nani, she quarrels with her sister — not with the defiance of an Ariel but with the unreasoning lashing-out of a child unsure of her boundaries and wanting to be loved.
When she meets Stitch, a vicious little space alien, Lilo sees in him what she needs and wants him to be: a friendly pet whose unsettling behavior means only that he too is troubled and needing love. Yet Stitch isn't cute and cuddly, or even sympathetic. He's a pint-sized bully — an outer-space bio-weapon programmed for destruction. If he can be rehabilitated, it won't be easy.
The theme of family is emphasized, but Lilo is more honest and insightful than typical Disney about the difficulties of growing up without parents. Lilo and Nani know their family is “broken,” and the film doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of Lilo's social awkwardness and latchkey existence or Nani's spotty record as breadwin-ner-homemaker. Yet in the end it's possible to say, with one character, that this family, though “little and broken … [is] still good. Yes, still good.”
Content advisory: Cartoon scifi violence, some mild menace and intense sequences that could be frightening to some children.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
What a peculiar genius was A.A. Milne, and what a delightful literary confection are his tales of Winnie-the-Pooh, very sweetly told a very long time ago to Pooh himself under the vigilant attention of Christopher Robin.
Pooh and friends, though visually cutened from Ernest Shepard's classic illustrations, somehow emerge from the Dis-neyfication process more unmistakably themselves than any other literary characters in any other Disney cartoon.
Meanwhile Milne's distinctive voice retains its character with a clarity and integrity exceeding that of any other author Disney adapted, from Collodi (Pinocchio) to Barrie (Peter Pan) to Hugo (Hunchback). (The only author to come close was Carroll in Alice in Wonderland.)
The result, though not perfect, is among the most charming and delightful films for even the youngest viewers.
Actually an anthology of three featurettes based on Milne's writings, The Many Adventures includes the well-known tales of the Honey Tree and the Blustery Day.
The voice work is spot on, from Sterling Holloway's warm, fuzzy cadences as Pooh and John Fiedler's timorous little tones as Piglet to the rich narration of Sebastian Cabot (Bagheera in Jungle Book). A timeless classic.
Content advisory: Nothing objectionable.
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Recently released in a lavish special-edition DVD, Sleeping Beauty is finally available in its original wides-creen aspect ratio and comes with an audio commentary by the surviving filmmakers.
The last Disney animated feature to be overseen by Uncle Walt, Sleeping Beauty was also the Mouse House's last great fairy tale adaptation for more than 30 years, until 1991 's Beauty and the Beast. A worthy successor to the classic Snow White and Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty with its Tchaikovsky soundtrack lacks the hummable sin-galong quality of Cinderella but more authentically captures the fairy-tale spirit of the original Perrault tale, filling out its third act with a mythic battle of knight versus dragon rather than trotting out cute animal sidekicks.
Compared to Perrault, Disney neglects to establish that the occasion of the confrontation of the fairies over the fate of the infant princess is in fact the child's christening. On the other hand, the film incorporates traces of Christian imagery in the climactic battle: The good fairies equip Prince Philip with armor reminiscent of Ephesians 5 — a “shield of virtue” that actually bears the emblem of a cross as well as a “sword of truth” — with which he stands against Maleficent, transformed into a dragon who expressly declares herself to embody “the powers of hell.”
Content advisory: Depictions of bestial imps and a fearsome dragon, brief comic drunkenness.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Steven D. Greydanus ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Weekly TV Picks DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:All times Eastern
SUNDAY, OCT. 19
Beatification of Mother Teresa
EWTN, 4 a.m., live
We won't be the only ones watching Mother Teresa's Mass of beatification. Looking on from heaven will be a whole host of the poorest of the poor, now rich in glory, whom for decades she saved from the streets and loved and held as they entered eternal life. This three-hour broadcast will re-air today at noon and 6:30 p.m., on Monday at 12:30 a.m., and on Tuesday at 9 a.m., Thursday at 9 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m.
MONDAY, OCT. 20
Extraordinary Places
Travel Channel, 6 p.m.
This new series shows us the Barrington meteorite crater — 570 feet deep and nearly a mile wide — between Flagstaff and Winslow, Ariz. It also takes us to Santa Fe, N.M., to see the famed spiral staircase with no central support, and no nails, that a mysterious carpenter — St. Joseph? — built in 1878 in answer to a novena by the Sisters of Loretto after they discovered there was no way up to the choir loft in their new chapel.
MONDAY, OCT. 20
River of Iron: Dreams of a Grand Canyon Railroad
PBS, 10:30 p.m.
A team recreates the 1889-1890 expedition of engineer Robert Brewster Stanton, who hoped to build a water-level railroad through the Grand Canyon. Stanton created a fine photographic record of the canyon's physical geography. First shown in March 2000.
TUESDAY, OCT. 21
Sensible Chic
Home & Garden TV, 4:30 p.m.
Find affordable substitutes for expensive interior design themes. Re-airs at 10 p.m.
WEDNESDAYS & SUNDAYS
Be Not Afraid Family Hour
Familyland TV, 6 p.m.-midnight
Starting hourly, 6 to 11 p.m., these excellent Catholic family devotions programs feature Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, Cardinal Francis Arinze and other Catholic leaders, a pray-along family rosary and dramatizations of some of the mysteries.
THURSDAY, OCT. 23
Last Secrets of the Axis
History Channel, 8 p.m.
This “Time Machine” two-hour special probes the background, formation and activities of the German-Japanese alliance in World WarII.
FRIDAY, OCT. 24
Save Our History: America's Most Endangered, 2003
History Channel, 7 a.m.
On this year's list of 11 sites from the National Trust for Historic Preservation are “urban houses of worship, nationwide” and, near Boston, the Minuteman National Historical Park, where Americans stood and fought for liberty on April 19, 1775.
SATURDAY, OCT. 25
The Calling: The Vocation of Father Tom Hepburn
EWTN, 8 p.m.
This “reality”-type documentary follows Father Hepburn's first years in the priesthood.
Dan Engler writes from Santa Barbara, California.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Dan Engler ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: A Leading Light on the Lord's Prayer DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:UNDERSTANDING “OUR FATHER”: BIBLICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE LORD'S PRAYER
by Scott Hahn
Emmaus Road Publishing, 2003
146 pages, $15.95
To order: (800) 398-5470
www.emmausroad.org
Do you ever find yourself praying the Our Father in a kind of pious coma? Here's a book to rouse you from the drone of repetition and guide you into the depths of Christ's own prayer.
Scott Hahn has helped acquaint many a Catholic with the finer points of Bible study. A gifted teacher, he has a knack for making the dull vivid and the complex simple. Here he unpacks the theological and biblical meaning of each phrase of the Lord's Prayer — and reveals what he terms the “inner logic” of this most fundamental of prayers.
Throughout, Hahn, professor of theology and Scripture at the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, develops and draws from his trademark launching pad: covenant theology, according to which the Trinity creates a family bond with us, the members of the Body of Christ.
“If you want to see how the Our Father changes the souls who use it in prayer, take a closer look at its structure,” Hahn writes in introducing the study. “The first part is clearly ‘God-ward,’ focused on ‘Thy name,’ ‘Thy Kingdom,’ ‘Thy will.’ The second half, however, turns attention to us and our needs: ‘give us,’ ‘forgive us,’ ‘lead us,’ ‘deliver us.’ The sequence is significant, because it reverses the instinctive order of our petitions. When we pray spontaneously, we tend to begin with our troubles, our frustrated desires and our personal wish list. But Jesus shows us that we need to be less self-centered in prayer and more God-centered. … In its very sequence, the Our Father is a much-needed orientation-to-reality program.”
Elsewhere Hahn points to healthy human father-children bonds but doesn't forget those who've had bad experiences with their earthly fathers and now have difficulty accepting the authority of any “father figure” — including God the Father. Catholic tradition, he points out, “tells us we must go beyond our earthly experiences and memories of fatherhood. God is more unlike than like any human father, patriarch or paternal figure.”
The book is written in Hahn's usual energetic, conversational style. The chapters are peppered with playful subheads — “Send in the Crowns,” “From Heir to Eternity” and “Celestial Voices Impersonated” among them. Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't laugh; it only encourages him. Then again, more than one “Hahnhead” has assured me that the professor's peculiar penchant for puns serves a useful purpose: It provides a steady stream of mnemonic, doctrine-remembrance devices.
It's worth noting here that only the first half of the 146-page book is written by Hahn. The rest of the pages offer commentaries on the Lord's Prayer by four Church Fathers: St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, St. Cyril of Jerusalem and St. Cyprian. These selections, 19th-century translations now in the public domain, can make for tough going at times, especially for those unfamiliar with reading ancient or doctrinally dense writing. Unfortunately, Hahn provides only three paragraphs of guidance on how to read these commentaries. I suspect some readers will, upon reaching this point, feel as if they're being sent off on an exploration without a map. Also, the Church Fathers can be downloaded from the Internet for free — which makes the book's $15.95 price tag seem a bit steep.
Despite these not-insubstantial reservations, Understanding “Our Father” provides some startling and worthwhile insights that can serve as powerful aids to prayer. And it's a must-have for those looking to compile a comprehensive Scott Hahn collection.
Una McManus writes from Steubenville, Ohio.
----- EXCERPT: Weekly Book Pick ----- EXTENDED BODY: Una Mcmanus ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Campus Watch DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:Sudden Death
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA, Oct. 5 — Msgr. Stephen Happel, dean of the university's School of Theology and Religious Studies, died Oct. 4 after suffering a heart attack.
A priest of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Msgr. Happel, 59, had taught at the University of Notre Dame, Boston College and Gonzaga University before coming to Catholic University, where he spearheaded a major reorganization of the theological school.
An expert in systematic theology, foundational and fundamental theology, Msgr. Happel was the author of several books. He served as Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick's personal theologian and was named a mon-signor and “chaplain to His Holiness” by Pope John Paul II earlier this year.
Good Feeders
Faculty Uniforms
Teachers and staff all arrived for the first day of school this year wearing oxford and polo shirts that bear the school's logo, along with appropriate slacks, skirts and other apparel.
“We save money on clothes and we save time not worrying about what we'll wear,” one teacher said. “When we wear our uniform outside, it's great publicity for our wonderful school.”
Marriage Priest
UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON, Oct. 2 — Marianist Father Norbert Burns, 80, has taught a marriage course to an estimated 26,000 University of Dayton students — about a third of all alumni — since 1963, the university announced in a release to mark the 40th anniversary of his tenure.
In addition to presiding over what has endured as the university's “most popular” course, Dayton boasts that Father Burns has “never missed a class in 58 years of teaching.”
In his marriage class, the university release says, “Father Burns patiently leads the group to the position of the Catholic Church” while listening to all sides of controversial topics.
Alumni of the class have contributed $38,000 to a newly endowed scholarship fund in Father Burns' honor for religious studies majors with financial need.
African Solidarity
THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, Sept. 23 — Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington told a capacity crowd at the university's Basilica of the Sacred Heart that “we who are so blessed in this country must share with others and make sure we help show these blessings to everybody.”
The Mass was celebrated as part of “A Call to Solidarity with Africa,” a four-day conference sponsored by the university, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria.
More than 60 clerics and representatives of business, academia and government discussed problems confronting Africa and what the United States, the international community and the Catholic Church can do to help address those problems.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joe Cullen ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Family Matters DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:Home School Help
Q
Help! I have a deep desire to homeschool our children, but my husband is adamantly opposed to the idea. It is really causing stress in our marriage. How can we come to a resolution?
A
Any home schooler will attest that home schooling is such an undertaking that you simply cannot attempt it without both parents being totally committed and united. Mom needs more than Dad's mere acquiescence; she needs his full support. We're sorry to say so, but, at the present time, home schooling does not seem like a viable option for you.
However, if your desire to home school stems from a desire to form your children morally and spiritually, then take heart. You are still the primary educators of your children, no matter where they attend school. There are countless ways to pass on the faith — sitting down with a religion textbook in a classroom setting is but one way. We urge you and your husband to redouble your efforts to teach the faith to your children. Here are some suggestions on how to do so.
• Live out the liturgical year in your home. Buy a good Catholic calendar and discuss and celebrate feast days. Be sure at holiday times your religious decorations are more plentiful than your secular ones.
• Immerse your kids in Catholic and Christian literature, which can capture and sanctify the imagination. Institute a family read-aloud time for all ages. Tom has taken on this task in our home before bedtime, and it is truly one of the highlights of our children's day. Include Bible stories, lots of them, which effortlessly help kids learn about the superheroes of our faith.
• Fill your home with Catholic art, statues, crucifixes and holy-water fonts. Art instructs as it inspires. Children can become familiar with the family of faith even before kindergarten. It's also an important witness to our children (and other visitors to our home) of what's truly important in our lives.
• Be committed to a daily family prayer time. The format is up to you — offering up special intentions after dinner, a decade of the rosary, using a prayer book like Magnificat. Pope John Paul writes that “only by praying together with their children can a father and mother penetrate the innermost depths of their children's hearts and leave an impression that the future events in their lives will not be able to efface” (Familiaris Consortio, The Role of the Family in the Modern World, 1981). Wow! Isn't that what you're after?
• Finally, don't give up entirely on home schooling. Calmly listen to and discuss your husband's objections. Perhaps he has valid concerns about your unique family situation, or perhaps he doesn't have enough information. For the rest of this school year, be committed to exposing your husband to some topnotch material. Not nagging him about it, please (see Proverbs 21:9), but simply making information available. What convinced us was Hahn and Hasson's book, Catholic Education: Homeward Bound.
Pray not that your husband will change his mind but that you can be of “one heart, one mind, one path” on this issue. May God's will be done.
Tom and Caroline McDonald are family-life directors for the Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama.
Reach Family Matters at familymatters@ncregister.com
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Tom and Caroline Mcdonald ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Commandments Constituency DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:Facts of Life
Only one in five Americans approved of the federal court order under which workers removed the Ten Commf andments monument from the 1 rotunda of Alabama's state judicial building in August, “ according to a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll conducted at the end of August. Some 77% of the 1,009 Americans interviewed disapproved of U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson's order to remove the monument.
Source: USA Today Register illustration by Tim Rauch
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Two Sisters and Mother DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:Filmmakers Ann and Jeanette Petrie, a pair of sisters, won critical acclaim for their 1986 work, Mother Teresa. Now, as part of worldwide celebrations surrounding the famous nun's Oct. 19 beatification, they will premiere a new film, Mother Teresa: The Legacy, in Rome. Register correspondent Carlos Briceno spoke to the Petrie sisters as they were putting the final touches on the new film.
Growing up in Windsor, Canada, what influence did your family have on your faith?
When did you meet Mother Teresa and how did your first film evolve from meeting her?
She was very real, very wonderful, very warm, very loving, very human. I never had an occasion to think there was going to be anything beyond that. When we first met her, she hadn't won the Nobel Prize. We met her because we were the sisters of Father Petrie. And after Mother won the Nobel Prize, I know my sister had it in her mind that she would be a good person for a documentary piece.
We formed a company in 1982 to produce a film on Mother. We thought it would take one year. It took five years. We shot that film on the run in 24 locations in 10 countries. At the time, what was driving us was that Mother was one of the most internationally recognized persons in the world. She was one of the most awarded individuals in the world. And nobody knew anything about her. They just knew she was a sister in Calcutta. We set out to tell the story and how and why this Catholic Albanian nun was able to transcend every social, political and economic boundary, enabling her to open homes throughout the world in non-Christian countries under every circumstance. The result of that was our first film.
Tell me about your new film.
Over the years, we had done a series of interviews with Mother, and we thought now is the time to let Mother lead us on her own spirituality. In Mother's lifetime it was very hard to focus strictly on Mother because her mission was on the work and on the poor. We thought this was a wonderful time to let Mother have her last say, so to speak. Interwoven into the film is Mother talking about her own spirituality on several topics. Sort of her top-10 list, we call them. We have Mother talking about joy, we have her talking about the beginning of love, we have her talking about love in action, we have her talking about loss of the presence of God.
How did Mother impact your filmmaking?
What we work so hard to do is let the viewer have an experience of Mother and if anybody does any explaining, it's Mother. And that's very difficult to do. It's very easy to make a documentary where you have an analyst and you have experts or scholars, and they're explaining. Or doing pros and cons. It's an art to let the material reveal itself. It takes hours and hours and hours of work to let the material reveal itself in a way that is evergreen. It should be timeless. It's not topical, it's timeless. That's what's different from making other films. When you devote yourself in this way, you don't get to do very much else.
What is your favorite memory of Mother Teresa?
How did Mother Teresa being present to God help you get closer to God?
How have you applied her lessons about having faith to your life?
Carlos Briceno is based in Seminole, Florida
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Carlos Briceno ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Just Let Him Live His Life on the Rock DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:David Lawrence Stone always had the gift of passion — that inner drive that equips select people with natural intensity and motivation.
He had it when he was an all-state athlete in Livonia, Mich., a suburb of Detroit. And he has it today as a 43-year-old priest, Father Francis Mary, a Franciscan Missionary of the Eternal Word and the host of “Life on the Rock,” the weekly TV program for teen-agers and young adults that airs Thursday nights on EWTN, the Eternal Word Television Network founded by Mother Angelica.
At 6 foot 5, David Stone was a standout on his high-school basketball team.
An accurate shooter and tenacious rebounder, he was as respected by opponents as he was appreciated by teammates. He might have gone on to be a dominant force for a small-college team but instead chose to enroll at Michigan
State University — during the Irving “Magic” Johnson NCAA championship era, no less. So it was that he did not play college basketball but graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting.
Next he headed west, earning a master's degree in business administration at California State University, training for grueling triathlons, working as a bartender, enjoying the party scene and nearly marrying a California girl who worked as a lifeguard.
“I didn't go to Mass and I had given up my faith,” recalls Father Francis Mary. “I was totally into the cult of the body — working out all the time, running the beaches, competing. I hadn't yet learned that Christ calls us to be stewards of our bodies.”
He remembers the moment he found the grace to reach beyond himself and upward for God. “I drove a VW Bug,” he says. “It was a convertible, but it didn't have a roof. I tooled all over the place in that car. One day, when my fiancée was with me, we came to a stop sign and I just blurted out, ‘Why don't we postpone this wedding?’”
With that, a major change in Stone's life's direction began. He decided to return to his roots in Detroit but took a winding route home, first stopping in Texas to visit his married sister, Diane, the oldest of the family's eight children. At the time, she had been going through changes of her own. She'd suffered two miscarriages — and found comfort and strength in her Catholic faith. Touched by his sister's witness, Stone began praying the rosary and studying the writings of St. Louis de Montfort, especially his classic treatise True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“Looking back,” he says, “Mary had been watching out for me. Our Lady had been caring for me all along.” Stone returned home, newly devoted to the Catholic faith, and went to work as a business consultant. All went well for two years, but still his heart remained restless. He knew he would never be content unless he made a “total, no-stringsattached” commitment to the Lord.
It was during this time of his life that he watched EWTN, well, religiously. So it was that he began sensing that God might be calling him to become a priest in the religious order founded by Mother Angelica.
Undaunted by Doubts
In November 1990, the passionate and intense ex-jock — the young man who once trained to do a mile-long swim, bicycle 125 miles and run a 26-mile marathon all in the same day — got into his Honda sedan and drove straight from Detroit to Birmingham, Ala. But what happened next was not exactly a slam-dunk.
“I got to EWTN and saw the nuns in their habits walking in the courtyard behind the gates,” he recalls. “I froze; I chickened out. I couldn't go in. Instead, I went out and got a hotel room for the night.”
In his hotel room that night, he says, he wrestled ferociously with the lies of the devil, who taunted him over his “unworthiness” to be among the truly holy people he'd seen earlier that day. The experience was very disconcerting, yet, the next day, trusting Our Lady to lead him, he put one foot in front of the other and went back to the community. For good, as it turned out.
After studying for the priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, he was ordained a priest, a Franciscan Missionary of the Eternal Word, on May 30, 1998.
It was a good move for him — and for the many people to whom he has ministered since. Margaret Ann Berry of Birmingham credits Father Francis Mary with being a particular channel of God's grace in her life. As a child, she was sexually abused. It was a dark secret she had kept hidden from everyone in her life. “God used Father Francis as an instrument in my life,” she says. “One of his homilies gave me the courage to talk about my past, to get it out so the Lord could heal me. I don't even remember the words of the homily. All I know is that God spoke to me through his words.”
Father Frederick Miller specializes in spiritual direction at the North American College and he also teaches at the Angelicum, the Dominican seminary in Rome. He has known Father Francis Mary for many years and has been his spiritual director, and he speaks with obvious joy about the caliber of men like Father Francis Mary who are answering the call to priesthood today.
“The priest's role is to teach, sanctify and lead the people so that the laity will be able to transform the culture and society at large,” says Father Miller. “As a priest, Father Francis Mary understands that; he is very clear about it in his own life as a priest.”
In his role as host of “Life on the Rock,” Father Francis Mary is present in a rugged yet gentle and open manner to his guests. His Christlike way, they say, puts them at ease, helping them joyfully witness what Christ has done in their lives — on air, live, before a potential audience of millions.
As for personal goals, the former basketball hotshot and physical-fitness fanatic now simply wants to be faithful, as a priest, in living and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ without compromise.
“I will be successful as a priest,” says Father Francis Mary, “if I faithfully pass on the fullness of the Church's deposit of faith. If I am faithful in doing that, the Lord will do the rest.”
Wally Carew, author of Men of Spirit, Men of Sports, writes from Medford, Massachusetts.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Wally Carew ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Prolife Victories DATE: 10/19/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 19-25, 2003 ----- BODY:No Union Label for Abortion
It didn't take long before the petitions started circulating in the plants and phones started ringing at UAW headquarters at Solidarity House in Detroit.
The controversial proposal has been crushed.
Robert Pollard, a UAW member who has worked for General Motors Corp. for 42 years, called the proposal “an insult to every Christian member of the UAW.”
Michigan for Babies
Pro-lifers hope the bill, by defining an emerging baby as a legal person, circumvents court rulings in 1997 and 2001 that struck down as unconstitutional Michigan bans on partial-birth abortions.
Surgery for the Unborn
Medical and scientific progress in this field is giving hope to parents who are often pressured to abort unborn children diagnosed with birth defects.
Dr. James Thorp, a maternal-fetal medicine physician present at the hearing, testified that, “Progress in this field today is unheralded. There are incredible opportunities to treat the child in the womb … There are [also] a number of diseases that have the potential to be completely cured by injecting stem cells from umbilical cords into a fetus's system.”
Wisconsin Birth Bill
ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sept. 26 — The Wisconsin state assembly has unanimously approved a bill that insures babies “born alive” after abortion attempts have the same legal right to live as any other human being.
The Assembly voted 95-0, without any public debate, to approve the legislation that would define “live birth” and “born alive” understate statutes for the first time.
Rep. Mark Gundrum, R-New Berlin, the bill's main author, said the legislation requires doctors to give due care to any infant that survives an abortion attempt.
The bill has to be approved by the Senate and Gov. Jim Doyle to become law.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Beatification 'Extras' a Tribute to Mother Teresa's Christ-Like Life DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:ROME — The beatification ceremony for Mother Teresa was a fitting tribute not only to a remarkable woman but also to a cause she championed so well: upholding the importance of human dignity.
The Oct. 19 ceremony was a global event that reflected her own willingness to serve the rich and poor, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, Asian, American, European and African.
Pilgrims in wheelchairs lined the aisles, 3,000 of Rome's poor were given pride of place in front row seats, and religious from hundreds of congregations were in attendance.
In the days leading up to this formal recognition of her holiness, the final step before sainthood, 2,000 religious sisters followed her example, pitching tents outside Rome in order to be in solidarity with the poor.
The ceremony began shortly before 10 a.m. to the singing of Jubilate Deo. A dozen acolytes processed in front of Pope John Paul II, who was wheeled through the front of St. Peter's Basilica.
Hunched in his chair but alert, he passed down a red carpet lined with flowers to the front of the altar. There he beheld a view of an estimated 250,000 people who had streamed into the square since before dawn and stretched down the Via della Conciliazione as far as the eye could see.
To Pope John Paul's right was a sea of red and purple — hundreds of cardinals and bishops observing the ceremony. Not since the College of Cardinals was internationalized have so many Church leaders attended a beatification.
Presentation of the cause of Mother Teresa's beatification was soon underway and delivered by Archbishop Lucas Sirkar of Calcutta and postulator of her cause, Missionary of Charity Father Brian Kolodiejchuk.
Mother Teresa's successor as superior general, Sister Nirmala Joshi, and the head of the Missionaries of Charity's men's branches, Brother Jesu Das Mannoopparampil, formed the procession of the Veneration of the Relics, which included a vial of Mother Teresa's blood.
In what seemed a short time, the decree was passed, and the Gloria was sung. To resounding cheers and applause a covering of a large canvas draped over the front of the basilica was raised, revealing a striking image that captured Mother Teresa's familiar, joyful wrinkled face.
IMAGE OF SAMARITAN
Pope John Paul's entire homily in English and Italian was read for him — the first time this has happened. He affirmed that Blessed Teresa was that “image of the Good Samaritan, going everywhere to serve Christ in the poorest of the poor. Neither conflicts nor wars could stop her.
“The witness of her life,” the Pope continued, “reminds all people that the evangelical mission of the Church passes through charity.” He specifically chose this day, Mission Sunday, for Blessed Teresa's beatification.
Referring to the Gospel reading — “Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant” — he said Blessed Teresa had chosen to be not just “the least” but to be “the servant of the least.”
He recalled her long years of “interior darkness” in which she could not feel the presence of God and which he called a “heartbreaking test.” During such deep spiritual anguish she would pray before the Blessed Sacrament which, the Pope said, “brought her to identify herself even more with those whom she daily served, experiencing their distress and even, at times, their rejection.”
Pope John Paul concluded his remarks, praising “this little woman in love with God” and called on Mary's intercession to help us follow her example in serving with humility “in joy and with a smile every person we meet.”
The Liturgy of the Eucharist that followed reflected the diversity of those who were drawn by Blessed Teresa's witness. Prayers were given in Bengali, Albanian, and French. Indian girls in white and gold saris participated in the offertory procession and, preceding the Lord's Prayer, the air was filled with an Indian hymn sung to exotic-sounding tabla, harmonium and bells.
As the ceremony concluded with a papal blessing, the vast crowd erupted in cheers and thunderous applause. Deacon Eroy Martinez from New Mexico was particularly moved: “It was beautiful, I loved it. It was nice that they proclaimed the Gospel in the different languages — that way it touches everyone … it reflects unity for the people.”
A Missionary of Charity sister from Kenya who did not give her name said the order had been preparing for the event for over a year. “We've been praying for everyone to be drawn to Mother's example and come to know the love of Jesus,” she said.
“It was wonderful,” remarked Archbishop Peter Smith of Wales. “Mother Teresa was a real icon for what the Church is called to do, especially now in this globalized world.
“That she suffered a dark night of the soul is an enormous encouragement to people, especially those doubting whether God really does love them,” he said.
“Mother Teresa has made history and will continue to make history,” said John Moses from Charlotte, N.C., who made the pilgrimage with his wife just for the occasion.
Jim Chestness, a parish youth worker from Palm Beach, Fla., said Blessed Teresa's life was one “worth emulating in terms of service to others, giving of oneself and giving back to Christ who has given so much to us.”
There was plenty of praise for the Pope, whose visible suffering only seemed to make him more popular. “In his weakness, he shows power and strength,” noted Deacon Martinez.
He still found the energy to visit the crowds in the “popemobile” at the end of the ceremony to chants of Viva il Papa. In the evening, a short fireworks display was held at the Vatican to celebrate his jubilee.
But neither Mother Teresa nor the Pope would claim any of this adulation for themselves. Retired Archbishop Henry De Souza of Calcutta recalled Blessed Teresa's response when asked if she felt she had done tremendous work in founding over 600 foundations.
“No, God created them out nothingness,” he remembers her saying. “I am a pencil in God's hands and in spite of our inadequacies, God writes beautifully when we offer ourselves to him.”
Edward Pentin writes from Rome.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Edward Pentin ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Pro-Lifers Mourn; Schiavo's Family Hopes for Miracle DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — The slow process of starving Terri Schiavo to death in a hospice near St. Petersburg, Fla., began Oct. 15 with the court-ordered removal of her feeding tube. She is expected to die within 10 days to two weeks.
Schiavo is a 39-year-old Florida woman who collapsed in 1990 and suffered severe brain damage from lack of oxygen. Her fate has been the center of a years-long legal battle pitting her husband and legal guardian, Michael Schiavo, against her parents, Robert and Mary Schindler.
Since 1998, Michael Schiavo has asked the courts to remove her feeding tube, contending that Terri is in an irreversible “persistent vegetative state” and that she never wanted to be kept on life support. Terri's parents have disputed both those claims and believe she can partially recover if given the proper care.
At the time her feeding tube was removed, she could breathe on her own — without the help of a respirator — but could not speak. She was aware of her environment and often has responded to voices and objects, her family said. She was not in a coma.
A last-ditch effort — a recent federal suit that contained a friend-of-the-court brief filed by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's office in support of the Schindlers — was dismissed in court several days before Oct. 15, the day that her family has dreaded for years.
The Schindler family met with Gov. Bush, who was in Tampa at a dedication for new migrant housing, several hours before the feeding tube removal time. Bush instructed his legal staff to review options to block the ending of Schiavo's starvation death, said Jacob DiPietre, the governor's spokesman.
“The governor is very concerned by this situation and has the Schindler family and Terri in his prayers,” DiPietre said.
The removal of the tube should worry people concerned about the sanctity of life, according to Wesley Smith, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute.
“The message is that in law, as well as in medical ethics, we're making a disposable caste of people,” said Smith, who is also a lawyer for the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. “We're creating invidious categories of discrimination based on cognitive capacity — what bioethicists call person-hood. If you do not pass muster and are not deemed to have a high-enough quality of life, then your right to life won't be protected.”
But Smith argued the Schiavo case goes even further. “You will not only not be given the right to life, but you will be denied the medical treatment that might improve your capacity so you don't need a feeding tube, which means this is not a right-to-die case. This is a no-right-to-live case.”
Burke Balch, director of the department of medical ethics at the National Right to Life Committee, said that what's happened to Terri Schiavo has been routinely occurring since shortly after the 1976 Karen Anne Quinlan case, “in virtually every state.
“Vulnerable people have been denied life-saving medical treatment, denied food and fluids routinely when they can't speak for themselves because the law has been that surrogates, guardians and family members can make these decisions,” he said.
“The presumption in our culture today is, if you are in a condition where you are not competent … if you have Alzheimer's, if you have severe or profound mental retardation, if you are you in a situation where you are believed to be irreversibly incompetent, the consensus is that you would be better off dead,” Balch said. “And that is a tragic reality of our contemporary culture. We are fighting against the mainstream in contesting this.”
Bishop Robert Lynch of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Fla., who released a long-awaited statement on Terri's situation in mid-August in which he said removal of the tube was not justified at that time, also commented after the tube was removed.
He said his prayers were with Schiavo and her family and that he continued “to believe that such decisions should not be made in the court system but must be made on a case-by-case basis by families and/or other responsible parties at the clear direction of each one of us well in advance of a crisis.”
But the Schindler family and other Catholics have expressed concern about the general lack of support within the Church hierarchy to the family's cause.
In a statement, Mary Ann Kreitzer, president of the Catholic Media Coalition, said her coalition contacted every bishop in the country asking for their support for Schiavo and received only a “handful of replies.
“Most of those responding told us they would not take a stand,” Kreitzer said. “If the Catholic hierarchy fails to speak with authority, their silence will be construed as consent,” she added.
Meanwhile, Michael Schiavo has refused to talk to the media. But Terri's father, Robert Schindler, warned that his son-in-law will have to “live with this a lot longer than we will.
“That's his conscience and his girlfriend's conscience,” Schindler said, referring to Michael Schiavo's longtime girlfriend, who is pregnant with their second child.
Bob Schindler Jr., Terri's brother, said he was “overwhelmed” by the support his family has received, glancing at the more than 100 people who gathered outside the hospice that his sister has resided in. Many in the crowd held signs, which included “Starving the disabled is murder” and “You could be next!” Some prayed the rosary. At one point, they chanted “Let Terri live!” and “Therapy, not death!”
Food and Water Basic
One of the protesters was Peter Vere, a member of the International Order of Alhambra, a fraternal order of Catholic men dedicated to assisting people developmentally disabled by mental retardation.
“Canon law, which of course follows moral theology, is very clear: food and water are basic,” said Vere, a canon lawyer. “They're not extra means. They're basic rights of any individual. We have just started on the long road of involuntary euthanasia.”
At 2 p.m., the scheduled time for removal of the feeding tube, the crowd gathered around the Schindler family and began to pray. Msgr. Thaddeus Malanowski, a retired priest and family friend who has visited Terri almost every week for the past 2 years, led the prayer, saying:
“Oh, Lord, in your presence, help us believe that you are aware of our anxieties and you will do what is best for Terri and us. Give us the strength to trust you and put the present and future in your merciful hands. And so we recognize that we depend upon you for everything.
“The most precious gift is the gift of life which you have shared with each of our parents,” he continued. “So we pray for the parents of Terri. Give them the health and strength and courage to see this tragedy through so in the end they will be blessed and favored having their daughter with them.”
The Schindler family visited Terri in her room later that afternoon, along with Msgr. Malanowski, who administered the anointing of the sick and brought with him a relic of Blessed Mother Teresa — hoping for a miracle.
Carlos Briceno is based in Seminole, Florida.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Carlos Briceno ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: 25 Years as 'Peter' DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:VATICAN CITY — “Every day the dialogue between Jesus and Peter takes place in my heart,” said a reflective and prayerful Pope John Paul II on Oct. 16, the 25th anniversary of his election. “In spirit, I fix my gaze on the Risen Christ. He, well aware of my human fragility, encourages me to respond with trust as Peter did: Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you (John 21:17). And then he invites me to assume the responsibilities which he himself has entrusted to me.”
It was a remarkable moment in the long pontificate of John Paul II, for he does not often speak about the intimate things of his own spiritual life. Yet for this historic occasion his homily became a meditative prayer on the blessed burden of the papacy.
“Twenty-five years ago I experienced in a particular way the divine mercy,” he confessed. “In the conclave, through the College of Cardinals, Christ said also to me, as once he said to Peter on the Sea of Gennesaret: Tend my sheep … Humanly speaking, how could I not tremble? How could such a great responsibility not weigh down upon me?”
The Pope returned to St. Peter's Square at the same evening hour at which he first appeared on the balcony in 1978. He came to repeat the words he said upon his election 25 years ago. The voice was labored and the body weak, but the emotion was high among the 50,000 people who packed into the square, joining the Pope and the College of Cardinals for the special anniversary Mass.
“In the obedience of faith before Christ the Lord, abandoning myself to the Mother of Christ and the Church, and conscious of the grave difficulties, I accept,” he said, carefully pronouncing the words with which he accepted his election.
John Paul used a hydraulic throne so that he could remain seated throughout the Mass. As is now customary, he did not read his entire homily himself, leaving another archbishop to read paragraphs which included his famous exhortation of October 1978: “Be not afraid. Open wide the doors to Christ!”
In the same section, John Paul summarized his understanding of his mission, saying that “from the beginning of my pontificate, my thoughts, my prayers and my actions have been animated by one desire — to testify that Christ, the Good Shepherd, is present and works in his Church.”
The Pope read the introduction of his homily, and it was continued by Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, substitute for general affairs of the Vatican Secretariat of State. But John Paul concluded the homily himself with a heartfelt prayer in which he offered to Jesus Christ “the gift of myself, of the present and of the future, that all may be done according to your will.”
‘Pray for Me’
John Paul thereby indicated — as is his custom on his anniversaries — that he would continue his papal service as long as God desires. Saying that “only God knows how many sacrifices, prayers and sufferings have been offered to sustain me in my service to the Church,” he asked the faithful to continue “in this great act of love for the Successor of Peter.”
At 25 years, John Paul is the fourth-longest serving pope in history, after St. Peter himself, Blessed Pius IX (1846-1878) and Leo XIII (1878-1903).
The evening Mass, which he celebrated under a crystal clear evening sky, closed a day which began with the great bells of St. Peter's greeting the dawn with their most solemn festive tones. In the last few weeks, speculation on the Holy Father's deteriorating health led many to think that the bells would be soon intoning the pro papa agonizante — the somber toll for a pope in his last hours.
In a tribute at the beginning of Mass, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, dean of the College of Cardinals and John Paul's most important lieutenant for over 20 years, compared him to St. Paul the Apostle, both in terms of his missionary travels and his physical sufferings, which grew more evident as the two-hour Mass went on. Cardinal Ratzinger himself chanted the Preface of the Mass in place of the Holy Father, whose stamina is failing. At the end of the liturgy, John Paul cut short a lengthy setting of the Magnificat and appeared to be in some pain as he left the square.
“In your life the word ‘cross’ is not only a word. You have allowed yourself to be wounded by it in soul and body,” said the German cardinal in his address on behalf the College of Cardinals. “You have taken upon yourself criticisms and insults You have proclaimed the will of God without fear, even in those places where it contradicts what the people think and want.”
Cardinal Ratzinger spoke of how John Paul had not only traveled across the geographic continents, but also “across the continents of the spirit” to be close to those at the margins of society. At the conclusion of his address, the cardinal had a touching exchange with the Holy Father — two old collaborators sharing a moment of joint thanksgiving.
The cardinal concluded his address by adapting an ancient prayer for the pontiff: Dominus conservet te et vivificet te et beat-um tefaciat in terra! — “May the Lord keep you and give you life and make you blessed on the face of the earth!”
Outpouring of Love
Countries from around the world sent delegations to the anniversary Mass. Many of them belonged to the Soviet empire when John Paul was elected and are now independent. Aleksander Kwasniewski, president of Poland, represented the Pope's homeland, along with former Polish President Lech Walesa, the Solidarity leader whom John Paul supported in the 1980s.
The American presidential delegation was led by Columba Bush, the wife of Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, President George W. Bush's brother. The Florida Bushes are Catholic.
The Pope sat in a spotlight under a canopy, his head tilted forward under a brocaded gold miter. He glanced out at the crown and smiled as visitors waved caps, flags and scarves in tribute.
Some people at Mass were in St. Peter's Square the evening 25 years earlier when the first Polish Pope greeted the world from the balcony of St. Peter's. One of them was Cardinal-elect Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, who worked at the Vatican at the time.
“He was filled with energy, filled with dynamism, and 25 years later it's gone, but he bears the burdens of old age with incredible dignity,” the cardinal told reporters.
One Rome resident, who was only 1 when the Pope was elected, had tears running down her cheeks as she explained her admiration for the Holy Father. “He invites everyone to be Christian, even when it is difficult,” said Cecilia DiCarlo. “He knows how difficult this is for young people, and that is so special, especially from someone his age.”
Father Raymond de Souza writes from Rome.
CNS contributed to this report.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Raymond J. De Souza ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Auto Union Backs Away From Abortion As Benefit DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:DETROIT — Duane Fredendall can rest a little easier. His union, the United Auto Workers, has dropped a controversial proposal to add elective abortions as an employee health benefit, it was announced last month.
“I just think it's killing our own people,” Fredendall, an electrician from Imlay, Mich., said in an interview Oct. 15.
He brought his wife and three children and joined over 100 other protesters outside the Solidarity House, the international headquarters of the auto union in Detroit.
Fredendall, a Catholic, openly speculated if abortion was considered for cost-cutting reasons.
“A 16-week abortion costs $550 — I called a local abortion clinic and found out. What does it cost to cover a child in health care for 19 years?” asked Fredendall. “I can't confirm anything, but it's gotta be a money angle.”
Ultimately, however, he said members got most upset because they were asked to contribute to abortions.
“I just didn't want to see kids killed,” said Fredendall. “Worse yet, that I had to pay for it. That's sickening. Just sickening.”
He said he was prepared to take legal action to protect workers who didn't want their union dues to pay for something they consider murder.
“It would have been the only way to stop them,” said Fredendall.
That wasn't necessary, though. The union announced Sept. 25 that the proposal was taken off the table in talks with auto workers.
Monica Migliorino Miller, who organized the protests, said Oct 15 that this issue almost didn't come to light.
Miller, director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, said an “anonymous source” had tipped her off in mid-July that the union would have an elective abortion benefit put in the contract. Her grass-roots organization has 3,000 activists in Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois.
She immediately sounded the alarm and sent emails to many grass-roots pro-life activists. Soon petition drives were circulating around workplaces where union members work. An Aug. 21 story from the Detroit Free Press then brought widespread publicity.
“The article notified a lot of the rank and file,” said Miller. “They could have snuck this through without the rank and file knowing. I think they wanted to keep it deliberately quiet.”
She said the protests here could help prevent other unions from considering such a divisive issue.
“If one of the biggest unions in the world covered abortion as a part of their benefits package, and no one opposed it, yes, it would have been an enormously bad precedent,” Miller said.
On Oct 10, a spokesman for the United Auto Workers refused to comment, but confirmed that the new contract contained no coverage for elective abortions.
Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life, said that the union should have realized that this would upset many members.
“A lot of union members are pro-life. This is talking about their health benefit. It's a personal issue for members, she said.
Daniel Cronin of the National Right to Work Foundation said this controversy demonstrates the dangers of compulsory union shops.
“When you have to pay a $100 dues fee, is there any incentive for me to be a nice guy? When you give workers the freedom to choose [to join the union], [union bosses] become more responsive,” Cronin said.
Joshua Mercer is based in Washington.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joshua Mercer ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Hope and Pain: How Life Really is in Iraq DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Archbishop Jean Sleiman, a native of Lebanon, lived through the U.S.-led coalition's bombing of Baghdad, Iraq, where he is the Latin-rite leader.
Now he is witnessing the country's reconstruction. Prior to his appointment as archbishop in 2001, he served in Rome for 10 years as the general assistant of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, the order to which he belongs. Previously, he was a professor of sociology at the University of St. Joseph in Beirut.
Register correspondent Doreen AbiRaad interviewed the archbishop in Beirut on his way home from Rome on Oct. 9.
It has been noted that Saddam Hussein liked the Christians in Iraq and often gave funds for Chaldean churches to be built in the Middle East and the United States, although he didn't want any conversions among Muslims.
You have the situation of a president who can be generous, who can be tolerant. However, there's the issue of freedom. The right to be free is a right and not a gift from a president. I think in many countries of the Middle East, as in Iraq, the right to be free isn't recognized as a right.
What is the status of life for Christians now in Iraq, and what is the outlook for their future?
They are still anxious. The situation of the war is still difficult, and so many of them are disappointed, and I think many of them are dreaming of leaving. Some have left, but it's difficult now, because they need passports, visas and money. I think Christians of the Middle East have to be resigned to their mission in the Middle East. It may be difficult now to live in Iraq, but it would be more positive for them if they stay. This country needs Christianity. Otherwise, it will be a desert.
Are the Christians in Iraq able to freely practice their faith?
We practice like before in our churches. But the fear is getting to the church, due to lack of security. People are afraid of becoming a victim of violence.
Is reaching out to the Christians different now for you and your order than it was before the war?
We have to be more helpful now, not only with spiritual help, but with social and economic help. Because the Church didn't suffer as an institution in Iraq, many people look for help from the Church to eat and to find work.
Bishop Andraos Abouna, an auxiliary bishop of Baghdad in the Chaldean Church, stated that the media are presenting a distorted coverage of Iraq to discredit the progress made by the American-led coalition. What are your thoughts regarding this?
I think he's right. The coalition is making positive steps, but it was late. And you still have the anarchy and insecurity. The formation of the Temporary Council of Government is a very positive step, and I think for many people the outcome has improved. But you still have a majority of society who is suffering, especially from the lack of security and financial problems.
What effect is the decreased role of the United Nations having on the situation in Iraq?
I think the role of the United Nations is a very important one. But the United Nations without an agreement of nations will be very inefficient. It's important that the United States and other countries, especially European countries, agree on a program for Iraq. And the United Nations is best suited to apply this program.
The American people are disturbed about the numbers of their young men and women in the military who have lost their lives in Iraq serving their country. What would you like to tell them?
I also am very sad. Because when I encounter these young people, I see many times that they are friendly people. Many of them would buy gifts for the children. They are good people, but now they are victims of a very complex situation. I understand the feelings of the American people and I share it. I am really sad when I hear that one soldier has been killed or wounded. So I hope that the United States can collaborate with other nations to change this situation.
What are some of the ways society is changing in Iraq as a result of the war?
I think Iraq has changed. Surely people now can express their opinion, and they are demonstrating. It was prohibited before. But even though someone is free to speak out now, it doesn't mean that he knows the situation well. Surely, after the war, freedom is a reality, but that freedom has been alienated by the anarchy and the violence.
What is the atmosphere for women now?
Women now are afraid, because we have groups of fundamentalists who are threatening women. I notice that many women don't drive alone. They wait for someone — their husband, a brother or a friend — to go with them when they have to go out. However, there are positive changes, such as the female attorney appointed to the Council of Government. But this attorney has been threatened as well.
You have just returned from Rome. What are the Vatican's views about the current situation in Iraq?
I cannot speak for the Vatican, but I think the Vatican is very close to the Iraqi people and to the churches in Iraq. I think the Vatican is still, as it was before, against violence and war. We are now in the period of the consequences of war, and one can notice the consequences, especially the physical violence and the increase in terrorist groups.
What message would you like to convey to Christians in the world, and in particular, to Christians in the United States?
I hope that all believers in Christ throughout the world will really be a testimony of Christ. I think the Middle East and other countries need Christ more today than ever before. I am sure that we are all a community of Christians as seekers of peace and builders of peace, and it's important to continue.
Doreen AbiRaad is based in Bikfayah, Lebanon.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Doreen AbiRaad ----- KEYWORDS: Inperson -------- TITLE: Vancouver Archbishop Threatened Over Opposition to Same-Sex 'Marriage' DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:VANCOUVER — When Vancouver's Archbishop Adam Exner last month cancelled a financial-education program that a local credit union ran in four of his diocese's private parochial schools, he had no intention of touching off a firestorm that included threats against his life.
“I tried to do it quietly,” he said. “I sent a letter to the schools and the credit union saying the program would end. I didn't call the media or make an announcement.”
But on Sept. 24, the Vancouver Sun published the story, and the response was extraordinary. The newspaper was flooded with letters, some calling the archbishop a fascist, a hatemonger and a bigot. Protesters staged noisy demonstrations outside his residence at night, and he began receiving death threats that were serious enough to alarm city police.
The program he canceled was designed to teach elementary-school students the virtues of thrift, the rewards of saving, and the practical details of opening a bank account. But the heart of the dispute has little to do with money and everything to do with the debate over same-sex marriage.
The credit union that ran the school program was Van City, a major financial institution that recently began making bold efforts to woo clients from Vancouver's homosexual community. Advertisements stressing its sympathy for homosexuals began appearing in newspapers and on billboards, with one showing two young men sitting cheek-to-cheek and captioned, “I want to bank with people who value all partnerships.”
Archbishop Exner concluded the ads required a response. The credit union, he said, was becoming too closely identified with homosexual causes and the movement to legalize same-sex marriage. “It wasn't appropriate that it should be identified with Catholic schools,” he said.
And so he quietly removed the association by sending a four-page letter to the four school administrators carefully explaining his reasons.
The letter, posted at the arch-diocesan Web site www.rcav.org, cites the withdrawal of archdioce-san support for the United Way and the Vatican's withdrawal of support for UNICEF as recent examples of the Church distancing itself from organizations that engage in morally unacceptable actions.
Proclaiming the Gospel
In an opinion piece published Oct. 1 in the Vancouver Sun, the archbishop explained he had no intention of offending homosexuals.
“I believe that all people, homosexuals included, have a right to hear the Gospel taught without compromise,” he wrote. “Many homosexuals might have no interest in the path the Church shows them. However, they are entitled to know it, and I am obliged — and privileged — to teach it."
Vancouver lawyer Barbara Findlay, a lesbian who has litigated a number of high-profile homosexual-rights cases, believes such actions violate the proper separation of church and state. In an article five years ago, she wrote: “The legal struggle for queer rights will one day be a showdown between freedom of religion and sexual orientation.”
“I still believe that,” she told the Register. “The opposition to gay rights has crystallized around the issue of same-sex marriage, and leading that opposition are religious groups, particularly the Catholic Church.”
Findlay said Canadians see that as a threat. “There is a strong feeling,” she said, “that what religious groups should do — and only do — is express their views, and not enact those views in the public square.”
But Archbishop Exner points out that it's common practice for all sorts of organizations to sever relations with business organizations on matters of principle. “But when the Church does it, it touches of this powder keg,” he said.
Marginalizing Religion?
Sean Murphy, director of the Catholic Civil Rights League's western Canadian region, said the concerted response to the archbishop's action shows how hard the homosexual-rights movement is working to marginalize religious opposition. He worries that the Church could be prosecuted under Canada's hate-crimes legislation if a pending bill to add homosexuals to the list of protected groups is passed by Parliament.
“That bill is consistent,” Murphy said, “with the determined effort to silence all opposition to homosexual conduct — or, at least, to confine it to religious ghettos in home and places of worship.”
Same-sex marriage is already legal in British Columbia and Ontario. The federal government has proposed a bill allowing same-sex marriage, and the Supreme Court of Canada is expected to rule by spring on whether the legislation is constitutional.
But if the ruling Liberals thought they were going to slide their project past Parliament that easily, they were wrong. Current polls show the country evenly split on the issue, and when the conservative Canadian Alliance Party introduced a motion to uphold the traditional definition of marriage, it was defeated by just five votes, thanks to the support of 53 Liberal Members who broke ranks to vote with the Alliance.
Canada's bishops have also become much more vocal in instructing Catholic politicians of their responsibility to uphold traditional marriage, galvanized in part by the recent Vatican statement, Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons.
The document, released July 31 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, states that all Catholics are obliged to oppose the legal recognition of homosexual unions, and stresses that “Catholic politicians are obliged to do so in a particular way, in keeping with their responsibility as politicians” (No. 10).
Early last month, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement urging all Canadians “who believe that marriage is the legal union between a woman and a man to exclusion of any other person to assume their responsibilities as citizens and to indicate to their political representatives, in a spirit of deep respect for all people, their firm opposition to a redefinition of marriage that includes same-sex partners.”
Bishop Frederick Henry of Calgary even warned that Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, who is Catholic, was putting his soul atrisk by moving to legalizing same-sex marriages.
Clash of Visions
Daniel Cere, the director of the Montreal-based Institute for the Study of Marriage Law and Culture, says this growing opposition marks an important shift in the debate. It's no longer a matter of being simply for or against homosexual marriage, he said, but a clash between two visions of marriage: the heterosexual, procre-ative vision to which many Canadians remain deeply committed, and a “couple-centered vision” promulgated primarily by the courts.
Despite the recent gains by homosexual activists, Cere believes the fight is far from over. He said a solid 40% of Canadians adamantly oppose same sex marriage, whereas only a small slice of the population are passionately committed to it as a civil-right issue.
Cere suggests that a victory for the traditional understanding of marriage depends on winning over the uncommitted remainder, who otherwise might tilt toward the pro-homosexual position.
Said Cere: “Between them is a soft core who are uncomfortable with the idea of same-sex marriage, but are ready to be nudged toward it in the name of fairness and equity.”
Paul Waters is based in Montreal.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Paul Waters ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Eugenics with Your Morning Coffee
CULTURE AND LIFE FOUNDATION, Oct. 8 — A series of ads appearing in The New York Times this year have touted the services of the Genetics and IVF Institute, a clinic that claims it can allow parents to choose the sex of their babies. The Culture and Life Foundation condemned these ads, noting it is “the first time that a eugenics procedure has been marketed openly in a mainstream American publication.”
For $2,300, the Virginia fertilization clinic offers a procedure called “Microsort,” which it says will allow technicians to screen a father's sperm, filtering out those that would yield a baby of the “wrong” sex. The company's Web site also offers customers the choice of shopping for human eggs of a desired race, hair and eye color — and, astoundingly, sorted according to the donor mothers' educational level.
Google Says Yes to Porn, No to Weapons
CATHOLIC LEAGUE, Oct. 16 — On the day Pope John Paul II marked his Silver Jubilee, two polls were released. Catholic League for Civil And Religious Liberties president William Donohue offered his analysis:
“Fifty-three percent of Catholics in the first poll [USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll], and 62% of those in the second poll [the Washington Post-ABC] say the Pope is ‘out of touch’ with the views of American Catholics. Yet 63% in the first poll, and 80% in the second, approve of his leadership. Indeed, almost 90% Catholics in the second poll (the first did not ask this question) give the pope high marks for ‘preserving the church's traditions.’
“What gives? To begin with, there is a strong correlation between Catholics who attend Mass on a regular basis and support for the Church's teachings. The obverse is true as well. It means little to factor non-practicing Catholics into any survey of Catholics — vegetarians who eat hot dogs at baseball games do not provide insight into the sentiments of vegetarians. … What seems not to be understood is that if the Pope sought to bring the Church's teachings more into line with the values of the dominant culture, he would lose the respect of the very same people who voice a desire for change.”
Guerrillas in Our Midst?
Among those named in a widening scandal are Capt. James Yee, a Muslim convert and Army chaplain, who served at the prison camp and is now charged with “failing to follow orders in handling sensitive information,” as well as two translators, one of whom allegedly collected more than 100 messages from prisoners to pass on to terrorist operatives in Syria.
Both of the organizations used to accredit Muslims who wish to serve the U.S. government are “under investigation as part of the U.S. Customs Department's Operation Green Quest for their possible role in helping funnel $20 million to terrorists through offshore financial institutions,” according to a letter to the Defense Department from U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer. Both groups, along with the Islamic Society of North America, which accredits Muslim chaplains for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, receive funds from the government of Saudi Arabia —where the practice of Christianity is illegal and the possession of a Bible or cross punishable by imprisonment.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: The Other Story: Priests and Laity Across the Nation Defending Celibacy DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:ARLINGTON, Va. — The letter signed this summer by a number of Milwaukee priests urging the Church to admit married men to the priesthood has prompted other priests — and laity — to make their voices heard.
Some have begun to draft, sign, and send letters of their own in defense of the age-old Church practice of clerical celibacy.
In September, more than 600 Catholic priests, members of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, wrote a letter to Bishop Wilton Gregory of Belleville, Ill., president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, standing behind their promise of celibacy.
Earlier, 90 priests from the Diocese of Arlington, Va., wrote the bishops' conference president, affirming their commitment to celibacy.
“Common sense and historical experience indicate … that reducing the demands of the priesthood will not increase vocations because lessening sacrifice never inspires men to offer their lives to Christ,” the Arlington clergymen wrote in a Sept. 17 letter to Bishop Gregory. “In times of crisis, the wisdom and instinct of the Church have always been to respond with greater sacrifice, not less. What will inspire more vocations is celibacy lived well, not celibacy set aside.”
One of the authors of that letter, Father John De Celles, parochial vicar of St. Michael's in Annandale, Va., noted that Bishop Gregory responded to the Milwaukee priests with a good defense of the Church's position. But other priests around the country are responding favorably to the Milwaukee letter, he said.
“A group of us were talking about it, and it seems all this makes it sound like priests aren't happy with celibacy,” Father De Celles said. “So we decided to do the letter.”
The letter that started the controversy, signed by 128 priests of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and 35 religious order priests from the area, was sent to Bishop Gregory Aug. 19.
“The Catholic Church needs more candidates for the priesthood, so that the Church's sacramental life might continue to flourish,” Father Joseph Aufdermauer, parochial vicar of St. Matthias Parish in Milwaukee, one of the principal authors of the letter, told the Register. “So many people that are against us, or against our position, are extolling the beauty of celibacy. We agree on that. We're just saying, ‘Make it optional, for the sake of the sacraments.’”
Bishop Gregory, in a Sept. 3 letter addressed to Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee, said the Milwaukee letter ignores the fact that many Protestant Churches that allow a married clergy still have a shortage of ministers.
But Father Aufdermauer called that comparing apples to oranges.
“The shortage of Protestant ministers is far different than the shortage in the Catholic Church,” he argued. “As an example, a Protestant congregation with 1,000 members normally would have two or three ministers, pastors, and so if they can only get one or two, they call that a shortage. Secondly a lot of times in the Protestant Churches the smaller congregations in the country have difficulty attracting a pastor because most pastors would like to be in the city in the larger parishes and so therefore they say ‘we have a shortage.’”
Gift of Celibacy
But Father John Pecoraro, an associate pastor in the Diocese of Memphis, Tenn., wants to remind his brother priests that celibacy is a gift.
“Just the other day I had a conversation with a parishioner who felt that it was unfair that priests are not allowed to marry. I sensed an attitude that regarded celibacy as something cruel or unusual,” Father Pecoraro said. “Much of the laity do not see celibacy as a cherished gift or a charism. If they did understand celibacy as a gift their views would change. I think that adding my voice to those who support continued celibacy acts as a witness to the fact that most priests value the gift of celibacy.”
Father Pecoraro is promoting a nationwide defense of priestly celibacy and has established a Web site, www.priestsforcelibacy.home stead.com, which allows priests to voice support for celibacy. He is encouraging priests to print the letter on official stationery and send it to him by Oct. 31. He will forward the letters to Bishop Gregory.
The Tennessee priest also took issue with the way the Milwaukee letter was made public.
“The Archbishop of Milwaukee was out of town and could not be reached for comment, and Bishop Gregory … did not have the opportunity to even see the letter before the letter and signatures were made public,” Father Pecoraro said. “In my opinion, I believe that the Milwaukee letter was an attempt to muddy the waters with the added effect of embarrassing the hierarchy of the Church.”
The pro-celibacy initiatives by priests have lay support, particularly from organizations such as Women for Faith and Family. Helen Hull Hitchcock, president of the St. Louis organization, feels the Milwaukee priests are “taking advantage of confusion in the Church to promote an agenda that they've had for a long time.”
“They have problems with the hierarchical structure of the Church and the role of the priest in general,” Hitchcock said. “Some of those who have joined the Milwaukee priests are former priests, some of whom are married who believe they should be allowed to exercise their priesthood within the Catholic Church. Those organizations have been around for years, and it seems to us like perhaps some of those groups have felt that the Church's leadership is in a vulnerable position at the moment because of the pederasty scandals involving Catholic clergy that has preoccupied everyone for the last two years. They are taking advantage of this situation.”
There's another reason Hitchcock supports priests faithful to Church teaching. The priesthood and motherhood share an important similarity, she says. Both vocations demand sacrifice.
Mary Ann Sullivan is based in New Durham, New Hampshire.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Mary Ann Sullivan ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Belgian Cardinal Predicts Popes Will Retire
“We live too long and people cannot continue to carry that responsibility if they turn 90 or 100,” he said. “It doesn't matter how well they are looked after. …That the pope in the future will abdicate before his death will take place is a matter of course.”
The cardinal pointed out that he did not expect the Church ever to set a mandatory retirement age — as it has for bishops, at age 75. In any case, future popes would still have the power to set aside such a rule, since they are the sole judge of Canon Law.
Cardinal Danneels stressed that papal retirements would remain in the hands of the pope alone: “Otherwise you'll end up with too strong a lobbying in the pope's surroundings once that moment draws nearer.”
Pope John Paul Doesn't Need Dialysis, Says Vatican
CBC NEWS, Oct. 11 — Countering media reports, Church officials in Rome denied that Pope John Paul II's failing health has required him to seek kidney dialysis, according to Canada's CBC News.
Speculation had been sparked by Italian news agency AGI's previous report that the papal physicians feared the pope's kidneys were being overloaded by his medications and would require dialysis to cleanse them.
But Vatican sources denied this claim, saying there is “nothing new that is alarming” about the Pope's health. The Pope has kept up his busy schedule of audiences and official duties, CBC noted.
John Paul's Philosophical Writings Collected
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE, Oct. 13 — In a long-awaited pub lishing feat, the Italian press Bompiani will be publishing the philosophical works of Karol Wojtyla written between 1948, when he received his licentiate in theology at the Angelicum in Rome, and 1978, the year of his election to the pontificate.
Vatican Information Service reported that the volume will be 1600 pages long, including all the future Pope's philosophical essays, most of which were published individually while he taught at the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland. Key essays and books included are: “The doctrine of the faith in St. John of the Cross” (1948); “Evaluations on the possibility of building up the Christian ethic on the foundations of the system of Max Scheler” (1954); Love and Responsibility (1960), and The Acting Person (1969).
The book will first be published in Italian. It was introduced at the Holy See Press Office Oct. 13 by philosopher and papal confidante Rocco Buttiglione, who now serves in the Italian government.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: The Priest with a Jewish Past and the Future Pope Who Taught Him DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Father Romuald-Jacov Weksler-Waszkinel was born in 1943 in Poland to Jewish parents. His parents soon gave him to a Catholic family for safekeeping before they were sent off to a concentration camp.
Father Weksler-Waszkinel was baptized and raised Catholic but endured taunts from his friends who said he looked like a Jew. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Olsztuin, then studied at the Catholic University of Lublin in Krakow under then-Archbishop Karol Wojtyla. In 1978, at age 35, his very ill mother told him of his true ancestry, a day he calls his second birthday.
Now a professor at the Catholic University of Lublin, he was in the United States recently to tell his story and speak about Catholic-Jewish relations. Register correspondent Thomas Szyszkiewicz spoke with him, with the help of Polish interpreter Jacek Nowakow-ski of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.
What did you study under Father Karol Wojtyla, or was he Cardinal Wojtyla at the time?
It was the ethics. I was a student in the department of philosophy [at the Catholic University of Lublin] and Cardinal Wojtyla lectured in ethics.
I had read Love and Responsibility already as a seminarian because it was a required text. Person and Act [or, in its English translation, The Acting Person] I also read as a philosophy student. And right now in my lectures with seminarians, I read this with my students.
How was Cardinal Wojtyla as a teacher?
Of course, I cannot say he was bad. But in reality, he was really very good.
How did the Pope help you when you found out the truth of your identity, since you found out the same year he was elected Pope?
The Pope was the very first and the only person to whom I sent a letter revealing the truth about myself. And I knew that the newly elected Pope was a friend of Jews from the early days and he would be the most trustworthy person to reveal that information. [So I wrote] asking him not to reveal it to anybody else.
When did you decide to make the truth of your identity known to others, and did the Pope have any hand in that decision?
I made my decision when I learned my true name. As long as I didn't know my name, I didn't want to talk about it because I didn't want to be perceived as an average Jew — I had a mother and father and I wanted to be someone, to have a name. So this is when I made my decision.
Only after I went to Israel and I met my uncle, my father's brother, and I touched him and I was recognized by my uncle, I wrote a second letter to the Pope. In that letter, now that I know who I am, I would like to add my real Jewish name in front of my adoptive Polish name, and also add the name of Jacov (Jacob), the name, of my father after my given name, and I'm asking your permission to do this. So I get a letter [from the Pope] that was addressed to Romuold-Jacov Weksler-Waszkinel, and that was the Pope's blessing.
Has the Pope ever consulted you on the question of Christian-Jewish relations?
I know that the Pope knows and loves Jews from his early childhood and that he is a very wise and very knowledgeable person on that subject. He knows much more about Jews than I myself do. I published two books, both of them are dedicated to the Pope and I know that the Pope has read them both.
What were the titles of those books?
The first is The Blessed God of Israel and the second one is Mysterium Ecclesiae Perescrutans.
What are you teaching at Lublin?
I teach ethical anthropology.
And I presume this is much in the line of the Pope's personalist philosophy.
Yes, of course, it is also the per-sonalism of John Paul II, but it is a series of lectures over two semesters. The first semester is the history of the philosophy of the concept of the human, from Plato to Lebinas. The second semester is the basic questions of understanding the human: the problem of the soul, problem of the human body, the problem of human knowledge, the problem of culture, the problem of free will, morality, society, and the very last question is the problem of death. These are only the basics in the second year of philosophy and the student then has another three years and can go deeper into one of these subjects. I give a panoramic view of these subjects; the student is given a map and the student can enter any place on the map.
Does the Pope's personalist philosophy penetrate the philosophy department at the University of Lublin?
Yes, definitely, it has an impact on some part of the philosophy department. At the university, there is an institute of John Paul II. But it is very difficult to say that there is one specific stream of thought that is being taught at Lublin. In fact, there are many different directions.
Turning to your own background, what was your childhood like, growing up in Communist Poland?
When you're a child, you don't really know that you're in a Communist country. Only from the perspective [of time] can you have a comparison. It is as if you were born in prison, you would not know what freedom is.
When you spoke in Chicago, the
No. If the Jews are the Chosen People of God, the answer will be when you face God.
What about the question of what it means to be a Christian?
It means that you are engrafted in the honorable olive tree, Israel — and always remember this.
Is there conflict between the two?
Yes, of course there is a conflict. There is a Jewish philosopher … who believes that Christ's faith joins us, Christ believed the same way as the Jews do. But our faith in Christ is what divides us.
John Paul II says that [he] who meets Jesus meets also Judaism. Judaism cannot accept Jesus as the Son of God, and of course for Christianity, Jesus is the Messiah, but also the Son of God, and this is the division.
Thomas Szyszkiewicz writes from Altura, Minnesota.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Thomas Szyszkiewicz ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: Evening Prayer Reflects Our Trust in God DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Register Summary
Over 16,000 pilgrims from 20 countries gathered in St. Peter's Square on October 15—the eve of the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's pontificate—for the Holy Father's weekly general audience. The Holy Father resumed his teachings on the Liturgy of the Hours' evening prayer, which he began at his previous general audience.
Pope John Paul II explained the basic structure of the Church's evening prayer as well as the spiritual significance of the various psalms that are used. “The nature of the psalms that have been chosen for evening prayer varies,” he pointed out. “There are psalms about light, where the evening, oil lamps and light are explicitly mentioned; psalms that manifest a trust in God, who is our sure refuge amid the precariousness of human life; psalms of thanksgiving and praise; psalms that reflect the eschatological sense that the end of the day evokes, and others whose character is marked by wisdom or that are penitential in tone.”
After his explanation of the different elements that compose evening prayer, the Holy Father noted that it fittingly concludes with the Lord's Prayer, which is the perfect expression of the Church's praise of God, along with a final prayer that invokes the fruit of Christ's saving sacrifice upon the whole world.
From numerous testimonies, we know that lauds and vespers were already stable institutions beginning in the fourth century in all the great Churches of the East and of the West. For example, St. Ambrose left this testimony: “Just as we begin every day with God and end with him, whether we go to church or pray at home, may every day of our life here on earth and the course of each one of our days begin with him and end with him” (De Abraham, II, 5,22).
Just as morning prayer takes place at daybreak, evening prayer takes place at sundown, at the hour when a holocaust was offered with incense at the Temple in Jerusalem. At that hour, Jesus, after his death on the cross, was lying in the tomb after having offered himself to the Father for the salvation of the world.
Observing their respective traditions, the different Churches have organized the Divine Office in accordance with their own rite. Here, we will consider the Roman rite.
Christ Our Savior
The prayer begins with the invocation, Deus in adiutorium, from the second verse of Psalm 70,which St. Benedict prescribes for every hour. This verse reminds us that the grace to praise God in the manner he deserves comes only from him. The Glory Be to the Father follows, since glorifying the Trinity expresses the basic orientation of Christian prayer. Finally, an Alleluia is added (except during Lent), which is a Hebrew expression that means “Praise the Lord” and which has become for Christians a joyful manifestation of trust in God's special protection for his people.
The singing of a hymn is an occasion to reiterate the reasons that the Church in prayer has for its praise, evoking with poetic inspiration the mysteries that were fulfilled for the salvation of man as evening set, especially the sacrifice that Christ made for us on the cross.
The Psalm Sequence
The psalm sequence for evening prayer is made up of two psalms that are appropriate for this time of day, along with a canticle that is taken from the New Testament. The nature of the psalms that have been chosen for evening prayer varies. There are psalms about light, where the evening, oil lamps and light are explicitly mentioned; psalms that manifest a trust in God, who is our sure refuge amid the precariousness of human life; psalms of thanksgiving and praise; psalms that reflect the eschatologi-cal sense that the end of the day evokes, and others whose character is marked by wisdom or that are penitential in tone. Moreover, we find psalms from the Hallel, which refer to Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples. In the Latin Church, elements have been handed down which foster our understanding of the psalms and their Christian interpretation, such as the titles, prayers from the sequence of psalms, and especially the antiphons (see Principi e norme per la Liturgia delle Ore, 110-120).
Our Response
A brief reading, which in evening prayer is taken from the New Testament, occupies an important place. Its purpose is to suggest some biblical principle to us in a forceful and incisive way and engrave it on hearts so that we will apply it to our daily life (see Principi e norme per la Liturgia delle Ore 45, 156, 172). In order to facilitate the interiorization of what we have heard, the reading is followed by an appropriate time of silence along with a responsorial song, which helps us respond by singing some verses to the message of the reading, thereby encouraging all who participate in this prayer to accept it in their hearts.
After making the Sign of the Cross, we sing the Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the Gospel (see Luke 1:46-55) with a great sense of honor. As the Rule of St. Benedict (chapters 12 and 17) attests, this practice of singing the Benedictus during morning prayers and the Magnificat during evening prayers “has been confirmed by the centuries-old and popular tradition of the Roman Church” (Principi e norme per la Liturgia delle Ore, 50). In fact, these canticles are exemplary for expressing our sense of praise and thanksgiving to God for his gift of Redemption.
A Sacrifice of Praise
When the Divine Office is celebrated by the community, the gesture of incensing the altar, the priest and the people while singing canticles from the Gospel, can suggest—in light of the Jewish tradition of offering incense in the morning and in the evening on the altar of perfumes—the offering of a “sacrifice of praise” that is expressed in the Liturgy of the Hours. United to Christ in prayer, we can personally experience everything that is described in the Letter to the Hebrews: “Through him then let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name” (Hebrews 13:15; see Psalm 50:14,23 and Hosea 14:3).
After the canticle, the intercessions that we address to the Father or, at times, to Christ are an expression of the Church's petitions, which is ever mindful of God's concern for mankind, the work of his hands. The nature of these evening intercessions consists, in fact, of asking for God's help for all the different categories of people, for the Christian community, and for civil society. Lastly, we remember the faithful who are deceased.
The liturgy of evening prayer culminates with the prayer of Jesus, the Our Father, which summarizes each praise and petition of God's children, who have been reborn in water and in the Spirit. At the end of the day, our Christian tradition highlights this relationship between the forgiveness we beseech from God in the Our Father and the brotherly reconciliation of men among themselves: the sun must not set on anyone's anger (see Ephesians 4:26)
Evening prayer concludes with a prayer in which we, in harmony with Christ crucified, entrust our lives into the hands of the Father, knowing that his blessing will never fail.
(Register Translation)
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: What John Paul II Is DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Legionary Father Juan María Sabadell delivered this homily at Holy Name of Jesus parish in Thornwood, N.Y., in the week of the 25th anniversary celebration of Pope John Paul II's election.
We heard today the parable of the rich young man. I am here today to pay a debt to a role model to whom I owe a great deal. He is a Polish native, raised in a humble and fervent Catholic family.
He was:
Orphaned of his mom from an early age.
A stone quarry worker and war survivor.
A serious student as well as young actor.
A clandestine seminarian and catechist.
A writer and poet — and “Lolek” to his family and friends.
Later on, he became:
A philosopher, intellectual and professor.
A priest, pastor, preacher, counselor and enthusiastic leader of souls.
He was always both a faithful penitent and a confessor.
He became a deep and insightful theologian and a bishop: Karol Wojtyla, Archbishop of Krakow, as he was known to the World.
For us Catholics he has been our priest, our bishop and now our Pope for the last 25 years. And he has said he will remain so until the good Father calls him up to heaven.
As Pope, he has been:
A head of state and stubborn peace negotiator.
A man of the year for Time magazine.
An untiring traveler and pilgrim to nations around the globe.
A contemplative with his feet firmly planted on the ground.
An activist with his eyes on heaven.
He's a visionary and a missionary.
He's a prophet of truth — so much so that he was the target of would-be assassins. He's the latest martyr to shed his blood for Christ in St. Peter's Square.
And for me personally, saint-to-be, His Holiness John Paul II, was, is and will always remain an inspiration.
I am one of the generation that the Spanish-language press likes to call “Papa Boys.” We learned from him the basics of the priesthood.
It was in 1982, when I first heard from him the call to serve the Lord, as he preached to us about the rich young man who failed to take the life-risk of gambling all his wealth to follow Christ in pursuit of happiness.
Like Christ, John Paul was saying: Be not afraid.
Like a Father, he taught us how to pray.
He also taught us how to love, how to make a gift of ourselves, in absolute surrender of our lives to Christ and his Church.
He showed us how to surrender — to the last penny, as the rich young man was asked to do; to the last minute like the faith-ful bridesmaids; and to the last inch like John Paul himself — leaving all earthly treasures behind.
He also taught us humility.
Humility that forgoes choosing a new name, but picks John Paul II, the second of a new series.
Humility that kisses the ground of every land he put his feet on, as he came as a “useless servant.”
Humility that prostrates itself, laying on the floor of his chapel every morning, bridging the gap between mankind and Creator (pont-ificating: making himself a bridge).
He taught us how to fight evil in the public square.
This man is the blunt and fearless accuser of the mafia on their own turf, at Palermo, capital of the Sicilian land.
This man never said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” but with a clear message of peace and solidarity (Solidar-nosc) to all men of good will, his voice helped knock it down.
Our Pope is an agent of communion and ecumenical reconciliation.
Our Pope removed century-long words of excommunication from our Orthodox brothers.
Our Pope forgave and asked forgiveness for past faults by Christians, making the prayer of Our Lord a living possibility.
John Paul is the witness to hope and the leader of the New Evangelization.
The unparalleled role model for our youth (his best hope), he is bold enough to challenge them where it most hurts, inviting them to live their best out of love for Christ.
He is unable to walk without help, but is still planning a trip to Mongolia, a newly Catholic land open to evangelization only since 1993.
He's the defender of life, family and the truth.
Protector of the unborn and the aging, he pleads for the pardon of the condemned.
He shares the suffering of the sick, and is wounded with the wounded.
Today his throne is a wheelchair — but from it his voice speaks strong about God to this pagan age.
With such a résumè, after all these years of leadership, a few words come to mind:
“I am sorry, I had forgotten.”
I had forgotten, after 25 years of faithful service.
And two other words: Thank you!
Thank you, Holy Father.
You make me proud to be a Catholic, in this day and age where God is locked in the closet out of fear of public opinion.
You make me proud to be a priest, in the middle of all the media bashing.
And you make me proud to have you as the leader of our bishops (successors of the apostles), Christ on Earth to all Christians.
Today, I promise, I will thank you through prayer. I will pray the luminous mysteries, asking Our Lady of the New Evangelization for the graces her Church needs.
And I will also pray in thanksgiving for you.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: Virtuous Living, Not Condoms, is Key to Defeating AIDS, Cardinal Says DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:VATICAN CITY— When Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, was reported as saying that condoms are “not totally safe” in preventing the spread of AIDS, he never expected the stormy reaction it would receive.
International agencies such as the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) described Cardinal Lopez Trujillo's comments as “quite dangerous” and “totally wrong.”
In response, the cardinal told the Register he “imagined that the subject was better known.”
The Colombian cardinal's doubts on the safety of condoms in disease prevention were broadcast on an Oct. 12 BBC television program on the subject of AIDS, “Panorama: Sex and the Holy City,” a program which was roundly criticized for its bias against the Church.
Cardinal Lopez Trujillo said that the HIV virus was small enough to pass through a condom, being roughly “450 times smaller” than a sperm cell and that the sperm cell “can easily pass through the ‘net’ that is formed by the condom.”
But the WHO stood by condoms as an effective way to prevent HIV transmission. “From a scientific perspective, anyone who claims that a male condom does not protect against AIDS is wrong,” WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told Agence France Presse Oct. 10.
Chaib referred to studies conducted by the WHO establishing that condoms are effective in preventing against the AIDS virus 90% of the time, the remaining 10% being linked to improper usage.
“If used incorrectly, if it breaks, slips or has passed its expiration date, a male condom is not very effective,” Chaib said.
But this margin of error, the cardinal said, proves his point. “Among my concerns was my intention not to mislead people, especially the youth, by making them think that there is ‘safety,’ where in fact safety is not even proven,” he told the Register.
“How many youths have taken the way towards promiscuity, pushed by false hypotheses, and have fallen victims of this pandemic? It is a serious responsibility,” he said.
The response of some organizations and the media was, in part, due to the cardinal's comments being reported out of context, and the omission of his plea for personal moral responsibility which went largely unreported.
The scientific basis of his comments was drawn from authoritative findings by Jacques Suaudeau, a doctor who has closely followed the AIDS debate and problem in Africa, and a study report by groups representing 10,000 doctors. The groups accuse the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for covering up the government's own research which showed the “ineffectiveness of condoms to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.”
Cardinal Lopez Trujillo was not saying that condoms are totally ineffective in preventing the spread of AIDS, but that some studies reveal permeability of condoms in 15% or even up to 20% of cases. “Thus to talk of ‘safe sex’ is a form of Russian Roulette,” he said. He urges governments to display a health warning that the condom is not safe.
“The Church understands the difficulties and anguish of the people. But she cannot keep quiet,” he said.
Cardinal Lopez Trujillo pointed out that the Church has many centers that care for the sick and terminally ill and cares for many orphans whose parents have dies of AIDS.
But he was keen to point out that the Church must also play its role in upholding morality. He criticized as “irresponsible” institutions which distribute condoms to children in public schools, and he advises parents to “exercise their right to defend their children” so that they are not attacked by this “violent type of interference in their world of innocence.”
Rather, the moral values of “mutual fidelity of spouses and chastity” already provide true protection, he said. He hopes people, especially the youth, will be better formed in these values and develop respect for the duties of the family.
These are “the only true solutions to the problem,” the cardinal said. “Some say this is not realistic. But I think the most serious challenge is to educate in love.”
Edward Pentin writes from Rome
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Edward Pentin ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Scots Cardinal Professes Loyalty to Church
But Cardinal-elect O'Brien said his remarks had been misinterpreted by the press, according to the Associated Press. At a Mass Oct. 7, Cardinal-elect O'Brien took the traditional oath of loyalty to the Church — plus an additional, specific oath affirming Church teaching on celibacy, the immorality of the homosexual act and contraception.
He dismissed as a “smear” his critics' claim that this was evidence that Rome had disciplined him for his outspokenness, according to The Scotsman.
Celebrations Sweep Poland for Pope's Jubilee
Independent Catholic News, Oct. 13 — The media have recently focused on Pope John Paul II's physical problems, but Poles know better, said Cardinal Jozef Glemp of Warsaw.
“Popular media focus their interest on illness and difficulties of speech of the Holy Father, as if they were waiting only to see when he is going to close his eyes,” Cardinal Glemp said during a televised Mass of thanksgiving Oct. 12. “Part of the media looks at life in a superficial way, while we want to reach to the core of this phenomenon which is the pontificate of John Paul II.”
The Mass was the first of thousands of commemorations across Poland marking John Paul's 25th anniversary. Other events included special television and radio shows and magazine editions, rock concerts, charity collections and a national student scholarship in the Pope's name.
Ireland Playing Down Its Catholic Heritage?
The columnist, Julie Burchill of The Guardian, “denounced St. Patrick's Day as ‘a celebration of a religion that condemns contraception, abortion, divorce and the right of women to become a priest,’” according to Cregan. “While she did subsequently add that her criticisms were of the Catholic Church and not the Irish people, for many people her comments conjured up images of an Ireland out of touch with the modern world, where priests roam the streets on bicycles and an entire nation grinds to a halt for Sunday Mass.
“The Irish tourist board wants visitors to dismiss stereotypical images of Ireland and discover the new contemporary side of the country— from spas and designer hotels to cookery schools,” Cregan wrote.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Caviezel, Father Pavone Urge Prayer and Action DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:WASHINGTON — Repent, pray, fast and stay busy winning the war against abortion.
That was the message 6,000 persons heard from the pulpit here in the nation's capital Oct. 13.
The messenger was Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life.
“When we come away from prayer, we should not feel like we've done our duty, but rather that we've been given our duty,” Father Pavone told the Register after celebrating a midday Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Columbus Day.
Father Pavone, actor Jim Caviezel, and a host of other speakers participated in a daylong vigil at the shrine, part of the 11th International Week of Prayer and Fasting for the conversion of nations, world peace and an end to abortion.
Caviezel, who portrays Christ in the upcoming Mel Gibson film “The Passion,” spoke of his devotion to Mary and thanked her for his success in acting and in life. He encouraged listeners to seek freedom in truth, saying, “The big problem in the world is indifference.”
The “week” of prayer and fasting began Oct. 5 and continued through Oct. 16, closing with a special Mass in honor of Pope John Paul II's 25th anniversary and all-day Eucharistic prayer at the basilica.
Organizers of the event, the Signs of the Times Apostolate based in Herdon, Va., this year extended the week to make more time for the rosary in order to honor Pope John Paul's request that Catholics promote and say the rosary more frequently.
“The spiritual battle we are in requires the spiritual weapons of prayer, especially the rosary and fasting,” said an official statement by Signs of the Times Apostolate. “Our Lady has said the rosary is the weapon to bring about world peace and to end abortion.”
Organizers asked Catholics throughout the world to recognize the week by attending Mass, participating in holy hours of Eucharistic adoration, saying the rosary, fasting and reciting the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
Father Pavone and Priests for Life have been involved with the Week of Prayer and Fasting for most of its 11 years, and he's seen steady growth in the number of Catholics who participate. This year's success, he says, relates directly to the overall success of the pro-life movement in the United States. Father Pavone says his only concern is that Catholics and pro-life activists might become complacent because of victory.
“Are we winning the war against abortion? Yes, but it's a careful yes,” he says. “I see the abortion industry in a state of collapse.”
Clinics Halved
In the 11 years since the Week of Prayer and Fasting began, Father Pavone says, 50 percent of the abortion clinics in the United States have closed.
“The reduction in the number of abortions hasn't corresponded with that, but it has gone down,” he adds. “So I have great confidence that we're winning, but it's cautious confidence because confidence can lull us into a false sense of security that would lead to inaction.”
The New York-based priest credits much of the success of the pro-life movement to prayer. However, he explained that prayer without carrying out God's work is simply not enough.
In his homily at the shrine, Father Pavone explained that prayer, fasting and worship of the Eucharist should lead Catholics to the voting booth. Quoting Pope John Paul's 2003 encyclical on the Eucharist, the priest explained that the Eucharist makes us long for the world to come, which should not make us less concerned about the world we live in today.
“The Eucharist should not make us less concerned about this world, but more concerned about it,” he explained. “I hope that one big fruit of this week of fasting and prayer is that everyone in the pro-life movement will move up a notch in terms of active political involvement. Participate in pro-life activities, not just in your parishes, but in citizens groups that exist or that can be formed.”
Father Pavone explained that merely holding pro-life sentiment and spending time in prayer does not make Catholics less accountable for the merciless killing of unborn children.
“Often believers say their first response to abortion should be prayer,” Father Pavone said. “Not so. It should be repentance. The blood is on our hands. Maybe we haven't done enough; maybe we haven't spoken up and confronted others when we needed to. Maybe there have been people who we needed to admonish, or to console, who have been injured in some way by abortion.
“We need to repent by speaking up, or writing letters to the editor, and by accepting the sacrifice of losing popularity or suffering criticism for our defense of life,” he continued. “Even losing a job — if there's no other option, and there usually is — is something we need to do if we're keeping quiet instead of defending life. A real encounter with God leads us out of ourselves and into the assistance of others.”
Commenting on the attendance at the Mass, which filled the main shrine church to capacity, Maureen Flynn, coordinator of the event, said: “This shows what happens when groups come together to pray and make reparations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary before her son (in the Blessed Sacrament). People need to learn the power of the rosary to overturn the culture of death. It is through prayer in front of the sacrament that the culture of death will be overturned.”
Wayne Laugesen is based in Boulder, Colo.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Wayne Laugesen ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Holy Father, 'Blessed' Mother DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Our former Rome Correspondent, Father Raymond J. de Souza, traveled to Rome to cover the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta and the anniversary celebrations of Pope John Paul II. The two are related, he told us in the reflection that follows.
Tens of thousands of pilgrims heading to St. Peter's Square to witness Pope John Paul II beatify Mother Teresa will pass by a nondescript doorway that speaks volumes.
The door to the Dono di Maria Casa di Accoglienza per i Più Poveri (Gift of Mary House of Welcome for the Poorest) is not as impressive as the monumental doors on the Holy Office next door, where the Catholic Church's chief doctrinal officer, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, works. But as important as Cardinal Ratzinger is to understanding the work of John Paul II's 25-year pontificate, the little house next door is arguably more so.
Dono di Maria is the home of Mother Teresa's order of nuns, the Missionaries of Charity, who care for the “poorest of the poor.”
When Karol Wojtyla was elected in 1978, there were plenty of religious sisters who worked in Vatican City, but no convents. He decided to change that, installing a contemplative order of nuns to pray for the needs of the universal Church, and, after his visit to India in 1986, inviting Mother Teresa to open a house for the poor in Vatican City.
Vatican officials were not quite sure what to do. How could you have the poor traipsing into the Vatican City — let alone staying overnight in a Missionaries of Charity shelter? Security alone would be a problem, not to mention the impropriety of having the (literally) unwashed in the sacred precincts. Would it not be more suitable to find some other spot in Rome?
But John Paul insisted that it was precisely in the Vatican that he wanted the poorest to be looked after, and so Mother Teresa brought the poor to the very heart of the Church. Now, John Paul decided to make the beatification of Mother Teresa, the final step before a declaration of sainthood, the heart of his own 25th anniversary celebrations.
The Pope intervened twice to accelerate Mother Teresa's beatification process. The first time, 18 months after her death in September 1997, he waived the five-year mandatory waiting period before the process of investigation — known as a “cause” — could begin.
By last December, everything was set, including the miraculous healing of a Bengali woman's abdominal tumor. Given John Paul's personal enthusiasm for the cause (and growing frailty), it was expected that he would set the beatification date as soon as possible. To the contrary, he announced he would wait 10 months — until the week of his 25th anniversary.
John Paul prefers to use his personal milestone events as teaching moments. He focused his 20th anniversary in 1998 on the Carmelite nun, St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein), who, like him, was a philosopher devoted to the mystics. He dedicated his 80th birthday to the priests of the world, concelebrating Mass with 7,000 of them in St. Peter's Square.
And so with the eyes of the world on Rome for his silver jubilee, he chose to focus the world's attention on Mother Teresa.
Papal biographer George Weigel, discussing Mother Teresa with John Paul a few weeks after her death, reported that John Paul saw her as a “person-message” who “embodied many of what he regarded as the central themes of his pontificate — the defense of life, the defense of the family, concern for the poor, the dignity of women, the human rights of the humblest of men and women.”
It is clear that John Paul wished to shift the focus from himself to Mother Teresa — and to the proclamation that it is still possible to live the Gospel today in all its fullness — by scheduling her beatification now. But in focusing on her, he has provided a key to how he understands himself.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: LETTERS DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Saint Josemaria
Thank you for your weekly efforts in communicating the good news with faith and love for God and the Church.
I write to point out a factual error in Tim Drake's article “John Paul the Saint-Maker” in the Oct. 13-18 issue. The diocesan priest who founded Opus Dei on Oct. 2, 1928, Father Josemaria Escriva, was canonized, not beatified, last year by the Pope. He was beatified 10 years before, in May of 1992.
Further information on the life and works of this 20th century “saint of the ordinary life” can be found on the Web at www.escriva-works.org, www.josemariaescriva.info and www.opusdei.org.
FATHER JACK SOLARSKI, Houston, Texas
Where Angels Fear to Spell
I want to thank you and compliment you on the fine article you wrote on the archangels, “Where Do Archangels Fear to Tread? Nowhere,” Sept. 28-Oct. 4.
I am happy how well you reflected my comments on St. Michael the Archangel. I was disappointed, however, that my last name was misspelled.
Oh well, most people who commented on the article to me didn't even notice!
FATHER MICHAEL SKLUZACEK, Church of St. Michael Stillwater, Minnesota
Questioning Arnold
I am wondering why, when you wrote the heading, “Just Another Pro-Abortion Catholic?” (Oct. 19-25), you included a question mark? Is this an “everything is relative, I'm trying to find myself, who can be sure about anything” question?
For the love of God, and the fellowship of man, please, help me with this. Arnold Schwarzenegger is just another pro-abortion Catholic. He said so!
I hope Arnold calls me so I can tell him to pick on someone his own size, and to stop picking on babies in the womb. A big man like Arnold needs to stop hiding behind Maria Shriver. If Arnold is a Catholic, he needs to start living like one.
You show a picture of Gray Davis receiving Communion. What is the difference between Arnold and Gray? That is where the question mark belongs.
JOHN BEDARD, Springfield, Tennessee
Editor's note: We had written the headline as “Just Another Pro-Abortion Catholic: Pro-Lifers Assess Arnold” when an editor pointed out that three pro-lifers quoted in the article say they are working closely with him on the question and that he has pro-life Catholics working for him. One even told us he was “cautiously optimistic” that Schwarzenegger would change. So we added the question mark to reflect the assessments of the pro-lifers we interviewed. This was a news story about their opinions, not ours.
John Paul, Confirmed
Long live Pope John Paul II. I am writing because I just loved the feature in the Register about babies who were named John Paul for our Holy Father (“25 John Pauls,” Oct. 12-18).
My son Brett chose the name John Paul as his confirmation name five years ago with great pride and confidence that he was giving honor to a great Pope and that to bear his name would be a privilege. I wonder how many other young men have done the same.
I attached a picture of my son. I couldn't figure out how to detach it from the other picture, but Brett Anthony John Paul DeClemente is the young man with the glasses and his friend is Sal Benedict Nuzzo (after St. Benedict).
Keep up the good work of spreading the truth. We need you.
ALICE DECLEMENTE, Cape Coral, Florida
Witnesses to Mercy
A reader who wrote the Register recently is to be commended for her courage in confessing that she underwent an abortion (“Legitimate Grief,” Letters, Oct. 12-18). Even though I am a male, I understand her feelings of guilt and the difficulty she might have in forgiving herself.
I, too, have been guilt-ridden because I left the Church when my children were very young and missed the critical period in their faith formation. None are practicing Catholics today. Each time over the past 20 years or more when I hear the Gospels regarding “causing little ones to sin,” that “it's better that a millstone were hanged about his neck …” (Matthew18:6), my guilt resurfaces. Using the writer's suggestion that we soften our words regarding our sins, should we change Christ's harsh words about scandal so that we can feel better about ourselves? I am sure she does not mean that.
With the merciful counseling of a wonderful confessor and spiritual advisor, I learned to curtail my self-debasement because of past serious sins by focusing on Christ's Divine Mercy. Through God's infinite mercy and forgiveness, we can forgive ourselves. Or, more correctly, we must forgive ourselves as much as we must forgive our enemies. Aren't we too often our own worst enemies?
Finally, we must not soften our words regarding mortal sins, but emphasize their seriousness, because they offend God. We must also keep in mind Christ's teaching that forgiveness is available to us as long as we have a “firm purpose of amendment” and accept God's Divine Mercy. Lay our sins at the feet of Christ and accept his love in return.
My prayers include the intentions of ending abortion for all women who suffer because of abortions, and that they receive the grace to forgive themselves.
E.L. BEASLEY, Melbourne, Florida
Include All Iraqis
I am responding to the article from the Sept. 28-Oct. 4 issue, “Chaldean Bishops Say Iraqi Christians Shut Out of Civil Structures.” It seems to me that it is hypocritical to claim that we are trying to get the various groups in Iraq to cooperate for a better future in Iraq while we exclude Iraq's Christian minority from the civil structures involved in the building of a better Iraq.
Paul Bremer, the United States-appointed civil administrator in Iraq, is not doing his job as best he can and also is perpetuating the image that Americans don't care about the Iraqis. He should publicly apologize to this group for his dereliction of duty. In our country such an exclusion of a group from influencing the rule of our nation would not be tolerated.
President Bush should also apologize to this group of Chaldean Christians because it will show the world that he does care about the future of Iraq.
If Bremer wants to appear to be a good leader, he should take the responsibility for his actions and rectify the situation. It might even help him keep his job. And if President Bush were to make such an apology, Americans would see him as a more accountable leader, which might help him get re-elected.
LUCAS BEDIA, Mobile, Alabama
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: Bravo, Big Families! DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Many thanks to Mr. Tim Drake for his column titled “The Family as a Sign of Contradiction” (Opinion & Commentary, Oct. 19-25).
It is sad to encounter people's stares and words when they see a family with many children. Imagine seeing an abundance of life as a nuisance! Even more tragic is that there are Catholics who react the same way.
However, I'd like to add to Mr. Drake's comments. Today, “just” a faithful marriage is a sign of contradiction.
Thanks again and may God grant you and your family many years.
FATHER MIGUEL GRAVE DE PERALTA, St. Ignatius of Antioch Melkite Greek Catholic Church Augusta, Georgia
Having just finished reading “The Family as a Sign of Contradiction” by Tim Drake, I have one thing to say.
As a father of four small children (ages 8, 6, 4 and 20 months), I would be a wealthy man (financially speaking) if I had a dollar for every time someone has said to me or my wife: “Is this it?” or better yet, “Are you finished?”
Some day the tide will turn and the secret will get out: Large families are truly happier families!
JOE CLOSSICK, Wakefield, Rhode Island
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: Register, Live in New York DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:On Oct. 4, a standing-room only crowd listened to the Register's publisher and editor-in-chief, Legionary Father Owen Kearns, speak about the mission and vision of the paper, and its plans for the future.
“The Register style of journalism is Catholic journalism with the emphasis on the Catholic,” he said. “The professional quality of the Register is a necessity because, in this competitive world, if you're not professional you just don't last.”
The meeting was organized to give members of the Register Associates donors group a chance to discuss the newspaper's development goals.
When asked when the Register will expand its Web presence and reach a wider audience, he answered: “That depends on our donors. They hold the key to the vitality of the Register. Circle Media will guarantee the continuity of the company and the fidelity of the paper to the magis-terium. But the vitality of the Register depends on its donors. How many people it can reach and how well it serves the needs of the New Evangelization.”
Father Kearns recalled his personal history with the Register. “When I became a publisher, I had no background in journalism,” he said. “Which is good, because I didn't know what couldn't be done.”
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Serving the Poor, Speaking the Truth: The Courage of Blessed Teresa DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:On Oct. 19 the Church beatified, or publicly declared as “blessed,” one of the most remarkable women of our time.
There are few today who do not acknowledge the goodness of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who died in 1997 after a life of service to those she called “the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for.”
Unfortunately, the picture many have of her is somewhat incomplete, for we tend to like our saints only insofar as they conform to our particular notion of sanctity. Whatever there is about them that does not conform runs the risk of being rejected outright or simply ignored.
History provides numerous examples of this. Writing about St. Francis of Assisi, the always insightful G.K. Chesterton once observed that people are more than willing to praise him for his spirit of compassion but decidedly less enthusiastic about his spirit of penance, if, indeed, they are even aware of it.
Our own age prefers the Hollywood construct of a laid-back Francis, that counter-cultural troubadour who roamed the Umbrian countryside, feeding the hungry and caring for the homeless while taking time out now and again to talk sweetly with the birds. But there was another side to Francis: When it came to following what he saw as God's will, he was a veritable freight train of determination, uncompromisingly hard on himself and demanding on his followers. Although unconventional, he was also unerringly loyal to a Church that often misunderstood and sometimes mistreated him.
Not unlike Francis, Mother Teresa is known and admired the world over for her great works of compassion. Her Missionaries of Charity, who now number in the thousands, currently serve the “poorest of the poor” wherever there exists the greatest need, whether among those dying friendless on the streets of Calcutta or those wasting away with AIDS in San Francisco.
The popular image of Mother Teresa is that of a gentle, self-sacrificing and effective social activist, a champion of the poor and downtrodden whose life stands as an eloquent challenge to the selfish abuses of wealth, privilege and power.
The themes she sounded most frequently had to do with caring for the poor and destitute, simply because they were our sisters and brothers made in the image and likeness of God. “When we touch the sick and the needy,” she often repeated, “we touch the suffering body of Christ.” The dying and the diseased, the unwanted and the unloved were for her none other than “Jesus in disguise.”
She spoke passionately about the dignity of all people and pleaded that no one be overlooked or excluded. “There is only one God and he is God to all; therefore it is important that everyone is seen as equal before God.”
To which the majority of men and women of good will, whatever their religious faith, gladly respond: Amen.
But as with Francis there is another dimension to Mother Teresa. Many who put her on the side of the angels for her great compassion would soon deny her halo if they realized just how completely she embraced the Church's more unpopular teachings. Accepting the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, she wasted little time in broaching one of our most controversial topics: “We are talking about peace,” she told the Stockholm audience, “but I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a direct war, a direct killing, a direct murder by the mother herself.”
I suspect there were sympathizers who afterwards counseled her on how impolitic it was, given the occasion, to have raised the topic, especially in so blunt a manner. Such counsel had little or no effect, for at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., some 15 years later, she was no less blunt: “Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want.”
Time and again, in speeches, letters and interviews, Mother Teresa consistently defended Church teaching on issues ranging from chastity and contraception to euthanasia and papal authority — issues that even those who share her beliefs, some in positions of leadership, frequently side-step or shun.
How do we reconcile Mother's Teresa's hard-nosed views — what some would dismiss as uncritical “dogmatism” — with her popular image as the very soul of sweetness and light? Might this apparent contradiction have something important to teach us about the very nature of the saints, for it seems we never consider them without some curious admixture of love, respect, uneasiness and occasional terror: love and respect because of their obvious and undeniable goodness; uneasiness and terror, either because we are unwilling to fully follow their teachings or because we fear the personal cost involved in doing so.
When what they say affirms our beliefs or justifies our lives, we are quick to praise and honor them; when what they say disturbs or challenges us, we just as quickly refuse to “walk” with them any longer.
Mother Teresa's beatification affords a unique opportunity to reflect on the life of a remarkable human being in its entirety.
What made her life remarkable? What do we find praiseworthy about it? What do we find disturbing and challenging?
This last question is the most difficult and the most important, if only we have the wisdom to ask it — and the courage to answer.
Msgr. Robert Sheeran is President of Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Msgr. Robert Sheeran ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: The Rosary Pope DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:About 10 years ago, a young Polish friend of mine, Tomek, met the Pope in a private audience for a small group of Polish pilgrims. At one point, Tomek shook John Paul II's hand. “Holy Father,” he said, “may I have your rosary?”
His friends threw a sudden how-dare-you look to Tomek, but there was no time to react. The Pope's answer came quick. “Of course,” he said, smiling and rather pleased about the spontaneous petition. From his pocket he took out his rosary and gave it to him. Tomek was thrilled.
The Holy Father kept looking at him. “May I have yours?” he asked the young man. “I need the rosary.”
Fortunately, Tomek had one in his pocket, too.
The Pope asking for a set of beads is a symbol of how essential the rosary has been in John Paul II's life and pontificate — much more than it seems at first sight.
On the 25th anniversary of his pontificate, we remember this Pope for the many achievements he has accomplished. We may call him “The Witness to Hope” because many things, such as the number of vocations, have changed for better in the last quarter of a century. We may call him “The Travelling Pope,” for his distinctive way of shepherding the Church's universal flock.
He is “The Theologian,” because of the inexhaustible richness of his magisterial teachings. He's “The Pope of the Family,” on account of his decisive interventions to promote the natural institution. He's “The Pope of the Youth” as a reminder of his unforgettable World Youth Days and meetings with the young people. And he is “The Pope of the Great Jubilee,” since his main mission was to lead the Church and the world into the third millennium.
No one title can sum up this pontificate. No problem. John Paul II may not like any of them.
Yet we can give the Pope a title that can reveal much of the secret of his success, a title he may be pleased with. You guessed it: “The Rosary Pope.”
Karol Wojtila was elected to the See of Peter 25 years ago in October, the month of the holy rosary. Scarcely two weeks after his election, he dedicated his Sunday talk to the Marian prayer. “The rosary is my favorite prayer,” he said.
When he declared the beginning of the Year of the Rosary last October he said, “I wanted to place the 25th year of my Pontificate within the daily rhythm of the rosary.” That first Sunday talk was indeed followed by a long chain of addresses, writings and initiaves to encourage the frequent recitation of this traditional prayer, such as the public rosaries led by the Pope himself at the Vatican every first Saturday of the month.
This chain of exhortations is like a set of beads that has linked John Paul II's activities throughout his pontificate. The chain led straight to the Year of the Rosary, which began on the anniversary of his election as Pope, Oct. 16, with the signing in St. Peter's Square of the apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary). “I wished, in this way,” said the Pontiff eleven days later, “to place the 25th year of my pontificate under the sign of this prayer.”
A personal touch. John Paul II made his silver jubilee as a Pope converge with the exaltation of the rosary. Why?
There is, first, a personal experience. “From my youthful years this prayer has held an important place in my spiritual life,” he revealed in his letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae. “The rosary has accompanied me in moments of joy and in moments of difficulty. To it I have entrusted any number of concerns; in it I have always found comfort. … How many graces have I received in these years from the Blessed Virgin through the rosary.”
The Pope's experience, however, isn't mere sentiment. It is built on a solid theological ground. “The most important reason for strongly encouraging the practice of the rosary,” he writes in the same document, “is that it represents a most effective means of fostering among the faithful that commitment to the contemplation of the Christian mystery which I have proposed in the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte as a genuine ‘training in holiness’.”
That's the point.
Christ is the center of John Paul II's message throughout his pontificate. “Open wide the doors to Christ,” was his exhortation at the Mass of installation as the Successor of Peter on October 22, 1978. “Contemplate the face of Christ,” is his program for the Church entering the third millennium.
Well, the person who best contemplated Christ's face was Mary. “The rosary is a contemplative view of the face of Christ carried out, so to speak, through Mary's eyes,” said the Pope on Sept. 29, 2002. It is a prayer that makes us “set out into the deep,” into the mystery of the Son of God, into experiencing the depths of his love. “The rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer,” writes the Pope. “In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium…. To recite the rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ.”
But this is not all. Throughout the centuries, the rosary has deeply helped Christians to become holier and better apostles. In the quoted apostolic letter, the Holy Father presents the rosary as a fruitful way to contemplate and understand with Mary and through Mary the mysteries of her Son, a means to conform oneself with Christ, a supplication, a significant catechetical opportunity to proclaim the Lord.
“The rosary, reclaimed in its full meaning, goes to the very heart of Christian life,” he writes. “[I]t offers a familiar yet fruitful spiritual and educational opportunity for personal contemplation, the formation of the People of God, and the New Evangelization.”
Finally, the rosary is a powerful source of abundant graces. The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, Oct. 7, was established by Pope Saint Pius V, on the anniversary of the Christian victory at Lepanto, a victory attributed to the help of the Mother of God whose aid was invoked through praying the rosary.
As the Holy Father said in his letter, “the Church has always attributed particular efficacy to this prayer, entrusting to the rosary, to its choral recitation and to its constant practice, the most difficult problems.”
The Pope has entrusted to the power of this prayer the cause of peace and the cause of the family. How far away we are from inhabiting a peaceful world! What a huge challenge the preservation of the natural institution of the family and the education of our children are facing at the beginning of the 21st century! The rosary can be proved to be an efficient “weapon” of peace and a “lifeboat” for our families and our children's faith. More than once, the Pope has quoted blessed Bartolo Longo's inspiration heard in the depths of his heart: “Whoever spreads the rosary is saved!”.
If it is true that the rosary “is at the very heart of the Gospel,” as the Holy Father said last year, then it is at the very heart of his own pontificate — a set of 50 semesters that, like the 50 Hail Mary beads, begin in the crucifix and converge upon the crucifix.
If we want to understand John Paul II's pontificate on its 25th anniversary, we must rediscover the deep meaning, value and power of “the rosary of the Virgin Mary.”
We must understand why the Pope once said, “I need the rosary.”
Legionary Father Alfonso Aguilar
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Alfonso Aguilar, LC ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Jesus Marks 33rd Anniversary as God Incarnate DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:BETHANY (33 AD) — In a special celebration held in the home of Mary of Bethany, numerous friends and acquaintances of Jesus of Nazareth gathered to celebrate the Galilean's 33rd year as God Incarnate.
But sources close to the so-called “Son of God” say that behind the accolades and well-wishes lies the darker reality of a divided fellowship of disciples, infighting, charges of gluttony and drunkenness, and fears about the future, as well as questions about the Nazarene's own use of resources supposedly allocated to the poor.
“Oh sure, he's done some good things,” said an unnamed official in the Jerusalem Welfare Office. “Multiplying loaves was good. But it seems to have primarily been a publicity stunt since he's done absolutely nothing about the vagrants and beggars in the Jerusalem area since then. Everybody talks about his ‘compassion,’ but how often do you see him or his cronies feed the poor? Talk is cheap. But one miracle of the loaves and fishes, or even two, is not enough. People eat every day.”
Even more critical was Simon the Pharisee, a respected member of the Centrist Party. “We were with him when he was talking about angels and the resurrection. He seemed to strike the right balance between reactionaries like Sadducees and the loony Left, but he lost us when he started hanging around with the wrong crowd.”
Representatives of the United Paganism Council further criticized the so-called “Word Incarnate” for his exclusive attitude toward other spiritual paths. In a joint statement, the Delphic Oracle and the Vestal Virgins both strenuously denounced his failure to affirm the priestly gifts of women and his use of the sexist title “Son of Man.”
Others are critical of the alleged “Lord of Heaven and Earth” for his failure to crack down on sin and evil. “Look,” said one critic who goes by the name Boanerges, “He claims that his Father does whatever he asks and that he sees the fall of every sparrow. Yet the Romans continue to trample basic human rights right under his nose, the Samaritans ignore the clear teaching of Scripture and he does nothing! Sooner or later, we have to face the fact that, however good a teacher and philosopher he may be, however charismatic and personally holy, he gets a big fat ‘F’ in governance. All we get is more liberal talk about ‘free will’ and the same empty warnings about hell. I say ‘Give 'em hell now! Show 'em who's boss!’ It's been almost 40 years since his birth and things are worse now, by far!”
Indeed, the chaos Jesus leaves in his wake has infected even his trusted circle of apostles.
So bitter has the atmosphere become that some of the strongest critiques the reputed “God Incarnate” has received come from an unnamed source in his own circle who complained about financial mismanagement and dropped hints that the Nazarene would soon be under judicial investigation.
He alleged that funds which should have gone to the poor were instead spent on “foot massages” and expensive skin care products. He also reported vicious infighting among Jesus' inner circle as disciples vied for who would be greatest. One of these disputes apparently became so intense that Jesus referred to papabile Simon Peter as “Satan.”
“And yet, for all his lectures to followers about ‘putting my words into practice’ he doesn't seem to hold himself to that standard,” said the unnamed source. “He refuses to discipline Peter, who has publicly acknowledged himself as a sinful man. He talks the talk, but doesn't walk the walk. In fact, even after the ‘Satan’ blowout, he refused to rescind his rash grant of the ‘keys to the Kingdom’ to this problem apostle.”
Some insiders say there's a simple explanation for this: the theatrical Nazarene likes to be flattered. After a recent poll showed an even split between people who could not tell him apart from Elijah, Jeremiah, one of the prophets or even his late cousin, John the Baptist, crony Peter reportedly assuaged the Rabbi's hurt vanity by announcing him to be “Messiah” and “Son of the living God.”
Other disturbing rumors suggest that one of the disciples is imitating the so-called “Master” by stealing from the financial resources of the fledgling sect. Such rumors are undoubtedly known to Christ. Yet he does nothing, preserving the good old boy network of Apostles at the expense of the flock. “But then, what do you expect from one who supposedly ‘sees the heart’ yet gives a tax collector like Matthew Levi, with a long history of shady financial dealings, a prominent place in the apostolic college?” said Simon the Pharisee.
The unnamed apostolic source also noted that other disciples such as Thomas have expressed grave doubts about Jesus — and he is not alone. After one recent bizarre episode, in which Jesus inexplicably began to speak of the need of his followers to “eat my flesh and drink my blood,” the vast majority — all except the most fanatical — of his disciples staged a mass walkout.
However, the so-called Prince of Peace was in no mood for reconciliation and reportedly denounced the “devils” who were infiltrating his circle. Some fear this presages a crackdown from the rigid and intolerant “Messiah.”
In all, the picture that seems to be emerging from the guarded confines of the Apostolic Inner Circle is of a regime in severe crisis, held together solely by the charismatic influence of a single leader who appears to be getting more unstable and erratic.
Christ-watchers are, however, optimistic that voices of reform from within the apostolic circle will prevail eventually. In particular, they pin their hopes on the eventual election of Judas Iscariot to the position currently held by rigid hardliner Simon Peter.
“If that doesn't happen, I despair for the future of the Church,” said one unnamed apostolic insider, “We reformers might as well go hang.”
Mark Shea wrote this from Seattle, while watching news reports of the 25th anniversary of John Paul
----- EXCERPT: But Critics Wonder Whether His Legacy Will Be Ruined ----- EXTENDED BODY: Mark Shea ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Make Way for Mama Bear DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:I have always been a mouse. I don't haggle at yard sales. I apologize when other people bump into me. I squirm when my husband argues with a salesperson, even if he's right.
For the most part, my meekness has served me well. I succeeded in school by trying always to please my teachers and I thrived in the workplace by adeptly avoiding conflicts with my co-workers.
Things changed, however, when this mouse became a mother. Something about being responsible for innocent, defenseless creatures makes me more like a Mama Bear. As a new mother years ago, I was surprised to find myself suddenly approaching strangers with a nervy smile and saying things like, “Would you mind not smoking here? My baby's lungs are pink.”
The mouse in me was aghast. She squealed with embarrassment the day I marched up to a rowdy group of teenagers and admonished them to stop using foul language in front of my children. She covered her face with timid pink paws as the Mama Bear in me scolded a middle-aged man who had cut me off in a parking lot.
“Watch where you're going! There are babies in this car!”
It has been my experience, though, that people tend to respect maternal instincts. The foul-mouthed teenagers may have snickered a bit, but they stopped cursing. The careless driver apologized profusely and left in a hurry. Most seem to know that it's unwise to aggravate a Mama Bear with her cubs. Like cautious campers, they back off slowly, avoiding a direct confrontation.
One of my most memorable Mama Bear moments took place a few years ago when my then 5-year-old daughter Kateri had to be hospitalized overnight due to dehydration from a stomach virus.
Upon our arrival, a nurse told me that Juliette, my breast-fed baby, would not be permitted to spend the night with us in Kateri's room. She left me sitting on the bed, facing the impossible dilemma of choosing which of my children to abandon for the night. I looked at Kateri. She might be okay if my mother stayed with her, I reasoned. I looked at Juliette. Maybe she would take a bottle, I considered.
Mama Bear, however, did not like this mousy line of thinking. Leaving my mousy self behind, she marched to the front desk and explained that both of my daughters needed their mother. She demanded permission to keep the baby in the room.
The nurse behind the desk stared at me grimly, but Mama Bear stood her ground. Prickly tension hung in the air between us. At last, she glanced sideways at some of the other nurses who had gathered around her desk, and then turned back to me.
“Do whatever you think is best,” she sighed.
We can't predict the ways in which our children will change us. The responsibilities of parenthood quickly expose our weaknesses and challenge us to improve ourselves. My transformation from mouse to bear is a clear example of the way in which God provides us with grace and strength, skills and abilities, according to our place in life. We need never doubt our ability to do God's will as “for God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
I don't know if the Mama Bear in me will retire when my children are grown. I might return to my old ways of thanking police officers for traffic tickets and smiling at people who cut in line at the post office. In the meantime, however, put out that cigarette, watch your language and, for goodness' sake, don't drive so fast.
I am Mama Bear. Hear me roar.
Danielle Bean writes from Center Harbor, New Hampshire.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Danielle Bean ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: American Eternal DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:“When you go to Rome, you have to see …”
I find myself using this phrase often as friends travel to Italy. This past winter I was able to give myself advice, as I returned to the Eternal City, my second home.
When I was a resident in Rome I often visited the American church of Santa Susanna, because that parish was known for its outreach, its library and its coffee hours. It served as a comfort zone for the expatriate when the ways of foreign living grew perplexing.
Santa Susanna is officially the national American Catholic Church in Rome, as of 1922, when its pastoral ministry was given to the very industrious Paulist Fathers.
I had thought of it more as a spiritual consulate, not as a place where ancient Christianity was alive in its very stones. But at last I discovered that here the pilgrim can experience the holy awe of the ancient Christian past — in a way different from other Roman churches.
This year, I discovered another Santa Susanna: one enfolding a mystical crypt where Cistercian nuns chant on Sunday, a recent excavation showing an early fresco of saints and bits of wax from an Agnus Dei rite. And yet the traditional parish keeps on in its friendly, accommodating way, even more than it had years ago.
Santa Susanna is one of Rome's 25 oldest churches. In Rome, of course, that's saying something. Beneath the floor, excavations date back to A.D. 280, when relatives of Diocletian, who would be emperor in the year 284, lived here. Susanna, a member of his family, was also in residence. She and her father were secret Christians; the family home served as a “domus ecclesia,” or house church, because the Christian church (pre-Constantine) could not own property.
Susanna's saintly history begins about the year 284, when Diocletian unilaterally announced her engagement to Maxentius, who was being groomed as the next emperor. Susanna refused the offer, causing turmoil in the family. Finally Maxentius came to this house, thinking he could persuade her in person.
When she refused, she was accused of being a Christian. (Not only was that true, but she had also taken a secret vow of virginity.) Summoned to the Roman Forum, Susanna was told to prove her loyalty to the Roman deities by placing incense before Jupiter's shrine, which she refused.
When Diocletian, who for political reasons had wanted her to marry Maxentius, learned of it, his guards came to her home and she was beheaded. Other members of her family were martyred at Ostia, Rome's seaport.
A Maderno Masterwork
Susanna's house, where she was martyred, would become a shrine in 330, when a church was built above it. At first it was named for St. Caius in honor of the Pope (her uncle) who had lived here. The bodies of Santa Susanna and her father, San Gabino, were brought from the catacombs and buried in the church. In 590 Gregory the Great, recognizing the cult developing here, had the church renamed in her honor.
The familiar Roman façade we see today, completed in 1603, was the work of Carlo Maderno, who was responsible for the façade of St. Peter's. On the higher tier stands San Genesio (patron of actors, martyred in 303) and Susanna's uncle, Pope St. Caius. Inside, The frescoes of the central nave tell the life of Susanna — threatened by Maxentius, defended by an angel, refusing to worship Jupiter. Behind the high altar, the saint is shown being beheaded. The ceilings of the nave glow splendidly in polychrome wood, also the work of Carlo Maderno.
Now to the best part. Ask the Sacristan, Bita, to see the crypt. After descending a short staircase you will breathe in the sacred air of centuries, next to the bodies of Sts. Susanna, Gabino and Felicita. In this very place she lived and was martyred in the cruelest fashion, I thought, kneeling in the tiny chapel. The Eucharist has been celebrated here since A.D. 285, a fact that in itself may sink you to your knees. This room was connected to the dining room where Susanna and her family gathered each evening.
In the altar fresco, she looks to heaven, as does her father, while Felicita looks right at us, telling us it is now up to us to witness to Jesus in our earthly life. Santa Felicita, by the way, was martyred along with her seven sons, during the second century. She is patron of parents who have lost a child in death. In the church, her martyrdom also is depicted, on the walls of the presbytery.
Wondrous Nuns
The Cistercian nuns at Santa Susanna are a wondrous order, dedicated to community and personal prayer, to manual labor, and to lectio divina, which they describe as “food for the journey.” They sing vespers on Sunday at 5 pm. Push the red button on the door off the left aisle of the church for admittance to the nuns' sacristy, unless a service is ongoing in the church.
This sacristy is a place I'll never forget — yet another discovery after more than 35 years of visiting Rome regularly! The magnificent fresco within came from the excavation seen though the glass floor. More than 750 small pieces had to be carefully assembled, elegant bits of lapis lazuli blue and rose, an undertaking begun in 1990. Some think Susanna is depicted on it. The words printed include those of the Agnus Dei. St. John the Evangelist is seen pointing upward with the middle finger and index of one hand, a symbol of the presence of the Divine. The Book of the Seven Seals is also shown.
In this sacristy you'll also find “the Agnus Dei,” bits of pure white wax that have been enclosed in ribbons and lace, like baby ex-votos. In an ancient Roman Catholic rite, Popes blessed and consecrated this wax, stamped with an impression of a lamb, and called Agnus Dei. Miraculous powers are ascribed to it.
Exquisite works of embroidery are available from the nuns, and I brought home two pieces of great beauty, a kind rarely found today, when most such cloths are machine made. They reflect the peace and discipline of the sisters' lives very clearly. Spiritual gifts for birthdays and Christmas are to be found here in abundance, to send you off carrying a touch of this wonder-filled church.
Barbara Coeyman Hults is based in New York City.
----- EXCERPT: Santa Susanna's Church, Rome ----- EXTENDED BODY: Barbara Coeyman Hults ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: It Came from Inner Space DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:This Halloween, Ridley Scott's 1979 science-fiction horror film Alien comes back to theaters in a restored director's cut featuring a few reintegrated scenes. A sci-fi tale of space as the new terra incognita where “here there be dragons” as well as an updated haunted-house yarn complete with dark hallways, a hissing cat and strobe lighting, Alien has been called “the scariest movie ever made.”
As a genre, horror represents a field few devout Catholics would consider with much enthusiasm, and rightly so. The horror shelves of bookstores and video stores are a wasteland of mindless, tasteless trash; indeed, there may be no other genre as disproportionately overrun with junk.
At the same time, the grotesque, the macabre and the frightful have an abiding place in human imagination and culture — a place that Christian sensibility has historically not seen fit to reject or condemn, at least entirely.
In the Middle Ages, gargoyles and grotesques were prominent features of sacred architecture, and the danse macabre (or “dance of death”) — a dramatic or artistic representation of men being visited by Death, fruitlessly attempting to resist or escape and finally being away in a grim procession or dance — was a popular art form. More recently, the Vatican recognized the first great horror film, F. W. Murnau's vampire film Nosferatu (see “Video/DVD Picks,” below), on its 1995 list of 45 great films. (Another Vatican list honoree, The Seventh Seal, involves a cinematic take on the danse macabre.)
In Christian households, untold generations of children have been raised on fairy tales featuring all manner of goblins, dragons, witches and so on. In the age of film, this roster of nursery monsters includes such figures as the winged monkeys and Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz and the raucous hellions and demon Chernobog of the “Bald Mountain” sequence in Fantasia (two more Vatican list honorees).
The grotesque does have a more disturbing and objectionable side. In too many books and films, villains become heroes, imaginative engagement of evil becomes glorification of evil, and mayhem and gore become ends in themselves apart from any sense of artistic restraint or moral context. Examples of such disordered indulgence in the macabre include the celebratory vampire novels of Anne Rice and gruesome slasher flicks like the Nightmare on Elm Street series.
But abusus non tollit usam: The abuse does not abrogate the proper use. One cannot simply throw out the baby with the bathwater. Neither uncritical acceptance nor uncritical condemnation is called for, but critical discernment and moral vigilance.
Discernment requires an understanding of the proper place of the grotesque and macabre in imagination and culture. Why do we scare ourselves with tales like Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, Dracula, and so on?
Part of the answer is simply that there's something cathartic and energizing about stories of danger and stress. In journeying with the heroes into the valley of the shadow of death and emerging again, we participate vicariously in the triumph of good over evil.
Children, especially, demand imaginary adversity in the course of developing the emotional resiliency to handle real-life difficulties and dangers — a point argued by Gerard Jones in his interesting book Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence. Adults, too, crave stories that frighten in part because such stories help us get a handle on real-life fears and anxieties.
But there's more to it than mere adversity. If Nosferatu replaced Count Orlock with a serial killer, it would lose much of its power. Not just fear, but dread is necessary for horror, for in this world there are things not just fearful but dreadful.
Like the medieval danse macabre, horror at its best can be an imaginative way of grappling not only with adversity but also with the specter of our own mortality, and the moral and existential implications of the fact that we will die. Moral and spiritual themes and implications often figure in tales of horror. Indeed, many horror stories are in a sense as scrupulously moralistic as fairy tales — even regarding topics no longer seen in their proper moral light by society at large.
Catholic culture critic E. Michael Jones, in his provocative book Monsters From the Id: The Rise of Horror in Fiction and Film, observes how, in slasher films such as John Carpenter's Halloween, virginal characters survive while promiscuous ones die. Jones argues, with varying degrees of plausibility, that tales like Frankenstein, Dracula and even Alien reflect an unconscious backlash against the secular moral principles of the Enlightenment, especially regarding sexual morality.
Regarding Alien, Jones' case rests in part on images in the film suggestive of conflicted attitudes toward procreation, unnatural and contraceptive sex acts, childbirth and abortion. Certainly the central image of a deadly alien embryo implanted in a character's torso, maturing and finally bursting obscenely forth, amounts to a hideous perversion of pregnancy and childbirth. And when the alien is destroyed by being sucked out of the ship, dangling on an umbilical-like cable until being shredded in the ship's jets, it's a remarkably abortion-like death.
In a key exchange, a treacherous android favorably contrasts the alien with humanity, calling it a “perfect organism,” a “survivor unclouded by conscience, remorse or delusions of morality.” The clear implication is that, unless we are guided by conscience and morality — unless we resist thinking of ourselves as mere “organisms” — we will be no better than monsters ourselves.
Despite these intriguing moral implications, Alien's graphic violence and gore, profanity and foul language, and a scene involving an excessive display of heroine Sigourney Weaver's scantily clad body make it morally problematic fare, not for casual viewing. Still, Alien illustrates that there's more to horror and the grotesque than a mere disordered fascination with ugliness or evil, and that echoes of unpopular and forgotten moral truths can be found in the most unlikely places.
Steven D. Greydanus, editor and chief critic of DecentFilms.com, writes from Bloomfield, New Jersey.
----- EXCERPT: Alien and the modern need for monsters ----- EXTENDED BODY: Steven D. Greydanus ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Weekly Video/DVD Picks DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:The Others (2001)
A creepy ghost tale awash in Catholic belief and imagery, The Others requires suspension of disbelief regarding elements that — like the undead in Nosferatu or the figure of Death in The Seventh Seal — aren't literally reconcilable with Catholic escha-tology.
To the film's credit, it's aware of this incompatibility:
When one character voices the ghost-story premise that the worlds of the dead and the living sometimes get mixed up, another denies that God would allow such a thing to occur. Instead of entailing an denial of Christian teaching, though, the movie's final word on the subject is simply that “there isn't always an answer to everything” — a fair enough rationale in imaginative fiction.
Relying on suspense rather than frightening or gory images, the unsettling Turn of the Screw-like tale keeps viewers guessing about what's really going on. Along the way there's discussion of Christian martyrdom, some faulty catechesis about the limbo infantum — later corrected by a more orthodox understanding — and many biblical and religious references. While lacking the ultimately redemptive spin of 1999's The Sixth Sense — a more humanistic but also gorier ghost story — The Others, like The Seventh Seal, invites religious discussion without either affirming or denying faith.
Content advisory: Pervasive creepiness, unsettling family situations, fleeting marital sensuality, mixed depictions of Catholic faith and practice, brief depiction of spiritualist practice. For discerning teens and adults.
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
The title phrase, quoted from Macbeth by smalltown librarian Charles Halloway (Jason Robards), perfectly evokes the unsettling milieu of Ray Bradbury's dreamlike thriller about a creepy carnival coming to a small Illinois town.
Equally important, though, is the verse from Longfellow that immediately follows it: “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep. / The wrong shall fail, the right prevail / With peace on earth, goodwill to men.”
The story is, then, a poetic confrontation between Halloween fear and dread and Christmas peace and love. Fear and dread are connected here to concupiscent desire and disordered regret: fantasies of wealth or women, preoccupation with lost beauty or physical ability.
Mr. Dark's Pandemonium Carnival promises visitors whatever they desire, but as in Dante's Inferno gratification of disordered desires incurs equal and opposite consequences.
The story centers on 12-year-old best friends Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade. Jim, abandoned by his father, longs for manhood, while Will's prematurely aged father is haunted by an episode in his past when Jim's absentee father proved a better father.
Yet there are occasions for redemption in this tale symbolically about rejecting the devil and all his empty promises.
Content advisory: Some creepy and frightening images, uncanny menace, very mild sensual themes. Not for viewers much younger than the 12-year-old protagonists.
Nosferatu (1922)
A Vatican film-list honoree, this silent granddaddy of all vampire movies (don't confuse it with the 1979 Herzog remake) continues to come out in new DVD and VHS editions, but the best versions remain the ones from Image and Kino. Any worthwhile edition should include tints (blue for night, yellow for interiors, etc.) rather than literal black and white, and have an appropriate musical score.
Though diminished by decades of pop-horror incarnations, the figure of the vampire remains uniquely evocative of both dread and fascination, horror and seductiveness. Monsters from werewolves to Freddy Krueger may frighten, but neither victims nor audience are drawn to them. By contrast, the vampire suggests the horror of evil working on our disordered passions.
F.W. Murnau's pioneering German expressionist film — an unauthorized adaptation of Stoker's Dracula that made few concessions to copyright beyond name and place changes, and was ordered destroyed — is almost unique in imagining a vampire who is not darkly attractive, but corpselike and ghastly. Yet his dread fascination remains troubling; the hero's wife seems repelled but also mesmerized even as she seeks to destroy him. Freudian interpretations, while common, are unsatisfying; Nosferatu is an evil, destructive force, but to destroy it one must surrender to it. The imagery resists allegorization, remaining simply, unsettlingly, itself.
Content advisory: Unsettling images and uncanny menace. Not for young kids.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Steven D. Greydanus ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Weekly TV Picks DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:SUNDAY, OCT. 26
America's Loch Ness Monster
Discovery Channel, 10 p.m.
This new special takes us to Lake Champlain, on the Vermont-New York border, for a probe into reported sightings of lake creatures over the centuries. Preceding this show at 9 p.m. is another new special, “Search for the Loch Ness Monster.”
MONDAY, OCT. 27
Journey Home
EWTN, 8 p.m., live
Marcus Grodi's guest is Register film critic Steven Greydanus. A convert from the Dutch Reformed Church, Greydanus is well known for his Web site, the Decent Films Guide (www.decent-films.com). The program re-airs Tuesday at 1 a.m. and 10 a.m., and Saturday at 11 p.m.
TUESDAY, OCT. 28
Nova: The Elegant Universe
PBS, 8 p.m.
The secularists try to hide it, but Catholic scholars know that discoveries in astronomy and physics in recent decades all confirm that God created the universe. Catholic viewers will keep that in mind as they watch this new two-hour special based on physicist Brian Greene's book The Elegant Universe, about string theory, a speculative attempt to form “a theory of everything” and to reconcile quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29
Great Performances
PBS, 8 p.m.
Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the inaugural performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. This special includes interviews with celebrities and a short history of the new hall, which Frank Gehry designed.
THURSDAY, OCT. 30
Life on the Rock
EWTN, 8 p.m., live
Guest Dave Sloan's vital topic is “Know Your Stuff: Catholic Street Evangelizing.”
FRIDAY, OCT. 31
Save Our History: Valley Forge
History Channel, 7 a.m.
Tour the log cabins, archaeological excavations and preservation work at Valley Forge National Historical Park in Pennsylvania. The American soldiers who camped there with General Washington in the terrible winter of 1777-1778 suffered months of hunger, disease and death, all for love of their countrymen and liberty.
SATURDAY, NOV. 1
St. Gerard Majella — A Saint for Our Times
EWTN, 2 p.m.
St. Gerard, pray for us! Born in Muro, south of Naples, St. Gerard (1726-1755) was a Redemptorist lay brother so holy that his superiors had him give conferences to priests and to sisters. He read souls, cured the sick and bilocated. Known as “father of the poor” and “the mothers' saint,” he is invoked for childbirth, pregnancy, preborn babies, the right to life cause, the falsely accused and good confessions. His feast day is Oct. 16.
Dan Engler writes from Santa Barbara, California.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Dan Engler ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Following in the Footsteps of Don Bosco DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:RAMSEY, N.J. — Don Bosco Preparatory High School is the veritable gift that keeps on giving. Its school spirit not only captures the hearts of its present students but it also continues to draw its alumni back again and again.
From annual career events, commencement speeches, faculty development, capital improvements and fund raising to offering internships and attending school sporting events, alumni support the school in a wide variety of ways.
Take Joe Gangone, for example.
A 1972 graduate of Don Bosco Prep, he has worked in public relations at Madison Square Garden and ABC. Now he owns his own consulting firm in Mahwah, N.J., called Gang One. But when he's not working, he's helping to promote the school and plan for its future.
“Don Bosco [Preparatory High School] is the only reason I would want to be young again and go back to school,” said Gangone, whose son Stephen is a junior at the school. “Its roots go deeply into the community and especially into the hearts of the young men who are educated there. For the people involved, it's not work — it's a mission.”
According to a press release from the school, its mission is to provide “an exemplary education of the total person through a Catholic philosophy of life, fostering the spiritual, intellectual, social, moral and physical growth of young men who are in pursuit of higher education after graduation.”
This mission of the all-boys school, based on the educational principles of St. John Bosco — or “Don Bosco,” as his students affectionately called him — is embodied in one word: service. Don Bosco Prep students must commit 50 hours to community service by the end of their junior year, and an attitude of generosity permeates the atmosphere of the entire school.
Although Don Bosco Prep is in an affluent area of New Jersey, students from all economic and social backgrounds attend. This requires charity both in terms of material means and interpersonal relations. Thus, fund raising is an ongoing effort for students but equally is reaching out to the world around them.
In fact, Don Bosco Prep principal Salesian Father John Serio considers their reaching out one of the most notable achievements of the students.
In the past, groups from the school have initiated programs to support children with cancer and a home for unwed mothers, served weekly at a soup kitchen and ministered in Salesian communities in poorer parts of the country. Last year, Don Bosco Prep had a competition with another Salesian school in Florida to determine which group could gather the largest number of donated food items to put in Thanksgiving baskets for the less fortunate. Don Bosco Prep won, having elicited more than 30,000 food items.
“The more muscular you make Catholicism,” Father Serio said, “the more prone they [students] are to respond. We must show again and again that faith doesn't happen in a vacuum.”
Liturgy
The Catholic faith is taught both practically and liturgically at the school. Mass is offered daily at 6:30 a.m. for the Salesian community. Many of the nonreligious faculty members attend. At 7:10 a.m., another Mass is offered for students. Considering the number of those who must travel long distances to school each day (it takes some at least an hour to get to school), this Mass is surprisingly well attended by both students and parents.
Feast days are celebrated with Mass and special devotion to the saints. Signs and symbols throughout the campus are a tangible evidence of the students' faith, especially the grotto built to Our Lady of Lourdes by Don Bosco Prep students in 1946. The sacraments are available at all times; some students have received sacraments for the first time there. Additionally, there are frequent opportunities for one-day retreats.
Academically, the standards are very high. Students are required to take four years each of English, mathematics, science, social studies, theology and physical education, and three years of a foreign language. To round out their education, students may choose from electives such as computer science, economics, psychology and contemporary issues.
The school also offers honors, advanced placement and college-preparatory programs. Special services are available for students with some learning disabilities. The school has exceeded accreditation standards and traditionally the students' SAT scores are exceptionally high.
“Don Bosco Prep is a wonderful asset to the archdiocese,” said Columban Brother Ralph Darmento, deputy superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J. “The entire faculty carries on Don Bosco's methods of reason, respect and spirituality. Their athletic teams are called the Iron Men and the students of Don Bosco are iron men in every way — they are men of mettle, men of competence and men of compassion. It's a highly sought-after school.”
Junior Christian Clarke is glad he made it into the school (due to high demand for enrollment, students are put on a waiting list to get in). He thinks the academics are versatile and challenging and the commitment to service excellent, but more than that he values the upbeat and family-like atmosphere.
At Don Bosco Prep, education is a process of passing on knowledge and opening up new opportunities. The faculty teaches by example and gives liberally of their time and talents. It's not unusual for a teacher to linger in the classroom after school just to have more time with the students. Nor is it strange to see a teacher organizing activities outside of the classroom just to give students a broader perspective of the subject — and perhaps do some character formation in conjunction.
The dedication of the faculty motivates students not only to succeed but also to reach beyond themselves so they can attain self-fulfillment and live their faith.
Don Bosco Preparatory High School began as a Salesian boarding school in Hawthorne, N.Y. When fire destroyed the property in 1914, the priests and students moved to a farmhouse and land in Ramsey, N.J., that was used as a summer hotel for Polish immigrants. It was converted into a boarding school for Polish students in 1915 and is the first Salesian School in the United States to be named after Salesian Society founder St. John Bosco.
Since its first alumni graduated in 1917, more than 7,000 young men have graduated and more than 200 have become Salesian brothers or priests. Eventually, the school was opened to young men of all faiths and nationalities and the facilities were enhanced and expanded. The current enrollment is 835.
The school continues to uphold the Salesian standards, methods and spirituality of education in keeping with the educational principles of Don Bosco. Nine of its faculty are members of the Salesian community.
“The teachers here make such an impression on the students,” Clarke said, “that you just want to keep coming back and giving back.”
Marge Fenelon writes from Cudahy, Wisconsin.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Marge Fenelon ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Get Sharp on the Sacraments DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:SACRED PASSAGES:BRINGING THE SACRAMENTS TO LIFE
Doubleday, 2003
176 pages, $19.95
Available in bookstores
Experience anything often enough and, eventually, it will seem commonplace and mundane.
Even the sacraments are no exception to the rule, extraordinary as they are. Sacred Passages, the new book by popular Catholic author Bert Ghezzi, aims to change that.
“I wonder,” writes Ghezzi, “if we Catholics simply don't expect enough of the sacraments.” With a little reflection and prayer on the material he presents, what we come to expect might even make us a little nervous about participating in the sacraments. If so, it would be a good thing.
Early on, Ghezzi eloquently describes how blessed we are to have full and present access, through the sacraments, to a past event — the most significant event ever. “In some mysterious way, God made it possible for us to stand at the foot of the cross, as close to Christ as his mother, the beloved disciple, John, and the faithful women disciples,” he writes. “And, with Mary Magdalene, to encounter him in the garden, near the empty tomb.”
Initial chapters also address the way the sacraments develop our personal relationship with Jesus, as well as bond us intimately with the Church and all its members. He emphasizes the “Godpower” that we are plugged into as a result of our participation in the sacraments: “As divinized human beings,” he writes, “we can read a book, mow i a lawn, cook a meal, help j a friend, change a diaper — all with a supernatural touch.”
Ghezzi's approach to the sacraments is practical and personal. He excels in present- , ing grand theological concepts succinctly, concretely and in plain language. For this reason, the book will be a joy to catechists, teachers and preachers, as well as the average Catholic layperson who wants to get more out of the sacraments “between Sundays.”
For example, Ghezzi explains the teaching of St. Paul (and the Church throughout the ages) that we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ by reflecting on his own baptism as an infant:
“The moment Fr. Angel poured the water on my head, I died with Christ. In some mysterious way, a way I cannot fully understand, the sacrament transported me to Calvary where I died with Christ on the cross,” he writes. “Or better, where God put me in Christ, and Christ died with me on the cross. Again, the moment the baptismal water touched me, somehow I rose with Christ from his garden tomb.”
One of the book's most enjoyable aspects is the way Ghezzi, who has written several previous books on the saints, has allowed the witness of the saints throughout history to bring the 1 sacraments to life for readers today. St. Thomas Becket teaches us the meaning of the grace of holy orders, l and Blessed Mary Anne Taigi provides her example of marital love and fidelity amidst the daily grind of life. In explaining the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit in a chapter on confirmation, Ghezzi provides an example of how each gift worked in a specific instance in the life of a saint.
The book, in short, enables us to integrate the saints' experience of the sacraments with our own.
“The sacraments take the ordinariness out of everyday life,” Ghezzi writes. Just so, Sacred Passages can help take the ordinariness out of our experience of the sacraments.
Barry Michaels writes from Blairsville, Pennsylvania.
----- EXCERPT: Weekly Book Pick ----- EXTENDED BODY: Barry Michaels ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Campus Watch DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:True Reform
“The issue is a lack of formation and the dissent that has been allowed to be institutionalized” within Catholic education, says Joseph Varacalli, a sociologist who directs Nassau Community College's Center for Catholic Studies. If anything, say these Catholics, the Holy Father is too lenient toward “internal dissent.”
BC Football
CHRONICLE.COM, Oct. 13 — The Jesuits' Boston College has agreed to become the Atlantic Coast Conference's 12th member, which will allow the conference to hold a lucrative championship football game.
Boston College has now become the third Big East defector to the conference this year following switches by the University of Miami and Virginia Tech earlier this year.
Four universities have vowed to reintroduce a lawsuit against the conference for damages they allege were caused by the conference's efforts to woo teams from the Big East Conference. An earlier suit had met technical hurdles.
Arm's Length
“The fact that Fordham, a Jesuit university, was willing to host the conference is seen by many involved as a gentle sign of support,” says the newspaper.
But Fordham “does not want to be too closely associated with Voice of the Faithful,” says the Journal News in a reference to a criticism of the organization that it is closely aligned with dissenting forces in the Church.
Former Maryknoll priest Eugene Kennedy will be a featured speaker at the Fordham event.
“This arrangement is a conference services agreement, nothing more,” the university said in a statement.
Latin Growth
NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY, Oct. 5 — A Brazilian sociologist told a conference at Notre Dame University that new Catholic movements such as Opus Dei, charismatic renewal and Focolare are growing in Latin America.
Movements such as the socially oriented base communities continue to grow, said Luiz Gomez de Souza, though at a slower pace and with less prominence.
The workshop on contemporary Latin American Catholicism was sponsored by the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for the Church in Latin America and focused heavily on the inroads of Protestant sects in Latin America.
Record Setter
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY, Oct. 3 — Jesuit Father Aloysius Kelley will step down at the end of the current academic year as president of Connecticut's Fairfield University, a post he has held for the past 25 years.
His tenure makes him the longest-serving president in Fairfield's history and the longest-serving president of the nation's 28 Jesuit colleges and universities. He has presided over the graduation of 64% of Fairfield's 38,000 alumni.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joe Cullen ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Pope Issues Strong Call to Bishops DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:VATICAN CITY — Pope John Paul II had some tough words for the bishops of the Church on his anniversary day, telling them to be “firm and decisive, just and impartial” in their handling of priestly sexual abuse, which he referred to as “grave lapses” in chastity and “crimes.”
The injunction came as one paragraph in a 196-page document on the mission and vocation of bishops in the Church — following up the Synod on that theme held two years ago.
John Paul signed the final document, Pastores Gregis (Shepherds of the Flock), Oct. 16, in the presence of the cardinals and bishops gathered for his anniversary. The comments on bishops' responsibilities in sexual abuse cases caught several of the American cardinals off guard. Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore said he was not aware that the Pope was going to address the issue.
Karol Wojtyla has spent 45 years — more than half his life — as a bishop. He said in the new document that “the bishop stands in the midst of the Church as a vigilant sentinel, a courageous prophet, a credible witness and a faithful servant of Christ.” Cardinals and bishops in Rome said that “job description” accurately summarized John Paul's exercise of his papal ministry.
“If ours is indeed a time of continual movement and even at times frenzied ‘doing for the sake of doing,’ then the bishop must be the first to show by the example of his own life the need to re-establish the primacy of ‘being’ over ‘doing’ and, more importantly, the primacy of grace, which, in the Christian vision of life, remains the essential principle for any ‘planning’ of pastoral ministry,” the Holy Father wrote.
The document, termed a “post-synodal apostolic exhortation,” like the documents following up other synods, treats themes broadly and has a little to say on almost every aspect of the theme treated.
John Paul indicated as much in his address presenting Pastores Gregis, saying that a bishop must be “a herald of the divine word, a teacher and doctor of the faith … teaching with apostolic frankness the Christian faith, re-proposing it in an authentic way.”
The bishop is also to be the “high priest” whose liturgical celebrations become an “epiphany of the mystery,” as well as a “guide of the Christian people” and a “prophet of justice and peace.”
Bishops on hand for the document's release expressed their gratitude for the Pope's insights.
“It will be of tremendous usefulness to the bishop,” Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington told the Register. In the post-Sept. 11 world, he predicts, the role of the bishop is going to be “even more important, perhaps more difficult, more demanding, but more filled with grace because where there is concern and trouble, there is always grace.”
“The idea of the bishop being the servant is very much in keeping with the Pope's own example,” added Cardinal Wilfred Napier of Durban, South Africa. “As a bishop he has been very much a servant of the Church and the people of the Church as well.”
And Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, speaking to Vatican Radio, said the document is a “gift” not only to bishops but “for the whole Church because the role of the bishop is to serve the communities in the Church, and I'm sure that this exhortation will help all bishops to reflect in their ministry and will be a source of renewal for the Church.”
Archbishop Fitzgerald was particularly interested in the Pope's focus on interreligious dialogue. “It is important for every bishop to remember that he is bishop of the whole population, not just of the Catholics in his area,” he said, “and so there must be a reaching out to people of other religions, and the bishop is called to do many things in this field.”
Father Raymond de Souza.
Edward Pentin contributed to this report.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Father Raymond de Souza ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Family Matters DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Pick Your Battles
Q
People often advise me: “Pick your battles with your children.” I'm not sure what this means or how to do it.
A
“Pick your battles” has become a parenting mantra among the experts — a cliché capable of being shaped into all sorts of meanings. Whether it's good for your childrearing or not depends on how you apply it.
At one level, I wholeheartedly agree with picking your battles. Much of what any child does that irks a parent is not wrong. It is not moral misconduct. It is kid junk, the stuff of childishness.
Let's say it is little Eve's bedtime. She complies without incident, but, while in bed, she softly talks to herself. Or she lies at the foot of the bed and makes up a hand-puppet play. She's not being bad or unruly; she's just adding her own brand of kidhood to make a bad situation (bedtime) better. Perhaps, however, her creativity gets enthusiastic enough to wake her baby brother. You tell her to settle down and she doesn't. Now you have to act.
A personal scenario. Sometimes, while riding in our van, several of our children, usually the younger and most tone-deaf, decide to sing. In itself, this would be tolerable. But they all sing different songs, with made-up words, in poor timing and with gusto. The sounds they make grate on our ears, but the kids aren't doing anything wrong — at least for the first 36 seconds or so. They're just being kids and, sometimes, kids do bizarre things. But, if we ask them to tone it down or stop altogether so we can converse without shouting, they'd better. Not only for our sanity, but to show respect. We as parents have a right to put a ceiling on the chaos, harmless though it may be.
There is one meaning of “pick your battles” that drastically undercuts good parents trying to raise great kids. It is this: Stand firm on the major moral stuff, but be flexible on the minor moral stuff, especially if your youngster is overall a pretty good kid.
Suppose your 13-year-old son, Sting, wants to attend a rock concert with his buddy, Ringo. You're against it. He's too young, there is no adult supervision and the music scene is just too crazy today. Now some experts (probably those without 13-year-olds) would advise: Find a compromise. Don't strive for unconditional victory because Sting could just resent you or fight back harder. Let him go if he takes a cell phone and checks in with you. Maybe here you do want to be rigid. Your child's character or moral protection is involved; therefore, the battle is important. Okay, by today's standards, the concert is relatively benign. The group, “Kids in Charge,” has had only two minor felonies and a pending drug probe. Again, some experts would say: Negotiate.
This expert's advice? Where your child's morals are at stake, if someone advises you to “pick your battles,” ignore him.
One last salvo. When you pick your battle, don't battle. Stand confident and strong. Enforce your decisions with love and discipline, not arguing, lectures and nagging. The quicker the “battle” is over, the better for all. And the fewer battles you will confront in the future, as your child learns clearly where the moral line is drawn.
Dr. Ray Guarendi is the father of 10, a psychologist and an author. He can be reached at www.kidbrat.com
Reach Family Matters at familymatters@ncregister.com
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Dr. Ray Guarendi ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: HEART-HEALTHY WOMEN DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Facts of Life
In a 13-year study of middle-aged women, researches at San Diego State University and the University of Pittsburgh found that wives in highly satisfying marriages have fewer risk factors for cardiovascular disease than their less-satisfied or unmarried counterparts. Women in very satisfying marriages, when compared with the unattached or unsatisfied, had lower levels of cardiovascular risk factors by both biological and psychological measures. They even showed health advantages in comparison to those in moderately satisfying marriages, though to a lesser degree.
Source: Health Psychology, Sept. 2003 Register illustration by Tim Rauch
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Three Missionaries, One Mission DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Three weeks ago, on Oct. 5, Pope John Paul II canonized two 19th-century missionaries together with Blessed Daniel Comboni, the first bishop of Central Africa. The Register reported on the event in a news report, “New Saints to Highlight the Church's Missionary Expansion” (Oct. 5-11). Here are the newest saints' stories in greater detail.
Saving Africa with Africans
Daniel Comboni (1831-1881), founder of two missionary societies, has been called “the Francis Xavier of Central Africa.” The sole surviving child of poor parents who tended citrus groves, Daniel was educated at the Mazza Institute in Verona, a school for gifted children from needy families. There, at age 17, he discerned his vocation to the mission fields of Africa.
This future saint was inspired by saintly priests. He was confirmed and later ordained by Blessed Johann Nepomuk von Tschiderer, bishop of Trent, and was taught by the Servant of God Nicola Mazza. Daniel Comboni's intensive seminary formation — years of prayer, study, community life and spiritual direction — prepared him to go forth and proclaim the Gospel in vast, unexplored regions of the Dark Continent.
His first expedition in 1857, traveling up the Nile River with five other Mazza missionaries, was unsuccessful. Disease and tropical heat forced him to return to Italy in early 1859. Undeterred, Father Comboni helped educate native Africans at the Mazza Institute and looked for new ways to evangelize Africa.
In 1864, while praying in St. Peter's Basilica, he received an inspiration. The plan called for “saving Africa with Africans”: setting up missions on the North African coast (which has a milder climate) and training native priests and lay catechists to bring the faith to their own regions.
This plan, too, met with many setbacks, but in 1867 Comboni was able to found a religious community for men and establish two colleges for Africans in Cairo. He also toured Europe promoting the missions and recruiting future missionaries. Father Comboni attended the First Vatican Council in 1870 as a theological advisor and won the support of many Council Fathers. Two years later he founded an order for missionary sisters.
In 1872 Rome appointed Comboni “Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa.” After a perilous desert journey in early 1873, he celebrated his first official Mass in Khartoum in the Sudan.
Besides the anticipated difficulties, Comboni encountered militant Islamists and an illegal but flourishing slave trade. He responded by ordering his mission stations to shelter fugitive slaves and educate them. Because of his crusade against slavery, he was once abducted while fundraising in Paris.
In August 1877 Comboni was consecrated the first bishop of Central Africa. His rugged constitution, knack for learning languages, intellectual ability and oratorical gifts made him not only a dynamic evangelizer, but a true explorer. He compiled a Nubian dictionary and contributed to scholarly journals of geography and ethnology.
Exhausted by his labors, Daniel Comboni fell ill during a fever epidemic in Khartoum and died on Oct. 10,1881, at age 50. Today 4,000 Comboni priests, brothers, sisters and laymen carry his love for the poor into mission territories. Like their founder, they make great sacrifices: Two of them were gunned down in Uganda in August 2003. The Comboni Missionaries maintain their century-old ties to war-torn Sudan.
Sacred-Heart Messenger
Arnold Janssen (1837-1909) founded the Society of the Divine Word and by 1900 was sending missionaries to work on all five continents.
Janssen initially studied natural sciences. After his ordination he devoted 12 years to teaching.
Prussia won a war against France in 1870 and formed a new “reich,” or empire, the following year. The Kulturkampf (culture war) in German-speaking lands began. Clergy were no longer exempt from military service and the Church was forbidden to supervise schools. Forced to resign from his teaching position, Father Janssen promoted the Apostleship of Prayer as an itinerant preacher and published a magazine, The Messenger of the Sacred Heart.
On his journeys he met Bishop Raimondi, the Apostolic Vicar of Hong Kong. Father Janssen realized that his life's work was to form priests for the foreign missions. But what could be done, when the German Church languished under oppressive laws?
Father Jannsen purchased property in Holland, near the Prussian border. With practically no funds, but with the approval of the entire Dutch episcopate and the subsequent blessing of 14 German and Austrian bishops, he founded St. Michael Missionary Seminary in Steyl to train German-speaking missionaries.
The spiritual seeds Father Janssen had sown as a teacher and preacher yielded a phenomenal harvest. Young men with vocations arrived in Steyl in droves. Many highly qualified displaced priests helped teach them. The seminary thrived on poverty and adversity.
The rector also promoted retreats and founded two congregations of missionary sisters (one cloistered). A few weeks before his death, Father Arnold Janssen approved plans for a new community house and technical school for German emigrants in Illinois. He was beatified in 1975 with one of his first missionaries to China: Joseph Freinademetz
‘Pious and Humble’
Joseph Freinademetz (1852-1908), one of the original five Divine Word priests, served as a missionary in China for almost 30 years.
Born in South Tyrol, he was a diocesan priest for two years before being recruited by Father Janssen in 1878. In a letter to his parents, Father Freinademetz recorded his first impressions of the seminary in Steyl:
“The house is truly a house of God. … The zeal, the diligence, the modesty of the students here is something quite new to me. In spite of their youth, they realize that life on earth is to be taken seriously. … Here I can learn many things, above all to live as a Christian should. I am also beginning to study Chinese.”
The rector arranged with the Propaganda Fide in Rome for Father Freinademetz and a confrere to travel to China the following spring. They were welcomed in Hongkong by Bishop Raimondi and assigned to work with the Franciscans in Shandong [Shantung]. Soon the southern part of that district was entrusted to the Steyl Missionaries. For 10 years this was their only foreign mission, and during the founder's lifetime it remained the most important one.
In Southern Shandong the missionaries met with persecution, especially in 1900 when the Boxers tried to expel all foreigners from China. After a wave of violence, the Prussian government, ironically, placed the Divine Word priests under its protectorate. An official explained that the empire “absolutely needed” missionaries in the colonies, and it cared more about their nationality than about their creed.
At one point, when Father Freinademetz was a candidate for bishop of the territory, Rector Janssen described him in a letter: “He is extremely zealous … pious and humble; he has mastered Chinese very well. … He is especially good at instructing catechumens.” Appointed provincial instead, Father Joseph served as religious superior of the Divine Word Missionaries in China.
Michael J. Miller translated New Saints and Blesseds: Vol. 2 for Ignatius Press.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Michael J. Miller ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: They Fly the Mercy-Mission Skies DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Prolife Profile
In a small aircraft hanger at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, Mo., Doug Clements is meeting with the Wings of Hope volunteers: a group of about 50 men and a few women mostly in their 60s and 70s.
Surrounded by eight small aircraft in various stages of refurbishment and renovation — they're designated for service in remote missions around the world — Clemens calls on his volunteers to give status reports on each aircraft. He calls on each team leader by his respective aviation handle: “79 Charlie” or “47 Papa.”
The Cessna U206, it is reported, will be going to Panama in November after its tail is reassembled, bulkhead modifications finished and a circuit breaker panel replaced. Cessna 182 is off to service in the Ecuadorian Amazon after some pulleys and cables are replaced and a new muffler and ailerons installed.
One or two of the planes that are ill-suited for missionary service — including two tiny stunt planes someone donated — will be auctioned off over the Internet in order to raise money for Wings of Hope, now one of the biggest international humanitarian organizations based in St. Louis.
Clements, a former U.S. Air Force pilot during the Vietnam War and a World Health Organization volunteer pilot who flew humanitarian missions in Laos and Cambodia, talks to his troops about the latest difficulties he is having with Mexican authorities over the sale of a donated aircraft there. Behind Clements is a map on the wall showing where each of 143 Wings of Hope planes currently in service.
This is largely the same scene that has been going on since 1962, when four St. Louis University graduates and local Catholics founded Wings of Hope in response to a challenge from a bishop in Africa who needed a new “bush plane” for one of his nuns who needed the plane to get around. Animals had eaten the fabric-covered wings of the sister's plane and the bishop was looking for a plane constructed of metal.
“They were each very modest men and brought a sense of business to this; each were very dedicated to helping the poor,” says Mary Jean Russell, whose uncle, the late Paul Rodgers, was one of the four founders of Wings of Hope. Russell serves as the nonprofit organization's development director and is a part-time faculty member in the school of education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
“There are no utopias,” she adds, “but there is a fundamental commitment to helping the poor here.”
Victorious Volunteerism
Most of the Wings volunteers are retired military personnel or former pilots, machinists and engineers from TWA and the old Ozark Airlines, along with the St. Louis-based McDonnell-Douglas aircraft manufacturer now owned by Boeing. The aircraft repair work underway here is considered relatively easy but delicate work, and every day at noon the volunteers have access to training sessions. Three Wings of Hope mechanics are listed as full-time employees in order to satisfy FAA regulations aimed at ensuring aircraft safety and continuity during repairs.
Volunteer pilot Dan Curtis, 62, who flew both planes and helicopters during several tours of Vietnam, found his way to Wings of Hope after his wife died of cancer. He had rented airplanes at Spirit of St. Louis Airport after retirement when he spotted the Wings of Hope logo and decided to stop by.
Wings director Clements suggested to Curtis that he go to Guyana, South America, last year, to train as a “bush pilot” under the existing Wings pilot team working in remote parts of that under-developed nation. He ultimately went to Guyana four times for a total of eight months of volunteer duty. Curtis and a nurse shuttled doctors and dentists around, dispensed donated eyeglasses to local children, and brought snake-bit victims and mothers with pregnancy complications to the nearest hospitals.
“The good thing was taking the mothers back holding their babies; you get a chance to return them,” Curtis says. As for adjusting to the South American climate just a few degrees off the equator: “Before I went down I did a lot of walking in the hot part of the day.”
Bob Mertens, 74, a Wings of Hope volunteer for the past 11 years (he's also occasionally called out of retirement to work as a test equipment design engineer at Boeing), says preparing the aircraft for missionary work is great for retired aircraft-industry workers. It keeps their minds sharp.
“When I walked in here the first time I heard the voice of the guy who came up with the system for adding auxiliary fuel tanks to the Cessna 206s so we can ferry them across the Pacific and Atlantic,” Mertens says. “The last two planes we ferried to Africa were delivered by a 75-year-old pilot who had been around the world a couple of times and 73-year-old co-pilot. That level of experience combined with that age is not unusual at all here.”
Wordless Evangelization
In the works now and in need of additional funding is a proposal to put a Wings of Hope volunteer pilot from Oregon and a donated plane at the service of a Catholic bishop, Macram Max Gassis, living in exile in central Sudan, a civil war-torn African nation. Archbishop of Philadelphia, Justin Rigali, who is a member of Wing's Honorary Council, has added his support to the Sudan endeavor. The plane will support both medical and educational projects there.
“Thousands of males have had one or two hands cut off in South Sudan,” Clements says of the Sudanese population. “That alone would keep the plane busy forever. Then you have the malaria, dengue fever — it's a very sick area.”
Wings of Hope missions include carrying the sick or injured to healthcare facilities; bringing healthcare volunteers to those in need; transporting and distributing medical supplies and pharmaceuti-cals to villages, hospitals and clinics; facilitating inoculation programs for children; bringing teachers to students; conducting livestock health improvement programs; and transporting skilled personnel and materials for hospitals, clinic, community and educational projects.
To date, the organization has had only one crash with fatalities; that happened in Guatemala three years ago.
“We don't focus on giveaway programs but self-sufficiency for health care and education,” says Clements, a member of St. Peter and Paul Parish in St. Louis. “It's all about helping mankind. The volunteers, staff, planes all come together to give the poor life and is an opportunity to do what we feel is our God-given duty: to help our fellow man.”
And, speaking of God: What's Wings of Hope got to do with the Gospel?
“We all feel that we are conducting God's work by doing what we do here, and Gospel spreading is certainly part of it,” answers Clements. “We try to focus on the more humanitarian needs of the poor, but do missionary work as time permits — sort of letting our actions speak for us. After the poor get to know how we think, they always ask our beliefs. That is when we begin talking about the Gospel.”
Tom Tracy writes from West Palm Beach, Florida.
----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Tom Tracy ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Prolife Victories DATE: 10/26/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: October 26-November 1, 2003 ----- BODY:Supreme Opening
ASSOCIATED PRESS, Oct. 6 — Pro-lifers have gotten their case heard before the Supreme Court. Well, sort of.
Just as the Supreme Court's new term was about to commence, pro-life demonstrators erected a tall wooden cross in front of the famed building. The gesture was made to protest anti-life rulings such as Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion across the U.S.
About 200 demonstrators prayed and held signs, including one that read, “Without God's Law We Have a Lawless America.” A man dressed as Moses, wearing a rough tunic, held tablets meant to depict the Ten Commandments.
Archbishop O'Malley Rally
“Abortion is violence — we want to be people of peace,” said the archbishop, who received the loudest ovation of the dozen or so speakers who addressed the annual rally and walk on Boston Common.
The president of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Peg Whitbread, said Archbishop O'Malley's ability to “calmly and unequivocally” focus on the issues struck exactly the right tone.
“We have always understood that you need to change people's hearts before you change the law,” she said. “You don't change people's hearts by attacking them.”
No Insurance, No Abortions
The request for an injunction is part of a lawsuit stating that the center's insurance problems present “a real and substantial risk of loss and liability to the Professional Building, its member-owners, and persons entering the building.”
The lawsuit claims American Women's Services secured liability coverage by Acordia Northeast through The Hartford Fire Insurance Co. by stating the clinic was “a doctor's office.”
“In light of finding out this insured performs abortion services, we will need to decline offering coverage,” wrote Caitlin Phraner, new-business underwriter for Acordia Northeast.
Umbilical Blood Bank Planned
The cells will be used to treat children suffering from cancer or blood diseases such as leukemia and different forms of anemia.
Specially trained midwives will be sent into maternity hospitals to collect the vital cord blood — from babies whose parents have given permission — at the time of birth. The stem cells will then be stored by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.
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