TITLE: CBS Still Stands By Its Smear of the Vatican DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

MINNEAPOLIS — When “CBS Evening News” claimed — falsely — that it had evidence the Vatican had put in place a policy of secrecy on sex abuse, that was bad enough.

But two days later, the program edited Catholic radio host Jeff Cavins' rebuttal to make it seem like he agreed with their falsehood.

That made Denise Ehlen, one of Cavins' listeners, blow her top. She said she wanted to stick her head out her window and shout, “I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!”

A formal FCC complaint has been filed, after CBS' failure to acknowledge its mistake.

An Aug. 6 CBS report claimed to have obtained from two Massachusetts lawyers a 1962 Vatican document that laid “out a Church policy that calls for absolute secrecy when it comes to sexual abuse by priests.”

The document, titled “Instruction on the Manner of Proceedings in Cases of Solicitation,” does nothing of the sort. Rather, it details the procedures that bishops should follow when a priest is accused of soliciting sexual acts during the sacrament of reconciliation. Special procedures are necessary so the secrecy of the confessional will be guarded. The document says that if a priest solicits sexual favors in the confessional, the bishop “has no choice but to bring the priest to an ecclesiastical trial.” It also says the penitent may not remain silent or attempt to hide the priest's sin.

Other media outlets — ABC, NBC, the New York Times and the Washington Post — were also given the document, but none of them used it.

Negative reaction to CBS' reporting was swift.

On Aug. 8, Cavins, host of Starboard Network's national Catholic radio program “Morning Air,” fielded phone calls from angry callers and urged them to register their complaints with CBS. In response to the numerous calls they received, CBS invited Cavins to an in-studio interview in Minneapolis to represent his listeners' position.

Cavins agreed, granting CBS reporter Vince Gonzalez a 20-minute interview.

In the report that aired that evening on “CBS Evening News,” Cavins' comments were edited in such as way as to make it look as if his listeners were upset with the Vatican document when in fact they were upset with CBS' reporting.

Ehlen described the CBS report as “neon-yellow journalism.”

“It was a blatant misuse of Cavins' comments and it really struck a chord with me,” she said. “Cavins was speaking for his listeners and, as a listener, when CBS manipulated his words, they were manipulating my opinion.”

What He Really Said

“It outraged me,” Cavins said, “and it outraged our listeners. They took one of my comments and placed it in the story to show that I was possibly in agreement with them.”

Cavins had the entire interview recorded by WCCO-TV.

In a transcript of the interview obtained by the Register, Gonzalez asks Cavins, “Just to sum up: The feeling that you are picking up from your listeners — what are they feeling out there? What are they saying?”

Cavins responded: “My listeners are very upset, and I'm hearing a different tone. I am hearing them say, ‘You know what, that crosses the line. Last week, the Chicago Sun-Times crossed the line with a headline and Cardinal [Francis] George responded to that and said, ‘We as Catholics cannot ignore this. We have to do something about it.’ Now, when you have men like Cardinal George who are telling the laity, ‘We have to do something about this,' the laity are going to get involved, and they're going to rise up, and they're going to speak, and they're going to call, and the ultimate is that they're not going to watch that news anymore, and they're going to make their voices heard, and I think that's what's happening right now. I think we've crossed a line in reporting and the people are saying, ‘I'm tired of this.'”

The CBS news report ended up using only: “My listeners are very upset and I'm hearing a different tone. I am hearing them say, ‘You know what, that crosses the line.'”

Cavins said he knew it was possible CBS might misuse his comments. He took the precaution of rehearsing beforehand.

“Everyone warned me, but I had no idea they would edit it the way that they did,” he said. “Five minutes after the interview aired, people were calling me to say, ‘You've been had.'”

“Jeff made it a point to be very repetitive and pointed out what he felt were his strongest messages,” said Anne Moyer, public relations and promotions manager for Starboard (which operates 14 Catholic radio stations in six states), who was present at the interview, “but those didn't make it into the piece.”

Cavins made efforts to contact Gonzalez. He also sent a letter to executive producer Jim Murphy and plans to send the transcripts to the FCC. To date, CBS has not responded to Cavins.

CBS also has not issued a formal response or apology for its reporting.

“We did receive a number of calls in response to our stories, but that is not uncommon for stories of this type,” CBS publicist Andy Silvers said.

Silvers disagreed that the report misrepresented what Cavins said.

“I read [the transcript] to be very clear,” she said. “It starts out saying, ‘Catholics across the country were angered by a Wednesday CBS News report that focused on a once-secret Vatican document. Jeff Cavins hosts a talk show on a Catholic radio network,' followed by Cavins' comments.”

“There has been no official response,” Silvers said. “The correspondent and the executive producer thoroughly researched and sourced the elements involved and we stick by our original story.”

“CBS does not issue a retraction unless it's wrong,” she said. In response to Register inquiries, Silvers asked who had made the complaints and whether those protesting the coverage were “devout Catholics.”

Devout Catholics or not, viewers such as Ehlen and organizations such as the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights were upset by the reporting.

“The reason I am so outraged by what CBS has done is that it is so atypical,” said Catholic League president William Donohue. “They took the truth and stood it on its head. They have compounded the error by misrepresenting Jeff Cavins' comments to suit their own interests. They've thrown salt on the wound.”

Others worried about the impact the reporting error could have on parishioners.

“A female parishioner at my Church came to me with questions about the report. She told me of a older man who had previously left the Church and who was on the edge of coming back,” said Chris LaRose, RCIA coordinator at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Brasher Falls, N.Y., and St. Lawrence Catholic Church in North Lawrence, N.Y. “After seeing the CBS report, he decided not to come back. I wonder how many other folks have been negatively affected by this.”

Although Ehlen had witnessed media bias in the past, she had never previously acted on it. This time she did.

“I cannot take this any longer,” she said. “I think the reason the Holy Spirit motivates these feelings in us is for us to take action.”

Ehlen proceeded to contact CBS three times. She e-mailed the network the evening the report aired, and she also called its New York and Los Angeles offices to register a complaint. In addition, she contacted her local CBS affiliate in Milwaukee, e-mailed various radio and television talk-show hosts, contacted a journalism professor at Marquette University and e-mailed and telephoned approximately 13 friends and family urging them to call as well.

“I asked for a public apology, a correction and [for] CBS to consider terminating the reporter, Vince Gonzalez,” Ehlen said.

Aside from transcribing her complaint, she said, CBS did not respond.

Tim Drake writes from St. Cloud, Minnesota.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Tim Drake ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Baby-Making Industry: Gone Too Far? DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

WASHINGTON — Some might say, “You've come a long way, baby.”

President Bush's Council on Bioethics seems to be saying, “The baby-making business has come too far.”

Louise Brown, the world's first test-tube baby, celebrated her 25th birthday July 25. She has grown up in a world in which scientists are now seriously talking about crossbreeding humans and animals, impregnating men and bioengineering children.

The president's council has reported just how bad it can be: Unregulated and unrestrained practitioners give desperate patients risky treatments. Mothers and children pay the price in serious injury, illness and birth defects.

But the council is caught in a quandary over what, if anything, can be done about it.

Appointed in January 2002, the panel of 17 scientists, doctors, ethicists and attorneys are debating where and how to draw the line between a medical community tradition of self-regulation and public safety. They also have to weigh the desires of infertile couples against responsible reproductive medicine. They are due to issue a report by the end of November.

As the council took up the question of human cloning in January 2002, the underlying issues of reproductive science ultimately led them back to the practice of in vitro fertilization.

The council is working from a 72-page staff paper that offers a succession of grim statistics, starting with the fact that only a quarter of those who submit to painful, dangerous and expensive procedures can expect to have a baby after the first try, and many will never succeed.

According to the report, as many as 1 in 20 prospective mothers suffer from enlarged or burst ovaries, cysts, cancer, cardiac disorders and sudden death as part of the ovarian stimulation process. Surgical procedures to harvest the eggs can result in puncture of adjacent organs, infection or reaction to general anesthetic.

The common practice of implanting multiple embryos to improve the chance of pregnancy, as well as injury to the embryo during the growth and implantation process, results in multiple births one-third of the time, with associated risks of preeclampsia, high blood pressure or anemia.

There is a 17% chance of miscarriage and a 25% chance of premature birth. One in 10 of the premature children will die within a year. Many of the rest will suffer from blindness, chronic respiratory disorders or mental retardation.

A third of the children conceived through in vitro fertilization are reported to have low birth weight and a 1 in 10 chance of being diagnosed with often rare and exotic birth defects within the first year of life. Both events are twice the level as natural conception.

Newer techniques include direct injection of sperm into the egg to aid the 39% of in vitro fertilization client couples with male infertility, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection. This process is very likely to pass along genes for cystic fibrosis, since the cystic fibrosis gene also can cause male infertility. The now-banned practice of ooplasm injections, to overcome deficiencies in embryo mitochondria, resulted in children born with the genes of three parents.

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis is incorrect as much as 10% of the time and subsequent genetic screening that reveals defects usually results in an abortion. Meanwhile, more than 400,000 embryos languish in cryo-storage with little or no chance of ever being implanted.

‘Patchwork’ Regulation

The council's report called the regulatory landscape “a patchwork, with authority divided among numerous sources of oversight.” Most professional practices are monitored only by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, which has no enforcement authority.

In reviewing the report, council member Mary Ann Glendon, who teaches law at Harvard University, said, “I think the background assumption for a lot of these people is, ‘Somewhere, someone is looking out for me.' Somewhere, there are government agencies that do keep an eye on things.”

But that's not the case, she said. “It's very important just to do what our mandate tells us we're supposed to be doing, and that is raise the level of public awareness and deliberation,” Glendon said. The result should lead to improved monitoring and, possibly, regulation, she added.

Opposing in vitro fertilization and the other scientific and medical practices that have grown from it doesn't mean being against regulation of the industry, said Austin Ruse, president for the Culture of Life Foundation. “We're faithful Catholics, but we are not critics of the President's bioethics council,” he said.

Through the council's investigation, “members on the left and right have discovered there's a problem,” Ruse said. “At the very least, they are recommending regulation of an industry that is totally unregulated.”

Ruse, who is also president of the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute, a pro-life lobbying group at the United Nations, sees regulation as an essential first step in a process that will ultimately lead to a ban on in vitro fertilization. “People are awakening to the facts,” he said, “and it is fairly good news that there is now a healthy debate about the efficacy and [health] of IVF.”

He is especially pleased that the council has recognized “there is a problem with excess embryos.” He would like to see a recommendation from the council that would force the medical profession to disclose the fact that there are 20 leftover fertilized embryos for each in vitro fertilization. This action alone could save lives, he said.

“We would like to snap our fingers and see that it would end, but it won't happen,” Ruse said. “It will take a while to convince enough people that you can't mess in this way with the conception of children. For now, we can accept a law that limits it.”

Regulation that bans intracytoplasmic sperm injection and limits super-ovulation would be a good first step, said Richard Doerflinger, deputy director of the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. These two rules alone would reduce the risk to mothers, curtail birth defects in children and arrest the growing number of surplus embryos.

Doerflinger, who testified before the bioethics council June 12, said the bishops would support “any regulation that would rein in [assisted-reproduction therapy] providers.” However, he cautioned that support for regulation does not mean approval for any regulatory scheme that includes government support for any aspect of assisted reproduction.

In council discussion, he said, some members have noted that government funding is the traditional means for extending federal authority.

“We totally disagree,” Doer-flinger said. “You don't rein in an out-of-control industry by giving it money. No federal support should be given to IVF or any other assisted-reproduction therapies, even if it is presented as a lever for regulating the practice.”

Although he praises the council and its consideration of the issues surrounding assisted reproduction and bioengineering, Msgr. William Smith said any proposal for federal regulation presents “ethical traps for Catholics.”

Msgr. Smith, a moral theologian at St. Joseph Seminary of the Archdiocese of New York, said, “The first trap is accepting the fallacy that couples have a right to a child — because they don't.”

“Married couples have the right to engage in activities that may lead to children, but we don't ever have a right to another human being,” he said.

This leads to the second ethical trap — accepting procedures that put unborn children in jeopardy in order to meet a supposed right to a child. “This brings in its own level of ethical concerns,” Msgr. Smith said, “and who's controlling the shots? Technicians.”

Pointing to Canadian attempts to regulate, he said support for laws “that are better than nothing” can lead to conclusions inconsistent with authentic Catholic teaching. “When you say 90% survival is better than 50%, you are canonizing the destruction of 10%.”

“Unless we know enough about what we are supporting,” Msgr. Smith said, “we are likely to wind up accepting something we'll be very unhappy with five years from now.”

Philip Moore is based in Vancouver, Washington.

----- EXCERPT: Bioethics Council Cites Grim Statistics, Women's Tragic Tales ----- EXTENDED BODY: Philip S. Moore ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: As Ten Commandments Come Down, Project Moses Heats Up DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — As Alabama state workers removed a Ten Commandments display from the rotunda of a state courthouse Aug. 27, a small nonprofit group in Kansas continued working to erect Ten Commandments memorials throughout the country.

It's called Project Moses, and it wants to establish Ten Commandments monuments in Catholic schools and parishes while raising some $5 million for a monument to the Decalogue in Washington, D.C.

“If courts yield to the ACLU and we are forced to remove the Ten Commandments from civic display, we shall make every effort to keep them in the public eye. Indeed, this is the rationale of Project Moses,” said Archbishop James Keleher of Kansas City, Kan., a member of the Project Moses National Board of Advisers.

In Montgomery, Ala., Christians have gathered in protest outside the state judicial building where Chief Justice Roy Moore refused a federal court order to remove a massive stone Ten Commandments display. Moore was suspended with pay for refusing the order.

The Thomas More Law Center, a Catholic public-interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Mich., has agreed to help the embattled chief justice bring his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Moore, a Baptist, believes the state “must acknowledge God, because our Constitution says our justice system is established upon God.”

“Justice Moore has a duty to obey his conscience and is performing a public service by highlighting the anti-religious bias of the federal courts under the fabricated legal metaphor of ‘the wall of separation between church and state,’” said Richard Thompson, chief counsel of the Thomas More Law Center.

Project Moses was inspired by a similar Ten Commandments removal. Back in the summer of 2000, a Ten Commandments monument was removed from the Wyandotte County Courthouse lawn in Kansas City after the American Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue over what it claimed was a violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution.

The ACLU and other organizations have long argued that displays of the Ten Commandments in the public square constitute an endorsement of a particular religion and therefore “establishment” by government.

“We believe it is a vocal minority that is trying to get removal of these displays,” said Eric Klingele, executive director of Project Moses. “They cannot get the values of the Ten Commandments out of our culture, however, so the removal is merely symbolic of their view of the Constitution.”

Critics of those who remove Ten Commandments monuments, such as Archbishop Keleher, say the ACLU's concerns reflect a naïve understanding of constitutional law.

“The Ten Commandments are the moral backbone of how a just and fair government is to treat its people and respect its foundation,” the archbishop said.

Archbishop Keleher said he's in full support of Moore.

“Unfortunately, he is fighting a losing battle because the courts of this country have so confused the meaning of the First Amendment that they construe any expression of our religious heritage to be ‘establishing state religion,'” the archbishop said.

Removal of the commandments from the Kansas City courthouse lawn so alarmed John Menghini, a member of Ascension Parish in Overland Park, Kan., that he tried to think of a constructive way to fight back. While contemplating his options, he realized that public displays of the Ten Commandments seem scarce even on Catholic-owned property.

“I talked to Archbishop Keleher,” Menghini told The Leaven, newspaper of the Kansas City Archdiocese. “I asked him, ‘Have I missed something in my Catholic education? Why don't we revere and display the Ten Commandments more prominently?'”

Archbishop Keleher told Menghini that the scarcity of Ten Commandments monuments at Catholic institutions was a cultural phenomenon — one that could be changed.

“He told me nothing in the canons of the Church prevent us from displaying the commandments more prominently,” recalled Menghini, chairman and chief executive officer of Veritas Partners, a venture capital firm, and a trustee of the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C.

Menghini left his meeting with the archbishop with a conviction. He would devise a way to erect Ten Commandments displays, possibly as fast as the ACLU could remove them from the public square. He would display them at parishes, Catholic institutions and on highly visible private property where the ACLU and the courts have limited jurisdiction regarding free expression.

“Our purpose is not to fight the ACLU,” said Klingele, a former seminarian. “We're not the types to go down to Alabama and try to block the removal of that monument. We believe that God's law supersedes civil law, but we still must obey civil law and carry out God's work within those confines. Dred Scott was won in the courts, and that's where Roe v. Wade will get knocked down. Likewise, we're trying to maintain public displays of the Ten Commandments without violating any court orders.”

But it has been slow going. The first hurdle was finding a supplier of stone or metal Ten Commandments memorials.

“Literally, there is no company selling them,” Menghini told The Leaven. “We've had to actually contract for the manufacture of them. We're now making beautiful marble tablets that are being offered to churches and schools.”

The tablets range in size and price, the most expensive costing about $2,500. So far Project Moses has installed a 5-foot-4-inch tablet at St. Joseph's parish in downtown Topeka, Kan., and plans to install a tablet with the Ten Commandments on the front and the Beatitudes on the back in front of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park.

“We've had about eight to 10 recent orders, but word is just now starting to get out about what we're doing,” Klingele said.

Organizers hope to have the national memorial ready for visitors in as little as two to five years. The monument would feature an 18- to 24-foot bronze statue of Moses and an enormous stone slate of the commandments.

Project Moses organizers have secured a major pledge from one donor but are still short of the $5 million needed for land, construction and the establishment of an endowment for maintenance.

Klingele said organizers have a location in mind, but they're keeping it a secret until the transaction is complete.

“The time has come to stand up to this assault on goodness and morality,” Menghini wrote in a statement announcing his plans for the national monument. “We have had enough of the relentless attacks on the Ten Commandments by those who, under the guise of freedom, seek to deny a large majority of our population their right to profess publicly their belief that the Ten Commandments are God's law. We Catholics must lead the way in ensuring that our constitutional rights to freedom of religion are respected and protected.”

If there can be a silver lining to the ACLU's annihilation of Ten Commandments displays on public property, it might just be the work of Project Moses, Archbishop Keleher said.

“The United States will greatly benefit from the national monument,” he said, “because it will be constructed in the nation's capitol, reminding thousands of visitors about the religious heritage of this nation.”

Wayne Laugesen is based in Boulder, Colorado.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Wayne Laugesen ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Catholic Teacher Protests Union Over Abortion DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Gerard O'Brien has refused to pay his teacher-union dues because part of that money goes to organizations that support abortion and contraception.

And a federal judge cleared the way for O'Brien, a Catholic, to sue his union on religious objections.

U.S. District Court Judge Frank Freedman on Aug. 15 tossed out a motion by union lawyers to dismiss the case. Freedman, who died only days after rendering the ruling, said the union hadn't made a religious accommodation to let O'Brien's fees go to a third party, which other unions in the country have allowed teachers to do.

“The judge agreed to four of our five points,” said O'Brien, who teaches physical education to students with physical disabilities. “The ball's basically in the union's court.”

O'Brien's local union in Springfield doesn't take a stance on abortion, but both the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the National Education Association support legal abortion.

That's too much for O'Brien.

“They don't say anything against it,” he said of the local teachers union. “They're silent.”

Silence certainly doesn't describe the National Education Association's approach to the abortion debate. The organization has passed resolutions in favor of legal abortion at its annual conventions.

They also back up words with dollars, O'Brien said.

“In 1992 or 1993, the National Education Association appropriated $50,000 a year to Planned Parenthood and for the Freedom of Choice Act. They were trying to get the Freedom of Choice Act passed in case Roe got overturned,” O'Brien said.

Tim Collins, president of the Springfield Education Association, said taking the money from the account to pay lawyers' fees and back pay to O'Brien was reasonable.

“There is quite a bit of money in his escrow account. We were going to pay his lawyers' fees out of the escrow account,” Collins said. “I'm not sure what his objection is.”

The union wants O'Brien's lawyer fees and damages, including the two weeks of suspended pay for not paying dues, to come out of the escrow account of past dues.

“It's a slap in the face. The federal judge said I was right to say No to that,” he said.

The annual dues, which now stand at just more than $600, have accumulated since he stopped paying dues to the union in 1985. O'Brien wants the $8,000 that has accrued in the escrow account to go to a neutral charity.

Collins also noted that the local union didn't take a stand on abortion, but he did acknowledge that the national and state affiliates support abortion.

“Our local union has never taken a stand on that. The state and national groups do pass resolutions on these issues. It isn't like they work for these groups,” he said.

But O'Brien said because money moves from local chapters to the state and national organizations, any union fees he would give to his local union would free up other cash to be used on abortion support.

“That's like saying the Ku Klux Klan is different on the local level. Or the NAACP. Or even the Catholic Church,” he said. “They directly support the national organization.”

In 2002, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that the National Education Association had to provide a religious exemption for Dennis Robey, who objected to the organization's support of homosexuality and abortion. The commission also determined Robey didn't need to prove the need for his accommodation every year.

He told Family News in Focus he didn't expect to be a pioneer in this legal protection of religious objectors.

“I never intended to be a lead man on anything,” he said. “I felt like I was being mistreated. I didn't want to be mistreated anymore.”

O'Brien's attorney, Gregory Hession, thinks his client will also win.

“This is not a final judgment. We settle or go to trial,” Hession said. “But the judge's ruling is 46 pages and is copiously backed up. It was written to survive a likely appeal.”

The judge saw the need for a religious accommodation, he said, because the Massachusetts Teachers Association provides money for programs that teach contraception as acceptable.

O'Brien “does not want to pay dues to a union that favors abortion and contraception, because those clearly violate the tenets of his faith,” Hession said.

But he thinks the unions are also hurting themselves for their pro-abortion stance.

“If there were 2,000 more kids in town, wouldn't we need more teachers?” he said. “It seems self-contradictory.”

Hession noted that the union had secretly granted a religious accommodation for years to a Seventh Day Adventist, even as the union denied a similar accommodation to O'Brien.

“They've just been impossible to deal with,” Hession said. “They just won't tell the truth.”

Joshua Mercer writes from Washington, D.C.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joshua Mercer ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Eastern Europe, After the Wall DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

Msgr. R. George Sarauskas has been helping to restore Christian life in Eastern Europe for more than a decade.

He spoke to Register correspondent John Romanowsky about his firsthand witness to the places where the faith suffered the worst persecution in history.

What have the past 13 years of helping rebuild the Church in Central and Eastern Europe meant to you?

American Catholics who grew up in the 1950s remember how, after every Sunday Mass, we prayed three Hail Marys, the Memorare and the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel for the conversion of Russia. I can't think of a greater example of prayers being answered. It took many years, but they were answered. Soviet communism did fall.

But it means even more to me and my family. My parents are from Lithuania. Toward the end of World War II, the eastern front was moving in and this time the Russians were coming. Typically, when the Russians came in, most civil servants of middle grade or higher were shipped off to Siberia. My parents were civil servants, so they decided to leave.

One night, as the Russians were actually moving into Vilnius, there was a military train leaving for Poland. Hoping to catch it, they ran into a young guard by the train who was a Soviet soldier but also a Latvian. My parents had very few things — one suitcase, some food. They asked if they could get on, but he refused. My mother offered him some English cigarettes and food. He was so cold and hungry that he accepted and let them on. They literally hid under a Soviet army tank as they left the country.

They moved around Europe until finally ending up in a refugee camp in Germany, which is where I was born. The war ended soon after my birth and for the next five years we lived in a refugee camp.

The Church helped us a lot in the camp, which was near Eichstatt, Germany. There were priests from Eastern Europe who were educated, many of whom spoke foreign languages and who helped with documentation and locating sponsors in other countries. I'll always be grateful to them.

So establishing and directing this office was a chance for you to express your gratitude in a concrete way.

Yes, although in some ways it wasn't a new thing altogether because most of us who are from Eastern Europe still have family over there and were always doing whatever we could to support them. In Chicago we established a national base for those countries that were oppressed. We'd go to each other's parades, prayers and rallies. Most people from that part of the world were involved. My father's first check was $17 when we came to this country and $6 of that went to his sister in Lithuania. There's nothing unique about that story. It's what everyone was doing.

For the Catholic Church in the United States to officially get involved was a great step forward because it brought the prestige of the American Church and the generosity of the American people into play. Not only were there individual efforts going on — those had been going on for years — but now there was a comprehensive effort, which is what really made it important.

But amid the euphoria of the Church's newfound freedom, you must have seen the effects of decades of Soviet oppression. Which effects struck you the most?

The most dramatic and graphic was the fate of the churches. Many of them were torn down, in ruins, vandalized, their windows smashed; others were closed or used as warehouses or museums. One beautiful church in Vilnius was used as a museum of “atheistic culture.” The cathedral was an art gallery.

But even more devastating was the Soviet mentality: No one trusted anyone. I had pleasant, polite conversations, but I would realize later on that nothing really got said. I thought to myself, “Everyone was role playing.” That kind of psychological paralysis was not as dramatic as a ruined church, but it permeated their society. Lying was a way of survival. It was difficult to gain people's trust.

Would you say then that there has been steady growth in the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe since those countries began to enjoy freedom of religion?

There has been growth, but it is not steady or in any way inevitable. In America, it is easy for us to forget what is still happening over there. We see a problem one day, then the next day it's off the front page and we think it's all gone. It would be a mistake to think that either the Church's freedom is assured or that all the human, political and religious rights of the people are fully guaranteed.

In some ways, the governments still harass the Catholic Church. One of the clearest examples is in the case of visas. The Church in the former Soviet Union still relies on missionaries from countries like Poland or Slovakia because they don't have enough native clergy. Some of these governments are very restrictive on the visas for religious workers. Governments either deny such people or grant them short-term visas and require them to return to their own country to have it renewed, sometimes every two months. This is not only expensive but it's also very inconvenient and a form of administrative harassment.

In Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, bishops in the Catholic Church told us very clearly that they know their phones are still tapped, conversations are still listened to and there are various kinds of bugging devices.

What do you see for the future for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe?

Theologically I'm optimistic because the Church is the work of the Holy Spirit who protects it, even though it may go through some hard times. But some of these governmental or interreligious issues are not going to go away easily and will take a long time to work through. Human jealousy and human competition are with us all the time and aren't going to go away.

The long-term future of the Church is a good one. The short-term future is difficult because they have to face all the modern problems, and local churches are not yet up and running as we are in the United States. They don't have all the resources, structures and communications. They are all working very hard, but there's so much to be done. Their interactions with their governments, many of which are an assembly of the same faces that were there during communism, are tense and hostile. When they speak out on public policy issues such as abortion or marriage, they still have many battles to fight.

John Romanowsky writes from Washington, D.C.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: John Romanowsky ----- KEYWORDS: Inperson -------- TITLE: Old Priests Never Really Retire - They Just Keep Soldiering On DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

WORCESTER, Mass. — It would seem so easy for them to retire. So easy to just relax and do something they probably never had a lot of time to do, such as play golf or join a bridge club. That's the reward of having worked hard as a priest for many years, one might assume.

But if there is one thing that has impressed and inspired Carmelite Sister of the Eucharist Mary Ann Bartell during the past two-and-a-half years of ministering to retired priests in the Diocese of Worcester, Mass., it is this: Priests might retire, but they never leave the priesthood.

“I have priests who are in their 80s who are still filling in at parishes and saying Masses and participating and being very active as much as they can be,” she said. “The problem comes when there is a major illness that no longer allows them to be active in their ministry because their health care just doesn't allow it.”

And even when a major illness does occur, some still don't retire. Sister Bartell knows a 74-year-old pastor who is suffering from a brain tumor. While spending time in a nursing home recuperating from a bad fall, the priest couldn't stop ministering to others.

“I've learned they will minister as long as there is someone to minister to and as long as they're able to minister,” Sister Bartell said.

Canon law says a parish priest who has completed his 75th year of age is “requested to offer his resignation from office to the diocesan bishop who, after considering all the circumstances of person and place, is to decide whether to accept or defer it.”

Many dioceses, however, make retirement an option at 65 or 70. With the shortage of priests and the median age of priests in the United States at about 60, many retired priests still help out as much as they can.

“Many older priests are active in pastoral ministry, even if they're not pastors,” said Father Charles Fahey, 70, a priest of the Diocese of Syracuse, N.Y., and a retired professor of aging studies at Fordham University in New York. He is former director of the university's Third Age Center, which was designed to make Fordham “hospitable” to older people.

Older priests remaining in active ministry “also is a function in the change in what it is to be old,” Father Fahey said. “Our definition and understanding of being old is far different today than it was 40 years ago.

“I would say the vast majority of priests want to continue to be in the service of God's people, and they can be, where they couldn't have been in the past.”

Despite his advanced age and health problems, Pope John Paul II — a prime example of someone who wants to continue to be of service — encouraged other elderly priests in his 1999 “Letter to the Elderly” with the following: “Dear brother priests and bishops, who, for reasons of age, no longer have direct responsibility for pastoral ministry. The Church still needs you. She appreciates the services that you may wish to provide in many areas of the apostolate; she counts on the support of your longer periods of prayer; she counts on your advice born of experience, and she is enriched by your daily witness to the Gospel.”

Even when they can't help out at the parish level, many retired priests still work on their spiritual lives. Although Father Roland Hebert, 83, misses being part of the life of a parish, he realizes he can't help out at the level that's expected of him. He had celebrated weekend Masses at his former parish, Holy Name of Jesus in Worcester, Mass., for several years after his retirement in 1989.

But then various health ailments made him realize he had to stop. So he lives in a private apartment in a retirement facility in Shrewsbury, Mass., with about 15 other priests, where prayer and the Eucharist continue to be an important part of his daily routine.

“I don't neglect my spiritual life,” he said. “I say Mass every morning. I try to meditate every day. I have a daily visit with the Blessed Sacrament, the rosary, the breviary — that's all part of the spiritual life that we've been trained to. And I've kept that up over the years.”

Some priests scoff at retirement.

“A priest never retires, not really,” said 88-year-old Father John Horgan-Kung, who has been quite active during his retirement. He was the volunteer archivist with the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn., until he was 82. He was also the confessor and interpreter to Cardinal Ignatius Kung Pin-Mei, the bishop of Shanghai who spent the last years of his life in the diocese.

Father Horgan-Kung, who added the name “Kung” to his last name in honor of Cardinal Kung, who died in 2000, lives in the Catherine Dennis Keefe Queen of the Clergy Residence, a home for retired priests in Stamford, Conn.

“The thing about retirement for a priest is, for the first time in your life — I'm going on 89 — I almost can do anything I want, when I want,” he said. “Nobody can do that, except when we get to heaven, you know.”

Father Horgan-Kung thinks another benefit of getting older has been an increase in zeal for God.

“I'm more fervent a priest now than when I was ordained,” he said. “I'm more mature now, and I deal with people better now than as a young man. My faith is just as strong as always.”

More than 10 years ago, one of Father Horgan-Kung's friends, Father John Sabia, decided to start an “adopt-a-retired priest” ministry at St. Jude Church in Monroe, Conn., to let parishioners realize and appreciate the priesthood and what retired priests in the Diocese of Bridgeport have contributed to the Church.

Families who sign up are encouraged to send Christmas, Easter and birthday cards to retired priests who want to receive them. The families also pray daily for the priests, Father Sabia said.

“Our purpose is to let priests know that people care and are concerned for them,” he said.

He got the idea when visiting the Queen of the Clergy retirement facility, where a retired priest who was feeling lonely told him one day that no former parishioners have contacted him since he retired.

“I felt sorry for him,” Father Sabia said, “because I know I'll be there one day, too.”

Carlos Briceno is based in Seminole, Florida.

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Bustamante Leads Schwarzenegger in Heated Race

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, Aug. 24 — In the upcoming California recall election, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante holds a wide lead over actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

A recent L.A. Times poll gives Bustamante the support of 35% of likely voters, compared with 22% for Schwarzenegger. (The leading pro-life candidate, William Simon Jr., quit the race after the poll was taken.)

Meanwhile, ethnic politics have begun to show up in the race. Schwarzenegger has faced ongoing criticism for his support of Proposition 187, the 1994 ballot initiative denying taxpayer-funded services to illegal immigrants.

Now Bustamante has come under fire for his longtime association with a Chicano group.

In an Aug. 19 syndicated column, Michelle Malkin pointed out that as a student at Fresno State University, “Bustamante was an active member of the Movimiento Estudiantil de Aztlan, or MEChA.” This group's constitution calls on members to “to continue the struggle for the self-determination of the Chicano people for the purpose of liberating Aztlan.”

Aztlan refers to U.S. territory that once belonged to Mexico, including “parts of Washington and Oregon down to California and Arizona and over to Texas, which MEChA … seeks to reconquer for Mexico.”

Legal Guardian Sought for Fetus

THE NEW YORK TIMES, Aug. 21 — In a move observers see as a victory for the pro-life cause, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ordered state attorneys Aug. 21 to ask the Fifth District Court of Appeals to appoint a legal guardian for an unborn child.

The woman carrying the child is retarded and is thought to have conceived through rape. She is also thought to be about nine months pregnant, and there have been no plans to abort her child.

A Florida Circuit Court judge denied requests this spring to appoint a guardian for the fetus, though he okayed one for the mother. An Orlando resident seeking to be the unborn child's guardian appealed the decision.

Bush has added his support to her case, something the Times said might be more of a strategic move to help his brother, President George W. Bush, win Florida in the 2004 election.

Pro-abortion lawyers worried appointing a guardian for the woman's fetus would establish that fetuses were persons.

Apologies to Atheists, Including Those in War

FACE THE NATION, Aug. 24 — CBS's Bob Schieffer observed on the Sunday talk show Aug. 17 that “there are no atheists in foxholes.”

A week later, he found himself apologizing, reporting that he had heard from atheists about the comment, including two with the military in Iraq.

“[They] reminded me that freedom of religion also means the right not to believe, and they said my remark unfairly challenged the sincerity of their views,” he said. “To all of you who took offense, I can only say that none was intended and I regret a poor choice of words.”

Commenting on the mea culpa, the Media Research Center said: “It's not unusual for journalists to offend religious believers, but when CBS's Bob Schieffer upset some atheists, he jumped to apologize.”

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SHIRLEY, Mass. — John Geoghan, a defrocked priest accused of being a serial sexual predator, was murdered on Aug. 23 in the medium-security prison where he was incarcerated in Shirley, Mass.

His killer was an alleged neo-Nazi who is serving a life term for murdering a homosexual man 15 years ago.

Besides the criminal-justice questions about why these two men were in the same section, or even the same prison, the media and law-enforcement coverage of Geoghan's death is jarring: From the New York Times and the Boston Globe to law-enforcement officials, suddenly the words “gay” and “homosexual” are being used in reference to a priest involved in scandal. It was an “anti-gay,” “gay-bashing” murder, a “hate crime,” motivated by “homophobia.”

“How Mr. Geoghan and Mr. Druce, who has strong homophobic views, ended up in the same unit is a focus of investigations by the state police, the Correction Department and the Worcester County district attorney's office,” a New York Times reporter wrote.

ABC's Charlie Gibson reported, “Prison officials are investigating how a convicted killer known to hate homosexuals was able to get at Geoghan.”

The coverage has left some wondering: Since when is it okay to talk about the “homosexual factor” in the Church scandals?

“The national press and the Boston district attorney did all they could simultaneously to create the higher level of outrage against the Catholic Church without mentioning the fact that it was active homosexual priests, not pedophiles, who were committing most of these crimes,” said Deal Hudson, editor of Crisis magazine. “Now that [Geoghan] has met with a violent death, the story is all about being a homosexual. A homosexual as a victim is news, a homosexual as perpetrator is not.”

Geoghan was serving a 10-year sentence for groping a boy in a public swimming pool; another child-abuse case was still pending. Accused by hundreds of abuse, 86 cases were settled last fall in a $10 million settlement with the Boston Archdiocese.

Although not all of the scandals in the news the last two years have involved pedophiles (adult men preying on children; most of them have involved homosexual priests and older teen-age boys), Geoghan's victims were young children.

The question of homosexuality in the priesthood, prior to Geoghan's death — a murder many believe adds tragedy upon tragedy — was seemingly off limits.

Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro-Valls said in a March 2002 New York Times interview, “People with [homosexual] inclinations just cannot be ordained.”

He elaborated: “That does not imply a final judgment on people with homosexuality, but you cannot be in this field.”

“The media can't have it both ways,” said Stanley Kurtz, a fellow at the Hoover Institution who writes frequently on family issues.“Did the Church scandal have something to do with homosexuality or not? Whatever responsibility bishops had for their handling of the problem, the great majority of actual cases involved homosexual acts. That fact has to be duly noted and its meaning explored. Being honest about the role of homosexuality in the Church scandal doesn't mean claiming that all homosexuals are child molesters. But some clearly were.”

Far from everyone agrees, however, that the scandals of the last two years have to do with homosexuality.

“I don't think homosexuality is the problem,” said Barbara Blaine, president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. Conservatives blame the problem on homosexuals in the Church. Liberals blame the problem on celibacy or the fact that women cannot be ordained. I believe that the problem and the solution rests squarely on the shoulders of the those in the hierarchy of the Church.”

“Homosexuality in the priest-hood has absolutely nothing to do with pedophilia and the crisis in the Church,” said Ann Hagan Webb, New England co-coordinator of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and a psychologist. “As long as the Catholic Church continues to attempt to blame this problem on homosexual orientation, they will continue to demonstrate their ignorance about the sexual abuse and rape of minors and vulnerable adults.”

But Catholic psychotherapist Gregory Popchak cautions Catholics to take the issue of homosexuality seriously.

“It must be recognized that the homosexual person has unique obstacles he must face in integrating his sexual self,” he said.

“While the heterosexual person works out his identity in public, eliciting the guidance of parents and others in his quest for a whole identity,” Popchak said, “the shame the homosexual person experiences as he confronts the disintegration of his sexual self causes him to wrestle with many questions in secret, which grossly retards his sexual development. Healthy identities — sexual identities in particular — cannot be formed in secret.”

“But in such a psychological environment,” Popchak continued, “it is little wonder that almost 100% of the scandal consisted of the abuse of adolescent boys. John Geoghan and others like him were perpetually arrested in adolescence, and their disorder allowed them to see minors as peers with whom they could ‘work out' their sexual identity.”

“I am prepared to believe that Geoghan's gruesome murder was an anti-gay crime, a hate crime,” theologian Michael Novak said. “But it is odd, isn't it, that the Boston papers didn't report the priest-molesters' scandal as a gay scandal, a scandal of homosexuals gone awry. They could only come around to admitting that essential point by the back door, when one of the offenders had been murdered.”

Kathryn Jean Lopez is the editor of National Review Online.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Kathryn Jean Lopez ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Pope's Constant Theme: Preserving Christianity in the New Europe DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

VATICAN CITY — Time and again this summer Pope John Paul II has pleaded for Europe to return to its Christian roots.

During his weekly Angelus to pilgrims in Rome on Aug. 24, the Pope called on those charged with examining the new European Constitution to include explicit references to Christianity in the document, adding that only if the continent returns to Christian values will its future be guaranteed.

There is still a chance to include a reference, but it is unlikely. A conference of national governments in the EU will launch a review of the draft constitution next month. The constitution must be ratified by parliaments of all member states and by the European Parliament.

Supporters hope it will go into effect by the end of 2005. Next year 10 countries are set to enter the EU, which now consists of 15 states.

The future of Europe and of Christianity on the continent is a concern echoed by many practicing Catholics who are uneasy about a growing secularism. The papal apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Europa (The Church in Europe), issued in June after four years of consultations with European bishops, was unflinching in its evaluation of what Europe has become.

Its people, the letter said, are facing a “silent apostasy.” They live in a new culture of “relativism in values and morality, a cynical hedonism in daily life,” which conflicts with “the Gospel and the dignity of the human person.”

“I think [the Pope] wants to remind society as a whole of the foundations provided by Christianity,” said John Coughlan, spokesman for the Commission of Bishops' Conferences of the European Community. “He also wants to challenge the Church itself to examine how it relates to modern society, how it responds pastorally and spiritually to these disturbing realities.”

For some, the finger of blame is pointed squarely at the European Union itself. “[It] is contributing to the apostasy of Europe,” said James Bogle, vice chairman of the Catholic Union of Great Britain, a group for Catholics in public life. “The European Union and its institutions are mostly made up of people who are liberal Catholics, secular humanists or atheists who would no more take notice of the Church than fly to the moon.”

The values it espouses, Bogle said, mean the European Union and the Church are on a “collision course and the Church doesn't seem to realize it.”

This, however, is not the official Vatican view, nor is it that of the Commission of Bishops' Conferences of the European Community, which has been in close consultation with the European Convention, the body responsible for drawing up the new constitution.

“Our view is that the process of European integration, embodied in the European Union, is a major contribution to the pursuance of peace and the common good on the European continent,” Coughlan said. “European societies in general are facing a crisis of values. However, this is a symptom, not the cause, so we need to focus on the roots of the problem and our own responsibility for addressing it rather than conjure up a false demon in the form of the EU.”

But Coughlan concedes there are weaknesses: “Democratic politics depends on compromise and, unfortunately, such compromises sometimes stray away from the clear line of Church teaching.”

Issues

Highly contentious issues liable to compromise are those concerning abortion and euthanasia, both of which are becoming more accepted within member states. But EU supporters argue that Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights stipulates that human dignity is inviolable and everyone has the right to life — it is therefore a very solid constitutional basis for opposing such practices as euthanasia and abortion.

But will social institutions such as marriage be protected? Bogle is pessimistic because, he said, “it's certainly not being protected in most countries in Europe at the moment.” To ensure institutions such as marriage are protected, he said, “we should be using the muscle power of the hierarchy of the Church, [which] is not doing nearly enough.”

Bishop Joseph Duffy, who represents Ireland on the Commission of Bishops' Conferences of the European Community, believes people overestimate ecclesial influence.

“People think the Church has a power, which in today's secular society it simply doesn't have,” he said. “Rather it is one of various groups which does have some indirect influence.” The main problem, he asserted, is that “there's so few of us concerned with these real issues.”

“People will quickly blame the hierarchy,” a senior ranking Vatican official told the Register. “The answer does not lie with bishops confronting a very substantial body like the EU but in providing better catechesis in schools.”

That said, the May publication of Europe's new constitution without any reference to God drew criticism from many quarters, even from Poland's self-declared atheist president.

John Bruton, a former prime minister of Ireland and, until recently, a key figure in the convention, also expressed his disappointment but believes the case for an explicit reference to Christianity was overstated.

“I think whether this reference is contained in the constitution or not is of secondary importance,” he told the Register. “It is of symbolic rather than substantial value.” For Bruton, it is more important that Europe “live its political and economic life in accordance with the values that are inherent in Christian thinking and in the thinking of other great religions.”

Jonathan Evans, a Catholic and leader of Britain's Conservative Party in the European Parliament, criticizes “grandstanding” concerning the constitution.

“The trouble is, the process has been hijacked by those people drawing it up who have different agenda — one in which they are more concerned with their place in history than anything else,” he told the Register. “There is a palpable sense of self-importance by certain members of the convention, which is fundamentally unchristian.”

But despite the flaws of the constitution's authors, Coughlan maintains there remains much to be welcomed in the document, including concessions made to include direct references to religion. And he is quick to dismiss accusations that the Church has not lobbied hard.

“Day in, day out, [the bishops' conference commission] is working to ensure that Europe's Christian heritage is at the heart of the new Europe, he said. “The result of all [our consultations] was that the place of religion in the draft constitution became one of the most hotly debated subjects — which was quite remarkable given that religion has never before been a significant issue for the EU.”

Edward Pentin writes from Rome.

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Vatican Revises Galileo Myth

THE INDEPENDENT (U.K.), Aug. 23 — As part of a campaign to clarify the Church's historical relationship to science, the Vatican is raising again the issue of the scientist Galileo and his treatment by the Holy Office, predecessor of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, according to The Independent.

Archbishop Angelo Amato, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has released the text of a letter recently discovered in Vatican archives that conveyed Pope Urban VIII's concern for Galileo's health and asked that his trial be speeded up for that reason.

Archbishop Amato noted other pieces of evidence that the Church treated Galileo with respect and courtesy — according him a servant and the best rooms, and even allowing him to stay with the Florentine ambassador before his trial.

While Churchmen were troubled by his theories and their apparent variance with Scripture, Archbishop Amato said, they were also intensely curious about his discoveries.

“He even had great success among the Roman cardinals,” he said. “They all wanted to see the sky through his famous telescope.”

Scouting Brings Youths to God

L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO, Aug. 13-20 — In a message to the Italian Catholic Guides and Scouts Association, Pope John Paul II addressed the young pilgrims in early August at their Italian National Camp rally, which poor health had prevented him from attending.

“Where everything speaks of the Creator and his wisdom, from the majestic mountains to the enchanting, flower-strewn valleys, may you learn to contemplate God's beauty and may your souls, as it were, ‘breathe,'” the Pope wrote.

John Paul urged the youth to deepen their faith and infuse it into their love of nature. He reminded them that as Christian scouts they were “motivated not by some vague ‘ecological feeling' but by the sense of responsibility that derives from faith. The protection of creation, in fact, is a distinctive feature of Christian commitment in the world.”

Pope Pius XII Savaged Hitler

AMERICA, Sept. 1 — In answer to complaints by several historians and some Jewish activists that Pope Pius XII was too passive in his attitude toward the rise of Nazism in Germany, the Jesuit journal America has cited the recently released diplomatic papers of Joseph P. Kennedy, U.S. ambassador to Great Britain from 1938-40.

The papers recount how, in April 1938, Kennedy met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, the future Pius XII. The cardinal presented Kennedy with a report denouncing Nazism, in part because it attacked “the fundamental principle of the freedom of the practice of religion.” Cardinal Pacelli told the ambassador that any political compromise with the Nazis was “out of the question.”

The America article also cited a 1939 report by the U.S. consul general in Berlin, Alfred Klieforth — who said Cardinal Pacelli “regarded Hitler not only as an untrustworthy scoundrel but as a fundamentally wicked person.”

As a longtime diplomat, America suggested, Cardinal Pacelli apparently felt much more free to express his opinions in private than in public.

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Register Summary

Pope John Paul II traveled from his summer residence in Castel Gondolfo to Rome for his Aug. 27 general audience in order to accommodate more than 6,000 pilgrims from 14 countries and four continents who were present for the event. During his catechesis, the Holy Father paid special tribute to the spiritual legacy of his immediate predecessor, Pope John Paul I, 25 years after his death.

Even though his pontificate lasted only a month, Pope John Paul II emphasized the impact Pope John Paul I had on the Church. “Humility and optimism were the trademarks of his life,” he said. “Thanks to these gifts, he left during his short-lived presence among us a message of hope that found a warm welcome in every heart.”

The Holy Father recalled some of Pope John Paul I's favorite expressions: “Christianity and joy go together hand in hand,” he liked to say. “Be optimistic in spite of everything” was another favorite saying. “Our thoughts and our actions must be pivoted on trust in God,” he said repeatedly.

“His smiling face and his open and trusting look conquered the hearts of the people of Rome and the faithful around the entire world,” John Paul recalled. “His words and his personality penetrated the heart of every person.”

In the late afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 26, 1978, my venerated predecessor, John Paul I, was elected Pope. Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of that event.

Today I would like to reflect on that moment, which I had the joy of personally experiencing with deep emotion. I remember how his words deeply touched the hearts of the people who filled St. Peter's Square. From the moment he first appeared in the central balcony of the Vatican basilica, a spontaneous current of affection surged among those present. His smiling face and his open and trusting look conquered the hearts of the people of Rome and the faithful of the entire world.

He came from the illustrious ecclesial community of Venice, which had already given the Church two great pontiffs in the 20th century: St. Pius X, the centennial of whose election as Pope we celebrated this year; and Blessed John XXIII, the 40th anniversary of whose death we observed in June.

Trust in the Lord

“With confidence we abandon ourselves to the Lord's help,” the new Pope said in his first radio message.

He was, first of all, a master of faith — a faith that was perfectly clear and that did not yield to fads that were worldly and fleeting. He tried to adapt his teachings to the people's sensitivities while always preserving clarity in doctrine and consistency in how they were applied to life.

What, then, was the secret of his charm if not uninterrupted contact with the Lord? “You know it. I try to have a continuous conversation with you,” he noted in one of his writings in the form of a letter to Jesus. “The important thing is that Christ be imitated and loved.” Here is the truth that, when it is lived out in life, makes “Christianity and joy go together hand in hand.”

A Humble Heart

The day following his election, during the Angelus on Sunday, Aug. 27, after having remembered his predecessors, the new Pope said: “I don't have either the sapientia cordis [wisdom of heart] of Pope John or the preparation and learning of Pope Paul, but I have been put in their place. I must try to serve the Church.”

He felt a deep attachment with the two Popes who preceded him. He humbled himself before them, exhibiting a humility that for him was always his first rule in life. Humility and optimism were the trademarks of his life. Thanks to these gifts, he left during his short-lived presence among us a message of hope that found a warm welcome in every heart. “Be optimistic in spite of everything,” he loved to say. “Our thoughts and our actions must be pivoted on trust in God.” With a lively realism of faith, he also observed: “There are two principal persons in our lives: God and each one of us.”

His words and his personality penetrated the heart of every person, and it is for this reason that news of his sudden death on the night of Sept. 28, 1978, was so unsettling. The smile of the shepherd, who was so close to his people and who knew how to enter into dialogue with the culture and with the world with peace and balance, had vanished.

Words Still Relevant

The few speeches and writings that he left as Pope will enrich his rather large collection of writings that surprisingly are still relevant 25 years after his death. He had once said, “Progress that is achieved by men who remember that they are brothers and sons of God the Father can be a wonderful thing. Progress that is achieved by men who do not recognize God as the only Father becomes a constant danger.” How much truth there is in his words, which are useful even for men of our times!

May mankind know how to accept such wise advice and extinguish the hotbeds of hatred and violence that are present in so many places on Earth in order to build in harmony a world that is more just and united!

Through the intercession of Mary, of whom John Paul I always professed to be a loving and devoted son, let us ask the Lord to welcome his faithful servant into his Kingdom of peace and joy. Let us pray, too, that his teachings, which touch upon the concreteness of daily situations, be a light for believers and for every person of good will.

(Register translation)

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BAGHDAD, Iraq — A growing danger to foreign civilians in Iraq has forced humanitarian organizations there to revise their operations. But the Vatican's envoy to Iraq has said the humanitarian needs must be met first in any return to normalcy in the country.

Following the Aug. 19 truck bombing of the U.N. headquarters, which killed U.N. chief representative Sergio Vieira de Mello and 22 others, the U.S. administration in the country warned that Iraq is becoming a major target for terrorist groups.

The European Union sent its staff home, and the International Committee of the Red Cross has announced a scaling back of personnel.

“Nongovernmental organizations are very concerned about their security,” said Hanno Schafer, information officer for Caritas Iraq in Baghdad. “This will of course curtail the work they do and will slow down the process of rebuilding Iraq.”

Schafer said the U.N. bombing “did not come out of the blue.” There were “a couple of incidents”: An employee of the International Committee of the Red Cross was killed in his car and there was an attack on someone working for the International Organization of Migration.

“There have been attempted car robberies, and so the number of incidents was quite significant,” he said. “But nobody thought something like that [at the U.N. building] could happen.”

Sister Else-Britt Nilsen is the superior general of the Dominican Sisters of Chatillon, based in Oslo, Norway, which runs St. Raphael Hospital in Baghdad. There are 40 sisters working there, and Sister Nilsen hears the situation is “very tense” and the sisters are “scared,” but they are continuing their work.

“The situation is more insecure now since Saddam Hussein was deposed,” Sister Nilsen said. “Of course he wasn't a good man, but we were able to cope with him because he allowed us to work and kept his distance.

“Now it's chaos, but the sisters won't leave, because most of them are Iraqis,” she said.

Americans helped to stave off attacks during the invasion, she said. “They protected the hospital with tanks to prevent the looting.”

Caritas, the international consortium of Catholic relief, development and social service agencies, also is likely to continue its work.

“We have several programs in health, water, sanitation and shelter,” Schafer said. “We decided to carry on our programs here. We're lucky; we have 150 staff who are Iraqis. They can keep working and undertaking other projects.”

But he and his Danish colleague are the only foreign workers employed by Caritas in Baghdad. “After the bombing of the U.N. headquarters, we took a very close look at what's going on,” he said. “We have decided to stay for now, but we will go back to Jordan if things get worse.”

Schafer said security for nongovernmental organizations is minimal.

“We don't have armed guards or armored vehicles,” he said. “So NGOs are a perfect target for those who want to do harm. Caritas wants to keep a low profile, but if anyone wants to target an NGO, there's nothing we can do about it.”

The Red Cross is overburdened with patients. Speaking on his return to Rome from Iraq, Dr. Antonio Coletto, who went to Iraq under Italian Red Cross auspices, said approximately 200-300 patients are arriving in hospitals every day.

“One of the biggest problems is with children who are playing with unexploded bombs,” he said. “Many have been seriously injured and lost limbs as a result.”

Religion Issues

Meanwhile, the Church itself continues to go about its business in Baghdad and elsewhere. “Priests are continuing to visit the hospitals and celebrate Masses there,” Coletto said.

And the Catholic Church has voiced support for the work of the United Nations and international cooperation in Iraq in the wake of the bombing. The attack should not discourage the international commitment to return Iraq to normalcy, said Archbishop Fernando Filoni, the Holy See's envoy to the country.

Though there are elements that do not desire normalcy in Iraq, “the people desire that … normalcy return as soon as possible and, therefore, that the local authority assume control of the situation,”

Archbishop Filoni said.

The first priority in the return to normalcy is the “humanitarian situation: the situation of hospitals, internal and external security,” he told Vatican Radio.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, the coadjutor of Dublin who was until recently the Vatican's representative at the United Nations in Geneva, also voiced his support for the United Nations' work in Iraq, saying, “We have the duty to guarantee that the United Nations' mission continues and is not abandoned.”

In an interview with Vatican Radio, Archbishop Martin said U.N. member states must help “these little-protected international civil servants who commit themselves on our behalf” to “win the peace.”

Meanwhile, the mounting tension in Iraq has been exacerbated by groups of Protestant preachers entering Iraq, another Catholic archbishop there said.

Discalced Carmelite Archbishop Jean Benjamin Sleiman, the Latin-rite Catholic archbishop of Baghdad, said one problem making the situation worse is the presence of preachers from U.S.-based religious sects.

Archbishop Sleiman told the MISNA missionary news agency that the preachers “harangue people on the streets and want money.”

“They put a notice up anywhere and open a church,” the archbishop said. “They don't realize that they are creating an impossible atmosphere which, by offending the sensibility of the people, fosters the development of Shiite extremism.”

Archbishop Sleiman also warned that the ongoing problems in Iraq could lead to problems for Christianity as instability and fear “foster the growth of Muslim fundamentalist forces as the civilian population more or less identifies Iraqi Christians with Westerners and, therefore, with the Americans.”

The archbishop said he “cannot see a political solution” and despite “all their analysts, Americans have not realized that Iraq is a much more complicated country than they imagined.”

Many commentators have called for a police presence in the country, but this has not materialized.

“There are no security agents,” the archbishop said, “or police or any sign of a presence — even if generic — of public administration on the streets.”

Edward Pentin writes from Rome.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Edward Pentin ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

Irish Issue Health Alert Over Church Incense

INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC NEWS, Aug. 22 — Funerals can be bad for your health — if you're an altar boy, that is.

So says Irish government minister Dr. Jim McDaid, who recently issued a warning about breathing incense.

“It makes me cringe when I see that huge cloud of smoke rising right up into the child's face, particularly given the delicate nature of a child's lungs and the level of irritation it must cause,” McDaid said. He noted that carbon, contained in the smoke, is a carcinogen.

But he denied that he wished to see incense banned from funerals; instead, the Web site Independent Catholic News reported, he appealed to priests to give their acolytes safety instructions, warning them to hold the thurible so the smoke does not billow in their faces.

Russia Offers Some Protection to Unborn

THE NEW YORK TIMES, Aug. 24 — For the first time in almost 50 years, the Russian government has begun to address the use of abortion as a standard means of birth control, The New York Times reported.

While still allowing abortion on demand for the first 12 weeks of embryonic life, new laws impose some restrictions on the procedure after that.

The Times called the legal change “the first stirrings of a wider debate here over the morality of abortion, as well as the effect abortions are having on women's health and on the demographic future of Russia.” The country has one of the highest abortion rates in the world.

Previously, women could abort unborn children who were from 12 to 22 weeks old by citing any of 13 “social indicators,” which included everything from divorce to poor housing.

Henceforth, there will be only four such exemptions offered: “rape, imprisonment, the death or severe disability of the husband or a court ruling stripping a woman of her parental rights.”

Test-Tube Babies, Courtesy of the Queen

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH (U.K.), Aug. 26 — Twenty-five years after the birth in Great Britain of the first “test-tube baby,” Louise Brown, in vitro fertilization might now be subsidized by the British taxpayer, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The London daily reported on new guidelines proposed by the British National Institute of Clinical Excellence that women aged 23-39 should be eligible for in vitro fertilization treatment courtesy of Britain's National Health Service if they have been unable to conceive for the previous three years.

Some doctors, noting that 1 in 6 couples in the United Kingdom experience some fertility difficulty, warned that the annual cost of publicly funded in vitro fertilization could reach approximately $157 million.

The recommendations could encourage more of them to try the expensive procedure. The paper noted that “more than 8,000 IVF babies were born in 2000-2001 and IVF now accounts for about 1% of all live births in Britain.”

The Church condemns the making of babies in this laboratory procedure because it divorces the life-giving and love-giving dimensions of marital intercourse and separates a child from his parents at the moment of conception.

It also creates large numbers of “surplus” human embryos, which often are stored indefinitely or destroyed.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Fax This Editorial to Congress DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

Every once in a while, we provide a Democracy 101 lesson in this spot. In it, we recall out loud that the U.S. Supreme Court is only one of three branches of government and is not the sole interpreter of the U.S. Constitution.

It's time to do so again, but it occurs to us that our readers have already heard it. Perhaps it's time for us to spread the word.

If you know any legislator who is in a position to stick up for self-government in the U.S. Senate or U.S. House of Representatives, please share this editorial with him or her. Heck, if you know the fax number of anyone who fits that description, you can share this editorial.

It is easy to underestimate the importance of the Ten Commandments monument brouhaha. But to do so would be to miss a rare opportunity to fight back at judicial overreaching.

Support for Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore's defense of his Ten Commandments monument is broader than the small band of Pentecostals the news reports love to show carrying on in the rotunda where the monument once stood.

Americans have been backing Moore's position as long ago as the the Mayflower Compact and as recently as 1999, when the state of Colorado took down the crosses for massacre victims at Columbine High in Littleton.

In fact, Congress can capitalize on the popularity of this issue to reclaim some of the powers it has ceded to the Supreme Court over the years.

The United States was founded on a system of checks and balances that gave three branches of government — the executive, the legislative and the judicial — equal footing in the project of governing the nation according to the Constitution. All three branches swear to uphold the Constitution and all three are empowered to make decisions about what is and what isn't constitutional.

The beauty of this system is that, when one branch begins to read strange and unintended meanings into the Constitution, another branch stops it. The danger is that, if the legislative and executive branches throw up their hands and say that it's up to the judiciary to decide what is and isn't constitutional, then a panel of unelected judges becomes the real highest power in the land.

Our freedoms remain because Congresses in the past didn't let that happen.

Abraham Lincoln himself, when a congressman, introduced legislation declaring that the Constitution didn't at all intend to give the slave Dred Scott the treatment he got from the court in Dred Scott v. Sandford. Later lawmakers rebelled when the Supreme Court ruled out child labor laws and when it stopped civil rights laws early in this century.

But the spirit of Lincoln isn't relegated to Congress' past. In 1966's Katzenbach v. Morgan (involving English literacy tests for voters) and 1986's Goldman v. Weinberger (involving wearing yarmulkes on Air Force duty), lawmakers challenged erroneous Supreme Court decisions and won.

It is high time for our representatives in Congress to do what Congresses of old did when faced with those other issues.

They must challenge the court by actually making the laws that so many of their constituents want and passing those laws again and again, if necessary. A bill allowing communities to restore the Ten Commandments to public buildings would be a good place to start.

After all, after Columbine, the U.S. Senate voted to go on record saying it is constitutional to erect religious memorials for students slain at public schools. And The Ten Commandments Defense Act passed the House easily that year.

Perhaps the Ten Commandments Defense Act of 2003 is the right bill. Or to emphasize that the people are on their side, they could use the language that passed last year in Senate Bill 2690, “A bill to reaf-firm the reference to one Nation under God in the Pledge of Allegiance.”

But however they do it, they'd better start now, and stick with it. More than the right, our representatives have the duty to reclaim the ground for us that the courts have stolen away.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: Letters DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

Stop the Spin on Sin

I must sound off about your article “The Other Church Abortion Teaching: Mercy” (Culture of Life, Aug. 24-30).

We must stop putting the spin in sin. The article states, “Unable to forgive herself for her role in the loss of her baby's life …” Aren't we allowing a misuse of words to pad what truly is? Abortion is not “loss.” I lose my keys. Abortion is murder. That is the truth. That is the sin without the spin or play on words. This woman did not “lose” her child, she murdered it. The article should read, “Unable to forgive herself for her role in the murder of her baby …” And that role was the major role. Let's not fool ourselves.

When are we, as a Church and as a community, going to stop spinning (even to ourselves), the severity and nature of abortion? I was disappointed to see that wording in the Register, but I hope that after this letter you will be more aware of it.

To repent of a sin one must understand the meaning of a sin and the severity of the sin. We must not lessen the severity of this sin — not even in articles that speak of mercy.

GINALYNNE MIELKO

Woodstock, Georgia

World Court = World State?

I question the wisdom of supporting the International Criminal Court, as Legionary Father Andrew McNair urged in his column, “Is the International Criminal Court a Step Forward?” (July 27-Aug. 9).

In support of his argument, Father McNair quoted Pope John Paul II, who favors the idea. “An offense against human rights is an offense against humanity itself,” the Pope wrote. “The duty of protecting these rights therefore extends beyond the geographical and political borders within which they are violated.”

This statement of the Holy Father, which represents a prudential judgment on his part and is therefore not binding upon Catholics, seems to run contrary to the ancient wisdom that man's best hope for justice in this world is representative, small-scale governments that grow up organically within geographical and political — and I would add religious and cultural — boundaries.

A call for a world court amounts to a call for a world state, and Aristotle warned, as did the Fathers of the Church, that a universal political state would result in universal tyranny. G.K. Chesterton took this warning quite to heart, and when asked how many people would make up a properly governed society, he answered, “About as many as are in this room.” His answer was a bit hyperbolic, perhaps, but implied ever so much more human proportions than does a single world government.

VIVIAN W. DUDRO

San Francisco

No to Marriage Amendment!

Editor's note: In a previous issue, we inadvertently cut a major point from this letter. We apologize and reprint the entire letter here.

Regarding your July 20 editorial (“Massachusetts' Marriage Mess”): I am in complete sympathy with the intentions of the Federal Marriage Amendment, but I question the strategy for various reasons.

In principle, the constitutional amendment strategy cedes too much to Justice Anthony Kennedy and his allies. It says, in effect, “Your interpretation of the Constitution is legally correct; we can overcome it only by amending the defect.”

The amendment strategy also allows legislators to wash their hands of leadership on the issue, saying they “support an amendment,” but meanwhile dithering perpetually over language (ask pro-lifers about the 30-year-old Human Life Amendment if you doubt this). Any congressman saying his strategy for opposing homosexual marriage is to support a constitutional amendment is telegraphing, “I won't be doing much about this issue.”

Furthermore, our Constitution was designed to be difficult to amend — that's how Phyllis Schlafly blocked the ERA. Theoretically, as few as 2% of the population, strategically placed, can block the will of a 98% majority. Does anyone doubt the incredibly mobilized “gay lobby” can muster the small margin of resistance necessary to defeat an amendment?

Your editorial is right that the question of homosexual marriage must be put to votes. But a better strategy would be to take the debate directly from the people through Congress to the courts using legislative measures. Two examples: In the 1800s, Americans vehemently opposed polygamy, yet constitutional amendments failed repeatedly to make it out of Congress. A series of federal laws — culminating in the Mann Act — succeeded in banning it. In that case, the Supreme Court was on the moral side.

But when it overreaches its authority, the Supreme Court can be effectively opposed. FDR's Congress understood this. As often as the Supreme Court struck down New Deal legislation, Congress — rather than succumbing to “robed masters” — passed successive pieces of legislation until it became clear to the court and the country that the will of the people was being thwarted.

Roosevelt refused to propose an amendment to allow the New Deal, saying, “Even if an amendment were passed, and even if in the years to come it were to be ratified, its meaning would depend upon the kind of justices who would be sitting on the Supreme Court bench. For an amendment, like the rest of the Constitution, is what the justices say it is rather than what its framers or you might hope it is.” The court had to back down or the people, acting through Congress, would have diluted judicial power through FDR's threatened court packing.

By design, constitutional amendments are the last step in the dialogue, not the first. To win a consensus on the issue, we need to put our efforts into a series of legislative steps defending marriage at the federal and state levels — and insist that our elected officials provide determined leadership. If we focus our energies on an amendment that will likely fail, we will give homosexual activists the claim they need to lock “gay marriage” into the Constitution forever.

REBECCA TETI

Hyattsville, Maryland

Two Stories of Marriage

Regarding your “Marriage Symposium” (Aug. 24-30) and recent articles in the Register on legalizing same-sex unions:

For the last 40 years we have been witnessing a struggle between two concepts of marriage, two stories. The true idea is that marriage is an institution for procreation and rearing of children. Marriage is the beginning of a story about a family.

The other concept, an error about marriage, is an erotic fantasy known as “finding one's soul mate.” Marriage is mistakenly viewed as the end of a journey seeking the perfect sexual partner who will make one deliriously joyful. For soul mates, the wedding day is the end of a fairy tale.

As a result, cohabitation and hookups are all necessary stops on this fantasy journey. Children are the enemy of the cautious searcher. Therefore, the most important tools in the backpacks of wandering soul mates are contraception, abortion and a culture where abandoning children is at least tacitly accepted.

Same-sex marriage is a logical outcome. After all, how can we keep soul mates apart? How can we deny any soul mates their happy ending? The fact that same-sex couples will never procreate with each other will establish the disordered purposes of modern marriage.

As a society accepts same-sex marriage, the understanding of the traditional concept of marriage will become increasingly difficult. Finding that perfect soul mate can be an endless search. Cohabitation will be the norm. As women lose hope of finding a soul mate, single parenting will increase. Marriage will be set aside for religious fanatics and hopeless romantics (of all sexual orientations).

THERON C. BOWERS

Houston

Loving the Register

Our family loves the Register. Our teenagers (ages 13, 14 and 16) frequently read various articles after they've checked out Umbert and Baby Mugs.

Recently, you reported on Wal-Mart's terrible decision to include homosexuals as a group that cannot be “discriminated against” in the store's hiring policy. Also, the employee will be required to take “sensitivity training.” The day after I read this, I called the manager of my local Wal-Mart store. She was completely unaware of her company's decision. A few days later, it was apparently made public by the secular media.

Congratulations and thank you for your upto-the-minute reporting.

CECILIA CUNNINGHAM

Boerne, Texas

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: Has the Church Let Schiavo Down? DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

Certainly the headline for the front-page article, “Terri Schiavo's Bishop Warns Against Removing Feeding Tube” by Stephen Vincent (Aug. 24-30), took the most positive view possible of the long-awaited statement by the bishop of St. Petersburg, Fla. But those words emerge as a terrible life-and-death vigil is rapidly coming to an end and follow language that indicates a husband who has abandoned his marriage vows and is living with a woman not his wife — who has borne him a child — is still to be recognized by the Catholic Church as having his legal wife's best interests in mind.

This in spite of the fact that money given him to provide medical and rehabilitation services for that wife have been paid to lawyers and doctors noted for their support of the culture of death. Small wonder that people with disabilities are puzzled and wonder if the Catholic Church really cares about their lives.

The Aug. 12 statement notes, “her family has not been able to come together to make a single, unified, mutually agreed-upon decision concerning Terri's situation.”

Terri's family is totally united and includes a mother, a father and siblings who have been struggling to end the fabrication that Mr. Schiavo is concerned about Terri's continued welfare. Anyone concerned should certainly review the real family's Web site, terrisfight.org.

As the executive director of a national Catholic office charged with promoting respect for the lives of people with various disabilities, I am receiving dozens of e-mails every day asking how the Catholic Church can say it is pro-life yet fail to support the lives of those of us with disabilities.

Yes, Terri is neurologically disabled, but a number of medical and rehabilitation specialists not associated with the pro-euthanasia movement have affirmed she is not in a coma or persistent vegetative state. These individuals ask why the Catholic press does-n't ask “us” about such cases. There is a phrase, “Nothing about us without us,” which apparently has little meaning to the Register.

Thousands of us with disabilities have had the personal experience of receiving negative judgments of the quality of our lives. At one point I was urged to accept death rather than request antibiotics to cure pneumonia. This was justified on the basis that “pneumonia is an easy way to go.” I had the ability to fire those doctors. Terri does not. She has had to depend upon her “real” family, and we have failed them!

Starvation and dehydration are not easy ways to go. People are asking me if Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life, the 1995 encyclical) was cancelled. What do I tell them?

MARY JANE OWEN, TOP, MSW

Washington, D.C.

The writer is executive director of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability.

How unfortunate and sad that Terri Schiavo's own bishop has not spoken out loudly and clearly against removing her nutrition and hydration (Aug. 24-30). It was a perfect teaching moment.

None of the facts as reported would indicate that she falls into any of the categories described by Catholic teaching as legitimate reasons for removing a feeding tube. Simply put, removing her nutrition and hydration will result in her death.

Terri's case is laying groundwork for future cases. Allowing her to die in this ma ner should cause us all to tremble in our boots.

GERMAINE WENSLELY, RN

Middleville, Michigan

The writer is past president of California Nurses for Ethical Standards.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Souls, Safety and The Death of John Geoghan DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

The prison murder of John Geoghan marked a grisly end to a sordid tale.

Yet in his death, Catholics finally began to speak the language they should have been speaking about the scandal of priestly sexual abuse.

One of Geoghan's victims said that while his murder meant he would never harm another child, it cut short the time available for Geoghan to do penance for his sins. It was reported that several Masses were offered in Boston parishes for the repose of his soul.

It was good to hear Geoghan's case being discussed sub specie aeternitatis, as the expression goes, “under the guise of eternity.” It is supposed to be the way the Church looks at things.

I first heard the name of John Geoghan in late 2001, as the defrocked priest's trial on sexual abuse charges was proceeding. The documents uncovered by that trial sparked the great sexual abuse crisis that would eventually topple Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law and shake the Catholic Church in the United States.

I was in Rome, living with American priests and seminarians, and we prayed for the wounded Church in Boston, for the victims of sexual abuse and for those of our brother clergymen who had committed the crimes.

I remember one of my classmates saying that he felt guilty praying for the perpetrators, as though somehow it constituted a private insult to the victims. He knew enough, though, to persevere in those prayers, for as St. Paul teaches, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

In death, we seem to have less difficulty praying for the souls of even very wicked men. Cardinal Francis George of Chicago once referred to Geoghan as “a moral monster.” So he was, and if God's mercy has spared him final condemnation in hell, Catholics pray he may complete the great penance required of him in purgatory.

Yet we should not have to wait for death to speak about salvation. For too long, Geoghan was moved around because his superiors were said to be blind to the gravity of the situation. It was said that pedophilia was not well understood from a clinical point of view, and the lasting psychological damage to victims was not well known. Perhaps.

But it should have been enough to know that such a betrayal of trust would undoubtedly damage the faith of the victims in God, in the Church and in the priesthood. Long before the criminal law was considered, it should have been enough to remove Geoghan because of the damage he was doing to the faith of his victims, their families and all other faithful Catholics who would later be scandalized.

You don't need psychological studies to know that a priest who sins gravely and leads others into sin is not a priest who should continue in ministry.

From Geoghan's own perspective, the grave sins he was committing posed a danger to his soul. A firm but loving superior should have removed Geoghan, for his own good, from situations of temptation and encouraged him to do penance. A bishop must care for all the souls entrusted to his care; sometimes that care is best expressed in discipline ordered to repentance.

The American bishops, following Geoghan's and others' scandals, have taken measures to ensure that there will never again be another John Geoghan. Now, in a policy more strict than in any other sector of society, a credible accusation (not criminal conviction) means the end of a priest's days in the parish.

Fair enough for the safety of children. But what about salvation? Despite whatever public relations slogans might be adopted, the safety of children is not the No. 1 priority of the Church — the Church exists for the salvation of souls. After the criminal, civil and public safety aspects have been addressed, is there enough interest and energy to worry about questions of faith and salvation? The victims need to have their trust restored, not for the good of the Church but for the good of their own souls, for without trust in God it is impossible to grow in the ways of holiness.

The dismissed priests need conversions of heart, too, preparing themselves to receive God's mercy through penance and repentance. They will not return to active service as priests, but they are not beyond the Church's concern, for nobody is beyond salvation.

Perhaps it took the all-too-secular means of investigative reporting and lawsuits to remind the Church that she had failed in the world precisely because she had failed to see the world through the prism of the Gospel.

The murder of John Geoghan was the last episode in a life all too deeply marked by sin and in desperate need of salvation. So we pray for the soul of John Geoghan, for the healing of his victims and yes, for the conversion of the man who killed him.

Father Raymond J. de Souza is the Register's former Rome correspondent.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Raymond J. De Souza ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Never Forget the Heroes DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

Some phone calls you never forget. Deena Burnett got such a call on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. It came from her husband, Tom Burnett.

When she heard his voice, she sensed something was wrong. Deena asked Tom immediately if he was okay. He replied, “No, I'm not. I'm on an airplane that has been hijacked.” Deena's heart pounded. Tom told his wife the terrorists stabbed a passenger and claimed to have a bomb. He asked her to call the police. Then he hung up.

After Deena called the police and the FBI, Tom called again. He told Deena the stabbed passenger died. She in turn told him about the attacks on the World Trade Center. When Tom heard this, he mumbled to the person beside him, “Oh my God, it's a suicide mission.” He then asked her if the aircrafts were passenger planes. She confirmed what he already suspected. The conversation ended.

Minutes later during a third call, Deena informed Tom that a plane crashed into the Pentagon. He tried to piece together information with Deena to figure out what was happening. Afterward, he hung up.

Seconds later, Tom called his wife for the last time. He started by saying: “They're talking about crashing this plane into the ground. We have to do something. I'm putting a plan together. We're going to take back the plane.”

Deena tried to dissuade him, but he told her, “We can't wait for the authorities. I don't know what they could do anyway. It's up to us. I think we can do it.”

“What do you want me to do?” Deena asked.

“Pray, Deena,” Tom said. “Just pray.” After hanging up the phone, Deena prayed for the strength to accept God's will. We know how the story ends. United Airlines Flight 93 crashed outside of Pittsburgh. But Tom, along with other brave passengers, refused to go down without a fight. Thanks to their courageous action, they stopped the terrorist plan to attack a target in Washington.

The secular media has said much about the heroes of Sept. 11 such as Tom Burnett. Yet there's something very important they haven't noted — that many of the Sept. 11 heroes such as firefighters, policemen and doctors were practicing Catholics.

Perhaps many news editors viewed this piece of information as unrelated to the heroic events of Sept. 11. I disagree. In the case of a practicing Catholic, faith shapes action. Put another way, the Catholic faith offers Christians the strength to practice heroic virtue.

But what does the Catholic faith offer that makes heroes?

Tom Burnett's example as a Catholic answers this question. He lived certain virtues that every Christian should live. Deena saw these virtues in her husband. Tom developed during his life a great love for the holy Mass. He saw the Eucharist as the center of his spiritual life. For him, the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist meant everything.

Deena recalls the day Tom came home and told her he had started attending daily Mass. She admitted, “I was a little bit surprised, but I didn't say anything.”

She remembers her husband telling her, “The reason I've been going to daily Mass is because I feel like if I can be closer to God, then I'll know what his plan is for me.” Tom believed in the power of the Eucharist. In fact, Eucharistic devotion instills Christians with strong moral character.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains why the Eucharist possesses such spiritual power in these terms: “The Eucharist is ‘source and summit of the Christian life. The other sacraments … are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the Blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch” (No. 1324).

Tom's faith in Christ's presence in the Eucharist matured through his devotion to the Virgin Mary. Tom, like the first Christians, allowed Mary to teach him about Christ. Deena recalls after they got married how Tom looked to Mary as a sure guide to Christ. She remembers especially his devotion to the rosary.

“I've often thought about the prayers he must have said on that airplane, and I think that he was praying to the Virgin Mary,” she said. “I think that his last prayer would have been a Hail Mary.”

Deena said Tom often talked about visiting the great Marian shrines in Europe.

“He was very interested in traveling to those places,” she said. “He had some kind of meeting in France coming up, and he was trying to talk his dad into going with him so that they could visit Lourdes.” In a word, Tom's devotion to Mary sharpened his faith in Christ that proved decisive on Sept. 11.

We all face defining moments in life that demand moral courage. If we face them with Christ and Mary, like Tom Burnett, we will be able to say what passengers said before fighting the terrorists — “Let's roll.”

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: Catholic Faith and Politics: The Great Divorce DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

This essay is not a reflection on C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce, which discusses the great divide between good and evil, heaven and hell.

Nor is it a commentary on the marital split that often occurs between husband and wife. It is about a wholly unnatural divorce, surely of great magnitude, between Catholicism and politics.

This great divorce, in truth, does not exist within Catholicism itself, but secularists and misguided Catholics (not excluding Canada's prime minister) argue passionately that it does. At the root of this divorce is the erroneous and invidious assumption that Catholicism is built purely on faith and has no basis in reason, that universal faculty all human beings share.

This is a divorce that characterizes Catholics as aliens with regard to the political scene, as irrelevant and annoying intruders who are trying to impose a private faith onto a rational public.

The assumption behind this great divorce is so deeply entrenched, as if evidenced in the media, that it is neither discussed nor considered. As a result, it lingers on, depriving Catholics of their full role in the democratic process.

For example, a secular journalist will ask “the man on the street” whether he thinks the Catholic Church should dictate how society should think about abortion, same-sex marriage and other contentious issues, or whether the people should decide for themselves on the basis of facts, experience, reason and science.

What the educated Catholic must realize is that his Church is not based solely on faith.

Not only does reason play an essential role in the formation of his Catholicism, but also, as history has shown, the Catholic Church from its inception has consistently been a world leader in the realm of philosophy and science.

The first step in becoming a Catholic (or Christian) is to be a humanitarian, which is to say, to have an abiding concern for all human beings. Christ commands his flock to love their neighbors. It is this humanitarian ground, coextensive with the human race, that gives Catholics a particular relevancy in the world of politics.

The language of Catholic philosophers has, from their earliest rumi-nations, bristled with words such as rights, justice, dignity, freedom, equality and so on. This is not the language of an alien group of fideists. It is the language of Catholic thinkers and activists who are deeply involved in the essential needs of all human beings.

It was largely through a Christian impetus that infanticide, slavery, racism, unjust incarceration and other crimes against humanity have been strongly denounced and, in some cases, overcome. Catholicism is grounded in humanitarian interests and is crowned with articles of faith that deepen but do not contradict them.

St. Thomas Aquinas referred to these principles that can be known by all men as “preambles to the faith.” St. Augustine held that one should not adhere to any interpretation of the Bible if it should prove to be false, lest holy Scripture be exposed to the ridicule of nonbelievers and obstacles be placed in the way of their believing.

In order to understand that abortion is fundamentally a crime against humanity, one need not be a Catholic but only a human being with a basic interest in the welfare of his fellow human beings. The same can be said about marriage. Marriage is a social institution that is grounded in a personal love and commitment that subsumes the biological, which, in turn, includes the physiological, procreative and immunological dimensions of the human being.

Because this interpersonal, biological alliance can be elevated to something sacramental does not exclude the firm and undeniable realities that under-gird it. Nor does it discredit what faithful Catholics have to say about marriage.

Catholics have plenty to say about the nature of marriage without calling upon any articles that are peculiar to their faith. The Catholic Church, as a matter of fact, has been history's preeminent champion in honoring marriage and the family as the basic unit of society. It has staunchly defended the rights of family members against exploitation either from the workplace or by the government. It has consistently taught that the basis of ethics is anthropology.

The truth that the Catholic Church grounds itself in what can be known and imitated by all men cannot be kept a secret from everyone.

Phyllis Chesler, for example, hardly a friend of Christianity, was struck by the broad, humanitarian basis for the Church's document on bioethics, Donum Vitae (Gift of Life).

In her book, Sacred Bond, in which she argues passionately against surrogate motherhood, she makes clear her admiration for the Church's approach: “I still admire the spiritual context in which the Vatican discusses surrogacy. All life is sacred; ends never justify the means. Reproduction and genetic experimentation do not exist in a moral vacuum. When they do, they exploit the many for the sake of the few.”

Feminists flinch when I say I respect the “seamless garment” of logic worn by the Vatican. But why should my recognition of the Vatican's consistency imperil my feminist credentials? Do I have to agree with my comrades on everything and with our “enemies” on nothing?

The Catholic faith attempts to embrace everyone. Its theology is not without a supporting philosophy. The secularists and misguided Catholics who attempt to disenfranchise Catholics from the political process usually end up by opposing what is truly reasonable while imposing their own faith agendas. But here faith is uprooted from reason and becomes an arbitrary ideology that is not possible for all human beings to share.

Let it be known — and known well, particularly among Catholics — that Catholicism is a whole, consisting of reason and faith, politics and religion, the mind and the heart. The “great divorce” is a myth. And it is a most pernicious one. There should be no separation between Catholicism and politics.

Calgary's Bishop Fred Henry was absolutely right when he stated, “The mantra of ‘separation of Church and state' in our Canadian context is simply a crass secularist attempt to discount and marginalize persons with religious faith.”

Donald DeMarco is professor emeritus at St. Jerome's University in Waterloo, Ontario.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Spirit and Life ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Crucified Again? DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

“When you were ‘born again,— were you washed clean of your sins by the blood of Jesus Christ?”

I had just asked the question of Roger, my mechanic and a devout Baptist. An hour earlier I had arrived at his shop to pick up my freshly fixed car. We were now deep into a polite, but intense, conversation about things Catholic and Protestant.

“Of course!” he exclaimed. “I was saved by Jesus' blood!”

“So, you believe that Jesus was re-crucified at the moment of your salvation and at the moment of every person's salvation?”

He hadn't expected that question. Yes, I had led him on, but for good reason.

The conversation star ted when Roger learned I was the editor of a magazine devoted to defending and explaining the Catholic faith. I knew he was an evangelical Protestant of some sor t or another, based on the desk calendar on the shop counter filled with Bible verses, right below a Left Behind poster on the wall.

“I attend a Baptist church,” he told me, “and my pastor is a former Catholic.” He said it matter-of-factly, without any animosity. It became evident very quickly that Roger was honestly curious, with plenty of good questions about what Catholics believe and practice.

“In fact,” he added, “there are several people at my church who are former Catholics.”

“Well, I grew up in a small Bible chapel that was very close in beliefs and structure to most Baptist groups,” I offered. “We were Plymouth Brethren and we didn't have much affection for the Catholic Church.”

“Really?” he was genuinely surprised. “I've never met someone who has gone the other way — from Christian to Catholic.”

Needless to say, that statement led to an explanation of the word Catholic, a quick overview of Church history and several points of clarification about central Catholic beliefs. Not surprisingly, Roger had questions about the Mass and the Eucharist.

And so I asked the question: “When you were ‘born again,’ were you washed clean of your sins by the blood of Jesus Christ?”

I knew that Roger would answer in the affirmative. The fundamentalist and evangelical idea that a Christian, once he has accepted Jesus as his “personal Lord and Savior,” is washed in the blood of Jesus is a popular one. It is based on Revelation 7:14, where St. John sees the saints of the tribulation: “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Of course, Roger didn't believe that Christ was being crucified again. So what did he think the language meant?

“It means that what Jesus did on the cross 2,000 years ago has the power to save me today,” he explained. “His work of salvation is just as real today as it was then.”

He was right — and although he didn't know it, he had partially explained what Catholics believe about the Eucharistic sacrifice of Christ. “When the Church celebrates the Eucharist,” the catechism teaches, “she commemorates Christ's Passover, and it is made present: The sacrifice Christ offered once for all on the cross remains ever present” (No. 1364).

Roger did a great job fixing my car that day. I hope I helped fix his understanding of Catholic teaching about the Eucharist and the ongoing, incredible gift of Jesus Christ's true body, blood, soul and divinity.

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: A Catholic Atlantic City Experience? Don't Bet Against It DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

Atlantic City isn't all oceanfront board-walks, beaches, shops and casinos. In the middle of the resort town, my wife, Mary, and I hit a spiritual jackpot — the majestic Church of St. Nicholas of Tolentine.

Augustinian friars began building the historic church in 1902, and they didn't cut corners. They hired stonemasons from Ireland, imported marbles from Italy, brought in stained-glass windows from Germany and commissioned a renowned Church architect, Edward Durang of Philadelphia. Their aim was to give their sanctuary the splendid grace and presence of an Old World cathedral.

They succeeded. After three years of meticulous craft and artistry, St. Nicholas was dedicated and the first Mass said on Sept. 17, 1905. March maestro John Philip Sousa played for three days to mark the occasion.

Augustinians started this first Roman Catholic parish in Atlantic City well before the boardwalk appeared. They came to Absecon Island, on which the resort stands, to celebrate the first Mass in 1855. The friars stayed until 1997, when they gave the church to the Diocese of Camden.

Father William Hodge, the pastor since then, filled us in on details with firsthand knowledge. He and his parents were born in Atlantic City and grew up in the parish.

Beginning in the vestibule with a stained-glass window of a pelican feeding its young, he pointed out the church's seashore-themed liturgical symbols. At each of the trio of doorways, giant clamshells become holy water fonts.

Father Hodge pointed out 52 shields around the nave; they present articles from Christ's passion and death, from nails and instruments of scourging to the holy face veil. The visual catechism continues along the Romanesque interior, where rounded arches and ornately ribbed marble columns stand like an honor guard leading to the altar. In the sanctuary, many marbles shape into stirring religious art and sacred architecture.

The original main altar, of delicately carved white Carrara marble, radiates like a heavenly vision. The tallest altar spire rises above the central tabernacle; the bas-reliefs under the altar's lace-like Gothic spires and peaks show Christ's burial and his triumphant resurrection.

High in the apse, stained-glass windows of the seven archangels remind us to stand ready as they do to serve God and that our Lord sends them to help us, too.

We found the matching white Carrara side altars no less ornate. One honors the Sacred Heart appearing to St. Margaret Mary, and the other honors the Blessed Virgin Mary accompanied by angels. A mural of the Annunciation fills the dome above Mary.

The baptismal chapel is a jewel within a jewel. We managed several audible oohs and aahs in this chapel, which was added during the Great Depression. It glistens with Venetian gold mosaic tiles bathing walls and ceilings. Symbolic mosaic images hover everywhere — fish, the Burning Bush, the fruitful and barren fig trees, Resurrection symbols like the Easter Lamb.

Meanwhile intricate, medieval-style stained-glass windows portray the seven sacraments, seven deadly sins and seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The head of the Rambusch Studio in New York designed this interior. It contains the church's fifth marble altar, whose resplendent mosaics connect St. Nicholas of Tolentine with the holy sacrifice of the Mass for the holy souls in purgatory.

Father Hodge explained that this is “a highly indulgenced purgatorial altar,” with plenary indulgences attached to it by Pope Pius XI in 1935.

Heavenward, Holy Souls

Behind this altar, brilliant mosaic scenes tell a story. As St. Nicholas celebrates Mass at the moment of consecration, angels escort souls released from purgatory by his Mass. He was so fervently devoted to the holy souls and so powerful in getting them out of purgatory with his Masses that he's named the universal Church patron of the souls in purgatory.

For the church's major murals, the Augustinians didn't find an artist in their European search but found the right one locally. He was Jeremiah Leeds II, the 19-year-old Methodist grandson of the founder of Atlantic City.

The murals begin at a dizzying height along the barrel-vaulted ceiling with individual portraits of the Twelve Apostles. Under each is one of the 12 articles of faith in the Apostles' Creed defended by that apostle.

In the transepts, we thought of the countless parishioners and visitors who have paused here to meditate on Leeds' huge murals capturing dramatic moments in Christ's parables.

Magnificent New Testament scenes adorn the side aisles in eight stained-glass windows framed by Romanesque arches. Here we met the Holy Family in Nazareth as the boy Jesus holds a small wooden cross, and experienced Jesus saving Peter on the Sea of Galilee. Long ago, the city's Mayor Biddle donated the luminous Wedding at Cana in honor of his Catholic wife. He was a Protestant who eventually converted, thanks to the inspiring witness of the Augustinians.

These stunning stained-glass windows are masterpieces from the Mayer Studio in Munich. So are the three rose windows. The one in the choir loft honors a glorious Christ as King circled by the 12 choirs of angels, each holding a different musical instrument.

St. Nicholas has a grand 1916 Moeller theatrical organ, 3,200 pipes strong. It's in need of some repair, but it still makes beautiful music for every Mass here. We wondered what it was like when the celebrated Irish Tenor John McCormack sang at Mass here. Father Hodge told us the vocalist wanted parishioners who couldn't afford his resort concerts to come and hear him sing the sacred hymns for free.

Recent statues of the Infant of Prague and St. Anthony tell of the added devotions for today's 100 parish families The church gets scores of visitors and vacationers. Yes, some even drop casino chips into the collection basket.

“The volume of people coming to worship here was astronomical,” Father Hodge recalls, thinking back to years past. Indeed, the unofficial attendance record was set on Sept. 5, 1926, when 14,000 people attended morning Masses.

Today, there's a major campaign for necessary renovations and repairs. Already all the sacred vessels and objects are replated to a lustrous glow. Once refreshed, the nationally recognized historic church will ask Rome to designate it a basilica. To Mary and me, it seems a shoe-in.

Joseph Pronechen writes from Trumbull, Connecticut.

----- EXCERPT: St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church, Atlantic City, N.J. ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joe Pronechen ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: Old Computers Never Die - They Just Change Owners DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

Have you accumulated a lot of computer equipment, some of which you don't use anymore?

A man uses a forklift to move a crate of computer keyboards that were dropped off to recycle at the Computer Recycling Center in Santa Clara, Calif. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Our community sure has. We bought our first computer in 1989, upgrading to the 286 processor in 1991. Then came the first Pentium. Countless additions, gifts and upgrades later, many of those once “hot, new” technologies seem like ancient history. Such is the nature of the computer market.

According to the Hewlett-Packard Web site, more than 300 million outdated computers will be taking up space in basements and storerooms across the country by 2004. Whatever you do, don't just throw the equipment away. Why not? For a thorough answer, take a look at the informative article titled “Old PCs Toxic in Landfill Sites” at www.galtglobalreview.com/business/toxic_pcs.html. Here's the short version: Your computer is filled with more than 1,000 materials, many of which are highly toxic. Believe it or not, there's stuff in there like chlorinated and brominated substances, toxic gases, toxic metals, biologically active materials, acids, plastics and plastic additives. If these end up in a landfill or incinerator, they present an environmental hazard.

I certainly have my share of outdated computers. Recently I donated our 1991 pre-Windows computer system, which had been upgraded to a 486 processor. We gave it to a local St. Vincent de Paul thrift store. This will do just fine for someone who needs to do basic word processing, for example, and the money from the sale will help the poor.

There are probably thrift stores near you where you, too, can donate your old computers and peripheral devices. Or maybe you can look closer to home. I gave my old Pentium 100 mhz system to my 81-year-old mother, along with an older inkjet printer and an external 56k modem. She wanted to do some word processing and try e-mail and Web surfing, so now she has her first computer.

Then, of course, there might be local schools or charities that may be interested in taking your old computer equipment off your hands.

Here is another outlet: Hewlett-Packard will recycle your old equipment. For a small fee, between $13 and $30, you can get that old stuff picked up and either reused or recycled. Go to hp.com/recycle for the details. And this gets even better. HP will give you a coupon worth between $40 and $100 that can be used to purchase HP online merchandise. So you might actually end up ahead overall.

There is one important issue to consider when giving away your older computer: Do you have any information stored on the hard drive you don't want others to have? This could involve passwords, financial information or personal records. Before giving away your computer, it is best to reformat the hard drive, which will erase everything on it. Some older computers come with an “emergency boot” floppy disk that lets you restore the hard drive to its original, unused configuration. Place that in your floppy drive and reboot your computer. Then just type format C or whatever your hard drive letter is.

If you don't have such a disk and are running Windows 95, make a floppy startup disk for your system by going to Start>Settings>-Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs>Startup Disk tab>Create Disk button. After that, repeat the steps mentioned above for using an emergency boot disk. You should give a floppy boot disk along with any other disks and manuals that came with the computer to the individual or group to whom you are giving the computer. This will help them get it up and running correctly once again.

Although the above method should be enough for most people, one may really want to make sure nobody can bring back their old hard drive information. Just because something is deleted does-n't necessarily mean it's totally erased. The file reference information has been removed, but the file data still remains on the hard drive. Certain programs can bring this information back. This applies to both those who just erased files or have completely reformatted their hard drive. Download a free version of one of the many disk-erasing utilities that are widely available. One such utility is called East-Tec Eraser 2003 available at east-tec.com/eraser/index.htm. East-Tec Eraser offers erasing methods differing in speed and security. The slower ones match and exceed the specifications of the U.S. Department of Defense and can stop even the most sophisticated hardware recovery tools.

My 18-year-old nephew, Austin, asked what operating system was on the Pentium 100mhz computer I gave my mother. On finding out, he exclaimed, “Windows 95!” He was shocked — shocked — that something “so old” was still useful.

Chances are, your old computer equipment is still useful to someone, too. Not a teen-ager, perhaps, but someone!

Brother John Raymond, co-founder of the Monks of Adoration, writes from Venice, Florida.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Brother John Raymond ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Monthly Web Picks DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

Given the environmental issues computer disposal presents, this month's picks focus on environmental stewardship.

As in so many other areas of activity, the Holy Father often knows best. Read the message he gave for the 1990 World Day of Peace, “Peace with God the Creator, Peace with all of Creation” at www. vatican. va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/pea ce/index.htm.

The Catholic Conservation Center at conservation.catholic.org is a project of the Environmental Group of St. John the Baptist parish in Wading River, N.Y. The online center provides an opportunity for Catholics and all people of good will to learn about the Catholic tradition as it relates to ecology, environmental justice and the stewardship of creation.

The Catechism has something to say here as well. See Nos. 2415 through 2418 at scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a7.htm as well as No. 339.

Catholic-Animals, The Catholic Study Circle for Animal Welfare, can be found at catholic-animals.org. The president of the study circle is the bishop of Nottingham, England. Three times a year it publishes The Ark, a 62-page journal covering every aspect of the study group's interests.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops launched the Environmental Justice Program in 1993. Their Web site tells us: “EJP seeks to educate and motivate Catholics to a deeper respect for God's creation and to engage parishes in activities aimed at dealing with environmental problems, particularly as they affect the poor.” See details at nccbuscc.org/sdwp/ejp/.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Brother John Raymond ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Weekly Video/DVD Picks DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

The Gathering Storm (2002)

Albert Finney is Winston Churchill in this well-made HBO biopic — not the unshakeable wartime prime minister of the first half of the 1940s but the lesser-known Churchill of the late 1930s, a washed-up, unpopular Member of Parliament nattering on in the House of Commons about views on India and Germany shared at the time by few in his party or outside it. A diehard imperialist loath to accept the loss of British imperial power, Churchill was behind the curve on India but ahead of it on Germany, recognizing the nascent imperialist threat of the Nazi religion-ideology others missed.

The Gathering Storm is as much about Churchill's personal life as his political trajectory — sometimes to excess, since the political side is usually more interesting. The warts-and-all portrait includes his loving but sometimes strained marriage, financial troubles and hard drinking habits, depression, amateur painting and bricklaying, and habit of absent-mindedly losing himself in rehearsing or dictating speeches while in the bathtub or dressing and undressing.

Despite ending eight months prior to the natural climax of the prime ministership, The Gathering Storm is an interesting and informative look at the years leading up to Churchill's key role in WWII.

Content advisory: Sporadic crude language, minor profanity, and an instance of obscenity; brief incidental nudity; an ambiguous death that might be suicide. For adult viewers.

Superman: The Movie (1978)

A classic tribute to an American pop-culture icon, Superman: The Movie is the first great comic-book movie and a nostalgic ode to a more innocent time.

Combining epic, portentous 2001-style sci-fi mythmaking and “Batman”-style camp, Superman embraces both the Christological resonances implicit in the Superman myth and the over-the-top cartoon villainy of Gene Hack-man's Lex Luthor and his buffoon-ish henchman Otis.

The film is largely concerned with establishing the fundamental constants of the Superman mythos: his escape as an infant from the doomed planet Krypton; his all-American upbringing by a Kansas farm couple; his move to the big city and a great metropolitan newspaper; the dual relationship that develops between him and Lois Lane; his vulnerability to kryptonite.

Superman's debut in Metropolis is handled with whimsy, excitement and nostalgia; a simple sight gag — Clark (Christopher Reeve) looking bemused at a kiosk-style payphone — suggests how much has changed since stories of Superman were first told.

John Williams' swashbuckling score completes the grand experience.

Content advisory: Recurring peril and action violence; disaster mayhem; minor profanity and suggestive dialogue. For teens and adults.

Friendly Persuasion (1956)

William Wyler's popular adaptation of Jessamyn West's tales of Quaker life is a warm, gently satiric portrait of a family of the “friendly persuasion,” living in the shadow of the Civil War. Gary Cooper plays Jess Birdwell, a less than entirely devout Quaker farmer whose pious wife, Eliza, (Dorothy McGuire) is a minister at their local “meetinghouse.”

Scenes of the silent, unstructured Quaker meetings are contrasted, without comment or judgment, to the boisterous singing of the local Methodist church; but the film is largely an account of the compromises the Birdwells are and aren't willing to make as their principles are repeatedly put to the test. One of the best vignettes concerns an impasse between Jess and Eliza over the shocking purchase of an organ and the delightful way the conflict is finally resolved.

The film's main weakness is the way it handles the theme that most interested the director, the conflict between Quaker pacifism and non-violence and the practical necessities of wartime.

Here the film becomes muddled and does justice neither to Quakerism nor to just-war principles. In spite of this, the film's warm affection for its subjects makes it worthwhile viewing.

Content advisory: Depictions of Quaker piety (and lack thereof); tense family situations; mild romantic moments; scenes of wartime violence. Might be inappropriate for some children.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Steven D. Greydanus ----- KEYWORDS: Arts & Travel -------- TITLE: Weekly TV Picks DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

All times Eastern

SUNDAYS

Catholicism: The Heart of History

EWTN, 4 p.m.

In this new series, English commentators James and Joanna Bogle provide vivid insights into the history of the Church and the world. Along the way, they refute anti-Catholic myths. They also remind us that Christ remains with his Church in every epoch so the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Re-airs early Wednesdays at 2 a.m.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 7

Homes of Our Heritage: Homes on the Range

Home & Garden TV, 9 p.m.

Travel to the American West and visit homes built by frontiersman Buffalo Bill Cody, pioneer author Laura Ingalls Wilder and cowboy philosopher Will Rogers.

MONDAY, SEPT. 8

American Experience: The Center of the World

PBS, 9 p.m.

This chronicle of the construction, working life and destruction of the World Trade Center is the eighth episode of Ric Burns' “New York: A Documentary Film.”

TUESDAY, SEPT. 9

Tactical to Practical

History Channel, 9 p.m.

What do global positioning systems, night vision scopes and the Humvee have in common? They were developed for the U.S. military and are now in wide use in civilian life. Each week this new series will look at adaptations of military technology for peacetime purposes. Former fighter pilot Hunter Ellis hosts.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10

Classic Geographic: Those Wonderful Dogs

National Geographic Channel, 10 a.m.

This 1989 video from New Zealand shows dogs helping humans in many ways, including service in World War II, assisting the wheelchair-bound and herding sheep.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 11

Sept. 11 Second Anniversary

All networks, all day

Among TV's many specials about Sept. 11 today, one of the most moving is “The Bravest Team,” on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. The New York Fire Department Football Club lost 21 members on Sept. 11, and their teammates have rebuilt the club in tribute to them.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 12

The World Over

EWTN, 8 p.m.

Tonight's guests are Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and his wife, Karen, who are recipients of this year's Cardinal John O'Connor Award from the Sisters of Life in New York City. They fight abortion — he in the Senate and she through talks and her 1998 book, Letters to Gabriel, about their four th child, who was born at 20 weeks and died soon after.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 13

Diamonds in the Rough

Discovery Channel, 7 p.m.

Finding diamonds in Canada's rugged North can be done, but it's not exactly easy.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Dan Engler ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: The Spirit of Post-Sept. 11 America DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

A HEART, A CROSS, AND A FLAG: AMERICA TODAY

by Peggy Noonan Free Press, 2003 270 pages, $25

If you kept up with Peggy Noonan's weekly columns in The Wall Street Journal before she began her current leave of absence (in part, she says, to write a book about Pope John Paul II), you know at least two things about her. One, she's Catholic. And two, she's a big fan of President George W. Bush.

Given that she is a veteran presidential speechwriter — she worked in the Reagan White House ' her affection for the nation's present leader is not at all surprising. But it is born of much more than a professional understanding or shared political ideology.

Peggy Noonan gets George W. Bush because the two have a lot in common. On the surface, that may strike you as bizarre, especially if you were to play tapes of the two of them one after the other. Noonan is thoughtful, considered, eloquent. Bush is thoughtful, surely, but he expresses himself in a much more, well, earthy way. What they have in common, though, is a worldview. They see and understand current events from a closely similar vantage point.

A Heart, A Cross, and a Flag: America Today, Noonan's latest book, could easily have been the title of a set of diary selections from the president, or even excerpts from his post-Sept. 11 speeches. The book, a collection of her Sept.11-era columns (from September 2001 to September 2002), reflects what has been important to her since the attacks on her city, her nation and her life.

With a soul searching uncommon to mainstream editorial and newspaper-column writers, Noonan's columns — which are unchanged from when they originally ran in the days, weeks and months after the attacks — movingly tap the spiritual tone of the time. She understands what we were going through and writes about it as only one of us, living through it, could. She writes as a believer, as a New Yorker, as an American — and as a sister-in-arms to her fellow New Yorkers and Americans.

“[T]here's another thing New Yorkers are thinking,” she writes in a column written six months after the terrorist attacks. “It's that deep in their hearts they don't really think there is a safe place. They don't think there's any safety anymore. They only think there's time, right now, this second. So they have their nails done, and do their work, and go to the lunch, and file the story, and argue the case. There's a gallantry, a cool courage, to New Yorkers now, and I wonder if they see it, if they appreciate it in themselves. I do. It's part of why I want to call them my brother, and my sister.”

It was heartening to read these thoughts when they ran in the newspaper; rereading them now, all together, with much more time between us and the fall of the Twin Towers, what strikes me is how often Noonan returned to the cross. “It may become a terrifically tough time. But we are not alone, as you well know,” she writes in an entry from Oct. 26, 2001. “God loves faith and effort, and he loves love. He will help us get through this, and to enjoy Paris and New York again, and to breathe deep of his delicious, mansard-roofed world. Amen.”

Two years after that fateful day that changed everything, read A Heart, A Cross, and a Flag. You'll relive the intense 12 months that followed Sept. 11 — and you'll see that day in a new, hope-filled light.

Kathryn Jean Lopez is the editor of National Review Online.

----- EXCERPT: Weekly Book Pick ----- EXTENDED BODY: Kathryn Jean Lopez ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Campus Watch DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

Homosexual High

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, Aug. 21 — In an editorial titled, “Choice, if You're Gay,” the Journal decried the $3.2 million that the New York school system will spend to make its program for homosexual students into America's “first accredited public high school” for homosexuals and “questioning” adolescents.

The proposed school was criticized by an organization of Latino clergy, and a Hispanic state senator is suing to stop the school because, as the newspaper paraphrased, the “city school system [is] willing to deliver choice to a politically influential group while subjecting hundreds of thousands of others to education triage.”

To prove the point that the school is being fashioned for an elite, the newspaper pointed out that 95% of the program's students graduate and 60% enter college — far in excess of the system's general population.

Free Speech

CHRONICLE.COM, Aug. 13 — Colleges may not violate the U.S. Constitution's free-speech guarantees in an effort to bar harassment on their campuses, according to a letter sent last week by the Education Department to colleges and universities across the country.

A number of critics had claimed that many colleges have overly restrictive speech codes that follow politically correct lines, often restricting religious speech. Those colleges had also argued that their anti-harassment policies are required to satisfy federal law protecting students from harassment.

According to the letter, which was sent by the department's Office for Civil Rights, harassment “must include something beyond the mere expression of views, words, symbols or thoughts that some person finds offensive.”

Magdalen at 30

MAGDALEN COLLEGE — One of the first lay-founded Catholic colleges in the United States, the Warner, N.H., college has initiated a yearlong celebration of its 30th anniversary with a Founding Day Celebration.

The primary celebration of the anniversary will take place Oct. 10-12 when alumni, benefactors, parents, students and friends will gather for a Mass of thanksgiving and an academic convocation.

Other events during the year will include an academic colloquium, a St. Mary Magdalen Feast Day celebration and an alumni reunion.

Catholic History

SETON HALL UNIVERSITY, Aug. 15 — The university will showcase 150 years of Newark, N.J.'s Catholic history in an expansive exhibition titled “People of Newark.

The exhibition explores the histor y of the Newark Archdiocese, which administers Seton Hall, and includes rare archival documents, historical photographs, newspaper clippings and maps, alongside paintings, liturgical objects and intricate vestments.

“People of Newark” will be on view Sept. 8 through Oct. 22. A symposium on Newark's black Catholics will take place Oct. 18.

For more information, call (973) 275-2033.

Decision Making

RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL, Aug. 22 — The Diocese of Reno has received an $82,940 grant for “Ethics and Moral Decision Making Across the Curriculum,” a two-year statewide Catholic education initiative, the Nevada daily reported.

The E.L. Wiegand Foundation, a local organization that provides financial assistance to educational, arts and philanthropic groups, approved the grant earlier this summer.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joe Cullen ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: In the Family Tree's Shade: Confessions of a Doting Grandfather DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

T.H. Huxley, for whom evolution provided both his religion and his family tree, asserted repeatedly that “a man has no reason to be ashamed of having an ape for his grandfather.”

What Huxley did find shameful was having a grandfather who was given to argumentation that was supposedly marred by “religious prejudice.” Presumably, it would have been less shameful for Huxley if his daughter gave birth to an ape rather than a human who would go on to indulge in argumentation of this kind.

Poor Huxley! He was so intemperate in his objections to religion being part of an intellectual debate that he was willing to make a monkey of himself in the process. Yet, in Huxley's perspective, such a metamorphosis represents an evolutionary advance. Better to be an irreligious ape than an intellectually religious human being!

I was not thinking about Thomas Henry Huxley on the evening of June 9 but was, indeed, thinking about becoming a grandfather, for the second time. It is a distinction of Homo sapiens among all members of the animal kingdom that he knows his grandchildren.

For man, the “family tree” is not a place of residence but an image that defines him as a historical being. History was in the making, and I was eager to be part of it, limited as my role might be.

Our first grandchild came into the world on June 9, 2002, at 10:12 p.m. Exactly one year later, as our family gathered in the tiny town of New Dundee, Ontario, to celebrate Thérèse Josephine Anne's first birthday, our collective ears were hungrily attuned to the telephone that was conveying news of the imminent arrival of our first child's first child.

Would the new babe imitate her cousin and also arrive precisely at 10:12 p.m.? The prospect lent an added measure of drama to the imminent birth. The possibility was all too real. Something else was occupying our attention that night — the final and deciding game for the Stanley Cup, an ice-hockey drama being played out between the Ducks and the Devils.

Only 12 such seventh games have ever transpired in National Hockey League history. Was this the quintessentially Canadian way that a family awaits the arrival of a child?

My daughter's pregnancy, like so many Stanley Cup games, had gone into overtime. The counterpoint between telephone reports of an imminent birth and television reports of an imminent champion began to weave its magic. The two reports soon became twins, their separate threads intertwining, forming a single fabric, revealing at the same time both their similarities and distinctions.

A pregnancy is divided into trimesters; a hockey game into three periods. There are the additional contrasts between labor and labor disputes, frequent contractions and long-tem contracts, the plain surgical mask of the doctor and the elaborate mask of the goalie, the delivery room and the penalty box. Finally, the ultimate contrast between birth and, especially when hockey games go into overtime, “sudden death.”

Marion Sophia came into the world on June 9, 2003, at 11:15 p.m., wholly unconcerned about the outcome of the game, but, nonetheless, a cute little devil. My daughter explained to me the following day when my wife and I visited her at the hospital that the delivery time would have been a little earlier, maybe an hour or so, had the obstetrician not insisted on watching the hockey game to its conclusion. We thought he should have been given a delay-of-birth penalty, a “minor” infraction, to be sure.

I called my parents, who live in Fall River, Mass., and informed them of the arrival of their 11th great-grandchild. My mother, who is spry and 98, was especially pleased the baby was named after her. Ninety-eight-and-a-half years span the time between the oldest and youngest living members of our family. Nearly a century has passed between one Marion and another.

The family binds time as well as hearts. It is simultaneously transcendent as well as immanent. In the year 1904, when my mother was born, Ivan Petrovich Pavlov received the Nobel Prize in the physiology of medicine.

That same year, the New York City subway system was inaugurated, as were the federal reserve notes. Republicans convened in Chicago to nominate Theodore Roosevelt to be the next president of the United States. Vladimir Horowitz, Salvador Dali and Pablo Neruda were born in my mother's birth year.

June 9, the birth dates of our two grandchildren, is also the birth date of Johnny Depp, who, oddly enough, played the title role in the movie, Don Juan DeMarco.

The family is a small church, an ecclesiola, and a microcosm of the culture of life. It remains the basic unity of society and the best way to school children in love and learning. In the words of Pope John Paul II, it is “the first and fundamental structure for ‘human ecology.'”

The family is an integrated diversity that spans time and place. It is wiser than the ideology of the moment or the fashion of any location. The family participates in the eternal and belongs to God. It is society's single most valuable asset. I need not go any further, but the gracious reader will excuse me if I “go ape,” so to speak, over my grandchildren.

Dr. Donald DeMarco is professor emeritus at St. Jerome's University in Waterloo, Ontario.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Donald Demarco ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Family Matters DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

Workplace Whiners

Q

There is a lot of complaining at my job. People are grumbling a lot and the atmosphere is negative. I try to stay upbeat and want to provide a positive outlook and attitude to the people I work with. But I'm afraid it's getting unmanageable. What should I do?

A

Are you sure they don't all have a melancholic temperament?

As a leader you always want to raise hope and create an atmosphere where excellence can thrive. Sometimes the best way to improve the atmosphere is, paradoxically, to invite criticism and complaints. You want to find out what the issues are so you can resolve them.

A common leadership error is to make loyalty so restrictive that employees get the impression that they cannot disagree or provide constructive criticism. Such a stance does not reduce disagreements but pushes them underground where they simmer and breed discontent.

While leaders always like to hear how great things are, the best leaders not only get the praise, but they also get the concerns and problems early. So while remaining positive and hopeful, you want to develop the posture of asking for trouble. You want to convey the attitude that they can bring any issue to you. To do so you have to create a climate of openness and respect.

This means initially resisting what leaders often do best: solving problems right away. Instead of resolving the issue, first make a commitment to hear what your employees have to say.

Commit to understanding their issues and positions thoroughly before launching into problem resolution. You are building rapport and respect with your employees. How they see things may be more important than how you resolve things. Besides, they may already have an answer.

How do you find out the issues?

Meet with folks individually and express your concern that the attitude at work is not conducive for excellence and you would like his or her perspective on what is wrong and what could be done to improve things. Tell them that you can't promise miracles, but you can promise no retaliation and you are personally committed to improving things to the best of your ability.

The purpose of inviting the negative is not to dwell on the negative. It is to get the issues into the light of day, so that you understand them well enough to start resolving them. It requires lowering your defenses, deflating your ego and making a commitment to the truth no matter where it leads.

You may even be the problem.

Study after study shows that a manager who respects his employees is the most highly appreciated manager. One way of demonstrating that respect is to encourage their perspective on things.

If they sense that you hear and respect their point of view (note the words “hear” and “respect” do not entail nor imply “agree with” ) they can then allow themselves to focus on the more positive aspects of the job.

Art Bennett is the director of Alpha Omega Clinic and Consultation Services.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Art Bennett ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: MEET THE ROLE MODELS DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

Facts of Life

Almost 75% of high school students say they get along “very well” or even “extremely well” with their parents or guardians, a new survey finds. The Horatio Alger Association polled 1,055 high school students last spring; results were released in August. Asked how they like to spend their time, the teens chose “being with my family” more than any other response. Teens also put family members atop their list of role models, far ahead of entertainers and athletes. And more than nine in 10 said they have at least one family member they can confide in.

Register illustration by Tim Rauch

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: The Rosary Family DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

What is the secret to a happy, holy family?

I asked David Williams' 13th child, Joe, that question, and he didn't even pause before he answered.

“Daily rosary,” he replied.

Just the rosary? There has to be more than that, I thought. So I addressed the same question to the father.

What's the key? “Daily rosary,” he said. “That's been a source of blessings for us. I had beautiful pictures of every mystery of the rosary and I showed them to my kids, one by one, according to the decade we were praying. That helped us so much to understand Christ's mercy, appreciate his sacrifice for our redemption and love him with all our heart.”

They're not alone. Pope John Paul II thinks daily rosary is the key to the whole Christian family.

“The rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer,” writes the Pope in his 2002 apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary). “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.”

Born in 1930 in a non-practicing Protestant family, David Yoe Williams searched for the meaning of life as a teenager. “Who is God?” he asked his friends. He was unsatisfied by their answers, but he was intrigued by the mystical beauty of the Mass and the charity of his Catholic girlfriend's father. He attended Georgetown University to study the Catholic faith.

They had his answer, and he was baptized at 21.

Two years later, on June 27, 1953, David married Charlotte Cleary at St. James Church in Highwood, Ill.

Twenty-five years later, the family included 15 children. Now, 50 years later, the family includes 66 grandchildren.

The Williams celebrated their golden anniversary this summer at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pa.

“Our parents wanted to celebrate it with a family retreat,” explained Spencer, the Williams' fourth-oldest child, himself a father of 12.

“They wanted first to praise and thank God for all his benefits. We had daily Mass and rosary, talks and confession. Of course, we also had time to relax, play and share meals together.”

Do the Williams feel blessed after 50 years of marriage? “God has been so good to us,” Charlotte Williams said. “All our children and grandchildren are fervent practicing Catholics. What else can we wish?”

One of their children, Peter, is a priest in Vermont; 10 others are married. Their grandchildren are between 1 and 21 years old.

Most of the Williams' grandchildren only see each other once a year at the family reunion but enjoy each other's company like lifelong friends.

“Our family is very united,” said Patty, the 10th of the Williams' children and a mother of eight, “because we share the same faith and family values.”

You can tell. I saw the kids praying fervently, listening to the talks attentively and playing soccer chaotically — with no injury, no insult, no bad word.

A Family Devotion

But the rosary is not only a devotion for individuals. It is, as the Pope calls it, “a prayer of and for the family.”

The Williams know it by experience.

“We never gave up saying the rosary together and sharing dinner together,” said Chris, the Williams' ninth child, who is now the father of five young kids. “I think that's the main reason why we didn't become too worldly in the difficult times of our high school age.”

In fact, John Paul believes the rosary can help parents fulfill their mission. He writes: “It is also beautiful and fruitful to entrust to this prayer the growth and development of children.”

David and Charlotte Williams did that with a curious family tradition. “Since we had 15 children,” David Williams said, “we decided to assign one decade of the rosary to every child — according to the order in which each was born.

“Thus, Charlotte, our oldest child, was assigned ‘the Annunciation'; Kathy, our second oldest, ‘the Visitation'; David, our third, ‘the Birth of Christ'; and so on. When we pray the rosary at a family reunion, each one of my sons and daughters, with their respective families, is in charge of leading the decade of his or her assigned mystery.”

Living the Mysteries

To the traditional joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries the Pope added the luminous mysteries last year. All 20 mark the rhythm of human life — the events that make up our lives as individuals and families. Like the Holy Family of Nazareth, every family finds joy and light and glory. Sorrow, too.

Paul, the Williams' 14th child, was born with Down syndrome.

“When I learned that Paul had Down syndrome,” David Williams remembered, “my first reaction was to ask God why he allowed such a tragedy. Immediately, I heard his voice telling me, ‘Because I love you.' Since then, I always understood that Paul's disease was a sign of God's predilection for us.”

Soon the Williams would receive another sign of God's predilection.

Therese, their last child, was born healthy but as a baby suffered spinal meningitis that almost brought her to the tomb.

Little Therese spent two years at the hospital and then went home with full-time medical care. She has always lived in a wheelchair, with legs and arms paralyzed.

“My husband and I take care of Paul and Therese,” Charlotte Williams said. “It was so good for them to be born one after the other. God knew what he was doing. They are our greatest joys.”

Paul and Therese's siblings agree. “They're the source of God's blessings to us,” said Mary, mother of eight boys.

“That's true,” her sister Margaret quickly added. “They brought us all closer to God and to one another, especially our oldest brother and sisters who were already in college by the time they were born.”

For Liz, another sister, Paul and Therese are “our loving cross. If you see our family pictures, you will always find them at the center.”

The experience of centuries shows that the rosary is particularly effective in fostering a family's unity. “The family that prays together stays together,” the Pope likes to repeat, quoting Father Patrick Peyton's famous maxim.

“We are happy to celebrate our golden anniversary in the Year of the Rosary,” David Williams said. “Fifty years after beginning the family, we are all here together with Mary.”

There was another striking coincidence in their weekend celebration. The Williams' golden anniversary this year fell on Friday, the solemnity of the Sacred Heart, followed by the feasts of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul.

Perfect. Praying the rosary means, precisely, contemplating the Heart of Jesus with the heart of Mary in and with the apostolic Church.

Peter's successor made himself present in the commemoration with a papal blessing sent from Rome for David and Charlotte Williams.

It was an apostolic blessing that summed up the Williams' lifelong blessings obtained through the rosary.

The second generation understands the secret.

“We pray the rosary daily as a family at home,” said Joe, 33, who with his wife, Raeanna, has four children and is expecting a fifth in November. “It worked with my parents' family. It'll work with ours.

“Sometimes, my little children complain and don't want to say the rosary. I know the best way to motivate them. ‘Do you want to keep enjoying a happy and united family with loads of brothers and sisters and cousins?' I ask them. ‘Oh, yeah,' they say. ‘There's one way,' I tell them. ‘Let's pray the rosary.'”

Legionary Father Alfonso Aguilar recently moved to Rome and can be reached at aaguilar@legionaries.org.

----- EXCERPT: Williams' 50th: 15 Kids, 66 Grandkids ----- EXTENDED BODY: Alfonso Aguilar, LC ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Flying Pro-Life Dad Tells Teens to Fight the Matrix DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

Prolife Profile

WHITTIER, Calif. — In May, when Michael Grumbine learned that his three teen-age daughters planned to participate in a prolife effort at a local public high school, he decided to lend a helping hand from on high.

What he didn't expect was that his efforts would cost him two fingers.

Arianna, Joy and Rosemary Grumbine had planned to participate in a Survivors' “Show the Truth” event at La Serna High School in Whittier, Calif.

Survivors, a pro-life youth ministry, travels to high schools and college campuses across the country to advocate against abortion. The Grumbine daughters, along with the Lake Arrowood, Calif.-based Survivors team, planned to hold up signs and pass out literature with pro-life messages to students as they left high school for the day.

What they didn't plan on was their father's appearance in the sky.

“The Whittier school district and police department have a history of aggressively suppressing pro-life activities and free speech on the public sidewalk outside the school,” Michael Grumbine said. “They would tell students that they couldn't pass out literature and would threaten to arrest them. I thought I would surprise my daughters and lend them some support.”

Having seen the motion picture The Matrix: Reloaded just weeks before, and realizing that the majority of high school students had seen the film, Grumbine first hit upon a theme.

The futuristic science fiction movie is based upon the premise that authorities, to keep the masses ignorant of the truth, suppress important information. The authorities (Multiple Agent Smiths dressed in dark suits and sunglasses) use illegitimate and brutal censorship to suppress any rebellion against their control.

Grumbine compared this concept to what he described as “the pro-choice matrix.”

“The ‘pro-choice matrix' in our school system has been rather effective in keeping students ignorant about the ‘politically incorrect' pro-life arguments and facts against abortion,” Grumbine said. “As the fans of The Matrix are acutely aware, it is no small task breaking through the Matrix in order to reach out with an ‘incorrect' view of things. And even if you do, there will be a cost.”

On the day of the scheduled protest, Grumbine printed 400 brightly-colored Matrix-like fliers, purchased a black suit and dark sunglasses from a local thrift store, and borrowed his company's ultra-light powered para-glider.

On the afternoon of May 29, Grumbine took off from Whittier Hills with his para-glider, just as his daughters and several other youth were preparing to hand out literature on the sidewalks outside the school.

Grumbine flew over the school a couple of times, dropping the leaflets on the school grounds and the sidewalk.

One side of the fluorescent green triangle-shaped leaflet read: “Fight the Matrix!” The other side, written in the ominous voice of the villains of the Matrix, demanded that the students submit to the lies of the Matrix.

It read: “You are in the Matrix. You will believe what school and teachers have told you. You will do what you are told. Truth is evil. Lies are good. Abortion is good. Believe what you are told. There are people out in front of school on the street with signs and pictures right now that you must not look at. They will show you things you must not see. You must not talk to them. You are in the Matrix. You will do as you are told. You will believe what you are told. Do NOT look at them. Do NOT talk to them. You are in the Matrix.”

The unconventional approach worked.

As students exited the school, administrators and security guards urged the students not to pick up the literature or to talk to the protestors. The more they were told not to, the more the students resisted.

“The kids were literally running to pick the fliers up off the ground,” said Jeff White, founder of Survivors. “The harder the teachers were trying to fight it the more the kids wanted them. It was truly perfect in that sense.”

Joy Grumbine told of how two teen-age girls originally passed her by, rudely rejecting the offer for pro-life literature.

“After they had crossed the street and had read one of the Matrix fliers,” Joy explained, “they came running back saying, ‘We want to fight the Matrix. We'll take some of your literature.'”

That's when Michael began losing altitude.

“I thought that perhaps some of the fliers had landed on the shroud protecting the fan and that there might be a restriction of air, so I reached back to remove the leaflets.”

The clearance that Grumbine expected to be there wasn't, and the fan clipped off half of his left index and one-third of his middle finger, forcing him to make a hasty landing near the school's baseball field. Grumbine was charged with trespassing — charges that were later dropped — and transported to UCI Medical Center for surgery on his fingers.

Principal Leo Camalich told the Whittier Daily News that “by dropping those leaflets that said students shouldn't go out to see the protest, he was basically telling the kids to go check it out in a reverse-psychology way.”

The Federal Aviation Administration was called in to investigate the incident.

“I have to believe that there must have been some sort of law broken,” Camalich told the paper. “A flying object should not be allowed to fly at such a low altitude over a school while it's in session. There has to be a law against that.”

Grumbine hasn't been cited in the incident, and he said he and his wife, Deborah, first got involved in the pro-life movement in the 1970s.

“Deborah was once beaten by police while she was kneeling and praying in front of an abortion clinic,” Grumbine explained. “She mis-carried a child as a result, as well as five more after that. The loss of my fingers is nothing compared to that loss.” Today, the Grumbines have nine children.

Joy estimated that hundreds of students stopped by for literature.

“You never know how many lives you save,” Michael said, “but I believe that at least one baby was saved.”

Regarding the loss of his fingers, Grumbine maintains a sense of humor.

“My wife calls them my pro-life fingers,” he said, laughing. “The Lord gave me 10 of them, so I guess I still have some work to do.”

Tim Drake is based in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Tim Drake ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Prolife Victories DATE: 09/07/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 7-13, 2003 ----- BODY:

Priests Go ‘NGO'

LIFENEWS, Aug. 11 — Pro-life advocates who lobby at the United Nations have reason to rejoice: Priests for Life has applied for — and received — special status as a nongovernmental organization, officially recognized by the United Nations.

With the new status, Priests for Life can designate official representatives to the United Nations at both its New York headquarters and its satellite offices in Geneva and Vienna.

Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, said the organization plans to have a strong presence at U.N. conferences, speak at U.N. subsidiary meetings and vigorously propose items to be considered for the agenda of the Economic and Social Council.

Human Cloning Condemned

MAYO CLINIC PROCEEDINGS, Aug. 12 — One of the leading authorities in American medicine, the Mayo Clinic, has published an article in its journal Proceedings that argues for medicine to support a comprehensive ban on human cloning — both for reproductive and “therapeutic” purposes.

The article, “Why Medicine Should Reject Human Cloning,” was signed by a long list of distinguished clinicians and researchers, some affiliated with the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, as well as former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop.

Baltimore Abstinence Ads

WASHINGTON TIMES, Aug. 10 — A nonprofit abstinence-education group based in Baltimore, Campaign for Our Children, has begun a $3 million public education program that targets boys and girls separately, according to the Kaiser Network's daily Reproductive Health Report.

The ad aimed at boys is titled “Wait” and features 200 teen-age boys saying, “We will wait. … We will be smart. We will be strong. We will respect ourselves.”

The commercial for girls is titled “Pink” and includes teen-age girls performing a rap song with the lyrics, “My hour, my power to wait / This is the vow I take to bring about my fate. / No time to waste / Only dreams to chase / Virginity can't be replaced.”

The ads can be viewed online at www.cfoc.org.

Abortion Business Rejected

LIFENEWS, Aug. 19 — The Board of Supervisors in Upper Merion, Pa., has rejected a settlement with abortion practitioner Stephen Brigham that would have allowed him to reopen an abortion facility there.

A county court forced Brigham to close his abortion facility in March because he had violated the city's zoning laws.

Had the board approved the settlement, Brigham, who has had his medical license revoked in other states because of botched abortions, would have had eight months to find a suitable space to open shop.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Three Priest Heroes: They Saved Both Lives and Souls DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

NEW YORK — In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, several New York priests showed their true heroic colors. Giving little thought to themselves, they ran to the burning towers to offer aid and absolution.

Two years later, examples of priestly heroism continue to inspire. For an Italian priest, a New Jersey priest and a Brooklyn priest, saving lives is simply part of their job.

Rescue in the Surf: When Italian priest Father Stefano Gorzegno offered to take some parishioners to the beach, little did he know the sacrifice that would be required of him. On July 30 Father Gorzegno, a pastor in Bojano, Italy, gave his life to save the lives of seven of his parishioners.

Father Gorzegno had accompanied approximately 50 children, ages 12-16, for a summer day-trip to the Adriatic seaside town of Termoli. He had previously taken groups of altar boys and choir members on trips to the mountains, but this time he decided to take the youth to the sea.

“We have seen enough of the mountains for a while,” he reportedly told the youth.

Although the seas were rough, several of the children went swimming in the shallow water. Prone to treacherous currents, the waves began tossing some of the children against a rocky breakwater. Seven of the children found themselves in deeper water and being taken out to sea.

When they called for help, Father Gorzegno responded.

Still dressed in his cassock, the 44-year-old priest dived into the waves to save the children who had been trapped by the sea's strong undercurrents. After safely getting all seven children ashore, Father Gorzegno's dead body was washed to shore, his lungs filled with water.

Described as an expert swimmer and scuba driver, the priest served as a “pied-piper figure” to the youth at St. Erasmus Church.

A funeral was held for the priest Aug. 1.

“He died a true hero,” said Robert Colacillo, mayor of the small agricultural town. “Because of him, seven of our children are still alive.”

Hero With No Name

Also this summer, an unidentified priest saved a 20-yar-old New Jersey woman from danger, possibly saving her life.

On July 7, the priest thwarted the potential abduction of the woman by a man whose offer of a ride she had rejected while walking along Route 3 East in Clifton, N.J. The “mystery” priest serves in Essex County in the Newark Archdiocese.

After reading newspaper accounts of the event, the priest apparently went to police headquarters and identified himself. He thought that perhaps he could be an important witness in helping to identify the would-be abductor.

According to Catholic News Service, the woman described the priest as a “heavy-set, white-haired, white man in his 60s who wore glasses and was driving a gold car.” She told of how the priest calmed her down, drove her to her job and left without giving his name or stating where he was from.

The priest, who requested that his name not be released, told police, “I only did what I thought I should do.”

Saving Lives Every Day

For Msgr. Philip Reilly, saving lives is a daily occurrence.

As the founder and director of the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Helpers of God's Precious Infants, Msgr. Reilly's organization has saved an estimated 50,000 unborn children in New York alone since he started the group. In recognition of his efforts, the Friends of Cardinal Cooke Guild will honor him with the 2003 Cardinal Cooke Right to Life Award at their annual luncheon Sept. 22.

Founded in 1989, the Helpers of God's Precious Infants provide a peaceful, prayerful presence and sidewalk counseling outside hundreds of abortion sites across the country. The effort began with Msgr. Reilly and five people praying the rosary outside an abortion site. Today, the Helpers are active in more than 40 states and dozens of countries.

Msgr. Reilly often spends five to six hours outside various abortion sites, arriving as early as 6:30 a.m. and staying until 3 p.m. There he prays and hands out rosaries to mothers as they enter and leave the abortion site.

“If nothing else works, you offer the rosary,” Msgr. Reilly said. “People of all faiths and no faiths take them.”

Msgr. Reilly recalled the story of one woman who approached him.

“I gave her a rosary and said, ‘Mom, may I give you this gift?’”

She asked, “Why are you here?” “I responded that we were impelled by love — love for the abortionists, for the unborn and for the mothers going in. ‘That is why I am speaking to you at this very moment. Jesus died for you. He loves you.’”

She replied, “Father, I know that you think that I had the abortion, but I did not. I kept remembering the people out here who were praying and those who talked to me before I went in. I am keeping my child.”

Then she told him, “Continue to be here. It is a very holy work that you do, for there will be other women tomorrow. Be here for them.”

Msgr. Reilly was in front of the Ambulatory Surgery Center in New York praying with Father John Delendick of St. Michael the Archangel Parish on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. One of two Catholic chaplains with the New York fire department, Father Delendick was called to the towers. Msgr. Reilly remained behind to pray for the unborn and their mothers.

“When the Trade Center was hit, almost everything stopped in New York,” Msgr. Reilly said, “but the killing of babies went on.”

Father Delendick led a Helpers' prayer vigil just days after the terrorist attack. Msgr. Reilly quoted Father Delendick's comments prior to the vigil.

“He said: ‘I am taking you to the ongoing Ground Zero. It's the place where innocent life is under attack. If you want to be a rescuer, stand up today and rescue the unborn. Sept. 11 continues not far from where any of you live,” Msgr. Reilly recalled.

The Helpers do not allow demonstrations, picketing or protesting.

“We do it with love and prayer and fasting. To be pro-life is to desire eternal life for everyone, not just to desire physical life for the children,” Msgr. Reilly said. “Wherever the killing is taking place, God's people should be there. Christ should not be crucified without some of his disciples there at the foot of the cross.”

During their time in New York, the volunteer Helpers have been successful in having 23 of New York's abortion sites closed down.

“That's a tremendous witness for life,” Msgr. Reilly added. “There are ordinary people all over the place doing extraordinary things.”

Tim Drake writes from St. Cloud, Minnesota.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Tim Drake ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Unborn People: Mississippi Court's 'Collision Course' With Roe v. Wade DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi justices who issued a ruling declaring an unborn baby a person were in disagreement over whether their ruling would affect Roe v. Wade.

But pro-life legal experts point out that the decision is part of a growing body of case law defining the humanity and rights of unborn babies that is set on a collision course with the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed for abortion on demand.

The Mississippi State Supreme Court, in an Aug. 21 decision, recognized unborn babies as persons at the time of “quickening” and allowed wrongful-death suits to be brought on their behalf.

One of the state's presiding justices who dissented in the case called the decision “an attempt to limit and even do away with Roe v. Wade.”

“The majority's holding will no doubt cause waves with existing civil and criminal law and in particular Roe v. Wade,” wrote the justice, Chuck McCrae.

Justice James Smith, on the other hand, insisted in the majority opinion that his holding does not touch upon Roe.

Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia have wrongful-death statutes that cover unborn babies at some stage of development, with most drawing the line at viability, according to the National Right to Life Committee.

On the federal level, efforts to protect babies in the womb include the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which is stalled in the Senate, and the Bush administration's expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program to include the prenatal care of what it calls “unborn children.”

Abortion advocates fight these and similar initiatives as back-door efforts to overturn Roe.

“Anytime the fetus is recognizable as a person it chips away at the foundation of Roe,” commented Sondra Goldschein of the American Civil Liberties Union.

The Mississippi decision is “a very significant case in which a state high court finds that an unborn child is a person with rights akin to everyone else,” said Mathew Staver, president and general counsel of Liberty Counsel in Orlando, Fla., a legal advocacy group for family and pro-life values. “The judge may say that the decision doesn't affect Roe because different issues are being considered, but the logic of the decision contradicts Roe's finding that the unborn child is only potential life and we do not know when human life begins. These sort of cases will build up to eventually crush Roe.”

Nikolas Nikas, general counsel of Chicago-based Americans United for Life, concurred. “This is simply a recognition that Roe v. Wade does not apply, and was never intended to apply, to any situation outside of abortion,” he told LifeNews.com.

The 6-2 decision by the Mississippi high court affirmed the right of Tracy Tucker to bring a wrongful-death suit for the 1997 miscarriage of her 19-week-old unborn baby. The majority applied state criminal law to the tort case to expand the point at which an unborn baby is protected as a person, moving the “bright line” of legal protection from viability to “quickening.” The court defined the latter as the time at which the child in the womb begins to move and left the determination of when a child becomes “quick” to the jury in the case.

In stating that the “abortion question simply is not relevant to wrongful death” and that “Roe is not implicated here,” Smith sought to limit the reach of Roe. He claimed that Roe defines the right of a woman to abort in the narrow terms of her “liberty interest” and “fundamental right to privacy.”

When an outside party attacks a child in the womb, the attacker does not enjoy these rights in relation to the unborn baby, and the rights of the child must then be taken into account, the justice argued. Abortion is such a unique case that special standards need to be drawn to address the case of a mother wishing to kill her unborn baby that must not be applied to other situations, Smith said.

“This is the kind of reasoning that more and more is isolating Roe, surrounding it with a noose that will squeeze it out of existence,” said Staver of Liberty Counsel. “Basically, the body of case law as it now stands says that if a mother kills her baby, the child is not a person. But if someone other than the mother kills the baby, the child is a person who has rights and grievances. That's illogical.”

Quickening?

In a concurring opinion, Justice Kay Cobb argued that a child in the womb should be recognized as a person from the time of conception, since the time of “quickening,” as with viability, is difficult to establish and varies from pregnancy to pregnancy.

“I would extend the rights of the unborn to a less-arbitrary moment in the life of a human being, that moment being when a separate life begins at conception,” Cobb wrote. A criminal “should not be able to walk away with impunity for causing the death of an unborn child not yet quick, while that party would be liable for damages if that child were to survive with grave injuries or even [suffer] death after birth.”

Warning of the threats to Roe, McRae stated in his dissent, “Under the majority's holding, a father who is unaware and does not consent to his wife's abortion may now institute wrongful-death action for the death of the ‘quickened’ fetus. … A physician may now be held liable not only in tort for the abortion of a ‘quick child’ but also through criminal indictment and prosecution.”

That's something pro-lifers might applaud.

Stephen Vincent is based in Wallingford, Connecticut.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Stephen Vincent ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: For Some Californians, Recall Is Effort to Restore Moral Values DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The much-ballyhooed recall campaign in California is about a governor who is perceived to have made a mess of the state's economy.

But for many Californians as well as Catholic observers nationwide, it's also about the moral and cultural values being forced on the country's most-populous state.

A case in point is the California Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003, which expands the rights of homosexual partners living together.

The bill passed in the state Senate on Aug. 28, and Gov. Gray Davis, the subject of the recall campaign, has promised to sign it (see story, Page 2).

For many, that support ignores the will of 61% of California voters who approved Proposition 22, the Defense of Marriage Initiative, three years ago.

Davis is a Catholic. And because he's taken positions diametrically opposed to the moral law as taught by his Church, particularly in regard to the sanctity of human life and marriage, Bishop William Weigand of Sacramento has asked him to refrain from receiving Communion until he has a change of heart. Some even question Davis’ right to call himself Catholic.

The Democratic governor's approval rating in early September was scarcely above 20%. Mismanagement of the state's power crisis two years ago earned him the ire of many Californians, and when the budget surplus he inherited turned into a $38 billion deficit, many residents had had enough.

More than a million people, including many Democrats, signed the recall petition. When voters go to the polls Oct. 7, Davis, less than a year into his second term, could be the first California governor ever recalled by the people.

But the question being asked by people who care about moral issues as much as economic ones is this: If Davis is recalled, will his replacement be any better?

Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, and the Democratic lieutenant governor, Cruz Bustamante Jr., are self-identified “pro-choice Catholics.” Both have indicated support for same-sex domestic partnerships, even if they have stopped short of endorsing homosexual marriage outright.

William Simon Jr., the Republican businessman who narrowly lost to Davis in last year's election, bowed out of the recall race Aug. 23. A Catholic, Simon supported the Church's social teaching on issues such as abortion and same-sex unions, and his departure leaves just a few candidates who support such positions in the public square. One is a Catholic, Democrat Daniel Ramirez; the other a Baptist, Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock.

McClintock is the better known of the two and has a greater shot at winning.

“It seems ironic, but the person [in this race] closest to the teachings of the Catholic faith is Tom McClintock,” said Dan Brennan, who served as Simon's director of Coalitions and Catholic Outreach during last year's gubernatorial race.

“Sen. McClintock is the only [high-profile] socially conservative candidate left in the race,” said John Stoos, McClintock's campaign manager. “He has a 100% pro-life voting record, and he supported [the defense of marriage] Proposition 22.”

Spokesmen for Bustamante and Schwarzenegger declined to answer the Register's requests for clarification of their candidate's positions on social issues of concern to Catholics. Davis has made his position very clear many times throughout the years.

According to Brennan, “Davis is not just pro-choice, he is very pro-abortion.” He added that Bustamante is a member of the “American Life League's ‘deadly dozen’ in California.” That means he's one of the most pro-abortion politicians in the state, in the American Life League's estimation.

“Arnold is the antithesis of what a Catholic politician should be,” said Brennan, citing Schwarzenegger's stands on abortion and same-sex domestic partnerships, as well as a recently resurfaced interview the actor gave more than 20 years ago to Oui, a now-defunct pornographic magazine. Schwarzenegger gave details of his drug use and bragged of his sexual exploits.

“You would expect some sense of shame and a message that ‘I am a changed man,’” Brennan said, noting that such an attitude was not forthcoming.

He added that while the Austrian-born actor at age 29 was doing drugs and engaging in risquÉ activities at a local gym, McClintock was “serving honorably,” having been elected to the State Assembly at the age of 26.

Joe Cella, executive director of the Ave Maria List, the first and only Catholic political action committee that works to elect pro-life, pro-Catholic-values candidates to national office, said Catholics should feel entitled to hold Catholic politicians responsible for their non-adherence to Church teaching.

While his organization takes no position on state races, Cella thinks Catholics should not hesitate to vote Yes on the recall of Davis.

In January, the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith clarified that Catholic politicians must follow Church teaching, especially with regard to abortion and issues affecting families.

“When political activity comes up against moral principles that do not admit of exception, compromise or derogation, the Catholic commitment becomes more evident and laden with responsibility,” the document stated. “In the face of fundamental and inalienable ethical demands, Christians must recognize that what is at stake is the essence of the moral law, which concerns the integral good of the human person.”

Shifting Polls

Given the anti-Davis fever sweeping the state, many conservative pundits have suggested that voting for Schwarzenegger is preferable to letting the far more radical Davis — or his lieutenant, Bustamante — win. McClintock has been written off by some as a dark horse and even a spoiler whose candidacy might throw the race to Bustamante.

“An election like this can turn on a dime,” Brennan said. “I saw a 40-point swing from [former Los Angeles mayor] Richard Riordan to Bill Simon in the last [primary] election for governor.”

“McClintock is in the hunt, and Arnold's numbers can only go down,” Brennan said.

“Tom was the top Republican vote-getter [for statewide office] in the last election,” said McClintock campaign manager Stoos. McClintock lost the election for controller by about half a percentage point.

According to Stoos, the McClintock campaign's polling indicates a three-way race between Bustamante, Schwarzenegger and McClintock. “We are within the margin of error,” he said. In this race, “It's one conservative and three liberals.”

Stoos also pointed out that McClintock has a popular appeal and is not the typical “country-club Republican.”

McClintock wants to rescind the wildly unpopular tripling of the vehicle registration fee in California, reform workman's compensation and take the legal steps needed to throw out the high-costing energy contracts Davis signed during the energy crisis.

“He is looking out for the little guy,” Stoos said.

Some have joined the recall effort with prayer. Msgr. Edward Kavanagh of St. Rose Parish in Sacramento gained nationwide attention when he refused to allow Davis onto Church property for a photo op. He said the pro-abortion Catholics in the race were providing a “lame excuse” by claiming to be personally opposed to abortion and said he believes McClintock is indeed pro-life.

Msgr. Kavanagh told the Register that his parish “is praying our Masses that we elect a pro-life governor.”

“We are not afraid,” he said, “to take a stand.”

Andrew Walther writes from Los Angeles.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Andrew Walther ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Pro-Life Activists Vow Not to Forget Estrada Debacle DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

WASHINGTON — After 28 months as a nominee for the federal District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, Miguel Estrada withdrew his nomination Sept. 5.

Senate Democrats labeled the Catholic, Washington, D.C., lawyer an “extremist” for his pro-life and conservative views. Senate Republicans had tried seven times to end a Democratic filibuster of Estrada's nomination on the Senate floor but could not get the 60 votes needed for cloture to end the filibuster.

“Mr. Estrada received disgraceful treatment at the hands of 45 U.S. Senators during the more than two years his nomination was pending,” President Bush said of the end of the Estrada fight. “Despite his superb qualifications and the wide bipartisan support for his nomination, these Democrat senators repeatedly blocked an up-or-down vote that would have led to Mr. Estrada's confirmation. The treatment of this fine man is an unfortunate chapter in the Senate's history.”

By all accounts, the White House, which was on the forefront of the Estrada fight, did not ask for Estrada to drop out.

Estrada dropped out so he and his family could move on from nomination limbo. In a letter to the president, he said, “I believe that the time has come to return my full attention to the practice of law and to regain the ability to make long-term plans for my family.”

The Estrada withdrawal comes after the beginning of the filibuster of another judicial nominee, Alabama Attorney General William Pryor, who has been opposed by Senate Democrats because of stated concerns that his religious beliefs — he's Catholic — would cloud his work as a judge. The Committee for Justice, a Republican group, subsequently launched a “No Catholics Need Apply” ad campaign.

The end of the Estrada battle seems to confirm the “No Catholics Need Apply” message, some say.

At Estrada's confirmation hearing in September 2002, New York Democrat Sen. Charles Schumer — who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees judicial nominations to the federal bench — called Estrada “a stealth candidate, flying under the radar, heading for landing” on the D.C. circuit court.

“I'm scared of what will happen if he is confirmed,” Schumer said.

Some liberal groups had declared Estrada “Hispanic in name only” for his ideological conservatism. At a gathering earlier this year organized by Senate minority leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., a speaker said of Estrada: “It's not good enough to simply say that because of someone's genetics or surname that they should be considered Hispanic.”

Some on the left disagree with that contention, however.

“Misleading reports have made Mr. Estrada's heritage and political ideology the center of the debate without sound reasoning,” said Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-Texas, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which opposed the nomination.

Despite the color of the rhetoric coming from those who opposed his nomination, though, Estrada is considered well qualified by American Bar Association ratings. The ratings have long been an accepted standard for rating lawyers.

“Miguel Estrada was bullied and brutally campaigned against for over two years by Senate Democrats because he would not commit to support abortion,” said Raimundo Rojas, Hispanic out-reach coordinator for the National Right to Life Committee. “It is a travesty that Miguel Estrada, a Honduran who graduated from Harvard Law School, has been prevented from serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals because of the Democratic Party's blind loyalty to pro-abortion groups.”

The Estrada withdrawal, though a defeat for conservatives, could be a political opportunity, some analysts and activists say.

Raul Damas, director of operations at Opiniones Latinas, a bilingual polling firm, said there is “real potential for the Estrada nomination to be a critical ‘wedge issue’ in the 2004 election. However, it will only be as effective as Republican candidates are determined to bring this issue front and center.”

“The onus falls on Republicans to keep asking Democrats, ‘Where were you when Miguel Estrada's vote came to the Senate floor?’” Damas said. “The ultimate prize for Republicans — and Democrats' ultimate fear — is that Estrada's opponents will have to explain why they felt it necessary to destroy a pro-life nominee ‘for the sake of’ an overwhelmingly pro-life community.”

Many activists say they are ready for the battle.

“We move forward with the clear understanding that the left has thrown down the gauntlet with the shameful treatment of Miguel Estrada through the course of his nomination,” said Kay Daly, spokes-woman for the Coalition for a Fair Judiciary. “As an immigrant and a devout Catholic, Estrada, along with millions of immigrants and believers like him, have just been told that you can work hard and achieve much in this great country, but if you are a person of faith and conviction, you need not apply.”

“Most folks may not know the difference between a federal court and a tennis court,” Daly continued. “But one need not be a legal scholar to understand that it is judicial activists armed with a leftist social agenda that are to blame for the Ten Commandments case and the Pledge of Allegiance case — not to mention Roe v. Wade. And Ted Kennedy [D-Mass.], Hillary Rodham Clinton [DN.Y.], Tom Daschle and Chuck Schumer will not rest until the entire federal bench is riddled with judicial activists that agree with them.”

“It is time for all people with ‘deeply held personal beliefs,’” she said, “to pick up the phone and call their senators, write letters to the editor, call in to their local talk-radio shows to express their outrage at the judicial nominations process.”

Kathryn Jean Lopez is editor of National Review Online.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Kathryn Jean Lopez ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: On Potter, Politics, The Passion ... and Everything DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

Archbishop Charles Chaput has rarely been out of the news since he was consecrated archbishop of Denver on April 4, 1997.

Recently, Archbishop Chaput drew the media's attention for his spirited public defense of Mel Gibson's upcoming film The Passion and for his criticism of opposition in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to the nomination of Alabama Attorney General William Pryor to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

When Archbishop Chaput was appointed by President Bush to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom last month, he spoke with Thom Beal of The Rocky Mountain News. The Denver daily gave the Register permission to reprint the interview.

What are the major challenges facing the archdiocese?

The big one facing any Christian community these days is to preach the Gospel without compromising in a culture that is increasingly unfriendly to its basic message. Some Christians and Christian groups might be willing to adjust the Christian message to fit the times. The role of a bishop is to do all you can to make sure the Church is faithful to the teachings of the apostles. We don't have a right to change the teachings. So the ultimate task is to preach in a modern way but clearly and without compromise. And there are all kinds of pressures to compromise.

We also have a booming population of Hispanic members, many of whom are young and with children. Many of them lack financial resources and come from a culture in which the Church has been supported by the government rather than by individual members of the Church community. So we are trying to meet these new needs. For example, we're short of Spanish-speaking clergy. Clearly though, the challenge is different from the past when the Italians settled in one part of the city and the Polish in another. The Hispanic people are everywhere.

Could you elaborate a little on what you mean by “pressures to compromise”?

I'm referring primarily to the life issues — abortion, capital punishment and physician-assisted suicide. Catholics face pressure on other important issues, especially regarding sexuality, such as contraception, homosexual marriage and cohabitation outside of marriage. The genetic issues, including experimentation on embryos and certain fertility techniques, are also a source of conflict between faith and popular opinion.

The Church is often accused of being “primitive” with regard to these, but the purpose of the Gospel is to guarantee the right relationship of human beings to God and to each other. How can that be primitive? The Church has a clear role to play in preserving the dignity of the individual and promoting society's common good. We have to make sure everything we do — in all of our budgets, in all of our decisions about institutions — embodies these basic principles. The culture in which we live makes this a particularly difficult task.

You frequently write and speak about the state of the culture and seem particularly concerned about values and the family.

The classical way Christians talk about salvation through Jesus Christ is that Jesus saves us from our sins. It's also true that he saves us from our culture. He saved individuals from the shadows of the culture in which he lived and he has done so since. I think to be a Christian means to live differently from what the culture dictates.

Not that the Church means to be completely negative about our culture. But I do think its role is to challenge the culture in areas in which it has a negative impact on human dignity and the common good.

You recently defended the Harry Potter books against censorship, arguing that the problem isn't the magic and sorcery in the books but how the culture alienates us from responding to them in an appropriate way.

Any excessive focus on witchcraft or sorcery is bad, but I think the Harry Potter books and films can be enjoyed as a children's fantasy. Nothing in either attacks the Christian faith, and good does win out over evil. But I can understand people's uneasiness. I think it is rooted in an uneasiness about how much times have changed. Today's moral environment is much more consciously non-Christian than in the past. As I've said, the popularity of a television series like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is not insignificant. Chesterton once said, “When we stop believing in God, we don't believe in nothing — we believe in anything.” People who have reservations about Harry Potter are concerned about this.

The Church respects the freedom of individuals. She doesn't impose her views; she proposes, suggests and recommends. In today's world, however, where there are so many competing voices, in order for the Gospel to be heard it sometimes looks like we're harping on the issues when what we're really trying to do is just get people's attention. Our competitors are formidable. Television wants to entertain us. The news media want to challenge society's established institutions and in doing so take a certain amount of delight in their faults and failures. We've become a very wealthy country in which our money buys many distractions. We can easily direct ourselves away from the difficulties of life, from the serious questions of life. The role of the Church is to constantly call us to a greater freedom, to help promote clarity of thought about why we're here.

You defended Mel Gibson's film The Passion from the charge of anti-Semitism before seeing it.

I have since seen it.

At the time, you hadn't seen it when you warned critics not to rush to judgment.

I don't know what the final version of the movie is going to look like because I saw a rough cut.

And what do you think?

I thought it was an extraordinary work of art and extraordinarily faithful to the Gospels. If I was critical of the film's detractors it's because I think it's unwise for any group to try to intimidate either the Church or people of Mel Gibson's faith from speaking very clearly what they believe to be true. You know anti-Semitism is a terrible sin; it's a sin the Church has repented from and will need to continue to repent from if and when there are examples of it in Church life. But to clearly proclaim our belief that Jesus is the messiah and that he suffered, died and rose from the dead is for us something we have a duty to proclaim. We can't be intimidated from proclaiming it. It seems to me the rush to judge the film before it was even completed was an act of intimidation to prevent Christians from doing what they need to do.

I can't speak for Mel Gibson, of course, but I think making the movie was for him an act of faith. I think it's a hugely significant personal venture for him. I think it's important for him to listen to the criticisms that come his way, but I also think he should be free to pursue his best judgments on the matter.

The Anti-Defamation League and Rabbi Marvin Hier, the dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, have also objected to the film on the grounds that it is anti-Semitic and that, once released to the public, it could inflame anti-Semitic sentiment.

I don't agree. I think some members of the Jewish community have felt that any Passion play, any depiction of the Passion whatsoever, automatically begins in antiSemitism. If such a case occurred the Church would act to show how it is wrong and a sin. But with Gibson's film, certainly the version I saw, this isn't the case.

You very recently publicly rebuked Senate Democrats who have blocked the judicial nomination of William Pryor, a Catholic, saying “a new kind of religious discrimination is very welcome at the Capitol, even among elected officials who claim to be Catholic.”

I was also fascinated by the reactions of some state officials who are Catholic to the Church's counsel about homosexual marriage. They rushed to say that they weren't going to let the Vatican tell them what to think or how to vote. But it's the Vatican's job to help guide Catholics in understanding and applying their faith. That's not news. Catholics believe in the separation of church and state, but if you're a Catholic and take your faith seriously then Catholic teaching informs your judgment. To say you won't let your convictions influence your political decision-making is a strange position to take. It implies that public service demands moral neutrality. That doesn't make any sense, and it results in a civic life without character or meaning.

As for the confirmation of Mr. Pryor, it just strikes me as very odd that those opposed to him protested their innocence on the charge of anti-Catholicism with the argument that they are Catholics and thus can't be anti-Catholic. People oppose him precisely because he believes what the Church teaches about abortion. Many non-Catholics also hold views similar to the Church's on abortion, since our perspective is based on natural law. But if someone can't be appointed a judge because he agrees with what the Catholic Church thinks about human life, then it's discriminatory and really a dangerous precedent in our country. I think judges have a responsibility to apply the law of the land, but they shouldn't be disqualified for a judgeship simply because they believe in the Church's views on abortion.

Are you confident in the work of the commission that is examining the allegations of sexual abuse in the Church?

Yes. The bishops of our region met with members of the commission here in Denver in early June. That meeting eased a lot of concerns. They briefed us on what to expect in the audit process. They were thorough and very professional, determined to do their job but also aware of the sensitivity of the task. I think the bishops came away impressed. The team that did our audit in July was certainly impressive. They were careful, they took their time, they interviewed a variety of people, and I think the results were very positive. We'll know their final assessment later this fall. But the audits are definitely not window-dressing. They mean business.

What are your thoughts on the Dominican nuns sentenced to prison for their anti-war protest at a missile silo?

What the sisters did, they did from sincere conviction. I respect that, but I personally don't think it was a very effective witness. I'm certainly grateful their sentences weren't as severe as they could have been. But I also hope the sisters and their supporters will start contextualizing their acts. The Church doesn't teach that nuclear deterrence is unequivocally evil. Catholics can differ on their approach to this issue within the context of Catholic teaching, and for anyone to suggest that the sisters' position is the only viable Catholic position is simply wrong.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Inperson -------- TITLE: National Catholic Educational Association Faces Challenges at Centennial DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

WASHINGTON — The National Catholic Educational Association is in the midst of celebrating its 100th anniversary of out-reach to Catholic schools and all forms of Catholic education, including parish catechesis and even seminary training.

But its largest significant constituency — parish and diocesan Catholic schools — is facing a crisis of numbers. According to the association, the opening of the 2002-2003 school year saw 140 fewer Catholic schools open in the country either because of closing or consolidation and 63,053 fewer students.

And what is even worse, admitted Michael Guerra, the association's president, is that there were probably 80,000 students who were affected by the closing of those schools. But he said 47 new schools opened as well and took on 20,000 or so students. A total of 8,000 schools with 2,553,277 students remain.

If the two-year trend of a loss of 2.4% of students per year continues, by the school year 2020-2021 there will be 970,000 fewer students in Catholic schools.

But Guerra is determined not to let that happen. “I don't want to preside over that kind of loss,” he said. Guerra, who has been the National Catholic Educational Association's president for almost two years, said he takes these numbers “as a wakeup call” that something must be done to stem the tide.

According to Guerra, the reasons for the decrease boil down to two: demographics and economics.

Like the general population, the Catholic population is very mobile, he explained. So some areas have fewer Catholics and others have more Catholics than was true a generation ago. Generally, that means Catholics have followed their peers out to the suburbs from the inner cities, leaving inner-city parishes with a shrinking and generally older membership still needing to support a school.

“We don't want to abandon the schools we have,” Guerra said, because they are in places “where oftentimes the Catholic school is an oasis.”

Economically, parishes can no longer rely on the funding model their schools ran on for most of their existence, Guerra said. Paid lay teachers have replaced the primarily women religious staff, dramatically increasing funding requirements. Parishes generally can no longer allow students to attend on very low or even no tuition.

The National Catholic Educational Association, which was founded in 1904 and boasts a membership of 200,000, lobbies in Washington for school vouchers.

Guerra maintains that Catholic schools have a value beyond the Church's boundaries. According to one estimate, they save more than $18 billion in taxpayer money annually, for example. The per-pupil cost in Catholic schools is between 25% and 50% less than what the average public-school student costs.

If you take away the economics question, Guerra said, parents will more than likely choose a Catholic school for their children. In cities where there are privately funded vouchers, two-thirds of the benefiting students are in Catholic schools. These programs, which offer vouchers by lottery, have 60,000 to 100,000 students currently getting the help. But, Guerra added, another 1 million are on a waiting list for it.

And in the two publicly funded voucher programs in the country, Cleveland and Milwaukee, the overwhelming majority of parents have chosen Catholic schools.

Home-School Challenge

But others question if economics and demographics are the only reasons for the drop in Catholic schools' enrollment. Outside of diocesan and parish-based Catholic schools, the numbers of Catholic home schoolers and private, independent Catholic schools are growing every year.

There are no firm numbers on how many Catholic home schoolers there are. They are increasing significantly, though, as evidenced by the number of regional home-school conferences cropping up around the country, said Mary Hasson of the National Association of Catholic Home Educators.

“Catholic home schools began as a response to the failure of Catholic schools in particular areas,” said Randall DeClue, director of marketing and program development at Seton Home Study, the largest provider of Catholic home-school curricula and materials in the country.

DeClue said it's been a combination of things during the last 30 years that has brought Catholic schools to where they currently are: the loss of women religious and the changing of texts in order to get public funding are the two major issues, he said.

“People were finding that students weren't maintaining the faith after leaving school,” he observed.

It is from the increasing ranks of Catholic home schoolers that many of the new, independent schools are coming, said Eileen Cubanski, executive director of the National Association of Private Catholic Independent Schools. Many of these schools, she said, are started by home schoolers who have banded together. At other times, the schools are started because the parents don't have the option to do home schooling.

Cubanski said the definition of an independent school is not independence “from” but independence “to.”

“We have independence to establish our own admissions, discipline, academic and other policies,” she said.

These schools do maintain ties with the local bishop, Cubanski said, and some have even been officially recognized by their diocese as being Catholic schools. Absent that recognition, the school will say that it is a private school teaching the Catholic faith.

National Catholic Educational Association's Guerra is cautious about both of these phenomena. He warns that a child's education cannot be a private affair governed solely by parents or private school boards but that the Church and even the community as a whole have some say in what a child is learning.

“We can't allow the parents unlimited freedom, because we want the child to be part of the faith community,” Guerra said.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that parents are the “first and principal educators of their children” (No. 1653) and that they have the right to choose a school for them that “corresponds to their own convictions … As far as possible parents have the duty of choosing schools that will best help them in their task as Christian educators” (No. 2229).

The Catechism also says the state “may not legitimately usurp the initiative of spouses” in the education of their children (No. 2372).

Todd Flanders, headmaster of the new Providence Academy in Plymouth, Minn., sees things in a different light from the National Catholic Educational Association chief.

“All of these movements in Catholic education are good,” he said of private schools and home schools. “We need to be faithful to the Church's magisterium first, but we also need to give people access [to Catholic education] and we need to be experimental in our approaches.”

Thomas A. Szyszkiewicz is based in Altura, Minnesota.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Thomas A. Szyszkiewicz ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

Bill Would Make Foster Parents Accept Homosexuality

WORLDNETDAILY.COM, Aug. 29 — WorldNetDaily.com columnist Art Moore reported on a controversial legal measure that has reached the desk of embattled California Gov. Gray Davis — and which he has promised to sign.

The bill, AB 458, informs foster parents that they have a “legal responsibility” to support whatever “gender identity” — including trans-sexual, homosexual or transvestite behavior — preferred by foster children in their own homes.

Opponents of the bill, including major pro-family activists in that state, warned it would force the state to discriminate against “foster parents who, on moral grounds, cannot support any kind of sexual behavior by children in their homes,” Moore wrote.

There is already a severe shortage of available foster parents in California, the bill's opponents point out. This would only shrink the pool — by excluding serious Christians from eligibility.

Pastor Raises Parish from the Dead

THE NEW YORK POST, Aug. 28 — It's nice to see a priest get recognized for doing something right. Capuchin Father Francis Gasparik of New York City was nominated for the New York Post's Liberty Community Medal for his work in revitalizing a once-moribund parish, the Post reported.

When he took over St. John the Baptist parish near Manhattan's Madison Square Garden 12 years ago, it was on the brink of being closed. It was in a state of disrepair and had few parishioners.

“The ceiling was collapsing and it wasn't in a residential neighborhood, so there were no members, really,” Father Gasparik told the Post, explaining that he made it his personal mission to rescue the parish. He began to schedule programs, self-help groups and ministries — such as a food pantry, which now feeds more than 900 families. He opened a thrift store to fund building repairs and approached foundations for donations. In time, Manhattanites began to notice the place — and to come by for Mass during the week and on Sundays.

Carol Siracusano, one of the pantry volunteers, nominated Gasparik for The Post's award.

Catholics Demand Bar Drop ‘Hail Mary’ Moniker

QUAD CITIES ONLINE, Aug. 26 — More than 2,600 residents of Rock Island, Ill., have joined the bishop of Peoria in his demand that a local bar change its name, which they consider sacrilegious.

“Hail Mary's Last Chance Sports & Spirits” is a new bar that plans to open next spring in a building that was once a synagogue, and local Catholics aren't happy.

According to Quad Cities Online, they delivered to their city council a 14-inch stack of letters objecting to the name. The bar owner responded that his establishment was not named after the Catholic prayer but the popular last-resort football throw called the “Hail Mary” by announcers.

Bishop Daniel Jenky wasn't buying it. He warned “there are eternal consequences for the sins of blasphemy and sacrilege … the Mother of my Savior is not a mascot; her name is holy and does not belong on a bar.”

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Publisher Hopes to Restore Traditional Values by 'Reclaiming' Literature DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

BRISTOL, Pa. — Move over, Harry Potter. Make way for Niamh and the Hermit.

Niamh and a lot of other characters are trying to make their way onto the American cultural scene. They're coming out of a place called ARX.

That's Latin for “fortress” or “citadel.” And it's the name of a new publishing company founded by two Catholics who hope their efforts will impact the culture.

Claudio Salvucci and Tony Schiavo named their Bristol, Pa.-based publishing venture ARX because they thought they could provide “a bastion for authors and works whose high literary style, subject matter and values often are at odds with prevailing popular culture.”

ARX Publishing is their response to what they consider ugliness, vulgarity and banality of much modern literature.

Founded in 2001, ARX hopes to provide great stories that are well told. It's classical in inspiration, but its program is “dedicated to the blending of modern genres like the fantasy, farce, science-fiction or action-adventure novel with more ancient forms such as the epic, allegory or classical history.”

Their list includes titles such as Niamh and the Hermit, an “exploration and exultation of the classic fairy tale” written by Emily C.A. Snyder; The Mask of Ollock, a “grand alliterative fantasy epic” by Robert F. Kauffmann; and Dream of Fire, an adventure novel penned by Nicholas C. Prata.

Prata has also written Angels in Iron, a historical novel about the Knights of St. John military order (the Hospitalers) and the defense of “the Gates of Christendom against the Turkish armies of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.”

Salvucci himself contributes The Laviniad, an “epic poem based on an ancient Roman legend.”

ARX's attempt to marry the modern fantasy with religion and classical themes of good and evil might elicit the kind of controversy that trails the Harry Potter series — on whether it indoctrinates kids into witchcraft. Salvucci, who has not read the J.K. Rowling books, nevertheless noted that today's cultural climate warrants extra vigilance on the part of parents.

But fantasy has been used by such Christian authors as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, he said. ARX is engaged, to some extent, in reclamation of the genre.

“We want to rehabilitate it,” Salvucci said. In fact, ARX is billing its most recent publication, Niamh and the Hermit, as a Potter alternative.

Beginnings

Salvucci and Schiavo met at St. Joseph's Preparatory School in Philadelphia, where they acquired their love for classical literature through a rigorous four-year Latin curriculum. Each got into publishing after college — Schiavo worked for two European houses with North American offices, while Salvucci learned bookbinding and set out to self-publish The Laviniad. Doing the layout, printing and binding, Salvucci learned the nuts and bolts of publishing and gradually moved into nonfiction as well with the beginning of the linguistics imprint Evolution Publishing in 1994.

Schiavo, meanwhile, who had planned to start his own business, became increasingly uncomfortable with the secular nature of the books published by his employer. His nights and weekends assisting Salvucci with the business side of things gradually grew into a full-fledged partnership, and ARX Publishing was born.

Asked about the most difficult aspect of starting a publishing business, Schiavo said he thought a big key was just to “stay around” and “get recognition as a small publisher.” Salvucci mentioned “finding a market” as one major challenge. Toward that end, ARX is focusing more and more on youth-oriented markets.

ARX refuses to publish anything “blasphemous, morally ambiguous or immodest.” Instead, it “look[s] for stories that can teach important lessons about the virtues of heroism, piety, self-sacrifice and honor without being heavy-handed,” and, regarding its fantasy list, it writes that “religion and mythic elements need not be explicitly Christian but cannot be hostile to Christian morality.”

Salvucci and Schiavo describe the current fantasy-publishing scene as mission territory. “We do a lot of low-intensity evangelical work at scifi/fantasy conventions,” Schiavo noted. “We look at part of our mission as trying to put our books into the hands of people who otherwise wouldn't touch them.”

Asked about their success as evangelists at the conventions, Schiavo said it's a mixed bag.

“We try to get on the religion panels; we're usually the only Christians to do so,” he said. “Often the panels are just an excuse to bash traditional Christianity, which is ironic because [Christianity] is where fantasy literature comes from.”

Not Just Books

Though primarily book publishers, Schiavo and Salvucci also have undertaken a number of other ventures with the goal of reinvigo-rating the American cultural scene. One such project is the publication of The Tarpeian Rock, a free periodical featuring essays, short stories, poetry and comics.

ARX also distributes books for home schoolers, including Bethlehem Books titles and The Starman Series, a collection of scifi adventures that harks back to “the great series books of the 1950s and 1960s.”

Furthermore, the press' educational efforts also include a more scholarly endeavor: Evolution Publishing seeks to “further the study of American language and history by republishing long outof-print primary source material … focusing on Native American-related and early colonial-era works.”

Salvucci notes the “American flair” of ARX Publishing and says that, though the company doesn't offer any titles dealing with specifically American topics through its literary catalog at the moment, it is actively working on and seeking such manuscripts.

Though not an exclusively Catholic or even religious publisher, the “capital-C” Catholicity of the press is reflected through the inclusion in its catalog of a series of devotional booklets centered on the North American martyrs, while its “small-c” catholicity is perhaps best expressed through its attempts to meld the old and the new and its hope that its offerings “will appeal to a wide audience: from fantasy and sci-fi enthusiasts to students of classical and medieval literature to the general reader seeking a respite from the usual mass-market offerings.”

Pope John Paul II has repeatedly emphasized the “priority of culture.” Schiavo and Salvucci take him at his word.

“You come to the realization that the culture is what is causing the problems politically,” Salvucci said. “People are voting based on what they see and read. If you don't provide an alternative, then people are going to take the culture and make erroneous political decisions.”

Regarding their role in the restoration of traditional values in America, he said, “This is how we're going to do it, by reclaiming literature.”

John Moorehouse is based in Bernardston, Massachusetts.

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Netherlands Activists Counter Vatican Document

ABC NEWS ONLINE, Aug. 31 — Homosexual-activist groups in the Netherlands have launched a campaign to oppose the Vatican's stance against legalizing homosexual “marriages,” ABC News Online reported.

Several such groups have collaborated to produce a marriage manual, which offers guidance on how to campaign on behalf of laws permitting such unions, detailing their own experience in Holland, where homosexual unions are now recognized by law.

The Catholic Church in the Netherlands refused to comment on the booklet until after the bishops' conference meeting, which was scheduled for the week of Sept. 7.

ABC repor ted that one Christian Democratic Member of Parliament, however, thought the bishops ought to be “considerate” in their response.

Catholic-Anglican Rift Grows

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Aug. 31 — Catholic-Anglican ecumenical relations, long at a standstill thanks to the Protestant group's decision to ordain female priests and bishops, have now hit a brick wall, according to the Associated Press.

The roadblock is due to the U.S. Episcopal Church's decision to ordain an openly homosexual bishop, V. Gene Robinson. The AP cited representatives of both churches, who spoke pessimistically of the future of interfaith relations in light of the most recent Anglican innovation, and noted that the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, “will get a firsthand readout of the damage when he pays his first visit to Pope John Paul II on Oct. 4, just days before Williams presides over an extraordinary gathering of Anglican leaders to discuss the fallout from the U.S. decision.”

John Wilkins, the editor of the London-based Catholic magazine The Tablet, suggested such ecumenical efforts might be dead.

“There comes a point when you can't go on anymore,” Wilkins said. “The two churches are going in opposite directions.”

Stockton, Calif., Bishop Stephen Blaire, chief of ecumenical affairs at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, warned of “serious implications” for Anglican-Catholic friendship,” admitting that the Episcopal decision created “new ecumenical challenges.”

Pope Begs Religions to Unite Against Terrorism

INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC NEWS, Sept. 2 — The week before the second anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, militant Islamic attacks on the United States, Pope John Paul II said the religions of the world must “unite their efforts to denounce terrorism and work together at the service of justice, peace and fraternity.”

They should do so because public opinion “could be tempted” to think that the acts of violence have a religious origin, the Pope told the bishops of the Coptic Church of the Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy of Egypt, who visited him at Castel Gandolfo on Aug. 30.

John Paul thanked God for the ongoing presence of Christianity in Egypt, which was planted there by St. Mark. He said the most important testimony Christians can give in Egypt, where the dominant creed is Islam, is that of daily life “centered on the double commandment of the love of God and of the love for one's neighbors.”

The Pope concluded by praising the “important work” the Catholic Church is accomplishing in Egyptian society — in education, social work, promoting women's rights, assisting mothers and children, and in the fight against illiteracy.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Psalm 92 Bolsters Our Optimism and Trust DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

Register Summary

“Psalm 92 exudes happiness, confidence and optimism,” Pope John Paul II said. “These are the gifts that we need to ask God for especially in these days of ours, when the temptation to discouragement and even despair can easily creep in.”

The Holy Father was speaking to the 9,000 pilgrims from 17 countries who gathered in Rome for his general audience Sept. 3. He was continuing his series of teachings on the psalms and canticles that appear in the Liturgy of the Hours.

Psalm 92 inspired St. Augustine to write a meditation on the value of song and music in prayer, John Paul pointed out. However, the basic theme of the psalm is the contrast between good and evil — the just and the wicked. The just man understands and celebrates God's deeds, is strengthened by prayer and is filled with joy in his old age.

“The just man is rooted in God himself, from whom he receives the sap of divine grace,” the Holy Father said. “The Lord's life nourishes him and transforms him, so that he flourishes and is luxuriant, that is, he is able to give to others and to witness to his own faith.”

The wicked man, on the other hand, lives in darkness and cannot comprehend God's ways. “A momentary stroke of luck makes him cocky and arrogant, but in reality he is very fragile and doomed, after fleeting success, to failure and ruin,” the Holy Father noted.

Psalm 92, which we just heard, is the canticle of a man who is faithful to the holy God. As the ancient title of this composition indicates, it was used in the Jewish tradition as “a Sabbath song” (see verse 1). The hymn opens with a broad appeal to celebrate and praise the Lord in song and music (see verses 2-4). It is a stream of prayer that seems to flow uninteruptedly since God's love must be exalted in the morning, when the day begins, and yet be proclaimed again throughout the day and throughout the hours of the night (see verse 3). Indeed, the reference to musical instruments the psalmist makes in his invitation in the introduction inspired St. Augustine to write the following meditation in his Exposition on Psalm 92: “What does it mean, brothers, to sing a hymn to God with a lute? The lute is a musical instrument that has strings. Our lute is our works. Whoever does good works with his hands sings hymns to God with his lute. Whoever confesses with his mouth sings to God. Sing with your mouth! Sing psalms with your works! … Who, then, are those who sing? Those who do good with joy. Indeed, singing is a sign of cheerfulness. What does the apostle say? ‘God loves a cheerful giver’ (2 Corinthians 9:7). Whatever you do, do it with joy. Then you do good and you do it well. If, on the other hand, you act out of sadness, and even if good is accomplished through your efforts, you are not the one doing it: Hold your lute, do not sing” (Esposizioni sui Salmi, III, Rome, 1976, p. 192-195).

Good and Evil

Through St. Augustine's words, we are able to penetrate to the heart of our meditation and address the basic theme of this psalm: the theme of good and evil. God, who is just and holy, the one who is “forever on high” (see verse 9), the one who is infinite and eternal, from whom nothing that man does can escape unnoticed, carefully weighs both of them.

Thus, two opposite ways of behaving are repeatedly contrasted. The faithful man conducts himself in a way that is devoted to celebrating God's work and to penetrating the depths of the Lord's mind, and in this way his life radiates light and joy (see verses 5-6). On the other hand, the perverse man is characterized by slowness in understanding, that is, incapable of perceiving the hidden meaning of the events in human life. A momentary stroke of luck makes him cocky and arrogant, but in reality he is very fragile and doomed, after fleeting success, to failure and ruin (see verses 7-8). The psalmist, in keeping with an interpretive key that is characteristic of the Old Testament, one of retribution, is convinced that God will reward the just already in this life by granting them happiness in their old age (see verse 15) and will swiftly punish the wicked.

In reality, as Job affirms and as Jesus teaches us, life cannot be interpreted in such a linear way. With this in mind, the psalmist's vision becomes a plea to God, who is just and “on high,” to enter into the train of human events in order to judge them and make his good shine forth.

Later on, the psalmist once again takes up the contrast between the just and the wicked. On one hand, we see the “enemies” of the Lord, the “sinners,” once again doomed to being scattered and defeated (see verse 10). On the other hand, the faithful appear in all their splendor, incarnated in the psalmist, who describes himself with colorful images derived from Eastern symbolism. The just man has the irresistible strength of a wild bull and is prepared to challenge every adversity; his glorious brow has been anointed with the oil of God's protection, which becomes a sort of shield that protects the chosen man and keeps him safe (see verse 11). From the heights of power and security, the psalmist sees the wicked falling into the abyss of their ruin (see verse 12).

Psalm 92 exudes, therefore, happiness, confidence and optimism. These are the gifts we need to ask God for especially in these days of ours, when the temptation to discouragement and even despair can easily creep in.

In the wake of the profound serenity that pervades it, this hymn glances toward the end at the just in their old age and sees that they are equally peaceful. Even when this time is imminent, the spirit of the psalmist will still be vigorous, happy and industrious (see verse 15). He feels like the palm trees and cedars that are planted in the courtyard of the Temple of Zion (see verses 13-14).

The just man is rooted in God himself, from whom he receives the sap of divine grace. The Lord's life nourishes him and transforms him, so that he flourishes and is luxuriant, that is, he is able to give to others and to witness to his own faith. The psalmist's final words, in this description of a righteous and industrious life and of a full and active old age, are in fact connected to the proclamation of the Lord's eternal faithfulness (see verse 16).

We can conclude, therefore, with the proclamation of the song that rises up to our glorious God in the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, which is about the terrible struggle between good and evil, but also about hope in Christ's final victory: “Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations … For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed … You are just, O Holy One, who are and who were, in passing this sentence … Yes, Lord God Almighty, your judgments are true and just.” (Revelation 15:3-4; 16:5, 7).

(Register translation)

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: Former Irish Prime Minister Discusses Views on Europe's Future DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

As delegates have worked to frame a constitution for the European Union, Pope John Paul II has called on Europe to return to its Christian roots.

At his Sunday Angelus message Aug. 31, he concluded a series of eight reflections on his apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Europa (The Church in Europe), published in June. The Pope, speaking at Castel Gandolfo, said he hopes Europe will become a symphony of nations working to build together a civilization of love and peace.

John Bruton, former prime minister of Ireland, was until recently a representative of the national parliaments on the presidium of the European Convention. In a conversation with Register correspondent Edward Pentin, Bruton, a Catholic, shared his own reflections on the future of Europe.

Pope John Paul II has sought to encourage European leaders and governments to be inspired by the Gospel as they examine the new European Constitution. Do you believe there is any chance of a reference to the historical role of Christianity being included in the constitution?

I was one of those who advocated that there should be an explicit reference to belief in God in the constitution as being one of the sources from which Europeans draw their values. There wasn't much support for that. There was support from basically the Christian Democratic parties but not from the rest, who constituted a majority there.

There is, however, in the draft constitution produced by the convention, two important developments: First of all, a recognition of Europe's religious heritage, something that was not included in the earlier charter of fundamental rights; and also a specific recognition of the role of religious organizations in the life of Europe and in the life of its member states.

This status for religious organizations will be very important for the Church in playing its important role in European development.

Obviously a large part of the Pope's concerns is derived from the continent's drift into secularism and widespread relativism. And many Catholics are concerned the EU and many of the values it puts across are opposed to Catholic teaching, e.g., its emphasis on rights to euthanasia and abortion. Do you think the Church and the EU as it currently stands are incompatible or, as some say, even heading on a collision course?

No, I don't agree with that at all.

In fact, if you look at the charter of fundamental rights that is now Part 2 of the European Constitution, it says in its very first article that human dignity is inviolable and in the second article that everyone has a right to life, and it bans research on human cloning. All of these are expressions of the fundamental Christian thinking of the dignity of each person created by God.

And I believe the European Union is an instrument whereby those timeless values can be advanced in society in the present time and in the future. I believe the building of a united Europe is God's work in politics — it is a way whereby we can turn against the evil we saw for most of the first half of the 20th century and replace it in Europe with something much more in accord with Christ's teaching than we experienced during the 19th and early 20th century, when Europeans may have been more pious, but they were less Christian in the way they lived their political and national life.

But do you think there is a way of tackling the problems of euthanasia and abortion that will suit Christian teaching, or will it simply become more widely accepted in the EU?

I think Articles 1 and 2 in Part 2 of the constitution — about human dignity being inviolable and everyone having a right to life — provide a very solid constitutional basis for opposing euthanasia and abortion, and any scientific development that is an affront to human dignity or uses a human life for purposes that are not appropriate.

Would you personally admit there is a worrying growth of secularism in Europe and that this hasn't really been fully addressed by the European institutions?

I would agree with that. I am very concerned about secularism and amoralism in our education system vis-À-vis our education of children with regard to sexuality, in our public life and in our public discourse, where the advocacy of strong Christian belief is treated frequently with derision or considered unfashionable.

And I think it is very important that in our public debate we should raise our eyes to God and realize he is greater than any of us. I think that is necessary for us in this time, but I do not believe the EU is in any way responsible for this — this is a product of materialism, and we would have had materialism anyway whether we had a European Union or not.

The important thing we must do at this stage in our history is to harness the fact that the EU is soon to have a constitution based on fundamental rights and to ensure that those fundamental rights are interpreted in such a way as to make Europe a more spiritual place, a place that understands that fundamental rights are ultimately based on respect for others and respect for community.

Do you think without a reference to Christianity or God the EU will just slip further into secularism?

No, I don't. In fact, I think whether this reference is contained in the constitution or not is of secondary importance. It is of symbolic importance rather than substantial importance. The important thing is that Europe should live its political and economic life in accordance with the values that are inherent in Christian thinking and indeed in the thinking of other great religions. That is an ongoing work we must continue with all the time, and Christians in politics should fight for that whether there's a reference to a God or Christianity or not.

There are extensive references to God in the constitutions of other countries — including my own country, Ireland — but that doesn't mean and hasn't meant the Irish government always did God's work in accordance with that constitution. One must recognize the limitations of the effectiveness of references in preambles to constitutions. They are symbolic rather than substantial value. I think the substantial work is the day-to-day job we all must do in our national parliaments, in the European Parliament, in the commission and in the other institutions, including the Courts of the Union.

Edward Pentin writes from Rome.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Edward Pentin ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

Christian Leaders: ‘Tear Down This Wall!’

INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC NEWS, Aug. 28 — The leaders of Jerusalem's Christians have rallied to demand an end to the construction of Israel's security wall through the West Bank, dividing Jews from Palestinians, according to Independent Catholic News.

In an open letter to Israeli and Palestinian leaders Aug. 27, the Christian leaders repeated their calls for peace.

“Let no one doubt our abhorrence of violence whoever the perpetrator,” said the letter, which was signed by Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah and Franciscan Custos Giovanni Battistelli, among others. “Peace will only be established when violence is eradicated from both sides. If the present Road Map for Peace is to bring positive results, we believe the Separation Wall constitutes a grave obstacle. To both nations the wall will result in a feeling of isolation.”

The letter's signers, who included the Greek Catholic and Armenian patriarchs of Jerusalem and the Syrian Catholic bishop of Jerusalem, also said a wall around Bethlehem will have “devastating” consequences for the Christian Community.

On the Menu in China: Human Rabbits

CULTURE & COSMOS, Aug. 26 — Researchers in China have combined DNA from humans and rabbits to create hybrid embryos, the Culture of Life Foundation said in its e-mail newsletter, Culture & Cosmos.

Citing a Washington Post article saying some 400 hybrids were made “by fusing human skin cells with rabbit eggs,” the foundation said 100 of them survived to the blastocyst stage, at which point they were killed for their embryonic stem cells.

The newsletter noted that part of the problem with attempting to use human clones to cure diseases is that “hundreds of millions of human eggs would be needed to try to cure and then treat even a single disease.” Those eggs, the foundation noted, would likely come from women in poor countries, who could become “the targets of a massive egg harvests, a process that is both painful and dangerous to the woman.”

The Chinese experiments attempted to resolve this shortage, using human skin cells inserted into the eggs of rabbits, the newsletter said.

Culture & Cosmos registered surprise that policymakers in the European Union, who oppose genetic manipulation of plants, “so far remain silent on cross-species manipulation of mammals.”

Russian Icon Killing Staff?

THE TELEGRAPH, Sept. 4 — An icon of Christ has been removed from the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, on claims that its “energy” is killing staff, according to the London daily.

The icon has led to the deaths of several supervisors, said Boris Sapunov, an official at the museum.

Sapunov noticed for years that people in contact with the icon suffered from high blood pressure, general malaise and headaches, He claimed part of the painting has a “negative bio-field.”

“When the custodians' seats were moved away all the trouble stopped,” he said.

But nothing was ever done in response to his complaints until a Russian tabloid picked up the story.

Hermitage officials dismissed Sapunov's claims, however. One called him a “nutty professor” and said that only one worker in contact with the icon died. And she had cancer.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Thanks, Bishop Gregory DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

In Seattle on Sept. 5, the president of the U.S. bishops' conference not only enlightened Catholic journalists about his job — and what the Catholic Church is — but he gave them some sound advice on how they could do their job better.

Bishop Wilton Gregory spoke to the religion writers at their annual convention in Seattle. He told writers from USA Today, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and scores of other news outlets to balance the intense scrutiny the Church continues to undergo, especially on the issue of child sexual abuse. Our own Jay Dunlap was there, and we thought it worth passing on the information he reported.

Noting that in early 2004, the John Jay College of Law will release a study commissioned by the U.S. bishops' lay National Review Board on the extent of the sexual abuse problem in the Church, Bishop Gregory urged the religion writers not to take the study as the basis for more sensationalistic coverage and noted that their papers need to examine other groups with the kind of intense scrutiny so far focused only on Catholic priests.

He mentioned the need for research on sexual abuse in families, school systems and “in all forms of professional and volunteer work with young people.”

“Since there has been no other study like this of any other profession, it has no context,” Bishop Gregory said. “Will the result be to highlight the problem of sexual abuse as it exists among Catholic clergy?

“From the saturation coverage of 2002, some might like to think that sexual abuse of children in our society could be eliminated by eliminating Catholic priest abusers,” the bishop said. “We all know that is not a rational proposition; yet throughout 2002, I can find only minimal attempts on the part of the media to discover the extent of the problem outside the Catholic priesthood.”

Bishop Gregory focused as well on the coverage of the norms for dealing with clerical sexual abuse drafted by the U.S. bishops in Dallas in June 2002. In particular, he criticized media reports citing anonymous sources that the Holy See “rejected the original essential norms” drafted by U.S. bishops.

On the contrary, he said both he and Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, who headed the bishops' delegation in its discussions with the Vatican, found that the Holy See only strengthened the Dallas norms.

“As someone responsible for dealing with the Holy See directly on this matter, I can tell you that the Holy Father and his advisers have been committed to assisting the bishops as much as possible,” Bishop Gregory told the reporters. “In fact, working with the officers of the Holy See during this entire crisis has been a personal lesson in collegiality that I could never have envisioned — it has strengthened my faith in the Church that I love even more deeply.”

Bishop Gregory also gave the writers an ecclesiology lesson, noting that there is in fact no such thing as the “American Catholic Church.” He noted the independence of each bishop in his diocese, answerable only to the Holy Father, and that the U.S. bishops' conference is not a legislature.

The conference “may identify common concerns and suggest possible approaches, but we do very little that is binding back home,” he said. That is why the Dallas norms required and received “the approbation of the Holy See for ‘particular canon law in the U.S.' for those parts of the charter which became the Essential Norms.”

We're accustomed to journalists telling bishops what to do. It was encouraging to hear Bishop Gregory explaining how the Church actually works — and telling the media a thing or two for a change.

Attention Register Associates

If you've joined our Register Associates program by donating to the Register, mark your calendar. There's an opportunity for Register Associates to meet Father Owen Kearns and attend a dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York on Oct. 4.

Call Mike Lambert at (203) 230-3800 or e-mail him at mlambert@circlemedia.com for details.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: Reader Forum: Celibacy and the Catholic Priesthood DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

Three Questions

From the Register's editorial “Celibacy Will Save the Priesthood” (Aug. 31-Sept. 6), I take issue with the following:

The use of the word “allowed” in: “Father James Parker of Charleston, S.C., was a married Protestant minister who was allowed to become a married Catholic priest …” Rather the editorial should say that, in the case of this married man, the Church “recognized” his vocation to the priesthood. A vocation is from God. It's not something the Church “allows.”

“A married priesthood hasn't prevented the vocations shortage that Episcopalians and Orthodox Christians are suffering …” Can this be documented? I was never aware of any shortage of clergy in the Episcopal church. If anything there was a glut of candidates. (Now the fact that many of them were men going through a midlife crisis, women or homosexuals shouldn't be forgotten — but that's the real crisis of vocations in the Episcopal church, not lack of numbers.)

Finally, what was the original context for your quotes from Fathers Parker, Bradford and Grave? From what I understand, the Melkites and other Eastern-rite Catholics are zealous to defend their married clergy; nor do I think that Father Bradford is in some way wanting to put away his wife!

JAKE DELL

Guilford, Connecticut

Editor's note: First, we used the phrase “was allowed” as editorial shorthand for “was permitted to be ordained under a pastoral provision issued by Pope John Paul II in 1980.” Normally, a married man would not be permitted to be ordained.

Second, you are correct about the vocations shortage among non-Catholic Christians. Most Catholics would not consider the Episcopalians' high number of vocations a shortage. But all things are relative, and many Episcopalians refer to it that way. By the way, Christianity Today reports that there is a Protestant-wide vocations crisis, saying that there are only 71,000 clergy serving 89,000 congregations in the National Council of Church's 16 Protestant denominations. Leon Podles wrote in Touchstone magazine last year that “the Greek Orthodox Church in the United States has a shortage of clergy even though they can be married and have an average starting salary of $60,000.”

Third, we apologize if we gave the impression that priests' wives are to be pitied as the victims of an injustice. We can all learn from their example of sacrifice, even if we recognize that their situation is not ideal.

Mrs. Monsignor?

There has been a lot of talk about the gift of priestly celibacy, but let us talk about the practicality of celibacy. The priests who signed the letter from the Milwaukee diocese are shortsighted.

Do they not recognize the responsibility that comes with marital relations? In one word: children. Not only would the priest be responsible for the care and well-being of a wife, but he would also be responsible for the children conceived. This in addition to his normal priestly duties and ministries (which is much more than the normal duties of a Protestant minister).

Is there a woman out there who will have breakfast ready for him so that he can celebrate daily Mass at 7:15 a.m. Monday through Saturday? A woman who does not complain when her husband is in and out of the house on Saturday and Sunday for confessions and Masses? A woman who does not mind comforting a sick child, disciplining bad behavior or attending children's events by herself, when her husband, the priest, is ministering to the sick and imprisoned, helping the poor or seeing to his administrative duties?

Is this what we really want? A priest who is completely dedicated to neither his marriage and children nor to his parish family? Remember, a priest's job does not end at 5 p.m. Parishioners need their priests at all hours. And so do a wife and children. These priests need to realize the ultimate responsibility that would come with a married priesthood.

JUDY OLIVER

Huntsville, Texas

Don't Forget the East!

For many years I have been an avid reader of your wonderful publication, and I admire your commitment to presenting authentic Catholic doctrine and teaching. As an Eastern Catholic, I particularly appreciate the effort that you make to provide news regarding eastern Christianity. In almost every issue you have at least one item related to the Eastern Churches.

Concerning the Aug. 31-Sept. 6 editorial, “Celibacy Will Save the Priesthood,” I would like to offer a perspective from the “other lung” of the Catholic Church. You write that “the Church formally imposed celibacy on all priests in 1123 at the First Lateran Council.” Actually, as you may already know, that ruling only applied to priests of the Latin Church. The Eastern Catholic churches, which are in full union with the Holy Father and are a vital part of the universal Church, continue to have the discipline of optional celibacy. Married men can be ordained as priests, although a number of men choose to live the celibate life. Our bishops are always chosen from among the celibates.

You also write that “everyone from St. Paul to the Church Fathers called priests to celibacy.” While many Eastern Church Fathers extolled the virtues of choosing a life of celibacy or monasticism, no Eastern Father advocated mandatory celibacy for all priests. In fact some Eastern Church Fathers, such as St. Gregory the Illuminator and St. Gregory of Nazianzus, were themselves married priests or the sons of married priests.

Later, the editorial argues that “married priests imposed considerable difficulties on themselves, their wives and their ministries.” While it is true that these are sacrifices involved, for the most part our married priests have very fruitful ministries. Indeed, during the communist persecution of Catholics in Eastern Europe, it was largely the heroic faith of our married priests that kept the Eastern Catholic Churches alive. Of course, this does not necessarily imply that a married priest-hood would be successful in the Latin Church.

The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, which was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1990, states that “the hallowed practice of married clerics in the primitive Church and in the traditions of the Eastern Churches through out the ages is to be held in honor” (Canon 373). While it is understandable that you defend the ancient discipline of celibacy in the Latin Church, it is also important to remember that it is not the universal discipline of the Catholic Church. Please don't forget your Eastern Catholic readers, or the thousands of married Eastern Catholic priests who faithfully serve the Church.

ANTHONY T. DRAGANI

Pittsburgh

Time To Pray

After reading three different stories and editorials on priestly celibacy in the Aug. 31-Sept. 6 issue, I wanted to comment on this: What will it take for us to finally realize that the crisis of vocations is more a crisis of faith than celibacy?

Last Sunday, my family and I went to church as usual, got “our” regular seats, did our preparation prayers and then waited for Mass to begin. When Mass didn't start on time, I thought maybe I will start praying a rosary until it begins. After all, it's Sunday, I thought to myself; there has to be Mass.

But no priest came. A visiting priest was supposed to cover. Maybe the wires got crossed. (Thankfully, our deacon offered a Communion service.)

As I sat there waiting, I realized just how much I take for granted [our priests and all they do for us]. I thought about what we can do. First of all, we can pray. Pray for our priests and bishops to be holy and faithful. And then, pray for vocations. Although you can offer prayers for vocations anywhere, anytime, Eucharistic adoration is a perfect place to pray for vocations. These prayers won't be wasted. Secondly, we need to look within our own families and see if God is calling one of our own flesh and blood to the consecrated life. We need to realize that this is a great honor. We need to talk and invite others to think and pray; are they being called to serve God full time?

If we're not praying for vocations, who will? Who will step forward? Who will replace our present priests as they retire? Good priests come from good families. It's up to us to turn the vocation crisis around. Lastly, thank God for our priests, even though they may have faults and idiosyncrasies. As well, we need to let them know how much we appreciate them and all that they do. Thank them and never take a priest for granted.

We can no longer remain indifferent. We can start to turn the vocationalcrisis around by simply by kneeling down after each Mass and praying three Hail Marys for our priests.

It's up to us.

PATRICIA G. DI RITO

Norcross, Georgia

Priests For Celibacy

As a priest of the Roman Rite I felt compelled to respond to the article on the petition put out by these priests in Milwaukee (“In Media Letter, Priests Call for Optional Celibacy,” Aug. 31-Sept. 6). They feel that celibacy should be an option. They also feel that optional celibacy will solve the “priest shortage.” It has been my experience that most (American) “discussions” or “dialogues” about the “priest shortage” inevitably end up turning into an attempt to undo priestly celibacy and move for the ordination of women. When considering celibacy in the Church, it seems that three things should be considered.

First of all, Protestant denominations that have married clergy and women ministers are also in short supply of ordinandi. In my region (the Deep South) there are many Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian and Lutheran churches without ministers. This is a fact and all of these groups have married clergy and ordain women.

Secondly, the Catholic Church has yet to fully mine the riches of the charism of celibacy. Do we really understand what a gift celibacy is to the Church? What a powerful sign it is in the world? Obviously some (even some priests) do not! Finally, is this the right time for such a “dialogue”? What is needed now is a return to holiness and moral and doctrinal fidelity among all priests and bishops. Holiness and faithfulness to the teachings of the Church will solve the vocations “crisis,” not calling into question one of the Church's greatest treasures. (Funny how the local Churches that have embraced orthodoxy seem to have plenty of priestly vocations!)

Haven't we learned anything over the past 40 years? Will we get serious about living and proclaiming our Catholic faith or will we throw out another baby with the bath water?

FATHER GRAY BEAN

St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church

Birmingham, Alabama

Thank You, Father!

Thank you to Father John Pecoraro for his beautiful letter in response to the Milwaukee priest-celibacy scandal (“Celibate Priesthood a Gift,” Letters, Aug. 31-Sept. 6). Father Pecoraro and all our faithful celibate priests are to be commended for their commitment to the Catholic Church.

As our two greatest role models, Jesus and Mary, lived in virginity, our Catholic priests are truly “living the life” to which they have been called.

I write on behalf of the many faithful laity who cheer our priests for this incredible gift they give. It is a selfless lesson in a selfish world.

ELISABETH LASKOWSKI

Reading, Pennsylvania

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: Why the Pius XII Breakthrough Will Be Ignored DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

The denigration of Pope Pius XII is one of the most shameful episodes of contemporary anti-Catholicism.

In the past decade alone, there has been a torrent of books and articles — some by dissident Catholics whose real target is Pope John Paul II — attacking Pius for his alleged silence and inaction during the Holocaust. These indictments of Pius have been ably refuted not only by Catholic apologists but also by Jewish historians such as Pinchas Lapide, Martin Gilbert and reputable non-Jewish scholars such as Owen Chadwick and Anthony Rhodes.

But, for some reason, it is the anti-Pius diatribes of Daniel Goldhagen, James Carroll and John Cornwell — none of whom are scholars, all of whom are anti-Catholic — that hold the media's attention. To even dip into Cornwell's Hitler's Pope or Goldhagen's A Moral Reckoning is to find oneself in a kangaroo court where the voluminous evidence in Pius' favor is suppressed and the most flagrant nonsense is solemnly presented as established fact.

The simple truth is that Pius was responsible for saving more Jewish lives during World War II than any other individual. Oskar Schindler and Raoul Wallenberg are rightly celebrated for rescuing thousands of Jews, but Pius saved many more. And as for his endlessly discussed “silence”: What was to be gained by mounting a soapbox and publicly denouncing the Nazi treatment of the Jews?

In 1942, the Catholic hierarchy of Amsterdam did just that: It spoke out vigorously against the Nazi persecution of the Jews. The Nazi response was a redoubling of roundups and deportations. By the end of the war, 90% of the Jews in Amsterdam were liquidated. No one spoke out more explicitly against the Holocaust than the Dutch bishops, and no country had a higher percentage of Jews murdered.

So, Jewish relief officials and the International Red Cross were only being logical when they agreed that public speeches by the Pope against the Nazis would not have the slightest effect on Hitler and would seriously jeopardize the lives of thousands of Jews who were being hidden in convents, monasteries and the Vatican.

As the Jewish Anti-Defamation League concluded years later, in response to the scurrilous portrait of Pius XII in Rolf Hochhuth's 1963 play The Deputy, a public protest by the Pope “would have provoked the Nazis to brutal retaliation and would have substantially thwarted further Catholic action on behalf of the Jews.”

It is seldom mentioned that Jewish organizations in America were also relatively quiet about Hitler's treatment of the Jews. The American Jewish Congress and B'nai B'rith discouraged public protests by American Jews and declined to make a public issue of the Roosevelt administration's refusal to allow more than a handful of Jewish refugees into the United States. There were prudential reasons for this restraint — for example, the fear of stirring up anti-Semitism. But this “silence” nonetheless escapes the moral scrutiny of The New York Times, which itself did not spend a lot of newsprint on the destruction of European Jewry until it was history.

One Jewish leader has said: “All of us — leaders and members of the community — failed the test; as one who dealt with the rescue and defense of Jews in the Holocaust period, I stand here and confess: We all failed.”

I don't bring up these facts to disparage anyone but simply to make the point that the criticisms of Pius are a misguided exercise in selective indignation. Many could have done more to save Jewish lives and didn't. Almost everyone of consequence (including many Zionists in Palestine) seems to have had higher priorities than saving Jewish lives.

But there is considerable delicacy in the media about mentioning anyone's failures with regard to the Holocaust — always with the exception of Pius. Franklin Roosevelt, in particular, has been given a free pass, despite policies that were the reverse of helpful to the Jews. It almost seems as though Pius is being singled out to distract attention from the omissions of others.

But the more documents that are published, the more Pius appears as his defenders have always portrayed him.

Just recently, two diplomatic documents, which had been sitting quietly in an archive at Harvard University, have been discovered by a Jesuit researcher that put to rest the charge that Pius was a secret Nazi sympathizer. Anyone who has studied the matter already knows that he despised the Nazis and all their works, but it is good to have these new reminders.

One document is a private memo written in April 1938 from Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, soon to be Pius XII, in which he says that compromise with the Nazis is “out of the question.” The other is a report by an American diplomat relating that in 1937 Cardinal Pacelli called Hitler “a fundamentally wicked person” and “an untrustworthy scoundrel.”

Pius' most determined critics will probably pay no attention to this new evidence. But their campaign of detraction is looking weaker all the time.

George Sim Johnston writes from New York.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: George Sim Johnston ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: The Beginning of Life, Made Easy DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

Do you remember the birth of your first child, your wedding day, the day you got engaged? Of course you do. Now look back: remember college, high school, the prom and the playground, confirmation and first Communion. Go all the way back, to your first memory of sitting in the playpen or being a toddler on your mother's knee — or, more likely, a toddler cannonballing into your mother's knee (let's be real here).

What do you find about yourself, all this time? You're the same you — just like the newspaper that you're reading is the same newspaper, and the chair you're sitting on at the table as you read is the same chair, at the same table, from moment to moment. The world we live in is not one that operates on radical, arbitrary changes in what something is.

Or is it?

The World We Live In

Today, natural science, philosophy and religion all seem to allow for a universe full of unexplained, dramatic change — consider the astounding leaps that supplement most modernizations of Darwin's theory or the reinventions of God, person and things according to human use and understanding.

Likewise, when it comes to human life and personhood, modern man is willing to accept strange notions of sudden changes before he'll accept a straightforward explanation. For instance, the nonsectarian Hastings Center for bioethics defines life as “the state of being self-aware, capable of rational thought and of moral agency.”

Really? Think about it. You have not always been self-aware and at times been only potentially rational or moral. Yet you've always been you.

How do you know you've always been you?

It seems a simple question, and Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas gave it a simple answer. They said you can consider yourself a substance. According to this way of thinking, the form of you body — the form of your body is your soul, by the way — informs the matter that makes up your body. It keeps everything together in one package and in order as it slowly and imperceptibly develops from day to day. This starts as soon as everything is there and working at all (with modern tools of observation, obviously conception) until it stops (clinical death, at the very earliest).

Not everyone accepts this theory of substance. And even if they did, the early history of the substance that is you might still puzzle Aristotle himself. Let's think about this for a moment.

A human chromosome was first mapped in December 2000. Now, after intensive efforts, a complete mapping of a human genome is expected by the end of 2003.

And, from the moment of conception, the new single-celled human life that was you was governed by just such a unique, individual genome — in fact, it was this genome that distinguishes the new life form “you” as human. And this genome — one could almost think of it as a map of the you, the life form — has remained and will remain the same throughout your entire life, right on until death.

More likely than not, at least one person out there reading this is thinking: “But what about me and my twin?” — of course, an identical twin. Identical twins share the same genome — but not the same form. Like two travelers using the same map, their ways are at once identical and distinct.

Once the map is in place, it's a question of development. Each ability, each function, each organ, develops apace in its own appointed time. By the 14th day, the newly implanted life form — called, at that stage, a blastocyst — is sending hormonal signals back to the mother. At that same point, we see the development of the so-called “primitive streak” — the precursor of the brain and nervous system, which will assume many of the functions regulated by the genome itself in the first days and weeks of life.

You are the same you who was in high school, in nursery school, in diapers, in the cradle… and in the womb.

And just as the genome is not itself the form but the most immediate map or physical manifestation of form accessible, so too is any organ — whether eyes or ears, brain or central nervous system — a physical manifestation of the function it represents.

What of the soul? When does that come into play? In the case of our own kind, the process I've described forms a unique, precious, unrepeatable human person, known by faith to be destined for eternity. But you don't need to understand the soul to grasp this point.

Human Life, Human Soul

Bioethics is philosophy. And good philosophy will recognize that what is there at the beginning develops and becomes what is there at the end, and it remains the same thing from beginning to end. Yet why do so many treat bioethics as science, religion or both?

The key problem here is where the modern world tends to look for truth. It looks to science for truth about matter and to religion for truth about spiritual things. But, as it happens, revealed religion is about a very limited set of truths, and natural science is not about truth at all.

Wait a minute — natural science isn't about truth? Well, it isn't.

It's about making observations, conducting experiments and then organizing, categorizing and quantifying data into hypotheses or theories to explain what has been observed. These theories can always be improved — either by concocting something that better fits the observations you've made or by using new tools or methods to make better observations. Thus, the great philosopher of science, Sir Karl Popper, wrote that no scientific theory can ever be proven; it can only withstand falsification — that is, avoid being disproven. Indeed, that's why science keeps improving; it's built into the mechanism.

But, by the same token, scientific results are always tentative — sort of an interim report card on a term that never ends.

And wait another minute: How come religion teaches about very few truths — what about the Church's position on abortion, contraception, euthanasia and so on? These determinations are the magisterium's equivalent of case law.

Remember The Paper Chase? John Houseman says, “Could someone please recall for me the details of Hockenheim v. Superior Laundry — Mr. Hart,” and Mr. Hart struggles like a butterfly on a pin, explaining how the details of the specific case reflect the broader character of the civil law.

Everything the Church says about the hot-button issues is nothing but specific application of its views on human dignity and the nature of the human person — two of the relatively few subjects the Church addresses extensively.

The Church's interest here, as everywhere, is well beyond the scope of bioethics — indeed, it exceeds the bounds of life itself as we know it.

As John Paul II writes in his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life):

“Life in time, in fact, is the fundamental condition, the initial stage and an integral part of the entire unified process of human existence. It is a process which, unexpectedly and undeservedly, is enlightened by the promise and renewed by the gift of divine life, which will reach its full realization in eternity.”

Former Register associate editor Paul Chu writes from New Haven, Connecticut.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Paul Chu ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Managers or Shepherds? The Bishops' Two Meetings DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

On Sept. 8, just after this issue of the Register goes to press, the leadership of the American Bishops' conference planned to meet with a group of dynamic, faithful, zealous Catholics responsible for many of the hopeful initiatives in the Church today.

Yet the meeting is not unalloyed good news. In fact, several prominent invited guests did not attend, expressing private misgivings about the whole approach.

The event is an opportune moment for Catholic leaders across the country, whether in local chancery offices or in parishes, to look again at what does — and does not — contribute to genuine renewal in the Church.

A little history. In July the Boston Globe broke the story that a “secret” meeting had been held between the leaders of the American Bishops' conference and prominent lay Catholics.

The purpose was to think broadly about the future of the Church in the United States. The Register subsequently reported that the list of participants included some very prominent theological dissenters.

The meeting caused minor outrage among prominent Catholics — Deal Hudson of Crisis, Philip Lawler of Catholic World News and Father Richard John Neuhaus of First Things were among those who expressed their dismay. The message apparently got through, and so began the idea for a second meeting with the episcopal conference leadership, this time with those known for their fidelity to the magisterium. Our executive editor, Tom Hoopes, planned to attend the meeting.

Much good can come from episcopal collaboration with lay leadership, and those attending the meeting will have much to contribute to broad thinking about the future of the Church in the United States. In fact, many of those attending the meeting are the future.

Yet there is something a little awry about bishops meeting with different groups that appear to represent, on the one hand, Catholics in full communion with the Church and on the other, dissenters.

The whole process smothers the evangelical task of the bishops in management techniques.

The press, using the conventional but imprecise categories, cast it as bishops meeting first with liberals, then with conservatives.

Good managers do meet with different groups, making sure that all opinions are heard. But good management strategy is not always good evangelization. Meeting first with this group and then with that group suggests a kind of openness to all views and implies a type of equality between all participants. Cardinal Avery Dulles recently rejected that approach forthrightly.

“Anyone seeking to reform the Church must share the Church's faith and accept the essentials of her mission,” Cardinal Dulles wrote in First Things. “The Church cannot take seriously the reforms advocated by those who deny that Christ was Son of God and Redeemer, who assert that the Scriptures teach error or who hold that the Church should not require orthodoxy on the part of her members. Proposals coming from a perspective alien to Christian faith should be treated with the utmost suspicion if not dismissed as unworthy of consideration.”

There is no equality between those who dissent from Church teaching and those who assent to it.

The latter do not represent an interest group within the Church but are the faithful of the Church.

The former are obstacles to the mission of the Church.

They are within the sheepfold as lost sheep or, to the extent that they actively promote dissent and lead others into it, they are, it must be said, wolves.

Perhaps the bishops did meet with the dissenters in an attempt to “go after the lost sheep.” That motive would be laudable.

But it does the shepherds no credit to assume a certain equality between the sheep who have strayed and those who have stayed — or, worse, to be equally open to the wolves as to the sheep.

In the Divine Office later this month all priests will read daily for two solid weeks St. Augustine's sober sermon on the duties of shepherds. He notes that the shepherd lives “between the hands of robbers and the teeth of raging wolves.” He adds, with more than a hint of frustration, that the “sheep moreover are insolent.”

It was not easy in St. Augustine's time to be a bishop, and it certainly is not easy today. We priests, not to mention the lay faithful, are all too often insolent. And the robbers and wolves are not lacking.

But I remain uneasy about the general approach that animated the Sept. 8 meeting.

The flock, in the end, cannot be managed as much as it must be led. The shepherd certainly has to go after lost sheep, not to affirm them as they choose their own paths, but rather to carry them firmly and gently back to the fold. And the shepherd has to be on guard against wolves.

Large corporations and associations need good managers. The Church therefore needs good managers. But the Church is not only, and not primarily, a corporation or association.

The Church needs evangelists more than managers. And to evangelize requires, in the first instance, to draw a clear distinction between what the Gospel is and what is opposed to it. The meetings of this past summer confused rather than clarified that distinction.

Father Raymond J. de Souza writes from Kingston, Ontario.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Father Raymond J. De Souza ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Hurry Up and Be Patient DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

When my children were little, their dad use to ask them what the word patience meant. He'd usually pose the question when they were not showing any evidence of possessing that virtue.

Their response was automatic, “to wait quietly, daddy.” Patience is waiting quietly for something to happen. It is doing your best to not get angr y, frustrated or annoyed when what you want does not come as quickly as you want it to or not at all.

But in order to practice the virtue of patience, we have to have something to be patient about. As you have heard many times, practice makes perfect. Back-to-school time is a perfect time to take on this assignment.

So what are some ways to practice patience? First, we have to realize when we are getting impatient. Do you remember those times when your mom was on the phone a long time and you had a real important question to ask her but she just kept putting up her finger to tell you to wait? It felt like forever before she took the time to let you ask your question. That feeling of wanting to jump up and down or throw yourself to the floor in a wild fit is the feeling of impatience.

Now that you know the feeling, realize that you are going to feel it again, but this time you are going to talk to yourself before you get to the point of wanting to roll on the floor screaming. So, let's take the mom on the phone scenario again. How can patience help you to respond to this situation better? First, close your eyes and ask God to give you patience for this moment. You know that you are going to need it. Go to your mom and say excuse me. While you are waiting quietly for her to respond, use the time to say a prayer for someone.

Never waste time. Each and every minute is a gift from God, and we are going to need to tell him how we used our time someday. After you feel you have waited for a awhile, gently say again, “Excuse me, mom, may I interrupt to ask you a question?” If she says Yes, state it quickly and listen to her response. If she says No, accept her answer and walk away and wait for the best time to ask again.

When we get mad and frustrated, it really hurts us more than it helps. The feeling of impatience is an awful feeling. It usually makes a person feel angry and tense. But the truth is, each of us has the ability to decide how we are going to respond to something, and we can change how we feel by changing our actions.

The key to making this happen is prayer. There are some things that we all know we just need help with. Patience is probably the most prayed-for virtue of all. It does not come natural. How many babies do you know who wait patiently when they want something? Not many, if any. But when we pray, we are placed in the presence of God, and his peace just kind of oozes right into us. But we have to do the asking. God never forces himself on us.

It also helps to go to confession regularly. There are super graces that fill us with God's love that help us be more like Jesus, and we know Jesus is ver y patient.

Remember that God's greatest desire is to be with you at all times. He will always jump at any invitation you give him. He loved you so much that he left his perfect home in heaven to be with you. Give Jesus the deepest part of yourself — your heart. He will accept the gift and give it right back to you in the form of love, grace and virtue. You won't get all this goodness all at once. But if you're patient, it will be there soon enough!

Jackie Oberhausen writes from Fort Wayne, Indiana.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Jackie Oberhausen ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: A Maine Event DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

It's not every day you get a chance to pray in what's considered the first church in the United States dedicated to St. Patrick and the oldest continuously used Catholic church in New England.

But when my wife, Mary, and I arrived at St. Patrick's in Newcastle, Maine, spiritual and temporal history came alive for us in a very gratifying way.

Only a few minutes away from the center of the quaint New England town, the picturesque church on a hillock close to the Damariscotta River isn't just a page frozen in a history book. It's still a vibrant parish, as alive as when the sanctuary was completed in 1808. Even then it was only the second Catholic church in New England. (Boston's Franklin Street Church, long gone now, was the first.)

The Irish-born architect Nicholas Codd made sure St. Patrick's would withstand the test of time: The walls are solid local brick, a foot and a half thick. And, for rural Maine, Codd gave the church an up-to-date (for the time) federal design.

French-born Father John Lefevre de Cheverus, the traveling pastor, dedicated the church on July 17, 1808, on behalf of Bishop John Carroll in Maryland. He wrote the bishop that he liked the name because it “proclaimed that our church here is the work of Irish piety.” In fact, he referred to James Kavanaugh and Matthew Cottrill, two successful area businessmen who initiated the building of St. Patrick's.

These founders had emigrated from Ireland and had their own homes designed by Codd. That helps explain Ireland's heraldic symbol, the harp, on the carved doorways to the sacristy either side of the altar.

But what to make of the stars over the doorways and outside on the frieze? The puzzle was solved when we learned that this was the way Codd “signed” his buildings.

Inside, the nave is small enough to give a good view of the sanctuary from even the last pew. We never forget we're in a church built during the early period of our country, when federal-style architecture was very popular. The doorways to the sacristy on either side of the altar, for example, are decorated with dentil crown molding and leaf-bough designs.

St. Patrick's also has a gently curved barrel ceiling similar to ones in other churches from the colonial and federal era. The simple wooden floors beneath the barrel ceiling have supported the footsteps of who knows how many worshippers over the decades. And now those of visitors, too, although the church seems more of a hidden treasure. On the day we arrived, only one other person was present. We wondered how many Catholic tourists in this state that bills itself as “Vacationland” don't realize what a spiritual treasure exists just off the beaten path.

Revere Ware

Since we were visiting on a weekday, we didn't get to hear the peal of the Paul Revere bell. The master patriot and silversmith cast the 345-pound bell himself in 1818, the last year of his lifetime. Although he and his sons cast about 400 bells, Revere completed only 37 alone. This one's known as the only Revere bell in a Catholic church in New England. Although we couldn't climb up to see the bell in the front brick tower added in 1866, we learned it's inscribed “1818” and “The gift of Matthew Cottrill to St. Patrick's Church, Newcastle.”

But we can see so much that connects us to the church's wonderful history. Across the front of the sanctuary, the wooden Communion rail remains intact. The sanctuary's walls were painted in their original beige tones in a recent renovation. It's these kinds of careful renovations and restorations that respect the church's historic importance, too.

The eye-catching original old altar remains behind the newer, portable altar. How could this altar not stir our thoughts to the early parishioners and the founders as they worshipped at Masses said on this altar for them by Father Cheverus, who they didn't realize would become the first bishop of Boston in a few years?

White and gracefully curved, with lovely borders aglow with leaf-like scrollwork, the unusual altar is shaped like some tombs of the century before. In fact, its early 18th-century French style means it may have been imported from France. The middle of the altar holds a medallion picturing the victorious Lamb of God.

The tabernacle in the center of the old altar is topped with a crucifix. The painting above it is remarkable. More than 200 years old, it most likely came from France because before Father Cheverus gave it to the church, the painting belonged to his mother. The scene depicts Jesus being taken down from the cross — a bold reminder of Our Lord's sacrifice as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is being celebrated before it.

To either side of this central painting, two other paintings form medallions of the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart. Below them, statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus and St. Joseph stand on either side of the altar. Mary wears a golden crown. St. Joseph's brown robes blend with the color of the walls.

Durable Elegance

Because this is such an early church and European stained-glass scenes like those in the great Gothic cathedrals would be out of place, the earliest windows were plain. Today's stained glass dates to the late 19th century and forms simple colored patterns, mostly of stylized leaves.

The original Stations of the Cross remain as the gilded wooden crosses over the “newer” Stations dating from 1876. These look like old lithographs and are reminiscent of the style of Currier and Ives.

Another centuries-old painting takes its place under the choir loft. The identification is a bit hazy, but it's thought to portray a saint obscure to us — St. Peter Nolasco — kneeling before our Blessed Mother.

Father Cheverus brought the Nativity scene displayed in a glass-fronted case from France. The antique wax figures of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and hand-carved wooden angels, shepherds and animals in the stable are in remarkably fine condition.

The tireless priest probably didn't exit France with much. In 1790, he was the last priest to be publicly ordained before the French Revolution and shortly after he had to flee his native land in disguise.

In April 1973, the church was named to the National Register of Historic Places. But its centuries of history continues on. Father Cheverus, who described St. Patrick's as “on the whole a very neat and elegant chapel,” is surely happy in heaven to note that it still is.

Joseph Pronechen writes from Trumbull, Connecticut.

----- EXCERPT: St. Patrick's Church, Newcastle, Maine ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joseph Pronechen ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: Now Playing DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

1 Matchstick Men (Warner Bros) Director: Ridley Scott. Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman. (PG-13) Take One: A twitchy, obsessive-compulsive con artist (Cage) suddenly finds himself with an adolescent daughter (Lohman) in a complex, carefully crafted story that vacillates between cynical, hard-boiled con movie and affecting character drama of redemption through emotional bonds.

Take Two: The con-movie thread comes with all the genre's usual objectionable language, moral issues and occasional sleaze, here more troubling because of the young girl's involvement.

Final Take: Approach with caution. While the film definitely does-n't condone larceny and has some redemptive elements, the problematic content will be too much for many, but some adult viewers will appreciate its artistry and characterizations.

2 Freaky Friday (Disney) Director: Mark S. Waters. Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan. (PG)

Take One: Disney has another go at the comic fable of a mother and teen-aged daughter who switch bodies, with enjoyable comic performances from Curtis and Lohan embodying one another's mannerisms.

Take Two: Aren't role-reversal movies meant to teach both sides a lesson? Not this one, which is all about boring old mom gaining new appreciation for poor misunderstood daughter's high-school travails as well as for her music and fashion sense. No lessons for the teen-ager about the realities of adult life. Some objectionable language and mild sexual references.

Final Take: Your call. Curtis as teen-ager and Lohan as middle-aged woman are fun to watch, but the notso-subtle suggestion that teen-agers have it really hard while adults make life hard on themselves may ring hollow for some.

3 Open Range (Buena Vista) Director: Kevin Costner. Robert Duvall, Costner, Annette Bening. (R)

Take One: Archetypal, finely acted Western throwback about free-ranging cowboys standing up to a bullying cattle rancher (Michael Gambon), with Bening as a refreshingly age-appropriate love interest for Costner.

Take Two: Strong cinematography competes with sometimes-wobbly dialogue. When it finally gets down to the shooting, the violence is strong but not glamorized. The line between rough frontier justice and revenge isn't entirely clear, and objectionable language includes some profanity and a crass expression of anger at God (partially redeemed by a later comment).

Final Take: Like the hero Costner plays, Open Range is competent, flawed, unglamorous, grim but not unhopeful and gets the job done. After 10 years since Hollywood's last stabs at the Western genre, it's nice to see even a decent one.

4 The Medallion (Screen Gems) Director: Gordon Chan. Jackie Chan, Lee Evans, Claire Forlani. (PG-13)

Take One: At nearly 50, comic action-hero Jackie Chan may be slowing down, and his famous real-stunt ethic may finally be succumbing to the necessities of special effects, wirework and even stunt doubles. Even so, a terrific chase scene proves he's still got what it takes.

Take Two: That chase scene is the only sequence of any distinction in Chan's weakest film in years. British comic Lee Evans easily surpasses Jennifer Love Hewitt (The Tuxedo) as Chan's most irritating movie buddy ever, and while there's relatively little objectionable language and humor, Eastern religious themes and pop-spirituality overtones add a problematic dimension of their own.

Final Take: Though a great physical performer, Chan has never made great movies; this one's so lame that it drags him down with it.

5 Northfork (Para-mount Classics) Directed by the Polish brothers. James Woods, Mark Polish, Nick Nolte. (PG-13) Take One: Surreal, dreamlike imagery, contemplative pacing and juxtaposition of transcendent and mundane make for challenging art-house fare in a poetic tableau about a Montana town slated to be flooded and a frail little boy who tries to convince a quartet of misfit angels that he's one of them.

Take Two: The sort of film that some find deeply evocative and meaningful while others find insufferably boring, weird and pretentious, Northfork looks more like the latter, due in part to a jokey subtext of sophomoric puns, pop-culture references and sight gags that strike a note of banality and undermine any sense of transcendence. A brief bedroom scene, some objectionable language, fantasy depiction of angels and implied polygamy.

Final Take: In a meaningful film, ambiguity and weirdness can be challenging and engaging; here, it's just off-putting. The film has stunning imagery but little else and lacks the moral seriousness that invites personal engagement.

Steven D. Greydanus, editor and chief critic of DecentFilms.com, writes from Bloomfield, New Jersey.

----- 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: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

Nicholas Nickleby (2002)

In the center of all the Dickensian squalor and grotesquerie that can be compressed into two hours stands Nicholas Nickleby (Charlie Hunnam), Dickens' first, and most overtly heroic, protagonist. The picture of chivalry, courage and dedication to duty, outraged at injustice and ready to defend the helpless orphan Smike (Jamie Bell) and the honor of his sister Kate (Romola Garai), Nickleby is the archetypal under-dog hero, “young, poor, brave, unimpeachable and ultimately triumphant,” in the words of G.K. Chesterton.

Writer-director Douglas McGrath, who previously adapted and directed the charming 1996 Emma, does a respectable job of retelling as much of Dickens' tale as possible in the time alloted. The casting is generally very good, with Christopher Plummer as the heartless, well-to-do uncle Ralph Nickleby and Jim Broadbent as the squinting, leering Squeers of horrific Dotheboys Hall. Nathan Lane provides some comic relief as tawdry impresario Mr. Crummles (accompanied, in a strange, jarring bit of incidental casting, by a man in the role of Crummles' unattractive wife). The cheerily cherubic Cheerybles (Timothy Spall and Gerard Horan) complete Dickens' morality-tale portrait of human nature, with Nicholas's heroism, in the words of one character, “the definition of goodness.”

Content advisory: Dickensian distress and grotesquerie including physical and emotional abuse at a horrific boarding school and leering advances upon a young woman; a fleeting childbirth scene.

Fantastic Voyage (1966) Released earlier this year on DVD, Fantastic Voyage comes paired with a second film, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961), the modest entertainment value of which is unfortunately subverted by a key depiction of stereotyped religious fanaticism.

A landmark of 1960s sci-fi classic, Fantastic Voyage provides compelling entertainment despite dated special effects, deliberate pacing, and indifferent dialogue and acting, thanks in part to the genuine wonder it brings to its premise, the insertion of a miniaturized submarine and crew into the bloodstream of an injured man.

Some thought and research has clearly gone into the anatomical itinerary of the microbe-sized crew, which includes Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch and Donald Pleasence. The Cold-War premise involves an assassination attempt against a top scientist defecting from the “other side,” leaving him with an inoperable brain injury that only the bionauts can access and treat. There's also the requisite threat of a traitor among the ship's crew.

The science fiction ranges from respectable to ridiculous, but the film's appeal lies in the imaginative visualizations of the insides of the human body and in the awe of the crew members at seeing firsthand such wonders as the oxygenation of blood cells — a sight that leads to a brief exchange about the necessity of an intelligent designer (as in God).

Content advisory: Brief violence and sci-fi suspense and menace; an instance of profanity.

Sullivan's Travels (1941)

The studio suits want a crowd-pleasing comedy, but director John Sullivan (Joel McCrea) wants his next film to make a serious social statement.

The genius of this classic opening scene is that Sullivan's Travels is both screwball comedy and socially conscious melodrama — as well as a satire of socially conscious melodrama and an apologetic for comedy.

When Sullivan decides to live like a tramp for a while in order to experience poverty firsthand, the moral dangers of this familiar riches-to-rags quest are memorably highlighted by Sullivan's own butler: “If you'll permit me to say so, sir, the subject [of poverty] is not an interesting one. The poor know all about poverty, and only the morbid rich would find the topic glamorous.” When Sullivan protests that he's “doing it for the poor,” the butler answers: “I doubt if they would appreciate it, sir. They rather resent the invasion of their privacy, I believe quite properly, sir.”

The movie dignifies the poor but doesn't idealize them and ultimately deflates Sullivan's pretensions when things take a serious turn for the worse. And, as Sturges believed in movies leaving “the preaching to the preachers,” he has a preacher do the preaching, in a respectful sequence set in a black Baptist church.

Content advisory: Some slapstick and restrained violence; mild sexual references; a clearly invalid back-story marriage that is later dissolved.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Steven D. Greydanus ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Back-to-School Choice DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

BREAKING FREE: PUBLIC SCHOOL LESSONS AND THE IMPERATIVE OF SCHOOL CHOICE

by Sol Stern Encounter Books, 2003 248 pages, $29.95 To order: (800) 786-3839 www.encounterbooks.com

There's no time like back-to-school time to recall how, last year, the Supreme Court made it easier for poor families to take control of their children's education. In Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, the court upheld the constitutionality of a school voucher plan in Cleveland. The plan provides subsidies for poor parents who choose to send

their children to a private, often religious, school. The court found that such a voucher system did not violate the First Amendment's prohibition on the establishment of religion.

Vouchers have become one of the hottest political issues in American politics. Proponents argue that excessive public school bureaucracy, entrenched and unresponsive teachers unions, arcane certification requirements and “politically correct” ideology have all conspired to create a strangle-hold on the public education system. Opponents argue that vouchers are simply an excuse to abandon the commitment to public education. Sol Stern's new book is an account of that debate and a persuasive case for dramatically restructuring American public education to provide all parents with educational choice.

The book is divided into three parts. The first, “My Public School Lessons,” recounts Stern's personal experiences with the New York public school system. Stern is himself a product of that system, as are his two sons; his wife is a public school teacher. Although his sons went to good public schools, he nevertheless learned from them “about the lethal combination of a self-interested and powerful teachers union, a dysfunctional bureaucracy and progressive education fads that was damaging all children.” The second section, “Union Dues,” emphasizes how intense bureaucratization and a belief that ever-increasing budgets and constricting certification regulations trump substantive educational goals. The final section lays out the case for vouchers as a way to help both public and private schools by infusing choice and flexibility.

Stern is a gifted journalist, and the policy arguments he makes are strengthened by vivid portraits of the teachers, administrators and students who are directly affected by the system. He is careful to praise as well as to criticize, but he is unsparing with those he sees as not having children's interests at heart. He is particularly critical of education philanthropists who “expected excellence for their own children's elite schools, yet in their rush to feel good about themselves they showed no interest in applying the same standard” to public schools that they assume must be of a lesser caliber.

Catholic schools are sometimes the only alternative for poor parents, many of whom go to great lengths to find the tuition money. In “Catholic School Lessons,” Stern shows that the Catholic schools prove that neither more money nor onerous educational qualifications necessarily helps children. Catholic schools generally outperform public schools in the same neighborhoods with far fewer resources. Their success, Stern argues, lay in their beliefs in achievement, discipline, organization and the lack of bureaucracy or onerous certification requirements. There is no reason why public schools cannot follow this model. Vouchers, Stern hopes, would permit public schools to learn from the flexibility and values of parochial system to benefit all children.

The debate over vouchers should not be about the First Amendment but about fairness and equality, and a desire to give children the best education possible. Affluent parents already have school choice; they can afford to send their children elsewhere and avoid failing public schools. Before Zelman, poor parents were without that option and stranded without recourse in a failing system. That no longer needs to be the case.

Gerald J. Russello writes from Brooklyn, New York.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Gerald J. Russello ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Campus Watch DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

Fidelity

ALLAFRICA.COM, Aug. 6 — Bishop Matthias Sekamaanya of Uganda's Diocese of Lugazi said those who do not wish to follow Catholic teaching should not teach at or send their children to Catholic schools in his diocese, the African news Web site reported.

“It is my mission to see that Catholic teaching is imparted to the followers of the Church,” Bishop Sekamaanya explained to a gathering on “Teachers Day.”

He said his diocese would soon issue a new education policy that would develop his position on a number of fronts, including giving Catholic children preference in admissions.

Lavender Fordham?

LAVENDERLAW.ORG — New York's Fordham University will host and serve as a sponsor of the annual conference of the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association and the National Lesbian and Gay Law Foundation on Oct. 17-19 at the Jesuit university's school of law in Manhattan, according to the association's Web site.

This year's conference will include workshops and talks on such topics as estate planning, domestic violence, trans-gender issues and “sodomy law developments.”

‘Best’ Colleges

US NEWS & WORLD REPORT, Sept. 1 — In the magazine's annual ranking of the nation's best colleges and universities, Catholic institutions fared best in the category of best universities/master's degrees.

The category ranks schools with undergraduate and master's programs but few, if any, doctoral programs.

In this category, divided by region, Villanova University in Pennsylvania topped the list in the Nor th while Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., was awarded the same slot in the Midwest. Seven of the top 15 regional universities in the West were Catholic.

Five other Catholic colleges were among the top 15 in the North while four others were among the final 15 in the Midwest. Two Catholic schools made the top 15 in the Southern region.

Three Catholic colleges made the magazine's overall top 50, including the University of Notre Dame in Indiana (19th), Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., (23rd) and Boston College (40th).

Fair Field?

CONNECTICUT POST, Aug. 19 — Former Fairfield University basketball players allege that coaches gave cash to players, falsified drug tests and did schoolwork for members of the team, the newspaper reported in an exclusive.

“We will simply not tolerate any improprieties,” said Jesuit Father Aloysius Kelley, the school's president, as he announced an internal investigation into whether NCAA rules had been violated.

Catholic Identity

DES MOINES REGISTER, Aug. 23 — After being known for 68 years as simply Dowling High School, the school has been renamed Dowling Catholic High School, the Iowa daily reported.

“People think of us as a good public school, not a private Catholic school,” said Jerr y Deegan, president of Dowling Catholic. He said the name change is a way of “really stepping up and saying who we are.”

The change may be part of a trend, at least in Iowa. Kuemper High School in Carroll became Kuemper Catholic several years ago — at the prompting of students who, according to one official, “said they wanted to distinguish themselves.”

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joe Cullen ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Family Matters DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

Credit-Report Troubles

Q

When my wife and I recently attempted to refinance our house, we were surprised to find a number of problems listed on our credit report. It turned out that the credit-reporting company had made a bunch of errors. How can we clear up the smear on our record?

A

Once you become aware of a problem, your first step would be to contact each of the national credit reporting agencies and request a current report. There will be no fee if a person has taken action against you and you request the report within 60 days of being notified. Otherwise, expect to pay up to $8 per report.

The next step will be to dispute the error(s). Document your dispute in writing, and send it to the national credit reporting agency with the reporting error. The letter should include your complete name and address, clear identification and explanations of each item disputed, and a request to delete or correct the items in question. It would also be a good idea to copy the agency's credit report and highlight the disputed items. You should also send copies of records (not originals) that support your position. Send your dispute letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you have proof of delivery. Also, keep a copy of your letter for your own file.

Once the credit reporting agency receives your request, it is obliged to investigate the item (usually within 30 days) by presenting to their information source the evidence you submit. The source must review your information and report its findings to the agency. It also has responsibility for notifying other national credit reporting agencies of any incorrect information they previously supplied. If the results of the investigation show that errors were contained in your credit report, the agency must remove the incorrect information within a reasonable time.

Upon completion of the investigation, you are entitled to receive a report summarizing the results and a revised copy of your credit report if the investigation results in a change. Upon request, the agency is also obligated to notify anyone who has recently received your report to be notified of the corrections.

If the investigation shows that the report was accurate, the credit reporting agency has no obligation to remove the information from your file until it is outdated. Regular credit information can stay on your report for up to seven years, while bankruptcy information can be included for up to 10 years. Even if the problematic credit information is accurate, you do have a right to add a brief statement to your file, which the credit reporting agency must normally include in future reports.

For more information, I encourage you to review the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act at www.ftc.gov.

God love you!

Phil Lenahan is director of finance for Catholic Answers in El Cajon, California.

Reach Family Matters at familymatters@ncregister.com

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Phil Lenahan ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: DADS DELIVER DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

Facts of Life

Researchers from the University of Regensburg in Munich, Germany, have found that the quality of a child's bond with his or her father at age 5 has an even bigger effect in some realms of development than the mother bond. Children who were less attached to their fathers at age 5 were more anxious, more withdrawn and less self-confident at age 9. An insecure attachment to the mother, on the other hand, predicted a lower sense of self-worth and less ability to form close, one-on-one relationships.

Source: Dallas-Fort Worth

Star-Telegram, Aug. 12

Illustration by Tim Rauch.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Time to Get Ready for Priest Day DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

If you feel called to say something nice about — or to — a priest, you'll soon have two days to do so in a special way.

Take your pick: Sunday, Sept. 21, is celebrated as World Priest Day by World Wide Marriage Encounter and its supporters, while Sunday, Oct. 26, has been dubbed Priesthood Sunday by the National Federation of Priests’ Councils.

In the Diocese of Knoxville, Tenn., members of World Wide Marriage Encounter are setting the standard for how their fellow Marriage Encounter members around the world — and anyone else who appreciates the priesthood — can mark the Sept. 21 occasion. Working in conjunction with other lay organizations, such as the Knights of Columbus, Daughters of America and the Council of Catholic Women, a number of couples will distribute a token of appreciation — a gift basket, letter or card including a spiritual bouquet — to every priest in the diocese, retired as well as active, to thank them for their selfless service to the Church.

John and Anne Wharton are the Knoxville coordinators for World Priest Day this year. With a team of other like-minded couples, they're putting together gift baskets that contain mugs, pens, stationery, snack mixes, candies, movie passes, camera film, candy bars wrapped with a “We Love Our Priest” label and other fun and useful items. On the 21st, the team will deliver the baskets to every active priest in the diocese. In the days before the event, cards and letters will be sent to all priests who are retired or have ever served the diocese. They're also organizing a 24-hour prayer vigil, assigning one hour of prayer for the priests in the diocese to one of 24 couples on that weekend.

“We really want our priests to know how much we love them and how grateful we are for what they have given us through the sacrament of holy orders,” says Anne. “World Priest Day began as an outreach of World Wide Marriage Encounter because we work so closely with our priests and have so much in common with them in terms of the kind of vows we take. But we're trying to get other groups involved and to spread the word because the priest-hood benefits all Catholics.”

Marriage Encounter coordinators are urging groups and individuals throughout the world to use their imagination in devising a way to honor their priest and the sacrament of holy orders. It can be something as simple as greeting your priest personally after Sunday Mass to sending a card or spiritual bouquet, says Anne. If you can, invite him to a sports event, movie or other form of public entertainment. If you or your priest tends to be shy, try sending a card with a short, personal note of appreciation and encouragement.

An anonymous gift left at the rectory will let your priest know that someone cares, even if he never finds out who that someone is. Getting the kids involved can be a real icebreaker, plus it can be a positive influence in fostering vocations. Anything that lets your priest know that you are thinking of him and feel he is an important aspect of your life is fair game.

In the past, parishioners around the country have given their priests batches of cookies wrapped in cellophane and tied with colorful ribbon, mugs, candy bars wrapped with pre-printed “We Love Our Priest” labels, and baskets filled with trinkets, fruit, nuts and candies. Families have picnicked with their priests, taken them out to dinner or invited them over to the house.

“Sometimes just spending time with your priest is the greatest gift of all,” says Janel Lange. She and her husband, Bob, are national coordinators of Marriage Encounter's World Priest Day this year. “I remember our priest once saying at the pulpit that it isn't fun having to eat alone all the time,” she says. “Something as simple as inviting him to the house for dinner could make your priest so happy. Work together on cooking the meal and get the kids involved. It could be a wonderful family atmosphere and give you all the opportunity to get to know your priest a little better and for him to get to know you.”

Father Jay Flaherty of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Knoxville received one of the gift baskets. He wasn't around at the time it was delivered but found it waiting for him when he returned to the rectory. “I was surprised and very pleased,” he recalls. “It's not too often that people say, ‘Thank you.’ It really made my day.”

“Our society has focused on the 60-second headlines that give negative press to the priesthood,” says Tony Morris. Tony and his wife, Sue, are members of Marriage Encounter and support World Priest Day in the Belleville, Ill., Diocese. “There are bad cops. There are bad politicians. And there are bad priests. But that doesn't make them all bad. So many of the good priests have been shunned because of the few bad ones and that just isn't right.”

‘Thank You, Father’

The National Federation of Priests' Councils, in conjunction with National Association for Lay Ministry, Serra International, Pastoral Summit, the Raskob Foundation and The Official Catholic Directory, is calling on parishes across the country to make Oct. 26 their Priesthood Sunday, a day to “celebrate the gifts of the priesthood in service to the Catholic community.”

The federation, whose member councils represent most of the country's 44,000 priests, has established a Web site — www.priest sunday.org — to provide ideas for liturgies, social celebrations and other events for the day.

For more information about World Priest Day, browse wpd.wwme.org.

Whether you pick Sept. 21, Oct. 26 or a date of your own choosing, there's never been a better time to go a little out of your way to tell a priest how much he means to you.

Marge Fenelon writes from Cudahy, Wisconsin.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Marge Fenelon ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Grieving Parents' Morning Light DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

Prolife Profile

Advocates of abortion are tenacious in their demand that every pregnant woman be given “freedom of choice.” Women whose unborn children are diagnosed as seriously ill, however, often find that their doctors offer them no choice at all — abortion is presented as their only option.

Sadly, when these women turn to friends, family and even their church for support, many find inaccurate information and a lack of resources to help them continue a difficult pregnancy and bring their babies to term.

Morning Light Ministry, a Catholic outreach program based in Mississauga, Ontario, is working to change this troublesome reality.

The ministry was born after Bernadette Zambri suffered the stillbirth loss of her daughter, Stephanie, in 1996. Newly aware of the anguish parents experience when they lose their babies to ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth or early infant death, she began reaching out to offer comfort and support.

Through her work with bereaved parents, Zambri became increasingly aware of the unique needs of those whose unborn children are diagnosed with fatal conditions such as anencephaly or Trisomy 18, or other serious birth defects such as Down syndrome or spina bifida. She discovered that the medical community strongly pressures parents to abort imperfect babies.

“We had several bereaved parents call Morning Light Ministry,” Zambri says. “Some had terminated their pregnancy through direct abortion or early induction of labor. We also heard from bereaved parents who had brought their baby to term with a fatal condition and found the journey to be a very lonely one.”

Additionally, Zambri says she was alarmed to find that in a number of cases in Canada and the United States, parents reported that priests they consulted gave them “permission” to abort babies with terminal conditions despite the fact that this is contrary to Church teaching.

Morning Light Ministry cites Pope John Paul II in his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gosple of Life) as the Church's true teaching regarding abortion in these cases: “Prenatal diagnosis … all too often becomes an opportunity for proposing and procuring an abortion. This is eugenic abortion, justified in public opinion on the basis of a mentality — mistakenly held to be consistent with the demands of ‘therapeutic interventions' — which accepts life only under certain conditions and rejects it when it is affected by any limitation, handicap or illness.”

Unfortunately, by the time Mary (not her real name), a grieving parent from Kentucky, discovered Morning Light Ministry and its support for parents who receive an adverse prenatal diagnosis, it was too late. Nearly a year ago, then 19 weeks pregnant with her second child, she received news that the child she carried had anencephaly, a terminal condition.

“The doctor was just so cold about it,” Mary recalls. “She told us ‘You cannot carry a baby with anencephaly to term' and then offered us no resources. There was tremendous pressure from the moment of diagnosis to abort.”

As practicing Catholics, Mary and her husband immediately sought the advice of their parish priest.

“Over the phone he told my husband that if our baby's defect were truly fatal, my getting induced at 19 weeks' gestation was acceptable,” she says. “We really expected to be told that this wasn't acceptable but he kept telling us it was fine.”

Their priest's misguided advice coupled with pressure from their doctor ultimately led them to agree to end the pregnancy. Their priest then helped them to make funeral arrangements for their daughter, Cecilia.

Doubts about their decision continued to plague Mary, however, and she researched the topic on her own. A week later, she found a 1998 statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that clarifies the Church's teaching that abortion of anencephalic children is not morally acceptable, even though the unborn baby is terminally ill.

“I can't begin to describe how terrible that was,” she says.

Father James Gould, chairman of the board of directors for Human Life International and spiritual director for the Catholic Medical Association, supports Morning Light's efforts to help parents bring their babies to term. He believes that cases like Mary's are doubly tragic. “Abortion in these cases is not just destructive of human life,” he says, “but destructive to the parents' souls as well.”

Although those who advise parents to abort unhealthy babies might be motivated by a desire to decrease suffering, Father Gould says, “In the end, choosing abortion always increases suffering, as these parents must live with what they did for the rest of their lives.”

Zambri believes there would be fewer tragic cases like Mary's if more parish priests were made aware of Morning Light Ministry as a resource for parents facing difficult pregnancies. She hopes to reach these parents and provide them with the information and resources they need before they choose abortion.

Toward this end, she has created a Morning Light information sheet and a decision-making booklet called “Hope in Turmoil” to distribute to parish priests throughout the United States and Canada so that they might be better prepared to counsel pregnant women who come to them for help. These materials are available to anyone who contacts Morning Light Ministry by telephone or e-mail to request them.

Christine Nugent of New York, another bereaved parent, also recognizes the importance of providing priests with information about Morning Light Ministry and the help that is available for parents of ill children. Last year, when Nugent's unborn daughter Grace was diagnosed with the terminal condition Trisomy 18, she and her husband were determined they would carry their daughter to term. Doctors provided little support for their decision and the priest they consulted was unhelpful.

Only when she found the Morning Light Ministry Web site did Nugent finally receive the support she needed to complete her pregnancy and enjoy her daughter Grace for the 62 days she lived beyond her birth.

“Spiritual help is needed to do this,” she says of bringing a child to term with a fatal condition. “It was my lifeline when I found the Morning Light Web site. They provided phone support, e-mail support and personal support. It gave me the strength to continue and know I was not alone.”

Danielle Bean writes from Center Harbor, New Hampshire.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Danielle Bean ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Prolife Victories DATE: 09/14/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 14-20, 2003 ----- BODY:

Rightful Life in Kentucky

LIFENEWS.COM, Aug. 22 — The Kentucky Supreme Court has overturned two “wrongful life” lawsuits filed by parents who claim doctors did not properly diagnose physical disabilities in their children before birth and provide them with an opportunity to have abortions.

The court said the loss of an “opportunity” to have an abortion did not constitute a “legal injury,” a necessary element of negligence lawsuits.

Two Kentucky Supreme Court justices went so far as to say the idea evoked the Nazi era under Adolf Hitler because the thought of “wrongful life” lawsuits reeks of eugenics and discrimination against those with physical disabilities.

Pro-Life Advances

FOCUS ON THE FAMILY — Pro-life causes and laws are gaining a new foothold across the country, according to Family News in Focus, a Web site of the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based ministry headed by Dr. James Dobson. The story cites a new report filed by the public interest law and education group Americans United for Life.

From more money flowing to pregnancy-resource centers to legislation banning late-term abortions, 2003 has been gratifying for those who oppose abortion, says the report. The report points to a number of legislative victories that have brought abortion clinics under stricter standards.

Ohio Funds Diverted

THE ATHENS NEWS, Aug. 25 — In a two-year budget bill passed earlier this summer, Ohio's pro-life legislators have diver ted funding from family-planning organizations to county health departments.

If the county health departments cannot provide the services, they can award the money to local agencies that apply for it, which could make funding available to groups that operate crisis-pregnancy centers.

Saved by Daughter?

THE BILLINGS GAZETTE, Aug. 27 — Melissa Blackwolf, who was diagnosed with leukemia in July 2002, was responding well to chemotherapy treatments when she discovered she was pregnant last December.

Doctors told Blackwolf to abort her baby or quit the treatment. Heroically, Blackwolf quit the chemotherapy and carried her daughter, Kyleleah Hope, to full term. Now Kyleleah's umbilical-cord blood could be a key to Melissa's leukemia treatment.

Blackwolf is a member of the Lame Deer tribe and finding a bone marrow match for a transplant would prove extremely diffi-cult. But she has a 50% chance that stem cells from Kyleleah's cord blood will be a perfect match.

“She may give me a second chance at life,” she said.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Bishops Meeting Hammers Home Dissent Questions DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

WASHINGTON—Forty Catholic leaders met with a group of bishops Sept. 8 in Washington, D.C., to talk about the crisis in the Church.

The crisis of dissent, that is.

“I think dissent is the major cause of the sex-abuse problem,” Deal Hudson, publisher of Crisis magazine, told reporters after the meeting he spearheaded. “It has loosened priests and laity alike from core beliefs,” including those about sexual morality.

The meeting participants also talked about the scandals in the Church.

The scandals of abortion supporters being honored by the Church, that is.

Partial-birth abortion supporter Leon Panetta's seat on the bishops' National Review Board was a major bone of contention.

“It's odd and it's scandalous, and it sends a message that we aren't taking this issue seriously,” said Robert George, a professor of jurisprudence at Princeton University.

The “Meeting in Support of the Church” was scheduled after Hudson and Russell Shaw, a Catholic author who co-hosted the September meeting with Hudson, protested a July meeting on the future of the Church that the bishops held with Catholics known for their dissenting views.

Participants met with the same bishops who attended the July meeting of dissenters. Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and Bishop Wilton Gregory of Bellville, Ill., president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, attended along with three other conference officials: Bishop William Friend of Shreveport, La.; Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane, Wash.; and Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg, Fla.

Among the participants at the September meeting were U.S. Rep. Michael Ferguson, R-N.J.; Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele; political commentators Robert Novak and Peggy Noonan; Kate O'Beirne and Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review; Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights; and Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life. The Register's executive editor, Tom Hoopes, also attended.

The meeting was off the record and participants were not allowed to be quoted in the press.

The meeting began with an address by Frank Hanna III, chief executive officer of HBR Capital and a strong promoter of Catholic education.

His remarks set a tone of respect for the bishops, while he also made it clear that “we believe that laity should be held to the same standard if they are put in leadership positions” in the Church, as he put it in the press conference afterward.

Barbara Henkels of the Catholic Leadership Conference called Hanna's address “a masterpiece … It was clearly inspired, but he obviously had worked a great deal on it.”

“We believe our bishops are the successors to the apostles,” Hanna is quoted saying. “We were there to encourage and support them in that role and to let them know that when they are courageous and strong, the entire Church is courageous and strong.”

Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, set another tone by asking the first question at the meeting.

“I asked about the April 2002 meeting with the Holy Father, after which [the bishops] released a statement in which they said they would deal with dissent in the Church and that there would be reprimands,” he said.

“Well, where were the reprimands for the 70 professors from Georgetown University who signed a letter of protest against Cardinal Arinze for stating Catholic teaching on sexuality?” he asked. “And where was the reprimand for Father James Keenan, SJ, of the Weston School of Theology, who testified for gay marriage before the Massachusetts Legislature?”

Participants raised the topic of dissent again and again at the September meeting. Panetta's appointment to the board was seen as part of a pattern of bishops honoring dissenters.

Carol McKinley of Boston, founder and spokeswoman of Faithful Voice, a group that regards itself as a defender of the faith, said she viewed the meeting as an “opportunity to let the bishops know how people in the parish feel when dissidents are exalted and given positions” on Church-sponsored organizations or institutions.

“It doesn't help instruct the faithful,” Hudson said, “when publicly dissenting Catholics are rewarded with positions of participation and official roles in the Church.”

Presenters

The second presenter, Robert George, spelled out why life issues are so important and what will happen if Catholics ignore them. Then he connected the dots to situations in which the Church seems to honor pro-abortion politicians, explaining why pro-lifers care so deeply about the public stance the Church takes.

“This is indeed a critical moment in the history of the Catholic Church,” George said at the press conference after the meeting. “The culture stands in need of our witness on life issues.”

Catholic apologist Patrick Madrid addressed the meeting on a topic where there was little tension: priestly celibacy.

Meeting participants praised Bishop Gregory for publicly defending priestly celibacy. Last month, more than 160 priests from Milwaukee asked for a discussion of the issue; Bishop Gregory and Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan said in early September that the topic is not up for debate.

“No voice to the contrary was heard at any time during the course of the discussion,” said Shaw, a former spokesman for the bishops' conference.

“I think the title of the meeting sums up the general tone of the day,” Madrid said. “It was definitely ‘A Meeting in Support of the Church.’ Instead of pointing fingers and spreading blame, the participants were there out of love for the Church and a desire for constructive dialogue about the problems currently plaguing her. While attendees voiced their concerns and confronted the bishops with some pretty pointed questions, the meeting never devolved into a shouting match.”

Peggy Noonan gave a presentation about the best virtues of Catholicism in America and how to preserve them.

The participants pulled no punches. George said the bishops were confronted about abuse problem and that participants wanted to know if it was “fundamentally a matter of homosexual seduction of teen-age boys.”

“Honesty and integrity require that the matter be described accurately and dealt with as it is,” George said. “Don't use euphemisms, don't mis-describe. First describe it accurately, say what it is and then deal with it.”

The National Review Board, on which Panetta is a member, will issue a preliminary report in January on the roots and causes of the scandal. Meeting participants say they trust that the bishops will describe the problem accurately.

What did the meeting accomplish?

“Well, all told,” Hudson said, “I think the meeting went better than I expected. In considering the day, we need to make sure our goals are realistic. It would have been great if the bishops loudly agreed with everything we said and pledged to move forward on all our proposals. That obviously didn't happen, nor should we have expected it to.

“But if we give up the opportunity to speak to the leaders of the Church when we're given the chance, we lose the right to complain that we're ignored.”

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Challenging the Galileo Myth DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

ROME—The Galileo controversy would not be so important were it not so misunderstood.

It is a popular myth that runs something like this: One day in the early 17th century, astronomer Galileo Galilei was looking through his telescope, doing his mathematical calculations, when suddenly he discovered that the Earth was not the center of the universe.

This was an amazing discovery, for almost everyone at that time thought the Earth was the center of the universe, most notably the Catholic Church. Galileo then explained his discovery to the Church, which warned him to cease discussing his discovery and renounce it because it was contrary to Scripture.

But as he persisted in his assertions, the myth runs, the Church tortured him to keep him silent.

The truth, of course, is not nearly so simple, but the myth serves those who insist science and faith are incompatible.

A newly discovered letter showing the Pope's concern for Galileo supports the fact that what has been furthered as history about the astronomer's torture by the Church is actually more like a caricature.

One important factor often overlooked is that Galileo was a genius who considered himself one of the greatest astronomers. He was, unfortunately, prone to arrogance—a man who enjoyed point-scoring and making people look ridiculous, traits that were eventually bound to result in clashes with authorities.

Galileo “managed to alienate almost everybody with his caustic manner and aggressive tactics,” writes Catholic author (and Register columnist) George Sim Johnston in an essay titled “The Galileo Affair.” He insisted on “ramming Copernicus down the throat of Christendom.”

The geocentric model was the prevailing one until Polish astronomer Nicholas Copernicus pronounced the heliocentric (sun-centered) theory. As Johnston notes, human nature “does not easily shuck off an old cosmology to embrace a new one that seems to contradict both sense and tradition.”

But Galileo's insistence on the new model gave Church authorities “no room to maneuver,” he writes. “They either had to accept Copernicanism as a fact [even though it had not been proved] and reinterpret Scripture accordingly, or they had to condemn it.”

But it was not so much the Church hierarchy who tired of Galileo's impertinence as fellow scientists and academics. In an interview in August with an Italian magazine, Archbishop Angelo Amato, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the successor of the Vatican office at the center of the Inquisition), said those who opposed Galileo “were above all the philosophers, especially those of the peripatetic school of Pisa, who were inspired by Aristotle, and they started to bring sacred Scripture into play.”

The archbishop, drawing on the findings of a commission set up by Pope John Paul II to settle the controversy once and for all, said that for many years the Church supported Galileo, who was a Catholic. “He had great success among the Roman cardinals,” the archbishop asserted in the interview. “In fact, all of them wanted to look at the sky through his famous telescope.”

The geocentric theory was endorsed by Aristotle and given mathematical plausibility by Ptolemy. Certain passages in Scripture seemed to agree with it. Johnston said Galileo's aggressiveness eventually forced Cardinal Robert Bellarmine to challenge him to prove his theory “or stop pestering the Church.” Allegedly on Galileo's request, the Church issued a certificate forbidding him to “hold or defend” heliocentrism—a document whose validity is questioned to this day.

Sixteen years later, Galileo incurred the disfavor of his ally Pope Urban VIII after the Pope was made to look silly in the astronomer's thesis Dialogue on the Two Great World Systems. This and a violent attack by Galileo on a respected Jesuit astronomer led to a trial before the Inquisition in Rome. Galileo was by then aged and sick.

At the trial, the dubious certificate forbidding him not to “hold or defend” heliocentrism was used against him, though he was never shown it, and Galileo was condemned by the Holy Office as “vehemently suspected of heresy.”

He was sentenced to abjure the theory and keep silent on the subject for the rest of his life, which he did, Johnston said, “in a pleasant country house near Florence.”

It is true, however, that the Church threatened a very ill man with torture. But again, contrary to popular belief, Galileo was not tortured and, according to Johnston, “both he and the inquisitors knew that the threat of torture was pure formality.”

According to Archbishop Amato, he “resided some 20 days in the Holy Office; his room was the apartment of the attorney—one of the highest officials of the Inquisition—where he was assisted by his own servant.”

More interestingly are the contents of a Vatican letter recently discovered by Swiss professor Francesco Beretta. It recorded Pope Urban VIII's concern that the case be speedily resolved given the astronomer's frail health.

Archbishop Amato says the discovery of the letter, together with the commission's investigation in which Pope John Paul II said the Church should always be mindful of “the legitimate autonomy of science,” means the case is now “closed.”

Even so, the National Secular Society of Britain remains dismissive of the commission and the newly found letter. “The Vatican is attempting to rewrite inconvenient history on several fronts at the moment, and this is one of them,” spokeswoman Muriel Fraser said. “I don't think anybody who knows the whole story will be convinced by this.”

“The real point is that the Church was threatening a very ill man with torture,” she continued. “It took great courage for Galileo to let proceedings go as far as an arrest before he recanted, since the horrors of the Inquisition were known to everyone.”

But according to Michael Sharratt, author of the book Galileo: Decisive Innovator, Archbishop Amato is “right to insist that the caricature of obscurantist Church authorities torturing a progressive scientist who had proved them wrong is just that—a caricature.”

Sharratt believes we have learned that one “cannot demand of a scientific theory the sort of conclusive proof that both Aristotle and Galileo himself thought attainable. The most one can ask of a theory is that it should be seriously and solidly based.”

“The archbishop recognizes that it is now available,” Sharratt said, “and that the Church's discernment of how a theory relates to the faith cannot make impossible demands of science.”

But Sharratt believes the case cannot be closed. “There may always be new things to learn from it,” he said. “The past two decades have shown that John Paul, his commission and the congregation are open to such learning.”

Another expert in the Galileo case, professor Mario Pesce of the University of Bologna, agrees with the archbishop that science and faith are “two wings by which the Christian can fly to God.”

The important thing, he said, is that both theologians and scientists regularly exercise “an accurate self-critique” of their work.

“What we have to learn from the case of Galileo,” he said, “is humility and patience in solving the continuous cases of conflict between science and theology.”

Edward Pentin writes from Rome.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Edward Pentin ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Boston Parents Wary of Abuse Lessons DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

BOSTON—A year after Talking About Touching was introduced into the Archdiocese of Boston, concerns are emerging about the program for students in kindergarten through fourth grade.

Talking About Touching is one of several programs developed to protect children from sexual abuse. The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, published by the U.S. bishops last year, requires dioceses to provide education regarding “safe environments” to youngsters, parents, teachers, volunteers and ministers.

But Carol McKinley, a Boston mother and a member of an organization called Faithful Voice, which regards itself as a defender of the faith, says Talking About Touching fragments the family.

“When we should be establishing the truths of the faith and building the family unit, this program says parents are incompetent and incapable of giving sexual information to their children,” she said. “Therefore the Church of the United States has decided we will separate children from the influence of parents and put CCD teachers in charge of distributing sexual information.”

McKinley worries the Talking About Touching program's use of explicit sexual language might not only titillate children but also lead to false accusations.

“Innocent remarks could be jumped upon. … CCD teachers don't have experience or expertise to probe statements from children. That's where false accusations will be coming,” said McKinley, who spent 15 years teaching religious education and working in youth apostolates. “Grandparents and parents as well as priests and teachers are at risk and should be worried that their children are going to be put into a place where they see everyone in their community as predators.”

Father Robert Carr, a parochial vicar at Holy Cross Cathedral in Boston, had similar concerns. He said the program has one scenario in which a boy touches a fellow third-grader in a private area of her body. The girl responds, “Don't touch!”

“Well, guess what,” Father Carr said. “That just taught every third-grade boy in that class how to molest a girl.”

Kathleen McChesney, executive director of the Office for Child and Youth Protection for the U.S. Conference of Catholic of Bishops, said the program is not mandatory. She insisted that there are a “very small number of individuals who are concerned about it because it does mention some things that are private.”

“Parents can opt out of it,” McChesney said. “We hope that those parents … find ways to talk to their children about these things. Programs like this can help parents with terminology and analogy that are age appropriate. This is just one of many programs available.”

Robert Kelley, who works in the Office of Child Advocacy in the Archdiocese of Boston, said the program has been “well received by the teachers and parents” since the archdiocese started bringing in trainers for it last fall. It's been in about 70% of the schools, he said, which means it's been used with about 20,000 children.

According to Kelley, the program was initiated by a commission appointed by Cardinal Bernard Law and recommended by a subcommittee on education, consisting of educators, psychiatrists, doctors and nurses.

Joan Cole Duffell, director of community education for the Seattle-based Committee for Children, which developed Talking About Touching, said the program is also being used in the Dioceses of Portland, Ore., and Orlando, Fla., and that hundreds of Catholic schools in other dioceses across the country use it.

But Father Carr is concerned that the Committee for Children and the Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund were “involved in deciding how this was going to be used in religious ed programs.” They are secular organizations and “had no business in our religious ed office,” he said.

“We need to replace it with a better program that is rooted in our faith,” Father Carr said.

First developed in 1981 with help from the University of Washington's educational psychology department, the program trains principals and teachers, who in turn train parents and children, to be aware of sexual abuse. It has gone through several revisions, Duffell said, including one done recently in consultation with religious educators.

Michael Bemi is president and chief executive officer of the National Catholic Risk Retention Group Inc., which seeks solutions for financing and managing the liability risks of the Catholic Church. He said his organization first evaluated sexual abuse awareness programs to determine where there were gaps to fill when they were developing Virtus, programs for the prevention of child sexual abuse.

“There were then, and still are, a number of good programs available for educating children about protecting themselves from sexual abuse,” Bemi said. “Although Talking About Touching is highly acclaimed around the world for its effectiveness and the sound research on which it was developed, it is not Catholic in its formation, and, frankly, neither are any of the other programs we evaluated.”

Duffell insists the program has been adapted for the Catholic Church. “The Committee for Children has aligned Talking About Touching lesson content with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which enables Catholic educators to create a faith-based context for teaching the program to children.”

Pope John Paul II, in his 1981 apostolic exhortation Familiaris Consortio (The Family in the Modern World), wrote that parents have an essential right and duty to give their own children formation in chastity since it is connected with the transmission of human life. That right is “incapable of being entirely delegated to others or usurped by others,” the Pope wrote.

Also, the Vatican's 1995 document “The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality” cautioned that each child must receive individualized formation in sexual education.

“Each child's process of maturation as a person is different,” the document said. “Therefore, the most intimate aspects, whether biological or emotional, should be communicated in a personalized dialogue. In their dialogue with each child, with love and trust, parents communicate something about their own self-giving that makes them capable of giving witness to aspects of the emotional dimension of sexuality that could not be transmitted in other ways.”

The letter, issued by the Pontifical Council for the Family, recommends that parents keep themselves informed on the content and methodology with which sexual education is imparted by schools.

It also says sexual perversions that are relatively rare should not be dealt with except through individual counseling. Though extraordinary media coverage has made the priestly sexual abuse “crisis” seem like it pervades every corner of the Catholic Church, statistics have shown it is no more prevalent than in other religious denominations or secular institutions, such as public schools.

In the Boston Archdiocese, Kelley is aware of the concern about religious education teachers not being education professionals. He said where TAT is implemented on the parish level, it gives an option of using either religious education teachers or other professionals from the parish.

Kelley believes there is a system of checks and balances in place to avoid false accusations. Child abuse prevention teams that are composed of experienced social workers are made available to the parishes. Teachers and parents who have questions can speak to them to find out if they are overreacting.

Committee for Children's Duffell believes false accusations are extremely rare, particularly given the age group.

“This program is designed to prevent overzealous reporting and false accusations by teaching the difference between healthy touch and inappropriate touch,” she said. “It is more likely that a child who has not gotten the program would make a false accusation.”

The program uses the terms “safe” and “unsafe” touch rather than “good” and “bad” touch.

Kelley admits that some people have concerns about the terminology used. The program gives teachers a choice of using the correct biological terms or other language, such as, “the part of the body that your bathing suit covers up.”

But McKinley is troubled by language in Talking About Touching that is similar to that used in materials published by the Sexual Information and Education Council of the United States. She believes the group advocates immorality and has been trying to get its information into Catholic schools for years.

Duffell responded that there are “some amazing wild rumors flying around” saying the Committee for Children is affiliated with all kinds of groups such as Planned Parenthood and Call to Action. “We are a private nonprofit organization whose focus is to prevent child abuse and violence, working with schools and districts all over the world,” she said. “We just want to see children safe. That's our mission.”

Mary Ann Sullivan is based in New Durham,

New Hampshire.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Mary Ann Sullivan ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Natural Family Planning Still Missing From Marriage Prep DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

BUCKEYE, Ariz.—When engaged couples come to St. Henry Church to be married, Father Charles Goraieb makes sure they hear more than a passing mention of natural family planning.

St. Henry's is one of a small but growing number of parishes—along with two dioceses—that have couples take a full course in natural family planning as part of their marriage preparation.

A course consists of two to four classes in which couples learn the moral reasons for the natural method of birth regulation, discover its physical and emotional benefits for marriage and get actual practice monitoring and charting the woman's fertility signs.

So far, Father Goraieb said, nobody has stomped out of his office, complained to the bishop or snuck off to another parish to be married. Even individuals who were initially reluctant to take the classes told him they were glad they did.

“I've never had a couple tell me that they weren't impressed and weren't somehow very moved by this,” he said. “What they tell me is, ‘We learned a lot; this was very helpful; we're very excited about this; it's going to be challenging, but we're going to give it a try; we had no idea that this existed.’”

Marriage preparation would seem the ideal opportunity for instructing Catholic couples in natural family planning, which is lauded by Pope John Paul II and heartily endorsed by the U.S. bishops.

In fact, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops offers to pastors and family life offices a 164-page marriage preparation handbook, Faithful to Each Other Forever, which states: “We urge that pre-marriage programs require a full course of instruction in natural family planning as a necessary component in the couple's effective realization of what they need and have a right to know in order to live in accord with the clear teaching of the Church.”

The Church allows married couples to use natural family planning to delay conception if there is a serious reason to do so. Couples have also found the method useful in achieving pregnancy by discerning when the woman is ovulating.

But 79% of diocesan marriage-preparation programs include less than an hour of introduction to natural family planning, according to the most recent survey by the bishops' conference's diocesan development program for natural family planning, conducted in 2002.

Often the presentation is much less than an hour and can even be discouraging and inaccurate, said Patrick Homan, western field director for the Cincinnati-based Couple to Couple League, which teaches the sympto-thermal method of natural family planning.

“It's more like a wink and a nod and, 'Oh, and by the way, the Church advocates this thing called natural family planning, but of course, we call people who use this method ‘parents,’” he said. With such an introduction, few couples follow up to take the course on their own, he said.

The number of engaged and married individuals who received a full course on natural family planning in 2002 was 11,052—a fraction of the number of Catholics who married that year in the United States. That year nearly twice that many individuals were married in the Church in just the state of Pennsylvania.

Hope for NFP

Still, there are signs of hope for more education, according to diocesan family life directors and natural family planning promoters nationwide.

In 50 to 60 dioceses, including St. Paul-Minneapolis; Springfield, Ill.; Harrisburg, Pa.; and Baton Rouge, La., engaged couples attend a separate, in-depth natural family planning presentation of at least one hour and as long as two and a half hours, said Theresa Notare, assistant director of the natural family planning office of the bishops' conference.

Several of these dioceses, such as Phoenix, where Father Goraieb is a pastor, allow individual parishes to include a full course as a regular part of their marriage preparation. Arlington, Va., strongly recommends couples take a course. And now Laredo, Texas, and Denver have made a full course a normative part of their marriage-prep program in all parishes.

In Laredo, a much smaller and younger diocese, some 20 to 30 couples a month attend one of the two required natural family planning classes, said Maria de Lourdes Sanchez, a nurse who oversees instruction for the diocese.

Some couples, faced with the prospect of examining their relationship apart from sexual expression, end up discovering they are not really called to be married to each other, Sanchez said.

“Some respond well and are using it,” she said. “We also have couples that, no matter what you do, no matter how much you show them, they're not going to switch. You pray for them.”

Steve Weidenkopf, director of marriage and family life for the Archdiocese of Denver, said that when Archbishop Charles Chaput implemented the policy in December 2000, the archdiocese had only 10 couples trained to teach natural family planning and about 2,000 couples marrying each year.

Today, he said, the archdiocese has nearly 40 teaching couples and is well on its way to getting every engaged couple through the classes.

Ellen Rossini is based in Richardson, Texas.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Ellen Rossini ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: The Beauty of Abstinence DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

Mary-Louise Kurey, at the age of 15, missed an opportunity to witness to a friend.

She's been making up for it ever since. Miss Wisconsin 1999, Kurey is the author of Standing with Courage. Since her reign as Miss Wisconsin she has appeared on several television programs, testified before Congress and spoken to more than 130,000 teens on the subject of abstinence. She is now director of the Respect Life office for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

She spoke with Register staff writer Tim Drake about her book and her experiences as Miss Wisconsin.

Tell me about your family.

I was born in Clifton Park, N.Y., and our family moved to Wisconsin when I was about 7 years old. I have two older brothers and an older sister. My father is a former nuclear physicist and my mother was a teacher-turned-homemaker.

My parents were both loving and strict. As the baby, I had more freedom than my siblings did. They were not allowed to date, but I was. Whenever I would go out with my friends, mom would find out exactly where I was going. If I were going to a movie, she would call the theater to see when the movie was ending. It was how they demonstrated their love.

Have you always been Catholic?

Yes, our family was very Catholic. I attended Catholic schools through fifth grade, a public middle school and a Catholic high school. During Advent we would gather around the Advent wreath, read from parts of the Christmas story and pray a novena.

What led you to get involved in pageant work?

I participated in the Junior Miss program in high school and was Milwaukee's Junior Miss. In summer 1992, I became the first Italian Miss Polish Fest, which was a preliminary to Miss Wisconsin. I ended up in the top 10 at Miss Wisconsin but said, “I'm never doing this again.”

While at Duquesne University I started talking with students about chastity. I realized that with a title, I could reach a lot more people, so I returned to the pageant system and competed at ages 22 and 23. In June 1999, at age 24, I won Miss Wisconsin.

How did you choose your platform?

In seventh grade a lot of students in my class were becoming sexually active and using illegal drugs. I decided that I wouldn't have sex before I was married, drink or use drugs.

While many of my friends were sexually active, I felt that it wasn't any of my business.

One of my friends became pregnant at age 15. That was a wake-up call to me because I wondered what [would have happened] if I had done the right thing and witnessed to her.

In college, another close friend had a nervous breakdown. When I visited her in the hospital, I learned it was the result of an abortion she had had three years earlier. I had been taking good care of myself while allowing my friends to make destructive choices.

It made me realize I had a calling to speak out so others would not have to suffer the way my friends had suffered in their lives.

After I won Miss Wisconsin, the Miss America pageant told the states that they didn't want women who had an abstinence platform to compete at Miss America.

They asked the state board to change my platform to character education but left the decision up to me. I was blessed to have won in Wisconsin, because it's a very platform-oriented state and whatever I wanted to do with my platform was fine with them. I decided not to change.

Many people told me if I had changed my platform I would have done better at Miss America, but I have no regrets. I was in the top 10 at Miss America and won top talent.

Was it difficult being a person of faith in the Miss America pageant?

No, there are a lot of young women of faith.

On the final night of the pageant, about one-third of the contestants gathered in the galley at the auditorium and joined hands in prayer. It was an awesome experience. The contestants were offering up very spirit-filled fervent prayer. There were very few Catholics. One of my friends was Sylvia Gomes, Miss Connecticut 1999. Sylvia and I got the pageant to change their rules so that we could attend Mass on Sunday morning.

After Mass we asked the priest to bless us. We both made the top 10.

What was it like being crowned?

It was an incredible feeling. There was a lot of pressure because I was 24 and it was my last chance. The only other time I've felt that way was when Brian Hengesbaugh proposed to me. [The couple wed earlier this year.] It's like flying without a safety net—it's new and unknown and scary but in a wonderful way.

What were the highlights of your time as Miss Wisconsin?

I spoke to more than 100,000 youth on the issue of chastity and appeared on several television and radio shows. I appeared on Sally Jessy Raphael, Inside Edition and on Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect five times. It can be surprising how you reach people who you think are not open to this message. I once appeared on the program with Playboy playmate Summer Altice.

After the show, she told me, “I couldn't be doing what you're doing, but I really admire you for doing it. Good luck with your mission.” I found that really heartening.

Your book is an outgrowth of your experiences, isn't it?

Yes. Standing with Courage: Confronting Tough Decisions About Sex is written for teens and young adults about issues pertinent to their lives. It is not just about sex and relationships but also issues such as peer pressure, self-image, drug use and standing up for what you believe in.

In the book I share my experiences from high school and college through the pageants, as well as my interactions with people such as Bill Maher and other celebrities that I came to know during my reign.

Do you have a favorite story from your time speaking with youth across the country?

After doing a presentation for a church group, many youth came up asking me to sign their baseball hats and shirts. One youth, the senior captain of the football team, asked if I would write “virgin” in big letters on the back of his shirt.

I asked, “Are you sure?” and he said, “Yes, I'm proud of it.”

I asked him if I could write something else. After he agreed I wrote, “virgin and studly.” All of the girls started screaming and laughing.

Two years later I spoke in the same area and the students told me that he still wears the shirt.

Do you have hope that your message is making a difference?

Yes, a recent Center for Disease Control study reported that more than 54% of high school students are virgins. Another study showed that young girls who are close to their mothers are much less likely to be sexually active. Every teen I have talked to wants to be close to their parents, and parents have a huge influence over their teens' choices simply by communicating to them that they can wait and that they believe that waiting is the best choice.

Tim Drake writes from St. Cloud, Minnesota.

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GAINESVILLE, Ga.—When Don Tauscher thinks about the years when he was wheeling and dealing in real estate and getting rich, all he remembers is his spiritual poverty.

“Greed: the next deal always had to be bigger,” said Tauscher, who made several million dollars during the first Disney-fueled land boom in Orlando, Fla., in the early 1970s. “Idolatry: I worshipped money. Pride: I wouldn't go for any help because I was the smartest guy in town.”

As fast as the money came in, it would leave even faster. He bought a bigger house than he and his wife needed. He placed expensive vacation trips on his credit card. He was always buying another piece of property.

“I thought I knew everything, and I went broke,” said Tauscher, the national Catholic director of Crown Financial Ministries, a nonprofit, interdenominational program that teaches people to apply financial principles from the Bible to their everyday lives. “I realized, after much consternation and blaming everybody, that I didn't have a financial problem; I had a spiritual problem.”

In the mid-1970s, after the land boom in the Orlando area went bust, Tauscher and his business partners began liquidating their assets because they owed several million dollars. Tauscher's own personal debt was more than $1 million.

‘I realized … I didn't have a financial problem; I had a spiritual problem.’

A Cursillo retreat he attended in 1973 helped him spiritually. “Christ went from my head to my heart,” he said about the retreat.

But his money problems remained.

Two books he later read—Your Finances in Changing Times by Larry Burkett and Your Money: Frustration or Freedom? by Howard Dayton—gave him the first inkling that Scripture could help him with money management. So did a Crown Ministries course he took in 1987.

The ministry was founded in 1985 by Dayton, who designed a 12-week, small-group Bible study course of what Scripture teaches about handling money, including earning an income, saving, investing, giving, getting out of debt and teaching children how to manage money.

(Crown Financial Ministries came about in 2000 when Dayton merged Crown Ministries with Burkett's financial ministry, which was called Christian Financial Concepts. Both men come from Protestant backgrounds. Burkett died in July.)

The cost for registration, a study manual and workbook is $45 for individuals and $55 for couples. There is homework, which consists of daily study, prayer, reflection and memorization of the Scriptures. The objectives of the course are to grow closer to Jesus; to submit to Jesus as Lord, as opposed to making money king; to build a sense of community among small-group participants; and to help people put their finances in order.

Once a layperson completes the course, he can lead a study group after attending a two-hour video training session.

Catholics Sign On

As the first Catholic to take the course in 1987, Tauscher thought his fellow parishioners should be benefiting from it, too, so he asked his pastor at St. Margaret Mary Church in Winter Park, Fla., if he could lead a course there. As interest in the program increased, he went to other churches, eventually becoming the full-time national Catholic director of the Gainesville, Ga.-based ministry in 1997.

Now 47 parishes in the Diocese of Orlando, Fla., have participated or are participating in the Crown program. And Bishop Norbert Dorsey of Orlando approved Crown as a private association of the faithful in 1991. Tauscher estimates 20 to 25 Catholic dioceses across the country are using Crown resources for education.

Dominican Sister Lucy Vazquez, chancellor of the Diocese of Orlando, said parishes have been “very, very favorably impressed” with the program.

“Our experience is that it takes hold very quickly,” she said, “and people are really assisted by the ministry, so it is extremely helpful to a lot of people.”

People who go through the Crown program say they notice a difference in their lives, both spiritually and financially.

“I have always liked money, so to find out what God has to say about money takes me to a different level,” said Margaret Schueler, 58, who went through a Crown program with her husband at her church, St. Thomas More in Houston, about a year and a half ago and now prays before making important financial decisions. “I'm freer with it. I'm much more willing to give it away now that [I know] it's not mine but God's.

“Here's what I've found: As I give it away, he keeps replenishing it and replenishing it, so it's like an unending source, which is a marvelous experience.”

More than 200 people from her church have gone through the Crown program; many of them spend an hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament during perpetual adoration in the church's chapel.

One concern that comes up about the program is that it wasn't created by Catholics for Catholics.

“I think it's an excellent program with a strong scriptural base,” said Father Jeff McGowan, pastor of Queen of Peace Church in Gainesville, Fla. But without the Eucharistic component, it lacks a critical element.

“We want to bring in the sacrifices of Christ and the celebration of Mass and how the community gathers around the altar of sacrifice and how we bring our gifts to the altar,” he said. “To limit ourselves to something that doesn't bring the whole thing together misses the chance to really help people embrace a more Christ-centered way of living.”

Rather than offering Crown courses, his parish has a program for families that teaches them how to get out of debt and how to be good stewards of their money from a Catholic perspective.

But Father Desmond Daly, pastor of Christ the King Church in an affluent part of Tampa, Fla., decided to allow Crown in his church about a year ago. The spiritual change he has seen in many of the 150 people who have gone through the program has been “spectacular,” he said.

“What I have seen is people beginning to come to a place of peace and serenity within their homes and their families because they have learned the principles of management of money according to biblical precepts,” Father Daly said. “They are people who have consolidated their debts. Some of them were on the verge of divorce, the verge of losing their homes. They're going back to a saner, more balanced Christian way of life.”

Carlos Briceño is based in Seminole, Florida.

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Mary Doe Remains Anonymous—Thanks to Media

THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, Sept. 3—When two women at the center of one of the most momentous decisions in the nation's history decide they made a mistake, one would expect it to be front-page news.

But syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker scoured the nation's newspapers and found minimal coverage attending the about-face of both women involved in legalizing abortion.

Parker noted that in late August, Sandra Cano joined Norma McCorvey in filing motions seeking to overturn the 1973 Supreme Court decisions striking down practically all restrictions on abortion in the country.

Cano was the “Mary Doe” in Doe v. Bolton, the companion case to Roe v. Wade. McCorvey was “Jane Roe,” the plaintiff in the latter decision.

“Despite the enormous importance of Cano's motion, the mainstream media have largely ignored it,” Parker wrote. “A Lexis-Nexis search turned up only one story about the filing, but it was a report by U.S. Newswire,” which is mainly a source for press releases.

“Let me be blunt,” she concluded. “What we have here is a clear and present bias against the anti-abortion side of the abortion debate.”

Neither McCorvey nor Cano ever had abortions, and both claim they were “used by lawyers on fraudulent grounds,” Parker pointed out.

You probably read it here first.

Bishop Gregory Fears Media Feeding Frenzy

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, Sept. 5—Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he fears the Church will face a “communications nightmare” early next year.

In January he plans to release the results of a still-ongoing national scientific study considering sexual abuse of young people by Catholic clergy. Since other professionals who deal with young people aren't being studied, Bishop Gregory warned that media will have nothing to which to compare the statistics.

“From the saturation coverage in 2002, some might like to think that sexual abuse of children in our society could be eliminated by eliminating Catholic priest abusers,” he told the annual conference of the Religion Newswriters Association.

He suggested similar scrutiny be given “educators, athletic coaches, Scout directors, medical personnel and other religious personnel.”

Catholic Broadcaster Debuts New Live Show

EWTN, Sept. 8—On the feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Eternal Word Television Network launched a new live radio talk show, EWTN Open Line.

The 60-minute program will air Monday through Friday from 3-4 p.m. (ET) and will offer a different host and Church-related topic each day.

Mondays will feature Marcus Grodi covering Catholic converts. Tuesdays Barbara McGuigan will answer questions on family matters, pro-life and chastity issues. Wednesdays Scripture scholar Jesuit Father Mitch Pacwa will discuss the Bible and the Church. Thursdays feature John Martignoni on apologetics. Fridays the show will feature Colin Donovan on the theology of the Catholic Church.

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Book on Pope John Paul Praised

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, Aug. 11—The book John Paul II: A Light for the World might be “the pick of the crop” among tributes marking the 25th anniversary of the current pontificate, according to Publishers Weekly.

The publishing-industry “bible” highlighted the new Sheed & Ward book, which was created with help by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and boasts a forward by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

A Light for the World includes 150-word personal remembrances by Church leaders, including Cardinal Edward Egan of New York; Archbishop John Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications; and Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, D.C. It includes photos from each stop on the Pope's visits to the United States, including his refueling stops in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska.

Vatican Asked to Help Free Tariq Aziz

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Sept. 2—The most prominent Christian in Saddam Hussein's fallen Iraqi government is still a prisoner of the U.S. military, the French news agency reported, and his wife isn't happy about it.

Violet Aziz noted that her husband was taken prisoner April 24 and that despite American promises, he has not been allowed to contact anyone—not even his family. Mrs. Aziz told the Italian public radio service RAI that Aziz “never was responsible for the crimes” of Saddam and asked Pope John Paul II to appeal for his release.

“In a 35-year career, [Aziz] was never about to have a real influence on the bellicose policies of Iraq and even less on what Saddam was doing in our country,” she said.

Aziz is a Chaldean-rite Catholic, a member of a minority group that has faced harsh measures by local Shi'ite Muslims in the aftermath of the U.S. invasion, including the forced closures of liquor stores, long an economic mainstay of Christians during the tenure of Saddam's secular regime.

Kenyan Cardinal Dies

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sept. 6—Pope John Paul II sent a telegram of condolence upon learning of the death of Cardinal Maurice Otunga of Nairobi, Kenya, who died Sept. 6 at age 80 in Nairobi after a long illness, the news service reported.

“It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of Cardinal Otunga, and I wish to assure you and all the faithful of the Archdiocese of Nairobi of my prayers to the good shepherd that, in his tender love, he will bring this dedicated servant speedily to the place prepared for him at the heavenly banquet,” the Pope wrote to Nairobi Archbishop Raphael Ndingi Mwana Nzeki.

Cardinal Otunga became a Catholic at age 12 and was ordained at age 27. Pope Pius XII named him an auxiliary bishop of Kisumu in 1956, and Pope Paul VI made him coadjutor of Nairobi in 1969. He became archbishop in 1971 and a cardinal in 1973.

Father Giulio Albanese, director of MISNA, a missionary service news agency, told Zenit news service that the African cardinal had as a priority the need to support the family's role in society.

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The canticle that we just heard with our ears and with our hearts was composed by Ezekiel, one of the great prophets of Israel. Ezekiel witnessed one of the most tragic periods in the life of the Jewish people: the collapse of the kingdom of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem, followed by the bitter experience of the Babylonian exile (sixth century B.C.). This passage, which is taken from Chapter 36 of Ezekiel, has become part of our Christian morning prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours.

The context of these words, which our liturgy has transformed into a hymn, seeks to understand the deep meaning behind the tragedy that the people experienced at that time. The sin of idolatry had defiled the land that the Lord had given as an inheritance to Israel. This, more than any reason, was ultimately responsible for the loss of their homeland and their scattering among the nations. Indeed, God is not indifferent when it comes to good and evil; he enters mysteriously into the unfolding history of mankind with his judgment, which, sooner or later, will unmask evil, defend its victims and show us the path of righteousness.

For Our Well-Being

However, the purpose behind God's action is never for ruin, pure and simple condemnation or wiping out sinners. The prophet Ezekiel himself refers to the following words from God: “Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? … Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live? … For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord God. Return and live!” (Ezekiel 18:23, 32). In this light, we are able to understand the real meaning of this canticle, which is brimming with hope and salvation. After a time of purification through trial and suffering, the dawn of a new era is about to begin, which the prophet Jeremiah had already proclaimed when he spoke about a “new covenant” between the Lord and Israel (see Jeremiah 31:31-34). Ezekiel himself, in Chapter 11 of his book of prophecies, had proclaimed the following words from God: “I will give them a new heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove the stony heart from their bodies and replace it with a natural heart, so that they will live according to my statutes and observe and carry out my ordinances; thus they shall be my people and I will be their God” (Ezekiel 11:19-20).

In this canticle (see Ezekiel 36:24-28), the prophet refers once again to this prophecy and gives some precise and amazing information: the “new spirit” that God will give to the children of his people will be his Spirit, the Spirit of God himself (see verse 27).

God Renews Our Hearts

What is proclaimed, therefore, is not only a process of purification, which is expressed through the symbol of water that cleanses impurities from our consciences. This aspect of deliverance from sin and evil (see verse 25), though necessary, is not the only aspect. The accent of Ezekiel's message is, above all, on another aspect that is even more amazing. Actually, mankind is destined for a new life. The primary symbol of this is the “heart,” which, in biblical language, refers to the inner being, a person's conscience. Our cold and insensitive “stony heart,” which is a sign of our obstinacy in doing evil, will be removed from our breast. God will replace it with a “natural heart,” which is a source of life and love (see verse 26). The spirit of life, which made us living creatures at the time of creation (see Genesis 2:7), will be replaced in this new economy of grace by the Holy Spirit, who will sustain us, move us, guide us toward the light of truth and pour out “the love of God into our hearts” (Romans 5:5).

The Gift of God's Spirit

In this way, the “new creation” described by St. Paul (see 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15) will emerge, when the death within us of the “old self” and the “sinful body” will be affirmed so that “we might no longer be in slavery to sin” but new creatures, transformed by the Spirit of the risen Christ: “You have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:9-10; see Romans 6:6). The prophet Ezekiel foretells of a new people, which, in the New Testament, God himself will choose through the work of his Son. This community, formed by people with a “natural heart” and with the “spirit” put in them, will experience the living presence of God himself working in their midst, inspiring believers as he works within them with his efficacious grace. “Those who keep his commandments,” St. John says, “remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit that he gave us” (1 John 3:24).

Seek the Lord

Let us conclude our meditation on the Canticle of Ezekiel by listening to these words from St. Cyril of Jerusalem who, in his Third Baptismal Catechesis, perceived in these prophetic words the people of Christian baptism.

In baptism, he reminds us, all sins are remitted, even the most serious transgressions. For this reason, the bishop addresses the following words to his listeners: “Have confidence, Jerusalem, the Lord will wash away your iniquities (see Zephaniah 3:14-15). The Lord will wash away your filth; … he ‘will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities’ (Ezekiel 36:25). The exultant angels surround you and will soon sing: ‘Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?’ (Song of Songs 8:5) It is, in fact, the soul that before was a slave but that is now free to call the Lord her adopted brother, who, accepting her sincere intentions, says to her: ‘Ah, you are beautiful, my beloved, ah, you are beautiful!’ (Song of Songs 4:1). Thus he exclaims, alluding to the fruits of a confession made with a good conscience. … The heavens desire that everyone … keep alive the memory of these words and draw fruit from them, translating them into holy works so that you may present yourselves irreproachable before the mystical Spouse and obtain from the Father the forgiveness of sins” (No. 16: Le catechesi, Rome, 1993, p. 79-80).

(Register translation)

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Vatican -------- TITLE: The Milk Grotto Church Heals Infertile Couples DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

BETHLEHEM, West Bank—Recently, a group of 25 Indonesian pilgrims visited the tiny Milk Grotto Church in Bethlehem. Upon their arrival, they descended into the underground cave where, according to tradition, the Virgin Mary hid in order to breast-feed the Baby Jesus when she and St. Joseph were fleeing from King Herod toward Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15).

The tour group's members were hushed as they explored the grotto's irregular-shaped nooks and crannies, which house a sanctuary as well as several candle-lit altars where paintings and statues of the Virgin and Child abound.

The visitors were deeply moved by this modest little underground church, where the smoke from pilgrims' oil lamps and candles long ago turned the grotto's once-white stone ceiling gray-black.

They were even more moved when Franciscan Brother Lawrence Bode, the church's devoted caretaker, explained that during the past three years—ever since the church began assembling testimonials—170 infertile women had gotten pregnant and given birth to children after praying the daily devotion to “Our Lady of the Milk” and consuming a drink composed of a tiny bit of powder from the stones of the grotto.

The devotion asks husbands and wives to pray together the third of the joyful mysteries of the rosary, meditating on the Nativity of the Lord.

“I have no doubt that others have also conceived,” Brother Bode said, “but we do not know their names. And that does not include all the couples who prayed in past years.”

Brother Bode showed the visitors the new parents' grateful letters and the framed photos of their young children hanging on the walls.

At the end of the tour, when other group members left the church, one young couple lingered at the entrance. The woman's eyes were wet with tears.

Brother Bode ushered the husband and wife into a private room and handed them a small packet of milky white powder—which can only be obtained by personally visiting the shrine. He told the couple how to mix the powder with water or milk and to pray to Mary for her intercession.

“I hope to be hearing good things from them,” said Brother Bode, who has kept the church open during good times and bad.

At a time when peace between Palestinians and Israelis seems as far away as ever, the upbeat stories one hears at the Milk Grotto Church provide a glimmer of hope to those who most need it.

For much of the past three years, since the start of the Palestinian intifada, Bethlehem has been under strict security closures and curfews. As a result, residents have been largely unable to leave the town, and pilgrims have found it difficult to enter.

Yet even during the most violent and turbulent periods, when security closures locked people inside their homes or last year when the Church of the Nativity around the corner was under siege, the Milk Grotto Church has given the faithful a reason to believe in miracles.

Throughout the ages, pilgrims—especially women—have flocked to the church and prayed to the Virgin Mary to intercede on their behalf, particularly with regard to their hope for children.

According to tradition, Mary spilled some breast milk while nursing Jesus, turning the underground cave white with “Virgin Milk.” Some believe it is the site where the Three Kings visited the Holy Family at the grotto and presented their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Divine Child.

Sometime prior to the year 404, St. Paula, who lived in Bethlehem, built a small oratory for devotion to the Virgin Mary. This church became known as the Church of St. Paula. In the 14th century it became known as the Church of St. Nicholas. The present stone church and monastery were built by the Franciscans in 1838 and are maintained by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.

“We don't get many large groups these days,” Brother Bode said with a tinge of regret. During the Jubilee Year, which marked the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Christ, 1.5 million people visited Bethlehem, and several thousand visited the Milk Grotto. Since the start of 2003, in contrast, only 500 to 1,000 people have come to the underground church.

Those who do manage to come, however, believe it is worth the effort.

The many inspirational letters once-infertile couples send to the church from around the world are proof that people have been touched by the experience.

“The novena truly helped my husband and me emotionally and spiritually, and we know the novena is why we have our beautiful daughter,” writes one couple.

“After being married for nine years, having used no birth control, we had no children. A small sample of the milk of the grotto, and a miracle occurred,” writes another family.

Brother Bode, a New York native who followed his calling to the Holy Land 36 years ago and who has been at the Milk Grotto Church since 1995, said he feels blessed to serve in Bethlehem.

“These are the places Jesus lived, where he spent his hidden and public life,” he said. “Through prayer I feel close to Jesus and God and the Trinity and to Jesus' holy mother, Mary. It helps my faith when I see the faith of the people who come here.”

Brother Bode regrets that, due to the church's policy and a lack of manpower, it is impossible for him to send the powder to those who request it. He is also unable to answer letters or to engage in correspondence of any kind.

“I urge those who are in need,” he said, “to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and to the Milk Grotto, or to ask someone going on such a pilgrimage to bring the powder back for them.”

Michele Chabin is based in Jerusalem.

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Abortion ‘Junket’ Criticized by Population Watchdog

POPULATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE, Sept. 5—The Population Research Institute has condemned an “abortion junket” to China conducted by population-control advocates.

Because of Bush administration concerns about long-standing Chinese policies that force women to abort their children, Congress is likely to cut off funding to U.S.-based organizations that help China implement these policies. In response, a number of “religious” groups are sending representatives to China, supposedly to investigate these policies.

Population Research Institute president Stephen Mosher noted that every member of the group headed to China supports coercive population control. The attendees included Frances Kissling, former director of an abortion clinic and leader of Catholics for a Free Choice, which the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has described as “an arm of the abortion lobby”; Carlton Veazey of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, who “supports partial-birth abortion;” Meg Riley, lobbyist for the Unitarian Universalist Association, who led a proabortion “prayer” on the 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade; and Nancy Kipnis of the National Council for Jewish Women, who organizes opposition to pro-life court appointments.

Mosher noted that no objective report could be expected from such a team.

Monk Imprisoned by Parishioners

REUTERS, Sept. 4—Capuchin Father Emilio Cucciella of Trasacco, Italy, was held prisoner by his own parishioners for several days, Reuters reported.

The imprisonment was in protest against the planned closure of the Franciscan monastery, which is short of priests. Angry townspeople bricked up one exit from the church, known as the Madonna of Perpetual Succor, and blockaded the other.

“I consider myself a prisoner of love,” Father Cucciella, 67, said by telephone from inside the church, noting that the villagers were deeply attached to the parish, one of only two in the town of 6,000.

“We Capuchins have been here since at least 1570,” he said. “St. Francis himself passed through here in the early 13th century. I have to obey orders, but I can understand why [the townspeople] are upset.”

Father Cucciella said he thought he had enough food for a while but was ready to go on a “hunger strike” in solidarity with the people.

Catholic Group Pushes Trade Justice

INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC NEWS, Sept. 5—The U.K.-based Catholic Agency for Overseas Development has thrown its support behind nations seeking to end generous agricultural subsidies to American and European farmers.

The agency hired the Mexican Mariachi band Los Charros to serenade British Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Patricia Hewitt before she went to the World Trade Organization summit in Cancun, Mexico, where the subsidies will be challenged.

Independent Catholic News quoted the agency's explanation for this tactic: “One of the major causes of poverty is an unfair system of global trade rules that damages poor countries. Those rules allow rich countries to support their farmers to the tune of $350 billion per year. This leads to dumping of cheap food on Third World markets and the undermining of poor farmers.”

As a result, they explained, many farmers are forced to emigrate.

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The Catholic Internet world was abuzz the week of Sept. 8-12 about what was quickly dubbed the Big Meeting. That's the meeting where 40 Catholics met with Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and Bishop Wilton Gregory of Bellville, Ill., who happens to be the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Register participated in the Big Meeting in the person of Tom Hoopes, executive editor.

Veteran Catholic journalists and pundits Deal Hudson and Russell Shaw requested the get-together as an answer to an earlier meeting bishops had with Catholics known for their dissenting views.

The dissenters' July meeting was called “The Church in America: The Way Forward in the 21st Century.” It was held in the John Paul II Cultural Center near the National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, next to the campus of the Catholic University of America and across the street from the offices of the bishops' conference.

In other words, the dissenters' meeting took place in the center of the American Catholic structure and had the feel of a strategy session. But the non-dissenters meeting was a question-and-answer “Meeting in Support of the Church” at a secular club on Washington's Embassy Row and had the feeling of being on the periphery of the Catholic world.

It would have made more sense the other way around. It also would have been truer: The dissenters who met may be in positions of influence in the Church right now, but they are not the Church's future.

After the non-dissenters' meeting, a group of young participants went to a Washington, D.C., restaurant for an unofficial “secret” meeting of their own about the future of the Church. Too bad none of the bishops were there.

The young participants had all left the Church to one degree or another after taking doctrine-free CCD classes as children. They returned after discovering the beauty and truth of the faith on their own.

The dissenters' meeting, for them, represents the Catholicism that they rejected. It's a Catholicism that shrugs off doctrines of the faith then expects you to accept the mental calisthenics that are put in their place. It's the Catholicism of universities that creates rationalistic secular leaders, not Catholic ones. It's the Catholicism of empty theology departments and empty campus chapels.

That form of Catholicism has no future because hypocrisy and dishonesty are the sins the new generation of Catholics most disdain. The younger generation will either leave the faith definitively or embrace it robustly—they won't attempt to do both. With very few exceptions, these young Catholics simply won't accept the strange religion that clings to the Church while rejecting it.

This is a group of Catholics who won't take the bishops' conference seriously at all while partial-birth abortion supporter Leon Panetta sits on the U.S. bishops' National Review Board. Whether they should take them seriously or not is another question. The fact remains that they won't.

The younger generation of Catholics looks at the Church and sees, on the one hand, a group of professional Catholics in parishes, universities and dioceses who dissent from one Church teaching or another and have no youth following. On the other hand, they see the largest crowds in the history of the human race gathering to hear Pope John Paul II reaffirm Catholic teachings from contraception to the virgin birth.

These young participants noted that the Pope has given clear direction for the future of the Church (spelled out point-by-point in Novo Millennio Ineunte and Ecclesia in America)—and that his agenda wasn't on the agenda of either meeting with the bishops.

They easily choose the Holy Father's side, and if Catholic leaders want to reach them, they would be wise to do the same.

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Nasty Nuns on Film

I really appreciated Steven Greydanus' review of The Magdalene Sisters (“Beware Psycho Sisters Bearing Laundry,” Aug. 31-Sept. 6).

Ever since I saw the insipid movie Monsignor more than 20 years ago when I was in college, I have been aware that some people in Hollywood have no problem skewing the truth and portraying the Church as evil and corrupt.

I totally agree with you, Steven, when you say that the Sisters of Mercy were probably pretty much like anybody else, with some bad apples, some good ones and most somewhere in the middle. I was exposed to two different orders of sisters, first in grade school and then in college. Quite frankly, I think a few of them were frustrated and a couple were probably a little nuts, but, for the most part, they were truly beautiful, caring human beings.

In contrast to the movie you reviewed, I have a much greater appreciation for the scene in Heaven Help Us where Donald Sutherland's character removes the abusive brother, saying “I don't want you around the kids anymore.” Like you, I just can't believe that the sickness of a society would permeate a religious order to the extent shown in The Magdalene Sisters. Even the vast majority of nuns in Nazi Germany didn't get sucked into Hitler's insidious ideological frenzy.

I also appreciated the fact that you stated, “Not all films critical of Catholic clergy or religious are guilty of this sort of thing.” Some Catholic reviewers and critics will condemn a movie if the priests don't bear a striking resemblance to Barry Fitzgerald or if the nuns don't behave like Mother Teresa. I think it's also interesting to note that some of these same reviewers will condemn a movie if it shows an intelligent, productive teen-ager taking a hit off a joint or includes a homosexual who is introspective and benevolent. Some reviewers just don't understand that it's not a writer's job to advance their agenda.

Thank you for giving the average Catholic a little credit, and also for showing respect to writers of fiction. As one of my writing professors once said, “It doesn't have to be real, but it does have to be true.”

JOHN BOGNER

Wichita, Kansas

Courting Commandments

Regarding “Monumental Battle: Judge Moore Stands by Ten Commandments” (Aug. 31-Sept. 6):

If not for Judge Roy Moore's stand, many would still go about talking about “commandments” without really knowing what they were talking about. It took Moore to help us have a second look at the Ten Commandments and have a better understanding of their role in our lives. Constitutions, and judges to uphold those constitutions, are there because of the existence of commandments.

Our very nature is governed by laws. In turn for us living by those laws, we have sets of commandments. Laws are part and parcel of any limited existence. Thus as long as one is within the confines of that given law, the concerned existence prevails. As a matter of fact, when the observance of that given law stops, the very existence terminates.

It is not so with the commandments. God spoke and wrote the commandments on tablets. Laws are learned, while the commandments are part of our very existence.

Without the Ten Commandments, the Constitution has no meaning, and the very judgeship has no explanation for its very existence.

The base line is this: Our very existence is founded on laws and, in order to stay that existence, the Ten Commandments are a necessity. Many a dynasty has come and gone depending on how they followed the Ten Commandments.

FATHER MATTHIAA KIBUKA

Niagara Falls, New York

Catholic Politicians

Thank you for the article “Bishops' Quandary: How to Handle Vatican Note On Politicians?” (Aug. 31-Sept. 6).

May I comment of some of Father William Maestri's comments? As you noted, he is communications director of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Specifically, he said that excommunication is unlikely to work because today's style of episcopal leadership is more collegial and pastoral than it was 40 years ago. The bishop has to consider the effect an excommunication would have on the public so it won't cause further turmoil in the community.

Some 45 years ago, as a new college graduate, I moved from Virginia to the New Orleans Archdiocese. I was hungering for God and soon committed my life to Christ in the faith of my forebears, Anglicanism. Soon thereafter, I got serious with a Catholic girl and told her I didn't believe in marriage. I asked that we investigate each other's faith and discern together which we'd choose.

She said, “No way.” I thought her arrogant but took instructions. Halfway through it, we broke up—but I knew where God wanted me and entered the Church in 1960.

A few years before that, the archbishop of New Orleans had excommunicated a local politician who was defying the Church regarding racial segregation in the schools.

Through I was just a hungering pagan at the time, I recall thinking that it seemed to be the reasonable thing to do if the archbishop's faith meant anything to him. His action seemed to say: “My faith isn't just a Sunday thing; it's for Monday through Saturday also.”

What part did Archbishop Joseph Rummel's courageous action play in my conversion? Only God knows, but to me his action was an example of the New Evangelization the Holy Father begs God for. But it must come from us, his Church. We might get persecuted for it? Boo hoo! Does not Scripture say that's a time for rejoicing?

Let's pray for our bishops. It's not an easy job—but then Our Lord never said it would be.

DICK REEDER

Green Village, New Jersey

Abortion and Mercy

Regarding “Stop the Spin on Sin” (Letters, Sept. 7-13), which was critical of the gentle verbiage in “The Other Church Abortion Teaching: Mercy” (Aug. 24-30):

As a new creature in Christ who happens to have had two abortions, I would like to assert that the desire to rub the nose of the woman in her past abortion sounds more like “the accuser of the brethren” than the spirit of Christ, whose greatest attribute—mercy—is above even his justice. It is exactly this type of attitude that I hope my suffering sisters do not come in contact with when they give up their defenses and begin their journey to healing in Jesus. I would much prefer those women to visit www.rachelsvineyard.org to hear about truly authentic Catholic teaching on post-abortion healing. (Even Mother Teresa thought so!)

Maybe Ginalynne Mielko could learn something from our Holy Father, who says to the post-abortive woman in The Gospel of Life: “The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the sacrament of reconciliation. You will come to understand that nothing is definitively lost, and you will also be able to ask forgiveness from your child who is now living in the Lord. With the friendly and expert help and advice of other people and as a result of your own painful experience, you can be among the most eloquent defenders of … life.”

Name Withheld

Register Associates Correction

If you've joined our Register Associates program by donating to the Register, mark your calendar. There's an opportunity for Register Associates to meet Father Owen Kearns and attend a dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York on Thursday, Oct. 2. The date was misprinted in last week's issue.

Call Mike Lambert at (203) 230 - 3805 or e-mail him at mlambert@circlemedia.com for details.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: What Catholics Want to Know DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

Over the past few months, I've read articles in the Register dealing with the mandatum, catechesis, the sacraments of reconciliation and the holy Eucharist, Catholic politicians who espouse views at odds with Church teaching, ignorance of Church teaching by many Catholics, homosexuality and, most recently, your fine coverage of the same-sex marriage debate. They have raised many questions in my mind, questions which I need to ask and questions for which I need to have some answers. I thought, perhaps, you and/or your readership could help me.

The bishops “are teachers of the faith” [Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi (On Evangelization in the Modern World), 1975]. Why, then, don't our bishops simply bypass the universities in their dioceses and make public the names of those professors of theology who have applied for the man-datum? After all, parents do have a right to know, since they “must be acknowledged as the first and foremost educators of their children” [Gravissimum Educationis, No. 3. (On Christian Education), 1965]

How is it that some universities view the mandatum as a private matter, whereas its consequences are public? Is the fact that a medical doctor has or has not a license to practice merely a private matter, to be kept confidential?

Who, if anyone, has the authority to insist that a Catholic college/university that has lost its Catholic identity cease referring to itself as “Catholic” in its literature, etc.?

It is more than nine years now since the Catechism of the Catholic Church has been published in English. Why haven't our bishops and priests made greater ause of it in catechizing their parishioners, either in their homilies or in classes specifically devoted to the Catechism, and recommended it to their parishioners for private spiritual reading?

In their dismay over the large number of American Catholic adults who do not believe in the real presence of Jesus in the holy Eucharist, our bishops—at their June 2001 meeting—approved a statement that specifically sought to address this topic. In the interim, why hasn't there been more catechesis in parishes throughout the country, enlightening parishioners as to Church teaching on this vital subject? If our people remain in ignorance, how else is this disbelief to be dispelled?

Since the beginning of his pontificate, our Holy Father has been stressing the importance of the sacrament of reconciliation, especially as a preparation for receiving the holy Eucharist. Why hasn't there been more mention of this healing sacrament by our bishops and priests in their homilies? For many of our people, Sunday homilies are the only catechesis they receive during the week.

Several of our American bishops have advised—first privately, then publicly—Catholic politicians in their dioceses to refrain from receiving the holy Eucharist because of their public stance on matters wherein they are at odds with Church teaching, specifically their pro-abortion views. These politicians have continued to hold these views, to voice them publicly, to publicly refuse to listen to their bishops, and to continue to receive the holy Eucharist. Why, then, don't the bishops take the next necessary step and inform their priests not to give the holy Eucharist to these individuals?

As large numbers of our Catholic people receive their catecheses primarily through the Sunday homilies, why haven't more of our bishops and priests spoken out, clearly, on homosexuality and same-sex marriage, teaching our people what the Church teaches on these matters and, just as important, why the Church so teaches? If they don't, many of our people will absorb only the increasingly prevalent cultural view.

Any enlightenment you or your readers can provide me on these questions would be very helpful to me, and I thank you in advance.

MICHAEL MCBRIDE

Brooklyn, New York

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Michael Mcbride ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: My Brushes With The Media's Anti-Catholicism DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

Walter Cronkite has been in journalism for 60 years; I've been in journalism less than 10.

While Mr. Cronkite might have the advantage on me in terms of years, I beg to differ with his assessment of the state of journalism.

In his Aug. 10 syndicated column, Cronkite admitted that most reporters are liberal. He went on to say that it's okay, just as long as they “adhere to the first ideals of journalism—that news reports must be fair, accurate and unbiased.”

If the two experiences I've had with major news media in the past few weeks are any indication, I don't hold out much hope for Cronkite's ideals.

As a journalist with the Register, I'm fully aware of the biases a reporter brings to his or her work. I am not so ignorant as to believe that reporters live in a vacuum, and I hold no illusions that those biases do not subtly influence their work.

However, what has so surprised me over the past week is how blatant the media have become in showing their bias. They flaunt it without any sense of shame.

On Aug. 22, a producer with “The Next Big Thing,” a National Public Radio program of WNYC in New York, interviewed me.

The story was about why people choose to switch political parties. During the interview I spoke of how, because of my pro-life views, I felt the need to leave the party of my youth—the Democrats. It was a risky but honest admission for a journalist.

While I maintained no illusions that I would be blessed with a sympathetic interviewer, I certainly didn't expect what happened next.

Midway through the interview, just after speaking about my religious beliefs and sharing a very personal experience regarding abortion, the producer admitted she “certainly wouldn't share those views.”

I was so dumbfounded by her remark that I responded only with silence. I didn't know how to respond.

Whether or not the producer shares the views of those she is interviewing is immaterial. What could possibly be the reason for her to feel the need to share this information with me?

To me, it felt like a kind of interviewer oneupmanship meant to intimidate the interviewee. Whatever the reason, it was not only inappropriate but also unprofessional.

My image of the objective, unbiased reporter had been shattered.

I can't wait to hear how they butcher the segment, which is set to air sometime this fall. I do not have high hopes for it.

“Devout Catholic,” I am certain, was the publicist's code word for closed-minded.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it did.

At the end of August, I contacted CBS television for a story I was working on regarding potential mis-reporting by “CBS Evening News.” The story dealt with CBS' alleged manipulation of an Aug. 8 interview with Catholic radio talk-show host Jeff Cavins.

Cavins claimed CBS edited his comments to suggest he and his listeners were supporting CBS when, in fact, they were not.

During my investigation for the story, I spoke with a publicist at CBS. In the middle of my questioning, she asked with whom I had been speaking.

“Are all of the people who are complaining devout Catholics?” she asked.

I told her that was a judgment I, as a reporter, had no ability to make. I do not carry a theological micrometer hanging from my belt to use on unsuspecting interview subjects.

The publicist seemed to be suggesting that if the complaints were coming from those she deemed “devout Catholics,” they were not valid.

I was outraged by her question.

Imagine the Jewish people complaining of their treatment under the early years of national social-ism's rise in prewar Germany. The publicist's question would be like asking if the Jews who were complaining about their treatment were Orthodox, as if that fact somehow negated their complaint.

“Devout Catholic,” I am certain, was the publicist's code word for closed-minded. I imagine it's the type of descriptor used by the media elite at urban cocktail parties, and I'm certain they use the term in a far less positive way than, say, a “recovering Catholic,” a “lapsed Catholic” or a “collapsed Catholic.”

Philip Jenkins, author of The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice, was right when he compared anti-Catholicism to the antiSemitism of the intellectuals.

I'm beginning to think that we as Catholics have confronted such bias for so long that we have simply grown accustomed to it. In growing used to it, we've become content with the degraded rights we face.

Mr. Cronkite, we have a long, long way to go before our news reports are truly fair, balanced and unbiased. I'm not holding my breath.

Staff writer Tim Drake is managing editor of Catholic.net. He writes from St. Cloud, Minnesota.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Tim Drake ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Why a Catholic Hero Removed the Ten Commandments DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

There is a great irony in the now much-publicized opposition to the nomination of Alabama Attorney General William Pryor Jr. to be a federal judge on the 11th Circuit Court.

Opponents of the nomination, such as New York Democrat Sen. Charles Schumer, have contended that Pryor would be unable to apply the law impartially because of his “deeply held beliefs”—code language for saying that Pryor is a Catholic who agrees with the teachings of the Church. As a Catholic, Pryor believes abortion is a grave moral wrong, while as a student of the law he has explicitly stated the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion is “the worst abomination of constitutional law in our history.”

Yet in recent days this same Alabama Attorney General William Pryor found himself in charge of having removed from the rotunda of the Alabama Supreme Court building a multiple-ton monument to the Ten Commandments, which Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore had placed there.

The removal was promptly carried out in accordance with a federal court order, even though Pryor does not personally agree that a display of the Ten Commandments on public property is either unlawful or constitutes any kind of an “establishment” of religion, contrary to the First Amendment to the Constitution. Still, there was a court order, which the attorney general of Alabama was duty-bound to carry out.

It is not clear whether the display of the Ten Commandments in the Alabama Supreme Court rotunda was actually illegal. Nor is it clear what law Moore was violating in setting up his display. The reporting on the issue, though extensive, has simply not addressed this issue.

There are, in fact, hundreds if not thousands of displays of the Ten Commandments on public property in the United States at the present time, including a frieze depicting Moses with the tablets of the law on the U.S. Supreme Court building itself in Washington, D.C. Some of these displays have been specifically upheld by courts; others have been banned by yet other courts. The law is simply not clear in the matter.

The way Moore set up his particular display, however, was almost bound to provoke a court challenge: The Alabama chief justice had this particular 5,280-pound monument placed in the rotunda in the dead of night (though with a Christian broadcasting camera crew on hand to record the event for whatever purposes). The whole thing seems to have been planned as a deliberate in-your-face kind of gesture. Moreover, the purpose of the display was specifically declared to be an “acknowledgement of God” as the source of all justice.

Even though U.S. coins still proclaim “In God We Trust” and the Pledge of Allegiance by federal law includes the phrase “Under God”—and just as the U.S. Congress as well as the U.S. Supreme Court itself begins its sessions with prayer—it is equally true that powerful secularist forces in the United States have been quite successful for the past generation in questioning and sometimes even eliminating references to religion and to religious symbolism in American public life.

Given the current state of the federal judiciary, for example, along with much of today's current case law concerning the “establishment of religion,” it was surely inevitable that Moore's gesture would be challenged in federal court, and it was successfully challenged: In due course the federal court order was handed down ordering the removal of the monument.

At that point Pryor found himself obliged to carry out the removal of the display that he personally did not believe was illegal. Nevertheless, a federal court order had been issued in the matter, and if the rule of law is to be upheld in our democracy then federal court orders must be obeyed (leaving the reform of an overweening and oppressive federal judiciary to other means, one of which could be the addition to its ranks of a man of integrity such as Pryor).

Pryor did not hesitate. “The rule of law,” he announced at a press conference, “means that no person, including the chief justice of Alabama, is above the law.”

For his pains he was picketed by a group of Christians calling for his resignation. It is not at all clear henceforth how he will fare in future Alabama elections if his federal judgeship does not go through. He had twice been elected by large margins and was considered an ally of Moore, supported by the same electoral base. Yet he showed himself willing to sacrifice possible future political advantage for the sake of principle.

It is true that many Christians sincerely believed and believe that Pryor should have defied the court order as Moore did. And yes, it is equally true that in cases of conscience Christians are obliged to “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Instances where that could prove to be true might even be multiplying as our society moves further and further away from its Judeo-Christian origins.

But it does not seem that a grandstanding enterprise such as Moore's—which was almost bound to play into the hands of the secularists—constitutes a real instance where that ancient scriptural imperative applies. Certainly greater respect for God and his law badly needs to be restored in America, but there are surely other and better ways to do that in a democratic society than by defying federal court orders and thus helping to undermine the rule of law.

Thus Pryor made the right decision. More than that, he also proved beyond any shadow of a doubt the falsity and baselessness of the charge of Schumer and his allies that he would be unable as a federal judge to apply the law impartially because of the his “deeply held beliefs.”

On the contrary, he proved he was prepared to apply the law come what may as far as he personally was concerned—in short, he rather dramatically proved his critics wrong.

He had already shown this in any case before his critics even mounted the charge against him. For in spite of his declared opposition to legalized abortion, he had earlier instructed Alabama district attorneys to interpret Alabama's 1997 partial-birth abortion ban quite narrowly in accordance with U.S. Supreme Court criteria, which he undoubtedly did not agree with personally. But again, he felt obliged to follow the law.

Will any of this blunt or remove the opposition to his nomination to be a federal judge? Unlikely on the record, since Schumer and company charged him with not being able to follow the law after he had already proved that he would follow the law. As many observers have noted all along, however, what is really happening here is that a de facto religious test is being applied to prevent Pryor's confirmation as a federal judge.

Kenneth D. Whitehead represented the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights at the U.S. Senate hearing on the nomination of Alabama

Attorney General William Pryor Jr. to a federal judgeship.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Kenneth D. Whitehead ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: How to Watch Mel Gibson's Intense, Beautiful Passion DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

I live six miles from the foothills of the Rockies, in a spot where the Great Plains end and the mountains abruptly begin.

On a summer morning, I can sit in my backyard looking west and watch the sunrise light the high peaks, then creep across a mountain range that sweeps the horizon from far south to far north. It's spectacular, and it's available to anyone with a pair of eyes.

Of course, I could also view the whole scene through the cracked glass ashtray where I kill an occasional cigar. But that would say some very strange things about how I choose to look at the world.

You can watch Mel Gibson's film The Passion in exactly the same way: simply, clearly, with your eyes and heart wide open; or squinting through the cracked glass of an unreasonable anxiety.

I saw The Passion in rough-cut form in mid-June, before any of the larger group screenings, just as allegations of the film's “anti-Semitism” were heating up. Gibson's team was still editing the footage, trimming scenes and refining the special effects and soundtrack. And yet, even so, even in early form, The Passion was simply spectacular—a work of extraordinary talent and faith, and the kind of film that knocks the breath out of your chest by the time the lights finally come up.

Gibson has created a film that's intense, beautiful, moving, true to the Gospels and unforgettable. It lingers in the mind for weeks. Nobody who sees it will leave the theater quite the same person. It's a film that short-circuits our comfortable emotions of faith—the routine piety that gives us warm, religious feelings without all the blood and dirt—and replaces them with an experience of the real costs paid by a real Man whom believers embrace as the Christ.

The Passion puts a living face on the Crucifixion, and the encounter with Jesus that emerges is harrowing, personal and—in the end—profoundly magnetic. This is not a film for young children. It's too violent and too real. But it's also not a film for people who like to keep their Christ at a safe distance. You're there in the Jerusalem crowd. He's unavoidable.

The Passion is not merely a good “religious” film. It's a superbly crafted film by every professional standard, beginning with the casting. Most portrayals of Jesus founder on one of two stereotypes: Christ as vaguely effete holy man or Christ as unearthly miracle maker. Jim Caviezel's Jesus transcends both. He's astonishing in the role, an absolutely believable young carpenter-rabbi who balances the immense mission of his life with intimate and wholly human moments of love with his mother and disciples.

Caviezel captures the best of Robert Powell's messianic presence in Zeffirelli's Jesus of Nazareth and Enrique Irazoqui's earthy masculinity in Pasolini's The Gospel According to St. Matthew, and his performance is complemented perfectly by the great Romanian Jewish actress Maya Morgenstern as Mary, who, with Caviezel, sets the standard for anyone who may play these roles in the future. The rest of the cast members—notably Monica Bellucci as Magdalene but also Pilate, Judas and even the centurions and common soldiers who make brief appearances—are equally compelling.

None of this should surprise. Gibson has been a star for many years, and he obviously wasn't asleep on the set. He's an Oscar-winning director in his own right, and it shows in the writing, the cinematography, the editing, the entire texture of the film. He overcomes the severely compressed time frame of the story—the hours between Gethsemane and Golgotha—by intercutting flashbacks from Mary, Mary Magdalene and the disciples; moments from Christ's childhood, his young adulthood, his public ministry and the Last Supper.

While brief, they're marvelously done, and they provide a context to the events—a remembered moment of play between mother and son, glimpses of intimate sorrow, forgiveness, friendship—that opens up the humanity of the characters in an unprecedented way.

The rough cut I saw included subtitles, and yes, they're clearly needed. The film's opening sequence in the Garden of Gethsemane would make no sense without them. But what does surprise is how well the dialogue in Aramaic and Latin actually works.

Caviezel and the rest of the cast deliver their lines as if they'd learned them in first-century Galilee. Their performances are flawless, and these “dead” languages, in coming so vividly alive, reinforce the immediacy of the whole film. Gibson also briefly introduces a personification of evil, an adversary character utterly arresting in her ambiguity, who helps dramatize Christ's interior anguish, and his treatment of the Resurrection is spare, understated and enormously powerful.

Of course, how the film looks and fares when it finally reaches the theaters is still unresolved. But the very public campaign waged against The Passion so far is a form of pre-emptive bullying that often seems to spring from resentment of the Gospels themselves. Ironically, it has also hurt the likelihood of any real dialogue about the film between Christians and Jews.

While it's true that The Passion casts Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin in harsh light, so do the Gospels—and as Christians know from their own bitter experience, weak and evil men in holy garb have occasionally plagued every religious tradition.

Nothing in this film, certainly nothing in the rough cut I saw, attacks the Jewish people or encourages prejudice against them, and Gibson has explicitly distanced himself and his film from any such bias.

But Catholics and other people of good will should see it and decide for themselves. They'll want to share it with many others. The film left me with one overriding thought: I want to follow that Man … who, of course, was himself a Jew.

To squint at The Passion through the lens of an alleged “anti-Semitism” is not only baffling but also seriously misleading, and it distorts both the intent and the content of this extraordinary film.

Francis X. Maier, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Denver, is a former fellow of the American Film Institute's

Center for Advanced Film Studies.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Francis X. Maier ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Dioceses' Natural Family Planning Success Stories DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

All eyes are on six dioceses to see if a policy on having natural family planning a part of marriage-prep programs can really work on a large scale, said Theresa Notare of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' pro-life office.

“Every bishop is watching this,” she said. “I told them, ‘You better document this, and document it well.’”

In Baton Rouge, La., six of the diocese's 70 parishes have joined a pilot program of incorporating a natural family planning course in marriage preparation. The reaction of priests and couples will be gathered and reported to Bishop Robert Muench along with a possible recommendation of expanding the program to more parishes.

So far the priest surveys have been all very positive, and so have nearly all the couple responses, said diocesan family life director Warren Dazzio. One priest reported there were couples who told him they would go to another parish to be married, but another said the marriages at his parish tripled.

“It may not have been a direct result of the natural family planning program, but that tells me it certainly didn't turn couples away,” Dazzio said.

There are several reasons more priests and bishops have hesitated to ask all marrying couples to take a natural family planning course, said John Grabowski, a moral theologian at the Catholic University of America.

Some may be reluctant to ask couples to do too much, making it seem like the Church was placing a hurdle in the way of the right to marry that, according to canon law, all baptized persons have. Others are concerned they would not have the resources and instructors for every engaged couple to take the classes, he said.

Still others believe that in a culture in which most Catholic couples preparing for marriage are sexually intimate and where, according to pastors and diocesan family life directors, 50% or more are already living together, couples would not be prepared to receive such a “foreign” teaching as natural family planning, which stresses openness to God's direction for family size and requires periodic abstinence.

“I really believe that marriage prep is just that sowing-seeds time. We live in such a society of contraceptive mentality, it's hard for people to break away from that,” said Stella Kitchen, a natural family planning director in Harrisburg, Pa., who works to incorporate the Church's sexual teaching into religious education and instruction for those entering the Church so that engaged couples are not hearing about natural family planning for the first time.

“Every diocese does what they think is right. For my part, I think it is very hard to teach someone who doesn't want to be taught,” she said.

Catholic University's Grab-owski argued that the widespread acceptance of contraception, even 35 years after Pope Paul VI reiterated the Church's condemnation of it in Humanae Vitae (On Human Life), is all the more reason to require a full natural family planning course.

“I think Denver got it right. Unless you really learn what natural family planning is and what it can do for a marriage, no couple is going to be motivated to” take the classes on their own, he said. “A one-hour commercial is not going to get it done. All you can do in one hour is to introduce the concept. You can't give them the tools to use it.”

Thanks to years of teaching experience and new insights drawn from Pope John Paul II's theology of the body, natural family planning instruction is as good today as it has ever been, promoters say.

“We do a better job now of explaining why natural family planning enriches a marriage,” said Deacon Tim Sullivan, family life director in Tulsa, Okla. “Couples are much more receptive now than they were 10 years ago. They've always been respectful, but now we see more enthusiasm. Engaged couples know something's wrong” with modern marriage, “so they're more open to what the Church offers.”

Father Randy Moreau, a priest in Lafayette, La., said that while he has long been a supporter of natural family planning, it took time—and nerve—for him to be ready to make a natural family planning course part of his parish's marriage preparation. He used to wonder if couples would leave the parish to marry elsewhere, he said.

“I've been lucky. I've been successful. I haven't received all this opposition,” he said. “Most of them have not been exposed to this, and when they hear it, they see this is extremely beautiful.”

To be sure his couples are not caught too much off-guard, Father Moreau said he incorporates the Church's teaching on marriage and family into his homilies and the intercessions at Mass. He challenges other priests to follow suit.

“If we love our people, we want them to have the fullness of the truth; we want them to have a deep relationship with Christ; and therefore we want to give them what they need, not what will make us popular,” he said. “We're going to put their own salvation, their holiness above our own needs, our desires for popularity or comfort, whatever it might be.”

— Ellen Rossini

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Ellen Rossini ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Prayers for Jacinta DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

Dear Little Sister,

My heart broke upon hearing that you lost your baby. We were all so happy when you announced the good news that you were expecting. Now, only 18 weeks later, she is gone.

I am glad that you got to see her and hold her. She was so tiny, yet beautiful and perfectly formed. You named her and now we can speak of Jacinta as one who lived and died in Christ.

To find the right things to say or do to comfort you, I imagine myself in your place. One of my own children has died in this daydream-nightmare. I can only stand to hold this terrifying thought for a few minutes. It is ever y parent's greatest fear. How can you bear would-be comforters who say, “It's probably better this way” or “ You can try again”? I would cover my ears and turn away. There is no way to exchange Jacinta for another. She already had her father's nose, for heaven's sake.

You always wanted to be a mother and now you are. The moment that you knew she was growing inside you, the transformation was complete. “The baby” was always in your thoughts, words and actions. You put aside your career, health and safety for her life. You fell in love with her, sight unseen. Once a mother; always a mother. There is no going back. You had too few of the joys of earthly motherhood and you suffered the greatest sorrows, but you succeeded in a mother's work. Our goal is for our children to get to heaven. You have done all you can to see to that.

Now yours is an uphill battle—to live through grief, to survive anger and despair, to recover physically, mentally and spiritually. Your deeply shadowed eyes show that you don't sleep at night. When your head hits the pillow, you say all you hear is “Why?”

You have heard the doctors' explanations and they are not satisfying. They shrug. “Anything before 20 weeks we don't even count,” they say. “It wasn't meant to be.”

How can she be “not meant to be?” She was. We saw her pictures in the sonograms. You held her and kissed her in the hospital before they took her away. She is just as real as any man, woman or child who has walked this earth. Her soul is just as precious as the Lord's oldest saints.

Now you groan, sigh and cry, “Why, God? Why?”

You are in good company. For centuries saints and theologians have questioned why bad things happen to good people. Even Christ himself asked, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

You can ask “Why?” in good faith, but you have to accept that you may not hear or understand God's answer. How can we comprehend him, who sent his only child to be tortured and murdered for the sake of the guilty? We do know that by his suffering Jesus made our suffering holy and worth bearing.

Let your little child lead you. Your burgeoning love for her opens the door to understanding God's fatherly love for you. Just as you long for your daughter, God yearns for you. He wants to take you in His arms and comfort you. Your motherly love is as deep as a well. God's love for you is an immense sea. Accept his gift of faith and let it salve your burning pain. Without him there is only bitterness and death. With him there is healing and hope. With him you know that your beloved child lives and is perfectly happy.

Jacinta knows that you love her. She is a little saint who prays for you and loves you dearly. In God's own good time you will be with her, never again to be parted.

With love and prayers,

Your big sister

Kathleen Whitney Barr writes from Newark, Delaware.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Kathleen Whitney Barr ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: Slake Your Thirst in Rome DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

Rome is enchanting during the transitional time between late summer and early autumn, especially in the freshness of early morning.

In the afternoon, sometimes the breeze called the ponentino wends its way in from the sea to the west, allowing a break in the warm air. But when the sun is overhead at midday and the shadows have disappeared, leaving the city with a bleached-bone look instead of its more affable apricot tones, anyone outside wants to be in, under trees, in a trattoria, anywhere.

One such day I pushed open the door of a church in the center of the city and exhaled in relief at the dark coolness inside.

When my eyes adjusted to the soft light, I saw a curious sight. In a chapel just off the entrance door, an elegantly dressed Roman matron was waiting in line to drink water from a paper cup. In back of her shuffled an elderly man with gray whiskers, mumbling to himself. Next, two young students with backpacks stood quietly in line. Behind them a man with a briefcase waited, unperturbed by the slow progression of the line.

A young priest popped his head out from a room adjoining the chapel, checking on things, or anxious to close for lunch. (Many churches close at midday and reopen later.)

I noticed that each person knelt after slowly drinking the water, often gazing at a picture of the Madonna in the chapel or just sitting with bowed head.

I returned here often, to this church of Santa Maria in Via, and soon I, too, was in the line, awaiting my paper cup of water. Romans of all ages and social positions come here, to drink or carry a bit of water away to shut-ins.

But why the water? There had to be a miracle behind all this: This was Rome, after all.

Miraculous Madonna

Here is what is said to have happened. In the overnight hours of Sept. 26-27, 1256, a tile bearing an image of the Madonna floated mysteriously to the top of a well in a stable, then in central Rome, belonging to Cardinal Pietro Capocci. (Italians can be amazingly specific when it comes to miracles.) No workers in the stable could retrieve the picture, which always floated away from them, and the water began to flood the adjoining stables. Finally they informed the cardinal, who, putting on his red robes, descended with a full court of nobles to the stables. After saying a fervent prayer, he waded out toward the image. He was able to pick it up, and then the water receded. All remained in prayer before the image, which he had taken to his house.

The next morning Cardinal Capocci told the Pope what had happened. After investigation, the early Renaissance Pope Alexander IV (1254-61) told the cardinal to build a shrine for the image and expose it for public veneration. Cardinal Capocci had one built near the place where the miracle had occurred, so they could drink the water at the miraculous site. Finally the shrine, sometimes called “Little Lourdes,” was incorporated into Santa Maria in Via, which stood nearby. The origins of the church are ancient; it was mentioned in a papal bull dating from the year 955.

The image of Mary that had started all this is one of my favorites. Its endearing simplicity gives the chapel a touch of the real Madonna, come to offer us a refreshing drink from Paradise.

The cardinal placed other relics in the shrine, one of which was a stone said to be from Jacob's well, where Christ met the Samaritan woman. A painting showing the miracle and the cardinal graces a wall in the chapel.

During the 16th century, a rebuilding project in the church made it appropriate to include the miraculous well inside the church, in the shrine chapel with the icon of the Madonna. It had to be larger than the other side chapels to contain the water.

Now we all can enjoy the blessings of water and appreciate its essential role in life and holiness.

The Servants of Mary (Servites), to whom the church was entrusted, have an intensely Marian devotion. Their lives are dedicated to holy service as inspired by Mary, the servant of the Lord.

After the turmoil of World War II in Rome, the church became a center for sacred music, relieving some of the postwar tensions with the harmonies of their boys choir, which became well known. Santa Maria is a titular church for cardinals. Cardinals are given honorary dioceses in Rome, and their coat of arms usually appears in their church. One of the cardinals, Patrick Hayes, was archbishop of New York. His efforts in 1924 contributed to the excellent organ.

Charming Chiostro

The chapel across from the Chapel of Our Lady of the Well holds something dear to my heart, too: a year-round presepio scene, or Christmas village. Neapolitan in origin, the crèche has as a background the Bay of Naples.

While here, ask the sacristan to turn on the light. When you do, notice also the postcards and books available in the sacristy and also the paintings seen there. While there ask to see the cloister or il chiostro (key-AW-stroh). Part is modern, but the early harmonies can be seen in the arches and pilasters. It's a good habit to adopt, asking to see the chiostro, as they are often in churches but closed. Sacristans might like a small tip to open them.

Before leaving, notice the exquisite Chapel of the Annunciation, where a painting of that moment, of the Nativity and Adoration of the Magi are the work of a young Giuseppe Cesari, known also as the Cavalier d'Arpino (Knight of Arpino). He is one of many brilliant artists overlooked often in a city filled with the work of the more famous.

In the Chapel of the Crucifix, a wooden cross is flanked by four saints and set in front of a frescoed background, in which we see a distant hill with the three crosses and soldiers coming from the city.

When you leave this wonder of a church, turn back to see the façade, simple and lyrical in its beauty, redesigned and completed in 1681 by Carlo Rainaldi, who added the elegantly curved tympanum and candelabra to the second-story corners.

From here you may want to walk the short distance to the Fontana di Trevi, a must on every traveler's list, or save it for evening, when it's lighted.

Just don't leave without asking the intercession of the Blessed Mother, who's been known to float to the top of our “wells” when we least expect it—and when we most need her prayers.

Barbara Coeyman Hults is based in New York City.

----- EXCERPT: Church of Santa Maria in Via, Rome ----- EXTENDED BODY: Barbara Coeyman Hults ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: The Papacy Tours America DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

The museum brochure calls it “a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition.”

I know hyperbole when I hear it, but St. Peter and the Vatican: the Legacy of the Popes rises high above the slick pitch used to sell it.

I visited the Houston Museum of Natural Science to see this largest Vatican collection ever to tour North America, and when I walked out nearly three hours later, I felt like I'd marched through 2,000 years of Catholic history.

The exhibit has since completed its Texas leg, but you can catch up with it at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., now through Nov. 23. From there it will move on to the Cincinnati Museum Center in Ohio (Dec. 20-April 18, 2004), then the Museum of Art in San Diego (May 16-Sept. 6, 2004).

As the exhibit's name indicates, the focus here is on St. Peter and his successor vicars of Christ through the centuries. The organizers have selected items from the papal sacristy along with the collections and archives of other Vatican institutions.

That this is no low-budget effort is evident with one look at the show's print companion—a glossy, full-color volume clocking in at more than 500 pages and selling for $49.95. Nor should the professional sheen be a surprise: The exhibit is a venture of entertainment conglomerate Clear Channel Worldwide. Stacy King, chief executive of Clear Channel's exhibits division, told the Cincinnati Enquirer that such “blockbusters” can cost from $2 million to $10 million to produce and acknowledged that because of its irreplaceable objects “this is certainly more costly than anything I've ever toured.”

The collaboration has its critics. According to a Boston Globe report last year, filed when Massachusetts was a possible venue, Clear Channel promised corporate partners willing to pay $10 million apiece “inclusion in a multi-million-dollar multi-market broadcast, outdoor and print advertising campaign.” With the aggressive media corporation fighting various antitrust allegations at the time, the Globe called the Vatican-Clear Channel alliance “unholy.”

The Cincinnati Enquirer's estimation that the commercial power-house could attract as many as 500,000 people to the Ohio venue alone may help explain why the Vatican couldn't pass up this golden opportunity to put public relations in the service of evangelization.

That objective is plain from the reading of Pope John Paul II's welcome: “May all who visit the exhibition … in admiring the beauty of the works of art contained therein, draw near with confidence to Jesus Christ the redeemer, who made the Apostle Peter his vicar on earth.”

As if to elaborate on this statement, the entry room is closed off and an introductory film clip picks up the action. “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church,” Jesus proclaims to the head of the apostles. This defining moment from Matthew 16:18, and Peter's reception of the keys to the kingdom, is echoed in painting and sculpture.

After activating the headset provided, you go at your own pace to learn about Peter's preaching, his run-ins with Paul, his death by crucifixion and hasty burial in the year 67. Coming out of a representation of Peter's tomb, you open onto a world that will never be the same. Timelines strategically placed throughout the exhibit move you toward the present, paralleling Church and secular events.

Michelangelo, Bernini, Giotto, Cellini, Canova and other artists are represented. There's even a handwritten invoice from Carlo Maderno for painting and gilding work. The Church as art patron and architectural reincarnations of the ancient and Renaissance basilicas get much attention.

One intriguing display shows how the 330-ton obelisk that stood in Nero's circus and “witnessed” St. Peter's death was transported to Vatican square in 1586—a feat that required 907 men, 75 horses, 40 winches and the destruction of all buildings in its path. How it was then raised upright and placed on its pedestal is illustrated in miniature.

As you continue, you find yourself ogling more than 350 priceless treasures. Portraits of popes in chronological order evolve from idealized images to naturalistic reproductions, the latter so alive you want to “feel” the red velvet copes. Vestments, miters, rings and even slippers are matched to former owners. Bejeweled chalices, gold-encrusted monstrances, ciboriums and patens are explained: Yes, visitors are told, these precious objects once touched the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

The earliest objects date to the third century; the most recent are from our own time.

To me, the most affecting piece in the exhibit was the Mandylion of Edessa, the artifact that drew me to the exhibit. Was this tempera-on-linen image, thought to be the earliest representation of the face of Christ, actually modeled from the Shroud of Turin? Some claim this is so. Why, I wondered, was this humble but undeniably great treasure tucked off in an obscure corner?

The exhibit races through centuries as its missionary efforts take root and the modern papacy emerges after the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789. A restored tiara Napoleon's soldiers once stripped of its gems and made unwearable to mock Pius VII symbolizes the despot's attempt to bury the Church.

Of course, neither he nor Nazism, communism—nor even the costly failings of some terribly flawed popes—would prevail over the Church Christ had promised to preserve.

This outstanding exhibit drives home that reality in a vivid and powerful way.

Sometimes even a profit-driven production can provide an opportunity for pilgrimage.

Joanne C. Schmidt writes from Houston.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joanne C. Schmidt ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Weekly Video/DVD Picks DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

Holes (2003)

Adapted by Louis Sachar from his own engaging children's book and directed by Andrew Davis (The Fugitive), Holes features wry humor, thrills and vividly bizarre details in a convoluted, almost epic plot in which seemingly unrelated elements are cleverly dovetailed into a satisfying, redemptive climax.

A few things are lost in translation, such the fact that young Stanley Yelnats (Shia LaBeouf) is no longer overweight. Yet Holes manages that rare trick of evoking what was special about the book—coming-of-age realism, tongue-in-cheek grotesquerie, fantasy and adventure—and capably navigates the plot's multiple timelines and settings.

Precisely how a story about stolen sneakers and juvenile delinquents digging holes in the hot Texas sun eventually encompasses a tragic frontier romance in the Old West, a 19th-century Latvian curse, a legendary female bank robber and deadly yellow-spotted lizards are discoveries that are among the film's pleasures.

Another pleasure comes from discovering how, despite what seems like Stanley's abysmal luck, there's a deeper benevolence or Providence at work in his story; how chances at redemption come in surprising ways and how curses can be broken. One of Hollywood's most challenging, engaging family films in recent years.

Content advisory: Some menace and violence; two instances of deliberately incurred poisonous reptile bites, one fatal; a subplot involving a fortuneteller pronouncing a curse; some crass language and mild profanity. Teens and up.

What's Up, Doc? (1972)

Released in 2003 on DVD, What's Up, Doc? comes with a featurette on screwball comedies and an informative director's commentary.

More an homage to screwball comedy than a genuine example, What's Up, Doc? is never less than entertaining and sometimes side-splittingly hilarious. The setup, which involves strait-laced musicologist Howard Bannister (Ryan O'Neal) driven to distraction by wacky dame Judy Maxwell (Barbra Streisand), is clearly modeled on the classic Bringing Up Baby, with Bannister's musical rocks replacing Cary Grant's dinosaur bone as the McGuffin.

Yet where Hepburn's character was merely flighty, Judy Maxwell exists, like Bugs Bunny, in the mode of the trickster archetype, with inscrutable motives, capricious behavior and almost preter-natural abilities, capable of whimsically making Bannister's life a nightmare—or putting things to rights again in a moment.

Hilarious supporting performances include Kenneth Mars as a rival musicologist and Madeline Kahn as Bannister's shrill fiancée. The film's high point is a rollicking chase scene that finds a completely new way to pay off those two clichés of chase-scene comedy, the worker on a tall ladder and the plate-glass window being carried across the street. There's even a sly riposte to the inane tagline of O'Neal's previous film, Love Story (“Love means never having to say you're sorry”).

Content advisory: Romantic complications and a bit of mildly suggestive content; comic menace and slapstick.

Sabrina (1954)

The prologue, with its story-book-like, slightly arch voiceover narration, suggests a charming fairy tale with a satiric subtext. Indeed, this delightful romantic comedy is a sort of Cinderella story, with a chauffeur's daughter (Audrey Hepburn) who is transformed into the belle of the ball and dances with the prince—except that the “prince” is, if not a beast, at least a cad, while the real love interest is more like a frog than a prince.

The romantic complications are feather-light, but there's surprising bite in the intensity of Sabrina's girlish crush on oft-married playboy David Larrabee (William Holden) and in the ambiguous motives of David's hard-nosed older brother, Linus (Humphrey Bogart). For years Sabrina has wistfully spied on David's ways with women and in a despairing moment is even willing to throw her life away over him. When she blossoms, though, David discovers her charms, and she blithely enjoys his attentions despite his known fickleness.

Linus is ruthless enough to prod David to make another marriage that will help the family corporation, and as he gently takes Sabrina off his brother's hands, it's a while before his intentions become fully clear, perhaps even to himself.

In spite of these complications, Sabrina ends the way fairy tales are meant to.

Content advisory: Romantic complications; references to a character's serial marriages; an impulsive suicide attempt. Teens and up.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Steven D. Greydanus ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Weekly TV Picks DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

All times Eastern

SUNDAY, SEPT. 21

Cyrano de Bergerac

Familyland TV, 1 p.m.

Michael Gordon directed this superb 1950 film version of Edmond Rostand's magnificent 1897 play about Cyrano, a real-life French duelist, soldier and author (1619-1655). Jose Ferrer is the noble-hearted hero and Mala Powers is Roxane, his beloved. Familyland fills a TV void by showing this and other family-friendly classic films minus objectionable commercials. Re-airs Saturday, Sept. 26, at 8 p.m.

MONDAYS

Design on a Dime

Home & Garden TV, 10 p.m.

In each show, a team of designers demonstrates how to redo any room for—no, not really a dime, but less than $1,000, at least.

TUESDAYS

Father Rutler: Christ in the City

EWTN, 11 p.m.

In this new series filmed at the beautiful Church of Our Saviour in New York City, Father George Rutler reminds us that in the big city just as everywhere else, Jesus is standing at our door and knocking, waiting for us to welcome him. Re-airs Thursdays at 6:30 a.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24

Mega Machines: Leibherr Dump Truck

The Learning Channel, 8 p.m.

Used at mines, quarries and major construction sites, the giant Leibherr dump truck can hold as much as eight semi-trailer loads by itself.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 25

Life on the Rock

EWTN, 8 p.m., live

Tonight's guest, Louisiana dad Brent Zeringue, founded Kepha, a group for Catholic fathers and sons to “Play Hard, Pray Hard” together in faith, fun and service. With mottoes such as “Catholic to the core” and “Dynamic orthodoxy, infectious joy,” Kepha members pray, go on retreats, perform works of charity, play sports, study the faith and promote chastity and the right to life. Their patrons are St. John Bosco, Mother Teresa and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925). In the spirit of Blessed Pier Giorgio, Kepha members pray to God for “an iron will” and “the toughness to overcome themselves.”

FRIDAY, SEPT. 26

Secret Life of the Tiger

Discovery Channel, 5 p.m.

This show tells all about tigers and demolishes myths about them.

SATURDAYS

The Outdoorsman

Familyland TV, 3:30 p.m.

Buck McNeeley and his celebrity guests go on exciting fishing and hunting trips. Along the way, they show us how outdoorsmen promote wildlife conservation.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 27

The Woodwright's Shop

PBS, 3 p.m.

In this enjoyable episode, host Roy Underhill completes 12 woodworking projects using designs he finds in The Boy Mechanic, a century-old book for boys.

Dan Engler writes from Santa Barbara, California.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Dan Engler ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: The Integral Formation Approach to Education DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

ATLANTA—Looking for a private Catholic pre-K through 12 school centered on Christ, devoted to the Blessed Mother and faithful to the Pope?

You might just find what you're looking for in a school based on the integral formation educational philosophy developed by the Legionaries of Christ.

There are currently 18 of these schools located across the United States, according to the Web site of National Consultants for Education, the organization that assists the Legionaries of Christ to implement the integral formation educational philosophy.

Integral formation focuses on four areas of the student's development —academic, spiritual, human and apostolic, according to Eduardo Grandio, executive director of National Consultants for Education.

“Integral formation, although it might sound innovative, is something the Church has been using for a long time,” Grandio said.

Integral formation bases education “on the Christian view of man—considering all aspects of the human person, not just academics or sports, for example,” he said.

According to Grandio, academic formation at National Consultants for Education schools aims to help students become intellectual leaders through “a personalized education … a demanding but achievable curriculum and education by objectives,” which means very concrete plans for each grade of students.

For the organization's high schools, “the academic level is very high—true college preparation,” he said.

The spiritual formation at National Consultants for Education schools is “offered personally to each one of the students, helping them to develop an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ and a love for their faith,” Grandio said. Where possible, Mass is available daily in the morning before classes begin, and students and families are invited to attend together.

“Usually priests are available to hear confession, and a priest will talk to each individual student once a month [for spiritual direction],” he added.

Human formation, according to Grandio, focuses on “the development of the more human virtues, like honesty, responsibility, self-discipline, honor and leadership.”

Apostolic formation is geared toward teaching the students to “put all that they have at the service of others,” Grandio said. He listed examples such as organizing a collection of food and toys for the needy at Christmas time, participating in local parish service projects, joining local missions or, for older students, traveling to Mexico to participate in missions organized by the Legionaries.

The overall purpose of integral formation, Grandio said, is to “help educate young people to become authentic and committed Catholic leaders in their communities, their homes, their places of work and in the Church.”

Grandio explained that “the schools are at various stages of development, but at full maturity, they will offer pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.”

The current National Consultants for Education schools are co-ed in the sense that “all the schools have boys and girls. But all are striving toward having gender-separated education—that is, when they get to fourth grade having separate classes for boys and girls,” Grandio said.

When asked if the National Consultants for Education schools were well known outside the Legion, Grandio responded, “Maybe not yet, but I think our reputation for excellence will make us a faction in Catholic education in the United States. … There is huge competition in education and schools, and while we have over 50 years experience in other countries, we're basically just getting started in the United States.”

Pinecrest

Out of all the schools implementing the integral formation methodology, Pinecrest Academy in Cummings, Ga., is the largest school with the fastest growth, Grandio said.

Arlene Gannon, a founder and former principal of Pinecrest, said the academy was founded in 1993 by a group of families who were members of Regnum Christi, an ecclesial movement of apostolate founded by Father Marcial Maciel of the Legionaries of Christ. Gannon is currently the director of religious formation at Pinecrest.

Gannon said the Legionaries' integral formation educational philosophy helps the whole community at Pinecrest “to stay focused on Christ as the center of our life.”

That focus on Christ, plus “devotion to the Blessed Mother and fidelity to the Pope, make the strong spiritual tripod the school stands on,” she said.

Pinecrest began with 29 students in pre-school through sixth grade, with many combined classes, Gannon said. She acted as principal and kindergarten teacher.

Founding the school “took lots of grace,” Gannon said, in addition to some upfront money, which she said was not significant.

“We were able to start in a former public school that had closed and the people we rented from were very reasonable, very kind and generous to us,” she said. In addition, “the teachers came on board because they wanted to help found a Catholic school. … That first year we only paid one of the teachers. The second year we were able to start paying everyone a salary.”

By 2002, Pinecrest had grown to more than 720 students on a 68-acre campus, according to Pinecrest's Web site. Pinecrest is currently starting a high school for the 2003-2004 school year. “It looks like we're going to open with about 60 students in ninth grade,” Gannon said. “[After that], we'll add a grade a year.”

Some highlights of Pinecrest's current curriculum, available online, include the music program for sixth-graders, who study composers of Western music from the Middle Ages through the Baroque Era; and the art program for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders, who study art in light of Catholic theology and tradition.

In addition to helping found the school, Gannon sent two of her children to Pinecrest. Her 19-year-old son, Michael, attended Pinecrest until eighth grade and later graduated from a local parish high school. After graduating from high school, Michael decided to “give a year back to God” by working with the Legionaries of Christ for a year in Ireland, Gannon said.

Other students who attended Pinecrest through eighth grade eventually went on to such colleges as the Naval Academy, Georgia Tech, Christendom College and the University of Georgia at Athens, she said.

“In the beginning years, you're trying to build a foundation on which future generations of kids will be formed,” Gannon said. “There were definitely stronger areas than others. [For example], we didn't have the greatest sports program because we were too small, but now we have a fabulous program. Overall, because the teachers were so dedicated to the task, it probably exceeded our expectations because people were very committed to doing something great for God.”

Archbishop John Donoghue of Atlanta said the Archdiocese of Atlanta “has a great relationship” with Pinecrest and that he has been “with them all the way” since the school's founding.

“The parents made great sacrifices,” he said, “and the school is doing a great job for the children.”

Katharine Smith Santos writes from Garden City, New York.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Katharine Smith Santos ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: To Win the Un-Winnable War DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

SPIRITUAL COMBAT REVISITED

by Father Jonathan Robinson Ignatius Press, 2003 305 pages, $14.95

To order: (800) 651-1531 www.ignatius.com

Asceticism. Does this word conjure up an image in your mind of a hermit retreating to the desert, wearing a hair shirt and doing penance with a medieval flagellant?

If so, your spiritual imagination is cramped. The word comes from the Greek askesis, which means practice, bodily exercise and athletic training. Though Christian asceticism is often associated with external austerity—including radical fasting and other rigorous physical mortifications—this is, in fact, only a small part of the story. The various modes of asceticism are, properly understood, means to help the Christian become more like Christ. Of course, a part of this is helping us fight against our natural inclinations and tendencies to sin.

Spiritual Combat Revisited by Father Jonathan Robinson, founder of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Toronto, is an in-depth, contemporary analysis of one of the classics of ascetical theology: The Spiritual Combat by Lorenzo Scupoli (1530-1610), a work that St. Francis de Sales referred to as key to his spiritual development.

Why does this dusty old classic need to be revisited? Because, in theory as well as practice, asceticism is today neither well-known nor fully appreciated. Especially in the years following the Second Vatican Council, the practice of asceticism has been subject to rather severe criticism. It was determined that far too much emphasis had been placed on cultivating personal virtues and taming personal vices, all at the expense of charity toward one's neighbor.

Father Robinson contends that we have thrown the proverbial baby out with the bath water. There can be no true holiness without “renunciation and spiritual battle” (Catechism, No. 2015). The priest explains that spiritual battle is inevitable if we are to follow Christ, and the ascetical life is critical to growth in holiness. One cannot truly love Christ if one is not willing to take up one's own cross every day. Just as an athlete will lose his competitive edge if he does not subject his body to the rigors of training, so too the Christian who does not make a sincere effort to grow in virtue may lose his ability to follow Christ.

“The ascetical dimension of Christianity is deeply rooted in the Bible, even though some of its practices antedate Christianity itself,” writes Father Robinson. “It is St. Paul who tells us that the Christian life is to be compared to an athletic contest and that we have to go into training if we are to be successful. But the contest we are concerned with is not a game; it is a real battle against everything that will pull the Christian soldier away from God.”

In other words, it is not enough to say we love God. We must attempt to reform our lives so that we become virtuous enough to persevere in following Christ, which is never easy. Hence the real need to face up to spiritual combat, to fight against those aspects of ourselves that are not yet fully conformed to Christ.

Father Robinson looks to Lorenzo Scupoli, a master of spiritual combat, to discover specific aids in the spiritual life—weapons we can use in our spiritual battle. Humility (and self-distrust), the practice of the virtue of hope, the spiritual exercises (efforts made to root out vices and build up virtue) and the practice of prayer: proven weapons that demand space in every spiritual warrior's arsenal.

Laraine Etchemendy Bennett writes from Vienna, Virginia.

----- EXCERPT: Weekly Book Pick ----- EXTENDED BODY: Laraine Etchemendy Bennett ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Campus Watch DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

PC Lives

THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, Sept. 12—Many colleges and universities have abandoned formal “speech codes,” often ruled unconstitutional by the courts, only to inbed the same kind of restrictions throughout other publications and on Web pages.

That's the argument offered in an opinion piece by Foundation for Individual Rights in Education lawyers Harvey Silverglate and Greg Lukianoff, who have initiated a litigation project aimed at abolishing such informal codes that consist of “cobbled-together words and expressions of different policies and procedures.”

Designed primarily to protect minorities and women from “harassment,” the authors say the codes are often used to discourage legitimate disagreement with the prevailing attitude of political correctness.

Forensic Degree

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, Sept. 6—Carlow College, administered by the Sisters of Mercy, will introduce an undergraduate forensic science major.

Carlow, located in Pittsburgh, is entering the broad field of “evidence study,” where the demand for workers is up and interest among teen-agers is rising, partly because of popular network shows depicting crime-scene investigations.

In a related development, the college has filed to become a university, a process that will be helped by the addition of the new science major.

First Black President

DOMINICAN PROVINCE OF ST. JOSEPH, Sept. 4—Dominican Father Reginald Whitt is the first black to hold the presidency of a pontifical faculty in the United States, according to a statement from the Dominicans' New York City-based province.

He was appointed president of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, effective Aug. 29.

It is one of 10 such U.S. faculties, which are regulated by the Holy See and empowered to grant pontifical bachelor, licentiate and doctorate degrees.

Running for Cover

CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER, Sept. 4—Regina High School, a private Catholic school operated by the Sisters of Notre Dame in the Cleveland suburb of South Euclid, said it would review its dress code after barring Amal Jamal, an Islamic student, from the campus because she wore the hijab, a Muslim head scarf.

Sister Maureen Burke, the school's principal, expelled the student based on the school's dress code only to announce a policy review several days later.

Father Joseph Hillinski of the Diocese of Cleveland told the area's Islamic community that other Catholic schools, including Cleveland diocesan schools, “would welcome a young woman who wore the hijab because of her religious conviction.”

Catholic Trivia

TWINCITIES.COM, Sept. 7—Two small Catholic colleges in Wisconsin figured in a trivia quiz about college nicknames sponsored by Pioneer Press, the St. Paul daily.

“Founded in 1936 as a school for teacher education” and “is nicknamed after an extinct cat known for the two long blade-like teeth in its upper jaw” was the clue for one. The cat is a saber; the college is Marian.

U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges 2004 ranked this liberal arts school among the top three Midwestern colleges, and its students are “men at arms known for chivalrous conduct.” The answer: the Green Knights of St. Norbert College.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joe Cullen ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Saluting America's Heroes ... DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

NEW YORK—Delivered in voices strong and soft, steady and shaky, the 2,792 names kept coming. For two and a half hours, they echoed across the dusty desolation at Ground Zero, conveyed from the lips of children, who—whatever their age—seemed much too young to read the long and heartbreaking roll call of their dead.

But, somehow, they did it.

Often punctuated with a tender “I love you, daddy” or “We love you, mommy,” their wrenching recitations provided some of the most poignant moments as the nation and the world marked the second anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

In Washington, on the South Lawn of the White House, President Bush and his staff stood with heads bowed in silence at 8:46 a.m. EDT, the time the first hijacked jet, American Airlines Flight 11, plowed into the north tower of the trade center.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Cabinet observed the same moment of silence in London, as did U.S. troops in Baghdad, fire-fighters in Chicago and suburban-ites in Middletown, N.J., which lost 37 residents that day.

Across the nation, flags flew at half-staff and church bells tolled in recognition of the worst terrorist attack in the nation's history. At the Pentagon, a tone sounded at 9:37 a.m. EDT and 20,000 military and civilian workers stopped in their tracks to stand in silent recognition of the moment when American Airlines Flight 77 sliced into the building, killing 184 people.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery in memory of the 3,016 people killed in New York, Washington and aboard the hijacked United Airlines flight that crashed in a field outside Shanksville, Pa.

Like observances elsewhere in the country, New York's commemoration took a far more muted tone than it had a year ago. It began with a three-hour ceremony at Ground Zero in the morning and ended with the sunset appearance of two columns of light, replicating the shape of the former twin towers, that will fade at sunrise Friday.

The morning ceremony centered around the theme of children, who performed all of the music and read all of the names of those who died in south Manhattan that day.

Before the reading of the names began at 8:49 a.m., a children's choir sang a sweet, high-pitched rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Then Peter Negron, 13, came to the podium and shyly recited a poem in honor of his father, Pete, 34, who worked as an environmental project manager for the Port Authority, the owner of the trade center. Titled “Stars,” the poem ended, “I felt them watching over me, each one—and let me cry and cry till I was done.”

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg introduced the reading of the names with a short poem called “The Names” by former U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins, which ended with “Names wheeled into the dim warehouse of memory. So many names, there is barely room on the walls of the heart.”

Tears flowed freely among the hundreds of gathered families and friends when, two by two, 200 young relatives took turns reciting a litany of loss that included parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, stepparents and godparents, brothers and sisters and cousins.

Among the youngest readers was Jessica Murphy, 7, whose father Brian, 41, was a vice president for the investment firm of Cantor Fitzgerald. Among the oldest was Liliana Cabezas Dorado, 38, whose father, Jesus Cabezas, 60, worked as a cook at Windows on the World, the famed restaurant on the top of the north tower. But most of the readers were teen-agers.

Sometimes they wept as they read. Sometimes they smiled bravely. Sometimes they struggled with difficult-to-pronounce names, and there were many of those, reflecting the dozens of nationalities and ethnic groups represented by those who died.

But always, they ended their recitations with the names of their own lost loved ones. And often, they would add “I love you, daddy,” as did Gemma Alviar, 21, whose father Cesar, 60, was an accountant with Marsh & McLennan. Or, “We love you, mommy,” as Nicholas Chirls, 18, and his 12-year-old sister, Sydney, said of their mother, Catherine, 47, a financial worker with Cantor Fitzgerald.

Readings, beyond those of the names, were brief and elegantly appropriate. Drawing from Stephen Spender's poem “I Think Continually of Those Who Were Truly Great,” New York Gov. George Pataki intoned: “The names of those who in their lives fought for life, Who wore at their hearts the fire's centre.”

New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey quoted Eleanor Roosevelt's belief that “we do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, discovering we have the strength to stare it down.”

Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who led the city through the crisis, offered inspiration in Winston Churchill's bracing exhortation to “repair the waste. Rebuild the ruins. Heal the wounds. … Let us go forward together.”

And Joan Molinaro, who lost her firefighter son Carl, 32, read a heartrending poem of her own. It ended with the words, “My baby boy is gone.”

Family members said the most moving moment of the ceremony was hearing the name of their own loved one read aloud.

“A lot of people don't have anything other than this spot and the moment the name is read,” said Elizabeth Mendez, whose cousin, Edward Calderon, was one of the 84 Port Authority employees who died. “That's their only memorial.”

As the readings continued, a steady stream of families and friends walked up and down the ramp to the stony dirt floor of the pit, 70 feet below street level.

Most of them carried yellow and red roses, small American flags, photos and other mementos to lay on memorial piles that grew higher as the morning wore on.

Many wore pictures of their lost ones on buttons or T-shirts, others carried bouquets of balloons with names inscribed on them. Some stood still and silent on the tawny, dusty ground. Some sat down on it, often children cradled in their arms. Some held up large poster-sized photos of their dead. Others lit candles for them.

One woman scraped at the hard ground to carve a message; another arranged pebbles to spell out a name. One wrote a name with pink rose petals. And many people scooped up handfuls of dirt to take home, sometimes pouring it into whatever they had at hand: empty foil snack bags or plastic water bottles.

A group of firefighters in dress uniform gathered for a group photo around a commemorative wreath of carnations. A knot of family members huddled, heads together and arms wrapped around each other, their lips moving in prayer.

The Red Cross handed out tissues.

“It's horrifying to be there, but it's healing in a way,” said Barry Zelman, 48, whose brother Kenneth, 36, worked at the insurance services firm Marsh & McLennan. “It's where my brother was murdered, so it's where I have to be every Sept. 11.”

Maura Landry, 25, whose fiance, Matthew Horning, died in the north tower, said the mood among family members who descended to the bottom of Ground Zero was noticeably different from last year.

“It was not just 100% focusing on their deaths but also on the people and who they were,” Landry said. “You'd see people laughing a little bit as they remembered something funny about a person. That's not to say there weren't people who didn't sit on the ground and cry the whole time.”

Still, some said they are haunted by nightmares of that day. Harry Halvorsen, 56, a technician for telecommunications provider MCI, said he was working on the 83rd floor in the trade center's south tower when the first plane struck the north tower. He escaped and later joined rescue efforts at ground zero.

But he has a recurring nightmare: “I'm still looking for the other half of a woman I found. I found the lower half. I'm still looking for the upper half.”

The feelings engendered by the tragedy and the heroism that took place two years ago extended far beyond New York on Thursday.

On Chicago's West Side, more than 1,000 students from Hanson Park Elementary School, including 225 physically disabled children, gathered for a commemorative assembly. Anna Winchell, 14, who is physically disabled, recalled hearing about a disabled man who couldn't escape from one of the top floors of the World Trade Center.

“Somebody actually stayed up with [the] disabled man and he didn't go down. He died with him,” she said, referring to Abraham Zelmanowitz, who stayed with his paraplegic friend Edward Beyea. “It's good to remember these kinds of things, how many people sacrificed themselves.”

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Lisa Anderson and Stevenson Swanson ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Family Matters DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

Small Families

Q

While I applaud the many large families in my home-schooling group, I'm quite discouraged by their disapproving remarks about small families. Emergency surgery made me unable to conceive after giving birth to my son, and my second is adopted. However, I feel that information is personal and that I owe no explanations about my family's size. How shall I handle these people?

A

You certainly don't owe anyone an explanation about the size of your family. It isn't any of their business. One option is simply to leave it at that. However, it's clear that you'd like some sort of response that lays the issue to rest—without divulging personal information.

First, let's recognize that this attitude is often motivated by the unfortunate reality that we live in a culture of death. While that means that abortion, euthanasia and a myriad of other acts of violence against life loom large in our society, the most commonplace evidence for an anti-life culture is to be found in the shrinking size of American families. Generally speaking, many families, motivated by selfishness and materialism, choose to have small families.

Having said that, the problem of judging others arises when we ascribe that motivation to a particular family we know with few children. We may think we know their circumstances, but no one outside of the Lord knows what is in their hearts.

Still, we need to remember that the shoe is worn on the other foot: Large families are often the recipients of glares and rude remarks from complete strangers, so we must be sensitive to the fact that they are no strangers to sweeping judgments, either.

Our own theory about why small Catholic families such as yours are scrutinized in this way is this: Many people are simply uninformed about secondary infertility. Ironically, the childless couple is less likely to draw negative attention, for the assumption is that they must be unable to have children; there must be a medical explanation. But, in your case, others might be thinking, “Well, obviously they can have children; they've proven that. They must be choosing not to have any more.” The cross of infertility is well-known; the very real cross of secondary infertility gets far less press.

A relative of ours was in precisely the same situation. She and her husband had a small family due to secondary infertility. Well-meaning friends would ask, “So, when are you going to have another baby?” These friends had no idea how much these words hurt every time they were uttered, for the couple truly did desire more children, but they also didn't feel much like divulging their entire medical history. In response, the couple began telling people, “We've always been open to as many children that the Lord chooses to bless us with.”

This answer will tend to satisfy all but the nosiest of individuals, yet does so without giving away personal information.

We wonder how the Holy Father's mother responded to such judgments. After all, she only had two children!

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: QUALITY TIME VS. TROUBLE DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

Facts of Life

A recent study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has found that kids who either have at least $25 a week in spending money, are frequently bored or experience high levels of stress are far more likely to smoke, drink and take drugs. Common sense? Sure, but the study confirms that parents can play a big role in helping kids avoid troubled behavior by spending more time with them in activities like doing homework, going to the movies and playing miniature golf.

Register illustration by Tim Rauch

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: 'To Preach the Gospel by Word and Work' DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

St. Vincent de Paul dedicated his life to helping the poor. Today, more than 300 years after his death, it's easy to find many kind folks still stepping forward to follow in his footsteps: members of local St. Vincent de Paul societies.

A number of leaders representing these groups are quick to point out that an important aspect of their good works is often overlooked. In order to understand the Vincentian mission in its fullness, they say, it's vital to see the societies' charitable acts not only as a worthwhile end in and of themselves but also—perhaps primarily—as a means of evangelization.

The saint himself could hardly have put it more succinctly.

St. Vincent de Paul, whose feast the Church celebrates on Sept. 27, was born to a peasant family in 1581 in southwest France. He studied divinity at the University of Toulouse and was ordained at the age of 20. Captured by Turkish pirates and taken to Tunis, he was sold into slavery. He was later freed and returned to France, where he served as a parish priest near Paris and began organizations to help the poor, nurse the sick and find jobs for people who were unemployed.

Vincent founded the Congregation of Priests of the Mission (Vincentians) and, with Louise de Marillac, founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity. Following the example of Jesus, he devoted himself to working for the poor, sick, enslaved and abandoned of the world. He died in 1660 in Paris and was canonized in 1737 by Pope Clement XII. Vincent is the patron saint of charitable societies, charitable workers, hospital workers, hospitals, prisoners, spiritual help, volunteers and others.

In the United States, St. Vincent de Paul is probably best known for the thrift shops named for him and for the societies, which conduct all types of charitable works. It was through his works of charity that Vincent de Paul became a great evangelizer, bringing the word of God to the poor people he encountered.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul at Most Holy Trinity Parish in Huntingdon, Pa., helps needy people in the community with rent payments, food, clothing and medicine. The group only has about 10 members and they are often busy providing for these basic needs. But its members don't stop there, says Herb Kann, president of the society.

“We hope there's a little bit of evangelization that takes place” whenever volunteers help people in the name of Jesus, Kann says. The first thing volunteers do is tell people that they're from the Catholic Church, he says, before adding: “We always extend to them the invitation to call any of us, and we tell them we'd be happy to bring them to church. The presence we have in the community lets people know what Catholics are really like.”

Kann estimates that between 75 and 100 people in the community have converted to the Catholic faith from various Protestant denominations over the past 10 years. He doesn't claim that the society's works are the main reason for the conversions. “But I would hope we get some of the credit,” he says. “Our good works have spoken for themselves in the community.”

The Word in Action

Don Clark, executive director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the Diocese of Lincoln, Neb., agrees that evangelization comes through the good works the society performs. “We try to evangelize by showing the face of Christ and seeing the face of Christ in those we serve, who are the poor,” Clark says.

He recalls a recent event in which a pregnant woman came to the society for help and was taken to a local Catholic hospital. She and her husband were homeless, but after the young woman was helped by society members, the couple decided to go back to live with the man's parents in Kansas.

“We made sure they got on the bus,” Clark says. “We showed them what Catholics do. We care about people. In some cases we might talk with people about their religious [beliefs] or send them to a Catholic hospital. The evangelization that we engage in is not by word but by deed.”

Clark says he knows of a number of people who have joined the Church because of the society. “In fact, some of them are now our volunteers,” he says. “They entered the Church because they had been served by the Church.”

Clark became familiar with St. Vincent and his mission when he was growing up poor in a slum area of St. Paul, Minn., and went to a local St. Vincent thrift shop for basic necessities such as shoes. Now a retired professor of rehabilitation counseling, he devotes much of his time to helping others in similar situations. “I can preach and teach; I've done both,” Clark says. “But I find this much more rewarding and effective. The Lord has blessed us greatly by giving us the opportunity to serve.”

Vincentian Father Tom McKenna, provincial superior for the eastern province of his order, says St. Vincent was “one of the experts in the history of spirituality about getting these two things, evangelization and charitable activity, together. He had an almost frenetic schedule through the last 50 years of his life, but he managed to stay grounded in prayer.”

Father McKenna says the evangelization process can go both ways when volunteers serve the poor and sick. “You evangelize when you bring the presence of Christ [to the needy] and you are evangelized back in meeting those people,” he says. “You're meeting Christ in them. It's a circle of evangelization, where you're just as much evangelized by the poor as they are by you.”

While many St. Vincent de Paul volunteers do spread the Gospel through their good deeds, there needs to be even more emphasis on evangelization, Father McKenna says. To that end, he says the national office of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has launched a program to train people on the elements of spirituality involved in serving the poor.

He says people today also need to emulate St. Vincent's efforts to change attitudes toward the poor. “In his day, the poor were looked upon as the criminal underclass or as being irresponsible,” Father McKenna says. “He tried to work against that perception. We need to do that today.”

It's important that students be taught the importance of linking charity and justice, says Sister Margaret John Kelly, a Daughter of Charity and executive director of the Vincentian Center, for Church and Society at St. John's University in Jamaica, N.Y.

“A number of our faculty research fellows try to bring the social teaching of the Church into the classwork so that students don't see this charitable teaching as removed from life but part of it,” Sister Kelly says.

“We hope that students begin to see that it's not what they do; it's how they do it and why they do it. That's the truer Vincentian service,” Sister Kelly says. “People say it feels good when they do something for the poor. But it's not about that. Vincent would say we serve the poor because we are truly brothers and sisters. It is in giving that we receive.”

Bob Violino writes from Massapequa Park, New York.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Bob Violino ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Spiritual Riches in the Bank DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

Priest Profile

He had it all. A good job, his own home, a new car, natty clothes. Good friends, too, and an active social life. Yet, at the same time, he felt as though there was a void in his life.

“It's not that I was unhappy,” says Father Shawn Allen, looking back on his days as a bank vice president. “I was very happy with my life.” Yet something was missing. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on. A whisper he could not silence.

As a former altar boy from a loving family in historic St. Patrick's Parish in Lawrence, Mass., young Shawn Allen had occasionally thought about the possibility of priesthood. But, he recalls today, he allowed his feelings of unworthiness to provide a sort of escape clause, a way out of facing the truth about himself and the direction of his life.

Willing himself to remain open to the discernment process, he decided to attend daily Mass, trying to be attentive to the movement of the Holy Spirit in his life. He also prayed to St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests.

Then, all at once, it hit him.

The date was Aug. 4, 1992. During Mass that day, the scales were lifted from his eyes. No one is worthy of a call to priesthood, he thought to himself. With that, he resolved to surrender his own weakness to God and trust the Lord totally.

“When I came out of Mass, the first thing I said to myself was, “You got me!” Father Allen recalls. “Immediately, I felt filled with peace.”

So he gave up the so-called “good life” and a promising career in the financial-services industry. In autumn 1993, he entered St. John's Seminary in Boston. He was ordained a priest on May 15, 1999, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston (becoming the 30th man from 131-year-old St. Patrick's in Lawrence to answer the call).

Youthful Vigor

Today Father Allen is a parochial vicar at St. Agnes Parish in Arlington, a suburb of Boston founded the same year as St. Patrick's in Lawrence—1872. Under the pastoral leadership of Father Brian Flatley, the pastor, St. Agnes is a spirit-filled parish. It has an elementary school, a high school and the Fidelity House, which offers an overflowing list of programs designed to enrich the lives of youth from tots to teenagers. The parish offers nine Masses on weekends, all of which are packed. More than 100 attend daily Mass.

St. Agnes is steeped in Marian devotions. Its religious education programs, for students and adults, are second to none and, by scheduling frequent confessions, the priests make it convenient for parishioners to receive the sacrament of penance. Many capitalize on that opportunity, including large numbers of faithful Catholics from surrounding parishes.

According to parishioners, Father Shawn brings a youthful vitality to the parish that helps them grow in their faith.

Chris Doyle is a member of the parish council. He and his wife, Ethel, teach religious education at the parish and are heavily involved in marriage preparation classes, which Father Allen directs for a cluster of parishes in Arlington. “He is a very holy priest,” Doyle says. “He is so supportive and he allows people to grow by encouraging them to use their gifts.”

Virginia Gregory, a gifted lector who offers the readings with bold, bracing clarity, says Father Allen is “a wonderful priest. He is real solid. You get the straight stuff from him. He is so faithful and he puts his heart into everything he does. He has a marvelous way of connecting with people.”

Father Brian Flynn is one of Father Allen's closest friends. Ordained in June, he is a parochial vicar at St. Brigid's Parish in South Boston. Like Father Allen, he enjoyed a career in the secular world before entering the seminary, working as a service manager for an automobile dealership.

“He was so welcoming, so supportive to me when I entered the seminary,” Father Flynn says when asked about his friend and brother priest. “We came from similar backgrounds and had shared many of the same experiences. I relied on his advice. He is filled with faith.”

Convictions

As just about everyone knows, the Church in Boston faces difficult challenges these days. Yet, at the same time, the archdiocese courageously moves forward in faith and hope. Its young priests will no doubt prove indispensable if hope and healing are to continue flourishing in the years ahead.

“We must have the courage to live our faith,” Father Allen says. That means proclaiming the truths we believe in, he adds, even when our message isn't warmly received by the surrounding culture. What sorts of truths does he have in mind? “That abortion is murder, that marriage is between one man and one woman and that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist.”

Father Allen also says that, in the wake of the recent scandals in Boston, the priests of the archdiocese have rallied around their new leader, Archbishop Sean O'Malley. “He has promised to get to know all of his priests,” Father Allen says. “And he has promised to be there for us.”

Known for his amiable personality, Father Allen also seems to possess a steel backbone—and he's not afraid to show it when necessary. Before a recent Mass, for example, he admonished parishioners who see fit to leave Mass immediately upon receiving Communion. “If you must leave immediately after receiving holy Communion without returning to your pews and showing the proper respect,” he said, “don't cut in front of people in line to receive Our Lord. And don't leave by one of the side exits. It is very disrespectful. If you must leave, please use an exit in the back of the church.”

Fortunately, the need for such admonitions is not great at St. Agnes Church, whose members showed tremendous love and support for their parish following a fire in the rectory a few years ago.

Indeed, Father Allen recognizes that he has a foundation of great faith to build on—and building folks up in their faith is clearly high on his agenda.

“Now, more than ever, is the time to escape the shadows and let the light of Christ shine,” he says. “Many would love the recent scandals to keep us quiet, to stop us. That must not happen. We must continue to move forward in faith.”

Wally Carew, author of A Farewell To Glory, writes from Medford,

Massachusetts.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Wally Carew ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Prolife Victories DATE: 09/21/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: September 21-27, 2003 ----- BODY:

Asylum for Chinese Woman

THE WASHINGTON TIMES, Aug. 30—Justices in a federal appeals court have voted unanimously to grant political asylum to a woman who was forced to undergo two abortions in China.

The Board of Immigration Appeals had previously denied asylum to the woman, Xuan Wang. Ninth Circuit Judge Betty Fletcher wrote: “[Wang] has shown a genuine and well-founded fear of future persecution, should she return to China.”

China has enforced a strict policy limiting families to one child since 1981. Millions of abortions, sterilizations and IUD insertions are performed annually, many under duress, according to congressional testimony.

Congress passed a bill in 1996 granting refugee status to 1,000 people annually if they prove their country forced population control on them. But, exper ts told the Times, the Immigration and Naturalization Service has rejected a number of asylum claims saying the applicants had failed to prove their cases.

Michigan Abort Mill Closes

LIFENEWS.COM, Aug. 28—A Planned Parenthood facility in nor thwestern Michigan has closed. Martha Lancaster, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Northern Michigan, said the facility simply wasn't getting enough clients to be cost-efficient. The center faced continual protests from members of the community, and some nearby store owners said the protests kept people from patronizing them, too.

Prenatal Protection in Texas

CANYON LAKE TIMES GUARDIAN, Aug. 13—Gov. Rick Perry of Texas has signed the Prenatal Protection Act that changed the Texas penal code's definition of “person” to include an unborn child. With some exceptions, this definition will apply to murder, assault and intoxication offenses allowing people to be prosecuted for the deaths or assaults of unborn children.

Russia Reconsiders

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, Aug. 28—While a new decree from the Russian government to limit access to late-term abortions won't dramatically lower the number of abortions there, it does reflect an emerging concern about Russia's sharply declining birth rate and women's health.

Russian gynecologist Natalya Boiko said: “While only three to four years ago it was impossible to say something against abortions among my colleagues … now increasingly more gynecologists will at least warn their patients about possible complications, and some will even go so far as to explain that … abortion will kill an unborn baby.”

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life ------- TITLE: Mass Changes: Pastors' Stories Show Signs of Renewal DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

NEW YORK — As one of the country's foremost preachers, Father George Rutler knows how to relate to an audience. The author and EWTN program host has, one might say, a bit of the showman in him.

But when it comes time to celebrate Mass, a different instinct takes over.

Father Rutler, whose Good Friday homilies on the seven last words of Christ draw huge crowds in New York, became pastor of Our Saviour Church in Manhattan two years ago. And he's devoted much of his efforts since then to a proper understanding of the Mass.

“There was a proliferation of extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, which was completely unnecessary. The song leader intimidated the people with her arms raised. At the end of the high Mass it was expected that the congregation would stand up and applaud the organ and choir. It was all very bourgeois,” he said. “I within weeks eliminated all of that, which was rather traumatic. I realized that the people had a very good spirit, but just were given wrong information.”

“I've tried to show with signs, symbols, words and teachings that this is the worship of God and not entertainment,” he said. “We do a basic, simple Novus Ordo Mass. I don't want to do anything exotic.”

His efforts come at a time when the Church is implementing several changes in the celebration of Mass. The third Latin edition of the Roman Missal, published for the Jubilee Year 2000, was accompanied by an updated set of norms for how Mass is celebrated, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. While the English-speaking world awaits a translation of the Missal, a translation of the new Mass guidelines for use in the United States was approved by the Vatican in March.

As the General Instruction of the Roman missal continues to be implemented around the country, the challenge for pastors is how to introduce changes and restore reverence in church in a way that does not confuse or even drive away parishioners who might have received poor example or instruction in the past.

Much of the focus on the new Mass guidelines has had to do with one's posture for receiving Communion and the question of standing, rather than kneeling, until everyone has received. But some pastors are trying to restore other traditional practices that have fallen by the wayside for Mass and other sacraments — and eliminate innovations that were never formally approved by the Church.

They are finding most parishioners appreciate their “cleaning up.” In some cases, they say, the changes are leading to spiritual renewal.

“We've done very well,” said Father Daniel Deutsch of Holy Cross Parish in Batavia, Ill. “We've had people say we're going back [to the old liturgy], but I tell them, ‘No, the Church has always done this. We've never lost these things, but we're rediscovering what was always there.'”

Ways to Teach

The key to implementing changes is to explain the reasons behind them, said Father Denzil Vithanage of Marshall, Texas. Since being named administrator of St. Joseph Church one year ago, Father Vithanage has moved the tabernacle to the center and placed a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the side altar and moved the presider's chair from the center to the side of the sanctuary.

“My idea is that all my activities should be Christocentric,” he said.

Additionally, he restored the traditional confessionals, which had been put away and used to store books.

“Before I did any changes, I educated the parish,” explained Father Vithanage, who is from Sri Lanka. “I … proposed these things and displayed things in the church before I did anything. I approached it with much prayer and reflection, much discretion. I had seminars, and I invited the liturgist from the [Tyler] diocese to give a talk. I had an open forum.”

He's encouraged by the response: People are regularly coming to the church, which is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., he said. They come to daily Mass, confession on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the hour of adoration before each Mass, a First Friday healing service and Saturday prayer meetings in Spanish.

“I felt there was a spiritual thirst in the life of the people here,” he said. “[Now] there's so much joy” in the 560-family parish. “People say, ‘Father, it is so uplifting to come to Mass here.'”

Msgr. Ferdinando Berardi, who is marking one year as pastor at Holy Family Church in New Rochelle, N.Y., has changed a few practices he said might have been well intentioned but were poorly informed. For example, he no longer gives young children a blessing when they come forward with their parents for holy Communion.

“Habits are very difficult to change, especially anything dealing with children - you have to be so sensitive to that,” he said. “It sounds good — you're blessing the child. But it does confuse people … The Eucharist is so important that we wouldn't want people to confuse a blessing with what is given to them in the holy Eucharist.”

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal makes no mention of the blessing of those who cannot receive Communion. But Denver's Archbishop Charles Chaput wrote in a recent column in the Denver Catholic Register that the Communion procession is not the time for such a blessing; the celebrant will bless everyone at the end of Mass.

Instead, he said, parents should teach their children how to make a spiritual Communion.

“Children will soon begin to desire to receive holy Communion,” the archbishop wrote. “This earnest desire to receive Our Lord sacra-mentally is traditionally called a ‘spiritual communion.'”

Archbishop Chaput explained that such a person — child or adult - should come forward with his arms crossed and bow before the Eucharist. The priest says to the person, “Receive the Lord Jesus in your heart.”

Msgr. Berardi said he uses the bulletin to explain the parts of the Mass and the General Instruction of the Roman Missal as the basis for what is being done.

“I point out to people that I want to celebrate the Eucharist and all of the sacraments in the way that the Church celebrates them,” he said. “I want them to be comfortable that they're worshiping according to the Roman rite.”

Since Father Rutler became pastor at Our Saviour, a Park Avenue church he described as beautiful but rather lethargic, he has made steady changes, including improved vestments, the introduction of Gregorian chant, serious catechetical preaching and the abolition of joking and chat-ting-up by the celebrant during the Mass.

But what has most transformed the piety of the parish, he said, is the prominence of the new tabernacle, purchased with funds raised by the parish and placed in the center of the high altar. He also removed the throne for the pastor that had been in the middle of the sanctuary.

“I feel I have a lot to answer for on the Day of the Judgment without having to explain to God why I replaced him with myself,” he quipped.

Many pastors, wanting to keep the focus on the Eucharistic sacrifice taking place on the altar rather than on the reserved Blessed Sacrament, have moved the tabernacle to a side altar or chapel.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says the Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a tabernacle “in a part of the church that is truly noble, prominent, readily visible, beautifully decorated and suitable for prayer.” But it is not to be placed on the same altar on which Mass is celebrated.

The new Mass guidelines also state that the chair of the priest celebrant “must signify his office of presiding over the gathering and of directing the prayer.”

“Thus the best place for the chair is in a position facing the people at the head of the sanctuary, unless the design of the building or other circumstances impede this: for example, if the great distance would interfere with communication between the priest and the gathered assembly or if the tabernacle is in the center behind the altar,” the document says. “Any appearance of a throne, however, is to be avoided.”

Younger Parishioners

After two years, younger parishioners are attracted to the more authentic liturgy and are attending in larger numbers, Father Rutler observed. That has also been the experience of Msgr. William Blacet of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Kansas City, Mo. An 81-year-old priest who was sent to close the aging, debt-ridden midtown parish 11 years ago, Msgr. Blacet instead has transformed it into a thriving community that includes many home-schooling families who drive as much as 50 minutes to attend.

“He gives the Mass with no fluff. It's the true Mass,” said parishioner Vallaire Bruns, a home-schooling mother of three. “He loves the Blessed Sacrament, and I guess that is evident in the way he says his Mass. It's what I want for my family, to know and love the true presence of the Blessed Sacrament.”

Msgr. Blacet said he and another older priest came to the parish and simply began celebrating the Mass the way they had been taught, “according to the magisterium.”

“The people come. We have reverence in church. We come to church to give God worship; it's not a social affair,” he said. “We don't believe in what I call the ‘happy clappers.’ I gave a sermon a while back, and people started to clap after the sermon; I put up my hand. I don't do this for applause.”

Ellen Rossini is based in Richardson, Texas.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Ellen Rossini ----- Keywords: News -------- TITLE: Renaissance? DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

SAN FRANCISCO — One of the tragedies that devastated the Church in the 1960s and 1970s was a decline in Catholic publishing. Old-line houses such as Benziger and Bruce dropped out of the market. Few established presses survived.

Ever since, however, a new constellation of Catholic publishers has emerged.

John Wright, director of marketing for World Library Publications and president of the Catholic Book Publishers Association's board of directors, says there has been yearly growth in the Catholic book publishing industry.

A lot of that growth has come from publishing houses that are faithful to the magisterium.

Among others, successful Catholic nonfiction publishers include Ignatius Press, Sophia Institute Press, Our Sunday Visitor and TAN, and recent small publishers such as Ascension Press and IHS Press.

Older houses seem to want a piece of the fidelity market. St. Anthony Messenger recently purchased Charis, the Catholic imprint of Ann Arbor's Servant Publications, and secular publisher Doubleday is publishing Scott Hahn's books.

These newer houses, by comparison, are often the inspiration of a single person. Ignatius, Sophia and IHS, for example, all got their start with an individual who published Christian classics.

Ignatius Press, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, began with Father Joseph Fessio's desire to make accessible the work of Adrienne von Speyr, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Louis Bouyer, Henri de Lubac and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

“Our first book was The Heart of the Worldby von Balthasar,” said Tony Ryan, who has served as Ignatius' marketing director for 23 years.

“When Father Fessio started Ignatius, he asked veteran Catholic publisher Frank Sheed if he had any tips,” Ryan said. “Sheed said that the first 10 years would be flat-out purgatory and added that if we were still around after 10 years we would probably make it as a publisher.”

Not only has Ignatius succeeded, but it also is the largest U.S. publisher and distributor of Catholic books, magazines, videos and music. It receives more than 600 unsolicited manuscripts each year and has published more than 1,000 titles, 800 of which remain in print.

Sophia Institute Press' genesis was also connected with the desire to make Christian classics accessible. The press' inception is closely tied to publisher John Barger's own Catholic conversion in the 1970s.

“I couldn't find much [St. Thomas] Aquinas or [Hilaire] Belloc or [G.K.] Chesterton,” Barger said. “I could only find them in out-of-print editions from publishers that were defunct. I thought that we ought to get some of these books back in print.”

Sophia published its first book, a reprint of Dietrich von Hildebrand's Marriage in 1984, followed by many Catholic philosophy titles that did not sell well.

Sophia continues to publish classics by deceased authors but has also branched out to offer titles by the living. Five years ago it published What Went Wrong with Vatican II by Ralph McInerny. Ever since it has been publishing an increasing number of books by living authors.

“We've been seeking new authors who can speak to the world the word it needs to hear,” Barger said.

IHS is the new kid on the block. It published its first book, a reprint of Chesterton's The Outline of Sanity, in 2001. Focused primarily on the Church's traditional social teaching, IHS has reprinted 11 titles since its inception.

What such presses have demonstrated is that there is a still a market for the classics.

“Big publishers like Doubleday have moved back into Catholic publishing in a big way,” Barger said. “That's a sign that they think there is a Catholic market out there.”

Indeed, Doubleday's success is notable. That success stems primarily from sales associated with two of its authors — Scott Hahn and Ronald Rollheiser.

“I think it's safe to say that with the publication of those two authors in the late 1990s, Doubleday was able to resume a real presence that we had historically enjoyed within the Catholic publishing industry,” said Michelle Rapkin, director of Doubleday's religion publishing program. Hahn's books alone have sold several hundred thousand copies for Doubleday.

“Hahn has brought a very strong tradition of exposition of biblical topics for the layperson in a way that not a lot of other writers have done, even in Protestant publishing,” Rapkin said.

While Doubleday's success is impressive, Rapkin said it is still a drop in the bucket compared with the $2 billion Protestant publishing industry.

A Renaissance?

While most of the modern Catholic publishers think there is something like a renaissance taking place in Catholic publishing, they are hesitant to define it.

“Given the fact that we've had continual growth amid the situation following the Second Vatican Council, I would say there is definitely a renewal of the Church in America,” Ryan said.

He pointed to the growing numbers of conversions to the Church as one sign of renewal.

Barger was a bit more cautious.

“Today, in print, you can find most of the Catholic books that you would want — the ones that I had to get from used bookstores — but you have to know what you're looking for,” he said. “During the 1940s and 1950s you had crossover Catholic authors like Walker Percy, Evelyn Waugh and [Bishop] Fulton Sheen, who were read not just by Catholics but also by the general public. There is a dearth of Catholic authors today.”

Publishing books, however, doesn't necessarily mean they will sell. Last year, Sophia Institute Press made a financial appeal to its readers for support. It was also forced to reduce its staff from 15 to nine and back out of direct-mail efforts.

“We're publishing the same number of books each year, but we're putting them into bookstores because it's cheaper,” Barger said.

He pointed to the increased amount of competition and noise clamoring for people's attention from television, radio and the Internet.

“Our public has shrunk,” Barger said. “Five years ago our average reprint sold twice as many as it sells today.”

The average Catholic title competes with approximately 78,000 additional books published each year. On average, Catholic houses publish fewer than 2,000 Catholic titles annually and the average Catholic title sells fewer than 5,000 copies.

“The capacity to put out good Catholic books is greater now than it ever has been,” Barger said, “but we don't have as easy access to the audience who would read them, nor do we have authors who are writing in such a way that they can bring about a renaissance in the culture.”

Ascension Press publisher Matt Pinto agreed. He thinks the larger renaissance is what has taken place among lay people within various ministries.

“Clearly, in the macro sense, there is a renaissance,” Pinto said. “All of these apostolates that have arisen over the past 20 years desire to bring what they have been given to others.”

Pinto sees that as promising.

“There is a new vibrancy and enthusiasm that is tangible,” he said. “That didn't exist 15 years ago. We need to create new techniques and use them for the cause of Christ.”

Pinto thinks a new paradigm is required of Catholic publishers, one that balances the nature of an aposto-late with the realities of economics. It's a paradigm he has used successfully at Ascension since the publication of his first book, Did Adam and Eve Have Belly Buttons? in 1998.

“We produce less books with more focus,” Pinto said.

Ascension Press creates five to 10 projects per year, compared with the industry's 24-48. Ascension's first five books have each surpassed the 10,000 sales mark.

“The days of simply publishing a Catholic book where you knew there would be a large number of readers simply because there was a large Catholic culture are gone,” Pinto said. “The modern Catholic publisher must create titles that they know they have markets for rather than creating titles simply for the nobility of creating them.”

Tim Drake is based in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

----- EXCERPT: Catholic Publishers' New Successes ----- EXTENDED BODY: Tim Drake ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: On 'Pope Day,' 20-Somethings To Cheer John Paul's 25th DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

NEW YORK — Young Catholics around the world are getting ready for a huge and exciting event with Pope John Paul II. But it's not World Youth Day.

This time, liturgies, music and festivities are being planned in cities around the country — and in several foreign countries — for Oct. 16, the 25 th anniversary of John Paul's election to the papacy. Pope Day, as the young people organizing the events call it, is meant to be an outpouring of love and appreciation of a Pope who has always had a special interest in young adults.

The event is the fruit of past World Youth Days but sprang directly from Toronto's in 2002.

“Seeing the Holy Father's helicopter landing and seeing him come down the stairs really struck me,” said Pope Day organizer Peter McFadden of New York. “He's elderly and frail and could have called in sick. He must have really wanted to be there.”

McFadden said he listened to the Pope like never before.

“He called us to be the salt of the earth, and I realized that meant we were to add flavor to society and to preserve it,” he said. “I thought he deserved an answer.”

On the 600-mile drive home, McFadden and his friends brainstormed.

“We were fascinated by the idea of being ‘the salt of New York’ and decided to organize something and take it to the streets,” he recalled.

This is exactly the sort of evangelization John Paul continually calls youth to do, said Father Owen Keenan, associate pastor of St. Ignatius Loyola Parish in Mississauga, Ontario. “The challenge of World Youth Day is not to host a big event but to bring it home.”

McFadden had already formed a foundation in New York that studied the writings of John Paul and printed a 32-page publication based on then Bishop Karol Wojtyla's 1960 book Love and Responsibility. He and friends handed out 13,000 of them in Toronto. He established the Web site www.catholicculture.com as part of this mission and through these efforts connected with like-minded Catholics.

Last year, the group organized the first Pope Day, with 22 known celebrations in six countries. Venues included homes and parishes, campuses and schools.

“Teachers said what they handed out on Pope Day they saw in students’ papers later,” McFadden said.

In Trinidad, there was actually a Pope Week, according to organizer Gail Jagroop.

“I put my religion students into groups to research different aspects of our Holy Father's life and work,” said Jagroop, who teaches high school in Couva. “We held school assemblies highlighting the life of the Holy Father, and every day that week we prayed the rosary for him.”

This year, the celebration will move to Port of Spain and Tunapuna on the Caribbean island, whose population is 30% Catholic.

“Our Holy Father first impacted me when I read the letter he wrote to youth in 1985,” Jagroop said. “Since then, I got hooked. I love him. He's my hero, in a big way. His words convict you and you know he is speaking the truth, and with sincerity.”

That is what youth connect with most, according to Father Keenan.

“Young people are very attracted to his whole message because it presents an ennobling vision,” he said. “He lays down the challenge that we were meant for holiness. The message resonates because it's the truth.”

And it mobilizes them.

“I've had a love for our Holy Father since I first saw him speak at World Youth Day in Denver,” said Lee Pion, pastoral associate at Holy Spirit Church in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where he's organizing a Pope Day celebration. “It was a life-changing experience for me when I saw half a million people yelling, ‘JP2, we love you.’”

That's a chant that has been heard often since then, and many who have been at such encounters with the Holy Father are involved now in celebrating his life and pontificate. Pope Day events are being held this year in Chicago; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Denver; Spokane, Wash.; New Orleans; Cheyenne, Wyo.; Mexico City; and Nairobi, Kenya.

“Last year, we learned about a secret Pope Day in Saudi Arabia,” McFadden recalled. “Some Polish expatriates there held their own event.”

Saudi Arabia forbids the public observance of any religion other than Islam, according to the U.S. State Department.

Pope Day celebrations can include many activities, but guidelines call for three essential elements: a votive Mass for the Pope, street evangelization to share his teachings with others, and public forums that present the spirituality and thought of John Paul.

They do it because they feel called, said Father Wayne Watts, a Chicago priest who has led large groups to four World Youth Days.

“I was with the Pope in '93, '97, 2000 and '02, and he's had a mantra he has repeated at each one — ‘I love you and we need you,’” he said. “And that's what young people need to hear. The Pope gives kids the courage to evangelize.”

There is no shortage of volunteers for these efforts.

“As far as I know, we had the only Pope Day in the world to be held outside at a city park on a busy mall,” recalled Anastasia Northrop, the organizer of last year's event in Denver. “Street evangelization was really a wonderful experience, a great way to put into practice the Pope's personalistic approach.”

Northrop referred to the philosophy of personalism that has informed so much of the Pope's writings. Basically, it is a way of looking at the world from the point of view of the human person. For John Paul, the starting point is the inestimable value of each person, made in the image and likeness of God.

Twofold Message

The Pope's message is twofold, according to Father Roger Landry, the main speaker for the New York Pope Day events.

“The central idea of his pontificate is that Christ fully reveals man to himself, and that man can only find himself in the sincere gift of himself to others,” explained Father Landry, parochial vicar of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis, Mass. “He is convinced that the hearts of the youth are made for this message, and they're hearing it. The way to honor this Pope most effectively is by advancing the treasure of his thought and teachings as they are.”

McFadden's group will have volunteers out in New York City, including Grand Central Terminal, handing out Love and Responsibility and materials on other writings of the Pope. Then, 25 hours of Eucharistic adoration will end with a special votive Mass at the Church of Our Saviour. Father George Rutler, the pastor there, will preach on the gift of the papacy.

“Secular society looks upon authority politically, with contempt, and sees it as an imposition,” said Father Rutler, a nationally known speaker and author. “But this authority is for our sanctification.”

“His whole body is suffering,” he continued. “That is a gift. It's also his glory. This bond of affection is what I want these ‘Papal Days’ to engender and cultivate.”

Affection is clearly motivating this effort, but so is “a simple matter of justice,” McFadden said. “The Holy Father has asked us to evangelize, and here he has served us for 25 years through pain and fatigue. I see it as sort of a requirement for us. We're doing what we're supposed to do, what he has asked us to do. Everyone's lamenting the future of the Church. We put the future of the Church on show last year, and we're doing it again right now.”

Sheila Gribben Liaugminas is based in Chicago.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Sheila Gribben Liaugminas ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: From Rome to St. Louis to Philly DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

Archbishop Justin Rigali was born and raised in Los Angeles, but after he was ordained for that archdiocese, he was sent to Rome for studies and put at the service of the wider Church.

He became a Vatican diplomat and was the English-language translator for Popes Paul VI and John Paul I. Pope John Paul II named him president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, where he served until he was named to head the St. Louis Archdiocese nine years ago.

Archbishop Rigali will be installed as archbishop of Philadelphia on Oct. 7, succeeding Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. Archbishop Rigali spoke with Register correspondent Thomas Szyszkiewicz as he was getting ready to move east.

You grew up in Los Angeles and were ordained for that archdiocese. However, you've spent very little time there in the last 42 years. Have you missed your hometown and your family?

You're right — I've spent very little time in Los Angeles. I go back occasionally, but the occasions are not that frequent. I've been very grateful for the Church in Los Angeles as the Church of my baptism, the Church of my ordination. One of my classmates in the seminary is the cardinal archbishop [Roger Mahony].

In 1987, one of the finest family reunions I ever had occurred actually on the occasion of the Pope's visit to Los Angeles. I was able to have an audience with the Pope — I was traveling with him; I was on his team at the time — and many members of my family were able to gather in, at that time, St. Vibiana's Cathedral, so it was a wonderful opportunity for members of the family, for nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews.

Many people know you are close to Pope John Paul II, but he's not the first pope you've served so closely. You were Pope Paul VI's English-language translator and accompanied him on some of his foreign travels. How did he react to the changes that came about in the immediate postconciliar period?

You have to keep in mind that Pope Paul VI was the one who guided the implementation of the Second Vatican Council; he was the great artisan of the changes. It was a very difficult period, but it was Paul VI who had to begin this very difficult process of implementation, and he did it with enormous energy and trust.

For example, he was the one who decreed the initial liturgical changes. He guided the Church during those years, gave directives of implementation and, of course, such a massive effort is difficult.

Another thing, which is extremely important, is the Second Vatican Council emphasized to a great degree the collegiality of the bishops — that is, their being participants with the Pope in the governance of the universal Church. This was something that needed implementation, and Pope Paul VI implemented this because he was the founder and the artisan of the synodal structure in the Church. He was the one who called together the Synod of Bishops, which has continued throughout all these years.

After so many years in Rome, you've seen the universality of the Church more than most people. What kind of adjustment was needed to go from that universal experience to being a bishop of a particular church?

One of the things that certainly is among the ideals of the Curia is that the universal Church is at the service of the People of God throughout the world. That's why these central offices even exist. That's why even in dioceses the central office exists in order to facilitate the work of evangelization that's done at the local level. So it was a wonderful preparation to see how everything is directed to the local churches, because it is on the local level that the People of God live.

So yes, there's a change when you're working at one level. The only thing is that when your work involves a vision of the Church, a vision that explains what you're doing in terms of the local Church, it makes it easier to make that adjustment and become part of that local Church, always in communion with the universal Church.

While in St. Louis, you expanded Eucharistic adoration to make it a central part of the life of the Church. Can you attribute any changes there as a result of that practice? Did you find it helpful as a means of evangelization?

I believe Eucharistic adoration as a very special form of prayer helps to sustain our people; it helps to give energy and life to the People of God. It helps them to prepare to come back to the Eucharistic action, the Eucharistic sacrifice, and it helps them to concentrate on what Vatican II says is the source and summit of our Christian lives, the Eucharist.

Whereas spiritual effects are not measurable as such, I'm sure that we can, without any error, say that yes, the people of God who have been involved in Eucharistic adoration have been sustained in their Christian lives and their disciple-ship.

Is it a means of evangelization? It certainly is, because, as [Pope Paul VI's 1975 apostolic exhortation] Evangelii Nuntiandi [on evangelization in the modern world] speaks about, part of evangelization is to be evangelized. The Church is evangelizing because she is an evangelized Church. And certainly in prayer and reflection before the Blessed Sacrament, people enter more deeply into the Gospel, into union with Christ, and this is a very important component of what it means to be evangelized. Holiness, intimacy with God, is essential to being evangelized and to evangelizing …

I've been told that your relationship with your priests has been a hallmark of your tenure in St. Louis. How did you go about establishing that?

When I first came to St. Louis, I told the priests, quite honestly, “You mean everything to me.” It's inconceivable to have the ministry of the bishop without the close collaboration of his priests. I believe that I have received the collaboration of the priests, and I have tried repeatedly to communicate to the priests always their great importance in the life of the Church. What they do is absolutely essential.

I think the priests have been very pleased to know that their ministry is deeply appreciated by the Church and, of course, by me. I've tried to maintain personal contact to be part of their lives, part of their joys and their sorrows, part of their challenges. … I'm deeply grateful for all that they have meant for the Church and have been for the Church and will always try and will continue to try to encourage them in their goal of holiness, because without holiness both priests and lay people will never attain the full measure of their discipleship with Jesus.

You place a great emphasis on the individual person's holiness of life. Do people after Mass ask you, “How do I become holy?”

Since I've come here, we have had the inauguration of a strategic pastoral plan. This was through many meetings; it wasn't a synod, but it was something like a synod. It was subsequently renewed and is in the process of being renewed again.

But the major goals are of great importance. The first major goal that we have is of conversion, or holiness of life. In other words, to be a Church means we have to be pursuing conversion to the Gospel, and that's where the Gospel opens; Jesus opens up his public life by saying, “Be converted, turn to the Gospel.” It means “turn to God, be holy.” This is our stated first goal in our pastoral plan; everything else is going to require this.

And besides the major goal itself, we also have priorities and action steps. We won't go into all of those, but some of those are the sacraments, the Eucharistic celebration of the People of God on Sunday, Eucharistic adoration, renewal of the sacrament of penance, prayer, family prayer, etc. All of these are means whereby we strive to attain the goal. But what is the goal? Conversion in the sense of “turn to the Gospel, turn and pursue holiness of life as disciples of Christ.”

That is what we've been emphasizing over and over again. The second is evangelization, the third one is Catholic education, the fourth one is serving those in need and the fifth one is stewardship, which is defined as the generous and right use of all that we have and possess.

So these are the five goals, but they start with and totally depend on the first goal.

St. Louis has the usual urban problems, but the archdiocese is mixed with a lot of farmers, too. Philadelphia, on the other hand, is an East Coast city with what outsiders might call an East Coast “attitude.” Do you think there will be much of an adjustment needed to accommodate the different styles, or do you think your worldwide experience will help to overcome that?

When I get to Philadelphia I'll have to try to learn the situation there. There will be an awful lot to learn. Whatever differences there are between Philadelphia and St. Louis, they probably won't be so great as the differences between Rome and St. Louis.

Or St. Louis and Madagascar.

Yes, Madagascar; I was there for three-and-a-half years.

But what is very comforting is that the Church is universal and we go where we're sent; the People of God are there and it's this magnificent Catholic unity of one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and we're all in communion with the Bishop of Rome and we're all in communion with everyone else the Bishop of Rome is in communion with.

So the individual dioceses have their own wonderful traditions. St. Louis has something I call the spirit of St. Louis, a wonderful legacy of faith that I've been privileged to serve here for nine-and-a-half years. When I get to Philadelphia I'll have to learn about all their special traditions of faith and piety. In the meantime, I think there are many wonderful parallels between the two archdioceses — they both have a splendid presbyterate and they both have faithful people. And they've been doing this for a long time. Both of them have a long history.

What do you look forward to most in Philadelphia?

I really haven't had time to figure things out. I just hope to be able to fulfill the desire of the Holy Father to be a good Catholic bishop and to proclaim Jesus Christ. And I look forward to the same amount of splendid collaboration, support and love that the People of God have given me here and to be able to serve them in fulfillment of the role of a Catholic bishop, which is the Good Shepherd, to lay down your life for the people God has given you as a flock.

Thomas Szyszkiewicz is based in Altura, Minnesota.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Inperson -------- TITLE: Group Promotes Eucharistic Adoration for Vocations as Gift to Pope DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

HAMDEN, Conn. — A Christmas gift a lay Catholic group is assembling for Pope John Paul II has elements of time and eternity. The time element is 100,000 hours; the eternal element is the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

The gift is a spiritual bouquet — a promise by as many people as possible to commit to time in Eucharistic adoration, praying for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

The lay group, the Vocation Action Circle of Regnum Christi, is encouraging people to sign up on its Web site, www.vocation.com, and hopes to record 100,000 hours of adoration by Christmas Eve. The project and the Web site are supported by the Legionaries of Christ.

“Jesus said to pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the field,” said Jackie Gonzales, national director of Vocation.com. “Our goal is to get people involved from all over the world. We know that there are enough people to go before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament to reach our goal.”

“We figure we need about 1,000 adoration hours a day from now until Christmas,” Legionaries of Christ Brother Branigan Sherman said in mid-September, when fewer than 4,000 adoration hours had been reported to the Web site. “We hope to get religious communities and parishes involved. The number is just a goal. We think we'll reach it and more, but the important thing is to promote Eucharistic adoration for vocations.”

Regnum Christi, an ecclesial movement of apostolate founded by Father Marcial Maciel of the Legionaries of Christ, has more than 7,000 members in North America who perform an hour of Eucharistic adoration each week, he pointed out.

“If we get them and their families involved, we'll be well on our way,” Brother Sherman said. “The key is getting people to register their hours.”

The Vocation.com site, launched last year, shows the names and locations of those who have committed to certain hours. It posts the number of hours reported and the number of individuals and groups registered. It also has prayer services that can be used by individuals or groups and a free poster that parishes can use to promote adoration for vocations. The site has information on discerning a vocation and an interactive feature in which inquirers can type in questions and have them answered by Legionary Father Anthony Bannon, the order's North American territorial director.

Father Bannon told the Register that the adoration initiative is an ideal way to get everyone in the Church involved: Young men and women can pray to discern a vocation, and those who are older or married can pray that more young people will respond to God's call. Sending the results as a spiritual bouquet to the Pope is also appropriate, he said.

“I am personally convinced that his example and action, his visits to youth of individual nations and his World Youth Days, are the greatest influence on the growth of vocations today,” Father Bannon said. “The gift of adorations is a gesture of support, gratitude and love that comes from the heart.”

Gonzales said the project is also a gift to Catholics because it promotes holiness in the Church.

“We need it, the Church needs it,” she said. “We hope that people will go before the Blessed Sacrament not only to send this gift to the Holy Father. We hope they will form a habit of adoration that will continue to benefit themselves and the Church.”

About the need for vocations, she added, “It's the future of the Church. It's increasingly difficult for young men and young women to hear and respond to the God who still calls. Our aim is to focus attention on this fact and have everyone go to Jesus directly for guidance.”

Life of the Church

Other groups are organizing spiritual bouquets for the Holy Father on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his pontificate. A family in London hosts a Web site on which more than 1,000 parishes around the world have pledged to offer Mass in thanksgiving on the anniversary of his election, Oct. 16. More parishes can register at www.jp2-jubilee.org.

The Pope's most recent encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia (The Church of the Eucharist), issued on Holy Thursday, April 17, emphasizes the unbreakable link between the Eucharist and the priesthood, and stresses that only an ordained priest can celebrate Mass and perform the consecration that changes the elements of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ.

The encyclical also calls adoration of the Blessed Sacrament “of inestimable value for the life of the Church. This worship is strictly linked to the Eucharistic sacrifice … It is the responsibility of pastors to encourage, also by their personal witness, the practice of Eucharistic adoration, and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in particular … This practice, repeatedly praised and recommended by the magisteri-um, is supported by the example of many saints” (No. 25).

Time before the Blessed Sacrament was key to his own vocation, Brother Sherman said. While attending Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, he spent time each day in the adoration chapel on campus. “That's where I encountered Christ most powerfully outside of Mass,” he said. “I began speaking with him about the most important things, what I should do with my life, what I have been created for.”

He said the bouquet of adoration hours is not only a Christmas gift for the Pope. It also seeks to reveal the deep spiritual dimensions between Christ and the priesthood.

“There is a connection between Christ coming as a man in human flesh in Bethlehem and a man becoming another Christ, an alter Christus, as a priest at ordination,” he said. “The priest stands for the life of Christ, and in the Blessed Sacrament which he brings about at Mass, the life of Christ, Christ himself, is present. By our adoration initiative for vocations, we hope more men will hear the call to become another Christ in the world.”

Stephen Vincent is based in Wallingford, Connecticut.

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Scalia Too Catholic to Judge on Pledge?

CATHOLIC LEAGUE, Sept. 11 — Michael Newdow, an avowed atheist, has sued to have the words “under God” removed from the Pledge of Allegiance — a case the U.S. Supreme Court might take up in October. Newdow has issued a statement demanding that Justice Antonin Scalia recuse himself from the case. Why? Because of Scalia's religious beliefs, according to the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.

League president William Donohue said, “The attack on Justice Scalia smacks of anti-Catholicism.”

“Over the summer, U.S. senators on the Judiciary Committee sought to employ a de facto religious test against circuit-court hopeful Bill Pryor,” Donohue noted. “Then we had the spectacle last week of Cleveland attorney Jay Milano contending that no Catholic judge should be allowed to sit on a case he is bringing against the Catholic Church. Now we have Newdow trying to silence Justice Scalia.”

For Donohue, the facts point to “a disturbing trend … to remove practicing Catholics from the judiciary.”

Madonna and the Children

VDARE.COM, Sept. 4 — In her weekly syndicated column, Michelle Malkin took note of pop star Madonna's new venture: launching a series of children's books — which the singer labels “morality tales.”

This is the same Madonna who kissed Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera during the MTV Music Awards, broadcast nationally, while Madonna's 6-year-old daughter Lourdes Maria Ciccone stood by.

Lourdes had played a part in the pop stars' raunchy cover of her mother's tune “Like a Virgin.” According to Malkin, the little girl “was dressed in first Communion white, decked out in lace gloves, a crucifix and a studded belt with the words ‘BOY TOY.’” Her role on stage was to toss “flower petals on the dance floor while a mosh pit of fans writhed in front of her and the porno soundtrack throbbed behind her,” Malkin reported.

Madonna said she wrote her children's books because existing kids' titles are “vapid and vacant,” containing “no lessons” for kids, Malkin noted. It wasn't her assumption of moral authority. Last year, Malkin said, Madonna complained about the indecency of television, exclaiming, “People have no morals, I swear to God.”

Atheist Group Denounces Cross at Ground Zero

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sept. 8 — One notable fragment of the fallen World Trade Center was a steel beam that survived, standing in the unmistakable shape of a cross. The cross now stands on the edge of the Ground Zero site — where apparently it has outraged a local atheist group.

“Many people who died on Sept. 11 weren't Christian. There were Jews, Muslims and atheists who died,” said Ellen Johnson, president of a group called American Atheists. “This is a Christian religious advertisement, and allowing it to stay there is an insult to everyone who doesn't believe in that particular religion.”

The cross now stands on New York Port Authority property and bears the names of emergency workers who died trying to save others, and a scrawled message concerning the terrorists: “May God forgive their evil.”

The overwhelming number of funerals or memorials for the 343 firemen and 23 police officers who died in the disaster were Catholic Masses.

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Should Catholics worry about the catechetical program called Alpha?

Perhaps. But they should also recognize its successes, said Vernon Robertson, an evangelization leader. Successes such as the coffee girl.

From a minute's chatting, Robertson, who never saw a conversion opportunity he didn't seize, learned the girl serving coffee behind the counter was Filipino, Catholic and not attending church.

By the time he left the restaurant, she was looking forward to attending an Alpha dinner at the Catholic parish in her neighborhood. Today she's “absolutely ignited,” Robertson said, and eager to help with the parish evangelization course.

But depending on whom you talk to, Alpha is a problem — or an effective tool.

Conversion stories like this are making Alpha one of the hottest evangelization tools in the arsenal of the Church, and supporters say many of those evangelization opportunities would simply not be happening without Alpha.

Around the world, Alpha — which bills itself as a program to introduce people to the Christian faith — is offered in more than 24,000 Catholic and Protestant churches. Canada has embraced Alpha in a big way, with nearly 10% of all the courses in the world and a third of all the Catholic courses in North America.

A $1 million promotional campaign titled “A Dinner Invitation to the Nation” kicking off the fall sessions has resulted in 35,000 lawn signs springing up in front of churches and individual homes across Canada. Now the country's largest archdiocese is ready to run with Alpha.

On Aug. 1, Alpha founder and Anglican minister Nicky Gumbel and his team from London were featured speakers at a conference in Toronto, as was Toronto Auxiliary Bishop John Boissonneau.

A handful of Toronto parishes have been using Alpha, but the August conference took things to another level, with Bishop Boissonneau co-chairing the sellout event that drew 2,000 Catholics and Protestants.

Alpha is an “easy” way of understanding Jesus and stirring our faith, Bishop Boissonneau told the Register. It makes a good pre-catechumenal course, he said, “introducing some of the fundamentals of our faith as a relational faith in the person of Jesus.”

“For the most part,” he said, Alpha's message is “universal.” He believes strongly, however, that a Catholic parish should have a Catholic group rather than an ecumenical one, so discussions and conversations afterward can be informed with a Catholic sensitivity and remain open to dialogue about the sacraments and structure of the Church.

The program, born about a decade ago in England, introduces the Christian faith in a relaxed environment, over a parish meal and a series of videos. Inquirers are invited to ask any questions or share comments about the faith.

Alpha's supporters are unreserved in proclaiming its accomplishments. It has served as a gateway to the Church for many and led countless fallen-away Christians back to the faith.

Robertson said Alpha has started to give the parishes an opportunity to “do evangelization as a parish. Anybody can be involved in Alpha.”

Critics

It's also a program that's not without its critics. Wherever there is Alpha, there are those who view it with suspicion, or worse. Last year, The Wanderer presented a critical examination of Alpha, reporting that there is “no shortage of credible critiques” about the program from evangelical, Anglican and Catholic detractors attesting that the program is “designed to create a new breed of ‘third wave’ or ‘New Age’ Christian who is cultish, charismatic, anti-dogmatic and hostile to traditional Catholic worship, doctrines and morality.”

Ironically, there is opposition to Alpha in Protestant, mainly fundamentalist, circles, horrified that Alpha has even been known to promote ecumenical dialogue on such forbidden topics as Mary and the saints.

Concern about Alpha and its Anglican origins was expressed at a recent diocesan synod in Vancouver, regarded as one of Canada's more orthodox dioceses.

When a motion arose to develop “a truly Catholic evangelization program based on the social and teaching methods used in the Alpha program,” Archbishop Adam Exner, a staunch Alpha supporter, described Alpha as “just an appetizer” to catechesis, with a need for follow-up afterward. The 300 synod members barely defeated the motion.

Msgr. Stephen Jensen, Vancouver's episcopal vicar for education, acknowledges the criticism many Catholics have about Alpha. He stresses that Alpha is a form of “pre-catechumenate” that gives “a very basic introduction to Jesus and his role as redeemer.”

Parishes use it as a first step in evangelization, he said, “but always with the explicitly stated proviso that it doesn't say everything by any means.”

The archdiocese recognizes that one of the video sessions in the Alpha series, giving a basic explanation of the Church, is “unhelpful for what it says rather than for what it leaves out.” As a result, parishes do not use that video and instead present a brief introduction to the Catholic understanding of the Church on that evening.

Catholics seem to agree that Alpha in itself is insufficient. There's a need for follow-up, either in additional formation programs or RCIA.

Baltimore

For years, just such a follow-up program has been operating out of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, where Cardinal William Keeler supports Alpha yet is solidly behind the next level of catechesis.

Christlife is an apostolate of the archdiocese, established to offer Alpha while supplementing it with follow-up courses that take people to the next level in formation. Christlife's Web site is www.alphaforcatholics.org.

“Alpha was never intended to be a comprehensive theology. It's “deficient in some places,” Christlife founder Dave Nador said, and “doesn't go where we'd like it to go in terms of their understanding of the sacraments.”

Which is why Christlife is beefing up its post-Alpha resources, with programs such as the two courses produced by papal preacher Father Raniero Cantalamessa. Other series are also becoming available.

Yet Alpha is “filling a niche where we do not have a lot of materials that are effective in the Catholic Church yet,” said Nador, pointing out that the General Directory of Catechesis insists that “primary proclamation has to take place first before there develops a hunger and a grace to receive formation.” Where Alpha excels, he said, “Is in the area of primary proclamation.”

Nador and Robertson both say Alpha stands out by emphasizing the community aspect of evangelization. Through Alpha, Nador said, people “start to experience community, which is critical to the Catholic parish evangelizing people; people need to be joined with others in relationship with Christ.”

Paul Schratz writes from Vancouver, British Columbia.

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Check the Pope's Travel Plans

UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL, Sept. 15 — Given Pope John Paul Ms visibly failing health — on sad display during his recent trip to Slovakia — observers are asking whether he will continue to travel at all, according to United Press International.

The news service noted that it is still not known whether the Holy Father's visible weakness was a true sign of his health or the result of an incorrect dosage of his Parkinson's Disease medication.

The wire service cited a Vatican “insider,” who suggested: “Watch his travel plans. If the Pope flies to Mongolia with a stopover in Kazan, Russia, then we may have just witnessed the results of faulty medication when he was unable to finish his sermon in Slovakia.”

John Paul hopes to visit Kazan in order to perform a gesture of reconciliation with Eastern Orthodox Christians — to return its cherished icon, “The Mother of God of Kazan,” which currently hangs in his Vatican office. It was rescued from likely Bolshevik destruction, smuggled into the West and later purchased by the Marian group the Blue Army.

The icon is said to have appeared miraculously, according to UPI, and its return to Orthodox hands is meant also to warm their hearts toward Rome.

Lebanese Leader to Meet With John Paul

ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sept. 18 — The speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, met Sept. 16 with Pope John Paul II, Holy See foreign minister Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran and Italian state leaders, AP reported.

Berri, who serves in the government of Syrian-occupied Lebanon, has been a vocal critic of American policies in the region — including the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Berri has also criticized American calls for Syria to withdraw its 25,000 troops from Lebanon and restore it to full independence.

Papal Condolences for Murdered Swede

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE, Sept. 12 — Sweden was shocked by the brutal stabbing death of a popular politician Sept. 10.

Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican secretary of state, wrote to Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson that “Pope John Paul II was saddened to learn of the violent death of Anna Lindh, minister of foreign affairs, and he sends heartfelt condolences to the government, Ms. Lindh's family and the entire nation. Commending the minister's soul to the benevolent mercy of Almighty God, His Holiness invokes the divine gifts of consolation and strength upon all who mourn her passing. … ‘I add the expression of my own personal sympathy on this sad occasion and assure you of my prayers.’”

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MADRID, Spain — Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Sainthood Causes, inaugurated the Second Day of Studies of the Causes of Saints, organized by the Archdiocese of Madrid.

Some 200 European specialists attended the three-day meeting, held the week of Sept. 15 in El Escorial, Spain. The theme of the Day of Studies was “The Miracle in the Processes of Canonization.”

Has the cause of Mother Teresa of Calcutta been the fastest in recent times?

Yes, for several reasons. The current canonical normative allows for preference to be given to those regions where there is no saint or blessed. Although Mother Teresa was not a native of India, she lived there for a long time and can be considered to be of that country.

Moreover, the members of the congregations founded by Mother Teresa have worked well as a team and have prepared the 80 volumes of documentation in very short time.

In any case, are we looking at an extraordinary woman?

She is, perhaps, the most outstanding figure of contemporary hagiography. She causes very great fascination not only in the Church but also among nonbelievers. She is universally considered a saint.

How many causes are currently in the congregation?

Some 2,200 have already completed the diocesan process and are in Rome.

Some people think that too many saints are being canonized.

The Church of today needs models and examples. Moreover, our world has no values and society is in need of ideals for man. Sanctity is the proclamation of human and Christian excellence.

In fact, sanctity is no more than the fullness of man. We say of Jesus Christ that he is the perfect man because he is holy.

But, what does the Church obtain with a canonization?

The principal fruit for the Church of any beatification or canonization is the glory that is given to God and, in addition, the great quantity of “moral miracles” that accompany it.

Every canonization or beatification is accompanied by a wave of grace that impels to conversion [and] faithfulness, and that elicits the desire for holiness in other people. They produce extraordinary spiritual fruit.

In these study days, there have been discussions on miracles. Why does the Church require that sign to proclaim someone blessed or saint?

Miracles have always been considered as a seal with which God guarantees the holiness of a person. Moreover, it is a necessary requirement if one considers the fragility of human proofs.

The historical investigation of the life of a person, no matter how well done, is always superficial: It cannot analyze all the moments of life of a servant of God or his profound convictions. A miracle confirms what we intuit in a person's life.

Are the majority of miracles the cure of illnesses?

Yes, and this shows how Christ's redemptive work reaches not only the soul but also persons' bodies. This is why in a miracle the new heavens and the new earth are in some way anticipated.

Do you think miracles can be understood by our world, seemingly so skeptical?

Contemporary man seeks the supernatural. This is why miracles and holiness cause great fascination. Even the most critical people have to recognize the extraordinary fact.

Is the Church exacting in recognizing a miracle?

In our Vatican congregation, miracles are studied with great seriousness. Before the Pope approves a miracle, it will have been analyzed by a very rigorous commission of doctors or specialized scientists, of theologians, and of cardinals and bishops.

A medical or scientific report is necessary to recognize a miracle. Must those who prepare it be Catholics?

No. Many times they are agnostics or of other religions. The case of St. Faustina Kowalska was entrusted to a Jew of the United States; in other cases they are agnostics. In such cases all we need is for them to tell us that the cure has no natural explanation.

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Register Summary

Pope John Paul II reflected on his recent visit to Slovakia during his general audience Sept. 17 with 12,000 pilgrims in St. Peter's Square. The Holy Father has made it a custom to assess his trips during the general audience following his return. This was his 102nd apostolic trip.

“Faithful to Christ and to the Church: These words express Slovakia's history,” the Holy Father noted. “By going there in person, I wanted to strengthen her in this faithfulness as she embarks confidently toward the future.” Slovakia is among the countries that will be joining the European Union in May 2004.

“Slovakia possesses a rich spiritual heritage that she has been able to staunchly preserve despite the harsh persecution she endured in the past,” John Paul said. He especially pointed out that vocations to the priesthood and religious life are flourishing in Slovakia. “When they enter the European Union, I am certain that the Slovak people will be able to make a valuable contribution to building Europe, including the area of moral values,” the Holy Father said.

The Pope reviewed the various stops during his trip. A highlight, he said, was the beatification of two victims of the atrocious persecutions of the '50s by the communists: Bishop Vasil Hopko and Sister Zdenka Schelingová. He ended the audience by entrusting Slovakia to the care of Our Lady of Sorrows, who is the patroness of that country.

Today I would like to reflect on the apostolic trip that I had the joy of making last week to Slovakia. I would like to thank the Lord for allowing me to visit that noble country for the third time. I would like to express once again my gratitude to all those who welcomed me with so much kindness. I would like to especially thank my venerable brothers of the episcopate, the president of the republic and the other civil authorities, as well as all those who took care of every aspect of my stay in that land.

Faithful to Christ and to the Church: These words express Slovakia's history. By going there in person, I wanted to strengthen her in this faithfulness as she embarks confidently toward the future. It was with pleasure that I was able to admire the economic and social progress that has been made during these last few years. When they enter the European Union, I am certain that the Slovak people will be able to make a valuable contribution to building Europe, including the area of moral values. Indeed, thanks to God, Slovakia possesses a rich spiritual heritage that she has been able to staunchly preserve despite the harsh persecution she endured in the past. An eloquent testimony of this is the blossoming of Christian life and priestly and religious vocations that is so promising and so evident today. I pray that this beloved nation will continue with confidence on this path.

Fearless Witnesses

The first stop on my pilgrimage was my visit to the cathedral of Trnava, the mother church of the Archdiocese of Bratislava-Trnava. At that church, which is dedicated to St. John the Baptist, I asked Christians to be more and more fearless witnesses to the Gospel.

The following days were focused on the beautiful and moving Eucharistic celebrations, whose liturgies and songs were well prepared and in which the Christian people took part intensely and devoutly. The first liturgy took place in the square at Banská Bystrica, in the heart of the country. Commenting on the Gospel of the Annunciation, I stressed the need to cultivate, starting with the family, a mature freedom. Following the Virgin Mary's example, this is the only way in which we can be ready to respond to God's call.

While I was in Banská Bystrica, I met with members of the bishops' conference of Slovakia. I encouraged them to continue their extensive work in promoting Christian life after years of isolation and communist dictatorship.

Rooted in Christ

I then went to Roznava, capital of an agricultural region. Within that context, the Gospel parable of the sower resounded with a great deal of eloquence. Yes! The Word of God is the seed of new life. In a special address to those who live in the country, I stressed the importance of their contribution to building up the nation. It is necessary, however, that they remain solidly rooted in their centuries-old Christian tradition. In Roznava, I also had the opportunity to greet many people from the Hungarian-speaking community.

The last and principal stop on my apostolic trip took place in the capital city, Bratislava. During a solemn Holy Mass, I had the joy of beatifying two children of that land: Bishop Vasil Hopko and Sister Zdenka Cecilia Schelingová, who were victims of the communist regime's atrocious persecutions in the '50s. Both were 20th-century witnesses to the faith, and they were raised to the honor of the altar precisely on the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. They remind us that the Slovak people, in their tragic moments of suffering, found strength and hope in the cross of Christ: O Crux, ave spes unica! Hail, O Cross, our only hope!

Our Lady of Sorrows

Our Lady of Sorrows has been the support for the Church in Slovakia and her principal patroness. United to her — the one who remained next to her Son on Calvary — our Slovak brothers wish to remain faithful to Christ and the Church even at this time. May Our Lady of Sorrows protect Slovakia so that she may jealously guard the Gospel, which is the most precious possession that we are to proclaim and to which we are to bear witness, along with our holiness of life!

May God bless you, dear Slovakia! Thank you for your love for the Church and for the Successor of Peter!

(Register translation)

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The biggest post-trip story of Pope John Paul II's recent apostolic pilgrimage to Slovakia was not, it seems, an evaluation of the Holy Father's apparently weakened physical condition as evidenced during his four-day stay (during which the media continued to speculate on whether or not this was the last foreign trip for the Pope) but rather the physical ailments of the journalists who traveled with him.

A story in the Sept. 16 edition of the Milan daily Il Giornale titled “Travels Don't Bend the Pope, but They Break Journalists” recounted the physical vicissitudes of the author, Andrea Tornielli, as well as those of nine journalist colleagues who, he wrote, granted him permission to tell their stories.

“Everyone fears for the Pope's health,” the story begins, “examining every perceptible expression on his face, asking if he will be able to keep up his global travels, seated on his semi-movable throne. Barely anyone, however, knows the physical consequences of papal travels on the group of journalists who follow the travels of John Paul II, an interesting litmus test in understanding the level of resistance of ‘God's globetrotter.’”

Tornielli then notes that French bishop, writer and preacher Jacques Bossuet, in his volume Politics Drawn from the Very Words of Holy Scripture, wrote: “Among all weaknesses, the greatest is the excessive fear of appearing weak.” The journalist goes on to say, “It is for this reason that, asking the reader's indulgence for the unusual biographical tone, I will start by telling you that for all four days of the Pope's trip to Slovakia, I experienced a sudden and extremely painful tooth problem which certainly did not facilitate my work as a writer.”

He was joined in his maladies, he explained, by six Italian colleagues, two Spaniards and a journalist from Argentina, whose troubles included a one-day stomach flu, lumbago, migraines lasting several days, sprained ankles (leaving a restaurant), strained knees (alighting from a taxi), serious eye problems and debilitating neck and back pain. His colleagues, he wrote, were constrained to either stay in bed, work bent over in pain, limp painfully around papal events and even sleep sitting up in a chair.

“Without dramatizing,” the article concludes, “between 12 take-offs and landings, traveling hundreds of kilometers in buses, being awakened at dawn for the daily transfers, the autumn-like climate with wind and rain (which, explains papal spokesman Joaquín Navarro Valls, ‘is good for the Pope's health’ — but evidently not that of the journalists), all of these elements were felt by everyone, notwithstanding age and length of service. More than asking ourselves if Pope Wojtyla will be able to continue to travel, we should ask ourselves if the journalists of the papal entourage will be able to keep up with him.”

The reaction to this article by other journalists who had been on the papal plane ranged from being unaware of their colleagues' problems to calling the story an “over-dramatization by the Italian media” to a majority who considered it “a tale told in very bad taste, an attempt to discredit vaticanisti” — those writers whose beat is the Vatican and the Holy Father.

There was also the viewpoint — a minority — that journalists would feel a greater empathy with the Pope if they, too, suffered pain or discomfort but continued, undaunted, in their life's calling, as John Paul does.

A telling postscript to the article: Many vaticanisti — most of whom are Italian — have been covering the Pope since his election to the papacy on Oct. 16, 1978. There are even a handful who have reported on several of his predecessors. As the Pope has aged and slowed down, so have they. Thus, a bit of empathy with “God's globetrotter” is indeed within the realm of posibility.

Joan Lewis works for Vatican Information Service.

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MILAN, Italy — When Catholic children grow up not knowing how to make the sign of the cross, it's time to do something.

That's why Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi of Milan, Italy, thought to be a front-runner to succeed Pope John Paul II, has issued an urgent call for Catholics to make greater efforts at evangelization.

At a time when many are concerned that Christianity is being replaced by secularism in Europe, Cardinal Tettamanzi, in a pastoral letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses,” urges his flock of more than 5 million Catholics to undertake a missionary “conversion” parish by parish.

The letter came in the wake of a survey by an Italian daily newspaper, La Repubblica, reporting a significant drop in the number of Italian Catholics attending Mass.

La Repubblica found that while 87% of Italians say they are Catholic, regular Mass attendance has dropped from 35.7% in 1985 to 29.3%.

The survey also shows that marriages among Italians fell 10% in 2000-2001.

It found, however, that 50% of Italians pray at least once a day.

Cardinal Tettamanzi's letter, which outlines a three-year plan for Europe's largest and most influential archdiocese, echoes John Paul's 2001 apostolic letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte (At the Beginning of the New Millennium), in which the Pope outlined the need for “a new apostolic outreach [lived] as the everyday commitment of Christian communities.”

Cardinal Tettamanzi, who became archbishop of Milan in July 2002, points out that “the rich vitality of faith today is seriously under threat … Faith seems just a repetitive reality, tired, drawn out, dull and inward looking.”

He often repeats in the letter: “We are not born Christian but become so,” and is advocating cate-chesis for adults because many are uneducated about the faith.

Broken Tradition

“Children often don't know who Jesus is because the bond between the generations has been broken,” the cardinal says.

He's thinking of people like Domenico Pelliccia, a 55-year-old divorcee from Rome who received the faith from a very devout mother but today rarely attends Mass. His son also rarely attends.

“We split from the Church in adolescence and have never returned,” he explained. “We're still in rebellion. It's connected with social change, disdain for authority in the '60s and, in any case, I feel perfectly content without it.”

In fact, a survey conducted in April 2003 by Mario Pollo of Rome's Free University of Most Holy Mary Assumed, at the request of Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar of Rome and president of the Italian bishops' conference, revealed “a sharp break in the transmission of the Catholic faith to the younger generations.”

Pollo noted that “parents no longer transmit the faith to their children.” They send their children to the parish, “but at home? Absolutely nothing.”

The survey influenced Cardinal Tettamanzi's letter. He proposes a three-year program in which parents play a key role in preparing their children for a Christian life.

Because of the widespread trend of children abandoning the Church after confirmation, Cardinal Tettamanzi is directing that confirmation and first Communion be administered at the same time rather than four years apart, as is customary. This will be done at age 11 rather than in adolescence.

Cardinal Tettamanzi is also trying to get the faithful to reach out beyond their parish to unchurched Catholics and nonbelievers and to place themselves in diverse areas of daily life.

“He is inviting all the faithful to practice their faith ‘full time,’ taking their faith further afield to the workplace and social activities,” said Msgr. Luigi Manganini, episcopal vicar for evangelization in the Archdiocese of Milan.

Sacramental Catechesis

A key concern in the letter is the lack of reverence for, or understanding of, the sacraments. Weddings have become “a social custom based on aesthetics: the dress, the presents, the guests, the photos and the meal,” the cardinal said. He has written a plan of preparation for the sacrament of marriage.

“Engaged couples who are in need of recovering their faith must be encouraged to promote and put into practice their faith in a communitarian and/or personalized way,” the cardinal writes.

But most provocatively, Cardinal Tettamanzi advises priests to withhold the sacraments from those who are “insufficiently devout.” There are no specific indications how a priest would do this, and the document says the Church is not in a position to judge a person's faith. But it says the Church can and must judge the “necessary conditions” concerning how a person freely responds to God's grace, and so it can and must discern whether those conditions warrant the “admission” to the sacraments or not.

Msgr. Manganini believes the cardinal's letter “addresses what is at the root of pastoral problems.

“It focuses on the primacy of Jesus Christ and evangelization, not re-evangelization,” he said, adding that it draws on theology and the Bible but is also practical and “situated in the ordinary, day-to-day problems of parishes.”

Father Robert Gahl Jr., who teaches moral philosophy and theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, welcomes the document.

He said the cardinal has “proposed a renewal of the sacramental life so that many might approach the sacraments in order to meet Jesus and not just fulfill an obligation or partake in a social event. Being culturally Catholic is not enough. Christians must develop a personal relationship with Our Lord.”

But Father Joseph Dunnigan, a priest ordained in the United States who is now working in a parish in southern Italy, was skeptical.

“I remember a renewal program in Britain where the numbers attending Mass actually dropped further because it was led by overbearing people,” he said.

“In my experience, the vast majority of Catholics here pray regularly even if they don't go to Mass. Almost all are aware of the need to go to confession, especially before receiving Communion,” Father Dunnigan said.

“The waters still run deep as far as Communion is concerned,” he stressed, adding that refusal to give sacraments sounds like a “terribly bossy” thing “guaranteed to upset people.” But he acknowledged that Milan is what he called a “different country” than the south, where Catholicism remains more socially embedded.

“Sure, at weddings the happy couple look like Ken and Barbie,” Father Dunnigan said. “But even if they lack taste, they respect the priest and display reverence.”

Will it be a stimulus for other parishes? “Absolutely,” Father Gahl said. “Milan, being one of the largest archdioceses in Europe, is very much a leader in Italy and the world.”

However, its success, he said, depends on the “personal belief” of those leading the program. “The Pope has made it clear that the New Evangelization depends on contemplative prayer,” he said.

“If the program leaders aren't people of prayer, then it won't bear solid fruit.”

Edward Pentin is based in Rome.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Edward Pentin ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Media Watch DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

Liberating the Libertines

REUTERS, Sept. 15 — The liberation of Iraq from Saddam Hussein's regime has ended all manner of “repression,” according to Reuters, including government restrictions on pornography, which is now flooding the country.

The market for other forms of cinema has dried up, the news service reported, as Iraqis (mostly male) fill the theaters for “romantic” (soft-core) and “sexy” (hard-core) films.

“Under Saddam, forget it. You would go to jail for showing or watching this,” aficionado Mohammed Jassim told a reporter, standing before Baghdad's Atlas Cinema, which was showing a film called Real Raping.

Some Iraqi Muslims have responded proactively to the imports: In the Shi'ite city of Basra, Reuters noted, the city's three cinemas “closed for two weeks after young men on motorbikes turned up warning that if they showed ‘sinful’ movies they would be burned down.” When the theaters reopened, the porn films were gone.

Catholics Fight Divorce Law in Chile

THE NEWARK STAR-LEDGER, Sept. 15 — Local Church officials in mostly Catholic Chile are struggling against the odds to keep the government from legalizing easy, American-style divorce, The Newark Star-Ledger noted.

New legislation passed by both houses of the Chilean legislature, still open to amendment, would permit divorce for the first time. Catholics are trying to keep current marriage law, passed in 1884, in line with religious values.

Father Jaime Fernandez, who heads the Vicariate for the Family in Chile, supports amendments that would require a three- to five-year “cooling off” period before a divorce is granted. “Everything should be done to avoid this rupture,” Father Fernandez said. “We know that when couples are angry they do things that aren't thought out.”

He also backs a provision — favored by 71% of Chileans — allowing engaged couples to make their marriages divorce-proof, or indissoluble. Father Fernandez cited a wide variety of American studies demonstrating higher suicide, drug use and crime rates among the children of divorce.

Drug Prevention Conference Meets Near Rome

FIDES, Sept. 12 — The fifth annual Global Drug Prevention Conference was to be held from Sept. 22-26 near Rome, reported Fides, the Vatican missionary news service.

One scheduled speaker was Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral of Health Care Workers.

The conference was intended to increase awareness of the destructive power of illegal drugs and prospects for eliminating them — in accord with the U.N. Convention on Illegal Drugs — and to forestall ill-advised attempts to legalize narcotics.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: News -------- TITLE: Going on Offense DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

We originally published the editorial “Going on Offense” more than a year ago. Here is an updated version.

Whatever happened to the new springtime of the faith? It wasn't so long ago — the feast of Christ the King in the Jubilee Year — when Pope John Paul II said, “As for the future, there are many reasons for entering the new millennium with well-founded hope.” He spoke of “the Christian springtime, many signs of which we can already glimpse.”

Those were heady times. Catholics looked at the millennium to come as a missionary field to be conquered by Christ. It was “the Catholic moment” to some, the “triumph of the Immaculate Heart” to others, “the New Evangelization” to us all.

In 2002, that spirit seems to have deflated. When speaking about the faith means having to speak about horrible sins committed and abetted by members of the clergy, we tend to find other things to talk about. If we felt exhilarated by the Jubilee then, many of us now feel betrayed by bishops, disgusted by the behavior of some priests and fed up with scandal after scandal.

That's no good. We propose a different response. Let's go on offense.

After all, look at the facts.

First, remember that pedophilia is extremely rare in the priesthood — 1 in 3,000 priests are guilty, according to studies.

When the priest crisis was at its height the Associated Press recently deployed its reporters across the United States to survey Catholic dioceses about the number of priests accused of sexual abuse with underage victims, mostly teens.

The news service estimated that the percentage of guilty or accused priests nationwide was … less than half of 1%. “And many of the complaints come from decades ago,” the report added.

A year later, maxing out the numbers and painting the worst picture possible, The New York Times concluded that the number of priests accused of sexual abuse (mostly homosexual seduction of teens) was … 1.8%

With that in mind, consider the media's barrage of news reports that have made a crime look pervasive in the priesthood, though it is rarer there than elsewhere. In addition to the evil of the abuse that has occurred, it is obvious that we are witnessing another great evil — an attack on the priesthood.

We must address both. We should encourage reform in the Church, yes, but it is just as important to defend the Church in public, because the Church is necessary to humanity's salvation.

What can we do? Here are some suggestions:

Celebrate Priest Day. Well, for starters, if we missed the celebration of Priest Day Sept. 21, we can plan now to do something public to honor our priests on Oct. 26, the other date being touted as “priest day.” At a minimum, we can praise our priests in conversations with friends and family, and mention the true statistics about priests. Or how about gathering a surprise spiritual bouquet, from the whole parish, to offer our priests on Father's Day? Better still, how about hounding our local media outlets to start balancing coverage of the scandals by doing positive stories of priests' good works?

Second, pray the rosary for priests. It's the year of the rosary, still, for a few weeks more — and the Pope has called for daily rosaries. If you are praying the rosary daily, add priests to your intentions. If you aren't, start praying it with this intention.

Third, give priests more “customers.” The Holy Father has asked Catholics to promote Sunday Mass, confession, prayer and community service. We can do so by printing and passing out copies of all the Register's How to Be Catholic guides, which are updated with a much cleaner look at www.ncregister.com.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: Letters DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

Harry and the Archbishop

In “On Potter, Politics, The Passion … and Everything” (Inperson, Sept. 14-20), Archbishop Charles Chaput was asked: “You recently defended the Harry Potter books against censorship, arguing that the problem isn't magic and sorcery in the books but how the culture alienates us from responding to them in an appropriate way.” He answered, “Any excessive focus on witchcraft or sorcery is bad, but I think the Harry Potter books and films can be enjoyed as a children's fantasy. Nothing in either attacks the Christian faith, and good does win out over evil.”

In an article Archbishop Chaput wrote in January 2002, this is what he said: “So what's the verdict on Harry Potter? That's a matter for parents, not bishops, to decide. I think Harry Potter can be happily enjoyed as a children's fantasy movie. Nothing in the movie attacks the Christian faith, and good does win out over evil. At the same time, unfortunately, characters in the Potter books do sometimes accomplish good things by doing bad things, like lying.” The article is posted on www.catholic family.org.

The last time I looked, the end never justifies the means! The fact that good things are accomplished by doing bad things, like lying, does indeed attack the Christian faith.

I would like to know what the bishop did in the way of study regarding the Harry Potter phenomenon. There is a ton of information exposing the many dangers of Harry Potter available from very reliable sources. I am sorry, but I'm just so tired of hearing relativist statements about “Little Harry.”

I am also tired of fighting the clergy in the course of trying to carry out my duties as a parent. Knowing how controversial the Harry Potter series is, I expected more than this.

I think Archbishop Chaput is an awesome bishop. I would, however, ask him to use a pen name when doing movie reviews.

JOHN BEDARD Springfield, Tennessee

No ‘Father Dads’

Regarding “In Media Letter, Priests Call for Optional Celibacy” (Aug. 31-Sept. 6):

Years before the current sex scandal, I was having a conversation with my more liberal cousin and a priest about whether the Church would ever allow priests to marry as a norm rather than an exception. What I told them is what I usually tell anyone who starts this conversation. “I don't know about you, but I'm pretty selfish in my spiritual needs, and I want my priest to be there in the hospital giving me last rites rather than down in the delivery room helping his wife give birth to a child!”

We also have some friends who were told, when the husband was looking into the deaconate, that they needed to wait until their own family was older and less demanding. (They are expecting No. 5). So why would it be easier for a priest with small children?

And finally, as a former Army wife, I saw the hardships our family had to go through while my husband was caring for one of his soldiers' family's needs. As a leader in the military, especially overseas, he was not only responsible for the soldiers but also their families. Priests, especially parish priests, are responsible for the spiritual needs of all the members in their respective parishes, and thus their own families would suffer.

If the Catholic Church ever went “democratic,” I would vote No to priestly marriage. Luckily, the Holy Spirit is guiding us and “the gates of hell will not prevail” against us.

JANE SNYDER

El Paso, Texas

Show Your Commandments

Thank you for “Monumental Battle: Judge Moore Stands by Ten Commandments” (Aug. 31-Sept. 6).

The recent aggressive removal of Christian symbols from public view should be frankly frightening to every Christian regardless of denomination. Are we headed for a United States devoid of any reference to God? I spent a few years in Poland before the fall of communism and remember the active public persecution of the Church. Is that where we are going?

Already free speech regarding God is being curtailed. Soon more Christian symbols will be removed from public display. How soon will the practice of our Christian faith become illegal because its moral tenets insult certain groups? Ladies and gentlemen, we are sliding fast on the slippery slope to state-sponsored atheism. (Isn't that a sort of religion?) We have got to do something.

Then you ran a follow-up, “As Monument Comes Down, Project Moses Heats Up,” (Sept. 7-13) and some hope was restored. But we must do much more if we want our country to retain its Christian heritage. Along with our evangelical-Protestant brothers and sisters, we need to launch a counterattack.

Let's all display the Ten Commandments — millions of us. Signs on our lawns, posters in our car windows, fliers, bumper stickers — wherever people can see them. Show the liberals that they've finally pushed us too far. Now we're going to push back, and we're not going to stop until our Judeo-Christian tradition is restored to its proper place in the public square, as the very foundation of our national existence. God who has created us gave us our rights. No state has the authority to take them away.

Can a few tyrannical judges stop millions of ordinary people from displaying the Ten Commandments? “Thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates,” says the Lord (Deuteronomy 11:20). Let's do it and see what happens.

KATHRYN SKUZA, M.D.

Union, New Jersey

Rosary Guide, Umbert and You

Dear Associates,

The response to the Register Guide to the Rosary has been very positive. We have distributed all tens of thousands of copies that you donated to the Archdiocese for the Military Services. Rosary guides are on ships, aircraft and armored vehicles and in rucksacks around the world with our military men and women. They are treasured by both Catholic and Protestant service personnel.

Now, Gary Cangemi, the author of Umbert the Unborn, has given us permission to print a collection of Umbert cartoon strips in book format. This will be a wonderful tool for parents, grandparents and godparents to teach young people about the truth of pro-life issues that will confront them when they reach adulthood. There will be 84 pages of cartoons and commentary in this beautiful full-color soft-cover book. We need your help to begin publishing this so that it will be available for Christmas.

If you can help us raise the $16,000 we need for this vital project, or have any suggestions for marketing, let me know.

And don't forget — please join Father Owen Kearns, LC, in New York City on the evening of Oct. 2 at the Waldorf Astoria. Contact me for further information about this exciting event.

MICHAEL LAMBERT

Register Development Director

(203) 230-3805

mlambert@circlemedia.com

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Opinion -------- TITLE: Church, Have Mercy ... on Post-Abortive Women DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

I disagree with Ginalynne Mielko's view (Letters, Sept. 7-13) that the Register “put a spin on sin” by referring to “loss” rather than “murder” in Joseph Pronechen's Prolife Profile of Project Rachel (”The Other Church Abortion Teaching: Mercy,” Aug. 24-30).

As a freelance writer, I have recently completed several abortion-related assignments. I also worked with Catholic singer-songwriter Michael John Poirier and his wife, Mary, on their Healing After the Choice CD project. These opportunities have allowed me to witness the pain [experienced by] post-abortive women. To write about their stories with reference to “murder” would have been contextually inappropriate and grossly insensitive.

Abortion is loss and post-abortive women do suffer intensely, often after being deceived about fetal development during a time of crisis, despair, isolation and coercion. In post-abortion ministry, a focus on this aspect of the experience — loss — is a necessary part of therapeutic healing. Identifying loss means recognizing the value of human life and the extent of abortion's harm. Isn't this what pro-lifers want?

In Evangelium Vitae [the 1995 encyclical The Gospel of Life], referring to aborted children, Pope John Paul II tenderly tells post-abortive women “nothing is definitively lost.” He encourages them to become “among the most eloquent defenders of everyone's right to life.” To label wounded, fragile and possibly even suicidal women as murderers is to ignore the Holy Father's compassionate example and stifle potential “eloquent defenders.”

Pro-life activism proclaims the nature of the sin. Pro-life mercy ministers unconditional love to the agony of self-inflicted loss and proclaims, “Neither do I condemn you.” Both aspects must use contextually appropriate language in striving toward the goal of helping our disordered world to “sin no more.”

Pronechen and the Register deserve praise for working to promote a culture of life with integrity and sensitivity.

NANCY MONTGOMERY

Edmond, Oklahoma

“The Other Church Abortion Teaching: Mercy,” (Aug. 24-30) mentions a woman who could not forgive herself for her role in the loss of her baby's life. In response, one letter-writer insisted that the reporter should have called it murder rather than loss (“Stop the Spin on Sin,” Letters, Sept. 7-13). She warned the Register not to “lessen the severity of this sin.”

When a baby dies, it is a loss, one the mother has a need and right to grieve. Speculation about personal culpability can be especially cruel to the many women who were coerced into unwanted abortions. Some were just girls at the time — threatened, blackmailed and even driven to the clinic by their parents. Others did not fully comprehend that they had killed their child until they saw their first ultrasound years later. Still others were raped and further violated by being pressured by family to submit to abortion. Regardless of circumstance, however, assessments of culpability are best left to her priest. In any case, the reason this woman, like so many others, cannot forgive herself is because she clearly understands the severity of the sin.

Being sensitive to her loss has nothing to do with the seriousness of the sin. Jesus didn't “lessen the severity of the sin” by failing to condemn the adulteress. He simply discouraged sinners from throwing stones at other sinners. As St. Ambrose observed, the Pharisees, in their great disgust for sin, kept sinners from God.

Women who abort are six times more likely to commit suicide. Too many of these women believed they had committed an unforgivable sin and that they'd find only accusers, not friends, in the pro-life movement. When women lose hope, they remain trapped in self-destructive lifestyles or kill themselves. Satan wins.

Pope John Paul II advocates a more Christlike approach and considers post-abortive women and men to be some of the most “eloquent defenders” of everyone's right to life.

The epidemic of post-abortion grief, injury and death is denied by abortionists and censored by media for a reason: They know it will be abortion's downfall. Polls show that Americans (finally) understand that abortion kills a child, but they still support legal abortion because they think abortion helps women. Americans don't realize that abortion is killing women, too. We'll end abortion sooner by expressing concern, not condemnation, for women, and by publicizing the peer-reviewed research available at www.afterabortion.org.

MICHLEEN COLLINS

Springfield, Illinois

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Roe v. Roe Before the U.S. Congress DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

Usually, when the Senate debates abortion legislation, the question is whether or to what extent it chips away at Roe v. Wade.

Now, Roe itself is on the table.

The Senate will soon appoint conferees to reconcile partial-birth-abortion bills that have passed the House and Senate. The only difference between them is that the Senate's version includes Iowa Democrat Sen. Tom Harkin's “sense of the Senate” amendment declaring that Roe v. Wade “was appropriate,” “secures an important constitutional right” and “should not be overturned.” This is the subject of this week's eight-hour debate.

Roe, of course, is a real person. Her name is Norma McCorvey, and her story is fascinating. It begins in 1969 when she was a young homeless woman in Texas. On the streets since she was a child, Norma found herself pregnant for the third time — the second time out of wedlock. Abortion was not legal in Texas, so Norma found her, way to two young lawyers and she telling them she'd been gang-raped.

They told her they would help her get an abortion, and she became a plaintiff in their case against Texas' abortion law. The case dragged on, Norma had her baby, and years later she saw news reports about her case — it had gone all the way to the Supreme Court and had made abortion legal in all 50 states.

At first she was shocked and upset. She turned to alcohol and drugs, and she attempted suicide. But then, throwing herself into the cause for which she had become somewhat of a celebrity, Norma joined the staff of a Texas abortion clinic.

She did many jobs in the clinic, but there were two things she couldn't do: She couldn't lie to the women, though she was often asked to do just that, and she couldn't handle the “tissue” — the clinic's term for the bags of body parts that were stored in a freezer for the weekly pickup.

Finally Norma had to leave: “You see the body parts, you hear the women's cries, and you can't keep lying to yourself.” Today she is pro-life and runs a group called Roe no More.

Roe v. Wade is 30 years old this year. But in 30 years we haven't studied abortion's effect on women's health, on the family or on society. In fact, we don't even know with certainty how many children have been aborted. Proponents of legal abortion have opposed any real scrutiny of it. In a very real sense, Roe v. Wade has been a 30-year social experiment on the lives of women and children.

But what have we learned?

We have learned one thing well — not to question Roe. A brief glance at the judicial-nominations debate is evidence enough of this.

But there's a more sinister lesson Roe v. Wade has taught this country — that abortion is the compassionate response to a woman with an untimely pregnancy. The assumption that abortion is good for women must be challenged.

There's been no systematic examination, for none has been permitted, but 30 years of unlimited abortion “freedom” has resulted in a very sad reality. Women choose abortion as a last resort, not as a free choice. Women turn to abortion because they feel alone and helpless, abandoned or pressured by boyfriends or family members. Abortion is not the act of empowerment it was promised to be.

Even the pro-abortion Alan Guttmacher Institute shows in its survey of women that the overarching reasons women have abortions are a lack of financial resources and emotional support. When you look at it this way, you begin to see abortion as the result of our failure as a society to help women, not as a way to help them.

There is a site called afterabor tion.com. This is most decidedly not a pro-life site. It is a support-group site for women trying to cope with the aftermath of their abortions. The stories have common themes: Their families pressured them, their boyfriends abandoned them or gave them ultimatums; they had nowhere to turn. Some had their abortions almost 20 years ago and have mourned for their children every single day since. Many speak of clinical depression and medication. Some attempt suicide. Many tell stories of how their marriages fell apart; one women spoke of the “silent gloom” between herself and her husband that wouldn't go away. Their profound loneliness is palpable. You cannot visit this site and be unmoved.

This is the legacy of Roe v. Wade. Should the Senate affirm this legacy? Only if it turns its backs on women.

The truth is, no compassionate person should want a woman to suffer through the personal tragedy of abortion. No teen-age girl should have to drop out of school because she became pregnant. No young woman should have to face the prospect of a life of poverty. No one should feel abandoned by her family and friends. And no person should ever have to suffer the pain and anguish of abortion.

It's time we as a nation come in solidarity with women in crisis and offer real solutions.

Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better than abortion.

Cathleen A. Cleaver, Esq., is director of planning and information for the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Cathleen A. Cleaver ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Abortion, Hispanics and the Great Recall DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

As of this writing, the status of the great recall election of 2003 is up in the air.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has just thrown a monkey wrench into the whole process by ruling that the voting in the special election might violate somebody's equal protection. By the time you read this, we'll all know whether the election will go forward as originally planned, has been postponed until some future date or has been scrapped altogether.

However that court process ends, this election has opened up some very interesting political possibilities concerning abortion. The very wildness of the election has allowed some new and unusual voices to be heard. And this is all to the good for those of us with unconventional views about crucial issues such as abortion.

You wouldn't think there is anything new to say about abortion. The most conservative of the Republican candidates, Tom McClintock, has taken stands that are, by this time, fairly typical among conservatives. He opposes partial-birth abortion. He favors parental consent as a condition for abortions by underage girls.

This is sufficient for the pro-abortion establishment to paint him into an “anti-” candidate: anti-choice, anti-woman, anti-freedom. Therefore, he tends to keep a low profile about this issue. While he answers straightforwardly if he is asked, he doesn't usually bring it up. It seems safer to stick to the fiscal issues that were the original motivation for the recall movement and which still provide its most reliable backbone.

Pro-Life Democrat

However, another candidate has emerged from the pack who has something different to say about abortion.

Warren Farrell, a registered Democrat, describes himself as a “Father's Issues Author.” Farrell's signature issues have to do with getting and keeping men involved with their children. These issues include things like a presumption of joint custody in divorce cases. He favors a bill imposing penalties for paternity fraud to discourage women from naming the richest guy they've slept with as the father of their child. Farrell has a small but intensely motivated following among disenfranchised and defrauded fathers as well as among second wives. But it is his abortion position that interests me here.

First, Farrell believes a pregnant woman should be required to notify the father immediately when she learns of her pregnancy.

In Father and Child Reunion, Farrell writes about cases in which the woman only informed the father of her pregnancy after she had already made all the decisions, effectively cutting him out of all possibility of contributing. Second, Farrell proposes that if either parent wishes to care for the infant-in-process, then the fetus must become a child. As we all know, a child has rights that a fetus does not.

A father should be permitted to make a legally binding commitment to care for the child himself. If neither parent is willing to care for the child, then adoption is the second choice. Only if those alternatives are found nonviable should abortion be allowed.

Now, no one would mistake this position for the exuberantly optimistic Catholic pro-life position. But neither would anyone mistake it for the typical Democratic pro-abortion fundamentalism. In my view, the real value of Farrell's proposal is that it calls attention to the deeply social nature of every abortion decision. And this is where the abortion issue could get very interesting in the great recall of 2003.

The major Democratic candidate to replace Gov. Gray Davis is current Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. Gleeful Democratic and left-leaning commentators have speculated that if Hispanic voters want to see Bustamante as the next governor, they will a) vote for recalling Davis, and b) vote for Bustamante as his replacement. Since a lot of other people want Davis to get out of Dodge, this strategic voting by Democratic Latinos will sink Davis' ship for good.

So the recall movement, initiated by conservative Republicans, will completely backfire on them and bring about California's first Hispanic governor in more than 100 years. Ha, ha.

But if McClintock or any other plausible contender has the guts to raise the abortion issue — and if the media ever start listening to Farrell emphasize the social aspect of the abortion decision — the Hispanic vote will be up for grabs. Here's why.

Latinos make up about 15% of California's registered electorate. Mexican-Americans are more pro-life and pro-family than the average voter. In one nationwide poll, for instance, 50% of Latinos said, “Congress should put more limits on abortion.”

A large percentage of Mexican-Americans are Catholic — not just nominally Catholic but devoutly and unabashedly Catholic. Some secular commentators make no secret of their delight that some Hispanics are abandoning Catholicism.

These commentators fail to realize that Hispanics become Pentecostals and evangelicals, not Episcopalians or members of some New Age cult. In other words, they don't leave the Catholic Church because it is too traditional on moral issues: They leave because it isn't traditional enough.

When Democrats talk about economic issues or entitlement issues or immigration issues, many Latinos respond. But when the subject is sex, family or abortion, Latinos resonate with Republicans. One of our “alternative newspapers” here in California reports that many Hispanics don't realize that the Democrats are the party of abortion. Jim Holman's San Diego News Notes clearly insinuates that Democrats strategically conceal their pro-abortion extremism from their Hispanic constituents.

I have lost track of the number of times I have read about some Sacramento legislative assault on the family that was opposed by “a coalition of Republicans and Hispanic Democrats.” For instance, a bill providing for an extension of existing domestic partnership benefits easily passed in Sacramento this past month.

In the California Assembly (the equivalent of the House of Representatives in Congress) all Democrats voted for, all Republicans voted against, with the exception of six abstentions. All the abstentions were Democrats, indicating how firmly the party leaders enforced party discipline.

The most notable fact about the abstentions is that two-thirds of them were Hispanic crossovers. Four of those six abstentions were members of the Latino Caucus, including its chairman, Marco Antonio Firebaugh. In the Senate, there were no abstentions. The only deviation from rigid partisanship was Dean Florez, a Democratic senator from the Central Valley, the farm heartland of California.

Farrell's position demonstrates that, contrary to the Democratic Party line, it is possible to have nuanced positions on abortion. Farrell is alone among visible Democrats in calling for partner notification as a requirement for abortion. California is probably not ready for that, but I do believe parental notification is an issue with widespread appeal. The protests of the pro-abortion extremists will reveal the fundamentally antisocial nature of their position.

Questions

So here are a couple of strategic questions someone should ask in the next debate.

Maybe an older Mexican-American lady could stand up from the audience and ask the candidates why her son's wife can have an abortion without even telling him. Maybe she could mention that no one in her family would dream of sending her 13-year-old granddaughter to the doctor by herself. So why does the state of California allow her to leave public school to go to an abortion clinic without any adult in the family even knowing about it?

Maybe one of the other candidates could ask Bustamante a few pointed questions about Davis administration policies. Why does the attorney general of California restrict the sale of Catholic hospitals? (Catholic hospitals often stipulate that the buyer agree to follow their current policies against providing abortions. They don't want to sell a hospital called St. So-and-So and have it provide abortions while appearing Catholic. California's attorney general ruled that sellers of hospitals located in California cannot impose such conditions of sale.)

Maybe another candidate could ask whether abortion clinics are mandatory reporters of child abuse. Is there any girl young enough, with a boyfriend old enough, that the clinics should be required to report a possible case of statutory rape? (The attorney general was specifically asked to rule on this very question last summer.) Why was this a tough question for the Davis administration, Mr. Bustamante?

If another candidate has the guts to ask these questions, maybe some of those Mexican grandmothers would start telling Cruz he ought to be ashamed of himself for hanging around with such a disreputable character as Gray Davis. If they do, the great recall election of 2003 really will be up for grabs.

Jennifer Roback Morse is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and the author of Love & Economics: Why the Laissez-Faire Family Doesn't Work (Spence, 2001).

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Jennifer Roback Morse ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Join My Cosmic Game of Connect the Dots DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

How does one begin a regular or semi-regular column? It's a puzzle that's vexed writers since the invention of the newspaper.

The great advantage old-timer columnists have is that everybody's been reading them so long that you feel like you know them. You recognize their turns of phrase, their pet topics, their smiles, their frowns; their ups, their downs are second nature to you now, like breathing out and … [smack].

Sorry. Slipped into My Fair Lady mode there for a second. But that's as good a place to start as any, I guess. Because I'll do that a lot in this space. Not slip into My Fair Lady mode but into “reference stuff in pop culture” mode.

Why? Because I'm a Catholic — a “non-revisionist” Catholic, as Peter Kreeft puts it. A Catholic who thinks the Catholic faith is true (Period. Full stop.) and who thinks that what the world needs is not a muttered Catholic faith but a full-throated proclamation of the truth of the faith in terms people can grasp.

Why? Because I think the Catholic faith is not only true, it is also liberating, illuminating, exciting, moving, joyous, tough-minded, gentle as a daisy, beautiful as every song you've ever heard, invigorating, hard as nails, wry, peppery, sweet as mother's milk, rooted like an oak, supple as quicksilver, and the sacrament of Jesus Christ is given to this very real and very messed-up world for our healing, perfection and glorification.

It is the only thing in the world that can take everything from pork to pyrotechnics, from angels to pinheads, from barrios to bio-engineering and see it all as a coherent whole to which the — revelation of God Almighty has something to say. It's the only thing that is both fully divine and fully human. It's the only thing that can take the sublime glories of heaven as depicted by great Renaissance painters and find a way to include an Irish butcher with a hairy wart on his nose in those realities.

It is, in a word, the only complete thing in the world. It's ecological in a way that most ecologists never think of. Everything is connected because it's all the creation of one God, all redeemed by that same God and all called to union with that one God by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The trick, though, is making the connection. That's more or less what this column is going to aim to do. Connect the dots.

I think that's a necessary skill for us Catholics to learn today — and a necessary task for us to perform for others. Time was, Catholics lived in a complete cosmos where, as Chesterton remarked, we agreed about everything. It was only everything else we disagreed about. We agreed on a few cosmic truths (summarized in creed and sacrament) and stood upon these rock-solid truths as the basis for a thousand other arguments.

The genius of modernity is that it removed the agreement but multiplied the arguments. We no longer know if there is one God the Father Almighty, but we are ready to fight over private dogmas about things like weightism, homophobia or global warming.

We might not know what we're talking about, but, like Buzz Lightyear, we're always sure.

It's only when you get to eternal things, things that will really matter long after J-Lo and Ben have broken up (assuming they are still an item by the time this sees print) that we go all squishy and don't want to have a definite opinion since, after all, who really knows and what difference does it make, anyway?

Postmodern culture has, indeed, assumed it to be a settled fact that the eternal heaven of private opinion or fantasy and the ordinary life of the public square are too remote to ever have contact with one another. Even Catholics live as though the Blessed Trinity and the morning wash are two separate realities that have little to do with one another. Purgatory? What does that have to do with the healthy baby boomers jogging around Green Lake in Seattle?

In a world of shampoo, blenders, schools schedules and rising prices, do we really need to worry our heads about the inspiration of Scripture, free will, the Real Presence, the Ten Commandments and apostolic succession? As long as you're a good person, that should be enough, shouldn't it? But faith affects everything from politics to warfare to marriage to kids to downloading music off the Web.

In the coming months, we will use this space to explore the ways in which the Catholic faith connects the dots between God and us, heaven and earth, Everything and everything else. I think we'll all be surprised, challenged, overjoyed and occasionally, awed at what we discover. Please, come along.

Mark Shea writes from Seattle.

Find his Web log at www.markshea.blogspot.com.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Mark P. Shea ----- KEYWORDS: Commentary -------- TITLE: Superboys DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

Eamon was 4 years old the day he discovered Superman. He was watching an old rerun of a “Superfriends” cartoon when he called me to his side.

“He's a man of steel, Mama,” he breathed with wonderment, his eyes never leaving the television screen. Soon after, Superman began making regular appearances at our home. With a red sweatshirt cape flying boldly from his neck, he would swoop down the stairs and land at my feet. He would strike that unmistakable superhero pose, arms folded across his chest and chin jutting out, and ask if I needed any rescuing today.

In his imaginary battles against the “Legion of Doom,” he always claimed victory. There was something about fighting for “truth, justice, and the American way” that Eamon found particularly attractive.

Early in my career as a mother of boys, I dismissed my sons' attraction to fighting as an unhealthy inclination toward violence. Play-fighting troubled me, so I outlawed toy weapons in our home. Eamon, and his younger brother Ambrose, however, were not discouraged by silly rules. Ever resourceful, they bit their toast into buttery pistols, whittled sticks into swords and the battle was on.

It was then that I discovered I had largely misunderstood their boyish passions. Play battles aren't so much about violence as they are about the eternal struggle between good and evil. And that's written even on their little hearts.

In their minds, my sons are variously St. Michael thrusting Satan into hell, David defeating the mighty Goliath and American soldiers bringing freedom to oppressed people all over the globe. They exhibit a fierce sense of righteousness as they protect the weak and rid the world of evil. They are learning how to be the good guys.

By watching them, I have come to realize that it's not the masculine inclination toward fighting that I object to. It's the godless ways in which the aggressive impulse is encouraged and exploited in the modern world that I find distasteful. There is a whole realm of evil for us to fight. Rather than attempting to squelch our sons' manly tendencies, we should teach them which battles to fight and how to fight them well.

One recent night, Eamon, who is now 7, got up soon after going to bed. News of weapons and violence in Iraq had been on the television earlier that evening and the grown-ups in our household had been discussing chemical weapons and bio-terrorism. Eamon was worried that bad men might use their weapons against our home and our family. Although I assured him that American soldiers were doing a good job protecting us and that we were safe, he was still uneasy.

“Mama,” he said, “do the good guys always win?”

I hesitated. Even with his limited experience, Eamon is old enough to understand that the world is not perfect. Once in a while, he knows, the bad guys do seem to win. Sometimes a pushy bully dominates the slide at the playground. Sometimes parents misunderstand a sibling quarrel and a guilty kid goes unpunished.

What a joy, though, to be able to tell my son that, despite the presence of evil in the world, ultimately the good guys do always win. Jesus Christ, I told him, is the ultimate superhero. In the end all goodness shall be rewarded and all evil punished. If we are soldiers for Christ, we can be sure we are always on the winning team.

As I am folding laundry one recent afternoon, my youngest son, 2-year-old Stephen, approaches and hands me a toy musket. “On,” he demands, and so I help him pull the strapping over his head and adjust it until the gun hangs just right at his side. He grunts his appreciation, pops a pacifier in his mouth and heads out the front door to save the world.

May God go with him.

Danielle Bean writes from Center Harbor, New Hampshire.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Danielle Bean ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: At the Sign of the Archangel DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

One day the missus and I turned off the highway and headed straight into a postcard of a picturesque New England village green.

Well, that was what the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel in Springfield, Mass., looked like to us, anyway. The regal sanctuary sits before a busy downtown thoroughfare, but it's separated from the hustle and bustle by a great lawn that unfurls like a miniature park before its welcoming doors.

The exterior spoke clearly to Mary and me of St. Michael's 19th-century beginnings. It was remarkable to think that Abraham Lincoln was still weeks away from being elected president when the cornerstone was laid on Sept. 29, 1860 — feast of St. Michael and his fellow archangel-saints, Gabriel and Raphael. On Christmas morning, 1862, the church was dedicated and the first Mass celebrated.

Four years later, in Sept. 1866, St. Michael's became the first church in Massachusetts outside of Boston to be consecrated. The following day, Springfield's major newspaper described the structure as “architecturally the finest in the city.” The article went further, calling St. Michael's “one of the best churches in the country.”

Little wonder: The commanding brick church is yet another master-work of Patrick Charles Keely. The celebrated church architect designed this one in an eclectic style. With its tall, central steeple topped by a white belltower, rows of substantial dentils and roof sloping gently like wings folding into Greek Revival angles, St. Michael's is first reminiscent of a classic New England Congregationalist house of worship. But instead of being clothed in typical white clapboard, St. Michael's is robed in brick.

A golden cross distinguishes the top of the steeple. Below, in the brick belltower we can see a shrine for St. Michael. In a polychrome image, he stands ready to greet and protect us. The princely archangel also appears in a medallion over the main entry. The large keystone archway surrounding the doors and the triple set of spiral arches within it form a fancy framework for the entry.

The church is a far cry from the boardinghouse site of the first Mass in the Springfield area in 1830. By 1846 the first parish — originally named St. Benedict's — was founded, mainly with Irish immigrants. By 1870, the 8-year-old church was elevated as the cathedral for the new Diocese of Springfield.

Since then, of course, the interior has undergone numerous renovations. Today one of the most striking elements is the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, located in place of the original side altar. It combines elements spanning the 19th and 20th centuries; the Throne of Reservation for the tabernacle is a highly ornamental Gothic design of wood with small pillars and canopy reminiscent of a baldachino. The canopy's single tall spire, topped by a cross and surrounded by a court of smaller spires, covers the bronze tabernacle.

This tabernacle's symbols of Christ — the Chi-Rho and the Alpha and Omega — are carved in clean, simple, late 20th-century lines. Behind it, a huge modern mosaic depicts the burning bush seen by Moses. Its red and orange flames flicker against a blue background, symbolizing the continuous presence of God.

Protector, Defender

The latest renovations, completed six years ago, emphasized lines of the original architecture in many places. Starting in the sanctuary, a reredos of rich, dark oak reintro-duces more of a period appearance. The middle of its seven panels frames the bishop's chair, the cathedra.

The wall behind the altar and reredos sparkles with three repeating symbols of St. Michael. The winged sword represents him as Protector of the Faith. The shield signifies his job as Defender of the Faith. The crown is a sign he's Prince of Angels. The crosses glinting on the shields remind us of the crosses we must bear in life.

Well above the altar and close to the apse, the gold image of the Risen Christ appears with glorious rays radiating from behind him. Pure gold leaf was used to gild the original curling foliage decorations in the sanctuary as well as the capitals on columns.

The neutral color scheme of beiges and blues accentuates the elegant columns, Roman arches and bounteous rosettes on the ceiling.

The stained-glass windows from Boston were installed during the reign of Pope Pius XII, but they have the prominent colors and plentiful details of venerable glass ancestors, sparkling like fine jewels and rich in story and symbolism inside colorful foliated and symbolic borders.

In the Gospel transept, three giant lancets focus on the Divine commission. The tallest features Christ as teacher, ascending in glory to the Father as he stretches his hands toward the Apostles below him. “Go … and teach all nations,” proclaims his message written at the foundation.

In the slightly smaller lancets, Jesus as King gives Peter the keys in one (He that heareth you heareth Me”), and Jesus as Priest institutes the Eucharist and gives the bread and wine to Peter in the other (“Do this as a commemoration of Me”).

European Elegance

Naturally, a window honors St. Michael the Archangel as the Protector of the Universal Church. Brilliantly clothed in ruby and white, Michael stands tall as the princely, heroic angel that he is. The midmorning sun captures him in heavenly brilliance. The ornate borders narrate six events connected with Michael. One shows him comforting the prophet Daniel. Another sees Michael slaying a dragon, the devil.

The Blessed Mother with Child Jesus was the first of the new stained-glass windows installed, around 1954. St. Joseph the Workman in the opposite transept is dressed as a modest laborer, but in the early morning sunlight he glistens like a precious gem. Then the St. Joseph shrine portrays him in a carved statue as Patron of the Universal Church firmly, yet gently, holding a replica of St. Peter's. The Holy Spirit Chapel is the heart of the new Bishop John A. Marshall Center, a recent major addition to the cathedral. We step into the Holy Spirit Chapel from the colonnade under a circular window that honors the third member of the Blessed Trinity and calls for his guidance. Weekday Masses offered here are also televised for the sick and shut-ins.

The new chapel continues an eclectic look with a Tuscan arches, Roman columns, tile floor, and brickwork giving a European flavor. The older tabernacle from the cathedral's original downstairs chapel looks like a miniature Greek revival church.

In this daily chapel, too, St. Michael's stands with feet firmly planted in two centuries. From here, as from heaven, he defends us against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

Joseph Pronechen writes from Trumbull, Connecticut.

----- EXCERPT: Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel, Springfield, Mass. ----- EXTENDED BODY: Joseph Pronechen ----- KEYWORDS: Travel -------- TITLE: A Partisan Portrait for all Seasons DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

It's no surprise that religious faith is one of contemporary Hollywood's weakest suits.

The best we can generally hope for is a generically faith-affirming message of the sort seen in Signs and The Count of Monte Cristo or perhaps a positive depiction of a believing character such as Nightcrawler in X2.

More often, we get the banalities of Bruce Almighty and The Fighting Temptations — or, worse, the serious anti-Church polemics of The Magdalene Sisters or The Crime of Father Amaro. A few sincere efforts, often championed by Christians, have been made to depict belief in a positive light but with less-than-inspiring results (Gods and Generals, A Walk to Remember).

So it's something of an event when that rarest of Hollywood rarities comes along — the well-made film that respects sincere piety and takes seriously matters of Christian doctrine.

Luther, directed by Eric Till (Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace) and with Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love) in the title role, is such a film. Funded in part by a Minneapolis-based Lutheran organization, the film has been compared in publicity blurbs to A Man for All Seasons, and while Luther isn't in that league, it's a more-than-respectable effort that, dramatically at least, honors the tradition — and the first film in who knows how long even to make the attempt.

In one sense, I'd like to see more films like this made. At the same time, Luther's distortions of Catholic theology and matters of historical fact, as well as its relentlessly hagiographical depiction of Luther and one-sidedly positive view of the Reformation, make the film a frustrating and ultimately objectionable experience.

Luther covers a quarter-century of the German reformer's life, from the dramatic thunderstorm that so frightens the young Luther (Fiennes) that he vows to St. Anne if he survives the storm to become a monk, to the Diet of Augsburg in 1530, at which the German princes defy Charles V (Torben Liebrecht) and support Luther, essentially guaranteeing the future of the Lutheran movement and the Reformation.

This is an ambitious undertaking, and it's a tribute to the filmmakers that it succeeds dramatically and artistically as well as it does. The dialogue is fine and literate, the acting solid, the production design and costuming impressive, and the story both lucid and emotionally engaging.

Unfortunately, the film consistently selects only those facts that put Luther in the best possible light, while making his opponents seem as unreasonable as possible.

It's one thing for the film to avoid Luther's notorious anti-Semitism, which is especially associated with his declining years after the period depicted in the film. Yet it was solidly in the midst of the film's events that we find the historical Luther declaring that no man can be saved unless he renounce the papacy; that those unconvinced of Luther's views must “hold their tongues and believe what they please”; that even “unbelievers should be forced to … attend church and outwardly conform” (Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, vol. 6, p. 357, 422).

Needless to say, such declarations go against the film's portrayal of Luther as a champion of “religious freedom.” Of this aspect of its hero's religious views, Luther is conspicuously silent.

Similarly, the film shows Luther's horror over the massacre of more than 100,000 peasants by the German princes in response to the peasant uprising — but fails to reveal that Luther himself, in a vituperative essay called “Against the Murdering and Thieving Hordes of Peasants,” specifically called on the princes to show no mercy in crushing the uprising.

The film is equally careful to exculpate Luther of rebellious intent, showing his respect and deference for the Pope as late as his 1518 interview with Cardinal Cajetan — yet it never hints at Luther's identification of the Pope as the Antichrist years earlier, even before the 1517 publication of his 95 Theses.

In Luther, representatives of Catholic orthodoxy, especially papal representatives such as Cardinal Cajetan, are always shown dismis-sively refusing to debate or engage Luther, instead imperiously insisting that he recant without argument. The impression is that no one on the Catholic side was ever interested in engaging and refuting Luther's novel ideas. There is no hint, for example, of Johann Eck's public debates against both Luther and Carlstadt (which Eck had the best of).

Luther does show one Catholic priest in a sympathetic and positive light: Johann von Staupitz (Bruno Ganz), Luther's mentor, whom many Protestants respectfully acknowledge as a devout Christian who was instrumental in helping Luther grasp the idea of divine grace. However, von Staupitz is clearly the exception to the rule in Luther.

Still more problematic are Luther's distortions of the Catholic doctrines of indulgences, which, along with relics, are its main theological target. (Curiously, the film basically bypasses the central issues of sola scriptura and sola fide and other major Catholic-Protestant bones of contention.)

The film perpetuates a confusion common among Protestants regarding references to indulgences of so many “days,” here taken to mean so many fewer days in purgatory, rather than the equivalent of so many days of penance on earth. It also confuses indulgences with absolution from sin itself, from guilt — which is hardly credible, since absolution from sin was obviously always freely available to all Catholics everywhere in the confessional, a major institution of 16th-century Catholic life.

One of the film's most egregious distortions is its portrayal of Luther's German translation of the Bible as the first of its kind, and a thing forbidden and feared by Rome. In fact Catholic German scholars had produced at least 18 previous German Bibles with Church approval (Durant, 369).

One gets the distinct impression that at no point in the process did the filmmakers consult with Catholic scholars or historians in order to avoid perpetuating Protestant misunderstandings, misimpressions or canards. As a result, they have produced a partisan film.

This is a shame, because in many ways Luther is an admirable effort. Had the filmmakers been willing to allow a bit of ambiguity, take a more critical warts-and-all look at their hero and give the 16th-century Church its due, they might have created a film one could recommend Catholics and Protestants watch together, then discuss and debate afterward. As it is, Luther should certainly be debated by those who see it, but I can't recommend watching it in the first place.

Steven D. Greydanus, editor and chief critic of DecentFilms. com, writes from Bloomfield, New Jersey.

----- EXCERPT: Luther loves its hero - to a fault ----- EXTENDED BODY: Steven D. Greydanus ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Weekly Video/DVD Picks DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

I'm Going Home (2001)

Here's a rarity: a film about old age that is neither a celebration nor lament of the achievements or failures of lost youth. Neither is it an anticipation of impending death but simply an unsentimental meditation on the ambiguous present, on aimlessness, isolation and infirmity.

From nonagenarian writer-director Manoel de Oliveira, who's been making movies for more than seven decades, comes a sad, thoughtful character study of an aging French actor named Gilbert Valence (Michel Piccoli). On stage, in productions of Ionesco's Exit the King and Shakespeare's The Tempest, Valence gives impressive readings of the dramatic final speeches of aged protagonists. But his own words in a key moment of frailty and finality, though equally haunting, are much more prosaic and anticlimactic.

Deliberately paced, lacking narrative momentum, I'm Going Home captures the low-key rhythms of Valence's routine-bound existence in the months after a tragic accident leaves him a widower with an orphaned grandson. But when an American filmmaker (John Malkovich) approaches him to play Buck Mulligan in an adaptation of Joyce's Ulysses, there comes a shattering moment of truth, and what his existence will be after that is unclear both to us and to him.

Content advisory: Brief menace and a crude expression; very mild sexual references (e.g., discussion of scripts calling for bedroom scenes). Teens and up. In French with subtitles and some English.

Babe (1995)

This week the family classic Babe gets a two-pack DVD release with the dreadful sequel Babe: Pig in the City. Get Babe. Avoid the two-pack and the sequel. (For complete information, see the full reviews at DecentFilms.com.)

More than a fun kid flick with talking animals, Babe is wonderful moviemaking that delights on every level. A triumph of art direction, acting and characterization, special effects, scoring and pacing, it's one of the all-time great family films.

Unlike many talking-animal pictures (e.g., Cats and Dogs), Babe is a movie in which the human leads matter as much as the animals. The Hoggetts (James Cromwell and Magda Szubanski) are both unique and memorable characters and also a splendid couple with a remarkable relationship.

Babe inevitably invites comparisons to another porcine protagonist, Wilbur of Charlotte's Web. Yet it's Wibur who suffers from the comparison. Wilbur is a passive protagonist — a whiner whose main goal in life is not to be eaten and whose main accomplishment is making friends with Charlotte, the crafty spider whose PR “spin” saves Wilbur's bacon.

Babe, by contrast, takes his fate in his own trotters, faces challenges, learns a life skill and contests the mutual prejudices of his barnyard world. He's spunky, personable and polite to everyone. He's some pig.

Content advisory: Some scenes of menace and animal fighting; a single instance of taking the Lord's name in vain.

Don Q Son of Zorro (1925)

The unwieldy title of this sequel to the great 1920 silent swashbuckler The Mark of Zorro may not initially inspire con-fidence — even if, like the original, it does star Douglas Fairbanks Sr.

Yet Don Q Son of Zorro, named one of the year's 10 best by The New York Times, actually outdoes its predecessor, with a stronger and more sophisticated plot, better pacing, more interesting and complex characterizations, grander production values and more consistent action.

The first Zorro film was a proto-superhero Western, with a lone champion bringing justice to a lawless jurisdiction. Don Q, set in Spain, more resembles Dumas' continental swashbucklers, with palace intrigues, international diplomatic complications, duels over accidental affronts, public-house ambushes and a canvas of decades and continents.

Fairbanks has dual roles, donning makeup to play the now-older Don Diego while also starring as Diego's son Don Cesar. The climax, a rousing battle sequence reuniting father and son against an army of adversaries, is more thrilling and larger in scope than anything in the original. While lacking the original's moral and religious themes, Don Q is rousing entertainment. Both films are available together on one DVD or separately on VHS.

Content advisory: Action violence including much swordplay; fleeting recommendation of suicide as an honorable alternative to execution; brief threatened torture (or worse) as a means of coercing cooperation from a villain.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Steven D. Greydanus ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Weekly TV Picks DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

All times Eastern

SUNDAY, SEPT. 28

The Other Holy Land

Hallmark Channel, 7 a.m., noon

This special examines the place of Turkey, or Asia Minor, in the history of Christianity from St. Paul onward. In Ephesus, Cap-padocia, Constantinople (Istanbul today) and elsewhere, we learn about the Edict of Milan (A.D. 314), Church fathers and councils, monasticism, the Hagia Sophia basilica (rebuilt in the sixth century and used as a mosque today) and Orthodox history after the break in 1054. Advisory: Reflects the Orthodox viewpoint; produced in cooperation with the Greek Orthodox Church in America.

MONDAY, SEPT. 29

Kitchen Renovations

Do It Yourself, 10 p.m.

Remodeling can be a big help to a family. This new, 26-part series offers lots of ideas.

TUESDAY

I Believe in Love

Familyland TV, 1 p.m.

Here is how we can live the “little way” of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower — whose feast day happens to be Oct. 1. Re-airs Thursdays at 11 p.m., Fridays at 8:30 a.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 30

NOVA: Infinite Secrets

PBS, 8 p.m.

We possess many great works of ancient learning today only because Christian monks faithfully copied them by hand for 1,500 years. But to conserve paper, some manuscripts, called palimpsests, were reused, their original text written over. In 1998, a Byzantine prayer book sold for $2 million because its underlying text consisted of “lost” mathematical works of Archimedes (ca. 287-212 B.C.). New multispectral imaging at the Watters Art Museum in Baltimore is helping experts read the partly obscured text.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1

$40 a Day

Food Network, 10 p.m.

“I came, I saw, I cooked.” Rach-ael Ray visits Rome to prepare bacon and eggs, spaghetti alla carbonara, antipasti, marinated pork and ice cream (gelato di San Crispino).

THURSDAY, OCT. 2

My Secret Friend

EWTN, 4 p.m.

On today's Feast of the Guardian Angels, have your kids watch this fun, exciting animated story from CCC Productions. It's about little Angie, her family, their bunny Hopper — and what their vacation misadventures teach the family about guardian angels.

FRIDAY, OCT. 3

The World Over

EWTN, 8 p.m.

Raymond Arroyo's guest is Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

SATURDAY, OCT. 4

Explorations

National Geographic

Channel, 5 p.m.

This episode, “Voyager: Crossing Horizons,” covers mankind's continuing attempts to travel faster, farther, deeper and higher in the quest for knowledge and understanding.

Dan Engler writes from Santa Barbara, California.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Arts -------- TITLE: Catholic School Generates Perfect SAT Score DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

RIVER EDGE, N.J. — Scoring a perfect 800 on the verbal section of the SAT is an impressive feat for any student who takes the test, but it was particularly impressive for Molly Fitzpatrick. She was only 13 and in eighth grade when she earned the score earlier this year.

Fitzpatrick took the SAT in January as part of program at Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth in Baltimore. She said she was surprised at her success, however, and that she didn't realize she was one of the top students at St. Peter Academy in River Edge, N.J.

“She thought she was just one of the kids,” said her father, Mike Fitzpatrick. “Molly was never put on a pedestal there. Everybody thought they had as much chance as anybody else to be a top student.”

That's because St. Peter Academy, co-sponsored by St. Peter the Apostle Parish in River Edge and Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Maywood, makes sure each of its students has every opportunity to excel.

“Our kindergarteners are just as challenged as our eighth-graders,” said Religious Teachers Filippini Sister Barbara Takacs. “Our kids have everything going for them. We have a well-rounded program that incorporates the skills and talents of each child, not just the better or above-average ones.”

To assure its academic quality, St. Peter Academy requires its students to take standardized tests yearly. Faculty members evaluate the test results and pinpoint weaknesses in the program or in students' individual learning capabilities. Then they come up with an aggressive plan to defeat any shortcomings, including assigning remedial work, personal encouragement, an honor-roll system, an annual science fair and incentives such as extra-credit projects.

Their efforts have paid off. The New Jersey Conference of Catholic Schools has instituted statewide core curriculum standards, and St. Peter consistently exceeds those standards. Consequently, many of its students go on to some of most highly rated universities in the country.

“St. Peter Academy is a very competitive school, “attested Molly Fitzpatrick, who is attending Bergen County (N.J.) Academy for the Advancement of Science and Technology this fall. “But they also teach at different levels. That makes it an all-around good school, because no matter what your talents, interests or skill level, you will do well there.”

Four Aspects

St. Peter Academy faculty and staff focus on four different aspects of a student's nature: spiritual, intellectual, personal-social and physical.

Spiritually, the Catholic faith is integrated into every aspect of students' education. Whether they're studying religion, history, math or music, the students learn to connect everything to God.

Sacramental preparation and traditional Catholic teachings and practices are a priority at St. Peter Academy. Sacramentals such as holy water and statues are as much a part of daily life at the school as pencils and paper, observed Sister Joan Ferruggiaro, assistant superintendent of school visitations, who visits the schools in her district yearly.

“I have always found them to be academically and liturgically sound,” she said.

Every day at the academy begins with a Scripture reading, prayers and petitions over the intercom. During Advent, students light an Advent wreath and form a Jesse tree. In Lent they participate in the Stations of the Cross and a school-wide retreat.

The school holds a May crowning celebration and students recite the rosary daily during the months of May and October. Mass is celebrated every first Friday as well as on special occasions, and students are responsible for most of the liturgy planning. Additionally, there are many para-liturgical services when it's not possible or appropriate to have a Mass. Each school day ends with prayer.

“Let me tell you,” said Brother Ralph Darmento, deputy superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Newark, “Sister Barbara is very much a proponent of Catholic schools but more as a witness to the faith. Her style of education and administration is not values-based but faith-based.”

Students at St. Peter Academy owe their intellectual growth in part to the parents who belong to the Home and School Association, which has worked hard throughout the years to generate fund-raisers to keep tuition rates as low as possible and to provide the school with the tools of learning it needs.

St. Peter Academy boasts of well-equipped science and computer labs, a fully automated library, upgraded cafeteria, new carpeting, desks and chairs, and a fully air-conditioned third floor.

Molly Fitzpatrick knows a lot about how the faculty of St. Peter Academy help students to reach higher academically. She said she owes her SAT score to the tutelage of Sister Jean Gaeta, technology supervisor.

Sister Gaeta saw Fitzpatrick's potential and worked closely with her to develop it through interesting assignments and new avenues through which to showcase her talents. With Sister Gaeta's help, Fitzpatrick became the school's webmaster and editor of its newspaper, St. Peter's Press.

Teresa Donohue, president of the Home and School Association and a mother of three, said the personal-social attribute is one of the best fringe benefits St. Peter Academy has to offer.

She said the school has a unique atmosphere comprised of children from many surrounding towns and a faculty that is dedicated and stable. Most of the teachers have been at the school for a number of years.

“You can tell they're all happy to be here,” she said. “The school has a very happy, comfortable environment.”

The basis of that happiness is a well-formed conscience, according to Sister Takacs. Students are taught respect for self and others, leadership qualities, manners and social-interaction skills.

That's one of the main reasons, next to its academic record, that both the Fitzpatrick and Donohue families have sent their children to the academy. They saw children older than their own who had attended St. Peter Academy, admired their intellectual and interpersonal skills and wanted the same for their children. Now they find their children are the ones admired by the parents of younger children.

The physical attributes of the child are not forgotten. The physical and mental well-being of all students is fostered through physical exercise and the teaching of good health habits. Thus, all aspects of the child are considered.

River Edge dates back to pre-Revolutionary times and remained a farming community until the 1940s. Returning World War II veterans found it the ideal place to settle and raise their families. In June 1948, the new parish of St. Peter the Apostle was incorporated to serve the area's growing Catholic population.

Initially, Mass was held in Roosevelt School in River Edge; ground was broken for the church, school, convent and rectory in June 1950, but the buildings were not completed until September 1951. In June 1952 the services of the Religious Teachers Filippini were secured and the school, consisting of grades one to six, officially opened on Sept. 8, 1952. A time passed, grades seven and eight were added and, in 1961, the first class to have completed all eight grades graduated.

Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish began as a mission church in Hackensack called Holy Trinity. In June 1948, it was constituted as Our Lady Queen of Peace in Maywood, with the church being dedicated in December 1950. The school opened in September 1951 under the direction of the Religious Teachers Filippini with 565 students in all eight grades. In 1956, it reached its peak enrollment with 950 students.

Through the decades, both St. Peter the Apostle School and Our Lady Queen of Peace School experienced a decline in enrollments — as did many Catholic schools throughout the country. The situation was studied by the Archdiocese of Newark, and in 1992, both parishes were approached regarding a solution that would meet the changing need.

Co-sponsorship was chosen as the best course of action and the St. Peter the Apostle School facility was chosen as the more useful of the two. Since then, both parishes have shared equally in the support of St. Peter Academy with the pastors of both parishes taking an active roll in its administration.

“St. Peter Academy is a gentle yet strong place,” said Molly Fitzpatrick's mom, Judy. Her other daughter, Maggie, is a fifth-grader at St. Peter Academy. “The gentle environment of the school gives the children the strength they need to work and study. The small student-to-teacher ratio makes the children feel that they are getting enough attention, and this helps them to be more attentive. You just know that the staff cares about you and they care about your kids.”

Marge Fenelon writes from Cudahy, Wisconsin.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Marge Fenelon ----- KEYWORDS: Education -------- TITLE: Put Euthanasia Out of Its Misery DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

A MERCIFUL END: THE EUTHANASIA MOVEMENT IN MODERN AMERICA

by Ian Dowbiggin

Oxford University Press, 2003 272 pages, $28

Do not be thrown by the off-putting title. Professor Ian Dowbiggin's book is not only a carefully researched and scrupulously fair-minded treatise, but it's also a highly engaging read. It functions as both a social-science lesson and as a cautionary tale of what happens when “reformers” convince themselves they've discovered a formula for pure utopian bliss.

Though short, A Merciful End comprehensively traces the twists and turns primarily of the Euthanasia Society of America. While euthanasia proponents often trimmed their sails to the prevailing winds, the destination for many, if not most, has remained constant: active euthanasia for the willing and in certain circumstances, the unwilling. (The “distinction” to many euthanasia supporters, Dowbiggin writes ominously, “was incidental.”) The book explodes the myth “that the modern euthanasia movement began only in the 1960s and 1970s with the introduction of life-prolonging medical technology, the decline of the doctor-patient relationship, the rise of the ‘rights culture,’ medicine's inept handling of end-of-life care and the AIDS epidemic.”

In fact its roots go back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Support for euthanasia was frequently a package deal for members of the avant garde. In Dowbiggin's words, euthanasia “was a critical component of a broad reform agenda designed to emancipate society from anachronistic and ultimately unhealthy ideas about sex, birth and death.” We forget how many prominent Americans were supporters of euthanasia and (frequently) its ideological twin sister, eugenics. “Progressives” all, they believed passionately that death would be the “last taboo to fall in the struggle to free Americans from what birth control activist Margaret Sanger, herself an ESA member, called ‘biological slavery.’”

Greasing the skids for euthanasia was the embrace of eugenics — “evolution in a hurry” to many supporters. With a childlike faith in science and technocratic expertise, eugenicists were supremely confident the human race could be perfected through selective sterilization and euthanasia. The idea of “improving the race” served the interests of the euthanasia movement well until discredited by the Nazis. And while Dowbiggin cautions about “playing the Nazi card,” the similarities in language can be striking.

Until recently, the center of gravity for the euthanasia movement in the United States was Manhattan. Elitist to the core, its membership strongly supported active euthanasia: direct killing and physician-assisted suicide. But the Euthanasia Society of America and kindred organizations made minimal headway until retooling and softening their message in the late '60s. By repacking their pitch as a “right to die” issue, they capitalized on our culture's obsession with individual rights and “choice,” which first took hold in that decade. Rejecting “unwanted treatment” combined an appeal to individual decision making with a fear of an insensitive medical bureaucracy.

From the beginning people of faith and, especially the Catholic Church, were seen by the euthanasia movement as primary opponents. Such people, they complained, exerted a “stranglehold of tradition and religious dogma” that, they decided, had to be broken.

A Merciful End offers two explanations for the very limited “success” of the American euthanasia movement. One is a bitter division between the “radicals” and the “moderates” within the euthanasia movement. The other is the rise of a broad-based coalition that came to include the pro-life movement and disability-rights activists. This resistance was aided immeasurably by a 1994 report by the New York State Force on Life and the Law, an out-of-control Jack Kevorkian and a unanimous 1997 Supreme Court decision that found no right to assisted suicide in the Constitution. And in the last decade, there has been a stunning turnaround with far greater attention paid to pain relief, palliative care and hospice treatment.

These much-needed reforms have changed the chemistry of the debate and offer reason for hope. The same might be said of Dowbiggin's book.

Dave Andrusko, editor of National Right to Life News, writes from Washington.

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Ave Maria, Naples

AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY, Sept. 2

— Ave Maria University opened in Naples, Fla., Sept. 2 with a Mass attended by the 101 students at its temporary campus.

The university was established by Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan, who has devoted himself to Catholic causes since he sold the pizza chain in 1998.

Classes will be held in a development in North Naples until the school's $220-million permanent campus is completed in the fall of 2006.

The new Ave Maria College in Florida initiated classes this month in a converted assisted-living center.

Monaghan “anticipates 5,000 students — and a Division I football program — on an 850-acre campus by 2006,” the newspaper said.

As for the school's mission, “We are very clear about our Catholic identity,” said Nicholas Healy, the school's president. “If that distinguishes us from other Catholic schools, so be it.”

Catholic Competition

THE WASHINGTON TIMES, Sept. 10 — Increasing numbers of Catholic students “are gravitating toward a new breed of college.

Colleges “that aims to attract students who place God's truth, moral absolutes and loyalty to Pope John Paul II” above parties and winning football programs, the Washington daily reported.

The trend — including five new “orthodox” Catholic colleges in some phase of development — has not gone unnoticed by a Catholic education establishment that is beginning to feel the heat of competition.

So said Michael James, associate executive director of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.

“We're in a tight marketplace for our capital campaigns and endowments,” James said. “It's a concern that potential givers might migrate over [to the new colleges].”

Bishops Speak

CBN.COM, Sept. 11 — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court that supports the cause of Joshua Davey.

He's a student at Assemblies of God-affiliated Northwest College in Spokane, Wash., who was denied a Washington state scholarship because he was a theology major.

Davey's case is on the high court's docket this fall.

The Web site of the Christian Broadcasting Network reported that, after Davey filed suit, a U.S. District Court ruled in the state's favor.

But a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that decision and called the state's policy unconstitutional.

Washington is one of about 30 states that have “Blaine Amendments,” which bar the use of state funds for the support of religious education. The 19th-century amendments, historians agree, were motivated by anti-Catholicism.

Mass Banned

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Aug. 29 — Marquette University has decided to halt a weekly Mass at its dental school because its new facility was constructed primarily with government money, the AP reported.

The decision was made without a prior controversy or student complaint. It followed an inquiry about the weekly Mass from the Wisconsin Department of Administration's chief legal counsel.

Marquette gained public dollars for the building because it educates the majority of Wisconsin's dentists and is the only dental school in the state.

The dental school has its own Jesuit chaplain and Masses continue to be celebrated at chapels elsewhere on the Catholic campus.

Joseph Cullen writes from New York.

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Family Matters

Q

My children are 12 and 8.I realize that I have not disciplined them well. Is it too late to start now?

A

Are you asking about changing them — or you? It's too late to change you on the day you leave this earth. It's pretty much too late to change them on the day they leave your house. That said, the longer you stay the way you are, the harder it does get to change. If you're going to change anybody, it's best to start right now. Time will only make change harder for everyone.

If a youngster is not maturing well, most moms and dads realize it at some point in their parenthood. And some, like you, resolve to change things. But they are nagged by the worry that they've lost too much time. They've gone in the wrong direction too long. The die is cast.

The die may have been cast. But that doesn't mean you I can't pick it up and roll again.

Even though reshaping a child's character may take lots of effort, it is infinitely important. It must always be attempted, no matter how late a parent thinks it might be. Many are the adults who have dramatically changed moral life course in the fourth, fifth, sixth and even seventh decade of life. Surely most children are more malleable than grown-ups, especially if there's a loving grown-up nearby determined to help them change.

Third, the longer a behavior has been forming roots, the longer it will most likely take to correct. For instance, imagine your 12-year-old is disrespectfully argumentative. For many parents of pre-teens, little imagination is required. You decide to levy 15 minutes of forced chore-labor for each bout of mouthiness. Within weeks, even days, you should notice much better mouth control. But that won't necessarily bring about routinely pleasant interchanges. The arguments may be replaced by surly silence. That's okay. The first step toward character change has begun. You must stop the bad so the good will have someplace to grow.

Fourth, behavior changes much more quickly than attitude. Your youngster may tone down his disrespect by 80% the first month because he is tired of being a chore serf, but that doesn't mean he'll inwardly respect you any more than he did last month. Stay resolute. Outer change will slowly lead to inner change if you persevere.

Here is a rough time line: One month of discipline per one year of misbehavior. In other words, for every year a problem has been growing, stick with your new discipline for one month. If your 12-year-old has been mouthy since age 4, then use your chore-serf approach for at least eight months. If by then you've seen little progress, reassess. An ever-present discipline temptation is to bounce from tactic to tactic, hoping to hit the psychological lotto and, in one brilliant stroke, reverse years of wrong-way momentum. Such pin-ball parenting not only leads to frustration but also to the false conclusion that indeed you did wait too long and that your child is incorrigible.

One last point. Discipline success is not measured solely by results. Discipline also involves teaching a lesson. At one level, your discipline works instantly. It tells your sons: If you do A, I do B. The lesson is immediate — but children, like adults, learn ever so slowly to apply the lesson to life.

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

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Facts of Life

Statistics say that married adults are happier, healthier and more productive than their unmarried peers. Less well publicized is the fact that that marriage also brings substantial safety to women. According to “Marriage: The Safest Place for Women and Children,” a 2002 Heritage Foundation report, mothers who have married are 50% less likely to suffer from domestic violence than mothers who have never married.

Illustration by Tim Rauch.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Where Do Archangels Fear to Tread? Nowhere DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

Angels are everywhere, and in more ways than one.

Keep an eye out for the gentle heavenly beings and you'll soon enough spot them just about everywhere people go. They're inside wallets (on credit cards), atop kitchen counters (on coffee mugs) and even on people's backs (adorning T-shirts).

Of course, popular depictions of cuddly cherubs are hardly accurate reflections of real angels. The Catechism tells us that, in fact, angels are “personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness” (No. 330).

With the feast of the Archangels upon us — Sept. 29 is their big day — now is a good time to brush up on our knowledge of, and devotion to, the best-known of the bunch: Raphael, Gabriel and Michael.

We meet St. Raphael the Archangel in the Book of Tobit, where he guides a man, Tobias, on a journey. First he leads Tobias to a woman, Sara. After Tobias marries her, Raphael helps him to enchain an evil spirit that has plagued her. Finally, using oil from a fish, he heals Tobias' father of blindness and reveals his true identity as an angel.

For these actions, he is considered a patron of travelers, good health, the blind, nurses and lovers.

“Raphael exemplifies the virtues of compassion and healing,” says Sister Pamela Biehl, pastoral director of St. Raphael the Archangel Church in Osh Kosh, Wis. She suggests that Catholics can follow Raphael's example by “reaching out to heal others by our presence and our willingness to listen.”

The members of St. Raphael parish honor their angelic patron with a variety of healing ministries, including grief ministry, programs that reach out to the homebound and prison-visitation programs.

“The name Raphael means God's healer,” Sister Biehl says. “For us to be God's healer would mean that we are present to others in ways that might include a listening ear and a caring heart as well as feeding the poor and offering monetary assistance to someone in trouble.”

Glorious Gabriel

In many biblical passages, Gabriel the Archangel acts as God's messenger. He visits Daniel to explain his vision (Daniel 8:16-26), Zechariah to foretell that Elizabeth will conceive a child (Luke 1:11-21) and, finally, the Blessed Virgin to announce that she has been chosen to be the Mother of God (Luke 1:26-38).

Because he has always been the bearer of important and sometimes difficult news, Gabriel is the patron of communications workers.

Father Tom Phillips, pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Church in Woodlawn, Md., believes that Gabriel is a particularly appropriate patron for his parish community.

“Our parish was born of two parishes that were struggling in a community with changing demographics,” he explains. In the 1990s, when the two parishes could no longer support themselves separately, the archdiocese closed both parishes to begin a new one.

“When it came time to choose a name for the new community, St. Gabriel was chosen, because “he brought difficult news from God to people who were chosen for difficult missions.”

“It was a difficult transition,” Father Phillips says. “The combined communities saw their acceptance of the closings of their parishes as difficult as the missions of Daniel, Elizabeth and Zechariah, and Mary and Joseph. They also see themselves as God's messenger in a community where there are few Catholics and have chosen evangelization as their ministry.”

Magnificent Michael

St. Michael is perhaps best known for his victory in battle against Lucifer and the other angels who rebelled against God. After a mighty battle in heaven, St. Michael thrust Satan and his followers from heaven into hell.

As the patron of police officers, firefighters and paratroopers, he is often invoked as a protector against the forces of evil.

Father Michael Sluzacek has practiced a lifelong devotion to St. Michael, first as his namesake and now as pastor of St. Michael's Church in Stillwater, Minn.

He recommends daily recitation of the traditional prayer to St. Michael and fosters in his parishioners an awareness of the presence and protection of St. Michael at all times.

“St. Michael demonstrates courage and fortitude in the face of the attack of evil forces,” he says. “He is Prince of the Heavenly Host and a great defender of the rights of God.”

Father Sluzacek describes the archangel as an admirable example of Christian strength, perseverance and purity of worship.

Ever aware of their patron's aid and protection, he and his parishioners plan to celebrate their 150th anniversary this year with a “Pageant on the Angels” featuring the history of their parish.

“We invoke St. Michael as our defender against evil,” Father Sluzacek says. “This is particularly pertinent in today's world.”

Angels Among Us

Benedictine Father Peter Guerin, professor of theology at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., believes that knowledge of and devotion to the archangels can help Catholics to pray with greater perfection, particularly while attending Mass.

“During the celebration of the Mass, earth and heaven are united in worship of the Father,” he says. “The angels are models of prayer, assisting us to become worshippers in spirit and in truth.”

Additionally, Father Guerin explains that all angels protect and support us during our lives on Earth and their constant presence teaches us to trust in Divine Providence.

“We can rejoice in the saving message of the Gospel and the providential care that God gives us through the angels,” he says. “They are companions with us on our way to the Father. Satan and the evil spirits have no claim on us.”

Danielle Bean writes from Center Harbor, New Hampshire.

----- EXCERPT: ----- EXTENDED BODY: Danielle Bean ----- KEYWORDS: Culture of Life -------- TITLE: Another Church Abortion Teaching: Hope DATE: 09/28/2003 12:00:00 PM CATEGORY: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2003 ----- BODY:

Prolife Profile

For years after her parents pressured her into having an abortion, Theresa Bonopartis didn't trust anyone.

She lived her life in fear — “fear of being found out,” she says, “fear of being completely unworthy of anything, of being less than a person, of hating yourself and not I wanting attention brought to you.”

Fast-forward 33 years. Today Bonopartis is the very picture of strength as she testifies, sometimes in front of large audiences, about her post-abortion experiences.

How did she go from cowering to courageous, from debilitating hurt to joyful hope? The story of her journey is itself a lesson in God's love and mercy.

When 17-year-old Bonopartis announced her pregnancy in 1970, her parents strongly encouraged her to make “the problem” go away. At the time, saline abortions were legal in New York. One day she walked into a Westchester County hospital, had herself injected with a saline solution and went into labor. About 12 hours later, she delivered a stillborn four-month-old boy, whose lifeless little fingers, toes and face she still remembers. Alone in the room, she rang for the nurse, who came in with a big plastic jar, dumped the tiny corpse inside and walked out.

Her life, she recalls, steadily went downhill. A disastrous marriage. An abandoned faith.

By the time her older son reached the time of his first Communion, she had returned to Mass herself — but only as a sort of passive spectator sitting in the far back. She did not come forward to receive Communion. During a penance meeting with other parents of first communicants, the priest talked about the sacraments and mentioned how God could forgive anything, even the sin of abortion. Bonopartis remembers thinking: “There's hope for me!”

She eventually confessed her sins to the priest, who became her spiritual adviser, and felt her life was beginning again. She started to learn about the faith. She spent much time praying silently before the Blessed Sacrament, attended daily Mass and frequently contemplated the Stations of the Cross.

She made a pact with Jesus. She told him: “They say you heal. Well, here I am, and I'm not leaving you alone until you do this.”

Bonopartis began to develop a personal relationship with Jesus.

Gradually she reached a point at which “I felt good about my faith, that God had forgiven me.” Yet she still couldn't forgive herself: “I wasn't fully healed.”

One day, after putting her children to bed, she went into the bathroom, sat on the floor with her hands over her head and repeated, “Jesus, I trust in you. Jesus, I trust in you.” Over and over again. For hours. She was in such excruciating emotional pain that at one point she felt like she had climbed on the cross with Christ.

“That's the only place where there is enough love to heal the pain of abortion,” she says. Suddenly, instead of feeling the pain of cross, she only felt intense love.

At that moment, about 15 years after the abortion, “I was healed,” she says. Since then she has tried to tell her story to as many as will hear it.

‘Blown Away’ by Hope

Three years ago, in conjunction with the Sisters of Life, a New York City-based group of nuns who assist post-abortive women and pregnant women in need, she started Reclaiming Our Children. The nuns sponsor days of prayer and healing, a program Bonopartis helped them develop and has spoken at many times.

One member, Mary Salo, had an abortion 23 years ago. Last August, she was preparing to commit suicide. Looking through some paperwork that she wanted to leave to her two children, she came across an old newspaper clipping promoting a day of prayer and healing with the Sisters of Life.

As Salo recalls, she had no idea how it got there. No matter. She went and heard Bonopartis speak.

“I was blown away,” the 60-year-old Salo says. “I'm grateful for the healing I've experienced and I'm glad ROC exists. I want to let others know that help is available.”

For about a year now, Bonopartis, 51, has been the director of Lumina, a post-abortion referral network, which is a project of Good Counsel Homes, where pregnant women can find housing. She leads training sessions, speaks at college campuses, parishes and pro-life meetings, and refers women who contact Lumina to post-abortion ministries, therapists, counselors, peer groups and clergy.

Sister Lucy Marie, one of the original members of the Sisters of Life when it formed in 1991, has known Bonopartis for more than 15 years.

“I have believed that through the suffering that she was enduring, which was leading to her healing, much of that was winning graces for my vocation,” Sister Lucy says. “Theresa is so rooted in Christ that that gives her the courage to do whatever she needs to do.”

Bonopartis recently spoke to a friend she knew in junior high school, an individual she hadn't seen in a long while. Her friend had heard Bonopartis talk on a Catholic radio show and so they spoke about her public speaking and job. At one point, her friend asked her how far she was willing to go with the ministry. Bonopartis said she had never really thought about it, but on the car ride home she came up with the answer.

“I will take it all the way to heaven to the feet of Jesus and Mary, where I will find my son, Joshua, in their arms,” she recalls. “Hopefully, on the way to there I will be an instrument in bringing countless women and men to follow the same path back to Christ and their children.”

Carlos Briceño writes from Seminole, Florida.

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Right to Know

ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sept. 11 — The Missouri House has voted to override Gov. Bob Holden's veto of a bill providing a 24-hour waiting period to women considering abortion.

The House vote sent the bill to the state Senate, where supporters face a more difficult task in achieving the two-thirds majority needed to make the measure law without the governor's signature.

Hundreds of pro-lifers watching from the House galleries erupted in applause when the successful 120-35 override vote was announced on the abortion bill. Although Republicans have majorities in both chambers, they needed support from some Democratic legislators to override the veto.

Governor for Abstinence

WORLD-HERALD (Omaha, Neb.),

Sept. 8 — Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns has kicked off a five-city educational tour to promote sexual abstinence among teens at the state capitol in Lincoln.

Johanns signed a proclamation declaring September to be “Teen Abstinence/Life Control Month.”

Shelly Donahue, an abstinence education teacher, presented the program, “Why am I Tempted?” to challenge teens to think through the choices and consequences of being sexually active before marriage.

The tour was planned to go to four other cities including Omaha. Parents, teens and educators were the tours' intended audiences.

No ‘Medicaided’ Abortions

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sept. 4 — A Florida appeals court has decided in favor of protecting life, ruling that the state can ban Medicaid payments for abortions.

The 3rd District Court of Appeals decided that the state has legitimate and rational interests in protecting life and containing health care costs.

The rules against abortion funding are “rationally related to the legitimate government objective of protecting potential life,” and Florida is allowed to limit services to contain Medicaid costs, said the unsigned opinion from a three-judge panel.

Stem Cells for the Heart

REUTERS, Sept. 1 — Four out of a group of five seriously ill Brazilian heart-failure patients no longer needed a heart transplant after being treated with their own stem cells, the doctor in charge of the research said.

Such “regenerative medicine,” in which stem cells extracted from patients' own bone marrow are used to rebuild tissue, may one day become commonplace for patients with damaged or diseased hearts, some doctors believe.

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