Sept. 19, 2008

September 19, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Perspectives A look at Catechetical Sunday; abortion and common ground

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI September 19, 2008

Combating criticism

| Pages 14-15 Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

During trip, Pope Benedict shows the many dimensions of his ministry

KEVIN E. MURRAY

by JOHN THAVIS catholic news service

editor

CHARLOTTE — All Catholics should respond when their religion is unfairly criticized or portrayed in the media, said William Donohue.

“If the church is being attacked, we as Catholics have an obligation to defend it,” said Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.

Donohue was one of the speakers during the annual Catholic Leadership Conference held at a Charlotte hotel Sept. 11-12.

For the past 11 years, the conference has brought together leaders of national Catholic

LOURDES, France — Being pope is not a onedimensional job, a fact that was clearly evident during Pope Benedict XVI’s four-day visit to France.

Arriving in Paris Sept. 12, the pope first engaged in an important political encounter that attempted to build on the new openness shown the church

by President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Next, in a brief meeting with Jews, he managed to capsulize in 20 graceful lines the church’s respect for Judaism and its firm rejection of anti-Semitism.

That evening, the pope slipped into his academic role and delivered a lecture on monasticism’s influence on

See LEADERS, page 7

Responding as disciples

CNS photo by Philippe Wojazer, Reuters

People greet Pope Benedict XVI as he leaves Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris after celebrating vespers Sept. 12.

Biblical scholars trace historical events that shaped Catholic Bible

JOANITA M. NELLENBACH

by

by CHAZ MUTH catholic news service

correspondent

See STEWARDS, page 5

See FRANCE, page 8

From stories to Scripture

Workshop explores stewardship

B RY S O N C I T Y — Stewardship is our response to discipleship. Discipleship is a way of life.

St. Joseph Church in Bryson City celebrated its discipleship with a Mass Sept.

10 to honor the 67th anniversary of its dedication. A potluck

no. 39

Fostering the faith in France

Catholics have obligation to defend church, speaker says by

vOLUME 17

Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series on the Bible.

CNS photo by Paul Haring

A seminarian reads the Bible in a breezeway at the North American College in Rome in this file photo from Nov. 24, 2007. The Catholic Bible is a library of books specifically chosen to reflect Catholic teaching.

WASHINGTON — When Catholics think of the Bible, they often imagine a leatherbound book.

However, the Catholic version of the Bible is actually a library of books specifically chosen to reflect Catholic

Around the Diocese

Culture Watch

Youths, catechist recognized for commitment

Books on young adult Catholics; film review, awards

| Page 4

| Pages 10-11

teaching, a collection that began to take shape between A.D. 50 and 400.

“In 393, at the Council of Hippo, there is a list containing 46 Old Testament and 27 New Testament works that constitute the canon adopted by the Catholic tradition,” said Benedictine Father Dale Launderville, a professor of See BIBLE, page 12

14 days until the

Eucharistic Congress

Oct. 3-4.

See back page and visit www.goEucharist.com.

September 19, 2008

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

Current and upcoming topics from around the world to your own backyard

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The retired archbishop of Galveston-Houston told a small congregation gathered for Mass Sept. 14 at Sacred Heart CoCathedral in Houston to stay calm in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike and to be friendly to one another, especially as they coped with the challenge of living without electricity.

Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza also told them to be grateful the storm, which made landfall Sept. 13, had not taken as many lives as was feared. The Category 2 storm killed 30 people in its path across eight states.

“This calls us in times of great distress to have patience and kindness with one another, to realize we are going to have a long time of endurance and great inconvenience,” he said. “But with good humor and God’s grace and our public officials ... hopefully the time of great endurance won’t be too long.”

When Hurricane Ike swept across the Texas coast with its 100 mph winds,

Ride nice, pray hard

CNS photo courtesy Sisters of Charity of St. Joan Antida) (Sept

Sister Anne Marie Baemmert, provincial leader of the Sisters of Charity of St. Joan Antida, takes a ride with a member of the Muskegon Motorcycle Gang at the Bethany Retreat Center in Milwaukee Aug. 28.

Sisters, motorcycle gang form unlikely bond MILWAUKEE (CNS) — Don’t let their veils and name — Sisters of Charity of St. Joan Antida — deceive you.

Members of the Milwaukee order aren’t just brides of Christ. They’re biker girls.

“We’re part of a gang,” the sisters laughed over coffee.

They belong to the Sisters of the MMG (Muskegon Motorcycle Gang).

When the Harley-Davidson 100th anniversary celebration rolled around in 2003, the sisters opened up the grounds of their retreat center to Harley riders looking for a place to sleep during the festivities. The Muskegon Motorcycle Gang from Michigan took the sisters up on their offer.

“It was a bit scary,” said Sister Ann Josepha Lencioni of the decision. “But the sisters pulled together and felt it would be a good thing for Milwaukee.”

For the riders, some of whom had never interacted with a Catholic sister before, the feeling was mutual.

“It wasn’t that we were scared; we just wanted to make the nuns as comfortable as possible,” said Mike Ankeny of the group, which signed contracts to follow a few house rules such as no smoking indoors. “We’re a good mix, even though we’re on different parts of the tree.”

As Harley upon Harley made its way to the retreat center, the riders and sisters wondered just what they had gotten into.

“I was a little nervous,” said rider Patty Matuzeski. “We didn’t know what to expect — but it was so much more than we ever could have imagined.”

Within minutes, any apprehension had faded. Over the next few days, the riders and sisters were dining with each other, cracking jokes and taking rides on the group’s bikes.

“They are such incredible people who are concerned about and love the

Residents urged to be patient, kind as all cope with aftermath of Ike

sisters,” said Toni Vitrano, the order’s communications director. “Professional people — they’re not Hell’s Angels, just a group of people who love motorcycles.”

While some of the riders are Catholic, others are not, but it is no matter when it comes to the impact the sisters have on the MMG, as evidenced in their exit surveys.

“As someone not raised in a religious environment, after staying with all of you and getting to know all of the sisters I feel a few steps closer to God!” wrote one participant.

After bestowing on them the title Sisters of the MMG and bidding the sisters farewell in 2003, the unlikely friends stayed in touch, writing Christmas cards and e-mails. As bikers rolled into Milwaukee Aug. 30Sept. 1 for the 105th Harley-Davidson anniversary, the MMG found their way back to the sisters for another weekend of fun and fellowship.

In that sharing, the two groups have found some unexpected similarities.

“We’re kind of alike,” said Patrick Corbin. “They’re stereotyped; we’re stereotyped.”

The MMG, made up of professionals working in various career paths such as nursing and engineering, also devote their time to serving others, recently raising $11,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The group plans to do future fundraisers to aid the sisters in their service to the poor.

There are no official membership requirements in the MMG, which is held together by friendship. The gang, 15 years old, numbers around 100 riders.

The sisters, who hold their faith as dearly as the Harley riders hold their bikes, only had one piece of advice for their friends: “Ride nice. Pray hard.”

Diocesan planner For more events taking place in the Diocese of Charlotte, visit www.charlottediocese. org/calendarofevents-cn.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE

CHARLOTTE — Clarke Cochran, a deacon in the Diocese of Lubbock, TX., will discuss issues Catholics should consider before going to the polls in a talk at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd., Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the parish Ministry Center. Cochran will offer a pathway through the maze of contending arguments about Catholics and political life. For more information, contact Susan Krasniewski at (704) 362-5047, ext. 210 or skrasniewski@ stgabrielchurch.org.

CHARLOTTE — St. Peter Catholic Church, 507 S. Tryon Street, presents “Choosing Your Path: An Ignatian Retreat for Young Adults (age 18 to 40)” Sept. 27, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. in Biss Hall (below the Church). Come and learn how the life of a 16th century saint has relevance for young adults facing a variety of changes and choices in the 21st century world.

Mass will be celebrated at the close of the retreat. To register for this free event, e-mail yamretreat@gmail.com. Parking is free in The Green parking garage next

battering waves and torrential rains, it damaged thousands of homes, submerged huge sections of Galveston and left at least 2 million people without power.

Archdiocesan Catholic schools were closed Sept. 15 and were to reopen “according to their readiness and safety,” said an announcement. Only essential departments at the chancery were open.

The pastoral center and Catholic schools in the Diocese of Beaumont, Texas, were closed “until further notice” because of a lack of electricity, and Catholics there were not required to fulfill their Sunday Mass obligation during the Sept. 13-14 weekend.

Catholic Charities agencies set up mobile food centers and community resource sites in southern Texas after the storm to provide food, water, ice, hygiene kits, tarps and cleanup supplies. They also provided gas cards and other aid to assist stranded evacuees in their return home as well as crisis counseling and case management.

to the church. For more information, visit www.stpeterscatholic.org/yam.

CHARLOTTE — “Autumn Draws Us Inside: Celebrating your Heart and Soul” is the theme for the Monday-morning Adult Spirituality Series held Sept. 22 at New Creation Monastery, 1309 Duncan Gardens Dr. Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m. followed by the presentation and discussion of the topic at 10 a.m. In the afternoon there will be a homily preparation series for priests, deacons, catechists and anyone interested in sharing insights on the Sunday Scriptures of the month. The series will begin with bag lunch at 12 p.m. followed by mid-day prayer at 12:45 p.m. and homily preparation at 1 p.m. For more information, contact Father John Vianney Hoover at (704) 344-0934.

CHARLOTTE — Theology on Tap, a dynamic speaker series designed to provide adults 18-40 with the opportunity to discover more about their faith in a relaxed open environment, will take place at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, 911 East Morehead St., Monday evenings during September. The topic for Sept. 22 will be “Courting God — Dating to Marriage,” presented

by Judy and Jim Townsend. Judy Townsend is a natural family planning instructor in the Charlotte area. She and her husband Jim will discuss dating to marriage and the obligations the Catholic faith requires in these relationships. RSVP to j e n n i f e r. e u e s @ g m a i l . c o m . F o r m o r e information, visit www.stpeterscatholic.org/yam.

CHARLOTTE — Be Strong: Exercises for Physical and Spiritual Strength, a new women’s ministry at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., combines gentle yoga with prayer, Scripture and spiritual reflection for a unique 90-minute workout that strengthens body and soul. Tuesdays 7:30-9 p.m. and Thursdays 10-11:30 a.m. Classes run Sept. 23-Nov. 13.

There is no fee, but registration is required. Visit

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008 Volume 17 • Number 39

Publisher: Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis Editor: Kevin E. Murray STAFF WRITER: Katie Moore Graphic DESIGNER: Tim Faragher Advertising MANAGER: Cindi Feerick Secretary: Deborah Hiles 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203 Mail: P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237 Phone: (704) 370-3333 FAX: (704) 370-3382 E-MAIL: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

The Catholic News & Herald, USPC 007-393, is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203, 44 times a year, weekly except for Christmas week and Easter week and every two weeks during June, July and August for $15 per year for enrollees in parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and $23 per year for all other subscribers. The Catholic News & Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising for any reason deemed appropriate. We do not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers. Second-class postage paid at Charlotte NC and other cities. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237.

September 19, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 3

FROM THE VATICAN

Some not satisfied even after Pope appeals to UN for more guarantees of Cardinal: pope’s Tridentine Mass decree economic justice demands immediately “they go directly to ROME (CNS) — Rather than VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In a message to the United Nations, the pope called for stronger efforts to guarantee economic justice around the globe.

Renewing an appeal made during his visit to the United Nations last April, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged the international community to return to “the lofty moral vision and the transcendent principles of justice embodied in the United Nations’ founding documents.”

His comments came in a message to a prayer service Sept. 15, the eve of the 63rd session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

The prayer service took place at the Church of the Holy Family, located close to U.N. headquarters in New York. Attending were diplomats, U.N. officials and religious leaders, including Cardinal Edward M. Egan of New York and Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican’s permanent observer to the United Nations.

The pope said such moments of reflection and prayer were a way to strengthen diplomats in their commitment to “upholding the dignity of each human person and building a world of ever greater solidarity, freedom and peace.”

The pope offered his own prayer that U.N. representatives would receive from God the guidance and strength to carry out urgent tasks “aimed at ensuring that the whole human family shared in the benefits of globalization.”

S p e c i f i c a l l y, h e c a l l e d f o r implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, a plan that aims to cut global poverty in half by 2015, and progress on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

The Vatican has strongly supported NEPAD, a program that aims to develop a socio-economic framework for Africa while encouraging African governments to take greater responsibility for the development of their own societies.

w w w. b e s t r o n g m i n i s t r i e s . o rg o r c o n t a c t Lisa Tolido at (704) 737-3222.

no cost to attend. For more information, call the parish office at (828) 327-2341 or e-mail Bonnie Tamrack at tamrack@charter.net.

CHARLOTTE — St. Gabriel School celebrates 50 years. A picnic supper will be held Saturday, Sept. 27, after the 5 p.m. Mass at the St. Gabriel athletic fields. Bring picnic blankets or lawn chairs. RSVP to Sally McArdle at (704) 5411756 or mcardle@carolina.rr.com, or to Mary Ann Thomas at (704) 366-6985 or ethomas4@ carolina.rr.com.

CHARLOTTE — The semi-annual rosary rally will be held Sunday, Oct. 12, 3 p.m. at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Rd. East. Come honor Our Lady by participating in this 35-year tradition.

The event will include recitation of the rosary, a eucharistic procession and Benediction. Father Roger Arnsparger, pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia, will be the homilist. For more information, call Tina Witt at (704) 846-7361.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE

GREENSBORO — A Fall Festival will be held at Our Lady of Grace Church, 2205 W. Market St., Sept. 26-27, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. both days, with an Italian Feast Saturday 5-8 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information, call (336) 274-6520, or visit www.olgchurch.org.

GREENSBORO — A Men’s Evening of Reflection will be held at Our Lady of Grace Church, 2205 W. Market St., Oct. 1, 6:30-9 p.m. The theme of the reflection will be the four objectives of the Catholic family. The event is free and open to all Catholic men. Pizza and refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria followed by a talk 7-9 p.m. in the church. For more information, contact John Endredy at (336)449-3656.

HICKORY VICARIATE

HICKORY — Landings, a program to help inactive and non-practicing Catholics come back to the church, will meet at St. Aloysius Church, 921 2nd Ave. NE, Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. There is

Episcopal

calendar

HICKORY — The Cursillo Movement of the Diocese of Charlotte is hosting a diocesanwide Grand Ultreya at Steel Creek Park and Campgrounds, 7081 NC Hwy. 181, Sept. 27.

The Grand Ultreya begins at 11:30 a.m. with Mass to be celebrated by Bishop Peter J. Jugis at 12 p.m. Bring a covered dish and a 2-liter drink to share for lunch; hamburgers and hotdogs will be provided. Other activities include guitar music, group reunion, spiritual talks and hiking/nature trails for children. The event ends at 3:30 p.m. For more information or directions, contact Kathy Hack at (704) 548-1834.

being grateful, some people have reacted to Pope Benedict XVI’s wider permission for the celebration of the Mass in the extraordinary form with further demands, said Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos.

The cardinal, president of the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei,” spoke Sept. 16 at a conference marking the first anniversary of “Summorum Pontificum,” the document by which Pope Benedict expanded access to the Mass rite used before the Second Vatican Council.

Cardinal Castrillon, whose commission works with communities using the old rite, said his office continues to receive letters requesting the rite be used not just at one Mass a week but at every Mass, and that such Masses be available not just at one church in a town but at every church.

He said he even got a letter demanding that Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major be dedicated exclusively to the celebration of the Mass in the extraordinary form.

Such people, he said, are “insatiable, incredible.”

“They do not know the harm they are doing,” Cardinal Castrillon said, adding that when the Vatican does not accept their

the Internet” and post their complaints.

The cardinal and officials in his office have been saying for more than a year now that they were preparing detailed instructions responding to questions about how to implement the papal document, which said the Mass in the new Roman Missal, introduced in 1970, remains the ordinary way of Catholic worship.

Cardinal Castrillon’s office had completed its work on the instructions and passed the draft on to the pope, who would make the final decision about its publication.

The cardinal said the Mass — in whatever language it is celebrated — must be a service motivated by love and “never a sword” used against other Christians.

By making it easier for priests to celebrate the older liturgy and for the faithful to have access to it, he said, “the vicar of Christ (the pope) was not just exercising his task of governing, but was exercising his task of sanctifying” the people of God. “When we are before the greatest expression of love for humanity — the Eucharist — how can we fight?” Cardinal Castrillon asked.

Raking up after Ike

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE

W I N S TO N - S A L E M — T h e n a t i o n a l “40 Days for Life” campaign will be held Sept. 24 through Nov. 2. In addition to 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion in America, consider volunteering to pray outside of the Planned Parenthood abortion facility at 3000 Maplewood Ave. Volunteers are needed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day during the 40 days. For more information or to volunteer, contact Donna Dyer at (336) 940-2558 or Toni Buckler at (336) 782-6062, or go online to www.40daysforlife.com/winstonsalem.

Is your parish or school sponsoring a free event open to the general public? Deadline for all submissions for the Diocesan Planner is 10 days prior to desired publication date. Submit in writing to kmmoore@charlottediocese.org or fax to (704) 370-3382.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events:

Sept. 20 (7:15 a.m.)

Mass for aspirants in permanent diaconate formation program Catholic Conference Center, Hickory

Sept. 21 (2:30 p.m.)

Heritage Society Mass St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

Sept. 20 (4:30 p.m.)

Mass and groundbreaking ceremony St. Ann Church, Charlotte

September 24 (7 p.m.)

Sacrament of confirmation Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Charlotte

CNS photo by Erik Noriega, Texas Catholic Herald

A volunteer helps clean up broken tree limbs and roof shingles from around Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in east Houston Sept. 15, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.

Bishops invite McCain, Obama to meet before election WASHINGTON (CNS) — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has extended invitations to Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama to meet before the Nov. 4 election and discuss their views on a variety of election issues.

Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, N.Y., chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, said that five bishops who lead various policy committees want to discuss the candidates’ views on social policies such as abortion, education, immigration, international affairs and communications.

Any meetings, should they occur, will be private and off the record, Bishop Murphy said.

“This isn’t born of any concern or worry or problem,” Bishop Murphy said.

“We think it would be helpful for us to have that time and we think it would be helpful for the candidates to hear from the teachers of the Catholic Church ... as to what our concerns are.”

The invitations are the first in recent memory to seek meetings prior to an election. They were sent prior to USCCB responses earlier in September to two Democrats who support legalized abortion.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

Heroes for life

around the diocese

September 19, 2008

For creative catechesis

Photo by Katie Moore

Erin Gibson, recipient of the “Hero for Life” scholarship, stands with Jason Beckert (left), chair of the scholarship committee, and Seth Dobson, chapter president of Charlotte Right to Life, following the award presentation at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte Sept. 13. Erin and her sister Katie (not pictured) were awarded the scholarship for their pro-life project “CRIB.”

Teens recognized for pro-life effort by

KATIE MOORE staff writer

CHARLOTTE — Two young parishioners of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte were recognized recently by the Charlotte Right to Life chapter for their pro-life efforts in the community.

The “Hero for Life” $2,000 academic scholarship was awarded to Erin and Katie Gibson during a presentation at St. Matthew Church Sept. 13. They were recognized for their project “CRIB” (Caring Relief for Impoverished Babies), through which they assembled 60 layettes containing diapers, clothing and other infant care goods for new mothers in need.

Erin Gibson, a senior at Charlotte Latin School, accepted the award on behalf of herself and her sister Katie, a freshman at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, who was unable to attend.

The Gibsons collected a total of $8,000 worth of infant care goods from their parish, neighborhood and area schools.

“It just makes you feel better when you help others,” said Erin Gibson, “especially a baby that can’t take care of itself.”

Father Patrick Toole, parochial vicar at St. Matthew Church, opened the event

with prayer.

“We are reminded of the little ways that we can live the message of the ‘Gospel of Life,’” said Father Toole.

“It’s wonderful that we come together and recognize young people in our community who have the courage to spread that message,” he said.

Jeannie Wray, executive director of Room at the Inn in Charlotte, spoke at the event. She praised the Gibsons for their courage and moral faith, and their willingness “to stand up and be counted.”

The award was presented by Seth Dobson, chapter president of Charlotte Right to Life, and Jason Beckert, chair of the “Hero for Life” scholarship committee.

Students between the ages of 14 and 18 are encouraged to apply for the scholarship, which has been given out annually since 2005. Projects must be pro-life in nature; may be oriented around service, education or prayer; and should demonstrate a component of leadership.

“It is rare to find teenagers who go beyond themselves to help others and help the unborn,” said Beckert.

The scholarship is “designed to bring up the next generation of leaders,” he said. “We have high hopes for these winners.”

Courtesy Photo

Connie Milligan accepts a certificate of appreciation on her retirement as director of faith formation at St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte Sept. 6. Also pictured: (from left) Dr. Cris Villapando, director of faith formation programs for the Diocese of Charlotte; Msgr. Mauricio W. West, vicar general and chancellor of the diocese, who presented the certificate on behalf of Bishop Peter J. Jugis; Bill Milligan, Connie’s husband; and Msgr. Richard Bellow, pastor of St. Mark Church in Huntersville, who hired Connie 19 years ago while pastor of St. John Neumann Church.

Villapando said the diocesan Office of Faith Formation honored Milligan for her “creativity, for designing an alternate model of family catechesis to reach whole families; her compassion, for creating programs for students with special needs and learners with disabilities; her generosity, in serving diocesan committees and commissions; and her spiritual depth, as seen in the days of recollection she provided.”

September 19, 2008

from the cover

The Catholic News & Herald 5

Workshop explores stewardship as a way of life STEWARDS, from page 1

supper and presentation on stewardship followed in the parish hall.

“For decades in this one church alone people have come to know Jesus,” Father Shawn O’Neal, the pastor, said in his homily.

“May this place be a church of witness and hospitality for 67 times 67 years. … May people rejoice in the Lord being their foundation,” he said.

Father O’Neal’s words helped set the tone for Barbara Gaddy’s presentation on stewardship. Gaddy, associate director of development for the Diocese of Charlotte, spoke of how stewardship means answering God’s call and committing one’s life to Christ — not some time in the future but right now.

“In John’s Gospel, Jesus recognized the disciples and called them by name because of the gifts they had; they were patient, strong, hardworking,” Gaddy said. “We have to recognize that we’re called, not as some nameless faces in a crowd, but with our own unique gifts.”

We are called, she said, with the same urgency that Jesus called his disciples: “He didn’t say, ‘When you get your affairs in order or have some extra time, go out and proclaim the Word.’”

This is also true for us, according to Gaddy.

“The disciples weren’t called in isolation but as part of a community,” Gaddy said. “We are not called as hermits up in the hills. We are called into a community.”

“At the same time, the parish, the community, has the responsibility to provide opportunities for you to use your gifts. These gifts are not given to us to hoard but to give away,” she said.

Whatever someone does for the community is a way to give back to God for all he has given to that person, said Gaddy.

Everyone can use his or her talents in some way: lector, extraordinary minister of holy Communion, altar server, cantor, choir member; he or she can mow the church lawn or the lawn of an elderly or handicapped person, cook for parish events, arrange flowers, serve as a catechist, carpenter, plumber, teach English as a second language or tutor, and so on.

“A real disciple of Jesus Christ doesn’t ask, ‘What’s it going to cost me.’

They just do it,” Gaddy said.

There is also discipleship through visiting the homebound and those in nursing homes, spending quality time with one’s family or volunteering at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter.

However, there is another aspect of giving time to discipleship — spending time with God. Gaddy cited such ways as regularly attending Mass, receiving the sacraments, partaking in daily prayer and Scripture reading, participating in a prayer chain or group, fasting and spiritual reading.

There are, of course, stumbling blocks to discipleship. Gaddy listed

such obstacles as “spiritual blindness” (not seeing God as the source of all good), not trusting God, secular culture contradicting religious convictions, secular focus on self and pleasure, consumerism, materialism, amoral values, busy schedules and a culture of skepticism and pessimism.

“We need a new mindset,” said Allison Wunder, who is about to begin the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults to be received into the Catholic Church.

“We need to give up that old mindset we’ve always had,” she said.

Parishioner Kathy Tilly told how lives were changed and parishioners at her former parish achieved a new mindset when the pastor formed teams to visit people with AIDS. As the parishioners became acquainted with those they visited, they overcame their fear of the AIDS victims, she said.

“Taking a leap of faith,” Tilly said, “means putting total trust in God.” Obstacles to discipleship can also be countered through giving back to God with financial contributions to one’s parish and community. Some people give the traditional 10 percent; some give more.

“That 10 percent isn’t ours to begin with,” said Naomi Lowman, a parishioner of St. Joseph Church. “Are we going to give back to God what’s God’s?”

Gaddy reminded everyone of their purpose, as defined in the old Baltimore Catechism: God made us to know, love and serve him in this world and be happy with him in the next.

“All the things of this world have been given to us to help us meet the end for which we’ve been created,” Gaddy said. “If it doesn’t help me, I need to push that aside.”

“Living as stewards calls us to that discernment,” she said. “I have to ask myself every day: Am I using this in a way that helps me reach the end for which I’m created?”

Contact Correspondent Joanita M. Nellenbach by calling (828) 627-9209 or e-mail jnell@dnet.net.

‘Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response’ The U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter on stewardship, published in 1992 and reissued in 2002, is based on three convictions: — Mature disciples make a conscious, firm decision, carried out in action, to be followers of Jesus Christ no matter the cost to themselves.

— This commitment is expressed not in a single action but in an entire way of life. It means committing one’s very self to the Lord.

— Stewardship is an expression of discipleship, with the power to change how we understand and live out our lives. Disciples who practice stewardship recognize God as the origin of life, the giver of freedom, the source of all they have and are and will be.

6 The Catholic News & Herald

A year of song

September 19, 2008

around the diocese

To know the faith

Theology expert discusses what divides, unites Christians

by KATHLEEN HEALY SCHMIEDER correspondent

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Singers perform during the sacred music concert at the Eucharistic Congress in 2006. This year’s concert, scheduled for Oct. 3, will feature selections spanning the various seasons of the liturgical year.

Preparation underway for sacred music concert at Eucharistic Congress by

KATIE MOORE staff writer

CHARLOTTE — The audience can expect to “travel through time” during this year’s sacred music concert at the fourth annual Eucharistic Congress in Charlotte Friday, Oct. 3.

The Eucharistic Congress will be held at the Charlotte Convention Center Oct. 34. Events on Saturday include a eucharistic procession through uptown Charlotte.

This year, in accordance with the congress’ theme, “It is Christ Whom We Proclaim,” “we decided that we were going to choose music that followed the liturgical year, so that there is an understanding that we proclaim Christ throughout the entire year,” said Tiffany Gallozzi, music director at St. Barnabas Church in Arden and conductor of the sacred music concert.

In the past, songs have been a collection of traditional and contemporary classical pieces and have always been chosen in accordance with the congress’ theme.

This year, the song selections will span the various seasons of the liturgical year with pieces representing Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost and Ordinary Time.

The song selection also will represent various time periods in the history of the Catholic Church.

“We really did try to span all variables of music history,” said Gallozzi. “So it’s not all one style of music. It spans through time.”

The concert of sacred music will kick off the Eucharistic Congress, following a greeting from Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin at 7 p.m. on Friday.

There are approximately 110 choir members, representing approximately 14 parishes throughout the diocese.

Some choir members began practicing as early as June. All of the singers will come together for a group rehearsal the day of the concert.

Organist for the concert will be Larry Stratemeyer, music director at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

A flautist and trumpeter will also accompany.

“Each year this concert is a huge undertaking,” said Gallozzi. “It’s really a gift of the individual parish singers and instrumentalists to the congress.”

“It’s our way of expressing our faith,” she said.

HENDERSONVILLE — Catholics must be well-versed in the teachings of their faith in order to evangelize others, said a theology expert.

“We have to know our faith enough.

We must show the living, Christian faith in us,” said Marcellino D’Ambrosio, co-founder of The Crossroads Initiative, a Catholic renewal and evangelization group.

“The belief that Catholics are superstitious or have no relationship with Jesus can be changed when we live our faith in a vital way,” he said.

“You don’t need to be a theologian to explain the church or express our faith in conversational terms.”

D’Ambrosio spoke on the issues that divide Christianity and the visions of the Second Vatican Council at Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville Sept. 6.

Approximately 200 parishioners and members of other area Christian churches attended the presentation, organized by the parish evangelization committee.

With a doctorate in historical theology from Catholic University of America, D’Ambrosio is an author, columnist and specialist in Scripture interpretation and tradition. He has appeared on EWTN and Catholic radio discussing topics including historical, dogmatic and sacramental theology; evangelization; and ecumenism.

In his talk on “Christianity Divided,” D’Ambrosio used historical facts and timelines to delineate the progression of Christianity from the time of the Acts of the Apostles and Sts. Peter and Paul into the 21st century.

He discussed the schisms that arose between the Eastern Orthodox and the western Roman Catholic churches, as well as the introduction of Protestant denominations.

Evaluated from the views of the eras in which they occurred, but with the understanding afforded by the perspective of time, D’Ambrosio focused on the areas uniting Christians. He also noted the areas where no compromise can be afforded in the faith given by Jesus to his people.

“We must not gloss over the issues,” D’Ambrosio told the audience. “We must move beyond the caricatures, listen to those of other faiths and be prepared to explain our own faith.”

Offering scholarly teaching designed to create understanding and fellowship, D’Ambrosio also gave the audience a clear description of the articles of faith upon which the Catholic Church was built.

D’Ambrosio said Vatican II’s vision of evangelization and ecumenicism continues and is reinforced by the church’s ongoing outreach to other religions.

“It’s not just doctrines and ideas; it’s relationships that need to be repaired,” said D’Ambrosio.

“Ecumenism should be an exchange of gifts. Our fundamental faith is expressed in the Creed. Our central unity (with other Christians) is in Jesus Christ and the Trinity.”

“We have apostolic leadership. It is our rudder,” said D’Ambrosio. “The leadership of the Catholic Church will not bow to societal pressure. We have decisive leadership.”

Vatican II, he said, advised Catholics to “honor truth wherever we find it.”

D’Ambrosio advised the audience to ask questions to learn what others believe so they can introduce them to the Catholic faith through informed conversation, as well as through other individuals, books and events in the church.

“Share your story,” he said. “It starts with a smile and loving people. Think of your own story and let people know that Christ is making a difference in your own life.”

September 19, 2008

from the cover

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Catholics have obligation to defend church, speaker says LEADERS, from page 1

organizations, missions, ministries, apostolates and institutions for prayer, networking, strategic planning and talks and panel discussions.

“Through the Catholic Leadership Conference, Catholic leaders have the opportunity to meet and discuss important issues affecting our church,” said Gail Buckley, a member of the conference steering committee.

Talks and panel discussion topics included Catholics in politics, the Muslim “threat” to religious liberties around the world and religious liberty in U.S. courts.

The closing Mass was celebrated by Bishop Robert F. Vasa of Baker, Ore., and concelebrated by Bishop Peter J. Jugis and other priests.

During his talk, Donohue said there is a “disconnect” between many Catholics and the church. “ C a t h o l i c s d o n ’t e x p e r i e n c e individual discrimination. They have jobs, their kids are in school, they are doing well,” he said.

When the church is attacked in the media, said Donohue, many “Catholics say, ‘Let the bishops take care of that.’

Well, the bishops need our support.”

It was Donohue who led a recent

campaign drawing attention to televised comments by the evangelical minister Rev. John Hagee, who called the Catholic Church “the great whore,” an “apostate church,” the “Antichrist” and a “false cult system.”

The words of the minister, the pastor of the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, became an issue because of his endorsement of a presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain.

Donohue called on the minister to apologize and on May 12, Rev. Hagee sent a letter to Donoghue apologizing for any comments he made “that Catholics have found hurtful.”

Donohue said after receiving Rev. Hagee’s apology that “the case is closed” and, after meeting with him May 15, that he “found him to be sincere, apologetic and friendly.”

During his talk at the conference, Donohue explored the “multidimensionality” of anti-Catholicism in the United States. He said some criticism of the Catholic Church is acceptable, so long as it isn’t hateful or disdainful.

“Fair criticism is OK … so long as it doesn’t become disparaging or hit below the belt,” he said. “No Catholic bashing is allowed.”

An example of unacceptable criticism is Catholic liturgy, said Donohue.

“They have to understand that the

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, speaks on the mutlidimensionalism of anti-Catholicism during the Catholic Leadership Conference at the Hilton Center City Hotel in Charlotte Sept. 11. church has ‘house rules’ just like any other religion or institution,” he said.

An anti-Catholic attitude against individuals and the church institution was prevalent in the United States for a long time, said Donohue.

“Those were ugly days for America, and they weren’t that long ago,” he said.

But President John F. Kennedy

“changed the mold,” said Donohue.

“There’s no question that when he became president, something dramatic did happen,” he said. “Hatred against individual Catholics declined.”

Catholics must be vigilant, he said, and continue to defend their church and its teachings, which tend to “clash with that of contemporary society.”

Conference issues statement on Catholics, voting

CHARLOTTE — The Catholic Leadership Conference has issued a statement for Catholic voters, saying Catholics must always be guided in their political participation by the moral and social teachings of the Catholic Church.

The statement was issued during the conference’s annual gathering in Charlotte Sept. 11-12. The conference previously has issued statements on stem cells, cloning and judicial review.

“Catholics should recognize that not all moral and social issues have equal weight in determining how to cast their vote because there is a hierarchy of values and their application,” said the statement on voting.

The taking of innocent life through abortion or euthanasia, or at the embryonic stage for medical research, can never be supported, it said. These

actions are “intrinsically evil and violate the natural law, since they always involve the direct and intentional taking of innocent human life. Such acts are always to be avoided and abhorred in positive law and public policy.”

Catholic voters are “morally obliged” to base their decisions “on issues which admit of no prudential judgment, such as direct abortion, the obligation to protect marriage between a man and a woman,” it said. While “there is no single ‘Catholic’ position on issues like immigration, taxes, education and delivery of medical care ... there are Catholic principles, such as the dignity of the human person and fundamental rights, which should always be considered.” These principles “are set forth in the body of church teaching referred to as the ‘social doctrine’ of the Catholic Church.”

8 The Catholic News & Herald

papal trip to france

September 19, 2008

During trip, pope shows many dimensions of his ministry FRANCE, from page 1

Western civilization to 700 scholars and intellectuals.

He then switched gears and led vespers in Notre Dame Cathedral with priests and religious, emphasizing that while their ranks may be thinning their role in the church has lost none of its value and, indeed, is irreplaceable.

Finally, he stepped outside and energized a waiting crowd of 40,000 young people, drawing roars of approval when he said the church needs them and has confidence in them. It was a whirlwind beginning and demonstrated a remarkable pastoral versatility on the part of the 81-year-old pontiff.

The next day, after celebrating Mass for a larger-than-expected crowd in Paris, he went to Lourdes and showed another side of his role as universal pastor — a Marian side.

It’s no secret that, as a theologian and bishop, Pope Benedict was not always comfortable with Marian devotion and claims of apparitions. But over the years he has widened his views, saying in 2002 that, “the older I am, the more important the mother of God is to me.”

So at Lourdes pilgrims heard the scholarly pope preach the value of “humble and intense prayer” like the rosary. He told his listeners that devotion to Mary was not a form of “pious infantilism” but an expression of spiritual maturity.

When he took a drink from the Lourdes spring that many pilgrims believe to be the font of miraculous cures, he was demonstrating that the Christian lives by simple signs and symbols as well as by theological ideas.

The pope’s trip to Lourdes was bound to be compared to Pope John Paul II’s moving visit to the shrine in 2004.

Ailing and unsteady, the late pope had to ask for help on the altar; it was his last foreign trip.

Pope Benedict was not a personal witness to suffering like his predecessor, but he left no doubt that ministry to the sick is a benchmark of Catholicism.

At his Mass with thousands of sick people Sept. 15, the final day of his visit, he thanked Catholics at Lourdes and all over the world who volunteer their time and effort to help the infirm.

That highlighted a key theme of Pope Benedict’s pontificate, one he has underlined in encyclicals but which is sometimes overlooked: that personal charity — love in action — is the ultimate expression of faith in Jesus Christ.

Another difference between Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul surfaced during the visit.

The late pope, on his first trip to France in 1980, sternly critiqued the French drift from the faith, asking Catholics, “France, the eldest daughter of the church, are you faithful to the promise of your baptism?”

Pope Benedict took a softer approach, alluding to pastoral problems but keeping the focus on the positive — for example,

the enthusiastic crowd of 260,000 people at his Paris liturgy.

In his final talk to French Catholics, he praised them for their “firm faith” and said he had been likewise encouraged by the strong turnout of youths at a Paris vigil.

Where he offered more instructional advice was in his talk to French bishops.

He touched on a sore point when he urged the bishops to show flexibility toward traditionalists who want to take advantage of his 2007 rule change on the use of the Mass in the extraordinary form, the Mass rite used before the Second Vatican Council.

As a whole, though, the pope framed his message in optimistic terms. Whether talking to politicians, pastoral workers, scholars, the sick or the young, he emphasized that the church is at home in France, and its voice — including the voice of prayer — must continue to be heard.

CNS photo by Charles Platiau, Reuters

Thousands of young people watch Pope Benedict XVI on a giant screen outside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris Sept. 12. The pope was delivering a speech at the College des Bernardins.

September 19, 2008

papal trip to france

The Catholic News & Herald 9

A source of hope

Thousands of sick flock to Lourdes to see pope, pray to Mary

by JOHN THAVIS catholic news service

CNS photo by Regis Duvignau, Reuters

Pope Benedict XVI prepares to anoint a nun with holy oil during a Mass for the sick at the Marian sanctuaries of Lourdes, France, Sept. 15. The pope was in Lourdes primarily to mark the 150th anniversary of Mary’s appearances to St. Bernadette Soubirous.

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LOURDES, France — From an altar ringed with wheelchairs and stretchers, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged thousands of sick people at Lourdes to seek solace in Mary’s smile and maternal love.

Their devotion to Mary at a time of need is not “pious infantilism” but a sign of the highest spiritual maturity, the pope said Sept. 15.

It was the pontiff’s last day in France and he dedicated it to the ill and infirm, who packed Rosary Square at the Marian sanctuaries in the Pyrenees town of Lourdes.

The pope administered the sacrament of the anointing of the sick to 10 people during the liturgy. Addressing each by name, he gently anointed their foreheads and hands with oil and invoked the mercy of the Lord.

The group receiving the sacrament included men and women, young and old, who met for the first time before the liturgy. As the youngest among them, a German girl, sat waiting for the Mass to begin, an elderly French nun in a wheelchair next to her reached out and held her hand.

Behind them stretched hundreds of the distinctive covered blue wheelchairs used to transport many of the sick at Lourdes. Most were there for the pope, but all had come to pray to Mary.

“I get a great feeling of well-being here. I’m in touch with God through Mary, right here in Lourdes,” said Frank Nelson, a 72-year-old Irishman, who has been coming to the sanctuary since 1948.

Seated in a wheelchair next to others in his pilgrim group, he added that he also has come for “some healing,” after undergoing two hip operations, stomach surgery and treatment for prostate cancer.

In his sermon, the pope said devotion to Mary can help break the isolation of suffering. Far from being an act of “outmoded sentimentality,” he said, turning to Mary demonstrates that people “know precisely how to acknowledge their weakness and their poverty before God.” He recalled that St. Bernadette Soubirous, who experienced visions of Mary 150 years ago in Lourdes, first noticed Mary’s smile. This smile remains a source of hope for many who endure illness and distress, he said.

“Unfortunately, we know only too well: The endurance of suffering can upset life’s most stable equilibrium, it can shake the firmest foundations of confidence,” he said.

Sometimes it can even lead people to despair of the value of life, he said.

“There are struggles that we cannot sustain alone, without the help of divine grace. When speech can no longer find the right words, we need a loving presence,” he said.

Mary’s smile offers strength to fight against sickness, but also the grace to accept “without fear or bitterness” the hour of one’s death, he said.

The pope, who visited Lourdes as

“I’m in touch with God through Mary, right here in Lourdes.”

— Frank Nelson a cardinal in 1981, also spoke of the attraction of Lourdes’ spring water, which many pilgrims bathe in or drink in search of a miraculous cure.

The church has recognized as miracles 67 cures attributed to Mary’s intercession at Lourdes, but pilgrims believe many more undocumented miracles also have occurred.

The pope did not talk about miracles, but said the spring water at Lourdes is a sign of a spiritual reality that has helped many pilgrims.

“By immersing themselves in the baths at Lourdes, how many people have discovered and experienced the gentle maternal love of the Virgin Mary, becoming attached to her in order to bind themselves more closely to the Lord,” he said.

The pope made a point of thanking the many people who accompany the sick to Lourdes and help care for them during their stay. These volunteers “are the arms of the servant church,” and so are the many Catholics around the world who regularly visit the sick, he said.

Before the Mass, the pope continued his “jubilee pilgrimage” in Lourdes, stopping to pray at a hospital chapel where St. Bernadette made her first Communion.

CNS photo by Philippe Noisette, Catholic Press Photo

Pope Benedict XVI prays at the Grotto of the Apparitions at the Marian sanctuaries of Lourdes, France, Sept. 13. The pope traveled to Lourdes to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Mary’s appearances to St. Bernadette Soubirous.

September 19, 2008

10 The Catholic News & Herald

Culture Watch

Books on young adult Catholics offer hopeful look at church’s future reviewed by VICKI LOPZE-KALEY catholic news service

What’s the future of the Catholic Church in the U.S.? Are the treasures of Catholic prayer and worship and theology (including Catholic social teaching) put into practice or even understood by most Catholics?

Will misinformation, uninspiring liturgy, discouraged clergy, scandal and division from within lead youths elsewhere? How can we draw and nurture the faith of young adults to lead the church and transform a world in need of the Gospel in word and action?

These questions are addressed to varying degrees in three books of interest to parish ministers and people in the pew.

In “Seeds of Hope: Young Adults and the Catholic Church in the United States,” theologian Tim Muldoon asks what kind of church we are inviting our young people to join.

With honesty and a love for the church, he holds great hope that we can address their concerns and build a church that can transform the world.

U.S. Catholics and parish leaders will find many challenges to our comfortable worship, attitudes and lifestyle if we take Muldoon’s theological insights and sociological research to heart.

For example, he challenges theologians and others to put aside divisive differences and promote a theology that can transform people’s daily lives; he exhorts liturgists to educate people in the pew to use our religious imagination and embody the kingdom of God every Sunday; he addresses the hunger of young adults for education, for spirituality and a personal and social conscience that make sense in today’s culture; he challenges us all to accept the discipline of religion as a means to transform our lives and the world.

Ecumenism, moral authority, sexuality and ethnic inclusiveness get his attention as he challenges the church to believe that what Jesus taught is true: We are his presence in the world.

He includes thought-provoking references to the rise of the Third World church, to Hispanic Catholics and to the cultural and religious changes in Africa and Asia. Most of all, Muldoon’s overview of Catholic theology and sociological commentary can help us readjust our priorities to build up the body of Christ within the church and in the world.

Chris Cuddy and Peter Ericksen, editors of “I Choose God: Stories from Young Catholics,” give us 21 stories written by young adults about their dramatic journeys of faith filled with confusion about faith and morals.

WORD TO LIFE

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

Sunday Scripture Readings: SEPT. 28, 2007

Sept. 28, Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A. Readings: 1) Ezekiel 18:25-28 Psalm 25:4-9 2) Philippians 2:1-11 Gospel) Matthew 21:28-32

In biblical terms, complexities of injustice not so clear-cut by

Readers will be saddened by stories of drugs, alcohol, exploitative relationships, abortion, pornography, grief, divorce and the serious temptations that afflict youths in our affluent culture.

By the grace of the Holy Spirit and the presence of well-formed Catholic youths and mentors, these thoughtful writers each find a spiritual home in the Catholic Church.

This short volume is interesting reading to parents of young adults, pastors and young adult ministers, and leaders of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in parish or campus ministry settings.

The writers repeatedly give high praise for their experiences with World Youth Day, youth rallies, pastorally gifted Catholic youth ministers and college theology professors.

In “Catholic and Loving It,” Sabitha Narendran and Andrew Salzmann describe a hunger for tradition as an issue for young adults.

Narendran and Salzmann present a useful and readable volume for any Catholic who wants to rediscover some of the rich devotions that have been part of Catholic piety for generations.

In one user-friendly volume, they include seasonal prayers and practices, traditions for the home, practices and prayers related to Mary and the saints, and much more. Their book offers a lot to new Catholics, young families, catechists or older Catholics who want to renew in their lives the rhythm of days and seasons.

The authors do not clearly differentiate, however, which practices are most central to Catholic life (such as Advent and Lent, sacramental celebrations and feasts) and which can become shallow and even superstitious if given too much value in daily life (such as indulgences).

With a careful eye for a balanced theology, readers of this book will find practical suggestions for reclaiming many prayerful Catholic traditions.

Hopefully, they seek to learn more about our rich spiritual tradition.

Lopez-Kaley has 22 years of experience as a catechetical leader. She works as a freelance writer and teacher in spirituality and nutrition in Quincy, Ill.

SHARON K. PERKINS catholic news service

One day when I was about 9 years old, I remember being given the responsibility of looking after my baby sister. She had just learned to walk, and I was leading her from one room to another.

I guess I didn’t sufficiently account for her underdeveloped coordination: I pulled her too quickly around a corner, and she stumbled and hit her head on the corner of a television console, thus acquiring a large, discolored goose egg on her forehead.

Although caused accidentally, the swelling happened so rapidly and we were all so frightened that in the heat of the moment I was held responsible.

I already felt terrible about my sister’s injury; I also felt that my subsequent punishment was more than a little unfair. In my childish, black-andwhite way of thinking, I struggled to

make sense of it but found myself unable to find any justice in the situation.

Today’s readings are about two concepts that often are confused when used in reference to God’s interaction with human beings: fairness and justice.

Natural disasters occur, randomly destroying the lives and property of people who don’t deserve such loss. The unfairness of it causes some people to helplessly shake their fists at God and place the blame on divine injustice.

Others, not wishing to fault a sovereign God for such calamity, choose the opposite extreme and judge that all human tragedy is somehow directly caused by human failure of some sort.

Still others, seeking middle ground, embrace the doctrine of original sin as an explanation for the world’s evil and all its consequences.

When viewed in biblical terms, the problems of evil, fairness and injustice are not so clear-cut. Their complexities continually invite us to wrestle with them.

Yet the kind of justice proper to God is always biblically linked with a divine attribute that transcends our inadequate, human ideas of fairness: God’s boundless mercy, culminating in the self-giving of Jesus.

Like the admission of sinners and prostitutes to the kingdom of heaven, God’s mercy doesn’t always make sense; even so, we are called to imitate and exercise that same mercy in our dealings with one another.

Questions: Can you recall a time when you were blamed or punished unfairly? How can you demonstrate God’s mercy to someone who doesn’t “deserve” it?

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of Sept. 21-27 Sunday (Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Isaiah 55:6-9, Philippians 1:20-24, 27, Matthew 20:1-16; Monday, Proverbs 3:27-34, Luke 8:16-18; Tuesday (St. Pio of Pietrelcina), Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13, Luke 8:19-21; Wednesday, Proverbs 30:5-9, Luke 9:1-6; Thursday, Ecclesiastes 1:2-11, Luke 9:7-9; Friday (Sts. Cosmas and Damian), Ecclesiastes 3:1-11, Luke 9:18-22; Saturday (St. Vincent de Paul), Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8, Luke 9:43-45.

Scripture for the week of Sept. 28-Oct. 4 Sunday (Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Ezekiel 18:25-28, Philippians 2:1-11, Matthew 21:28-32; Monday (St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael), Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14, John 1:47-51; Tuesday (St. Jerome), Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23, Luke 9:51-56; Wednesday (St. Thèrése of Lisieux), Job 9:1-12, 14-16, Luke 9:57-62; Thursday (The Guardian Angels), Exodus 23:20-23, Matthew 18:1-5, 10; Friday, Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5, Luke 10:13-16; Saturday (St. Francis of Assisi), Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17, Luke 10:17-24.

The Catholic News & Herald 11

September 19, 2008

U.S. movie about military’s bomb dismantlers wins Signis film prize VENICE, Italy (CNS) — A U.S. movie about a military unit that dismantles bombs in Iraq, “The Hurt Locker,” won the grand prize at the Venice Film Festival from Signis, the international Catholic organization for film and video.

It was the organization’s 60th annual film jury.

The film stars Sam Reford, Jeremy Renner, Guy Pearce, David Morse and Ralph Fiennes, who starred in the 1995 movie “Strange Days,” also by Kathryn Bigelow, director of “The Hurt Locker.”

The Signis jury, in announcing the awards Sept. 5, called the new film “an uncompromising approach to the Iraq War and its consequences seen through the experience of the bomb diffusion specialists for whom war is an addiction rather than a cause.”

“The director, Kathryn Bigelow, challenges the audience’s view of war in general and the current war in particular because it demonstrates the struggle between violence to the body and psychological alienation,” said the Signis jury.

Bigelow’s last feature film was 2002’s “K-19: The Widowmaker,” about the malfunctioning of the Soviet Union’s first nuclear-powered submarine on its maiden voyage and the crew’s efforts to

avoid a nuclear disaster.

The Signis jury also gave a commendation to another American film, “Vegas: Based on a True Story,” a comedy written and directed by Iranianborn filmmaker Amir Naderi.

The jury called this “small-budget picture of a family on the periphery of Las Vegas, struggling with gambling addiction and their marginalized life ... an allegory of futile obsession and greed.”

A second commendation was given to Haile Gerima’s Ethiopian film “Teza,” a movie about the return of an African intellectual to his native country during the repressive Marxist regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam.

The returnee finds his country in turmoil, with a military junta that uses scientists for its own political ends; he is faced with a choice to make a life from the fragments that lay around him or to give in to the violence.

“Teza” is “a reflection in artcinema style on Ethiopia’s recent past and the hopes and challenges for its future,” the jury said. “It highlights the conflict between ideology and personal lives.”

The president of the seven-member international jury was U.S. Sister Rose Pacatte, a member of the Daughters of St. Paul.

‘Fireproof’ will warm the heart

by HARRY FORBES catholic news service

NEW YORK — You fireproof your home; why not your marriage?

Such is the obvious but unobjectionable theme of “Fireproof” (Goldwyn), a modest but heartwarming drama from Sherwood Pictures, the Albany, Ga., church-based studio that made “Flywheel” and “Facing the Giants,” all on remarkably small budgets with a largely volunteer cast and crew.

Their latest concerns a small-town fire captain, Caleb Holt (Kirk Cameron, the film’s only name performer), whose marriage to Catherine (Erin Bethea), the PR director at the local hospital, is on the rocks.

They’ve lost patience with one another. Catherine accuses him of spending all his time looking at “trash” (i.e., pornography) on the Internet. He, in turn, complains she no longer shops or cooks for him.

He’s saving up for a boat; she’d like to use that money to make improvements on the house. Each feels disrespected.

Under the guidance of his born-again father, John (Harris Malcom), whose own marriage to Caleb’s mother, Cheryl (Phyllis Malcom), had once been in trouble, Caleb reluctantly promises his father he’ll follow the instructions in a journal called “The Love Dare,” which saved the older couple’s marriage, in order to rescue his own seven-year union.

Catherine remains obstinately unyielding, and disparages Caleb’s sincere proffering of morning coffee, flowers, a candlelight dinner and sickbed duty, thinking he’s merely buttering her up for better divorce terms.

She’s further reluctant to reconcile, as she’s in thrall to the smarmy attentions of Dr. Gavin Keller (Perry Revell) at work.

The film is nicely if simply shot by directors Alex and Stephen Kendrick, though their script is not unlike a TV soap opera. The message that marriage is grounded in the knowledge that God loves us with all our faults — and so should we love our spouse — is incontrovertible, but

it’s clear the story is merely a vehicle for conveying that message.

The script would also seem to imply that only committed Christians can have successful marriages, whereas from a Catholic perspective, marriage is a natural union as well as a sacramental one among the baptized.

Caleb gets more reinforcement from Michael (Ken Bevel), his best friend at the firehouse, who stands in contrast to the others there: the unenlightened doubter Terrell (Eric Young), who believes we’re all “going into the ground,” and braggart engine driver Wayne (Stephen Dervan).

Former “Growing Pains” star Cameron is fine, while the mostly nonprofessional supporting cast and production values are surprisingly capable. There are even a couple of fairly ambitious action sequences — a car stuck on the train tracks with an oncoming train, and of course a climactic fire — both competently executed.

Though strongly evangelical, rather than Catholic, in tone — there are no references to the sacramental nature of marriage, and the approach to conversion is shown to be typically instantaneous — the stress on permanence, fidelity, forgiveness and reconciliation (as well as faith in a loving God) resonates well not only with Catholic belief and teaching but also with the pro-marriage campaign of the U.S. bishops.

Details of the campaign can be found online at www.foryourmarriage.org.

Predictable though the film’s outcome is, you’ll be forgiven for a lump in the throat by the time of the sentimental fade-out.

The film contains domestic discord, extramarital flirtation and pornography references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Forbes is director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

12 The Catholic News & Herald

September 19, 2008

exploring the bible

Biblical scholars trace historical events that shaped Catholic Bible BIBLE, from page 1

theology at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn.

“There was never an official decree on the books in the canon until (the Council of) Trent in 1546,” he said.

That point is significant because the church teaches that the Holy Spirit worked through the hierarchy and the faithful to sort out which books proved vital to the faith of the communities, Father Launderville said in an interview with Catholic News Service.

The books stood the test of time and came to be regarded as fundamental tools in identifying Catholics as a faith community, he said.

“The Bible contains the records of 4,000 years of Judeo-Christian culture,” said Franciscan Father Jack Wintz, a wellknown Catholic writer, who has served in various editorial roles at the St. Anthony Messenger and Catholic Update.

“Even before writing materials were invented, the many stories included in our Bible were handed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. We call this ‘oral tradition,’” he said.

“As time passed, the ancient Israelites began to commit their community’s stories to writing,” he added.

Varying versions The earliest written stories were about the deeds of kings and by the 10th century B.C. they were written as lyrics to songs, Father Wintz said.

After the Reformation established the Protestant movement throughout Europe in the 1500s, Protestants of all denominations instituted their own Bible, or collection of writings.

“Basically, the difference between a ‘Catholic’ and a ‘Protestant’ Bible is limited to the contents of the Old Testament,” said Father Murray Watson, a biblical scholar at St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario.

“Catholic Bibles contain seven books which traditional Protestant Bibles do not,” he said.

He said those books are “Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach — also called Ecclestiasticus — Baruch, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees. Catholics use versions of two Old Testament books, Daniel and Esther, which are considerably longer than the version in a standard Protestant Bible,” said Father Watson.

“Most Eastern Orthodox churches use a longer one, similar to the Catholic Old Testament, and some of them actually add several other books as well,” he said.

These seven books are called “apocryphal,” or hidden, by most Protestants, who don’t consider them “as inspired,” and do not include them in their Bibles, Father Watson said.

However, Catholics do consider these books inspired, and refer to them as “deuterocanonical,” or belonging to

a “second list of canonical/approved books,” since their status was debated longer than most other books, which were on the “first list,” he said.

The difference is rooted in the fact that well before the time of Jesus there were two different versions of the Jewish Bible in circulation and used by Jews in different parts of the Mediterranean, Father Watson said.

“One of them seems to have been in Hebrew/Aramaic, and was used almost exclusively in the Holy Land, whereas another version translated into Greek was used by most of the Jews of the Diaspora, the Jewish community outside of the Holy Land, whose daily language of communication was Greek,” he said.

“The Greek translation, which was called the Septuagint, had a number of books in it that were not contained in the Hebrew/Aramaic version. However, since the vast majority of Jews at that time lived outside the Holy Land, the version they were most familiar with was the Greek version,” he said.

Books of the Bible Church beliefs and practices under attack by Protestant reformers included purgatory, judgment, devotion to Mary, the intercession of the saints, most of the sacraments, the mandatory celibacy requirement for its clergy, and the authority of the pope.

So, they needed a Bible with Scriptures that would reflect their traditions, Father Watson said.

Over time, the Catholic hierarchy, too, chose Scriptures that best reflected their interpretation of the true word of God. Though the Catholic Bible began to take shape centuries earlier, the foundation became more concrete during the Council of Rome in 382, when the church decided what it should accept and what it should reject.

This body determined and Pope Damasus I decreed the order of the Old Testament should begin with the book of

CNS photo by Nancy Wiechec

A page from the early 16th-century Complutensian Polyglot Bible is pictured at the Library of Congress in Washington. Considered a masterpiece of Catholic scholarship, the text is a record of the more significant translations in the development of Bible.

Genesis, and include Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua (Son of) Nave, Judges, Ruth, Paralipomenon (1 and 2 Chronicles), Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Canticle of Canticles (Song of Songs), Wisdom, and Ecclesiastcus.

The order of the historical books was proclaimed to start with Job, followed

by Tobit, two books of Esdras (Ezra and Nehemiah), Esther, Judith and two books of Maccabees.

During the Council of Hippo in 393, it was decided that besides the canonical Scriptures nothing under the name of divine Scripture should be read in church.

Over the years other books were added to the canon and deleted, and in 408 Pope Innocent I issued an opinion that resulted in the Bible used by

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Catholics today, which also includes fives books of Solomon and 16 books from the prophets.

“For Catholics, the Bible and the church are two interrelated expressions of God’s communication to God’s people, and they depend on each other,” Father Watson said.

“Today, these differences are largely being overcome,” he continued, “since more and more editions of the Bible are being published in ‘ecumenical editions,’ which incorporate all the books sacred to Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christians, while placing the deuterocanonicals in a separate section between the Old and New Testaments, thus allowing people to choose whether or not they wish to read them.”

In addition, almost every major English translation of the Bible today is produced by an interdenominational team of scholars, which includes Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox and, in most cases, Jewish members as well, he said.

“In terms of ‘Catholic’ Bibles today, almost any mainstream Bible translation is appropriate for Catholics to read and study, provided, of course, it includes the deuterocanonical books,” Father Watson said.

“Among the more popular Bible versions for Catholics would be the New American Bible, the New Jerusalem Bible and the New Revised Standard Bible,” he said.

“Many Catholics also read the Good News Bible, which is published by the United Bible Societies, and today has a Catholic version available,” he added.

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September 19, 2008

Three’s company

in our schools

The Catholic News & Herald 13

Kids helping kids

Courtesy Photo

Kristen Sedam, McKenna Dvorak and Zack Fishel, kindergarten students at St. Ann School in Charlotte, form triangles Sept. 10. The students learned about triangles and worked in groups of three to make the three-sided shape.

Courtesy Photo

Mercy Sister Carmelita Hagan, volunteer coordinator at Catherine’s House in Belmont, is pictured with children — two of whom are students of St. Gabriel School in Charlotte — who presented $543.83 for the ministry Aug. 14. Catherine’s House, a ministry of the Sisters of Mercy, provides transitional housing for women and children who are homeless.

The children (from left: Sophie Tan, Ava Tan, Alex Tan and Mason Petchel) were among the “Kids Helping Kids” group who sold lemonade and cookies in August to raise funds to purchase school supplies and back-to-school clothes for a first-grade student living at Catherine’s House. The funds also were used to purchase baby items for ministry residents.

September 19, 2008

14 The Catholic News & Herald

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Justice flows like a river Social justice, charity must be considerd

by Catholics Call me “Secondhand Rose” if you must, but nothing pleases me more than finding a used item at a great price. It stretches the budget, it’s environmentally healthy and, if you don’t get carried away, it’s great sport.

I should get one of those “I brake for garage sales” bumper stickers. Lead me into a nice secondhand store when I have time to browse and I’m a happy woman.

So it was the other day when I came home with a linen blouse from a used clothing store. It was an excellent brand, one that carries a respectable price tag when new.

It was in like-new condition, a softapricot color and a perfect fit. And it was five bucks! What more could this bargain hunter want?

As I carried my “find” into the house, I stopped to get the mail, and once inside the kitchen, I sifted through it, glancing at the latest issue of Sacred Ground, the newsletter from the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging.

My family has sponsored a boy in Venezuela, Jose Gustavo, through this organization for a few years, ever since a priest spoke at our parish and signed people up.

I noticed the story of a young father in the Philippines who supports his family by operating a tricycle taxi, a little motorized vehicle jerry-rigged with a side car to haul one or two people.

The man, a handsome guy in jeans and a bright T-shirt, stood proudly by his taxi, looking like any guy you’d see cheering on his kids at the soccer field.

The story said a Filipino expression applies to a day laborer like him: “Work one, eat one.” It means that the man, who of course doesn’t belong to a union or get any paid days off, must work one day to provide just the amount of money needed to sustain his family the next.

And what does this taxi driver earn to make ends meet? After he pays for his fuel, the price of which has been rising in the Philippines just like everywhere else, he makes $5 daily for his family’s needs.

For the Journey EFFIE CALDAROLA cns columnist

Five bucks. I looked down at my linen shirt lying on the cabinet right next to the story. Suddenly it was a luxury item, this man’s daily bread, purchased on a whim.

Throughout the past century, the Catholic Church in myriads of official documents has come to cast its vision on justice in a world where some people have so much less than others.

Pope Leo XIII got the ball rolling when he wrote “Rerum Novarum” in 1891. In it he talked about working conditions and laborers’ rights. “Rerum Novarum” introduced new conversation into the church’s discussion.

Previously, charity had been our response to the poor of the world — giving alms to the poor, aiding those in need.

Certainly charity remains a good and necessary thing. But for more than 100 years, the church, through encyclicals, the writings of the Second Vatican Council and other writings, has educated us to look at institutional reasons for poverty, what Pope John Paul II called “the structures of sin” in “Sollicitudo Rei Socialis.”

But how educated are we? Many have called Catholic social justice teaching “our best kept secret.” We don’t talk about it much. Charity is rarely controversial, but trying to figure out the hard truth of justice can be a minefield.

In this election year, Americans need to look at their country and the world and ask how they can meet the challenge the church has given us to find “a preferential option for the poor.”

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Catechetical Sunday World needs intentional Catholics committed to Christ Ascending the stairs to the friars’ rooms in the monastery of St. Mark in Florence, Italy, the visitor is struck by the vision of the world famous fresco of the Annunciation at the top of the stairs.

There on the wall is the often-seen, world-famous depiction of Blessed Fra Angelico, the Dominican friar and artist.

For more than 500 years that painting has been catechizing everyone who reached the top of those stairs.

The subdued paints with the soft hues indicate the delicacy of the moment of the Incarnation, the moment of God taking on our flesh, the moment God “dwelt among us” (pitched his tent), as St. John relates.

Our Lady has her head bowed in humility to God, her arms crossed as if to cradle the infant in her womb. The Archangel Gabriel’s head is inclined in respect to both Our Lady and the infant Son. At that moment, the nascent church, the Mystical Body of Christ, is likewise present and deserving of respect.

The visitor is at once catechized with the Word of God. This is the theme for this Catechetical Sunday, Sept. 21: “The Word of God in the life and mission of the church.”

Msgr. Frances Kelley defines catechesis as “the transmission of God’s Word to invite people to personal faith.”

Seeing the fresco of the Annunciation, one is given the message of the Incarnation, the intellect is drawn into thinking about the historical event and the will must either chose to believe the truth presented in the fresco, reject that truth or simply ignore the truth.

But catechesis has nonetheless happened; the content of the Catholic faith has been transmitted and one is invited to personal faith. Every catechetical moment does the same thing.

Catechetical Sunday is a day to emphasize the essential evangelizing mission of the Catholic Church: “to hand on what has been handed on” to us, to paraphrase St. Paul.

The church teaches that parents are the first educators of their children under the direction of their pastors. This education entails the entire spectrum of all fields of discipline and activities, including religious education, as they are all related and lead to a proper understanding of the truth of God himself.

On Catechetical Sunday, the church desires to emphasize the importance of the stewardship of God’s Word by all who are “catechists” — and every member of the Mystical Body is a catechist.

Today, however, the church especially accents those who are giving their time and talents to teach religion in special programs and classes in all our educational institutions, programs and settings. All of this is done in support of the parents, who are the primary educators of the children, under the direction of their pastors.

Why does the church spend so

Guest Column FATHER ROGER ARNSPARGER guest columnist

much effort in catechesis? Why do we have Catholic schools, faith formation programs, home schools, campus ministries, adult education in its many forms, youth ministry and our other avenues of catechesis?

The reason is this: “… the definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ: only He can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity” (Pope John Paul II, CT, 5).

Catechesis is about making saints. It is about helping our students come into an “intimacy” with Jesus; not just knowing about him, but knowing him; not just loving him distantly, but being in love with him. Catechesis has one purpose then: to offer the way to eternal life.

To be effective in our care for catechesis, each of us in the church must pledge to live the spiritual life.

Our devout participation in Sunday and holy day Mass, our frequent confessions, daily prayers and spiritual readings are essential to the project of our Catholic schools.

We will only be as effective as is our commitment to our spiritual life.

The outcome of our catechetical programs is evident and therefore measurable. We can ask: Are our students convinced of the truths of the Catholic Church (which is the bearer of the Gospel), and do they practice their faith in their parish and diocese? Are they intentional Catholics?

The world needs intentional, informed, zealous Catholics — men and women committed to Christ and his message of truth about humanity and the world.

Many intentional Catholics are coming forth from our catechetical programs. They have a Catholic worldview and know the principles of making good decisions, which will make good memories and help them achieve citizenship in heaven. These are decisions based on the truth about God and the dignity of man from conception to natural death.

Our thanks go to all those catechists who assist us to remember and believe the person of the Annunciation — the Word of God in the life and mission of the church. Catechesis humbles us as Mary and the Archangel Gabriel were humbled at those words: “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us!”

God “pitched his tent” and lives among us. He invites us to prepare to “pitch our tent” and live with him in eternal life.

Father Arnsparger is vicar for education in the Diocese of Charlotte and pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia.

September 19, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 15

Labor of love

Seeing work as a journey of discovery that makes us fully alive When we think of the people that are most alive, it is those who love their work. I think of the woman who cuts my hair, a woman named Carmen from Puerto Rico who has a small unisex shop in my neighborhood.

She recently returned from a vacation cruise and said she could hardly wait to get back to work. She literally dances around you as she does her job.

I think also of Maryknoll missionary priest Robert McCahill, who has worked for decades in Bangladesh.

What a joy it is to hear him talk about the life he shares with the poor, even living in a thatched roof hut as they do, and peddling a bicycle through the poorest neighborhoods seeking out the sick, sometimes even carrying them to a clinic or hospital.

I think too of craftsmen whose works proclaim their industry, love and dedication decades and even centuries after they passed from this life.

Genesis tells us that after God created the earth and all its elements and life forms he “looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good” (1:31).

It is common, however, to see work as God’s punishment for the disobedience

of Adam and Eve. And certainly the Scriptures provide justification in God’s words to Adam: “Cursed be the ground because of you! In toil shall you eat its yield all the days of your life. ... By the sweat of your face shall you get bread to eat, until you return to the ground” (Gn 3:17, 19).

But our first parents already had a job before they sinned; it was not as if God had consigned them to a life of idleness. He had given them the Garden of Eden and entrusted them “to cultivate and care for it” (Gn 2:15).

Their failure was similar to many of ours today. Failing to see the challenge, do our homework, work hard enough, persevere. Instead of patiently working to discover the infinite marvels of God’s creation, they thought they could gain wisdom the easy way: by eating the forbidden fruit.

What they did is analogous to today’s get-rich-quick schemes, and all the self-illusion that short-circuits the sweat and tears.

Yet the Garden of Eden did not disappear with the disobedience of Adam and Eve. It is with us still, the entire universe in which we live, containing all the wonders that humankind has

Abortion and common ground

Ways abound to reduce prevelence of abortion Following the national conventions, the question has been raised anew whether there is any common ground to be found on the ever divisive topic of abortion. How we pursue agreement may make all the difference.

Recent events suggest that contesting what modern genetics cannot deny — namely, that life begins at conception — is a non-starter, but closer attention to those arguing for improvement in the social and economic circumstances of families, especially families with little or modest wealth, may pay a handsome dividend in the strengthening of a culture of life.

Of course, no Catholic should try to find common ground on unstable terrain.

Church teaching is clear: Abortion is intrinsically wrong and no amount of linguistic parsing provides escape.

The lack of maneuverability here is aptly illustrated by a recent public conversation between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the bishops over medievalist theology.

On a recent “Meet the Press” appearance, Pelosi noted that some Fathers of the Church differed on when life begins.

Not so, said Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia and Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., chairmen of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life and doctrine committees, respectively.

While in church history several notable theologians disagreed over when

ensoulment occurred, when life begins and ensoulment are different, procured abortion has never been acceptable to the Catholic Church.

The bishops’ correction was fairly given. What was most unfortunate was some conservative partisans and media taking unnecessary glee in the correction — feeding yet again what divides us rather than that which brings us together.

More helpful was the circulation of new compilations of data illustrating often overlooked facts about the incidence of abortion. Hugh Skees of Miamisburg, Ohio, has culled from the public records of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that from 1979 to 1990 the annual rate of abortion increased by 14.2 percent.

“If the rate had not increased during those 11 years, approximately 740,000 abortions would have been prevented,” Skees said. “From 1990 to 2000, the annual rate decreased by 34 percent.

If the rate had not decreased as it did, approximately 2.3 million more children would have been aborted, but instead are alive today.”

What was so favorable in the 1990s that abortion rates dropped? Skees speculates that it was the relatively prosperous economic times and policies that favored the average family.

Skees may be on to something.

Catholics in the Alliance for the

Seeking Life MOISES SANDOVAL cns columnist

discovered and has yet to discover — in mathematics, medicine, science, philosophy, psychology, theology, social science and much more.

There are no limits to what we can learn. To be alive, then, is to see work not as cruel fate but as a journey of discovery.

That perspective may be hard to sell to a factory worker who endures the monotony of an assembly line or the laborer who wields a pick and shovel.

Yet even they can rejoice in the shelter, food and education their labors provide for their families. And if our workday does not yield satisfaction, perhaps we can find it in work we do in our off hours, in our homes or our communities.

I often see joy in the enthusiasm of immigrants cutting lawns or shoveling snow.

Implicit in the words “Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Mt 25:34) is the judgment: “Your work was good.”

Faith & Precedent DOUGLAS W. KMIEC cns columnist

Common Good, under director Alexia Kelley, produced an even finer grain study finding that the abortion rate among women living below the poverty level is more than four times that of women above 300 percent of the poverty level.

This study of all U.S. states from 1982 to 2000 finds that social and economic supports such as public assistance to low-income families and other maternity and prenatal benefits have contributed significantly to reducing the number of abortions in the United States over the past 20 years.

At a minimum the findings suggest that while the Supreme Court may have blocked one means of dealing with the scourge of abortion — that of legal prohibition — there is no reason why we can’t make an effort to reduce its prevalence.

Perhaps the sign of common ground is agreeing that there is, in fact, more than one way to be pro-life. As Dorothy Day of the Catholic Worker Movement so well taught, one need not wait for an institution to do good, since we ourselves can start today.

The thousands of Catholic volunteers in crisis pregnancy centers know this full well.

Cross shows true love does not exist without suffering, pope says

The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI VATICAN CITY (CNS) — God’s love poured out on humanity through the cross of Jesus offers healing and salvation to all people, Pope Benedict XVI said.

At his Sept. 17 weekly general audience, the pope reflected on his Sept. 12-15 trip to France, which he said had brought him many blessings.

“In Lourdes, at the school of Mary, the first and perfect disciple of the crucified one, pilgrims learn to consider the crosses of their lives in the light of the glorious cross of Christ,” he said.

“The cross reminds us that true love does not exist without suffering; there is no gift of life without pain,” he said.

“Many learn that truth in Lourdes, which is a school of faith and hope because it also is a school of charity and of service to one’s brothers and sisters.”

Here is the text of the pope’s remarks in English.

Our encounter today gives me the opportunity to retrace the steps of my recent pastoral visit to France. After a warm welcome in Paris, I met with men and women from the world of culture, with whom I reflected on the monastic ideal of seeking God — quaerere Deum — as the bedrock of European culture.

I wished to emphasize that meditation on the Scriptures opens our minds and hearts to the Logos, God’s creative reason in the flesh.

In the magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame, I gathered with bishops, priests, religious and seminarians, sharing with them the treasures of the Holy Spirit and the cross. My brief stop at the Institute de France was followed by the joyful Eucharistic celebration on the Esplanade des Invalides.

I then made my way to Lourdes to join thousands of pilgrims in this jubilee year commemorating the apparitions of Our Lady to St. Bernadette.

The holy Mass near the grotto of Massabielle providentially coincided with the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, the perennial sign of the “mystery of death and of glory.”

The cross demonstrates that God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son. It teaches us that there is no genuine love without suffering, and no gift of life without pain.

Lourdes is thus a school of faith and hope because it is a school of charity and service. I am deeply grateful to God and to all who made this trip a blessed, memorable success. Thank you.

September 19, 2008

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