Sept. 22, 2006

September 22, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

2006 Eucharistic Congress

Part 6 of Father Buettner’s 7-part series discusses Congress speakers Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI September 22, 2006

‘Equal in dignity’ in God’s eyes

| Page 15 Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

Pope reiterates his regret that his comments offended Muslims

Bishop Jugis says dialogue of cultures needed

by KEVIN E. MURRAY

JOANITA M. NELLENBACH

by

correspondent

editor

HICKORY — Two girls approach a third, who is sitting in a wheelchair.

“Do we call you handicapped or disabled?” they ask.

“Call me Charlotte,” the girl replies.

Sue Rebich showed that cartoon by Morrie Turner, a cartoonist known for his integrated comic strips, during the parish catechetical leader in-service session, “Faith Formation for Persons with

Respecting ‘every stage of life’

no. 42

Amid criticism and cultures

Catechists explore faith formation for persons with disabilities

See DIGNITY, page 12

vOLUME 15

CHARLOTTE — The same day as Pope Benedict XVI again expressed regret that his remarks on Islam had been misunderstood and emphasized his “profound respect” for Muslims, Bishop Peter J. Jugis was discussing the topic on a Charlotte-based radio station.

“It is a timely issue,” See ISLAM, page 8

CNS photo by Dario Pignatelli, Reuters

Pope Benedict XVI speaks during his Sunday Angelus prayer at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Sept. 17. The pope said he was “deeply sorry” that Muslims were offended by his reference to a historical criticism of Islam, which he said does not reflect his own opinion.

MORE COVERAGE Page 14 | Media botch pope’s message Page 15 | Bishop Jugis on the West, God and culture

Helping across borders

Charlotte parish to assist Peruvian mission

Pope endorses adult stem-cell research

by

KEVIN E. MURRAY editor

by CAROL GLATZ catholic news service

ROME — Pope Benedict X V I endors ed s t e m - c e l l research and therapy utilizing stem cells harvested from adults and umbilical-cord blood.

He also called for researchers and doctors to work more closely together in applying the latest research.

Courtesy Photo

See STEM CELLS, page 6

Father Mark Lawlor, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, celebrates Mass at St. Martin de Porres Church in Aguaytia, Peru in August.

CHARLOTTE — A Charlotte parish is hoping to offer assistance to a Catholic mission in the jungles of Peru.

Father Mark Lawlor, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, recently returned from the South American country. During his Aug. 21-31 trip, he established an outreach program between his parish and St. Martin de Porres Church, a small church in the town of

Aguaytia, in the Apostolic Vicariate of Pucallpa.

“In a place like south Charlotte, we are blessed with the ability to have a pastoral outreach,” said Father Lawlor.

“In many places in Latin America, there are dedicated clergy, religious and laity serving in vibrant parishes, but their material resources are usually very limited,” he said.

Peru is a nation of some See MISSION, page 5

Around the Diocese

Respect Life

Culture Watch

Middle schooler earns Peacemaker; fire at parish

Life Chain locations around diocese

Fall’s new TV series; screenwriting contest

| Page 4

| Page 7

| Pages 10-11

September 22, 2006

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

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

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The U.S. must regain the moral high ground when it comes to treatment of detainees, said the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Policy.

In a Sept. 15 letter to U.S. senators, Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, Fla., asked their support for legislation that unambiguously rejects torture and cruel treatment of prisoners.

The letter came as the Senate weighed legislation that would govern treatment of those detained by the United States, particularly at locations such as the U.S. facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where they are not subject to rights granted prisoners on U.S. soil.

The legislative efforts follow reports over the last couple of years about the mistreatment of detainees held by the U.S. military or the federal government.

Bishop Wenski noted that last year the U.S. bishops supported provisions in the Defense Appropriations Act setting uniform standards for interrogation and

Racing for the poor

CNS photo by Michael Lisa

Lis Mara and driver Brian Sears cross the finish line in first place at the $500,000 Breeders Crown Open Pace at the Meadowlands in New Jersey in late July. The proceeds from the win will be donated to Food for the Poor, a Christian relief organization based in Deerfield Beach, Fla., that provides food, education, housing and medical aid to 16 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.

How does a racehorse build a house? By donating winnings DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (CNS) — How does a racehorse build a house?

No, there’s no punch line. If the horse is 4-year-old Lis Mara, it’s by winning races and donating the proceeds to Food for the Poor, a Deerfield Beachbased Christian relief organization that provides food, education, housing and medical aid to 16 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Eight homes will be constructed in Cap Haitien, Haiti, thanks to the winnings donated by the horse’s co-owners, Mike Gulotta and Andy Willinger. The street where the houses will stand is to be named Lis Mara Drive.

“Lis Mara bought those houses for homeless people in Haiti, and he will be buying a lot more,” said Gulotta, a member of Immaculate Conception Church in Annandale, N.J. The horse has won more than $993,000 in 2006, including the $500,000 Breeders Crown Open Pace this summer at the Meadowlands in New Jersey and

Retake moral high ground on detainees, bishop urges senators

the Sept. 7 Des Smith Classic in Ottawa, where Lis Mara set a Canadian record.

“Lis Mara is clearly the best colt we have had,” said Gulotta of his MJG Racing Stables in Annandale. “We built three houses in Haiti after he won the Canadian Pacing Derby because I wanted the good to be shared. You cannot be blessed like this and not give back.”

Robin Mahfood, president of Food for the Poor, said Haiti’s poor “simply need a chance at survival.”

“Our poverty-stricken brothers and sisters were born into a world they did not ask for,” he added. “Gulotta and Willinger have helped to renew their faith in a merciful God by helping to establish a new community.”

Gulotta said he hopes the community will eventually have 100 houses funded by the racehorse’s winnings.

“People in Haiti are in such dire need,” he said. “If we can help them, while enjoying the fruits of Lis Mara’s victories, then it is a wonderful combination.”

Diocesan planner ALBEMARLE VICARIATE HAMLET — St. James Church, 1018 West Hamlet Ave., will host a free Music Extravaganza. Sept.

29 at 7 p.m. Lourdes Montgomery will perform with the St. James English and Spanish choirs and musicians and singers from Sacred Heart Church in Wadesboro. For more information, call (910) 582-8776.

HAMLET — St. James Church, 1018 West Hamlet Ave, will host a free Bilingual Music Workshop Sept. 30. A workshop devoted to bilingual liturgical celebrations will be offered in Spanish, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.; followed by a workshop in English, 1-3 p.m. A light lunch will be provided on Saturday at 12 p.m. Register by Sept. 27 by calling (910) 582-8776.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE CHARLOTTE — St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Rd. will present a Polka Mass Sept. 30 at 4:30 p.m. Father Frank Perkovich based the music for this Mass on Polish, Slavic and German folk songs. Please join us for this exciting family worship experience, complete with accordions.

For more information, call the church office at (704) 523-4641.

CHARLOTTE — The St. Maximilian Kolbe Fraternity of the Secular Franciscans will be holding a Transitus Service in memory of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m.

The service will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Rd. All are welcome to attend. For more information, call Bernadette Sewak at (704) 782-6932 MINT HILL — St. Luke Church, 13700 Lawyers Rd., and the N.C. Council of Churches

prohibiting cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment of people under the control of the U.S. government.

“When Congress adopted them, the United States began to answer the profound moral question of how we should treat detainees,” Bishop Wenski wrote. “This issue has a major impact on human dignity and on the way the United States is viewed abroad.”

Since that bill was signed into law, the White House has encouraged revisions that would allow conditions under which the United States is not bound to follow restrictions on how interrogations are conducted.

Bishop Wenski’s letter said U.S. troops and citizens abroad benefit from the Geneva Conventions’ standards.

“Preserving the strong U.S. commitment to humane and ethical treatment of detainees would continue your efforts to restore the moral credibility of the United States at a crucial time,” he said.

and Interfaith Power and Light are sponsoring a viewing of “An Inconvenient Truth” Oct. 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center of the church. “An Inconvenient Truth” is an examination of global warming and its solutions. Discussion will follow the film. Childcare will be provided. If you would like to attend, please contact Amber Ockerbloom at (704) 649-8179.

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., hosts a First Friday Women’s Retreat, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in Room 239 of the New Life Center, following the 9 a.m. Mass.

The program for Oct. 6 will be “Liturgy of the Hours for the Laity.” For more information, call Marie Grzeskiewicz at (704) 542-9748.

CHARLOTTE — The second annual Blanket Banquet for the Homeless of Uptown Charlotte will take place in front of St. Peter Church, 507 S. Tryon St., immediately following the 4:30 p.m. Mass to close the Eucharistic Congress Oct. 7. Donations of blankets and men’s socks and undergarments are needed. For more information or to volunteer to help with the meal, please call Greg or Cindy Platko at (704) 375-0901 or e-mail gplatko@ carolina.rr.com.

CHARLOTTE — The Semi-Annual Rosary Rally will be held Oct. 15, at 3 p.m. St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Rd. East. This 32-year diocesan tradition will include the holy rosary, a eucharistic procession and Benediction. For more information, call Tina at (704) 846-7361 CHARLOTTE — Do you have questions on what the Catholic Church teaches about life, death and dying? Dr. David Williams, chair of the theology department of Belmont Abbey College, will speak on Life, Death and Dying: Perspectives from Scripture and Tradition, Sep. 30 at 10 a.m., in Biss Hall at St. Peter Church, 507 S. Tryon St. Free parking in the parking lot below ground to the left of the church. For more information, call Constance Loveall at (803) 548-3356.

Sept. 22, 2006 Volume 15 • Number 42

Publisher: Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis Editor: Kevin E. Murray Staff Writer: Karen A. Evans 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 22, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 3

FROM THE VATICAN

Pope names foreign minister at ceremony for new secretary of state VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI appointed FrenchArchbishop Dominique Mamberti, a 20-year veteran of the Vatican diplomatic corps, as the Vatican’s foreign affairs minister.

The pope made the surprise announcement at the end of a ceremony Sept. 15 to welcome the new secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and bid farewell to his predecessor, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.

Archbishop Mamberti, 54, has been the apostolic nuncio in Sudan since 2002 and also in Eritrea since 2004.

Since 1986 when he entered the Vatican diplomatic service, he has held posts in Algeria, Chile, the United Nations in New York and Lebanon, and has worked in the Secretariat of State’s section for foreign affairs.

Born in Morocco, he is said to be knowledgeable about the Muslim world, and speaks French, Italian, English and

Spanish. He was ordained in 1981 and has degrees in civil and canon law.

Archbishop Mamberti’s formal title is secretary for relations with states, head of the foreign policy section of the secretary of state’s office. He replaces Italian Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, who was made president of the commission governing Vatican City State, a position formerly held by U.S. Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka.

The ceremony at the pope’s summer residence in Castel Gandolfo marked the changing of the guard in two of the top three positions at the Secretariat of State, 17 months after Pope Benedict was elected.

In separate speeches, Cardinal Bertone and Cardinal Sodano both underlined that while the Roman Curia is important, it is the pope who guides it.

To date, Pope Benedict has named three new heads of the Roman Curia’s top 21 departments.

HUNTERSVILLE — A Mass to Honor Deceased Loved Ones is celebrated the last Friday of each month at 7:30 p.m. St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Rd. For more information, call Pam Schneider at (704) 875-0201.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE MURPHY — A Charismatic Prayer Group meets Fridays at 3:30 p.m. in the Glenmary House of St. William Church, 765 Andrews Rd. Join us for praise music, witness, teaching, prayers and laying on of hands for those in need.

For more details, call Gery Dashner at (828) 494-2683.

CHARLOTTE — A Support Group for Caregivers of a Family Member with Memory Loss meet the last Monday of each month, 10-11:30 a.m., at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. For more information, contact Suzanne Bach at (704) 376-4135.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE GREENSBORO — The Greensboro Council of Catholic Women will open its 2006-07 fiscal year with a luncheon Sept. 27 at Cardinal Country Club. The speaker will be Lorraine Ahearn, metro columnist for the News & Record. For more information, please contact JoAnn Stevens-Church (336) 540-0786.

GREENSBORO — The Catholic Daughters of the Americas will meet Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. at Our Lady’s Cottage at Our Lady of Grace Church, 2205 West Market St. For further information, please call Lawrene Kirwan at (336) 292-2776 GREENSBORO — The Reemployment Support Group of St. Paul the Apostle Church will meet Sept. 28, 7:30-9 p.m., in Room 8 of the Parish Life Center, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd. If you are currently out of work or looking to make a career change, join us for encouragement, support and informative topics to help you in your job search.

For more information, call Colleen Assal at (336) 294-4696, ext. 226.

HICKORY VICARIATE MORGANTON — The Cursillo Movement of the Diocese of Charlotte is hosting a diocesan-wide Grand Ultreya at Steele Creek Park Sept. 30, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Events include Mass, guitar music, group reunion, witness/spiritual talks, and hiking/ nature trails for children. Please bring covered dish and a 2-liter drink. For more information, call Kathy Hack at (704) 548-1834 or e-mail hackhouse@ bellsouth.net.

Episcopal

calendar

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE WINSTON-SALEM — The annual Blessing of the Animals will take place Sept. 30 at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Church, 1730 Link Rd. The blessing will be held in the lower level parking lot behind the church. Please bring your pets (and folding chairs if needed) and celebrate the feast of St. Francis in this wonderful Franciscan tradition.

Pope deplores slaying of nun in Somalia, calls for religious respect VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI deplored the slaying of an Italian missionary nun in Somalia and called for mutual respect of religious convictions among peoples.

A telegram sent in the pope’s name by the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, called the Sept. 17 killing of Consolata Sister Leonella Sgorbati tragic and barbaric.

The pope said he hoped that “the blood shed by such a faithful disciple of the Gospel may become a seed of hope for building authentic fraternity between peoples, in the mutual respect of the religious convictions of every person.”

The papal telegram was sent to the head of the Consolata religious order in Rome and was made public Sept. 19.

Sister Sgorbati and her bodyguard were shot and killed as they left a children’s hospital in Mogadishu where she worked. Authorities arrested one suspect and said they believed a second gunman was involved.

A spokesman for the Supreme Islamic Courts Council, which controls and administers Mogadishu, said there was no established link between the slaying and the widespread indignation among Muslims over a recent speech by

Pope Benedict in Germany.

The papal telegram said Sister Sgorbati had carried out her mission with joy, working in favor of children and health formation. Her work was appreciated, it said.

Islamic leaders in Somalia have condemned the killing, emphasizing that Sister Sgorbati was dedicating her efforts to the Somali people. The 65-year-old nun had worked in Africa for 35 years and had been in Somalia since 2001.

According to Sister Marzia Feurra, who was with her after she was shot, Sister Leonella murmured “I forgive” three times before dying.

Bishop Giorgio Bertin, apostolic administrator of Mogadishu, told the Vatican’s Fides news agency that tensions have been increasing in Somalia for a number of reasons, including inflammatory statements by extremists.

The bishop said the aim of the gunmen was to “to strike a Catholic nun, any nun. The ambush was premeditated.

The killers knew at what time Sister would go home for lunch and they knew where to strike.”

The nun’s funeral was planned for Sept. 21 in Nairobi, Kenya, where she was to be buried.

Rolling blessings

CLEMMONS — A Charismatic Prayer Group meets Mondays at 7:15 p.m. in the eucharistic chapel of Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd. Join us for praise music, witness, teaching, prayers and petition. For more details, call Jim Passero at (336) 998-7503.

WINSTON-SALEM — St. Benedict the Moor Church, 1625 East 12th St., hosts a 12:15 p.m. prayer service, Veni Sanctus Spiritus, the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. All are welcome to reflect on God and refresh the spirit in the middle of a day. For more information call Sister Larretta Rivera-Williams at (336) 725-9200.

CNS photo by Octavio Duran

Is your parish or school sponsoring a free event open to the general public?

Please submit notices for the Diocesan Planner at least 7 days prior to desired publication date (Fridays) in writing to Karen A. Evans at kaevans@charlottediocese.org or fax to (704) 370-3382.

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

Sept. 23 — 5 p.m.

Sacrament of confirmation St. John Baptiste de la Salle Church, North Wilkesboro

Sept. 28 — 7 p.m.

Mass State Catholic School Educators’ Conference, Greensboro Convention Center

Sept. 24 — 11:30 a.m.

Sacrament of confirmation St. Dorothy Church, Lincolnton

Oct. 1 — 10 a.m.

Red Mass Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, Mo.

Franciscan Fathers William Weiksnar (left) and John Coughing stand in a front-end loader Sept. 16 while going around the block of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Camden, N.J., and blessing the 53 trees that the New Jersey Tree Foundation donated to the church. To date, more than 3,000 volunteers have planted more than 2,000 trees in mainly poor sections of New Jersey.

Archbishop says Vatican has high regard for U.S. Catholic colleges BRIGHTON, Mass. (CNS) — One of the greatest contributions Catholic institutions of higher learning can offer society is their “uncompromising Catholicity,” the secretary of the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education told an audience that included presidents and faculty members from several Bostonarea Catholic colleges.

Archbishop J. Michael Miller stressed the importance the Vatican places on America’s Catholic colleges and universities in an address Sept. 11 at Jesuit-run Boston College in Brighton.

“Not unaware of this country’s

superpower status and despite the fact that only 6 percent of the world’s Catholics are American, the Holy See recognizes the unique role of the United States in the globalized world of higher education,” he said.

Archbishop Miller focused on the need for U.S. Catholic universities to embrace their Catholic identity and to foster an integral humanism, counterbalancing institutions that fragment knowledge and leave out any reference to the faith. He challenged Catholic U.S. colleges and universities to be the leaven of academic renewal.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

around the diocese

Middle school student receives Young Peacemaker Award HIGH POINT — Charlie Greene, an eighth-grader at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point, has been awarded a Young Peacemaker Award.

The award was presented by WinWin Resolutions, a group that holds conflict-resolution workshops in schools, to Charlie and six other Triad-area middle school students during a banquet Sept. 11.

Win-Win Resolutions aims to recognize young people who work toward creating more peaceful environments in their schools.

Charlie and Carly Griffin, also an eighth-grader at Immaculate Heart of Mary School, were among the 31 Triad-area middle schoolers nominated for the award.

Both Charlie and Carly were nominated

by Terry Aiken, guidance counselor at Immaculate Heart of Mary School.

Charlie was selected for the award for helping Aiken create “Building Character,” a five-week program focusing

September 22, 2006

After the fire

Charlie Greene

on respect, bullying and diversity. Charlie helped Aiken brainstorm relevant topics for the program, and planned and organized individual sessions.

“Charlie exhibited positive role modeling through his understanding of peacefulness and active examples of good human relations,” says Aiken.

Winners of the Peacemaker awards received items such as gift cards and savings bonds donated by local businesses.

Exploring stewardship

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Bishop Peter J. Jugis inspects a fire-damaged section of St. Joseph Vietnamese Church in Charlotte Sept. 18. Firefighters responded to the fire Sunday morning, Sept. 17. No injuries were reported.

“As soon as I heard of the fire, I went to see the extent of the damage,” said Bishop Jugis. “I wanted to show my concern to the parishioners of St. Joseph Vietnamese Church.”

“Thankfully, there were no injuries and everyone evacuated safely,” he added.

The original church and community center were dedicated in November 1999, and Bishop Jugis dedicated the new church in May 2004. The facility, which includes offices and an education center, totals almost 22,300 feet.

The Vietnamese community in the Diocese of Charlotte is estimated at more than 9,000 people.

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Parishioners visit with representatives of the various parish ministries and groups during the stewardship fair at St. Patrick Cathedral Sept. 17. Father Paul Gary, rector, said the Sept. 16-17 fair was a good way for parishioners to explore ways in which they could give back to the parish and the community.

Stewardship has been a high priority of the Diocese of Charlotte since 1988.

The U.S. bishops’ 1992 pastoral letter, “Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response,” reinforces the diocese’s commitment to work toward educating and assisting parishes and individuals in adopting this way of life.

September 22, 2006

from the cover

Courtesy Photo

Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy Sisters Maria and Ofelia stand with (from left) Luis Lecaros, seminarian Miguel Angel and Father Mark Lawlor in Campo Verde, Peru in August.

Charlotte priest visits Peru mission MISSION, from page 1

25 million people, 90 percent of whom are baptized Catholics. A significant percentage of adults earn about $2 per day, said Father Lawlor.

Luis Lecaros, a parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul Church and native of Lima, Peru, approached Father Lawlor last year with the idea of mission work in Latin America.

“I had been on a couple of trips. I served as a translator and chaplain for a medical mission to the Dominican Republic and was also a volunteer on a mission trip to Jamaica with a group from St. Matthew Church,” said Father Lawlor.

Lecaros told Father Lawlor about his visit to a mission in the jungle area of Pucallpa, where he helped build a natural gas plant for Duke Energy.

“It sounded as though this was where the Lord was leading us,” said Father Lawlor. “I gratefully accepted Luis’ offer to be my guide to visit this out-ofthe-way place. I was welcomed by the priests, sisters and lay persons with great hospitality.”

Seven months prior to their trip, Father Lawlor began communicating via e-mail with the four sisters, members of the Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy, who provide most of the pastoral care to the Catholics of Aguaytia.

The nearest priests are about four

hours away and rotate through the mission territory; one of them celebrates a Mass in Aguaytia about every three months.

“In the Apostolic Vicariate of Pucallpa, there are only 20 priests. Many are missionaries from other countries,” said Father Lawlor.

“The sisters are the Catholic presence in the community. They are known and respected in the region,” he said. “They teach the faith and call forth catechists and lay leaders. They visit the sick, care for the poor and are involved in all types of charity and pastoral care.”

In the absence of a regular Sunday Mass, the sisters lead Communion services.

“Without a resident pastor, the sisters do their best with pastoral counseling.

They even lead prayers at funerals in the absence of a priest or seminarian,” said Father Lawlor.

Because there is no convent, the four sisters live with local families. While the vicariate is helping them build a convent and pastoral center beside the church, the sisters need help with the cost of paint and furnishings.

“The sisters also need Bibles and catechetical materials for their catechists in the missions,” said Father Lawlor.

To help raise funds for the sisters and their outreach, St. Vincent de Paul Church will be taking up a special second

The Catholic News & Herald 5

collection at the Masses the Oct. 28-29 weekend.

“In our parish, there is a charitable spirit. If there is a hurricane or tsunami, we have special collections,” said Father Lawlor.

“I am hoping that our parish will raise at least $10,000 to assist our brothers and sisters in the missions. In the missions, it will go a long way,” he said.

“Upon review of their progress, we will consider the possibility of a followup mission outreach,” he added.

While in Peru, Father Lawlor celebrated Mass in St. Martin de Porres Church, and he and Lecaros visited with Bishop Jaime Rodriguez Salazar in the Diocese of Huanuco.

A highlight was concelebrating the solemnity of St. Rosa de Lima with Bishop Rodríguez Salazar in the cathedral, as St. Rose is a principal patron of Peru, said Father Lawlor. “It was a joyful celebration.”

“The experience in the missions of Peru was a great experience of the universal church and of our brotherhood through baptism and ministry,” he said.

“The church is not bound by nation, culture or language. All of us are brothers and sisters by virtue of baptism.”

Contact Editor Kevin E. Murray by calling (704) 370-3334 or e-mail kemurray@charlottediocese.org.

Courtesy Photo

St. Martin de Porres Church in Aguaytía, Peru.

6 The Catholic News & Herald

respect life

Pope endorses adult stem-cell research STEM CELLS, from page 1

“The possibilities opened up by this new chapter in research are in themselves fascinating” because adult stem-cell studies have pointed to actual and potential cures of degenerative diseases that would otherwise lead to disabilities or death, the pope said at an audience for participants attending a Vatican-sponsored congress on stem-cell therapy.

“How can I not feel compelled to praise those who dedicate themselves to this research and those who support it and its costs,” the pope said Sept. 16 to about 260 congress participants at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, outside Rome.

Scientists, doctors, scholars and bioethicists met in Rome Sept. 14-16 for an international conference sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Life and the World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations.

The congress addressed the scientific possibilities and ethical implications in the use of stem cells.

The pope challenged the “frequent and unjust accusations of callousness” aimed against the church for its unwavering stance against the use of embryonic stem cells. The church has always been dedicated to curing diseases and helping humanity, he said.

The resistance the church shows toward embryonic stem-cell research is because the destruction of human embryos to harvest stem cells is “not only devoid of the light of God but is also

devoid of humanity” and “does not truly serve humanity,” the pope said.

No matter how promising the goals of such research may be, he added, the ends can never justify means that are “intrinsically illicit.”

“There can be no compromise and no beating around the bush” when it comes to the direct destruction of human life — even when it is just a freshly conceived embryo, he said.

True progress entails the growth of the person, which means boosting humanity’s technical powers and strengthening its “moral capacity,” he said.

Research using adult stem cells “deserves endorsement and encouragement when it happily merges scientific knowledge, the most advanced technology, and ethics that respect the human being at every stage of life,” Pope Benedict said.

The pope also asked research centers which look to the church for “inspiration” to increase research in non-embryonic stem-cell studies and to strengthen ties with health-care providers in proposing new therapies.

Experts weigh in During the congress, one researcher said that, while there are more than 70 different therapies that utilize adult stem cells, no cures have yet materialized using embryonic stem cells.

Umbilical-cord blood offers a complete cure for children with severe combined immunodeficiency, and it has shown positive results in brain reconstruction for some children starved of oxygen at

birth, said Colin McGuckin, professor of regenerative medicine at the British University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Researchers have cultivated 20 different human tissues using blood from umbilical cords. Stem cells from bone marrow can make bone and cartilage as well as help regenerate blood vessels and revive damaged tissue, he said.

But despite the numerous success stories using adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells are still getting the bulk of the publicity and funding, said a number of participants.

According to Maureen Condic, an assistant professor of neurobiology and anatomy at the University of Utah, there is a legitimate fascination in finding out how a single cell develops into a complex, functioning human.

Embryonic-cell study “represents a profound and meaningful question for science and biology” she told Catholic News Service Sept. 15.

But money is also at the root of interest in embryonic stem-cell research, she said.

Many who advocate for it “have a clear financial interest” in securing government funding, or “they hold patents or they’re stockholders in companies” that would generate a lot of money.

Finances and fairy tales Scientists also have had to learn to spin their research when trying to secure grants and when they speak to the press, Condic said.

Scientists involved in adult stemcell research are not getting their fair share of the limelight, she said, because they are in a field that is very large and diverse, but the “very small handful” of people actually working with embryonic stem cells “can get together and create

September 22, 2006

a story that’s much more unified and compelling.”

Many adult stem-cell researchers are too busy helping patients and cannot spend the time or money advocating their work, she said.

McGuckin agreed, saying he hardly ever goes to international meetings to promote his work because of the huge costs involved in travel. He said he was paying out of pocket for all his food and a portion of his travel expenses to attend the Vatican congress.

Getting government funding in the United Kingdom is difficult for nonembryonic studies because “almost everyone” on the panel that decides which projects get money “is an embryonic scientist,” he told CNS. Richard Doerflinger, interim director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for ProLife Activities, said in his address that drumming up “fairy tales” is more widespread in the embryonic stem-cell field because researchers need to overcome moral objections to destroying life.

He cited cases in which researchers misrepresented their work in major publications ranging from the humancloning hoax in South Korea to the debunked claim by Dr. Robert Lanza, a U.S. researcher, that stem-cell lines were harvested without harming human embryos.

But as those claims have failed to materialize, he said, “researchers have felt obliged to exaggerate and deceive more and more to maintain public trust and financial investments in their efforts.”

Science needs to be absolutely committed to the objective truth, he said.

September 22, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 7

respect life

Catholics rallying for pro-life issues

Life Chains to be held around Diocese of Charlotte by

KEVIN E. MURRAY editor

CHARLOTTE — Catholics will once again be standing up for life across the Diocese of Charlotte and the United States.

The U.S. Catholic Church observes October as Respect Life Month, with Respect Life Sunday falling on Oct. 1.

To help kick off the month and show their support for life, hundreds of parishes in dioceses around the country will be participating in Life Chains. In the Diocese of Charlotte, parishes will be standing along property lines of their respective churches, on city sidewalks and with other church groups in their towns. People will hold pro-life placards with messages such as “Abortion Kills Children” and “Jesus Forgives and Heals.”

The U.S. bishops inaugurated the Respect Life program with a resolution they adopted in the spring of 1972.

The first of what the resolution called a

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

People take part in a Life Chain on University City Boulevard in Charlotte on Respect Life Sunday, Oct. 3, 2004. “week of prayer and study dedicated to the sanctity of human life and the many threats to human life in our world” was held that October.

LOCAL LIFE CHAINS Life Chains in the Diocese of Charlotte area will be held Oct. 1, as well as at a Silent No More gathering in uptown Charlotte Sept. 29. Prolife individuals are welcome to participate in any of the gatherings.

Participants should arrive 30 minutes before scheduled start time.

Life Chains include: FRIDAY, SEPT. 29 Silent No More/Life Chain - uptown Charlotte, corner of Trade and Tryon Sts., 12-1 p.m.

SUNDAY, Oct. 1 Charlotte: Our Lady of the Assumption Church - Shamrock/Crestmont Dr., 1-2 p.m.

Our Lady of Consolation Church - Statesville Rd./Dearborn Ave., 12 p.m.

St. Ann Church - Park Rd./Hillside Ave., 2-3 p.m.

St. Gabriel Church - Providence/ Sharon Rds., 2-3 p.m.

St. John Neumann Church - Idlewild/ Valley Grove Rd., 1:30-2:30 p.m.

St. Matthew Church - Ballantyne Commons/Rea Rd., 2-3 p.m.

St. Patrick Cathedral - Kenilworth/E. Morehead, 2-3 p.m. (parking at 1225 E. Morehead) St. Peter Church - S. Tryon/E. First St., 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

St. Thomas Aquinas Church - UNCCharlotte at University City Blvd., 1-2 p.m.

St. Vincent de Paul Church - Old Reid/Park Rd., 12:45-1:45 p.m.

Calvary Baptist Church - Ashley/Joy Rd., 2-3 p.m.

Calvary Church - Pineville-Matthews Rd (Hwy 51)/Rea Rd., 1:302:30 p.m.

Christ Covenant Church - PinevilleMatthews Rd (Hwy 51)/W John St., 2-3 p.m.

Messiah Lutheran Church - Providence Rd./Windbluff Dr., 3-4 p.m.

Belmont: Queen of Apostles Church - N. Main St./N. Central Ave., 1-2 p.m.

Concord: Hwy 29, 2-3 p.m.

Huntersville: St. Mark Church - Stumptown/Ranson Rd. 2-3 p.m.

(Contact Seth Dobson for info on any of the above Life Chains, 704-2937741) Waxhaw: Designated areas along Routes 16 and 75 (Contact Peggy Dvorak, 704843-3495) Winston-Salem: Hanes Mall Blvd. west of Stratford Rd., 2:30-3:30 p.m. (Contact Donna Dyer, 336-940-2558)

8 The Catholic News & Herald

in the news

Pope reiterates regret, Muslims respond to remarks ISLAM, from page 1

Bishop Jugis later told The Catholic News & Herald. “If we accept the program the Holy Father is presenting for a true, honest dialogue, we will come to a greater appreciation of each other’s religions and live in peace and harmony in the world.”

At the very core of every world religion is a message of love and peace, said Bishop Jugis.

“Jesus is the full revelation of who God is and what God wants of us, and he made love and peace the core of Christianity,” said the bishop.

“The pope was asking the Muslims to tell us the true face of Islam, so we can know and enter into a meaningful dialogue with them,” he said.

During his Sept. 20 general audience at the Vatican, the pope spoke of his recent trip to Germany and his academic address at the University of Regensburg Sept. 12, and the wave of Muslim indignation that followed.

The pope said his citation of the words of a medieval emperor, which sound “incomprehensibly brusque” in today’s world, was “unfortunately misunderstood.”

The attentive reader, he said, would have known that he was not agreeing with the polemical criticism of Islam expressed by the emperor.

It was the second time in four days the pope expressed regret at the reaction his historical critique had provoked. At his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo Sept. 17, the pope said he was “deeply sorry” that Muslims were offended by his reference to a historical criticism of Islam, which he said did not “in any way express my personal thought.”

The pope said he hoped his explanation and earlier Vatican statements would serve to “appease hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere

dialogue, with great mutual respect.”

Several Muslim leaders reacted positively to the pope’s comments, which were carried live on some Arab TV networks. Other Islamic groups said a fuller apology was needed.

Initial reactions During his talk at Regensburg, the pope’s main theme was how reason and faith must be reconciled in the West, but he introduced it by quoting 14thcentury Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus on the errors of Islam and jihad, or holy war.

Most of the negative Muslim reaction was based on the erroneous assumption that the pope agreed with the quoted material, including the line that Islam had brought “things only evil and inhuman.”

Aiman Mazyek, secretary-general of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, initially responded that he saw no reason to be offended. The pope could not have intended to attack Islam, he said, since Christianity had its own history of violence.

Later, the chairman of the Central Council of Muslims, Ayyub Kohler, told a newspaper it would be a “grand gesture of peace and reconciliation” if the pope issued “a general apology to the Muslims for Crusades, forced baptism and the expulsion of Muslims” throughout history.

Following the pope’s expression of regret Sept. 17, the Central Council of Muslims issued a statement saying it hoped the Vatican would dialogue with Muslim representatives “so that the controversy does not lead to a long-term worsening of Christian-Muslim relations.”

The statement also sharply condemned “insults and threats of violence against Pope Benedict.”

Constantine Dabbagh, head of the

Gaza office of the Middle East Council of Churches, criticized the pope’s decision to use the medieval quotation in his lecture, saying Pope Benedict should have taken into account the sensibilities of the region in light of the current situation.

He said this behavior created problems not only for the West but also for people living in the region.

Hostile response Firebombs erupted at several Christian churches in the West Bank, apparently in reaction to the pope’s speech; no injuries were reported.

Gunmen shot into St. John Melkite Catholic Church in Nablus, West Bank, Sept. 16.

Protests popped up outside the Vatican embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia; also in London, Pakistan, Turkey and Iran. In Srinagar, the capital of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, protestors clashed with police and burned the pope’s effigy.

The Associated Press reported Sept.

20 that a Palestinian group, the Army of Guidance, said “every place relevant to Christians” in Gaza would be a target and the attacks would continue until “the accursed infidel, the Vatican, apologizes to Muslims.”

In the Iraqi city of Basra Sept.

18, some 150 people joined a protest organized by a Shiite cleric, burning the pope’s effigy along with U.S., Israeli and German flags.

Rita Saadeh, a Melkite Catholic, witnessed the shooting attack on St. John Melkite Church in Nablust.

She described how the gunmen tried to kick down the door and ignited it with

September 22, 2006

gasoline, then shot bullets into the church as she and her brother watched in terror.

She told CNS the Muslim reaction was “very wrong” and carried out without having knowledge of what the pope actually said.

“Why if the pope ... says this ... must we pay? It is not clear until now what the pope said. He was comparing knowledge and faith in religion,” she said. “If (Muslims) say anything about the church we don’t do anything (to them.) They also say we are terrorists, but we never react in the same way.”

In London, a radical British Muslim said the pope should be executed for “insulting” Mohammed, the founder of Islam. Anjem Choudary was among about 100 Muslims who gathered on the plaza of Westminster Cathedral in London to express their anger over the pope’s speech.

Speaking to British reporters Sept.

17, Choudary said: “The Muslims take their religion very seriously and nonMuslims must appreciate that, and they must also understand that there may be serious consequences if you insult Islam and the Prophet.”

“Whoever insults the message of Mohammed is going to be subject to capital punishment,” he said. “There may be people in Italy or other parts of the world who would carry that (the killing of the pope) out.”

Some Catholics attending Mass at the London cathedral argued with the protesters, but the demonstration continued peacefully without any arrests.

See ISLAM, next page

September 22, 2006

ISLAM, from previous page

Combating the controversy Despite the protests and violence by some, others seemed to accept the pope’s statements of regret. Indonesian Islamic leaders say they hope fellow Muslims will think clearly and forgive the pope.

“Pope Benedict has offered an apology to all Muslims. We should not do something violent, because it is against our religious teachings,” the chairman of the Islamic scholars council told UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand, Sept. 17.

The scholar, named Amidan, said he regretted the pope’s remarks because they could affect the general view of the international community about Islam.

“We might be offended by the wrong remarks of Pope Benedict, but we must be professional, think clearly and seek the best solution,” he said.

In Turkey, where initially there had been harsh criticism of the papal speech, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said there were no plans to change Pope Benedict’s visit to Turkey Nov. 28-Dec. 1. It would be the pope’s first trip to a Muslim country.

The New York Times quoted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, an observant Muslim, as saying Sept.

19: “We respect the pope and all those interested in peace and justice. ... I understand that he has modified the remarks he made.”

The Vatican had issued two statements clarifying the pope’s speech, saying it had been misinterpreted.

The statements stressed the papal speech was not meant to be a critical assessment of Islam but instead focused primarily on the religious shortcomings of

The Catholic News & Herald 9

in the news the West; also, that the pope respected Islam and its followers and was unequivocally in favor of interfaith dialogue.

“Indeed it was (the pope) who, before the religious fervor of Muslim believers, warned secularized Western culture to guard against ‘the contempt for God and the cynicism that considers mockery of the sacred to be an exercise of freedom,’” said Cardinal Tarciscio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state.

Continuing dialogue Two leaders in U.S. Catholic-Muslim dialogue said Pope Benedict XVI’s recent remarks in Regensburg, Germany, about Islam and violence in the name of religion will cause problems but will not reverse 20 years of growing Catholic-Muslim relations in the United States.

John Borelli, special assistant to the president for interreligious initiatives at Georgetown University, told Catholic News Service that as soon as he learned of the pope’s remarks “I knew that there was going to be great trouble.”

Sayyid M. Syeed, head of the Islamic Society of North America, said, “We were shocked and very saddened,” especially since “our generation has been raised to look to the pope as a symbol of unity and a symbol of religious reverence.”

“This tragedy cannot set back the clock” on Catholic-Muslim dialogue and mutual understanding, he said. “The atmosphere that we have built jointly has been tremendously cooperative and tremendously mutually appreciated.”

Borelli, who was interreligious affairs specialist for the U.S. bishops for 17 years, played a key role in establishing the three regional CatholicMuslim dialogues co-sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Syeed played a central role on the

CNS photo by Catholic Press Photo, L’Osservatore Romano

Pope Benedict XVI lectures on faith and reason at the University of Regensburg in Germany, Sept. 12.

Alf Zimmer, head of the University of Regensburg, is also pictured in this photo.

Muslim side in forming the Midwest regional dialogue, which is co-sponsored by the Islamic Society of North America.

He recently attended the 10th annual Muslim-Catholic retreat co-sponsored by his society and the USCCB. He said that after learning of the pope’s remarks he has been in discussions with Catholic dialogue leaders about what actions they might take, including possibly sending a delegation of Muslims to the Vatican to explain what the “true role of Islam has been through history.”

Syeed told CNS he fully agreed “that violence has no role in religion.”

“Religion is the spiritual side of man, the angelic side,” he said. “The role of religion is to enhance, to reinforce that angelic side, to help us to overcome any tendency towards violence.”

Speaking of the history of conflict between Christians and Muslims, he praised Pope John Paul II for creating “a new environment, a departure from all those stereotypes, those mutual recriminations.”

“We have to work on that. We expect our present pope as well to reinforce that,” he said.

Borelli said “that a situation like this can lead to a great step forward. This has been true in ecumenical and in Jewish relations, too.”

Borelli said some who are not interested in dialogue might try to exploit the pope’s words for their own purposes, but “we really need to listen to our Muslim partners in dialogue, who really care, and hear what they are saying. ...

They don’t want this to end like this; they want some kind of serious reflection why all of this — which is beneath the surface, the effects of centuries of hostility and polemics — why the effects of bitterness and suspicion so quickly re-emerge and what can we do about that.”

Bishop Jugis said “such a question about the true nature of Islam must be addressed in order to pursue a meaningful dialogue of cultures and religions.”

The message of love can be found in some way in all the great religious traditions, said the bishop.

“Jesus, who revealed to us the truth of God, put this message front and center in his own teaching and life,” said Bishop Jugis. “He summed it up in his great commandment: ’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.... You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Contributing to this article were John Thavis at Vatican City; Michael Lawton in Cologne, Germany; Judith Sudilovsky in Jerusale;, Simon Caldwell in London; and Patricia Zapor and Jerry Filteau in Washington.

September 22, 2006

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

Ed Sullivan, Catholic press cartoonist, dies at 77

SALEM, Ohio (CNS) — Edmund R. “Ed” Sullivan Jr., a nationally syndicated Catholic press cartoonist and artist, died of cancer Aug. 26 at his home. He was 77.

A funeral Mass was celebrated Sept.

2 at St. Paul Church, in Salem, where he had been a member.

Sullivan, who retired in 1999 as associate editor of the Catholic Exponent, newspaper for the Diocese of Youngstown in northeastern Ohio, had continued to produce his “Beyond the Stained Glass” cartoons for some 35 to 50 diocesan newspapers across the United States.

Though Sullivan never had any formal art training, his cartoons had appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, Ladies’ Home Journal and other periodicals and books. He also drew the nationally syndicated “Priscilla’s Pop” and “Out Our Way/The Willets” cartoons

when their original creators retired.

Sullivan also published two book collections, “Laughter Through an Open Window” and “A Gift of Laughter.”

He was a member of the National Cartoonists Society.

“The Catholic press has lost its most talented and insightful cartoonist,” said Lou Jacquet, editor/general manager of the Catholic Exponent.

“Ed Sullivan was unique in the religious press — a blend of pure artistic skill, a razor-sharp wit and the ability to evoke heartfelt laughter from a few deft strokes of his pen and a line of commentary beneath,” said Jacquet.

Sullivan is survived by his wife, the former Gerry Van Hovel; a brother, three sisters-in-law and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Burial was in Grandview Cemetery.

Kairos Prize screenwriting contest has $25,000 top award LOS ANGELES (CNS) — The Kairos Prize, which was intended to be awarded every other year for spiritually uplifting screenplays, has been changed to an annual award.

Top prize in the contest is $25,000, with $15,000 for second place and $10,000 for third place.

Criteria for the Kairos Prize describe screenplays that are wholesome, uplifting and inspirational, and which result in a greater love for, or understanding of, the “one true creator God,” according to an announcement from the John Templeton Foundation, which funds the prize.

Only first-time screenwriters are

eligible for the award.

Last year’s winning scripts were reviewed and considered by Jeffrey Katzenberg of the DreamWorks studio.

The competition is administered by the Christian Film & Television Commission, which publishes the monthly Movieguide newsletter and aims to influence media executives to adopt higher standards “imbued with Christian and traditional family values,” the announcement said.

Kairos is a Greek word for “the right time” or “the critical moment.”

More details on the Kairos Prize can be obtained at www.kairosprize.com.

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: Oct. 1, 2006

Oct. 1, Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle B Readings: 1) Numbers 11:25-29 Psalm 19:8, 10, 12-14 2) James 5:1-6 3) Gospel: Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

Jesus’ love overcomes sin, temptation

by DAN LUBY catholic news service

Even now, more than 20 years later, I feel the pull of cigarettes.

When I see someone with my old brand, I remember smoking’s pleasures deep in my tissues. The feel of a fresh pack tamped down against the back of my hand, the sulfurous smell of the match, the first pull of smoke in my lungs, the instant sophistication bestowed by a smoldering cigarette in my fingers — they all return in a heartbeat, causing me to wonder again what harm there could be in smoking just one cigarette, buying just one pack.

But like most ex-smokers, I can’t risk it. In the years I smoked, I tried too

many times to “pace myself,” to smoke “just a few,” utterly without success.

If I valued my health, if I wanted to be around for my children when they grew up, I had to put cigarettes aside and admit that I could not take them up again, that they were just too dangerous to fool with.

Those who have dealt with similar addictions — alcohol, overeating, drugs, gambling, the praise of others, etc.

— know, too, that there are some things they have to let go of in order to move ahead in their lives.

In Sunday’s Gospel Jesus uses the harsh rhetorical technique of exaggeration to emphasize his point. Hands and feet and eyes are not evil, and Jesus is not advocating literal self-mutilation.

He is, however, challenging us to recognize that even things that are in themselves morally neutral can become dangers if they move us to sin, if they blind us to the truth of God’s goodness, if they lead us away from compassion and into the dark prison of selfishness.

The good news is that Jesus surrounds us with a community of love and support through which he guides and sustains us in times of temptation and trial.

Questions: What is one ordinary part of my life that could be dangerous to me? What support and assistance do I need to help me resist temptation?

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of Sept 24-30 Sunday (Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Wisdom 2:12, 17-20, James 3:16-4:3, Mark 9:30-37; Monday, Proverbs 3:27-34, Luke 8:16-18; Tuesday (St. Cosmas and St. Damian), Proverbs 2:1-6, 10-13, Luke 8:19-21; Wednesday (St. Vincent de Paul), Proverbs 30:5-9, Luke 9:1-6; Thursday (St. Wenceslaus, St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions), Ecclesiastes 1:2-11, Luke 9:7-9; Friday (Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael), Revelation 12:7-12, John 1:47-51; Saturday (St. Jerome), Ecclesiastes 11:9—12:8, Luke 9:43-45.

Scripture for the week of Oct 1-7 Sunday (Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Numbers 11:25-29, James 5:1-6, Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48; Monday (The Guardian Angels), Job 1:6-22, Matthew 18:1-5, 10; Tuesday, Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23, Luke 9:51-56; Wednesday (St. Francis of Assisi), Job 9:1-12, 1416, Luke 9:57-62; Thursday, Job 19:21-27, Luke 10:1-12; Friday (St. Bruno, Bl. Marie-Rose Durocher), Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5, Luke 10:13-16; Saturday (Our Lady of the Rosary), Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-16, Luke 10:17-24.

The Catholic News & Herald 11

September 22, 2006

CNS photo courtesy of ABC

America Ferrera and Kevin Sussman star in “Ugly Betty,” airing Thursdays on ABC. The show was selected as one of the best of the new season by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Fall’s new TV series: More quality, less objectionable content

by HARRY FORBES and DAVID DiCERTO catholic news service

NEW YORK — The good news about the new fall television season is that, with few exceptions, the quality of the programs is exceptionally high, with far less gratuitous sex, violence and language issues than in recent years.

The networks may be reacting, in part, to fears of Federal Communications Commission recrimination in light of some recent cases of local stations being fined for “indecent” programming.

Whatever the reasons, early indications are that the standards and intelligence of writing this season, for the most part, have been raised.

Hoping to follow in the success of hits like “24” and “Lost,” serialized shows are hot this year, with a crop that includes Fox’s “Vanished,” ABC’s “Day Break” and “Big Day,” CBS’ “Smith” and “Jericho,” and NBC’s “Kidnapped” and “Friday Night Lights.”

We’ve noticed a proliferation of ensemble series, many dealing with groups of disparate strangers whose lives become entwined. ABC’s “The Nine” and “Six Degrees,” NBC’s “Heroes” and “The Class” on CBS all fit that bill.

There’s also been a welcome trend toward more diverse casting, including many interracial pairings — a far cry from the days when English pop star Petula Clark caused a firestorm by daring to touch singer Harry Belafonte’s arm during a song.

If the new fall slate has a weakness, it’s the situation comedies. Some, like Fox’s “Happy Hour” are just poor.

Others, like NBC’s “20 Good Years” and ABC’s “The Knights of Prosperity” and “Notes from the Underbelly” have their virtues, but should have been better.

Things are brighter on the drama front, and two ABC comedy-dramas show real heart: the international hit “Ugly Betty” and the Anne Heche vehicle “Men in Trees” — both of which would seem to be winners — as do NBC’s two “Saturday Night Live”-themed series, Aaron Sorkin’s behind-the-scenes drama “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” and the edgy comedy “30 Rock.”

All in all, the new fall season shows a lot of promise.

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

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

September 22, 2006

from the cover

Faith formation for persons with disabilities DIGNITY, from page 1

Disabilities,” at the Catholic Conference Center, Sept. 13.

Rebich, a parishioner of St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte, is a lecturer/supervisor in the Special Education and Child Development Department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

The cartoon perfectly illustrated one of Rebich’s points: A person with a disability is often labeled as that disability.

“When we focus on the disability, we lose sight of the person,” Rebich said.

“Is the person ‘handicapped/disabled,’ or does she have a handicap.”

Seeing the person not as “autistic,” but rather as “having autism,” we acknowledge that autism is part of, but not all of, who that person is, she said.

“A person who has Down syndrome is not Down or Down Syndrome Smith,” Rebich said. “He’s Patrick Smith, who has Down syndrome, ... not a special-ed student, but rather a student receiving special educational services.”

Rebich’s personal experience inspired her interest in working with people with disabilities. Her older brother, Tim, while still a toddler, underwent an operation that left him with mental disability.

“He is my energy, my teacher, when it comes to special education,” she said.

“All of us (in her family) are enriched by having Tim as a sibling.”

Disabilities often present a challenge, because, said one woman in the audience, “we want to fix things. It’s easier to fix something than it is to get to know that person.”

“I think a lot of it is just fear of the unknown,” Rebich said. “I’ve grown up with it all my life, so it’s second nature to me, but for others it may be that they’re afraid they might injure the person or do

Classifieds EMPLOYMENT PARISH ORGANIST: Our Lady of the Assumption in Charlotte is looking for a parish organist. Contact Deacon Peter Duca: (704)573-0097.

something wrong.”

People with disabilities may be excluded from everyday events, even from fully practicing their faith. Rebich calls these situations “spiritual abuse: the act of denying people considered ‘disabled’ their full humanity.”

Yet, in their “Guidelines for Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities,” the U.S. bishops state that, “By reason of their baptism, all Catholics are equal in dignity in the sight of God, and have the same divine calling.”

Paul Kotlowski, director of youth ministry for the Diocese of Charlotte, told of a boy in another diocese who had some disabilities. Although these weren’t major, he had been so ostracized that he would slink along the wall when he came into a room.

Kotlowski asked the boy to lector at Mass.

“He read with the conviction and authority of Gabriel, to such an extent that when he finished the whole parish gave him a standing ovation,” Kotlowski said.

“That experience changed everyone’s attitude toward him.”

Such experiences, he said, “have enriched my whole idea of what we’re called to be as people of God.” Called and qualified Young families today expect their children with disabilities to be included in faith formation along with children who don’t have disabilities.

To ensure that those with disabilities are welcome, begin with small steps, such as making sure the church is physically accessible and welcoming to those with disabilities.

Designate a contact for families and persons with disabilities, and publish this information in the parish bulletin and Web site. Invite families with members who have disabilities to become parishioners.

Recruit and train volunteers to teach

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Classified ads bring results! Over 135,000 readers! Over 50,000 homes!

Rates: $.70/word per issue ($14 minimum per issue) Deadline: 12 noon Wednesday, 9 days before publication How to order: Ads may be E-mailed to ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org, faxed to (704) 370-3382 or mailed to: Cindi Feerick, The Catholic News & Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203.

Payment: For information, call (704) 370-3332.

Photo by Joanita M. Nellenbach

Sue Rebich, lecturer/supervisor at UNC-Charlotte’s Special Education and Child Development Department, talks about faith formation for those with disabilities during a workshop at the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory Sept. 13. religious education; no college degree necessary.

“God does not call the qualified,” Rebich said. “He qualifies those he calls. Caring and compassion are more important than a college degree.”

Children with disabilities should be included in regular faith formation classes.

Teachers in religious education classes model what it is like to be welcoming and inclusive. Interacting with children who have disabilities teaches other children to be caring and compassionate.

Parishes can hold workshops on disability issues. Consider visiting other parishes that have programs for children

with disabilities.

Begin to network with other churches. Build up disability-related resources in the parish faith formation library. Evaluate the program annually.

Plan for expansion.

“Once people hear that you welcome those with disabilities, your program will grow,” Rebich said.

St. Matthew Church in Charlotte uses SPRED (Special Religious Development) to assist parishioners of all ages who have developmental disabilities and would benefit from being in a smaller group.

Each SPRED session involves persons with disabilities working one-onone with helpers, then joining in group interaction, said Jan Clemens, SPRED coordinator at St. Matthew Church.

According to information from Clemens, “SPRED gives parishioners with developmental disabilities an opportunity for celebration and worship and prepares them for the sacraments of initiation and reconciliation.

“Special liturgies during the course of the year are also celebrated as a community. ... No previous experience in working with persons with developmental disabilities is required to participate in this ministry,” she said.

WANT MORE INFO? St. Matthew Church will hold a SPRED workshop at 7 p.m. on Oct. 17. For more info, contact Jan Clemens at (704) 3418978. Clemens will visit any parish that would like to start a SPRED program.

Sue Rebich will also provide information about working with people with disabilities. Contact her at skrebich@ email.uncc.edu or at (704) 687-8809.

September 22, 2006

Forming the faithful

around the diocese

New regional coordinators hired for faith formation for several years in the 1980s, so she is familiar with the ministerial landscape of western North Carolina,” said Dr. Cris Villapando, director of diocesan faith CHARLOTTE — The western formation programs. and northern regions of the Diocese of Providence Sister Betty Paul will be Charlotte will soon have new regional serving as the coordinator for the northern coordinators. region, which includes the WinstonTheresa Prymuszewski will be Salem and Greensboro vicariates. serving as the coordinator for the western Sister Paul holds a degree in region, which includes the Smoky pastoral ministry and a certificate in Mountain and Asheville vicariates. advanced studies.

As coordinator for the northern region, Sister Paul will develop local communities by meeting with parish catechetical leaders and youth ministers in the area; will strengthen catechetical endeavors by organizing ongoing catechetical training in the region; and will assess the catechetical needs and educational materials.

Sister Paul will also advise parishes regarding diocesan Theresa Prymuszewski Sister Betty Paul catechetical and sacramental policies and facilitate adult faith formation.

Prymuszewski holds degrees in “Sister Paul’s gifts come from theological studies, education and the wisdom and experience she has religious studies. accumulated from her work in the A s r e g i o n a l c o o r d i n a t o r, Diocese of Worchester,” Villapando Prymuszewski will provide for all said. “It is always enriching for a faith the faith formation needs of the area formation office to have employees who including catechist formation, policies have worked in other dioceses.” implementation, home catechesis, “The diocesan office of faith catechist recognition and the sacraments formation will be tremendously enriched of first reconciliation, first Communion by the additions of Theresa and Sister and confirmation.

Betty,” Villapando said.

“Theresa lived in North Carolina by

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Newly elected

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

Courtesy Photo

Pictured are the newly elected officers for Bishop Peter J. Jugis’ presbyteral (priests’) council, which met at the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory Sept. 12.

The council is comprised of priests of the Diocese of Charlotte whom the bishop consults concerning policies and major decisions in the governance of the local church.

Clockwise from top left are: Oblate Father Joseph Zuschmidt, vice chairman and pastor of Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont; Father John Putnam, chairman and pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury; Father Roger Arnsparger, secretary and pastor of St. Michael Church in Gastonia; and Father John Schneider, treasurer and pastor of St. Eugene Church in Asheville.

September 22, 2006

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Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Are we doers, hearers or talkers?

Changing the world, ourselves requires action Are we doers, hearers or talkers?

The answer lies in the fourth chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy, which states: “You shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it.” (Dt.4:2) Adding or subtracting from the teaching of the Lord is not good policy.

But in our daily lives, sometimes we make bargains with God. We really believe that only 10 commandments are not enough; we definitely need more to cover all the wrong issues, so we say.

On the other hand, should we observe all Ten Commandments? If we skip one, is it the end of the world? The average of good observance is still 90 percent. Should we be charitable all the time? Every now and then, we can take a little break and still be good Christians.

And the story — our story — goes on.

Well, Yahweh is very clear about it: You observe his commandments without adding or subtracting. You are his all the time or you are not his at all.

Justice is the key word in this process: God gave us everything we have, and so we give to God everything we have and are.

There are two kinds of gifts: human and divine. The human gifts are meant to be kept. The divine gifts are meant to be given out and to be shared; otherwise we lose them altogether.

St. James reminds us that justice is to be doers of the Word rather than hearers of the Word only. To simply know the Word of God is good, but not good enough; prayers are good, but not good enough. What is important is what we do with them.

Let’s say that Mr. X needs help, and I go to church and pray instead of helping; then I am using my religion as a way of escape from reality. St. Mark very effectively points out the constant dispute between Jesus and the Pharisees (see chapter 4) about traditions and external observance.

The conclusion of this Gospel is that observing traditions for the sake of external observance is at best a waste, or at worst, is very dangerous.

Probably you know the story of the ashram cat. It is the story of a guru whose worship service was frequently interrupted by a cat, and so the holy man commanded that the cat be tied to a tree during meditation.

When the guru died, his followers continued to tie the cat to the tree. When the cat died, the faithful acquired a new cat that they also tied to the tree.

Centuries later learned scholars and experts wrote voluminous books on the

Guest Column CAPUCHIN FATHER JOHN C. AURILIA guest columnist

liturgical meaning of the tying up a cat while worship was in progress.

Are we doers, hearers or talkers of the Word? The Gospel points out very strongly that external traditions do not make us better; the internal attitude toward the Word makes us better. More laws do not make anybody holier.

Legal experts will tell you that one of the problems with laws is that there are too many laws. There are amendments, and amendments to the amendments.

We also know that there are numerous laws written in books that have no meaning at all. Let me list some of them: — a law forbidding the plowing of a cotton field with an elephant; — a law banning roller-skating in a public restroom; — a law penalizing someone for putting a penny upside down; — a law requiring a person who appears on a highway in a bathing suit to carry a club; — a law making it illegal to hold one’s nose longer than 10 seconds.

Do we need more laws or do we want to observe what we have? By the choices we make, we define ourselves. We are what we choose to be.

There is a lovely story about a man who said the following remarks about himself: I was a revolutionary when I was young, and all my prayer to God was, “Lord, give me the energy to change the world.”

As I approached middle age and realized that half of my life was gone without changing a single person, I changed my prayer to, “Lord, give me the grace to change those who come in contact with me; just my family and friends, and I shall be satisfied.”

Now that I am old and my days are numbered, my only prayer is, “Lord, give me the grace to change myself.”

If I had prayed for this right from the start, I should not have wasted my life.

Amen Father Aurilia is pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville.

The pope — speaking like a leader Dialogue, prayer needed for first steps toward peace So, what is going to be the lasting image of Pope Benedict XVI? Will he be the provocateur who enraged a billion members of the Muslim faith by “insulting” the prophet Muhammad?

Or will he be the leader whose thoughtprovoking speech in Germany is seen as an important step in a more serious Christian-Islam dialogue?

The sharks of the secular media are circling a thimbleful of blood and seem to be hoping for the former. We Catholics should pray for the latter.

The media was doing its surfaceskimming job when it excerpted, out of context, the line from the Holy Father’s speech last week in Germany that was sure to inflame the passion of some Muslims. If the situation were reversed and a Muslim cleric made a remark that could be viewed as an insult of Jesus, Christians may have been just as enraged and the media would have been just as happy.

The media isn’t anti-Christian; it is pro-conflict.

First, let me explain how the media works when it is confronted with a 3,700word speech written by an academic pope for an audience of university scholars.

Having flipped through hundreds of somewhat dry, difficult-to-grasp speeches in my reporting days, I know that the media’s instinct is to take the complex and simplify. Reporters search the text for a quote that a large audience can grasp.

The practical reason for taking this shortcut is time and space — both are limited in newspapers and television programs. If the quote can inflame, the context of the speech is tossed aside and the story is about the quote.

This situation involving the pontiff needs to be treated differently. We Catholics must be better informed than what is available through the secular press. What Pope Benedict was doing in his speech was continuing the call to dialogue with Muslims begun by Pope John Paul II. Pope Benedict spoke in a place

Letters to the Editor Priests deserve more respect, gratitude It is with much regret that I write this letter, but I believe I need to make a point.

The recent Priests’ Retirement and Benefits Collection taken up in my parish averaged less than less $5 per family - or less than 10 cents per week on an annual basis.

Over the years I have heard many reasons as to why we believe there is a shortage of priests and religious. Maybe the real reason is that many of us put more value in a meal at McDonald’s than we do in those who are called to serve us.

— William J. Barker Charlotte

Diocesan priests are blessings I am a priest, formerly of the Diocese

Catholics & the Media DAVID HAINS communications director

where freedom of thought is rigorously defended: a university. His lecture was meant to provoke dialogue, and true to the academic setting in which it was delivered, he defended his statements with sound reason, church teaching and Scripture. When the media orchestration of hate-filled speech subsides, no doubt a Muslim scholar will emerge with a reply that will promote additional discussion.

Our obligation as Christians is to learn about these issues in greater depth.

We cannot depend on the everyday media for anything other than a news flash.

Fortunately we are not at the mercy of Fox and CNN for all of our information.

The Holy Father’s speech, as well as thought-provoking commentary and analysis of it, is easy to find on the Internet. We are always just a few keystrokes away from the truth.

Christians and Muslims have a lot to talk about, and some of the discussions won’t be very nice. Think of the idiocy of the Crusades or the current madness of jihad. But talk we must. The last three months in the Middle East have given us ample evidence that peace will not emerge from the barrel of a gun.

Only when people of faith are willing to work harder than any soldier ever has will we be able to settle our differences through thought-provoking discussion and prayer. Starting that discussion is what leaders do. Thank you, Pope Benedict.

D a v i d H a i n s i s d i re c t o r o f communications for the Diocese of Charlotte. Contact him at dwhains@ charlottediocese.org. A podcast of this column can be found on the diocesan Web site at www.charlottediocese.org.

of Charlotte, who now serves as pastor in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Fla. I would like to comment on the article regarding the Priests’ Retirement and Benefits Collection in the Diocese of Charlotte (“Celebrating the past, embracing the future,” Sept. 1).

The church of Charlotte indeed owes a great debt of gratitude, besides financial support, to the retired priests.

As I read the list of retired priests in the article, I reflected on having the privilege of serving under the leadership of seven of them, including Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin.

From each of them, I learned the pastoral skills that helped me in my ministry as a pastor. I want to thank them for their guidance and inspiration.

May God bless them!

— Father Ron Marecki pastor, St. Anne Church Ridge Manor, Fla.

September 22, 2006

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Pope again expresses regret that remarks on Islam were misunderstood

by JOHN THAVIS catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI again expressed regret that his remarks on Islam had been misunderstood and emphasized his “profound respect” for Muslims.

At his weekly general audience Sept.

20 where he reviewed his recent trip to Germany, the pope turned his attention to his academic address at the University of Regensburg and the wave of Muslim indignation that followed.

The pope said his citation of the words of a medieval emperor, which sound “incomprehensibly brusque” in today’s world, was “unfortunately misunderstood.” The attentive reader, he said, would have known that he was not agreeing with the polemical criticism of Islam expressed by the emperor.

In his Regensburg speech, the pope introduced the theme of faith and reason by quoting from statements of 14thcentury Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus, including the emperor’s criticism of the Islamic concept of holy war and the line that Islam had brought “things only evil and inhuman.”

“In no way did I wish to make my own the words of the medieval emperor.

I wished to explain that not religion and violence, but religion and reason, go together,” the pope said.

His words were greeted by strong applause in St. Peter’s Square, where several thousand pilgrims had gathered.

The pope noted that during his trip he had underlined the need for all people to respect what is sacred to religious cultures — something that reflected his esteem for the followers of other religions, “in particular Muslims,” he said.

“I hope that my profound respect for world religions and for Muslims, who worship the one God and with whom we promote peace, liberty, social justice and moral values for the benefit of all humanity, is clear,” he said.

He said he hoped that, after the initial reactions, his speech in Regensburg would come to be understood as “an encouragement to a dialogue that is positive and also self-critical, both among religions and between modern reason and the Christian faith.”

Security around the Vatican was discreetly increased following vague threats made by extremist groups on Internet sites. The pope, however, rode as usual in an open jeep among the faithful at the start of the audience.

Speakers of the Congress Part 6 of a 7-part series on the second annual Eucharistic Congress Over the past five parts of this series, we have explored the nature of the Eucharistic Congress by means of its constitutive parts. That is, we have investigated those elements that together form the body and soul of the Eucharistic Congress.

The body includes the events: the speakers and their talks, the sacred music concert, the eucharistic procession, the opportunity to receive the sacrament of reconciliation, the wonderful selection of religious goods and Catholic books for sale and, most importantly, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

But the body is dead without the soul. Prayer, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the fellowship enjoyed among Congress participants are all signs of the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit giving life to the body.

This week, I would like to spend a moment focusing our attention on one of the most crucial elements that composes the body of the Congress: the speakers and their talks.

Eucharistic congresses attempt to discover and promote the best and the brightest speakers of the day, along with relevant talks that challenge the faithful to live the Catholic faith. This year, our theme comes from the second letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, “The Love of Christ Impels Us.”

The theme draws our attention to the apostolic works of the Catholic Church — the charitable, educational and evangelical works that are impelled by the love of Christ. Last year’s Congress focused on the Eucharist as the source and summit of our Catholic faith and life; this year’s Congress focuses on the missionary efforts of the church inspired by the love of Christ.

Therefore, each of the renowned speakers has chosen talks with a missionary goal. Friday evening, Oct. 6, Raymond Arroyo from the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) will kick off the Congress talks with “The Mission of the ‘Big Way’ of Mother Angelica.”

As with last year, there will be four series of talks on Saturday: General Track, Hispanic Track, Teen Track and Children’s Track (this year broken into two age groups: Kindergarten through second grade and third grade through fifth grade).

Back by popular demand, break dancer and karate expert Father Leo Patalinghug will speak to the youth on “The Mission of Being a Super Hero” and to the adults on “The Mission of Being Beautiful,” and will probably break a few boards in the process.

Franciscan Father James Goode will address “The Mission of Building a Culture of Life.” The famous apologist

The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI

It was the second time since his return from Germany that the pope had spoken about the controversy. Three days earlier, he said he was “deeply sorry” that some Muslims had found his speech offensive.

Criticism of the papal speech came from Muslim representatives in many countries. Vatican officials have expressed disappointment that most of the reactions were based on media accounts of the papal speech and not on a full reading of the text.

WANT TO READ THE SPEECH? To read the text of Pope Benedict XVI’s talk at the University of Regensburg, go online to the Vatican Web site at www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_ xvi/ Click Speeches, then 2006, then September, then click the link for “Meeting with the representatives of science in the Aula Magna of the University of Regensburg (September 12, 2006).”

Guest Column FATHER MATTHEW BUETTNER guest columnist

Jeff Cavins will speak at the General Track about “The Mission of Evangelization” and at the Teen Track about “The Mission of Peer Evangelization.”

Speaking to teenagers and adults is Mary Beth Bonacci on “The Mission of Chastity.” Father Juan Rivas will give a two-series talk at the Hispanic Track on “The Mission of Catholic Media” and “The Mission of Evangelization.”

And Dr. Fernando Casanova will speak at the Hispanic Track on “The Mission of Being Catholic.”

The Eucharist Congress clearly packs an evangelical punch with a missionary goal. But the Congress will be completely ineffectual without your participation.

Join us at the Charlotte Convention Center this Oct. 6 and 7 for the second annual Eucharistic Congress. The Congress promises to help keep body and soul together.

Father Buettner is pastor of St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton. For more on the Eucharistic Congress, visit www. goeucharist.com.

Dialogue of cultures and religions

From the Bishop BISHOP PETER J. JUGIS bishop of charlotte

It is unfortunate that a portion of the Holy Father’s talk at the University of Regensburg on Sept. 12 was taken out of context and used to misrepresent his true views.

In his talk, the Holy Father calls for a genuine dialogue of cultures and religions. Many in the world today see the prospect of a clash of civilizations of immense proportions looming in the future, specifically a clash of Moslem culture with Western culture.

The Holy Father calls for a dialogue of cultures and religions in order to avert such a worldwide conflict and potential war. Only by such respectful dialogue among cultures and religions can the world hope to live in peace.

As the Holy Father said, the views of the 14th-century emperor do not represent his own sentiments nor the teaching of the Catholic religion regarding Islam.

But, by referring to the statement of the emperor, the Holy Father did effectively raise the question: What exactly is the true face of Islam?

Is violence and terrorism such as we see it perpetrated in the world today the true face of Islam? Or is the true face of Islam rather represented by the phrase from the Quran, “there is no compulsion in religion,” which would respect the freedom of the human person to freely assent to religious truth and embrace it?

Such a question about the true nature of Islam must be addressed in order to pursue a meaningful dialogue of cultures and religions.

The Holy Father has noted on another occasion that evidence can be found in all the great religious traditions of the close bond between a relationship with God and the ethics of love. The message of love can be found in some way in all the great religious traditions.

Jesus, who revealed to us the truth of God, put this message front and center in his own teaching and life. He summed it up in his great commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.... You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mk 12:30-31).

This is true religion.

The Holy Father’s talk was primarily a challenge to the West not to exclude God from its culture. Secularism, such as we have it today, which excludes the divine from the culture, is not the best that the West has to offer in a dialogue of cultures and religions.

It is only by recognizing the great contributions that Christianity has made to Western thought and life that the West will be able to enter effectively into the dialogue of cultures and religions envisioned by the Holy Father.

September 22, 2006

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