Archbishop says humanity must build a future ‘free of nuclear threat’ BALTIMORE (CNS) – The path to the elimination of nuclear weapons will be “long and treacherous,” but humanity “must walk this path with both care and courage in order to build a future free of the nuclear threat,” Baltimore Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien said. Speaking Feb. 3 to international leaders at the Global Zero Summit in Paris, Archbishop O’Brien cited the Second Vatican Council’s condemnation of “total war” and the council fathers’ skepticism of “deterrence” as a way to lasting peace. “Every nuclear weapons system and every nuclear weapons policy should be judged by the ultimate goal of protecting human life and dignity,” Archbishop O’Brien said, “and the related goal of ridding the world of these weapons in mutually verifiable ways.” A copy of his text was released to the media. Archbishop O’Brien, who served for a decade as head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services before being appointed to the Baltimore Archdiocese in 2007, said the goals of just-war teachings are to “reduce recourse to force and to restrain the damage done by war.” He noted that just-war teachings assert that the use of force must be discriminate, with civilians and civilian facilities preserved from direct, intentional attack. The use of force must be proportionate, he said, with the overall destruction not
Newspaper of the Archdiocese of San Francisco
World Day of Prayer for Sick (PHOTO BY ARNE FOLKEDAL/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
outweighing the good to be achieved. It also must have a probability of success, he said. “The real risks inherent in nuclear war make the probability of success elusive,” Archbishop O’Brien said. He pointed out that nuclear war is rejected in church teaching because it “cannot ensure noncombatant immunity.” He added that the likely destruction and lingering radiation brought on by nuclear war would violate the just-war principle of proportionality. “Even the limited use of so-called mini-nukes would likely lower the barrier to future uses and could lead to indiscriminate and disproportionate harm,” Archbishop O’Brien said. “And the continuing possession of nuclear weapons undermines nonproliferation efforts and contributes to the danger of loose nuclear materials falling into the hands of terrorists.” The archbishop called on the U.S. to focus on the “next steps” in eliminating nuclear weapons. “This requires the successful negotiation and ratification of a START follow-on treaty with the Russian Federation, the ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and the adoption of a nuclear posture that rejects the first use of nuclear weapons or their use against non-nuclear threats,” he said. (START stands for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.) Archbishop O’Brien said the Catholic Church’s opposition to nuclear weapons is not new. NUCLEAR THREAT, page 13
By George P. Matysek Jr Catholic News Service
Catholic san Francisco
Deacon Peter Boulware serves Holy Communion at the 19th World Day of the Sick Mass, held Feb. 6 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. The congregation of 300 was made up of the sick and their caregivers. Archbishop George H. Niederauer was principal celebrant. Pope John Paul II instituted World Day of the Sick in 1992. He marked the first World Day for the Sick, in 1993, “as a special occasion for growth, with an attitude of listening, reflection, and effective commitment in the face of the great mystery of pain and illness.” The cathedral Mass, in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes, was hosted by the Order of Malta Western Association, USA, based in San Francisco.
Prelude to Lent 2010: By his wounds ‘we are healed’ In a prelude to the start of the 2010 Lenten Season on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, San Francisco Archbishop George H. Niederauer, in his homily at a Mass for the World Day of Prayer for the Sick, Feb. 6, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, said, “The very sufferings of Christ are redemptive, healing, and life giving. That is the mystery of the Cross of Jesus Christ. That is the effect of the Paschal Mystery, in each of us and for all of us together as Church.” The full text of the homily by Archbishop Niederauer follows: Many Americans pride themselves on being rugged individualists, on being able to “go it alone.” Still, there are some things that all of us admit we cannot do alone: no one can get married alone, and no one can be in a friendship alone. Also, you cannot be a church all by yourself. While he was proclaiming the Kingdom of God, Jesus Christ taught us and showed us that we need each other. Moreover, we need to be needed. In describing the Last Judgment, in Matthew’s Gospel, the 25th chapter, our Savior famously said: “The King will say to those on his right hand, ‘I
Archbishop George H. Niederauer
was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’” How does all this apply to the World Day of Prayer for the Sick? Jesus Christ comes to us in the hungry, the stranger, the sick person, so that we can love and serve him in them. Also, Christ comes to those in need through us; he loves them and serves them through us, if we let him do so.
Some may ask, “Is this not merely a vague, spiritually romantic thought?” No, to make it very real and down to earth, the Church sets before us, front and center, the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Saint Paul said of his work as an apostle, “I preach nothing but Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” In particular, on Good Friday each year, at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion, the first reading is from the prophet Isaiah, Chapter 53, the same words as our first reading today. We are told that the Savior would grow up “with no attractive appearance,” that he would be “spurned and avoided,” “a man of suffering.” However, he would be the source of our salvation because he “bore our infirmities, was pierced for our offenses, was crushed for our sins,” so that by his wounds “we are healed.” The very sufferings of Christ are redemptive, healing, and life giving. That is the mystery of the Cross of Jesus Christ. That is the effect of the Paschal Mystery, in each of us and for all of us together as Church. In fact, St. Paul says a startling thing in his letter to the Colossians. He says:
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, the Church.” Paul is not saying that the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross is incomplete or inadequate. Rather Paul is saying that he – and we – can unite our suffering and sacrifices with those of Christ for the work of salvation. Make no mistake: Christians are not in love with suffering – we do not glamorize, romanticize it or seek it out. However, neither do we run from it, nor do we interpret it as a sign of God’s anger or rejection. Because the Son of God became human with us in Jesus Christ, and embraced everything about being human, including suffering and death, and through his very suffering, death and resurrection merited forgiveness of sins and eternal life for us –because of his saving action, every human experience except sin has meaning and purpose and value in Christ. This is a revolution in values that is still going on, and still being struggled with, twenty centuries after Jesus Christ WE ARE HEALED, page 7
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Abstinence programs . . . . . . 3
“Y ou are theLight of the World. ”
National Prayer Breakfast . . . 4 News in brief. . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
- Matthew 5:14
A’s prospect hits seminary 10-11 ASF teachers convene . . 12-13 A r c h d i o c e s e o f S aand n F r a n c i letters sco Commentary Archbishop’s Annual Appeal 2010 ~ Pages 14-15 ~
February 12, 2010
Lent begins Feb. 17 ~ Pages 16-17 ~
Religious influence Shroud of Turin tempest . . 18 Services, classified ads . 21-23 on rock ‘n’ roll ~ Page 20 ~ NEXT ISSUE FEB. 26
ONE DOLLAR
VOLUME 12
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No. 6