October 2015 by St. Anthony Messenger

THE SPIRITUALITY OF ASSISI

ST. ANTHONY $3.95

OCTOBER 2015 • FRANCISCANMEDIA.ORG

Messenger

Pope Francis on

F A M I LY S Y N O D SPECIAL REPORT

What to Expect Our Readers Speak Up Our Church Needs to Empower Families ALSO

New York’s St. Francis Breadline

God’s Creation

CONTENTS

ST. ANTHONY

❘ OCTOBER 2015 ❘ VOLUME 123/NUMBER 5

Messenger ON THE COVE R

28 Caring for Creation

St. Francis has long been heralded as the champion of caring for creation. With his new encyclical, Pope Francis is following in the footsteps of his namesake.

What does Pope Francis’ new encyclical mean for us? By Kyle Kramer

CNS photo by Octavio Duran, OFM

S P E C I A L R E P O R T: S Y N O D O N T H E FA M I LY

D E PA R T M E N T S 2 Dear Reader

14 A Guide to the Synod

3 From Our Readers

What can Catholics expect from part two of the world synod of bishops on the family? Here’s a preview. By John Thavis

20 I’d Like to Say: Our Church Needs to Empower Families

4 Followers of St. Francis Margaret Xavier Romans, OSF

6 Reel Time

If the family is the key vehicle for passing on the faith, why isn’t the Church doing more to help? By Thomas Groome

8 Channel Surfing My Big Fat Fabulous Life

10 Church in the News 34 The Spirit of Francis

26 Readers Speak Up on Catholic Family Issues

Loving People in Need

47 Editorial

We asked where you stand on tough questions confronting Catholic families. By Daniel Imwalle

O T H E R F E AT U R E S

He Named Me Malala

Stars, Bars, and Scars

48 At Home on Earth

A Basic Human Right

50 Ask a Franciscan Finding Satan’s Story in the Bible

36 Enter Assisi Within this city’s walls lies, for each of us, a story waiting to be discovered. By Murray Bodo, OFM

52 Book Corner The Power of Ideals

54 A Catholic Mom Speaks

42 The St. Francis Breadline

Building Your Family’s Foundation

On the streets of New York City, the friars offer a helping hand to hungry neighbors. Photos by Gregory A. Shemitz

56 Backstory

DEAR READER

ST. ANTHONY M essenger

Final Instructions In September 1226, Francis realized that he would die soon. He dictated a Testament for his friars to help them grow in their zeal for Gospel living and the good example that would give power to their words. In fact, Francis died at the sunset that marked the start of October 4. The Testament is a short document, recalling the conversion of Francis to a Gospel way of life, serving lepers, showing reverence to the Eucharist and to priests, honoring theologians and Scripture teachers as “those who minister spirit and life to us.” He reminded the friars that God had revealed to him the greeting “May the Lord give you peace.” The friars should be peacemakers—especially by their actions. He encouraged the friars to work diligently, always living in this world “as pilgrims and strangers.” The friars were to obey Church authorities and their ministers within the Franciscan brotherhood. Francis asked that this text be read to future friars “that we might observe the Rule we have promised in a more Catholic way.”

Publisher/CEO Daniel Kroger, OFM Chief Operating Officer Thomas A. Shumate, CPA Editor in Chief John Feister Art Director Jeanne Kortekamp Franciscan Editor Pat McCloskey, OFM Managing Editor Susan Hines-Brigger Associate Editor Christopher Heffron Assistant Editor Daniel Imwalle Editorial Assistant Sharon Lape

Click the button on the left to hear Father Pat’s further reflections on the “Testament” of St. Francis.

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES If you have a question, concern, or problem with your subscription, we’re here to help.

Subscription and Billing Questions?

How to Subscribe

Toll-free phone: 866-543-6870 To help us better answer your questions about subscriptions, please have your address label on hand. If you have billing questions, please have your invoice available. Mail: St. Anthony Messenger P.O. Box 189 Congers, NY 10920-0189 Internet: StAnthonyMessenger.org/subscribe Fax: 845-267-3478

Want to subscribe or add a gift subscription? Call 866-543-6870, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Eastern time), or visit StAnthonyMessenger.org/subscribe.

Subscription Prices United States, $39 per year; Canada and other countries, $69 per year. See website for digital rates and to order bulk copies.

Mailing List Rental Moving? In order to keep your subscription current, we need four weeks to change an address. Send us your new address, new telephone number, and old mailing label.

If you prefer that your name and address not be made available to select organizations, send your current mailing label to Mail Preference Service, St. Anthony Messenger, P.O. Box 189, Congers, NY 10920-0189.

Advertising tammy monjaras

Printing Kingery Printing Co. Effingham, IL

ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER (ISSN #0036276X)

(U.S.P.S. PUBLICATION #007956 CANADA PUBLICATION #PM40036350) Volume 123, Number 5, is published monthly for $39.00 a year by the Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province, 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-6498. Phone (513) 241-5615. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional entry offices. U.S. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: St. Anthony Messenger, P.O. Box 189, Congers, NY 109200189. CANADA RETURN ADDRESS: c/o AIM, 7289 Torbram Rd., Mississauga, ON, Canada L4T 1G8. To subscribe, write to the above address or call (866) 543-6870. Yearly subscription price: $39.00 in the United States; $69.00 in Canada and other countries. Single copy price: $3.95. For change of address, four weeks’ notice is necessary. See St AnthonyMessenger.org for information on your digital edition. Writer’s guidelines can be found at StAnthony Messenger.org. The publishers are not responsible for manuscripts or photos lost or damaged in transit. Names in fiction do not refer to living or dead persons. Member of the Catholic Press Association Published with ecclesiastical approval Copyright ©2015. All rights reserved.

2 ❘ October 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

FROM OUR READERS

The Merciful St. Junipero Serra Thank you for Maureen Pratt’s article “Junipero Serra: Saint or Scoundrel?,” from the August issue. In his efforts to improve the lives of the people in the missions he founded, Junipero Serra developed new methods of farming and ranching, produced irrigation systems to harness the power of water, and introduced new ways to construct buildings. Biographers tell us that, when Serra visited the people in his missions, he made the sign of the cross on their foreheads while saying “Amora Dio (Latin for “Love God”). How similar this is to St. Francis’ greeting “pax et bonum (Latin for “peace and good”).” The quality of mercy in Serra extended to everyone. He held

What’s on Your Mind? Letters that are published do not necessarily represent the views of the Franciscan friars or the editors. We do not publish slander or libel. Please include your name and postal address. Letters may be edited for clarity and space. Mail Letters, St. Anthony Messenger 28 W. Liberty St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498 Fax 513-241-0399

ICONS © ISTOCKPHOTO/ ELIELI

E-mail MagazineEditors@ FranciscanMedia.org Facebook Like us! Go to: Facebook.com/ StAnthonyMessengerMagazine Twitter Follow us! Go to: Twitter.com/StAnthonyMag

Fr ancisca n Media .org

back nothing of himself, but gave himself totally. Brother Jerry Beetz, OFM Jackson, Kentucky

Industry Insights I’d like to comment on Dennis Sadowski’s article, “The Injustice of Fracking,” from the August issue. My credentials are 61 years as a practicing petroleum geologist, past president of my professional society, and still active at age 85 in scientifically exploring for and producing oil and gas. Your article reveals some disturbing facts, but also a lack of understanding of my industry. There are those of us in the industry who professionally and ethically drill for and produce oil and gas, abiding by the regulatory agencies which the federal government has wisely relegated to the states. Unfortunately, there are the promoters who enter the industry when prices are high, intending to reap large profits from investors. Therefore, it is essential that people in your state lobby their legislators to give their state regulatory agencies the power to strictly police oilfield practices to prevent abuses. In Kansas, where I reside, this has been done for many years to the satisfaction of the citizens. Violations are fined daily and the regulators can and do shut down offenders. It works! The worst is a quote from Mr. Tom Lyons, who states, “I believe this is the biggest rape of humanity ever perpetuated by humankind.” He then makes a ridiculous comparison of fracking to that of a tsunami. Fracking is 70 years old, and a longproven method of enhancing productivity from tight oil bearing formations. If standard oilfield practices are enforced, of cementing long

casing to the frack zone, which can be a mile deep, there is absolutely no communication to the near-surface water zones which are the aquifers for civilization. Alfred James III Wichita, Kansas

‘A Marvelous Discovery’ I usually read St. Anthony Messenger from start to finish. However, when I saw “Finding the Bay of Parables,” by James Martin, SJ, in the table of contents of the August issue, I had to turn right to that article. What a marvelous discovery Father Martin shares. Like some folks he encountered in Galilee, I, too, had never heard of the Bay of Parables. As I read, I could almost feel the violet stones and thorny grass. I could envision the natural amphitheater and eager listeners hearing the master storyteller as he taught from a boat in the bay. This image will enhance my praying the Gospels, especially when I encounter a parable. Kathleen Muldoon San Antonio, Texas

Let Loved Ones Speak at Funerals I’m writing regarding the “Why No Eulogies?” question from Father Pat McCloskey, OFM’s, “Ask a Franciscan” column in the August issue. I find it irritating that some parishes don’t allow loved ones the opportunity to give a eulogy at a funeral Mass. I buried my sister, father, and mother (in that order) and spoke during each of their concelebrated high Masses. How a person is remembered is a personal thing, and, as long as the comments are brief and in good taste, the Church should allow a loved one to speak. I wonder what Pope Francis would say to those parishes that disallow eulogies. Thomas A. Colombo Wilmington, Delaware O c to b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 3

F O L L O W E R S O F S T. F R A N C I S

A Ministry of Comfort

member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia since 1960, Sister Margaret Xavier Romans, OSF, has ministered to God’s people in many varied capacities, but perhaps none has touched the lives of others so personally and profoundly as her very own pillow ministry. A native of Maryland, Sister Margaret is a teacher at the Catholic High School of Baltimore for Girls, a sponsored ministry of her community. When not working in the school, she designs and creates her own prayer pillows for individuals—both known and unknown to her—who are ill or dealing with difficult situations of one sort or another. “This ministry is the outgrowth of just being aware of the needs of others and using something so simple as a pillow to let the other person know that they are not alone and that they are held in prayer in a special way,” she explains. An avid seamstress who first used her needle and thread to make habits for the sisters and curtains for the convent, Sister Margaret has been using her talents to turn out prayer pillows since 2006. She first creates a pillow

Margaret Xavier Romans, OSF

cover in the person’s choice of color or colors. She then attaches a rectangle of cloth onto which she cross-stitches the person’s name, as well as its meaning. The final touch is a personal card from Sister Margaret, assuring the recipient that she will be walking with them daily in prayer. Despite creating more than 500 prayer pillows to date, Sister Margaret is able to recall each in detail. Some of her most memorable pillows are the ones made for the sisters at her community’s retirement home, who love to show off their special pillow atop their bed. One time, a unique pillow request was fulfilled for a student’s father, a US Army sergeant, who was being deployed to Afghanistan. Sister Margaret came up with a special 3-by-5-inch pillow, which the serviceman was able to tuck into the pocket of his uniform and carry with him throughout his military tour. Sister Margaret later received a touching expression of gratitude from the US Army. Instead of the usual thank-you card, an American flag and a certificate, both encased in glass, arrived at her convent, thanking

STORIES FROM OUR READERS Learn more about St. Anthony and share your story of how he helped you at AmericanCatholic.org/ Features/Anthony.

St. Anthony’s Second Chance

4 ❘ O ctober 2015

Two years ago, I lost a cross that my husband gave me 34 years ago. I immediately started to pray to St. Anthony, but I didn’t find my cross. I figured that someone must have found mine and kept it, making it impossible for St. Anthony to help me find it; so he did the next best thing and helped us find a replacement. Later, my husband went online to find me a new one and to our surprise and delight, he found the exact same cross for sale. Now fast-forward to today and again I can’t find my cross. I start praying to St. Anthony as I search the house. I have to stop searching to keep an appointment. Upon returning home, I again say a prayer and instantly hear a small voice say, “It’s in your pocketbook.” This time, St. Anthony did help me find my lost cross. Thank you, St. Anthony! —Barbara McCormack, Cortlandt Manor, New York

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

Click here for more on Sister Margaret and the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia.

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

Respecting Individuals If the medieval world had had a reality show entitled Extreme Penances, Francis of Assisi might have won it. But he was too sensible to expect his followers to match him penance for penance. When a friar cried out one night, ”I’m dying of hunger,” Francis ordered the other friars to get up and join him in eating something so that the friar would not be embarrassed (2 Celano, First Book, Chapter XV). Francis told them that a person’s service to God must always take account of one’s strength. –P.M.

PAINTING BY CIMABUE/WIKIART

her for supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The certificate indicated that the flag had flown over the American base in Afghanistan in her honor. Although Sister Margaret creates every pillow herself, she believes her work is a ministry over which she really has no control. “I consider myself just the ‘middle nun,’ waiting for either the inspiration of the Holy Spirit or an invite from another to create the next pillow. All are opportunities for much joy.” There is a natural connection between her ministry and the Franciscan charism. “St. Francis spent his life bringing peace and joy to others. My pillows do the same in so many ways. They bring comfort and an assurance of prayer. They also remind the folks of just how special they are,” says the Franciscan sister. “Having a ministry that reaches so many and which has brought so much joy and consolation is a dream come true. I hope and pray that others will come up with their own version of a way to reach out to those in need.” —Rita E. Piro

tal Digi as Extr

To learn more about Franciscan saints, visit SaintoftheDay.org.

S T. A N T H O N Y B R E A D

Fr ancisca n Media .org

Send all postal communication to: St. Anthony Bread 1615 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498

O c to b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 5

PHOTO BY FRANK JASPER, OFM

The National Shrine of St. Anthony is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Consecrated in 1889, it includes a first-class relic of St. Anthony and serves as a center for daily prayer and contemplation. The Franciscan friars minister from the shrine. To help them in their work among the poor, you may send a monetary offering called St. Anthony Bread. Make checks or money orders payable to “Franciscans” and mail to the address below. Every Tuesday, a Mass is offered for benefactors and petitioners at the shrine. To seek St. Anthony’s intercession, mail your petition to the address below. Petitions are taken to the shrine each week. To post your petition online, please visit stanthony.org, where you can also request to have a candle lit or a Mass offered; or you may make a donation to the Franciscans or sign up to receive a novena booklet.

REEL TIME

W I T H S I S T E R R O S E PA C AT T E , F S P

He Named Me Malala

SISTER ROSE’S

Based on True Stories Buck God Is the Bigger Elvis In the Footprints of Francis and the Sultan Selma Julie & Julia

6 ❘

October 2015

Favorite Films Nobel Prize-winner Malala Yousafzai is the subject of the stirring new documentary He Named Me Malala. This amazing documentary by Davis Guggenheim takes a look at the inspired life and work of Malala Yousafzai. The Taliban was in control of the Swat District of northwest Pakistan by 2012, and on October 9 of that year, several of them attacked a school bus filled with girls. One of them shot 15-year-old Malala in the head, because she was a vocal advocate for girls’ education. Malala takes us through her life until that day, what led to the attempt on her life (and the two other students who were shot that day), her recovery, and her life today. The film opens with the young woman telling the story of Malalai of Maiwand, a woman who rallied an army to fight the British and died in battle. Through rich animation that can only be described as poetry in motion—and Malala’s own voice—we see how one heroine holds up another. The film is careful to distinguish between Islam, which the family continues to prac-

tice, and the Taliban’s extreme misuse of it for political power. Today, Malala’s advocacy for education has grown into a movement to educate millions of girls in the world with no access to schooling. Malala recovered in England; she and her family live in Birmingham, England, today. As we know, Malala was the corecipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. Based on her memoir, He Named Me Malala is one of those rare documentaries that you don’t want to miss because it is gently compelling, with so much heart. The assassination attempt on Malala’s life will outrage viewers, as it should, yet she harbors no anger. She is a young woman of peace who wants every girl—every child, really—to be able to go to school. Then, she believes, the world will change for the better. This film, which is sure to be an Oscar contender, is a tribute to educators everywhere. Not yet rated, PG-13 ■ Adult themes. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Kate Mara and David Oyelowo are garnering critical acclaim for their performances in Captive, based on a true story.

Captive

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAGNOLIA PICTURES

In 2005, Ashley (Kate Mara) goes to her car in the wee hours of the morning looking for matches. She is a drug-addicted widow who has lost custody of her young daughter, Paige (Elle Graham). A man follows her back into her apartment and takes her hostage. Ashley soon finds out that the man is Brian Nichols (David Oyelowo), who, hours before, had murdered four people. Still keeping her hostage, Nichols unties her and makes her go with him to dump the truck he has stolen. When they return, she starts to read Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Nichols asks her to read it out loud to him. It is the beginning of the end. The film is based on the true story of Ashley Smith, whose calmness saved her life that day. Her actions also saved the lives of many others, including Nichols’. As conflict between police and citizens continues to escalate in our country, this is also a tale of police restraint, due to Ashley’s courage. It is a compelling story of grace under fire, told in an unadorned yet gripping way by director Jerry Jameson and writer Brian Bird. Oyelowo, Mara, and newcomer Graham are excellent. Not yet rated, PG-13 ■ Violence, drug use.

They first turned to Republican William F. Buckley Jr. (1925–2008) and asked with whom he would not want to cohost a program. He said writer, commentator, and Democrat Gore Vidal (1925–2012). So, naturally, ABC hired Vidal, and the stage was set for a series of hour-long sparring sessions held daily after each convention. For anyone interested in the political process—or the role of media in society, history, or current events—this documentary is a must-see because it changed the way the US media covers the news and carries out public discourse, essentially creating infotainment. The only criticism I have is that the film does not give us enough of the actual debates between these two brilliant and angry men. What we get are background information, clips, and just enough of their mutual aggressiveness that remained refined until Vidal provoked Buckley to the point of no return. Not yet rated, R ■ Sexual content, brief nudity, language.

The contentious relationship between William F. Buckley Jr. (left) and Gore Vidal is front and center in the documentary The Best of Enemies.

Catholic Cl assifications A-1 A-2 A-3 L O

The Best of Enemies In 1968, when ABC had the lowest ratings and smallest budget of all the networks, executives looked for a hook that would bring in viewers following the Republican and Democratic Conventions held that year in Miami and Chicago, respectively. Fr anciscanMedia.org

General patronage Adults and adolescents Adults Limited adult audience Morally offensive

■

The Catholic News Service Media Review Office gives these ratings. See usccb.org/movies.

■

Find reviews by Sister Rose and others at CatholicMovieReviews.org.

October 2015 ❘

CHANNEL SURFING

WITH CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

UP CLOSE

TLC, check local listings According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 78 million US adults are classified as obese. Whitney Thore is one of them. But the star of TLC’s My Big Fat Fabulous Life is no chronic overeater. Nor is she bed bound for our shock and awe. She was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome in college, which contributed to her weight gain. But Thore isn’t interested in going gently into that good night. As a dance instructor and activist in the #NoBodyShame movement, she is challenging popular perception of what overweight people can do and what they can achieve. To be honest, My Big Fat Fabulous Life is not always suitable for impressionable channel surfers. Like all vibrant, single young people in this country, Thore is imperfect— sometimes humorously so. She can be foulmouthed, insufferable, amorous, but wholly relatable all at once. And while this reality series can be mundane at times—her endless sparring with her loving helicopter parents borders on tiresome—the central theme of the series is not only admirable, it’s important: most of us are burdened with some kind of weight issue. Thore, with humor and with heart, is bravely willing to share her own struggles with viewers.

Barefoot Contessa

DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Sundays, 8 a.m., Food Network As much as I love Food Network, it has become a circus lately. From Chopped to Iron Chef to the absurd Cutthroat Kitchen, there’s a troublesome trend happening with cooking shows lately: producers seem less interested in the food than in the fireworks. But there are a few mainstays on the network’s programming schedule that have stuck to a time-honored recipe. Barefoot Contessa is one such show. A warning to those unfamiliar with Ina Garten and her Emmy-winning series: most of her dishes are not for burgeoning chefs on a budget. Unlike Rachel Ray, for example, who built an empire on fast, easy recipes, Garten’s palate is decidedly more elegant, but that’s part of the enjoyment of Barefoot Contessa. This Renaissance woman—she was a nuclearbudget analyst under Presidents Ford and Carter before shifting gears to cooking and catering— Garten created a culinary movement out of her East Hampton home. Her style, though at times extravagant, is earthy and camera-ready. But the key ingredient to the show is Garten herself. Watch her closely: like a Zen master, she moves about her kitchen assembling her dishes with calm, quiet resolve. Barefoot Contessa, in its subtle way, reminds viewers that gimmicks and noise rarely sweeten the pot.

Whitney Thore is a dance instructor and body acceptance activist in TLC’s reality program My Big Fat Fabulous Life. 8 ❘

October 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

My Big Fat Fabulous Life

HAND-CRAFTED IN SOLID STAINLESS STEEL HAND-SET WITH A GENUINE BLACK SAPPHIRE ION-PLATED 24K-GOLD ACCENTS ENGRAVED ON THE REVERSE WITH THE BIBLE VERSE

Actual size 1 1/2" high

A CUSTOM JEWELRY EXCLUSIVE FOR THE BRADFORD EXCHANGE

The sacred cross has always been a source of strength for those who believe, forever reminding us of God’s sacriﬁce and the power of His presence in our lives. Now, we offer a distinctive new jewelry creation that presents this enduring Christian symbol along with a classic wrapped cable design in the “Strength in God” Men’s Cross Pendant. Hand-crafted of solid stainless steel, prized for its strength and durability, the pendant features a magniﬁcent cross in raised relief at the very center, ion-plated in 24K gold and set with a black sapphire. Bordering the pendant and accenting the bail is a classic cable design. The reverse side is engraved with the Bible verse, “I can do all things ©2015 The Bradford Exchange 01-19799-001-BI

LIMITED-TIME OFFER Reservations will be accepted on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrstserved basis. Respond as soon as possible to reserve your “Strength in God” Men’s Cross Pendant.

RESERVATION APPLICATION

through God who gives me strength”—Philippians 4:13, and a 24" stainless steel chain completes the look.

A Remarkable Value... Available for a Limited Time Complete with a jewelry pouch, gift box and Certificate of Authenticity, this dramatic pendant is an exceptional value at just $79*, payable in four easy installments of $19.75. To reserve yours, backed by our unconditional 120-day guarantee, send no money now; just ﬁll out and mail the Priority Reservation today! But hurry... this is a limited-time offer! www.bradfordexchange.com/19799

SEND NO MONEY NOW

th e

BRADFORD E XC HANGE j e w e l ry

Signature Mrs. Mr. Ms. Name (Please Print Clearly)

9345 Milwaukee Avenue · Niles, IL 60714-1393

YES. Please reserve the “Strength in God” Men’s Cross Pendant for me as described in this announcement. *Plus a total of $8.98 shipping and service. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery after we receive your initial deposit. All sales subject to product availability and order acceptance.

Address City

State

Zip

E-Mail (optional)

01-19799-001-E10601

CHURCH IN THE NEWS

❘ BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER

Pope Addresses Divorce and Remarriage

CNS PHOTO/GIAMPIERO SPOSITO, REUTERS

During his August 5 general audience, Pope Francis addressed the issue of divorced and civilly remarried Catholics, saying they “are not, in fact, excommunicated—they are not excommunicated—and they absolutely must not be treated as if they were,” reported Catholic News Service (CNS). In his first general audience since June, the pope resumed his talks addressing various issues facing families, saying, “Today, I want to draw our attention to another reality: how to care for those who, after the irreversible failure of the matrimonial bond, have undertaken a new union.“ According to Church teaching, in most cases such couples are not permitted to receive Communion. But bishops at the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family last October and preparing for the general synod October 4-25 have been studying

Pope Francis greets newly married couples during his weekly audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican August 5. 1 0 ❘ O c tober 2015

and discusssing possibilities for allowing some of these couples to return to the sacraments. “How can we tell these parents to do everything possible to raise their children in the Christian life, giving them the example of a convinced and lived faith, if we keep them at a distance from the life of the community as if they were excommunicated?“ the pope asked. As the studies and discernment continue, Pope Francis said, it is essential that Catholic pastors “openly and coherently demonstrate the willingness of the community to welcome and encourage” divorced and remarried couples and their families to participate in Church life.

LCWR Discusses Vatican Investigation of US Women Religious During their annual conference in Houston, August 11-15, the president of the Leadership Council for Women Religious (LCWR) told participants that the Vatican’s investigations of US women religious, and the resulting tensions, stemmed largely from a “cultural chasm,” reported CNS. The LCWR is made up of Catholic women religious who lead their orders in the United States. Communities in the organization represent about 80 percent of the nearly 57,000 women religious in the United States. In her address to approximately 800 delegates, LCWR president Sister Sharon Holland said those differences in perception between the two groups led to many misunderstandings. “We somehow were looking at the same realities, but we were standing in different places,” she said. “We

didn’t realize that we were experiencing the incomprehension of two groups who did not know each other’s deeper assumptions. We risked slipping into talking about each other instead of talking more deeply with each other.” Sister Sharon cited the two-page joint final report, issued when the mandate’s conclusion had been announced, as a powerful sign that the chasm may be closing. “It is not the usual practice to have a joint report in processes such as this,” she said. “It may sound very sensible to Americans, but normally, delegates sent from the Apostolic See submit their report directly to those who sent them. They don’t give it first to the persons they were visiting.” The report, she noted, was truly a collaborative work between the two groups. In a statement issued at the closing of the conference, LCWR’s national board reiterated Sister Sharon’s message, stating, “Our greatest desire now is that the positive outcome of these years of intense work at building relationships, establishing trust, inviting questions, and creating spaces for honest conversations—even on topics that can be divisive—will serve as a source of hope to others within the Church and the world.”

Kentucky Priest Faces Child Pornography Charges A priest from the Archdiocese of Louisville was arrested on August 21 in Florida on federal charge of accessing pornographic images of children online, reported CNS. Father Stephen Pohl resigned as pastor of St. Margaret Mary Church in St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

N E W S B R I E F S N AT I O N A L A N D I N T E R N AT I O N A L

tal Digi as Extr

Click here to listen to the Sistine Chapel Choir’s recording of the hymn in Italian on YouTube.

“Overcome indifference and win peace” has been chosen by Pope Francis as the theme for the Church’s celebration of the World Day of Peace on January 1, 2016. The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace announced the theme in an August 11 statement, which noted that the pope chose the theme to promote a reflection on the need for a “conversion of mind and heart” open to the needs of others. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee reached a $21 million settlement in August with 330 survivors of sexual abuse. According to the agreement, the survivors will share $21 million. The settlement is part of an agreement on a reorganization plan reached by the archdiocese and the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, which has sought compensation for victims/survivors of clergy sexual abuse. The agreement comes more than four years and eight months after the archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. A Catholic archbishop and two other religious leaders were awarded the 2015 Sergio Vieira De Mello Prize for promoting interfaith reconciliation in the conflict-torn Central African Republic. Archbishop Dieudonne Nza-

Louisville the day before his arrest. The investigation began after a family at St. Margaret Mary School learned that a photo had been taken that “bothered” their child, according to Brian B. Reynolds, archdiocesan chancellor and chief administrative officer. During an August 21 news conference that took place prior to Father Pohl’s arrest, Reynolds said the child’s parents Fr ancisca n Media .org

CNS PHOTO/TYLER ORSBURN

British composer Paul Inwood’s hymn “Misericordes sicut Pater” (“Merciful like the Father”) has been chosen as the official Latin theme of the Year of Mercy. Inwood and 89 other composers around the world had two months to submit their compositions of the music for the official hymn of the Year of Mercy. The hymn’s text—in Latin and Italian—was written by Jesuit Father Eugenio Costa, and was sent to the 90 composers March 31. Inwood, whose work is a staple of many parish liturgies across North America, learned this past June that his composition was chosen.

palainga of Bangui (left), president of the Central African bishops’ conference, received the award with Imam Omar Kobine Layama (center), president of his country’s Islamic Council, and the Rev. Nicolas GuerekoyameneGbangou of the Evangelical Alliance. The award, which commemorates a Brazilian UN diplomat killed in an August 2003 bomb attack in Iraq, was intended “to draw world attention to unnoticed efforts by an individual, group, or organization having done something special and unique.” The funeral Mass for Vittorio Casamonica, a reputed boss of an organized crime ring in Rome, has received criticism for its extravagance, with the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano calling it a “scandal.” The Mass was celebrated at St. John Bosco Church in southeast Rome on August 20. Casamonica’s body was carried to the church in an antique gilded black hearse drawn by six black horses. When it arrived at the church, a band outside played the theme song from the film The Godfather, and a poster hung over the entrance to the church saying, “You conquered Rome, now you will conquer heaven.” Auxiliary Bishop Giuseppe Marciante of Rome told the Catholic newspaper Avvenire that the diocese was not informed of the funeral in advance. “Only the pastor knew, but he had no idea there would be that mafia propaganda.” If the diocese had known, the bishop said, “we absolutely would not have accepted to have the funeral.” For more Catholic news, visit AmericanCatholic.org.

obtained the photo and shared it with the authorities. Reynolds also presented the most recent findings of the FBI investigation during the news conference, and said the archdiocese placed Father Pohl on administrative leave when it learned he was under investigation. “Father Pohl had numerous—up to 200—photos of St. Margaret Mary

School children on his computer that were taken on parish grounds,” Reynolds said. The children were fully clothed in these images, but authorities described some of the photos as “inappropriate,” he added. The FBI also said Father Pohl had accessed pornographic images of children and that the images were found on his personal electronic devices, said Reynolds. O c to b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 1 1

Louisville Archbishop Joseph Kurtz said that he is grieving and can only imagine “what parents are feeling. There is anger, confusion; there is hurt and fear. Our job right now is to walk with families.” The archbishop praised the efforts of the staff at St. Margaret Mary’s in responding to families’ needs.

Catholics Mark World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation

PHOTOCREO MICHAL BEDNAREK/INGIMAGE

Conference Addresses Ministry to Those with Same-Sex Attraction Nearly 400 people gathered in Plymouth, Michigan, August 10-12 for a three-day international conference designed for clergy, pastoral staff, and others who minister or teach on the topic of same-sex attraction, reported CNS. The conference, “Love One Another as I Have Loved You: Accompanying Our Brothers and Sisters with Same-Sex Attraction,” was co-hosted by Courage International (an apostolate that supports those with same-sex attraction in living a lifestyle of chastity), the Archdiocese of Detroit, and Our Sunday Visitor. Janet Smith, professor of moral theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and the conference’s chief organizer, said, “We want to do the right thing. We want to speak the truth in love. We want to be loving, and we want to be truthful. How do we do that?” Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, Toronto Cardinal Thomas Collins, and Detroit Auxiliary Bishop

For the first time, on September 1, Catholics formally marked the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. Pope Francis announced his decision to add the annual prayer day to the Catholic calendar in a letter to Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and to Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The pope said he was instituting the prayer day for Catholics because he shares the concern of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who initiated a similar prayer day for the Orthodox Church in 1989. In the spirit of his encyclical “Laudato Si’,“ Pope Francis said the annual event will be a time for individuals and communities to “reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which he has entrusted to our care, and to implore his help for the protection of creation as well as his pardon for the sins committed against the world in which we live.“

Michael J. Byrnes, all celebrated Masses during the conference that featured talks by a wide range of

Vatican Releases New App

1 2 ❘ O ctober 2015

CNS

The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums launched “Patrum” —an app for both smartphones and tablets—this past August. According to the Vatican web site, the new app allows members of the public to chat with others about famous works of art in the Vatican Museums, share strategies for dealing with the crowds, and choose a work to help restore.

experts, from Catholic moral theologians to psychologists, doctors, and pastors. Father Paul Check, Courage’s executive director, said when it comes to explaining and defending the Church’s teaching on same-sex attraction, “our best ambassadors are our members.” He said in the run-up to the 2014 Synod of Bishops on the family, when secular attention was at its highest over the issue of same-sex attraction in the Church, “one voice was missing: the voice of the person for whom same-sex attractions are a lived reality and who also believes that what the Church teaches on the matter of homosexuality is true and ultimately leads to peace.” A St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

Chicago Doctor Invents

$൵ RUGDEOH +HDULQJ $LG Superb Performance From Affordable Digital Hearing Aid Board-certified Ear, Nose, and Throat physician Dr. Cherukuri has done it once again with his newest invention of a medical-grade, all-digital, AFFORDABLE hearing aid. Dr. Cherukuri knew that untreated hearing loss could lead to depression, social isolation, anxiety, and symptoms consistent with Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In his practice he knew that many of his patients would benefit from new digital hearing aids, but many couldn’t afford the expense, which is not generally covered by Medicare and most private health insurance policies.

Same Technology as $3,000 Hearing Aids He evaluated all the high priced digital hearing aids on the market and then created his own affordable version — z Mini Behind-the-Ear Digital hearing aid z Doctor-Recommended,

Audiologist-Tested z Sleek, nearly invisible z FDA-Registered z Thousands of satisfied customers z FREE Shipping in USA z Batteries Included! Comes Ready To Use z 100% Money-Back Guarantee!

called MDHearingAid AIR for its virtually invisible, lightweight appearance. This sleek doctor-designed digital hearing aid delivers crisp, clear sound all day long and the soft ϐ won’t realize you are wearing them. This new digital hearing aid is packed with the features of $3,000 competitors at a mere fraction of the cost. Now most people with hearing loss are able to enjoy crystal clear, natural sound — in a crowd, on the phone, in the wind — without “whistling” and annoying background noise.

Try it at Home with a 45-Day Risk-Free Trial Of course hearing is believing, and we invite you to try it for yourself with our RISK-FREE 45-Day home trial. If you are ϐ within that time period for a full refund of your purchase price. Satisﬁed Buyers & Audiologists Agree, AIR is the Best Digital Value “The AIRs are as small and work as well as a $5,000 pair I had previously tried from somewhere else!” —Dennis L., Arizona “...my mother hasn’t heard this well in years, even with her $2,000 Digital! It was so great to see the joy on her face.” —Al P., Minnesota “I would definitely recommend them to my patients with hearing loss” —Amy S., Audiologist, Indiana

For the Lowest Price Call Today

Use Offer Code CE45 to get

800-873-0541

FREE Batteries for a Full Year!

Phone Lines Open 24 Hours EVERY DAY

www.MDHearingAid.com

SPECIAL REPORT

❘ S Y N O D O N T H E FA M I LY

A Guide to the

HIS FALL, some 250 bishops will gather with Pope Francis in Rome for the second phase of the synod of bishops on the topic: “The vocation and mission of the family in

the Church and in the contemporary world.” In the pope’s view, the October 425 assembly is crucial to the Church’s future for several reasons. Christian marriage and the family remain essen-

What can Catholics expect from part two of the world synod of bishops on the family? Here’s a preview. BY JOHN THAVIS

At the conclusion of the 2014 synod on the family, Pope Francis told participants that he would have been worried if there had not been animated discussions of the issues.

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING; FAMILY SILHOUETTE © CHRISTIN GASNER/ISTOCKPHOTO

14 ❘

October 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Synod tial for transmission of the faith and the well-being of society, yet are threatened today by an array of moral, economic, and cultural developments that require a pastoral response. As Pope Francis emphasizes fre-

quently, however, it’s not simply enough to repeat and defend Church teachings. The challenge for the modern Church—and for the synod—is to present its vision of the family in a way that attracts and responds to real-

life problems, while showing mercy to those who struggle and fail. Synods of bishops have come and gone for 50 years in Roman Catholicism, usually without much fanfare. But this synod, the first convened by Pope Francis, is different in many ways. For one thing, it is longer and more in-depth. The first session in October 2014 was an “extraordinary” assembly designed to gather and analyze information about the situation of the family across the Catholic world. The second session, this fall, will attempt to propose new pastoral strategies, responding especially to problematic areas like divorce, cohabitation, economic strains, split families, and efforts to redefine marriage.

A Different Kind of Synod Unlike previous synods, this one has been accompanied by two rounds of global consultation with lay Catholics. Pope Francis said he wanted the laity to be more involved in the process, so synod organizers sent out lengthy questionnaires on topics ranging from family prayer to contraception, asking that they be distributed as widely as possible. The Vatican also encouraged bishops, in their own responses, to avoid “a formulation of pastoral care based simply on an application of doctrine,” and instead to favor the pope’s vision of a “culture of encounter” that recognizes elements of good, even in family situations that are “outside customary models.” Another key difference between this synod and previous assemblies is that it’s been lively—on some issues, even contentious. Pope Francis believes the Fr anciscanMedia.org

October 2015 ❘

(Above) While acknowledging that married love “is one of the most beautiful of all miracles and the most common,” synod members also talked about the many challenges couples now face and how best to address them. (Above right) Prior to the June 2015 ruling by the US Supreme Court legalizing samesex marriage, the working document of the synod addressed the issue, saying, “There is a need for pastoral care on the part of the particular Churches in these situations.”

16 ❘

October 2015

Church must engage in honest debate on topics that have not been probed in previous synods, including homosexuality, irregular unions, access to the sacraments by divorced and remarried Catholics, and the Church’s annulment process. Opening the synod’s first session last year, the pope shocked bishops when he insisted on candid discussion and a fraternal airing of disagreements. He got what he asked for, including, at times, a clash of perspectives on the demands of doctrine and the limits of mercy. Many believe, as this fall’s session moves toward concrete recommendations, that debate will only intensify. The bishops are in fundamental agreement, of course, about the value of the traditional family and its place in God’s design for humanity. The synod’s first session expressed deep appreciation for the many happy families that daily witness Christian values of faith, hope, and love, sometimes with great sacrifice. Despite contemporary pressures and obstacles, the bishops said, married

love “is one of the most beautiful of all miracles and the most common.”

A Wide Range of Challenges As for problems, the synod is focusing on two particular challenges. One is the transmission of faith from parents to children, a process that was once considered automatic but today requires new pastoral efforts to creatively engage younger generations. A second challenge is helping young couples have a clearer idea of the Christian understanding of marriage. Current marriage preparation programs are largely seen as inadequate in the face of modern tensions and pressures. Several bishops have suggested that the Church must find a better way not only to help lead couples to the altar, but also to accompany and counsel them throughout their married lives. The synod is addressing a wide range of other difficulties that face modern families, and they vary from region to region. European bishops have noted the increasing inroads of secularism and the weakening of traditional values. African bishops have spoken about St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Divine Word

Charitable Gift Annuity

CNS PHOTO/JIM BOURG, REUTERS

Rewards you with a fixed income and supports our mission to serve the poorest of God’s people.

the persistent challenge of polygamy, the custom of “wife inheritance,” and anti-family policies of international aid agencies. In Asia, a significant percentage of Catholics are migrant workers, often spending months or years away from their families in other parts of the globe. At last October’s first synod session, the media focused on several hotbutton issues that generated spirited discussion among bishops, including cohabiting couples, homosexual relationships, and divorced and remarried Catholics. Some bishops strongly believe that, in line with Pope Francis’ call for dialogue and mercy, the Church should approach those in so-called “irregular” unions by looking for the good in such relationships and building on it. This pastoral approach employs what is called the “law of graduality,” the idea that Christians move toward holiness one step at a time, not necessarily in a single full embrace of Church teaching. At the synod’s 2014 session, a midterm document, while rejecting Fr anciscanMedia.org

gay marriage, praised the sacrifice and commitment demonstrated by some gay partners. It asked whether the Church could find better ways of welcoming homosexuals and “accepting and valuing their sexual orientation.” Those points prompted criticism by other bishops and disappeared from a later text, but are certain to come up again for discussion at this fall’s assembly. The synod, at the very least, appears to be pushing for a change in language in its pastoral outreach—for example, avoidance of terms such as “living in sin” when talking about cohabiting couples, or “objectively disordered” to describe the homosexual orientation.

Divorce, Annulments, and Remarriage Another change that appears to be in the wings is in the granting of annulments, whereby a Church tribunal declares that a marriage thought to be valid actually lacked one of the essential elements required for a sacramental union. Simplifying and streamlining the annulment process has fairly broad

CONTACT US 1 - 800 - 461 - 3064 annuity@uscsvd.org www.annuitysvd.org Divine Word Gift Annuity (SVD Funds, Inc.) PO Box 6067 1985 Waukegan Road Techny, IL 60082-6067 October 2015 ❘

CNS PHOTO/NANCY WIECHEC

One of the many challenges facing families today is how to best pass on the faith to our children. Many parents look to Catholic schools for help with that mission.

tal Digi as Extr

18 ❘

Click here for more on the synod.

October 2015

support among the bishops, and Pope Francis has already named a commission to study how that can be accomplished. This fall’s synod may be asked to examine and endorse some of the commission’s recommendations. The situation of Catholics who have divorced and remarried without an annulment has loomed large at this synod. Some bishops, led by German Cardinal Walter Kasper, have suggested that in particular circumstances such Catholics could be readmitted to Communion—perhaps through a “penitential” path or a ceremony that acknowledges the harm caused by divorce. Supporters argue that a Church that can forgive sins should not permanently exclude these faithful from the sacraments. But other bishops believe that pastoral leniency on this issue would erode Catholic teaching on the permanence of the marriage bond. A related question, one that touches on collegiality and governance in the Church, is how far local bishops’ conferences can go in devising their own policies regarding divorced Catholics and other pastoral situations that involve doctrine. When German bish-

ops recently moved in this direction, the head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, warned that “doctrinal and disciplinary decisions” should be made by the universal Church and its teaching authority, not by local Church communities.

What’s Next? This fall’s synod will close a long road of discernment. The primary text guiding the discussions, called a working document, has been modified several times. The latest version, to be used in October, was released in late June of this year. As last year’s synod demonstrated, however, the working document is subject to change when the bishops gather in Rome. The second session in October will involve three weeks of brief speeches in the general assembly of bishops and small-group discussions, all aimed at creating a lengthy list of pastoral recommendations. Pope Francis presides over the synod but, except for opening and closing remarks, has so far chosen to listen rather than intervene directly in the discussions. The participants will include elected representatives St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

CNS/COURTESY OF SANCTUARY OF LISIEUX

The canonization of Louis and Zélie Martin reinforces the role of parents in the faith formation of their children. from every bishops’ conference, as well as papal appointees and Vatican officials. The synod is an advisory body, and its final proposals will be given to the pope. Typically, a pope writes a document based on the synod’s findings, but he can also choose to quickly implement some of the recommendations or appoint commissions to study certain questions more deeply. Beyond the thousands of spoken and written words, the synod will include some significant liturgical moments, including an important and unusual canonization. The pope will declare as saints Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, underlining the essential role of parents in their children’s religious development. Pope Francis convened the synod in part to show that his vision of a merciful Church is able to give answers to the many families that suffer from division, discouragement, and instability. He also wants to awaken among Catholic families a sense of sharing in the Church’s mission to announce the Gospel and transmit the faith to younger generations. As the pope said last year, the synod should help reveal the Church as a mother and teacher, which keeps its “doors wide open to receive the needy, the penitent, and not only the just or those who believe they are perfect!” A John Thavis is a journalist, author, and speaker specializing in Vatican and religious affairs. For almost 30 years, he covered the Vatican for Catholic News Service, until his retirement in 2012. He is the author of numerous books, including his latest, The Vatican Prophesies (Viking). Fr anciscanMedia.org

“The Greatest Saint of Modern Times!” That is how Pope St. Pius X described her. Pope St. John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church for the wisdom of her spiritual teaching. Pope Francis relies on her intercession and considers the Little Flower a friend who never fails. More than a century after her death, this young Carmelite nun continues to help, to inspire, and to invite us all to follow Christ with the simple trust and love that characterized her life.

Save 20% on one book, 30% on all three! for details on each book, visit our catalog pages 8–9 at: www.icspublications.org/ICS-Catalog-Winter-Spring2014.pdf

The Story of A Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux 300 pages, $13.95 NOW 20% off: $11.16* with Promo Code Therese1

The Prayers of St. Therese of Lisieux 108 pages, with photos and autographs, $9.95

NOW 20% off: $7.96* with Promo Code Therese1

The Context of Holiness: Psychological and Spiritual Reflections on the Life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux 176 pages, $13.95 NOW 20% off: $11.16* with Promo Code Therese1

Order all 3 and save 30%! All 3 books—St. Therese’s Autobiography and Prayers, and The Context of Holiness for 30% off ($37.85 – $11.35): only $26.50* with Promo Code Therese3 through Dec. 31, 2015!

Ordering is easy! Shop online at our secure site at www.icspublications.org, or phone toll-free for credit card orders: 1-800-832-8489 Be sure to use Promo Code Therese1 (for one book – 20% off) or Promo Code Therese 3 (for all three books – 30% off) online and in phone orders to ensure your special cost savings. Order now! Offer expires Dec. 31, 2015! * Standard USPS Media Mail shipping and handling charges will be added to each order. All three books are available as eBooks. This special offer applies to print book only; see our website to purchase eBooks in various formats (Kindle, Nook, etc.).

ICS Publications • 1-800-832-8489 2131 Lincoln Rd. NE, Washington, DC 20002-1199 October 2015 ❘

SPECIAL REPORT

I’D LIKE TO SAY

Our Church Needs If the family is the key vehicle for passing on the faith, why isn’t the Church doing more to help? BY THOMAS GROOME

M “God loves you, I love you, and Jesus will always be your best friend.”

20 ❘

October 2015

AUREEN was a graduate student in theology and ministry at Boston College, and one of the most faithfilled young persons I’d met in a long time. Then I discovered that her two sisters—one older and one younger— are also working in pastoral ministry. When I inquired how she and her siblings all came by their deep Catholic faith, she responded immediately, “Oh, ’twas my mom.” When I asked how her mom managed to plant such fertile seeds of faith, Maureen thought a bit, and then told of a simple, though profound, family ritual. She noted that her mom was a single parent who worked full-time to support her family. By the time she got home in the evening, made dinner, helped with homework, and got her children ready for bed, there wasn’t much time left. Yet every night before they went to sleep, that mom took each child in her arms, looked them in the eye, gave them a hug, and said, “God loves you, I love you, and Jesus will always be your best friend.” With each child, it took about 10 seconds. Yet, as Maureen traced the roots of her deep faith, that nightly family ritual came first to mind. The Church has long known that “parents are the first and foremost educators of their children” (Vatican II, “Declaration on Christian Educa-

tion” 3). We solemnize this in our baptismal rite when the celebrant lights a candle from the Paschal one, hands it to the parents, and says, “Receive the light of Christ; parents and godparents” [extended family], “this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly.” Shortly thereafter, he reminds the parents, “You will be the first educators of your child in the ways of faith.” So our Church has the right rhetoric. In my experience, however, we do precious little to give parents the support, training, resources, suggestions, and networking that would empower them to sow and grow the seeds of faith as a family. Indeed, the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in October 2014 was a case in point. Though its stated topic was “The Family and Evangelization,” it said nothing of this throughout, or in its final document. Oh, the synod took on important issues regarding the family, but missed a golden opportunity to highlight its role in evangelization and catechesis. Hopefully this month’s synod will do better.

Evangelization and Catechesis The family’s role as “first educator in faith” suggests that its primary function is one of evangelizing. But in fact, this work is inseparable from catechizing. Since the early church, evangelization has been taken to mean sowing the St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

to Empower Families

Fr anciscanMedia.org

October 2015 ❘

PHOTOS BY BILL WITTMAN

Beginning with their child’s Baptism, parents are the primary educators when it comes to matters of the faith. The Church, however, could certainly do much more to help in that endeavor.

Click the button above to hear author Heidi Bratton speak about growing faith at home.

22 ❘

October 2015

initial seeds of faith, whereas catechesis refers to growing those seeds to maturity. There is no before/after sequence here, as if we finish evangelizing first and then begin to catechize. The two are conterminous and required all the time. Indeed, a constant theme now in Church documents is that every Christian is responsible to evangelize and, likewise, is ever in need of evangelization—lest an “old” faith grow stale. The 1997 General Directory for Catechesis (GDC) speaks repeatedly of our need for “lifelong catechesis.” So these two sides of the same coin are to work ever hand in hand, and in the family as well. The Church must nurture all its families to belong to the “family of the faith” (Gal 6:10) in order to be effective in evangelizing and catechizing. They are to be the first educators in faith.

What Faith for Challenging Times? The home and family are more crucial than ever to handing on the faith in what is often called this “secular age.” From a culture that once encouraged faith, we have shifted to one that discourages it or offers unsatisfying alternatives such as “exclusive humanism”—exclusive in that it makes no reference to the transcendent. In other words, there was a time when secondary socialization—in village, parish, and school—was an effective source of faith formation but this is far less so any more. It is all the more vital, then, that the family be effective in forming people in Christian identity—the nub of education in faith.

Of course, God’s grace can always work miracles—many people of deep faith have come from irreligious homes and vice versa—but typically, grace works most effectively through family efforts to sow and grow the seeds of faith. We can well ask if there are particular seeds of faith that are most apt to be homegrown and manageable for any family. Teaching the whole story of Christian faith, all of its Scriptures and traditions, dogmas and doctrines, sacraments and symbols, would overwhelm the vast majority of Catholic families. Families need the resources of parish and school catechetical programs to give access at all grade levels to the Scripture and tradition of Catholic faith. Meanwhile, I propose that the family can most effectively concentrate its sowing and growing on the most vital seed of all. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) makes a powerful summary statement of the core of Catholic faith. It says, “At the heart of catechesis we find a Person . . . the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the only Son from the Father” (CCC 426). So the central theme of family evangelizing and catechizing should be Jesus, the Christ, because what is of the heart is most fruitfully homegrown. Every family can share the story and stories of Jesus; encountering them within the home lends special persuasion for Christian formation.

Our Story of Faith Regarding the breadth of stories to tell, note how the Catechism emphasizes both the Jesus of history—“of Nazareth”—and the Christ of faith, “the only Son from the Father.” In other words, a family should share the stories of Jesus’ life and public ministry, and likewise how and why he was our Lord and Savior. (Catholics have tended to emphasize his divinity and neglect his humanity.) So the families should repeat often the stories of Jesus, that carpenter from Nazareth who walked the roads of Galilee, preaching the inbreaking of God’s reign of unconditional love. They should tell the great stories that he told (the good Samaritan, the prodigal son, the good shepherd) and then the stories about him: his curing the sick, feeding the hungry, expelling evil, including the marginalized, and welcoming all to the table. The family can powerfully teach that the very heart of Catholic faith is discipleship to this Jesus—which means St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

“full and sincere adherence to his person and the decision to walk in his footsteps” (GDC 53). Likewise, the family is in a unique position to teach the Christ of faith, that this very Jesus was the Son of God, second person of the Blessed Trinity, God among us as one of ourselves. Families can well share the Good News that by his life, death, and resurrection, Christ is our savior and liberator, that he freed us from all that holds us bound, even death—making possible eternal life with God. Ever to encourage, the family can echo St. Paul’s oftrepeated conviction that, by “God’s abundant grace in Jesus Christ,” we can live as disciples—the very best way to live. The identity of every family is formed by the stories it tells. Telling the stories of and by Jesus Christ is at the heart of creating a Christian family that can nurture its members in faith. Jesus is, has been, and always will be the most persuasive argument we can offer young people for embracing Christian faith. Encountering Jesus first in the family makes him all the more appealing.

Sow and Grow the Seeds of Faith When we hear the word education in our culture, a common tendency is to think “school.” So when the Church tells parents, “You are the primary religious educators of your children,” they can imagine having to buy a textbook, and maybe a desk and chalkboard, and setting aside time for formal instruction. This is not what the Church intends. Instead, as the GDC makes clear, the whole atmosphere of the home needs to be intentionally crafted so as to nurture its members in faith. A family needs to look at every aspect of its shared life—ethos and atmosphere, values and lifestyle, stories and symbols, worldview and attitudes, conversations and language patterns, rules and gender roles, finances and use of money—and ask, “How can we shape our whole shared life to reflect the truths, wisdom, and values of Christian faith?” Rather than being didactic, the family becomes “the primary agent of an incarnate transmission of faith” (GDC 207). It provides “a Christian education more witnessed to than taught, more occasional than systematic, more ongoing than structured into periods” (GDC 255). Echoing Vatican II’s retrieval of the family as the “domestic Church,” the family nurtures Fr anciscanMedia.org

faith most effectively by reflecting within its life all “the different aspects and functions of the life of the entire Church” (GDC 225).

Four Vital Ministries

Filling your home with physical reminders, as well as spoken ones like reading Bible stories, serves as a reminder to kids that their faith is always with them.

Now this seems like a tall order for any family, including my own—to take on all the functions of the Church. Yet being conscious of the Church’s ministries can stimulate our imaginations regarding how to craft our home life to sow and grow in faith. But what are the essential ministries of the Church, and how might they find domestic expression? Since the early days, the Church has understood its continuing of God’s saving work in Jesus Christ to require four central ministries: • The ministries of koinonia (community) and marturia (witness), calling the Church to be a community of witness to Christian faith, hope, and love Click here for more in the midst of the world; ways families can grow • The ministries of kerygma their faith. and didache require the Church to preach and teach the word of God that comes through sacred Scripture and tradition; • The ministry of leitourgia requires the Church to worship God in a public mode; • Diakonia is the Church’s ministry to care for human well-being—spiritual and physical, personal and social. Now, the family is to effect these ministries in its own way. For example, parents should not begin by simulating a celebration of Eucharist; instead they need to commit to regular mealtimes together and then to encourage

October 2015 ❘

tal Digi as Extr

ADJACENT PHOTO FROM INGIMAGE; FAR RIGHT © PAMELA MOORE/ ISTOCKPHOTO

(Above) Family meals are a perfect time to gather together in prayer. Dinnertime conversations can bolster your family’s faith. Have everyone talk about an experience of God they had that day. (Above right) Volunteering, such as at a local soup kitchen, can offer your children a living example of putting their faith into action for the benefit of others.

24 ❘

October 2015

some table conversation that might sow a seed of faith. For instance, a family meal might begin with saying grace and then asking if anyone had experienced a “God-moment” that day. Each family needs to imagine for itself how to replicate the core ministries of a Christian community, staying focused on the centrality of Jesus Christ to Catholic faith. However, let me offer some general suggestions. Family as a community of Christian witness: This calls us first to the hospitality, inclusion, and bonding that a life-giving community requires. Like the first community of Jesus, every voice should be welcome at the family table. Then, within its lifestyle, the family needs to live out the core values of Christian witness: faith, hope, and love. Each family must try to incarnate the truths, wisdom, and values of Catholic faith, inward among its own members and outward to the world. The domestic Church is sustained in its witness by bonding with a local parish community, contributing to and drawing from the wider body of Christ. Family and the word: This invites explicit sharing of Christian faith within the home. Often this can be done in informal moments; parents regularly have opportunities to share their faith in response to the issues and questions that arise from daily life. We can also organize opportunities for breaking open the word as a family. Coming home from Sunday Mass, parents might ask, “What did you hear

from the Scripture readings (or the homily) today?” Or perhaps at Sunday brunch, reread the Gospel from the Lectionary and invite people’s reflections. Even a picture of the Good Shepherd in a child’s bedroom can stimulate occasions for sharing the stories of Jesus and who he is for us now. Whether spontaneous or planned, every family regularly can find opportunities to share their faith story with each other. Family and worship: Here again, each family must look to its own traditions and choose a few practices of shared prayer or faith rituals that it can do regularly. Of course, keeping Sabbath together, including participation in liturgy with a local community, is key to a family’s shared worship. But each family can have its own particular rituals and symbols of faith within the home as well. Morning, night, and mealtime prayers or rituals can certainly help nurture faith. Many cultures have rich customs that encourage faith formation, such as the altarcito, or family altar, in Hispanic homes. There are also many family traditions of worship and ritual for particular times of the year, such as Christmas and Easter, and families can construct their own meaningful traditions. Family and well-being: This calls for the home to be a place of deep compassion toward those in need and justice toward all—both within and without. Nowhere are compassion and justice more needed than in a family. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

in matters of discipline. Then, the compassion and justice within the home must be turned outward into society, reaching out to all in need and championing the causes of social justice—for people and the environment. Volunteering as a family to serve in a local food bank or house of hospitality can be a powerful seed of faith. As Maureen’s mother demonstrated to her children, good practices are vital to the family as first educators in faith. When we do Christian things together, our families are most likely to sow the seeds and grow in faith. It is imperative that our parishes have programs that help “nurture the nurturers.” The parish, as the larger “household of faith,” needs to provide networking, resources, training, conversations, suggestions, and encouragement to sustain the efforts of families to be “the first educators in the ways of faith.” A

Every day brings opportunities for the practice of commutative justice, or fairness, in personal relationships. Every family, too, has constant opportunities to practice restorative justice, or reconciliation,

Dr. Thomas Groome is a professor of theology and religious education at Boston College. He is the author of Educating for Life: A Spiritual Vision for Every Teacher and Parent, as well as many other books and articles. His primary areas of interest and research are the history, theory, and practice of religious education, pastoral ministry, and practical theology.

Can we light a candle for you at the National Shrine of St. Anthony? Fr. Carl lights the candles for your intentions. Each burns for five days, a reminder of St. Anthony’s attention to your prayer. Candles dispel the darkness and offer hope. In lighting a candle, you are asking St. Anthony to intercede with the Lord for your intention. Can we light a candle for you? Visit us at www.stanthony.org. The Franciscan Friars 1615 Vine St., Ste 1 Cincinnati, OH 45202-6492

Visit us at www.stanthony.org Fr anciscanMedia.org

October 2015 ❘

Readers Speak Up on

Catholic Family PHOTO FROM INGIMAGE

We asked where you stand on tough questions confronting Catholic families. B Y D A N I E L I M WA L L E

Is the Church doing enough for your family?

56%

23%

21%

Do you find same-sex marriage to be a threat?

49%

51%

Do you think the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annulment process is too complicated?

71%

ith this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s synod on the family in mind, we surveyed some of our subscribers to discover how they think the Church is doing with regard to reaching out to families. Six of the survey questions are represented with bar charts, with the remainder described below. Of those surveyed, 93 percent were over the age of 50, 76 percent said they were parents to grown children, 65 percent were married, and 61 percent identified as grandparents. Seventyfive percent reported that they were â&#x20AC;&#x153;very concernedâ&#x20AC;? about passing on their Catholic faith to their children and/or grandchildren. Over 1,600 respondents rated the importance of a number of hot-button issues facing Catholic families today: the permanence of marriage, monogamy, artificial contraception, divorce and remarriage, in vitro fertilization, same-sex marriage, cohabitation before marriage, and natural law. We gave each issue a rating scale that ranged from â&#x20AC;&#x153;not at all importantâ&#x20AC;? to â&#x20AC;&#x153;very important.â&#x20AC;? The highest rated as â&#x20AC;&#x153;very importantâ&#x20AC;? were monogamy (at 83 percent) and the permanence of marriage (at 77 percent). Our survey takers had a chance to let us know what other Catholic family issues the Church should examine. The following responses shed light on the diversity of our readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perspectives. Here are some of your comments:

29%

Education Is the Answer

26 â?&#x2DC;

October 2015

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The failing of Catholic schools worries me. We are losing generations of chilSt A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

SPECIAL REPORT

Issues dren through our failing schools! If young people knew the beauty and truth of the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teaching on married sexuality, then they could make better choices about chastity, birth control, etc. No one is teaching them!â&#x20AC;?

Too Exclusive â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Church needs to reach out to all people and stop being so exclusive. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not what Jesus wanted. I strongly feel that the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stance on human sexuality is misguided and confused. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve known homosexual couples who were far more committed to each other and living in actual love than many unhappy heterosexual couples. These homosexual partners would also make great parents, something the Church would be appalled at. Society always moves one way first, and then the Church (after 200 years or so) catches up after much begrudging. I just wish it would happen faster. Sometimes Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m embarrassed to identify as a Catholic among people of other backgrounds.â&#x20AC;?

How effective is the Church at reaching out to homosexuals, divorced Catholics, and unmarried, cohabiting couples? 2%

8 2

& ! 2

16%

31%

+ 2

37% 14%

Do you think the Church should allow Catholics who are divorced and remarried outside the Church to receive Communion?

68%

Blended Families â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Church needs to minister to blended families. My neighbor has three young children, and his wife died of cancer. He remarried, and his new wife has a child, too. They have had great difficulties parenting and stepparenting, making it a difficult time in their new marriage. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure what type of preparation they had for this marriage. Families today face great struggles. We all need to help.â&#x20AC;? A

32%

Do you feel you understand the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teaching on marriage and family issues?

85%

Daniel Imwalle is the assistant editor of this magazine and its digital edition. He has a BA in philosophy from Xavier University, Cincinnati.

tal Digi as Extr

Click here to see the entire survey results.

Fr anciscanMedia.org

October 2015 â?&#x2DC;

Caring for What does Pope Francis’ new encyclical mean for us? BY KYLE KRAMER

28 ❘

October 2015

Creation

N A WELL-KNOWN PARABLE of Jesus, a sower casts seeds broadly across the land. Some fall on rocky ground, others fall among thorns, and still others fall on rich, fertile soil, where they grow and produce abundantly. In releasing his latest encyclical to the world earlier this summer, Pope Francis has become a modern-day sower. With “Laudato Si’” (“On Care for Our Common Home”), addressed to “every person living on this planet,” he has cast the seeds of his reflection on our relationship to each other and the Earth. Rarely has an encyclical been this widely anticipated, or this widely discussed, in the worldwide Catholic community and far beyond it. Many may not plow through the entire 40,000-word document, but already its main

ideas are beginning to take root in public conversation. The Church—and the world—waits to see what fruit these seeds will bear.

What Is Happening to Our Common Home Like the pastoral theologian he is, Pope Francis opens his encyclical with a chapter describing a concrete, pressing problem that concerns him deeply: “Our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, . . . is falling into serious disrepair.” It “is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth,” he writes. Like the scientist that he also is (he has a technical degree in chemistry), Pope Francis gets deep in the weeds of what ails our planet. Especially during the last 200 years of the St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Click the button above to hear an interview with biologist and environmentalist Sister Paula González.

(Left) “What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?” asks Pope Francis. (Below) Many parts of the world lack basic necessities, such as sanitation. That reality, as well as the quickly rising rates of solid waste generation, holds serious implications for both the earth and its inhabitants. © SOLSTOCK/ ISTOCKPHOTO

Fr anciscanMedia.org

Industrial Revolution, he points out, our “throwaway culture” has polluted our planet’s air, water, and soil on an unimaginable scale. The pope agrees with the scientific consensus—as certain now as the link between cigarettes and cancer—that human-caused activity is dangerously altering our climate. In fact, he calls climate change “one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day.” Although “safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right,” we have degraded the world’s supply of clean, drinkable water— which is out of reach for almost a billion people. We are also killing off species of plants and animals at an unprecedented rate, on land and in our oceans. The pope sees a parallel problem alongside the plundering of our planet: the toll it takes October 2015 ❘

CNS PHOTO/JANINE COSTA, REUTERS

on human life. Across the globe, there is a “decline in the quality of human life” and a “breakdown of society,” says the pope. He laments sprawling cities and slums, industrial ugliness replacing natural beauty, and people who are isolated from each other while being distracted by superficial media and electronic screens. Hurting most of all are the world’s poor, who suffer acutely from environmental harm, far (and ever farther) from the eyes and conscience of the wealthy.

CNS PHOTO/THOMAS MUKOYA, REUTERS

Invaluable areas of the rain forest in the southern Amazon region of Madre de Dios, Peru, are being destroyed by gold mining. Pope Francis has said the mining industry worldwide needs to call for a radical paradigm shift.

centuries ago, the wonderful diversity of creation points to and praises the Maker of all. Within creation, “human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbor, and with the earth itself,” Pope Francis writes. Our God-given role is not to dominate the Earth, but to “till and keep” it: to make wise use of its resources, while preserving its health for all creatures and for future generations, since all of us share (and none of us owns) this planet. In our sinful attempt to refuse the limits and responsibilities God gave us, we have ruptured our original harmony with creation. Jesus, however, showed us what restored relationship can look like. And as the risen Christ, he holds all creatures and directs them toward their final fulfillment.

Human Responsibility

A young Somali girl waits to collect water at a refugee camp in Dadaab, Kenya. Due to drought and conflict, more than three million Somalis are at risk of starvation. Of the 783 million people worldwide who do not have access to clean and safe water, 37 percent live in sub-Saharan Africa.

30 ❘

October 2015

The Wonder of Creation It doesn’t have to be this way, though, and religion can help address the challenges the pope has described. Our faith, he writes, leads us to believe that God intends something very different than the destructiveness human beings have unleashed on the planet. According to the witness of Scripture, the Earth is more than just a planet whose conditions happen to make life possible. It is part of God’s creation, a gift made and sustained in love. In creation, everything is connected and interdependent. Everything and everyone has unique dignity, meaning, purpose, and value. As St. Francis of Assisi realized so many

In the third chapter of “Laudato Si’,” Pope Francis delves deeper into the human causes of our current environmental crisis. He praises science and technology as “wonderful products of a God-given creativity,” but he also cautions that they give humanity awesome power, and “nothing ensures that it will be used wisely.” In general, we haven’t used our technological power wisely. Instead, many have ignored ethical considerations and have used science (and the market economy) to pretend that we, not God, are masters over nature—for example, through unscrupulous use of genetic engineering. Ironically, at the same time that we have made ourselves lords of the universe, many have also come to think that human life is meaningless and expendable. This leads to a culture of relativism that places a premium on personal convenience and leisure, but ignores the important human vocation of doing worthwhile work. As important, this St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

PHOTO FROM INGIMAGE

attitude tends to devalue and exploit the poor, the elderly and infirm, and the unborn. Our pride and folly have led to widespread suffering of creation and our fellow human beings and other creatures. This disconnect leads once more to the fundamental point of “Laudato Si’”: “we cannot presume to heal our relationship with nature and the environment without healing all fundamental human relationships.” It’s time, writes Pope Francis, to turn that around. We must put ethical boundaries around our technology, and direct it toward solving social and environmental problems rather than creating them.

of the same coin. When there is harm to human beings, there will inevitably be harm to the environment, as in the human and environmental atrocities of war. And when the environment is damaged, human beings also suffer: when a landscape is deforested for timber, for example, this will also destroy the homes and livelihoods of the native peoples who dwelled there. On the positive side, integral ecology means that as we create healthy human societies—

In his encyclical, Pope Francis says that Christians have misinterpreted Scripture and, as a result, wrongly believe they have absolute dominion over creation.

that promote beauty, cultural diversity, and dignity and justice for all, even across generations—we will at the same time learn to help the Earth heal and flourish. The fragile Earth cries out for help, and so do the fragile poor. Hurting one will hurt the other, and helping one will help the other.

A woman gathers produce at the Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre in Zambia. The Jesuit-run center helps local farmers develop strategies to conserve environmental resources, and provides lifelong education in sustainable farming.

Many have called “Laudato Si’” an encyclical on the environment. It is much more than that, because one of the most powerful themes running throughout the document is the idea of “integral ecology.” This term captures Pope Francis’ central message, namely, that the fate of nature and the fate of humanity are tied together. He points out that when we speak of the environment, what we really mean is a relationship existing between nature and the society which lives in it. Nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a mere setting in which we live. We are part of nature, included in it, and thus in constant interaction with it. Because of this interconnection, we “are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental.” In other words, harm to human beings and harm to the environment are just two sides Fr anciscanMedia.org

CNS PHOTO COURTESY CANADIAN JESUITS INTERNATIONAL

People and Planet: A Common Fate

What Should We Do? As the Church’s head pastor, and as a man who cares deeply about the plight of the poor and the plight of our world, Pope Francis devotes the final two chapters of “Laudato Si’”

October 2015 ❘

tal Digi as Extr

to reflecting on practical ways we can begin to heal our ailing world. On the global scale, he calls for “enforceable international agreements” to such things as “planning a sustainable and diversified agriculture, developing renewable and less polluting forms of energy, encouraging a more efficient use of energy, promoting a better management of marine and forest resources, and ensuring universal access to drinking Click here for more on water.” Pope Francis’ encyclical. Industrialized nations, which have caused so much damage to the planet and to the poor, have a special responsibility to help solve environmental problems they have created and to help poorer countries establish more sustainable paths for development. Nations need healthy, transparent governments and well-regulated economic systems to eliminate social and environmental abuse and to promote the long-term common good. They must also adopt the “precautionary principle,” taking special effort to demonstrate that a particular project or plan does not pose harm to people or the planet. We can’t just CNS PHOTO/COURTESY DIOCESE OF DES MOINES

Church Teaching

PHOTO BY JIM HOLMES FOR AUSAID

on the Environment

(Above) A young boy collects water from a tap at a water project in the Udayapur District of Nepal. The tap was designed by Nepal Water for Health (NEWAH), an organization working toward clean drinking water, hygiene promotion, and sanitation. 32 ❘

October 2015

naïvely trust that a free market can automatically bring about good and avoid all damage. Pope Francis isn’t against economic and technological progress, but he believes that we need to think carefully about what true progress really is: the promotion of authentic human development and the flourishing of the Earth. Religion and science, along with politics and business and culture, can work together toward these goals, each making its unique and necessary contribution.

Since Pope Paul VI in 1972, the Church has spoken out directly about environmental issues. Pope John Paul II called environmental problems a moral issue in “The Ecological Crisis: A Common Responsibility” (1989), in his World Day for Peace Message in 1990, and in his encyclicals “Centisimus Annus” (1991) and “Evangelium Vitae” (1995). Pope Benedict XVI brought up environmental issues in several statements, such as his World Day for Peace Message in 2010 and his encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” (2009). Bishops across the globe have spoken out strongly about the environment, including the US Bishops’ documents “Renewing the Earth” (1991) and “Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good” (2001).

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

“Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork,” he writes, “is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.” Ecological spirituality is a way of love, a way of moderation, gratitude, wonder, praise, care, and communion with creation. It leads to joy, peace, and hope in the triune God, who makes all things new, and whom we can encounter in the Eucharist and in the whole sacramental universe. The invitation to such an encounter is what ultimately makes “Laudato Si’“ such a hopeful document. Even after wrestling with the many large-scale and vexing challenges we face, Pope Francis can still end his reflections on a note of joy: “In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. He does not abandon us, he does not leave us alone, for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward. Praise be to him!” A

(Left) Iowa Catholic and religious leaders, as well as clean energy advocates, gather at a July 2, 2015, news conference to urge people to heed the call of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’” and take action on environmental issues.

Kyle Kramer is the executive director of the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center in Louisville, Kentucky. He has a master of divinity degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta.

Conversion, Joy, and Hope Pope Francis is a big-picture thinker, but he also understands that largescale systemic change depends on each one of us. We can all do “little daily actions” that turn away from an empty, individualist, consumer-driven mindset. We can support a healthier society and a healthier Earth. We can avoid the use of plastic and paper, reduce water consumption, separate refuse, cook only what can reasonably be consumed, show care for other living beings, use public transport or carpooling, plant trees, turn off unnecessary lights, or any number of other practices. All of these reflect a generous and worthy creativity that brings out the best in human beings. These changes will come about as we become more ecologically educated in such virtues—in schools and media and churches, but most importantly in our families. Pope Francis calls Christians to a spirituality of “ecological conversion,” whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them. Fr anciscanMedia.org

Secular Institute of the Missionaries of the Kingship of Christ…living consecrated life in the Secular World!

Franciscan Spirituality… serving God and others. Contact Us: Vocations Director, www.simkc.org

Have You Seen Your Digital Edition?

FREE to

St. Anthony Messenger subscribers!

• Free to our print subscribers • Does not change your print subscription • Many digital extras • Register at StAnthony Messenger.org

October 2015 ❘

THE SPIRIT OF FRANCIS

❘ BY GINA LOEHR

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Loving People in Need

“

3 4 ❘ O c tober 2015

Pope Francis greets one of eight people living in poverty at his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican December 17, 2014.

tal Digi as t Ex r

Click here for more on Pope Francis’ love for those in need.

Gina Loehr has written, with Al Giambrone, Saint Francis, Pope Francis: A Common Vision (Servant Books).

Loving Everyone Francis of Assisi did not always love poor people. One day, while Francis was working in his father’s cloth shop, a poor man came in and asked for alms. Francis brusquely sent him away but immediately regretted his refusal. Francis then found the man, apologized, and gave him money. Francis decided then never to refuse anyone who begged in God’s name. —P.M.

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

ILLUSTRATION BY JULIE LONNEMAN

veryone else spits on the homeless, but not here.” So says Joey, a man who accepted Pope Francis’ invitation to spend his nights in Vatican City. Along with dozens of other homeless people, Joey has been slumbering in a Vaticanissued sleeping bag near St. Peter’s Basilica. According to Catholic news sources, Archbishop Konrad Krajewski distributed these sleeping bags at the request of the Holy Father. In August 2013, Pope Francis handpicked Krajewski (who was already known to sneak leftovers from the Swiss Guard’s pantry to feed the homeless) to be his “papal almoner.” Since then, the men have worked together on several initiatives to help these “pilgrims without a home.” The installation of showers for the homeless in the restrooms on St. Peter’s left colonnade is one example. They have also organized a crew of volunteer barbers to give free haircuts one day a week to men and women who cannot afford one. The city’s soup kitchens offer food, but opportunities for personal hygiene are harder to find. “It is easier to make sandwiches than run a shower service,” the archbishop reported in an interview. But,

apparently, this isn’t his biggest challenge; Pope Francis’ desire to join him on his nighttime errands of charity is a stickier issue. That would be a “problem for security,” noted Archbishop Krajewski. Like St. Francis before him, it seems that Pope Francis is compelled to help those in need, even if it means losing some money in the process. “The pope told me there shouldn’t be any money in the almoner’s bank account,” reported Archbishop Krajewski. “He said I shouldn’t hold on to it or invest it; I should spend it. He asks me often if I need more money, and he tells me I have the best job of all.” A

Such an amazing level of realism in this So Truly Real® baby doll!

eanut Soft RealTouch® vinyl Weighted to feel incredibly real in your arms!

Adding to her realism, Little Peanut is approx. 17" long, weighted and fully poseable. This doll is not a toy, but a ﬁne collectible.

Little Peanut is so full of lifelike detail... including those chubby little arms and legs!

The moment you hold her, you’ll fall in love! So tiny and beautiful, she’s your perfect, little miracle. You can’t help touching those wrinkled ﬁngers...nuzzling that little peanut nose...and squeezing those adorably pudgy arms and legs! No wonder you gave her 9200 North Maryland Ave. Niles, Illinois 60714-1397 that adorable nickname! PLEASE RESPOND PROMPTLY Introducing Little Peanut, our newest So Truly Real® baby by doll artist Tasha Edenholm. From her supple RealTouch® skin and shy ❒YES! Please reserve my Little Peanut So Truly Real® baby doll as blue eyes to her delicate eyelashes and darling pink ensemble, she’s described in this announcement. irresistible. And when you feel her little weighted body in your arms, it’s ( ) Name (please print clearly) Telephone easy to fall in love over and over again!

So much like a real baby—available for a limited time! Tasha Edenholm’s artist-original dolls sell for thousands, but Little Peanut can be yours for only $129.99*, payable in ﬁve installments of $25.99, backed by our 365-day, unconditional guarantee. But she’s only available for a limited time, so order now!

03-02004-001-BIR2

Address

City

E-mail Address

Apt. No.

State

Zip

03-02004-001-D63501

*Plus a total of $14.99 shipping and service charges. Please allow 2 to 4 weeks for shipment after initial payment is received. All orders are subject to acceptance.

Enter

Assisi

Within this city’s walls lies, for each of us, a story waiting to be discovered. B Y M U R R AY B O D O , O F M

A PHOTOS: GATE BY SUPERCHILUM/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS; SCULPTURE © RYSZARD PARYS/DREAMSTIME

S WITH A FRIEND grown so close we can no longer see each other objectively, so has Assisi grown familiar to me. I return again and again, and she is still there, still dear, but without her first beautiful revelation of something more I wanted to be near, something more I wanted to discover. One can only have that first extraordinary experience once, and all the rest is going back trying to remember that first glow, trying to hold on to it, trying to enter it again. My first experience of Assisi was like that of one of the children in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I had gone into the wardrobe and out the other side into a lovely, magical world that took me out of myself into the world of St. Francis. I see this searching, this hope for transformation, transcendence, in the eyes of many pilgrims who walk through Assisi’s gates to this day. People come to the edge of Assisi because they are looking for something; they enter in hoping to find what they seek. Some, like me, come back again and again; some can only come once in a lifetime. And I believe that for many the rocks and stones do speak, and most leave with something they didn’t have before. Assisi leaves its mark on those who enter it. Fr anciscanMedia.org

(Above) The city of Assisi continues to attract pilgrims and tourists who go there to experience the spirit of St. Francis. (Left) Walking through the old gates of the city of Assisi can be one of the greatest entries of a lifetime. People flock to and from the city gates in search of that lifealtering, life-changing experience.

Not even a casual tourist leaves without an indelible impression of the Middle Ages come alive in the 21st century. But to the true seeker, the one who comes as a pilgrim does, for a purpose, for healing, for answers, for grace, Assisi becomes the intermediary. The story of Francis and Clare is in every stone, every shop window. What you bring of your own story continues the tale. For me, even now over 40 years after we met, 40 years of yearly pilgrimages to Assisi, it still retains something more that I cannot seem to hold on to, some mystery that is like the mystery even the closest friend still preserves as her or his own. Our tale together is not finished yet. And so I continue to try to say what I can’t really say, reveal what I really can’t reveal. The mystery remains: a part of the uniqueness of the other and of my own response to the other. The other is a town and more than a town, an experience that continues to draw me, though I struggle to find words to say what that is. What I do know, and what I have experienced with certainty, is that the decision to go to Assisi, to walk through the gates that lead you in, can be one of the greatest entries of a lifetime. It can be life altering, life changing. Myriad events will follow along the footsteps and paths, niches and alleys that October 2015 ❘

Assisi rests upon the slopes of Mount Subasio, in the province of Perugia, Umbria, central Italy. St. Francis spent almost half of his life in hermitages, including one on Mount Subasio.

Click the button on the left to hear Murray Bodo, OFM, read a selection from his book.

you cross, but the first step, the entering through the gates, is the most important.

Embracing Our Journey We walk most of our lives, and we’re almost daily crossing thresholds of one kind or another that we take for granted or simply don’t notice, except perhaps as a marker on the way to wherever we’re going to or coming

from. And that is the natural, ordinary way it is with us. But sometimes, as on a pilgrimage, we are more aware, more attentive to the environment and geography of the journey. Even on journeys at sea we can, if we are attentive, sense when we are crossing something: a midpoint of longitude, a place where something significant or momentous has happened, like the sinking of the Titanic. The

When I am walking I fall deep into dreams, I float through fantasies and find myself inside unbelievable stories. I literally walk through whole novels and films and football matches. —Werner Herzog 38 ❘

October 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Click here for more on Assisi and St. Francis.

tal Digi as t Ex r

So that his work might continue...

whole ocean surface itself is a threshold between its depths and the element of air. We sail on a border between air and water, the ocean itself being a wet border between air and the earth below the sea over whose pitch-black surface strange eyeless creatures glide. We live with all kinds of borders, between inner and outer; the material and the spiritual; the past, present, and future. Borders happen in us and to us, and the art of living is the art of attentiveness to what is, what happens without us, what happens in and to us. We couldn’t bear, of course, to be simultaneously aware of everything. One thing alone is sufficient, for everything is contained in every single thing. God showed the medieval mystic Julian of Norwich, for example, a little thing, the size of a hazelnut on the palm of her hand, and said that everything is contained in it. And she understood that this little thing contained three truths: that God made it, that God loves it, and that God sustains its existence. And so we begin by learning to look at one thing only until, as the Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins says, it looks back at us. In that simple interchange we learn to see other things. Fr anciscanMedia.org

We develop the habit of looking closely, deeply at and into things. Such looking presumes a calm and peace, which may precede the looking but most often is found in the very act of looking. Close looking at the things of God’s creation brings peace unless what we are looking at is chaotic, violent, broken, damaged. Then peace comes only when we’ve done something, however small, to heal, to reorder, to “make beautiful,” as St. Bonaventure says, “that which has been deformed.” In the case of a human being, even a smile of acceptance and love can begin to heal and beautify what seemed irreparably harmed or distorted. Beauty, after all, does remain in the soul of the damaged person; it can still shine forth in the body. There are all kinds of beauty, and love reveals them when it gazes reverently on any created thing.

What It Means to Be a Pilgrim St. Francis was a man who seemed to erase borders, who walked back and forth between Assisi and the world outside its walls, thereby healing and reconciling different worlds and values, the outer and the inner. Unlike the

Please remember

FRANCISCAN MEDIA in your estate plans Our legal title is: Franciscan Media LLC 28 W. Liberty Street Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498 For more information, call: 1-800-488-0488

ANSWERS TO PETE AND REPEAT 1. Sis’ headband now has a pattern. 2. The leaves are piled up behind Pete’s legs. 3. One last leaf is left on the tree. 4. Scruffy is peering out from behind the tree. 5. The handle of the rake is shorter. 6. A tree branch is in a new position. 7. Pete’s shirt has buttons. 8. The rake is missing one of its tines.

October 2015 ❘

PHOTO BY BERTHOLD WERNER

enclosed spaces of cloistered monks, the cloister of the brothers was the world itself. And St. Francis did spend almost half of his life on and in the mountain, and the other half he spent on the road entering and leaving cities. He founded some 22 hermitages on mountains. As Jesus walked up the mountain to pray, then descended and moved among the people, so did Francis and the early brothers, discovering, contemplating, and sanctifying new places, as they continued to walk beyond their own history, as do we if we learn to walk into and out of our own Assisi as pilgrims. To be a pilgrim means to let go of the need to be attached to one place only. Space, in turn, then becomes the place that home usually is. It requires traveling lightly, open to and expecting surprises and blessings from those we meet along the way—a foretaste of journey’s end. I’ve come to this description from over 40 years of walking the pilgrim’s way to Assisi and in and out of its streets, and up the hill beyond to Mount Subasio. Not always actually walking, but also getting to Assisi by air and land and sea, by railroads and paved roads and dirt paths—but always trying to walk part of the way and to maintain the rhythm of contemplative walking all along the way.

(Above) Porta Nuova, the New Gate, is the main entrance to Assisi’s city center, as well as the beginning of the steep pathway leading down to San Damiano, located just outside the walls of the city (below).

Walking through Life

40 ❘

October 2015

PHOTO BY GREG FRIEDMAN, OFM

I’ve walked through the gates of Assisi again and again, for it is only by walking through the gate that we really experience the gate: its threshold, midpoint, and exit. It is only by walking that we can remain inside as long as it takes to know viscerally, as well as intellectually, what the experience of passage through is. At each stage of our lives walking has its own difficulty and is a different kind of passage. When we’re young, we are only learning to walk. By the time we reach middle age, even though we’ve become experts at walking, it can be hard to slow our steps long enough to be aware and be present to what we’re doing. In old age, we cannot walk as we did when we were younger, and we know in our whole St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

being what it means to surrender, to accept limitations and physical difficulties. We continue to walk and pass through the gates of growing older on the pilgrim way. The gate where I’ve most experienced the stages of my life in Assisi is Porta Nuova, the New Gate, because it is the main entrance to the city center and because it is the way down to and up the steep ascent from San Damiano, outside the walls, to the Piazza Comune, in the middle of the city; and it is that walk to and from San Damiano that most seems to bless my way. When I was younger, I could actually sprint up the hill from San Damiano to the Porta Nuova, and the passage through the gate seemed winged. Now I stroll up the hill, pause for a rest before entering the gate, and wait for a break in the traffic so that I can pause again inside the gate before strolling to the Piazza of St. Clare, hands folded behind my back like an Italian grandfather on his evening walk that the Italians call a passeggiata around the fountain in the Piazza of St. Clare. So now Porta Nuova feels anything but new. It is the old gate of my first experience of Assisi, when I passed through it in the small bus that took me from the train station on the plain below to the Piazza of St. Clare where I then hoisted on my backpack and walked briskly up the steep steps to St. Anthony’s Guest House. That was my first pilgrimage, and I was alone and 35 years old on a dark night in March 1972. And what was then new for me is now older, but the passages are the same. And when I make the most important passages, I try to walk, for with Werner Herzog, “when I am walking I fall deep into dreams, I float through fantasies and find myself inside unbelievable stories.” A This is an excerpt from the book Enter Assisi: An Invitation to Franciscan Spirituality (Franciscan Media). Murray Bodo, OFM, is an award-winning author of many books. He writes and lectures on Franciscan spirituality. Fr anciscanMedia.org

Dream vacations, guaranteed lowest prices!

Cuba ~ It’s People & Culture 8 days from $2,999* The Cuba of your dreams awaits. Join one of our monthly “People to People” cultural tours of Cuba and see this incredible country before it changes. If you ever imagined walking the streets of Havana, or dancing at the Tropicana, then you owe it to yourself to visit soon. Departs monthly ONLY 1 DEPARTURE

Grand European Cruise & Tour 18 days from $1,899* How would you like to visit 8 countries in Europe and only pack once? See Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, England, Netherlands, Germany & Sweden in one trip at a relaxed pace and without the hassle of packing and unpacking, again and again. Departs April 21, 2016 *Prices are per person, double occupancy. Plus $299 tax, service & government fees. Prices for trips that involve a cruise are based on the an inside cabin category. Cabin upgrades are available, as is add-on airfare. Seasonal surcharges and single supplements may apply. Ask your Travel Consultant for details.

1-888-636-5412

ymtvacations.com Mention promo code EC09111 October 2015 ❘

The

St. Francis

Breadline On the streets of New York City, the friars offer a helping hand to hungry neighbors. PHOTOS BY GREGORY A. SHEMITZ

T 7:00 A.M. THEY STAND outside of St. Francis of Assisi Church in midtown Manhattan, handing out sandwiches and coffee to the poor, many of whom have spent the night on the streets. Every Friday, volunteers, in the spirit of St. Francis, deliver food packages to nearby shut-in families, serving as a “food pantry on wheels.” These are the volunteers of St. Francis Breadline and Franciscans Deliver, ministries of the friars of St. Francis Church on 31st Street, sponsored by the friars of the OFM Holy Name Province. Their motivation is the simple calling of Jesus, “I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink” (Mt 25:35).

42 ❘

October 2015

Under the guidance of Father Paul Lostritto, OFM, they follow in the footsteps of Assisi’s il Poverello, who, Father Paul says, lived “simply and helping those less fortunate, forgotten, unaccepted, and forgotten by our society.” The ministry was started in 1930. In the years since, hundreds of thousands have been served, 500 men, women, and children per day at this time, people of all faiths and backgrounds. It is a witness of generosity to New York and beyond, all in the joyful spirit of St. Francis. A Gregory A. Shemitz is an award-winning photojournalist based in Stony Brook, New York. Text and captions for this story were written by Editor in Chief John Feister and Associate Editor Christopher Heffron.

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

(Above) Franciscan Father Paul Lostritto, executive director of Franciscan Bread for the Poor, joins volunteers in distributing food to guests. For over 80 years, the mission of the friars has been a source of nourishment. (Left) Men and women line up along 31st Street in the morning, anticipating food and coffee from the Franciscans and their partners. The friars reach out to allâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;regardless of religious affiliation.

Fr anciscanMedia.org

October 2015 â?&#x2DC;

Click the button above to hear about one writerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission to practice the works of mercy.

(Below) Volunteer Javon Phantonhine places food and snacks into bags that will be given to people on the breadline. The friars of Holy Name Province rely on the generosity of their many volunteers.

(Below) Volunteer and Secular Franciscan Emily Marcelli hands out small bags of groceries near the entrance to St. Francis of Assisi Church. In the spirit of Francis, volunteers do their work with joy and love. (Below right) In a spirit of fellowship and fun, Franciscan Brother George Camacho chats with a volunteer before the distribution process begins for the day.

44 â?&#x2DC;

October 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Click here for more on the St. Francis Breadline.

tal Digi as Extr

(Left) A guest sits next to a statue depicting Jesus as a homeless person, his wounds inviting encounter. The sculpture, Whatsoever You Do, is by Timothy Schmalz. (Below left) Volunteers for Franciscans Deliver assemble bags of groceries based on the particular needs of each recipient. (Below right) Linda Spartonos, volunteer assistant director of Franciscan Bread for the Poor, organizes shopping carts used to transport food to the homes of people most in need.

Fr anciscanMedia.org

October 2015 â?&#x2DC;

Volunteers push shopping carts loaded with groceries en route to apartments whose residents are visually impaired.

A neighborly visit can be as much about visiting as it is about the donated food. Here, volunteer Kathy Ramirez (right) mirrors that love while chatting with a resident who receives groceries.

“Poverty calls us to sow hope. Poverty is the flesh of the poor Jesus,” Pope Francis once said. A volunteer brings that hope—and food—to a grateful recipient. 46 ❘

October 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

EDITORIAL

Stars, Bars, and Scars Old times there are not forgotten. If an Indiana factory were churning out millions of toy cars emblazoned with a swastika for distribution across the United States, there would be an uproar. And states that had incorporated swastikas into their state flag—wait a minute! A few months back, amid our current hand-wringing about police shootings of African American crime suspects in St. Louis, Baltimore, and, later, Cincinnati, we had a national soul-searching about the Confederate battle flag. The cold-blooded murder of a group of Christians in Charleston, South Carolina, during their Bible-study faithsharing, by a man seen on YouTube wielding the Confederate battle flag, was a wake-up call. Why was that racist flag being displayed across our land, including some officially sanctioned locations? When the Confederate battle flag finally was lowered from the statehouse grounds in Columbia, South Carolina, in July, a lot of us felt the story was over. By then, of course, tal Walmart and other national chains had Digi as Extr scrambled to remove Warner Bros.’ rebelflag-clad Dukes of Hazzard toy cars from their cultureClick here for a historical forming kids’ toy shelves. timeline of the Confederate But many Southerners flag. and others know better. The Confederate battle flag, and other symbols of the Confederacy, have been potent symbols of racism, revived in recent history, that will not go away so easily.

Symbol of Racism Most of us are unaware how the rebel flag came back into vogue over the past half century. It was resurrected by the antiheroes of the civil-rights movement. Men whose names are fading from memory—Alabama Governor George Wallace, Georgia Governor Lester Maddox, South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond—stood bitterly opposed to equal rights for African Americans, and used Fr ancisca n Media .org

the rebel flag as a symbol of their opposition. But this is ancient history, right? Truth be told, there’s nothing ancient about it. The flag, of course, in South Carolina entered the national debate again last summer. But when it was removed from the statehouse grounds, the problem did not disappear. Travel through the southern United States with a black host, as this writer has, and you will see and hear how the potent message of Confederate symbols persists, sprinkled throughout the land. Courthouse squares and other public institutions glorify antiheroes of the Southern secession movement, fought in the name of white pride, no matter how you dress it up. Slavery was the foundation of the Southern economy. States’ rights were its protector. The flag and the statues are its memory. The most visible are remnants of the battle flag in the state flags of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Georgia removed the battle-flag imagery in 2001, but replaced it with the lesser-known Stars and Bars, official flag of the Confederacy. What an empty move. Glorified symbols of the Confederacy promote the suppression of blacks. Period.

It’s Time to Go Removing the flag in South Carolina, taking the offensive toys out of Walmart, Sears, and elsewhere: these are good steps in our national reawakening to the ongoing potency of racism. But let’s not stop there. We all know, after all, that symbols are far more than decoration. They tell us something about ourselves. They affirm what we believe. It’s well past time that we relegate the symbols of state-sanctioned racism to history museums and remove them from public, political potency. We wouldn’t put up with the Nazi flag. We shouldn’t put up with the Confederate one, either. —J.F. O c to b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 4 7

AT HOME ON EARTH

❘ BY KYLE KRAMER

A Basic Human Right “

senseless killing of an innocent albatross. The global weirdness of our weather—say both the climate scientists and our pope— also has humanity as the chief cause: we are burning too many forests and fossil fuels, which put too much heat-trapping carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. Of the vast amount of Stop the Flow water on our blue planet, less than one percent is fresh and A leaky toilet can waste accessible. The cheapest and 72,000 gallons of water per easiest way to get it is from year! Fix yours or, if it’s an the sky. So, to ensure regular older model, replace it with rainfall, we need less carbon a new, low-flow unit. in the atmosphere and more trees on the ground. Cattle are water guzzlers: If we agree with Pope Franevery pound of beef takes cis that “access to safe drinkabout 1,800 gallons of able water is a basic and water to produce. Eat meat universal human right,” then sparingly to save water. we need to be careful stewards of our water and share it Watch the movie Flow to fairly. We need affordable learn more about water ways to manage, capture, and issues. store rain when it comes. We need to avoid using too much water on our lawns and farms and in our homes and businesses. We must help the poor relocate from floodprone areas, and must provide clean drinking water to the 750 million souls across the globe who lack it. We as a Church can’t pretend to be spiritual, but ignore the needs of the Earth and Click the button below all its creatures. As Coleridge writes, “He to hear an interview prayeth well, who loveth well/ Both man with Kyle. and bird and beast.” Saving water is a great place to start. A

Kyle Kramer is the executive director of the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Water is an essential part of our lives, and a source of comfort when our bodies are in need of refreshing. 4 8 ❘ October 2015

tal Digi as t Ex r

Click here to learn about more ways to conserve water.

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

PHOTO FROM INGIMAGE

ater, water, everywhere/nor any drop to drink.” These lines from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” describe how the mariner and his fellow sailors ran out of drinking water, even as they drifted on a vast expanse of ocean. This year has been a similar contradiction. Texas, the Midwest, and other regions have experienced freak deluges that have swept away houses, cars, topsoil, and, tragically, people. Even in the middle of July, our garden soil was so swamped that the corn just fell over. At the same time, however, a blistering drought in California has brought water restrictions for residents and businesses, along with crippling shortages for farmers, who use the lion’s share of the nation’s fresh water. Rainfall patterns have always been a dicey business. Few locales get “Goldilocks” rainfall: the right amount, at the right times, at a moderate rate. Scientists inform us that a changing global climate exaggerates these natural variations in rainfall patterns, causing more severe droughts and floods. The drought in Coleridge’s poem came about as punishment for the mariner’s

don’t miss this treasured record of the pontiff’s visit!

This hardcover keepsake features rich, full-color photography and thoughtful coverage of Pope Francis’s first-ever trip to the United States in September 2015.

Pre-order your copy today! Call 888-322-6657 or visit Shop.FranciscanMedia.org

AVAILABLE IN NOVEMBER FOR CHRISTMAS GIFT-GIVING!

The Official Commemorative Edition is published by Franciscan Media in partnership with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Catholic News Service, and the Libreria Editrice Vaticana, the Vatican’s official publishing house. | ISBN 978-1-63253-054-7 | $19.99

VATICAN PUBLISHING HOUSE

ASK A FRANCISCAN

❘ BY FATHER PAT McCLOSKEY, OFM

Finding Satan’s Story in the Bible Where in the Bible can I find the story of Lucifer and the fallen angels? I’ve looked, but without success. Is there some other book that contains this story? Many of us learned that because Lucifer led an unsuccessful revolt in heaven, he and his followers were cast out. In Revelation 12:7-9, we read: “Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan,

who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.” In his Dictionary of the Bible, Father John L. McKenzie, SJ, explains that the Hebrew word satan (accuser) became an individual’s name only late in the Hebrew Scriptures. The term’s basic meaning (diabolos in Greek) is an accuser in a court of law (for example, Ps 109:6); it can also mean a military or political adversary (1 Sm 29:4, 2 Sm 19:23, 1 Kgs 5:18). Satan accuses Job of loving God only because Job has been richly blessed by God (1:6ff). Satan loses his wager with God about the depth of Job’s piety. In 1 Chr 21:1,

Mary as ‘Mirror of Justice’

THE VIRGIN OF THE LILIES BY WILLIAM-ADOLPHE BOUGUEREAU

I pray the rosary and the Litany of Loreto daily for world peace and the end of abortion. What does the litany’s invocation ‘mirror of justice’ mean? First, a bit of general background. This litany first appeared in a prayerbook published in 1551. Pope Sixtus V approved it in 1587 for use at the shrine of Loreto, Italy. Mary is the ‘mirror of justice’ in the sense that she reflects God’s justice or “doing the right thing.” Every title linked to Mary makes sense only in relation to how completely she cooperated with God’s grace and how perfectly she models being a disciple of Jesus. The Litany of Loreto has roots in the Greek Church’s Akathist hymn, first translated into Latin around AD 800. A longer version appears in a 14th-century missal printed in Avignon, France, for Armenian monks. They had a house in Ancona, not far from Loreto. The invocations “Mother of the Church” and “Queen of Families” were officially added to this litany in 1980 and 1995, respectively.

5 0 ❘ O ctober 2015

the generic term satan becomes an individual’s name. Jewish apocryphal writings present Satan as the leader of a revolt in heaven and his banishment to the underworld (Sheol). Although the serpent who tempted Eve (Gn 3:1-6) is not called satan, many Jews and Christians have read that text as equating the two. Lucifer is a nonbiblical name for Satan. The synoptic Gospels call Jesus’ tempter “the devil” or “Satan” (Mt 4:1, Mk 1:13, and Lk 4:2). Peter is called “Satan” when he refuses to judge by God’s standards (Mt 16:23). Eternal fire is prepared for the devil and the fallen angels (Mt 25:41). Ironically, the Latin term lucifer (light-bearer) was first applied to Jesus in the Vulgate Bible’s translation of the Hebrew term for “morning star.” Because Jesus says, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky” (Lk 10:18), some Fathers of the Church began applying the title from Isaiah 14:12 to Satan. That link has stuck. The New Testament has many references to the devil—but always in the context of a God who is more powerful, who created whatever exists—including angels and people who sometimes use their freedom destructively. “I will not serve,” Lucifer famously says in John Milton’s Paradise Lost.

‘Dresser of Sycamores’? In Amos 7:14, at the king’s sanctuary in Bethel, the prophet verbally defends himself against the priest Amaziah by denying that he ever said he belonged to a company of prophets. Amos adds, “I am a herdsman and a dresser of sycamores.” What does that expression mean? St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

The Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Bible explains that the biblical sycamore tree, related to the fig tree, has smaller and less useful fruit than a true fig. Sycamores grow especially in the lowlands of Palestine. This type of tree is not to be confused with American or European sycamores. The footnote for this verse in The New Jerusalem Bible explains, “Dressing sycamore-figs involved pinching thin stalks, which helped them to ripen.” John Collins in The Catholic Study Bible points out that the sycamore’s fruit, “resembling a fig, had to be tended in order to prevent insects from destroying it.” Amos was content with both tasks, but he was ready to leave them when called by God to be a prophet.

How Old Is the Catholic Church? A friend recently quoted several Bible passages, trying to convince me that the pope is the leader of the “Christian Church,” that there really is no entity called the “Catholic Church.” Your friend’s argument is with history. The followers of Jesus are called “the church” (Acts 8:1), followers of “the Way” (Acts 9:2), and then “Christians” (Acts 11:6). St. Ignatius of Antioch, who died in AD 107, used the word catholic (from the Greek word for “general” or “universal”) to describe Jesus’ followers. The Nicene Creed (AD 325) speaks of the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic” Church. The “catholic Church” became the “Catholic Church” after the East/West split in AD 1054. Feedback on “Dealing with Infertility” (May): A reader writes: “For over 10 years, my husband and I tried to have a baby. We went through all the testing, but they never really could find anything ‘wrong’ with either of us. One Saturday evening at church, I was feeling very blue since another month had passed with no baby. While I was kneeling, a voice Fr ancisca n Media .org

that almost knocked me over came into my head. It said, ‘You silly girl. I have this perfect baby waiting for you, but you refused to wake up and get over the fact that I don’t want you to carry it!’ “That left me shocked and dizzy. We went through the adoption process and had a son in our arms nine months later. He was conceived almost the exact time as my experience in church. “Our son, now almost 17, is perfect; he is the greatest kid in the world, and we are so blessed that God gave him to us. I don’t think there is any other child whom God could have had me conceive who would have been better for us. “To other couples experiencing infertility, I say, ‘Listen to what God is telling you. Does he want you to adopt? To be a foster parent? Does he want you to help children in your neighborhood?’ “God had a reason for everything for me, and I am sure he does for you also!” A

Click the button above to hear Father Pat’s insights on Catholic topics.

Father Pat welcomes your questions! Send them to: Ask a Franciscan, 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498, or Ask@FranciscanMedia.org. All questions sent by mail need to include a selfaddressed stamped envelope. This column’s answers can be searched back to April 1996 at StAnthonyMessenger.org.

How to Subscribe to

ST.ANTHONY M essenger

St. Anthony Messenger is only $39.00 for 12 monthly issues. This price includes our digital edition: StAnthonyMessenger.org/DigitalEdition __ YES! Please begin my subscription. Ship to: Name ________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________ City/State/Zip ___________________________________________ Payment Options (Choose one) ___ Please bill me $39.00 for 12 monthly issues. ___ Enclosed is my check or money order. ___ Charge my: __ Visa __ Mastercard Card #: __________________________ Expiration Date ______ Signature __________________________________________ Phone _____________________________ ________________ Mail to: St. Anthony Messenger, P.O. Box 189, Congers, NY 10920-0189 For fastest service, call toll-free: 866-543-6870, M-F, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern) To order a subscription online: StAnthonyMessenger.org/subscribe

O c to b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 5 1

BOOK CORNER

❘ BY CAROL ANN MORROW

The Power of Ideals The Real Story of Moral Choice By William Damon and Anne Colby Oxford University Press 240 pages • $29.95 Hardcover/E-book Reviewed by MARK WILKINS, who teaches religion at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. From title to conclusion, The Power of Ideals holds to the premise that it is in our ideals that we find the strength to do good and avoid evil on all levels of our lives. In an age in which psychology and biology have taken a bleak view of the human condition,

WHAT I’M READING ■ Selected

Poems 1988-2013, by Seamus Heaney

■ Bitter

Spring: A Life of Ignazio Silone, by Stanislao G. Pugliese

■ Benjamin

Britten: A Life for Music, by Neil Powell

■ Sophia:

The Hidden Christ of Thomas Merton, by Christopher Pramuk

■ Lila:

A Novel, by Marilynne Robinson

Murray Bodo is a Franciscan priest and poet. His latest books are Enter Assisi: An Invitation to Franciscan Spirituality and Autumn Train: Poems. He is presently working on a memoir, Gathering Shards: A Franciscan Life.

5 2 ❘ O ctober 2015

William Damon and Anne Colby seek to reclaim the necessity of ideals in living a life of goodness. The authors want to counter the “new science of morality.” This area of study places emphasis on emotionality and nonrationality in the making of moral decisions. Decisions then are seen as based in the wiring of our genome rather than our response to the people and the dilemmas in our concrete lives. Damon and Colby state that any attempts to explain moral choices in the real world must account for the impact of moral goals, habits, emotions, and other motivations. They turn to “exemplar research” which centers on six people known for moral leadership in the 20th century: Jane Addams, Nelson Mandela, Dag Hammarskjöld, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Yet the focus of the text is not as much on their histories as on how we can realize that the virtues of truthfulness, humility, and faith drove their choices. In reviewing their lives, their writings, and their biographies, Damon and Colby want us to see what made their achievements possible. By and large, there is no simple answer as to why these people were motivated to embrace their causes. In the end, the authors state that the heart of the matter is the universal search for moral truth based on habits and reflection. We seem to get into trouble, though, because we can’t agree on what we should promote or embrace. Public figures of all stripes will argue for how to make the home, the neighborhood, the city, the state, the nation, or the world a better, safer, and more decent place to live. Whether they admit to ideals or not, these prominent members of society use the measure of ideals to declare all these changes necessary and possible. While the first two chapters are more academic and dense, the writing flows better when the authors present the six exemplars. This book is not for the casual reader, but for those who want to make sense of the current dialogue on moral choice—and the role ideals play therein. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

BOOK BRIEFS

Vocations in Focus The Marriage God Wants for You Why the Sacrament Makes All the Difference

The Secret Strength of Angels Seven Virtues to Live By By Frederic Flach, MD Hatherleigh Press 257 pages • $15 Hardcover/Kindle Reviewed by MARY LYNNE RAPIEN, LPCC, clinical counselor, catechist, and writer for Homily Helps and Weekday Homily Helps (Franciscan Media). Frederic Flach’s book The Secret Strength of Angels was published posthumously in 2014. Flach was an active Catholic and an internationally acclaimed psychiatrist, with many of his insights stemming from his professional work. The material is meant to inform and challenge the average reader, but some quotations at the end of chapters seemed rather obscure. Readers can be grateful that the author treats the topic with respect, rather than trivializing angels as cute or cartoon-like. The theme of angels seems to be an artificial construct in Flach’s attempt to unify the chapters. While the title promises to reveal the “secret strengths of angels,” the virtues chosen do not seem to be so secret. They are spiritual gifts common to humans and angels alike, such as free will, knowledge, and communication. After the seven chapters on strengths, the author deals with seven vices and “angellike” anecdotes. These are superficially covered in one chapter. One particularly enjoyable and refreshing chapter deals with the blessings we enjoy as humans that angels, as pure spirits, are not able to. Another chapter on care for our “mortal selves,” while informative, has no relation to angels. Although I acknowledge that The Secret Strength of Angels has value, I question whether it delivers what the title promises. Fr ancisca n Media .org

By Cardinal Donald Wuerl The Word Among Us Press 144 pages • $12.95 Paperback/Kindle Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, offers an illuminating exploration of the sacrament and vocation of marriage. Reflections by Catholic married couples on the joys and challenges of marital life pair well with Cardinal Wuerl’s gift as a teacher and pastor.

Discerning Your Vocation A Catholic Guide for Young Adults By the Community of the Beatitudes Society of St. Paul 104 pages • $6.95 Paperback/E-book Written by brothers and sisters of the Community of the Beatitudes in Denver, Colorado, this book provides young Catholics with straightforward tips on how to approach the question: What does God want from me?

Gay and Catholic Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith By Eve Tushnet Ave Maria Press 224 pages • $15.95 Paperback/E-book Eve Tushnet—an openly lesbian and celibate Catholic—relates her conversion story with wit and wisdom, and encourages readers to take up the cross and the crown of their vocation with bravery and joy. Her humane approach to this sensitive subject informs and inspires in equal measure. —D.I. Books featured in Book Corner and Book Briefs can be ordered from

St. Mary’s Bookstore & Church Supply 1909 West End Avenue • Nashville, TN 37203 • 800-233-3604 www.stmarysbookstore.com • stmarysbookstore@gmail.com O c to b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 5 3

A CATHOLIC MOM SPEAKS

❘ BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER

Building Your Family’s Foundation tion of responsibilities can become an issue in the relationship. No matter what it is, each carries the opportunity for grace or conflict. Without a solid base, the relationship can shift to the latter.

A Little Help, Please

ooking back over the 16 years I’ve been writing this column, I’ve noticed one thing: I don’t give nearly enough attention to my marriage on these pages. Most of my columns have been devoted to things concerning my kids. And therein lies the problem. All too often, couples allow their relationships to slip into the background, amidst all of life’s other responsibilities. The problem with that, though, is that those relationships are the cornerstone of our fam-

5 4 ❘ O ctober 2015

ilies. Parents provide the base upon which their families can grow and flourish. There are numerous passages in the Bible, as well as our own experiences, that speak to the need for a strong foundation for many situations. So why aren’t we devoting more time to firming up that foundation? There are so many situations where married couples can potentially find themselves at odds. Those with children can find themselves facing the stresses of differing parenting styles. Or the equal distribu-

Yet, despite the very important role married couples play, more than often they seem to fall through the cracks when it comes to the Church. In fact, the number of married saints is miniscule. Rather, it is mostly clergy, religious, or martyrs who have achieved sainthood that the Church has recognized. And yet most of the people now in heaven were once married! Before Mark and I got married, we received a great deal of assistance and support in regards to building up our relationship. Once we got back from our honeymoon, though, we were on our own. Suddenly, the profound interest in Mark’s and my relationship was gone. Oh, there have been moments when I’ve managed to find some helpful information for sustaining our marriage, such as when I happened to stumble upon the US bishops’ For Your Marriage website a while ago. I only found it, though, because I happen to work in the world of the Catholic Church. I suspect my friends and family, who are not so affiliated, would have a more difficult time getting their hands on such information. I have also found that marriage support often assumes the presence of children. I know many married couples who, for various reasons, are not parents. Does that exclude them from the welcoming arms of the Church in terms of being a family? Lately, when marriage is talked St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

WHEN WAS YOUR LAST DATE NIGHT?

about, it is usually in the context of what it should not be, or what not to do. How about helping couples achieve what marriage should or could be?

A Strong Advocate But I have hope. During his papacy, Pope Francis certainly has not neglected the topic of marriage. In fact, there are many times when his comments are completely spot-on. For instance, married couples shook their heads in agreement when, during one of his talks to engaged couples, he said, “The perfect family doesn’t exist, nor is there a perfect husband or a perfect wife. . . . It’s just us sinners.” A healthy family life

grabbed Mark and we sat down with our calendars to schedule our dates, with the understanding that those dates were firm. No skipping because one of the kids wanted to go to a friend’s house, or because we needed to go grocery shopping. No, this was our time. We stuck with it, for the most part, but old habits die hard. But the whole thing was a wake-up call that we needed to respect and foster our relationship. This year, due to unforeseen circumstances, our time alone has been sporadic. But we still try. Maybe it’s time for us to sit down and plan some more date nights. Your suggestions are welcome.

requires frequent use of three phrases: “May I? Thank you, and I’m sorry,” and “never, never, never end the day without making peace.” Such statements give married couples hope that we’re definitely on the Church’s radar. This month, Pope Francis will be taking part in the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. Hopefully, the meeting will embrace and build up families by devoting time to the Sacrament of Marriage and all it entails. A How do you and your spouse maintain your relationship? Share your ideas and suggestions with us via e-mail, Facebook, or Twitter.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARY KURNICK MAASS

There are times (not many) when Mark and I find ourselves with some free time, but no real idea of what to do. Usually our fallbacks are dinner and a movie or shopping. Even then, our conversations tend to drift to the kids, their activities, to-do lists, etc. In short, those so-called dates do very little to foster our relationship. Last year, I decided we needed to put more effort into our marriage. But how? I was determined to find a way. After much searching on Pinterest, and asking friends for suggestions, I made a list of 12 date ideas—complete with everything needed, such as tickets, gift cards, etc. Then I

Click the button to the left to listen to Susan’s “Marriage Moments.”

Do you have comments or suggestions for topics you’d like to see addressed in this column? Send them to me at “A Catholic Mom Speaks,” 28 W. Liberty St., Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498, or e-mail them to CatholicMom@FranciscanMedia.org.

PETE AND REPEAT These scenes may seem alike to you, But there are changes in the two. So look and see if you can name ILLUSTRATION BY TOM GREENE

Eight ways in which they’re not the same. (Answers on page 39)

Fr ancisca n Media .org

o c to b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 5 5

BACKSTORY

Your Family Magazine

s this issue of St. Anthony Messenger shows up in mailboxes across the land, we are somewhere near the beginning, middle, or end of Pope Francis’ historic US visit. Delivery date for our magazine is

not as precise as papal visits; it varies by as much as a week from one place to another. Our intention is that it arrives in each North American subscriber’s home before the first of each month. (If it doesn’t, by the way, I want to know about it [jfeister@FranciscanMedia.org]).

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

At the end of his American pastoral journey, Pope Francis will step off the plane in Rome into a more difficult situation: preparations for a possibly contentious synod of bishops, October 4 (the feast of St. Francis) till October 25. Bishop-delegates from around the world will take up, for the second time in as many years, the theme of how the Church can best be present to families. This issue has a special section on themes of the synod, as did our award-winning issue last October. The people who make this magazine, from all sorts of families, with or without children, have taken pride for decades producing a national Catholic family magazine. It’s a welcome development to see our leadership today focusing on Catholic families. How can we, the Church, nurture and share our faith in families? How can we tackle, openly and charitably, some of the tougher issues,

CNS PHOTO/BOB ROLLER

A mother’s love for her child is a sign to the entire Church. Here Audrey Sobolesky comforts Trevor during Mass in Huntingtown, Maryland.

such as gay marriage, divorce and the sacraments, birth control? How do we think about family in its many expressions in our society? A number of bishops in this country responded to a papal request, conducting surveys in their dioceses about what family issues are most critical from the people’s perspective. We asked Assistant Editor Daniel Imwalle to do the same for our readers. His results are in this issue, along with an important article from Boston College religious educator and theologian Thomas Groome, who took this assignment when we met in Los Angeles in March. We commissioned an excellent synod overview by Vatican expert John Thavis. We hope all of this contributes to our Church’s discussion on the needs of families today. It’s what Catholic family magazines do.

Editor in Chief @jfeister

5 6 ❘ O ctober 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

REFLECTION

Fiery

PHOTO FROM INGIMAGE

colors begin their yearly conquest of the hills, propelled by the autumn winds.

Fall is the artist. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Takayuki Ikkaku

ST. ANTHONY M 28 W. Liberty Street Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498

essenger

Hearts of Fa He Faithh Rosaary Braacel elet Hearts of Faith Rosaary Bracelet Hearts of Faith Rosary Braceelet Available froom the Missionaryy Oblates

Thank yoou for your generouus support! $10 $ 20 $ 25 Check/Mon ney Order Credit Card # Exp. Date / Please send

$ 30

$ 45

Hearts of Faith Rosary Bracelet(s). B # 203083 ($10 suggested donaation each)

1-888-330-62 264

Name Address City

State

ZIP

E-mail

# M16ADAAA1

Missionary Oblates of Mary Im mmaculate National Shr ine of Our Lady of o the Snows 9480 N. De Mazenod Dr ive â&#x20AC;¢ Belleville, IL 62223-1160

Or Visit: oblatesusa.org/ads