Catholic institutions should reflect values and teachings of Church, says Cardinal O’Malley
Boston, Mass., Apr 21, 2006 (CNA) - Cardinal
Sean P. O'Malley sat for an interview yesterday with the Boston Globe.
A great number of issues were tackled by the recently named Cardinal,
such as the identity of Catholic institutions and the need for greater
consistency of Catholic institutions with Church teachings.
First mentioning
his recent nomination as Cardinal, he described the Consistory last
month as a “very significant moment for Catholics, and important moment
for the Catholic Church in Boston, the recognition of the importance of
this Catholic community.”
Referring to yesterday’s presentation of the financial situation of the diocese, he said
“We had a very
important event. We had promised transparency, and everyone was anxious
to find out exactly what the situation in the church is, and where the
pot of gold is buried.”
He then strongly
renewed his call for Catholic institutions “to reflect what the values
and the teachings of the church are.” “And certainly,” he said, “the
institution of marriage is very central in what the church's message
is. So, obviously the church imposes a definition of the institution of
marriage, and we see that the very best way for children to be raised
is in a loving relationship of a married man and woman.”
Cardinal
O’Malley stressed the need for consistency in the Church, saying, “Our
teachings, when they're seen in isolation, are I think difficult for
people, but they're part of a whole.”
“They're part of
a Catholic ethos,” he continued, “and our desire to be faithful to
Christ and to the commandments, to certain core values…I would hope
that those who disagree would try to understand more where the church's
teachings are coming from,” he added.
On the issue of
Catholics who have stopped practicing their faith, Cardinal O’Malley
stressed the need to evangelize “We hope that, as we approach our 200th
anniversary in 2008, when we would like to launch programs of
evangelizations, spirituality that would invite people to reconnect
with the church, those who have stepped away, particularly those who
have stepped away over these very painful issues of the past couple of
years.”
On whether the
Church should be open to certain reforms, such as the ordination of
women, he said “I don't want people to think that the church is being
unjust. I want them to see that we are being faithful even when it is
difficult, even when it is challenging.”
The Boston
Cardinal also renewed his concern for the identity of Catholic
education institutions, saying, “Certainly my meetings with the college
presidents have been very encouraging. I think Father Leahy is
sensitive to the needs for Boston College to deepen its Catholic
identity and part of that means to be concerned about teaching.”
“We have a very ongoing dialogue with all our Catholic colleges around issues of Catholic education,” he added.
The interview
concluded with questions about his appointment to the Boston
Archdiocese in the midst of massive sexual abuse scandals.
He said, “I
think in general for many Catholics, the crisis has caused us to focus
more on what is the very center of the church, why we are Catholics,
who our God is and the mission that's given to us. It's not about me.
It's about Christ, his church, his mission. I'm just a small part of
it. I do my best,” he concluded.
Catholic press systematically shut-out of state senate meeting with Bishop
Denver, Colo., Apr 21, 2006 (CNA) - On
Thursday, a Denver Catholic Register journalist, and the respective
editors of ‘New Advent’ and Catholic News Agency approached to the
office of Joan Fitz-Gerald, president of the Colorado Senate, expecting
to attend a scheduled luncheon with Detroit’s Bishop Thomas J.
Gumbleton, who was in town to discuss two state bills which would lift
the statutes of limitation on some cases of sexual abuse.
The pending
legislation, House Bill 1090 and Senate Bill 143, have come under heavy
fire from Catholics and others as they would allow sexual abuse victims
to wait up to 40 years before filing suits against Catholic and other
private institutions in the state.
The problem,
critics say, is that the bills would unequally punish the Catholic
Church while public school teachers and coaches accused of abuse
would--because of state sovereignty laws--be all but exempt.
On Thursday
however, Senator Fitz-Gerald told the Catholic journalists that the
bishop wanted to “settle down, be calm and get together with the
senators.”
Gumbledon, a
retired auxiliary bishop of Detroit, has been a strong advocate for the
Colorado legislation and others like it around the country. He admitted
earlier this year to having been sexually abused by a priest as a young
man, but has refused to name his abuser.
The small
Catholic group, gathered at the state capital, proceeded to ask
Fitz-Gerald to recall that under the Colorado Sunshine Law, any meeting
involving more than one senator is public, and therefore, open to
anyone willing to attend, including journalists.
She immediately
responded: “Is this an intimidation?” The journalists explained that
they only wanted to know if the scheduled luncheon was on, because if
it was going to happen, it was a public meeting, and therefore, they
had the right to attend.
“Well, you
obviously know the law… now please step out of my office,” said
Fitz-Gerald, requesting that the reporters wait outside, without giving
any further information about the event.
35 minutes after
the event was scheduled to begin, Bishop Gumbleton, surrounded by
Fitz-Gerald’s aides and by Barbara Blaine, National President of SNAP,
arrived on the scene, coordinated for a few minutes and then proceeded
into the senator’s office.
Two other
journalists who had been invited, one from the Associated Press and one
from the Denver Post, were informed that because of the presence of the
“Catholic troops” –referring to the three Catholic journalists
present--it was impossible to keep the original plan.
Senator
Fitz-Gerald announced to them--and not the Catholic journalists
present, who were never addressed by either the senator or any of her
assistants--that the meeting with Bishop Gumbleton would be
private--with just with one senator at a time--as a way to prevent the
Sunshine law from applying and keep the Catholic press out of the
meeting.
Ms. Blaine, who
remained inside Senator Fitz-Gerald’s office for the meetings, informed
the eight senators present, that the nature of meeting had changed, and
would be one on one. Two of them decided to leave.
Finally, in the span of an hour and a half, Bishop Gumbleton met with 6 state senators.
Blaine later
approached Catholic News Agency to say that the reason why the meeting
between the bishop and the senators was private was because Bishop
Gumbleton had made a commitment to Church authorities not to speak in
public about his opinions.
CNA explained
that it had tried to contact Bishop Gumbleton through the Diocese of
Detroit, but were advised that the bishop handles his own agenda and
commitments in a completely independent manner.
CNA also
informed Blaine that Senator Fitz-Gerald changed the original public
nature of the event, to which Associated Press and Denver Post were
invited, only after learning that members of the Catholic Press were
present.
Blaine only responded by saying, “I cannot speak for Fitz-Gerald.”
CNA approached
Fitz-Gerald to ask her about her comments regarding the presence of
Catholic Press and why she tough it was “intimidating.” “I haven’t said
anything and I have nothing to say about the Catholic press,” she
responded.
Fitz-Gerald was
quoted in the Denver Rocky Mountain News Thursday as saying that
“Gumbleton…maintains that openness is 'the only way the Catholic Church
can get beyond the scandal.”
On Thursday
afternoon however, it was Fitz-Gerald and Blaine who told CNA that
Gumbleton himself insisted on the day's closed-door secrecy. Kevin
Knight, a well respected Catholic Colorado Native who came to attend
the meeting said that "it was ironic to hear SNAP's lecture about
bishops who won't meet with people -- as we stood outside their own
bishop's locked door."
University of Wisconsin cuts funding for Catholic group
, Apr 21, 2006 (CNA) - The
UW Roman Catholic Foundation, serving University of Wisconsin-Madison
students, cannot receive student government funding for religious
activities, announced University Chancellor John Wiley.
In an April 4
letter to Associated Students of Madison officers, Wiley wrote that
student funding cannot go toward a church-related religious activity,
nor can any student organization based off campus receive money for
electricity, gas, water or rent, reported the Madison Capital Times.
This means the
off-campus group stands to lose $35,462 for electricity, gas and water.
Tim Kruse, the Catholic foundation's development director, said he
received the news on April 13th and interpreted it “as nothing short of
blatant systemic religious discrimination."
"They refuse to treat religious students on the same terms they treat other students," he was quoted as saying in the Times.
In the letter,
Wiley said the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment bars the
university from giving state money for religious activities. He voiced
concern about the Roman Catholic Foundation's use of student funding
for personnel like a librarian, accounting assistant and student event
coordinators; activities like "Friday After Class Theology" and
printing jobs like Lenten booklets.
Wiley also wrote
that all groups receiving student funding must be registered student
organizations. The Catholic foundation is not a registered student
organization, so starting next year, unless it becomes one, it will not
be eligible for student funding, reported the newspaper.
If the
chancellor's cut stands, it would overrule a decision by the UW Student
Judiciary, and possibly send the matter into litigation.
In February, the
student government approved a $147,000 budget for the Roman Catholic
Foundation after the Student Judiciary made it clear that it must fund
activities that include religious expression.
The student
government is expected to respond to Wiley with a letter later this
week. Wiley is expected to make his final decision about the budget
after reading the letter, said Rachelle Stone, chairwoman of the
Student Services Finance Committee. After that, the organizations can
appeal the decisions.
Other off-campus
groups affected by the cuts include Sex Out Loud, the environmental
group CFACT, the Jewish Cultural Collective and the Tenant Resource
Center.
Archbishop Lajolo: Church cannot stay out of public square when rights of mankind, religious freedoms are in question
Vatican City, Apr 21, 2006 (CNA) - Archbishop
Giovanni Lajolo, the Vatican’s secretary for Relations with States,
granted an interview with the Indonesian newspaper ‘Kompas’ this week,
in which he explained the Catholic Church’s unique role in public life
throughout the world, arguing its essential nature as a voice for
morality and the fundamental rights of mankind.
During the
interview, the archbishop discussed the special governmental status of
Vatican City State, the Holy See's diplomatic activity, the separation
between Church and State, and inter-religious dialogue.
He began the
interview by pointing out that the name "Vatican" is often used to
refer to two very different things. First, the Vatican City State,
which is a country in its own right, "though of minuscule political
substance, and having the sole purpose of guaranteeing the independence
of the Pope, as supreme authority of the Catholic Church, from any form
of civil jurisdiction."
Second, he said,
there is the Holy See, which is "the Pope and the Roman Curia, ... and
is sometimes commonly though incorrectly referred to as the Vatican
because it has its headquarters in Vatican City State.”
“But the Holy
See”, he recalled, “is not an organ of civil government and hence does
not have political functions. Therefore, the problem of confusion or
overlap between the two functions - the political function of the State
and the religious function of the Church - does not arise."
The archbishop
explained that, while the external relations of Vatican City State "are
of modest proportions and directed above all to Italy and to a few
international organizations for such matters as post and
telecommunications," the Holy See has "a vast network of embassies
(known technically as 'apostolic nunciatures') all over the world."
Archbishop
Lajolo contrasted these nunciatures with traditional embassies,
pointing out that they do not concern themselves with "political
questions, defense or trade, but with matters concerning the freedom of
the Church and human rights.”
“Mostly,” he
said, “the Holy See intervenes to guarantee the juridical status of the
Church and, in some countries, to defend Catholic faithful who may be
oppressed or subject to pressure and discrimination.”
“It does so”, he
went on, “by invoking the rights endorsed in the Universal Declaration
of the Rights of Man and the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, or even those ratified by the Constitutions of
particular States.”
Moving to the
subject of the separation of Church and State, the prelate said that
"The Church in no way seeks to impose any piece of civil legislation,
if political forces do not themselves take it up.”
“The fundamental
principle of distinction between political and religious spheres and
firm protection for religious freedom applies,” he stressed, “according
to which, just as the State does not interfere in the activities of the
Church, so it does not take orders from her.
In practice, the
archbishop continued, the Church and “the bishops in the countries
concerned - seeks to illuminate Catholics and public opinion ... using
public declarations to explain the Catholic position on the moral
questions that arise from political activity and legislation, and
adopting above all rational arguments accessible even to those without
faith."
"At a universal
level,” he explained, “the Holy See intervenes on the great moral
questions posed by politics through such documents as papal Encyclicals
and Apostolic Exhortations, and the instructions issued by the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.”
He said that
while “Various criteria are used to judge where it is appropriate to
intervene,” the Church “cannot in any case remain silent when the
dignity or the fundamental rights of mankind, or religious freedom, are
in question."
Archbishop
Lajolo closed his interview by turning to the question of dialogue with
different faiths, affirming that Benedict XVI will continue, just as
his predecessors did, "the commitment to inter-religious dialogue."
He stressed that
"a conflict of cultures, or worse still of religions, could divide
people even more than they are already divided," pointing out that
"inter-religious dialogue aims at a better understanding of the faith
of others and at making one's own faith better known, as well as at
reinforcing mutual bonds of personal respect.”
“It does not”,
he said however, “aim to make those who participate in it less faithful
to their own profound religious convictions, but to open minds and
hearts ever more to the will of God."
Project Joseph offers men chance to heal after abortion
Kansas City, Mo., Apr 21, 2006 (CNA) - A
relatively new ministry is offering men the opportunity to heal after
an abortion. Project Joseph is a Catholic Charities ministry offered to
men who have experienced abortions. The ministry is groundbreaking in
that it cuts through the stereotype that only women suffer the effects
of abortion.
This stereotype is false, Pat Klausner told Kansas City’s diocesan newspaper, The Leaven.
“Men are deeply affected,” attested Klausner, the coordinator of Project Joseph. “I’ve had grown men cry in my office.”
One of the
reasons some men feel guilty over an abortion is because they have
sometimes pressured their partner into intercourse and then to abort
when their partner got pregnant. They might also feel guilty because
they may not have wanted an abortion, but felt unprepared for
fatherhood. And while these men find themselves initially relieved when
their partner chooses abortion, they are later beset by feelings of
guilt.
However,
regardless of their initial reaction, Klausner told the Leaven, men
inevitably experience regret, remorse and guilt.
Project Joseph
was launched in 2002 by Klausner and Fr. Peter Jaramillo, then-pastor
of St. Paul Parish in Olathe, Kansas. Both had attended conferences
designed to promote healing for women who had experienced an abortion,
and both had observed that there were always some men in attendance,
seeking healing as well. They decided there was a need to address the
pain of post-abortive men as well.
Project Rachel,
geared toward the healing of post-abortive women, originated 25 years
ago in Milwaukee and has spread to more than 100 U.S. dioceses in the
United States.
But, to date,
Project Joseph is unique to Kansas City. It offers Catholics and
non-Catholics four to five weekly sessions that consist of group
discussions, exercises and Scripture readings — all designed to begin
the healing process.
Klausner
estimated that 20 men have gone through the sessions. Part of the
reason for the low turnout is that many men involved in abortion remain
in denial.
“Many men want
to bury the issue,” Klausner told the Leaven. “But it’s such a deep
wound that you can’t help but experience trauma. We fail to realize God
has wired us in a certain way. Men are programmed to procreate and
women to nurture. Abortion goes against the very fiber of our being.”
For more information, contact: [email protected]
Former White House aide to become president of Saint Vincent College
Washington D.C., Apr 21, 2006 (CNA) - The
assistant to the U.S. president and director of the country’s Office of
Faith-Based and Community Initiatives was named president of the
America's First Benedictine College earlier this week.
H. James Towey
has been named the 16th president of the Saint Vincent College,
effective July 1. The 160-year-old liberal arts and sciences college is
sponsored by the Benedictine monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey.
"The liberal
arts education that is offered here is desperately needed in a culture
often lacking direction and values and intellectual curiosity," Towey
said in a press release.
"The common
ground upon which we [staff and administration] stand is our shared
desire to make sure those enrolled here have the opportunity to grow
academically, spiritually, morally and socially so that their lives can
be a gift for others," he said.
Saint Vincent’s
College has 1,600, students from 25 U.S. states and 13 foreign
countries. More than 12,000 alumni reside in all 50 states and 29
foreign countries or territories.
Christopher
Donahue, chairman of the board of directors, said the college
considered applications from 70 candidates across the country.
Towey has been
assistant to the U.S. president since February 2002 and director of the
Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. He served as a member
of the President's Senior Staff and reported directly to the president
on matters pertaining to church-state and religious liberty issues,
federal grants to religious and community-based charities and corporate
and foundation grant-making to social service agencies.
In 1996, he
founded Aging with Dignity, a national non-profit organization to help
individuals and their families plan for and receive care during times
of serious illness.
As Secretary of
the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, Towey
served as a member of the Governor's Cabinet and administered the
largest state health and social services agency in the country.
Towey
represented the late Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity on
legal matters in the United States and Canada for 12 years, from 1985
until her death. He served nearly two years as a fulltime volunteer
with the Missionaries of Charity.
He has been
honored many times for his public service including six honorary
doctoral degrees and the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Papal Cross from His
Holiness John Paul II. He was also recognized by Church World magazine
for being one of Fifty Most Influential Christians in America.
Towey, 49, is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. He and his wife, Mary, have five children.
Kiev chosen to host International Congress for the Family
Kiev, Ukraine, Apr 21, 2006 (CNA) - Kiev
has been chosen to host the 22nd International Congress for the Family,
from May 9th to 11th, under the theme “The Family, a Community of Love.”
According to the
group, Aid to the Church in Need, family life in Ukraine still bears
the consequences of an atheist regime, which, rooted the Christian
values out of the family and endangers their existence. As a result,
the country proclaimed 2006 as a year of Right Protection of the Child
and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in cooperation with the
Christian Churches, declared 2006 the Year of Spiritual Protection of
the Child.
The historic
congress will include workshops on the following themes: The family,
the cornerstone of a civilized society; natural family planning; the
dignity of human life; children, the wealth of nations; parents, first
teachers of love.
Representatives
of the Moscow Patriarchate, the Kyivan Patriarchate, the Evangelical
Church and the Muslim and Jewish communities are expected to attend.
The congress is currently under the responsibility of Patriarch Lubomyr Husar.
Poll on abortion reveals Spanish public wants a change in anti-life policies
Madrid, Spain, Apr 21, 2006 (CNA) - The
Institute for Family Policy in Spain this week presented the results of
a poll that shows strong support for reversing the Spanish government’s
policies related to abortion and assistance to pregnant women.
The poll, which
was carried out in four Spanish regions, reveals that 97% of Spaniards
believe abortion has negative consequences for at least one of parties
involved in the act and that 78% believe the government’s campaign to
prevent unwanted pregnancies has been a failure. 42% believe
abortion has negative consequences for all the parties involved.
82% of those
polled said an increase in government assistance to pregnant women
would help diminish the number of abortions in the country.
Based on the
results of the poll, the Institute argued that Spaniards appear to be
largely unaware of the magnitude of abortion, although they do
recognize that it is one of the main causes of mortality in
Spain. This was evidenced by the small percentage of
respondents—16%--who were aware that the number of abortions in Spain
was more than 85,000.
Respondents also
said they believed economic reasons were the primary motive behind most
abortions, followed by loneliness and unwanted pregnancies.
90% of
respondents said preventive policies should include, above all, the
promotion of alternatives to abortion, as well as information about its
consequences for women. Most said women who obtain abortions do so
without sufficient knowledge of the physical and psychological
consequences.
The Institute
said preventive policies should be based on recognition of the
importance, personal and social value of childbirth, pregnancy and
maternity, and should include an increase in the public resources
dedicated to helping pregnant women and providing them with complete
and accurate information.
According to the
president of the Institute for Family Policy, Eduardo Hertfelder, in
2004, there were 84,985 abortions in Spain—which translates to one
abortion every 6.2 minutes and one out of every six pregnancies ending
in aborting.
The poll was
developed by a team of experts and sent to 600 respondents in the four
regions of Spain where most abortions take place: Madrid, Catalonia,
Andalusia and Valencia.
Fourteen Cuban families will travel to Spain for World Meeting of Families
Havana, Cuba, Apr 21, 2006 (CNA) - The
AVAN news agency is reporting that fourteen couples from Cuba have
applied for permission from the Castro regime to travel to Valencia,
Spain, for the V World Meeting of Families, which will be held July 1-9.
The Cuban
delegation will be joined by the president of the Cuban Bishops’
Committee on the Family, Bishop Arturo Gonzalez of Santa Clara, and by
Bishop Emilio Aranguren of Holguin.
According to
Liana Lorigados of AVAN, if the couples receive the proper visas, it
will be the largest Cuban delegation to ever attend a World Meetings of
Families. The bishops of Cuba, she said, “are already obtaining room
and board for the couples.”
She also said
that the Cuban dioceses are currently distributing catechetical
material to help prepare for the event and that a day of formation and
festivities has been planned for May 15 in Cuba.
Cardinal Cañizares offers analysis of Spanish government two years on
Toledo, Spain, Apr 21, 2006 (CNA) - The
archbishop of Toledo, Cardinal Antonio Cañizares, offered an analysis
this week of the first two years of the current administration in
Spain, noting his disagreement with its policies related to the family,
marriage and education, as well with a number of laws recently passed
which seek to establish a secularism in society that he says would
radically affect the human person.
The cardinal
said that his comments were not meant to offer any kind of political
assessment, but rather were in reference to human rights and ethical
principles related to the laws passed by social government. These laws,
he said, affect “the truth about marriage” in relation to divorce, the
right to life in relation to the law on assisted reproduction, and the
law on education in relation to the government’s educational reform.
Cardinal
Cañizares decried efforts to instill secularism in Spanish society that
would “radically” affect the human person. Consequently, he said
he “personally disagreed” with everything the current government has
done in these areas.
At the same
time, the Spanish cardinal encouraged greater cooperation between
Church and State, saying the State could maintain its non-sectarian
nature without falling into a secularism that “limits the faith to the
private sphere.” The Church, he said, is not trying to interfere
in State matters, but rather seeks to defend a series of principles
that are in keeping with the common good and that correspond to “human
reason and the truth about man.”
Asked about the
government’s educational reform, Cardinal Cañizares said a State-Church
committee established to ensure compliance with the accords between
Spain and the Holy See has been “absolutely ignored.”
Anniversary of Benedict XVI’s pontificate
Regarding the
first year of Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate, the Spanish cardinal
said it has been “a year of grace from the Lord,” during which the Pope
has shown himself to be a “faithful servant” in continuing the work of
his predecessor, John Paul II. He also noted the “simplicity and
wisdom” with which Benedict has won over the masses.
