May 12, 2006

May 12, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Youths in Action

Youths earn pastoral care awards; students bring song, smiles to seniors | Page 5

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI MAY 12, 2006

Ups and downs Pope completes first lap on roller coaster of China-Vatican relations

by JOHN THAVIS catholic news service

Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

vOLUME 15

no. 30

Witness and Mary Magdalene an important, enigmatic saint

by JERRY FILTEAU catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI has completed his first lap around the rollercoaster ride that is China-Vatican relations.

After the giddy heights of

WASHINGTON — St. Mary Magdalene was a leading disciple of Jesus and used her resources to support him and the apostles. She was a woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons. She was a

See CHINA, page 12

See SAINT, page 6

Queen of heaven and

CNS photo by Carlos Barria, Reuters

A migrant stands on a cargo train heading north to the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo May 5. Each day migrants from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Mexico use Mexican trains to travel to the U.S. border. The U.S. Border Patrol reported May 4 an increase in arrests of undocumented migrants crossing the border as U.S. lawmakers debate proposals to curb illegal immigration.

Toward the unknown future Demographic, poll data show complexities of immigration

Courtesy Photo

Eighth-grader B.J. Alyea assists second-grader Sarah Price as she places a crown of flowers on a statue of Mary outside St. Michael School in Gastonia May 8.

The school held a May procession, led by the second-graders dressed in their first Communion attire. Pre-kindergarten through eighth grade took part in the songs and prayers.

The month of May is devoted to Mary and is traditionally celebrated with a crowning and praying the rosary.

subject don’t line up easily into neat rows.

By the numbers Some of the demographic information may surprise people who think the illegal immigrant population consists largely of single young men.

About 36 percent, or 2.3 million of the 6.3 million “unauthorized families” that are headed by an illegal immigrant are single men with no children; another 12 percent, or 740,000, are single women with no children.

About 540,000 families, or about 9 percent, are couples

without kids.

According to a Pew Hispanic Center analysis of census data, the other 41 percent or so break down into an assortment of “mixed status” families where the parents aren’t here legally.

Pew estimates the total number of illegal immigrants in the country at between 11 million and 12 million. Those 6.3 million “unauthorized families” are made up of a total of 13.9 million people, who include illegal immigrant adults and citizen or legal resident children and spouses.

Those “mixed status” categories include 1.5 mil-

by PATRICIA ZAPOR catholic news service

WASHINGTON — Amid the enthusiastic rallies and dueling politicians’ rhetoric about immigration of the last few weeks, recent demographic analyses and opinion polls put the debate into numerical perspective.

Among the conclusions drawn from the data are that the nation’s illegal immigrants include many families in complex situations, and that the opinions of Americans on the See POLLS, page 9

Culture Watch

Perspectives

Enter the Swiss

Hollywood and religion; Scripture readings

‘Da Vinci Code’ bomb; ‘the convict Christ’

New, former Swiss Guards march to Vatican

| Pages 10-11

| Pages 14-15

| Page 16

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

May 12, 2006

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

National black Catholic leaders pledge to help with Katrina recovery NEW ORLEANS (CNS) — A contingent of bishops, religious and laity representing the National Black Catholic Congress promised to use their influence and resources to help restore the lives and property of those still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Bishop John H. Ricard of PensacolaTallahassee, Fla., and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph N. Perry of Chicago spoke to the student body at MAX High School in mid-April, telling them they came to New Orleans to see firsthand the devastation, listen to their storm stories and take back recommendations on how to help with the recovery.

Bishop Ricard is president and Bishop Perry is vice president of the board of trustees of the National Black Catholic Congress. Representatives of Catholic services and organizations from 15 cities joined the bishops in their visit to the region.

“These African-American Catholic

From crash to Communion

Diocesan planner CHARLOTTE VICARIATE CNS photo by Don Blake, The Dialog

Christina Trice, 7, receives her first Communion from Father Chris LaBarge as Joan Muschner, principal of Immaculate Conception Sunday School, assists her during the celebration at Immaculate Conception Church in Marydel, Md., April 30. Eleven days earlier, Christina was critically injured in a car accident in nearby Dover, Del.

Injuries don’t stop accident victim from receiving first M A RY D E L , M d . ( C N S ) — Christina Trice processed into Immaculate Conception Church in Marydel April 30, her hands piously folded and a look of determination on her face.

Like the other girls receiving their first Communion, 7-year-old Christina wore a white dress, veil and shoes.

But she also sported white satin wheel covers on her wheelchair.

Her presence was a testament to the prayers of loved ones, the care of her doctors and nurses, and her own willpower.

Eleven days earlier, Christina was critically injured in a car accident in nearby Dover, Del. She was knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion, fractured pelvis, lacerated kidney and spleen, and punctured lungs, according to her mother, Barbara Trice, who was driving the family car when the accident occurred.

Christina’s right ear was almost severed, and she was bleeding profusely.

The immediate concern was not whether Christina would make her first Communion, but whether she would survive.

“We’re lucky to be here,” Barbara Trice said. “I thank God for her being here.”

Father Chris LaBarge, pastor, cited Christina’s recovery in his homily.

“One of the things we are witnessing today is the power of prayer,” he said.

“A week ago, we didn’t think Christina

would be here.”

He called on Christina “to tell people how much a difference prayer has made in your life. Prayer is powerful.”

Father LaBarge noted that many people in Marydel and beyond had prayed for her recovery.

The Saturday after the accident, Christina “asked, ‘Am I going to be able to receive first holy Communion?’”

Barbara Trice said. “At that point I didn’t have an answer for her.”

But, “You can’t hold this child down.

She’s got a very strong will,” she said.

Christina returned home from the hospital April 28. The doctors, nurses and staff “worked really hard to make sure that when we left there Friday, she was good to go,” said Trice, who was not seriously injured in the accident.

Christina’s first Communion classmates helped the girl’s spirits, making her cards and signing a quilt, which was later signed by her doctors and nurses.

Christina must stay off her feet for six to eight weeks so her pelvis can heal.

Trice marvels at how Christina survived the accident. Christina had sat in the front seat of the car that day rather than the back. Had Christina been in the rear passenger-side seat where she normally sits, Trice said, she would have been killed; that part of her car bore the brunt of the impact.

“I think the angels were holding on to her,” Trice said. “Somebody had to be

CHARLOTTE — Father Matthew Buettner, parochial vicar of St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton, will present the Catholic Response to “The Da Vinci Code” May 15 at 7 p.m. in the Msgr.

Pharr Activity Center of St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd. RSVP for this free event to Renee O’Brien at rdobrien@earthlink. net or (704) 770-0003.

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy, is hosting a “Community Shred” May 20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the U.S. according to the FBI; shredding personal documents is one way to help stop it. Everyone is encouraged to bring personal and confidential documents to the church, where PROSHRED Security will destroy them. For more information, call the church office at (704) 543-7677.

CHARLOTTE — St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd., will host an Estate Planning Seminar May 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Ministry Center. Estate planning information will be provided by Jim Kelley and Judy Smith in the diocesan Planned Giving office and attorney Tom Gorman with Gorman and Dittman law firm. Please call (704) 370-3320 with any questions. To register, call (701) 364-5431, extension 212.

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., will host a Christian Coffeehouse May 20, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Single and married adults are invited for an evening of contemporary Christian music, food and fellowship. For more information, call Kathy Bartlett at (704) 400-2213.

CHARLOTTE — Healing Hearts, a support group for people coping with the death of a

leaders, priests, sisters, deacons and laymen are very concerned about what happened to you,” Bishop Ricard said. “We’re looking for ways to extend our hands in a way of providing you some help.”

Three Catholic high schools suffered heavy damage from flooding, while another was virtually spared. One of the damaged schools is not scheduled to reopen.

“The overwhelming majority of our children lost everything,” Father Ricard said.

“It was the African-American neighborhoods that were hit the hardest. The faculties at these three schools also lost a lot.”

Father Ricard said one displaced student is living in a home with three other families. He told them how each family occupied one bedroom.

“A lot of our kids live in trailers ... they may be living in trailers for two or three years,” he said.

While the hurricane was terrible, “The rainbow is coming, and we’re going to help you rebuild,” Bishop Perry told spouse, meets the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 11:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall of St Gabriel Church, 3016 Rd. For more information, contact Sister Therese Galligan, facilitator, at (704) 362-5047, ext. 216.

CHARLOTTE — The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, St. Brigid Division 1, an Irish-Catholic group of women dedicated to their faith, country and Irish heritage, meet the third Wednesday of each month. Anyone interested in membership, call Jeanmarie Schuler at (704) 554 0720.

GASTONIA VICARIATE MOUNT HOLLY — Father John Vianney Hoover invites all to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood May 28 at 4 p.m. at St. Joseph Church on Hwy. 273. Bring a picnic dinner and chairs to share after Mass. For details, call (704) 541-5026.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE HIGH POINT — The Holistic Health Ministry of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St., will sponsor an Alzheimer’s Seminar May 18 at 7 p.m. in meeting room 1. Dr. J. Keith Miller will be the guest speaker. The Alzheimer’s Association will have information available.

Please call the church office at (336) 869-7739 to reserve your space for this informative session.

GREENSBORO — Jesuit Father Joseph Koterski will present “The Contribution of Pope John Paul II to Catholic Social Thought” May 25, 7-8:30 p.m., at St. Pius X Church, 2210 North Elm St., in the Kloster Center. Father Koterski is a professor of philosophy at Fordham University.

This event is sponsored by St. Pius X Church and the diocesan offices of Justice and Peace and Family Life of Catholic Social Services. For reservations and information, call (704) 370-3228 or e-mail sabeason@charlottediocese.org.

HIGH POINT — Hope of Seeing Everyone Again (HOSEA) is a six-week program for Catholics who have been away from the church for a while,

May 12, 2 006 Volume 15 • Number 30

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

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The Catholic News & Herald 3

May 12, 2006

FROM THE VATICAN

Pope says missionary societies help Catholics know God’s love VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The pontifical missionary societies help every Catholic in every part of the world let others know fo God’s love and his promise of salvation, Pope Benedict XVI said.

The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Holy Childhood Association and the other societies always have focused on communicating “the love of God revealed in his plan of salvation,” the pope said.

Pope Benedict met May 8 with 114 national directors of the pontifical missionary societies who were holding their general assembly.

While the societies’ financial support may be directed at different segments of the church in mission territories, such

as children or seminarians, they all are involved in promoting awareness of each Catholic’s missionary obligation and in helping local churches grow and mature.

“All of this has given rise among the Christian people to a reawakening of faith and love, connected to a great missionary enthusiasm,” the pope said.

The work the national directors do in their own countries, he said, helps Catholics understand that missionary involvement — through prayer, financial support or working in the missions — is an essential part of a Christian’s life.

In addition, he said, the fact that Catholics around the world support the pontifical missionary societies is a sign of the catholicity of the church.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope

but may wish to return. HOSEA will meet Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in the parlor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St., May 23-June 27.

Small group settings will offer an opportunity to enrich spiritual growth and help inactive Catholics bond and share their faith. It will also provide an opportunity for them to discuss any questions or issues with other Catholics and get a sense of the modern-day church. For more information, call Larry Kwan at (336) 688-1220 or e-mail hlkwan@ lexcominc.net.

erski will present “The Contribution of Pope John Paul II to Catholic Social Thought” May 22, 7-8:30 p.m., at St. Therese Church, 217 Brawley School Rd. Father Koterski is a professor of philosophy at Fordham University. This event is sponsored by the diocesan offices of Justice and Peace and Family Life of Catholic Social Services. For reservations and information, call (704) 370-3228 or e-mail sabeason@charlottediocese.org.

GREENSBORO — The Greensboro Council of Catholic Women invites all Catholic women to a luncheon May 24, at 11:30 a.m. at Cardinal Country Club, 5700 Cardinal Way. Lunch will be followed by a fashion show by Belk and installation of officers. For more information, please contact Carmen Wood (336) 545-9266.

HICKORY VICARIATE HICKORY — St. Aloysius Church, 921 Second St. NE, is offering a weekly Catholic Scripture Study.

Catholic Scripture Study is a program whose members not only learn the Scriptures, but come to a deeper understanding of their faith in a setting that builds Christian fellowship. Evening and daytime classes meet at the church, Wednesdays, 6:45-8:30 p.m., and Thursdays 9:30-11:15 a.m. For more information, call Ann Miller at (828) 441-2205, or e-mail stalscss@charter.net.

Pope ordains 15 priests, warns against clerical careerism Benedict XVI said the priesthood should be understood as a commitment to service and not an opportunity for career-climbing.

The pope made the comments shortly before ordaining 15 priests during a lengthy liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica May 7. Twelve of the new priests came from Italy, with one each from Honduras, Israel and Poland.

The Mass highlighted the annual celebration of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. In his sermon, the pope said the priest as “good shepherd” must be ready to sacrifice himself, know his flock and serve unity.

He prefaced his remarks with a warning about “careerism, the temptation to reach ‘the top,’ to acquire for oneself a position through the church” and to help oneself instead of helping others.

“This is the image of someone who uses the priesthood to make himself important, to become a personality, the image of one who aims at self-acclaim and not the humble service of Jesus Christ,” Pope Benedict said.

Instead, he said, a priest should have an attitude of total self-giving and realize that following a vocational call may be in contrast with one’s desire for selfrealization and esteem.

The pope said a pastor’s willingness to sacrifice himself for his faithful is not

something that happens only in martyrdom, but day by day, in being there for others even at the cost of abandoning his own goals.

To serve his flock, he said, a priest must know them well — which means going to talk to them and being open to their questions and needs.

“The pastor cannot be satisfied with knowing names and dates. His knowledge must always be knowledge with the heart,” he said.

In working for unity, the pope said, the priest needs to look beyond the horizons of his immediate community and be aware that Christianity has a universal mission aimed at all people.

“The mission of Jesus involves all humanity, and therefore the church has a responsibility to help all humanity recognize God — the God who, for all of us, was made man in Jesus Christ, suffered, died and rose from the dead,” he said.

The pope said the church can never withdraw into the confines of its own structure; it has a duty to bring the Gospel to all people.

He said the priest’s mission was irreplaceable in the church. Even if some regions currently show a shortage of clergy, he said, the church can be certain that God will continue to call young men to the priesthood.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE MAGGIE VALLEY — Jesuit Father Joseph Koterski will present “The Contribution of Pope John Paul II to Catholic Social Thought” May 24, 7-8:30 p.m., at St. Margaret of Scotland Church, 37 Murphy Dr. Father Koterski is a professor of philosophy at Fordham University. This event is sponsored by the diocesan offices of Justice and Peace and Family Life of Catholic Social Services. For reservations and information, call (704) 370-3228 or e-mail sabeason@charlottediocese.org.

Cross-bearing crab?

SYLVA — A four-part series, “Prayer of the Church,” will be presented at St. Mary Church, 22 Bartlett St. The sessions will meet 10-11 a.m., May 27, June 24 and July 22. Please call the church office at (828) 586-9496 to preregister.

SALISBURY VICARIATE CONCORD — A four-part series of Natural Family Planning classes will begin May 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Northgate Family Medicine Clinic, 1028 Lee-Ann Drive Suite 100. Couples will learn the Sympto-Thermal method from Dr. Matthew and Kat Harrison, a certified teaching couple.

Childcare is available upon request. Registration is required. For more information, call Kat Harrison at (704) 786-8799 or e-mail katmatt@ctc.net.

MOORESVILLE — Jesuit Father Joseph Kot-

Episcopal

calendar

Is your parish or school sponsoring a free event open to the general public? Please submit notices for the Diocesan Planner at least 7 days prior to desired publication date (Fridays) in writing to Karen A. Evans at kaevans@ charlottediocese.org or fax to (704) 370-3382.

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

May 15 — 1 p.m.

“Why Catholic?” adult faith formation program presentation St. Matthew Church, Charlotte

May 16 — 1 p.m.

“Why Catholic?” adult faith formation program presentation Catholic Conference Center, Hickory

May 15 — 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Monroe

May 17 — 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Immaculate Conception Church, Forest City

CNS photo by UCAN

Many Catholics in Goa, India, believe an uncommon class of local crab, seen April 18 with a cross mark on its shell, is a descendant from a crab that St. Francis Xavier blessed in 1546. Some Jesuit records say that in February 1546, while voyaging in what today is eastern Indonesia, the Basque missionary was caught in a storm.

In an attempt to calm the storm, he took his crucifix and dipped it into the sea, but it slipped from his grasp and fell into the water. The next morning, as he paced on the seashore of Seram Island, he saw that a crab approaching him was holding his cross. He knelt down, retrieved the cross and blessed the crab.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

Appreciating angels

May 12, 2006

around the diocese Honoring ‘Partners in Hope’

Volunteers honored at annual banquet and a resident of Charlotte, received the Ed Sabatini Advocacy Award, which recognizes those who serve as advocates for Holy Angels.

Kaye McGarry, a Charlotte resident, received the Angel of Friendship award, which honors the one-on-one personal time and commitment of volunteers that results in a special friendship extending beyond regular volunteer service.

Jeanine Dibble, Margaret Ross, Michael Howren and volunteen Jonathan Kane received the Kevin Patrick Crosby Touched by an Angel Award, which honors volunteers who offer an “angelic touch” to their volunteer work.

Dibble, of Belmont, assists residents with art projects; Ross, of Dallas, volunteers at Holy Angels’ Cherubs Café in Belmont; Howren, of Gastonia, assists Holy Angels’ maintenance department; and Kane, of Belmont, volunteers with Holy Angels’ Great Adventures program.

Kara Hamm, 15, of Cherryville, received the Volunteen of the Year award.

She has been a volunteer for four years.

Knights of Columbus Council 770 received the Volunteer Group of the Year award for their numerous fundraisers for and outreach to Holy Angels residents and staff.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information about Holy Angels, visit www.holyangelsnc.org.

BELMONT — Holy Angels recently paid special tribute to those who give of their time and talent.

The 2006 Volunteer Awards were presented during the 16th annual volunteer appreciation awards banquet held on the Sisters of Mercy campus in Belmont April 27. The banquet, celebrated during National Volunteer Appreciation Week, saluted the more than 100 people who serve Holy Angels through its Volunteer and Volunteen programs.

“Each volunteer at Holy Angels helps bring miracles to life through generous service, each time he or she walks through the door,” said Regina Moody, Holy Angels president and CEO. “Our residents look forward to seeing our volunteers. Their eyes light up when they hear the voices of these very special people,” said Moody.

Founded in 1956 by the Sisters of Mercy, Holy Angels is a nonprofit corporation that provides residential services and programs for children and adults with mental retardation and physical disabilities, some of whom are medically fragile.

Moody said Holy Angels could not offer its specialized services without the help of its volunteers.

Melissa Todd, a resident of Rock Hill, S.C., and a volunteer for more than four years, received the Dennis McClain Volunteer of the Year award, named for a longtime Holy Angels volunteer.

Jenny Rice, a nursing volunteer

Courtesy Photo

Volunteers and staff at Holy Angels are seen in this photo taken at the annual volunteer appreciation awards banquet in Belmont April 27.

Pictured are (from left) Dennis Kuhn, Holy Angels COO/vice president; volunteers Michael Howren and Margaret Ross; volunteen Jonathan Kane; volunteers Jeanine Dibble and Kay McGarry; volunteen Kara Hamm; volunteer Charlie Nesto; and Regina Moody, Holy Angels CEO/president.

Attention Readers!

HAVE A STORY TO SHARE? Is something special happening at your parish? Do you know of anyone exemplifying Christ’s love to others? Have any photos of parish or school events? Let us know so we can share them with the readers of The Catholic News & Herald!

Please contact Staff Writer Karen A. Evans at (704) 370-3354 or e-mail kaevans@charlottediocese.org.

Courtesy Photo

Fran and Paul Breitbach accept awards for their years of service to Catholic Social Services’ Piedmont Triad Office during the third annual Partners in Hope fundraising event in Winston-Salem May 3.

Annual event raises awareness, funds for CSS WINSTON-SALEM — Catholic Social Services’ Piedmont Triad Office recently celebrated its third annual Partners in Hope fundraising event, at which two longtime volunteers were honored.

The event, with Bishop Peter J. Jugis as the keynote speaker, was held at the Millennium Center in Winston-Salem May 2, during Catholic Social Services Awareness Week.

“Catholic Social Services has served the Piedmont Triad for more than 20 years,” said David Harold, Piedmont Triad Office’s director.

“While we look forward to Partners in Hope as a celebration of the work we do, the event is also an opportunity to gain support and awareness for the people we serve.”

Partners in Hope featured a dinner and silent auction. Proceeds support programs and services including adoption, pregnancy support,

counseling, youth programs and immigration services.

During the event, Paul and Fran Breitbach were recognized for their years of service and support.

“They simply live the Gospel every day,” said Jack McAleer, a supporter of Catholic Social Services.

“From the first day I met Paul and Fran, I have witnessed their commitments to making our community a better place through their family, their work and through volunteering to make a difference in many great organizations and charitable events,” he said.

“Together, they have been an inspiration for so many to grow in their faith,” said McAleer.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information on Catholic Social Services in the Diocese of Charlotte, visit www.cssnc.org.

May 12, 2006

youths in action

The Catholic News & Herald 5

Exemplifying Christ’s love

Courtesy Photo

Father Tim Reid, parochial vicar of St. Mark Church in Huntersville, stands with members of the parish’s Life Teen youth program, which recently won a Bishop William G. Curlin Pastoral Care Award at the Diocesan Youth Conference.

Photo by Karen A. Evans

Fourth-graders from St. Gabriel School in Charlotte entertain residents of Beverly Healthcare Nursing Home April 24.

Sharing songs and smiles by

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

CHARLOTTE — It was a day of song and fun for both children and seniors.

Fourth graders from St. Gabriel School in Charlotte entertained the residents of Beverly Healthcare Nursing Home April 24. The students sang several classic songs for the residents, including “Amazing Grace,” “She’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain” and “Take

me out to the ballgame.”

The fourth graders have been interacting with residents of the home since September, singing Christmas carols, sending Valentine’s Day cards and crosses.

Betsy DesNoyer, fourth-grade teacher at the school, said the ongoing outreach is a way to teach the children how to live the beatitudes and Catholic social teaching, particularly regarding life and dignity of life issues.

Celebrating peace and

Youth groups earn pastoral care awards efforts in the parish and beyond throughout the year.

The youth council, under the direction of Karen Sutton, served as facilitators for the parish’s confirmation classes and weekend retreats. They held monthly fundraisers and planned all parish youth events, including Vacation Bible School and Lenten dinners.

The council also performed a number of community service projects and participated in and assisted with diocesan events.

While the Bishop Curlin Award originated in the diocesan youth ministry office, it is not limited to youth ministry, said Paul Kotlowski, director of diocesan youth ministry.

“Each year we invite parishes to nominate individuals who are deserving of the award,” he said. “The hope is that potential applicants might come from any part of the church, not just the youth ministry population.”

WANT MORE INFO? For more information on diocesan youth ministry, visit the diocesan Web site at www.charlottediocese.org/youthministry.html.

RIDGECREST — Two youth groups have earned special honors this year.

The youth council at St. James the Greater Church in Concord and the Life Teen youth program at St. Mark Church in Huntersville both were awarded the 2006 Bishop William G. Curlin Pastoral Care Award.

The awards were presented during the annual Diocesan Youth Conference, held at Lifeway Ridgecrest Conference Center near Black Mountain April 28-30.

The award recognizes individuals, groups and/or parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte who exemplify the principles of Christ’s love in the ministry of pastoral care.

St. Mark Church’s Life Teen program, under the direction of youth minister Debra Lemmon, was recognized for assisting two Hmong refugee families who settled in Charlotte last fall.

Working with Catholic Social Services’ Refugee Resettlement Office, the youths spent more than 250 hours planning and executing their project to prepare the families’ homes and collect furnishings, clothing and donations.

St. James the Greater Church’s youth council won for a number of

Courtesy Photo

Fourth-graders at St. Gabriel School in Charlotte are pictured beneath 1,000 origami white paper cranes created in celebration of the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima, Japan, March 8. The cranes were made in conjunction with and were on display during the school’s PTO-sponsored International Fair March 7-8.

Each grade represented a different country, including Japan, Egypt, Czech Republic, Germany and Ecuador. Displays showcased artifacts and students dressed in costumes of their various heritages.

Many students helped fold the paper cranes, on which some students wrote prayers.

They will be sent to Hiroshima and join thousands of other paper cranes to be used for Peace Day in August 2006.

Courtesy Photo

Members of the youth council at St. James the Greater Church in Concord stand with their Bishop William G. Curlin Pastoral Care Award at the Diocesan Youth Conference in Ridgecrest.

6 The Catholic News & Herald

FROM THE COVER

Mary Magdalene an important, enigmatic saint SAINT, from page 1

in France — which relied on identifying Mary Magdalene as being the same person as Mary of Bethany — Mary Magdalene and Lazarus were cast out of Palestine and set adrift in an oarless boat that landed in southern France.

They then became among the first to preach the faith there.

Father Collins said that legend, along with the one in Eastern Christianity that has Mary Magdalene accompanying John and Jesus’ mother to Ephesus, is simply not credible.

Summing up the real Mary Magdalene with what she called the “w’s,” Sister Johnson said, “Let’s get this straight: She was not Jesus’ wife ... neither a wife nor a whore, but a witness.”

‘Da Vinci Code’ author Dan Brown’s version of Mary Magdalene is “two legendary steps away from” the real person found in Scripture.

— Father Raymond F. Collins

extensively on the place of women’s experience and female imagery in Christian theology. She said the legends developed in the gnostic gospels are interesting not because they portray Christ’s life and times accurately, but because they offer insight into struggles in the early church.

The legends about Mary Magdalene show struggles over the leadership role of women in the early church, she said.

Fictional ideas Father Collins said novelist Brown goes well beyond such early legends by imagining the disciple from Magdala to be Jesus’ wife and the mother of his child.

In the novel, Jesus and Mary Magdalene were ancestors of the Merovingian dynasty that ruled from about 500 to 751 in what is now France, and secret survivors of the royal line continue to the present day to guard (much like the gnostics of the second and third centuries) arcane secret knowledge about Jesus that the official church rejects and seeks to suppress.

Sister Johnson said those early gnostic texts — 13 of which were only uncovered in 1945 when a farmer found them buried in a large jar near Nag Hammadi, Egypt — show some groups in early Christianity “wanting to promote women as bearers of knowledge, as wisdom figures, as those whom Christ trusted” with special revelations.

She noted that Mary Magdalene is the first witness to the Resurrection in all four canonical Gospels, and because of her role in announcing the good news to the rest, St. Augustine referred to her as “apostola apostolorum,” the apostle to the apostles.

Another strand of legend behind Brown’s novel is the fact that according to medieval pious legends that circulated

May 12, 2006

firsthand witness to his crucifixion and burial and the first person to witness his resurrection and proclaim it to the apostles.

That is what the Gospels say about her.

Was she also the unnamed repentant sinner (often thought to be a prostitute) in Luke’s Gospel, who anointed Jesus’ feet and washed them with her tears? Or the Mary who was the sister of Martha and Lazarus of Bethany?

In the West, Christian teaching and preaching have made those identifications for centuries. But modern scholars say these were three distinct women, not one.

Eastern Christianity has consistently regarded the three as distinct individuals.

Wa s s h e t h e w i f e of Jesus? Did she bear his child? Were she and Jesus ancestors of the Merovingian CNS photo by Alinari, courtesy Art Resource dynasty of early French kings?

Even ancient heSt. Mary Magdalene is depicted in a sketch by artist Leonardo r e t i c a l sects and da Vinci. According to the Gospels, Mary Magdalene was a fantasy-laden medieval Chrisleading disciple of Jesus and used her resources to support tian legends that exalted Mary him and the apostles.

Magdalene did not make those claims, though Dan Brown’s best-selling novel “The Da Vinci Code” at Fordham University in New York, does. concurred that the widely popular When the book comes out as a movie curiosity about Mary Magdalene May 19, it will almost certainly draw generated by Dan Brown’s tale has crenew attention to Mary Magdalene, one ated a “teachable moment.” of the most prominent women in the New Father Collins, who wrote the “Mary Testament but an enigmatic figure about Magdalene” entry in the six-volume whom nothing is known apart from the Anchor Bible Dictionary, said the first references found in the Gospels. legends about Mary Magdalene come in some of the apocryphal gnostic gospels A ‘teachable moment’ of the second and third centuries.

Father Raymond F. Collins, a New There in addition to her role as the Testament scholar at The Catholic first witness to Jesus’ resurrection, she University of America in Washington is treated as receiving other special said in an interview that the Dan Brown revelations from the risen Jesus. But even version of Mary Magdalene is “two in the gnostic gospels she is not called legendary steps away from” the real Jesus’ wife. person found in Scripture.

One gnostic text, the gospel of But in interviews he and Sister of St. Philip, portrays her as Jesus’ closest comJoseph Elizabeth Johnson, a theologian panion but not his wife.

Sister Johnson has written

May 12, 2006

inside the curia

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Reconfiguring the Curia

Pope temporarily merges four Vatican councils under two presidents does not exist in a naked state, as sheer religion. Simply by telling man who he is and how he should go about being human, faith is creating culture and is culture.”

Pope Paul created the council for migrants and travelers in 1970 to study and provide pastoral care to people on the move.

Some of the issues the council had been dealing with recently, such as the problem of human trafficking, should carry over easily into the work of the justice and peace council, an office also created by Pope Paul in 1967.

Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, said he had not been informed about any future plans for the council, only that the pope has decided that “for the time being” Cardinal Martino will serve as its president.

“We are here to do the will of God through the guidance of our pope,” he told Catholic News Service March 13.

The archbishop said pairing his office with the council for justice and peace makes sense if one considers that injustice and war often force people to flee their homes.

However, he said, “our pontifical council from the beginning has focused specifically on providing pastoral care in the field of human mobility in general, so the connection with justice and peace is less immediate than it may appear.”

In addition to providing pastoral care and advocacy for refugees and migrants, the council also coordinates pastoral programs for circus workers, fishers and other seafarers, foreign students, Gypsies, pilgrims and tourists, he said.

by

CAROL GLATZ

catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — At the start of what may be reform of the Roman Curia, Pope Benedict XVI merged the leadership of four of the Vatican’s councils under two presidents.

The Vatican announced in March that French Cardinal Paul Poupard, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, also would serve as the interim president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and that Italian Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, temporarily would head the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers.

The Vatican announced that the pope accepted the retirement of the head of the migrants’ council, Japanese Cardinal Stephen Fumio Hamao, who turned 76 March 9.

To fill the vacancy, the pope united “for the time being” the presidency of the office with that of justice and peace.

Cardinal Poupard’s assignment as president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue filled a post made vacant after the pope Feb. 15 named its former head, Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, to be the new ambassador to Egypt and the Arab League.

The pope decided “in order to favor a more intense dialogue between people of culture and members of various religions,” to unite “for the time being, the presidency of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue with that of the Pontifical Council for Culture,” the Vatican said in a written statement.

Cardinal Poupard said he was

surprised by his appointment, especially since he is 75, the age when bishops must submit their resignations.

But “I obeyed and thanked the Holy Father for his benevolence and trust,” the cardinal told Vatican Radio March 11.

The cardinal said the pope sees an “intrinsic link between the intercultural and interreligious dimensions.” He recalled a speech the pope made during a meeting with Muslims Aug. 20 in Cologne, Germany, when he told the president of the Turkish Muslim Union that “interreligious and intercultural dialogue is a vital necessity.”

The pope alone has the authority to makes changes in the Roman Curia, the church’s central administrative offices; he can name a new person to head an office, create a new office or merge existing offices.

Rumors had circulated for months that Pope Benedict would implement changes to trim the Curia, which, when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he often described as being overly bureaucratic.

As then-Cardinal Ratzinger, a top curial official, he once said there should be “an unlimited examination of conscience at all levels of the church” to

see what structures should be reformed so that “the authentic face of the church shows through once again.”

During a Sept. 1, 1990, gathering with members of the Catholic lay group, Communion and Liberation, he said, “This examination of conscience is to be extended to the Curia. How many agencies are really necessary?”

Then head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he said constant reform was needed by the church and its institutions in order to remove the “superfluous scaffolding” that obscures its divine mission.

The changes announced March 11 suggested any broad reform would be taken in a step-by-step, see-how-it-goes approach; the Vatican’s wording that the new appointments were made “for the time being” also indicated that the joint presidencies may be temporary.

Pope John Paul II established the Pontifical Council for Culture in 1982 and, in 1993, he assigned to the council the tasks previously covered by the council for dialogue with nonbelievers.

The move to merge the interreligious dialogue council, an office created in 1964 by Pope Paul VI, with the office for culture reflects Pope Benedict’s view that religions and cultures should be seen together.

In his 2004 book, “Truth and Tolerance,” the then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said, “Only in modern Europe has a concept of culture been developed that portrays it as a sphere separate from religion or even in opposition to it.

“In all known historical cultures, religion is an essential element of culture, is indeed its determinative center; it is religion that determines the scale of values and, thereby, the inner cohesion and hierarchy of all these cultures.”

Culture, he said, is an attempt to understand the world and human existence within the world, so it naturally includes people’s perception of the relationship between human beings and the divine.

Therefore, he said, the only way for cultures to dialogue with each other is to dialogue about truths concerning the person, “within which the truth about God and about reality as a whole is always involved.”

“Faith itself is cultural,” he wrote. “It

8 The Catholic News & Herald

immigration reform

May 12, 2006

Calling for reform

Sisters of Mercy hit the Hill to lobby on immigration by

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON — The presidents of 25 regional communities of the Sisters of Mercy, including North Carolina, and representatives of several national Catholic agencies met on Capitol Hill May 4 for a day of lobbying for immigration reform legislation.

According to a press release from the Sisters of Mercy, the lobbying group delivered letters to senators calling for “humane reform” of the U.S. immigration system “to respect the rights of all persons while responding to values of family unity and community life.”

The sisters — including Mercy Sister Paulette Williams, president of the Sisters of Mercy regional community of North Carolina in Belmont — were joined by representatives of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Network, a national social justice lobbying group; the Catholic Alliance for the Common Good; and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network.

Their lobbying efforts came as the Senate works to craft an immigration reform bill that addresses a wide range of concerns, from cracking down on illegal border crossing to debating whether to offer people already in the country illegally a chance to regularize their status.

A bill passed by the House in December addresses enforcement almost exclusively and has been widely criticized by Catholic organizations as unnecessarily harsh.

The women religious and other church representatives were pushing for legislation that includes a path to legalization, a guest worker program and dramatic changes in how applications for legal immigration are handled, among other provisions.

Senate efforts to pass a comprehensive bill in April broke down and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has said he hopes to get a bill

“What possible public interest is served by deporting children who ... have or are getting a high school diploma or GED?” — Mercy Sister Gaye Moorhead passed by Memorial Day. Sister Mary Waskowiak, president of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, urged senators to “use your influence and your vote to change economic and trade policies that force people to leave their countries to seek the basic needs for survival.”

Other sisters described their experiences working with immigrants.

Sister Gaye Moorhead, president of the Sisters of Mercy regional community in Rochester, N.Y., talked about representing immigrants in El Paso, Texas, as an attorney.

One, Enrique, was an orphan who was brought to the United States by his aunt at the age of 8 after his mother’s death, she said.

The boy was deported to Mexico two days after graduating from high school.

“What possible public interest is served by deporting children who have come here before the age of 16, not on their own volition, but with their parents; who have lived here at least five years, are of good moral character, and have or are getting a high school diploma or GED?” she asked.

A provision incorporated into a bill approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee — the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, known as the DREAM Act — would allow students in similar circumstances to become legal U.S. residents and enable them to seek college educations at

Courtesy Photo

Mercy Sister Paulette Williams (left of speaker), president of the Sisters of Mercy regional community of North Carolina, is one of 25 regional community presidents of the Sisters of Mercy lobbying for immigration reform legislation on Capitol Hill May 4. The sisters were joined by representatives of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other Catholic organizations.

in-state tuition rates.

Many states now disqualify illegal immigrants from in-state tuition rates, no matter how they came to be in the country and regardless of whether they otherwise qualify for reduced tuition.

Sisters of Mercy nationwide observed May 4 as a day of prayer and fasting for immigration reform.

Contributing to this story was Editor Kevin E. Murray.

May 12, 2006

immigration reform

The Catholic News & Herald 9

Demographic, poll date show complexities of immigration POLLS, from page 1

the American Immigration Lawyers Association found that 75 percent favored an immigration proposal that included a plan to admit more temporary workers.

The plan would allow people already in the country to register and legalize their status without giving them priority over legal immigrants, would emphasize reuniting families and would penalize workers and employers who violate laws.

That combination of provisions mirrors the key elements supported by a range of organizations including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Charities USA, major unions including the Service Employees International Union and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

A poll by Time magazine of 1,004 adults conducted March 29-30 showed similar support for specific components of that plan.

It found that 78 percent support allowing illegal immigrants to legalize their status and eventually seek U.S. citizenship if they learn English, have jobs and pay taxes.

Many immigrants already pay taxes, said Franciscan Sister Andrea Inkrott, director of Hispanic ministry for the Diocese of Charlotte. Additionally, anyone who buys merchandise or owns property has paid taxes.

A Gallup/USA Today poll conducted April 7-9 of 1,004 adults found 63 percent support allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the country under certain circumstances, while another 17 percent said they should be able to stay for a limited time.

At the same time, all three polls found people strongly believe the U.S. government is not doing enough to stop

lion families where all the children are U.S. citizens, but at least one parent is in the country illegally; 630,000 families where all the children are also here without legal papers; and 460,000 families in which some minor children are U.S. citizens and others are not.

Among Mexicans, who make up about half the illegal immigrant population, 48 percent are married or have a common-law spouse; more than two-thirds of that percentage live with their spouses in this country.

The Pew report noted that about one-third of illegal Mexican immigrants with families have left all their children in Mexico.

Pew also concluded that those 1.5 million children — who, like their parents, are here illegally — are vastly outnumbered by more than 3 million children who are U.S. citizens with parents who lack the proper paperwork.

To be sure, there is a large population of unattached men, according to Pew, particularly among those who have arrived since 2000. Slightly more than half — 53 percent of the 4.4 million people who arrived between 2000 and 2005 — were unmarried, compared to about 45 percent of those who came to the United States before 2000.

The study was based on census data through 2005.

Polling the people As Congress struggles to pass an immigration bill, what has been more widely reported than such demographic information are opinion polls about the problems with immigration and how they can best be fixed.

A poll of 800 likely voters nationwide conducted March 20-22 by the Tarrance Group and Lake Research Partners for the National Immigration Forum and

CNS photo by Rick Wilking, Reuters

A group of undocumented Mexicans, caught by the U.S. Border Patrol 10 miles from Mexico, walk with border agents through desert brush in 102-degree-Fahrenheit heat outside Laredo, Texas, May 4. The group covered the distance from the border mostly in the dark. illegal immigration and they want better enforcement at the border.

In the Time poll, 82 percent said the government doesn’t do enough to control illegal immigration. The Gallup poll had 81 percent agreeing that “illegal immigration to the United States is out of control.”

The Tarrance Group found 90 percent agreed with the statement “the immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed.”

“This is all connected with the fact that there are not economic opportunities sufficient to support their families in their home countries,” said Sister Inkrott.

“People will continue to immigrate until the conditions at home improve.”

Prevention and deportation Opinions about how to prevent illegal immigration were somewhat less cohesive.

In Gallup’s opinion poll, 84 percent said instituting tough penalties for companies that employ illegal immigrants would be somewhat or very effective. Time’s survey found 71 percent

favored enforcing penalties against employers.

The notion of building a wall along the Mexican border has been fairly roundly rejected by most people in the polls. A version of legislation passed by the House in December calls for building a wall along 700 miles of the 2,000 mile border.

Gallup found 48 percent think a wall would be at least somewhat effective.

In the Time poll, 56 percent said they’d favor building a security fence.

Time found 47 percent support deporting all illegal immigrants. The Tarrance poll found that 79 percent think deporting all illegal immigrants currently in the country is unrealistic.

Gallup’s poll found 18 percent said all illegal immigrants should be deported.

“It is my hope and prayer that all involved will work for legislation that will implement an immigration policy that will protect our national security interests, ensure the common good, and maintain respect for the law as well as respect the human rights of those who come to our country as refugees from political and economic hardship in their home countries,” wrote Bishop Peter J. Jugis in a March 25 letter in support of

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald

May 12, 2006

Culture Watch

Does Hollywood get religion Critics’ reactions vary to studio offerings by

MARK PATTISON

catholic news service

WA S H I N G T O N — D o e s Hollywood get religion right when it makes movies? The answers are almost as diverse as the cinematic fare coming to mall multiplexes.

“Some people do their homework and get it right; other people exploit it,” said Paulist Father Frank Desiderio, head of Paulist Productions and overseer of the Humanitas Prize.

“If you mean the studios, then no they don’t,” said Barbara Nicolosi, who runs the Act One screenwriting program for Christians who aspire to a Hollywood career.

“Studios are not in the habit of hiring people of faith to either write, direct or be in any creative capacity for projects that involve religion,” she said.

“In the old days, Hollywood would bend over backward not to offend,” said Harry Forbes, director of the U.S. bishops’ Office for Film & Broadcasting; Forbes defined “old days” as “from the dawn of sound through the ’60s.”

While that era may have been inaccurate by portraying “an overly idealized view of religious types,” he added, “that is preferable to a disparaging view of religion, as you often get today.”

Interviews with Forbes, Nicolosi and Father Desiderio were prompted by the impending release of “The Da Vinci Code,” a movie based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Dan Brown, a work criticized for its treatment of Catholic figures and institutions.

“Hollywood knew there was money to be made from striking that grand religious chord” in films such as “The Robe,” “Ben-Hur,” “The Ten Commandments,” and Bing Crosby’s “Father O’Malley” movies, “Going My Way” and “The Bells of St. Mary’s,” Forbes noted.

A modern example of a positive portrayal of faith, Forbes said, is “Ladder 49,” a 2004 film about firefighters and the bonds they share.

It had “a fairly extraordinary, for this day and age, portrayal of a Catholic

WORD TO LIFE

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

societal subculture, where everyone in that film — all blue-collar workingclass firemen — were clearly Catholic.

Throughout the film many of the rituals, from baptisms to weddings ... were very nicely dramatized,” he said.

Father Desiderio said Barbara Hall, the Catholic woman who created “Joan of Arcadia” for CBS, was “the best recent example of someone who got it right.”

He also pointed to James Cromwell’s guest appearance on NBC’s “ER” as a chronically ill bishop and Rita Moreno’s nunsocial worker on the old HBO series “Oz” as examples where Hollywood got it right.

But he said there are also significant failures, including the recent NBC drama “The Book of Daniel,” in which the Episcopal clergyman of the title has an Italian Catholic priest as a friend.

“He needs a favor and he goes to the Catholic priest, and the Catholic priest goes to the Mob and gets the favor — which I found offensive, as an Italian Catholic priest,” Father Desiderio said.

Nicolosi said ABC missed “the entire theological heart of the Moses story” in its recent miniseries “The Ten Commandments” with its cursory treatment of the first Passover.

“The people who make this movie, they don’t believe this stuff and they don’t get the most important stuff,” she said.

Even the film blockbuster “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” which was “very good for what it was,” Nicolosi said, “didn’t pack the punch it could have” because the screenwriters “didn’t get Aslan,” a lion character viewed by readers of C.S. Lewis’ novel as a Christ figure.

“We choose not to prejudge it before it comes out,” Forbes said of “The Da Vinci Code.” “Anyone is within their rights to get into high dudgeon about the book,” he added, for its treatment of theology “couched as fact.”

“The movie’s going to come and go,” Father Desiderio said. “I’ve got my opinions on Dan Brown’s agenda, but

Sunday Scripture Readings: May 12, 2006

May 21, Sixth Sunday of Easter Cycle B Readings: 1) Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4 2) I John 4:7-10 3) Gospel: John 15:9-17

Freedom is opting for God’s goodness, truth by

SHARON K. PERKINS catholic news service

In my household, there are a variety of culinary tastes. I happen to like almost everything.

My youngest won’t eat meat but loves cabbage. The others eat meat but wouldn’t touch cabbage with a 10-foot pole. My oldest could live on bananas, chicken fingers and salad — and everyone but me has a persistent aversion to eggs, tomatoes and cheese.

The only family meal in which everyone gets to choose what they like is in a cafeteria or one of those super buffets.

In a way, a buffet is symptomatic of contemporary culture. Disposable income and a global economy have made avid consumers of a certain portion of the world’s population.

Exercising the freedom to choose what one will eat, wear, watch and even whom to marry is a hallmark and an expectation for many.

The expectation of options often has been applied to “religious preferences” as well. A dizzying array of religions, sects and movements has ensured that people can choose whom, when and how they worship — or they can opt out of

religious belief altogether.

Even Christians fall prey to the “pick and choose” mentality and often view their discipleship as strictly voluntary, performed on their own terms.

Today’s Gospel is in complete contrast to that notion.

Jesus tells his disciples (that includes us) that ultimately he is the one doing the choosing. While baptism into Christ results from a choice that you or your parents made, it is a choice made possible and guided by the Holy Spirit for a purpose — to “bear fruit” that remains throughout the shifting seasons of economic cycles, cultural revolutions and personal taste.

St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas and others in the Christian tradition taught that freedom is not the license to pursue one’s personal preferences. Rather, the true liberty of the sons and daughters of God consists of opting freely for God’s goodness and truth even if it is at odds with other attractive possibilities on the “menus” of our lives.

In the Easter season, the Gospel invites us not to a cafeteria but to a banquet where all are welcome to fellowship with their host, the risen Christ, and where all bring the living fruits of his love to the table.

Let the feasting begin!

Questions: How do you exercise personal preference in your religious life? Has the pursuit of your preferences ever prevented you from “bearing the fruit” of God’s love?

Scripture to be Illustrated: “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain” (John 15:16).

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of May 14-20 Sunday (Fifth Sunday of Easter), Acts 9:26-31, 1 John 3:18-24, John 15:1-8; Monday, Acts 14:5-18, John 14:21-26; Tuesday, Acts 14:19-28, John 14:27-31; Wednesday, Acts 15:1-6, John 15:1-5; Thursday (St. John I), Acts 15:7-21, John 15:9-11; Friday, Acts 15:22-31, John 15:12-17; Saturday (St. Bernardine of Siena), Acts 16:1-10, John 15:18-21.

Scripture for the week of May 21-27 Sunday (Sixth Sunday of Easter), Acts 10:25-26, 34-35,44-48, 1 John 4:7-10, John 15:9-17; Monday (St. Rita of Cascia), Acts 16:11-15, John 15:26-16:4; Tuesday, Acts 16:22-34, John 16:5-11; Wednesday, Acts 17:15, 22—18:1, John 16:12-15; Thursday (Ascension of the Lord), Acts 1:111, Ephesians 1:17-24, Mark 16:15-20; Friday (Philip Neri, priest), Acts 18:9-18, John 16:20-23; Saturday (St. Augustine of Canterbury), Acts 18:23-28, John 16:23-28.

May 12, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 11

‘Poseidon’ remake makes minimal waves

CNS photo by Warner Bros.

Jacinda Barrett, Jimmy Bennett and Josh Lucas star in “Poseidon,” a reasonably effective but inferior remake of 1972’s luxury-liner disaster film, as a tidal wave capsizes the vessel.

The plot involves a sparring father (Kurt Russell) and daughter (Emmy Rossum), her boyfriend (Mike Vogel), a professional gambler (Lucas), a single mother (Barrett) and child, and a Latina stowaway (Mia Maestro) as they attempt to flee through the bottom of the boat.

The character setup is dispatched within minutes and once disaster strikes, director Wolfgang Petersen keeps the action going, with above-average special effects and decent performances.

A few instances of profanity and crass expressions, intense but not gruesome disaster violence, brief veiled sexual exchange, gambling and a suicide attempt.

The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

from the cover

May 12, 2006

Pope completes first lap in China-Vatican CHINA, from page 1

last fall, when the Vatican’s approval of three Chinese bishops led to talk of a “breakthrough,” movement appeared to stall on the tracks.

The pope invited four Chinese bishops to the Synod of Bishops in October, in what seemed a promising sign.

But they were not allowed to come, and four chairs sat empty in the synod hall.

Then in February, the pope named new cardinals, among them Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong, a sometimes sharp critic of the government. That prompted rumblings from Chinese authorities.

In March, the Vatican’s top foreign affairs official, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, sent a positive signal when he told the Chinese press that the “time is ripe” for improvement in Vatican-China relations.

The nosedive came in late April and early May, when two Chinese bishops were ordained without papal approval.

The Vatican reaction was unusually tough, calling the step a violation of religious freedom and an obstacle to improved relations.

Over the last year, hopes for VaticanChina normalization have speeded up, slowed down and looped the loop. In a sense, that’s nothing new.

“For 50 years we’ve seen things swing from good to bad many times.

This latest episode was a little surprising, because we had been able to approve four bishops over the last year without a problem,” said one Vatican official, who asked not to be named.

Divisive issues The appointment of bishops has long been the most divisive issue between China and the Vatican.

For many years, the governmentapproved Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association has elected its own bishops with government approval. Then

“If it’s a new way of doing things, then we’ll go backward 50 years.” last year, the bishop nominees were submitted for the pope’s approval.

The last jointly approved bishop’s appointment came in early April — which made the subsequent illegitimate ordinations all the more mysterious to the Vatican.

According to Italian Father Giancarlo Politi, a member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions and a longtime China watcher, several elements may have come into play.

First, the authorities may have wanted to send a clear message of displeasure over the recent raising of Cardinal Zen’s profile.

Second, he said, Chinese Catholics need bishops. With more than 40 sees currently unfilled and others headed by very elderly prelates, the church’s leaders there may feel they cannot afford to wait for papal approval on every candidate.

A third element, Father Politi said, was that whenever Vatican-China relations move significantly forward — as they appeared to do last year — a backtracking seems to occur.

“The main problem in China is still very basic: It hasn’t yet decided to pass from a revolutionary regime to a more democratic one,” he said.

“This impacts the church, of course, especially in the nomination of bishops, which is the crucial thing,” he said.

A hard line A Hong Kong daily quoted Cardinal Zen as saying after the first ordination April 30 that dialogue between China and the Vatican “cannot continue.”

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CNS photo by Reinhard Krause, Reuters

Chinese Catholic women pray during an early morning Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Xian county, in China’s rural northern Hebei province, May 7. Three Chinese bishops were ordained within eight days; one had papal approval, and two did not.

But despite the strong tone of its statement, the Vatican did not declare a rupture in communication. On the contrary, it invited Chinese authorities to “honest and constructive dialogue” to find solutions acceptable to both sides.

And although the Vatican made reference to the canonical penalty of excommunication for those ordaining and those being ordained in such cases, it deliberately left an ambiguity by suggesting that political coercion was involved. That would mean canonical penalties would not apply.

The reference to excommunication was seen by some as a tougher line taken by Pope Benedict regarding China.

But in fact, the Vatican made a similar statement the day before an illegitimate ordination in China in 2000 — another year marked by a steep downturn in China-Vatican relations.

The Vatican took a hard line in its most recent statement in part because it fears this could be the start of a series of unapproved ordinations, the Vatican source said.

“We need to wait and see whether these were two isolated cases, to send some kind of message, or if it’s the beginning of a new style of doing things. If it’s a new way of doing things, then we’ll go backward 50 years,” he said.

May 12, 2006

in our schools

The Catholic News & Herald 13

Sprinkling praise

A race well run

Courtesy Photo

Students from various grades stand together as the winners of a 5K race at St. Leo the Great School in Winston-Salem March 25. The school’s annual 5K and Fun Run races this year saw a record number of more than 500 participants. The event raises funds for the school.

Hitting High notes

Middle school band resonates at festival CHARLOTTE — Two bands from Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School in Charlotte recently garnered top honors.

The concert band, consisting of seventh- and eighth-graders, and the jazz band took home plaques and trophies from the Heritage Music Festival held in Myrtle Beach, S.C., April 6-9.

The bands, the only ones repre-

senting a middle school among several high school bands, were awarded most outstanding band and the sweepstakes trophy for highest cumulative score at the event.

The awards mark the second time in three years that the bands, under band director Alan Kaufman, received top awards at national band festivals.

Courtesy Photo

Weatherman Larry Sprinkle congratulates students of St. Mark School in Huntersville at an April 21 rally celebrating their raising more than $35,000 in the third annual School Walk for Diabetes April 7, benefiting the American Diabetes Association.

Last year’s total of $27,000 placed St. Mark School at number three nationally and, for the second year, the school maintained its status of number one in the southeast.

The school has raised more than $78,000 in three years. Both Sprinkle and Dianne Roth, executive director of the Charlotte American Diabetes Association office, were on hand to applaud the students’ achievements.

The walk program offers participating schools a percentage of the funds raised to be redeemed for physical education equipment. St. Mark School will share its funds with a Catholic school in Louisiana to help replenish equipment lost in Hurricane Katrina.

There are currently two students with Type 1 diabetes at St. Mark School.

“The lessons of this service-oriented project are many and meaningful,” said Marie Kenyon, the mother of one of the students. “The entire school learns about diabetes risk factors, the importance of physical fitness, and healthy food and lifestyle choices.”

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

May 12, 2006

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

‘The Da Vinci Code’ — a bomb about to go off Flimsy film is hardly worth boycotting or attention Sometimes you can tell by the pre-release hype that a movie is going to be a bomb.

The clamor around the upcoming “The DaVinci Code” tells me that this flick is going to fall somewhere between “Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow” and “Waterworld.”

What, you haven’t seen those duds?

Congratulate yourself.

Much of the publicity around “The Da Vinci Code” film is built on the always-irresistible storyline of David and Goliath, with the filmmakers as David and guess-whose church as Goliath.

Take “The DaVinci Code” story that appeared in the secular media during the first week of May. I attended a Rome conference for Catholic Church communications personnel April 28 where a Vatican official made a reference to the upcoming release of the movie.

The speech by Archbishop Angelo Amato, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was about communicating church teaching in a media-dominated world. He made several interesting points about how the Catholic press should not take on the agenda of the secular news media. Amen to that.

Then, in what sounded like an off-hand remark, he suggested that those in the room — about 300 people — should boycott “The DaVinci Code.”

When pressed during a question-andanswer session, he said he would not call for all Catholics to boycott the film. I thought that was the end of it.

But the archbishop is secretary in the same congregation once run by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. And so even though Archbishop Amato wasn’t speaking for the church, his position entitled the news media to look at it differently. The media has reported stories that gave the impression that the Catholic Church’s power could prevent a historically inaccurate piece of fiction from reaching the public.

In short order, the story hit the international wires with headlines like, “Vatican calls for ‘Da Vinci Code’ boycott,” a triumph of headline over reality. The next day, when I checked e-mail in my Rome hotel, a North Carolina reporter wanted to know the Diocese of Charlotte’s position on the “boycott.”

It took me a while to realize this reporter’s inquiry was based on an event that I had witnessed and had written off as no big deal. I used to be a reporter and I know a story when I hear one, and this one just didn’t strike me as having much

Catholics & the Media DAVID HAINS guest columnist

depth.

No one in this diocese is suggesting that Catholics boycott the movie. Bishop Peter J. Jugis summed up the attitude toward the movie in a recent statement: “‘The DaVinci Code’ is a work of fiction. The book’s author and the movie’s producers have no claim to a factual basis for the story. All who read the book or view the movie should understand that they are not experiencing any eternal or divine truth, and that what they are seeing is the creation of one man’s imagination.

“Answers to questions that arise from viewing the movie or reading the book can be found by reading sacred Scripture or the teachings of the Catholic Church,” said Bishop Jugis.

A boycott would, of course, give reporters a story for another day, the movie would receive free publicity and more tickets would be sold. Ca-ching!

But a boycott would say also that our faith in Jesus Christ and his church is somehow threatened by the whimsy of a writer with no apparent ability as a scholar.

In the past few months we have seen deadly demonstrations of protest by Muslim fundamentalists over the publication of a political cartoon. “The Da Vinci Code” depiction of Jesus hiding an elicit relationship with Mary Magdalene is insulting, but in the 22nd chapter of Mark’s Gospel we see a proper response.

In it, Jesus is insulted, mocked and abused on Good Friday. He responds with silence. For the “hype masters” in Hollywood and the news media, we Catholics should do the same.

And remember, Tom Hanks may have won an Academy Award for “Forrest Gump,” but he also was the star of the megadud “The Bonfires of the Vanities.”

Church unity through the bishops transmits apostolic faith, says pope

by CINDY WOODEN catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — Communion with the church of Rome, specifically through the apostolic succession of bishops, is “the sign, criterion and guarantee of the uninterrupted transmission” of the faith of the apostles, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Continuing his series of audience talks about the church May 10, Pope Benedict said that in order to ensure fidelity to Christ and his word through time a Christian community needs an individual who witnesses to the message “that was entrusted to him, not invented by him.”

The first individuals to fulfill the function of witness and guardian were the Twelve Apostles, who in turn chose other men to succeed them in witnessing to the truth of Christ and in guiding the Christian community, the pope said.

Although the membership, role and structure of the college of bishops “evolved progressively,” the Greek word “episcopus,” or bishop, already was used in reference to the second generation of the apostles’ successors, the pope said.

The term refers to “one who has a view from above or who watches, watches with his heart.”

Apostolic succession is not simply a matter of believing what the apostles believed, he said. The call and appointment of individual bishops must be traceable back to the apostles.

The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI

Very early in Christian history, he said, the successors of the apostles identified communion with St. Peter and his successors, the bishops of Rome, as a key sign of the authenticity of their succession and their role within the church.

“Apostolic succession — verified on the basis of communion with the church of Rome — is, therefore, the criterion for the permanence of the individual churches in the tradition of apostolic faith,” he said.

Just as Christ called the Twelve Apostles, the pope said, he has called their successors, the bishops of the church today.

The Holy Spirit makes Jesus, the good shepherd, present in the church through those he has called to lead, Pope Benedict said.

“In the words of the apostles and their successors, it is he who speaks to us; through their hands, it is he who acts in the sacraments; in their gaze, it is his gaze that surrounds us and makes us feel loved, welcomed in the heart of God,” the pope said.

David Hains is director of communications for the Diocese of Charlotte. Contact him at dwhains@charlottediocese.org.

WANT MORE INFO?

Still curious about “The Da Vinci Code” film? Find answers at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd. in Charlotte, when Father Matthew Buettner presents “The Catholic Response to ‘The Da Vinci

CNS illustration by Lucas Turnbloom, The Southern Cross

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May 12, 2006

God delights in you

Energy crisis or crisis of imagination?

Lord’s love for us is eternal, infinite The continuing message of this postEaster season is clear for those who have faith: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son so that everyone who believes in him ... may have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). The key to this passage is found in the word “love.”

When you love someone, you do not merely love in theory, you actually take delight in loving that person. One of the most obvious characteristics of love is that the lover desires to be with the loved one, “My soul longs for you O God” (Ps 42:2).

Did you ever stop to think that God longs for you personally?

Pope Benedict XVI, in his new encyclical “God Is Love,” had this to say: “I want my first encyclical to speak of the love which God lavishes upon us.”

He explained that God actually woos us. He lures us so that we will leave behind everything that is counterproductive to our union with him. He wants us to abide in him: “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God” (1 Jn 4:16).

The pope continued, “Authentic selfdiscovery, and indeed the discovery of God, is a journey, an ongoing exodus out of the closed, inward-looking self.”

FATHER JOHN CATOIR cns columnist

He referred to the mysterious words of Jesus: “Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it” (Lk 17:33).

We know that Jesus, in his love for us, followed the path of the cross and the resurrection. Just as the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies in order for new life to begin, so did Jesus give up his life that we might awaken to a new life of love.

He wants us to share this love with others.

First, God desires union with you.

He knows you yearn for him; in fact he put that yearning in you. But as difficult as it might be for you to imagine, he has a corresponding desire to be with you. He

longs for you to come to him.

Therefore, cast away any doubts you may have, and put on the indomitable will to believe in God’s personal love for you.

His love for you is eternal and infinite despite your unworthiness.

God sent his prophets to prepare you for the amazing revelation of his love. Zephaniah was a prophet who lived around 650 B.C. He denounced the worship of false gods and idols.

In his day the people worshiped the stars, the moon and the sun, all of which are inanimate objects incapable of love. He condemned this pagan practice, upholding the glory of the one, true God, proclaiming the pure monotheism taught

by Moses, the God of love.

To those who embraced this personal God, Zephaniah promised the fullness of joy. He ended his book with a hymn of joy, which is sung jubilantly by the faithful remnant.

The passage I like best in Zephaniah is found in Chapter 3:17. It speaks poetically about God’s love: “God will exult with joy over you. ...

He will renew you by his love. He will dance with shouts of joy for you, as on a day of festival” (Jerusalem Bible).

The great model for prisoners: ‘The convict Christ’ We must take seriously conditions Jesus gave us I have a heartwarming story to tell of a man, Michael Donofrio, who was once a prisoner and is now a friend, like a son.

Just before Easter I was set to work with Dominican Sister Ave Clark in her Heart-to-Heart Ministry at a church in Queens, N.Y. Sister Clark is someone who knows pain. She made headline news two years ago when she was hit by a runaway train in Queens.

We were bringing people together to speak of God’s wondrous mercy. I asked Sister Clark if I could invite Michael, a devout Catholic who has lived a true story of redemption, to work with us.

This beautiful Christ-formed nun said she would welcome him.

I met Michael some eight years ago when he was incarcerated at Green Haven Correctional Center and then later met him again when he was transferred to Fishkill, both New York state prisons where I had been doing “prison ministry work,” begun after my son and daughter-in-law were murdered.

Their deaths had taught me to embrace God’s love, mercy and forgiveness so that I would never become vengeful.

Going to prisons was the best place to learn if I was being truly honest in putting my trust in God.

The Bottom Line ANTOINETTE BOSCO cns columnist

In both prisons, Michael spoke to me of his love of the Lord, which he really had found after meeting two remarkable Christ-like priests — Msgr. Ed Donovan at Green Haven and, at Fishkill, Father Donald Licata (who died this March 3), who guided Michael into accepting his punishment for his crime and asking God’s forgiveness.

After serving 13 years, Michael was able to return to his “big Italian family” and two teenage daughters in the summer of 2005.

Michael and I became “pen pals,” and in letters he strengthened me to continue the anti-violence, anti-death penalty work I do in the name of Christ Jesus.

Michael spoke to us at Sister Clark’s retreat, and his words will be remembered: “You know, life is funny, and it took me to come to prison to appreciate life,” he said. “I was a bad guy at one time, and

now I love where I’m going in life. I love the little things in life — to see a smile on someone’s face, to look in someone’s eyes and know that life can be wonderful if you walk in God’s footsteps.”

The same week that Michael, Sister Clark and I worked together, I had received a copy of “The Convict Christ” by Jens Soering. So providential!

Serving a life sentence, Soering has written a powerful book that puts a spotlight on the inhumane, punishmentfocused criminal justice system in the United States, while telling his story of personal redemption, having found the compassion, humanity and love of Jesus.

From his prison cell, relating to the “convict Christ” who was on death row and was executed, he has looked for truth about crime and punishment in a place few people go: the Gospels.

So has Michael, and many other men and women prisoners and former prisoners I have worked with. Their search for faith in the Lord underscores why we must respect them.

To do this, we must unharden our hearts and take seriously the conditions Jesus gave us for making this his Father’s world: compassion, mercy, forgiveness and love.

The Human Side FATHER

EUGENE HEMRICK cns columnist

As I sat in gridlock, at least 100 cars and buses were around me with their engines idling. It had taken me approximately an hour to drive from the U.S. Capitol to the White House, a distance of one mile.

I wondered how many barrels of gasoline are wasted daily in similar circumstances.

Addressing the nation, President Bush said we need to depend less on oil. He should have been more imaginative and said that we need to be more visionary in conserving energy.

Among the automobiles in gridlock that day were hybrid Toyotas that shut off when standing still. Thus, gas is saved, pollution is minimized.

Perhaps skyrocketing gasoline prices will wake us up to the energy we waste.

Relying on catastrophic events, however, is not the way to solve our energy problems.

A new movement that encourages us to use our imaginations to the maximum is needed. Creative thinking, not crises, is our best weapon for achieving conservation.

The simple, creative insight to have hybrid cars that shut down when traffic isn’t moving now saves us countless barrels of oil each year. The brilliant insight that energy could be generated from the use of their brakes to power their electrical motors enables hybrids to get 50-plus miles per gallon of gas.

Automobiles aren’t the only consumers of oil. Our energy consumption ranges from heating and cooling our homes to producing everyday goods.

Ironically, the wide range of energy uses affords us a wide range of possibilities for imaginatively conserving it.

Take, for example, energy-efficient homes that employ enterprising solar systems capable of heating and cooling year around. Other homes are constructed of innovative insulating materials that are extremely efficient.

More efficient automobiles and homes are just a few examples of ways to reduce our dependency on oil. They are the result of the use of imagination — the No. 1 secret to success.

If we are to win the battle of energy efficiency, another major principle must come into play. The unleashing of imagination must begin in pre-school. At a very young age, children must be encouraged to develop an eye for imaginative conservation in situations of every kind.

Our times require imagination. The more we and our children stretch our imaginative capacities now, the more secure the future of our energy resources will be.

May 12, 2006

in the news

Faithful, loyal, honorable Pope says Swiss Guard is still an invaluable asset after 500 years

by CAROL GLATZ catholic news service

VAT I C A N C I T Y — Half a millennium since it was founded by Pope Julius II, the Swiss Guard, whose members pledge to risk their lives for the safety of the pope, is still an invaluable asset to the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI said as he blessed a contingent of former guards who took part in a 439-mile trek from Switzerland to Rome.

After walking for nearly a month, some 70 former guardsmen arrived in St. Peter’s Square May 4 to receive the pope’s blessing and pay tribute to the first 150 Swiss soldiers who came to Rome at the request of Pope Julius.

Pope Benedict praised the guards, saying their re-enactment of the arrival of the first Swiss Guards 500 years ago was “a beautiful initiative.”

He said their march from Bellinzona, Switzerland, to St. Peter’s Square “recalls the courage of the 150 Swiss citizens who, with valiant generosity, defended unto death the sovereign pontiff, writing an important page in the history of the church with their sacrifice.”

The pope was referring to the guards who died saving Pope Clement VII’s life during the sack of Rome May 6, 1527.

On this anniversary each year, the Vatican swears in new guards to help remind them of the seriousness of their commitment.

Pope Benedict gave thanks to God for all the hard work and “good carried out by your predecessors and for the priceless contribution the papal Swiss Guard continues to offer the Holy See today.”

Pope Benedict also presided over a special Mass May 6 in St. Peter’s Basilica to mark the Guard’s anniversary. In his homily, he said every pope after Pope Julius has always reaffirmed the need to maintain the special soldiers.

To be a member of the Swiss Guard “means to adhere to Christ and the church without reservations, ready to give (one’s) life for this,” he said.

While offering the current soldiers and veterans a “well-deserved and cordial thanks,” Pope Benedict also invited them to look to the future “with courage and faithfulness.”

Later that same day in St. Peter’s Square, 33 new recruits for the Swiss Guard were sworn in during a ceremony attended by their families as well as former guards and Vatican officials.

One by one, each new recruit took an oath to “faithfully, loyally and honorably” serve the pope with all his strength and to sacrifice his life, if necessary, to

Two groups of former guards — one regiment dressed in their ceremonial uniforms, and the other in hiking gear with matching red and white sport shirts — entered Rome’s ancient city walls.

A squadron of current Swiss Guard members then led the former guards through Rome’s downtown streets to St. Peter’s Square to receive their papal blessing and be reunited with family members.

Seven days of Swiss Guard jubilee celebrations in Rome included several concerts and fireworks.

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defend the pontiff.

To help honor the world’s oldest army, the pikemen and musketeers of the Honorable Artillery Company of London and the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts — respectively, the second- and third-oldest military corps in the world — took part in the event.

They, along with a historic corps from Madrid, Spain, and another from the Swiss canton of Fribourg, marched across St. Peter’s Square; many of them were wearing historic uniforms and bearing antique weaponry or playing the fife and drums.

Local city officials took part in May 4 celebrations that re-enacted the arrival of the first contingent of Swiss soldiers in Rome.

CNS photo by Carol Glatz

Swiss Guards, former and present, make their way up the main road leading to the Vatican May 4 in Rome.

They joined a re-enactment of the 1506 arrival of 150 Swiss soldiers at the request of Pope Julius II. The Swiss Guard is marking its 500th anniversary this year.