Oct. 24, 2008

October 24, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Perspectives Catholic teaching and voting; finding peace of mind during turbulent times

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI october 24, 2008

| Pages 14-15 Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

Where are the presidential candidates on education issues?

Dramatic stories in Bible have inspired artists for centuries

Catholic educators hope Catholic schools get attention, assistance

by CINDY WOODEN catholic news service

Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series on the Bible.

CAROL ZIMMERMANN catholic news service

Editor ’s note: This is the fourth in a series on the 2008 election.

WASHINGTON — Even though the economy and the war in Iraq often take the front seat in presidential campaign discussions, occasionally the two major parties’ candidates get the chance to outline their plans for the preschool-tocollege set.

Their educational agendas, emerging in speeches, party platforms and the candidates’ campaign Web sites, reveal similarities and See CAMPAIGN, page 9

Parish honored for stewardship Members of diocese attend conference by

KATIE MOORE staff writer

CHICAGO — A Greensboro parish was recognized by the International Catholic Stewardship Council for outstanding efforts in the area of stewardship.

St. Pius X Church received honorable mention in the competition for the council’s See AWARD, page 4

no. 44

Creating Scripture’s sacred images

CAMPAIGN ’08

by

vOLUME 17

CNS photo courtesy of the Vatican Museums

Michelangelo Merisi painted the “Deposition From the Cross” sometime between 1600 and 1604. The painting, housed at the Vatican Museums, shows the apostle John and Nicodemus laying Jesus on the anointing slab before burying him in the tomb. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Clopas are also shown.

VATICAN CITY — Biblical stories of love and betrayal, creation and destruction, glorious births and violent deaths have inspired artists for centuries.

The stories were the subject of simple engravings in the catacombs, miniature drawings used to illustrate handwritten copies of the Scriptures and the magnificent frescoes and oil paintings decorating churches and chapels.

Antonio Paolucci, director of the Vatican Museums, said artists have turned to the Bible for material because it is “a marvelous repertoire of situations.”

“Just look at the story of David, the story of Job, the story of King Solomon. The Bible is an immense repertoire of dramatic situations — dramatic in the sense of drama, like you would find in the theater or cinema,” he told Catholic News Service.

The task of an artist, he said, “is to represent human situations — extreme, dramatic

See BIBLE, page 8

Raising a spiritual fire Annual retreat explores role of laity, discipleship in faith by

KATHLEEN HEALY SCHMIEDER correspondent

CANDLER — Voices raised in song and prayer rang out during a recent retreat held at a mountain church.

Approximately 300 people attended Fire in the Mountains at St. Joan of Arc Church in Candler Oct. 18. Participants

ranged in age from teenagers to senior citizens.

Fire in the Mountains is a one-day annual retreat sponsored by the Diocese of Charlotte’s Asheville and Smoky Mountain vicariates and Office of Faith Formation.

See FIRE, page 5

Photo by Kathleen Healy Schmieder

A choir performs during the Fire in the Mountains retreat at St. Joan of Arc Church in Candler Oct. 18.

Culture Watch

In Memoriam

Local author signs book; some surprises in film on pope

Glenmary Father Bond remembered for missionary spirit

| Pages 10-11

| Page 12

Economic justice 1986 economic pastoral letter revisited during meltdown | Page 16

October 24, 2008

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

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

Economy no excuse to delay solving health care crisis, CHA head says WASHINGTON (CNS) — The nation’s current economic crisis must not deter efforts to achieve health care coverage for the 47 million uninsured Americans, the president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association told a New York audience Oct. 20.

Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity, delivered the third annual lecture in Catholic health care ethics at St. Catherine of Siena Church in New York.

The lecture and the annual Mass for the health care professions that preceded it are sponsored by the Dominican Friars Health Care Ministry of New York.

“We can continue to do bailouts, bridge loans, interest cuts and other prop-ups, but we will not have a renewed and vibrant economy without enacting health reform that covers everyone with a reasonable, basic package,” she said.

“It doesn’t matter whether your priority is the stock market or the poor

Sparing over the Sepulcher

Diocesan planner CNS photo by Debbie Hill

Franciscan Brother Christophe watches from above as an Easter Mass is celebrated in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem March 23. The church is built on the site believed to be the burial place of Jesus. A report published in the Israeli daily Haaretz Oct. 7 said a monastery on the church roof is in danger of collapse, but disputes between the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church have delayed repairs.

Franciscan calls monastery roof dispute in Holy Land nothing new JERUSALEM (CNS) — A report saying that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s Deir al-Sultan monastery on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is in danger of collapse is just another manifestation of a long-standing dispute, said a Franciscan friar.

“This is an old, long-standing issue; a long-standing property dispute” between the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church, said Father Athanasius Macora, who monitors the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.

“I don’t think the danger is imminent but there is a problem which needs to be dealt with,” said Father Macora.

He noted that the latest engineering report was initiated by the Ethiopian church, which is eager to have repairs made.

Parts of the report were published in the Israeli daily Haaretz Oct. 7. The article called the complex “a danger to human life.”

The monastery, made up of two chapels, an open courtyard, four service and storage rooms, and a series of tiny mud-hut rooms inhabited by Ethiopian monks, is reminiscent of a small African village. All agree it is in poor shape.

However, while the Ethiopian Orthodox clergy inhabit the rooftop —

often without access to water, electricity or heating in the winter — the Coptic church claims ownership of the area.

The two churches have not managed to reach an agreement that would permit the renovations to move ahead.

Father Macora, who is also responsible for monitoring the Status Quo agreement at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for the Franciscans, said the confrontation is a “classic dispute over property.”

“If there were real danger I am sure the (Israeli) government would take an immediate position,” he said.

The Status Quo is an agreement that regulates jurisdiction of and access to key Christian sites in Jerusalem for Catholic, Orthodox and other Christian communities. Among those sites is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where tradition holds that Jesus was buried.

In the meantime, Yaakov Salameh, head of the non-Jewish Department of the Israel Ministry of the Interior, said the Israeli government has offered to pay for and carry out the work but cannot move forward with any plan until the two churches reach an agreement.

“Each one of these churches has a country behind it and a wrong move could cause an international issue,” said Salameh. “The situation has reached a difficult level.”

For more events taking place in the Diocese of Charlotte, visit www.charlottediocese. org/calendarofevents-cn.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE CHARLOTTE — St. Peter Catholic Church, 507 S. Tryon Street, hosts “Learning and Voting the Common Good,” a presentation by Father James Hug, in Biss Hall (beneath the church) Oct. 25, 9-11 a.m., with refreshments served at 8:30 a.m. Father James Hug is executive director for the Center of Concern in Washington, D.C., a Catholic organization working in collaboration with ecumenical and interfaith networks to bring a prophetic voice for social and economic justice to a global context. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Barbara Dellinger at (704) 807-6125.

CHARLOTTE — All women of the diocese are invited to hear Father Timothy Reid, pastor of St. Ann Church, speak about“Catholic Responsibilities Regarding Voting” at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd., Nov. 3, at 10 a.m. This event is sponsored by the Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group. For more information or to RSVP, contact Gayle Bell at gbell56@aol.com.

CHARLOTTE — In observance of All Souls Day, a special Mass for the deceased will be held at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd.,

or anywhere in between,” Sister Carol Keehan. “We need effective and efficient health reform to help all of us.”

The Catholic leader said it is “utterly incompatible with our pro-life agenda” that 9 million U.S. children are among the uninsured.

“What child doesn’t deserve health care?” she asked. “What could possibly justify not giving a child health care?”

Sister Keehan cited a number of recent studies showing that only 7 percent of Americans “feel financially prepared for their future health needs” and that a quarter of cancer patients deplete all or most of their savings to pay for their care.

“When it comes to health care reform, the common good is at its best,” she said. “We take care of not only the poor, the vulnerable, but ourselves best when we create a system that recognizes the dignity and worth of every single person.” on Sunday, Nov. 2. The names of those who have died this past year will be read at the 12:30 Mass, which will include special music. The names of those who have died will also be printed in the parish bulletin. For more information, contact the church office at (704) 364-5431.

CHARLOTTE — A series of talks, “Understanding Your Late Life Choices,” will be held at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd., on four consecutive Wednesdays beginning Oct. 22, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

The next talk, “A Lawyer’s View — Making Your Money Last,” will be Nov. 5. These talks are free and open to the public. To make reservations, call St. Gabriel Church at (704) 364-5431. For more information call Suzanne Bach at (704) 335-0253.

CHARLOTTE – St. Peter Church, 507 South Tryon St., will host “Sacred Intimacy: An Ignatian Retreat for Women” Nov. 8. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., retreat starts at 9 a.m. Consider setting aside some personal time for a morning of reflection.

There is no cost to attend the event and parking is free in The Green parking garage next door to the church. To register, call the church office at (704) 332-2901 or e-mail retreat4women@gmail.com.

CHARLOTTE — A Monday morning Adult Spirituality series takes place once a month at New Creation Monastery, 1309 Duncan Gardens Dr. The next talk, “The Mystery of the Church: Encouraging the Age of the Laity,” will be held Nov. 10. The gathering will begin with Mass at 9 a.m. followed by the presentation and discussion of the topic at 10 a.m. In the afternoon, there will be a homily preparation series for priests, deacons, catechists and anyone interested in sharing insights on the Sunday Scriptures of the month. The afternoon series will begin with bag lunch at 12 p.m. followed by chant mid-day prayer at 12:45 p.m. and homily preparation at 1 p.m. For more information, contact Father John Vianney Hoover at (704) 344-0934.

CHARLOTTE — A novena of prayerful eucharistic adoration will be held at St. Patrick Cathedral Oct. 26 following the 12:30 p.m. Mass and continue for nine days, ending Nov. 3 with Benediction at 7 p.m. During the novena, everyone is invited to

october 24, 20 08 Volume 17 • Number 44

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

The Catholic News & Herald, USPC 007-393, is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203, 44 times a year, weekly except for Christmas week and Easter week and every two weeks during June, July and August for $15 per year for enrollees in parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and $23 per year for all other subscribers. The Catholic News & Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising for any reason deemed appropriate. We do not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers. Second-class postage paid at Charlotte NC and other cities. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237.

October 24, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 3

Vatican: Stop pressuring pope on Science is risky when overtaken by desire Pope Pius XII’s beatification to play God, pope says FROM THE VATICAN

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Scientific research poses risks for humans when it is overtaken by profit-seeking or the desire to play God, Pope Benedict XVI said.

The pope said science alone cannot provide ethical principles and for that reason needs philosophy and theology to help guide it and guard it from risks.

He made the remarks Oct. 16 in an address to participants in a Rome conference on Pope John Paul II’s 1998 encyclical, “Fides et Ratio” (“Faith and Reason”).

Pope Benedict said his predecessor’s encyclical rightly aimed at defending the strength of reason and its capacity to reach the truth.

In recent times, he said, scientific research has tended more toward discovering the secrets of nature than finding ultimate truths. In turn, this desire to know nature has been “transformed

into the will to reproduce it,” he said.

While the church does not fear the progress made by science and technology, it recognizes that such advances are not always directed toward the good of the human being.

“Easy profit or, worse yet, the arrogance of substituting the Creator, are sometimes a determining factor,” he said. This is a form of pride that can be dangerous for the human race, he said.

“Philosophy and theology become, in this context, indispensable aids ... so that science does not proceed alone down an ambiguous path, full of the unexpected and not without risk,” he said.

He said the church’s position does not mean limiting scientific research or blocking its progress, but rather being vigilant so that faith and reason both maintain a sense of responsibility regarding science.

join in prayerful discernment of their upcoming vote. Perpetual adoration will be interrupted only

by Mass. This is not a time for campaigning or discussion, just private adoration and prayer. For more information, contact the church office at (704) 334-2283.

HICKORY VICARIATE HICKORY — The annual World Community Day ecumenical worship service will be held at Exodus Missionary Outreach Church, 1763 Highland Ave. NE, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. This celebration will explore how we can reach out with God’s love to those behind bars with the theme “God’s Wisdom Set’s Us Free.” Guest speaker will be Deacon Scott Gilfillan from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Newton. He will speak about his experience in prison ministry. For more information, call Carole Marmorato at (828) 256-8956.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE GREENSBORO — All men of the Triad area are invited to participate in a short study of Pope Benedict XVI’s second encyclical, “Spe Salvi” (“Saved by Hope”), Tuesdays at St. Joseph’s House at Our Lady of Grace Church, 2205 W. Market St., from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. On Oct. 28, the group will be discussing paragraphs 24-31. This event is sponsored

by Regnum Christi. For more information, contact John Endredy at (336) 449-3656.

GREENSBORO — The Catholic Daughters of the Americas invite all Catholics in the Diocese of Charlotte to participate in White Ribbon Against Pornography Week, Oct. 26-Nov. 2. The Catholic Daughters request that participating parishioners wear a white ribbon to make people aware of the damage pornography — via the Internet, TV, movies, books and magazines — is causing in society.

GREENSBORO — A Men’s Evening of Reflection will be held at Our Lady of Grace Church, 2205 W. Market St. Nov. 5, 6:30-8 p.m. This month’s theme is “Never, Never, Ever Quit” and will feature a reflection on the virtue of perseverance in the lives of men who are husbands, fathers, workers and apostles. Pizza and refreshments will be served in the library at 6:30 p.m., followed by the talk in the church from 7 to 8 p.m. For more information, contact John Endredy at (336) 449-3656.

GREENSBORO — In keeping with the special Pauline year as declared by Pope Benedict XVI, a special dramatic presentation entitled “St. Paul: His Story” will be presented by Paulist Father James DiLuzio, a missionary, actor and singer, at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd., Nov. 13, 7-9 p.m. Admittance is free. Father DiLuzio works out of New York City, traveling throughout the country with this powerful presentation on the life and work of St Paul. For more information, contact Jeannine Martin at (336) 294-4696, extension 225.

Episcopal

calendar

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE CLEMMONS — Starting in January, Holy Family in Clemmons is hosting a new Homeschool Enrichment Program for Catholic homeschooling families. The program will allow Catholic families to come together for the rosary, liturgy and other activities. Enrichment classes are free and are available for students in pre-kindergarten through middle school. For more information, call Katie Knickrehm at 336-996-2643 or go online to www.holyfamilyhomeschoolenrichment.com.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican has asked those supporting and opposing the beatification of Pope Pius XII to stop pressuring Pope Benedict XVI on the issue.

The Vatican statement came after the latest public clash over whether Pope Pius did enough to help Jews during World War II. Jesuit Father Peter Gumpel, one of the promoters of Pope Pius’ sainthood cause, said in an interview Oct. 18 that Pope Benedict could not possibly travel to Israel until curators of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem removed a photo caption stating that Pope Pius did nothing to condemn the Nazis and their slaughter of the Jews.

Father Gumpel said the caption was “an obvious historical falsification” and that as long as it remained, a papal visit to Israel “would be a scandal for Catholics.”

But the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, reiterated the Vatican’s objections to the Yad Vashem display, but said it was not a decisive obstacle to a papal trip.

Pope Benedict wants to travel to the Holy Land, but for now nothing has been planned, the spokesman said.

Father Lombardi emphasized that Pope Benedict has not signed the decree

of heroic virtues of Pope Pius, the next step necessary for his sainthood cause to advance.

“That is the subject of study and reflection on (the pope’s) part, and in this situation it is not appropriate to exercise pressure on him in one direction or the other,” Father Lombardi said.

In recent months, many Catholic experts have expressed their strong hope that the sainthood cause for Pope Pius would be moved forward, after the Vatican Congregation for Saints’ Causes completed its documentation work and unanimously recommended beatification.

At the same time, Jewish groups have reiterated their strong opposition to beatification of Pope Pius, saying it would set back Catholic-Jewish dialogue.

Vatican and other church officials, supported by some Jewish experts, have made recent highly publicized efforts to defend Pope Pius and his wartime record, saying that his behind-the-scenes efforts saved thousands of Jewish lives.

They have said Pope Pius was ultimately responsible for establishing a clandestine network of safe houses for people escaping Nazi persecution, utilizing the church’s religious orders, communities, convents and seminaries — and even the pope’s own summer residence outside Rome.

Cryptic conditions

WINSTON-SALEM — The national “40 Days for Life” campaign is being held Sept. 24 through Nov. 2. In addition to 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion in America, consider volunteering to pray outside of the Planned Parenthood abortion facility at 3000 Maplewood Ave. Volunteers are needed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day during the 40 days.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Donna Dyer at (336) 940-2558 or Toni Buckler at (336) 782-6062, or go online to the Web site www.40daysforlife.com/winstonsalem.

Is your parish or school sponsoring a free event open to the general public? Deadline for all submissions for the Diocesan Planner is 10 days prior to desired publication date.

Submit in writing to kmmoore@charlottediocese.org or fax to (704) 370-3382.

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

Oct. 28 (7 p.m.)

Sacrament of confirmation St. Joseph Church, Bryson City

Nov. 1 (12 p.m.)

Sacrament of confirmation Divine Redeemer, Boonville

Oct. 30 (6 p.m.)

Friends of Seminarians Dinner Bishop’s residence, Charlotte

Nov. 4 (11 a.m.)

Presbyteral Council meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

CNS photo by Cheryl Ravelo, Reuters

Residents take a bath inside a cemetery in Manila, Philippines, Oct. 21. Many poor urban dwellers make their homes in public cemeteries, converting abandoned tombs and mausoleums into houses. The local government plans to move out the hundreds of people who live in the cemeteries before the feast of All Souls, a day of remembrance for the dead when Catholics visit the graves of their relatives.

CORRECTIONS In an Oct. 17 story, Deacon Louis Pais was reported as celebrating 25 years as a permanent deacon. It is actually 30 years.

In a Sept. 26 story, it was reported the Diocese of Charlotte purchased the land for St. Bernadette Mission in Linville. It was actually the congregation who purchased the land.

The Catholic News & Herald regrets the errors.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

around the diocese

St. Pius X Church recognized for stewardship efforts AWARD, from page 1

Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy Award, an award presented to the parish that best exemplifies an all-round approach to stewardship. The award was presented at the council’s annual conference in Chicago Oct. 12-15.

The council was founded in 1962 through the patronage of Cardinal Joseph Ritter with the goal of promoting the concept of Christian stewardship.

This year, more than 1,200 people including bishops, pastors and parish leaders from at least 23 different countries attended the four-day conference; among them were parishioners from St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte and St. Paul the Apostle and St. Pius X churches in Greensboro.

“The application process for the Murphy award was a great way for us to review what has been working with our stewardship efforts and that which needed to be improved upon,” said Msgr. Anthony Marcaccio, pastor of St. Pius X Church.

In terms of the criteria for the award, the parish has to have shown a longterm commitment to stewardship and excellence in every aspect of stewardship, according to Barbara Gaddy, associate director of development for the Diocese of Charlotte.

Gaddy credits the efforts of the pastoral staff and parish leadership team for supporting and encouraging stewardship as a way of life at St. Pius X Church. She also attributed much of the parish’s stewardship success to the guidance of Msgr. Marcaccio, who “lives and preaches the message of stewardship in his parish,” she said.

The parish, which consists of approximately 1,222 families, has assembled a stewardship strategic planning committee to look at the effectiveness of past stewardship efforts and set goals for the future, according to Pat Spivey, pastoral associate.

October 24, 2008

“The pastoral staff is really on fire and has a tremendous vision about where the parish can go in embracing stewardship as a way of life,” said Gaddy.

Spivey said the conference offered practical ideas for increasing parish participation in stewardship by offering new approaches to publicity and new ways of exhibiting hospitality.

“I gained an appreciation for how St. Pius X parish is as a stewardship community and how it has developed over the years,” said Anne Knapke, assistant principal of St. Pius X School and a member of the parish Youth Stewards in Action Committee. She said she plans to use what she learned at the conference to help her students grow in their appreciation for stewardship.

Knapke said the committee is working to increase communication among the youths of the parish, particularly by bridging the gap between those attending Catholic school and those attending public or private, non-Catholic schools.

“Each of us has a talent,” said Knapke, “And without every person in our parish community, we would not be the community that we are.”

Participants at this year’s conference were asked to look at stewardship as a new way of parish life. The theme, “Evangelization and Stewardship in the Spirit of St. Paul,” highlighted the concept of an evangelizing spirit that is present in every parishioner and in every dimension of the Catholic parish.

Throughout the conference, participants were reminded of the fervent way that St. Paul reached out to the early church by promoting evangelization and stewardship.

There was something for everyone at this year’s conference, according to Gaddy.

“The speakers were inspiring and challenging, regardless of whether you were just getting into stewardship or you have been doing it for a long time,” said Gaddy. “No matter where your parish is on its stewardship journey, you can learn something new.”

Rallying for the rosary

Courtesy Photo

Participants of the 65th semi-annual Rosary Rally — including first communicants, a Knight of Columbus and Catholic Daughters of the Americas — are pictured in St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte Oct. 12.

The event included recitation of the rosary, a eucharistic procession and Benediction. Father Roger Arnsparger, pastor of St. Michael Church in Gastonia, was the homilist.

Courtesy Photo

Children take part in a rosary chain during a Rosary Fiesta held at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte Oct. 18. The fiesta was part of a Filipino ministry event co-sponsored by five Marian groups to celebrate Mary and the rosary during October. Each child represented a bead in the rosary and led the group in that bead’s prayer.

Local Knights of Columbus council receives international recognition MORGANTON — Knights of Columbus Father William T. McShea Council 9579 of Morganton has been named a Columbian Award winner for the 2007-08 fraternal year.

The announcement was made by the Knights’ international headquarters in New Haven, Conn. John Gouldie, state deputy of the N.C. state council, presented the engraved plaque to Council 9579 at a special ceremony Oct. 13.

The award is presented for excellence in sponsorship of programs that serve families, church, youths and community as well as council members.

“Receiving this award is quite an honor. We are very pleased with this accomplishment,” said Grand Knight John Lefeber of Council 9579.

“The dedication of the principles and aims of the order shown by your officers and members is exemplified

by the high standard of excellence you have achieved,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson in a statement to Council 9579.

“At the same time, I encourage you to carry forward the enthusiasm to meet the challenges that will face the Knights of Columbus in the years ahead,” said Anderson.

“May this award be a reminder and an inspiration to the members of your council to continue to promote the ideals of Columbianism for the good of the church, your community and the order,” he said.

The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic fraternal organization with nearly 1.7 million members worldwide.

In 2007, the Knights completed more than 68 million hours of volunteer service and donated $144.9 million to charitable and benevolent causes.

Courtesy Photo

Bishop Peter J. Jugis talks with pro-life advocates praying in front of an abortion clinic in Charlotte Oct. 16. Bishop Jugis joined the group in praying the rosary for the unborn. The vigil was part of the “40 Days for Life” campaign, running Sept. 24-Nov. 2, to raise awareness to pro-life issues and end abortion.

At left: Students at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro take part in a living rosary outside Our Lady of Grace Church Oct. 8.

Students leading the prayers were “connected” to one another by a chain made of tulle and held flowers to represent the different beads of the rosary.

Courtesy Photo

October 24, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 5

around the diocese

“We are called to be examples of Catholic faith.”

— Susan Muto

Catholic doctors united by faith Local couple attends Catholic medical conference, find community of support among peers by

KATIE MOORE staff writer

Photo by Dr. Cris Villapando

Susan Moto talks during Fire in the Mountains at St. Joan of Arc Church in Candler Oct. 18.

Annual retreat explores role of laity, discipleship FIRE, from page 1

Featured speakers for this year’s retreat were Susan Muto, author and co-founder of Epiphany Association, a resource center for postgraduate study in formative spirituality in Pennsylvania; and Capuchin Franciscan Father Roberto Martinez from Puerto Rico.

During her English-language talk, themed “Becoming Spiritually Mature,” Muto said it was “the era of the laity,” who, from the time of their first Communion, are called to transform the world into a “house of God.” “We are called to in-depth spiritual formation … we are called to be examples of Catholic faith,” she said.

Furthering the spiritual life of the laity requires study, and participation in retreats and classes, said Muto.

She encouraged also the study of those who have already walked in the

ways of Christ.

“It is so important to read the classical spiritual masters of the church,” said Muto.

During his Spanish-language talk, themed “Called to be Disciples,” Father Martinez said he hoped to share his faith and encourage the Hispanic community to grow in theirs.

“Often the community is here without family,” said Father Martinez. “They are alone, afraid of persecution. Church is a place to hold onto something.”

Faith can bring rewards, but often requires sacrifice, he said.

“To be a Christian in the early church was a big commitment and it was counter-cultural,” he said.

“Sacrifice can bring great joy,” said Father Martinez. “The paradox includes joy you would never experience until you take up the cross. We need to remember that so we don’t compromise.”

Father Martinez noted the differences in how he is perceived when he wears his cassock as opposed to regular clothes.

He admitted it is sometimes easier to appear in public without such a clear statement of his Catholic faith apparent to the world.

“It is sometimes in things like this, in the little ways where we compromise,” he said. But “we can witness through physical things to open a door to begin dialogue.”

“Walking through the Charlotte airport in my robe on this trip, I was stopped by several people — some Catholic, some not — and I saw others noticed and sometimes stared, especially children,” he said.

Father Martinez encouraged his audience to witness their faith through such physical things as well as their actions.

“Don’t compromise your values.

Pray to be strong,” he said.

BALTIMORE — Maureen Kennedy retired from her career as an obstetrician/ gynecologist in 2000 but she remembers all too well the challenges that Catholic medical professionals face on a daily basis.

When Kennedy and her husband Jim McGovern, a pediatric cardiologist, attended the Catholic Medical Association’s 77th annual Educational Conference in Baltimore, Md., Oct. 9-11, they were relieved to meet other medical professionals who were dedicated to defending the culture of life in the medical field.

“You didn’t have to worry about talking about natural family planning or being against abortion,” said Kennedy, who attends St. Barnabas Church in Arden with her husband and their three children.

“There were no eggshells to walk on because everybody was on the same page,” she said.

This year, the conference’s theme was “Theology of the Body” and session topics focused on applying the teachings to various areas: understanding and healing interpersonal relationships, including the physician-patient relationship; raising and treating children; health and reproduction; and issues in aging.

“It was just really interesting how they could apply it (‘Theology of the Body’) to pediatrics, to geriatrics, to midlife, to how we relate to our patients and certainly all the aspects of defending life in the medical world,” said Kennedy. “‘Theology of the Body’ teaches us that we’re not just a bunch of parts. We have a dignity because God gave us these bodies. And so really, it is about caring for the patient as a whole,” she said.

The CMA is a national professional association, founded as the Catholic Physicians Guild by Cardinal William O’Connell in Boston in 1912.

Dr. John Brehany, executive director of the CMA, which draws members from the United States and Canada, said that approximately 320 people registered for the conference.

Dr. George Isajiw, of Upper Darby, Pa., the association’s president in 199293, said the group’s membership rolls plummeted after Pope Paul VI in 1968 issued “Humanae Vitae” (“Of Human Life”), his encyclical on artificial contraception and the role of procreation in marriage.

The 7,000-word encyclical upheld the church’s long-standing prohibition

on artificial contraception. Initially, it was thought that Pope Paul might support the use of birth control, and once the encyclical was released opposition rose throughout the church.

“When the (CMA) board voted to support ‘Humanae Vitae,’ we lost more than 50 percent of our members,” Isajiw said. “The organization dropped down to just several hundred, but we’ve seen great growth in the last 10-15 years.”

Membership is booming, thanks to younger health care professionals.

“We’re getting an influx of younger members, men and women who are just starting their practices. Many are joining because of issues related to contraception, natural family planning,” Isajiw said.

“It was very encouraging to see that there are people who are trying to be faithful and do the right thing not just medically, but for the patient as a whole,” said Kennedy.

The original guild was established in order to educate Catholic physicians in church doctrine relating to the practice of medicine.

To d a y t h e C M A p r o v i d e s professional and spiritual support to Catholic physicians and medical students in order to maintain their Catholic values in their medical practices.

“My hope is that more physicians and medical people learn about this so that we can all sort of ban together,” said Kennedy.

The conference concluded Oct. 11 with Baltimore Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien celebrating an evening White Mass for health care professionals at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The White Mass draws its name from the traditional uniform color associated with the medical profession.

Next year’s conference will be held in Springfield, Ill. Oct. 22-24, 2009.

The theme will be the “Theology of Suffering: Bringing faith, hope, and love to the art of healing.”

Contributing to this article was Catholic News Service.

Contact Staff Writer Katie Moore by calling (704) 370-3354, or e-mail kmmoore@charlottediocese.org.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information on the Catholic Medical Association, visit its Web site at www.cathmed.org.

Attention Readers!

Have a Story to Share?

Do you have a story to share with The Catholic News & Herald? Do you know of people who are living the tenets of their faith? Do you have photos of a parish- or ministry-based event?

If so, please share them with us.

Contact Staff Writer Katie Moore at (704) 370-3354 or kmmoore@charlottediocese.org.

6 The Catholic News & Herald

around the diocese

Diocese of Charlotte named in lawsuit Diocese refutes priest’s transfer was ‘rushed’ CHARLOTTE — In a recently filed civil lawsuit, a Charlotte man claims he was sexually molested by a priest in Charlotte in 1999.

The suit names Capuchin Franciscan Father Robert Yurgel, who served in the Diocese of Charlotte at St. Matthew Church and Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte during the late 1990s.

In April, Father Yurgel was arrested in New Jersey, where he was ministering in a hospital. At that time, he was returned to North Carolina to face charges of having sex with a minor.

He is currently free on bond and living outside North Carolina, and is being supervised by his religious order, the Capuchin Franciscans.

Except to refute one statement that was reported in the secular news about the lawsuit, the Diocese of Charlotte, through its spokesman David Hains, said the diocese would respond to the suit in due time. The refuted statement regards an allegation that Father Yurgel’s transfer out of the diocese in 1999 was “rushed.” Hains described the allegation as an “absolute falsehood.”

Since the diocese adopted the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” in 2002, more than 18,000 diocesan employees and church volunteers have attended the diocese’s sex-abuse awareness training program, “Protecting God’s Children.”

The diocese conducts background

checks on employees and volunteers to safeguard the young and the vulnerable.

More than 3,800 background checks were conducted during the last fiscal year.

The training and background checks are ongoing.

In June 2002 at a meeting in Dallas, the U.S. bishops adopted the charter and its mandates for an annual audit and survey and also adopted the “Essential Norms” to assure that all dioceses adhere to the charter.

The charter also established the Office of Child and Youth Protection and the National Review Board to oversee compliance with the charter. The Diocese of Charlotte has been found in compliance with the charter.

The charter was updated in 2005, the norms in 2006. The charter and norms have Vatican approval.

NEED ASSISTANCE? As a part of its commitment to support the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” the Diocese of Charlotte has appointed a coordinator to assist survivors of sexual abuse.

The assistance coordinator can help survivors of abuse, whether the incident took place in the Diocese of Charlotte or in another diocese.

The current coordinator is David Harold. Contact him at (704) 370-3363 or dwharold@charlottediocese.org.

D i o c e s a n r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r r e p o r t in g mini s t ry- r e l at e d sexual abuse of a minor 1. Any individual having actual knowledge of or reasonable cause to suspect an incident of ministry-related sexual abuse is to immediately report the incident to the Chancery.

2. The Chancery will then report the incident to the proper civil authorities. The individual reporting the incident to the Chancery will be notified of the particulars regarding the Chancery’s filing of the incident with civil authorities.

3. This reporting requirement is not intended to supersede the right of an individual to make a report to civil authority, but is to ensure proper, complete and timely reporting.

Should an individual choose to make a report to civil authority, a report is still to be made to the Chancery.

Variety of lay experts serve on U.S. bishops’ National Review Board WASHINGTON (CNS) — Two educators, a district court judge, a psychologist and a civic association leader are among those serving three-year terms on the National Review Board.

A judge and another psychologist also have been named to the board for terms beginning June 1, 2009.

Established by the bishops in 2002, the board reviews diocesan compliance with the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” oversees diocesan audits on child protection policies and practices, and recommends ways to ensure child protection to dioceses and church-based agencies.

The recent additions to the board began their terms in June. They were: — Ana Maria Catanazaro, an associate professor, director of public health programs and director of La Salle Neighborhood Nursing Center at La Salle

University in Philadelphia. She also is a member of the Philadelphia Archdiocese’s Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People.

— Ruben Gallegos, who spent 33 years as an educator and currently is executive director of International Educational Services Inc., a Los Fresnos, Texas-based child care association for unaccompanied minors from Central America.

— Al Notzon III, recently retired as the director of the Alamo Area Council of Governments in Texas and chairman of the San Antonio Archdiocesan Review Board.

— Thomas Plante, professor of psychology at Santa Clara University and adjunct clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine.

— Judge Geraldine Rivera of the second judicial district of New Mexico’s District Court.

October 24, 2008

Helping warm the body of Christ

Annual Blanket Banquet cares for record number of needy in Charlotte CHARLOTTE — As the crowd at the Eucharistic Congress began to depart the Charlotte Convention Center, another crowd was gathering nearby.

More than 200 people were served by the fourth annual Blanket Banquet outside St. Peter Church in uptown Charlotte Oct. 4.

Volunteers from parishes around the Diocese of Charlotte collected and gave away blankets, clothing, sleeping bags and other items, including meals, to homeless individuals and people in need.

The Blanket Banquet began as a social action component to the Eucharistic Congress, according to Linda Flynn, this year’s Blanket Banquet coordinator and a parishioner of St. Luke Church in Mint Hill.

“This event changes all of us,” said Flynn. “We see our differences simply melt away as we celebrate being one family, one body in Christ.”

Flynn said the Blanket Banquet was especially crucial this year with expected colder temperatures as well as the worsening economy.

Volunteers served more than 225 people, an increase of 50 percent from last year’s Blanket Banquet.

Among them was an increase in women, three of whom were pregnant, said Flynn.

Many of those served expressed joy and gratitude, said Flynn, not only for the items and food but “for the respect shown to them, a simple recognition of their human dignity not common in their daily experience.”

The volunteers also provided spiritual encouragement and practical advice on where to find assistance.

In 2007, there were approximately 5,000 homeless persons in the Charlotte area, according to a story in Charlotte Weekly.

As of June, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools reported 2,493 homeless students, a 35 percent increase from two years ago.

“This event changes all of us. We see our differences melt away as we celebrate being one family, one body in Christ.”

— Linda Flynn

October 24, 2008

advertisement

The Catholic News & Herald 7

8 The Catholic News & Herald

EXPLORING THE BIBLE

Dramatic stories in Bible inspire artists for centuries BIBLE, from page 1

situations,” and the Bible is bursting with them.

Sitting in his top-floor office in the Vatican, Paolucci narrated visually inspiring biblical scenes: “Mary Magdalene, this attractive blonde — artists have painted her as a blonde; you have to let artists use their imaginations — who begins to cry and wipes Jesus’ feet with her hair.

“The Bible is full of these situations that are by definition artistic,” he said.

The collections housed in the Vatican Museums are by no means limited to religious art, but obviously the place is a treasure-trove of sacred images.

Paolucci does not buy the idea that some works of religious art were motivated by a challenge to visually educate Christians in the faith and others were motivated simply by a search for beauty.

“For Catholic artists, aesthetics coincides precisely with faith — they are the same thing,” he said. “Ancient artists, especially, were convinced that in order to recount the things of God, religious truths, one must use beauty.”

The more beautiful a work, he said, the closer it comes to showing people something about God. Sistine Chapel The most famous part of the Vatican Museums — the Sistine Chapel — is a perfect example of beauty placed at the service of education in the faith.

“Because it was a papal chapel, it had to show how the church of Rome accepted the ancient Scriptures, the Hebrew Scriptures, and joined them to the New Testament,” Paolucci said.

The frescoes on the chapel’s south wall depict scenes from the life of Moses, the giver of the law who led his people out of slavery in Egypt to new life in the Promised Land; the north wall frescoes illustrate parallel scenes from the life of Jesus, who revealed the new commandment and frees people from their slavery to sin, giving them new life.

The side walls were painted in 1481-83.

“Then, in 1508 — 500 years ago — Michelangelo arrives and does the ceiling,” Paolucci said.

“With that, the chapel presents a synthesis of the entirety of Christian theology: the law of Moses and the Old Testament on one wall; the new command of Christ on the opposite wall; the creation of the world overhead; and, in front of us, that which awaits us after death — the Last Judgment,” he said.

“The chapel is the synthesis of the catechism,” Paolucci said.

The perfect symbol When pressed, Paolucci said his favorite Old Testament-themed art in the Vatican Museums is Sandro Botticelli’s

CNS photo courtesy of the Vatican Museums

This is a detail from Sandro Botticelli’s “The Trials of Moses,” painted on the south wall of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.

“The Trials of Moses,” which is one of the panels on the south wall of the Sistine Chapel.

The fresco shows several scenes from the second and third chapters of Exodus.

“Botticelli’s work is very elegant, refined,” he said.

As for a work inspired by a New Testament story, Paolucci responded even before the question was finished: “I have no doubts. It’s ‘The Deposition of Christ’ by Caravaggio.”

The massive oil painting, executed at the beginning of the 1600s, shows the lifeless body of Jesus taken down from the cross by Nicodemus and the apostle John in the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Clopas.

The face of the crucified Jesus is ashen, but his body — soon to be resurrected — is bathed in light.

In Christian art, Paolucci said, the two most popular themes are those surrounding the birth of Jesus and those surrounding his death and resurrection.

“The Nativity scene and the crucified Jesus are everywhere in art throughout the world,” he said. “They are so popular because they are the synthesis of our religion: Jesus was born and died on the cross, offering his blood as a sacrifice for the salvation of all men and women.”

Christian artists are not the only ones who have found in the crucifixion the perfect symbol of the “terrible, dramatic” death of an innocent, Paolucci said.

The Vatican Museums’ Collection of Contemporary Religious Art includes “Christ and the Painter,” just one of the crucifixion scenes painted by the Jewish artist Marc Chagall.

The contemporary collection is growing despite the fact that “there are not many world-famous artists today interested in religious themes,” he said.

The most prolific period for biblicalthemed art was the Middle Ages, he said, because “it was a very religious time.

People were really afraid of hell because of the Black Death.”

October 24, 2008

Pope emphasizes that theology, Scripture go hand in hand VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In his first address to the world Synod of Bishops on the Bible, Pope Benedict XVI underlined that theology and Scriptures must go hand in hand with exegetical studies.

When exegesis — critical analysis or interpretation — does not appeal to theology or when Scripture is not the soul of theology or theology is not rooted in the Scriptures, then there is a problem with the way sacred writings are being interpreted, the pope said during the synod Oct. 14.

Canadian Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, the synod’s English-language briefing officer, told reporters Oct. 14 that in the pope’s seven-minute speech on the exegesis of the Bible “he spoke about the three methodological elements of interpretation, the unity of all Scriptures and the living tradition of the church that’s present as we read the Scriptures.”

T h e Va t i c a n n e w s p a p e r , L’Osservatore Romano, said the pope’s talk echoed the 1993 document, “The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church,” issued by the Pontifical Biblical Commission, which was headed by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now

the pope. That document commented on the strengths and potential weaknesses of a variety of approaches currently found in biblical scholarship.

In his synod talk, the pope said the historical-critical method of interpretation of Scriptures has helped people understand that sacred texts are not myths, but true history, and the method helps scholars understand the “deep unity of all of Scripture,” the newspaper said in its Oct. 15 edition.

However, an exegesis that exclusively uses a historical-critical method carries with it great risks, he said.

L’Osservatore Romano reported the pope said such an interpretation could lead people to believe the Bible is only a book about the past.

He said if the hermeneutics of faith disappears and is replaced by a positivistic or secular hermeneutics, then the divine does not appear in history and, as is happening in the work of some biblical scholars in Germany, the resurrection of Christ is refuted.

Pope Benedict sees no reason for theology and exegesis to be separated, L’Osservatore Romano said.

October 24, 2008

campaign ’08

The Catholic News & Herald 9

Presidential candidates and education issues BIBLE, from page 1

plenty of differences.

And while they tend to speak primarily of public schools, Catholic school officials are paying attention to their promises, looking for what a future administration may emphasize.

Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama agree on the importance of having qualified teachers in the classroom and the need to make college tuition more affordable.

They disagree on school choice, how to improve teacher quality and how to fund public education.

In tackling educational reform, they plan to keep in place, although in a changed form, the No Child Left Behind Act, which was enacted in 2002 and is currently up for reauthorization.

The candidates see weaknesses in the legislation requiring states to hold schools and districts accountable for improving student achievement, but they propose different ways to fix it.

Marie Powell, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Office of Catholic Education, told Catholic News Service she will be closely following the reauthorization, which was originally slated for this year.

She said she realizes the reauthorization won’t be the top priority of a new administration, but she hopes that when it resurfaces before Congress, it will be “restored to its original purpose of equitability,” meaning it should benefit students and teachers from public and private schools and not bar those in private schools from getting the services they need.

Though both candidates say they would make changes to the No Child Left Behind legislation, they have not released specific plans.

Although McCain voted for the law he has been critical of its effectiveness.

One change he proposes would make it easier for students in failing schools to receive tutoring after school through private companies.

Obama, who also has been critical of the legislation, has described it as

ineffective and inadequately funded.

He faults it for using what he says are poorly designed tests to measure failing schools and said the schools that need improvement should get support, not the punishment currently set up by the law, which includes firing teachers and principals, closing schools or turning them over to a private firm, a charter operator or the state.

Choice and charters While educators across the country will be looking to see a new direction, if any, for No Child Left Behind, Catholic school officials also are keeping a keen eye on school-choice initiatives — an issue on which the candidates disagree.

McCain has stated his support for school choice, but critics say he has failed to outline specifics of what he would do other than expand federally funded opportunity scholarships in Washington for low-income students.

The Washington scholarship program, which provides vouchers to almost 2,000 students, many of whom attend Catholic schools, is in its final year and has an uncertain future unless it is reauthorized by Congress.

Obama favors limited school choice that gives students the option of attending a charter school. During a Sept. 9 speech at a public school in Ohio, he said he would double the funding for charter schools to $400 million a year.

Charter schools, publicly funded but privately operated, have been unpopular with teachers unions who say these schools take funds and students from public schools. Although national teachers unions have endorsed Obama, he has split with them on this issue and on his proposal of incentive payment for successful teachers, something McCain similarly endorses.

In their 2007 document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility,” the U.S. bishops emphasize that parents should be able to choose the best education for their children and that the government, through tax credits and scholarships, “should help provide resources for parents, especially those of modest means.”

Sister Dale McDonald, a Sister of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the director of public policy

CNS photo by Gary Hershorn, Reuters

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and Sen. John McCain of Arizona interact during their debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., Oct. 15. It was the final debate for the Democratic and Republican nominees before voters head to the polls Nov. 4. Bob Schieffer (center) of CBS News was moderator. and educational research for the National Catholic Educational Association, said her office is “not hoping for the (next) president to wave a magic wand” when it comes to school-choice initiatives.

In previous years, she said, candidates “promised school choice and it never came to be.”

She is slightly more optimistic about educational tax credits where individuals and corporations can donate funds to be used for school tuition or other educational expenses.

But with the current state of the economy, she told CNS she also fears tax credits are “not shining brightly on the horizon.”

Catholic schools, too In their higher education proposals, the candidates want to help students better afford college tuition, but they offer different ways to that end.

Obama has proposed issuing a tax credit to offset $4,000 in college tuition in exchange for 100 hours of community service. He has proposed overhauling the federal student loan program and expanding the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and other national service programs.

McCain supports an increase in Pell grants — federal scholarships based on family need — and he also backs expanding low-interest college loans for middle-class families.

Sister McDonald noted that although “education is a small part of both parties’ platforms” Catholic school officials want to be “on the radar screen” during the election year.

That’s why the NCEA submitted statements to the national platform committees of both parties stating their support for school choice and educational reform that helps all students and teachers.

“We are an important part of American education and we want fair treatment for our students and acknowledgement of what we do,” said Sister McDonald, stressing the work Catholic schools do with lower-income and non-Catholic students.

Powell also said Catholic school officials will continue to promote themselves to political leaders as a reminder of everything that Catholic schools do.

“We’re not just a fringe group,” she added.

Bishop Wenski seeks balanced, humane immigration policy in 2008 WASHINGTON (CNS) — Lamenting that illegal immigration has been largely unaddressed during the presidential campaign, Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, Fla., said the new White House administration and Congress must confront the issue and develop a consistent, effective and humane policy that bridges political divisions.

Writing in The Washington Post Oct. 20, Bishop Wenski, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace and a consultant to the conference’s Committee on Migration, said the current enforcement-only approach to illegal immigration is ineffective and contrary to national interests.

“In truth, intermittent work-site raids, increased local law enforcement involvement and the creation of a wall along parts of our southern border, among other efforts, have done little to address the challenges presented by illegal immigration,” Bishop Wenski wrote in an opinion piece.

While high-profile work-site raids across the country “meet the political need to show government’s law enforcement’s capabilities,” they have had a minimal

impact on the number of undocumented workers in the country, he said.

Such efforts have done little more than cause what Bishop Wenski termed “dislocation and disruption in immigrant communities” while victimizing permanent U.S. residents and citizens, including children.

It is doubtful that stringent enforcement actions will lead to a mass exodus of illegal and legal immigrants, as some organizations that oppose immigration hope, Bishop Wenski said.

“What (those opposing immigration) do not acknowledge is that 70 percent of the undocumented have lived in this country for five years or longer and have no home to return to,” he said.

“These people identify themselves more as Americans than anything else and would rather live here in the shadows than take their U.S.-citizen children back to a place they do not know,” the bishop said.

Not addressing the immigration issue will elevate tensions in states and local communities and “tacitly affirm the acceptance of a hidden and permanent underclass in our country,” Bishop Wenski added.

October 24, 2008

10 The Catholic News & Herald

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

Hollywood screenwriter returns to Cleveland, turns life over to God

by NANCY ERIKSON catholic news service

CLEVELAND — The Gospel of Luke’s prodigal son has nothing on Joe Eszterhas.

A self-described “Hollywood animal,” Eszterhas is best known for writing such adult-themed thrillers as “Basic Instinct” and “Jagged Edge.” He is a guy who seemed to live his earlier life as if the seven deadly sins were a personal to-do list.

But then Eszterhas found God. Or as Eszterhas writes in his latest memoir, “Crossbearer,” God found him.

Today, the man who once was the center of attention at exclusive Hollywood restaurants, enjoys the easygoing community spirit of sharing a meal with his wife, Naomi, and the couple’s four sons at a Lenten fish fry at Holy Angels Church, where he often carries the cross at Mass.

A screenwriter who describes his younger self as arrogant and full of hubris now reads the works of Trappist Father Thomas Merton and Dutch-born Father Henri Nouwen for spiritual guidance.

On the coffee table in his home is the latest book about Jesus’ life from former vampire novelist Anne Rice, another notorious writer who reclaimed her Catholic faith.

Days that once started and ended with cigarettes and gin, now are filled with prayer and quiet walks in nature.

“I have to tell you overwhelmingly, in the seven years since God has entered my heart, or since I opened my heart enough for God to enter it, I wake up in a totally different way,” Eszterhas said.

“I have a great sense day to day of inspiration,” he said.

Born in 1944 in Hungary, Eszterhas grew up in a post-World War II refugee camp before moving with his Catholic parents when he was 7 to Cleveland’s near west side, where he often served as an altar boy at St. Emeric Church.

His father was editor of a Hungarian Catholic newspaper and his mother grew beautiful roses and had a strong devotion to Mary. Still, life for his family in what he calls the “strudel ghetto” was difficult.

He attended Catholic high school, but acknowledges his near misses with juvenile delinquency.

Early in his writing career he worked as a reporter in Cleveland covering the crime beat, witnessing some of the grisliest, most violent stories in the city. Those tales, coupled with what he witnessed in the refugee camp, were the fodder for his lucrative screenwriting career.

Meanwhile, Eszterhas had become what he called a functional alcoholic. He began smoking at 12, drinking at 14. He used tequila and gin and four packs of cigarettes a day to “fuel” his writing.

He also experienced deep pain in his life. His mother suffered from mental

illness and later died from cancer, an event that further distanced him from God. Eszterhas was close to his father, but their relationship was never the same again after his father was exposed as having been a writer of Nazi propaganda during World War II. He never was deported, Eszterhas said, but he couldn’t help wondering if his father’s hateful words inspired someone to commit violent acts against others.

“I really couldn’t forgive him, even as he died,” Eszterhas said. “I think I finally forgave him when God came into my heart.”

Seven years ago he and Naomi, also a Catholic with a special devotion to Mary, decided to move to Geauga County, east of Cleveland, to raise their sons with more traditional values. They also wanted to get away from what he felt were Hollywood’s negative influences.

It was home, so to speak, and it became the setting for his new relationship with God. Shortly afterward Eszterhas was diagnosed with throat cancer. Surgery left him with a tracheotomy and unable to speak, and his doctor warned him he could never smoke or drink again.

To fight his cravings, he started walking every day, which took some of the edge off. One summer day in 2001 on his walk, the cravings were terrible.

He became filled with frustration and despair, sat down and started to sob.

“I heard a voice inside me that said, ‘Please, God, help me.’ And even as I heard it, I thought to myself, ‘What is this?’” he said. “But then I heard the voice again and I realized it was something inside my own heart that was praying for the first time since I’d been a boy.”

Describing himself as a “baby Catholic,” Eszterhas said after that day battling addiction didn’t become easier but he felt renewed strength.

At first, he was cautious about rekindling his relationship with God. “I didn’t even ask God for a while to save my life and to let me be around my family,” he said. “I asked God to help me with my addictions. And he did.”

“But then I thought to myself finally after weeks and maybe some months that God did truly love me and that I felt that I could ask God to save my life,” he said.

Since then, he has fought against glamorizing smoking in movies. He also has campaigned to bring more familyoriented and faith-oriented entertainment into the movies.

At home, he has devoted his life to being the best father and husband he can. He also strives daily to deepen his relationship with Christ.

“I am generally moved when I carry the cross and I carry it at Holy Angels a lot because I feel it’s a real honor to carry it,” he said. “I do feel like I’m carrying Christ on the cross.”

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: NOV. 2, 2008

Nov. 2, The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) Cycle A Readings: 1) Wisdom 3:1-9 Psalm 23:1-6 2) Romans 5:5-11 Gospel: John 6:37-40

Hate the sin, love the sinner

by JEFF HEDGLEN catholic news service

In 22 years of professional ministry, I’ve learned there is one truth that people consistently find hard to believe: God loves them in the midst of their sin. This is true even for me.

Events in my life sent me seeking counseling in the early 1990s. One evening, partly as a result of the counseling, I had what I’d describe as a fight with myself.

It was a battle of two thoughts. In one corner was my long-held belief that my sin made me a bad person. In the other corner was the up-and-coming challenger that said it is my actions that are bad, not me.

This radical new idea rocked my world. Every time I took a swing at this

new thought, it would land a punch to my midsection in the form of Scripture verses that popped into my head.

One verse was Genesis 1:31: “God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.”

This told me that everything that God made is not just OK, but very good.

Since I am a creation of God, I too must be very good.

To that I countered that sin changes things. Sin takes away the good and brings in the bad. If I am bad and God is good, how can God love me?

After much more sparring came the knockout punch, which is found in this Sunday’s second reading: “But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”

Through this verse I began to understand that my sinful actions are bad, but God always sees me as good and worthy of his love. This revelation changed everything for me.

After many ensuing years of reflection on this truth, it has finally sunk in that even in the midst of the worst sin I may ever commit, God loves me the same as when I walk down the aisle to receive Communion.

When I share this revelation with others it usually draws skepticism, but this is why the message of Jesus is good news!

God doesn’t wait for us to stop sinning before he loves us. God’s love is always there. All we have to do is open our hearts and let his love in.

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of Oct. 26-Nov. 1 Sunday (Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Exodus 22:20-26, 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10, Matthew 22:34-40; Monday, Ephesians 4:32--5:8, Luke 13:10-17; Tuesday (Sts. Simon and Jude), Ephesians 2:19-22, Luke 6:12-16; Wednesday, Ephesians 6:1-9, Luke 13:22-30; Thursday, Ephesians 6:10-20, Luke 13:31-35; Friday, Philippians 1:1-11, Luke 14:1-6; Saturday (All Saints), Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12.

Scripture for the week of Nov. 2-8 Sunday (All Souls), Wisdom 3:1-9, Romans 5:5-11, John 6:37-40; Monday (St. Martin de Porres), Philippians 2:1-4, Luke 14:12-14; Tuesday (St. Charles Borromeo), Philippians 2:511, Luke 14:15-24; Wednesday, Philippians 2:12-18, Luke 14:25-33; Thursday, Philippians 3:3-8, Luke 15:1-10; Friday, Philippians 3:17-4:1, Luke 16:1-8; Saturday, Philippians 4:10-19, Luke 16:9-15.

The Catholic News & Herald 11

October 24, 2008

Revealing reels

Local author signs book on saint

Poignant moments, some surprises in new film about late pope

by JOHN THAVIS catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — Pope John Paul II was lightly wounded by a knifewielding priest in Portugal in 1982, one year after a gunman tried to kill him in St. Peter’s Square, according to one of the late pope’s closest aides.

The disclosure came in a biographical film screened for the first time at the Vatican on Oct. 16, the 30th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s election. Pope Benedict XVI and many of the world’s bishops were in attendance.

Titled “Testimony,” the film is based on a book of memoirs by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, Poland, who was the late pope’s personal secretary for 39 years, until the pope’s death in 2005.

In the film, Cardinal Dziwisz recalled that the pope went to the Marian sanctuary of Fatima, Portugal, in 1982 to thank Mary for saving his life in the 1981 shooting. During an evening ceremony, a priest carrying a large knife lunged toward the pontiff.

At the time, Vatican officials said the pope was unharmed and was only informed about the incident the next day.

In the film, Cardinal Dziwisz said the pope was in fact able to carry on with the prayer service and the rest of his schedule in Fatima.

“It was only when we returned to his room that I saw blood on his vestments,” the cardinal added.

He did not elaborate, but other Vatican sources said the pope may have been superficially wounded in the attack.

The 90-minute film, narrated in English by the actor Michael York but dubbed in Italian for the Vatican screening, used actors to depict scenes from the pope’s life along with historical video footage and still photographs.

Cardinal Dziwisz recounted how he and aides would spirit the pope out of the Vatican on secret outings to the mountains near Rome, sometimes hiding the pontiff behind an opened newspaper in the back of a car.

In one of the most dramatic reenactments in the film, the pope performs an exorcism on a woman brought to him thrashing and screaming. Cardinal

CNS photo by L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters

Pope Benedict XVI embraces Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, Poland after the debut of a new film on the life of the late Pope John Paul II during a special screening at the Vatican Oct. 16.

Dziwisz said the woman was possessed, and only when the pope told her he would celebrate a Mass for her did she suddenly become calm.

Some of the film’s most poignant moments came when Cardinal Dziwisz revealed simple facts about the pope’s day-to-day life in the Vatican: how each morning he read the prayer intentions that had been sent to him and placed on his kneeler, then spent a long time praying for them; how he was upset by the fact that homeless people were sleeping on the Vatican’s doorstep, and so asked Blessed Mother Teresa to open a charity shelter inside the Vatican; and how he brought Polish traditions to the Vatican, especially at Christmas.

The pope would sing aloud at least one Christmas song a day for several weeks, beginning Christmas Eve, he said.

The film drew the biggest round of applause when it showed then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — now Pope Benedict — embracing the pope many years ago.

At the end of the screening, Pope Benedict addressed the several thousand people in the Vatican’s audience hall and told them the film had allowed them all to relive the moving story of Pope John Paul, who “from heaven is certainly with us.”

“The film reveals Pope John Paul’s human simplicity, his resolute courage and finally his suffering, faced right up to the end with the strength of a mountaineer and the patience of a humble servant of the Gospel,” he said.

(CNS photo by Chris Helgren, Reuters

Actor Michael York (left) watches a film clip during an Oct. 15 news conference in Rome to promote a film on the late Pope John Paul II. Also pictured are (from left) producer Przemyslaw Hauser; Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, Poland; and Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman.

Courtesy Photo by Keri Freeman

Justin Catanoso, a parishioner of St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, signs a copy of his book, “My Cousin the Saint: A Search for Faith, Family and Miracles,” at an Italian heritage night event at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte Oct. 10.

Catanoso, a second-generation Italian-American journalist in the Triad area, wrote the book after learning he is related to St. Gaetano Catanoso, a southern Italian priest who died in 1963 and was canonized Oct. 23, 2005.

Catanoso and relatives attended the canonization ceremony, during which Padre Catanoso and four others became the first group of saints proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI.

Priest’s meditations on CDs aim to help people listen for God’s voice INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) — A popular saying reminds people that “good things come in threes.”

That saying could apply to “Pathways to Prayer,” a three-volume set of CDs featuring guided imagery meditations by Father James Farrell, the new director of Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House in Indianapolis. The recordings of his soothing voice are set to background music elements with nature sounds to enhance the listener’s meditation experience.

They were created to help people grow closer to Jesus by spending quiet time listening for God’s voice, Father Farrell explained in an interview.

Since October 1975, the priest has been a frequent retreat presenter and has conducted parish missions. Through the years, his guided imagery meditations have become popular with retreatants.

A note on the CD jacket suggests that people “try to create a space for solitude” while listening to the CDs, whether at home or during walks in nature.

Each guided meditation concludes with calming instrumental music to give listeners time to slowly return to the present moment after their virtual spiritual journey.

In volume I, “you meet with Jesus on the porch and have a little conversation with him,” Father Farrell said. “He wants to know how things are going in your life right now. It’s an opportunity to talk to Jesus directly about issues and concerns — things that may be weighing on you

— and an opportunity to listen for Jesus’ response to your needs and petitions.”

The second CD features Father Farrell’s narrative of Jesus visiting a person at home.

“Jesus comes to your home and you give him a tour of your house,” Father Farrell explained. “Then you take Jesus to your favorite place in the house and have a conversation with him there about your life and your family. It’s an opportunity to grow in love for Jesus and realize that he really is a part of your life.”

The third CD, released earlier this year, focuses on getting to know Jesus in this life and spending eternal life with God. It “is built around the theme of a covered bridge,” Father Farrell said.

“You meet Jesus on the covered bridge then do a little life review.”

“In the course of the conversation, Jesus tells you that he came from the other side of the bridge, that there is a time for life on both sides of the bridge, and that when it is your time to come to the other side of the bridge he will invite you and you will go with him,” he said.

The theme applies to “any kind of a rite of passage in our life,” he said.

“Whether we are moving through an illness or moving through some other life change, we are letting go of some things and embracing something new. It’s an opportunity to walk through that covered bridge and discover that Jesus is on the other side of that passageway just as he has been on the side that you are on now.”

12 The Catholic News & Herald

‘A gifted and talented missioner’

Glenmary Father Bob Bond, pastor and former editor, dies at 75 CINCINNATI — Glenmary Father Bob Bond, a priest who had served in the Diocese of Charlotte, died Sept. 1, 2008, at Blue Ash Hospice in Cincinnati, Ohio, after a brief illness.

He was buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Cincinnati Sept. 10.

A native of Cincinnati, Father Bond had been a Glenmary Home Missioner for more than 50 years.

Ordained as a priest in 1960, Father Bond taught theology and liturgy in Glenmary’s formation program during the 1960s after receiving a doctorate in sacred theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome, Italy, in 1962.

His hands-on mission work began and ended in the Appalachian Mountains.

His assignments took him to Kentucky, Oklahoma, Virginia and North Carolina — in Murphy (1963-64), Boone (1969) and Andrews (1998-2002).

Upon retiring in 2002, Father Bond took up residence in Burnsville, where he lived until moving to Glenmary Headquarters in Cincinnati in summer 2008.

Father Bond also led Glenmary’s mission office from 1980 until 1986, and served as editor of the quarterly magazine, Glenmary Challenge, from 1980 until 1993.

He was an accomplished photographer and writer, and his skills were recognized with awards from national and local professional organizations such as the Catholic Press Association and the Cincinnati Editor’s Association.

“Father Bob was a gifted and talented missioner who served Glenmary, and most importantly the people of the home missions, in a variety of ministries — as pastor, as director of the mission office and as editor of Glenmary Challenge,” said Glenmary Father Dan Dorsey, president of Glenmary.

“His creativity in his mission work allowed him to touch the lives of all those — Catholics and non-Catholics — living in the mission counties he served,” said Father Dorsey.

That creativity showed itself in the ways he used to introduce himself and make contacts within a county.

He was a motorcycle-riding priest who wrote both news articles and columns on Catholicism for local newspapers, or produced local television programs or filled a slot on local radio programs answering questions about Catholicism.

His parishioners and the people of the county he was serving could find him playing softball and tennis on local teams or bowling with the local league.

His goal was to call together and serve the Catholic mission community and connect those communities to the larger county.

Wherever his ministry assignments led him, he carried with him a desire to educate, whether by offering classes on computers to youth or organizing and leading annual shopping trips for elementary-aged children each Christmas.

October 24, 2008

In memoriam Attention Readers!

Have a Story to Share?

Do you have a story to share with The Catholic News & Herald? Do you know of people who are living the tenets of their faith? Do you have photos of a parish- or ministry-based event?

If so, please share them with us.

Contact Staff Writer Katie Moore at (704) 370-3354 or kmmoore@charlottediocese.org.

Courtesy Photo

Glenmary Father Bob Bond smokes his trademark pipe in this undated photograph. An avid and award-winning photographer, he loved nothing better than “a good black and white photo.”

“His creativity in his mission work allowed him to touch the lives of all those — Catholics and nonCatholics alike — living in the mission counties he served.”

— Glenmary Father Dan Dorsey While in Andrews, Father Bond repaired old computers donated by friends and gave them to local families and charities.

He also tutored children and adults to help them become computer literate because, as he said in 1999, “I don’t like to treat the symptoms but the causes.

People today are not going to get a job without computer skills.”

On Sept. 25, 2007, in honor of his 75th birthday, Father Bond’s work in the home missions and his contributions to the larger church were recognized on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina.

Foxx spoke of Father Bond’s work, saying he “typified the church’s call to reach out to those in need and share the love of Christ. He was truly ahead of his time in his faithful efforts to bring the power of God’s love to those who might never darken the door of a church.”

Father Bond is survived by three brothers, nieces, nephews, his fellow missioners and friends.

Memorials may be made to Glenmary Home Missioners, P.O. Box 465618, Cincinnati, OH 45246.

Classifieds FOR RENT HOUSE: 3-bedroom, 2-bath house located just minutes from Belmont Abbey, whitewater rafting park, and airport. Long term and short term leases available. Please call (724) 816-5769 for information.

Classified ads bring results! Over 160,000 readers! Almost 54,000 homes!

Rates: $.80/word per issue ($16 minimum per issue) Deadline: 12 noon Wednesday, 9 days before publication How to order: Ads may be E-mailed to ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org, faxed to (704) 370-3382 or mailed to: Cindi Feerick, The Catholic News & Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203.

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

October 24, 2008

in our schools

Making math fun

The Catholic News & Herald 13

Creating cards of caring

Courtesy Photo

First-grade students at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro hold the prayer cards they created for residents of Maryfield Health Care Households Neighborhood, formerly known as Maryfield Nursing Home, whom they visited and attended Mass with Oct. 8. Each month, a different grade level visits and attends Mass with residents at the nursing home, founded by the Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God. Courtesy Photo

Rebecca Nordstrom and Caitlin Finger, kindergarten students at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point, group similar objects during the school’s first-ever Family Math Night Sept. 25. Nearly 100 families of students in prekindergarten through fifth-grade participated in the event designed to build better math skills through game, activities and parental involvement.

“I am excited that my children will be a part of an outreach effort where both students and the residents of Maryfield Health Care Households Neighborhood will interact in a meaningful way,” said Laura Mims, a parent of students at Immaculate Heart of Mary School. “The relationship between our young people and the elderly is one that should be grown and nurtured.”

October 24, 2008

14 The Catholic News & Herald

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

An invitation to pray

Upcoming novena a time to reflect, discern, decide For more than two years we have been hearing from Independents, Republicans and Democrats as to what they claim to be their positions, beliefs and policies. Many people do not feel entirely comfortable with any one party’s plan.

However, whether we like it or not, one party will be in power and pursuing its agenda in the White House come Jan. 20, 2009.

Over the last several months, there has been an escalation in rhetoric between the candidates, the parties and their supporters regarding the issue of abortion and other life issues, and which candidate and party has the “right” approach to these problems.

Sadly, the rhetoric has become so overpowering that the din is deafening.

When I was in the seminary, a priest during a homily made the following observation: “The devil does not care whether we are pro-life or proabortion. He only cares that we hate.”

The point is that if we allow our approach to abortion to be guided by anger and hatred for those who disagree with us, then Satan wins.

If God is love, as we Catholics certainly believe he is, then to act in a manner that is opposed to love is to act as opposed to God. So the question becomes this: How does one who wants to be a faithful Catholic and do what God has called us to do make the right choice?

We all need to be sure that we have studied the teachings of the Catholic Church and have prayed devoutly.

Each of us must make well-informed decisions when we enter the voting booth to cast our votes for the candidates and issues.

I would suggest that the time has come for us to set aside the candidates’ stump speeches, the “spin doctors” and advertising gimmicks.

Once we have read and understood what God has revealed through sacred Scripture and the constant teaching of the church, which can be found in the catechism, it is time to turn off the din and listen again.

Listen to whom? Listen to God. If we are true believers and we want to follow what God has truly asked us to

Guest Column FATHER CHRISTOPHER A. ROUX guest columnist

do with this very important matter, it’s time that we ask him again about what we have studied.

Thus, I make a concrete proposal and invitation. St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte will begin a novena of prayerful eucharistic adoration on Sunday, Oct. 26 following the 12:30 p.m. Mass.

The novena will end Monday, Nov. 3, with Benediction at 7 p.m.

This time of adoration will continue around the clock, interrupted only by holy Mass.

During this time, everyone is invited to join in prayerful discernment of their upcoming vote.

This is not a time for campaigning or discussions. No placards or literature that pushes one side or another will be displayed.

Rather, it will be a time of private adoration and prayer.

For too long we have been inundated with the noise of partisan politics and bickering. Now is the time to quiet the noise.

So, because we believe the Eucharist is truly the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present among us, come and pray. Let us set aside anything that may have divided us and ask love himself to guide us to do his will.

So, bring your Bible and your catechism, and pray.

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored and loved, with grateful affection at every moment in all the tabernacles of the world, even until the end of time. Amen.

The people of life and for life

Catholics are called on to oppose the culture of death During the month of October, we have been praying and working to promote a culture of life throughout our country.

Respect Life Sunday and the entire Respect Life Month remind us to thank God for the gift of life we receive from a loving Creator.

In his 1995 encyclical, ‘‘Evangelium Vitae” (“The Gospel of Life”), Pope John Paul II encouraged us to use all means at our disposal to promote the culture of life, including personal witness, various forms of volunteer work, social activity and political commitment.

Our activity on behalf of life is a particularly pressing need at the present time, the late pope wrote, because “the ‘culture of death’ so forcefully opposes the ‘culture of life’ and often seems to have the upper hand” (n. 87).

Personal witness, volunteer work and social activity The personal witnesses, volunteer works and social activities to promote the culture of life, of which Pope John Paul wrote, are carried out in many different ways on behalf of the unborn by the faithful of our diocese.

During the course of the year, Catholics in our diocese give personal witness in support of the unborn through participation in Life Chains on the first Sunday of October (Respect Life Sunday), in the annual “40 Days for Life” campaign and in other peaceful prayer vigils at abortion clinics.

Parishes hold baby showers for pregnancy centers, where some parishioners volunteer to work.

Rachel’s Vineyard retreats for postabortion healing are held in our diocese.

Newborn children are provided loving homes through the adoption services of Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Many Catholics participate in the great Right to Life marches that take place in January in Charlotte, Raleigh and Washington, D.C. Political commitment The Holy Father also wrote about the need for us to promote a culture of

Father Roux is rector of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

Write a Letter to the Editor The Catholic News & Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or fewer, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be in good taste.

To be considered for publication, each letter must include the name, address and daytime phone number of the writer for purpose of verification. Letters may be condensed due to space limitations and edited for clarity, style and factual accuracy.

The Catholic News & Herald does not publish poetry, form letter or petitions. Items submitted to The Catholic News & Herald become the property of the newspaper and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives.

Send letters to Letters to the Editor, The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, N.C. 28237, or e-mail catholicnews@charlottediocese.org.

CNS photo by Toby Melville, Reuters

From the Bishop BISHOP PETER J. JUGIS bishop of charlotte

life through our political commitment.

We are expected to act in the political arena to support the right to life of the unborn.

The Catholic bishops of the United States have written about our political responsibility in this area in the document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.”

Quotes from that document show that ending the grave injustice committed against the innocent unborn by abortion is the preeminent issue of our time.

Not all the issues we may consider in an election year have equal weight.

“Some involve matters of intrinsic evil that can never be supported” (n. 90).

“A prime example is the intentional taking of innocent human life, as in abortion and euthanasia. In our nation, ‘abortion and euthanasia have become preeminent threats to human dignity because they directly attack life itself, the most fundamental human good and the condition for all others’” (n. 22).

“T h e d ir e ct an d in ten tio n al destruction of innocent human life from the moment of conception until natural death is always wrong and is not just one issue among many. It must always be opposed” (n. 28).

“As Catholics we are not singleissue voters. A candidate’s position on a single issue is not sufficient to guarantee a voter’s support.

“Yet a candidate’s position on a single issue that involves an intrinsic evil, such as support for legal abortion or the promotion of racism, may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a candidate from receiving support” (n. 42).

Catholics can legitimately expect candidates to “address the preeminent requirement to protect the weakest in our midst — innocent unborn children — by restricting and bringing to an end the destruction of unborn children through abortion” (n. 90).

People of life and for life Through prayer and personal witness, volunteer work, social activity and political commitment, we continue to promote a culture of life.

Pope John Paul reminded us in his encyclical that “we are the people of life and for life” (n. 78).

Let us always stand on the side of the unborn, the weakest and most defenseless members of our human family, and through all the means available to us defend their right to life.

October 24, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 15

Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to voting Why Catholics have a moral responsibility to stay politically informed A staffer from a satellite-based radio program recently interviewed people on the streets of Harlem, N.Y., to see how they are going to vote in the upcoming presidential election.

When he intentionally linked the identity of one candidate with the policies of the opposing candidate, the interviewees didn’t bat an eye.

When one man was asked what he liked most about Sen. Barack Obama — whether it was that he was pro-life or that he wanted to keep the troops in Iraq — he responded that he was in favor of Obama’s support of keeping the troops in Iraq. He then went on to say that he also agreed with his stance against embryonic stem-cell research.

Not surprising l y, t h a t s a m e interviewee also thought that Obama had chosen Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate.

You don’t have to be a political analyst or an evening news junkie to recognize these jarring inaccuracies.

It’s baffling to me that anyone could claim to be adamantly in favor of a particular candidate while at the same time be completely unaware of where he

or she stands on key political issues.

Knowing the issues and staying informed is our responsibility and duty as American citizens. Voting in accordance with Catholic social teaching is our moral responsibility as faithful Catholics.

“In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation,” according to the document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” a call to responsibility from the U.S. bishops.

As American citizens, we have the right to vote, but with that right also comes responsibility.

In a letter concerning Catholics in political life, Msgr. William P. Fay, general secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, stated, “The separation of church and state does not require division between belief and public action, between moral principles and political choices, but protects the right of believers and religious groups to practice their faith and act on their values in public life.”

Part of our moral obligation as Catholics is to know where the church

Peace of mind in turbulent times

Making yours a Christian estate plan As you try to make some sense of these turbulent financial times and look to the years ahead, it can be prudent to review your overall estate plan.

First, you will surely want to remember your family and others who depend on you for financial support.

When you are assured that these people are cared for as fully as possible, your thoughts go to others — friends, associates, other relatives. You also may wish to remember the church with a gift to your parish, Catholic school, Catholic agency, the Diocese of Charlotte or the diocesan foundation.

But how can you accomplish all of this? All of us feel that there is a limit to our resources and recent times have increased this feeling.

It’s important to review your estate plan as a whole. Remembering your loved ones and other interests call for various methods of distribution: life insurance, retirement plans, trusts and a will, to name a few. You can use all of these and more to remember those who are important to you.

Once loved ones are cared for, consider including the church. Your parish, a favorite agency, Catholic school, the diocese or the diocesan foundation can be included in your will and other estate plans while not

detracting at all from the plans you make for your family.

Here are some ideas: — A “last-in-line” bequest: When you make or revise your will, you and your attorney can make sure that your spouse, children, grandchildren, parents or others are provided for as you wish.

After that, you can include a charitable bequest of the “residue” (what remains after other bequests are satisfied).

— A gift of “what’s left” in a trust: If you have a living trust to distribute your property, you can include a gift of what remains after loved ones have been cared for.

Similar to a residual bequest, such a gift allows you to make a large gift while fully providing for others.

— A gift from life insurance or retirement plan proceeds: Just as you can name your parish, favorite Catholic agency, Catholic school, the Diocese of Charlotte or the diocesan foundation in your will or trust, you can add that name to receive part or all of your life insurance or retirement plan proceeds after individuals you name have received their portions, or if they do not survive you.

Anyone with any amount of property can include a gift as outlined above, creating a lasting testimonial to one’s

Some Moore Thoughts KATIE MOORE staff writer

stands on important political issues.

Furthermore, we are obligated to know where the candidates stand in regard to church teachings.

Now more than ever, there are resources available that make it easy for Catholics and all voters to find out where the candidates stand in regard to these teachings.

On a local level, the Catholic bishops in North Carolina conducted a survey of N.C. political candidates relating to Catholic social teaching.

To view the survey results, visit www. charlottediocese.org. To read the U.S. bishops’ document on faithful citizenship, visit www.faithfulcitizenship.org.

When it comes time to vote on Nov. 4, our decisions as faithful Catholic citizens should stem from thoughtful and careful consideration of where the candidates stand in relation to Catholic teaching. When asked why we are voting for a particular candidate, we should be able to back our choice with solid answers about what that candidate believes — and what we believe.

Legacy Notes JUDY SMITH guest columnist

faith and further living out the life of stewardship. These ideas also help you take care of obligations to your family and loved ones and create peace of mind even during difficult financial times.

In addition, all those age 70 and 1/2 or older should know that Congress has just extended the IRA (Individual Retirement Account) Charitable Rollover, an excellent charitable estate planning opportunity for both 2008 and 2009.

This act allows an IRA owner age 70 and 1/2 or older to make a direct transfer of distributions to charitable organizations and avoid the tax on these distributions. The transfer may be up to $100,000 in one year and this IRA rollover will exist for years 2008 and 2009.

By knowing your priorities and drafting your estate plan responsibly, you can take care of your loved ones and leave a legacy gift to the church without slighting either.

Judy Smith is planned giving director for the Diocese of Charlotte. Contact her at (704) 370-3320 or jmsmith@ charlottediocese.org.

Christ’s humility shows love is powerful, pope says at audience The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christ’s extreme humility and his willingness to die for the sins of all humanity demonstrate that love is far more powerful than pushiness and pretension, Pope Benedict XVI said.

During his Oct. 22 general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Benedict spoke about St. Paul’s faith in and teaching about Jesus Christ as fully divine. The pope looked particularly at the hymn to Christ in the second chapter of St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.

Pope Benedict said St. Paul’s letters speak of Christ as “the firstborn of all creation.” Calling Christ the firstborn “implies that he is the first of many children, the first of many brothers and sisters, that he came down to attract us to him and make us his brothers and sisters,” the pope said.

Jesus “invites us to participate in his humility and in his love for others and, in that way, to participate also in his glorification as sons and daughters in the son,” Pope Benedict said.

Here is the text of the pope’s audience remarks in English.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, In our continuing catechesis on St. Paul, we now consider the centrality of Jesus Christ in his teaching.

Paul preaches Christ as the crucified and glorified Lord, alive and present within the church. He proclaims Christ’s incarnation and exaltation, but also his preexistence with the Father before all time.

His affirmation of Christ’s preexistence evokes those Old Testament texts, which portray God’s wisdom as being with him before creation and coming down to dwell among men (e.g., Pr 8:22-23). Paul thus presents Christ as “the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:24), the center and fulfillment of the Father’s eternal plan of salvation.

The hymn found in his Letter to the Philippians (Phil 2:6-11) contrasts Christ’s pre-existence “in the form of God” and his subsequent “kenosis” or self-emptying, “even to death, death on a Cross.” Paul also appeals to Christ’s preexistence and incarnation in proclaiming Jesus as “the one mediator between God and man” (1 Tim 3:16), the firstborn of all creation and the head of the church (cf. Col 1:15-20).

Paul’s “sapiential” christology invites us to welcome the salvation offered by the crucified and risen Lord, the Eternal Son, who is the very wisdom and power of God.

October 24, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 16

in the news

‘Economic Justice for All’ 1986 economic pastoral letter revisited as world faces financial meltdown

by CHAZ MUTH catholic news service

CNS photo by Brendan McDermid, Reuters

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Oct. 6. With the dramatic downturn of the U.S. economy, scholars and clergy are revisiting the U.S. bishops’ 1986 pastoral letter promoting an economic policy that reins in unbridled consumerism and a lust for material riches, and advocates the theology of sharing the wealth.

Registration for diocesan space closing soon — Don’t wait— call now!

WASHINGTON — As U.S. residents struggle to make sense of the dramatic downturn in the economy, scholars and clergy are revisiting a 22-year-old pastoral letter written by the U.S. Catholic bishops promoting an economic policy that reins in unbridled consumerism and a lust for material riches, and advocates the theology of sharing the wealth.

When the U.S. bishops released their 1986 pastoral letter, “Economic Justice for All,” the authors were addressing out-of-control spending by governments, national debt for Third World countries and rampant investing with little regard for social values, said Msgr. Stuart Swetland, 49, vice president for Catholic identity and mission at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmittsburg, Md. “The basic principles of that letter are very valid, and if they had been listened to more, we wouldn’t be in the economic crisis we are in today,” Msgr.

Swetland said. “Is it fair to be consuming so much when there is so much poverty around the world?”

“Everyone should look at the resources entrusted to our care and see how we can all be the best stewards of our resources and how they can be best used and serve the community as a whole,” the priest said.

The pastoral letter suggests three questions that should be asked when forming an economic policy: What does it do for people? What does it do to people? What does it do to the least well-off?

A Catholic theologian, an economist and two Catholic bishops told Catholic News Service they believe the basic principles of “Economic Justice for All” call for government to ensure that economic policy safeguards the markets from excessive greed and great disparity of wealth among the people, and treats individuals in the labor pool with dignity, not just as profit-making tools.

All those interviewed agreed that unchecked self-indulgence was a key ingredient in the current economic crisis.

The late Pope John Paul II said Catholic tradition calls for a “society of work, enterprise and participation” that “is not directed against the market, but demands that the market be appropriately controlled by the forces of society, and by the state, to assure that the basic needs of the whole society are satisfied.”

He also said all economic life should recognize that we are all God’s children and members of one family, called to exercise a clear priority for “the least among us.”

“We have too many bad stewards of God’s gifts,” said Bishop John J. McRaith of Owensboro, Ky. “Too many people are starving. One thing that was not emphasized in the document that is really essential for any economic system is being a good steward and that no one really owns anything, but God,” he said.

“It’s not that God hasn’t given enough to go around, but that too many

people are greedy and keeping more than their fair share,” Bishop McRaith said.

Though the basic principles of “Economic Justice for All” are sound, the document itself is antiquated and should be updated, or scrapped and replaced with a modernized pastoral, said Andrew Abela, associate professor of marketing at The Catholic University of America in Washington.

“I think it needs to be retired and replaced with something else,” Abela told CNS. “We didn’t even have NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) then and think about the issues with immigration today. Think of the Internet and all that entails and how it’s become structured into our economy, and social justice for that matter,” he said.

“We should have a document that takes all of that into account,” he added.

Since the core values in the document are still relevant, Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City said that updating the pastoral may be an appropriate course of action.

“I do think that the economic pastoral has guidelines that allow us to look at what happened in this financial crisis and learn from it,” Bishop Wester said.

“There are so many people who are suffering from this crisis, especially people whose 401(k) has been wiped out, and those who are now at risk of losing their homes,” he said. “If we update the pastoral, we need to examine how to prevent this from happening again.”

Any new document should emphasize the economy exists for the people and should provide each human with dignity, he said. “We forgot about that. The economy started to exist for profit only.”

The disparity of compensation also spun out of control in the 22 years since “Economic Justice for All” was drafted and a new document would have to address that issue in the context of a global economy, Bishop McRaith said.

“In the early ‘80s the average American CEO was making about 40 times more than the average worker,” Msgr. Swetland said. “That at the time seemed to be reasonable, given the level of responsibility.”

“That number rose to 80 times in a decade, and by 2003 the average American CEO was earning up to 512 times the average worker,” he said.

“When you see the top economic earners breaking away so far, something has gone askew.”

Since the credit markets froze and Wall Street became unstable in September, the focus has been on struggling homeowners and the middle class, yet little thought has been given to the desperately poor, Bishop McRaith said.

“I think we all have to look at our own selves and see all of the stuff that we have and ask do we need all of that stuff?

The answer is no, I don’t,” he said.

“If everyone does that then we are off to a new world. I don’t mind saying I have a long way to go to achieve that goal, but that is what the Lord is calling on us to do,” he said.