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., , . . The Anchor Friday, Mar. 4, 1994
By
ANTOINETTE BOSCO
We need to find all the Oskar Schindlers of the world and to tell their stories. Steven Spielberg's movie "Schindler's List" is one of the' most remarkable filins ever made because it shows us the transformation of a soul. By now I would guess that most everybody knows the .story: Schin-
dler .was a Nazi, a Catholic, an unsuccessful German entrepreneur who went to Poland as an opportunist, sure that he could make some easy money because of the war. He had an impressive appearance, was confident, pleasure-loving, a ladies' man and didn't apear to have much of a conscience. His plan. was. to exploit the Jews, using them as forced labor in a kitchen factory he set up,also by exploitation, getting money for his~ enterprise from the restricted Jews. But then Schindler observed the . chaos, the "cleaning out" of the Jewish ghetto in Krakow, the herding of people into camps, the everescalating murders. He was affect~·
ed. He was changed. He responded with courage - and cunning. His motivation was compassion and respect for the Jews he came to see as his people. . The power of the movie hits you when .Schindler realizes that the treasurehealwayssought-money - was in his hands. But this was not a treasure in itself. He turned it into a treasure by using it to buy the freedom of Jews who were facingannihilation. . In the end, this man single. handedly saved 1,000 Jews from death. Those still living and their descendants now number more than 6,000. The most memorable line comes at the film's end, when the war is over and Schindler's Jewish busi-
ness manager says, in a tribute to the man who had saved them, "If a man sa'ves one person, he saves the whole world." How? Because so long as one good person still lives, that person becomes the sign of hope that goodness can overcome evil. You can't help wondering as you leave this movie what makes the difference between a Schindler and an Amon Goeth, the sadistic SS officer who carried out the purge of the Polish Jews. I could come up with only one answer: grace, that invitation to each of us' to connect with God. Now it is coming to light that there were other Schindlers, specifically in Denmark, Holland and Italy.
Most of us know that Cardinal Angelo Roncalli - who was to become the beloved Pope John XXIII- saved thousanQ! of Jews by churning out baptismal certificates for them. Recently a small but vocal group has been saying that the Hl)locaust never happened. This film should show them up for their dishonesty. Denial of the Nazi evil is not new. It went on even as thl: atrocities were happening. But let's be aware that God's grace' exists in abundance, and because some respond to it with a resounding yes even in the most trying times of violence, hope overcomes despair.
No need to feel'sorry for the church
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idyllic then was probably not that great. This thought boosted me until I found myself mentally reviewing current "indicators" of the church's health. The number of seminarians continues to drop little by little: HEMRICK Forty percent of U.S. dioceses now have one or more parishes I brooded a little when I heard administered by someone other "the Chicago archdiocese is con-. than a priest. Court cases against priests considering putting laypeople in cha·rge of some parishes because of a tinue to grow in number. Dioceses that once enjoyed outpriest shortage." But my mood changed as I thought about, it standing financial support are now studying ways to avoid bankruptcy. more. Many financially troubled dioceses First, however, I remembered serving Mass at Resurrection par- are cutting programs, which in ish in Chicago, which had 10 turn is lowering 'morale among priests. Masses overflowed, devo- church ministers and others. tions abounded and there was a A fairly good number of sisters , wonderful sense of pariSh unity. and priests no longer work together I tried to sooth my nostalgia by . ·.as well'as they once did. Fighting telling myself that wh~t s<:emed between liberals and conservatives
FATHER
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sometimes becomescounterproductive. . Numerous Catholic universities are upset about the possibility that requiring theology professors to have a manda~e from the bishop to teach will violate academic freedom. Anyone who really cares about the church must be saddened by the decline of priestly and religious vocations, the disunity and the fi nancial pressures. But take a second look at how many people really do care about the church'S mission and the forms of service this is taking. . . Studies of parishes are revealing that parish life noi only goes on despite the current difficulties, in many ways it is thriving. Forexample, some parishes have built homes fo~ the,aged o.r. have created. inn,ov~t.ive. laY-:,lT)inis,try •
programs that serve the sick, the divorced, separated, singles and those who have left the church. Numerous Catholic schools are models of how to educate youth who might otherwise end up in gangs or on drugs. Parishes are designing programs to better welcome and serve. the div'erse cultural groups whose presence in society is expanding. A nd dull liturgical celebrations . that once reflected only one culture are now coming to life as communities adapt and adjust to the needs of multiculturalism. Parishes are much more efficient from a financial point of view thanks to growing lay participation. Priests are devising new ways to give 'each other support in their new roles, and they're helping each other cope with and.res.pond to the changing ,.priesthood. statistics.
More priests are advancing their education. The church has restructured its screening procedures to better ensure the suitability of those who serve it as' ministers. A closer look into church life reveals that we're in an age of unique innovation, responding to current needs with services that once did not exist. When we step back and study this we also see that society ,:\t large is undergoing great changes. In many ways the church,like ~;ociety, is being shaken up. ,But by no means has the church been reduced-to self-pity and defeat. Rather, the pressures it experiences are serving as a catalyst for the church, moving communities to disco.ver h.~W to meet. the ne~~s .of our tImes.
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Preparing for an interfaithlJlarriage FATHER JOHN J. DIETZEN . Q. Our son is planning to marry a Lutheran girl next fall. They hope to have the ceremony fin her church where her father is a prominent member. Would they need to taik to a priest beforehand? Should they talk with someone in her church? (California) A. Normally, by Catholic Church law, a Catholic must be married in the presence of a bishop, priest or
By Dr. JAMES &
MARY KENNY
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Dear Dr. Kenny: Our high school religious education coordinator is focusing less on formal religious in'struction and more on whnt he calls "community." He says that teens need less theology and more help in forming a Christian com. munity. Although the teens do meet regularly and use a text, he is more interested in their relationships with each other. What do you think? -New Jersey.
deacon for that marriage to be groom and at the invitatio"n of the valid in the Catholic Church. pastor of that congregation: For serious reasons (the one you The Catholic Church is, of mention is not uncommon), the course, as concerned about the bishop ~as aU~hority to dispense lo~gte~m. health a.nd stability of from thIS reqUlrem~nt ~o th~t. the thIS kllld of marrIage as of any co~~le may be marrIed III a CIVIl or other. relIgIOUS ce.r~m·ony performed by Therefore, whatever progr~ms, anot~e~ offICIal. . ~ngaged. Encounters, p~emai'nage . ThIS IS referred to asa dls.pensa- IIIvent~nes or pre~marnageclasses tlon from the form of marrIage. A otherWIse are reqUIred before Cathmarriage performed in a Protest- olic marriages must normally be ant.church,.ror~xampl~,with such complete? befor~ a bishop will a dIspensatIOn IS as valId a Catho- grant a dIspensatIOn for marriage lic marriage as one performed in the church of another denominbefore a priest in a Catholic . ation. , ~hurch. For advice and help in fulfilling It is not necessary for a priest to these requirements,'the couple will be' present at such a wedding, need to talk with a priest in the though he may attend and partici- Catholic's parish. pate at the request of the bride and Pursuing these programs usu-
ally takes at least a few months, so religious heritage they shar~, parit is vital for the couple to. discuss ticularly if both are Christi~:ns. their plans with the priest before a So be sure they take two actions weddin'g date is set. as quickly as possible. Talk to the You ask whether the couple Catholic's parish priest to begin should talk with someone in her the needed preparatory·programs. church. Yes they should. And not And talk with the pastor or minonly about tfte details of the. wed- ister of both parties to understand ding ceremony. better what each is committed to A"f . . ._ in his or her denomination and in . dl fere~ce of relIgIOUS t~adl personal religious faith. tlOns: espeCIally when that dlfferA free brochure outlining; maren~e IS deeply roo.ted, needs to ~~ riage regulations in the Catholic un erstood, reflected on and ?IS Church an~ explaining the Inom~u;sed as t~oroughly as pOSSIble ises in an interfaith marriuge is e ore marrIage. available by sending a stamped Discussion with the appropriate 'self-addressed envelope to Father pastor or minister is clearly help- John Dietzen, Holy Trinity Ctlurch, ful. 704 N. Main St., Bloomington, III. Such conversation will also 61701. Questions for this column deepen their knowledge of the should be sent to the same address.
Community is good religion topic for teens' Relationships, group formation and just plain getting along with one another are major personality-shaping tasks of the teen years. High school friends are forever. As teens break away from their family.of origin, they bond strongly to one another. Many friendships formed in high school will last a lifetime. . These friendships are more pressing in a teen's mind than relationships with family' or school. Peers are their most important interest. Teen virtues are most readily observed in their interactions with one another. They may forget a family birthday and spend a great deal of money on a friend. They may scream when a' brother or sis-
ter wants to. borrow a personal item'and then loan it to a classmate. Teens are very loyal to one another. They will not tattle or "narc" on a friend. They stand up for each other, providing that the· "other" is in their group. This natural loyalty is something that the youth leader can compliment and build on.'. The dark side of loyalty to an "in" group is h~stility to the "outs." Teens are good at grouping and can' be very cruel to outsiders. They may make fun of the kids in special eQucation, nonathletes, obese kids, non-whites or anyone who is not like them. They spread lies without a second thought (or even truth, which can hurt worse).
Backbiting and .gossip are a common failing. Generosity is another outstanding teen virtue. Teens loan treasured jewelry, favorite personal items, their car, almost anything. Their generosity and willingness' to share what they have puts most adults to shame. Tne negative or dark side of their generosity is the teens' general carelessness about things, losing personal items, not' keeping them in good repair. Also, teens are prone to borrow things and not return them or even to live by "mooching" off one another~ Teens can be bullies, using their strength or other talents to lord it over someone with less ability. Dominance is a 'problem through-
out life. "Is it fair to pick on someone less able than yourself!" is a good moral question to raise with some teens. Opposite-sex friendships a.re not always sexualized. A young man will distinguish between a girl who is a friend and a girlfriend. Psychologist Erik Erikso fl tells us that the primary task of the teen years isto establish an identity, to learn and kno~ who and what you are, an identity that is independent of family. . Teens learn most about ':hemselves in interacting with their age mates, it] working out their peer relationships and friend ships. Your youth leader is wise to focus on community. formation.