I plan on posting a personal reflection on my day spent at St. Louis Cathedral to participate in and witness the installation of Archbishop Gregory Aymond. For now please enjoy:
http://www.wwltv.com/video
God Bless Archbishop Aymond and God Bless the Archdiocese of New Orleans!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
New Orleans Catholics ready to celebrate a new Archbishop
New archbishop of New Orleans to be installed Thursday
by Bruce Nolan, The Times-Picayune
Wednesday August 19, 2009, 8:33 PM
When Bishop Gregory Aymond left his native New Orleans to lead the Catholic Church in Austin, Texas, nine years ago, he was a relatively new bishop without experience at the head of a regional church.
But as Aymond frequently told Texas friends in a series of farewells during the past three weeks, Austin taught him how to be a bishop.
The bishop Austin sends back, as Aymond awaits his installation this afternoon as the 14th archbishop of New Orleans, is described as a builder and quiet pragmatist who prefers to promote Catholic values in and out of his church without the public confrontations some colleagues willingly accept.
Bishop Aymond named Archbishop of New Orleans
In Austin, observers say, Aymond reorganized an explosively growing diocese, significantly multiplied vocations to the priesthood and managed doctrinal or cultural challenges to the church from both the left and the right.
On public matters, observers say, he speaks for himself. He tries to stay tuned to details, as well as the big picture. And in Austin he set up an advisory board of ordinary Catholic laypeople to escape the inner circle he said threatens to smother every bishop with uncritical approval.
"You know the joke, " he said recently. "There are two things every bishop can count on -- never missing a meal, and never hearing the truth."
Click to see a PDF file about Archbishop Aymond's installation.
Politically, Aymond fully backs Catholic church teaching in the public arena -- and while he says abortion and other life issues like euthanasia and embryonic stem cells research are fundamental, during the last election cycle he urged Austin voters also to be mindful of candidates' approach to other social issues, like the death penalty, racism and poverty.
"We're lucky to have had him, " said the Rev. Louis Brusatti, dean of the school of humanities at St. Edward's University in Austin. "He's moderate; he's consensual; he's low-key. He's not an ideologue. We could've done a lot worse."
Aymond will face enormous challenges in New Orleans, where the stresses of leadership will be radically different than those in Austin.
Still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, the Archdiocese of New Orleans, although older, more prestigious and culturally richer, is smaller, poorer and more troubled than the Diocese of Austin.
In the coming weeks, unhappy Catholics from several Uptown parishes will ask Aymond to revisit decisions by his predecessor, Archbishop Alfred Hughes, to shutter their beloved churches in a post-Katrina reorganization that closed nearly three dozen parishes.
As he did in his New Orleans introduction in June, Aymond said recently he was willing to do whatever he could to heal those wounds -- but added that he was not now inclined to reverse Hughes.
"I would expect that in any diocese where such important decisions are made there has been prayer and a pastoral planning process, " Aymond said recently. "And I don't think it's appropriate for me to second guess that."
Aymond said he was aware of "the hurt and pain that goes with closing parishes, and if I can be a source of reconciliation and compassion in talking to (parishioners) I would want to do that, because they're part of the family.
"But I don't think it would be appropriate for me to re-look at that, because it's just not a parish or two -- it's what, 34?"
The post-Katrina struggle
Aymond confessed that despite his continuing ties to New Orleans, his focus on managing Austin has left him largely uninformed on the details of the Catholic church's post-Katrina struggle here.
But Aymond has an advantage: He already knows the city, its rhythms and traditions.
Michael DeMocker / The Times PicayuneBishop Gregory Aymond will be installed today as the 14th archbishop of New Orleans. He takes the helm of a diocese that is older, more prestigious and culturally richer but also smaller, poorer and more troubled than Austin, his last stop.
Aymond grew up the eldest of three children on Piedmont Drive in Gentilly, literally within sight of Brother Martin High School -- then called Cor Jesu High School -- where he would graduate in 1967.
Like many New Orleanians, he grew up surrounded by cousins. He relished night parades during Carnival. The day after Hurricane Betsy in 1965 his family evacuated their flooded neighborhood by skiff.
Aymond took the short, direct route to the priesthood, straight from high school into seminary studies. Ordained in 1975, he taught at his alma mater, Notre Dame Seminary, then ran it as rector for 14 years. He became a bishop in 1997.
Except for the last nine years, Aymond, 59, has lived his entire life in New Orleans. A sister's family lives in Metairie. He already knows most of the priests of the archdiocese -- many of whom he trained.
In Austin, Aymond managed a regional church stressed by explosive growth, yet accompanied by prosperity few other dioceses enjoy.
The growth is driven partly by a continuing influx of thousands of poor Hispanic immigrants whom the church seeks to serve -- but also by software engineers and entrepreneurs moving into Austin's high-tech economy from the Midwest and Northeast.
With more than 450,000 Catholics now, compared with about 380,000 locally, the Austin diocese has doubled in the past 20 years. Church planners expect it to double again over the next 20.
"Austin has the feel of a young technology company, " said Scott Whitaker, the diocese's director of development. "People are coming here faster than we can keep up."
Early in his tenure Aymond reorganized the diocese, and more recently completed a second strategic plan to improve spiritual life in its 125 parishes. The diocese borrowed $80 million on Wall Street in 2005 for debt consolidation, school building and parish improvements; a year later, Aymond launched the diocese's first-ever capital campaign.
Aymond asked parishioners for $45 million; they gave him $84 million in pledges, which will probably translate to $70 million in collections, even in recession, Whitaker said.
About $5 million of that is earmarked to finance the education of new seminarians, who are pouring into the Austin church at a rate that far exceeds its growth.
"Austin has one of the best vocations programs in the country, " said the Rev. David Toups, associate director of the Committee of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Aymond and others point to a remarkably vibrant, diocesan-run campus Catholic ministry at Texas A&M University as a major supplier of seminarians.
Aymond said Austin currently has 46 men studying for the priesthood, the most in Austin's history; New Orleans has eight.
Ellis Lucia / The Times-PicayuneGregory Aymond, then a monsignor and head of Notre Dame Seminary, is made bishop on Jam. 10, 1997, during ceremonial services at St. Louis Cathedral.
"Now when provincials or priests outside the diocese write (for permission) to come in, I have to write back and say, I'm sorry, I don't have a place for you, ' " Aymond said. "We have all of our parishes taken care of."
Lessons learned
Although Aymond arrived in Austin in 2000 with little front-line experience, his resume by then already included what he later described as a painful blunder involving a New Orleans sex abuse allegation.
In 1998 he allowed Brian Matherne, a teacher and coach at Sacred Heart elementary school in Norco, to remain on the job despite accusations from a parent that years earlier Matherne had molested his son, by then a young adult.
Acting on lawyers' advice, the archdiocese allowed Matherne to stay on the job because the young man, who was by then in therapy, refused to give first-hand testimony to Aymond. A year later the church was deeply embarrassed when the St. Charles Parish sheriff's office arrested Matherne, who was convicted of abusing many children -- some after the church had been warned. He is now in prison.
Aymond's take-away from that episode, he said recently, was that he and the church hewed too closely to careful legal advice.
"I learned from that, " he said. "We all learned: When the allegation comes in, act as soon as possible. Even if it doesn't fit into the legal mode -- act."
In nine years in Austin, Aymond removed three priests from ministry on grounds of sexual abuse. He updated that diocese's sex-abuse reporting policy and deployed education programs to teach children and adults the warning signs of abuse. He later headed American bishops' main committee on dealing with the sexual abuse crisis.
But neither he nor the church has yet won the confidence of organized sex abuse survivors.
Aymond opposed creation of a searchable Internet database recording the names of every credibly accused priest or Catholic volunteer, for fear inaccuracies would damage the reputations of dead but innocent priests. Advocates say the database would help still-isolated and suffering victims see they were not the only children abused by a particular person.
The New Orleans chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said Aymond's position demonstrates that he is still not putting victims' needs first. Aymond's reference to his own pain in the Matherne affair also demonstrates a certain insensitivity, said spokesman Michael Kuczynski.
"The pain of Matherne's many victims ought to be our focus, not that of the archbishop-elect, " he said. "While bishops like Aymond are on the learning curve, those victimized in the past continue to suffer and more kids in all probability are being hurt."
Decisive actions
In Austin, Aymond several times moved decisively to protect the interests of the church as he saw them.
In 2007, he ordered Catholic school libraries to remove copies of Philip Pullman's fantasy, "The Golden Compass, " because of its anti-religion themes.
But at the other end of the spectrum, he also effectively banned from a local Catholic radio station Mother Angelica, a conservative Alabama nun and broadcaster whose commentary, Aymond thought, sounded "angry" and "judgmental."
Earlier this summer, he was among 80 or so Catholic bishops who wrote the president of the University of Notre Dame to protest its award of an honorary degree to President Obama, who favors abortion rights.
Yet Austin observers say that was rather atypical for Aymond, who did not usually go out of his way to confront distant issues -- and who acknowledged he usually finds it more effective to quietly engage people over differences.
"I believe I have a responsibility as a bishop and a teacher to stand for the truth, " Aymond said. "I also have an obligation to do it with respect and to respect the people I disagree with. And not to embarrass them more than the situation calls for."
During the past few weeks, Aymond has been making the rounds of farewell banquets, saying good-bye to Texas priests and friends he has made since 2000.
At one, before an audience of priests, he offered a hint that he understands the challenges facing him in New Orleans.
As described by Brusatti, Aymond told them he had been reflecting recently on a Gospel passage in which Jesus observes to his own townspeople that a prophet has no honor in his own country.
"I hope it doesn't turn out that way for me, " he joked.
by Bruce Nolan, The Times-Picayune
Wednesday August 19, 2009, 8:33 PM
When Bishop Gregory Aymond left his native New Orleans to lead the Catholic Church in Austin, Texas, nine years ago, he was a relatively new bishop without experience at the head of a regional church.
But as Aymond frequently told Texas friends in a series of farewells during the past three weeks, Austin taught him how to be a bishop.
The bishop Austin sends back, as Aymond awaits his installation this afternoon as the 14th archbishop of New Orleans, is described as a builder and quiet pragmatist who prefers to promote Catholic values in and out of his church without the public confrontations some colleagues willingly accept.
Bishop Aymond named Archbishop of New Orleans
In Austin, observers say, Aymond reorganized an explosively growing diocese, significantly multiplied vocations to the priesthood and managed doctrinal or cultural challenges to the church from both the left and the right.
On public matters, observers say, he speaks for himself. He tries to stay tuned to details, as well as the big picture. And in Austin he set up an advisory board of ordinary Catholic laypeople to escape the inner circle he said threatens to smother every bishop with uncritical approval.
"You know the joke, " he said recently. "There are two things every bishop can count on -- never missing a meal, and never hearing the truth."
Click to see a PDF file about Archbishop Aymond's installation.
Politically, Aymond fully backs Catholic church teaching in the public arena -- and while he says abortion and other life issues like euthanasia and embryonic stem cells research are fundamental, during the last election cycle he urged Austin voters also to be mindful of candidates' approach to other social issues, like the death penalty, racism and poverty.
"We're lucky to have had him, " said the Rev. Louis Brusatti, dean of the school of humanities at St. Edward's University in Austin. "He's moderate; he's consensual; he's low-key. He's not an ideologue. We could've done a lot worse."
Aymond will face enormous challenges in New Orleans, where the stresses of leadership will be radically different than those in Austin.
Still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, the Archdiocese of New Orleans, although older, more prestigious and culturally richer, is smaller, poorer and more troubled than the Diocese of Austin.
In the coming weeks, unhappy Catholics from several Uptown parishes will ask Aymond to revisit decisions by his predecessor, Archbishop Alfred Hughes, to shutter their beloved churches in a post-Katrina reorganization that closed nearly three dozen parishes.
As he did in his New Orleans introduction in June, Aymond said recently he was willing to do whatever he could to heal those wounds -- but added that he was not now inclined to reverse Hughes.
"I would expect that in any diocese where such important decisions are made there has been prayer and a pastoral planning process, " Aymond said recently. "And I don't think it's appropriate for me to second guess that."
Aymond said he was aware of "the hurt and pain that goes with closing parishes, and if I can be a source of reconciliation and compassion in talking to (parishioners) I would want to do that, because they're part of the family.
"But I don't think it would be appropriate for me to re-look at that, because it's just not a parish or two -- it's what, 34?"
The post-Katrina struggle
Aymond confessed that despite his continuing ties to New Orleans, his focus on managing Austin has left him largely uninformed on the details of the Catholic church's post-Katrina struggle here.
But Aymond has an advantage: He already knows the city, its rhythms and traditions.
Michael DeMocker / The Times PicayuneBishop Gregory Aymond will be installed today as the 14th archbishop of New Orleans. He takes the helm of a diocese that is older, more prestigious and culturally richer but also smaller, poorer and more troubled than Austin, his last stop.
Aymond grew up the eldest of three children on Piedmont Drive in Gentilly, literally within sight of Brother Martin High School -- then called Cor Jesu High School -- where he would graduate in 1967.
Like many New Orleanians, he grew up surrounded by cousins. He relished night parades during Carnival. The day after Hurricane Betsy in 1965 his family evacuated their flooded neighborhood by skiff.
Aymond took the short, direct route to the priesthood, straight from high school into seminary studies. Ordained in 1975, he taught at his alma mater, Notre Dame Seminary, then ran it as rector for 14 years. He became a bishop in 1997.
Except for the last nine years, Aymond, 59, has lived his entire life in New Orleans. A sister's family lives in Metairie. He already knows most of the priests of the archdiocese -- many of whom he trained.
In Austin, Aymond managed a regional church stressed by explosive growth, yet accompanied by prosperity few other dioceses enjoy.
The growth is driven partly by a continuing influx of thousands of poor Hispanic immigrants whom the church seeks to serve -- but also by software engineers and entrepreneurs moving into Austin's high-tech economy from the Midwest and Northeast.
With more than 450,000 Catholics now, compared with about 380,000 locally, the Austin diocese has doubled in the past 20 years. Church planners expect it to double again over the next 20.
"Austin has the feel of a young technology company, " said Scott Whitaker, the diocese's director of development. "People are coming here faster than we can keep up."
Early in his tenure Aymond reorganized the diocese, and more recently completed a second strategic plan to improve spiritual life in its 125 parishes. The diocese borrowed $80 million on Wall Street in 2005 for debt consolidation, school building and parish improvements; a year later, Aymond launched the diocese's first-ever capital campaign.
Aymond asked parishioners for $45 million; they gave him $84 million in pledges, which will probably translate to $70 million in collections, even in recession, Whitaker said.
About $5 million of that is earmarked to finance the education of new seminarians, who are pouring into the Austin church at a rate that far exceeds its growth.
"Austin has one of the best vocations programs in the country, " said the Rev. David Toups, associate director of the Committee of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Aymond and others point to a remarkably vibrant, diocesan-run campus Catholic ministry at Texas A&M University as a major supplier of seminarians.
Aymond said Austin currently has 46 men studying for the priesthood, the most in Austin's history; New Orleans has eight.
Ellis Lucia / The Times-PicayuneGregory Aymond, then a monsignor and head of Notre Dame Seminary, is made bishop on Jam. 10, 1997, during ceremonial services at St. Louis Cathedral.
"Now when provincials or priests outside the diocese write (for permission) to come in, I have to write back and say, I'm sorry, I don't have a place for you, ' " Aymond said. "We have all of our parishes taken care of."
Lessons learned
Although Aymond arrived in Austin in 2000 with little front-line experience, his resume by then already included what he later described as a painful blunder involving a New Orleans sex abuse allegation.
In 1998 he allowed Brian Matherne, a teacher and coach at Sacred Heart elementary school in Norco, to remain on the job despite accusations from a parent that years earlier Matherne had molested his son, by then a young adult.
Acting on lawyers' advice, the archdiocese allowed Matherne to stay on the job because the young man, who was by then in therapy, refused to give first-hand testimony to Aymond. A year later the church was deeply embarrassed when the St. Charles Parish sheriff's office arrested Matherne, who was convicted of abusing many children -- some after the church had been warned. He is now in prison.
Aymond's take-away from that episode, he said recently, was that he and the church hewed too closely to careful legal advice.
"I learned from that, " he said. "We all learned: When the allegation comes in, act as soon as possible. Even if it doesn't fit into the legal mode -- act."
In nine years in Austin, Aymond removed three priests from ministry on grounds of sexual abuse. He updated that diocese's sex-abuse reporting policy and deployed education programs to teach children and adults the warning signs of abuse. He later headed American bishops' main committee on dealing with the sexual abuse crisis.
But neither he nor the church has yet won the confidence of organized sex abuse survivors.
Aymond opposed creation of a searchable Internet database recording the names of every credibly accused priest or Catholic volunteer, for fear inaccuracies would damage the reputations of dead but innocent priests. Advocates say the database would help still-isolated and suffering victims see they were not the only children abused by a particular person.
The New Orleans chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said Aymond's position demonstrates that he is still not putting victims' needs first. Aymond's reference to his own pain in the Matherne affair also demonstrates a certain insensitivity, said spokesman Michael Kuczynski.
"The pain of Matherne's many victims ought to be our focus, not that of the archbishop-elect, " he said. "While bishops like Aymond are on the learning curve, those victimized in the past continue to suffer and more kids in all probability are being hurt."
Decisive actions
In Austin, Aymond several times moved decisively to protect the interests of the church as he saw them.
In 2007, he ordered Catholic school libraries to remove copies of Philip Pullman's fantasy, "The Golden Compass, " because of its anti-religion themes.
But at the other end of the spectrum, he also effectively banned from a local Catholic radio station Mother Angelica, a conservative Alabama nun and broadcaster whose commentary, Aymond thought, sounded "angry" and "judgmental."
Earlier this summer, he was among 80 or so Catholic bishops who wrote the president of the University of Notre Dame to protest its award of an honorary degree to President Obama, who favors abortion rights.
Yet Austin observers say that was rather atypical for Aymond, who did not usually go out of his way to confront distant issues -- and who acknowledged he usually finds it more effective to quietly engage people over differences.
"I believe I have a responsibility as a bishop and a teacher to stand for the truth, " Aymond said. "I also have an obligation to do it with respect and to respect the people I disagree with. And not to embarrass them more than the situation calls for."
During the past few weeks, Aymond has been making the rounds of farewell banquets, saying good-bye to Texas priests and friends he has made since 2000.
At one, before an audience of priests, he offered a hint that he understands the challenges facing him in New Orleans.
As described by Brusatti, Aymond told them he had been reflecting recently on a Gospel passage in which Jesus observes to his own townspeople that a prophet has no honor in his own country.
"I hope it doesn't turn out that way for me, " he joked.
The New & The Former Archbishops of New Orleans on health care
Joint Statement of Archbishops Aymond and Hughes on Health Care Reform
August 19, 2009
The Catholic bishops in the United States recognize a pressing need for health care reform. Too many American citizens lack basic health care coverage and the cost of health care is becoming prohibitive for many more.
The Lord Jesus, who came to save us from our sins, manifested a great concern for the sick in his public ministry. He also urged us to reach out to the poor and sick in our midst. The Church rightly considers that government has a responsibility to ensure access to basic health care for all.
The bishops do not propose a specific plan or policy. But we set out the following principles to shape public policy:
· We need to develop a plan which ensures access to basic health care for all.
· We need to make sure that the poor and the vulnerable, including legal immigrants, are part of this plan.
· We need to control health care costs so that it is affordable to all.
· We need to make sure that abortion, euthanasia or other immoral activities are not mandated or financed with tax payer dollars. This includes conscience protection for all providers, whether institutions or individual persons, and for all recipients.
The bishops, without proposing either a public or private sector option, urge that any plan which is developed embrace these principles. Catholics are urged to contact their United States Senators and Representative to ask them to use these principles to evaluate all proposals that are developed.
Strident or shrill rhetoric does not help us to engage in civil and respectful deliberation about a serious social issue with significant moral implications. God grant us the wisdom to discern what is right and the courage to do it.
August 19, 2009
The Catholic bishops in the United States recognize a pressing need for health care reform. Too many American citizens lack basic health care coverage and the cost of health care is becoming prohibitive for many more.
The Lord Jesus, who came to save us from our sins, manifested a great concern for the sick in his public ministry. He also urged us to reach out to the poor and sick in our midst. The Church rightly considers that government has a responsibility to ensure access to basic health care for all.
The bishops do not propose a specific plan or policy. But we set out the following principles to shape public policy:
· We need to develop a plan which ensures access to basic health care for all.
· We need to make sure that the poor and the vulnerable, including legal immigrants, are part of this plan.
· We need to control health care costs so that it is affordable to all.
· We need to make sure that abortion, euthanasia or other immoral activities are not mandated or financed with tax payer dollars. This includes conscience protection for all providers, whether institutions or individual persons, and for all recipients.
The bishops, without proposing either a public or private sector option, urge that any plan which is developed embrace these principles. Catholics are urged to contact their United States Senators and Representative to ask them to use these principles to evaluate all proposals that are developed.
Strident or shrill rhetoric does not help us to engage in civil and respectful deliberation about a serious social issue with significant moral implications. God grant us the wisdom to discern what is right and the courage to do it.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
A hopeful message for Permanent Deacons
I received a copy of this from a Priest friend and it could not have come at a better time. I don't waste a lot of time wondering "why me" concerning being an ordained Catholic Deacon. But I do experience frustration from time to time in balancing all things ministry. I experience much more joy, much more than I do frustration! And I sometimes forget to realize that some of my best ministry occurs when I'm least aware of ministering. So to all my brother Deacons, please read, and all my dear friends too:
My Dear Permanent Deacons:
The Church discovers more and more the richness of the permanent diaconate. Whenever Bishops come to the Congregation for the Clergy, on the occasion of their ad limina visits, the theme of the diaconate, among others, is often commented upon and the prelates are generally very much pleased and full of hope in regard to you, Permanent Deacons. This fills all of us with joy. The Church thanks you and recognizes your dedication to your qualified ministerial work. At the same time, the Church would like to encourage you on the way of personal sanctification, in your prayer lives and in the spirituality of the diaconate. To you one can equally apply what the Pope has said to priests, for the Year for Priests, that is that it is necessary “to work in favor of this pull of priests toward spiritual perfection, upon which, above all, depends the efficacy of their ministry.” (discourse of March 16, 2009).
Today, on this feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr, I would like to invite you to reflect upon two areas, your ministry of the Word, and your ministry of Charity.
We recall with gratitude the Synod on the Word of God, celebrated in October of last year. We, ordained ministers, have received from the Lord, through the mediation of the Church, the task of preaching the Word of God to the ends of the earth, announcing the person of Jesus Christ, who has died and risen, His Word and His Kingdom, to every creature. This Word, as the final Message of the Synod affirms, has one voice which is His, Revelation, has one will which is His, Jesus Christ, and one Way which is His, Missionary Activity. To know Revelation, to adhere unconditionally to Jesus Christ as a fascinated and enamored disciple, to base oneself always upon Jesus Christ and to be with Him in our Mission, this is then what awaits a permanent deacon, decisively and without any reservation. From a good disciple a good missionary is born.
The ministry of the Word which, in a special way for Deacons, has as its great model St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr, requires of ordained ministers a constant struggle to study it and carry it out, at the same time as one proclaims it to others. Meditation, following the style of lectio divina, that is, prayerful reading, is one well traveled and much counseled way to understand and live the Word of God, and make it ones own. At the same time, intellectual, theological and pastoral formation is a challenge which endures throughout life. A qualified and up to date ministry of the Word very much depends upon this in depth formation.
We are awaiting, in the proximate future, a document of the Holy Father regarding the Synod which we have referred to. This must be welcomed with an openness of heart and with profound commitment to study it.
The second reflection regards the ministry of Charity, taking as a great model St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr. The diaconate has its roots in the early Church’s efforts to organize charitable works. At Rome, in the third century, during a period of great persecution of Christians, the extraordinary figure of St. Lawrence appears. He was archdeacon of Pope Sixtus II, and his trustee for the administration of the goods of the community. Our well beloved Pope Benedict XVI says regarding St. Lawrence: “His solicitude for the poor, his generous service which he rendered to the Church of Rome in the area of relief and of charity, his fidelity to the Pope, from him he was thrust forward to the point of wanting to undergo the supreme test of martyrdom and the heroic witness of his blood, rendered only a few days later. These are universally recognized facts.” (Homily Basilica of St. Lawrence, November 30, 2008). From St. Lawrence we also take note of the affirmation “the riches of the Church are the poor.” He assisted the poor with great generosity. He is thus an ever more present example to permanent deacons. We must love the poor in a preferential way, as did Jesus Christ; to be united with them, to work towards constructing a just, fraternal and peaceful society. The recent encyclical letter of Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), should be our updated guide. In this encyclical the Holy Father affirms as a fundamental principle “Charity is the royal road of the social doctrine of the Church” (n. 2). Deacons must identify themselves in a very special way with charity. The poor are part of your daily ambiance, and the object of your untiring concern. One could not understand a Deacon who did not personally involve himself in charity and solidarity toward the poor, who again today are multiplying in number.
My dear Permanent Deacons, may God bless you with all his love and make you happy in your vocation and mission! With respect and admiration, I greet the wives and children of those of you who are married. The Church thanks you for the support and multifaceted collaboration which you give to your respective spouses and fathers in their diaconal ministry. In addition, the Year for Priests invites us to manifest our appreciation for our dear priests, and to pray for them and with them.
Vatican City, Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr, August 10, 2009
Claudio Cardinal Hummes
Archbishop Emeritus of Sao Paulo
Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy
My Dear Permanent Deacons:
The Church discovers more and more the richness of the permanent diaconate. Whenever Bishops come to the Congregation for the Clergy, on the occasion of their ad limina visits, the theme of the diaconate, among others, is often commented upon and the prelates are generally very much pleased and full of hope in regard to you, Permanent Deacons. This fills all of us with joy. The Church thanks you and recognizes your dedication to your qualified ministerial work. At the same time, the Church would like to encourage you on the way of personal sanctification, in your prayer lives and in the spirituality of the diaconate. To you one can equally apply what the Pope has said to priests, for the Year for Priests, that is that it is necessary “to work in favor of this pull of priests toward spiritual perfection, upon which, above all, depends the efficacy of their ministry.” (discourse of March 16, 2009).
Today, on this feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr, I would like to invite you to reflect upon two areas, your ministry of the Word, and your ministry of Charity.
We recall with gratitude the Synod on the Word of God, celebrated in October of last year. We, ordained ministers, have received from the Lord, through the mediation of the Church, the task of preaching the Word of God to the ends of the earth, announcing the person of Jesus Christ, who has died and risen, His Word and His Kingdom, to every creature. This Word, as the final Message of the Synod affirms, has one voice which is His, Revelation, has one will which is His, Jesus Christ, and one Way which is His, Missionary Activity. To know Revelation, to adhere unconditionally to Jesus Christ as a fascinated and enamored disciple, to base oneself always upon Jesus Christ and to be with Him in our Mission, this is then what awaits a permanent deacon, decisively and without any reservation. From a good disciple a good missionary is born.
The ministry of the Word which, in a special way for Deacons, has as its great model St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr, requires of ordained ministers a constant struggle to study it and carry it out, at the same time as one proclaims it to others. Meditation, following the style of lectio divina, that is, prayerful reading, is one well traveled and much counseled way to understand and live the Word of God, and make it ones own. At the same time, intellectual, theological and pastoral formation is a challenge which endures throughout life. A qualified and up to date ministry of the Word very much depends upon this in depth formation.
We are awaiting, in the proximate future, a document of the Holy Father regarding the Synod which we have referred to. This must be welcomed with an openness of heart and with profound commitment to study it.
The second reflection regards the ministry of Charity, taking as a great model St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr. The diaconate has its roots in the early Church’s efforts to organize charitable works. At Rome, in the third century, during a period of great persecution of Christians, the extraordinary figure of St. Lawrence appears. He was archdeacon of Pope Sixtus II, and his trustee for the administration of the goods of the community. Our well beloved Pope Benedict XVI says regarding St. Lawrence: “His solicitude for the poor, his generous service which he rendered to the Church of Rome in the area of relief and of charity, his fidelity to the Pope, from him he was thrust forward to the point of wanting to undergo the supreme test of martyrdom and the heroic witness of his blood, rendered only a few days later. These are universally recognized facts.” (Homily Basilica of St. Lawrence, November 30, 2008). From St. Lawrence we also take note of the affirmation “the riches of the Church are the poor.” He assisted the poor with great generosity. He is thus an ever more present example to permanent deacons. We must love the poor in a preferential way, as did Jesus Christ; to be united with them, to work towards constructing a just, fraternal and peaceful society. The recent encyclical letter of Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), should be our updated guide. In this encyclical the Holy Father affirms as a fundamental principle “Charity is the royal road of the social doctrine of the Church” (n. 2). Deacons must identify themselves in a very special way with charity. The poor are part of your daily ambiance, and the object of your untiring concern. One could not understand a Deacon who did not personally involve himself in charity and solidarity toward the poor, who again today are multiplying in number.
My dear Permanent Deacons, may God bless you with all his love and make you happy in your vocation and mission! With respect and admiration, I greet the wives and children of those of you who are married. The Church thanks you for the support and multifaceted collaboration which you give to your respective spouses and fathers in their diaconal ministry. In addition, the Year for Priests invites us to manifest our appreciation for our dear priests, and to pray for them and with them.
Vatican City, Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr, August 10, 2009
Claudio Cardinal Hummes
Archbishop Emeritus of Sao Paulo
Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Homily for August 16th...You Can't Handle the Truth
The Colonel took the stand in the military courtroom with defiant confidence; almost arrogance. The young Navy defense attorney knew this was his last chance to prove the innocence of his two clients. With skill, he agitated the Colonel to the point of anger and then it began: “I want answers”; the Colonel shoots back questioning “you want answers?” The reply, “I want the truth” and then it happened, Colonel Jessup yells “you can’t handle the truth.”
This is the powerful dialogue between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson in the classic movie, A Few Good Men. And that line, “you can’t handle the truth” is one of the most quoted lines of any movie made in the last 25 years.
Truth is (pun intended) that there is a lot of truth in that statement. You can’t handle the truth! Perhaps in our lifetime someone has told us the truth and we could not handle it. Maybe it was truth about our own lives, the quality of the job we do; or don’t do, our health, our likes and dislikes.
As people of faith, can we handle the truth? I’m speaking of course of the truth taught by Jesus Christ and handed down by His universal church.
Today, we read in St. John’s Gospel as Jesus continues to teach the truth about the Eucharist. And the word truth is heard as Jesus speaks. “My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.” This is not symbolic language. This in fact is language of self giving, self sacrifice, self-less love. This is the language of truth.
Let’s look at the statement from verse 53: “I am the living bread came down from Heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Again, he tells the truth. And look at the reaction; the Jews began to quarrel. Remember last week, the word was murmur, and the week before they demanded signs. Yes, the truth is often met with everything from anger, to denial, to persecution of the one speaking the truth.
In reality, the Jews in our Gospel reading today and the world in which we live now still can’t handle the truth. As the sixth chapter of John continues, Jesus’ truthful teaching of eating His flesh and drinking His blood so whoever eats this bread lives forever, many disciples left Jesus, abandoned Him and rejected His gift of eternal life.
What about our world today? Jesus still is giving us His body and blood, in the Eucharist, and yet many fail to believe. Studies show that in some cases more than 50% of Catholics doubt the real presence in the Eucharist. In our world today, there exist many who wish the Church would just “get with it” “chill ax” “go with the flow” in many social issues of our day. In other words, don’t handle the truth, just “do it”.
You know maybe the Church should relax its teaching about abortion. Maybe we should not teach that artificial contraception; birth control, is wrong. Get with the times about embryonic stem cell research. Maybe euthanasia is not so big a deal. Maybe the Church should get with it and allow multiple re-marriages and ditch that annulment deal. Maybe the Church should just look the other way when it comes to same-sex marriage too.
Yes, the Church could perhaps change; if it chooses to no longer be Catholic, to no longer teach truth, no longer be faithful to the teaching of Jesus Christ. And yes, in our modern day world too, many disciples just abandon Her, the Church, and reject truth.
So how do we, whether we are solid in our convictions or still seeking the fullness of truth, respond? How do we put into action the words from John’s Gospel, chapter six? How do we, in charity, defend the faith?
We can follow a few simple steps. Know your faith. Return to the catechism. Read just one section every week. Live your faith. In word and deed, at work or play, in the market place or work place, be a living example of Christ, of the Eucharist. Practice what we preach. Be what we believe.
With His help, we can be like the Eucharist. The Eucharist nourishes our heart and soul. We can nourish the hearts and souls of our brothers and sisters; especially those who need us the most. Jesus, in becoming Eucharist for us, poured out His all; we can pour our energy and talent for the sake of His kingdom; for the sake of His Church. Jesus does the will of His Father. We can do His will too! We can do more.
And when given the opportunity to share the faith, to spread the truth, do so always like Jesus did. Be gentle, kind and patient!
When Colonel Jessup uttered those words, “you can’t handle the truth”, he was concealing a horrible crime and trying to suppress the freedom of two men caught up in following unjust orders.
The truth that Jesus brings us today is the truth that makes us free. For He who is true food and true drink is the way, the truth and the life.
That’s the truth we want to handle; that’s the truth that makes us free!
This is the powerful dialogue between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson in the classic movie, A Few Good Men. And that line, “you can’t handle the truth” is one of the most quoted lines of any movie made in the last 25 years.
Truth is (pun intended) that there is a lot of truth in that statement. You can’t handle the truth! Perhaps in our lifetime someone has told us the truth and we could not handle it. Maybe it was truth about our own lives, the quality of the job we do; or don’t do, our health, our likes and dislikes.
As people of faith, can we handle the truth? I’m speaking of course of the truth taught by Jesus Christ and handed down by His universal church.
Today, we read in St. John’s Gospel as Jesus continues to teach the truth about the Eucharist. And the word truth is heard as Jesus speaks. “My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.” This is not symbolic language. This in fact is language of self giving, self sacrifice, self-less love. This is the language of truth.
Let’s look at the statement from verse 53: “I am the living bread came down from Heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Again, he tells the truth. And look at the reaction; the Jews began to quarrel. Remember last week, the word was murmur, and the week before they demanded signs. Yes, the truth is often met with everything from anger, to denial, to persecution of the one speaking the truth.
In reality, the Jews in our Gospel reading today and the world in which we live now still can’t handle the truth. As the sixth chapter of John continues, Jesus’ truthful teaching of eating His flesh and drinking His blood so whoever eats this bread lives forever, many disciples left Jesus, abandoned Him and rejected His gift of eternal life.
What about our world today? Jesus still is giving us His body and blood, in the Eucharist, and yet many fail to believe. Studies show that in some cases more than 50% of Catholics doubt the real presence in the Eucharist. In our world today, there exist many who wish the Church would just “get with it” “chill ax” “go with the flow” in many social issues of our day. In other words, don’t handle the truth, just “do it”.
You know maybe the Church should relax its teaching about abortion. Maybe we should not teach that artificial contraception; birth control, is wrong. Get with the times about embryonic stem cell research. Maybe euthanasia is not so big a deal. Maybe the Church should get with it and allow multiple re-marriages and ditch that annulment deal. Maybe the Church should just look the other way when it comes to same-sex marriage too.
Yes, the Church could perhaps change; if it chooses to no longer be Catholic, to no longer teach truth, no longer be faithful to the teaching of Jesus Christ. And yes, in our modern day world too, many disciples just abandon Her, the Church, and reject truth.
So how do we, whether we are solid in our convictions or still seeking the fullness of truth, respond? How do we put into action the words from John’s Gospel, chapter six? How do we, in charity, defend the faith?
We can follow a few simple steps. Know your faith. Return to the catechism. Read just one section every week. Live your faith. In word and deed, at work or play, in the market place or work place, be a living example of Christ, of the Eucharist. Practice what we preach. Be what we believe.
With His help, we can be like the Eucharist. The Eucharist nourishes our heart and soul. We can nourish the hearts and souls of our brothers and sisters; especially those who need us the most. Jesus, in becoming Eucharist for us, poured out His all; we can pour our energy and talent for the sake of His kingdom; for the sake of His Church. Jesus does the will of His Father. We can do His will too! We can do more.
And when given the opportunity to share the faith, to spread the truth, do so always like Jesus did. Be gentle, kind and patient!
When Colonel Jessup uttered those words, “you can’t handle the truth”, he was concealing a horrible crime and trying to suppress the freedom of two men caught up in following unjust orders.
The truth that Jesus brings us today is the truth that makes us free. For He who is true food and true drink is the way, the truth and the life.
That’s the truth we want to handle; that’s the truth that makes us free!
Friday, August 14, 2009
What will separate us?
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
St. Paul wrote many letters to various communities to encourage believers. The earliest days of the Church were challenging. Undoubtedly, they are still challenging today.
To the Romans he wrote: “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose”. 8:28
He continues, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him”? 8:31-32
Then he asks this most profound question: What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future thins, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 8:35, 37-39
The power of God’s love has overcome every obstacle to Christian’s salvation and every threat to separate from God. Thus, for us, he gave his Son to death. But it was a death that brought our salvation. Through Jesus, we can overcome all affliction and trial.
So I ask again, what can separate us from the love of Christ? Will we allow this world, the economy, the job market, the political environment, the stock market, personal debt to separate us? How about more personal? Will we allow our job, job changes, changing responsibilities, layoffs, salary freezes, uncooperative co-workers to separate us? More personal? Will we allow tension at home, illness, pressures of family, disappointment among loved ones, disagreements to separate us? What about the unexpected? Bad news, tragic news, loss of love, loss of a loved one, a ruptured friendship, accidents, storms, hurricanes; can these separate us?
What about our faith? Do we feel separated when we realize that mercy is balanced by justice, charity balanced by obedience, worship by God’s will? Do we wish to be the image and likeness of God or do we desire to make God in our image?
Jesus will never abandon us; he can’t help but love us. It is us that separate ourselves from Him. Stay in his love. Trust in him. When the storms of life come at you, in whatever form they take; when those who love you hurt you; when that which you depend on let’s you down, go to Him, run to Him.
Surrender to His love, seek to do His will, not your own, and there in His will, you will find perfect peace.
What can separate us from the love of Christ? Nothing, if we transform our lives to do His will.
Here’s praying that you find perfect peace.
St. Paul wrote many letters to various communities to encourage believers. The earliest days of the Church were challenging. Undoubtedly, they are still challenging today.
To the Romans he wrote: “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose”. 8:28
He continues, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him”? 8:31-32
Then he asks this most profound question: What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future thins, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 8:35, 37-39
The power of God’s love has overcome every obstacle to Christian’s salvation and every threat to separate from God. Thus, for us, he gave his Son to death. But it was a death that brought our salvation. Through Jesus, we can overcome all affliction and trial.
So I ask again, what can separate us from the love of Christ? Will we allow this world, the economy, the job market, the political environment, the stock market, personal debt to separate us? How about more personal? Will we allow our job, job changes, changing responsibilities, layoffs, salary freezes, uncooperative co-workers to separate us? More personal? Will we allow tension at home, illness, pressures of family, disappointment among loved ones, disagreements to separate us? What about the unexpected? Bad news, tragic news, loss of love, loss of a loved one, a ruptured friendship, accidents, storms, hurricanes; can these separate us?
What about our faith? Do we feel separated when we realize that mercy is balanced by justice, charity balanced by obedience, worship by God’s will? Do we wish to be the image and likeness of God or do we desire to make God in our image?
Jesus will never abandon us; he can’t help but love us. It is us that separate ourselves from Him. Stay in his love. Trust in him. When the storms of life come at you, in whatever form they take; when those who love you hurt you; when that which you depend on let’s you down, go to Him, run to Him.
Surrender to His love, seek to do His will, not your own, and there in His will, you will find perfect peace.
What can separate us from the love of Christ? Nothing, if we transform our lives to do His will.
Here’s praying that you find perfect peace.
The Assumption of Mary
Tommorrow, Saturday August 15th is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. First some background. Catholics, along with many other faith traditions, have long acknowledged the belief that Mary, at the end of her life, was taken up to Heaven. Many literal Bible types will ask to point to the actaul event of the Assumption in Scripture. Of course, those who understand prefigurement and typology in Scripture can point to evidence of the Assumption. Revelation 11:19 tru 12:1 would be one place to start. And all the typology in Old Testament Scripture, surrounding a Queen Mother for the Davidic kings makes some sense too.
But the Catholic Church also has tradition and TRADITION. The latter is sacred and was bestowed upon the Church by Christ. Always remember, Jesus never founded a book, he founded a Church. Of course, this is not to be misinterpreted as any slight to Sacred Scripture. By the 5th century, the Tradition of the assumption was well known. And in 1950, The Assumption was declared dogma by Pope Pius XII after many years of careful study, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This teaching, then, is one that all Catholics are obliged to believe.
The Catholic Church has been very very careful in declaring an infallible dogma. The Immaculate Conception and The Assumption are two of the three declared by the Popes.
Because the Assumption falls on a Saturday this year, the obligation to attend Mass has been abbrogated by the Bishops this year; at least in my diocese. But if it all possible, attend Mass tommorrow and honor the Blessed Virgin Mary.
*Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among woman and blessed the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
But the Catholic Church also has tradition and TRADITION. The latter is sacred and was bestowed upon the Church by Christ. Always remember, Jesus never founded a book, he founded a Church. Of course, this is not to be misinterpreted as any slight to Sacred Scripture. By the 5th century, the Tradition of the assumption was well known. And in 1950, The Assumption was declared dogma by Pope Pius XII after many years of careful study, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This teaching, then, is one that all Catholics are obliged to believe.
The Catholic Church has been very very careful in declaring an infallible dogma. The Immaculate Conception and The Assumption are two of the three declared by the Popes.
Because the Assumption falls on a Saturday this year, the obligation to attend Mass has been abbrogated by the Bishops this year; at least in my diocese. But if it all possible, attend Mass tommorrow and honor the Blessed Virgin Mary.
*Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among woman and blessed the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Hauntingly beautiful
Too beautiful not to share. Shut out the world for 4 minutes or so; give a listen; renew yourself and give all the glory to God!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPeVIuRjUi4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPeVIuRjUi4
Avoid the hype; here is what the Bishops say about healthcare
Question and Answer on Health Care Reform
From the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Q. The Catholic bishops support health care reform. What are the bishops* key criteria for health care reform?
A. The bishops have been consistent advocates for comprehensive, life-affirming reform to the nation*s health care system. Health care reform needs to reflect basic moral principles. The bishops believeaccess to basic, quality health care is a universal human right not a privilege. In this light they offer four criteria to guide the process: a truly universal health policy that respects all human life and dignity, from conception to natural death; access for all with a special concern for the poor and inclusion of legal immigrants; pursuing the common good and preserving pluralism including freedom of conscience and variety of options; and restraining costs and applying them equitably across the spectrum of payers.Q. Why are the bishops so vocal about health care reform?
One out of three Americans under the age of 65 went without health insurance for some period of time during 2007 and 2008. Of these, four out of five were from working families. Sixty four percent of theuninsured are employed full time, year round. This state of affairs is unacceptable. In the Catholic tradition, health care is a basic human right not a privilege. It is a fundamental issue of human life anddignity. Q. Are the bishops trying to promote an anti-abortion agenda through health care reform?
No. The bishops will continue to fight against the evil of abortion by all means available. But they have not demanded that urgently needed health care reform become a vehicle for advancing the pro-life cause,and they likewise believe it should not be used to advance the cause of abortion. In this sense, the bishops have asked that health care reform be *abortion neutral,* this is, that existing laws and policies with regard to abortion and abortion funding be preserved, allowing healthcare reform to move forward and serve its legitimate goals. Q. Why are the bishops insistent that healthcare reform be *abortion neutral*?
Abortion advocacy groups are trying to use health care reform to advance their agenda, by having Congress or a federal official establish abortion as a *basic* or *essential* health benefit,guaranteeing *access* nationwide and requiring Americans to subsidize abortion with their tax dollars or insurance premiums. This would reverse a tradition of federal laws and policies that have barredfederal funding and promotion of abortion in all major health programs for over three decades (e.g., the Hyde amendment, 1976), and have respected the right of health care providers to decline involvement inabortion or abortion referrals. This agenda would also endanger or render irrelevant numerous local and state laws regulating abortion. The bishops cannot, in good conscience, let such an important and pressing issue as health care reform be hijacked by the abortion agenda. No health care reform plan should compel anyone to pay for the destruction of human life, whether through government funding or mandatory coverage of abortion. Any such action would be morally wrong and politically unwise.Q. Are the bishops promoting socialized medicine by advocating for universal access?All people need and should have access to comprehensive, quality health care that they can afford, and it should not depend on their stage in life, where or whether they or their parents work, how much they earn, where they live, or where they were born. There may be different ways to accomplish this, but the Bishops* Conference believes health care reform should be truly universal and genuinely affordable.Q. Health care is already expensive. Why advocate for legal immigrants to be covered too?
Legal immigrants pay taxes and contribute to the U.S. economy and social life in the same manner as U.S. citizens do. Therefore, there should be equity for legal immigrants in access to health care. In theCatholic tradition, health care is a basic human right, like education, and having access to it should not depend on where you were born. Achieving equality in this case, for instance, means repealing the fiveyear ban currently in effect for legal immigrants to access Medicaid, and ensuring that all pregnant women in the United States, who will be giving birth to U.S. citizens, are eligible along with their unbornchildren for health care.Q. What kind of actions do the bishops recommend to make quality healthcare accessible for all and genuinely affordable?
Many lower income families simply lack the resources to meet their health care expenses. For these families, significant premiums and cost sharing charges can serve as barriers to obtaining coverage or seeing a doctor. Medicaid cost-sharing protections should be maintained and new coverage options should protect the lowest income enrollees from burdensome cost sharing. The bishops have urged Congress to limit premiums or exempt families earning less then 200 percent of the FederalPoverty Level from monthly premiums; they also recommend limiting co-payments and other costs which could discourage needed care, and increasing eligibility levels for Medicaid and CHIP (Children*s HealthInsurance Program). They have urged Congress to provide states with resources to expand coverage and ensure sufficient funding for safety net clinics, hospitals and other providers serving those who willcontinue to fall through the cracks even after the system is reformed.Sister Mary Ann WalshDirector of Media RelationsUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops3211 4th St., NEWashington, DC 20017-1194Ph 202-541-3201Fx 202-541-3173mwalsh@usccb.org
**My commnets: note the Bishops declaration that access to health care is a universal human right not a privilege. Also note the the preferential option for the poor and the Bishop's concern that health care be accessible for all, including legal immigrants. The Bishops affirm that any health care reform must be life affirming, from conception to natural death. And the Bishops certainly proclaim a pro-life, anti abortion message.
So maybe we must all continue to stay vigilant, gleen what the Church teaches through the Bishops, stop yelling at each other, oppose anything that effects the most vulnerable, the unborn, fight any promotion of abortion and support real health care reform that truly lifts the poor and marginalized.
From the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Q. The Catholic bishops support health care reform. What are the bishops* key criteria for health care reform?
A. The bishops have been consistent advocates for comprehensive, life-affirming reform to the nation*s health care system. Health care reform needs to reflect basic moral principles. The bishops believeaccess to basic, quality health care is a universal human right not a privilege. In this light they offer four criteria to guide the process: a truly universal health policy that respects all human life and dignity, from conception to natural death; access for all with a special concern for the poor and inclusion of legal immigrants; pursuing the common good and preserving pluralism including freedom of conscience and variety of options; and restraining costs and applying them equitably across the spectrum of payers.Q. Why are the bishops so vocal about health care reform?
One out of three Americans under the age of 65 went without health insurance for some period of time during 2007 and 2008. Of these, four out of five were from working families. Sixty four percent of theuninsured are employed full time, year round. This state of affairs is unacceptable. In the Catholic tradition, health care is a basic human right not a privilege. It is a fundamental issue of human life anddignity. Q. Are the bishops trying to promote an anti-abortion agenda through health care reform?
No. The bishops will continue to fight against the evil of abortion by all means available. But they have not demanded that urgently needed health care reform become a vehicle for advancing the pro-life cause,and they likewise believe it should not be used to advance the cause of abortion. In this sense, the bishops have asked that health care reform be *abortion neutral,* this is, that existing laws and policies with regard to abortion and abortion funding be preserved, allowing healthcare reform to move forward and serve its legitimate goals. Q. Why are the bishops insistent that healthcare reform be *abortion neutral*?
Abortion advocacy groups are trying to use health care reform to advance their agenda, by having Congress or a federal official establish abortion as a *basic* or *essential* health benefit,guaranteeing *access* nationwide and requiring Americans to subsidize abortion with their tax dollars or insurance premiums. This would reverse a tradition of federal laws and policies that have barredfederal funding and promotion of abortion in all major health programs for over three decades (e.g., the Hyde amendment, 1976), and have respected the right of health care providers to decline involvement inabortion or abortion referrals. This agenda would also endanger or render irrelevant numerous local and state laws regulating abortion. The bishops cannot, in good conscience, let such an important and pressing issue as health care reform be hijacked by the abortion agenda. No health care reform plan should compel anyone to pay for the destruction of human life, whether through government funding or mandatory coverage of abortion. Any such action would be morally wrong and politically unwise.Q. Are the bishops promoting socialized medicine by advocating for universal access?All people need and should have access to comprehensive, quality health care that they can afford, and it should not depend on their stage in life, where or whether they or their parents work, how much they earn, where they live, or where they were born. There may be different ways to accomplish this, but the Bishops* Conference believes health care reform should be truly universal and genuinely affordable.Q. Health care is already expensive. Why advocate for legal immigrants to be covered too?
Legal immigrants pay taxes and contribute to the U.S. economy and social life in the same manner as U.S. citizens do. Therefore, there should be equity for legal immigrants in access to health care. In theCatholic tradition, health care is a basic human right, like education, and having access to it should not depend on where you were born. Achieving equality in this case, for instance, means repealing the fiveyear ban currently in effect for legal immigrants to access Medicaid, and ensuring that all pregnant women in the United States, who will be giving birth to U.S. citizens, are eligible along with their unbornchildren for health care.Q. What kind of actions do the bishops recommend to make quality healthcare accessible for all and genuinely affordable?
Many lower income families simply lack the resources to meet their health care expenses. For these families, significant premiums and cost sharing charges can serve as barriers to obtaining coverage or seeing a doctor. Medicaid cost-sharing protections should be maintained and new coverage options should protect the lowest income enrollees from burdensome cost sharing. The bishops have urged Congress to limit premiums or exempt families earning less then 200 percent of the FederalPoverty Level from monthly premiums; they also recommend limiting co-payments and other costs which could discourage needed care, and increasing eligibility levels for Medicaid and CHIP (Children*s HealthInsurance Program). They have urged Congress to provide states with resources to expand coverage and ensure sufficient funding for safety net clinics, hospitals and other providers serving those who willcontinue to fall through the cracks even after the system is reformed.Sister Mary Ann WalshDirector of Media RelationsUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops3211 4th St., NEWashington, DC 20017-1194Ph 202-541-3201Fx 202-541-3173mwalsh@usccb.org
**My commnets: note the Bishops declaration that access to health care is a universal human right not a privilege. Also note the the preferential option for the poor and the Bishop's concern that health care be accessible for all, including legal immigrants. The Bishops affirm that any health care reform must be life affirming, from conception to natural death. And the Bishops certainly proclaim a pro-life, anti abortion message.
So maybe we must all continue to stay vigilant, gleen what the Church teaches through the Bishops, stop yelling at each other, oppose anything that effects the most vulnerable, the unborn, fight any promotion of abortion and support real health care reform that truly lifts the poor and marginalized.
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