Category: 2022 News

WASHINGTON (CNS) – The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee called for a “radical solidarity” with pregnant women to protect and support them and their unborn child.

“In the post-Roe world, we must act in radical solidarity with the pregnant woman and her child, as we work and pray for the day when abortion is unthinkable,” said Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

The archbishop made the remarks in a statement released late Oct. 4 to mark the 100 days since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its Dobbs ruling.

Mothers should “be protected and supported,” he said, “and we all have a responsibility to stand with mothers in need and provide the material and emotional support necessary to allow mothers, children and families to live in dignity.”

Archbishop Lori also issued the statement to reiterate Catholic teaching on life as a response to recent public comments from people in public life “who distort the Catholic Church’s teaching,” said a USCCB news release.

“The Catholic Church recognizes that all people, born and unborn, have been created in the image and likeness of God, and therefore have inherent dignity, and the right to life,” Archbishop Lori said. “When a woman is carrying a child, both mother and child are valued and should be protected, and the life of one should not be set against the life of another.”

He added, “The goal is always to save life, never to intentionally destroy life. The church seeks the protection of all unborn children, this includes the innocent child conceived in rape or incest.”

Neither Archbishop Lori nor the news release named any specific public officials’ comments on abortion and the Catholic Church, but in remarks Sept. 22, President Joe Biden claimed that a bill sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to ban abortion after 15 weeks nationwide is more strict than what the church says about abortion.

Speaking at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in New York, Biden said Graham and others are “talking about how they’re gonna, you know, make sure that Roe is forever gone and Dobbs becomes a national law.”

He said the senator’s bill has “no exceptions.” “I happen to be a practicing Roman Catholic, my church doesn’t even make that argument,” Biden said.

However, the “Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act,” as the bill is called, does include exceptions for rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. The measure also has been introduced in the House.

“Whereas the church always seeks the protection of all unborn children, it is licit to support legislation that falls short of this goal, if it advances protections and limits harm,” said Archbishop Lori said in his statement.

He quoted Section 73 of St. John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical on the value and inviolability of human life, “Evangelium Vitae”: “This does not in fact represent an illicit cooperation with an unjust law, but rather a legitimate and proper attempt to limit its evil aspects.”

“The USCCB supports legislation that seeks to limit the harm of abortion, including some legislation that includes exceptions,” Archbishop Lori said. “We will continue to pray and work for the day when all human life is welcomed in love and protected by law.”

The Supreme Court’s June 24 decision overturning Roe v. Wade came in a challenge to a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks. The case was Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

The court affirmed the law 6-3 and also voted 5-4 to overturn the 1973 Roe ruling, which legalized abortion nationwide, and 1992’s Casey v. Planned Parenthood ruling, which affirmed Roe. The ruling returned the issue of abortion to the states.

In a Sept. 21 statement he issued for October as Respect Life Month, Archbishop Lori said the court’s reversal of Roe “is, without question, an answer to prayer,” but in a post-Roe world, “Catholics must now work together for another, even deeper paradigm shift.”

“We must move beyond a paradigm shift in the law in order to help the people of our nation better see who we can be as a nation by truly understanding what we owe to one another as members of the same human family,” he said.

“To build a world in which all are welcome,” he said, Catholics “must heed” the words of St. Teresa of Kolkata “and remember ‘that we belong to one another.'”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – To know oneself is a gift and a grace that allows Christians to properly discern between feelings and convictions, Pope Francis said.

During his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square Oct. 5, the pope said that knowing oneself requires “patient soul-searching” and the awareness of one’s “way of acting, of the feelings that dwell within us.”

“It also requires that we distinguish between emotions and spiritual faculties,” he said. “‘I feel’ is not the same as ‘I am convinced.’ ‘I feel like’ is not the same as ‘I want.’ Thus, we come to recognize that the view we have of ourselves and of reality is at times somewhat distorted. To realize this is a grace!”

Continuing his series of talks about discernment, the pope reflected on the element of self-knowledge that is crucial in discovering what one truly wants or needs in his or her life.

The pope explained that at times it is difficult to discern the path for one’s life “because we do not know ourselves well enough.”

“You have heard many times: ‘But that person, why doesn’t he or she sort out their life?'” he said departing from his prepared remarks. It “happens to us too that when we do not know clearly what we want, we do not know ourselves well.”

Spiritual doubts and vocational crises, he added, are often caused by “an insufficient dialogue between our religious life and our human, cognitive and affective dimension.”

Furthermore, “forgetting God’s presence” in one’s life goes “hand-in-hand with ignorance of ourselves,” he said.

Pope Francis said that much like computer programs requiring a password to access important and personal information, the spiritual life also “has its passwords,” words that touch one’s heart in a particularly powerful way.

However, he warned, the devil also “knows these passwords well.”

“Temptation does not necessarily suggest bad things, but often haphazard things, presented with excessive importance,” the pope explained. “In this way, it hypnotizes us with the attraction that these things stir in us, things that are beautiful but illusory, that cannot deliver what they promise and therefore leave us in the end with a sense of emptiness and sadness.”

That sadness, he said, is an indication that “we have embarked on a path that was not right.”

Pope Francis said Christians need to “know the passwords of our heart” to protect themselves from external manipulations and distinguish what is truly important from “current fads or flashy, superficial slogans.”

He also encouraged Christians to make “a general examination of conscience” each day in prayer to reflect on “what happened in my heart in this day” and “learn to note in our evaluations and choices what we give most importance to, what we are looking for and why, and what we eventually find.”

“Prayer and self-knowledge enable us to grow in freedom,” the pope said. “This is (what it means) to grow in freedom! They are basic elements of Christian existence, precious elements for finding one’s place in life.”

WASHINGTON (CNS) – During their fall general assembly in Baltimore Nov. 14-17, the U.S. bishops will elect the next president and vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from a slate of 10 candidates nominated by their fellow bishops.

They also will vote on chairmen-elect for six standing USCCB committees.

The president and vice president are elected to three-year terms, which begin at the conclusion of this year’s general assembly. At that time, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles and Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit will complete their terms as president and vice president, respectively.

The candidates for president and vice president are, in alphabetical order:

— Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services.

— Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia.

— Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

— Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City.

— Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco.

— Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle.

— Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas.

— Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio.

— Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore.

— Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana.

 

According to the USCCB bylaws, the president is elected first by a simple majority vote of members present and voting. The vice president is then elected from the remaining nine candidates.

In either election, if a candidate does not receive more than half of the votes cast on the first ballot, a second vote is taken. If a third round of voting is necessary, that ballot is a runoff between the two bishops who received the most votes on the second ballot.

During the meeting, the bishops also will vote for chairmen-elect of six USCCB standing committees on: Canonical Affairs and Church Governance; Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs; Evangelization and Catechesis; International Justice and Peace; Protection of Children and Young People; and Religious Liberty.

The six bishops will each serve for one year as chairman-elect of their respective committee before beginning a three-year term as chairman at the conclusion of the bishops’ 2023 Fall General Assembly.

The nominees are, in alphabetical order:

— Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance: Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, and Bishop Alfred A. Schlert of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

— Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs: Bishop Joseph C. Bambera of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Auxiliary Bishop Peter L. Smith of Portland, Oregon.

— Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis: Archbishop Charles C. Thompson of Indianapolis and Bishop William D. Byrne of Springfield, Massachusetts.

— Committee on International Justice and Peace: Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia and Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon.

— Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People: Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, and Auxiliary Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo of Newark, New Jersey.

— Committee for Religious Liberty: Archbishop Cordileone and Bishop Rhoades.

 

Because the elections for USCCB president and vice president are also taking place at the general assembly, if any of the candidates for committee chairmanship are elected to fill either of those higher offices, the USCCB’s Committee on Priorities and Plans will convene to nominate a new candidate for that committee.

Last November, the bishops voted for chairmen-elect for five standing committees. At the end of this year’s fall assembly, they will take over as chairmen of their respective committees on:

— Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations: Bishop Earl A. Boyea of Lansing, Michigan.

— Divine Worship: Bishop Steven J. Lopes, who heads the Houston-based Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

— Domestic Justice and Human Development: Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.

— Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth: then-Auxiliary Bishop Robert E. Barron of Los Angeles, who now heads the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota.

— Migration: Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – As thousands of people sat in the dark in St. Peter’s Square, they watched fish jump from the facade of the basilica, saw the word “no” form and dissolve three times and heard an actor reciting the part of St. Peter speak about the overwhelming love and mercy of Jesus.

They also heard tenor Andrea Bocelli sing four songs, including “The First Noel” from the soon-to-be released Christmas album he made with his children Matteo and Virginia.

The nighttime event Oct. 2 was the premiere of “Follow Me,” an eight-minute film about the life and faith of St. Peter.

Using “video mapping,” images of St. Peter from the basilica’s collection and that of the Vatican Museums were turned into 3D video clips and projected onto the facade of the basilica, which is built over the presumed tomb of the apostle.

The film was to be shown every 15 minutes between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. until Oct. 16.

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of the basilica, told viewers that one motivation behind the film was to help people understand that Peter was human, he worked hard as a fisherman – sometimes catching fish and sometimes catching nothing – and, although his faith wobbled when Jesus was arrested, he continued to answer Jesus’ call to follow him.

“Peter gives light to this place, gives light to the universal church and the world with his humanity, which little by little began to shine with divine light, divine love,” the cardinal said.

“He tells us, ‘Look, there is a path. I encountered the love of Jesus, who looked deep inside me, and my life was transformed,'” Cardinal Gambetti said.

Jesus had told Peter, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,” and despite challenges and opposition and human foibles, the cardinal said, the church stands around St. Peter embracing the world and all its peoples as brothers and sisters.

WASHINGTON (CNS) – It’s too early to tell the extent of the damage in the Catholic dioceses of Venice and St. Petersburg in Florida following a direct hit Sept. 28 by Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful hurricanes the state has seen.

However, organizations such as Catholic Charities USA said they have their response teams in place to deal with the aftermath of the massive Category 4 storm that lashed western and central Florida with winds of more than 155 mph Sept. 28 and 29.

Even in a state used to powerful storms, Ian’s destruction managed to shock, leaving mementos of its might in the form of cars battered by winds and water, left floating in flooded city streets next to uprooted trees and parts of roofs torn from buildings in the cities of Fort Myers, Tampa and Punta Gorda.

Dioceses that include those areas closed their churches, schools and other gathering centers. The Diocese of Venice posted a video of the Servant Sisters of the Virgin of Matara Sept. 28 as volunteers helped board up windows at St. Michael Church in Wauchula in the northern part of the diocese.

There were no updates on social media or on the websites of those dioceses early Sept. 29.

Bishop Gregory L. Parkes of St. Petersburg, which includes Tampa, and Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice had asked for prayers, knowing their diocesan territories were in the crosshairs of the storm.

Some other U.S. bishops kept an eye on the hurricane and offered solidarity with the people of Florida.

“We pray for all people in Florida, especially for people’s lives affected,” wrote Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio on Twitter just before the hurricane made landfall. “May you, Lord, be their strength! We do not control everything.”

More than 2.5 million were left without electricity as the hurricane, downgraded to a tropical storm early Sept. 29, headed north toward Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Family members desperately posted on Twitter asking for updates on conditions in places such as Venice, close to where the storm made landfall and where many remain without communication.

Authorities began to survey the damage early Sept. 29, looking for those who had not managed to leave before the hurricane hit, but so far no fatalities were reported. They asked those who stayed in their homes to remain indoors as officials were conducting water rescues but still struggling to make their way amid debris and remaining flooding and wind.

Catholic Charities USA said in a statement that its disaster response teams “have a long history of mobilizing quickly to meet the needs of those affected by catastrophic events in the U.S. and its territories.”

The organization encouraged donations at https://ccusa.online/Ian for efforts to help those dealing with the storm’s destruction.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sept. 28 that recovery efforts need financial assistance, and asked people to refrain from sending items, such as clothes, to Florida and send economic help or volunteer instead.

He also said he asked President Joe Biden for a major disaster declaration for the federal government to pay for recovery efforts in the state.