Welcome to the Pastor's Corner

Now that the calender indicates that Christmas is over for another year, what do we do as Catholic Christians? And not just the calender - most people have already forgotten the day itself, let alone the wonderful feelings that go along with it. But those things, as nice as they are, are just superficial realities, faint images, without the basic underlying reality of the meaning of Christmas - the first ccoming of Jesus and the promise of His return. As long as we hold onto these realities in our hearts and let them guide our decisions in this new year, the real meaning and joy of Christmas will remain with us, despite the society in which we live. But this must be a choice that we make each day. Society wil not support us in this task. In fact, we will find ourselves fighting against the tide in this matter. But the struggle is worth it. In the end, we will be true to our faith, happier in the long run, and the world could be a better place!

The questions that our senators are asking the candidate for the Supreme Court are difficult and important. They indicate that in a position such as a Justice of the federal Supreme Court must be guided by a rule outside of themselves. The cases that they decide are too important and far-reaching to be guided by anything but the rule of law, and, ultimately, by the Constitution.

As Christians, we must make sure that, in our own lives, the single measure that we are to follow is Jesus and His Gospel. The court cannot step beyond the borders that the Constitution sets for it. If it is going to do its job, the court must follow the Constitution. If we as followers of Jesus are going to perform our task of witness well, then the Gospel must be followed. Whenever we digress from the principles of the Gospels we give a counter witness to Jesus. One has only to look through history to find multiple moments of shame when Christians engaged in such actions. Their consequences follow through time and geography to us, even today.

We need to do better. If the public can demand that justices of the Supreme Court stick to their defining document, is it not logical that the same public can expect that Christians will stick to their defining document, too?

Now that the election has been decided - at least the presidential election - what will you do now? For those who have won - they have elected the man who, they think, will do the best job - what will be your next course of action? Will you just sit back and let him do his job and forget about your enthusiasm for a new era - not continue to hope and work for it along with president-elect Obama? Or will you again pay close attention to issues that arise, to questions asked and problems yet to be resolved? Will you think and read voraciously in order to help him and the government reach logical and just conclusions and be willing to make the sacrifices that will bring about the implementation of government goals?

For all who lost - what will you do? There can always be the usual gripping about where the country is going in electing such a man. There will always be those who "What if...?" for the next several months. But does that really help? Before the election everyone was excited because their man had the best ideas for the good of the country - the good, the common good, was really the goal of all that energy! At least, that was what was proposed. But now where is that energy? Has it been transformed into a defeatist lethargy? Have the hopes and dreams for a better country faded? The country is still here and the needs are still here. Are the workers still here?

Catholics who voted according to their conscience and in keeping with the Scriptures should come together to pray for president-elect Obama. That is the simple and most profound way of helping him and the country! Such Catholics must also collaborate with more energy to place before the world a credible witness that the full Gospel message can actually be lived in today's society. That will change the world and the administration because our fellow citizens will be able to see for themselves and experience the truth of the Gospels and the transformative power of the Mystical Body of Christ. Then they will change society and the government. And the government will change to respond to the citizens. Prayer and the embrace of the full Gospel are the tools that we have now to move beyond a cultural, superficial  Catholicism which has produced some of our top leaders today. This is really the only way to help president-elect Obama and the government. And prayer from the heart, guided by the Holy Spirit, is always an act of real love and concern that carries with it the power of intercession and change. That is where we must be now!

With all the current talking going on now, in the face of the coming election, have Americans really been listening to what is advocated for the future? Or have they been satisfied with the two minutes of rosy visions that have been set before them each time any of the candidates speak? I fear that most people are quite happy to be presented with as brief a synopsis as possible about what can bring about a better, brighter future; and so, they don't have to think things through - or read more. Given any candidate's offer for the country, what will happen when those first steps are successfully taken? What will happen to the revenues? Where will the country get the money to pay for the future? What will happen to the social and moral fabric of the country if the policies advocated begin to denigrate the dignity of just one, single human being? Where will it stop?

The present effort to re-invent marriage is an example of the hidden, underlying goals of a few. Unquestioned, in the name of personal entitlement they change the basic building block of society, marriage, into whatever they find fitting to their purposes. Slippery slope, here we come! If they can define basic aspects of society by consensus, how much longer will it take to re-define other important aspects of life?

 Do you see how the whole of society can be changed by the "tyranny" of the few? We used to be concerned about the tyranny of the majority, but not now! Americans should wake up, get off their couches and start actually studying issues and long term effects. Then we will be able to see beyond the "two minute" presentations and to ask profitable questions that go to the core issues of vision and philosophy. And fortunately for us, as Catholic Christians, we have the faith that tells us the real guide is Jesus and not the polls, consensus or attempts to compromise for peace.

(These questions are taken from the New Zealand Bishops' Conference to show the universal character of the Church's teeachings on creating a truly just society)

 

Life Itself

“The church teaches that human life begins at conception and lasts until we draw our final breath. ... When society decides that certain types of killing are moral, the door is opened to many others.” New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference — “Consistent Ethic of Life,” 1997

            Every abortion involves taking one person’s life for another person’s reasons. But we need to do more than condemn. Our responsibility to protect unborn children includes considering the legal framework for abortions, and also supporting pregnant and single mothers, and ensuring all children are welcomed and supported.

—What is the position of political candidates on the protection of unborn children?

—What do they say about the social and economic circumstances which contribute to higher or lower rates of abortion?

—What protection and support do political candidates offer for children likely to be born with disabilities?

           The church supports stem cell research using adult stem cells or umbilical cord blood, but not creating embryos for the purposes of research and other people’s medication and then discarding them.

—What do your political candidates say about research or medical procedures based on embryos?

            Those who support euthanasia and assisted suicide sometimes seek our support by claiming they are acts of mercy. The church in contrast sees this as an abandonment of people who most need our care and protection, particularly when they themselves are concerned not to be a burden to others.

—What do political candidates offer as policies on access by all New Zealanders to adequate palliative care for those who are dying?

—What is the personal position of candidates on euthanasia and other conscience issues?

 

The following are thoughts from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of New Zealand. They demonstrate the common efforts of all Catholics to transform this world after the teacings of Jesus.

Family Life and the Rights of Children

“When parents are forced to work long hoursat the expense of time spent with each other and with their children, we see children and young people who are left without the comfort and security of traditional family interraction.”— NZCBC, 2007

Some employment policies and practices affect family life. For example, families can be deprived of adequate time together, workers may have experienced a reduction in job security and real wages, and children and young people may not be sufficiently protected.

—What do political candidates in your electorate say about the impact of employment changes on family and whanau [extended family] life?

—What practical steps do candidates and political parties intend to take to ease financial pressures on New Zealand’s poorest families and whanau?

Psychologists point out that a father’s love and a mother’s love are different and that each contributes differently to a child’s development. The church continues to recognize and respect the need for a child to receive both kinds of love.

—What political views on same-sex couples conflict with this wisdom?

—What commitment do political candidates have to a child-centered approach to decisions that are sometimes framed by adult agendas?

In November of 2006, a global conference on poverty and how the Catholic Church could respond was held in San Francisco. People came from all over the world to discuss practical ways of facing the problem, and educating people about its existence with the hope that once they came to understand the magnitude, they might be moved to discover ways to fight it. As a consequence of the program several suggestions were made that each parish could put into effect.

1. Join the Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty. Updates and ways to get involved are listed on its Web site www.usccb.org/globalpoverty.
2. Include prayers of the faithful that consistently pray for an end to global poverty and for the needs of the poor.
3. Invite knowledgeable speakers to the parish and ask parishioners to speak up about issues important to Catholics.
4. Use parish bulletins, Web sites -- with links to national Catholic sites such as www.usccb.org/globalpoverty -- and all other parish communications to educate Catholics that extreme poverty can be ended.
5. Form a social justice committee if the parish does not have one. Include issues of social justice when the parish undertakes strategic planning.
6. Use materials available online from CRS at www.crs.org and the USCCB at www.usccb.org to help raise awareness among parishioners. Seek out information to advocate for U.S. policies that foster economic and social development for people living in poverty throughout the world.
   
   
   A practical step after the conference - a member of a "Just Faith" group at Christ the King Parish in Pleasant Hill, is making a small change, hoping to make a difference over time: "I have 10 nieces and nephews who will all get bed nets donated in their names for Christmas," she said, referring to one speaker who said malarial deaths for Africans could be stopped by providing them with $5 sleeping mats with mosquito nets.
   
   What other practical steps can be taken in the name of the Gospel?

(This article was found on Catholic News Service web site.)
Vatican official hopes new amniotic stem-cell research proves correct

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican's top health care official expressed hope that U.S. researchers would be proven correct in asserting they could obtain medically useful stem cells from amniotic fluid.

Mexican Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, told Vatican Radio Jan. 8 there would be no ethical problem with using cells from amniotic fluid as long as the procedure did not place the pregnant woman or her baby in danger.
"The ethical problem" with stem-cell research, he said, always has surrounded cells obtained by destroying human embryos. In a study reported Jan. 7, scientists at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston said the amniotic fluid surrounding a child in the womb can be the source of medically useful stem cells.

The U.S. research, Cardinal Lozano told the Italian newspaper La Stampa, "is a discovery for which we can rejoice. I congratulate the researchers who have demonstrated how it is possible to make medical progress without damaging embryos."
In a statement published by the Italian bishops' conference, Dr. Antonio Spagnolo, a professor at the bioethical institute of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, said it appeared that cells taken from amniotic fluid hold the same therapeutic potential as embryonic stem cells. However, he urged caution in declaring the new procedure ethically positive, particularly because it depends on how the cells are obtained.

"In fact, it is one thing if the cells come from residual amniotic fluid" not needed in a medically indicated test undergone by a pregnant woman, he said. "It is another thing if the researchers have submitted women to the procedure only to extract stem cells," since there is a risk the procedure could compromise the pregnancy.

"Mary, a Meeting Point of Cultures", says Muslim, encourages Pilgrimages to Marian Shrines.

(A report from an interview as recorded in ZENIT.org.)

Magdi Allam of Il Corriere della Sera spoke to ZENIT about the appeal he launched in the pages of the national daily newspaper to Muslims living in Italy to visit the Marian shrines in their host country.

The journalist said that he is convinced that the Virgin Mary is a meeting point between Christians and Muslims.
"Mary is a figure present in the Koran, which dedicates an entire sura [chapter ed.n.] to her and mentions her some thirty times. In Muslim countries there are Marian shrines that are the object of veneration and pilgrimage by Christian and Muslim faithful," he said.

"Therefore, I believe that if this happens in Muslim countries, why can't it happen in a Christian country, especially in a historical phase in which we need to define symbols, values and figures that unite religions, spiritualities and cultures?" he asked.

In Allam's opinion, "the Marian pilgrimage of Loreto -- Italy's National Shrine -- could represent a moment of meeting and spiritual gathering between Muslims and Catholics, around Mary, a religious figure that is venerated by both religions."

Vittorio Messori, author of book-interviews with Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Benedict XVI), also wrote in Il Corriere della Sera on June 15 in support of Allam. He said that the dialogue between Christians and Muslims "can begin afresh from Mary."

Why are so many Catholics skipping Mass each Sunday? In almost every parish, only a third of those registered as members participate in the celebration of the Eucharist. There are many reasons offered and they all seem to be centered on the individual: Mass does not entertain; "I don't get anything out of Mass"; the homilies are too long or they don't make sense; the others who go are just hypocrites, etc.

Sure, it is a fact of life that not every effort is always one hundred percent successful. Our efforts to celebrate Mass in the best possible way are humble and tireless. Sometimes they are very successful, and sometimes, not. But the Lord Jesus is always present to make the sacrifice pefect, as only He can do, despite our weak efforts.

Questions
However, rather than trying to defend every mistake, I would ask questions. What does each person bring to the celebration of Mass? What were they doing immediatley before Mass? What kind of attitude precedes the decision to avoid Mass?

Do people have a right to think that Mass should be as entertaining as a show to which they have purchased tickets? Should we not be more concerned about worshipping God than about what we can get from it?

The Catechism
Perhaps if Catholics were to go back to their basic religious education to discover the meaning of Mass and our participation in it, they would again have reason to be there every Sunday. The recently published Catechism of the Catholic Church says this:
The Eucharist is also the sacrifice of the Church. The Church, which is the Body of Christ, participates in the offering of her Head. With Him, she, herself, is offered, whole and entire. She unites herself to His intercession with the Father for all men. In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of His Body. The lives of the faithful - their praise, sufferings, prayers, and work - are united with those of Christ and with His total offering, and so acquire a new value. Christ's sacrifice, present on the altar, makes it possible for all generations of Christians to be united with his offering.

Really, can there be anything better?

Pope Sees Sanctity as a Universal Task Following of Christ Is "Road to Happiness"

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 1, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The community of saints isn't an exclusive "caste of elect," says Benedict XVI, but rather the destination of all who are willing to follow Christ.

The Pope said this today in his homily during the Mass for All Saints' Day, celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica. The Holy Father said that the Church celebrates on this day "the baptized of every age and nation who have sought to accomplish the divine will with love and fidelity." Through this liturgical solemnity, the Pontiff continued, the Church "recognizes her characteristic traits and precisely in them she savors her deepest joy."
Benedict XVI said that the saints have nothing to gain from the celebration, but it is rather the pilgrim Church that benefits: "Gazing upon the luminous example of the saints the great desire to be like the saints is awakened in us... Being a saint means living close to God, living in his family. And this is the vocation of all of us, vigorously reaffirmed by the Second Vatican Council."

Getting there
To achieve sainthood, the Holy Father said that "it is above all necessary to listen to Jesus and then to follow him and not lose heart in the face of difficulties... He knows in fact that whoever tries to keep his life for himself will lose it and whoever gives his life, in this way, finds life," the Pope said referring to the Gospel of John.
Benedict XVI continued: "The experience of the Church demonstrates that, although they take different paths, all forms of holiness must always pass through the way of the cross, the way of self-denial... The example of the saints encourages us to follow in their footsteps, to experience the joy of those who entrust themselves to God, because the only cause of sadness is to live far from him."
"Holiness demands a constant effort, but it is possible for all since it is not just the work of man but is above all a gift of God, who is thrice holy," the Pontiff said referring to the Book of Isaiah.
The Bishop of Rome added: "The biographies of the saints depict men and women who, always docile to divine designs, sometimes endured indescribable sufferings, persecutions and martyrdom. They persevered in their task."

A response
Above all, continued Benedict XVI, the foundation of sanctity is to recognize that life is a gift from God given out of love.
"How is it possible to remain indifferent before so great a mystery?" he asked. "How is it possible to not respond to the love of the heavenly Father by leading a life of grateful children?... Loving always means an act of self-denial, losing oneself, and it is in this way that we become happy."
We find the road to happiness by following Christ, the Pope said. It is the path of "death and resurrection, of the passion and the joy of the resurrection... In the measure that we accept his proposal and follow him -- everyone according to his own circumstances -- we too can participate in his beatitude," the Pontiff said. "With him the impossible becomes possible ... with his help, only with his help, we are able to become perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect."

Will there ever be hope that people can sit and talk without inciting to riot? Can we legitimately look for a dialogue between parties of different faiths that will actully end up in understanding rather than chaos?
Pope Benedict thinks it will be possible as he indicates in the following:
"Religion Can't Be an Excuse for Hatred", Says Pope Benedict as meets members of Anti-Defamation League in an audience.
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 12, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI prayed that God may bless every effort to eliminate from the world "any misuse of religion as an excuse for hatred and violence."
The Pope expressed this today in the Apostolic Palace when he received in audience a delegation of the Anti-Defamation League. The Anti-Defamation League is a U.S.-based association established in 1913 to combat anti-Semitism and intolerance. It has a network of 30 national offices worldwide.

After recalling the audiences granted to this association by Pope John Paul II, Benedict XVI emphasized that "in our world today, religious, political, academic and economic leaders are being seriously challenged to improve the level of dialogue between peoples and cultures."
"To do this effectively requires a deepening of our mutual understanding and a shared dedication to building a society of ever greater justice and peace," the Holy Father added. He stressed the need "to know each other better and, on the strength of that mutual discovery, to build relationships not just of tolerance but of authentic respect."
"Indeed," the Pope said, "Jews, Christians and Muslims share many common convictions, and there are numerous areas of humanitarian and social engagement in which we can and must cooperate."

The Second Vatican Council declaration "Nostra Aetate," in deploring "all forms of hatred or persecution directed against the Jews," appeals to Christians and Jews "to overcome the conflicts of the past and to create new bonds of friendship and collaboration," Benedict XVI said.
He said that many steps forward have been taken in the 40 years since that document, and he expressed the hope that a frank dialogue will continue, based on a "solid and fruitful relationship."

U.S. Bishops Support Pope's Call for Dialogue Essential Between Christians and Muslims, Says Official.

WASHINGTON, D.C., SEPT. 21, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The U.S. bishops' conference echoed Benedict XVI's call for dialogue between the Christian faith and the modern world and between all cultures and religions.

In a statement, Bishop William Skylstad, president of the U.S. conference, said that the episcopal body "enthusiastically supports the call for dialogue made by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, in his audience message today, Wednesday, September 20. …
"Given the circumstances of the last week, it is clear that dialogue is essential between Christians and Muslims, a dialogue in which we respect, in the words of the Holy Father, 'what is sacred for others.' "In the United States, the bishops are participating in such a dialogue. We recognize, with Pope Benedict, that Catholics and Muslims 'worship the one God.' Because of the events of the last five years, this dialogue is especially urgent so that Christians and Muslims are able to work together to promote 'peace, liberty, social justice and moral values for the benefit of all humanity,' as Pope Benedict has said.

Bishop Skylstad added: "We hope that the context of the talk which the Holy Father gave last week at the University of Regensburg in Germany, in which he described the right relationship between faith and reason, will be understood fully and correctly.
"That is, as the Holy Father said during his Angelus of Sunday, September 17, it is a talk 'which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect.'"
"It is this attitude of the Holy Father," the U.S. prelate contended, "that deserves the world's attention rather than the centuries-old words of another which express a point of view that we cannot deny existed but which no longer motivates the authentic Christian."

Recently I saw a "religious" TV broadcaster talking about the coming Muslim invasion of our world. He made it seem that this was the beginning of the end. The world was about to reach its climax amid great conflict. He presented the Muslim population as the antagonists and, of course, the Christians as the victors.

This kind of vocabulary is not original to our day. This was probably the same call to arms that happened in the days of the crusades. "God wills it!" The soldiers of Christ marched against the Muslim population to free the city of Jerusalem, in the name of Jesus. People were deliberately killed in the name of Jesus. A city was saved in the blood of many innocent people in the name of Jesus.

Can we really see Jesus as happy with this kind of behavior? Could any Christian ever imagine Jesus leading the charge against the "heathen" for any reason whatever? But that is what actually happened! All this was presented as something wonderful and full of grace; there were good reasons for these campaigns, holy reasons! And people followed!

We, participants in the World Summit of Religious Leaders -- heads and delegates of Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, and Shinto religious communities in 49 countries, met in Moscow on the eve of the Group of Eight Summit. Having at length discussed issues of mutual concern, we now appeal to the Heads of States, to our religious communities and to all people of good will.

We believe that the human person is religious by nature. Since the dawn of history, religion has played the key role in the development of thought, culture, ethics and the social order. With the ever-growing role of faith in contemporary society, we want religion to continue being a solid foundation for peace and dialogue amongst civilizations, and not to be used as a source of division and conflict. Religion has the potential to bind together diverse peoples and cultures despite our human fragility, particularly in today's context of plurality and diversity....

Dialogue and partnership among civilizations should not just be slogans. We need to build a world order which combines democracy -- as the way of harmonizing different interests and as people's participation in national and global decision-making -- and respect to the moral feeling, way of life, various legal and political systems, and national and religious traditions of people...

Comprehensive, just and durable solutions of international disputes should be reached by peaceful means. We reject double standards in international relations. The world should have many poles and many systems, meeting the requirements of all individuals and nations rather than matching lifeless and oversimplified ideological patterns. The human being is the Creator's unique creation whose existence reaches into eternity. Humans should not become either a commodity or an object of political manipulation or an element of the production and consumption machine. It is, therefore, necessary to assert constantly the highest value of human life from conception to the final breath and natural death....

We condemn terrorism and extremism of any form, as well as attempts to justify them by religion. We consider it our duty to oppose enmity on political, ethnic or religious grounds. We deplore the activities of pseudo-religious groups and movements destroying freedom and health of people as well as the ethical climate in societies. Using religion as a means for rousing hatred or an excuse for crimes against individuals, morality and humanity present a major challenge today. This can be effectively addressed only through education and moral formation. School, mass media, and preaching by religious leaders should return to our contemporaries the full knowledge of their religious traditions which call them to peace and love...

The responsible distribution of the earth's richness, in addition to just international trade and active humanitarian involvement, will help overcome the poverty and hunger suffered by billions of our brothers and sisters. Poverty and social vulnerability become the cause of mass migration generating more and more problems in both poor and rich countries.

The concentration of the majority of the world's wealth in the hands of a few, while an enormous number of people, especially children, live in abject poverty, is a global tragedy. It will most definitely continue to destabilize the world, threatening global peace. We call upon all nations to return to a life of moderation, self-restraint and active justice. This will secure a hopeful future for upcoming generations and effectively function to cut the ground out from under the feet of extremists and terrorists...

The full text of the message can be found at ZENIT.org, 2006-07-06

GENEVA, JUNE 14, 2006 Millions of workers advance the global economy without themselves enjoying "decent work," a Holy See official told the International Labor Organization.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See's permanent observer to the ILO, discussed this issue when addressing the 95th session of the International Labor Conference, which began in Geneva on May 31 and will close on Friday. According to the Vatican press office, the conference's main topic of discussion is "the promotion of decent work for all, that is, work duly remunerated and carried out in respect of the dignity of workers."
Archbishop Tomasi, 65, expressed satisfaction that "decent work, not only as a notion, but as a strategic agenda, is now at the forefront of any discussion on eradicating poverty and that a convergence of efforts is under way for its implementation." However, he noted the task is still "far from reaching its target."

Growing Disparities
"The liberalization of finance and trade and the ongoing process of globalization have produced much wealth," noted the prelate. "But plenty of evidence shows growing disparities among and within countries in reaping the benefits of this increased wealth." The idea of "decent work" leads one to think of people who are "not sufficiently qualified to board the globalization train or whose capacity and talents are utilized to propel forward the global economy without their sharing in the accruing benefits," the Holy See official lamented. Such people, he said, "are in the tens of millions: undocumented migrants working in agriculture, in manufacturing, in domestic service; women in textile industry working in unhealthy conditions and with miserable salaries; workers labeled by their race, cast or religion that are relegated to the marginal jobs of society without a chance for upward mobility."
According to Archbishop Tomasi "A globalization that fosters economic growth without equity, blocks access to decent work and calls into question the current functioning of the international structures created to facilitate the flow of ideas, capital, technology, goods and people for the common good."

Crisis
Moreover, the prelate noted "indecent work" pushes people into crises, increasing the risk of anti-social and destructive behavior. He added, "The changed perspective of what decent work for all entails, calls for a renewed emphasis on the dignity of every person and on the common good by placing them at the center of all labor activities and policies. A safe and healthy working environment is an integral component of decent work, especially if we keep in mind the 270 million work accidents and illnesses causing the death of about 5,000 workers daily."
Observing that the number of child laborers has been reduced by 11% worldwide over the period 2000 to 2004, Archbishop Tomasi said that this "should redouble the determination of governments, employers, unions and the civil society to aim at a total elimination of child labor."

Defend the Most Vulnerable, Pontiff Urges Doctors Message to Meeting of Federation of Catholic Medical Associations

VATICAN CITY, MAY 16, 2006 - Benedict XVI sent a message to Catholic doctors encouraging them to defend the life of the most defenseless, especially the unborn, the elderly and the terminally ill.
The exhortation was part of the letter, sent in the Pope's name, by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano to the world congress of the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations (FIAMC), held in Barcelona, Spain. The theme of the meeting was "Catholic Doctors and the Challenge of Poverty in the Era of Globalization." The four-day congress ended Sunday.
Addressing the 1,000 participants in the Barcelona meeting, and the 40,000 doctors worldwide associated with FIAMC, the message invited them "to be aware of the close relationship between health care and the promotion of the human person, avoiding that ambiguous, reductive and even ideological view of health which does not take into account all the aspects of the person in his harmonious and reciprocal unity."
"In fact," it continued, "the lofty dignity of the human person implies the grave responsibility to watch over his health and to take care, above all, of those who are not yet capable of defending themselves, as in the case of unborn children, or those who can no longer look after themselves, such as the elderly and terminally ill."

Gaze on Christ

The papal message reminded Catholic doctors that "to serve health with fidelity and respect for human dignity, it is necessary to fix one's gaze on Christ, who assumed suffering humanity with its illnesses and limitations, transfiguring its face in the resurrection."
"Following his example, every Christian is called to approach the sick with mercy, aware that he serves Christ himself," the message said.
For this reason, Benedict XVI invited doctors "once again to promote initiatives in the field of health care, geared to sensitizing many men and women of good will so that, as Good Samaritans, they assist with fraternal generosity those who are submerged in poverty or marginalization."

Presently, our country is in the grip of conflicting values about immigration issues. On the one hand, there seems to be those who would keep out all immigrants because they are taking jobs away from Americans, or they will be dependent on an already stressed welfare system, or they may bring a criminal element or a terrorist threat. All of these are lumped together to create an atmosphere of fear. On the other hand, there are those who would let down all barriers and permit massive, unregulated immigration from everywhere in the name of charity. A correct path lies somewhere between these two extremes - a path that must be detailed by law and charitable concern.

As the debate goes on, everyone should keep in mind that we are essentially an immigrant country. All of our ancestors arrived here either voluntarily or as a result of an infamous slave trade. The only non-immigrants were the native Americans. Furthermore, we were founded as a refuge for men and women, a place where dreams could be achieved through responsibility and hard work.

The questions now being asked are important because their answers will eventually shape the face of our counrtry. And that face must have a continuity with our past. We must not turn our backs on a glorious generosity that has been the envy of the world because that was, and still must be, the character of the United States of America. But, for the good of all, there must be some regulation about immigration simply because the country must be able to protect and provide for every newcomer. An unregulated openness will be detrimental to everyone.

Can such a balanced approach be achieved? Yes! Do citizens want a balanced approach? I hope so. What rule or measure will we use? Faith in God! Yes, God! Every religion in America today has esesential tenets regarding the care of the needy and the welcoming of the stranger. If we would look to faith, every faith, we will find the answer. And for us, as Catholics, we have only to look to the last judgement in Matthew's Gospel where Jesus reminds us fourteen times that whatever we did for the least of our brothers and sisters, we did it for Him. Here is where we find the balance! Do we have the courage to try it?

These are excerpts of the Holy Father's homily.
Pope Focuses on Mystery of Judas' Betrayal. The Apostle Rejected God's Love, Says Benedict XVI. VATICAN CITY, APRIL 13, 2006 - In his homily at the Mass of the Lord's Supper, Benedict XVI assured the faithful that the mystery of Judas consists precisely in his rejection of God's love.
Judas Iscariot personifies "treacherous man", for whom money, power and success are more important than love and he does not hesitate to sell Jesus, the Pope said at the Mass on the evening of Holy Thursday.

The Holy Father's comments came in the wake of the recently divulged "Gospel of Judas", an ancient document that puts the apostle and his betrayal of Christ in a positive light. It describes Judas, in fact, as obeying a divine ordinance in handing over Jesus to the authorities.

In his homily, Benedict XVI, on the contrary, stressed the freedom of the apostle who betrayed Jesus for 30 denarii, as the canonical Gospels explain. "The dark mystery exists of the rejection, made present with what happened to Judas and, precisely on Holy Thursday, on the day that Jesus gives himself up, should make us reflect", said the Pontiff. "The Lord's love knows no limits, but man can put a limit."

Rejection
Benedict XVI then asked: "What does this do to treacherous man?" And he responded: "The rejection of love, not wanting to be loved, not loving. Pride which thinks it has no need of purification, which closes itself to the saving goodness of God."... "In Judas", he said, "we see the nature of this rejection still more clearly. He judges Jesus according to the categories of power and success: For him, power and success alone are the reality, love does not count."... "And he is avid: Money is more important than communion with Jesus, it is more important than God and his love."

Recently, I wrote to all our students' families who are enrolled in the parish day school and in our parish 123 religious education program to remind them that living a truly catholic life nesessarily involves active participation each week at the Sunday Liturgy and the support of the parish. I found this necessary because I discovered that some of our families had made a decision not to go to Mass each Sunday. Some of the children wanted to go but could not go because their parents were not going to participate.

The only reason that we support schools like ours is to teach academics in the context of actually living the Catholic faith. Participation at Mass each Sunday is still an essential aspect of being a Catholic. This has never been changed. There may be reasons that famiies cannot make it to Church and this is understandable. But these families have decided not to go. This is not the Catholic life that we are trying to teach the children! In fact, this causes conflict in their young minds. We teach the children one thing in school and, then, parents teach the contrary. This is just not right. If families choose not to live as Catholics, that is their decision. But no one can break the faith apart into acceptable and unacceptable parts and then call what is cobbled together Catholic. We are teaching the Catholic faith in our schools.