In Brief...

The Holy Father’s Intentions

Pope John Paul II has announced the following general and missionary intentions for July and August 2000:

July

That the followers of the various religions may grow in respecting one another and collaborated in consolidating justice and the Catholic spirit.

That all those who are tried by sickness and loneliness may offer their suffering with Christ for the conversion of the world.

August

That all young Christians may unite in testifying that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God come to dwell among us.

That the Churches of Oceania may work with true missionary spirit for the propagation of the kingdom of God.

Saying "No" to Violence

This past Holy Week, Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran of Oklahoma City and Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver issued a remarkable joint pastoral statement on violence.

In addition to being released during Holy Week, the statement’s release coincided with the fifth anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing and the first anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colorado. Archbishops Beltran and Chaput used this teachable moment to again reach out with compassion and love to the many victims of these tragedies, and also to address some of the deeper societal issues that make these tragedies almost inevitable. The underlying message is that as individuals and as a society we must turn away from our culture of violence and death to a God who transforms the world through His sacrificial love for us. The archbishops write:

"Art, music, drama, law, and architecture are windows on a people’s soul. So is advertising. So are video games. So are films and television. Therefore, we must ask: If American young people see 8,000 murders and 100,000 other acts of violence on television before they leave elementary school; if they’re offered a steady diet of virtual reality and simulated sex and brutality; if they’re told relentlessly that they deserve what they want, right now; and if more than 200 million guns now circulate around the country, why is anyone surprised at the bloodshed?...

"Without ever intending it, we have confused freedom with mere choices, and turned individual rights into a kind of idolatry. Some argue that we need easy access to deadly weapons to guarantee our freedom. This is a lie. Some argue that if we ban pornography and violence from our entertainment media, we undermine the liberties guaranteed by our Constitution. This is an even more cynical falsehood. In fact, we are already unfree—tyrannized by our lack of courage, concern for one another, and common sense. And we are paying the price for this unfreedom with the lives of minority children gunned down in the inner city, middle-class children shot dead in the suburbs, and average citizens murdered by terrorism. The glue holding us together as a nation is coming undone through our own selfishness, and nothing has demonstrated it better than the cover story of a recent Sunday news magazine entitled: ‘The New American Consensus: Government of, by, and for the Comfortable.’

"But comfort, as we have so bitterly seen, is not safety. No culture can finally outrun the conflicts in its heart. . . .

"The families of the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing and the Columbine High School massacre have carried the Cross of Jesus Christ as few of us ever will. May we help to give meaning to their suffering by a conversion in our own lives—a conversion which becomes an example and leaven for others, so that our ways join in Christ’s way of salvation, which leads to Easter and to life."

For the complete text of this pastoral statement, call CUF toll-free at (800) MY-FAITH (693-2484) or click here.

Moving Beyond Racism

The bishops of Illinois issued a pastoral letter last April entitled "Moving Beyond Racism: Learning to See with the Eyes of Christ." The letter calls racism a sin, saying that it is "completely contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ." The bishops further affirm that all Catholics have a moral obligation to work toward the elimination of racism. The pastoral letter identifies 13 actions individuals and communities can take to "dismantle racism" in our society.

The pastoral letter was signed by all 14 Illinois bishops, including Cardinal Francis George (Chicago) and CUF episcopal advisors Thomas G. Doran (Rockford) and John J. Myers (Peoria).

Upon the pastoral letter’s release, Bishop Myers, in a separate statement, stressed that Christ came to redeem all people regardless of their race, and he echoed the prayer of Pope John Paul II that "this year of Jubilee will be a time to free ourselves from the sin of racism."

For the text of this pastoral letter, call CUF toll-free at (800) MY-FAITH (693-2484) or click here.

Faithful Servant

Catholics United for the Faith mourns the recent death of Cardinal John J. O’Connor (1920-2000), the late Archbishop of New York. Cardinal O’Connor will certainly be remembered as a holy disciple and shepherd, a champion of the faith, and an eloquent voice in support of the dignity and right to life of all human persons, including the unborn.

A longtime supporter of the CUF apostolate, Cardinal O’Connor awarded CUF Founder H. Lyman Stebbins the papal award of the Order of St. Gregory, which is bestowed on persons who are distinguished for their personal character, reputation, and notable accomplishments.

Pope John Paul II issued this statement following the death of Cardinal O’Connor:

"With a deep sense of personal loss I have received the news of the death of Cardinal John J. O’Connor and I offer my prayerful condolences to you, the auxiliary bishops and the priests, religious, and laity of the Archdiocese of New York.

"With gratitude to God for the Cardinal’s many years of dedicated and courageous witness to the Gospel as chaplain in the armed forces, as Bishop of Scranton, and as Archbishop of New York, I join you in commending this faithful servant of the Church to Our Heavenly Father’s eternal love.

"As a deeply spiritual man, a warm and zealous pastor, an effective teacher of the faith, and a vigorous defender of human life, Cardinal O’Connor modeled his own life and ministry on the figure of the Good Shepherd who to the end ‘gives his life for the flock.’

"Through the years he has been of great support to me in the service of the Universal Church. He worked tirelessly to build better ecumenical and interreligious relations, and for Catholics and other Christians and men and women of goodwill throughout the world he was a source of inspiration in serving God in our less fortunate brothers and sisters.

"To the Cardinal’s family and to all who mourn him in the hope of the resurrection I cordially impart my apostolic blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ."

"As the Eucharist is the priest’s primary reason for being—to serve as an instrument for the ‘conception’ of the Son of God on the altar—so the primary reason for marital relations, together with the expression and consummation of love, is to serve as an instrument for conceiving children of God."

—Cardinal John J. O’Connor

Catholics for a Free Choice

The National Council of Catholic Bishops of the United States has issued a strong statement against "Catholics for a Free Choice" (CFFC). This group, led by Frances Kissling, actively lobbies for pro-abortion and population control issues, yet claims to be a Catholic organization.

According to the bishops, "CFFC is, practically speaking, an arm of the abortion lobby in the United States and throughout the world. It is an advocacy group dedicated to supporting abortion. It is funded by a number of powerful and wealthy private foundations, mostly American, to promote abortion as a method of population control."

The bishops also note their concern about CFFC’s "See Change" program, which seeks to remove the Holy See's Permanent Observer status in the United Nations. Observers have noted that this attack really has no chance of succeeding and seems to be calculated to frighten off the Vatican's allies in international conferences, so as to marginalize its moral voice.

Actually, this condemnation is nothing new for CFFC. In 1993, the bishops wrote, "Because of its opposition to the human rights of some of the most defenseless members of the human race, and because its purposes and activities deliberately contradict essential teachings of the Catholic faith, . . . Catholics for a Free Choice merits no recognition or support as a Catholic organization." This statement is reiterated in the current document.

For the complete text of this statement, call CUF toll-free at (800) MY-FAITH (693-2484) or click here.

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