Last week the Catholic Bishops met for their Spring Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia which began on Wednesday, June 13, and ended on Friday, June 15.
As one might well expect, the meeting was full of important issues that will impact our Catholic life both internally as a Church and also our place within the larger context of our country and the wider world. It is in light of these significant matters that I wish to offer my thoughts on a few of the issues, hopefully helping you understand and appreciate what happened and the influence these matters may well have in all of our lives.
Relative to our focus as Bishops regarding our Catholic life going forward, we as a body spent a sizeable amount of time discussing what we will be calling ourselves and the Faithful to embrace going forward--in other words, speaking what our agenda will be.
As one could readily expect given the emphasis and interest shown both by the late now
Blessed Pope John Paul II and by Pope Benedict XVI on the importance of Evangelization, the Bishops are proposing as the General Theme, New Evangelization: Faith-Worship-Witness, with the following four priority goals: first, Faith Formation and Sacramental Practice; second, fostering the Life and Dignity of all Human Persons; third, protecting and preserving Religious Liberty for people of all faiths and religions; and fourth, strengthening Marriage and Family Life.
In discussing the General Theme and priority goals, I reflected upon how often I hear Catholics here in our diocese speaking about these matters in a concerned voice as increasingly people of faith are aware of just how important these matters are not only for us as individual believers, but also for us who belong to the Church Jesus gave us. The directions that some are pursuing in regard to the above goals will diminish the quality of our lives here and globally unless and until the present directions are modified, if not abandoned, in favor of more sound and reliable positions which will truly root people with the foundation that will strengthen their lives.
The focus of the General Theme, New Evangelization, is ultimately a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus Christ himself, for did He not say ?I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,? and the Angel Gabriel say to Mary ?With God all these are possible.?
I personally believe the course the Bishops are envisioning for us from 2013 to 2016 will enliven our lives as I believe it is the right course for all of us. This direction will fit in well, as we are
preparing to embrace the Year of Faith which Benedict XVI has established to begin this
October 11 until November 24, 2013. The Year of Faith is focused on our Faith being directed to the New Evangelization and its further developments. As you can see, what the Bishops are proposing fits very well with the universal invitation from Benedict XVI for this coming year.
Moving on to another area of interest, the Bishops heard two reports offered by the National Review Board on the 10th Anniversary of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. As we will recall, in light of the clergy sexual misconduct revelations beginning in 2002, the Bishops in their Spring Meeting of 2002 committed themselves as a body to enact a document entitled the Charter mentioned above and to the Essential Norms.
In the documents from the National Review Board, we heard statements like ?Ten years later, there has been striking improvement in the Church?s response to and treatment of victims. Children are safer now because of the creation of safer environments and action has been taken to permanently remove offenders from ministry,? and ?this report?(highlights) both what has been done and what is still needed to be done to protect children and restore trust.? The title of this report is A Ten Year Progress Report: June 2012.
The second report is entitled National Review Board Recommendations. This document presents concrete recommendations of the Board, many of which I am pleased to note are already in place in our diocese. I will be convening a group to discuss these items to ensure we are doing all we can to care for our children.
Lastly, I wish to note the focus of the Bishops on matters pertaining to Religious Freedom, Religious Liberty.
First, the Bishops are focused on this matter as we see it as a most significant human freedom.
Notwithstanding the efforts of the current Administration and much of the media entities to couple our position with our objection to contraception, what the Bishops are concerned about is the diminishment of Religious Freedom by the present Administration. For whatever reason, the Administration has decided that the First Amendment is no longer First--it has been supplanted by other agendas!
Interesting!
The Bishops are concerned that what is now ?policy? is based on the ridiculous position that the Administration decides what is ?religious? and what is ?not religious.? One can only ask, on what basis does the Administration claim competency for making such declarations? I suggest the Administration has little, if not no competency. Rather, what is happening is that the Administration has an agenda which the First Amendment as historically lived in our country would frustrate. Thus, to further an agenda the Administration is willing to overturn over two centuries of American life! The result will be an America we will not recognize.
The USCCB and I personally call upon all Catholics to enter into the Fortnight for Freedom which began yesterday and will end on July 4th with prayer, penance and acts of education.
We CAN make a difference. All people need to possess Religious Freedom which is the
First of our Freedoms!