News Briefs
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
Pope meets privately with victims of priestly sexual abuse
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI held an unscheduled meeting with victims of priestly sexual abuse, shortly after pledging the church's continued efforts to help heal the wounds caused by such acts. The Vatican said the pope met privately in a chapel at the apostolic nunciature with "a small group of persons who were sexually abused by members of the clergy." The group was accompanied by Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston, which was the epicenter of the abuse scandal. "They prayed with the Holy Father, who afterward listened to their personal accounts and offered them words of encouragement and hope," a Vatican statement said. "His Holiness assured them of his prayers for their intentions, for their families and for all victims of sexual abuse," it said. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican press spokesman, told journalists the meeting involved five or six victims, men and women from the Archdiocese of Boston, and lasted about 25 minutes. During the encounter, each of the victims had a chance to speak personally to the pope, who spoke some "very affectionate words," he said. Father Lombardi said it was a very emotional meeting; some were in tears.
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Pope urges U.S. Catholic educators to lead students to deeper faith
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In an address to U.S. Catholic educators April 17, Pope Benedict XVI thanked them for their work and urged them to continue to bring their students to a deeper understanding of faith "which in turn nurtures the soul of a nation." He spoke to more than 400 Catholic college presidents and diocesan education representatives at The Catholic University of America. The pope was cheered by several hundred students who gathered on the lawn of the campus, and he was warmly applauded when he entered the Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center. He delivered his address while seated on a wooden throne designed by Catholic University students. Weeks prior to the address many had speculated that the pope might have harsh words of reprimand for college leaders, but instead the pope spoke warmly to the group, calling them "bearers of wisdom" and telling them of his "profound gratitude" for their "selfless contributions" and dedication. He made one specific reference to Catholic college presidents, near the end of his address, telling them he wished to "reaffirm the great value of academic freedom." He also noted that any appeals to academic freedom "to justify positions that contradict the faith and teaching of the church would obstruct or even betray the university's identity and mission."
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Pope urges U.S. Catholics to renew their missionary energy
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Celebrating Mass in a Washington baseball stadium, Pope Benedict XVI urged U.S. Catholics to renew their missionary energy at a time when American society is at a moral crossroads. The pope warned of "signs of a disturbing breakdown in the very foundations of society" and said people need the church's message of hope and fidelity to the demands of the Gospel. He also confronted the question of clerical sexual abuse of minors, acknowledging the damage done to the church and asking all Catholics to help assist those who have been hurt. The Mass April 17 at a packed Nationals Park was the pope's first major encounter with the Catholic faithful on his six-day visit to Washington and New York. The liturgy, celebrated on an altar platform in deep center field, was a Mass of the Holy Spirit and featured multiethnic choirs singing in four languages. The spirit was evident among the enthusiastic crowd of about 45,000 people, who cheered the 81-year-old pope as he rode through the stadium in his popemobile.
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Pope meets interreligious leaders, says dialogue discovers truth
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI encouraged interreligious leaders to work not only for peace but for the discovery of truth. The pope told about 200 representatives of Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism gathered at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington April 17 "to persevere in their collaboration" to serve society and enrich public life. "I have noticed a growing interest among governments to sponsor programs intended to promote interreligious dialogue and intercultural dialogue. These are praiseworthy initiatives," Pope Benedict said. "At the same time, religious freedom, interreligious dialogue and faith-based education aim at something more than a consensus regarding ways to implement practical strategies for advancing peace. "The broader purpose of dialogue is to discover the truth," he said. In a ceremony in the two-story main lobby of the cultural center, Milwaukee Auxiliary Bishop Richard J. Sklba, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, introduced the pope to the interreligious leaders, who wore traditional garments to identify their faiths. To the pope's right were the five symbols of peace presented to him at the end of the ceremony.
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D.C. papal Mass a multicultural mix of ancient and modern
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The liturgical celebration of Pope Benedict XVI's April 17 Mass in Nationals Park reflected the diversity of Catholic heritages and sensibilities reflected in the Archdiocese of Washington, where the Mass was held. It acknowledged both the roots of tradition and the branches that have sprouted from those roots. The prayer of the faithful was recited in six languages -- English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog and Igbo. The sung response to the intentions incorporated three languages: English, Latin and Spanish. The first reading -- the account of how the apostles started speaking in tongues unknown to them at the first Pentecost -- was proclaimed in Spanish. Music composed in the 40 years since the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council was included, as were ancient Latin texts set to chant -- and a Latin-language Gloria written in the past decade.
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Front-row seats not necessary to enjoy papal Mass
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Many remember Bob Uecker, the former major league baseball catcher, more for his post-baseball career than for his playing days. One of his more memorable forays was a beer commercial in which the usher plucks him from his seat, with Uecker saying to his friend, I must be in the front ro-oooow ..." only to be shown at commercial's end sitting by himself in the nosebleed seats, hollering about a play taking place 500 feet from him, "He missed the tag!" Such was inevitably the lot of plenty of fans -- Pope Benedict XVI fans -- at Nationals Park in Washington for the April 17 papal Mass. Only 5,000 or so people could get tickets placing them on the field. Only another 20,000 or so could sit in the lower bowl of the "100-level" seats. But don't pity the folks sitting in the last row. To them, for a papal Mass there's not a bad seat in the house.
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Pope presents special chalice to show solidarity with Katrina victims
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- At the end of his remarks to the U.S. bishops April 16, Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged "the immense suffering endured by the people of God" in the New Orleans Archdiocese because of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The pope also praised "their courage in the challenging work of rebuilding" in the aftermath of the storm. As a sign of his "prayerful solidarity" with the faithful of the archdiocese, he presented a special chalice to Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes of New Orleans. The presentation came in the crypt church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It followed a vespers service and the pope's address. Pope Benedict said the chalice also was a sign of his "personal gratitude for the tireless devotion" that Archbishop Hughes and retired Archbishops Francis B. Schulte and Philip M. Hannan have shown "toward the flock entrusted to their care." The gift of the chalice was "a complete surprise" to the New Orleans church leaders, archdiocesan spokeswoman Sarah Comiskey told Catholic News Service April 17.
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For pope's birthday, bishops give him check for $870,000
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- U.S. bishops presented Pope Benedict XVI with a birthday gift from Catholics across the country -- a check for $870,000 to support his charitable works. At the end of a vespers service at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, told the pope the bishops were privileged to be sharing his 81st birthday with him. He presented him with the check without specifying how the money had been collected. Earlier, in the shrine's upper church, employees of the USCCB and the Archdiocese of Washington sang "Happy Birthday," as did members of the crowd outside the shrine. The pope's 81st birthday, celebrated on his first full day in the United States, included multiple renditions of "Happy Birthday" -- in English, German and Spanish. At the White House, at the papal nunciature, everywhere the pope went, the crowd sent along birthday greetings.
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Papal Masses at baseball stadiums not new to U.S. Catholics
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The Masses celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in Washington and New York are be the seventh and eighth papal Masses to be celebrated inside U.S. baseball stadiums. Pope Benedict's April 17 Mass was at Nationals Park in Washington, the brand-new stadium for the National League's Washington Nationals. His April 20 Mass will be in New York's Bronx borough at Yankee Stadium, the 84-year-old ballpark that will be replaced next year by a new stadium rising in its shadow. Other venues for papal Masses have been football stadiums, horse-racing tracks, hockey and basketball arenas, open-air fields and even the National Mall. Pope Paul VI celebrated the first Mass at a U.S. ballpark: Yankee Stadium, Oct. 4, 1965. It was also the only baseball-park Mass of his pontificate. Pope John Paul II celebrated five Masses at baseball stadiums over the course of three different U.S. visits. While in New York City in 1979, he celebrated one Mass Oct. 2 at Yankee Stadium, and another Mass Oct. 3 at Shea Stadium. In 1987, he celebrated Mass Sept. 16 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and Sept. 18 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. In 1995, he celebrated Mass at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.
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Pope meets with Jewish leaders, emphasizes Catholics' bond with them
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- During a special meeting with Jewish representatives, Pope Benedict XVI emphasized the special bond Catholics and Jews share and reaffirmed the church's 40-year commitment to dialogue with the Jews. Noting a "shared hope for peace in the world," Pope Benedict also asked for God's mercy to "inspire all those responsible for the future of" the Middle East "to new efforts, and especially to new attitudes and a new purification of hearts." At Washington's Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, where he had just met with interreligious leaders, Pope Benedict offered greetings to the Jewish leaders April 17 as they prepared to celebrate Passover, which begins at sunset April 19. "At this time of your most solemn celebration, I feel particularly close, precisely because of what 'Nostra Aetate' calls Christians to remember always:" that the church received the Old Testament from the Jewish people, the pope said. The Second Vatican Council's Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, "Nostra Aetate," established the foundation for dialogue between Christians and Jews. "Christians and Jews share" the hope of redemption, the pope said, adding that "we are in fact, as the prophets say, 'prisoners of hope.'"
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House passes bill expanding debt relief to poor countries
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Debt relief for many of the world's poorest countries is a step closer with the April 16 passage of a measure by the U.S. House of Representatives. The Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation passed 285-132. The vote was timed for the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States. Receiving broad bipartisan support, the bill calls for expanding debt relief for as many as 24 countries with a per capita income of less than $1,065 a year as long as they meet specific criteria for more transparent and responsible behavior in the distribution of foreign aid. Forty other poor countries are eligible under existing debt relief guidelines. "We want to make sure the benefits of debt cancellation get to people who need it," said Neil Watkins, national coordinator of Jubilee USA Network, a coalition of organizations which is spearheading the debt relief campaign.
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Pittsburgh bishop testifies for Marriage Protection Amendment
PITTSBURGH (CNS) -- Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh was among those who testified on behalf of Pennsylvania's proposed Marriage Protection Amendment at a hearing April 10 at the Allegheny County Courthouse. More than 200 people packed the chambers of the Allegheny County Council to hear the often-spirited debate. "That marriage must be considered truly sacred seems to elude us," Bishop Zubik said. "We have reached the point of a laissez faire view of marriage, a concerted effort to expand its definition so vaguely that marriage essentially becomes meaningless. "At a time when we should be engaged in doing all we can to strengthen marriage, and strengthen especially the family, we are facing cultural forces that want to so water down the definition of marriage that it could apply to any human relationship, or to no relationship at all," he said. The bishop's testimony came before the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by state Sen. Stewart Greenleaf.
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WORLD
Chilean specialist talks about his country's transition to peace
NOTRE DAME, Ind. (CNS) -- Participants at the Conference on the Future of Catholic Peace-building who are in the throes of violence and conflict at home could get a hopeful glance at a possible peaceful future from Eduardo Rojas of Santiago, Chile. Rojas, a human rights specialist and director of planning and development at Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez Catholic University in Santiago, can tell the horror stories of the regime of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, when thousands were executed and tens of thousands exiled. Today, Chile receives thousands of people into its peaceful, stable society from violent zones in Africa, the former Yugoslavia and Colombia. It has the largest Palestinian community in South America, if not the entire Western Hemisphere. "Chile was in a very difficult situation during the Pinochet dictatorship, and the Catholic Church had a fundamental role in resolving it peacefully," Rojas told Catholic News Service through an interpreter during the April 13-15 conference at the University of Notre Dame. The key to the change, he said, was the establishment of national institutions that people could trust, including a tireless demand for a system of legal justice.
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PEOPLE
Morning commuters joined by early morning Massgoers
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Morning commuters found themselves surrounded on subway trains by a peculiar weekday morning sight -- thousands of people climbing aboard as early as 5 a.m. to attend a Mass at Nationals Park celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI. Men in clerical collars and women in habits, families dressed in their Sunday best and teens in Catholic school uniforms crowded onto jammed Metro trains to the stadium as soon as the subway system opened. By 7 a.m., steady streams of people moved up escalators and down streets to security checkpoints outside the newly opened baseball stadium. As people walked down Half Street to the gates, vendors selling buttons, pennants, T-shirts and photos of the pope competed for Massgoers' attention with dozens of volunteers in royal blue "pro-life" T-shirts who were handing out bumper stickers. Behind a police barricade, a handful of hopeful people held signs reading "need tickets," waving and calling out to passers-by as they left the subway station.
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Bishops feel hopeful, optimistic after meeting with pope
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Bishops from across the country left their April 16 meeting with Pope Benedict XVI feeling more hopeful and optimistic about their work and the future of the U.S. Catholic Church. From the issue of the clergy sex abuse scandal to challenges posed by an increasingly secular society, bishops contacted by Catholic News Service said the pope's message of hope grounded in deeper prayer, renewal and strong leadership is one which they can take back to their home dioceses. The theme of hope has been a hallmark of Pope Benedict's papacy almost since the day of his election three years ago. Bishops hearing his address at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington said they felt encouraged by the pope's support for their work despite the many challenges stemming from the abuse scandal. "The whole idea is that the Holy Father is challenging us to be optimistic and hopeful and not to let secularism and rationalism keep us from having hope," said Bishop Sam G. Jacobs of Houma-Thibodaux, La. "We have a message of hope and we have a message that can transform the world. We need to keep hearing that message even if the rest of the world doesn't hear it." For Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., the bottom line is that "we be men of prayer ourselves." "He was very encouraging to the bishops, very pastoral in reminding us that it's really about holiness and the need for a bishop to be on a spiritual journey himself," Bishop Kicanas said.
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Faithful excited to be part of papal Mass in Washington
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The tumultuous applause that greeted Pope Benedict XVI at the beginning of the April 17 Mass in Nationals Park was indicative of the excitement of the faithful at attending the first public U.S. Mass celebrated by the pope, who is concluding his third year as pontiff. The cries, shouts of acclamation and waving of miniature Vatican flags that accompanied the popemobile's lap around the baseball stadium close to a half-hour before the Mass came as close on the decibel scale as the ovation accorded the beginning of Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl's welcome message to the pope. An estimated 46,000 Catholics -- about 5,000 more than the baseball park's official capacity, thanks to white folding chairs placed in the outfield near the temporary stage for the altar and sanctuary -- assembled for the Mass. Each person had a slightly different story of how they got their tickets and how they got to the stadium. But nearly all shared in the excitement of being at least some part of the first papal Mass in the nation's capital since Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass for an estimated 170,000 on the National Mall as part of his first U.S. visit in 1979.
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St. Louis couple say papal meeting boosted philanthropic goals
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- St. Louis residents Charles and Shirley Drury planned what they wanted to say to Pope Benedict XVI weeks before their April 16 meeting with him in Washington, but when the moment arrived, the gregarious couple found themselves tongue-tied. "Most people never get a chance to meet the Holy Father, so we wanted to make our time with him really count," said Charles Drury, an 80-year-old hotel magnate who with his wife of 53 years represented the Papal Foundation during a meeting the pope held with delegates of Catholic charitable foundations at the Vatican Embassy in Washington. "The Holy Father of course looks straight at you and you get terribly nervous. It stunned us. You come prepared to talk and then can't think of anything to say," he told Catholic News Service April 17.
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Archbishop discusses peace-building, maintaining peace in Burundi
NOTRE DAME, Ind. (CNS) -- Archbishop Evariste Ngoyagoye of Bujumbura, Burundi, came to the Conference on the Future of Catholic Peace-building with a story of Catholic engagement that brought about peace in Burundi. He left with a renewed sense of the vigilance necessary to maintain peace and justice in his country. "We weren't sufficiently vigilant during this period," Archbishop Ngoyagoye told Catholic News Service through an interpreter at an interview during the conference, where he was reminded of a U.N. warning that up to half of the regions emerging from war return to war within five years. The April 13-15 conference at the University of Notre Dame, aimed at articulating a Catholic theology and ethic of peace by bringing together academics and on-the-ground peace builders, will lead to revisions in the agendas at an upcoming bishops' conference meeting and diocesan synods, he said. "It's very important that from beginning to end there be clarity of purpose," Archbishop Ngoyagoye said, noting he'll be careful to identify the audience, adapt the message to different levels of the population and engage a broad base in the synods.
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Catholic University students thrilled to welcome pope 'on our turf'
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The pope doesn't visit a U.S. college campus very often. So when four seniors at The Catholic University of America heard that Pope Benedict XVI was coming to their campus, the roommates knew they wanted to witness it. So they arrived on the lawn behind the Columbus School of Law shortly before 10 a.m. April 17 to wait for the papal arrival on campus some seven hours later. Spreading their blanket out on the lawn, they settled in to view the 10 a.m. Mass at Nationals Park on the big-screen television and soaked up the pope's homily. Though all four women are from different states and two classify themselves as "moderate" Catholics, one says she's a liberal and one calls herself a conservative, they wanted to be together for the historic event on their campus. Friends since their freshman year, they were thrilled to have an opportunity to welcome the pontiff to the school they will graduate from in May. The women -- Emily Goudreau, 22, of Raynham, Mass.; Sarah Ferry, 21, of Harrisburg, Pa.; Sarah Raminhos, 21, of Germantown, Md.; and Natalie Pyle, 21, of San Antonio -- watched the movie "Sister Act" on the big screen as they waited for the pope's arrival.
Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops