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The Church Around the World

Contents - Dec 2013 - Buy a copy now Editorial: A Christmas Wish - Peter Westmore Pope Francis to canonise John Paul II and John XXIII next April - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Obituary: Cardinal Pell's tribute to Bishop William Brennan - Cardinal George Pell Benedict XVI corresponds with an atheist mathematician - Joseph Trabbic Inspirational Young Men of God retreat - Br Barry Coldrey Catechesis and liturgy: an unbreakable bond - Bishop Arthur Serratelli Schools: Catholic school education: returning to our roots - Paul McCormack Christifidelis Laici: vocation and mission of the lay faithful (1) - Anne Lastman Christifidelis Laici: vocation and mission of the lay faithful (2) - Anne Lastman Letters: Morality of contraception - John Ramsey Letters: Right of conscience - Marian Grima Letters: Errors - Peter D. Howard Letters: Availability of RU486 - Owen Charles Books: HOLY SEE, UNHOLY ME by Tim Fischer - John Barich (reviewer) Books: POPE FRANCIS: The Pope from the End of the Earth, by Thomas J. Craughwell - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Fighting Fund: Progress on 2013 Fighting Fund - Peter Westmore Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: Benedict XVI's Christmas homily: 'Make room for God' - Benedict XVI

1535 Society launched at the Tower of London

Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster and the Anglican Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, participated on 22 October in the launch of The 1535 Society to promote an understanding of the role of St Thomas More and other martyrs in British history.

The Society was launched at the Tower of London where Thomas More was imprisoned between 1534 and 1535, until he was executed on 6 July 1535.

In addition to promoting the legacy of St Thomas More and the other martyrs, Society members will also contribute to the restoration of the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London and its Crypt of St Thomas More.

The Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula is the parish church to the Tower of London and is a Chapel Royal, directly under the jurisdiction of the Queen. It is the final resting place of three queens of England as well as St Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher.

In 2012, The Constable of the Tower of London, General the Lord Dannatt, launched an appeal to restore the chapel and to secure the future of the Choral Foundation.

"The Chapel is a vital focal point for the Tower community and St Thomas More is a key figure in the Tower 's history," General the Lord Dannatt said.

The archbishop of Westminster and the bishop of London released a joint statement saying: "We must never forget our past if we want to walk wisely into the future. That is why it is so important that we preserve this shrine to remind us of the dangers of religious intolerance and to recall men and women of faith to the primacy of love for God which leads to love of neighbour."

Zenit News Agency

US bishops review liturgical reform

The US Bishops' Committee on Divine Worship is marking the 50th anniversary of Sacrosanctum Concilium (This Sacred Council), Vatican II's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, with a reflection on the liturgical reform of the last half century, titled, "Stewards of the Tradition - Fifty Years After Sacrosanctum Concilium".

This document was the first text promulgated by the Second Vatican Council and was issued on 4 December 1963.

The Committee's reflection acknowledges the ssignificance of the reform of the liturgy in the years following Vatican II, affirms the work of those engaged in the liturgical apostolate, and offers some guidance and direction for the future.

Addressing a variety of subjects within the liturgy, the committee emphasised the role of art and music: "The setting for the celebration of the Liturgy should be beautiful and should reflect the best of our artistic heritage" with liturgical song having a "pre-eminent place" in celebrating the liturgy. "Not only is it a means of active participation, but it is another source of beauty that can lift hearts and inspire worship."

Zenit News Agency

Korean Catholics warned on secularism

At a meeting with Korean lay representatives in October, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, expressed gratitude for the tremendous growth of the Church in South Korea over the past five decades while warning against three threats.

In 1949, 1.1% of Koreans were Catholic, and there were 81 priests; just after the Second Vatican Council, 2.5% of South Korea was Catholic. Today, 10.3% of the nation is Catholic, and there are over 4,600 priests and 1,500 seminarians.

In the midst of this growth, Cardinal Filoni warned against secularism and materialism. "If fidelity to the message of Christ and our convicted testimony are lacking, either at the personal or at the social level, the Church waters down her proper proclamation and her witness, thus rendering a terrible service to God and to mankind.

"The temptation to live a comfortable faith implies a certain sense of being satisfied with the results reached, and consequently, reduces or loses the vision even of missionary and pastoral commitment.

"An additional danger, in a country with a high propensity for technology, is represented by the tendency toward bureaucratisation and hyper-efficiency ...

"A further problem, it seems to me, consists of the tendency, according to a Confucian way of thinking, to break apart the composite reality of the Church, where the virtues of fraternity and ecclesial communion do not prevail, but rather, distinction, rank, and age."

Catholic World News

Pius XII knew he would be misunderstood

A priest who knew Pius XII personally and had access to "every strip of paper" in the Vatican archives says the pontiff believed he did the right thing during the Holocaust despite knowing he would be questioned.

Ninety-year-old Father Peter Gumpel, a former professor at the Gregorian University in Rome for 25 years, was simultaneously appointed as a Theological Consultant to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and as Assistant Postulator General.

The work that Fr Gumpel was assigned as a theological consultant was to "examine everything" related to Pius XII and other causes of interest, and to present the information in a "historically and theologically accurate way to the congregation before they start to discuss it".

The cause of canonisation for Pius XII was overseen by Fr Gumpel, who was in charge of the research needed in order to prove the late pope's heroic virtue. He said that he studied "about 100,000 pages" of documents and correspondence covering the life of Pius XII.

The late Pope faced criticism then and in subsequent decades for being perceived as silent or inactive in the face of the Holocaust. It is believed, however, that he chose to help the victimised secretly so as not to provoke increased persecution by the Nazis.

Fr Gumpel notes that at a certain moment he said, "I know that what I am going to do will not be pleasing to everybody, but I am going to do it because in conscience I feel that it is my duty to do it."

Fr Gumpel recalled how some during the war thought the Church should publicly react against the Holocaust, but stressed that this would have been futile: "Any time anybody made a public protest, it aggravated the situation."

For excample, said Fr Gumpel, "If you find documents from the Polish episcopacy during the occupation of the Germans of Poland," it was clearly pleaded, "don't speak out, it doesn't help anything, it only makes things worse."

He quoted a Jewish lawyer named Kempner who said: "People who had no responsibility in government, who had never dealt with a situation like this, would not understand it ... the only thing to do was to help people in secrecy as much as possible."

Catholic News Agency

Pope Francis praises St Egidio Community

Pope Francis received in audience participants at the international meeting for peace organised by the St Egidio Community. The meeting, held in Rome from 29 September to 1 October, was entitled "Courage and Hope: religions and cultures in dialogue".

Francis mentioned John Paul II's invitation in Assisi to religious leaders to pray for peace not one against the other, but rather alongside each other, and praised the St Egidio Community for continuing along this path and ensuring that this did not remain an isolated event.

The Pope underlined that "there is no religious justification for violence", and, as emphasised by Benedict XVI two years ago, "it is necessary to eliminate every form of violence motivated by religion, and to keep vigil together to ensure that the world no longer falls prey to the violence inherent in every plan for civilisation that is based on a 'no' to God".

Francis pointed out that peace is the responsibility of all, and that a religious leader is a man of peace, because "the commandment of peace is inscribed in the depths of religious traditions".

He added: "Peace requires tenacious, patient, strong, intelligent dialogue, for which nothing is lost. Dialogue can win over war. Dialogue enables people of different generations, who often ignore each other, to live together; it enables the co-existence of citizens of different ethnic origins, of different convictions. Dialogue is the way of peace."

Vatican Information Service

Christian-Muslim solidarity in Jerusalem

Senior representatives of the Christian Churches of Jerusalem expressed their solidarity with the local Muslim community in October. The delegation visited the Al-Aqsa mosque to give their support in response to the actions of some Jewish extremists near the Muslim holy site.

Among the members of the delegation was Catholic Bishop William Shomali, the Patriarchal Vicar of the Latin Patriarchate, Anglican Bishop Suheil Dawani, and the Armenian Patriarchal Vicar, Joseph Kelekian.

Mufti Muhammad Hussein and Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib welcomed the delegation and the leaders from both faiths signed a joint declaration denouncing the actions committed against the Mosque.

Zenit News Service

Cardinal Dolan compares the past three popes

Each of the last three popes has had a different but complementary emphasis, highlighting different aspects of the faithful and the Church, said Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York.

"A good way to understand the different gifts of each of these recent pontiffs might be to use the imagery of soul, head and heart," the cardinal explained in an opinion piece for the New York Post.

The three most recent Popes – Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis – "are all giants", Cardinal Dolan said, and each "has particular talents".

"John Paul II emphasised the soul," he suggested. "His eloquent calls to prayer; his accent on the revival of the spirit; his concentration on the sacraments and devotions of the Church, which bring the grace and mercy of Jesus; his tender trust of Mary, the mother of Jesus; and his record 'saint-making,' cogently reminded us that the soul comes first."

"In Pope Benedict XVI we have a successor of St Peter who emphasised the head," Cardinal Dolan continued, noting that the recently retired Pope helped to "renew the Church's vast intellectual heritage, and remind us so effectively that faith and reason are hardly at odds, but actually allies."

"And now, Pope Francis emphasises the heart," he said. "Warmth, mercy, joy, tenderness, outreach, acceptance, love all flow from the heart, and those are the words most used by Pope Francis.

"Don't get me wrong: All three knew well that the soul, the head and the heart were all essentials. But each had a particular favourite."

Catholic News Agency

New Academic Dean for Campion College

Campion College has appointed Dr Thaddeus Kozinski to serve as its Academic Dean beginning in 2014. According to Professor Tracey Rowland, Dean of the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family (Melbourne), "Dr Kozinski is one of the most exciting young Catholic scholars of the liberal arts."

After an extensive search, both within Australia and overseas, Campion College selected Dr Kozinski to take over from Professor Geoff Caban upon his retirement as Dean.

Campion College, located in Old Toongabbie (Western Sydney), is the only Catholic tertiary liberal arts college in Australia. Dr Kozinski brings extensive knowledge of and experience within several prominent liberal arts colleges in the US and Canada, including Christendom College (Front Royal, Virginia) and Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy (Ontario).

Speaking about his appointment, Dr Kozinski said, "The liberal arts teach students to think, speak and problem solve rather than train them for a specific career, and they direct students towards the things in life that are good in themselves and for their own sake. I'm thrilled that Campion College is making this form of education - which has shaped Western Civilisation for centuries - available in Australia.

Campion's President, Dr Ryan Messmore, welcomed the appointment: "Thaddeus is an accomplished scholar of deep Catholic faith who brings a passion for teaching excellence ... His experience at Catholic liberal arts colleges elsewhere will enhance our own teaching efforts at Campion."

More information about Campion College is available at www.campion.edu.au

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 26 No 11 (December 2013 - January 2014), p. 4