November 7, 2009 |
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 Bishops: Help those hurt by economic crisis
CNS | NANCY WIECHEC BALTIMORE (CNS) | As the world economic crisis continues to unfold, the U.S. bishops issued a statement Nov. 11 reminding people that “we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. We are all in this together.” The brief statement issued by Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, noted that “hard times can isolate us or they can bring us together.” It was drafted during the USCCB’s annual fall meeting at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel and approved by the body of bishops in a voice vote as a statement from Cardinal George on their behalf. “As pastors and bishops, we see the many human and moral consequences of this crisis,” the statement said. Though the impact of the crisis is greater in some regions of the country, families all across the nation are losing their homes, workers are losing their jobs and health care coverage, retirement savings are threatened and people are losing the sense of hope and security, it continued. But the church will continue to “reach out to those in need, stand with those who are hurt, and work for policies that bring greater compassion, accountability and justice to economic life,” the statement said. The bishops concluded by offering prayers for families and individuals, “our sisters and brothers, who are hurting, anxious or discouraged in these difficult times” and for “our wounded nation and suffering world ... that, working together, we can find the courage, wisdom and ways to build an economy of prosperity and greater justice for all.” The bishops also were scheduled to vote Nov. 11 on a liturgical service in English and Spanish for blessing children in the womb and on another lengthy section of the English translation of the third edition of the Roman Missal during the afternoon session. The liturgical service, written both in English and Spanish, would fill a gap in existing prayer books, explained Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli of Paterson, N.J., chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, who introduced the blessing document Nov. 10, the first day of the meeting. He said the prayer, which had been approved both by his committee and by the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, “was prepared to support the parents awaiting the birth of their child, to encourage in the parish prayers for and recognition of the precious gift of the child in the womb, and to foster respect for human life within society.” If approved, the blessing will be included in future editions of the Book of Blessings when that liturgical text is revised. The bishops also were to vote on a heavily amended version of the Proper of the Seasons, made up of the proper prayers for Sundays and feast days during the liturgical year. The bishops’ action came five months after the 700-page translation was rejected at the June meeting of the USCCB in Orlando, Fla. Of the more than 300 new modifications to the document submitted after the meeting, Bishop Serratelli said more than 90 were related to syntax, grammar and sentence structure; 14 were made to break up long sentences; 13 corrected inaccuracies in the translation; and 180 dealt with concerns about vocabulary. In one of the few votes on the meeting’s first day, the bishops agreed to a revised process for submitting “varia” – new issues that an individual bishop or group of bishops would like to see considered by the full body. The new process was designed to allow for flexibility but conform to criteria established under the USCCB reorganization last year. The bishops also decided by voice vote to review the USCCB regulations on statements and publications in light of the reorganization. Revised regulations were expected to be submitted to the full body in June. In opening the meeting Nov. 10, Cardinal George focused on the historic significance of the election of President-elect Barack Obama. “Symbolically, this is a moment that touches more than our history when a country that once enshrined race slavery in its very constitutional legal order should come to elect an African-American to the presidency,” Cardinal George said in his opening address. “In this, I truly believe, we must all rejoice.” Speaking to the bishops, the cardinal said no political order conforms fully to the kingdom of God, but he prayed the incoming president will be able to succeed in his task, for the good of all. At the same time he called on the bishops to rejoice in the hard work of heroic figures such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the slain civil rights activist, Catholic priests, women religious, bishops and laypeople who helped bring about racial reforms in the U.S. “We are, perhaps, at a moment when, with the grace of God, all races are safely within the American consensus,” the cardinal said. “We are not at the point, however, when Catholics, especially in public life, can be considered full partners in the American experience unless they are willing to put aside some fundamental Catholic teachings on a just moral and political order.” Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., addressed the opening session as well and urged the bishops to “rediscover the joy of prayer.” The nuncio also encouraged the bishops to celebrate and support the Catholic laity in America, focus on ethical challenges in advances in science, promote the church’s position that marriage should remain a lifelong union between one man and one woman, and reach out to those who have been sexually abused by clergy. During a press conference after the Nov. 10 morning session, the bishops were asked if they would support an approach supported by some Catholic backers of Obama that the focus should be on reducing the number of abortions by providing better social services to pregnant women and by addressing poverty. Cardinal George said the bishops would support programs to improve social welfare in general. But, he said, “it’s still to be proven what the connection is between poverty and abortion.” Archbishop George H. Niederauer of San Francisco said “both/and” would be his preferred approach, working to change a legal system that cannot protect the most vulnerable in society, as well as aiding women facing an unwanted pregnancy. After the Nov. 10 business session, three U.S. bishops from the Gulf Coast area were honored at an evening reception for their leadership following the vast destruction by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management, the Catholic Church Extension Society and FADICA, or Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, presented the awards to retired Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza of Galveston-Houston and Archbishops Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile, Ala., and Alfred C. Hughes of New Orleans. “These three men have served as an example to all of us for their contributions to the well-being of others,” said Kerry A. Robinson, the executive director of the National Leadership Roundtable, which helps Catholic organizations to strengthen governance and promote excellence and best practices in management and finances. The archbishops were credited with joining forces with each other, Catholic organizations and community leaders to expedite the rebuilding efforts for their churches and their communities, Robinson told the room full of prelates and media representatives. Contributing to this roundup were Chaz Muth, Nancy Frazier O’Brien and Patricia Zapor. Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops |
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