The Catholic Leader - 22 April

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The Catholic Leader, April 22, 2018
World
TODAY’S women religious belong to “a long line of courageous
women” whose faith in God and love for humanity led them to
put their lives at risk, Irish Loreto Sister Patricia Murray said.
In situations of war and conflict around the globe, women
religious faced the same dangers as the women they lived and
worked with, including rape and murder, Sr Yudith Pereira-
Rico, a member of the Religious of Jesus and Mary and execu-
tive director of Solidarity with South Sudan, said.
The two sisters and several others spoke on April 11 at a
symposium, Women Religious on the Frontlines, sponsored by
the United States Embassy to the Holy See, the International
Union of Superiors General and Solidarity with South Sudan,
an international project of women’s and men’s religious orders.
The US ambassador Callista Gingrich opened the conference
saying women religious were “often the unsung heroes of the
Catholic Church” and that their service to people and their contri-
butions to peace and justice “should be emulated and celebrated”.
CNS
Conference honours
women religious
who put their lives at risk
Vatican News
Proposal for Latin America
synod on women
THE Catholic Church in Latin America must recognise and
appreciate the role of women and end the practice of using
them solely as submissive labourers in the parish, members of a
pontifical commission said.
At the end of their plenary meeting at Vatican City, mem-
bers of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America proposed
that the Church hold a Synod of Bishops “on the theme of the
woman in the life and mission of the Church”.
“There still exist ‘macho’, bossy clerics who try to use
women as servants within their parish, almost like submissive
clients of worship and manual labour for what is needed. All of
this has to end,” the final document from the meeting said.
L’Osservatore Romano reported on April 11 that the theme of
the four-day meeting, “The woman: pillar in building the church
and society in Latin America”, was chosen by Pope Francis.
In addition to 17 cardinals and seven bishops who were
members of the commission, the Pope asked that some leading
Latin American women also be invited; eight lay women and
six women religious participated in the four-day meeting and in
drafting its pastoral recommendations, the newspaper said. CNS
Blessed Romero’s canonisation
probably in Rome in October
DURING an April 11 homily in Washington, Salvadoran Arch-
bishop Jose Luis Escobar Alas said the canonisation of Blessed
Oscar Romero would “probably” be in Rome and “probably”
take place at the end of October after a meeting of bishops.
He also said the final decision was up to Pope Francis.
“Soon we will have a canonisation,” the archbishop said to a
crowd of mostly Salvadoran immigrants gathered for Mass at
the Shrine of the Sacred Heart.
“On May 19, we will know the date and the place.”
That’s the date cardinals will gather at Vatican City for a
meeting known as a consistory, where they’re expected to
decide the details. CNS
LEBANESE Cardinal Bechara Rai ap-
pealed to world leaders to stop the war in
Syria and to work for comprehensive peace
through diplomatic means.
“As the great powers are beating the
drums of a new war against Syria, we
regret the absence of a language of peace
from the mouths of senior officials in our
world today,” Cardinal Rai, patriarch of
Maronite Catholics, said in an address
directed to the international community.
In reference to the stance of world leaders
toward Syria, the cardinal said, “Most tragi-
cally, their hearts are devoid of the slightest
human emotion toward the millions of in-
nocent Syrians who have been forced to flee
their land under the fire of war, its crimes,
destruction, terror and violence.”
“We appeal to the conscience of the
great powers and the international com-
munity to work to end the war and to bring
about a just, comprehensive and lasting
peace through political and diplomatic
means – not military,” Cardinal Rai said.
“The people of the Middle East are enti-
tled to live in peace and tranquility.”
“The declaration of war is very weak,”
Cardinal Rai said, adding that peace-build-
ing was the ultimate in heroism.
“Among the great powers, you will
remember that we all know how to start
wars, but we do not know how they end.”
Noting that Lebanon has hosted more
than 1.1 million refugees, or nearly half of
its population, “at a time when most Eu-
ropean countries have closed their doors”,
Cardinal Rai said: “We ask today, did these
countries which are beating the drums of
war bear a fraction of the hardship due to
the displacement of the Syrian population?”
Cardinal Rai’s appeal came amid threats
of military retaliation against Syria over
the alleged use of chemical weapons
against civilians in the Ghouta region.
United States President Donald Trump
has said “missiles will be coming”.
But on the morning of April 12, Trump
tweeted, “Never said when an attack on
Syria would take place. Could be very
soon or not so soon at all.”
Opponents of unilateral US action
scheduled an emergency closed-door meet-
ing of the United Nations Security Council
for April 12, and Britain also scheduled an
emergency Cabinet meeting, the Associ-
ated Press reported. CNS
Warning:
A Syr-
ian soldier
walks amid
destroyed
buildings
in the war-
torn town
of Ghouta.
Lebanese
Cardinal
Bechara
Rai ap-
pealed to
world lead-
ers to stop
the war in
Syria and
to work for
compre-
hensive
peace
through
diplomatic
means.
Photo: CNS
Cardinal warns against ‘new drums of war’
Chilean abuse victims welcome Pope’s letter
Call for zero tolerance
VICTIMS of clergy sexual
abuse welcomed Pope Francis’
letter in which he apologised for
under-estimating the seriousness
of the crisis in Chile.
James Hamilton, Jose Andres Muri-
llo and Juan Carlos Cruz, victims of Fr
Fernando Karadima, released a statement
saying they appreciated the Pope’s letter
and were “evaluating the possibilities” for
meeting with the Pope.
“The damage committed by the hierarchy
of the Chilean church, to which the Pope
refers, has affected many people, not just
us,” the victims said.
“The purpose of all our actions has
always been about recognition, forgiveness
and reparation for what has been suffered,
and will continue to be so, until zero toler-
ance against abuse and concealment in the
Church becomes a reality.”
Pope Francis’ letter, released on April
11, asked “forgiveness of all those I have
offended” and said he hoped to “be able to
do it personally in the coming weeks”.
Mr Cruz said he was grateful for the
Pope’s “unprecedented” apology and
expression of shame, and he hoped to have
a frank discussion with Pope Francis about
the pain suffered by victims of abuse.
“We want to talk with him and humbly
speak to him about forgiveness and tell him
not only everything we have experienced,
but also to speak with him about the situa-
tion that many people have suffered, what
we have suffered,” he said.
“It happened not only in Chile but also
in the United States, in Italy, in the whole
world.”
Abuse victims alleged that Bishop Juan
Barros of Osorno – then a priest – had
witnessed their abuse by his mentor, Fr
Karadima.
In 2011, Fr Karadima was sentenced to
a life of prayer and penance by the Vatican
Abuser: Chilean Father Fernando Karadima leaves after attending a hearing at the
Supreme Court building in Santiago. Photo: CNS
after he was found guilty of sexually abus-
ing boys.
Fr Karadima denied the charges; he was
not prosecuted civilly because the statute
of limitations had expired.
During his visit to Chile in January,
the Pope sparked controversy when he
pledged his support for Bishop Barros and
said: “The day they bring me proof against
Bishop Barros, I will speak. There is not
one piece of evidence against him. It is
calumny.”
He later apologised to the victims and
admitted that his choice of words wounded
many.
A short time later, the Holy See an-
nounced Pope Francis was sending
Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta and
his aide Fr Jordi Bertomeu Farnos to Chile
to listen to people with information about
Bishop Barros.
Spokesman for the parishioners in Os-
orno Juan Carlos Claret said Catholics in
the diocese “value the Pope’s willingness
to restore trust”.
“That is precisely the task that must
unite all believers in Chile,” he said.
After the release of Pope Francis’ letter
president of the bishops’ conference and
head of the military ordinariate Bishop
Santiago Silva Retamales said the bishops
of Chile would travel to Vatican City in the
third week of May.
The bishops, he said, shared in the Pope’s
pain.
“We have not done enough,” he said.
“Our commitment is that this does not hap-
pen again.”
In the past few months, Catholics in
Osorno have become increasingly divided.
Some continue to support Bishop Bar-
ros, while others hope for change.
CNS
Saintly:
Salvador-
ans carry
an image
of Blessed
Oscar
Romero
in San
Salvador to
commemo-
rate the an-
niversary of
his murder.
Photo: CNS