TV spots for Catholic Church go national: ‘Catholics Come Home’ encourages return to the Church

Nov 14, 2011

The first-ever national awareness campaign inviting Catholics to return to the faith launches Dec. 16 in 10,000 cities across the United States. The prime-time, network television campaign hopes to inspire 1 million Catholics to rejoin their parishes.

The 30-second spot produced by Virtue Media, Inc. was filmed largely in the Diocese of Phoenix but also includes scenes from Rome and around the world. Tom Peterson, president and founder of Virtue Media and Catholics Come Home, Inc., said he and his team, along with thousands of donors, have been praying for a nationwide campaign to take place for years.

“There’s great joy in bringing this message to all 200 dioceses, all the many thousands of parishes and 250 million viewers who will soon see the good news about the history, beauty, spirituality and accomplishments of the Catholic Church that Jesus Himself founded 2,000 years ago,” Peterson said.

Ryan Hanning, coordinator of adult evangelization for the Diocese of Phoenix, first began working with Peterson in 2007 and helped develop the catechetical content of the program. He also worked with parishes in their outreach to fallen-away Catholics.

The 2008 Catholics Come Home Campaign was a “huge success,” Hanning said. Since then, the campaign has run in 30 other dioceses across the country, encouraging 300,000 Catholics to return to the Church. Mass attendance increases 10 percent in areas where the spots have run.

Hanning pointed to statistics from the Pew Forum for Religious and Public Life, 2008, that indicate most people who leave the Catholic Church simply drift away.

“It’s very important to note that 90 percent of Catholics who have left the faith — that’s 29 million inactive Catholics in the United States — have left for non-doctrinal reasons,” Hanning said. “Most of them aren’t angry with the faith. They haven’t left over any particular teaching of the faith — they simply don’t know the faith and haven’t had an opportunity to fall back in love with Christ or experience Christ’s love in the Church.”

Those who have fallen away, Hanning said, “are just waiting to be invited back, yet most active Catholics are afraid of sharing the faith because they have the impression most people have left for good reasons.

“But that’s just simply not the case,” Hanning said. “The vast majority of them have left the faith because they’ve been caught up in a culture that doesn’t respect the role of religion.” The Catholics Come Home campaign not only invites people to return to the Church, it also motivates active Catholics to share the faith.

The Catholics Come Home spots, which will air more than 400 times during a three-week period, will be shown on a broad range of stations during popular programming such as 60 Minutes, Jay Leno, The O’Reilly Factor, major sports and highly rated sitcoms.

“Paul VI said the Church exists to evangelize,” Hanning said. “This commercial campaign is just one way in which we’re able to do that very effectively.”

Viewers from the Diocese of Phoenix may recognize local scenes in the commercial such as Immaculate Heart Parish, St. Mary’s Basilica, St. Francis Xavier Parish, the All Saints Catholic Newman Center, Papago Park and the Phoenix Zoo. Fr. Fred Adamson, vicar general and moderator of the Curia, along with local deacons and members of a youth group, are also featured.

Peterson said the campaign is spreading to other countries such as Australia and Mexico. When the spot first aired in the Archdiocese of Chicago, he said, the impact was felt as far away as Poland.

“Millions of viewers in Poland saw our broadcasts from the Polish channels that were airing in Chicago but that also went worldwide,” Peterson said. “So you can see what started as a prayerful effort of the New Evangelization in the Diocese of Phoenix is going nationwide and has already, to a certain extent, started penetrating the world.”

The spots were also filmed in Spanish and will be aired on Univision. Fr. John Muir, assistant director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Phoenix and assistant director at ASU’s Newman Center, appears in the Spanish version.

“It’s an amazing partnership between Phoenix and Catholics Come Home,” Hanning said. “We’re so honored to have been a part of it and participate in it.”

‘I believe’; Professing our personal belief through the Nicene Creed

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted

Sep 16, 2011

Editor’s note: This is an ongoing series of articles exploring the new English-language translation of the Roman Missal, which the Church will begin using Nov. 27. This article orginally appeared in the September 2011 edition of Columbia.

When we begin to use the new English translation of the Mass in Advent of this year, we shall notice a few changes in the wording of the prayer that we call the Nicene Creed. These changes are not many but they are significant.

For example, the first word will not be “we” but “I.” “I believe in one God…” And throughout the Creed, wherever previously we have said “we believe” or “we confess” or “we look forward,” we shall say “I…” Why the change? First of all, it is a more accurate translation of the Latin text: the Latin word “credo” which literally means “I believe.” While it is true that, at Mass, we profess the creed together with other believers, and thus the former translation is not heretical, the singular pronoun emphasizes a key aspect of faith, namely that it is a deeply personal decision in response to a wondrous gift from God. No one else can make this decision for us. Each person chooses whether or not he will entrust himself to God. As Josef Pieper says, “Belief can never be half-hearted.” Faith rests on an act of the will. Throughout the Creed, then, the word “I” will be used in place of “we” to express this profoundly personal decision of each one present at Mass.

At the same time, at Mass God mysteriously raises each person’s freely offered “I believe” into the “I” of Jesus Christ. At this moment I discover my own “I” is not alone and forgotten among a scattered and wandering sea of individuals, but rather in union with the living Body of Christ, the Church, which forms the one new “I” of faith in the Body of the Risen Jesus.

Another word that will stand out in the new translation of the Creed is “consubstantial” in place of “one in being.” Both translations point towards the same reality that the Church defended and defined nearly 1700 years ago. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains (#465), “The first ecumenical council of Nicaea in 325 confessed in its Creed that the Son of God is ‘begotten, not made, of the same substance (homoousios in Greek) as the Father’.” The new translation reflects the desire of the Church to point to the precise meaning of her doctrine regarding the Son: that He is a divine person with the exact same divine nature (or substance) as God. It more clearly links us, theologically and linguistically, with the Creed as professed in Latin and Greek for seventeen centuries.

A third change that you will notice is linked to the role of Mary in the life of Christ. Instead of saying that Jesus “was born” of the Virgin Mary, we will now say that He “was incarnate” of her. At first glance, it may seem that the Church is just asking you to use an archaic word in place of a familiar one. But what is at stake here is much more consequential than that. Jesus was not just “born of the Virgin Mary,” He “was born of the Father before all ages.” He is the only Begotten Son of God; and at the moment of Mary’s “Fiat” in response to the Angel Gabriel, He took on human flesh through her free cooperation; that is, he became incarnate, quite independent of the moment He was born. As the Catechism explains (#461), “…the Church calls ‘Incarnation’ the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it.” The Catechism goes on to teach (#463), “Belief in the true Incarnation of the Son of God is the distinctive sign of Christian faith.”

Another change that you will notice is the replacement of the phrase “suffered, died and was buried,” with “suffered death and was buried.” The change in emphasis here is subtle but important. Recall the words of St. Peter (I Pet 2:21), “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in His footsteps.” The greatest suffering for human beings is death. In becoming incarnate, Jesus entered into the depths of all human experience, even death itself. By suffering death on the Cross and rising again in glory, He conquered death and restored life. He also conquered the devil “who has the power of death (Heb 2:14).” In addition, He opened the way for all to eternal life.

Faith in God is a pearl of great price, a precious treasure for which it is worth sacrificing all else to obtain. When we profess our divine faith together, as we do in reciting the Creed, we express what unites us as one. The few but significant changes of the new English translation will help us to do this with greater meaning and gratitude.

The wondrous mystery of the Lord Jesus; Final of seven parts: What makes Liturgy ‘Authentic’?

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted

Jul 21, 2011

Preserving authenticity in celebrations of the Sacred Liturgy has been a prominent concern of Pope Benedict XVI (formerly known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) for more than 25 years. He has observed that some efforts to implement the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy were poorly conceived and produced results contrary to what the Council had proposed. Where these things occurred, the authentic nature of the liturgy was obscured, and the vitality of the Church’s life and mission was weakened. The first threat to liturgical authenticity was posed by overemphasis on human creativity and too little emphasis on the saving activity of God in Jesus Christ.

What Vatican II wanted

In the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, the Council called for (#14) “full, conscious and active (actuosa in Latin) participation” by all members of the Church. This was to be facilitated by greater use of the vernacular and by pastoral efforts to teach and to promote the true nature of the Sacred Liturgy. Furthermore, a clear distinction is needed, it said, between unchangeable elements and those which can and should change. Here are the words of the Constitution (#21), “For the liturgy is made up of unchangeable elements divinely instituted, and of elements subject to change. These latter not only may be changed but ought to be changed with the passage of time, if they have suffered from the intrusion of anything out of harmony with the inner nature of the liturgy or have become less suitable.”

To preserve the authenticity of the Liturgy, then, there needs to be both change and continuity, but always in accord with the ‘inner nature of the liturgy.’ The problem that arose after Vatican II was that changes were introduced sometimes by those who did not have the expertise or lacked the authority to make such changes. This is why the Council gave clear instruction on this point (#22), “Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the Apostolic See, and, as laws may determine, on the bishop…Therefore no other person, not even a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.”

The heart of authenticity

The authenticity that the Church desires in the Sacred Liturgy reaches deeper than the liturgical texts themselves. It is rooted in the very mystery of the Lord Jesus. In fact, Christian worship finds its beginning in the death and Resurrection of Christ. We cannot begin to understand it without reference to our Redeemer.

Cardinal Ratzinger wrote in Spirit of the Liturgy (p. 43) that “the question of what true worship of God is” can only be answered by “knowing who Jesus is.” The zeal of Jesus for authentic liturgy is manifested in the zeal that He showed in cleansing the Temple. That action was more than a stern stand against abuses in sacred places; it was a prophetic act. As Ratzinger wrote (Idem, p. 44), “This is a prophecy of the Cross: He shows that the destruction of his earthly body will be at the same time the end of the Temple. With His Resurrection the new Temple will begin: the living body of Jesus Christ, which will now stand in the sight of God and be the place of all worship.”

The real worship that is fully pleasing to God is the worship that Jesus offered to the Father at the Last Supper and on the Cross. This worship continues today; and we are caught up in this authentic liturgy every time that we celebrate the eucharistic Sacrifice.

The fruits of authentic liturgy

We can easily understand why the Church takes such great care to foster, to reform and to protect the Sacred Liturgy. The first sentence of the Instruction Liturgiam Authenticam states: “The Second Vatican Council strongly desired to preserve with care the authentic Liturgy, which flows forth from the Church’s living and most ancient spiritual tradition, and to adapt it with pastoral wisdom to the genius of the various peoples so that the faithful might find in their full, conscious, and active participation in the sacred actions — especially the celebration of the Sacraments — an abundant source of graces and a means for their own continual formation in the Christian mystery.”

When the Sacred Liturgy is authentically fostered and celebrated, then the fruits are evident. What fruits did the Second Vatican Council foresee in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy? Three stand out:

First, we, the clergy and lay faithful, encounter God in the most profound way possible on earth. We become one with Christ in His zeal for offering fitting worship to the Father through the Holy Spirit. As the Council taught (#7), “Christ, indeed, always associates the Church with Himself in this great work in which God is perfectly glorified and men are sanctified. The Church is His beloved Bride who calls to her Lord, and through Him offers worship to the eternal Father.”

Second, we enter ever more deeply into the redeeming action of Christ. “For it is the Liturgy through which, especially the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, the work of our Redemption is accomplished… The liturgy daily builds up those who are in the Church, making of them a holy temple of the Lord, a dwelling place for God in the Spirit.” (Ibid, #2)”

Third, we are equipped and inspired to evangelize, that is, to bear witness in love and truth to Christ and His Gospel. An ancient Latin saying captures this succinctly: Lex orandi, les credendi, lex vivendi — the way we pray deeply forms what we believe and how we live. If we want to live authentically our vocation and mission in Christ, then we need to have authentic liturgy.

‘Charter’ provides light for dark history of sexual abuse scandal

The Catholic Sun

Jun 16, 2011

The sexual abuse of children and young people constitutes an unthinkable crime. This gravely sinful action destroys lives and injures families and communities. It violates the most precious members of our Church while instilling fear, insecurity and distrust. For this to have occurred within the Catholic Church represents an unparalleled evil.

In response to the crisis of sexual abuse of minors by clergy, dioceses throughout the United States adopted what is known as the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.” Established in June 2002, this historic document mandates accountability, transparency, prevention, education and healing. It requires that Church personnel report all instances of wrongdoing against a minor to the civil authorities, and demands a zero-tolerance policy for any cleric with a credible accusation of sexual abuse of a minor.

Since the early 1990s, much good work has been accomplished in the Diocese of Phoenix to eradicate this crime against our children and youth. Phoenix was one of the first dioceses in the country to implement a sexual abuse policy that provided a system of prevention and education, and it was written largely by lay people. It was revised in 1995, 1998 and 2003, and is scheduled for annual review in order to ensure continued effectiveness.

At their annual summer meeting in Seattle this week, the U.S. bishops will discuss revisions that further strengthen the 2002 charter.

According to Catholic News Service, the changes to the charter involve bringing it into line with recent Vatican documents, which specify that child pornography violates Church law and “holding that abuse of someone who habitually lacks reason, for example, someone with [intellectual disabilities], is equivalent to child abuse.”

The Diocese of Phoenix is committed to the charter and its pledge to heal and to protect. Since the implementation of the charter nine years ago, the Church has made remarkable strides in providing safe environments for our young people. In this diocese more than 52,000 adults have received Safe Environment Training since mid-2006. In addition, more than 34,000 adults and nearly 37,000 minors continue to receive this annual training in all our parishes, schools and institutions. All clergy, religious, seminarians, diocesan employees and volunteers are required to be trained in the diocese’s “Policy and Procedures for the Protection of Minors.”

In an ongoing effort to bring about healing and reconciliation, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted meets with victims, to offer pastoral support and prayer. Additionally, each year the diocese’s Office of Child and Youth Protection sponsors a special Mass of Healing and Reconciliation for all victims of abuse, their families and friends, and the community.

Ten years ago, the Church in America was engulfed in a devastating scandal as sins of decades gone by and the mishandling of abuse allegations became national headlines. Today, we’re still feeling that effect — and rightfully so. There remains much healing to be accomplished. We must continue to bolster our efforts in protecting our children. And we must continue to provide education and training for all members of the Church.

As we approach the 10th anniversary of this landmark charter, the Diocese of Phoenix plans to publish a thorough report highlighting its efforts in training, prevention and outreach. While the Church has worked hard to protect and heal, it must remain vigilant in its efforts to create safe environments and to be a shining model for other public and private organizations.

‘Forever family’: Foster teens struggle for stability

J.D. Long-García

May 13, 2011

Betty McGinnis and her son, Joaquin, pose for a photo. (J.D. Long-Garcia/CATHOLIC SUN)

His fist came crashing through the door. Ten-year-old Joaquin had just spent forever brushing the dog at the behest of his mother’s boyfriend who was watching him for the day.

After what seemed like hours of brushing, it wasn’t good enough. But Joaquin was through with the charade. He marched into his room, slamming the door behind him. The boyfriend raged.

Joaquin yelled back when the boyfriend yelled through the door. That’s when Joaquin found himself looking up at the fist. Joaquin looked around his room and spotted a baseball bat. He used it.

The incident seven years ago started a domino effect. Child Protective Services showed up at Joaquin’s school and took him away from his mother.

“She would sleep around and drink a whole bottle of vodka everyday,” Joaquin said plainly. He was placed in a foster care home for a couple years.

His mother got herself sorted out for a bit, so he went back to her. Six months later, though, she was drinking again.

Joaquin went back into foster care. He was placed with one family, and then another. But it wasn’t working out.

Then he met Betty McGinnis, a northern Arizona Catholic. McGinnis had signed up to be a foster parent through Catholic Charities, expecting to adopt.

“I told him that when he felt that it was right he should let me know so that we could begin the adoption process,” she said. McGinnis told him that pretty much right from the start.

A month later, Joaquin was ready. Just like that.

“It just felt right,” he said. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

Today, there are around 10,000 foster children in Arizona, thousands of whom are teenagers like Joaquin. More than 800 teens live in group homes.

“We never have enough homes for teens,” said Jennifer Devore, who works with Catholic Charities’ foster care program in Cottonwood. She estimated more than 75 percent of parents interested in adoption want children 0-5 years of age.

“Teens have a bad rap, and some of them deserve it,” Devore said. “You’re going to make dumb choices; it’s a teenage thing.”

Foster teens need a stable adult in their lives. Many come from homes where substance abuse, particularly crystal meth, is prevalent.

“If they have the right person investing in their lives, they can make a change,” Devore said. “It’s not always easy, and they may never say ‘Thank you,’ but they still need that person.”

McGinnis is that person for Joaquin. He tested her love, though, and continues to test her. He’d been placed four times before meeting McGinnis, so he wasn’t quick to settle down and hang his heart on his sleeve.

“He’s been in foster care since he was 10, so he’s gone through seven years of not knowing if [his home] is for real,” McGinnis explained. Having three years of stablility with her doesn’t erase the instability he grew up with, she said.

‘Forever family’

What makes it work for McGinnis and Joaquin is this stability and McGinnis’ undying commitment to her son.

“I’m mostly happy now that I’m with my mom,” Joaquin said. “Even though she can be a pain at times, making me do my school work, which I don’t really care about. She cares because that’s what’s going to get me somewhere in the future.”

The consistency of the relationship led Joaquin to trust McGinnis; that, and her kindness and love.

“Be kind to the kid,” Joaquin advised potential foster parents. “Don’t be abusive. If you get angry, just don’t, like, get overly angry. And if you do, don’t touch the kid.”

He took a moment and thought.

“Always make sure your kid’s homework is done,” Joaquin added.

“Oh I’m going to have fun tonight!” McGinnis chuckled. “That will be in print. That’s in black and white.”

Joaquin has come a long way from hiding in his closet after hitting the boyfriend’s fist with a baseball bat. Recently, when he knew he’d crossed a line in his behavior, he confessed it to McGinnis. Like any good mother, McGinnis put certain disciplines into place to break her son’s bad habit.

She lives with uncertainty. McGinnis wants to be a part of Joaquin’s life forever, but she’s unsure how he’ll act after he turns 18. He’s spent most of his life without her and it can leave her feeling like an outsider.

“You don’t know if those seeds are going to take hold or if what he’s known growing up will be a part of his future,” McGinnis said, referring to substance abuse. “Those unknowns are hard, especially as an adopted parent. You want what’s best for your kid and you’re never really sure.”

Despite the uncertainty of the future, McGinnis proves, time and again, that she will be there for Joaquin no matter what.

“There’s been so much inconsistency in his life and it’s not his fault,” she said. “It’s part of the system. [Foster children] will test it to make sure this is going to be that stable home. Even after three years, [Joaquin] is still testing it.”

McGinnis is from a large family. Joaquin was instantly welcomed into it as the 20th grandchild — a “full indoctrination” into the McGinnis clan. She finds herself — in good and bad situations — telling Joaquin, “This is how a family does things.”

It’s working. Joaquin isn’t hiding anymore.

What is Scandal? Part Three: Counteracting Scandal’s destruction

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted

Jul 15, 2010

In the previous editions of The Catholic Sun, we spoke about the “scandal” of the Cross of Christ, which is no scandal at all but rather “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (Cf. 1 Cor 1:7ff) and, then, about true scandals that lead others to sin, that impede them from doing what is right and that place a stumbling block along the path to their eternal destiny in heaven. Now, let us turn our attention to the roots of scandal, and then to key ways to counteract scandal’s destructive impact.

The roots of scandal

What motivates a person to scandalize another? What kind of attitude is behind this destructive act? If we are to reflect on what lies at the root of scandal, we can see that it arises from an attitude all-too-common in society today, namely that of indifference, the attitude expressed in three terrible words, “I don’t care.” It is this lack of concern for others that leads a person to be ambivalent about how their actions impact other people. Seen in their most dramatic form, scandalous actions negatively affect the salvation of one’s neighbor and demonstrate a profound lack of charity.

We live in a culture that presents the greatest good as any particular “thing” that a person wants or feels will provide them with some measure of self-fulfillment. This attitude, if allowed to take root within the human heart, becomes a sort of narcissistic disease that prohibits a person from being concerned about anyone other than himself, leaving him able to pursue only his own fulfillment. As we know, Jesus commands us to love one another as He loves us. This sacrificial love, which Christ gives us the grace and the desire to put into practice, is the antithesis of what is promoted in our culture.

Moral indifference also spreads like wildfire when unrestrained freedom becomes an end in itself, without regard for the use of that freedom. “Pro-Choice” jargon is a popular example of this pitfall, wherein a “choice” is trumpeted as a right that must be defended in law without regard for what the “choice” might be. In fact, the “choice” defended by this slogan is the choice to kill an unborn child without any legal consequences. Only crass indifference to the plight of the most innocent and vulnerable among us could stand by and allow such “pro-choice” rhetoric to win the day.

Oppose scandal with the truth

What, then, are we to do in order to expose scandal’s roots and to oppose its destructive venom? We can begin by following the sage advice of John Paul II in his Encyclical The Gospel of Life (#58), “Given such a grave situation, we need now more than ever to have the courage to look the truth in the eye and to call things by their proper name, without yielding to convenient compromises or to the temptation of self-deception… But no word has the power to change the reality of things.”

A false notion of compassion often hinders our ability “to look the truth in the eye.” Genuine compassion can be watered down by letting feelings run roughshod over clear thinking. Then, the rights and dignity of one person (to whom our heart goes out) can overshadow the rights and dignity of another. This happens frequently in the case of abortion. Our late Holy Father wrote (Ibid), “It is true that the decision to have an abortion is often tragic and painful for the mother, insofar as the decision to rid herself of the fruit of conception is not made for purely selfish reasons or out of convenience, but out of a desire to protect certain important values such as her own health or a decent standard of living for the other members of the family… Nonetheless, these reasons and others like them, however serious and tragic, can never justify the deliberate killing of an innocent human being.”

Faithful witnesses to truth and love

The witness of one’s life is the first and fundamental way to bear witness to the truth. As Pope Paul VI often said, “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.”

Using the symbols of salt and light, Jesus teaches us of the duty we have to bear witness to the truth of the Gospel (Mt 5:13-16), “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

The mission to be salt and light for the world will never be fulfilled if our lives are not centered in Christ, in whom the fullness of truth abides, and if our lives are not conformed in obedience to His word. When we live in Him and let His word take possession of our minds and hearts, then, whatever is contrary to truth cannot remain rooted in our lives. Our communion with Him also gives us the courage and wisdom to defend the truth when that is required.

Two wings on which the human spirit rises

Our struggle against scandal requires a twofold approach. On the one hand, we need humility and perseverance. For there are scandals by members of the Church herself, which humiliate and discourage her members, and which are used by opponents to discredit our faithful witness to the truth. However, these should not and must not cause us to despair. Let us recall that, since the betrayal of Judas and in every century down to the present day, the Church has lived with scandalous behavior among some of her members and still managed not just to survive but even to thrive and to bear good fruit. The truth that we profess and that we lift up, after all, is not just one opinion among many; it is not a relativistic phenomenon that changes according to the fads and fashions of the times; it is an unchanging wisdom that has its origin in God and frequently is written in our human nature. So, we need, in the face of these homegrown scandals, to humbly stand strong and to put all our trust in the mercy of God.

On the other hand, the Church serves the human family in this skeptical age by insisting that it is possible for the truth to be known and for men and women of our time to conform their lives to its demands. The truth can be learned through two paths: faith and reason. In his encyclical by that name (Fides et Ratio, #1), John Paul II wrote, “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth — in a word, to know himself — so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of the truth about themselves.”

Since the truth can be known, and since there are two wings by which to fly to its height, then with great hope we can pursue the truth, and with equal hope we can strive to put it into practice, confident that God will supply the grace we need to succeed. Such efforts are, in the long run, the strongest antidotes to scandal and a sure path to discover the wisdom of the Cross.

What is Scandal? Part Two: Major Causes of Scandal in our day

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted

Jun 17, 2010

In the previous edition of The Catholic Sun, we spoke about the “scandal” of the Cross of Christ, which is not a real scandal at all but rather “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (Cf. 1 Cor 1:7ff). Now, let us turn to true scandals that seriously impede others from doing what is right and achieving their eternal destiny in heaven.

The Split between faith and life

A fundamental moral defect of our time, writes Pope Benedict XVI in Caritas in Veritate (#75), is “a conscience that can no longer distinguish what is human.” When we cannot perceive the difference between the rights of human persons and the rights of animals or when we do not recognize the equal dignity of every human person from the moment of conception until natural death, then we have lost our moral compass, and the door to horrifying human atrocities is opened. Then, people attempt to justify such evil acts as racism and ethnic cleansing, abortion and euthanasia.

How does this moral defect come about? Certainly it is linked to a crisis of faith, where faith in God is lost altogether, or where faith is divorced from daily life. The divorce between faith and life is one of the “scandals” specifically mentioned by the Second Vatican Council. In the Constitution on the Church in the Contemporary World (Gaudium et spes, #43), we read, “One of the gravest errors of our time is the dichotomy between the faith which many profess and the practice of their daily lives. As far back as the Old Testament the prophets vehemently denounced this scandal, and in the New Testament Christ Himself with greater force threatened it with severe punishment. Let there, then, be no such pernicious opposition between professional and social activity on the one hand and religious life on the other.”

Silence about Scandal

A failure to call evil by its name inevitably leads to more evil acts in the future. Evil acts, in themselves, are the greatest source of scandal. When the perpetrators are not called to account, then they are emboldened to do even worse deeds.

The Prefect of the Church’s Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, in a talk delivered last September, argued that this failure to name scandal for what it is has had particularly harmful effects on society today: “In our time, there is a great hesitation to speak about scandal, as if, in some way, it is only a phenomenon among persons of small or unenlightened mind, and, therefore, a tool of such persons to condemn others rashly and wrongly. Certainly, there is such a thing as pharisaical scandal, that is, a malicious interpretation of the morally good or, at least, morally indifferent actions of another…. But there is also true scandal, that is, the leading of others, by our words, actions and failures to act, into confusion and error, and, therefore, into sin…. It is particularly insidious that our society which is so profoundly confused about the most basic goods also believes that scandal is a thing of the past.”

To remain silent about scandalous activity is not an act of charity; for charity is inauthentic if it is not linked with truth. Moreover, as we learned from the earliest pages of the Bible, from the story of Cain and Abel, we “are our brother’s keeper.” Fraternal correction is not an act of presumed superiority. It is an act of fraternal love that desires our brother to see and admit his mistake, to repent and find new life in the rich mercy of God. It is also an act of love for all those who might otherwise be led astray if the scandalous behavior were not publicly confronted.

In this regard, Jesus states quite emphatically (Lk 17:1-3), “Scandals inevitably arise, but woe to him through whom they come. He would be better off thrown into the sea with a millstone around his neck than giving scandal to one of these little ones. Be on your guard. If your brother does wrong, correct him.”

Not all scandal is the same

It is common knowledge that certain persons exercise greater influence than others in society. They may fulfill an office of greater authority, enjoy more popularity or prestige, or be in a position to exercise political, economic or spiritual power or to make decisions that impact a large number of people. The greater their influence the greater their ability to inspire what is right and good but also the greater their ability to give scandal.

Within the family, the example given by parents impacts in countless ways on their children. Parents are the first teachers of their children in the faith; they teach by actions even more than by their words. Their good deeds teach children what is right, while their sinful deeds set an example that leads the children astray.

Within the Church, clergy and religious exercise a major influence on the laity. Those who are holy inspire others in the pursuit of holiness. But the moral failings of religious and clergy cause great harm within the Church and society, and are a cause of much scandal. Sadly, the sexual abuse of children and youth by a small percentage of the clergy has reminded everyone of the devastating results of such scandalous behavior, and the need to decisively address this scandal.

Within society today, politicians, judges and others exercise major influence on key issues such as the dignity of human persons, the protection of marriage, and the exercise of religious freedom. When such public officials claim to be Catholic but fail to fulfill their role in these key issues, and especially when they justify such grievous omissions of responsibility by claiming they cannot “impose their religious views on others,” they give grave scandal. Their words and actions allow such fundamental evils as abortion and embryonic stem cell research to continue to kill thousands of the littlest and most innocent members of the human family. Their false argumentation also gives the mistaken impression that abortion is just a matter of religious opinion rather than a basic human right inscribed in every human heart.

Since some scandals are more grievous than others, remaining silent about the scandal given by those with greater influence in the Church or society has far more toxic effects than silence about other scandals.

In the next part of this series on scandal, we shall look at the roots of scandal, and then we shall consider what is scandal’s opposite: faithful and courageous service of truth.

What is Scandal? Part One: The Mystery of the Cross

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted

Apr 1, 2010

Scandal is not a happy topic. It is fodder for gossip and fuel for rumors. It is a favorite of modern media and a weapon in decadent politics. But scandal, even if enticing to the curious mind, cannot make the heart sing. It weighs down the human spirit. It leads a person towards hell.

Not all that is called “scandal,” however, is indeed so. On the other hand, some things that cause grievous scandals are hailed as “rights,” are approved by many and are even extolled in a dictatorship of relativism.

The Lenten Season, and especially Palm Sunday and Good Friday, provide us rich food for thought on the question of what does and does not constitute scandal in this world burdened by sin. It also shows us how to fight scandal and to be faithful witnesses to Christ and to His holy cross.

The ‘scandal’ of the Cross

St. Paul, with his usual candor, states quite emphatically (1 Cor 1:18-25): “The message of the cross is complete absurdity to those who are headed for ruin, but to us who are experiencing salvation it is the power of God… Yes, Jews demand ‘signs’ and Greeks look for ‘wisdom,’ but we preach Christ crucified — a stumbling block to Jews, and an absurdity to Gentiles; but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s folly is wiser than men, and His weakness more powerful than men.”

Personal experience as a teacher of the Gospel of Christ made St. Paul keenly aware that the cross of our Redeemer was a “stumbling block” (skandalonin Greek) for most of his listeners. They were “scandalized” by the horrific suffering and violent death of Jesus of Nazareth, and even more “scandalized” by Jesus’ words (Mk 8:34-35), “If a man wishes to come after me, he must deny his very self, take up his cross, and follow in my steps. Whoever would preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospel’s will preserve it.”

This “scandal” of the Cross seems initially to have caused the great Apostle to the Gentiles to have second thoughts about speaking of the cross of Christ in his efforts of evangelization. However, he came to see that it is an act of charity to throw a stumbling block on the path of any person whose life is headed towards eternal destruction.

The Good News of Christ crucified

Humbled by apparent failure in his preaching efforts in various places before arriving in Corinth, and yet with renewed conviction that the cross and Resurrection of Jesus stand at the heart of the Gospel, St. Paul wrote (1 Cor 2:1-2), “As for myself, brothers, when I came to you I did not come proclaiming God’s testimony with any particular eloquence or ‘wisdom.’ No, I determined that while I was with you I would speak of nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

It was this pastoral plan of the Teacher of the Gentiles that proved to be the most effective in bringing people to place their trust in God and to believe in the Gospel. Why was this so? What made the message of the Cross, which seemed like a scandalous event to many, such a treasure for those who eventually put their trust in Christ?

It could be that the seeming “scandal” of the cross, when seen in its true glory and wisdom, opened the eyes of new believers to the real “scandals” that abounded all around them and that were not recognized as such until the wisdom of the cross was revealed. After all, the city of Corinth, where St. Paul first focused his evangelizing efforts entirely on the cross, was mired in moral depravity and teeming with pagan cults that exalted scandalous behavior instead of promoting virtue. It was only the message of the cross of Christ that cut through this web of deception and freed people to build their lives on the solid foundation of the truth.

What is scandal?

We read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church(#2284: “Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. The person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor’s tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense.”

True scandal harms others; it places before them a bad example or deceptive words that lead them to stumble into sin, to choose the path to vice, to avoid the path to virtue. Scandal finds its source in the devil, whom Jesus calls “the father of lies.” No title could be more appropriate for Satan since all his temptations are aimed at deceiving men and women.

On the other hand, Jesus reveals the full truth of God’s love, especially through His cross and Resurrection. The fact that this greatest of truths seems scandalous to those whose hearts are set on this world demonstrates how much harm sin has done to the human mind, and how greatly it has confused the human heart. It is also a startling but crucial reminder of our need as followers of Christ crucified to draw ever nearer to Him and to ask Him to conform our minds and hearts to His.

In the next part of this series, we shall continue this exploration of scandal, looking at major agents of scandal in our present day; then we shall consider key ways to counteract scandal and to invite people to discover the wisdom of the cross.

Questions and Answers: On being dismissed from the clerical state

The Catholic Sun

Feb 16, 2010

1. Does dismissal from the clerical state have the same meaning as “laicization”?

Yes. Laicization means that the cleric is “returning to the lay state.” The priest or deacon is no longer bound to the duties and obligations he incurred upon ordination. He no longer has the rights of a cleric in canon (Church) law either. Furthermore, the diocesan bishop and the diocese no longer have the same duties to support the dismissed cleric (provide housing, salary, benefits, health insurance, etc). The term “defrocked,” which is often used by the lay media to indicate dismissal from the clerical state, has no meaning in the Catholic Church or in canon law.

Story: Vatican dismisses Fushek from clerical state following investigation

2. Is dismissal from the clerical state always considered a penalty?

Some clerics request to be returned to the lay state and dispensed from all their rights and obligations as a priest or deacon. This process is termed “voluntary laicization.” In other instances, a cleric can be penalized by being dismissed from the clerical state for serious violations of canon law, usually by committing a delict or crime. Canon law determines what these punishable crimes are, leaving open the possibility that the cleric who is found guilty of such violations can be dismissed. Finally, in other instances, the cleric might be judged unfit for public ministry because of some other circumstance or act.

3. Who decides whether or not a cleric is laicized?

This determination is made by the Holy Father with the help of his congregations, what would be known in the lay world as advisory councils. Depending upon the offense, different congregations handle specific crimes or violations committed by clerics. Ultimately, it is the pope, and him alone, who through an official decree declares a priest to be dismissed from the clerical state or in more commonly used terms, “laicized.” Of course, this is accomplished with the recommendation and participation of the local diocesan bishop.

4. What procedures actually occur once the pope dismisses a priest or deacon from the clerical state?

Ordinarily, there is a meeting with the cleric who is given a copy of the decree from the Holy See, informing him of his dismissal. The decree explains what parish activities or ministries the dismissed cleric is forbidden to participate in. Usually, there is provision in the decree that dispenses the man from the vow of celibacy. This means that the man would be free to enter into marriage validly. Upon acknowledgment of the decree from the Holy Father, the dismissed cleric is asked to sign the document so as to verify his reception of the decree and a copy is mailed to the Vatican to be filed at the Congregation for the Clergy or the appropriate congregation.

5. What effect(s) is there for sacramental celebrations of a dismissed cleric? In other words, is the Mass they celebrate valid? And what about the rest of the sacraments?

A dismissed cleric may legitimately anoint someone or hear the confessions of those who are in danger of death. Not only would these sacraments be valid, but they would be legal as well. Just as a Christian cannot be “re-baptized,” so too is the indelible character upon a priest’s soul permanent and immovable. As the saying goes, “once a priest, always a priest.” However, a priest or deacon can lose the freedom to function and the rights associated with Sacred Orders. Aside from the danger of death scenarios, all priestly functions and ministries are prohibited and a dismissed cleric is absolutely forbidden to function publicly as a minister of the Church. Generally speaking, as far as the other sacraments are concerned, marriages witnessed by a laicized priest or deacon would be “invalid” and not binding, as well as confirmation, confession, and anointing of the sick, outside of a danger of death. Therefore, for all practical purposes, if the person is not in danger of dying, the laicized priest or deacon celebrates nearly all of the sacraments illegally as well as invalidly.

6. Are the Catholic faithful permitted to support dismissed clerics or to attend their services? If not, why not? And what are the ramifications if I do attend prayer services led by dismissed clerics?

The consequences of supporting a dismissed priest or deacon by attending his services or financially funding his ministry are very serious. Catholics must not attend or support in any way services or ministries of laicized priests and deacons. To be authentically Catholic, we cannot support clerics who are not in communion with the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. A person who supports a dismissed cleric by attending his religious services is tantamount to placing oneself in opposition to the legitimate authority of the Catholic Church and the local bishop. In fact, we are obligated to always maintain communion with the Catholic Church. But, communion and unity are impeded when an individual chooses to follow a dismissed cleric against the local bishop’s urging. In effect, one’s communion with the Church is severely compromised such that you could not claim to be in a Catholic in good standing and in full communion with the Catholic Church. By setting aside the warning and recommendation of the bishop, you imply that the bishop’s authority is not binding or does not apply to you. This is not the interior disposition of one who claims to be “in communion” with the Catholic Church.

7. Am I going to “excommunicate” myself by attending services of a laicized priest? Or am I sinning by worshiping at a place led by a laicized priest?

In determining whether people are excommunicated by their involvement in such groups, it can be said that one “may” have excommunicated themselves and be in schism with the Catholic Church if he or she chooses to accept sacraments of a schismatic group. For example, if a Catholic decides to be married by a laicized priest or deacon, take Holy Communion at a Mass celebrated by a dismissed priest, have his or her confession heard by a laicized priest, etc., then by receiving sacraments from such a cleric it would be safe to presume that one has incurred excommunication. One is no longer in communion if a Catholic decided to receive sacraments from a cleric whose ability to minister publicly and whose rights to do so had been removed. Regarding the topic of “sin,” there are other factors that would require attention and consultation with moral theologians as to the person’s culpability and degree of responsibility. Nonetheless, it would be a very serious matter to publicly support and endorse the ministerial activities of a priest or deacon who has been dismissed from the clerical state and who has incurred excommunication.

8. Is the decision to laicize a priest or deacon a permanent act? Is there recourse or room for an appeal of this decision?

Some processes for dismissal from the clerical state, such as the voluntary laicization process, are set out in the Code of Canon Law. Other processes are more “penal” in nature, such as the dismissal from the clerical state of a priest who is found guilty of sexual misconduct with a minor. This latter process is handled exclusively by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and is a decision by the Holy Father that is not open to appeal. Whether it’s voluntary or not, once the decision is made to dismiss a man from the clerical state, that decision is final and not open to appeal.

9. Do clerics have a right to a canonical advocate or legal representation in Church Law as they go through these processes?

Yes. All clerics are notified of their right to have a canon lawyer represent their concerns and to defend their rights in these proceedings.

10. How do the bishop and diocesan officials collect all the evidence to prove their case and how does the bishop know that he has enough evidence to send to the Vatican for a decision?

The Church has its own procedures, within its own system of canon law. As in any legal system, the Church seeks to render justice by taking action against criminal activity in the Church through specific procedures, evidence gathering, interviewing witnesses, and fact finding. There are experts in canon law who are asked to write their opinion of a case, as to whether the cleric has been found guilty of what he is being accused of, both in light of the law and the facts. The local bishop is also asked to submit his own opinion of the matter. If the bishop believes that the evidence has proven with moral certitude that the cleric is guilty of the crime he is accused of, then the bishop’s votum is prepared and sent along with the entire acts of the case to the Holy See for the pope’s decision.

11. What are some other consequences of being laicized?

Normally, logic would dictate that if a man asked to be dispensed from his obligations to the clerical state, or if a cleric was penalized by dismissal for crimes or negligent behavior, then it would be scandalous and irresponsible for the man to be permitted to teach religion or engage in ministerial functions in the parish or in the diocese.

12. Does the Church no longer care about dismissed clerics? Is there any follow up with these men?

The Church certainly continues to care for the man’s well being and eternal destiny. There can be efforts to assist him with a transition into a new way of life. While the Church would like to assist all such dismissed clerics, it also depends upon their willingness to accept such support.

Q&A: Specifics regarding Fushek’s laicization

A. How does one refer to or address Msgr. Dale Fushek now that he has been dismissed from the clerical state?

He is now addressed as Mr. Fushek because he no longer enjoys the title or rights, duties, and obligations of the clerical state. While always a priest sacramentally as in baptism, he can no longer refer to himself as “Reverend,” “Father,” or “Monsignor.”

B. What impact will this have on his activities and leadership at the Praise and Worship Center?

The hope is that Fushek will cease all public ministries and seek to transition into a new mode of life and work. The Diocese of Phoenix does not hold any ill will toward Fushek. Rather, the Diocese of Phoenix prays for his conversion and personal happiness. It is hoped that the dismissal from the clerical state, while painful and difficult, will play a key role in prompting Fushek to continue his journey with God without being a public minister of the Gospel and the sacraments.

C. What message would the Diocese of Phoenix have for the people who attend and support the Praise and Worship Center?

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted has a duty to ensure that the Faithful are not misled by false teaching and disobedient or duplicitous clerics. Bishop Olmsted, diocesan officials, and Catholics throughout the diocese would encourage anyone who presently supports Fushek in the Praise and Worship Center to appreciate the great damage such activities can create to the Catholic communion.

D. If the sacraments are offered at the Praise and Worship Center, are they valid Catholic sacraments? And could I receive them?

Every sacramental celebration Fushek attempts is highly illegal in the eyes of the Church. Most of the sacraments would not be valid either, with the exception of anointing someone or hearing the confession of someone in danger of death.

Vatican dismisses Fushek from clerical state following investigation

Robert DeFrancesco

Feb 16, 2010

A former East Valley pastor has been officially dismissed from the priesthood, officials for the Diocese of Phoenix announced Feb. 16.

Dale Fushek was recently notified of his dismissal from the clerical state, a process most often referred to as “laicization.” The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had been investigating the former pastor of St. Timothy Parish in Mesa and one-time vicar general for the diocese for his alleged sexual abuse of minors. The Vatican’s findings in that investigation resulted in his removal from the priesthood.

Questions and Answers: On being dismissed from the clerical state

Pope Benedict XVI ordered the dismissal, according to a diocesan statement. This means Fushek is no longer bound to the duties and obligations he incurred upon ordination to the priesthood in 1978, and he no longer has the rights of a cleric under Church law. As a result, Fushek can no longer refer to himself as “reverend,” “monsignor” and “father.”

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted received the “Decree of Dismissal” in January from the Vatican congregation, notifying him that the laicization had been imposed on Fushek as a penalty for acts of sexual abuse of minors.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith addresses “sexual sins” perpetrated by priests and deacons against minors, according to Church law.

Fushek, 57, currently faces charges on several misdemeanor counts of sexual misconduct in San Tan Justice Court. The findings by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith relate to Fushek’s status as a priest only, and have no bearing on any criminal or civil case that he may be involved in.

“The Catholic Church is very concerned about the welfare and spiritual health of the alleged victims of sexual abuse by clergy,” said Fr. Chris Fraser, judicial vicar for the Diocese of Phoenix.

The investigation by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was initiated a few years ago, according to Fr. Fraser, who is an expert on Church law. The Diocese of Phoenix cooperated with their investigation once the allegations were found to have credibility.

Fushek was made aware of the investigation and of his right to defend himself. He was also invited to have canonical counsel.

Fushek was excommunicated from the Church in 2008 for his continued involvement with a small, Mesa-based faith assembly called the Praise and Worship Center — a censure that carried with it the consequence of being forbidden from receiving the Eucharist, celebrating Mass or participating in other sacraments of the Church. He was also barred from representing himself as a priest. Despite his dismissal from the clerical state, the penalty of excommunication remains in place, according to diocesan officials.

“There is no doubt that the Church has been scandalized by the abuse of minors by Catholic clergy,” Fr. Fraser said. “What makes this case unique is that there is an additional scandal related to the schismatic activities of the Praise and Worship Center. Consequently, those who support and promote Fushek’s public ministry must be mindful of the spiritual danger and grave harm their actions create by supporting and attending his services.”

Fushek gained prominence throughout the 1980s and 1990s for co-founding Life Teen, an international youth ministry program. Bishop Olmsted suspended his faculties in late 2004 after an allegation was made that Fushek engaged in inappropriate behavior in the presence of a minor at the Mesa parish in 1985. Fushek later resigned as the pastor on June 30, 2005.

In the diocese’s statement this week, Bishop Olmsted expressed his concern for Catholics who may be misled or confused by the continuing actions of Fushek, particularly as they relate to the Praise and Worship Center. Diocesan officials reminded Catholics that any ceremonies — baptisms, weddings, confessions, and the anointing of the sick — performed by Fushek or others at the Praise and Worship Center, are not legitimate sacraments for Catholics and would not be recognized by the Catholic Church.

The bishop asked for the diocese’s Catholics to pray for reconciliation and healing in this situation.

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