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| Apr 20, 2002 |
By convening a summit with US cardinals, the Vatican has sent the strongest signal to date that it views the clergy sex abuse scandals as a grave crisis--not just for the dioceses involved but for the entire church in the United States.
At the same time, officials in Rome cautioned against expecting too much from the April 23-24 meeting. It was described in a communique as a "working session," and Vatican sources said it would be exactly that.
Calling cardinals and bishops to Rome is unusual, although it's been done before to examine pastoral problems in places like Brazil, the Netherlands, Lebanon, and Australia. US cardinals and archbishops were convened in 1989 to discuss a wide range of questions related to evangelization in a pluralistic society.
What sets the April summit apart is the narrow focus of the agenda and the suddenness of its preparation.
"Summoning all of the US cardinals to Rome on such short notice is unprecedented," said Fr Thomas Reese SJ, editor of America magazine.
Fr Reese said he thinks the pope wants direct input from the cardinals on the issue of clerical sex abuse. But he also warned of excessively high expectations from the summit.
"Obviously, the pope cannot micromanage the priest personnel policies of every diocese in the US. But the cardinals could float ideas with the pope and get his reactions. When the bishops meet in Dallas in June, it would be very helpful to have some idea of what proposals would have the backing of the pope," Fr Reese said. [Source: CNS. Do not repost electronically]
A Jesuit priest has been removed from his job in a California parish, because of allegations that he molested a youth 24 years ago while he was president of Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas.
Superiors in the Jesuit order are investigating the allegation against Fr Thomas Naughton SJ, according to the diocesan officials in suburban Los Angeles who suspended him.
Jesuit officials in New Orleans notified the Orange County diocese, where Fr Naughton is serving at a parish, about the Dallas allegation on April 5, and he was relieved of his duties that day. [Source: By Reese Dunklin and Brooks Egerton / The Dallas Morning News ]
A meeting planned between the Palestinians and Israelis to discuss the siege of the Church of the Nativity was cancelled April 18.
A five-strong Palestinian delegation led by the Mayor of Bethlehem Hanna Nasser, was due to meet the Israelis, headed by the commander of the military operations in Bethlehem.
The Missionary News Service said it appeared that the Israeli military authorities rejected the participation of representatives of the Vatican and Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Fr Giovanni Battistelli, representing the Franciscans in the Holy Land said he was "deeply disappointed," adding that: "they are dying of hunger in the complex."
Caroline Hawley, BBC correspondent in Bethlehem, said this morning: "The center of Bethlehem has become a public health hazard. Millions of dollars of investment for the millennium have gone up in smoke."
She described: "Cars crushed by Israeli tanks, shop shutters torn off, sewage flowing over the cobbles, pipes spewing out water, and mounting, stinking piles of uncollected rubbish." [Source: ICN]
Boston College has announced the establishment of the J Joseph Moakley Endowed Chair in Political Science, in tribute to the social justice legacy of the late US Congressman from Massachusetts--notably his efforts in the wake of the 1989 Jesuit slayings in El Salvador.
The chair honors the legacy of the late John Joseph Moakley--a member of the US House of Representatives from 1972 until his death in 2001 -- whose pursuit of justice following the 1989 murders of six Jesuits, their housekeeper, and her daughter at the University of Central America in El Salvador won him the unwavering appreciation of the Jesuit community at Boston College.
Moakley headed up a Special Congressional Task Force that monitored the investigation into the murders. The commission's efforts contributed to the trial and conviction of Salvadoran military officers for their part in the crime and to the eventual signing of peace accords at the United Nations that ended the nation's 12-year civil war.
The establishment of the Moakley Chair in Political Science will "make sure that the commitment to human rights, law, and justice that were so much a part of Joe's life grow and deepen in our world," said Boston College President William P Leahy, SJ. [Source: Boston College]
Jesuit Cardinal Avery Dulles said in an April lecture at Fordham University that his father's negotiation of the 1951 Japanese Peace Treaty provided an example of the way forgiveness could become "valuable medicine" for social and political conflict.
His father, John Foster Dulles, who would become secretary of state in 1953 under President Dwight D Eisenhower, was himself "conscious of the religious dimensions of the settlement," the cardinal said.
Calling the settlement "a treaty of reconciliation," Cardinal Dulles said it was inspired by "a politics of forgiveness."
"Although it did not entirely omit reparations, it imposed no permanent disabilities or limitations of sovereignty," he said. And the result, he said, had been "a half century of friendship and cooperation."
"Christianity, put into practice, provides extraordinarily valuable medicine for the conflicts that plague the world today," he said.
Without forgiveness, he said, vendettas can continue for generations and produce new outbreaks of violence such as "recent outbursts of terrorism."
Although "forgiveness is scarcely possible" while an enemy is engaged in acts of aggression, afterward "a politics of forgiveness is both a moral imperative and a practical necessity," the cardinal said. [Source: CNS. Do not repost electronically]
Regis University and the National University of Ireland, Galway have signed an agreement to offer an Irish Studies program delivered entirely online and made available throughout the world, in Europe, North and South America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.
"Through the Internet, this cross-cultural collaboration provides the opportunity for Americans to immerse themselves in a study of Irish culture through one of the most prestigious universities of Ireland, combined with an American university which is nationally recognized for its advancements in distance learning," said Dr William Husson, vice president and academic dean of Regis's School for Professional Studies.
The initial course offerings will be five undergraduate courses developed by the Center for Irish Studies at the National University of Ireland. Both institutions are exploring field travel opportunities for students. "But field travel will not be a required element of the program," Husson added.
The program will be funded and sustained by both institutions. [Source: Regis University]
As director of Mount Manresa Retreat Center on Staten Island, Fr Jack Ryan has learned to juggle many roles, especially since the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
Before the dust had begun to settle September 11, Fr Ryan loaded a golf cart with bottled water, soda, fruit, and sandwiches and began making the rounds to the people who were stranded on Staten Island in their cars, trucks, and buses when the bridges and airports were closed.
"It would have made quite a picture seeing my little golf cart toodling up the bridge," he recalled. "We immediately knew we had to make ourselves available."
The next day the center staff held a meeting where they reaffirmed a goal of "doing whatever needed to be done," Fr Ryan said. All capital projects were suspended and staff concentrated on opening the center to all who needed counseling or a place to stay.
The center, with a capacity of about 100, soon was sheltering twice that many as the Red Cross took over one floor and relief workers poured in to help. Though the center did receive some reimbursements from the Red Cross, the Koch Foundation, and the New York Fire Department, Fr Ryan said, "We are still in the hole--thousands in the hole."
Though the center has returned to some degree of normalcy, there are still visiting police and firefighters who make it home while they work at a landfill site near the center, where all the debris is sifted again in search for remains. [Source: CNS. Do not repost electronically]
On March 28 Belgium became the latest country to ratify a Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits the use of children as soldiers. The UN Protocol, banning the use of children in armed conflict, has been signed by 100 countries and entered into force on February 12, 2002.
The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, a group formed in 1998 by six leading NGOs, including JRS, has been campaigning vigorously to draw attention to the estimated 300,000 child soldiers currently fighting in more than 35 countries worldwide. [Source: JRS Dispatches]
The "big guys" (Jesuit colleges, universities, and high schools) often get the publicity. We present here three web sites with Jesuits connections which are connected with individual Jesuits who are doing interesting things in spreading of the Gospel.
Fr John Dear SJ is a New York-based peace activist. He has a web site at: http://www.fatherjohndear.org. The site is a collection of his sermons, speeches, and articles, including "Confessions of a September 11th Chaplain."
Fr Eddie Siebert SJ is the Director of Loyola Productions. Loyola Productions, Inc is a not-for-profit creative media company that builds on the 450 year old Jesuit tradition of effective involvement in the communication arts. If that sounds a bit vague, just visit their site at http://www.loyolaproductions.com.
Fr Jeff Putthoff SJ runs Hopeworks ‘N Camden. He uses web site design/development and GIS technologies to work with the youth of Camden, NJ. You can find out more about this operation at http://www.hopeworks.org .
Apr 22, 1541. Ignatius and his first companions made their solemn profession of vows in the basilica of St Paul Outside-the-Walls.
JesuitUSA News is a service of Company Magazine. In addition to the print edition, almost all of the items in Company Magazine can be viewed via the World Wide Web at www.companymagazine.org or www.companysj.com. Any correspondence concerning this mailing list should be sent to the editor at news@companysj.com . The newsletter is available to all Jesuits, to those who work with them, or to those who are simply interested in what they are doing. Tell your friends; the price is right! If you are requesting addition to the list, please include your real name as well as your email address. If you are changing your address, please include YOUR NAME as well as both the NEW and the OLD email addresses.
The editor of this Newsletter is Richard VandeVelde SJ who is ably assisted by Ms Rebecca Troha, Assistant Editor. They would both like to remind you of the following useful WWW links for items of Jesuit interest. Many of these links will lead you to others.
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