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May 26, 2005 |
Vatican radio officials Fr Pasquale Borgomeo SJ and Cardinal Roberto Tucci were convicted of polluting the environment with electromagnetic waves from broadcasting towers in a suburb north of Rome.
A Rome court on May 9 found them guilty of "dangerous showering of objects," a criminal charge, and sentenced them to 10 days in jail.
The court decision came after a five-year legal battle waged against Vatican Radio by residential and local environmental groups, who contend that the radio's transmission center's levels of electromagnetic radiation had increased the risk of cancer in children.
Fr Federico Lombardi SJ, Vatican Radio's program director, said the radio would appeal the court's decision, and that he said he hoped the Italian courts would eventually recognize that radio officials had always acted "properly." This would someday help "clear away the dark shadows" that tainted the radio's "good reputation and contributed to feeding unfounded fears in people."
He said the radio's transmission center had always met with international norms of accepted levels of electromagnetic radiation "even before the existence of Italian standards."
When Italy established its own stricter radiation levels in 1998, the radio began to "carefully respect" the new norms, said Fr Lombardi.
Though the World Health Organization concluded in 1996 that there was no convincing scientific evidence of a link between radio frequencies and cancer, it called for further studies to investigate possible health risks associated with electromagnetic fields. [CNS. Do not repost electronically]
Jesuit officials in Rome said Fr Thomas Reese resigned as editor in chief of America magazine after repeated complaints from then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who objected to the magazine's treatment of sensitive Church issues.
Jesuit Fr Jose de Vera, spokesman for the Society of Jesus in Rome, said Fr Reese decided to resign after discussing the situation with his Jesuit superiors, following Cardinal Ratzinger's election as pope. Fr de Vera denied reports that Fr Reese was forced to resign but acknowledged that pressure had been coming from the Vatican for several years.
"He tendered his resignation. It was not imposed, contrary to what was written," Fr de Vera said.
"With Cardinal Ratzinger elected pope, I think [Fr Reese] thought it would be very difficult to continue his line of openness, without creating more problems. He had been at America magazine seven years and he improved it tremendously, so I think he understood it was time to go," the Jesuit spokesman said.
Fr Reese announced May 6 that at the end of the month he would leave America; in a statement, he did not mention problems with the Vatican.
He said he would be replaced by America's associate editor Jesuit Fr Drew Christiansen, known for his work on Catholic social teaching and international justice and peace issues.
Fr de Vera said that Cardinal Ratzinger, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, had expressed concern about America's articles on several occasions to Jesuit Father General Peter-Hans Kolvenbach.
Fr de Vera said the articles that drew complaints treated a relatively small number of issues: "Dominus Iesus," the doctrinal congregation's document on Christ as the unique savior; same-sex marriage; stem cell research; and the reception of Communion by Catholic politicians who support legal abortion.
On these and other questions, America often hosted commentary that represented a broad spectrum of opinions among Catholics, including those who disagreed with some of the Vatican's positions.
"The policy of [Fr Reese] was to present both sides of the discussion. ... He wanted to present both sides within the Catholic community. But that did not sit well with Vatican authorities," Fr de Vera said.
Fr de Vera said that because the articles touched on doctrinal issues the Vatican wanted the Jesuits to write articles "defending whatever position the Church has manifested, even if it is not infallible."
Fr de Vera also said he thought some of the complaints probably came from Catholics in the United States, and that Cardinal Ratzinger's congregation was reacting to them.
More than a year ago, Fr de Vera said, the tension had reached the point that Vatican officials threatened to impose a board of censors on the magazine unless changes were made.
At that time, he said, Fr Reese and the Jesuits agreed to set up an internal board that reviewed articles prior to publication. In this way, "the threat of outside censors was dispelled," Fr de Vera said. But even under that arrangement America articles continued to provoke complaints at the Vatican.
"The board has not produced what [the Vatican] expected -- a very strict line, very, very close to whatever was expressed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith," Fr de Vera said.
Some Church sources said Cardinal Ratzinger's office was believed to have sent a letter in March requesting Fr Reese's dismissal. Fr de Vera said he was unaware of such a letter and could neither confirm nor deny its existence.
Fr de Vera said that after Fr Reese discussed the situation with Fr Kolvenbach in April he voluntarily decided to resign for the good of the order.
The Jesuit spokesman characterized the decision as "very prudent, very wise, and very generous" on the part of Fr Reese. Considering his improvements at the magazine, Fr de Vera said, "he resigns in a moment of glory, so to speak."
During Fr Reese's tenure America's circulation grew and it was often quoted in other media. Fr Reese, who has written books on how the Vatican and the US bishops operate, is frequently interviewed about church affairs by US print and broadcast media. [Source: CNS. Do not repost electronically]
On the evening of May 7, Belgian Jesuit missionary René De Haes was shot and killed by men dressed in military uniforms in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Fr De Haes, 71, was the rector of the Jesuit study center Saint Peter Canisius in Kimwenza, about thirty kilometers from the capital of the country. He was returning home when his car was stopped. People on the road witnessed men dressed in military uniforms looting a warehouse; two of the looters asked Fr De Haes something, presumably for money or for his car. Then Fr De Haes was shot five times by them. He was taken to a hospital but died around 9 pm that evening.
Fr De Haes was from Heist-op-den-Berg, Belgium. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1952 and spent most of his life serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [Source: Jesuits in Europe]
Theologians should be cautious, but not afraid, in their Gospel-based search for truth, said Indian Jesuit Fr Samuel Rayan, a theologian.
Fr Rayan also said Christianity should usher in a leadership that is less European to help its catholicity and shed its image as a European religion.
"Christianity is a movement that was started in Asia, by Asians, including St Peter and other disciples of Jesus. The Bible is an Asian book. But the general impression, particularly in Asia, is that Christianity is a European religion," Fr Rayan said.
He said a non-European pope would have helped correct that impression, but any pope is called to take a wide view of the Church with its "variety of culture and spiritual sensitivities."
While head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, a German, often clashed with Asian theologians. Fr Rayan said then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's investigations into the theologians' work were handled poorly, but in the end they led to a greater understanding of Asian culture and theology.
"A certain measure of confrontation is always part of human existence and part of the search for the truth and justice. It is not a matter of faith to avoid all confrontations. In the Gospel itself there are instances of Jesus confronting authorities. Sometimes he confronts his own disciples and [the] general public in various ways. Confrontation is not necessarily an evil," he said.
"You cannot be afraid and be a theologian," Fr Rayan added, although he said "caution is always welcome."
Fr Rayan said Pope Benedict should use the authority of the papacy to build a church that promotes a "faith that seeks justice, solidarity, and dignity among God's children." Theology should not be seen merely "as faith seeking understanding, something abstract and cerebral," he said. [Source: CNS. Do not repost electronically]
Washington Jesuit Academy graduated its first class of twenty boys on May 26. The school, which opened in 2002, is Washington, DC's first tuition-free private middle school, preparing at-risk boys for a college preparatory high school education. All twenty graduates have been accepted into high schools, most with scholarship assistance.
The school has grown to serve 60 students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, all on full scholarship. One hundred percent of the school's funding comes from individuals who sponsor scholarships for students, from foundation grants, and from contributions from the local Jesuit communities. [Source: Washington Jesuit Academy]
Company magazine's article on the opening of Washington Jesuit Academy is online at www.companymagazine.org/v201/openingday.htm
Fr John McGarry SJ, principal of Jesuit High School in Sacramento for the past seven years, has been named the next provincial of the California Province. He will succeed Fr Thomas Smolich SJ in September. Fr McGarry has also taught and worked in campus ministry at Brophy College Prep in Phoenix and Loyola High in Los Angeles.
A serious illness has prevented Fr Peter Togni SJ, who had recently been named to replace Fr Smolich, from taking office. [Source: California Province]
In early April an exhibition entitled "Hope and Healing: Painting in Italy in a Time of Plague, 1500-1800," opened at the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, Massachusetts, in partnership with the College of the Holy Cross and Clark University. It is curated by Gauvin Bailey (Art History, Clark University), Pamela Jones (Art History, University of Massachusetts, Boston), Franco Mormando (Italian Literature, Boston College), and Thomas Worcester SJ (History, College of the Holy Cross).
Its 37 works explore how art and religion responded to epidemics and the fear they engendered in early modern society. The paintings include one of a Jesuit saint—Aloysius Gonzaga—as well as other themes related to the ministries that characterized Jesuits in the early modern period.
More information and highlights of the exhibit, which runs through September 25, can be found at www.worcesterart.org/Hope/index.htm.[Source: Thomas Worcester SJ]
Fr Daniel Sweeney SJ has compiled a prayer booklet, "Armed with the Faith: A Catholic Handbook for Military Personnel," containing prayers, devotions, sacramental theology, catechetical information, and hymns. The book, which fits in the pocket of a battle dress uniform, is in its third edition, with more than 200,000 copies already in circulation here and overseas, and a Spanish language edition on the way.
"As soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines find themselves in harm's way, we hope this book will help them to pray and provide them with spiritual help and support," said Fr Sweeney, a fellow at the Boston College Center for Irish Programs who has served six years as a chaplain in the US Air Force Reserve.
In addition to familiar Catholic prayers, the booklet includes less well-known ones, such as the Anima Christ and Ignatius's prayer for generosity. The prayer books are provided free of charge to military personnel by the Knights of Columbus and distributed by the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.
The spiritual necessities of so many Catholics in military settings or families was reason enough for a prayer book, said Fr Sweeney, but events of the past few years, including the September 11 terrorist attacks as well as the increased overseas deployments and use of reservists, provided added impetus for the project. [Source: Boston College] [An image accompanies this item in the Web version]
The scent of peppermint or cinnamon in your car might make your morning commute less frustrating and you more alert when behind the wheel. That's according to the results of a study led by Dr Bryan Raudenbush, associate professor of psychology at Wheeling Jesuit University. The study found that drivers had decreased levels of frustration, anxiety, and fatigue when exposed to the scents.
Raudenbush's past research indicated the two smells enhance motivation, performance, and alertness, decrease fatigue, and serve as central nervous system stimulants. For more information, go to: www.wju.edu/about/adm_news_story.asp?iNewsID=1484&strBack=%2Fabout%2Fadm_news_archive.asp
Boston College's German Studies Department has produced seven Fulbright winners this spring, a record for the small department. BC will also send what is believed to be its first Fulbrights to India and Costa Rica. Other Fulbright winners will head to Bulgaria, Switzerland, and France.
Fr PC Matthew SJ, principal of Xavier College in Kolkata, India, reopened the dome of an observatory abandoned since 1926. The observatory, which was set up in 1875 by Fr Eugene Lafont SJ, will be dedicated to solar research and teaching under the astrophysics department.
High school students are invited to join teens from across the Southeast at Spring Hill College in July for Catholic Youth Conference 2005.This "youth conference with a difference" will feature a five-day opportunity for teens to discover a deeper relationship with God through prayerful silence, scripture, praise, worship, and personal experience of Catholic social teaching. Rooted in Ignatian spirituality, teens are called to live out their faith experience through interaction, silence, and action. See photos from last year and download a registration form at www.shc.edu/cyc.
Fr Michael Graham SJ, president of Xavier University, is the new president of the Atlantic 10 Conference Presidents' Council; his two-year term takes effect immediately. The council is the governing body of the athletic conference. On July 1, the Atlantic 10 Conference will grow to 14 institutions when the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Saint Louis University become full members.
[Sources: Wheeling Jesuit University, Boston College Chronicle, SJ Electronic Information Service, Spring Hill College, Xavier University]
The electronic version of the most recent Woodstock Report, produced by the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, can be found at woodstock.georgetown.edu/e-WR.htm.
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