Column
by
Archbishop John G. Vlazny
|
Archbishop's
Column by Archbishop John G. Vlazny |
This Ember Day, pray openly for the
victims of sexual abuse
09/23/2005
Wednesday, Sept. 28, will be this year’s fall Ember Day here in the Archdiocese of Portland. Ember Days are special days of prayer and fasting. As on past Ember Days, I once again earnestly implore that you pray and fast for all the victims of child sexual abuse by the clergy of this archdiocese, for their eventual reconciliation with the church and for the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that, as a church, we will be faithful to our evangelizing mission during these challenging and emotional times.
One victim asked me to forget about Ember Days, since no one in the church seemed to be taking them seriously, including myself. For him, Ember Days were nothing but words. He was looking for actions that would promote justice and healing, not words that seem to lead nowhere. I readily sympathize with his feelings because changes in behavior come only after changes in hearts. But that is why prayer and fasting are important. Without them, there will be no change of heart in any of us about these tragic events.
During the mediations that took place in late summer, I had the opportunity to speak with the mother of one of the victims. She expressed her appreciation for the prayers we offer in church in this regard, but she wanted me to know that in her parish the prayers seem only directed in a self-serving way for the church rather than in a truly compassionate way for victims.
Please do keep praying for the victims. So many of these people have been deeply hurt and their lives scarred in ways, they tell me, that only another victim can truly understand. The litigation and bankruptcy have complicated these matters. Our primary goal remains justice and healing for all victims, the protection of children now and in the future and, through it all, an unrelenting commitment to our church’s evangelizing mission. Prayer and fasting can’t hurt and surely, by God’s grace, will help immensely.
Last month Pope Benedict XVI gave another beautiful catechetical instruction. He expressed concern about our modern world that sees little value in keeping God at the very center of our lives. People nowadays, the Pope said, believe that “by putting God aside” and following our own ideas and desires we can “become truly free.” Sad to say, this is not what happens. He offered a very practical remedy to those who would marginalize the presence of God in the daily lives of humankind.
His suggestion was that the crucifix should be present in public and private places. As an external symbol of God’s presence among us, a crucifix is a reminder of humanity’s shared God-given dignity. We know how many secularists are constantly striving to remove religious symbols from public places. The Holy Father stressed the importance of having symbols like the cross out among the public. Why? Because only if God is present, the Pope said, will we have a guide, a common path to true peace and happiness. A world without God finds people who have lost their “divine dignity” and become “only a product of a blind evolution.” When we do not recognize the divine dignity of each and every person, people are used and abused.
Those remarks of the Holy Father prompt me to encourage all of us to do what we can to promote the use of religious symbols. When I was a youngster, most of the families on our block had crucifixes and images of the Blessed Mother and saints in prominent places in their homes. I don’t see them so often today, especially in the homes of our younger families. Admittedly some religious art does not merit display, either in private or in public. But good religious art is available and is a handy tool for our church’s evangelizing mission, particularly with respect to making the presence of God both proclaimed and felt among us.
Personal jewelry is in these days. Not just for women, but for men too. But not many of those gold or silver chains have religious medals attached as they did in the past. Why? I’m not sure, but yet another opportunity to proclaim our divine dignity and the splendor of God by our appearance is lost.
Children’s names have also changed significantly over the past 50 years. Sad to say, the change is for the worse when one looks to a name as another very useful and practical tool for acknowledging our divine dignity and our belonging to God. Parents now tend to choose names that will be clever or different. Names of contemporary celebrities in the world of entertainment and sports are common. Giving children Christian names that reflect belief in God and identification with a saint is a wonderful evangelizing practice.
There may never have been any deliberate effort to eliminate saints’ names. But I do believe the subtle influence of the modern world that would lead us to put God aside has prevailed in the hearts and minds of too many people. Sometimes I groan inwardly during Confirmations because the names chosen by candidates are so secular that they don’t fit such a sacred moment when a young man or woman is being anointed with the Holy Spirit.
The scandal that has plagued our church as a result of child sexual abuse by clergy is tragic indeed. Because such sinful behavior festers and grows in darkness and secrecy, there has been a great and legitimate clamor for greater transparency in acknowledging this sin and dealing with its consequences. Ours is a sinful church because we are a sinful people. But ours is also a holy church because we are God’s people. We who are the church must give some public expression of our divine dignity. A greater transparency about our faith and our commitment to sharing the good news are the necessary counterpoints to the modern world’s eagerness to put God aside and just do our own thing. Public displays of the crucifix and other religious art speak volumes about our need for the presence of God, especially when confronted with evil.
On this coming Ember Day, please do pray and fast, but don’t do it all in private. Tell people about the need for prayer and fasting in our lives. Everything isn’t right among us, but God is the one who can help us overcome differences and problems that seem irreconcilable and unsolvable. Yes, the crucifix and all the religious symbols in public and private places do give expression to that most precious relationship in our lives, our friendship with God. Insofar as they turn our minds and hearts devoutly towards God, they are indeed true blessings.